Thanks to all who liked, reviewed and followed my story. Again a big thank you to my Beta Jazzyproz who spend a lot of her precious time to help my with my story, can't do it without her.

So, our favorite couple agreed to do the job, let's see what will follow next ….

Cullen opened the office door, addressing his secretary. "Would you please ask Agents James and Lisa Anderson to come to my office? They'll be expecting your call." He returned to his seat once again and continued speaking with his best team.

"Booth, I believe you already know Agent James Anderson and his wife Agent Lisa Anderson." Turning his attention to Brennan, he clarified the details of the agents who would be joining them shortly. "He's a profiler for Cyber Crimes, and she is an investigator in Public Corruption Prevention." He delivered the rest of his explanation evenly between the pair. "They'll be accompanying you two on the trip. They're already briefed on the case and have the detailed schedule. They'll help with the preparations for the trip and will also serve as the witnesses to your onboard marriage. You'll be under a bit of a time crunch, because you're leaving the day after tomorrow."

Booth's and Brennan's eyes widened in unison. "That's... very short notice," Brennan observed aloud. "What if we hadn't agreed to help?"

Cullen grinned. "Oh, I was confident you'd be eager to take this case. I know your work ethics too well, and I strongly suspected that neither of you would be able to say no to a challenge of this… magnitude." His eyes shifted between them both, one side of his mouth curling up in smug amusement before growing serious again. "The Sapphire Majesty is setting sail in two days, headed down into the Caribbean. Working closely with our contact, we managed to book a couple of connecting cabins, one for you two and one for the Andersons. The majority owner wants to get this situation resolved as soon as possible."

There was a knock at the door and a couple entered. Unsurprisingly, both wore standard FBI suits, hers with a light blue blouse, his with a white shirt and a black tie.

"Ah, there you are." Cullen motioned for the newcomers to take the two additional seats he'd moved towards his desk. "James and Lisa, may I introduce Dr. Temperance Brennan from the Jeffersonian, and of course, you already know Booth. Thanks for coming, and thanks for your commitment on this case."

Booth and Brennan shook hands with the couple, exchanging pleasantries as everyone assumed their positions across from the Director. The Andersons were a little bit older than themselves, Brennan mentally noted. Lisa had a kind face and dark hair that was pulled back into a professional knot at the base of her neck. James was a tall, handsome man with brown hair and just the right amount of gray at his temples to give him a classic distinguished-gentlemanly-appearance.

Brennan observed Booth silently, watching how he interacted with the couple, and from his broad smile, she assumed he was glad about working with them. It was clear to see that her partner was comfortable with them both, and Brennan found that his seamless interactions allowed her to feel equally at ease with them right away. If their first meeting was any indication, it would be a pleasure to work with them.

"So, here we go!" James opened a folder and extracted a number of documents. He placed one in front of himself and Lisa and gave a copy each, to Booth and Brennan.

"Here are the parameters to our trip." He pointed to the top on the front page.

"We all use our real names, and more or less, act like ourselves. Dr. Brennan is an anthropologist working for the Jeffersonian. We don't mention her professional connection, or that of the museum's, to the FBI. There will, of course, be a chance that someone on the ship will recognize her from her books, so we can't risk giving her a false identity. The three of us," he motioned to Booth and Lisa, as well as himself, "don't mention that we work for the FBI; we just work 'for the Government.' Through our work, Lisa and I have come to know you, Booth, and we all are friends, and by proxy, are friends with Dr. Brennan as well. We're serving as your witnesses and are on the ship to celebrate your marriage."

He pointed to Booth and Brennan. "You two have to pretend to be a couple in love, a couple that is very excited to be wed… So prepare yourselves for a fair bit of PDA."

Instinctively knowing that Brennan would question the acronym, Booth turned his attention in her direction. When he saw the familiar 'V' between her brows, he smiled softly. "Public Displays of Affection," he clarified quietly.

"Uhh… O-Oh," she stuttered, feeling her face flush with heat, but swallowing her anxiety in favor of listening to the partners.

"Yeah," James affirmed. "You kinda have to attract the murderer, and if he or she is triggered by happy couples getting married, what better way, right?" He winked playfully. "You guys think you can manage that?" He was biting back a smile; it was blatantly obvious that the FBI didn't really need to worry about their ability to do just that.

"We have successfully completed and closed several undercover cases." Brennan sounded offended, squaring her shoulders as she addressed the man she thought was doubting their abilities. "You can be certain that our acting abilities are more than adequate. We will not let the FBI down!"

Booth grinned at her eager defense of their skills. "Simmer down, there, Bones. He's just joking." He patted her hand and flashed the smile that he always reserved just for her.

James continued after seeing the way Booth soothed his partner's concerns. "You two have to get your story straight. Where you met, when you fell in love, how the proposal was done... Please try to be as near to true life as possible, to limit the potential of confusion. Maybe you can start working on your wedding vows tonight."

"Do… Do we have to write vows? Why?" Brennan asked nervously, her questions and words flowing rapidly. "Why do we need to go to that extent? Why can't we just get married and be done with it!?"

"Of course we have to write vows, Bones. Our story has to be convincing." Booth replied patiently, hoping to keep her calm. Oh boy, he thought, she is way outside of her comfort zone. He almost felt bad for enjoying her reaction so thoroughly. Almost... "And," he continued, "I expect to hear some very nice things from you about me!" He winked. "I know I have plenty of nice things to say about you!" He bumped her shoulder lightly, smiling brightly in an attempt to lighten her mood.

Cullen leaned back in his seat, watching the interaction between the partners, his eyes flicking over to the Andersons and back as he schooled his expression. The Director of the FBI had no doubts whatsoever about Booth's ability to do exactly what they were asking of them, and tried to hide the smile tugging at his lips while hoping that his Special Agent in Charge would rein in his partner and secure her consent to follow through.

Lisa cleared her throat, interrupting what appeared to be a silent conversation between Booth and Brennan. "We need your ring sizes, so we can order your wedding bands. There are no acceptable rings in Covert Uniform Supply for you to sign out, so we'll need to pick them up from the FBI's contracted jeweler. And," she turned to the next page of their directives and itinerary. "I've already scoured the costume supply room for wedding attire, and the only gowns down there are clearly unacceptable. So, tomorrow morning at 10:00, Dr. Brennan and I have an appointment at a locally contracted bridal shop. I've already given them some ideas about what we'd be looking for, and they're putting together a small collection of simple white dresses, nothing too extravagant, but elegant and able to be easily packed." She grinned. "Of course, I also provided the budget range, so that we stay within that of the agency's guidelines."

"Oh, I didn't even think about that..." Brennan mumbled. With an eye roll, she flicked her attention from Lisa to Booth. "As if brides who marry these days are still virgins… Wearing all white is so ridiculous."

Lisa looked helplessly to Booth as he barked in laughter.

"Don't worry, she won't say something like that at our wedding. Will you, Bones?!" He smiled at her. "We'll work on your views about being in love and getting married." He grabbed her hand and locked eyes with her, silently begging her to play along.

James turned to Booth with a chuckle to get his attention. "While Lisa is helping Dr. Brennan tomorrow, you and I need to meet to get your tux and to finalize your travel and marriage documentation. Will that work?"

"Sure! I can do that." Booth sat back in his chair and looked at his partner. "Your passport information hasn't changed in the last year, has it?"

"Nothing has changed," she shook her head. "The copy you have in your safe is still accurate." Brennan and Booth had, over their time as partners, shared a lot of their personal information with one another, mostly for the purposes of safety. To the Andersons, however, and to the Director listening to their conversation, it was a revealing piece of information that spoke to just how close the partners truly were.

Booth nodded, mentally planning out what he needed to bring with him the following day. A lot had happened in the last couple hours and his mind was spinning. He wondered what obstacles they'd face the coming days. How will Bones handle the whole wedding situation, he rolled his lips between his teeth in silent thought. Or hell, how am I gonna handle it, living a dream come true… I'm probably gonna get my heart ripped apart at the same time... He watched Brennan as she nervously played with her fingers, an activity she did only when she was feeling uncomfortably nervous.

Brennan's thoughts were also frantically whirring. Her musings, unlike Booth's, were not about dreams coming true. Instead, her brilliant brain was running a million miles an hour about how she would manage portraying an individual who acted against every one of her beliefs, even under the guise of an undercover sting.

Waiting for Brennan's pale eyes to lift and meet his gaze, Booth only half-listened to the rest of the conversations happening around them. When she finally looked at him, he let the slightest of smiles tug the corner of his lips, trying to reassure her wordlessly. They'd have a lot to talk about over the next few days, and he hoped she understood that he wouldn't let her struggle on her own.

After finalizing their appointments for the next morning, James and Lisa were dismissed, leaving Booth and Brennan still sitting with Cullen.

"Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth" he addressed them in turn. "Thank you again for your cooperation. I stand by my belief that you're the right team to do the job."

"Why is it that James and Lisa are married, but still work in the same field office?" Brennan's question burst out, her tone sounding surprisingly accusatory.

"Whoa, Bones," Booth's brow wrinkled and his eyes searched her face. "What's wrong with that?"

"You!" She pointed her neatly manicured finger into his shoulder. "When we first started working together, you told me that we could not enter into a romantic relationship because we worked together. Obviously you lied to me, Booth."

Her anger was clearly evident, but Booth couldn't understand why she was so upset about it. His eyes wide at her accusation, he tried to formulate an answer.

Sensing they were close to a metaphorical explosion, Cullen interrupted. "Booth wasn't lying, Dr. Brennan. The FBI has a Non-Fraternization policy… but we are not heartless. If it were to happen that, despite the rules, two of our employees fell in love, we wouldn't necessarily force them to separate. However, there would certainly be an extended set of guidelines to explore. It could be considered a conflict of interest if they were assigned to the same department, or if they were partners, and such a situation would require careful consideration, review and approval by the Powers that Be, as well as a series of stipulations that would need to be executed by the parties involved." He folded his hands and thought about the couple who had just left his office. "Lisa and James met in the cafeteria... They've never worked together, and they are both very successful agents in their respective fields. It would be short-sighted and irresponsible of the FBI to force one of them to resign." He licked his lips and wondered how far he could push the point. Deciding to just take his chances, he met her pale eyes with a smile and just let it roll. "If you're concerned about you and Booth, let me assure you, you needn't worry; I've had that paperwork prepared for years." He couldn't refrain from teasing her a bit as he tapped his top drawer. He wondered if something had happened back when Booth gave her this lecture, but unless one of them spoke up he had no way of knowing... Now would be a fine time for confessions, he mused with an arched eyebrow, planning how he could spend his winnings from the betting pool.

"Whoa, what?" Booth sat forward in his seat, suddenly paying attention to his boss's innuendo. "We are just partners, Sir. That hasn't changed."

Cullen met Booth's dark irises. Having been an active agent for several years before moving up the ranks to Director, Cullen sensed that there was definitely something that his special agent wanted to avoid talking about. Perhaps this trip would bring things to light, things that have been buried for much too long. He was not allowed to say it prematurely, but if there was ever a change in the relationship between Booth and Brennan, they would have his full support and he would certainly go to bat for them with the Suits further up the food chain.

Inhaling sharply, Booth suddenly stood up with a grunt. Grabbing Brennan's hand, he dragged her along with him. "Bones, time to go. We have lots of work to do." He nodded to Director Cullen, his lips tight and his eyes angry at his boss's barely hidden smirk. "Sir, we'll keep in contact."

With that, he turned to leave, his hold firm on Brennan's hand. The motion happened so quickly, the scientist was only able to wave goodbye with an apologetic expression towards the director as they made their exit.

"Booth, that was very rude!" She whispered harshly as her partner let his boss's door slam shut behind them. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, Bones, nothing's wrong!" He didn't release her until they reached the elevators, when, all of a sudden, he remembered that it was not usual for them to hold hands.

There was a new energy happening around them, happening to them… The fact alone that Cullen had assigned this type of case to them, when Booth knew damn well that there were other agents who could have pulled this off, was setting off warning bells and whistles in his head… He wasn't prepared to talk about it yet, though. Booth could tell, from the bewildered expression in his partner's eyes, she didn't realize that something important was happening here, between them. If this case went wrong, their whole partnership could be at risk.

"Come on," he motioned her into the elevator when the doors opened. "Let's grab some dinner. We can go to Founding Fathers. It's a quiet place, so we can talk in private." He pressed the button that would take them down to the parking lot.

§§§§

The drive to the restaurant was a quiet one, both partners deep in thoughts. At least Booth was in a better mood than when they left Cullen's office, Brennan noticed. His anger seemed to have completely dissipated.

They found a table in the back area of the restaurant and ordered their food and drinks.

"Bones, are you ok?" Booth gazed at her with a worried look, picking up on her nervous energy.

"I find that I am a bit uneasy about going undercover this time..."

"What's your concern? We've been undercover for two cases before, and you did great on both."

"When I was Roxie," she smiled wistfully, thinking of their all-too-brief time in Vegas. "I could say and do things that only she would do… Things that I, myself, would never do. She was carefree and flirtatious in ways I could never be."

He nodded in understanding, wordlessly encouraging her to continue talking.

"As Wanda, I could be jaunty and reckless. I was so much in character, so fully invested in her bravery and trust in Buck, that I wasn't even afraid as I stood against that backboard while you threw knives at me." Another nod from Booth told her that he was listening to her fears.

"But... how can I pretend to be myself, only a different version of myself? I don't know how to do that! I don't know how to portray a romantically involved woman, Booth… I'm not that woman…"

Her pained expression pulled at Booth's heart.

"Bones," he took her hand in his. "You don't have to change, you don't have to act differently." He tilted his head and hoped that she would see the sincerity he was offering. "Simply be you." He held her fingers gently and took a quick sip of his beer. "Just," he shrugged one shoulder. "Follow my lead, and I'll do my best not to steer you wrong. Trust me, ok?" His brown eyes connected with her blues. "All you have to do," his lips curled in a playful smirk, "is pretend to like me… At least a little bit!"

"Booth," Brennan rolled her eyes. "I don't have to pretend." She reassured him. "You're my best friend... I like you a lot."

"Well, that's good to know, Bones. Good to know, indeed!" He patted her hand and sat back in his chair. "Bones, you were an awesome Roxie, and a great Wanda... If there's one thing I'm sure about, it's that you will be an amazing Temperance, as well." His crooked smirk softened into a warm smile - the one he only ever flashed at her, and he felt himself fall a little harder for her when her cheeks blossomed with a healthy flush.

Their food arrived, forcing the partners to break their quiet moment, and they started to eat. While enjoying their meals, they ironed out some important talking points for their upcoming assignment. They agreed to do their best to limit the amount of information they offered about themselves when they were onboard ship, but for those inevitable conversations in which they'd need to contribute, they worked out their relationship timeline and finer details of their romance. Trying to stay as near to their reality as possible, by the time the partners were finished eating, they felt comfortable that, should anyone ask, their fairytale-story would be not only swoon-worthy, but logical and believable, as well.

§§§§

Booth drove to Brennan's apartment building. When the SUV pulled into a street-side parking space, he jumped out and walked around to her side of the car, turning on his charm in preparation of their upcoming week.

"Want me to walk you upstairs?" He closed the car door behind her.

"No, I'm fine, Booth." After they'd finished talking over dinner, she felt measurably better about the somewhat daunting task before them, but her thoughts were in a flurry. "I have a lot of work to do. I'll have to call Cam and Angela, start packing my travel bags… begin writing my vows..." Her wide eyes looked up at him, betraying a carefully disguised combination of excitement, anxiety and vulnerability. "There's a lot for us to prepare and to consider."

Oh boy, Booth thought with a wry grin. Her brilliant brain is gonna be working overtime this week... That's how she's gonna manage the situation.

"Bones, don't worry too much. You'll do great, we will do great." He stood in front of her, taking both of her hands in his. "It's been a busy day, and that won't change in the next few days, but we'll get through this together." He drew her nearer to him. "We'll do our thing, catch a criminal… and who knows? Maybe it'll be a little fun, too!" He winked at her, wanting to take away the pressure she was forcing on herself.

"FUN?!" She asked him incredulously before she took note of the sparkle in his eyes. "Wait, what 'fun' are you talking about?" This time, she questioned him in a teasing tone, smiling up at his handsome face.

Booth felt a swell of pride at his partner's resilience. His Bones was crawling back to the surface again.

"Oh, I dunno," he teased with a single shrug. "I can think of one or two really nice things... Can't you?" He was openly flirting now, and he knew it. But, we have to practice, right? The impish little voice in the back of his mind justified his actions, and at the moment, he had no desire to refrain his actions.

Brennan was standing close, so very close. Booth felt like he was drowning in her blue oceans as he focused on the tiny silver flecks that accented the pale color of her irises. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming, but he had to remind himself that they weren't yet undercover… Kissing her now would confuse his genius scientist, and he couldn't risk that. So, in consolation, he allowed himself to lean in and press a chaste, tender kiss to her forehead before pulling her against his torso in a tight hug.

Nothing was said; they were trying to find their common ground again after an anxiety-ridden afternoon. Standing on the sidewalk beside the SUV for a few brief moments, the partners gave themselves the freedom to draw strength from one another.

They were solid, and they would remain as such. At least they hoped so.

Please let me know what you think of my story so far. I appreciate it very much.