Over the course of the next week, Booth started making notes about things he knew his partner hated. He kept them all in his little notebook, every once in awhile pulling it out to jot down something interesting. Anyone watching him in court might think he was taking notes, and he was…for the most part, but every once in awhile he'd flip to the back and add a little something about Bones…
Over the course of the next week, Brennan began to feel a little nervous. She hadn't seen Booth much, apparently the murders just weren't happening before Christmas. She knew Booth would say it was because people were feeling nice, but she had a feeling it was more that people didn't have time to report things, they were too busy. But that's not why she was nervous. She was nervous about the book tour. She'd done some little mini book signings and things, about her own books, but nothing too big, and the books had always been the items up for discussion. She also talked all the time in public about trips she'd taken or new findings in skeletal cleaning…but this…she was the subject of the tour, with Booth. They were going to have to stand there and be analyzed, presumably by people who had read Dr. Sweets' book and who would have made judgements about her relationship, her working partnership with Booth.
Over the course of the next week, Dr. Sweets kept to himself for the most part. He flip flopped between anxiety and pride over telling Agent Booth his secret. But he'd been analyzing the partners in great detail over the course of this past year and he really thought they'd moved past any sort of romantic entanglements. If for some reason, he was wrong, he'd step back, but…it was time for him to take a chance.
On the morning of the 18th, Booth pulled into his spot at the FBI building to see Dr. Sweets and Dr. Brennan already there, talking. Keeping the SUV running, he rolled down his window. "Hey, are you guys ready to go? Hop in."
"Sure" Brennan walked around to the passenger side of her car to get her things while Sweets walked up to Booth's window.
"Dude…I was kind of thinking I'd drive."
Booth scoffed…"No way, dude."
"But…" Sweets tried to persuade him… "I feel that…my driving will impress Dr. Brennan with its masculine overtones."
"First of all, don't ever let her hear you say anything like that" Booth gave him a free piece of advice. "Secondly…I'm driving…"
"But…"
"Hop in Sweets…that's the deal. That's always the deal."
Booth saw him narrow his eyes and wondered for a moment if Sweets was going to fight him on this. Hmmm…interesting…a little display of pride. Booth felt a twinge (slight) of guilt, but…no way was he sitting in the back of Sweets' car on a road trip with Bones…not happening.
Speaking of her, she moved to stand by him.
"Dr. Sweets…why don't you sit up front? I'll sit in the back for once."
"But…" both men began…Booth held his tongue, letting Sweets take this one.
"But that is your seat, Dr. Brennan."
She looked at Booth in surprise. "Well, it's not like it has my name on it, or anything."
Booth flushed for a moment, but didn't say anything, hoping neither of the doctorate degree owners would notice. He looked over at them to see Sweets looking at her, and Bones looking back at him with a smile on her face, maybe at something funny he'd said.
"Just…someone get in the car" Booth growled.
