AN:Just so you know, my mother language is French nor English and I know that there are some grammar and vocabulary mistakes in my stories, and I'm glad you point them out to me, but please, don't hate my story for it. Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with sugar on top?
AN2: Alright, so there ain't any dancing in this chap, but there will be more, promise
Disclaimer:I don't own Bones (damnit!)

Chapter two
Overprotective

"Booth, I don't need your help to find Cullen's office, you know" Bones said as she made her way over to Cullen's secretary and felt how Booth tried to guide her by placing a hand on the small of her back

"I know, I was just scared that maybe you forgot" he said, not wanting to tell her he just liked putting his hand on that spot

"I have an excellent memory" she said, pouting. She sat down on one of the chairs when the receptionist told them that Cullen was still in a meeting and would be accepting them soon. Booth slipped onto the chair next to her, leaning over towards Brennan

"Yeah, well, we haven't been here that often..." he began, and then saw how she glared at him "... okay, maybe we have. But, it could be that you just didn't care to notice what direction we took all those previous times" he said, trying to make it sound rational, though both knew it wasn't

"Booth, I notice everything" Bones said annoyed, not wanting to point at him that it would be illogical to be oblivious of where to go if you'd already walked the same way over 30 times

"Everything huh?" he asked grinning, one of his eyebrows raised. She scowled at him, trying hard not to respond on the flirts he had been throwing at her all morning

The secretary cleared her throat and the two of them looked at her
"mister Cullen can accept you now" she said as professional as possible, though her eyebrows were cocked up amused by the interaction between the two

Brennan smiled at the woman politely before standing up and walking over to the door, not even bothering to look if her partner was following her, and she knocked on the door of Cullen's office

A muffled "come in" was heard and Bones opened the door and stared at the man sitting in front of her. He looked exhausted, no, worse, he looked as if he hadn't closed his eyes for days now, dark bags underneath his eyes, his clothes ruffled and his beard unshaven. She heard him sigh loudly as he saw who entered and she tried her best not to be offended or act on it. This was Booth's boss, she had to keep that in mind, this was Booth's boss and he could fire him with one disapproving look

She sat down trying to figure out why Cullen would want to see her and then be so irritated by her presence "You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked, her tone professional, cold even

She rolled her eyes as Booth flopped down on the chair next to hers and threw his arm over the back of her chair "He wanted to see us, Bones, us" Booth indicated "Right boss?" he asked, looking at his boss with a broad smirk on his face

Cullen only grumbled something to himself before taking out a file from one of his drawers and throwing it in front of them "Have you ever heard of the 'Dance master'?" Cullen asked

"Yes" Booth said at the same time as Brennan said "No" and they glared at each other annoyed

"How can you not know who the 'Dance master' is?" Booth asked "It's been all over the news"

"I don't have a television" Bones defended

"okay, that's it, we're going shopping for a TV this afternoon"

"Why should I need a TV? I don't have the time to watch it" Brennan said

"That's because you don't have one. When you do, you'll make time, you'll see" Booth said knowingly

"And if I don't?" Bones asked heatedly, he didn't know her that well

"Then I'll make you" Booth said hotly, leaning closer towards Bones making their noses almost touched

Cullen suddenly cleared his throat, reminding them where they were "Can we stick to the case, people?" he asked the two startled partners

"Oh yeah… uhm, well, he abducts dance couples from this secret dance society, really hard to get in, only the best can enter and it's really well, secret… and this guy makes them dance 'til they drop... literally" Booth said, his eyes jumping from Cullen to Bones, trying to cover up his embracement

"And if they don't want to dance?" Brennan asked, flipping through the file, trying to keep the blush off of her cheeks

"There's a bomb which goes off when there isn't any motion on the dance floor for over two minutes… this is a major priority of ours..." Cullen said, never taking his eyes off of the doctor

Bones nodded. She understood all that, what she didn't understand was what she was doing there… no, scratch that, what they were doing there, or why Cullen was telling her all this

"Two of our agents went undercover as a dance couple a few months ago to catch this guy…, they eventually got in the 'underground', which is the name of this group" he sighed, resting his elbows on his desk "We found them a few days ago.. killed, just like the other victims"

"So… why did you want to see us?" Booth asked. Bones looked at him and could see by the tense look on his face that he already knew the answer

"Yesterday evening…" Cullen began "…wasn't just a ball…" he grunted tiredly "one of the greatest dance instructors of this time was there, and she choose the next couple to go undercover, who she would educate how to dance, and… she picked you" he said, closing his eyes, knowing what would come next

"No.." Booth said, shaking his head and throwing the file he was holding on the desk "No way. I'm not risking Bones' life over this, we ain't doing it" he said, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands in front of him

"I can speak for myself, Booth" Bones scoffed, as she read the file more carefully

"She isn't even an agent" Booth said, ignoring Brennan's comment

"I'm aware of that, Booth, and that's part of the reason why I'm giving her a choice. That and because I can't bully her by giving her a pile of paperwork if she declines my offer." Cullen explained

"I'm not letting her do this, you'll have to find an other couple…" giving him an other partner wasn't even an option

"Booth, I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions" Brennan exclaimed annoyed

"I know, but you tend to make the wrong ones" he mumbled

Bones decided to ignore his remark and read the file further

"The other couple… they were married" Bones said sadly, her eyes darting from the happy family photos to the photos with remains and carbonized bones "I thought that partners weren't allowed to have relationships" she said, her gaze leaving the papers and resting on Booth

"You couldn't really stop them, and besides, they'd been able to deny their love for a long time, though everyone saw it…" Cullen said and the two looked at him. He chuckled softly "It's actually a bit like you…" and then he realized what he was about to say "You…" he said, turning his attention on Brennan completely "You and… Sully" he said, trying to cover up his mistake

Booth raised his eyebrows and looked at his partner. Even she must've noticed that Cullen had wanted to say something else. She just nodded slightly. Okay… maybe she hadn't…
She met his gaze and looked down immediately and he could how her cheeks started to fluster. He couldn't help but smirk. Oh, yes she had…

"But, why weren't they separated?" He heard her ask, which was the same question that had been haunting his mind too. If they were aloud to stay and work together, than he and his partner should have the same rights!
Wait… what?

"Well, that was part of the deal.. if they could keep their professionalism around one another there, they could keep working together" Cullen said and then looked at them "The same agreement stands here" Cullen added

"yeah, well, too bad Booth already has a girlfriend then" Bones said, glaring at him

Too bad? "What, were you considering it then?" he asked

"It?" She asked, clearly confused

"You know, me and you… together" he said

"No! No of course not" she said. He didn't think he'd ever seen Temperance Brennan blush as furiously as she was now "I'm just saying…" she began, but he could clearly see that she had no idea what she was saying

He decided to help her out a little, he couldn't stand the fact that Cullen was smirking because of his partner's stuttering, though he was doing the exact same thing "Well, it won't matter anyway, 'cause I'm not doing it" he said, putting up his stern face again. If he didn't go, she didn't go, simple as that

Cullen thought quickly. What should he do? Should he threaten to fire him? No, he was one of his best agents, he'd see right through that… Maybe threaten to put him on deskwork, so he would never see the squints – or the doctor to be more exact – again… nah, he'd just go to her after office hours… Maybe-

"That's alright Booth, I'm sure Cullen can find me a replacement" Bones said, and both men stared at her
That could work Cullen thought

"What?" Booth asked. Did she really think she could get away with that so easily

"Of course" Cullen said and Booth felt how his jaw dropped on the floor "I think I'll put agent Johnson on it"

"Agent Johnson!" Booth screamed "He jumps everything with legs and boobs!" he exclaimed. Hell would freeze before he'd willingly hand his partner over to this guy… or any other guy for that fact

"Yeah, well, he's available and he can dance. And I'm sure doctor Brennan won't mind that he'd be around" Cullen said, and before Bones could even answer him he took his phone "Hi, Denise, could you be so kind to pass me agent Johnson" he said

"Wait! I'll do it, okay… just, put down the phone" Booth pleaded

Cullen did as he was asked and then handed them a paper with an address on it "She's expecting you in 15 minutes.. I'd hurry if I were you" he said smirking

Booth tightened his grip around his steering wheel as he felt his partner's eyes on him yet again. It was driving him nuts! She kept staring at him, but every time he'd try to catch her gaze, she'd avert it. And the silence! Why wasn't she talking, rambling or arguing like she always did? Noooo… she just had to be quiet and watch him.

"What!?" he asked irately

"Nothing" she said, a triumphant grin plastered on her lips

"Oh, that ain't nothing, sweetheart" shocking both his partner as himself with the nickname "Now spill" he said, trying to make it sound like the nick was no big deal

"Well, for starters, darling" she said mockingly "you should really stop trying to protect me all the time"

His knuckles became white as he grasped his steering wheel even more tightly "I have no idea what you're talking about" he managed to get out through gritted teeth

"Well, in the beginning it was still kind of obscure, trying to keep me away from criminals and all that, but now? You're even trying to keep me away from your colleagues" she pointed out

"I do not" Booth said

"Booth, the other night this elderly woman came to me and told me I had a very protective and jealous boyfriend!" Bones said, trying to sound offended

"Did you tell her we're just partners?" Booth asked amused

"Yes! That's the worst part of it! I told her that and she just said 'of course' and winked at me as if she knew something" Bones said and Booth burst out into laughter as he imagined a ninety-year-old woman discussing sex-topics with his Bones

"It's not funny!" Bones said, patting him on the arm
"But, what I'm intending to say is that you're way too overprotective"

"That's because you keep getting into trouble"

"No I don't" Brennan said stubbornly

"Oh, then refresh my memory, who had a sick minded serial killer on her heels? Who was arrested for murder back in New Orleans? Who was trapped in a car under the ground? Who had a bomb in her fridge? Who had a hit on her head?" he asked, he could come up with at least ten more of such things

"I'm still here, aren't I?" she asked and then frowned, clearly bothered by something

"What?" Booth asked, seeing how she was obviously thinking hard

"I never had a hit on my head" she said, eyeing him suspiciously

"No, of course you haven't" he said, trying to laugh and make it sound like the last one was a joke. She doesn't know about that little stunt of yours, idiot! his mind screamed

"Booth, what aren't you telling me?" Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"Nothing, nothing!" he said in a high-pitched voice. Damn, since when was it so hard to lie to this woman? "But that's probably what would happen if you went undercover" he said

"I can take care of myself, Booth" Bones defended "And besides, I wouldn't be alone, one of your male colleagues would be right there" 'did she have to bring that up all the time?' He thought frustrated

"Not one of my colleagues. I would be right there. You're my - and with my I mean only my - partner, Not anyone else's" he said. No way in hell that any of those guys would get close to his Bones. Not after almost losing her after handing her over to agent Kenton, who had tried to kill her to frame a serial killer. Or after almost losing her to the damn Caribbean's after handing her over to Sully!

"See! You're trying to keep me away from your colleagues!" she exclaimed "I don't need your protection against your colleagues" she said obstinately

"Who said anything about protecting you" Booth asked jokingly "I'm protecting my colleagues from you" he said smugly and then felt how Bones hit him on the arm hard "Ouch! That hurts!" Booth exclaimed

"Well, it wasn't funny!" Brennan said, folding her arms in front of her
Booth suppressed a chuckle as he looked at her. Though she was the smartest and most brilliant person he knew, and probably would ever meet, she acted really childish from time to time. The worst part of that? She doesn't even notice!

Her bottom lip was stuck out slightly and she was staring at her feet while her shoulders were shrugged up slightly. He shook his head as he thought about the fact that Parker had been sitting there in the same way just days before after his father had told him that they were not going to Disneyworld for the weekend and that begging wouldn't help

"Look Bones, I'm sorry, okay.. but, why do you want to go undercover so badly? It's dangerous" Booth said. Why couldn't she see that? If something would happened to her, he'd never forgive himself, but she just kept getting herself in trouble

"No one asked you to come" Bones said, her arms still folded in front of her defensively

"What?" Booth asked

"I'm just saying that you don't have to go undercover with me if you don't want to…" Bones indicated. If he didn't want to come, that was okay by her. He had things to lose, he had a son, and a girlfriend. If something would happen to him… well, that would be terrible. He had a family, people who loved and cared about him. While if something would happen to her.. that would be sad, not dramatic. No one would miss her terribly, loved her so much that their heart ached… Of course she forgot the man sitting next to her

"Bones, what are you talking about? I-" Booth began, but she cut him off

"it's very obvious you didn't want to, not that I can blame you…" Bones said. Booth looked at her, what was she saying? "I mean, you have to take care of your son and.. and Linda-"

"Lydia" he corrected automatically

"Right, Lydia… well, I don't think your girlfriend will like it if you tell her we're doing this…"

Booth sighed. Why the hell was she bringing this up? What was he supposed to say to this? That they didn't care? That he wouldn't miss his son? It was true that he would have to miss Parker a lot. And of course Lydia would protest to this, she already thought that he and Bones were more than partners… much more
He knew that she thought that because he couldn't define his relationship with his partner, and to be honest, he didn't want to. He didn't want to label them. Didn't want to point out how close they were to the invisible line he had drawn between their professional and personal life, or maybe, just maybe, they already crossed that line, somewhere in this wicked relationship filled with flirts, quarrels, kisses and man-hugs which weren't man-hugs at all. Maybe he should just tell her the truth 'Bones, I care about you, I care about you much more than I should, much more than partners and friends do'
He parked the car as they arrived where they were supposed to be and he turned his attention on the woman sitting next to him completely "Look Bones… it's not that I don't want to go undercover…" he sighed, how was he going to say this without getting her scared and make those walls reappear around her heart. Those walls he had so patiently broken down one by one

"..Just not with me" Bones said bitterly

"What? No…" he began, but she was out of the car before he could explain. He stumbled out of the car and jelled "Bones!" to the woman who quickly made her way into the building. "God damnit!" He sighed and got back in the car to kill the engine. He then emerged to the building himself, wondering where the hell this went wrong
"Booth, you're an idiot" he mumbled to himself as he looked around the immense hallway, wondering where his partner had gone