AN: Okay so this is just to clear up a few things regarding this story. One being an experimental treatment is not an experiment in the way that not telling someone that the person who means the most to them is still alive; second, I do realize that the placement of the chip should be in the central area of the brain due to where the emotional center is housed. I didn't want Booth to have to undergo another brain surgery. Thirdly, if something is affecting these two professionally, it most likely is putting a strain on their personal lives as well. I will eventually get to what is causing a rift between them, but all in good time. I hope this clears up a few things that some reviewers had concerns with, and I do hope that as this is a bit AU you can suspend your disbelief and just enjoy what I have planned. That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter as it begins to set the stage for how they perceive everything around them. Let me know what you think as I always appreciate the comments.

Booth and Brennan stared at each other, eyes wide and clearly uncomfortable. It was one thing to know what someone was feeling, but to hear what they were thinking? Oh god, Booth thought, how much would they actually hear from people around them? The honk of a horn broke him from the thought and he took off once he noticed the light was green.

Brennan for her part was trying not to think for once in her life. She stared straight out of the windshield willing herself not to have a stray thought. Sensing emotions was one thing, but having your thoughts in the head of another person was an altogether different monster. You'd have to control what you were thinking, and while she could certainly compartmentalize with the best of them, she seemed to lack that ability with the one person who could now hear her inner dialogue. That was what started the problem between them in the first place. She had a definite lack of control around one Special Agent Seeley Booth.

"Bones, we're here," Booth said and turned to look at his partner who appeared completely lost in thought. After a second to realize that he was speaking to her and this wasn't all in her head, she turned to look around, surprised to see that they were in the parking structure of the Jeffersonian. "You want me to head in with you, or are you okay on your own?"

"No, I'm fine. I'll be in bone storage the rest of the day so if something comes up, give me a call." She smiled at him as she opened her door and hastily retreated from the vehicle as he leaned toward her with what was a clear intent to kiss her. As she shut the door, she didn't miss the look of disappointment on his face, and hurried away toward her office. The tension that had grown between them was bad enough without putting so much emotional weight to it. That was really the problem. Though she'd been initially in agreement to the experimental procedure, she really didn't want to know what it was Booth was feeling, especially when she was trying to straighten out how she felt in the process. It was much too complicated. Now however, she realized that it was so much worse when you knew exactly what the other person was thinking. This was confirmed as the whisper of a thought shifted through her mind from the direction of the SUV she'd practically run from. God damn it Bones, what did I do wrong?

XxXxX

Booth walked through the halls of the FBI headquarters on his way to his office. He scowled as he thought back to his partner's hasty retreat from his vehicle earlier. What had gone wrong with the two of them. The night they'd had he thought for sure would finally put them in a position to be in a relationship, but instead it seemed to be ruining everything. He scratched at the spot on his head where the chip lay, his frown deepening when he realized that he could feel it just under his skin. Great, now he felt like one of those crazies that claimed they'd been abducted by aliens and had something implanted.

He paused on the way to his office as whispers of words drifted through his head. What was he hearing? It was certainly different from what he'd get from Bones, although he fully expected her to give herself headaches rather than have a stray thought or two drift his way. No this was entirely different... He stopped at the door to his office and concentrated on what it was he was hearing. Damn, if he wasn't so off limits I'd have him in the back of my car in a heartbeat. Perotta? Booth turned to see the female agent walking toward him with a file in her hands. He let himself indulge in an internal eye roll as she approached, the tiniest of smirks on her face when she slid up next to him.

"Booth, I was wondering if you could look this over for me and give me your opinion on this case. Hacker just assigned it to me, but something seems off. Maybe we could work on it together?"

"Sorry, but I've got my own caseload to work through. Besides, the grunt work really isn't my thing. Try asking Charlie." He turned to leave but felt the other agent's hand on his arm. He looked at her, eyebrows raised in a questioning manner.

"Okay then if you aren't busy after work, why don't you join me in a drink?"

"No can do. See, if you recall, I'm already taken." With a false smile sent in her direction, Booth shook Perotta's hand from his arm and continued into his office. Once he sat, he swiped a hand down his face. This whole thought thing was going to be a little much, and maybe it was time to pay Sweets a little visit. Emotions he could deal with, but the day to day thoughts of his co-workers wasn't something he wanted inside of his head.

XxXxX

Maybe she won't notice if I just pretend that nothing happened. Brennan rolled her eyes as she entered into the Medico-Legal lab and glanced up at the platform. Jack Hodgins and Fisher were both looking way too intent on the work before them to actually be working on it. Normally the two would be tossing comments back and forth at each other, but now they were way too involved in the menial tasks they'd been assigned.

"Hodgins, whatever you did you'd better not have involved my intern," Brennan said as she continued toward her office. She missed the surprised look on his face that she'd known something was up as she continued toward her desk and began to access her e-mail. Now that the case was over, she could concentrate on the consult requests and student work she was so far behind on.

It wasn't long before she was immersed in her work, her mind filtering out the random comments that seemed to be popping up from the two men on the central platform. Maybe if she just stayed busy enough it wouldn't be so hard to keep from hearing what the people around her were thinking.

"Sweetie, are you going to ignore me all day or are you going to look up from your computer at some point?" Temperance looked up, startled to see her best friend standing in the doorway of her office.

"Ange, sorry, I didn't hear you." Brennan frowned as the artist made her way into the office and sat down across from her. Why couldn't she hear Angela like she could Hodgins and Fisher up on the platform?

"Obviously you didn't. You're putting your head into overdrive with whatever the hell it is you're trying to avoid."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me Bren. Something happened between you and Booth and whatever it was you're trying to avoid like the plague."

"I'm not trying to avoid anything. Booth and I are still partners. Obviously we're working together fine."

"No you're not, and stop trying to dodge the subject. That last case we all worked couldn't have been more of a disaster if we tried and it all comes down to the two of you. I want to know what's going on."

"Angela, please just drop it. We're in the process of working it out and I really don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"Fine, I'll drop it for now, but Sweetie, if you need to talk, just let me know, okay?" The artist gave her friend a smile and stood up. "Oh, by the way, how's that microchip thing working?"

"I think it malfunctioned." Angela looked at Brennan with a smirk and put her hands on her hips.

"Really? In what way?"

"Well, what would you prefer to have running through your mind, the thoughts of other people or know what they were feeling?"

"Hmm, interesting thing to think about. I think I'd go with the emotions because there are things that guys think that would just be too...sexist to deal with."

"I concur."

"You aren't going to tell me anything else, are you."

"No, I'm not."

"Fine sweetie, be that way. I'm in my office if you need to talk." With that, Angela left the office, giving a small wave to her friend as she left. As the artist left, Brennan frowned. That's odd, I wonder why I can't hear what she's thinking. Shaking it off, she picked up the phone. It was probably a good idea to call Sweets and let him know that the chip wasn't working so the problem could be corrected.