Thanks for all the reviews! Part Two of the dinner party begins now! Still bargaining with those who actually have the rights to Bones for them, but no luck yet. If anything changes, I'll let you know. In the meantime, not mine!
Chapter Four
While Brennan was in the kitchen with Booth, the rest of the squints made themselves comfortable around the dining table. Hodgins was seated next to Angela (of course) who was next to Zack. On the other side of the table was Dr. Goodman and the last two seats were left for Booth and Brennan.
Temperance brought the open bottle of wine out and began to pour it into everyone's glasses. Booth carried in the steaming plates from the kitchen and set them in front of each guest. The inviting smell of the shrimp was very hard to resist but everyone managed to refrain from digging in until all were in their seats. Finally as Booth was just sitting down, Dr. Goodman felt the need to say something.
"Dr. Brennan we are so happy to have you back with us-"
"Yeah in one piece, thankfully. Bren, hon, we really need to talk about you running out and trying to catch the bad guys."
"Ange, I wasn't running out trying to catch the 'bad guys'. He caught me. Totally and completely not my fault."
"Still…"
"Can we discuss this later ladies?" interjected Dr. Goodman.
"Yes Dr. Goodman" they said together feeling all of a sudden like they were back in school and had gotten in trouble by the teacher.
"Like I was saying, it's good to have you back Dr. Brennan. The Jeffersonian just has not been the same since you have been gone."
"I know and I am planning on returning to work very soon."
"Not too soon though, right Bones?"
She shot him the look of death before saying through gritted teeth "As soon as the doctors release me-which will be very soon." She emphasized the very soon part. She softened slightly when she said "I have an appointment with my doctor the beginning of next week to have the stitches removed and to be evaluated again. I should have a date for you by then Dr. Goodman."
"Excellent Dr. Brennan! But don't push yourself. Take your time. I want you to be completely well before you come back."
Under the table Booth placed his hand on Brennan's thigh and patted it reassuringly. Her face showed no expression on the outside that he could see, but as she turned her head ever so slightly when reaching for her wine glass she gave him a small almost unnoticeable wink. He noticed and gave her thigh a small squeeze before letting go and bringing his hand back to the table.
It was at that moment as she was holding her wine glass in her left hand that he noticed something missing. The platinum ring that she had worn while they were on assignment. Since they had first gone undercover she hadn't taken it off once, it was always there (even when she had been kidnapped and held hostage by that madman Pernout) and now it gone. He couldn't believe that after all this time she had taken it off. Booth's eyes widened in shock and he excused himself from the table claiming he needed to check on something in the kitchen as he escaped to it.
As he stood over the stove in the kitchen, he tried to figure out why something so small and trivial was bothering him. He didn't know why her not wearing the ring was such a big deal. They weren't married or engaged. Hell they hadn't even made it official to anyone else that they were dating. And the ring was bound to have to go back. There was no way the FBI could warrant giving away a platinum ring just because it now held sentimental value for him. And what about her? Did it hold the same meaning for her that it did for him? As much as tried to reason with himself, he couldn't help that sinking feeling he was having in the pit of his stomach.
Sadly, Angela noticed that something was wrong with Booth before Brennan did. Zach had happened to mention a new set of remains that were brought into the lab and the work that he was doing on them. Temperance's one track mind when it came to work took her out of her immediate surroundings at the mention of human remains. She had been so engrossed in the conversation that she only barely noticed that her boyfriend had left the table. Certainly not that something was bothering him.
Angela, who was always watching her favorite pair for any signs that their relationship was changing, had of course had her eyes on the two of them all night. She knew something was very different about their relationship but couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. They seemed like their old selves. Booth still watched his partner all the time with that same expression that Brennan was always oblivious to. They still argued.
She still had yet to have that very long and overdue conversation with her best friend about what had happened on the island. Things had changed, big time. And now Booth was living with her. Brennan claimed that it was the only way the doctors would release her from the hospital, but Angela thought differently. What if there was another reason for them to be living together? But what had caused him to get up and leave the table like that?
"Hey Bren" she said to her friend from across the table, interrupting the conversation on the bones. "Do you have to go the bathroom?"
"No Angela, I'm fine." She stared at her friend with an expression of confusion.
"Well, I do." She raised her eyebrows at her friend.
"Okay, you've been to my apartment plenty of times. I'm sure you know where it is." Brennan was still not sure where Angela was going with this.
"Yes, sweetie, but girls always go together. So can you come with me?"
"Fine" she said giving her friend another weird look as they both got up from the table and went down the hall to the large master bath off her bedroom. Dr. Goodman,Hodgins and Zach all just stared at each other form a few seconds at Angela's odd behavior before quickly changing the subject back to work. However, Angela was known for her weird behavior and they quickly dismissed the situation as that. Booth stayed in the kitchen, pretending to be busy.
Angela filed in first and had a seat on the edge of the large spa tub. Temperance followed in behind her and closed the door.
"Ange, you're acting really weird. What's going on?"
"I'm fine. What's going on with you and Booth?"
She blushed ever so slightly at the mention of Booth's name. "Do you really think now is the time to be having this conversation? Everyone is still out in the dining room."
"I think something happened on that island that's changed your relationship. The last conversation we had while you were down there, I told you that he loves you and I kinda got the impression that you felt the same way. Now he's living with you. And something happened just a few minutes ago at the table that made him get all upset. What's going on?"
Brennan sighed, knowing that Angela probably already knew and that she wouldn't be able to keep this a secret from her very much longer.
"We kissed." Angela squealed excitedly. "A lot. But, he is only here because the doctors wouldn't let me out of the damn hospital unless someone was staying with me when I got home."
"So, does this mean that you guys are like a couple?"
"We are seeing where this goes. Taking things slow. Which is why I didn't want to tell everyone about us yet. I've never been in a relationship like this before and you know how bad I am with relationships."
"Do you love him?"
She stalled, looking at the floor, the walls, the ceiling anything but her friend. "I do."
"And he loves you?"
"He says he does."
"So what just happened out there? That man is clearly upset over something."
"I don't know. Why would he be upset?"
"You know him better than I do sweetie. But if I were you, I would find out. Do not mess this up Brennan! He is so good for you. We will talk more later. But, now, we have to get back to the boys. They already complain about girls taking too long in the bathroom. We don't want to make it worse!"
"Promise me you won't say anything about Booth and I to anyone."
"I won't. I'm going to let you do that when you're ready."
Angela stood up and gave her best friend a hug before they went back out to join the others. Her instincts were right, as usual.
"Sorry" Angela said sitting next to Jack again. "Girl problems."
The guys all looked extremely uncomfortable at the mention of girl problems and quickly went back to the conversation they had been having. Brennan looked over into the kitchen and noticed that Booth was gone.
"Where did Booth go?"
Dr. Goodman answered. "He got a call from Deputy Director Cullen about an urgent case and he had to go."
"Why didn't he come get me?"
"Because, Dr. Brennan. You are not cleared to return to work yet. He apologized and said he would talk to you about it in the morning, as he would probably be late getting back."
Temperance looked back down at her plate and no longer felt hungry even though the food was delicious.
"Oh, I see."
Why would Booth just leave like that? Even if he couldn't take her with him, he could have at least told her in person instead of just leaving. Was Angela right? Was he upset over something? Whatever it was, it would have to wait until tomorrow when she could talk to Booth.
The squints finished their meal at a relaxed pace. It felt good to be home and see her friends again. Not to mention, getting to hear about what was going on at the lab. But, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that things were not quite right between herself and Booth and she wasn't even sure what had happened to cause it. By the time they had left a couple hours later, she was more confused than ever.
That's it for this chapter. Sorry not as much fluff in this chapter. It had more of an angsty feel as will some of the chapters in this story. But I am a big fluff fan and there will be plenty of that too. Any suggestions on plot ideas are welcome and I'll see what I can incorporate of your ideas. I was so happy to see all the reviews for the last chapter and inspired me to get this new chapter posted sooner. I'll try and have the next one up quickly too, especially if I get a lot of reviews again.
Thanks!
GG
