CHAPTER 4

Brennan dropped her purse on her desk and sat down, booting up her computer. Angela came in and sat on the corner of her desk, her sharp eyes taking in the sparkle in her friend's eyes and the color in her cheeks.

"So, it looks like you had a nice weekend. What did you do?"

Brennan typed in her password. She tried to keep her tone casual. "Yes, I had a nice weekend. Booth and I took Parker for a picnic at the park Saturday. I wrote 3 chapters of my novel Saturday night. Yesterday I did some laundry and general cleaning around my place." She clicked on Hodgins' report on the insect activity and particulates for the prostitute in the alley. Scanning the report, she didn't see anything that didn't coincide with her own findings.

Angela continued to study Brennan's face, which was just a shade too innocent looking. "Uh-huh, c'mon Brennan, fess up. You and Booth are dating, aren't you?" She was rewarded with a blush that moved up from Brennan's neck all the way to her hairline. Brennan was studying the computer screen as though it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen. "Sweetie, you might as well tell. I'm not leaving until I have the juicy details. Well, not too juicy, I don't need a play-by-play, just the highlights."

Brennan finally looked up, a frown between her brows. "Play-by-play? I don't know what that means. Angela, I really don't want to talk about Booth." She returned her gaze to the screen and clicked on Zach's preliminary report on the skeleton. Nothing unusual there either.

"Was there any smooching? Declarations of undying love? Are you officially dating now? Look at me!" she demanded in frustration, impatient with her friend's reluctance to share. Brennan looked up at her again and sighed. It was obvious Angela wasn't going to settle for anything less than the truth.

"Yes, we're dating now. I made it clear that I wanted to maintain a professional demeanor here in the lab and out in the field."

Angela smiled. "And he was okay with that?"

Brennan shrugged. "He said he would behave if I did. If I don't, he said 'all bets were off' whatever that means."

Angela's smile grew wider. "He meant that if you initiate anything, he isn't going to be the one to call a halt to it. That sounds like Booth. Oooh, Brennan, do you have any idea how lucky you are?"

Brennan looked at her, apparently mystified. "What do you mean?"

Angela sighed and rolled her eyes. "He more or less confessed that he wouldn't be able to control himself if you were to jump his bones! I mean, hello? He's yours for the taking!" Brennan's expression remained puzzled and Angela sighed again in frustration. "You know, if you weren't so in love with him and he with you and if Hodgie and I weren't so...I'd have a go at that man myself. He's just one big hunk of pent up sexual tension." Her gaze was fixed on a picture behind Brennan's desk, a dreamy smile curving her lips.

"Angela? Hello, Angela?" Brennan waved her hand in front of Angela's face, finally managing to get her attention. "Did you have something pertinent to the case to discuss?"

"What? Oh, yeah, the victim's image has been processed by the Angelator and I'm ready to show it to you whenever. I'm running it in the system trying to find a match, we should have that any minute now." She stood and headed for the door.

"Okay, let me go over these reports a little more thoroughly and I'll be right out."

Angela stopped at the doorway and looked back at Brennan. "Hey, sweetie?" Brennan gave her a distracted glance. "I'm glad you two are finally going for it. I think you're meant for each other."

Brennan smiled and blushed, looking down, giving a little shake of her head. "I hope you're right, Ange. I hope it's not a mistake." Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears when she looked up at Angela. "I don't think I want to find out what a mistake like that is going to cost." Angela gave her a reassuring smile and left.

Thirty minutes later Brennan had read the reports, entered some data on her computer and stood up to put on her lab coat. Booth came into her office with a serious look on his face. She met the look with an inquiring one of her own.

"Bones, Cullen has taken me off the case," he said, too agitated to sit down.

Brannan's heart dropped to her stomach. "What? Why?"

"Someone saw us at the park Saturday," he said, sighing with frustration and running his hand around the back of his neck. Brennan didn't seem to comprehend. "One of the other agents saw us kissing at the park."

Her mouth dropped open. "So he took you off the case? Because we're involved?"

Booth nodded. "Cullen doesn't think we can keep things on a professional footing while we're dating. I spent an hour arguing with him this morning. He wouldn't budge."

Brennan took off her lab coat and put on her sweater, grabbing her purse and heading for the door.

Booth just stood there. "Where are you going?"

Brennan stopped at the door and looked at him with that stubborn tilt to her chin that at any other time he would have found cute. "Going to see Cullen. He can't do this. We make a great investigative team. I have to make him see that we can still do the job, even if we are dating."

Booth walked up to her, stopping just short of taking her into his arms. He could tell she was barely holding it together. "Bones, I think his mind is made up. I doubt you're going to say anything that I didn't."

Brennan looked up at him, her lips trembling. "I have to try, Booth. I want to work cases with YOU, not some other agent they assign to me. It took a long time to develop the mutual respect that is essential to make it work. I can't let him take that away without at least trying to change his mind."

Booth had to hurry to keep up with her, she was walking so fast. He felt a brief flash of pity for Cullen, who had no idea the fight he was in for. He might have saved that pity for himself if he knew what Brennan intended to do.