Disclaimer: I don't own Bones and I need more coffee so all errors are from non coffee usage =D

Mendenbar: what can I say other than =P
SouthnLady: He will it may take some time but he will get his. You know how the gov't works 180 to mail a copy of papers bla bla bla lol
Nertooold54: *snicker* that's all I can say.
Chkgun93: I read your review and started laughing. My husband thought I was nuts. For the rest of the day everytime I'd think about your review I'd burst into laughter. I believe my husband is thinking of committing me.
legggate: *snicker* you said ride. Wait til chapter 35 I'll show you a real ride =P
couchpotato565: Why thank you! I love sucking in I mean having new readers join me for the trips into my imagination. I like writting this series but I think my favorite one to write was Murder in Maluku if I were to be honest. It's my baby =). The sequel is turning out to be just as fun.


Chapter 8

They drove in silence back to the lab and walked in together. She walked to her office and found James sleeping on her couch. She laughed and pulled a blanket from her closet. She covered him up and packed up her items as Booth watched.

"Are you leaving, Dr. Brennan?" Wendell called out from the platform.

"Yes, Dr. Bray. I will be back in the morning when the bones are ready for examination. Agent James is sleeping on my couch," she called back.

"I'll see you in the morning then Dr. Brennan," Wendell said.

"Yes you will," she replied.

Booth just grinned at her answer. He put his hand at the small of her back and guided her out the door. They arrived home and stripped down to climb into bed. He curled up around her and she felt the occasional shiver run through him. She ran her hand up and down his forearm. She felt him relax into sleep then heard his slight snore.

Closing her eyes Brennan fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of his snoring. She woke a few hours later to a hard squeeze to her middle. She gasped and tried to draw a deep breath. Booth was mumbling and clenching then relaxing in his sleep.

Between squeezes, she rolled over to face him. She gently rubbed his temple and whispered to him. He relaxed in his sleep and began to softly snore again. Sighing. she went back to sleep only to be awoken a few hours later to the same occurrence. One of Booth's frequent nightmares apparently were back to haunt him.

Repeating her earlier actions, Brennan soothed him back to sleep but watched as a frown worried his brow. Sighing, she glanced at the clock and noticed the time. Sliding out from under his arm she went to shower.

After getting dressed, she made coffee and left a note next to the alarm clock on his side of the bed. As she was driving to the lab she became aware of the fact that they were, for all intensive purposes, living together.

He had his own side of the bed, his own alarm clock, his hygiene supplies were in her bathroom. There were more of his clothes in her closet than the closet at his apartment. Huffing out a laugh, she walked into the lab with a smile on her face.

When she walked into her office, Brennan found James still asleep on her couch. Setting her bag down, she picked up her lab coat and slid into it. Buttoning it up as she walked toward the platform, she saw Wendell bending over the first set of remains.

"Wendell did you stay here all night?"

"No Dr. Brennan I went home shortly after you left last night," he told her.

"Then why is Agent James still sleeping on my couch," she asked in confusion.

"Pay backs for making fun of me yesterday," Wendell smirked.

"You should really take better care of your partner Wendell," she said with a frown.

The two scientists bent over the remains and began their examinations. They worked together fluidly, moving around each other's hands in a dance of sorts. Their hands paused briefly when Hodgins, Angela and Cam strode through the door.

"Would you look at that. The two of them at it already," Angela sighed out.

"Where are the g-men?" Hodgins called out to the two on the platform.

"Agent James is still sleeping on my couch and I left Booth sleeping at home," Brennan answered.

Hodgins winced at the fact that James was sleeping on her couch. He had personal experience with sleeping on the couches at the Jeffersonian. Those couches were not comfortable. Angela headed to her office to drop off her things and Hodgins headed to the lounge to make coffee. Cam walked over and noticed Brennan wince when she leaned over.

"Are you okay Dr. Brennan?"

"I'm fine why do you ask?"

"Well, you're wincing when you lean over. I thought your ribs maybe bothering you," Cam said in a clinical voice.

"No my ribs are fine," Brennan said in a drop it voice.

Cam nodded then strode down the stairs of the platform and to her office. Brennan was holding the skull examining the damage to the skull when James came stumbling from her office.

"What time is it?" James blearily asked as he stumbled towards the platform.

"Seven thirty A.M. Agent James," Brennan told him without removing her eyes from the skull.

"Where is Booth?"

"Right here," Booth called out as he strode through the doors of the lab carrying a bag and coffee.

"Why didn't you wake me up, Wendell? You let me sleep on that couch all night," James grumbled. Wendell just smiled at him and picked up another bone.

"I believe it is what he called paybacks," Brennan said. She turned the skull again.

"This fracturing is shaped very oddly. It's very large and curved. I have not seen anything like it," she murmured. Wendell leaned over looking at the fracturing.

"Oh good coffee," James said taking one of the cups from Booth's hands.

"Wait-" Booth tried to say before James took a sip but he was too late.

"Hey, this is really good what is it?"

"Vanilla flavored coffee with vanilla flavored soy milk and agave nectar," Brennan growled taking the coffee from his hand. James made a face as she walked back to the platform with her coffee.

"I tried to tell you. There's coffee in the lounge for you. And you should definitely stay away from her cinnamon roll," Booth suggest with a grin.

He carried the bag to her office, pulled out his apple danish and sat down on the couch. Propping his feet up on the table, he rolled his eyes at the thought of spending the day sitting on the couch bored. He finished his danish, stood up and left her office.

"I'll be back," Booth called out striding to the door. He turned at the door when he didn't receive an acknowledgment.

"I'll let her know," Cam said shooing him with her hands.

Booth glanced at the platform and saw she was absorbed in an examination. Booth left the lab and headed out into the street. Brennan carried the skull to lab 3 and set it down. She took an x-ray then pulled up the digital image of the x-ray. She magnified the image, once, twice and a third time. Cocking her head, Brennan took a closer look at the skull then picked it up and left the small room.

Carrying it to the platform she returned it to the table with the remains. Striding down the hall way she left a note for Angela to speak with her as soon as she came into the office. Brennan was returning to the platform when Booth came striding through the doors and she had to try to not to drool. Waving his hands Booth ushered two men, carrying large boxes, into the lab. He directed them to her office and she raised her eyebrow.

"Seeley, what are you bringing into my lab?" Cam asked, walking towards him with a small frown. The men continued to her office with the large box.

"A television. You know that I am on 'vacation' which means I'll be here all day waiting for updates that I'm not supposed to get, to the case I'm not supposed to be working on. So, I brought something to amuse myself," he said with a grin.

Cam rolled her eyes and walked away from him mumbling about childish behaviors. Brennan crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg.

"It will be out of your way Bones," Booth told her with his charming smile.

Rolling her eyes, Brennan strode back to the platform. She carefully picked up the humerus and turned it in her hand. Sighing, she shook her head and looked at the honeycombed bone. The osteoporosis was so far gone that it was visible to the naked eye.

Wendell grimaced as he carefully handled the bones that seemed to be falling apart in his hands, even though, logically, he knew they weren't.

"Dr. Brennan, have you seen Agent James?" Wendell asked Brennan with a small smirk.

"No, Dr. Bray, I have not. It is your job to keep track of your Agent," she said, returning the smirk.

The two forensic anthropologists were so intent on their examination, that they did not see Angela and Hodgins walk through the door.

Shortly, Angela and Hodgins were followed by James coming in through the door. Brennan's head jerked up and she almost dropped the patella in her hand when she heard a loud whoop. Closing her eyes with a grimace and a sigh she set the bone down.

Leaving the platform she headed to her office. She found James and Booth standing in front of a 45" flatscreen tv.

"Booth, if you must play your games, then keep the door closed, as your noise is interrupting our processing," she chastised him.

Booth turned around and glanced at her. Dropping the wii remote, he walked over and slid his arm around her waist. He noticed a faint grimace and looked at her in concern.

"Yes baby, now, tell my why that hurt," he said. She frowned and shook her head.

"I just slept wrong," she tried lying.

"You're not a very good liar, Bones," Booth said softly.

He held her firmly around the waist and lifted the side of her shirt. His eyes went wide at the thick bruise around her waist. Glancing up into her eyes, he saw her trying to hide her emotions.

"Bones, what happened?" Booth said in a soft but firm tone.

"You had a nightmare last night and may have applied undue pressure to my ribcage," she said with a frown and a sigh.

"I did this to you? Oh my god, Bones," Booth whispered horrified.

Cam strode through the door to see Booth holding the side of Brennan's shirt up slightly. Her eyes got round and she gasped. Booth pulled the shirt down and looked at Cam with panic in his eyes. James oblivious to the going ons continued to play the wii.

"Bones," Booth whispered brokenly as he pulled her closer.

"Booth you didn't do it on purpose," she whispered next to his ear.

"Dr. Brennan you should have that looked at," Cam suggested.

"Dr. Saroyan it is just a contusion. It will not hurt for much longer. Not enough pressure was applied to damage the ribs,"Brennan said with a frown. Cam sighed threw her hands in the air and left the office.

"Sweetie you wanted to see me?" Angela asked walking into Brennan's office.

Brennan placed a hand on either side of Booth's face and turned it towards hers. Looking in his eyes she reassured him that she was fine. He nodded but guilt filled his eyes anyway.

She stepped from his embrace and turned to Angela who had her eyebrow raised. She walked from the office and headed to Angela's.

"Ange, I need to figure out what caused this shaped break in the skull," she said, pulling up the digital image on Angela's computer.

"I'll get started on that right away," Angela told her and began using the Angelatron to search for possible weapons. Brennan strode from Angela's office and stopped when she heard Booth call out to her.

"Bones, come here," he called softly.

She turned and walked over to where he was standing leaning against the wall between the offices. He pulled her up against his chest then tilted her head up so she was looking at his face.

"You know I would never do anything to hurt you, right?"

"Yes Booth I know that. You were asleep and having a nightmare. I am not angry or upset about it and you should not be either," she said tilting her head just a little bit. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and smiled.

"Now, let me go back to work. If you keep interfering my boss will throw you two out of the lab," she told him as she disengaged from his grasp.

He gave her a smile that touched his eyes and was gone in a second. He returned to her office and picked up the wii remote.

"Up for some boxing?" Booth asked with a vicious looking grin on his face.

"Uhh sure," James said hesitantly.

Brennan strode back onto the platform and walked next to the remains.

"The damage on the patella was inflicted with something that has the same measurements as a common construction hammer Dr. Brennan," Wendell informed her.

"The damage done to the carpals and meta-carpals was done with the same instrument," she observed. Picking up a clipboard, she began to write making notations of the damage and probable cause.

"None of the damage could be cause of death however. The damage onto the skull caused a subdermal hematoma, however, it was not extensive enough for death. It would have caused mild brain swelling but not death," Wendell said. Brennan nodded as she continued to make notes.

Glancing over at the second body, she saw that Cam was still working on removing organs and skin from the remains.

"You can continue with the examination. I must put together the notes on the information we have already gathered," Brennan said walking towards her office.

She walked into the office and sat down ignoring the two FBI agents roaring in laughter in her office. Sitting down she pulled out the case folder and began shuffling through the paperwork. She began making notes and labeling diagrams, shuffling again she began to make a list.

"EXCUSE ME," a voice yelled across the room.

Turning her head, Brennan saw Hacker standing in the doorway. Picking up the phone, she dialed a few numbers then hung up the phone refusing to acknowledge the man standing in her doorway. Booth stopped at the voice and turned toward the doors. Turning back around, he ignored Hacker hoping the man would go away.

"I am still your Boss, Agent Booth," Hacker said loudly.

"I am on vacation Hacker so at the moment, you are not," Booth told him.

"What are you doing here?" Hacker asked with a frown.

"I am playing wii then at lunch I am taking my girlfriend and friend to lunch," Booth said with a smug grin.

"You are not investigating without Agent Dockerty are you?"

"Not at all. I have not spoken with Bones about the case since yesterday," Booth said with a shrug. Security came skidding to a halt outside the door and Brennan pointed to Hacker.

"Please remove this man from the Medico-Legal Lab properties. He is allowed in the Jeffersonian museum proper, just not in the lab," Brennan instructed.

The security officers gently took Hacker by the arms and escorted him from the lab. Booth looked over his shoulder at Brennan, winked then gave her a grin. She picked up her pen and went back to work.

"She is one focused person," James said with a laugh.

"Hmmm yeah, that focus extends to whatever has her attention," Booth murmured. She glanced up with laughter twinkling in her eyes.

"Unnnghhh I really did not need to know that. Or maybe I did," James said with a smirk. Booth turned a frown on him that made him take a step back.

"Did you find anything interesting at work today, baby?" Booth asked with a wink over his shoulder. Brennan looked up with a scowl.

"I guess I might as well stop trying to get you to stop calling me that shouldn't I?"

"Yep," Booth said with a smug smile. Rolling her eyes at him, she contemplated his question and finally got the idea.

"I discovered that people are horrible," Brennan said with another frown.

"That's my girl," Booth murmured with approval.

"I am not your girl or a girl for that matter," she said with a raised brow.

"How are people horrible, sweetums?" Booth said with a teasing grin. James started laughing as he realized that Booth was doing it intentionally.

"What did you just call me? People are horrible by hitting other people with hammers and by starving people until they die," Brennan said passing Booth the information.

"Dr. Brennan, you are not discussing an on-going investigation with an FBI agent when our contract is frozen are you?" Cam asked striding through the door knowing that was exactly what was going on.

"No, Dr. Saroyan I was telling my boy toy," she smirked at Booth, whose mouth fell open,"that I did not understand how people could be so horrible to each other. When he asked what I meant, I was giving examples." Cam covered her mouth with her hand trying to cover her laughter which was shining from her eyes.

"I just had to make sure because I do not want to get in trouble with the FBI," Cam said choking down a laugh. She left the office with a trail of laughter following behind her.

"What caused Cam to laugh that hard?" Angela asked as she walked into Brennan's office.

"Bones called me her boy toy," Booth said with a wolfish grin. Angela did not bother trying to hide her laughter.


A/N: I should tell you yes, I've had coffee made the way I described it and it is quite tasty. Agave Nectar is not for everyone though. Anywho, let's see what's up for tomorrow...more terms of endearments that make you want to vomit, splinters, complete stupidity (yeah I know there's alot and more to come), ogling, Brennan says it like it is, Director Clapper (He actually is the Director for the National Intelligence Agency), Hacker reveals his true reasons (other than stupidity), Pastries and meetings. Joing us tomorrow to see them all tied together ;-P

Reviews, love 'em they make my day. So please leave one. But if you're a lurker that's okay to. I've been known to do it.