Disclaimer - Bones and all its lovely characters belong to someone else.

A/N - Thanks for reading and reviewing. Sorry again for the delay.

Special Agent Mahoney had developed a sudden fascination with the pots and other artefacts on the illuminated shelves behind Bones' head. The stark silhouettes were considerably more comfortable viewing than the arctic blue of the forensic anthropologist's eyes.

The anthropologist who was, he noticed with an inward flinch, standing up.

Her arms were folded tightly across her chest and her fingers were digging in to her arms as she stalked around her desk to stand facing him. Mahoney found himself recalling all the times he'd faced criminals with guns - or knives - or heavy blunt instruments - and wondering how this small woman was setting off the same instinctive self-preservation reaction.

"Zach?" She said, her voice tight with suppressed fury.

"Yes Dr Brennan?" Zach edged into the room between the doorframe and the FBI agent.

"I would be grateful if you could escort..." She paused to flick a disdainful gaze at the agent, frowning slightly as she struggled for an appropriate description, "This... person... to Dr Goodman's office."

Mahoney opened his mouth to speak, but closed it silently again as she turned her baleful gaze towards him.

"I suggest that you explain yourself to Dr Goodman. I work with Special Agent Booth." Bones took a step towards Mahoney, and he edged backwards towards the door. "My team is already busy examining the existing evidence in this case, as requested by Deputy Director Cullen. I fail to see how your presence has any relevance whatsoever." Her tone was acid.

Zach listened wide-eyed and unmoving.

"Okay Zach?" She asked in a more normal tone of voice.

Zach roused himself and nodded quickly, "Yes, Dr Brennan."

Bones glanced at Mahoney and then meaningfully at the door before turning on her heel and marching back to her desk.

By the time she settled back in her seat, Zach was closing the door quietly behind himself and the shell-shocked agent.

Booth looked up at the clock.

Again.

The minute hand seemed to be mocking him, ticking its way round with agonising slowness.

He felt exhausted, but sleep simply wasn't forthcoming. He'd tried lying still with his eyes shut, but had lasted for about five minutes before his eyes had jerked open. He knew that he was in no condition to be working, but he couldn't get the case out of his head. Half-formed thoughts of leads, of things that he should be following up haunted him as he tried to rest.

And every few minutes he'd wonder how Bones was getting on.

He sighed in frustration. There was so much to do, and he hated the idea of Bones working on their case without him. He closed his eyes again as an expression of disgust settled across his features - he couldn't even bring himself to think about her working with Mahoney.

It didn't help that Cullen had left a bulging file on the cabinet on the far side of the room when he had rushed out having been paged earlier. Not only was Booth anxious to know what had caused Cullen to go haring out of the room, but he really wanted to look through the file. He'd inched his way to the edge of the bed, sending shooting pains through his shoulder. It had taken five attempts to stretch for the file to convince him that he simply couldn't reach it. He'd thought about swinging out of the bed and walking over to collect it, but the steady, throbbing ache of his injuries and the complication of the IV line had dissuaded him so far.

So when his door opened a few moments later he gave the nurse, and the blessed distraction that she represented, the full benefit of his most charming smile.

It didn't seem to register with the nurse and Booth decided that he must look even worse than he'd suspected.

"Agent Booth," she said, "We just had a call for you - from your colleague - as you're awake would you like to speak to them?"

Booth nodded, wondering if Cullen had realised that he'd left his file behind.

The nurse walked over and helped him sit up in the bed, fussing with the pillows before pressing a few digits on the bedside phone and passing him the wireless handset.

"Booth." He stated, as the nurse checked the IV line on her way out.

There was a momentary pause and then a soft voice said, "Booth? It's Brennan."

Booth smiled at the handset, feeling the tight knot of tension in his chest loosen.

"Booth?" She asked, her voice was quieter again.

"I'm here Bones. Not like I can go anywhere." Realising how snippy that sounded he rushed on, "It's good to hear your voice...uh... to have someone to talk to. I'm going nuts in here."

"You should be resting." She admonished, fervently relieved that he couldn't see the way that she had blushed at his words. "How are you feeling?"

He closed his eyes with a half smile, "Everyone keeps asking me that. Nurses, Cullen, the doctors."

"It's because we're concerned about you..." She retorted, before correcting herself "...about your well-being."

Booth grinned slightly, "Bones, I'm okay. Nothing some rest won't fix, if the boredom doesn't send me over the edge."

"I imagine you can occupy yourself. What was that awful programme you watched last time you were in hospital?" She queried.

"It's finished its run Bones. Still bound to be something on tv. I just need to be able to reach the controller." He regretted the throwaway remark immediately, picking up on the sudden tension on the other end of the line. He hurried on, "How are you getting on with the case?"

Bones hesitated, but then took the bait, "Well, we're reanalysing all the bodies. Seeing what else we can find. After all, once we got the dry cleaning leads before we focused on that. Ange has managed to reconstruct something from John Doe VII, which was a real achievement." She paused, "Oh and I've had two visits from your FBI colleagues."

Booth's bristled at that, "Who?"

"An Agent Larsen, who's looking into what went wrong at the warehouse. She seemed to think we might have been in league with the gang. She asked lots of questions - she didn't seem to know much about what we do." Bones trailed off, "I didn't really speak to the other agent."

Booth recognised the brittle tone, "Uh Bones, what did you do to them?"

"I didn't do anything!" She exclaimed, "He was insufferably rude. Told me I was working for him! That he was incharge! I have more important things to do than deal with an arrogant idiot. I just told Zach to take him to Goodman. That's the last I expect to see of Agent Mahoney!"

Booth laughed quietly, wishing that he'd been there to see Mahoney finally get what he deserved, but his smile froze and his heart thudded painfully as he heard her next words.

"I told him that I already have a partner. I only work with you."

Booth was about to respond when he heard a distant knocking sound.

"Yes Hodgins?" Bones' voice was distant as she held the phone away from her.

He couldn't hear Jack's reply.

"Really? I'll be there now." Bones said, addressing Hodgins.

"Booth?" She said animatedly, "We may have something. I have to go..."

Booth squashed the disappointment he felt at his enforced exclusion and spoke encouragingly, "Go on - get squinting." He ignored her tut of annoyance, "But hey, don't forget - I get to arrest the bad guys."

He heard her smile. "See you soon Bones."

"Bye Booth." She replied, finding herself listening to the dial tone.