Chapter 11 – Brennan

It had been an unpleasant experience to find Agent Flynn waiting in her office later that afternoon. She wrinkled her brow in distaste.

"Why are you still here?"

"Thought I'd help you all out. Two agents are better than one, don't you think?"

"Of course not. Many agents are better than just one. Isn't that obvious when you look around your office? However, if you mean two agents acting as a liaison to the Jeffersonian are better than one, then I strongly disagree once more. Experience has well proven that a single agent is most effective."

"Any single agent, or one in particular?"

Certainly Flynn was trying to focus on a specific issue, but she couldn't quite see what it was, yet. This aggravated her. So far, his questions employed a very dull form of logic. Booth might say he was attempting to "bait" her. "Your question is ridiculously transparent. While it is true that there is not enough data to support irrefutably that any single agent would be most effective, preliminary observation overwhelmingly maintains that Agent Booth is the most effective single agent."

At that point, Flynn had begun toying with items around her office and then near her computer. He picked up a bone from a tray and sat on the edge of her desk. "Sex. Isn't that the defining data point?"

The direction of the conversation had deteriorated from there. Flynn continued his attempt to rattle her, fiddled with items she requested he leave alone, then began to issue crude invectives. So she decided to play his game. She morphed into Roxy – only for a moment – long enough to pull out a zip tie and wrap it around his wrists, which he had willingly held out for her. Winking at him, she'd maneuvered him to the couch and zip tied his ankles, too.

She had expected a more lively protest from him once he realized that she had bound him with no plans to further whatever fantasy had been floating in his mind. She took his silence as one of wise fear and embarrassment.

Hence, the text she sent Booth. "The stereotypical role of an alpha male is to remove the trash bag from the house. I believe my metaphor is correct when I ask that you come and remove Flynn from my office. He is bound and ready to go."

She was a little apprehensive about what his response would be. She had just bound a federal officer. Also, Booth did not react well to men making inappropriate comments to her. So it was with mild surprise that she met Booth's return text.

"On my way. Remember, no marks."

~oOo~

When Booth came into her office, he stopped in her doorway. "Bones! Are you all right?"

"Yes, of course. Why do you look so alarmed?"

"When you said he was bound and ready to go I didn't really think... I don't know why I didn't think you meant it literally. Of course he's tied up. Except, why is he tied up?" His tone dropped to a dangerous level as he continued. "Did he touch you?"

"No. I don't think he'd still be conscious if he had."

"Damn straight." He turned to Flynn. "Why are you so quiet?" He turned back to Brennan, hooking a thumb in Flynn's direction. "Did you do some kind of mojo trick on his vocal chords? Why isn't he yelling for security or something?"

"I believe he might be invoking the Fifth Amendment. Plus, I may have indicated that it was in his best interest to 'come quietly' since it was you who was coming to get him."

She saw him cock his head to the side and give her a strange look. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he shrugged back to normal. "It's just that you're the second person to use me as the 'heavy'. I haven't decided how I feel about that, yet."

"The heavy what?"

"Nevermind. So, what happened?"

"He spoke for awhile and when I decided to pay attention, he started to use juvenile terms for cats and roosters. Then he started touching things, including evidence. I grew tired of the whole thing so I made it so he wouldn't contaminate anything else."

Booth gave her a devilish smile and slowly turned back to Flynn. "Contamination of evidence. I like the sound of those words." He walked over to Flynn, pulled out a pocketknife, causing Flynn's eyes to widen briefly before Booth simply leaned over to slice through Flynn's ankle tie.

"C'mon Flynn. You've got a mess to clean up back at the barn."

As he started to lead Flynn out, Booth paused at the door. "I've got the trash. Does this mean you're cooking tonight?"

Brennan smiled. "I find those to be acceptable terms."

Booth gave her a wink as he none-to-gently prodded Flynn out the door.

~oOo~

Brennan was just getting ready to finish up and go pick up Christine when Angela stopped by with her own bag, ready to walk together.

"Hey Bren, did I see what I thought I saw a little while ago? It looked like Booth was escorting Flynn out as though he arrested him or something."

"Yes. Although I don't think Flynn will actually be arrested."

"C'mon Bren. I hate it when you just stop without giving the full story. You know I want to know everything."

Brennan looked up at Angela in annoyance at first. She just wanted to pick up Christine and go home, but then she considered that Angela might be able to help her with the real reason why Brennan broke down and zip tied Flynn, the part she didn't tell Booth.

Angela sat in front of her desk. "Hey. Sweetie. What is it? What happened?"

Brennan told her about what occurred.

Angela gave a shudder. "Ick. I knew that guy was skeevy. I'm sorry, and I hope the FBI does the right thing in booting his ass out the door."

"Booth thinks I just got fed up and took matters into my own hands, but that's not exactly all of it."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think Booth still trusts me?"

"Well, yeah. Why? Did he say something to make you think otherwise?"

"No. It was Flynn. He said he and Booth were the same in that they hate when people they trust betray them."

"You didn't betray Booth. You did the right thing to run, and I don't care what anybody tells you. It's what you had to do."

Brennan nervously toyed with the charm on her necklace. "Booth wants to get married."

Angela's eyes widened in excitement. "He proposed? How? When?"

"No, no," Brennan shook her head and waved Angela off. "It's just something that he wants. Before Christine was born he said he was sure that I would be the one to propose to him and not the other way around."

"And?"

"And I'm wondering if I should, to prove to Booth that I trust him, that I want to be with him, that I didn't leave him because I didn't love him."

Angela reached across the desk and took both of Brennan's hands into her own and squeezed. "I can't believe I'm hearing this from you. This doesn't sound like the Brennan I know at all. That is not a good reason to get married or to even propose marriage and you know it. Marriage is not about proving anything. Not even to Booth. It's about wanting something, wanting something so badly that you just burst with whatever will make that thing even more real than it already is. Do you remember when I turned Hodgins down?"

"Many times, yes."

Angela laughed cheerfully. "Right? And then Jack showed me how committed he was to me, just me, and not some piece of paper."

"But then you broke up."

"Because we got lost in the idea of a wedding and not of a marriage. Booth might want a marriage, but you have to want it, too. Otherwise it can't work." She paused and seemed to study Brennan for a moment. "You've never believed in marriage. I don't understand what has gotten into you."

"I need to go pick up Christine, and you need to pick up Michael Vincent."

Angela sighed and stood with Brennan. "Right. Anyway, talk to Booth, sweetie. He already knows where you stand with him, and you know what else? You need to just forgive yourself of whatever it is you think you did wrong – which was nothing, by the way."