okay, i know you guys wanted it to be all steaminess...and i want that too. but you gotta wait! like maybe, four more chapters give or take.

it'll be great!!!! i promise: )

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"Now, I have to put on these rubber gloves because...why?" Booth asked nervously.

Brennan smiled and held two pairs of gloves, and Hodgins had come with a beaker of a bubbling and sizzling liquid.

"Relax, Booth. All we are going to do is pour some of this acid onto the handcuff to remove it." Brennan said reassuringly.

"Why can't we cut each other apart with a saw?"

"Because it is an anceint artifact, and we didn't really pay for them, did we?"

"But-but wouldn't pouring this acid on the cuffs ruin them?"

"Well, yes. But we formulated this acid so that it would only dissolve a small area."

"But if it can corrode metal, then won't it burn through the rubber?"

"That's why you gotta take them off really quickly." Hodgins joked.

Booth glared at him. "That's not funny."

"Don't worry Booth." Brennan reassured, again. "I am going to apply such a minute amount that once it corrodes through the cuff, the acid will be harmless."

"How can you do that?"

"Dude, we are scientists. We can do anything." Hodgins said, smirking.

"Put on the glove, Booth." Brennan repeated. Booth sighed, he knew when to quit. He put on the glove and watched as the acid Brennan poured dissovled through the handcuff. Then the cuff slipped off of him and fell harmlessly onto the table. "See? You're still alive." Brennan said patronizingly.

Booth smiled. "Yes, just slightly traumatized."

Brennan rolled her eyes, and removed her cuff. Hodgins smiled. "Are you guys finished with this stuff?"

"Yes, why?" Brennan asked.

"No reason." Hodgins said, smirking. He sealed the beaker, and walked over to Zach. "Come on man, do you still want to do that spam corrosion race?"

"Yes, I altered mine to corrode faster."

"So did I man. It's on!" Hodgins said.

Booth watched them walk off the platform, and he started laughing.

"What?" Brennan asked.

"They really haven't changed have they?"

"No." Brennan smirked.

Angela walked onto the platform. "Hey guys. Seems like you got the cuffs off."

"Yes, and we didn't have to admit to any supposed love." Brennan said.

Angela sighed dissapointedly. "Yeah, well, the best things in life take time."

Booth smiled at her and Brennan. "Yeah, they sure do."

"I agree." Brennan said. Then she looked at her watch. "Ha! Looks like i have some time to finish one or two limbo cases before you bring another case."

Booth grinned. "In that case, I'll come back as fast as I can!" He winked, and left. Brennan rolled her eyes.

Angela laughed. "Now, that we are alone..."

"No, I am not going to tell you what happened last night."

"Oh, so something happened?" Angela asked smoothly.

"What? No, nothing happened last night." Brennan argued.

"Right, Bren. Whatever you say." Angela said almost tauntingly.

"Fine. Come on, I'll tell you." Brennan said. She didn't want her to think something did happen, because that would only make things even more uncomfortable between her and Booth.

Angela smirked. "Works every time." She whispered to herself.

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So, he didn't like my present as much as he liked yours, huh?"

"Yes, I would think so." Brennan said. "Because I didn't give him anything that...suggestive."

"Merely helping to stoke the fire." Angela said, smirking.

"A. There is no fire to stoke and B. my present was more tasteful."

"Yeah, a book on your 'partnership', sounds like someone trying to find a way to admitting their love without actually saying it, if you know what I mean."

"I am not in love with him. He is my friend, a very close friend..."

"And you want to become a closer friend." Angela smirked.

"No! Angela, why can't you just live with that fact that Booth and I are just friends?"

"Because you are lying to yourself, Bren. Remember when you lied to the FBI just to find him?"

"Well, he has done the same for me."

"Exactly."

"Because we are friends."

Angela sighed. "Bren, you need to think about this. Those handcuffs of love, sure you burned them off, but don't you think that they don't have a key assigned to them for a reason. Maybe you really do have to understand yourself before you are allowed to take them off."

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" Angela asked. Brennan bit her lip in thought. Angela smiled. "I'll leave you with that concept to mull over." She smiled and left. Brennan sighed. She didn't know what to do.

Angela walked around the lab, smiling. Now all she had to do was find Booth.

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Booth strolled into the lab with his confident smile, but it soon faded when he say Angela slinking towards him. He knew she had been up to no good when he had been gone. "Hey, Angela, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just wondering what you thought about that whole handcuffs thing."

Booth sighed inwardly. He knew that something like this had been coming. "I don't know. At first it was funny, then it really wasn't."

"Thanks for that insight." Angela said sarcastically.

"Anytime." Booth said winking. "Have you seen Bones?"

"Yes, but you know what I haven't seen?"

"What?"

"The present Brennan got for you."

Booth almost stuttered, but gathered himself together at the last minute. "Uh..yeah, sorry about that. But unlike other people, I tend to leave my presents at home."

"But you haven't gone home this morning."

"How do you know that?"

Angela smirked. "I have my sources."

"Did Bones tell you everything?"

"Well, almost. She wouldn't tell me what you did with the book."

"Good."

"But that means that it must have something secret and special in it, and in that case I don't want to see it." Angela said.

"That's good too, because you are not going to. Now where is Brennan?"

Angela sighed. "In her office."

Booth nodded, and began walking in that direction, but turned around. "Hey, Angela."

Angela smiled sweetly at him. "Yes?"

"You didn't really think that would work on me, did you?" Booth said with a smile, and then began walking towards Brennan's office.

Angela sighed. "No, I guess not."

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What do you think: ) Did i do okay with Angela? I am afraid I got way ooc on her...

R&R please!