Chapter 21

The end is getting near I promise. And I promise I will make it up to you after all the angst you have endured. Just a few more little bumps to go...

Tears were still tracking a silent path down Brennan's cheek when a loud knock at the door startled her. She wiped the tears from her cheeks but chose to ignore the knock.

"Bones, it's me," Booth called from the other side of the door. "I need your help with some paperwork."

He was about to knock again when he heard the latch being unlocked and the door opened slightly. He let himself in, closing the door behind him and placing the pile of folders onto her desk before taking a seat on the couch.

Brennan made her way back to her desk without greeting or eye contact. It was clear from the redness rimming her eyes that she had been crying but he elected not to comment on this. She picked up the files that he had placed in front of her and began to leaf through them.

"Booth these are old cases the majority of which did not even include my involvement," she snapped. "I can see no reason that you would need my input on these let alone find it pertinent to barge into my office requesting assistance at this time. I have my own work to do"

He wracked his brains for an alternate explanation knowing that since she had correctly seen through his original excuse there was no point arguing with her.

"I just thought maybe if we worked together we could knock them off quicker and than I could drag you out of here for some lunch to say thankyou."

She looked blankly in his direction. "I have my own work to do Booth and I am quite capable of getting my own lunch."

This was going to be harder than he thought. Doing away with the pretence he tried a more upfront approach.

"I just needed to see you. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" she snapped.

"Well the fact that your eyes are all red and puffy and that you were hiding away in your office with the door locked suggests that the idea is not totally off base," he retorted.

"This is my office Booth and there are a multitude of reasons for me to be working in here alone with the door locked, just as there are equally as many explanations for why my eyes might be red and puffy. I could be suffering from seasonal hay fever, I may have been cutting onions…"

"Right, you have been sitting at your desk with the door locked, cutting onions," he interrupted.

"I didn't say that. I was merely stipulating that there are numerous scenarios that would account for my current appearance."

"Well then what is the reason for your current appearance Bones?" he asked. "Because I am still not buying the one in which you say you are fine."

"I am not trying to sell you anything Booth."

"No, but you are going out of your way to avoid the question."

"Just leave me alone Booth. I spoke to Angela. It's fixed. It's over. We just have to move on. I am fine."

"You don't look fine," he repeated, concern evident in his voice. He walked over beside her letting his hand rest on her shoulder. "Talk to me Bones."

She sighed. "There is nothing to talk about Booth. Just let me do my work. Please?"

She looked up at him her eyes meeting him for the first time. Seeing the pain in his eyes she immediately felt remorseful for pushing him away but at the same time she was not ready to let him in yet either. "I'm sorry Booth," she acknowledged. "I just need some time and space."

Booth nodded, giving her shoulder a squeeze before releasing it and stepping back a little. "Okay," he conceded. "We don't have to talk about this now. But you don't get to turn into a hermit spending all day and night in the office either. I will get out your way and leave you to it, but I am swinging by here at six and dragging you out of here to get some dinner whether you are ready to take a break or not."

"That really isn't necessary Booth. I am quite capable…"

"Nope, not negotiable," he told her. "I will see you at six." He turned and walked out of the office before she could protest any further, nodding in greeting to Angela who was trying to appear busy not far from the door before making his way out of the Jeffersonian and back to his office.

Before Brennan had the chance to lock the door behind him Angela burst into her office. The energy flowing through the artist prevented her standing still and she found herself walking in random directions about Brennan's office, her hands waving wildly as the words flowed.

"Okay sweetie you have some explaining to do," she began. "What the hell was that about before and what do you mean it isn't real? I have seen you two together. I know you. I know both of you. This is me you are talking to for goodness sakes. You can't just tell me that it was all pretend and walk away and expect me to just let it drop. You also can't expect me to actually believe that the two of you are that good at acting. I know what I saw and that was not just for show."

Out of words temporarily she paused and stopped her pacing and turned to look at Brennan noticing the tears that were flowing freely down her cheeks once more.

Angela moved quickly to her friend's side, kneeling beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry Bren," she said. "What happened? Please tell me what is going on?"

"It's just. Well. We thought." Brennan struggled to begin not finding the words to explain. "Nothing is going on. Things just all got out of hand. It was a bad idea."

"What was a bad idea?" Angela pressed. "Lets go back to the start of it hon. Start from there."

Brushing the tears aside once more Brennan thought for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Booth and I figured out that you were trying to interfere again. With the Christmas party," she began. "And for some reason we thought that if we played along you might realize that things were not meant to be. But it just grew beyond our control and turned into a big mess."

"Okay, well first of all you two are meant to be together. So I am going to choose to ignore that bit. You will just have to trust me on that one. But as for the rest honey, I am sorry, but you are not that good an actress. You are my best friend. I have known you for years. I know you. And the chemistry and emotion between you and the hunky FBI guy was not something you created just for my benefit. You can't just make that sort of thing up. Even Hollywood can't put on that good a show. Are you trying to tell me that deep down you have no interest in that super sexy man? That apart from getting me to stop meddling you have no desire at all to have that incredible mouth of his pressing up against yours, tasting you, or better yet tasting other parts of you?"

Brennan's tears increased and she let her head fall to her desk, sobbing audibly. Angela held her tighter. "I am going to take that as confirmation you do have feelings for him sweetie. So why the tears? He is clearly smitten with you. He took a bullet for you once and would do so again. What is the problem?"

"We can't Ange." Brennan managed through the tears.

"Because of the line? Because sweetie I think it was about time that damn line was dead and buried."

"It isn't that simple."

"Yes it is. I am pretty sure if you just marched that tight little ass of yours over to his office and planted your lips on his that he would be up to speed with eliminating that damn line pretty quickly."

"We can't though Ange. Even if your assumption was correct that Booth shared any interest or desire in turning this rendezvous into something other than fiction we can't. Sweet's said that if we didn't end it he would have the FBI separate us. We can't. We just need to go back to the way things were."

"Sweet's said that?" asked Angela incredulously. "You are letting a twerpy little teenager tell you who you are allowed to date? I have a good mind to go and kick some sense into that boy right now."

"He is just doing his job Ange. It is the FBI's rules not his."

"That's just stupid. And surely he could just shut up and play along anyway. Just because he is under aged and not getting any doesn't give him the right to spoil everyone else's fun."

"He isn't trying to spoil anyone's fun. They are rules. Just let it go Ange. It is for the best."

Angela sighed. "Well I am not leaving you here on your own moping and hiding behind your work. I am taking you out tonight. We can have a few drinks, go dancing."

"I already promised Booth I would have dinner with him tonight. He is picking me up from here at six."

"That's fine. I can wait till you finish your dinner. Give me a call when you get home and I will swing by and pick you up."

Brennan could tell there was no point in arguing with Angela when she was this determined so she simply nodded agreement. Angela smiled triumphantly. "Excellent," she said. "Make sure you have a good dinner you are going to need the energy."

Brennan managed a weak smile and Angela satisfied for the moment made her way out of her office, silently plotting what would be the best course of action to take next.

TBC

Hope you are still enjoying the journey. Thanks for coming on this little ride with me. And as always, reviews motivate me to be less slack and bring you what is to come sooner. It is all written in my head, some of it just still needs to find its way to the screen. Will do my best not to keep you waiting too much longer though.