Chapter 25

Cam was in Angela's office on Wednesday morning when she heard loud voices coming from the front of the lab. She looked at Angela and raised her eyebrows. "I don't believe this - again?"

Angela stood up and headed toward the door. "This should be interesting."

The two women walked toward the front of the lab, where they could hear Booth and Brennan arguing in her office. They stopped in the doorway as Booth said, "Fine, just be mad about it then! I did what I thought was necessary at the time, and I'd do it again in the same situation."

"This is my life, Booth, my career! I realize that as an alpha male personality you feel the need to protect those around you, but I am not helpless. I can take care of myself," she retorted.

"Sure you can, as evidenced by your decision to visit a crime scene, at night, by yourself, which resulted in your second trip to the hospital in as many days! It's your life I'm trying to save here, Bones. If I need to throw my "alpha male" weight around to do that, then get used to it," he shot back.

Brennan opened her mouth to argue further, but Cam interrupted. "OK, timeout! What exactly is the problem today?" She stood with her hands on her hips, feeling very much like an elementary school teacher chastising a couple of naughty students.

"Booth is behaving like a heavy handed, boorish Neanderthal, that's the problem!" Brennan threw him an outraged look as she stomped over to her desk.

"Despite being a genius, Bones can't seem to grasp the simple concept that a serial killer is stalking her," he shot back.

"Whoa!" Cam intervened again, exchanging disbelieving looks with Angela, who just shook her head. "Seriously, do I need to call Sweets? Because I will, if you two can't calm down."

Now they both turned on her. "Sweets!" they both scoffed, rolling their eyes at each other.

Angela said wryly, "Nice to know they can still agree on one thing."

"Bones is mad at me because of a little problem at her book signing last night," Booth said. "One of her fans followed us out and I felt the need to step in."

"Step in? Booth, you tackled him!"

"You tackled a fan at her book signing?" Angela tried not to laugh. She looked at Cam, whose lips were also twitching at this mental image.

"My publicist used the words "publicity nightmare on the scale of Anne Heche" - I don't know exactly what that means, but apparently it's bad," Brennan explained. "Reporters were still around, and according to the call I got this morning, there's a photo in at least one newspaper."

"There's a photo?" Angela and Cam said together. Angela made a mental note to Google the incident and find out which newspaper.

"That was just the end of the evening. During the event itself, he stood over me and glared at everyone."

"Not everyone," Booth protested. "Is it my fault that your fans are a bunch of nuts? It was like the state mental hospital sponsored a field trip or something. I think half of them are stalking you online."

"Booth, they're fans of my books. My career as a novelist depends on securing their interest and keeping it. It's bad enough that the FBI presence last night was so obvious, but then you tackled that poor man who only wanted me to autograph a book he left in his car!"

"Bones, he came running up while he was reaching into his jacket. I thought he was going for a weapon, I just reacted."

Brennan threw her hands up. "He was reaching for a pen! We're just lucky that he's such a loyal fan and therefore very understanding about the whole thing. As it is, now everyone is wondering why I needed FBI protection at a book signing."

"If I was your publicist, I know how I'd handle it. I'd just spin it like the "real life Andy Lister" protecting his partner, play up the personal relationship angle," Angela said with tongue in cheek.

"I do not want to be gossip column material, and our personal relationship is not common knowledge," Brennan said.

"I'd say it is after last night," Cam commented.

Brennan stood up and crossed the room to put on her lab coat. "I have work to do," she said crossly as she headed toward the door.
Booth reached out and caught her hand. "I'm sorry if you're upset, but I can't honestly say I'm sorry that I did what I did. I would do anything... anything to keep you safe." His eyes were serious as he looked at her.

Brennan felt some of her anger fade. She knew this case was worrying him to the point of sleeplessness. "I just need some time to clear my head this morning. Can you just, for one morning, not hover over me? I just want to work, and I need to concentrate, and it's harder when you're... hovering," she said finally.

He sighed. "Fine. Cullen and Patterson are coming over here for a conference with all the squints after lunch. I'll come back before lunch, bring some takeout, and after the meeting we'll head to court."

Angela felt herself getting a little emotional as she watched them. The way they looked at each other gave her goose bumps. After Booth left, she looked at Brennan and said, "You know, I expected the sexual tension to drop a little when you two finally got together."

"Booth and I aren't having sexual intercourse yet," Brennan replied as she picked up a folder from her desk.

"You're kidding, right?" Cam asked in disbelief.

"Seriously, sweetie, I can draw up some scenarios on the Angelator if you two need ideas," Angela offered.

"Not my idea, I can assure you," Brennan replied. "Booth said that we should make sure that the shift in our relationship is a permanent one before we consummate it. I guess he needs to be certain of things."

Cam could hear the note of uncertainty in Brennan's voice and realized she didn't understand the reason for Booth's decision. "Dr. Brennan, Booth loves you. Everyone can see it. It's not himself he's unsure of."

"Booth has never mentioned the word 'love' before," Brennan said quietly.

"Cam's right, sweetie, I've seen the way that man looks at you. He loves you; he's just afraid that if he tells you that you'll get scared and run. You should tell him how you feel."

"I don't know how I feel, Ange, not with precise certainty. Emotions are vague and messy. I can't measure feelings the way I would facts in order to reach a logical conclusion."

"And this is exactly what I mean, Bren. It's ok to admit that love scares you - it's not ok to run away from it though. He deserves better than that from you."

Brennan moved some folders around on her desk and then raised her eyes to look at Cam and Angela. "It's confusing to me because we're so different. I'm a brain person and he's a heart person. Sometimes I'm not sure how the two can co-exist in the same space."

Cam smiled at her. "And yet the human body manages it just fine every day, because no matter how different they are, they're still connected. One can't exist without the other. You and Booth are the same, you know."

Brennan thought about this for a moment. "Separate but connected?"

Angela put her arm around Brennan as they left her office. "Let me know if you change your mind about the Angelator; my offer stands."

He watched Agent Booth walk to his car and drive away from the Jeffersonian. He had seen them this morning too, leaving Temperance's apartment. It was clear that he was living with her - such a disappointment that her standards were apparently so low.

Of course, it appeared they had been arguing again. After the events at her book signing he had also seen them arguing. The big agent was clearly very protective of her which posed a problem. He was beginning to suspect that he would not get an opportunity to speak to her alone. But then, problems always had solutions.

He picked up today's paper and the continuing coverage of the Banfield trial. Yes, problems always had solutions. Agent Booth wouldn't be a problem much longer.