(After 'The Pain in the Heart')

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Brennan had finally accepted the fact that she would have to hire a new intern for the Lab. After talking with Cam, it was decided they would start a rotation of interns using Brennan's graduate students. She never wanted to become attached to anyone like she had Zach. She had trained him and taught him everything she knew as a forensic anthropologist and he had misused that knowledge to help a serial killer. It was Brennan's plan to pick a few interns from her classes at the University and give them the benefit of her experience in a field they planned to make a career in. She would use their help in the Lab, so she could continue to go out in the field with her partner. She realized that she would have to lower her expectations because it was highly doubtful she would ever find another assistant like Zacharia Addy. He was a genius and in that rarefied percentage of extreme intelligence.

Cam felt that Brennan wanted to use the rotating interns as a way to avoid becoming attached to any of them. She knew that her forensic anthropologist had loved Zach and she wanted to avoid another broken heart and she didn't blame her. The shock everyone had felt when Zach had turned out to be the apprentice of Gormogon was still reverberating through the Lab. Cam had known that Zach would break her heart the day she had met him. He was naïve and lived in a bubble of his own making. The longer she had known him the more she had realized how isolated he was from normal companionship and human interaction and that has worried her. Now he was locked up in an institution and he would be there for the rest of his life. Rotating interns might be good for all of them.

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Booth was starting to feel like his relationship with Brennan was real. They had been together for two months and though they'd had a few arguments along the way they were easily forgiven and they continued to learn what it meant to be in a personal relationship.

So far, no one knew that they were a couple and Booth was starting to think about how they could break the news to the FBI and the Lab. He didn't want to risk losing Brennan as his partner, but sooner or later someone was going to find out that they were living together and it would not go well if it was determined that Booth and Brennan were trying to hide their relationship. He knew that it was better to be up front about it, but Brennan was afraid of the repercussions. "Look Bones. We have the chance to have some control of this thing. If someone figures out that we're a couple and we've been hiding it . . . well, we'll appear to be dishonest and the FBI might cancel your contract. I think if we approach Fairburn about this and just tell him that we're more than partners we might have a chance to keep working together . . . He likes you and you know it. Let's take advantage of that."

Filled with anxiety, Brennan sat on the couch next to Booth staring at the clock on the wall. "You know there is a no fraternization rule, Booth. We'll lose our partnership. I don't see how the FBI will overlook a rule for us."

"It's true we might lose our partnership if we say something, but we can't hide our relationship forever and I don't want to." Booth took her hand in his hand and gently squeezed it. "Look, no matter what happens we're not going to break up, okay? I really want to work with you, but if I can't that won't affect how I feel about you. You and me are together. I love you and I won't give up on our relationship if the FBI breaks up the team. You can trust me on this one, Bones. I'm not going anywhere."

She heard him and she wanted to believe that everything would work out, but she loved working with Booth in the field. Staring at their clasped hands, Brennan decided that Booth was right. Hiding their relationship was not really an option. "If they did break my contract, I can still work for the CIA and the Pentagon as well as teach at the University. The Lab can offer our expertise to Homeland Security as well."

"Yeah, you can do all those things." Booth hoped that it didn't come to that, but if it did then they would adapt. "I think I'll make an appointment with Fairburn and tell him what's going on. We need to get it out in the open before someone rats us out."

Reluctantly, Brennan agreed with his plan. "I think you're right. I just hope the FBI isn't foolish enough to break up our team . . . what happens if they decide to hire a new forensic anthropologist? There isn't anyone as good as I am of course, but there are a few that might be of some help to the FBI."

Amused at the snobby way she had commented, Booth smiled. "Hey, I'm the head of my department and I don't have to go out into the field if I don't want to. In fact, I'm not really supposed to, but my bosses look the other way because of our solve rate . . . If they hire a new anthropologist, I will not work with him or her. I'll follow the letter of my job description and stay in my office."

"You'd hate that. You're a man of action." Brennan was worried that Booth would end up hating his job and perhaps her. "You know that you love investigating crime."

"I love investigating, but if the FBI screws up my partnership, I will punish them." Booth kissed the back of her hand. "I am a man of action, but I have hockey and I work out. I'm sure I can burn off some of my energy that way. Don't worry about me. You're my partner and I won't work with someone else. Okay?"

Brennan slowly nodded her head. "Just like I won't work with a lesser agent than you."

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With a plan in mind, Booth made an appointment to see Deputy Director Fairburn the next day. Much to his consternation, Fairburn called him to his office after lunch. He had expected to be put off for a few days, so Fairburn calling him in so quickly made him feel off center. Once he was outside his boss's boss's office, Booth knew that he had a small window of opportunity to get this right. Entering Fairburn's office, he found the man sitting at his desk looking at something on his PC.

"Sir?" Booth walked over to the desk and stood there waiting.

Pointing at one of the chairs in front of his desk, Fairburn closed the file on his computer and turned to face his Head of Major Crime. "So, what can I do for you, Booth?"

Calmly, Booth sat down, nodded his head and spoke. "I need to let you know about a change in my personal life. I'm in a relationship with Dr. Temperance Brennan. We've been seeing each other for about two months."

"I see." It amused the Deputy Director that Booth actually thought his relationship was a secret. There had been a pool in operation for months about the partners and quite a few of the gamblers were certain that the partners were a couple already. Everyone had noticed a change between Booth and Brennan in the last few weeks and they were sure they knew what it was. "Thank you for letting me know." Turning back to his PC, Fairburn opened up another file.

Confused, Booth frowned at the man and wondered what was happening. "Dr. Brennan and I are living together. I need you to know that because of the no fraternization rule."

Turning back to face Booth, Fairburn clasped his hands and placed them on his desk. "That rule is between FBI Agents. Dr. Brennan is not an agent. She's a scientist that consults for us . . . Congratulations on your relationship change. Is that all?"

A little befuddled, Booth stood up and held his hands on the back of the chair. "The FBI doesn't care about my relationship with my partner?"

"Not really. If and when you get married, you'll need to let Human Resources know about it." Fairburn wanted to laugh. The look on Booth's face was priceless. "You will need to fill out a paper so that Dr. Brennan will be contacted in the future if something happens to you. We don't want a repeat of what happened a few weeks ago . . . I talked to Dr. Sweets and I let him know that not telling Dr. Brennan about your undercover assignment was not acceptable and he will no longer be involved in family notifications . . . He's also on probation for three months. He said he apologized to you and I think that's as far as it needs to go since no harm seems to have been done to your relationship with Dr. Brennan."

Stunned that this meeting had taken such a bizarre turn, Booth nodded his head, almost speechless. Clearing his throat, Booth felt like he'd stepped into a Twilight Zone episode. "Um, thank you, Sir. I'll let Human Resources know."

"You and Dr. Brennan are the best team we have at the FBI at the moment. We'd be stupid to break up your partnership, Booth. Between you and your partner, you've solved cold cases that should have remained cold. You two do amazing work and we want to keep your team intact and doing what you do best. You're a valuable asset to this organization. You and your partner. Now, if that's all, I really have some work to do."

"Thank you, Sir." Afraid to say anything else, Booth left the office. He had expected a fight and what he got was a capitulation. It floored him that he'd been worried about his relationship with Brennan and that worry had all been for nothing. Maybe his life was taking a big turn for the better. He'd had a hard life and he'd come to have little hope for a happy one, but the last several weeks had changed everything. Maybe his luck was changing.

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As soon as Booth was out of his office, Fairburn made a call. "Hey Max, meet me at our usual place tonight for dinner. I'll let Sally know that I'm having dinner with you. I need to talk to you."

About what?

"I'll tell you tonight." The call ended, the Deputy Director laughed. He was looking forward to seeing Max. Their conversation was going to be very interesting.

Later that evening, Fairburn was looking over the menu when his cousin-in-law sat down beside him. "Glad you could make it."

"Alright Carl, quit being so mysterious. I'm here. Now what do you want to talk to me about?" Max picked up the menu and looked it over. He hated surprises and he hoped that Carl didn't keep his secret very long.

Once the waitress had taken both of their orders, Carl leaned on the table and smiled. "I found out some very interesting news today."

Annoyed that Carl was smirking at him, Max sipped some water and glared at the man. "So, tell me."

"Well, it would seem that Agent Seeley Booth and Dr. Temperance Brennan are romantically involved." Carl watched Max closely to see how he would react.

"It's about damn time." Max shook his head. "I knew there was something there the minute I saw those two together. I was worried that they were going to pussyfoot around their attraction forever. They sure didn't seem to be in a hurry to get together."

Carl leaned back as the waitress placed a glass of Coke in front of him and another glass in front of Max. Once the waitress was gone, Carl sipped some of his drink and placed the glass down. "I don't know what happened, but I think Booth being shot might have been the catalyst. He came to me today and told me that he and Tempe are in a relationship. I think he expected me to break up his partnership or at least make some threats. When I didn't do that, he just looked at me like I was nuts. It was pretty funny. I wish I could tell him that he's part of my family now, but that's not going to happen. You and I don't even know each other as far as the world is concerned and that's the way it has to be."

"I'm glad they're together." Max stared down at his clasped hands. "My daughter has been alone for a long time and I'm sure she thinks her family is terrible. We're always leaving her behind. I'm never leaving her again, but she doesn't trust me and who can blame her. At least with Booth, she has someone she can count on."

Since he agreed with Max, Carl shrugged his shoulders. "Just don't stick your nose in their business. It's their relationship and not yours. Get it?"

"Yeah, I do." Max sighed. "I hope Tempe is happy. I want her to be happy."

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