Booth starts up the SUV and glances at Brennan quickly, she's staring out of the passenger window. Her quiet demeanour has him worried but he daren't say anything to her in fear of reproach. Sighing inwardly he pulls away from the beach house. They are almost half way back to the cabin before she speaks, and he isn't sure that she has even really spoken at all or if he is just wishing that she has.

"Shall we go out for dinner?" She turns to look at him expectantly and he realises that she really did speak those words.

"Um..Sure. Where do you want to go?"

She shrugs and turns back to look out of the window. "Somewhere that no one knows us."

He frowns and nods, knowing that she can't see his gesture and that it is mainly for his benefit to hide his confusion at her last statement.

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After a half hour of wandering through the town they agree on a small restaurant on the pier, it is quaint but a sign outside boasts the best lobster in the state and she is immediately intrigued, he's just happy to be in her company.

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A waitress comes to collect their dishes and Brennan smiles contentedly.

"I have to say, I have never had better lobster."

Booth looks at his watch quickly, he knows that Marcus will be calling soon and he isn't particularly enthusiastic at the thought of having to sit through the conversation. "I should probably get you back, you're expecting a call soon."

Her face falls and she nods slowly. "You want to go?"

"I just didn't think you would want to sit in front of me talking to your boyfriend…. It's ok you know, I don't mind." He meets her eyes and forces a small smile.

Searching his face for a second she reaches down for her jacket, Booth nods and starts to slip his on. When she doesn't mimic his actions he is confused, watching her she reaches into her pocket and pulls out the cell. She holds it up to him and then turns it off. If Booth was confused before he isn't sure of what he is now. She slips the cell back into her pocket and shrugs.

"Still want to go?"

"No…I'll stay with you as long as you want." He smiles genuinely and something inside her stirs at his words. She nods and picks up the menu in front of her.

"So…dessert?" He chuckles and nods.

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After paying for dinner, Booth has suggested a bar he'd spotted a few hundred yards from their cabin, she'd agreed and after dropping off the car they had wandered down. The air was warm and he'd been mesmerized by her skin glowing in the dusk as she recited some strange fact about a tribe in Indonesia.

Sitting in their Booth the conversation had been pleasant and he had wondered a few times up until this point about whether or not he should tell her about Marcus' secret past. Fear had gotten the better of him, fear of ruining this evening, fear of her not smiling at him the way that she was smiling at him right now. He takes a sip of his beer and motions for the barman to set up another couple. A blush spreads across Brennan's face quickly and she quickly averts her eyes to her hands in her lap. Booth looks across at the bar to where her eyes had previously been directed to see a young man smiling in their direction, he shakes his head and smiles at her gently.

"There's no need to be embarrassed when a guy hits on you Bones."

She looks up at him quickly making a point to not look to the bar again. "Just not something that ever happens to me."

Booth laughs out loud and she frowns in confusion. "Do you live with your head in the clouds!"

"I don't know where that means… You know where I live."

Booth sits back and allows the waitress to clear their empty bottles and replace them with the recently ordered ones. Waiting for her to move away form the booth he leans across the table conspiratorially.

"Look around you Bones, every guy in this room and probably half of the women in it are wondering how the hell they can get your attention. Granted they aren't all as bold as the stud at the bar…. But I watch guys hit on you pretty much everyday….how can you be oblivious to that!"

"I guess I just don't see it." She shrugs and takes a sip of her beer. "Besides, not every man in the room is wondering how to get my attention. Take you for example."

Booth meets her eyes quickly and seeing no intention or underlying meaning in them gives her a small smile before taking a drink from his beer.

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Booth throws his jacket onto his bed and pulls his shirt over his head. He yawns and reaches into his overnight bag to pull out his toiletries holder before heading out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. As he nears the door Brennan is exiting, she stops and smiles sleepily.

"I think I had too much beer… I'm a little woozy." He nods in agreement and smiles mischievously. "What?"

"You always brush half of your face when you are brushing your teeth?" Her confused expression is quickly replaced by one that he can't name as he reaches out and gently rubs away the offending white stain from the side of her mouth. When his thumb runs over the edge of her lip she is frozen, his eyes meet hers and suddenly time seems to stand still. Her heart is thumping in her ears and her breathing is laboured. His thumb stills on the corner of her lip and when she lets out a shuddery breath, reality comes flooding back to her. She pulls back immediately as though his touch had burned her and averts her eyes to the towel in her hands.

"Thanks. Night Booth."

She walks past him taking extra care not to touch him and he closes his eyes thinking that perhaps a cold shower would be the best course of action for tonight.

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