HEY! Sorry for the long delay! I was coming home so I couldn't update!

But I did write this LOOOONG chapter to apologise!

Please enjoy and forgive me!

xXx Tiana

Brennan walked into the Jeffersonian lab at 10:30am the next day. It was a Thursday, so she expected that everyone would be there already, like she should have been. Trying to creep into her office unnoticed, and remain there until Michael came at midday, Brennan walked slowly and purposely. Se was unsuccessful, however.

'You're late!' Angela announced from behind. Brennan paused in her tracks. Closing her yes and taking a deep breath, she turned around to face her best mate, who had just walked out of her own office.

'I'm sorry.' She said in a voice that didn't match the statement. She knew that she hadn't fooled Angela. Lying was one thing that she was bad at. Brennan had a grin on her face now, but it only mimicked the one on Angela's face.

'So?' Angela squealed, causing Zack and Hodgins who had came out behind Angela from her office too, to jump and then walk off. Angela fell into step with Brennan, who had begun to turn around and walk to her office.

'So… what?' Brennan asked. Even though that they had been together for almost a year not, Angela couldn't get over it and still thought that she needed to know every singe detail that they did.

'What happened last night? After you got home? What did he say about Michael? Oooh, was he jealous?' Angela fired the questions one after another, and Brennan wasn't sure if she really wanted an answer. They had entered the office how, and Brennan had headed straight to her desk and switched on her computer. Angela took the seat opposite her, leaning forward for her responses.

'Angela,' she began, not taking her eyes off of her screen, 'nothing happened.' She lie the best she could. Of course, Angela didn't fall for it.

'Ok. So I'm supposed to believe that after a week apart, the two of you went home and merely fell asleep. I don't think so. Something must have happened! Just give me a bit, please?' she pleaded. Brennan finally looked up at her from her screen and couldn't help but smile at the eager look on her face. She sighed and decided to tell.

'It wasn't anything major. We went home and talked for a bit-'

'What about?' Angela interrupted.

'This and that.'

''This and that' as in Michael?' Angela asked hopefully. Brennan argued with herself whether to tell her or what. The time it took her to deicide, she could tell that Angela had already came up with the answer.

'Yes. But nothing like that. And then we went to bed.' She said innocently. Of course, the night was anything but innocent, but she didn't think that she would be able to tell Angle that.

'To bed. Yeah, I get you. You little minx!' Brennan rolled her eyes as Angela continued to squeal. The two of them chatted for a while until the subject came back onto her, but this time with Michael.

'When's he coming then?' Angela asked.

'Around middy.' Brennan shrugged.

'Oooh. That's less than an hour!' Angela squealed. She was clapping her hands in a manner that reminded Brennan of a five year old.

'I know, Ange. I can tell the time!' she said, somewhat sarcastically.

'Well, at least you can tell some things.' Angela murmured, not letting her happy mood falter. Brennan looked straight at her and narrowed hr eyes.

'What's that supposed to mean?' she demanded.

'Just that… ain't it obvious? The only reason why Michael's here in the first place is because-'

'Of me?' Brennan finished off for her. when Angela shot her a look of disbelief, probably because Brennan had been thinking the same thing as her, Brennan added, 'Déjà vu.'

'No way! You had this conversation with Booth?' Angela's eyes had grown wide.

'Yes. See, I told you that he isn't jealous.' Brennan gloated. Angela sighed and then humphed.

'Doesn't mean he's not jealous, just aware of the situation and the competition.' Angela tried to reason. For some reason, it seemed as if Angela wanted Booth to be jealous of Michael. Something that Brennan sure as hell did not share.

'So, is Booth coming today?' Angela asked after a moment. Brennan nodded her head and started to type something into the computer real fast. Angela sat watching her as she read what she had written and write some more.

'Oh no! You're re-doing your book, aren't you?' Angela moaned. Whenever Brennan did something to do with her book, it always ended up with them getting into an argument.

Brennan tore her eyes away from the screen, placing the mouse cursor at the end of the sentence that she had just read.

'I'm not re-doing. I'm just reading what the publishers have changed, and making it sound right. Like I wrote it. I don't understand why…' Brennan trailed off as her eyes glided over to the computer screen again.

Not aware of her movement, Angela looked up at her and sighed. Waving a hand to catch her attention, she practically yelled.

'Don't understand what?' Brennan didn't move or jump at the loud sound coming from her best friend. Instead, she lifted one finger to indicate to her to wait.

'It won't work.' A voice came from the doorway. Angela turned to see Michael standing there. Brennan had looked up too. She didn't smile, but she didn't frown either.

'Michael. What're you doing here? I thought you said midday?' it was 11:30am, but Brennan still thought it to be early.

'You know, I just thought that it would be better if I got started early. My team's here so we could get started whenever the other FBI comes.' Both Angela and Brennan noticed how he had not mentioned Booth's name.

'Well, Booth's not going to be here until midday, or whatever, so until then we can't start doing anything.' Brennan turned her attention back onto her computer screen.

Angela looked from one person to the other, and sighed. If it were action that she wanted, then she would have to get them to talk.

'I'm gonna go and put the info I got yesterday into the Angelator, 'k sweetie? Bye.' She left the office in a stride.

Michael watched her go and then turned his attention to the beautiful woman behind the desk, she seemed so interested in her computer that she didn't realise Michael walking up and taking the seat that Angela had left vacant.

'So, how's it going? The book I mean.' He asked. Brennan actually took her eyes off of the screen to look at him. He was sitting back in the chair and staring right at her, the grin he wore on his face made Brennan unsure where he was taking the conversation.

'Alright, I guess. Last adjustments, you know, before it's published.' She said. She had now forgotten about the computer and kept her eyes on Michael entirely.

'Good luck with that. If you need someone to read it through for you…' he trailed off, grinning from ear to ear. Brennan grinned back, slightly.

'I don't think so. Trust me, I have had enough offers like that.'

'Well, you know, I would have an anthropologist's vies of it so….' He asked hopefully. Brennan just shook her head. 'Fine. Worth a shot, huh?' Brennan gave him a half smile, and subtly glanced at the clock. She turned her attention back to the computer.

Determined not to let the silence hang in the air as uncomfortable as it was, especially if the FBI guy came, Michael decided to approach her again.

'So, how have you been?' he added gently. Brennan slowly turned her head to him. on the inside, she was battling two emotions and actions. One was to go mad and yell about what he had done to her and be sarcastic, a lot. The other one was to go smoothly and to go cold, as she usually would. Her usual self won out.

'Fine. You?' she added quite reluctantly. Michael smiled briefly, but hid it quickly. Brennan wondered whether he had wanted her to ask him that.

'Yeah, I've been good. I've been offered a permanent job here in DC, so it's getting better.' He said, proudly. Brennan didn't know what to say.

'That's… um… great.' When he eyed her suspiciously, she tried gain. ' That's great. Really.' Smiling this time too.

'Good, I was hoping you'd say that.' He laughed. Brennan smiled unsure of herself and what he meant. Before she could ask, or he could explain, a knock on the door caught her attention.

'Hey.' She greeted.

'Hey. Are we ready to get going?' Booth asked, eyeing Michael. Michael stood up a Brennan mad her way around her desk. She nodded to Booth and then looked over to Michele, who nodded too.

'Good. Let's go then.' Booth said, moving from the doorway and down the corridor to the lab.

20 minutes later, the lab was the exact same at it had been the night before. Everyone was in her same places, more or less, and doing the same thin. For the second time that day, Brennan had a feeling of déjà vu.

'Why is this taking so long?' Booth whispered to her, half an hour later. Brennan was standing next to him this time, so she didn't have to turn to answer him.

'I told you. He doesn't know what he's looking for.' She whispered back.

'So he's stalling?' Brennan nodded in response. Booth chuckled, causing Brennan to give him a weary look. 'What? He is! It's kinda… amusing.' Booth smiled.

'How's that?' Brennan was intrigued now. Booth shrugged.

'Just waiting to see how long till he breaks.'

''Breaks'?' Brennan was confused. She knew what it meant, but she couldn't apply it to this situation.

'Yeah. You know, see how long until he gives up and admits that he doesn't know what to look for.' Booth smiled at the thought of it.

'It's not funny, you know.' Brennan scolded.

'Sorry. But it is.' A look from Brennan made him go on. 'An anthropologist not knowing what to look for is like a… lawyer going into court without a case. It's not right.'

'Yeah, well if he doesn't find anything, then that's exactly what's going to happen to them.' Brennan smiled at the thought, but quickly hid it when she saw Booth smile.

'See. You know it's true.' he whispered in her ear, causing Brennan's smile to reappear.

An hour later, Brennan was heading back to her office. Michael had finished with the examination 10 minutes earlier. After that, Brennan had decided that they now had to get the investigation underway before the case date. So she had sent Hodgins to go with Booth out to the place where Maggie was buried and collect sample of the soil and other bugs.

Usually, she would have gone too, but she was needed here to look over as the others left, and to get started on the remains with Zack.

Entering her office, Brennan hadn't expected to see someone else there already.

'Michael! What are you doing here? I thought you'd left.' she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

'Nah. I was going to, but I changed my mind. I needed to talk to you.' He was sitting on the couch. In his hands, Brennan realised as she went to sit opposite him, was a file.

'About that?' she asked, eyeing the pretty thin file.

'Partially. But also something else that's connected to it.' Michael sighed, making Brennan wonder what he exactly wanted to say. 'I heard you talking.'

Brennan was confused. Heard me talking where? Obviously her thinking was loud enough for Michael to hear.

'With your partner in the lab earlier.' At first Brennan still didn't understand, and then she remembered what they had said. Instantly, she was nervous about what action Michael was going to take. It couldn't be good.

'Oh.' She simply said.

'Yeah. That's what I thought too.' Michael's face was still, no hint of emotion at all. That just scared Brennan.

'What has that got to do with that?' she said, eyeing the file once again. Michael smiled. Shaking the file and then slamming it onto the coffee table in front of them, he sat forward on the couch.

'Look at it.' He said, pushing it towards her. Steadily, she took it from the table. Opening it, she saw the name 'Shilling, Maggie' on the first page. Going through the other four pages, Brennan was in shock with what she saw. Finally, she it down and took a deep breath, not sure what to do.

'Are these your findings?'

'Yeah.'

'But why-?' she stopped, not knowing what to ask exactly.

'Why did I keep it? Why did I not use it?' when Brennan merely nodded in response, he went on. 'You saw the findings. They're all against the Costellos. I couldn't use those. I was, am, working for them.'

'Then why did you show me?' Brennan was still shocked.

'Because you figured me out. I knew you would.' When Brennan refused to answer he carried on again. 'I know that they are guilty. I've known that since the first time I checked the body.'

'But… your findings. They are different to what we found.' She was still trying to get her head around what was happening. She knew what the answer was, but she wanted him to say it.

'I know, and Tempe, I know that you know why. I'm sorry that I did that. But I'm trying to sort it out now.' Michael had said in his softest voice.

'No. You knew that they killed a teenager, and you went to get them out of jail? You can't sort that out. You tampered with evidence. You took it out of our lab and used it against us. That's illegal.' She had stood up now and started to pace, slowly, but was still pacing.

Watching her, and hearing her say that, Michael got u and tried to reason.

'But it doesn't matter now. If you've got it, then you can use it. No one needs to know, Tempe.'

Brennan stopped in her tracks.

'Don't call me that!' she snapped. 'And don't try and clear your conscience like this. Just leave, Michael.' She pointed to the door.

Michael shook his head.

'No. The only reason I told you is because I'm sorry. I'm sorry about what I did, this and about what I did to you in the courtroom.' Brennan crossed her arms and stared at him.

'You're sorry? Well, apart from being a year late, I don't want your apologies. Now get out.' She said softly, but with as much force as yelling would have done.

Now Michael was angry.

'Can't you take my apology? You seemed to forgive your FBI boyfriend easily and he did much worse then what I did. He practically told the whole world about your past, Tempe. But you forgave him. What about me, huh?'

'What about you?' Brennan sneered. She was as pissed of as she got. She was in the right mind to punch the crap out of him.

What happened next caught her right off guard however.

In two steps, Michael was standing right in front of her. His face looked as twisted with anger as Brennan felt. Then, without any warning, he lifted his hand and slapped her. Hard.

Brennan could feel the burning of the hand long afterwards. But at that moment, she felt nothing but shock.

Michael had turned around and left. Brennan had been right. It wasn't good.

SO?

Sorry it's a bit long- hope I didn't bore you!

But I had to put that in this chapter – otherwise you would have to wait for a while!

PLEASE R&R!

I wanna know what you think. I know EXACTLY what's going to happen next – but if you do, then REVIEW!

xXx Tiana