A/N: Whew! What a week! And this one's looking like it's gonna be a doozie, too. But never fear, Booth & Brennan are here! (Yeah, that's the sleep deprivation talking.) Anyway, some more fluff for you today with our first mention of David, so you know the story is going to get a bit more complicated here soon--but that's all I'm going to tell you ;-) Enjoy this!

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Brennan and Booth walked out of the courthouse together, pulling their coats on in the cooling evening air as their stomachs rumbled simultaneously.

Booth looked at his partner and grinned. "I think that was a sign, Bones."

She nodded solemnly. "It was a sign that we're hungry."

The grin turned into a chuckle. "Nice one. I see some of my razor-sharp wit has rubbed off on you."

"Your 'razor-sharp wit'?" she repeated, one eyebrow cocked cynically. "I think my wit was quite sharp before I met you."

"About as sharp as my 'basic reasoning skills'?" he smirked, using a phrase she had turned on him early in their partnership.

"Oh no," she shook her head. "Much sharper than that."

The chuckled morphed into a full-fledged laugh. "Two for two, Bones."

They bantered on, climbing into Booth's SUV for the trip back to the Jeffersonian. About halfway there, Brennan's stomach growled loudly again and she turned a thought over in her mind. Has he had any more trouble with nightmares? He seems to have been okay lately, but I want him to feel comfortable calling me for personal reasons if he needs to.

"Hey Booth, do you have any plans for dinner tonight?"

Is she checking up on me? "I was thinkin' 'bout getting a pizza and watching the Redskins game," he answered, flipping a quarter absently in one hand while they waited at a stoplight. "You want to join me?"

"Actually, I was thinking maybe we could eat out."

"Wong Foo's?"

"No, let's go somewhere else."

He mulled that one over, weaving through the rush-hour traffic with one hand on the steering wheel. "Hmmm…there's a little place over on F Street that has great cheeseburgers," he suggested.

"Won't they be busy this time of day?" she wondered, always the practical one.

Booth shook his head confidently. "Nope. Only a handful of people ever go in there."

"Why is that?" Brennan asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry, Bones," he replied, winking flashing his best "trust me" smile. "They empty the rat traps before they open."

Parking wasn't too bad for DC, and the pair found a space close enough to the restaurant after only twenty minutes of searching. They exited the car and crossed the street, Booth's arm resting lightly around Brennan's waist, where it remained as the pair hurried up the sidewalk.

When did that happen? she wondered. Booth's arm is all the way around me instead of on my back where it usually is. But this isn't the first time he's put his arm around me is it? He's been even more protective of me since he told me about that nightmare, trying to emphasize his strength.

"Right here, Bones," he said, breaking through her musings and steering her toward the restaurant door.

She let him pull open the door for her, another thought entering her mind. I wonder what David would think?

Dinner was uneventful, filled with stories and anecdotes of childhoods and life outside of work. Smiles, chuckles, smirks, and even a few giggles were scattered through the conversation, complimenting the teasing and mocking and banter that flew between them.

All too soon, the desert dishes were cleared and Brennan and Booth were both stifling yawns.

"We should get going," he decided rather reluctantly. "But this was nice—just you and me, and no work…not even any talking about work. We always talk about cases when we go to Wong Foo's."

"This was nice," she agreed, rising from her chair and moving toward her coat.

Booth intercepted her and grabbed it before she could, holding it out for her and helping her carefully into it. He squeezed her shoulders gently, his lips curving into a smile.

"Thanks," she murmured appreciatively, thoughts of David's possible reaction nibbling at the edge of her consciousness again.

Lifting his own coat off the empty chair where he had put it during dinner, Booth struggled with it a moment before yanking it crookedly on.

Brennan smothered an amused smile. "Here, let me help you…"

"No, Bones, I got it."

"But you're all tangled up." She reached for his lapels despite his attempts to brush her off. "Hold still," she instructed, planting her palms firmly on his chest.

He did as he was asked, heaving a melodramatic sigh. "Fine."

She righted the coat, untwisting the fabric and smoothing it out gently, absently studying his body as she worked. "Hey," she said, her movements halting as her eyes refocused on his. "That's the tie I gave you."

He smiled his patented "charm smile". "Yeah, it is. I wore it especially for court today."

Recognizing the expression on his face and the tone of his voice, she was suddenly thankful the lighting was dim so he wouldn't see the pink creeping into her cheeks. He's flirting with me again. "It looks nice on you."

"Thanks," he grinned. "You know, though, I thought it was black, but when I put it next to my black suits it turned out to be…"

"…purple," she finished, her blue eyes twinkling. "It's Northwestern purple, actually."

"Northwestern purple? How's that different from regular purple?"

She grinned. "This shade of purple," she picked up the ends of the tie, "is one of the official school colors at Northwestern University…"

"…which is where you earned your college degree," he added, taking his turn to complete her sentence.

"My Bachelor's degree," she confirmed, pleased that he remembered. "I did my graduate work here in DC at American University, but Northwestern is where I started out."

He thought that one over. "So when I wear this tie, it's like I have a little part of you with me."

She was surprised and touched by his remark. "Is that how you think of it?"

"Yeah," he replied softly.

Brennan suddenly felt self-conscious and dropped her gaze to the tie. Realizing she was still holding it, she released the dark material and patted his chest uncertainly. "There," she continued in a quiet voice, taking a step back, "you're untangled now."

He smiled gently, triggering another wave of speculation in her mind. What would David say? He doesn't like Booth at all. Angela thinks he's jealous of him. But why would David be jealous of Booth?

"Ready?" Booth interrupted, and she didn't have a chance to ponder any further.

Shaking the question from her thoughts, she nodded. "Yeah."

He slid his arm around her, affectionately, protectively, mirroring his actions on the way in to the restaurant. She smiled. Whatever David thinks is his problem, she decided. Booth is my friend and I'm not giving him up.