(After season 6)

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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So far, their relationship change had not been noticed by anyone accept Angela and she wasn't telling anyone. She was too afraid that something would happen to break the new couple apart. She hadn't even told Hodgins even though it was killing her to keep that particular secret from him. He was going to be so mad at her when he found out, but she was willing to face his anger. This was too important to her. She wanted Brennan to have what she wanted and she wanted Booth.

Booth and Brennan were learning what it meant to be in a personal relationship and they didn't want advice. They were capable of working out their own issues and didn't need anyone sticking in their two cents. What Booth worried about the most was Sweets finding out about their new relationship and trying to force them into couple's therapy. He'd listened to Sweets enough lately and it had caused him nothing but trouble. Brennan detested psychology and Booth wasn't too crazy about it either. He knew that once the Deputy Director found out about it there might be threats to separate him from his partner, but he thought he could stop that from happening. If at that time they were forced to see Sweets then they would capitulate, but not before they had to.

Not surprising at all, Brennan worried about losing her independence and Booth worried that she valued her independence more than him. Both were insecure, but tried to tamp down the worst of it. They really loved each other and wanted their relationship to work, but misunderstandings cropped up no matter how careful they were.

He had first noticed that the new Agent, Fred Dunmore seemed a little too interested in Brennan. The man had tried to make himself valuable, by bringing her coffee to crime scenes and offered to carry her kits even though she had made it plain she carried her own equipment.

Much to Booth's annoyance the Agent started asking Brennan out on dates and didn't seem inclined to stop when she declined. Since their relationship was still a secret, Booth didn't really see how he could warn the agent off and not give himself away. He hated to see Dunmore coming on to his girlfriend and he decided to try to be friendly about it at first. Of course, Brennan didn't want him to interfere since she could take care of herself which made Booth even more cautious.

"Hey Dunmore, Dr. Brennan has told you she isn't interested in you. What you're doing is verging on sexual harassment." Booth had asked the agent to come to his office so he could warn the agent in privacy. "She is the leading forensic anthropologist in this country and deserves respect. If you're going to work for me, you had best keep in mind that I expect all of my agents to be respectful with everyone they work with. The Medico-Legal Lab at the Jeffersonian is under contract to work with us and they have strict rules about sexual harassment."

"How is asking someone to go out on a date harassment?" Dunmore glared at his boss. "This country is going to hell in a handbasket. I'm asking her out, not trying to force myself on her."

Annoyed, Booth stood up and leaned on his desk. "She's turned you down twice that I know of. That should be enough. What's she supposed to do? Put out an ad that she isn't interested? Stop bugging her."

Dunmore studied Booth and saw the anger. He found that to be curious. "Are you interested in her? If that's what's going on then say so. I'm new around here . . . Look, I'm a good looking guy, but the chicks around here seem to think asking them out on dates is bothering them. What's a guy got to do to get chicks to be interested him?"

"There are rules about dating. Employees are not allowed to date at the FBI." Booth stood up straight and crossed his arms against his chest. "Find somewhere else to do your hunting, but leave the FBI employees and the Lab people alone."

Since he was new to the Hoover, he didn't really want to rock the boat, but he was lonely and he hated that. "We didn't enforce that rule in Memphis. As long as we kept it professional no one cared."

"This isn't Memphis. This is the Hoover. It's where the rules are made." Booth studied Dunmore more closely and saw a man who thought very well of himself. "What they do or don't do in Memphis has nothing to do with here. You'd better get that straight before you end up back in Memphis."

"Is that a threat?" The Agent was shocked. He'd never been under this kind of scrutiny before and he didn't like it. He felt he was a great investigator and he didn't like threats from anyone.

Booth nodded his head. "You better believe that's true." Sitting back down, Booth pointed towards the door. "Act professionally around here or you might not like what happens next."

Since he worked for Booth, he had no choice but to leave. Entering the break room to get some coffee, the Agent noticed Agent Burns scoping out the snack machine. "Hey Burns, I need to ask you a question . . . Is Booth and Dr. Brennan a couple? I've asked her out a couple of times and she's shot me down both times and now Booth has read me the riot act about asking her."

His candy selection forgotten, Charlie turned around and stared at the new agent as if he'd grown a second head since the last time he'd seen him. "First, it's against FBI rules to date co-workers. Second Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth are partners and friends. They've been working together for several years now and no one and I mean no one comes between those two. If you value your career here, I advise you to avoid Dr. Brennan and any of the female agents that work here. The Deputy Director runs a tight ship and he'll ship you off to Alaska to get rid of you if you mess up our system."

Annoyed, Dunmore shook his head. "They didn't care if employees dated in Memphis."

"This isn't Memphis." Charlie thought Dunmore wasn't listening to him. "Look, Booth and Brennan have the best solve rate on the Eastern Seaboard and probably the mid-west too. They've solved cases that seemed almost impossible to solve. The FBI values their partnership and if the Deputy Director finds out that you've been hitting on Dr. Brennan, he'll crush you like a bug. I'm serious. Back off while you still have a career."

He held up his hands defensively. "Ok, I get it . . . I knew it was going to be different at the Hoover, but you people are anal about a lot of shit. Still I can play the game."

"Good and this isn't a game." Charlie shook his head. "The Deputy Director has been here for about a year and he's ambitious. Everyone knows he wants to be Director someday. He knows who will get him that position and he knows how to step on people if they cause any grief around here. Booth and Brennan are his most valuable assets which means he will not allow anyone to interfere with their partnership."

"Alright. I said I get it." Dunmore shook his head. "You'd think they were gods or something."

Charlies sniggered. "Well, maybe not gods, but they are the rock stars of the FBI and they damn well know it."

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As soon as Booth and Brennan let the FBI know they were a couple, Dunmore expected the shit to hit the fan. Everyone had warned him about fraternization and he'd been careful to find a girlfriend outside the bureau. Now that his boss had broken the rule he was looking forward to his boss' humiliation. Much to his disappointment nothing happened. "I don't get it. Booth and Dr. Brennan broke the rules." He was sitting in the bullpen glaring at Booth through his closed door.

Agent Brown laughed and shook her head. "You're pretty naïve if you think Booth and Brennan's partnership is in jeopardy. The higher ups found a way to ignore it and that's that. Those two are a great asset to this agency and there was no way anyone was going to break up that partnership. Officially, Dr. Brennan doesn't work for the FBI, she works for the Jeffersonian so no fraternization is taking place. If I were you, I'd mind my own business. That's what we all do around here. It's safer for our careers besides, most of us have been rooting for those two for years. It's about time they got together."

Agent Simmons laughed. "They've been a couple for at least four years now. They just weren't dating that's all. Get over it Dunmore. Booth is going to be running this place someday and it'd be better to be on his good side. He's a great guy and he knows what he's doing most of the time. He has a temper, but he mostly keeps it under control. As long as you do your job and improve your own solve rate you'll do fine here. Rock the boat and they'll ship you out."

Amused, Agent Custer laughed. "I wish Booth had got his head out of his ass sooner and started dating Dr. Brennan earlier. I've never seen him so calm and happy. That can only be good for us."

"Amen." Agent Brown smiled. "He actually brought two boxes of donuts for the break room this morning."

"Wow, I didn't know that." Charlie stood up and strode towards the break room. "Next time tell me when that happens."

Dunmore shook his head. "This is one messed up place. Rules are rules until they aren't rules."

Agent Brown shrugged her shoulders. "There's one rule around here that you'd better learn fast. Rules are rules as long as they serve a purpose. It doesn't serve a purpose to break up the best investigative team we've had in years. Breaking up that partnership would be stupid and no one around here is stupid."

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Just a little something I thought might be interesting.