A LITTLE FUN UNDER THE SUN

Disclaimer: We don't own anyone or anything from Bones, well… except our DVD-sets, those are ours. :)

Author's note Addictt: We're back! Again, I'm having a great time writing this story with niah1988. She's so cool :) I think this chapter is rather interesting... Enjoy!

Author's note niah1988: Right, somewhere in this chapter, we mention "go-carts". A reliable source of mine has told me that go-carts look like miniature NASCAR race cars. Here in Belgium they don't:) So maybe it's for the best that you look up "go-carts" with Google. Make sure you look for Belgian or Dutch web-sites. :) About this chapter... Well, what can I say? It took a lot of hard work to write it. :) About my co-writer? That's easy - she rocks! Honestly, she's loads of fun to write with. :)

We don't know if anyone has noticed it yet but all the chapter titles are actually song titles that refer to a particular bit in every chapter. :) We're curious to see who is able to find the reference in this chapter!

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Thank you Kelei for being such a great help to this story!

There are a couple of POV-changes in this chapter. No worries, we'll give you a fair warning when we jump into someone else's mind. :) We start with Angela's POV.

° Chapter 3 - Sun In His Eyes °
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When the first beams of sunlight burst through the shutter, I wake up. I turn on my side to take a look at Jack. Eyes closed, lips curled into a content smile, and equal breathing. Conclusion: he is sleeping peacefully. A smile appears on my face when I think about the past two days. It has been so romantic but still casual around our friends. I think about the times we've walked on the beach, holding hands, laughing, and kissing... It was a tremendous idea, coming along with Brennan and Booth.

Then, out of nowhere, a splitting headache wracks my brain. I had a little too much wine yesterday, it seems. Note to me: make anti-hangover smoothies for breakfast. I study Jack's face more thoroughly. His freckles have become more visible, due to the sun. His nose is slightly sunburned, which looks adorable.

"You're staring at me," Hodgins mumbles. How could he notice that? He has his eyes closed! "You are giggling softly, you're shifting and sighing," he answers my thoughts.

"All right, you caught me." I smile and shake my head. He opens his eyes and smiles too. "Good morning," I greet him softly before I lean forward and kiss him tenderly on his lips.

"Morning," he returns as I lay my head on his chest. We just enjoy the silence and each other for a few minutes, until I hear him groan.

"What?" I ask, lifting my head up, looking into his crystal blue eyes.

"I have a splitting headache."

"Tell me about it," I sigh. I crawl out of bed and quickly brush my hair. "I'm gonna get us some breakfast," I say and he smiles at me.

"Thanks baby."

I've experienced he likes to stay in bed a while after waking up. But I don't mind; times like these give me the opportunity to nose around a bit. The rest of my team will probably still be fast asleep so I have an excellent opportunity to pay them a little 'surprise visit'. Who knows, I might actually catch them doing something nasty.

I walk out of our room and sneak trough the hall. When I'm at Bren and Booth's room, the door is practically screaming at me. It's half open! I just have to take a peek inside; taking peeks at private things is a habit I really have to get rid off, come to think of. Aren't there any special meetings for curious people who like to nose about? Like the PA - Peekers Anonymous?

I walk a little closer and listen carefully. I quickly distinguish two equal breaths. They're still sleeping. This is my chance to go in and see what's going on in that king-size bed of theirs.

Curiosity is a curse sometimes. That's probably why people say that 'curiosity killed the cat'. I'm telling you, I need an PA-meeting!

I know I should resist my curious nature but I can't. I'm doing this for Brennan; she's my friend. I want her to be happy. And I happen to know that Booth's the man that can make that happen. Even though she declares to everyone who listens that 'they're just partners', I know that deep down she knows as well that Booth's right for her. Otherwise she would've asked Sully to come along with her.

I push the door open a bit more and stick my head around the corner. I quickly bring my hand up to cover my mouth, forcing myself to keep back a squeal of victory. It's like my dream is coming true. Beams of sunlight are falling upon the king-size bed, highlighting the couple lying in it, curled up against each other. Brennan is lying with her head on Booth's bare chest and her hand is placed a bit lower on his bare stomach. I can swear I see a content smile on their peaceful faces. I feel a giggle rising inside of me when I see Booth's mouth is hanging a bit open, almost as if he's drooling. I tiptoe back into the hall with an evil grin on my face.

(Switch of POV - We're now in Brennan's head)

Slowly I'm waking up thanks to faint sounds coming from the kitchen. With every passing second I become more aware of my surroundings. Wait a minute... My pillow is moving! Up and down. Up and down. I open my eyes, blink a few times because of the sun and then remain motionless. My head... on Booth's chest. Oh no, not good. Not good! How did this happen? Oh no... I squeeze my eyes shut as images from my dream flash through my head.

Warm fingers pressing into my sides... A warm mouth roaming over my shoulders... A cool breeze washing over my exposed skin... Stubble of his beginning beard scraping over my cheeks... A hand exploring my stomach, belly-button and the beginning of my ribcage... My own hands reaching out to touch his well-trained arms and chest... My lips caressing a path across the skin of his neck, slowly working their way up to his mouth...

Oh crap, I didn't... I let my eyes slide over the smooth surface of his skin. My eyes lock onto a small trail of red marks. Oh, apparently I did.

Very carefully I free myself from his grip, trying not to wake him. Relief rushes through me when I see we both still have our clothes on. I'm not sure it's just relief, though. It could be disappointment as well that I feel but I quickly push that feeling away. I'm relieved, I keep telling myself. Feeling anything else would mean big trouble.

I stand next to the bed for a minute, just thinking. Hopefully he won't remember a thing when he wakes up. I'm aware of the empty space in my stomach and my mind is screaming for coffee. Kitchen; that's where I need to go if I ever want to wake up completely. I quietly sneak out of the room, towards the kitchen.

"Morning sweetie," Angela whispers when I enter the combined living room. I look over to the couch, where Zach is still fast asleep. I softly return the greeting.

"Okay," I whisper to Angela after I've gotten a mug from the kitchen cupboard. "Explain the grin."

"I saw you!" she softly announces in an accusing tone.

"You saw me where?" I ask, continuing my coffee-ritual.

"Upon Booth!"

"I was not-" Okay, voice down, remember? "...upon Booth!" I shoot back in a fierce whisper.

Angela puts a few chopped up pieces of fruit in a bowl. "Like I said, I saw you. Denial isn't going to work this time."

I sigh and lean closer to her. "You need to help me." I'm begging... How low can you go? "Really Ange, you've got to help me!" Damn, I'm sounding desperate here. "It cannot happen again!"

Her mouth drops open. "Again? Like in 'it has happened before'?" I sigh deeply. Damn it, I've given away too much.

"Apparently I've been having explicit dreams..."

"About Sully? Right?" Angela interrupts me.

"No..." I frown. I should learn to think before I open that smart-ass mouth of mine. "I don't know," I sigh. "Yes."

"Sweetie..." Compassion, hope and joy - all in one word. We hear Zach moving around on the couch, followed by the sound of a loud yawn. "We'll talk later," she tells me with a smile. "Right now, I have to make some serious anti-hangover drinks!"

"Anti-hangover drinks?"

"Yeah, Jack and I had quite a party last night on the beach."

I slowly nod my head before I turn to leave the kitchen. There's still someone snoring the day away in my bed!

I enter the bedroom, fully intending to drag my partner out of bed. I squat down at his side to take a good look at him. That stupid line he drew the first night obviously didn't help last night. Well, what else was there to expect from an imaginary line?

I allow myself the pleasure of watching him sleep for a few moments. The urge to run my fingers through his ruffled up hair makes my hands tingle but I can't give in. What if he wakes up? It would raise too many difficult questions that I'm not ready to hear, let alone answer.

"Booth, wake up." I softly nudge his shoulder.

He just grumbles and turns away from me, rolling onto his stomach. My eyes slide over his naked back. I frown. Is that sunburn? Booth's entire back side has quite a red colour. Some parts are even covered with small white bulges. I reach out to place my cool hand on his skin. Warm. Hot even. It's definitely sunburn. He'll have to stay out of the sun today. Stubborn man, I silently scoff. He should've asked me yesterday to put sun cream on his back but no, he'd have to play the tough guy who refuses to ask for any help! Instead of getting someone to rub sun cream on his back, he preferred to leave it unprotected. I snort. Just look at where your 'toughness' got you, Booth.

I shift my hand around on his back. It's just some minor sunburn. It'll be mostly gone by tomorrow if he listens to my advice. I feel a shiver run down his spine. It's probably a reaction to the coolness of my hand. Then I hear him mutter something unintelligible. Two seconds later he moves away from my touch. He's now lying on my side of the bed. I raise my eyebrows when I see him clutch my pillow. Uttering some more grumbles, he buries his nose in it. Right, this is an awkward situation. I'm watching my partner hug my pillow and breathe in my scent. That's embarrassing! But quite interesting nonetheless...

I crawl onto the bed to shake his shoulder again, this time more forceful. "Booth, wake up."

"Bones..." he grumbles, swatting my hand away. "Leave a man be."

"Booth..."

"Bones, please." He shifts onto his side and draws his legs up a bit. "I'm fine where I am."

I lift my eyebrows. "Really? That would be on my side of the bed."

His eyes fly open to verify the correctness of my words. In about five seconds he manages to scramble out of bed and onto his feet. He scratches the back of his head while giving me a sheepish grin.

"That uhm... I didn't mean to..."

I decide to help him out. It's not his fault that he accidentally rolled over in his sleep. "Booth, it's fine." I give him a gentle smile, which he returns. "You'll have to watch your back today. You've got some minor sunburn," I point out.

Booth throws a glance over his shoulder to check the state of his back. "Damn it," he mutters.

"You should've asked me to put sun cream on your back."

He slowly nods before making his way over to the bathroom. My eyes follow him. I wonder if he's noticed that I haven't asked him yet to put on something extra to wear in bed. Is it bad to check out other men when you're sleeping with someone on a regular basis? I let out a deep sigh. It probably is.

"I'll keep that in mind, Bones," he says to me. Then he closes the bathroom door, blocking my view on his nicely shaped posture. It's the sunburn. I'm a doctor; I'm only interested in the sunburn. Honestly!

Later that morning...

I've successfully convinced the others to stay away from the beach for a couple of hours. That way Booth's sunburn can calm down a bit. The downside of my success is that I'm now stuck in a go-cart with my partner, pedalling like a nut. Why oh why have I ever agreed to this plan?

In case you've never been in a go-cart, I have to warn you that it's quite exhausting. The whole thing is made of metal pipes, two seats, a couple of cogwheels, a chain, a steering wheel and, of course, a pair of brakes. You move the thing forward by pushing down the pedals that are below each seat. It's basically like riding a bike, only you're sitting next to someone and there's a steering wheel like in a car. I glare at Booth who's sitting next to me, happily rubbing his palms over the steering wheel. Will there ever be a time when I'm behind the wheel and he's sitting in the 'grandma seat'?

Zach, Hodgins and Angela are sitting in their own go-cart. Yes, there are also go-carts for more than two persons. At the go-cart shop where we rented our rides, there even was a go-cart made for six persons! Why we decided to get two carts for two and three people each is still a mystery to me. Angela was the one that talked to the manager so I'm pretty sure that this is another 'subtle' way of her to push me to hook up with Booth.

Zach's cramped up in the backseat of Hodgins' and Angela's cart. His position looks quite uncomfortable but I wouldn't mind trading places with him. If I were in the back, I wouldn't have to pedal my legs off!

"Hey, you do know how to stop these things, right?" Hodgins shouts at us.

I groan. "Of course we do, Hodgins. You just give the stick between your legs a good jerk."

The way Hodgins' mouth falls open before he joins his girlfriend in a hysterical laughing fit, tells me I've said something stupid. I frown and look at Booth who's snickering. Then it dawns on me. I groan again. Great, I've just made a complete fool out of myself.

A minute or so later the laughter finally stops. We continue our journey across the boulevard near the beach. We have to avoid a couple of pedestrians but most of the time we have enough room to pedal next to each other.

"Hey guys, what would you say about a little race?" Angela yells at us.

Booth and I both shrug.

"We'll race you to that group of palm trees. The winner gets to choose the afternoon activity."

"You're on!" Booth grins.

Zach begins to shift around frantically. "I'd like to get out now. I don't want to be in the back when you're participating in a mad street car race."

"Sure Zach-o," Hodgins agrees. He and Angela stop their go-cart. At seeing Angela's questioning look, the entomologist explains, "With Zach off our cart, we'll have less weight to carry with us."

Zach climbs out of the go-cart and moves out of the way. Hodgins asks him to give us the start signal. Zach agrees to count to three. The second the word 'three' tumbles out of his mouth, all four of us push down hard on the pedals, sending our carts flying forward. Even though I'm giving my everything, the cart being manoeuvred by Hodgins seems to gain more speed and is slowly moving away from us. I hear Booth groan.

"This is ridiculous." I puff out, getting more frustrated by the second.

"Ok, first of all, you're ruining the fun," Booth tells me off. "Secondly, do you really want to get your ass whooped by bug boy and his crew?"

I think his words over for two seconds. "No, I don't," I reluctantly agree.

"Then I suggest you start pedalling."

Later that day, somewhere in the afternoon...

I still can't believe we lost. I thought our partnership would be victorious in every situation! I guess I was wrong. Just thinking that makes me queasy. I'm not used to being wrong; it's against my nature to be in second place. Oh well, at least I am not the only one who's lost the race.

Hodgins and Angela won by far, at least three yards! The cramp in Booth's legs is probably the cause. Of course he blames me.

Why do men always have to win? The anthropological explanation is that men want to prove their strength and superiority. They have to be on top of their game to look after their women and children. If we apply that to our little go-cart race, then we'd find that Booth and Hodgins wanted to prove their evasiveness with those vehicles to Angela and me, their women.

Right, their women... That's something I'm not comfortable thinking.

I'm aware that Booth considers me as his. He's stood up plenty of times to 'defend my honour'. Heck, he'd punch every guy that so much as sneezed on me to a bloody pulp if I didn't stop him. I've often pointed out that I'm not his property. Just because I tolerate him around in the lab, doesn't mean I've got a thing for him.

Unfortunately that's exactly what Angela's theory of 'our mutual bottled up sexual frustration' is based on.

I'm temporarily distracted by Hodgins dragging Zach and Booth along with him towards the water. Squinting my eyes to cast a quick glance on my partner's back, I notice that his sunburn has calmed down a bit. Good. If it hadn't, I would've been forced to drag him back under that parasol by his ears!

From the corner of my eye, I see Angela shifting around until she's sitting right next to me. It's quite an impressive achievement, really. I can imagine wiggling around on a beach, sitting on your towel, while you're trying to keep sand from creeping on top of it, can be extremely difficult.

I let out a sigh and mentally prepare myself for what's coming - a deep conversation. Would she classify me as 'mad and insane' if I got up and ran off before she even opened her mouth? I mean, I'm all open to logical discussions, but with Angela, the opposite is often true. It's not that I don't appreciate it that she tries to make me open up about my feelings, but sometimes it can be incredibly annoying. Especially after having had a couple of explicit dreams about someone who's everything but my boyfriend.

"Sweetie, we need to talk."

My whole body tenses up. What have I told you? Another deep conversation. Let's hope she'll behave out of character, just like I've been doing ever since I got on that plane in Washington. Let's imagine she'll manage to avoid the subject 'bad dreams about my partner' for a whole minute. Right, like that's ever going to happen...

(And we jump right into Angela's head again)

I see her body tense up so I give her a reassuring smile. I've noticed that every time I try to broach an emotional subject, she clams up - both mentally and physically. Judging how she's holding her spine stiff, I'd say that she's performing the clamming up act again.

"Relax, sweetie. It's only me, nobody can hear us," I gesture with my hand, looking at the boys who are paddling away on their surfboards.

I hear her sigh and from the corner of my eye I see her stare at me. I avert my gaze from the boys to look at her. Oh Bren, if you could only see the fear flashing across your face. Maybe then you'd finally understand why I'm trying to get you to open up about what you feel. It's never good to keep emotions bottled up inside, Brennan.

"So... You've been having sex dreams about Booth?" Her eyes widen at my blunt words. You're not the only one who's good at shocking people, sweetie! It doesn't go unnoticed by me that she suddenly finds the sand around us, and her beach towel, very interesting. Good luck with ignoring me, Bren. I smile at her bent head. "Bren? Sex dreams?"

"No... no!" Her lips contract, which indicates that she's thinking. "They're not sex dreams. They're just... explicit."

"Explicit?" I repeat suspicious.

"Yes," she answers. "There's a difference."

We look at the boys for a few minutes. Jack is standing on his board now, rolling over a wave. I admire the way he controls his board. It's like he was born to surf, next to examining bugs and soil of course. Booth is tumbling down into the water, while Zach is splashing around, trying to climb up his own board.

"But uhm..." I'm trying to search for the right words. There aren't any. "...they're about sex, right?"

I hear her sigh again.

"I don't wanna talk about it, okay Ange?"

I remember she asked for my help a few hours ago, but I decide to let that pass. It's just like her to cry out for help one second and crawl back behind her walls the next. I've learnt that eventually she comes out of her hiding place. You just have to be patient. It's a well-kept secret. I'm one of the few people who have made that discovery. Booth and I that is...

"Okay, sweetie. But everything is okay though, between you and Sully I mean?" I ask worried and look at her. She's confused, I can tell.

"We had a fight, before I left," she mumbles. I remain silent and let her talk. I told you she'd open up. All it takes is a bit of patience. "He was disappointed I didn't invite him with me. At least, I guess he was disappointed... I'm not good at reading people, you know that Ange!" I wonder if she's aware that she's rambling? "He accused me of preferring Booth over him. Obviously, I disagreed. It's not that I didn't want Sully to go with me, but... I don't know..." She takes a deep breath, holds it in and breathes out slowly. "Dr. Goodman told me to socialize. I just thought that, rationally speaking, I already have a good connection with Sully... Not that I don't have a good connection with Booth!" This is getting more interesting by the minute! Maybe she'll finally admit how close she and Booth are if I let her ramble long enough. "I haven't known Sully as long as Booth, and I guess..." Although I'm silently begging for her to finish her sentence, she doesn't. Damn it! "Ange, I don't know what to do. Was it wrong, what I did?" She looks at me with desperation in her eyes. This is one of the rare moments she really opens up to me.

"Sweetie, you weren't obliged to take Sully nor Booth on this trip. It was your own choice. Sully just doesn't think as rational as you do, and honestly, I think he feels threatened by Booth."

Her eyebrows furrow and she responds immediately. "Why? I'm just friends with Booth, he knows that. There's a line there... I'm not in a relationship with my partn-"

"Bren," I interrupt her.

"What?"

I raise my eyebrows to answer her question. Her shoulders drop a little, and her eyes narrow to focus on the sea. A smile appears on her face. Now it's my turn to ask what's wrong, and she points at the sea. I follow her probing finger and a smile appears on my face too. All three boys are surfing, 'catching their wave'. Brennan starts clapping her hands, laughing now. All the worry that was etched in her face a couple of moments ago has vanished. I hang my head in disappointment for a second. I was so close to getting her to admit why she chose Booth over Sully! Then I lift my head again to take a good look at the surfing threesome and raise my arms to encourage them, all the while cheering loudly.

Half an hour later, they return with a proud grin on their faces. We all laugh and talk a bit, until the sun begins to set. Everyone calms down and we split up to do some individual activities. Zach falls asleep on his towel, Brennan and Booth are whispering to each other under the parasol as Jack and I walk along the shoreline.

That evening…

"Bren? Booth? Can I come in?" I ask while knocking on their door.

"Booth isn't here, you can come in, Ange," I hear her say and I walk into the room.

"He isn't?"

"Don't sound so disappointed," she tells me with a smile. She is standing in front of the mirror, wearing her favourite pair of jeans and a cute top. It's nice, but not good enough. Not if she ever wants some serious attention from men. Men like Booth.

"But we're leaving in thirty minutes! Where'd he go?"

She shrugs and her reflection looks at me.

"Jogging I suppose... What do you think of this... outfit?" I grin at the memory of her saying 'costume' once.

"Is that the best you've brought with you?" I walk towards her suitcase, which is lying on her bed.

"Angela!" she protests, but I don't listen and search through her clothes. Jeans, skirts - no short ones though - tank tops, shorts…

"Ah!" I take out a cocktail dress. Black, short and sexy. Perfect. "Put this on."

She sighs, but takes the dress and disappears in the bathroom nonetheless. A minute later she comes back.

"Wow," I say. "It's perfect!" The dress is flawless. Everything - from the swell of her breasts to the dip of her stomach and the curve of her hips - shows perfection. I wish I had such a dress.

"I'm not sure..." She whirls around in front of the mirror to observe her reflexion.

"Sweetie... You want to wear this. Otherwise you wouldn't have packed it." I turn around and walk towards the door.

"You are wearing this tonight!" I tell her and I open the door, and bump into Booth. A shirtless Booth. A sweating Booth. It's not hard to let your imagination drift off now…

"Oh, sorry there Angela," Booth says and steps away. I just grin before I walk away, slow enough to overhear Booths words.

"Wow… Bones… Who are you going to seduce tonight?"

One hour later…

One hour later we're standing at a bar in a little club in Cockburn Town. A local DJ is playing R&B and everyone is having a good time.

Booth and Brennan are talking and laughing, and so are Jack, Zach and I. Although... Zach does seem a bit distracted. I follow his gaze, and see a girl; a very pretty Spanish girl.

"Go," I tell him. He looks at me, a little confused. "Go," I repeat myself. In the meantime Jack and Booth also look at Zach. Zach rises and walks over to the girl. A little nervous, but he's actually doing it.

"He is actually going there!" Jack says and he laughs together with Booth. Brennan looks at me with confusion written all over her face, and I smile at her.

"It's a guy thing."

She nods and we continue to listen to Jack and Booth.

Temperance's POV again - Yeah, we're switching a lot, aren't we?

It's a guy thing... That pretty much explains it all, doesn't it? Let's take an anthropological look at this display of manly behaviour, shall we? Hodgins' remark is probably a statement made out of disbelief. And they're laughing, not just Hodgins but Booth as well. I frown. Why are they laughing and keeping their eyes on Zach's form moving through the massive amount of people on the dance floor? Maybe it's for the best that I keep my mouth shut and listen to what they're saying.

"Oh man, he's going down," Hodgins laughs. "I'll bet you he's going to start rambling about robots after two minutes." The entomologist watches his colleague struggle to get past a fairly large woman. "Or about bones..."

Booth's eyebrows shoot up. "Bones? What is he going to say about Bones?"

I feel the urge to say that I'm standing less than a yard away but somehow I manage to resist that urge. I'm a scientist, an observer. I should seize this opportunity to study male behaviour. I tune in again just in time to hear Hodgins say, "Not everything's about Dr. Brennan, dude."

"Watch it, pal. It's not because we're on vacation that I don't have my gun with me," Booth snaps, obviously annoyed because Hodgins caught his Freudian slip.

The two men continue their observation, until they see Zach coming to a stop about three yards away from his target, the Spanish girl. The young scientist crosses his arms in front of his chest and frowns his forehead while clearly studying the girl.

Hodgins quirks an eyebrow. "What the hell is he doing?"

"I think he's checking her out." Booth quirks an eyebrow as well. "At least, that's what I think he's doing..." He laughs quietly before taking a swig from his drink. "That kid's been reading too much in that book of his. What was it called again?"

"'People watching, The Desmond Morris Guide to Body Language," Hodgins replies.

"Right, a guide to body language," Booth snorts. "I wonder where he dug up that thing."

"I gave it to him." A look of surprise washes over Booth's face as he turns to look at me. Damn it, I just couldn't keep myself from spilling that information. "Since neither of you two," I nod at Hodgins and Booth, "wanted to help him, I decided to give him that book."

"Not everything can be learned from a book, Bones," Booth says. "Some things you just have to know."

"Really?" I reply sarcastically. "Why don't you enlighten me by giving me an example?"

I realise the mistake I've made when I see his eyes narrow and a large smile creep onto his face. What have you done, Temperance? That broad-smile-twinkling-eyes combination can only mean trouble.

"Well Bones, when a guy decides to move in on a girl, he has to possess a little something I like to call 'the technique'."

"The technique?" I echo confused, already feeling my skin start to pucker at the sound of his voice. Is it me or does his voice sound lower than usually?

He takes a step closer to me. I put on a blank expression in an attempt to disguise the feelings that are coursing through my veins. Feeling him so close to me reminds me of the past nights. Especially the last one...

I try to keep still but fail at stopping a shiver from running down my spine. I have to pull myself together, or else he's going to notice what an effect he has on me. This is really not the place nor the time to remember how his stubble scraped across my skin.

"Yeah, the technique. If a guy uses it correctly, the girl he's after will be fawning all over him."

Somehow I manage to collect whatever is left of my rational thoughts. "That's ridiculous, Booth!"

He shakes his head. "No it's not, Bones. The technique has worked for me every time."

It has, Booth? I wonder if you ever used it on me... "And how does, pray tell, this technique work?"

Oh no... Why is he coming even closer? And why is he wearing that damn charm smile again?

"You really want to know, Bones?" I slowly nod. "Well then, let me show you."

My eyes widen at his words. This is one of those times where you just wish you could disappear in the blink of an eye. Although I'm fiercely wishing for something unexpected to happen, like a helicopter bursting into the room with one of those rope ladders dangling down, I decide to not let Booth get the better of me. I'm a grown woman, for crying out loud! Plenty of men have tried to 'check me out' and 'chat me up'. If I remain objective and look at Booth's moves in a clinical, detached way, everything's going to be fine.

I just finish thinking that thought when I catch sight of Booth's smile. Oh no, I know that smile. It's the one he uses when he needs something from me but knows I'm going to put up a fight; I've nickname that dangerous grin his "predator smile".

"Go ahead, Booth. Use your technique on me," I bravely say. I lean forward to add in a husk voice "Make me sweat."

He seems to hesitate for a couple of seconds, obviously taken aback by my last words. He's not the only one, though, who's surprised to hear me say such a thing. From the corner of my eye I can see Angela's eyebrows lift up to unknown heights before a Cheshire grin appears on her face. Hodgins gives me a strange look before he turns back to observing Zach.

"Well, Bones..." Booth begins, casually putting his arm on top of the bar we're standing at. "The first thing that's important while using the technique, is maintaining eye contact with the girl. The guy has to make sure that the girl's looking at him every step of the way."

I slowly nod as I lock eyes with him. Keep eye contact with the guy, check. That part shouldn't be so hard since that twinkle in his eyes is quite interesting to look at. I feel him coming even closer. His arm resting on the bar is merely an inch away from my own. My skin's puckering again; I've never been this grateful of dim light before.

"When the guy is sure he's got the girl's attention, he moves on to the next phase of the technique."

"And what phase is that?" I reply in a slightly sarcastic voice. Maybe I'll be able to maintain my role as a clinical observer if I keep an edge to my words?

"The smiling phase, Bones. The guy tosses the girl his most charming smile." He immediately throws me his infamous charm smile to portray what he's talking about. I feel a smile tug at my own lips. Why is it that I never seem able to control my mouth whenever he's smiling at me like that? "And when the guy's certain that he's got the girl's undivided attention, he pushes things up a notch," Booth continues.

"He does?" I ask, trying to stay sarcastic but somehow failing to do so. I could kick myself for sounding that breathless. "What does the guy do then?"

Booth brings his face down a bit, unbelievably close to mine. Even in the dim light I can distinguish the small gold spots that surround his irises. "He invades her personal space."

Five words that sent even more shivers down my spine. Brief memories of my dream of last night flash through my mind. I wonder if Booth has somehow found out about the situation we were in when we woke up... I snap back to reality when I feel Booth's hand covering my own. He brings his head down even further until his mouth is at my ear's level.

"And then the guy asks the girl if she wants something to drink," he says in a low voice.

He pulls back a bit to take a look at my face. I'm struggling to keep up my air of indifference. He's close enough to see the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end thanks to his whispering in my ear and all I can do, no all I have to do, is stare straight ahead of me and pretend he's got no effect on me whatsoever. Usually I succeed at keeping him at a distance but ever since we got on that plane, away from our regular lives, I have found myself slowly stepping away from the comfortable work pattern I have with Booth. Letting him test his technique on me is just one of those things that I usually wouldn't allow but am participating in now because I'm on holiday. Or maybe because I want to find out how far he's willing to go to prove his point.

"Come on, Bones. Work with me here," Booth interrupts my thoughts. "Just pretend you're that girl. Just for a minute, and tell me what you'd like to drink."

I force myself to roll my eyes, like I always do. "Fine, Booth. I'll play along." I plaster a sensual smile on my face and lean forward to whisper in his ear. "Sex on the beach, please." I can barely contain a chuckle when I hear his breath hitch.

Then he chuckles himself. "Nice try Bones, but that joke is as old as the hills." He leans in again. "I'll just get you a Mojito, what do you say?"

All I can do is nod and watch him raise his hand to signal the bartender. Maybe a few sips of alcohol will make me forget my dreams and how well Booth's technique is messing up my rational senses. A minute later I'm happily sipping my drink, all the while sneaking glances at Booth who's looking at me with a smug smile. "What?" I ask, a bit annoyed.

"And then, Bones, when the girl's gotten a drink, the guy moves in for the kill." I raise my eyebrows as I take another sip. "He asks for her phone number," Booth explains.

I'll never admit it out loud but if he ever pulled those tricks on me, I wouldn't hesitate to give him my number! Then an idea strikes me. Tossing him a small smile, I reply "I'm not going to give you my number but you can buy me another drink."

He laughs but orders a new cocktail anyway. We then turn our attention back to Zach who's taken a few steps closer to the girl. "He's not using the technique. How does he think he's going to get some, then?" Booth mumbles. I roll my eyes, this time without forcing myself.

"Not everyone needs that stupid technique to get someone's number, Booth!"

"Hey! No bad-mouthing my technique, Bones!"

"Will you two shut up for a moment?" Angela intervenes. "I'm loving it that you're bickering and all because, phew, that certainly creates sexual tension but go do it somewhere else. We're watching Zach here. I think he's getting lucky..."

(Angela's POV again)

Booth and Brennan bickering their pants off could lead to, well... a situation where their pants are literally off but I'm more interested in seeing the antics of our Zach. Him trying to get a girl's number isn't something you usually see him do around the lab!

"Oh no," I hear Jack say. "She's giving him the 'from what planet are you from' look. Poor Zach, he's getting his ass kicked out there."

But at that moment, the girl leans against his chest and whispers something into his ear. He blushes and she writes something, I guess her phone number, down on a beer mat. Then she walks away, Zach sighs and returns to us. I feel excitement bubble up inside of me. Zach's gotten her number, even though all the odds were against him!

As Zach's struggling to get through the mass again, I happily take hold of Jack's arm. "You read the look wrong!"

"No baby, I didn't."

"But she wrote something down."

Jack shrugs. "Maybe she's glad that he's out of the ordinary?"

Zach's finally through the mass and joins our little group again. "Tell us everything," I say enthusiastically. My curiosity couldn't be much worse at the moment.

"I am not going to tell you everything," Zach warns us. "But her name is Elena, she is a doctor at the emergency department in Nassau, and she has given me her phone number," he adds quickly.

"Congratulations, Zach," Jack says with a large smile. "I guess I've rubbed off on you anyway."

"What did she whisper into your ear?" I eagerly ask. Damn my curiosity!

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Oh, come on..." I beg.

"Fine," he sighs. "She said: 'Video te insignem esse.'"

"Wow," Jack exclaims, still smiling.

"Impressive," Brennan adds.

"Okay, even I know that's Latin... But what does it mean?" Booth asks, looking at Brennan.

"It means," she retorts, "that she thinks Zach is special."

"She could've told him that in English," Booth says and raises his eyebrows.

"Actually, it was pretty advanced Latin. A.c.I construction," Jack tells him. Booth looks at him confused.

"A.c.I.?" Booth repeats. "Just because you throw in a nice little abbreviation, doesn't mean that I know what you're talking about."

"Accusativus cum Infinitivo," the entomologists explains. "It's a..."

"All right, stop!!" I say and they all look at me.

"Vacation, people. Does anyone remember the meaning of that word?" I give each and everyone a pointed look. "It's very nice of Elena to say something like that to Zach. And I, for one, am happy for you," I say to Zach. "No Latin-talk from now on; got it?" They all nod at me. "Good... So, who would like to give that dance floor a try?"

Three and a half hours later..

"Okay, did any of us not drink any alcohol tonight?" I ask, standing before the SUV on the parking lot.

"I didn't," Zach states.

"That doesn't help us, you can't drive," I return, feeling pretty light-headed. "None of us can now... We've all been drinking."

"Tired," Brennan yawns, and leans against Booth for support.

"I've only had two drinks," Booth announces, suggesting driving anyway.

"No, we aren't going to take any risks."

"Then what are you suggesting, baby?" Jack asks me.

"Call a cab?"

"You do that," Booth says, throwing his phone to Jack. In the meanwhile, Brennan's placing her head on Booths shoulder. She closes her eyes as she leans heavier against him. She even slides down a bit. Booth quickly locks his hand around her arm to keep her on her feet. Her eyes open again.

"Gee Bones, how much have you been drinking?"

She gives him a sheepish grin. "Not much."

"She had seven Mojito's," Zach informs us, reminding us all that he's got one brilliant memory.

"Tired," Brennan mumbles before she starts leaning heavily against Booth again.

"I bet you are," Booth says a bit grumpy as he wraps an arm around his partner's shoulders to prevent her from sliding down onto the ground.

"The cab will be here in a few minutes," Jack tells us. A low humming sound coming from my best friend makes him shoot her a confused look. He's probably wondering what she's doing in Booth's arms. I might be a little intoxicated but even I can tell how much she's enjoying their proximity.

"What happened to the good doctor here?"

"Drunk," the rest of us, minus Brennan, answer simultaneously.

A couple of minutes later the cab arrives. We all get in, Booth supporting Brennan as much as he can.

At the beach villa...

Half an hour later we're back at our place. We all bid each other goodnight and disappear into our respective rooms (or couch in Zach's case) to go to bed. Right before the door of Booth and Brennan's bedroom closes, I hear her say, "So, did I seduce anyone tonight, Boothy?" I tuck that bit of information away in my mind; it might come in handy someday. I enter my own bedroom where I immediately change into something more comfortable.

I slide under the covers before I snuggle up against Hodgins and give him a goodnight kiss.

"Sweet dreams, Jack."

"Sleep tight, Angela," he replies with a tender smile. I return his smile right before I slide off into a peaceful sleep.

Addictt: °sighs° I wish Booth would perform his "technique" on me...

niah1988: °sighs as well° I hear ya, sister...

Addictt: Maybe we should kidnap him so that we can force him to use his charm on us?

niah1988: °grins wickedly° See, this is why I love you so much, girl! °drags Addictt off to a secluded room to plot Booth's kidnapping° Everyone who's interested in contributing to our little operation, please click that nice little GO-button on the left. Thank you :)