Rating: PG-13

Pairing: BB, past BC

Author's Note: Hehe, another fun chapter to write. As questioned in the past chapter, about the lacking ice cream, I figure they had it earlier or something. Don't worry, the ice cream will return. Also, I actually do like Cam and I feel sorry for her because she does care about Booth and he does care about her, just maybe not in the way she wants him to. So, I try not to bash her, but instead to respect her character because she really is an outsider in the lab.

Dedication: To Ems, just because she's who she is.

"You aren't going to tell me why you're taking a vacation suddenly, are you? Or why Booth didn't really seem all that surprised that you are. Or why he doesn't seem upset that you're going half way across the world where he can't protect you easily. Are you?" Angela asked.

Brennan smiled and shook her head slightly. They were looking through rack after rack of clothes, trying to compile a suitable wardrobe for her trip. This was the third, or was it fifth?, department store they had been in so far and Angela's moroseness had only escalated with each one they went to.

"Ange, really, you've told me a hundred times to get out of the lab. I thought you would have been happy that I'm finally listening to you," Brennan replied.

"I am Sweetie, I just want to know why you're keeping things from me. It isn't like you. Well, it is, but usually I can get them out of you one way or another." She paused, eyeing a dress, and held it up. "What about this? It'd be good if you went somewhere fancier."

Brennan turned, eyeing the dress, and raised an eyebrow. It looked to end just above the knee, with a plunging neckline, and was a metallic black that shimmered as Angela moved it about. She shook her head, not really seeing herself in it. The dress better suited Angela's personality than hers. "Angela, classy. Something classy."

"This is classy Sweetie. And why are you looking for something classy anyway? Are you planning on going to an upscale restaurant all by yourself?" Brennan shrugged, turning away and Angela squealed, drawing the attention of several other shoppers as she hurried around the rack to where Brennan was standing, the dress forgotten. "Oh my God! You're going with someone! Who?" She eyed her friend carefully. "You haven't forgotten to tell me about someone have you?"

"Angela, please?" she asked, glancing around at the crowded store. "I just want something in case I end up at a fancy restaurant. You said yourself that I was supposed to be spontaneous on a vacation." Her eyes narrowed a bit. "Maybe I want to be spontaneous this time."

"Sweetie, you are many things, but one of them is not spontaneous. You analyze everything from what you're going to wear to what you're going to say. I know you're going with someone and I know Booth knows it." A smile lit up her face. "You're going with him aren't you? Three weeks in a foreign country with hunky Booth and you didn't think to tell me? How long has this been going on? Are you sleeping with him?"

"Angela!" Brennan exclaimed. Her face was red and she eyed the other shoppers nervously, noting that they seemed to be taking an avid interest in their conversation, especially when Angela's voice had shot up on the last three words. "No, I am not sleeping with Booth," she muttered under her breath. She glanced around before grabbing her friend's arm and dragging her out of the department store, into the main mall.

"It's okay if you are Bren. We all knew it would happen sooner or later." She stopped as Brennan swung around to face her, a look of surprise and curiosity on her face. "What? You didn't know? The whole lab could sense the tension between you two since day one. We figured that night you guys would end up getting it over with but apparently it didn't happen. Unless you didn't tell me something else," Angela replied, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Angela, listen to me. I have never had sex with Booth," she said calmly. "We're partners, friends, and," something, "nothing more. Please, drop it and help me finish shopping, alright?"

"Alright Sweetie," Angela sighed. She wasn't as disappointed as she let on though. After all, Brennan hadn't denied Booth accompanying her on her impromptu vacation.

She feels guilty, but not guilty enough to change her mind, skipping out on the rest of the work day. Angela tries to cheer her up, telling her that there aren't any cases and there's nothing for them to do there anyway. She shrugs, relenting, as they make their way up to her apartment, arms laden with shopping bags and she can't remember why they bought so much. She knows she didn't need this much.

"I can't believe you're going to be in beautiful, sunny Australia in just two days," Angela whines, sighing as she deposits her bags on the sofa. "I am so jealous of you that words can't even begin to describe it," she adds.

"You could have asked for time off yourself," Brennan points out. "Anyway, I'm not looking forward to all the packing, or the flight."

"You still don't like flying?" Angela asks. She would have thought that jetting around the world for mass grave identification, helping the FBI, or even just for her book tours and signing's would have cleared that little problem up. Apparently not.

"No, and I know it's irrational, but I hate being cramped up in those seats. I like having the ability to have fresh air and be able to move around. You can't have either on a plane," she grumbled.

"No, I guess not, but think of the adventure once you get to Australia. It's such a beautiful country. Are you going to attend the Sydney Opera House?"

"I don't know. All that's been decided is when to go and where to stay," Brennan replied, noting that her answer was slightly evasive and hoping Angela wouldn't pick up on it.

"Yeah, well, you're still lucky." She sighs, running a hand through her dark hair before offering the anthropologist a smile. "Do you need a ride to the airport? I know how you hate leaving your car there."

"No, uh, Booth said he would take me," Brennan replied, turning to sort through the bags.

"Uh-huh," Angela replied. Brennan glanced up, eyes narrowed and the artist held her hands up in mock-surrender. "Come on Sweetie, I'll help you get started on the packing. You keep your suitcases in your closet, right?" she asked, making her way down the hall.

"Yes, but Ange, you don't have too. Really, I'm sure you'd rather do..." her voice trails off as Angela reappears again, a triumphant smile on her face. "Something the matter Ange?"

"Sweetie? Why does it look like your bed was slept in by someone besides you?"

"What are you talking about Angela?" She cursed herself silently for not making the bed this morning but she had been in a rush. Somehow, having Booth around her in the mornings made her as lethargic as him and if she was late two days in a row she knew Angela would have a fit, or a field day. The questions would not even come close to ending.

"Your bed. It appears that it had more than one occupant in it."

"I had a rough night," she replied defensively, then realized her mistake as Angela's smile grew. "Not like that! I couldn't sleep well, a lot of dreams, and just forget it, okay?"

"Okay Sweetie," Angela agreed with a smile. She dumped the suitcase onto the coffee table, before smiling at her friend. "So, was he any good?"

"Angela!"

Booth entered the lab around three-thirty that afternoon, noting the absence of Brennan almost immediately. He frowned, flashing his badge as he jogged up the steps to the platform and looked around. Angela was missing as well and he realized the two of them were probably still shopping and he managed to suppress the smile just in time as Hodgins approached him.

"She isn't here," the entomologist proclaimed.

"What?" He tried to keep his look neutral and wondered if it worked.

"Doctor Brennan. She and Angela took off at lunch and haven't been back since," Hodgins replied. "Unless you came to see Doctor Saroyan, in which case, she's in her office. Either way neither of them are here."

Booth raised an eyebrow quizzically. "You're performing an unauthorized experiment, aren't you?" he asked.

"Sh, yes. You want Zack and I to get in trouble with your girlfriend?" he demanded. "She'll probably string us both up if she finds out."

He looked confused for a moment before realizing that Hodgins was referring to Cam. "Oh, uh. Cam and I..."

"We all know you're sleeping with our boss."

"I'm not sleeping with Cam," he replied. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the railing, watching as Zack buzzed around doing something. "So where did Angela and Bones go?" he asked finally.

"Shopping," Hodgins replied, distaste evident in his voice. "I don't see why women like to shop so much." Booth shrugged and Hodgins glanced at him again. "Are you aware that Doctor Brennan is going to Australia? I asked her to bring back a few species of bugs that are extremely rare in the states, she said she'd do the best she could," he replied, voice gaining that excited air it got whenever he discussed something pertaining to bugs or slime.

"Er, yeah, I knew that," he replied. He made a mental note to find out if she was seriously considering bringing back anything that crawled, or flew, for Hodgins. Then he wondered if he really wanted to know if she was.

"You know and you're okay with it?"

"Why wouldn't I be? She deserves a vacation."

Hodgins shrugged. "Angela seems to think there's something going on between the two of you." He hesitated, wondering just how much he could say before he provoked the agent into physical harm. "Come to think of it, I can see why she thinks that."

"And I happen to think there's something going on between you and Angela, it doesn't mean there is though, does it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Hodgins opened his mouth but was cut off by the sight of his boss approaching the platform. He cursed and ran off to tell Zack about the experiments abortion before they could both get yelled at.

Booth shook his head, descending the platform. He was tempted to call her, to find out if she had found anything she liked or could wear, or if Angela was successfully driving her insane. He was fairly certain the last one was almost a sure-fire thing. Angela had been out to "get" them since the beginning, he knew that.

"Seeley."

He stopped, turning to face the pathologist warily, unsure of what their relationship was after recent events. "Camille."

A smile stretched across her face. "I thought I told you not to call me that." He shrugged and she approached him, stopping in front of him. "I'm sorry about the diner," she said finally. He nodded and she sighed, smile faltering. "You're right, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, I should have listened when you tried to explain everything to me. I'm...sorry."

He shrugged again. "What do you want Camille?"

"I was hoping, I was hoping we could give it another chance. Give us another chance. Doctor Brennan is leaving for three weeks, I figured we could start over, get better acquainted." She reached out, brushing a hand over his arm and he looked away from her, spotting Hodgins and Zack staring at them from the platform. "Please Seeley?"

"Sorry Camille, but no. I honestly don't think anything would change between us." She moved closer and he shook his head, backing away. "Anyway, I'm going to be out of town as well. Take care Cam."

"We're going to get fat."

He laughed quietly, watching as she continued to eat her ice cream despite her previous statement. They were once again curled up on her couch, watching a movie that neither of them had seen this time, a recent one, The Lake House. She had looked at it blankly, trying to understand the plot line, the romance had originally thrown her off from the more scientific approach of the different times and how it could be possible.

He caught her analyzing look and shook his head, tightening his grip on her and pulling her tighter against him. "Stop analyzing, just enjoy it, okay?" She nodded and he smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You won't get fat either. You work out three times a week and we'll be busy for the next three weeks anyway."

"I thought vacations were supposed to be relaxing," she pointed out dubiously. "You always talk about lounging around on a beach or lying about in bed for an entire day, or week. Why will this one be different than your past ones?"

"Why? Well, for one, I'll have you with me." She raised an eyebrow, pulling away slightly so he could see her look. He laughed, pulling her back against him and shook his head. "It isn't a bad thing, it just means that we're both active and the fact that you'll probably be anxious to get out and explore will deter any laying around."

"Maybe I would want to lay around."

"Maybe. I won't complain if you do, just as I won't complain if you don't. I'm going on vacation with you Bones, which means I want to spend time with you. We'll figure it out when we get there," he decided.

She sighed. "Yeah, but I already booked a few things in Queensland since that's our first stop," she replied. "Including that horseback tour you seemed so fond of Sprinkles." He groaned and she felt her smile, wondering if his groan was from the nickname or the activity. "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing. You really are planning on keeping that nickname, aren't you?" he grumbled.

She smiled, sitting up and looking at him. "Why? You don't like it?" she asked innocently. "I could maybe think of something else..." He shook his head, re-wrapping his arms around her body as she settled against him. He wouldn't admit that he was slightly wary about just what she would come up with next.

"No, Sprinkles is fine, Bones."

"Angela wants to have a group dinner tomorrow night," Brennan commented. She sighed as she stretched leisurely, pulling her hair up into a high pony tail as she looked out the bedroom window at the rain pouring outside. She made a face at her reflection and the rain, hoping he wouldn't see it. "She says it'll serve as a farewell or something," she added, turning to face the man sprawled on her bed.

"Sounds fun," he replied, watching as she made her way over to him. "So I should expect you late tomorrow night?"

She shook her head, sitting down next to him and nudging him with her foot. "No. Angela plans on asking you tomorrow when you stop by the Jeffersonian if you want to join us," she answered. He sat up, raising an eyebrow.

"And just why would I stop by the Jeffersonian if we didn't have a case?" he asked, voice teasing.

"To see me," she replied, smiling brightly at him. He laughed, tugging at her ponytail and she rolled her eyes. "Act surprised when she asks you?"

"I will, don't worry." He pressed a kiss gently to her mouth, smiling when her eyes fluttered closed. He could definitely get addicted to this he decided. "Did you have fun shopping with Angela?"

"Yeah, I guess. She kept bothering me about you though," she muttered. "And she caused a scene in a store by demanding, quite loudly, if I was sleeping with you."

"Oh yeah?" he asked. "And what did you tell her?" He pressed light kisses along her jaw line before trailing them down her neck, sucking gently on the juncture of neck and shoulder.

She gasped, fingers digging into his arms and he smiled. "I said," she paused as he bit gently, "that we hadn't had sex," another pause, "yet."

"So you implied that we would?" he whispered against her skin.

"You keep doing that and we probably will," she grumbled.

He chuckled lightly against her throat before sitting up, pulling her to him and kissing her deeply. She moaned against him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, fingers playing with his hair, as he pressed her back against the bed. He pulled away and she made a frustrated sound, bringing a smile to his face.

"Would that be such a bad thing?"

"What?" she asked, their previous conversation forgotten as she leaned forward, sucking on his neck.

"Having sex with me. Would that be such a bad thing?"

"Maybe," she whispered. "We'll just have to see, won't we?"