Chapter Fourteen: The New Agent on the Block

Booth's cell phone sounded, he roused, checked the clock beside the bed, it read 6.15am, 15 minutes exactly before the alarm was set to go off. Booth complained with a sigh and hesitantly picked up his cell, it was his boss at the Bureau.

"Sorry about the hour Seeley, but I've got something I need to discuss with you, can you come down to the office?" said Special Agent in charge, Alfred Zelany, the man was a clone of Kurt Douglas and spoke with a deep, well rehearsed actor's voice, the man could've been Kurt Douglas! Booth always told Tempe that he probably waxed his hair and used fake tan every morning, he was so cheesy, those were Booth's exact words when describing his boss. Booth replied with a groan, followed by a "But it's Sunday!". A few sharp words were probably spoken by Alfred and Booth hung up.

Tempe pushed herself up on an elbow and put a hand on Booth's hairy, masculine chest, booth laid back into his pillow and ran his hands over his face, not really wanting to get out of bed on a Sunday morning to go into work, especially when he was laying next to the woman he loved.

"What's up?" Tempe tried again for an answer, this time resting her chin on his chest and moving herself over so that she was almost laying on top of Booth.

"That was Zelany, I have to go in today, God knows why! It's frickin Sunday!" he complained.

"Harsh, but you know I'm probably gonna go to the lab today anyway, why don't I ride with you" she told him. "Why do you have to go in anyway?"

"I don't know, if I knew I wouldn't be complained to you would I?"

"True, but you know, I don't mind if you complain to me"

Booth got up on his elbow and looks into Tempe's eyes, reaching over and brushing away some stray hair that had stuck to her face by sweat due to the clammy, humid weather. He leans over and kisses her, putting his thumb on her bottom lip as if to guide his lips to hers. He lays back into the pillow and Tempe lays down on top of him and kisses him passionately, at that very moment the alarm clock sounded, and the song on the radio was scarily enough, Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning".

"Talk about mental telepathy, I think the Radio DJ knows what we're up to Booth" says Tempe. "I bet you don't wanna go into work now do you?"

Booth sits up with a start, "Shit, I almost forgot!"

"Did he say what time you have to be there?"

Booth thinks for a second, "no, he didn't say"

"Well surely he can't expect you to be at work at 7am on a Sunday morning!" Tempe tells him.

"True". And if almost by magic Booth's cell rings again, he checked caller ID, Zelany, it was as if he was listening to their conversation, another scary mental telepathic moment!

Zelany told Booth to meet him at the Boulevard Café on Main Street at 10 am, and bring Dr Brennan. Phew, that meant a sleep in, or more time with Tempe under the doona.

A good half hour later Booth was laying back in bed, one hand under his head, the love of his life laying on his chest, his world, thinking. He thought of why Zelany wanted him to bring Tempe along to their morning meeting, was it he knew they were together couple- wise? Did he want to discuss their strength as partners and work colleagues? Was he gonna say no dating in the office? Whatever the case it didn't sound too good and he definitely wasn't looking forward to it.

At 9.45am Booth and Brennan made their way down to the café where Zelany was waiting, both were in casual dress, Zelany was in suit and tie as usual.

"Ahh Special Agent Booth, Dr Brennan, how good to see you on such a fine day" Zelany stood up and greeted them with an unusually cheerful tone to his voice, something was up, Booth could sense it.

"Special Agent Zelany" Booth said with a nod in his direction.

"Oh come on, none of that, call me Alfred please"

Booth shot a glance at Tempe, was this guy for real? Something was definitely wrong,

"Ok Alfred, what's this matter you got me out of bed on a Sunday Morning to discuss, and why include Bones.. ah, Dr Brennan?" asked Booth.

"Seeley, I've been examining yours and Dr Brennan's partnership for some time now and it seems to me that there are some threads coming loose"

"Loose threads, what do you mean?" asked Booth.

"Are you saying we're not perfect for each other?" asks Tempe.

"That's one way of putting it" replies Zelany.

Tempe couldn't believe her ears, she was so mad, she scoffed.

"I'll show you loose threads!" says Tempe, she goes over to take matters into her own hands, Booth stops her.

"Bones, Tempe, stop" says Booth, holding her back.

"Did you just hear what he said, how can you let him get away with this!"

"He's the boss; he can do anything he wants"

"And you're not even gonna protest?"

"What's the point, it doesn't matter what I say, our opinions don't count"

"What, of course they do, you can't just let him trample all over you and treat you like vermin! This is us Booth, our relationship at stake, are you gonna let him tear us apart?"

Booth wipes his hands over his face and takes a deep breath.

"Ok, but you know I can't stop him from putting another agent with you"

"You can try, please, for us, I love you Booth, please don't let him take you away from me!"

"I love you too, I'll try" leaning down he kisses her, unaware that Zelany is watching their every move, or maybe they were aware and just wanted to show Zelany just how strong their relationship was.

"Seeley, what's our policy on inter- office dating?" asked Zelany

"Well technically Bones doesn't work in the office" replied Booth smartly.

"But you two work together am I correct?" Zelany already knew that, why was he asking? maybe he was being a smart ass, thought Booth. Time to be a smart ass back.

"Tempe and I, we're high school sweethearts, we don't work together at all" Booth offered.

"Nice try Seeley, but the reason I called you and Miss Brennan here today, I wanna experiment with different partners to see their dynamics, see how well they work together"

"But why? Don't Booth and I work well together? I think we work perfectly together, what do you think Seeley?" said Tempe, almost mocking Special Agent Zelany.

"Yeah I agree Dr Brennan, we're a match made in heaven!" Booth replied, they were almost putting on a show for Zelany, at that moment, Tempe felt good about herself.

"Sorry guys, but It's just an experiment, you'll have each other back in two weeks, case dismissed" said Zelany, packing up Booth and Brennan's files and standing up to leave, signalling a waiter for the cheque.

Booth couldn't believe his ears, was Tempe really being taken away from him and being put with another agent, an agent who probably matched his ties with his eyes and polished and re-polished his cruiser if there was but the smallest speck of dirt on it, the thought made Booth shudder, but he couldn't let it get to his head even though he was fuming on the inside.

Back in Booth's condo, Booth and Brennan were discussing the situation.

"I suppose it's only 2 weeks, we still get to see each other, it's not like we're banned from seeing each other right?" Tempe told him, trying to make light of the situation.

"Yeah but the highlight of my career has been to be able to work cases with you, I can't stand the thought of another agent being with you, working MY cases, being with MY woman!" Booth said.

"It's only 2 weeks, will you promise me you won't give this guy crap and talk about him behind his back?"

"I can't believe you're on his side now!"

"I am not on his side! I'm not on anyone's side."

"You're taking his side"

"Look I'm sorry Booth, I don't want this to happen as much as you do, but it is only 2 weeks and we still get to see each other, and at the end we can have each other back ok?" Tempe told him, putting her hands on his masculine chest and moving closer to him.

"Ok" he said eventually.

"Ok" and she pulled him closer and hugged him, Booth leaned down and kissed her passionately.

The next morning Tempe arrived at work, it was around 7.30am and no one else was at the lab yet so she just went into her office, as she entered her office she noticed someone was sitting in her swivel chair with his feet on her desk. She just stood there with her hands on her hips waiting for this suited stranger to notice that the owner of this office was here, she waited half a second, nothing, so she decided to clear her throat, success, the stranger spun around pronto.

"Oh am I bad, are you Miss Brennan?" he said.

"Dr Brennan and you are?" The stranger wore odd socks with his expensive looking black tailored suit, and looked nerdy as hell, with a comb over to match, a comb over on a guy less than 60 didn't work at all. Thick, square, black, plastic rimmed glasses and the ugliest tie she had ever seen, she thought Booth's ties were ugly but this guy's tie won the award, it was brown with yellow and green polka dots. Maybe he was going to an ugly tie parade after work, she thought, or a clown convention.

"Call me Hamish, Hamish Whittaker, I'm a new Fed in the Bureau and I understand I'll be taking over from Special Agent Booth"

"Not 'taking over', this is only for two weeks"

"Oh right, yeah I know Special Agent Booth, I heard he's quite the Casanova"

"What are you talking about?" Tempe was puzzled.

"Oh it's just a rumour circulating round the office; I also heard you're quite hot"

Tempe couldn't believe this guy, she felt embarrassed now.

"Right, did you hear this from Booth personally or is it another rumour?"

"I heard it from the horse's mouth, he always talks about you, listen, if you're not doing anything later do you wanna get a drink with me down at Antonio's? That's your local watering hole right?"

"Yeah but I think I'll pass, I'm quite busy today but thanks for the offer" she said, trying to brush him off as polite as possible, though harshly rejecting the guy wouldn't be that hard.

"Oh, can I take a raincheck?"

"I'm busy" Tempe replied, she just wanted him to get his feet off of her desk and his ass out of her office, he was really starting to annoy her. She decided the only way for that to happen was for her to voice her thoughts.

"And can you please take your shoes off of my desk and get out of my chair?"

"Oh sorry Dr Brennan, certainly, anything for a lady"

Ooook, this guy was REALLY getting on her nerves, time for plan B.

"Can you please leave, I've got work to do, thank you"

Prompt and polite, that'll do, she thought.

"Oh I'm sorry, I'll call you later, Special Agent Zelany gave me your number, I shall be in touch, until then" He said, taking her hand and planting a wet kiss on it.

Great, just great, she thought, her stomach did a somersault, she felt like she was going to be sick Why did she have to be put with Romeo in a clown tie, just terrific.