Spoiler: Slight spoiler for "The Finger in the Nest"
A/N: Just an FYI… "A tell in poker is a subtle but detectable change in a player's behavior or demeanor that gives clues to that player's assessment of his hand. A player gains an advantage if he observes and understands the meaning of another player's tell, particularly if the tell is unconscious and reliable." (Thanks Wikipedia!)
…
The Tell
Angela strolled into her best friend's office. Brennan was sitting at her desk, staring dreamily into space, a wistful smile playing on her lips.
"What's that look for?" Angela asked, already knowing the answer.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about something…" Brennan abruptly stopped smiling.
Angela smirked. "What did Booth do?"
"How did you—What makes you think it has anything to do with Booth?"
"You have a tell, Sweetie. You get all defensive when you're thinking about Booth."
"I do not!"
"You're actually proving my point," Angela stated smugly. "So what is it?"
Brennan hesitated. She didn't want to add to Angela's "You're in love with Booth" teasing. "Well…"
"C'mon Bren. I'm in the mood for a little girl talk."
"It's nothing really. I was just thinking about him helping me bury Ripley's remains. He's sentimental about the silliest things."
"Yeah, and I bet he had to jump through a lot of hoops at the Bureau to do that."
"You think?" Brennan hadn't considered that Booth might have had difficulty getting possession of the dog's remains. Her partner always seemed to make things happen. She'd never given it much thought.
Angela chuckled as a mix of emotions passed over her friend's face. "Yeah, it's his tell…"
"What do you mean?"
"He… cares… about you. The way he goes out of his way for you… He would do anything for you… It's all so obvious." She smiled, watching the realization dawn on Brennan's face. For the first time, her friend was waking up to the truth.
Brennan's gazed suddenly pinned to Angela's face. "Yes, Sweetie," Angela answered the silent question. "It's about damn time you opened your eyes!"