Booth showed up later than Brennan expected. She dozed on the couch, Ellie sleeping on the floor near her head. The dog growled as the door opened, but started to wag her tail hesitantly when Booth came in. It seemed that sometime during the day, Ellie had decided Booth was the leader of this little pack. Brennan found it annoying.
"I thought you had an alarm," he said. "Why isn't the alarm set?"
Brennan rubbed her eyes. "I locked the door." Her voice was defensive. Was this what she had to look forward to? Booth questioning her every move?
He threw a bag next to a chair. "That door won't keep people out."
"Obviously," she pointed out. "You got in."
He looked at her. "Was that a joke, Bones?"
"No, not really." She shook her head. "What did you find out?"
"Well, there's no fingerprints on anything," Booth explained. Crossing the room, he sat on the couch next to her. "Standard threatening letters and stalker pictures."
She sighed. "I know this, Booth. You aren't the only one with access to a lab."
He narrowed his eyes. "I thought you hadn't told anyone about this."
She picked at imaginary lint on the couch. "Well, I kind of told Angela, and she told Hodgins. Cam caught us running some tests on an envelope after hours one night."
"So the only person you didn't tell was me." His voice was angry and bitter. "We are partners, Bones, and I thought we were friends."
"We are," she cried. She put a hand on his arm, but he brushed it off as he got up to pace the room. "I didn't tell you because I knew how you'd react."
He pulled something out of his pocket to fiddle with. Just when he thought they might be getting a little closer, she did something that had him reevaluating her all over again. "And how did you think I'd react?"
"Like this," she admitted. "You're sleeping on my couch, again. You ran off with all the evidence like I was some sort of innocent victim. I know how to test envelopes and letters for evidence, so does my team. Better than anyone you have at the FBI."
His blood pressure soared, but he forced himself to remember who he was talking to. Bones was a woman who hid behind her science and facts when she felt nervous or threatened. She used her lab as a defense against emotions and being threatened would definitely bring some uncomfortable memories to the surface.
Still, despite her pointing out that her people were better than the FBI, and they were, he was angry that she hadn't come to him with this. He was better with people. He was the better investigator. Her logic should have told her to take advantage of that.
"And you didn't think I might be able to do anything helpful?" he demanded. He stopped walking and waited for her to come up with some sort of logic to dig her way out of this one.
While he waited, Ellie padded over and sat at his feet. When he didn't acknowledge her, she raised one paw and gently touched his leg. He looked down. "What's wrong with this dog?" His voice was short, hard. He wasn't just angry that she hadn't come to him, he was hurt. But she wouldn't see that.
"She thinks you're pack leader and you haven't payed attention to her since you got here," Brennan answered. "I do find it a little annoying that she's decided you're the leader. I'll have to figure out how to change her mind after you leave."
Booth snorted, trying to let the hard feelings go. She didn't see the world the way he did. Her intention would never have been to hurt him. "Pack leader, huh?" Reaching down, he scratched the dog behind the ears. The simple act relieved some of his anger.
"You're always helpful," Brennan said, returning to the original conversation. "I should have asked you for help from the beginning, all right?"
"Yeah, okay." He quit petting Ellie and returned to his seat next to Brennan. Wearily, he rested his head against the back of the couch. "It may be almost impossible to get this guy unless he comes after you." His jaw clenched at the thought.
Brennan assumed a similar position on the couch. "I know this, Booth. I've gotten stalker letters before. However, I will admit that most of the time they stop before the six month mark. And I've never gotten pictures before."
Booth turned his head toward her and studied her profile. "I think this one might be a little more than your average stalker."
She remembered her pause before opening the door. "Me, too. Angela wanted me to stay with her, but I like my place. I want to be in my own space."
"So you got a dog? Seems like you'll be sharing your space from now on." Ellie had resumed her position on the floor at Brennan's feet.
Brennan turned her head. Their eyes met. Blue and brown looking to find what they always found. Booth's faith and Brennan's trust. "A dog and a roommate all in the same day," she said. Her lips curled into a little smile.
Feeling like he was standing on the edge of pit, Booth looked back at the ceiling to break the moment. "Go to bed, Bones. Nothing will get past me and the mutt."
Rising, she started down the hallway before turning around. "I never doubted it."