Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or anything to do with it, including any characters or places mentioned. I earn nothing for writing this. It's just for fun.

Chapter Six

AN: Hey guys, I'm going away this week so it's not likely that they'll be another update until I'm back next Sunday. Here's a longer chapter than usual to make up for it.

After much persuading, Brennan finally agreed to let Booth give her a lift to work. She had protested saying that she would not be able to get home again until he pointed out that he would pick her up again too. He'd told her that it was so she could save of fuels bills and parking costs; but it was a secret ploy to give her the opportunity to drive home. This was something he never let her do, as he was so protective over his car; but she loved to do it.

When they arrived at the lab, all of the squints were assembled on the platform carrying out their various tasks. Usually, they would not think twice if he and Bones showed up together but today was different. Today he wasn't in his work clothes and wasn't really supposed to be there at all. Angela was the first to react, shooting Brennan a questioning look. There was also a glimmer of hopefulness in her eyes that he chose to ignore. Hodgins gave his fellow man the kid of lop-sided grin that guys often gave each other when they were congratulating them for getting with the girl they had been chasing. Cam was the only one to speak.

"Hey, Seeley, I thought you were on holiday?"

"I was...I am" He stammered, suddenly uncomfortable with all the attention. "I just thought that, seeing as I was awake anyway, I'd give Bones a lift to work on my way to see Sweets."

"You're going to see Sweets?" Brennan challenged, before her boss could respond.

"Yeah, he called me last night saying that he wants to speak. Figured I'd better g and speak to him get it over with."

"It is a very good idea Booth. Let me know if he tells you anything I need to know too. I'll see you later; I need to change to change into my lab coat."

As soon as she wondered off into her office, Booth made a very swift exit and headed for the FBI building before any of the team started putting two and two together and coming up with five. He wasn't sure if this was possible in a room of scientists, but he decided not to take the chance.

"Something funny's going on here," Hodgins mused when they were both out of earshot.

"Yup," Cam agreed, "I was with Seeley long enough to know when he's up to something and I smell a rat, and I don't mean the ones that you keep in your office Doctor Hodgins although they do need cleaning."

"Yeah, I'll get right on it, but more importantly, Angie, go and speak to Doctor B and see if she has any juicy gossip, I'll get on to Booth when he gets back."

"Oh, I don't need telling twice," Angela grinned before skipping off in pursuit of Temperance.

For the first time in the history of their friendship, Doctor Sweets was stunned. Anger and shock had left him lost for words. Booth watched him nervously as he put his pen to his lips in thought. Eventually, he leaned forward in his seat, indicating he was going to say something important. Booth tensed.

"Well, you have opened up a can of worms haven't you, Agent Booth? But that's in the past now, now we have to look at the best way to do damage control—"

"I'm not going to hurt Bones!" he said, furiously.

"I know, I know that you personally would never do anything to cause her pain, but she is clearly opening up to you about some very emotional issues for her. This is probably a sub-conscious thing because you bared yourself to her and she is worried that if she doesn't do the same for you, you may leave."

"To be honest with you Sweets, I'm kinda liking the fact that she's opening up to me, even if she is telling me stuff that I don't wonna hear."

" I agree that this could be a useful as I think she bottles far too much up, but we still have to treat her like a person, not an experiment."

"Believe me, I would do nothing less."

"I know that. The question is where do you go from here?" Booth knew that Sweets wanted to check that he had a plan and this was not just a spur-of-the-moment-thing. Neither of them needed to say how important that it was to get this right. To Brennan, as much as she would never admit it, this was also a test to prove how well he knew her. They both knew that she felt he knew her better than anyone and her heart muscle would be crushed if he didn't meet her expectations. If he messed up, she may never let another person become so involved again and she could lead to a long and lonely life. He already had a cross to bear for the lives he had ended; he did not wanted to add to that a life he had shattered and left the owner alone to rebuild.

"You know, a long time ago, before all this I used to lay in bed at night and think of all the ways that I would prove to Bones that she was more to me than she thought, but they all seem so futile now. Don't get me wrong, I've done it in the past by giving her a stage to sing Cyndi Lauper on, getting her that Christmas tree for her family, but that just wasn't enough. Not because she expected more, but because her walls are so highly built. I chip away at them but not very often. This time, I'm going to show her that little things can sometimes get the message across more than the big."

"Got any ideas?"

"A few. I'm going to build them up slowly so that I don't overload her with too many uncomfortable feelings too soon."

"That sounds like a good plan, Agent Booth, but please don't tell me what you're planning on doing because then I might get tempted to influence you myself which is no good thing. Think and act very carefully though, her future is essentially in your hands."

Thanks, Sweets. Thanks a bunch. You really know how to take the pressure off a guy, don't you?

By lunchtime Booth was pacing his home with the same amount of gusto he had paced the delivery room at the hospital when Rebecca was in hospital having Parker. He also felt just as anxious as he had back then; hoping Bones' shift would be over quickly and that tonight would go alright. He had a plan, well two actually, that were a good way to build on what he had done for her this morning. The problem was that he needed to be at hers before he picked her up from work to set the plan in motion, It could be done at his place, but he wanted to avoid that if at all possible so that at least she was in her own environment while dealing with so many other changes in her life. However, he couldn't quite bring himself to ask for a key, that seemed a bit too much like something he would do after they had been together a while. Plus, it should be her decision.

When half an hour had gone by, he decided he'd go see her and check if she was free to come over when she was done for the day. It was unlikely that she would have other plans and she's agreed to keep her week open anyway but he wanted to be sure first. He would take her lunch as a cover story.

Angela and Bones were talking in her office when he got there. The door was closed which was unusual. They must have been talking about personal matters because they never shut it when they were talking about cases, so that the other squints could come and chip in with new information whenever they found any. For a moment, Booth allowed himself to revert back to being a giddy teenager and wondered if they were talking about him. He hoped they were because that meant he'd made an impression so far. It was tempting to try and listen, but he gave her privacy and stepped back and waited.

"No way!" Angela giggled, staring wide-eyed at her friend. "OhmyGod, you're not kidding. That's actually sweet."

"That is impossible, a gesture that a person makes towards you cannot have a taste Angela, and you know that." Brennan replied bluntly.

"Oh, Bren I know but it's really nice of him all the same though, even if he did wake you up. What do you think?"

"I think it was strange and nice. Strange to eat so early, but it was quite nice to share my morning with someone. When he showed up I thought I would miss my time to myself, but I found that I did not."

"Well, I don't think this morning was all you're going to be sharing with him."

"Angela, I already told you, we're not doing anything like that." She snapped.

"No Sweetie look," Angela explain gesturing through the glass windows, "looks like he brought you lunch as well." She explained, gesturing through the glass windows. "I'll leave you to it," she said as she left, grinning at Booth as he moved to take her place in the room.

"Hello Booth," Bones grinned, "I was hoping you'd pop by. I see you brought me lunch as an excuse." She chuckled and closed the door behind him. Booth was still too stunned that she'd said she wanted him to come. It wasn't like her to admit to something like that.

"Oh you were, were you? May I ask why?" he giggled back, her laugh was truly infectious.

"I wanted to give you this," she whispered, coming close enough to him to press something from her pocket into his hand. She had done it so discreetly that he wondered if he was allowed to look at first. It felt cold yet jagged against his palm. He uncurled his hand t0 find himself holding a key.