Next one is the laaaaaast oooooneee! This is your last chance to revieeeeeeeew before the story is finiiiiiished… so make your suggestions! Even though I've got the chapter pretty much planned, it's always nice to hear fresh ideas. So… fresh ideas!

Thanks so much everyone!

CHAPTER 9 – Act

Acting. She'd acted before. She had been mildly surprised to realise she had been very good at it, that one time in Vegas, pretending to be Booth's… his what? Fiancée? Anyway, that had been incredibly easy. Natural, almost. She'd been too good at it.

She understood her limitations now. No, she wasn't very good at acting.

But for him, she would try.

*

They hadn't really decided where to meet, but by coincidence (or maybe they just knew each other too well) they met in front of the building, not the parking in the garage.

"Hey." She said, and smiled tentatively.

Booth nodded and tried to smile in return. He opened the door and went inside, then held it open for her. This was new. Usually she went first and he followed.

They didn't exchange one word until they got inside the elevator.

"Bones…" the moment the doors closed he turned to face her. "We're fine, right?"

"Yeah. And we'll be better once they reinstate us."

"Of course. Edwards will have to listen to reason, right?"
"Yes, if he's logical, there is no reason to separate us. Dr Lenney is a terrible therapist."

"Exactly."

*

"What can I say, at least you didn't slam the door this time. I'm honoured."

Edwards didn't even look up from his notes. Brennan took a step towards him, feeling the anger threateningly close to boiling point.

"That's because I let Booth open the door."

The words sounded more menacing than she'd intended.

"What is it now, then?" they hadn't picked a good day. Edwards looked bored.

"We want you to let us keep working together."

Edwards raised his eyebrows. They didn't know that this was far from boring, and they'd just made his day more entertaining.

"I already said that it's out of my hands. If I get a recommendation to separate you by the FBI's consulting psychologist, I am practically forced to follow it."

"Yes, practically. But come on, Edwards, you know that guy is full of it."

"No, I don't."

"Okay then, how weird is it that Sweets said the exact opposite? How do you know which shrink to trust?"
"I trust the one who still has a job."

"Oh come on, are you serious? You're going to split the best team out there because of some stupid psycho?"

"Booth, the doc wrote a pretty compelling case."

"You seriously think…" he took a deep breath. He'd been trying to prepare himself for this all night. "You seriously think we're…?"

It was with numb surprise that he realised he couldn't even say the word. He'd thought he was ready.

It was enough for Edwards that he implied it, though. Thank God.

His boss looked uncomfortable. And he eyed Brennan for a moment, as if to check her reaction. Booth fought the urge to do the same.

"Look Booth, you know we always advise romantic feelings to be kept away, and frankly, it shows just how unprofessional of you it is to fall-"

"But what proof do you have?" her clear voice cut through the next word.

"My proof is the evaluation."
"Three meetings is an evaluation now? We are not unprofessional. We have not begun failing suddenly without an apparent stressor. What kind of estimation is that?"

"Look, I know you guys are close…"

"No. We're partners. That's it. We're not even that close, we see each other a lot because we work together. As partners." Wow, the words stung as he said them.

"Exactly. Out relationship is professional. We are very good at what we each do, and we work well together. I hadn't realised being friendly now constituted a federal offence."

"The issue is if you are romantically involved."

"Of course we're not involved! Ask anyone at the Jeffersonian!"

"Yeah, or at my department. You know, the one you run."

"Enough."
Edwards stood up, feeling oddly powerless as they both towered over him.

"I can't assign a new therapist especially for you just to corroborate what Dr Lenney said."

"We know that. We're not asking for that."

"Then what are you asking for? You know I can't just say I've changed my mind, Booth."

"That's not what I'm saying either."

"Then what?"

"One month."

"Excuse me, Dr Brennan?"

"You give us a probation period of one month. If we suddenly begin performing horribly, we'll know the evaluation is correct, which it isn't, and you have our permission to split us up for good. But at least you'll have tangible evidence."

There was a pause, during which Booth wanted to turn around and hug her, and then kiss her until she couldn't breathe, for being so smart and coming up with this idea.

Edwards looked from one to the other. He'd been an Agent for a very long time, and now he was the director. He knew his body language.

No crossed arms, either of them. They weren't defensive, they were aggressive. They wanted this. For a moment, Edwards wondered whether this was all for the victims. They were known as the pair who cared, driven, to the point of obsessive about their work. Was it possible that this was all for their work, and not for each other? He'd heard the rumours, of course. And hell, he couldn't blame either of them. The doc was stunning. And Booth… well, Booth was quite famous for sending secretaries into a tailspin of happiness when he blinked, so…

But could it be that they really didn't have anything going on? He knew how amazingly counter-productive two Agents could be if feelings got in the way. But those two… if there was anything going on, they would have acted on it. They weren't exactly a textbook protocol abiding pair, were they?

One month.

Yeah, he could give them one month.

"You realise this is at my own personal risk, right?"

"Yes." She didn't sound relived yet. That would come.

"My head is on the line, here."

"We know, man. But you'll see."

"I'd better."

*

Edwards was good. He was even pretty good. But this was just a colossal fail. If he couldn't see what was going on between those two, he should quit.

.

.

Okay, like I said, your last chance to throw ideas at me! And by throw I mean push the pretty little button there.

The best is always saved for last. We know they'll let our kids keep working together (wow, I'm like fifteen years younger than them and I call them kids already…? I feel old!), but there's still one thing that hasn't happened yet. *wiggles eyebrows suggestively*

Say it. Saaaaay it?