Chapter 5

Max arrived early the next morning having discovered his daughter wasn't at home. He had come to have breakfast with her. As he approached her office he was met by Angela and Cam, both delighted and whispering and waving animatedly. They stopped him short of the office and shushed him then pointed through the glass to the couch with two heads barely visible over its back. Max grinned and stepped quietly into the office. There was more wild gesturing from the women and they scurried off, Max guessing they were headed to retrieve the security tapes. He rounded his daughter's couch to see that she and Booth were cuddled up sleeping peacefully. There were files in a heap on the floor in front of them. It was obvious they had slipped from sleeping hands but a more exciting explanation teased Max's mind. Deciding to leave them alone, Max went to get some breakfast and bring it back.

Booth started to wake and felt a little disoriented. He could feel a warm body cuddled next to him and opened one eye. There was his partner, fast asleep in his arms. He tried not to feel delighted but couldn't help himself. His muscles were a little sore and he wanted to stretch them but he didn't want to wake her. He gently adjusted his limbs and then pulled her closer. He closed his eyes, smiling contentedly, dozing lightly. The smell of coffee and sausage brought him from his reverie and he felt Brennan stirring in his arms. She opened her eyes so see Booth holding her with his eyes closed. He slowly opened his eyes and before they could say anything, laughing erupted from behind the couch. They both shot up to see Angela, Cam, Hodgins, and Max grinning at them. They shot upright, flustered and embarrassed but no one offered any relief.

"Morning lovebirds." Angela crooned.

"I thought I said to take her home, Booth." Cam scolded.

"Breakfast!" Max chuckled walking around and sitting opposite them. He slid the half-eaten pizza aside and set a bag of food on the coffee table. Booth, still red-faced, sat forward and started digging into the bag. Booth knew that it was obvious they had just fallen asleep working and he knew that anything he said would bring on a fresh round of teasing. Brennan, however, felt compelled to explain.

"We were working and must have fallen asleep." Booth shot her a look, but it was too late. The room erupted into laughter again. Max handed her a cup of coffee.

"We know Tempe." he laughed.

"So, after a trip home to shower, are you two ready to head back out there?"

"The only question is who's shower will they use?" Another round of laughter.

"M..." Brennan started, but Booth shook his head.

"Yeah, we'll leave in an hour."

An hour later, breakfast had been eaten, coffee drunk, the office straightened and Booth and Brennan were showered and dressed for the day.

"Bones, you ready?" Booth said as he sauntered into her office.

"Yeah. How's your back?" She asked watching his movement carefully.

"Fine, surprisingly. Did you get enough sleep? You don't feel tired, or sick or anything?" Booth asked, thinking of Cam's statement last night.

"No, I feel fine. Well-rested."

"Let's go find some bones." Booth said as his hand found the small of her back.

The first few minutes of the ride was awkward. For something so innocent, why did they feel so embarrassed? Brennan wondered if it was because Angela would tease them mercilessly. Booth felt like he somehow had taken advantage of her. That's ridiculous, we just fell asleep. He reasoned. Finally, Brennan broke the silence.

"We really should go home earlier. We won't be able to work well if we are overtired."

"Angela will never let this go, you know."

"I know. I don't think Cam and Hodgins will be any better."

"You don't think your dad is upset, do you?"

"He looked very amused actually. You know, Booth, its not like we did anything."

"Well, you did cuddle up to me." Booth teased.

"I was asleep! And how do you know YOU didn't cuddle up to ME?" Brennan asked defensively.

"Well, you looked pretty comfortable."

"I have slept with men before, you have slept with women before, it is reasonable that we just shifted in our sleep..."

"Its okay, Bones." Booth chuckled. "It's not like we slept together." His offhand comment made them both think of things better left un-thought. They were unusually quiet for the rest of the drive.

Angela, Cam, and Max were in Angela's office. Just as Max suspected, the girls had retrieved the security tape of Brennan's office. They watched the two sit closely working, bickering, eating and finally drifting off to sleep.

"How can they not see this?" Angela asked.

"Its not like those two are good at self-reflection." Cam chimed in bemused.

"Its my fault, really." Max said with a note of sadness in his tone. "She was so young and we couldn't explain until so much later. Maybe I should talk to her." Cam looked at Angela, they wanted to comfort the man but did not know how.

"Max, was Brennan ever in tune with her feelings?" Angela asked.

"No, I suppose you're right there. She has always been rational to a fault." Max sighed, feeling a little better.

"Anyone have any ideas? Some way we could set up and trap them in a small space for a few days?" Cam asked.

"Maybe have them go undercover as a married couple again?" Angela volunteered.

"We should just tie them together for a few days." Caroline Julian bellowed as she stepped into the office. "Dr. Saroyan, I'm here for the notes for Friday's trial."

"They're in my office, I'll just grab them." Cam hustled off.

"Max Keenan, are you really trying to set your own daughter up with her partner?" Caroline asked.

"Booth's a good guy, and she loves him. He loves her and he'll take care of her." Max said.

"So short of drugging them and locking them in a small room together, how do we get those blind fools to see it?"

"We could book a conference or something and set up a mix-up with the hotel?" Angela suggested.

"No way, Tempe would just book a suite." Max said.

"Too bad the Gravedigger is so evil. She could help." Caroline mused. Max looked at her appreciatively. She had a dark streak. "Dr. Sweets!" Caroline scolded as he joined them. "Aren't you their therapist, how is it you can't get them to admit this?"

"They don't even talk to me. They just grill me about cases. I've made them come on a double date with my girlfriend, I've even talked them into admitting they provide a surrogate relationship for each other but they bolt like rabbits when I get close to discussing romance. I like the hotel mix-up idea. We should just make sure EVERY other room is booked."

"Max is right, Brennan will just go to another one, or share with me." Angela said.

"Undercover work?" Sweets suggested.

"Are you going to convince Cullen to let them do that?" Cam asked as she rejoined the group. "Why are you here Dr. Sweets?"

"I heard you had footage of them sleeping together."

"Do you think you could call them on their feelings for each other in therapy using the tape?" Max asked.

"Booth is kind of intimidating." Sweets admitted sheepishly. "If I push too hard and Dr. Brennan gets uncomfortable, he glares at me and ushers her out of my office."

"Excuse me, Dr. Sweets. There's an FBI Agent here to see you." A security guard said.

"Charlie, come in, you have to see this! Everybody, this is Charlie, he works with Booth."

"I've seen most of you or spoken to you on the phone." Charlie said as he inched in to see the tape play again.

"This is terrible!" Angela said. "We are a group of highly educated, intelligent people! You would think we could orchestrate a simple scenario to force these two to talk!"

"Cherie, I can try another kiss but with this one out, " she motioned to Max, "there's little motivation on their part."

"I think we are well past anything subtle." Charlie pitched. "They have rescued each other, kissed, been undercover as a married couple, and spend most of their time together. There is little else we can do to get them to figure this out on their own. I say we have an intervention." The group mulled it over thoughtfully for a few minutes.

"He's right." Angela said. "We've each separately been trying to help them, I talk with Brennan all the time about it. She told me that Inspector Pritchard even told her to do it. An intervention is the only way. If we wait for them, Max will never have grandkids."

"Count me in Cher."

"Let's wait until this case is done though, we don't want them too distracted to hear us." Cam said, ever the boss.

"Max?" Sweets asked.

"I think you guys should do it. I'm her father and it would be too awkward for me to be there telling them to get together already. I will talk to each of them again and you have my blessing to go through with it but I don't think I should be there. I will help you otherwise though."

"In a drug intervention, everyone writes a letter explaining how the addict's actions have adversely effected them. I think for this we should all write a letter explaining how we see their relationship. Normally, an intervention is done on neutral ground, but I think we will have more success in Brennan's office, her home turf. As long as we don't make Booth feel protective, it could work." The group started to break up chatting about their devious plan.

"Angela," Cam said, "we have to try not to be in the same room together with Booth."

"I know, he'll know something is up."