He could feel her glaring at him in the SUV on the way back to the lab, and this time, he smiled.

"You're mad at me, Bones." He laughed.

"What? No I'm not!" she huffed. "And why is that funny?"
"Because…you're jealous. You can't stand that I'm smarter than you. It's pretty funny actually."
"I'm not jealous. Booth, I'm a best selling author, and a world renowned anthropologist."
"Whoa, Bones…back up, okay? You see what you're doing? You're trying to make me feel bad about having read a book. What if I made you feel bad whenever you mentioned how smart you are, huh? How would that make you feel?"
"I wouldn't care. Besides, I never mention how smart I am."
"Bones…are you serious? Because…you just….whatever…you know what? It doesn't matter."
"Ahh" she smiled.

"What…what 'Ahh'? What does that mean, Bones?"

"It means…I won that discussion." Her head nodded and she grinned.

He ran a hand down his face then shook his head. "Unbelievable." He sighed. "So unbelievable." He pressed the heel of his palm to the steering wheel. "Hmmm…maybe I should read another Jane Austen book, you know, it might help with the case." And annoy her, bonus.

"No, I don't have time to read a book, Booth."

He cocked one eyebrow. "I don't recall asking you to read a book, Bones. I know you're busy. We keep practically the same schedule. No, I'm just going to find the time. It's important to me." He wheedled, appealing to her competitive nature..

Her eyes narrowed, "Well, if you have time, then I have time. Fine. Pride and Prejudice."
"Fine."

"No, you have to choose something else, Booth. You've already read Pride and Prejudice."

"Okay, okay. Call your squint squad, Bones. Ask them what other books Jane Austen has written, and I'll choose one."
"Fine." She dialed and put it on speaker phone when Angela answered.

"Hey, sweetie."
"Ange, can you tell us what other books Jane Austen has written?"
"Um…sure, let me look it up…"

Brennan glanced at Booth, and he glanced back…

"Okay, um…Emma, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and Pride and Prejudice…why do you want to know?"

"Because Bones here is challen…"

"It's for the case, Ange. Thanks." She hung up.

"That was kind of rude, Bones."
"Well…I..which one are you going to choose, Booth?"
"Hmmm…Persuasion sounds interesting, but I get enough of that in my life, so…I don't know, which one had the shortest title?"
"Um…Emma."
"Okay, Emma it is. Can't wait." He inwardly groaned. Bones! He really didn't have time for this, why had he…oh well, now he had to do it.

Her phone rang.

"Brennan."
"Sweetie, did we get cut off? It's almost like you hung up on me."

"Oh, Angela…uh, yeah, I guess so."

Booth raised his eyebrows and looked at her in disbelief.



"Ange, what do you know about Emma?" Brennan changed the subject.
"Emma who?"
"Not, not 'who', the book, Emma, the book?"

'Oh, um, not much. I think they made a movie of it once, with Gwyneth Paltrow, actually."

"Yes" Booth pumped his fist. "That's what I'm talking about."

Brennan looked at Booth disapprovingly.

"What?" he shrugged.

"And it says here that Emma tries to help a new friend, Harriet Smith…" Angela continued.
Booth and Brennan looked at one another in shock. Brennan closed the phone again without saying goodbye, but this time he didn't notice.

"Harriet Smith?"
"Like Anne Jackson's alias?"

"Bookstore, Bones."
"Yes."