steaminess countdown: 2 more chapters : )

Okay, i dunno about you guys, but i am always mad when fanfics are killing off squints. No. Bad writers. Power to the squints.

As such, i would like to make a "save the squint squad" club. When you sign up for it you vow not to kill off any of the squint squad or booth. i hate character deaths. and maybe i will make a cool pic for our account biography page thing. if you are interested private message me about it. It's time we take action...old testament action. (lol!)

---------------------------

(two weeks later)

Angela sat in her office, drawing on a sketch pad, when Hodgins walked in. "Hey Hodgins."

"Hey babe. How are you?"

Angela sighed. "Depressed."

"Why?"

"Because my best friend is depressed."

Hodgins sat down next to her. "Booth and Dr.Brennan still aren't talking?"

"No. They barely worked the last two cases together. They don't talk about anything except the case, and they both talk professionally, like they hardly know each other."

"I know that. I was there, remember?"

Angela gave him a small smile. "I know, but it's building up my argument, so let me finish."

"Fine, go right ahead."

"Anyways, they hardly talk to each other. I know Booth misses their 'non-relationship' relationship, I can see it in his eyes."

"Anyone can. I think Zach even noticed he looked sad." Hodgins said smirking.

Angela laughed. "Did he really? I don't know if that means Booth is losing control of his emotions, or Zach is getting better at reading people."

"I say Booth is getting lax, Zach can still be fooled by a simple poker face." Hodgins said

"Really?"

"Yeah, when we were racing-"

"That's okay Jack. I really don't want to know." Angela said smirking.

Hodgins smiled. "Fine, suit yourself."

Angela nodded, as if resolute to finish the story. "Well, Booth looks sad. I feel bad for him. But not as bad as I feel for Brennan."

"Does she like him?"

"She loves him. She is just too afraid to tell him."

"Angela, are you sure?" Hodgins said teasingly.

"Of course I am! I am her best friend. I know what she thinks before she does."

"The entire lab knew about how she felt about Booth before she did. I guess she has a lot of best friends." Hodgins smirked.

"That's true. I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't listen to me."

"Maybe it's because you kept on telling her to hook up with him."

"What's wrong with that?" Angela asked defensively.

Hodgins smiled. "Nothing. Keep on going."

"So, she is in love with him, but won't tell him. I think she is afraid of losing him."

"That's not very rational." Hodgins observed. "I thought she was all about rationality"

"No, Bren never was rational. Not about human relationships anyways." Angela said. "But anyways, haven't you felt the tension grow? Those two seem so determined to be stubborn, and wait for the other to crack, that they might die before they admit it."

"I always thought it would end like that."

Angela shook her head. "No way. Love conquers all."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"That's good." Hodgins said relieved.

Angela eyed him suspiciously. "Jack...what did you do?

Hodgins smiled. "You're just going to have to find out!"

-----------------------

Brennan walked into the lab, brushing the snow off her jacket. It had snowed unexpectedly during the day, and she had to run home to get her jacket during her lunch break so she could work late into the night. She normally took her lunch breaks with Booth, but since they weren't really on speaking terms now, she took them on her own. Whenever she tried to work through them, she ended up thinking about him, so it was easier to get away from the lab and find a suitable distraction. She walked into her office, turned on the light, and sat at her desk. She had so much to do since that day she had finally caught up with the limbo cases. She seemed to work less efficiently ever since her talk with Booth, and she couldn't figure out why. She was just upset at him for causing her to slow down. She turned on her computer and finished typing a report. Brennan turned away from her computer and opened her desk drawer. She pulled out the present her parents had given her the Christmas they disappeared, and smiled at it. She had always loved Nancy Drew, and they had given her a first edition copy of the first book in the series. She stroked it gently, and opened its fragile pages, reading her favorite lines in the book:

"But our dream bubble burst," said William. "No trip for us."

Nancy smiled. "Don't give up hope yet. Dad and I haven't."

She gently closed the book and placed it in the box gingerly, so as not to damage it. Brennan sighed, and bit her lip staring at the screen. She knew what she wanted to do, but she couldn't do it. She felt just like William in the story. Angela was most likely Nancy Drew in that case, the eternal optimistic. Lately she had become slightly less sure that everything between her and Booth would work out. She felt she was responsible, but didn't know how to correct it.

Angela walked into the room. "Hey Bren, how are you?"

Brennan smiled at her. "I'm okay, just a little tired."

"Can you believe it's snowing?" Angela asked, hoping to relax Brennan a little.

"Well, yes. This time of the month generally marks the beginning of snowfall."

"Really? I always thought it happened later on." Angela said to herself. "How is the thing with Booth going?"

"Oh, it's...it's not coming along."

"Do you feel ready?"

"I don't know. How do I know when I am ready?" Brennan asked nervously.

"When all you want to do is be with him. When you feel secure that you can do it. When you want to tell him lame jokes just to see him smile. When all you think about is him. When times of the day remind you of him. When you feel scared, excited, and anxious."

"Well, I fit four of your six statements." Brennan said, more to herself than to Angela.

"Really? Which ones?" Angela smirked.

"I always want to be with him, I always think about him, times of the day remind me of him, and I feel scared, excited, and anxious."

"Wow, Bren. You got it bad."

"I can't tell him."

"Why not?"

"I can't lose his friendship."

"Bren, sweetie. I know he feels the same way about you. These two weeks has been awful for him."

"You think?"

"I know! Even Zach noticed." Angela said. "That confirms that he is obviously upset."

"Is he upset because I said no, or upest because he accidentally led me on?"

"That's a stupid question Brennan and you know it." Angela said bluntly. "What does your heart tell you?"

"What?"

"How do you feel about him?"

"I-" Brennan stopped. She knew she was in love with him, but if she said it out loud, it seemed like it would make it a more concrete statement. The first could be contributed to a lack of sleep, and the overwhelming emotion she had experienced. This time she had been having a normal day, so there would be no such excuse. "I do love him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Brennan stood up resolute. "And I know exactly what I have to do." She smiled, happy that she was once again in control of herself.

"Good luck, Bren." Angela said, and waved to Brennan as she walked out the door.

"What's she going to do?" Hodgins asked Angela, walking up to her from his station.

"She's finally made the decision." Angela said smiling. "Things are about to get very interesting."

--------------------------

did you guys like this chapter? did you hate it? I take criticism founded in fact about real-world items, and opinions about story lines. I love positive and negative reviews! i love reviews! but not as much as i love the sound of that review button being tickled by a mouse pointer: ) (i don't own nancy drew btw. just the copy of the first book)