Disclaimer: See ch. 1

Spoilers: Through season 4, The Princess and the Pear

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read and/or reviewed! The encouragement is what keeps me writing. And so sorry about the wait! I'll try to update more often to keep us all entertained until March 12. Enjoy!

Temperance glanced up from the podium and felt her eyes drawn to the back left-hand corner of the hall for what seemed like the hundredth time since she'd begun her speech.

Booth's eyes didn't meet hers. Just like the ninety nine other times she had glanced back at him in the past half hour, he was once again surveying the hall with a trained eye. He was tense; she could see that even from here. His back didn't touch his chair, one hand rested high on his thigh, about five inches from the gun concealed beneath his lightweight jacket. He looked like he was about to twitch right out of his seat. As she watched him, his head spun her way and their eyes locked. Coffee brown met blue-grey and held.

Temperance wrenched her attention away from him.

Five minutes later, her head turned as if of its own volition and found the back corner once more. Booth was gone.

She blinked rapidly a few times, her speech faltering. An undefined panic gripped her and she stopped talking altogether. Where was he?

Her head had barely stopped spinning when she heard a throat cleared from the left of the stage. Her automatic reaction was to turn towards the sound. There was Booth, grinning up at her, motioning with his hand for her to continue.

She stared at him for several seconds before clearing her throat, turning back to the crowd in front of her, and picking up her lecture where she'd left off.

She could feel Booth watching her the entire time she spoke. His gaze made her spine tingle. She had no scientific explanation for that, and that fact made her eyes narrow and her smile disappear. She couldn't be having unexplainable reactions to Booth. It just wasn't rational. She shook herself mentally and focused back on her speech.

Twenty minutes later, she left the podium to a round of applause. Booth met her at the side of the stage, his hand falling into place at the small of her back as if it belonged there. Did it?

She stopped wondering when he leaned in and spoke in her ear, "Nice speech, Bones. But it kinda lagged there in the middle for a minute, didn't it?"

She turned to glare up at him and was met by his infamous charm smile. Her eyes narrowed.

"It was your fault."

He feigned offense. "How could it possibly be my fault that you forgot how to talk for a minute?"

She watched her toes tap against the hardwood floor as she answered him. "You…you weren't there," she said softly.

He leaned down closer to her and cupped a hand behind his ear. "What was that? I can't understand your mumbling, Dr. Brennan."

She stopped walking. Students fanned out around them to get into the hallway. Booth grabbed her elbow and pulled her out of the doorway. Her back was straight, her focus direct as she repeated her statement.

"You weren't there," she said with more venom. "When I looked up at the corner…you were gone."

He watched her, his eyes softening, his charm smile fading into something softer, something more…intimate.

"I didn't like being so far away from you," he said quietly. "If something happened, it would have taken me long minutes to get to you through that crowd. Too long."

She nodded, but she didn't look convinced. He placed a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up.

"I will never leave you, Temperance. You know that." He made it a statement and not a question. Bones believed in her own mind. If she knew something, then it was fact. If he could convince her that she knew he wouldn't leave her, then maybe she'd finally believe it.

She nodded again.

"But if it wasn't your choice. If something happened…"

He smiled down at her, what he hoped was a reassuring grin. "I'm not that easy to get rid of, Bones."

Her gaze focused over his shoulder. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh? What uh oh?"

He turned to follow her gaze and immediately understood the uh oh. Logan Hart was headed their way, and the man did not look happy. Booth felt Bones try to step out from behind him, but he moved with her, keeping himself between her and Blondie.

Hart stopped about three feet from Booth. He was clearly trying very hard to appear calm. He wasn't fooling Booth. His hands were in his pockets, but Booth could tell they were clenched into fists. The smile he attempted looked more like a grimace. His voice shook when he spoke.

"Temperance, may I have a moment alone with you?"

Booth answered before Bones could even take a breath. "No."

Hart's green eyes narrowed dangerously and he took another step forward.

Booth's gun-hand itched.

Bones stepped out around Booth and placed a cautioning hand on his arm.

"This is between Tempe and I," Hart practically growled.

Booth opened his mouth to speak, but Brennan's hand squeezed his arm, effectively stopping him.

"Booth," she said.

He glanced down at her, trying to read her intentions in her eyes. They told him she wanted to handle it. Damnit, the woman was too independent for her own good. Hell, she was too independent for his good.

He really wanted to shake his head, pushed her back behind him, and sock Hart in the jaw. Instead, he nodded shortly, told her to yell if she needed him, and stepped through the door into the hallway.

Ten minutes had never felt so long.

She came out then, Hart trailing her like a damn puppy dog. The grin on Hart's face told him that Bones had done everything in her power to placate the man.

"Let's go," Bones said in an even voice as she swept past him. He stepped in quickly behind her, blocking her from Hart once more, and placed his hand on her back. He felt her shiver and she seemed to lean back into his hand as they moved together down the hallway towards the exit. He took it as an invitation and quickly slipped his arm around her waist.

Hart veered off at the stairs, calling out a quick goodbye to the pair.

Once they were alone, Bones seemed to relax. She softened against his side and the deathgrip she'd had on her briefcase let up.

"You okay?" He asked.

She nodded. "He asked why I'd sent the cops after him. I told him I'd had a threat and that the cops were looking at every possible angle."

She glanced up at him as if seeking his approval. He smiled a small smile and nodded for her to continue.

"He seemed to accept that." She laughed once as she finished. "He asked me out to dinner again, but I refused."

"Then why did he seem so cocky when you guys came out?"

"He told me he wasn't giving up. Do you still not think it's him?"

He shrugged. "Anything's possible."

"He did seem awfully angry about the police," Bones remarked,

Booth nodded. "Yeah, but if he was the bad guy I don't think he would have confronted you like that, not with me here."

"But he still thinks you're my boyfriend. He doesn't know you're FBI," she pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Dr. Brennan," a voice called out from behind them. They turned in unison towards it.

"Dr. Loughlin," Bones acknowledged.

The man slid to a stop in front of them. His suit today was green and brown tweed. Booth was pretty sure Grandma Booth had had a matching sofa. Loughlin's tie was askew, and his hair was flopping over his forehead. He pressed a hand into his side and struggled to catch his breath.

"I'm glad I caught you. I just wanted to tell you that you gave another excellent lecture today."

Bones nodded. "I know."

Booth couldn't hold in the chuckle. She was unbelievable. "Bones," he said in a whisper. "I think the proper response would be, thank you."

She blinked up at him. "Oh. Yes, of course." She turned back to Loughlin and gave him a wide smile. "Thank you."

Loughlin opened his mouth to respond, glanced from Booth to Bones and back again, closed his mouth. He was silent for several more seconds, then he said, "Yes, you're welcome, Dr. Brennan."

"Are you headed home then?" Bones asked. "You can walk out with us."

"Oh no," Loughlin shook his head, his floppy hair swishing back and forth. "I'm headed back to my office to meet with a couple of students about their research papers. Three of them are hoping to have them published when they're finished."

"And you'll put your name on them, of course. To lend credence," Bones remarked.

Loughlin grinned. "Yes, of course. I think some of them have some real potential. Especially Nathan Waltham. He's the one writing about cannibalism."

Booth wondered if the cops had spoken to the kid yet. He'd called Westin about Brennan's suspicions last night, but he hadn't heard back from him yet.

"Has he spoken to Dr. Monroe like I suggested? That man is really an expert in the field."

"Yes," Loughlin said with a nod. "Monroe was very helpful. Of course, I still think that your personal account would give Nathan's paper that extra…edge. Are you sure you won't reconsider…"

"No," Bones replied without waiting for him to finish.

She was tense again, so Booth pulled her closer and nuzzled his face into her hair. What? These people thought they were a couple. He was just reinforcing the belief. Yeah, and Satan was ice-skating in hell right now, too.

"Of course," Loughlin was saying. "I'm sure his paper will be very impressive without your testimony."

"Right," Booth said before the conversation could become any more strained. "Temperance and I should get going. You want to go back to the hotel and change before the book signing, don't you, Bones?"

She nodded against his shoulder. "Yes, yes I do."

"Well, then I'll see you at the signing, Dr. Brennan," Loughlin called as Booth turned and pulled Bones towards the exit once more.

"Booth."

They had been silent since getting into the car at the university. They were halfway back to the hotel now, and Temperance couldn't hold her thoughts in any longer.

"Hmmm?"

She was quiet for another moment, trying to decide how to word her question.

"When we were at the school, talking to Loughlin, and you…umm…rubbed your face in my hair. Was that to keep up the appearance that we're…together?"

He turned his head and their eyes met. He cleared his throat and turned his gaze back to the road. "Yeah, yeah, of course."

"So, umm, why are you holding my hand now?"

He glanced down at their linked hands on the console between the seats as if just now realizing what he was doing. He pulled his hand away as if burned and Temperance watched his cheeks flame with color.

"Umm, you know…I was just…practicing, Bones. For when other people are around. You know?"

She nodded. It made sense. If they were more intimate in private, then they would surely be more convincing in public. But, then, that didn't explain why she found such profound…pleasure in physical contact with this man.

"Booth," she said as he pulled into the garage behind the hotel.

He glanced up at her.

"You could, maybe, continue practicing. If you wanted to," she added hastily.

He parked the car, turned it off, then turned in his seat to watch her. She hated to admit that his gaze made her want to squirm like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

What? It was perfectly natural for human beings to crave physical contact, even outside of the parameters of a sexual relationship. And it had been awhile since she'd been in one of those; since before Booth's birthday, in fact. Yes, that explained it.

Booth's eyes crinkled up at the corners when he smiled.

"Alright, Bones. We can practice."

He leaned across the console, and before she could react, his lips were on hers. It was a brief kiss, a mere brushing of lips. But in that moment, she felt his warm breath, smelled his masculine, Booth scent. Her eyes slid closed just as he pulled away.

She heard a light chuckle, then his door opened and closed. She forced her eyes open just as he came around the hood of the car to her side. Her door was opened with no effort from her, then Booth was in the space between her and the door and his smile was infuriating.

"Very funny, Booth."

His grin widened and he raised his hands in a show of innocence. "I was just practicing, Bones. What if I have to kiss you in front of Hart sometime to keep up appearances?"

She narrowed her eyes, but allowed him to help her down out of the vehicle. She ended up far, far too close to him, and used the excuse of shutting the car door to get him to move away.

"We've kissed before," she reminded him as he placed his hand on her back and led the way to the elevator.

"But I wasn't prepared that time," he said. "It didn't count. You didn't get the whole Seeley Booth experience."

It was scientifically improbable, but Temperance wasn't entirely certain she'd survive the whole Seeley Booth experience.

"Well, I wasn't prepared this time, so it doesn't count either."

They'd reached the elevator by now, and Booth pressed the button, then stepped aside to allow Temperance in first. As the doors slid closed behind them, he stepped forward, officially getting into her personal space. His smile was teasing, but his eyes were intense as he spoke.

"Should we make it count?"

She was flustered, she would admit. Was he asking…was he saying…

He leaned forwards slowly, leaving her time to pull away. She couldn't have if she'd wanted to.

This was Booth, for God's sake. She couldn't just kiss him. There was that line, after all. And this one would count, no doubt about that. But then, Booth was the one initiating things, and it was his line. Maybe he'd decided it didn't matter anymore.

Their lips were centimeters apart, their breath mingling, when the doors slid open and real life intruded.

"Dr. Brennan!"

She jerked back from him just as he spun towards the open elevator doors and the desk attendant now hopping from foot to foot just outside of them.

"I was just sitting there at the desk and he came in again and the envelope was brown this time…or manila, I think that's what they call it. But I called the cops, because I was sure that's what you'd want. They called but you'd already left the college and cell phone reception's horrible around here and…"

Booth stepped out of the elevator and placed a hand on Philip's shoulder.

"Slow down, kid. Now, what the hell happened?"

Captain Westin answered as he stepped out from around the corner holding a large manila folder. "Another threat."

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Don't forget to let me know what you thought!