Chapter Two

Booth sat behind the desk in his office, playing with an old poker chip, a reminder of his gambling days. It was two o'clock in the afternoon and, having just finished his part of the paperwork on the Richardson case, he was pondering whether or not to call Brennan or to just show up at her office unannounced. Logic dictated he should call first and find out if she actually had time to compare notes. However, he wasn't sure how to behave himself after the kiss they had shared the previous night and, he figured, seeing her face-to-face would allow him to gauge her reaction first. Having made a decision, he shoved the poker chip back into his suit pocket, stood up and grabbed the paperwork from his desk.

Twenty minutes later, he found himself walking into the Jeffersonian Institute's Medico-Legal Lab. He searched for his partner on the platform. Not finding her on there, he headed straight for her office. She was sitting behind her computer, looking at colorful charts Booth couldn't decipher. She was concentrated on her work, which enabled Booth to watch her for a minute from the door opening. When she finally noticed him out of the corner of her eye and turned her attention to him, Booth's comfort level decreased significantly. He didn't know whether it was because she had caught him staring at her or because his mind immediately thought back to how she had looked at him the night before.

"Hi," he greeted her as he stepped further into her office.

"Hey. Done with the paperwork on your end?"

"Yeah. Got time to compare notes now? Or are you busy?"

"Well, I think you already know that I'm busy," Brennan replied, with an accusatory look on her face. "But it's a limbo case and I've been told many times, especially by you, that they can wait."

Booth laughed a little. "They can."

He sat down on her couch and patted the cushion, indicating for her to sit down next to him. She nodded, then saved the documents on her computer and grabbed her own case notes, taking them over to her partner. She sat down next to him, but made sure that the space between their bodies was more than just comfortable.

"Swap?" she asked as she held out the manila folder to him.

They exchanged the paperwork and began to read, signing their autographs where needed. About ten minutes into the process, Angela walked into the office. She took in the sight before her, reading their body language, then frowned. In her mind, something seemed off between the partners, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly.

"What's up with you two? Not fighting again, are we? I mean, the tension between you when you bicker is hot, but if you don't kiss and make-up afterwards, it's not very… useful," Angela grinned, staring at them pointedly.

Booth and Brennan both looked up at her in surprise and quickly, as if by habit, denied the accusation.

"Deny it all you want, but you really do seem uncomfortable with each other," Angela continued as she studied the expression on their faces." Did something happen between you?"

"What makes you think Bones and I are uncomfortable with each other?"

"Okay. You're sitting far apart from each other, slightly turned away and in complete silence. On top of that, the both of you seem awkward," she summed up, thinking it was interesting how Booth avoided answering her second question.

"We're reading case notes, Angela," Brennan told her friend, trying not to get annoyed with her as they'd had this conversation many times before.

"Working," Booth emphasized with a glare.

A slow little smirk spread over Angela's lips. She was not about to give up that easily. "Oh, right. Because you're just partners…"

"We are," Brennan confirmed.

"Can you spell denial?"

"Of course."

Angela rolled her eyes and noticed that Booth was trying to suppress a smile as well. "It's an expression, sweetie."

"Oh," Brennan said, looking at Booth for confirmation. When he nodded, she turned her attention back to Angela. "You brought your sketch book, so I'm sure you've got something else to share with us?"

"Yep," Angela replied, handing her the drawing and a manila folder with documents. "Limbo case number 110805. I entered my sketch of the face into the missing persons database. It came up with James O'Neal, missing since September 2004. His medical and dental records positively match the partial remains we have here."

"Nice work, Ange."

"Thanks. Can I leave this with you?"

Brennan nodded. "Just leave it on my desk. I'll take a look at it once Booth and I are finished with the case reports."

"Yeah… I have to make a phone call," Angela grinned. She placed the sketch and the folder on Brennan's desk, then quickly exited the office.

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Once Angela had made it back to her own office, she searched for the phone number she needed, then quickly dialed it and waited for an answer.

"Lance Sweets," said the voice on the other side of the line.

"Sweets, hi. It's Angela."

"Hey, what's up?"

"Well, actually… when's your next session with Booth and Brennan?"

"Tonight at seven. Why?" Sweets answered hesitantly. "Wait. Are you and Dr. Hodgins reconsidering therapy?"

"No, we talked. We're cool now."

"Hmm. Obviously, I can't force you."

"Yeah, right…" Angela said, wondering what exactly he was hinting at. "Anyway, I asked because I was wondering if you could find out something for me about our favorite crime-fighting duo. I just walked in on them in her office and…"

"Walked in on them?" Sweets interrupted her. "Wow, that's…"

"Ah, not like that, unfortunately. They were working. But something was off. Perhaps it's just a feeling. I don't know how to explain it, or what it was exactly, but they were weird. Something happened between them in the last few days, I just know it. I asked, but obviously they're still in denial about their feelings for each other."

"And what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Find out what happened and report back to me."

"You know I can't do that."

"Therapist-patient privilege, I know. You can't make an exception?" she asked him, hopefully.

"Afraid not."

"Alright, I guess it was worth a shot. Will you find a way to ask them about it anyway? Just getting them to think about their feelings for each other is a step in the right direction."

"Angela, it's basically couples counseling what I'm doing with them. What do you suppose my ultimate goal is?"

"Right. Okay, I'm just gonna have to trust you on that then."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence," he replied sarcastically.

She laughed. "You're welcome. And good luck this evening. Hope you come up with something good."

"I always do."

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After Booth had left her office, Brennan had taken a quick look at the folder Angela had left for her on her desk. She was, however, working on another limbo case, one that required her expertise more, which was why she returned to the charts she had saved on her computer earlier. Lost in her work, she didn't notice the time fly by. She was about to get herself another cup of coffee when she saw she was late for her appointment with Sweets. Thus, instead of getting the drink, she saved the files and left her office. She uttered a quick goodbye to Cam, whom she passed on the platform, then left the building and hurried over to her car. Leaving the underground parking lot with screeching tires, she headed for the FBI building. Stopping at a red light, she contemplated giving Sweets or Booth a call to inform them she was running late. Before she could speed dial either one of them, the latter was already calling her. She pushed the button, accepting his call, just as the light turned green.

"Bones, where are you?"

"Almost there. I'm sorry, I forgot about the time."

"Really? That's a first," Booth said with a pause. "Don't get me wrong, I don't really mind you being late. It means we have less time to spend with the kid and I sure like that."

She could hear Sweets complain in the background and she couldn't help but smile. "He's there with you?" she asked, spotting an empty parking place close to the entrance of the J. Edgar Hoover building.

"Yeah, I'm on the couch already," Booth replied. "I mean that literally, of course, not figuratively. He's not getting anything out of me. So, hurry a little, will you?"

"Parking as we speak," Brennan told him, before she disconnected. When she had parked her car, she hurried over to the building and made her way up to Sweets' office as quickly as she could. She didn't want to leave Booth alone with Sweets for too long, or vice versa. She knocked on the door before walking inside and sat down on the couch next to Booth and across from the clinical psychologist.

"Dr. Brennan, glad you could make it."

"Sorry I'm late. I was working on a limbo case and lost track of time."

"That's alright," Sweets said, accepting her apology, before he looked at both his clients. "So, I take it then that you've solved the case you were working on last time we spoke?"

"The Richardson case? Yep, closed it yesterday," Booth told him somewhat proudly.

"So, it was Richardson after all. Cool," Sweets said with a slight nod. The profiler in him was content, for he had recognized the probability of Richardson being the perpetrator early on. After mentally giving himself a pat on the shoulder—someone had to do it—he shifted his concentration back to his clients. He opened his notepad and looked at Brennan. "How do you feel about that?"

She frowned. "Obviously I'm glad we caught him."

Sweets smiled. "I understand. What I meant was, how does it make you feel that he turned out to be the murderer, knowing he was once in the foster system, as were you?"

"Do you really have to ask her that?" Booth interjected before Brennan could even answer.

"Booth, it's okay," Brennan said, placing her hand on his arm to assure him. She looked back at Sweets. "This case was just another reminder of what the system can do to children. And yes, it made me reminisce about my own experiences. It's not something I particularly enjoy, because it's a period in my life I'd rather forget about. However, Booth I and talked about it and he made me feel better."

Booth glanced at her and sent her a warm smile, which she returned.

Sweets took note of that moment between them, then returned to his questions. "So, what did you talk about exactly? What was it that truly touched you and made you feel better about the situation?"

"Don't you think that's a private conversation?" Booth remarked. "We're here because you might sever our partnership otherwise. That means that this therapy is about work, not our private lives."

"In this case, they're interrelated, agent Booth. The murderer was a foster child and Dr. Brennan was in the system as well. You talked about work, about the case, during your time off. Therefore, they are interrelated."

"He does have a point there, Booth," Brennan stated.

"Which is why I would like to talk about it," Sweets continued. "Obviously, this case had an impact on Dr. Brennan, since it touched a very personal chord for her, and I think it's awesome that you were able to discuss this afterwards. It's an interesting development in your relationship. So, I would like to hear, from either one of you, what it was you talked about."

"You're right, Dr. Sweets. Having been in the system and knowing how terrible it can be, I couldn't help but identify with Richardson on some level. Therefore, I hoped it would turn out to be someone else, which I believed to be a foolish notion. Booth, however, tried to assure me that it's not at all foolish to hope for certain things, that it was okay for me to do so. To summarize, I felt sad and he consoled me."

Booth studied her face and wondered whether she really thought he'd kissed her merely to console her. While that was far from the truth, he still hoped at least Sweets believed it and wouldn't press further.

It did not turn out to be his lucky day.

"Do you remember what exactly it was that agent Booth said or did that consoled you?"

"Yes."

"Will you share that with me?" Sweets asked, urging her to elaborate.

"No, I feel that that is in fact private and between agent Booth and me."

Sweets sighed. "Remember guys, this is a Truth Zone. You can be honest here, should be even. It'll allow me to help you more effectively, not to mention faster." The partners remained silent, however, forcing him to bring up another matter. "Agent Booth, when Dr. Brennan chose the word console to describe whatever… transpired between you, you looked troubled. Would you have used another word?"

Booth shook his head and sent the young therapist a glare, silently telling him to back off.

"Okay," Sweets said, clearly disappointed. Remembering Angela's phone call from that afternoon, he couldn't help but agree with her that something had changed in their relationship and he figured it had to do with the consolation incident. He jotted down a few quick notes, then looked back up at the pair. "I understand this is not something you're ready to talk about yet. At this point I can't do anything but accept that, so let's move on to the assignment I had planned for today."

Booth groaned. "What?"

"It's an assignment on verbal conflict. I'm giving you a text, which you'll have to read aloud together."

"You need a little bedtime story, Sweets?" Booth smirked.

"We could, of course, do the Thanksgiving exercise instead," Sweets replied calmly.

"Thanksgiving? That means you'll cook us a turkey?"

"I think he's referring to the Gottman Thanksgiving Checklist," Brennan told Booth.

"Exactly. I'll have the both of you select three things you really appreciate about each other from a list of items. Then you tell each other about those things you are thankful for."

"Yeah, verbal conflict it is," Booth quickly decided.

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