Thanks for you reviews, people, you rock my socks!!! The next chapter is ready, I hope you like it. Brennan's POV again, this time.
Chapter 8:
"Are you nervous?" Angela asked her best friend, who was busily rearranging the papers on her desk while shooting glances towards her still silent phone. They had been going through a file – because that was Angela's recommended treatment while waiting for an important call: distraction. And the best way to distract Dr. Temperance Brennan was work.
"A little." Brennan answered truthfully and sighed. "I fear Cullen won't let him work with the Jeffersonian anymore. If he assigns another agent... Booth likes what he is doing and he is good at interacting with our team."
"Sweetie... Booth is a friend. To all of us. Well... to you he is more, apparently, but to us he's a friend by now. That's why we are good at working together." Angela gently said.
Brennan looked at he best friend and smiled. "Thank you, Angela. I am sure he considers you a friend too... you remember when he got suspended? That all of you wanted to help him... I think that's when he finally realised we all became friends." Or family, as he had told her.
"I am sure it will be alright, Sweetie. Cullen is okay... And he won't want to risk splitting up the best team he's got, right?" Angela said.
"You're probably right, Ange... It's just... things change so fast, it kind of scares me... Not going out with him anymore is bad enough, but if we were not allowed to work with each anymore at all... " Brennan's voice trailed off and she gave her phone another worried look.
"Ha, you just want to be able to ogle his butt at work." Angela joked and winked at her.
"I have to admit, that is a nice side-benefit." Brennan returned the smile, but it did not quite reach her eyes. She felt happy about what she had with Booth now, although it had been a bit rushed... but somehow all the quick changes were scary, scary as hell.
She had had her tidy routine, her well-organised life... or at least she had always attempted to keep it that way. Now everything was going to change... it was going to be a different life, with Booth by her side and this little life growing inside her. A child. Somebody so helpless and innocent, depending on her. She swallowed hard... changes, indeed.
Angela watched her thoughtfully and finally covered one of her hands with her own. "Bren... Booth is a great guy... And you are going to be a great Mum... you'll see."
A slow and content smile crept on Brennan's face when she recalled how Booth had told her that she was going to be a good mother... and especially what he had done afterwards. A warm feeling spread in her and the memory sent a gentle shiver down her spine.
"Sweetie... I know that look. You are definitely thinking of the baby MAKING, not what came afterwards..." Angela grinned and her voice dropped to a lower level. "Come on,
give me all the hot details..."
Brennan smiled back at her. "I was not thinking of that night at the motel. I was thinking of last night."
Angela's eyebrows rose. "So you did not just talk and kiss last night, eh?"
Brennan snickered. "No. Booth called it ... reviving memories."
"And it was... good? Or Breathtaking? Simply amazing? Leaving you totally exhausted? Soulshattering?" Angela counted off several possibilities.
"Yes." Brennan simply answered.
"To what?" Angela asked curiously.
"All of them... or...maybe not soulshattering." Brennan frowned a little. "I don't believe in souls...seeing as the existence of souls is not scientifically proven. Where would it..."
"Oh, screw that, Bren. So it was THAT good?" Angela's eyes shone.
"Booth definitely knows what he is doing..." Brennan was interrupted by the sound of her ringing phone. She sucked in a deep breath and braced herself, before reaching out to answer it.
"Brennan." She said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Hey Bones. I talked to Cullen." Booth's voice did not give her any hint on what Cullen may have said.
"And? What did he say?" Brennan asked, impatiently.
"He accepted that you can't go out with me in the field for the next few weeks and assigned Agent Saunders to me. He... uhm... he laughed when I told him about us... Seems he had heard about the FBI gossip and well... expected it. He said as soon as you are working with me again, he'll keep an eye on us, to make sure we are professional... but since this is not going to happen anytime soon, we won't have to worry about that anyway. He sends his greetings, by the way." Brennan listened to his words and felt relieved... that went better than she had thought... in fact it nearly was too good to be true.
"Good." She breathed, the relief she felt clearly audible in her voice.
"Look, Bones... I am going to call Cam and tell her, that Cullen does not want us to work in the field together for the next few weeks, until he has made up his mind... remember to stick to that story, okay?"
"Okay. Should I act as if I was upset?" Brennan wondered, not sure what kind of reaction people would expect.
"Bones, of course you have to seem to be upset. Just imagine, what would you say if Cullen really wanted to end our partnership..." She could easily hear, that Booth was smiling.
"I'd say that he has no right to tell me what to do, since I am not FBI." Brennan's answer came immediately.
"Exactly. That's what you'll tell people, grumble a bit for a few days and that's it. Don't exaggerate... we don't want Cam to call Cullen about this, right?" Booth reminded her.
"Right... Booth... this is going to ... be complicated. So many lies." Brennan remarked quietly.
"I know, Temperance... but we'll manage. We won't have to lie forever, just for now. I'll pick you up for lunch later, okay?" Booth said gently, knowing how much Brennan despised lies.
"Uh-uh. I think I'd like to go somewhere else today. Italian food would be great." Brennan answered.
She heard Booth chuckle. "As my lady desires... See you later...and Bones? Take care of you two."
A warm smile appeared on her face and she answered: "I will. See you later, Booth."
When she hung up, Angela was sitting in front of her and grinning. "So? Did you two get the official stamp of FBI approval?"
Brennan smiled back and nodded. "Cullen is okay with it. But that's not what we are going to tell people here. Booth is going to tell Cam that Cullen forbid us two working together in the field until the made up his mind... I will have to act as if I am angry at him. And Cullen thinks I can't go out with Booth, because I am too busy." She frowned a little.
"Sweetie, you know all these lies are going to give you a headache. I will try my best to help you... but sooner or later someone is bound to let something slip. What if Cullen and Cam talk to each other?" Angela looked at her best friend, her brow furrowed in concern.
"I know, Ange. But I don't want to tell people I am pregnant... not yet. It will take enough time until people are used to me and Booth as a couple. It's just for a few weeks... We just have to be careful." Brennan sighed.
"Uh-uh. Well then, nothing can go wrong, with you two being experts on being careful and all." Angela's glance settled meaningful on Brennan's abdomen.
Brennan blushed a little. "It was... well... the heat of the moment. Of course it was stupid. I quit taking the pill last year, since I figured it was not logical to take hormones without a reason. We should have used a condom, of course... but well..."
"You got carried away." Angela answered and shrugged. "Well, it happened... too late for regrets now, right? Uhhhhhm... you don't regret it, do you?" The expression on her face was a little worried.
Brennan shook her head. "No. I never thought I would say that, but no, I don't regret it at all."
Angela nodded satisfied. "Good. Ah, I am so happy. Oh, I have to tell people that I finally got you and your FBI hunk to hook up."
"Excuse me? You did not do anything... that was all Booth and me... and alcohol." Brennan objected.
"Hey, Sweetie... I am your partner in crime, right? I have to lie to Jack... Because of that, I can at least get a bit credit for my years of trying to get you two together." Angela gave her a pleading look.
"Oh, alright. Tell people you had a hand in it...but don't make up something else... we all have to stick to the same story." Brennan gave in, suddenly exhausted.
"No problem, Sweetie." She gave Brennan a quick hug and left the office, a mischievous expression on her face.
'Why do I have the feeling, that this was a bad idea?' Brennan thought while watching Angela leave.
So, did you like it? Please let me know what you think!!! Will Ange keep her mouth shut? Will the lies backfire?