Hello again!!! Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews - I am glad you liked it so far!!! Now we will find out why Cullen wants to talk to Booth again.

Chapter 12

Booth drove Brennan back to the Jeffersonian after their lunch. They enjoyed a long kiss good bye in his car, with two scientists watching them with open interest.

"We have an audience." Booth whispered in Brennan's ear, but she waved his words away with a simple gesture. "Let them." She added, kissing him again. "See you in the evening?" She then asked, before opening her door and he nodded. "I'll call you later." He added, smiling.

She nodded and left the car, walking towards the main entrance.

He stayed were he was for a little longer than necessary, simply watching her walk, watching the sunlight dance over her auburn hair. And he decided, that he was a very lucky man.

Then he waved playfully at the two people that had been watching him and Bones earlier, before driving away.

Fifteen minutes later he was sitting in Cullen's office, waiting for his boss to return. Rachel had told him to wait in the office, assuring him that it would be better.

Better than what? He had asked himself, but had done as Cullen's secretary had told him.

So, he was waiting now, thinking of Rachel's call, wondering what could have happened that had made Cullen decide that his secretary needed to gossip about him and Bones. He could not picture Rachel Benson sitting in the cafetaria, chin-wagging. And with official permission, too.

A few moments later, Cullen entered his office, not surprised to see Special Agent Seeley Booth sitting in front of his desk.

"Booth... Just sit." He added to the casual greeting, when he saw Booth was about to stand up.

"Thank you, Sir." Booth said, eagerly waiting for his boss to finally explain the need for a second meeting.

"Booth, what I am telling you now is between you and me... understood?" Cullen said, after sitting down.

"Yes, Sir." Booth nodded.

"Special Agent Andrews was here a few minutes before I left for lunch. He was trying to surprise me with the news you and Dr. Brennan were together." Cullen simply said.

Booth's eyebrows rose. "How would he know that? I picked Bones up at the Jeffersonian... he would have to..." Booth stopped and paled a little.

"Exactly what I suspected." Cullen slowly nodded. "He followed you. Andrews seems to be keen on denouncing his colleagues. I already knew he is quite eager to become my successor, although I am going to stay for another few years... but I never thought he would go to such extremes. I already told him in no uncertain terms, that I won't tolerate this behaviour. But I also had to tell him I knew about the relationship between you and Dr. Brennan. I told Rachel to make it more or less unofficial knowledge... also the fact that you are going to work with Saunders the next few weeks. So everything Andrews has to tell people will be old news by then."

Booth frowned a little, but nodded. "I think I understand, Sir."

"Good. I did not want to hurry you into something..." Cullen tried to explain.

"No, Sir. It really won't be a problem. We never intended to hide it any longer." Booth assured his boss.

Cullen nodded. "Good. There is something else, though, Booth. I will have an eye on Andrews, but my... reach is limited. He was pretty upset, when I told him he was not going to get my job by finking on colleagues. Andrews is good at his job, but he is too focussed on his career... and I think maybe he will try something. Just be prepared."

Booth's eyes widened in surprise at Cullen's serious and honest words, but he caught himself quickly. "I will, Sir, thank you. I... never liked him anyway."

Cullen let out a humourless laugh. "Me neither. But he IS good at his job. And I can't afford losing talented agents... which includes you, Booth. So you and Andrews have to ... get along."

"Yes, Sir." Booth answered. 'Get along, my ass.' He thought. 'Andrews, that ass-hole, FOLLOWED us... how sick is that?'

"And you are not going to mention this conversation to anybody, Booth. I hope Andrews learned his lesson and is going to behave now, so there is no need to draw more attention to this... incident. Understood?" Cullen said, his voice stern.

Booth nodded courtly. "Of course, Sir." But he sighed inwardly at the words and swallowed hard.

A colleague – somebody he was supposed to be able to trust - had followed him and his pregnant partner...

How was he supposed to just forget about this? Even if Andrews had only done this because he wanted to improve his career chances... who knew he had not developed some kind of personal grudge against him now? Against Bones?

Unbidden, images of another 'incident' invaded his mind.

Bones, gagged, threatened by Jamie Kenton. Another colleague, somebody Booth HAD trusted...somebody who nearly had killed the woman he loved.

Cullen saw his reluctance and interpreted it correctly. After a moment he finally said. "For God's sake, tell Dr. Brennan, but nobody else."

Relief washed over Booth. "Thank you, Sir. I will feel better if she knows about it." He was genuinely thankful..

"Andrews is not Kenton, Booth." Cullen added after moment. "He is not going to harm her."

The sudden perceptiveness of his boss took Booth aback, but he did not deny he had just been thinking about Jamie Kenton. "I know, Sir. But still...Once burnt, twice cautious." He murmured.

Especially now, he thought, with this new relationship between them and the life that was growing inside her.

The knowledge of all this was still so fresh, but he already felt used to protect this new aspect of his life.

He was going to be very careful.

Cullen nodded understandingly and dismissed him with a few words.

Still lost in thoughts, Booth was strolling towards his office a few minutes later... so he did not notice the meaningful glances and suggestive grins his colleagues were giving him.

A whistle, however, finally caught his attention and he looked up, surprised to see several agents grinning at him broadly.

"Booth..." A younger colleague, Agent Cramer, finally addressed him. "You know, we heard something VERY interesting."

Booth understood. Facing the inevitable he smiled and feigned ignorance. "And what was that?"

"That you finally screw-" An older agent nudged the younger one, interrupting him and grumbled:

"You should know better than that. Don't say anything wrong about his bone lady or you can crawl to her and ask her for the names of the sorry bones of yours Booth broke."

Booth's eyes had narrowed when Agent Cramer had started to talk, but the words of the older agent made him smile. "Hmmm... she would cook him first to get off the flesh. Bones doesn't like to work with fleshy remains. Cooking could take a few hours, Cramer." Booth said with a meaningful look at Cramer's stomach.

The other agents laughed, while Thomas Cramer frowned a little. "You know that's gross, right?" He asked..

"Ah, you asked for it, Tom!" Another agent said. Again everybody laughed. Then Special Agent Brown – the older colleague who had saved Cramer from at least a black eye before – winked at Booth.

"But she makes an exception with you, Booth, doesn't she?"

"I do not even have to break my bones first." Booth admitted, grinning sheepishly and laughter erupted from the group again.

"So it IS true." Brown stated. "Told ya, guys... Rachel's not telling tales. Is that why you're going to train Saunders now, Booth?"

"Sort of... But Bones is pretty busy at the Jeffersonian too." Booth answered, trying to find a good balance between truth and lie.

After another few witty or suggestive comments by his colleagues, the group spread again and he finally was able to enter his office.

He drew in a deep breath and sat down at his desk, smiling to himself. 'That went better than expected' He thought.

So, please let me know what you think. You like it? You think the guy's conversation in the end was... ya know in character for colleagues? I hope so, I really tried hard.

Thanks!