This chapter came really easily and was a whole lot of fun to write. I am such a hopeless romantic. ^_^ I finished chapter four and this just kept coming right after it, so you guys get a double update! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I will own these when I rule the world someday, but as of now, I do not.

Chapter Five- Three 'ships ahoy!

The atmosphere in Booth's standard issue FBI car was almost stifling. Booth had gotten in the front seat and said not a word, just turned on the radio to some classic rock station and stared almost angrily out the window. He hadn't stepped up and defended his partner. Why not? He should have. He would have, too, if every one of House's words had not echoed thoughts of his own at one point or another. He was embarrassed to think of his partner, his best friend, in such a manner, but...damn, that doctor had gotten to him.

What was wrong with Booth? Brennan shot her partner another sideways look, taking in the well chiseled look of his features, and the tight way he was holding the steering wheel.

She sighed impatiently. "What is wrong with you?"

Booth was surprised. He hadn't realized he'd been that open with his emotions. "Nothing."

"How am I supposed to help you if you don't talk to me?"

"I don't need help, Bones, leave me alone."

"Booth…"

"Honestly, Bones, I'm fine. If you're so eager to help someone, maybe you should go help your Australian friend cut people open."

"Booth, that's ridiculous, why would I help Bobby with surgery? He's a perfectly capable doctor and besides, I wouldn't be educated enough on the subject to be of any assistance."

"Oh, that's right, I'm sure Bobby's very capable."

"Why did you say it like that?"

"Like what?"

"Bobby. You said it with… Ohhh…" Brenan's eyes grew wide as she suddenly understood. Booth realized she'd understood and rubbed his chin, embarrassed.

"Are you jealous of Bobby, Booth?"

Booth shifted positions uncomfortably in his seat. "N-No, why would I be jealous of him?"

Brennan pointed. "You are, Booth, you're not looking at me and rubbing your chin. That mean's you're embarrassed about something and you're lying to me. I'm not an idiot, Booth."

Booth quickly looked at her. "I never said you were!"

"I don't understand why you would be jealous of…"

"I mean, it's not like I have any reason to." Booth said, flicking his turn signal. "It's not like we're…"

"Like we're what?"

"You know…" Booth swallowed. "Dating or anything. If you want to be with someone else, why should I stop you?" He seemed to be talking to himself now more than Brennan.

Brennan placed her hand on Booth's arm. "Booth, I promise, nothing happened between me and Bobby. Look, we met down in Australia and hit it off, but he was, and still is, if I'm not mistaken, in love with someone else from his work. We're just friends."

Booth looked over at Brennan and saw she was serious. He felt relief pour through his system and gave her a hesitant smile.

Brennan smiled back and settled back into her seat. A conversation with Angela suddenly floated to the front of her memory.

"Sweetie, did you see the look Booth gave you and Sully?"

Brennan looked up from her work at her best friend. "No. Booth gave us a look?"

Angela laughed. "Oh, come on, Sweetie, the man is so jealous of Sully that I'm surprised he's not green."

"Ange, people don't turn green when they are jealous."

Angela shook her head. "Brennan, the man is in love with you." She held up her hand to Brennan's protests. "I know, I know, just partners. Believe me, Bren, someday, you'll realize that I'm right."

For the first time since that conversation, Brennan couldn't help but think… maybe Angela was right after all.

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Kutner raised his eyebrows at the patient in the bed before the three doctors. "Well, no wonder he had a heart attack. I wonder how many pounds of red meat he eats in a day."

Thirteen slapped him lightly on the stomach with the patient's history. "Kutner!"

Taub snorted. "He's probably right. This guy's gotta be at least three hundred pounds."

Thirteen glared at them. "You guys are lucky he's sleeping." She marched over to their patient, quickly checking the history for his name. "David?" She asked quietly, resisting the urge to prod his fat. "David?" She asked, a little louder.

The man mumbled something about soup and his hand flopped out from the bed, gripping Thirteen's wrist with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Um…" Thirteen tried to disentangle her hand, but to no avail. "Hey, guys? Help."

Kutner left Taub to finish setting up the equipment and smirked at Thirteen's predicament. "Here." He took her trapped hand with his own, feeling her smooth, lotioned skin under his rather calloused fingers.

Thirteen's years of self control were suddenly put to the test to quell the involuntary gasp she felt rising to her lips. Why, why, why, did she suddenly start to feel this way around Kutner, off all people? Kutner peeled David's fingers off Thirteen's wrist and flicked him in the forehead, effectively waking the snoring man. David jerked, opening his eyes and staring wildly around the room.

"Where…oh, yeah, the hospital." David's sleepy eyes focused on Thirteen and Kutner, who had still not released her hand. He looked at their clasped hands and raised his eyebrows. Thirteen suddenly realized and jerked her head out of Kutner's, turning away from him so he didn't see the blush creeping up her cheeks.

Kutner cleared his throat. "Um, Mr. Garth, we need to run a couple of tests on you."

David Garth nodded pleasantly. "Sure." He was, as was already mentioned, a large man, with a seemingly always red face, but a pleasant enough personality.

Thirteen sighed as Taub handed her a length of plastic tubing. Time to get down to business.

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House was whistling. He was in a relatively good mood, after all. He had discovered a secret about Chase, and discovered another case of hidden passions in the FBI agent and his beautiful partner. She amused him, that anthropologist. He could perhaps seeing himself becoming friends with her, if she ever stopped hating him. He snickered. Temperance Brennan was almost as fun to rile up as Cuddy.

Ah, Cuddy. She believed he was behaving. She was gonna be maaaaaaaad when she opened her first file cabinet drawer then. House removed the last of her files and placed the bowl of milky cornflakes into the drawer, shutting it with care so as not to spill it. She'd jerk open the file cabinet drawer and slosh, cornflakes everywhere. He then proceeded to place her now "missing" files on one of the fan blades, which was rather tricky with his leg and all, but he managed. After all…no one ever looked up.

Footsteps sounded from outside Cuddy's slightly open door and Cuddy's voice wafted through to his ears, talking to a nurse. He felt a shiver go up his spine. He liked the way her voice sounded. He liked to imagine how it would sound screaming his name in the heat of passion. House smirked, but the smile dropped from his features as quickly as it'd come. Try as he might, he would probably never find out, especially if he kept doing things like this, and he knew that.

A voice, sounding an awful lot like Wilson's snarked quietly at him from inside his mind.

That's why you do it. You're afraid of commitment, House!

"Get out of my head, damn you."

No. You want to ruin anything good you might ever have with Cuddy because you are scared!

It sounded exactly like Wilson. Damn.

House looked up at the files in the fan, a quick unwelcome pang of quilt nearly getting him back on the chair. Maybe he'd try. This last prank, and then he was done. Maybe.

He sat down quickly on the chair and put his feet up on Cuddy's desk, hooking his cane in the crook of his arms as he heard the door open behind him.

"House? What are you doing in here?"

House stood and stretched. Cuddy watched him warily. "I was looking for a place to sit and nap quietly while my little ducklings were running the tests on David Lardbutt. And you weren't here."

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm here now, so get out."

House stretched his lips in a pout. "But, what if I don't wanna?"

Cuddy appraised him. Ever since that kiss, ever since she…lost Joy, House had been different. Cuddy couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was like he was trying way too hard to get himself back into his old rhythm, to the way before the kiss. It was like the kiss had knocked him off center, and he wasn't sure whether he wanted to get his life back in the center, or maybe live it of kilt. Either way, it was a little weird.

House watched the wheels turning in Lisa's head and frowned. He didn't want her figuring out what was suddenly wrong with him before he did. He spun on his good heel and his cane made the distinctive thumping noise as he left the room.

Cuddy looked about the room cautiously. House had done something to her office. Now she just had to figure out what.

Well? Please tell me what you think! I love feedback. As for when this is set, I'm ignoring Gormagon in Bones because I love Zach and I'm putting this after the first baby episode in House. I'm probably going to ignore most of the Thirteen junk also, and don't be surprised if Foreman rarely shows up. I'm not all that fond of Foreman. ^_^

xxAllTheWorldsAStagexx