Seriously. No real threats? I'm kinda concerned. There used to be so many creative people out there, threatening me with furbys, flying monkeys and stuff. Ah, the good old times….

Just kidding.

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing – you all ROCK!

Under cover(s) – 14

"No, Booth. I didn't see anybody. I would have called, you know that." Brennan snarled at the phone. His questions somehow made her grumpy. As if she'd kept it to herself in case she'd seen something suspicious.

"I kept my eye on the traffic behind me, just as you told me. Why are you calling now, anyway? Isn't it a bit late now…." She checked her watch. "… nearly three hours since I left home?" The sly smile vanished when she heard his answer and Angela had the rare treat to see her best friend squirm uncomfortably.

"Oh. You did what?...Okay, okay. I'm sorry, I forgot my phone in the office." Brennan even apologised, Angela noted. The talk about keeping an eye on the traffic worried her, though. Something was wrong, something Brennan hadn't told her. Angela was going to wheedle the information out of her, that was for sure.

"Tonight?" Brennan asked, clearly surprised. "No, I don't have a problem with it. It's just you said…"

Her voice trailed off and she seemed to be listening intently.

"Oh. And…. Are you okay with that?" She asked, then listened for a moment and snorted in amusement. "Tell him, I don't mind. The sooner we close this case, the better." Another pause. "Okay. Send it over. And I'll be leaving here at about five or so." Brennan nodded and rolled her eyes before saying. "Yes, I'll call. Bye, Booth."

Brennan took in a deep breath and looked at her best friend. "We'll go to Sinner's Palace again this evening. Cullen thinks the risk of another couple maybe getting targeted is too high to worry over about finesse. He said if I don't mind sacrificing a Saturday evening, we need to find out if there is a connection between the murder and the club as soon as possible. Booth is going to send me what he has found on the suspects so far."

"So, you'll be dressing up again this evening." Angela grinned. "Good. You'll wear the blue dress, right?"

Brennan shrugged. "I guess. There is no specific dress code, so it doesn't matter…. But I wore something like that yesterday, so I think I should go with a similar style."

"Okay. Since we covered that…." Angela's face suddenly was stern. "What was this about keeping an eye on traffic? Somebody following you? Should I be worried?"

"No, Ange, really. It's nothing. A guy from the club followed us to my apartment. Luckily Booth spotted him when he was about to leave or our cover would have been blown." Brennan said.

"A guy followed you? And I shouldn't worry? He knows where you live, for God's sake." Angela's eyes were huge. "How can we be sure he didn't follow you here, huh?"

"That's why I had to keep an eye on traffic behind me. Booth called me to check on me…. but I was already working. So he had one of the security guards check if I was here." She sighed.

"That's…. sweet. But the guy still knows where you live!" Angela bristled at the thought of her friend in danger.

"No, he knows where Roxy and Tony are living." Brennan corrected.

"Oh, screw that" Angela scowled, then she paused. "Wait a minute. Does that mean… Booth stayed with you last night?" Her best friend nodded. Angela's eyes glittered with excitement, but before she could say anything Brennan frowned at her and said: "In my guest room, Ange."

"Okay. Got it." Angela sighed inwardly, but decided not to push the matter…. Especially since something else popped up in her mind. "Wait… how come somebody could follow you without Booth noticing. Isn't he supposed to be trained for these things?"

"Ah…." Angela watched incredulously when Brennan shifted uncomfortably again. "We kind of… had a discussion, so he didn't pay attention, I guess."

"What kind of….discussion?" Angela asked, sensing that there had to be more behind it to get Brennan to look so flustered.

"It was pertaining to the case. Nothing… important." The forensic anthropologist forced out. But Angela had been her best friend for more than just one day. She heard the little hitch in her voice, heard – once again – the hint of hurt. Saw that her best friend was avoiding her eyes.

"Bren. I'm your friend, let me be there for you. Friends tell friends what's hurting them." Angela addressed the other woman.

"It doesn't matter." Brennan forced out, although she knew herself, that it was a lie. It mattered too much. That was the problem.

"Then why are you looking as if somebody died, huh? Sweetie. You can tell me, whatever it is." Angela kept her voice low.

Somehow she was glad that she'd come here to meet her friend on this Saturday morning. The lab was deserted and nobody was going to interrupt them. There was no work Brennan could use as excuse to avoid the girl talk. And by the looks of her, she needed the girl talk desperately.
And if it would lead to tears, nobody would see. It was the right place and the right time. Angela moved a little closer to her friend and whispered. "Sweetie. Tell me. You'll feel better afterwards."

"I'm not so sure about that." Brennan objected weakly. "How would speaking about a problem, which is not solvable, help me?"

"Just tell me. Then we'll see if there is a problem. And then we'll decide if it's solvable or not." Angela gave back calmly, though the hopeless tone in her best friend's voice had shocked her. Whatever it was, that was bothering her, it had worked her up good.

Brennan took in a deep breath. Was telling Angela going to change anything? No, she decided. It wouldn't. Booth wouldn't magically change his mind and want her just because she'd told Angela about it. But… maybe she'll feel better. Maybe not.

She looked in her best friend's compassionate eyes and did what Booth had so often advised her to do: She used her heart rather than her brain.

"I… I suggested having sex." She forced out and Angela nearly jumped off the couch, gaping at the forensic anthropologist.

"Wha…what? Okay. Okay. We'll just calm down here. Start at the beginning." Angela forced herself to recover from the shock that it seemed that - oh joy! – Brennan had been the one who'd made the first move.

By suggesting having sex. And knowing Brennan, she might have phrased it exactly like that. Angela sighed.

"We were driving back from the club. The group had been talking about how a couple usually talks about sexual preferences during the second meeting. What the partner likes to do to you or have you doing, you know? So, how are Roxy and Tony supposed to handle this? We don't know each other on this level and it's hard to lie convincingly. Especially for Booth. And we are supposed to be open to new sexual experiences, not shy Catholics. Terry even suggested SHOWING what we like to do." It all poured out of Brennan in one big heap.

Angela remained silent, although it was hard, knowing it was best not to interrupt Brennan when she was in a talkative mood. They were rare enough.

"And I thought acquiring that knowledge about each other might come in handy." Brennan said, her voice low and a little unsteady. "So I suggested we should have sex. We'd be more credible."

Angela suppressed a groan and held back the tirade she wanted to let loose on Brennan.

"But… he seemed to be shocked by the mere imagination. He said that he wouldn't sleep with me because of the case. Said that he wanted to close the case, but not at any cost. So, you see…. " Brennan paused for a moment and Angela saw that she was swallowing hard. "….despite his reaction to the clothes I wore, he doesn't want me. I told you, he doesn't see me like that. He sees me as his friend and partner, not… as.... more." The last word was forced out, as if it had been choking her and Angela gave her friend a long look. She looked worn-out. Sad. Heart-broken.

"You think he doesn't want you." Angela repeated slowly.

"Well, he made it quite clear." Brennan sighed. "I've been attracted to him, but he… drew a line, so I respected it. But it seems it hardly matters that I did, since he never wanted me."

"Oh, Bren." Angela shook her head at her clueless friend. "The sexual tension between you and Booth, Sweetie, is nearly knocking me off my feet sometimes."

"You're wrong, Angela." Brennan scowled at her seemingly stubborn friend.

"No. You are." Angela sighed again and gave her best friend a long, measuring look. "I thought I shouldn't meddle with this, but you reached a point…. I can't just watch anymore. You hurt, I can see it. I'm your best friend, I can't have you hurting." Angela moistened her lips before continuing. "Promise me something, Bren."

Brennan just looked at her questioningly.

"You'll just listen to me. I'll tell you a few things and when I'm finished I want you to simply consider what I tell you might be true and what you just told me might not. Just…. Promise me you'll listen and think about it."

The forensic anthropologist gave her one of her irritated and somewhat confused looks, but she nodded.

"Say it." Angela urged her.

"Okay. I promise to listen to you and think about it." Brennan vowed.

"Good. You've got some water or something?" Angela asked.

"I'm supposed to think about that?" Brennan arched eyebrow at her.

"No, really!" Angela gave her an exasperated look. "You should give me something to drink, so that I can tell you. It might take a while and my throat is dry already."

"Oh." Brennan mumbled, somewhat embarrassed and went to her desk to retrieve two bottles of water, then sat down beside Angela once more. "Okay. I talk, you listen." Angela Montenegro said to her friend. And for once, the forensic anthropologist didn't say anything and simply nodded.

Yeah, yeah, I KNOW. I'm E-E-E-EVIL. ;) I can't help it.

Please let me know what you think about this chapter, okay? Then I'll be quicker with my update :)