~o~ Chapter Two - An Honest Ruse ~o~
The next morning she is furiously wishing there was another option. Leave it to me, he'd said, like he had a solid plan. She is aware that expecting him to come up with something water-tight immediately following what she was sure was a spontaneous suggestion to go away together, is a little unfair, but this is his area. He is the one striding confidently into this relationship, while she sometimes feels like she is just trying to keep up. And he is very definitely the greater expert in subterfuge.
She frowns as he finishes the last of his cereal, once again running through his suggestion in her head. "I'm not sure about this, Booth."
"What? Why? It's a killer plan."
She rolls her eyes good-naturedly in response to his enthusiastic grin. "I can't act – as you've pointed out before. They'll know I'm lying."
"You'll do fine," he tells her, squeezing her arm and then walking to the sink to dump his bowl.
She scowls and he shrugs. "I'll wash it tonight. Come on, let's go. Work, work, work. Joy."
Her stomach twists a little at the thought of being unable to fool their friends. This shift in their relationship – it's so new and so precious. They've waited a long time to get to this point, she realizes, and she knows they both want to keep what they are to each other secret for just a little while, to hold the knowledge close between them. She finds she's fiercely protective of that. And, by extension, she's protective of this chance to get away with him alone; just the two of them. The thought sends a thrill through her. By the time Booth pulls up outside the Jeffersonian, her back is straight and her mind focused.
"I can do this," she half-murmurs, half announces.
Booth smiles, early sunlight painting his eyes a lighter shade of brown. "I know you can, babe," he agrees, leaning as close as he dares and stroking a warm hand over her leg and up, where he knows no-one outside the car can see.
She takes an unsteady breath. "Booth."
"Just think," he cajoles, "you, me, sun, sea, sand."
Brennan shakes her head with a wry smile. She's not sure anyone else could imbue talk of finely divided rock and mineral particles with such sexual undertones. Her thoughts are derailed as his strong fingers ride high on her thigh, and she gasps, "Stop!"
She doesn't think being flushed with un-sated arousal is the best start to their plan, and so she glares playfully and slips from the car with a promise to call him mid-morning with an update.
Once inside her beloved lab, she strides confidently to her office, only to find Cam and Angela are already there. Determined not to be thrown, she instead thinks, Good, I can get this over with.
She arrives in the doorway and fixes them both with a cool look. "Booth and I are going to be attending a partners' retreat arranged by the FBI for all partners to… to do partner… type things."
Cam blinks. "Good morning to you, too."
Angela chuckles. "Jeez, sweetie, you been practicing that little speech the whole way here?"
Brennan swallows. "What? No. Why would I-"
Angela chuckles. "Relax, Bren, I'm just kidding. Cam is looking for the Phillips file. Do you have it?"
"Um, no – Hodgins needed it."
"Great," Cam says with a nod, her heels clicking as she strides past them. "Let me know what time off you'll need, Dr. Brennan," she calls over her shoulder.
Once she is out of ear-shot, Angela grins. "Partner's retreat, huh? Will it be all trust exercises and hiking, or will you get time for somethin' a little extra-curricular?" She waggles her eyebrows. "Who gets top bunk?"
Brennan frowns. "I don't-"
"Just remember," Angela warns, as she leaves the office. "I'll want details!"
As her sing-song voice dies away, Brennan looks around her now-empty office and sets her purse on her desk. "Well, that was easier than expected."
~o~
Perfect. Their plan is killer. It will work, he just knows it. He can already feel the warm sun, surf, sand. Can picture Bones in a skimpy black bikini.
Oh yeah, perfect.
So he's whistling as he enters the Hoover and heads to his office, greeting fellow Agents, secretarial staff, assistants, practically bouncing his way to the break room for coffee and then to his desk, his awesome lumbar support chair – hell, even the piles of paperwork look smaller, neater, actually manageable. Did someone clean up in here last night? He laughs, thinking of a little cleaning fairy, flitting around his office, tidying up after him.
Yep, killer. Perfect.
"Agent Booth, Assistant Director Hacker will see you now."
He thanks her, the full Seeley Booth charm smile in place and working its usual magic judging from the way she follows him with her eyes, actually swiveling in her chair to check out his ass. Yeah, all the glass in this building can really be used to one's advantage.
Pushing open Hacker's door, he takes a deep breath and focuses himself on what he's here to do.
"Agent Booth, you requested to see me?" Hacker leans forward, resting his elbows on his immaculate desk and lacing his fingers together.
"Yes, sir." His cleaning fairy is way better than mine. One of the perks, I guess. "Um… I just needed to inform you. See, there's this forensics convention and training thing that the Jeffersonian is requiring some of its employees to attend. And Bones… um, Dr. Brennan, is one of those required to go. And by extension then, sir, it's been requested that I attend as well."
"Really?"
"Yeah, you know… some kind of squint thing… teaching them to squint better or something." Booth affects nonchalance, his hand on his hip and rolling his eyes for good measure. Damn, I'm good at this, he smiles inwardly.
"Well, that sounds like an absolute waste of your time, Booth. Not to mention boring as hell."
"Tell me about it. But you know how it is… requirements and all." His hand extends, eyebrow raises. I totally should've been a professional actor…
"Here, let me just call Dr. Saroyan and see if I can get you outta-"
"NO!"
Hacker does a pretty mean eyebrow raise himself. A face made for comedy.
"I mean… uh… I already tried that, sir. She's not budging. And you know, Cam and I… well, we go way back, so…"
"Well, hey… your loss then, Agent. Have fun… squinting. Pop quiz when you get back? Bones of the body, maybe?"
"Erm… I think I'll leave that part to Bones." And you won't be hearing a thing about Bones' body. "Thank you, sir."
"Oh, and Booth?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Be sure to inform Dr. Sweets of your plans."
Shit. "Yes, sir."
During the elevator's descent, Booth doesn't think to greet a single one of his riding companions. Even Collins, who is busy babbling away about the last Capital's game.
Sweets.
He'd completely forgotten about the kid.
There's pretty much no way he can think of to keep this from him. The guy is at the lab all the time. And he and Bones would have to miss their regular session. And… they'd have to tell him.
They'd have to trust him.
Perfect. Just fuckin' perfect.
Walking back into his office, he's already pulling out his cell phone and dialing her number. He flops down in his chair, the phone ringing in his ear, and feels a little twinge in his back at the jarring motion. Leaning forward onto his desk, his elbow slips on a stack of papers near the edge and they slide to the floor.
"Shit!"
"Booth?"
"Hey, babe," he answers as he distractedly gathers the papers, trying to keep them in some semblance of order. Did someone come in here and make everything messier?
"I thought we'd discussed… are you okay?" He can hear her hesitation and concern as plain as if she were standing in front of him.
He places the papers back on the desk and leans back into his chair, fighting to find a comfortable position. With a deep exhale, he replies, "No, not really. Have you talked to Cam yet?"
"Yes. Everything's fine."
"Really?"
"Yes. I talked with her and Angela and it was not a problem."
He shakes his head and can't help but smile. His Bones. "Well, good. That's good."
"So how did your talk with Andrew go?"
He tries not to snarl at her usage of his boss' first name. "Well, that was fine. But he reminded me of someone else we're going to need to tell."
"Who else would… Oh…" It's like he can just see her face, the moment when the recognition hits. "Sweets."
"Yeah. Do you see how this might be a problem?"
"Booth… how…"
"I think we're going to have to tell him, Bones. I don't see any other way. He's at the lab too much as it is, but didn't you tell me Daisy is scheduled to rotate starting next week?"
"Yes, she will be here to start the new month. And of course that means that Sweets will know everything that happens even without actually being here."
"Exactly." He agrees and moves on to his next concern. "Are you okay with this? With telling him… about us? I…"
"What, Booth?"
"I… I'm just really looking forward to going away. Just being with you, Bones. No interruptions."
"Do you promise to threaten the twelve-year-old within 2.54 centimeters of his life?"
His smile returns full-force at his most adorable squint. "I just happened to re-tighten my shoulder holster. I'm good to go."
He swears he hears her moan before she quickly responds, "I'll be right there."
He laughs into his now disconnected phone. She hung up on him! The little vixen.
TBC...
