Brennan sat down in the armchair next to Emma, and the therapist immediately started talking. Agent Shaw had informed them all that Booth and Brennen had been undercover agents, and now Emma needed to have her curiosity satisfied.

"Temperance, I knew it. I knew something didn't seem right about you and Seeley. I didn't really buy the unhappy couple routine. You are way too much in love with each other for that nonsense." She beamed at Brennan expectantly, waiting for her patient's affirmation, but Brennan shook her head.

"Unfortunately, that's not correct, Emma. Booth and I aren't a couple and we aren't in love with each other." Embarrassed, she looked down at her hands, unable to really look at Emma.

In the meantime, Emma had noticed that Brennan didn't look very happy and had obviously been crying: She moved closer to Brennan and put her hand on Brennan's knee. "Temperance…what's up? You were so happy after our session tonight and now I see a deeply sad woman here before me."

Emma waited for any reaction, but Brennan remained silent, so she decided to dig deeper. "You say that you and Seeley are not a couple, but I can't quite believe that. You can't just practice to play a part like you did. What about all the events you shared with me? You can't make them all up…and Seeley even had photos to mark those occasions." Emma was astonished. Was it all fictional? Could they really be such good actors?

Brennan slowly looked at Emma. "No, of course they weren't imaginary stories. Those were mostly incidents that really happened between us. We just colored them in a bit, adapting them to the situation. We'd agreed to do it like this before we arrived. And yes, I think we are quite good actors. We've worked undercover a lot together."

Brennan seriously hoped that Emma would now shut up, but of course, she wasn't that lucky.

Emma had long since recognized that there was something between the two that urgently needed to be clarified. "Temperance, the way you reacted this afternoon…and I mean both of you…you can't fake it at all. Not the looks, not the reactions. There was even an incident that I couldn't explain to myself, but I thought as long as you both knew what you were talking about, it was okay. It's 'couplespeak', and you both do that without thinking about it."

She slid a little closer in her chair, because no one needed to overhear her conversation. "You absolutely can't tell me that you don't have a history together. No way! So why not start at the beginning? How did you two meet?"

This elicited a reaction from Brennan. She normally preferred to be on her own, to think in quiet solitude, but obviously Emma wasn't easily shaken off, so she probably had to answer.

"We were really telling the truth. We met for the first time at American University. Booth needed my help because he was stuck on a case. That was our first case together."

Emma nodded. "And you've been partners ever since. It's my understanding that you both work for the FBI."

"No…no." Brennan shook her head. "Booth is with the FBI, but I'm a forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian. Booth needs my support when victims become unidentifiable, like when there are only bones left from the deceased."

Emma grimaced slightly. That line of work didn't sound very appetizing. "Okay, so you're working these cases together. How long have you been doing that?"

"Oh, after our first case we had a big fight and we didn't see each other for a year, but then Booth really needed my help again and I agreed, and we've been partners ever since. It's been five years now."

"How would you describe your relationship? Do you both have other partners in real life?"

"That's not so easy to answer." Brennan didn't know how to describe the last few years in a way that Emma would understand. "Booth and I, we are…" She hesitated. "We were very good friends." After another short pause, she added, "And no, neither of us is currently in a romantic relationship…not with each other, and not with anyone else, either."

Emma felt she was only scratching the surface here, and she needed to know more. "But you were in a relationship, right?"

"Oh, no, no. Booth and I were never a couple." Brennan fervently hoped that Emma would stop pressing for information.

"And this was never an issue between the two of you?" Emma raised an eyebrow. She was pretty sure she was on the right track.

Brennan rubbed her hands on her thighs, wondering how she should describe their situation. "Um…I think we were very, very good friends who also spent a lot of free time together, but there was never more between us…at least not from my side."

This was the cue for Emma. "But Seeley wanted more?"

Brennan nodded slowly. "Yes, just over a year ago he wanted us to have a romantic relationship, but I said no." She looked directly at Emma. "I've had many disappointments in life, so I don't really believe in love."

Emma was very touched, knowing such a confession was very painful. "Then what happened?"

"Of course, he was very shocked and told me that he had to move on…that he was looking for a partner for life…and I supported him in that regard. We'd both dated other people, but our relationship had become increasingly strained, so we ended our partnership for a period of time. I went to Maluku for a dig and Booth to Afghanistan to train soldiers there."

Emma looked up in surprise. "Then Maluku really happened?" She paused. "Was there really a Hannah, too?"

Brennan took a deep breath and simply nodded.

Emma put her hand on Brennan's thigh again. "Why don't you tell me everything that happened?"

"Like I said, I went to Maluku for a total of 7 months, and I had no contact with Booth. We were in the deep jungle, so contact was very difficult, and I also wanted to gain some distance and think for myself…about where to go from there."

Brennan paused for a long time. Should she really tell Emma what she'd found out? Should she reveal her innermost desires and thoughts? Finally she decided that Emma had had a lot of insight into their relationship during the day, so maybe it would be good to say it out loud.

"It was during that time that I realized I'd made a big mistake. I'd been thinking a lot about my relationship with Booth, and all the things that we've been through together." She glanced at Emma, a slight smile on her lips. "We both saved each other's lives more than once, and we also spent a lot of time together outside of our jobs. The events we shared this afternoon all happened... just not the romance, the kisses and so on."

After a short pause, Brennan continued. "It dawned on me that Booth must've felt more for me than friendship for a very long time, but I've always been the one who shied away from more. All I've ever experienced in my life is that people who pretend to love you disappear. I didn't want that again. I didn't want to jeopardize our friendship, but somehow it all fell apart anyway."

She fell silent again, but Emma didn't interrupt her thoughts. She wanted to encourage Brennan to talk some more so she nodded with a smile.

Her patience was rewarded when Brennan spoke softly. "I finally realized more and more that Booth was different. He was always there for me, and he hadn't left me. Then finally I made the decision to give us a chance. I wanted to talk to him about it when we got back."

Now Brennan looked very sad again. Emma had to ask,"But there never came a time for that talk?"

Brennan shook her head again. "No. When we both got home, Hannah was already there. He'd met her in Afghanistan and she had followed him to the States. I didn't want to destroy his happiness in life. I knew I must've missed my chance, so I decided to support him in his choice, because at least he was happy."

"That was very noble of you.," Emma uttered, but Brennan shook her head.

"No, that was actually very stupid of me. I thought I was doing the right thing, but it ate me up inside. That became clear to me when we had a very special case. I then told Booth that I'd missed my chance, and that I didn't want to have any regrets. but he told me that he had moved on and that he now loved Hannah. This was, of course, very hard for me, but I had to accept it. I had to adjust.

Emma was amazed. "But he's not with Hannah anymore, as I understand it. So what else stands in the way of you having a relationship?"

"A little over two weeks ago, Booth broke up with Hannah. He had proposed to her and she had said no. This shook him so much that he got totally drunk. Hannah then called me and told me everything, so I went to the bar to look for Booth. He was very angry, especially at the women in his life."

Brennan looked at Emma for a moment, knowing she probably had to explain this in more detail. "You need to know that Booth has been in a relationship before from which he has a son. He asked Rebecca…that was his girlfriend's name…to marry him, but she said no. Then he asked me to be in a romantic relationship, and I said no, too, and then Hannah turned him down as well. He didn't understand why all the women in his life have rejected him…and why they didn't want a future with him. He was done with all of us…like he said."

Brennan took a deep breath. "And then he gave me an ultimatum. Either I agree to only be his partner to solve crimes and nothing more, or he would end the partnership. There would be no other choice for me. So I stayed, but nothing is right between us anymore. We hadn't seen each other until we got that last case and apparently there hasn't been a reason for him to contact me outside of work. I don't know how to face him anymore. Then we were sent on this mission…" Now Brennan couldn't hold back anymore, and her tears started to flow again. "...and you saw how it went. It wasn't hard for us to argue, but this afternoon when we…" She made air quotes. "...had to reconcile, that's when things got complicated."

Then her feelings erupted from her. "And then tonight everything went differently than planned, and I don't know how to go on anymore."

Emma moved closer to Brennan and put her arm around her. "Temperance, something is wrong with your story. I can't quite believe all of this. When I saw Seeley looking at you and how he was reacting, I can't believe he's not interested in a relationship with you anymore. On the contrary, I think he's just dying for you two to become a couple."

Brennan looked at her in disbelief. "He told me he wasn't interested in me anymore. "

Emma shook her head. "I think those words were largely driven by alcohol and injured pride. You two really need to talk. Absolutely! Maybe we can meet again tomorrow at the hotel and discuss things. May I ask you one more question?"

Brennan silently nodded.

"I'm assuming that this 'don't touch anymore' thing wasn't an invention. It really is a problem between you, am I right?"

Brennan nodded again.

"I'm not even going to get into the comments about stripping and being naked, whether it was real or fake." Brennan looked down on her hands, slightly amused, and Emma understood. "There was a moment between you guys…it had to do with the scar that Seeley has on his chest. You said 'you did that for me' and Seeley replied he would do it again. After that comment, everything was different between you. What did that mean?"

In the meantime, most of the couples and their therapists had left for the new hotel, as they were no longer needed as witnesses here. So Brennan and Emma were now alone in the lobby and could talk a little more openly.

Brennan exhaled slowly. "I realized something at that moment. It's been about three years since it happened. We had a case with a stalker that we underestimated. Anyway, this woman wanted to kill me and already had the gun pointed at me. Booth stepped in front of me and took the bullet…and today…this afternoon…I realized that he must've already loved me then."

Emma smiled. "And as far as I remember, he said he would do it again. What do you think he meant by that?"

Brennan shrugged. "We've always been able to rely on each other and, as I said, we've saved each other's lives several times. We always have each other's back. That's what partners do…that's part of our job."

Emma patted her shoulder. "But that could also be interpreted completely differently, right? Anyway, today it kind of broke the dam for you, didn't it? That kiss was something special." Now she smiled knowingly. "Since you told me you two were just partners, that must have been the first kiss between the two of you, right?"

Brennan shook her head. "No, we've kissed before…three times actually."

"Interesting." Emma saved this information for now, deciding that she'd maybe say more about it tomorrow. She was about to ask what else happened tonight, like what they'd had to do to keep their cover intact, but Booth came around the corner and the conversation was cut short.

Booth was a little worried when he looked at Brennan. He wasn't sure that she wasn't about to flee. This was typical Bones: when feelings come into play, it's better to run away. However, it was obvious that Emma had involved her in a conversation, and he fervently hoped that she had been able to persuade Brennan enough so that the flight reflex was suppressed for now. They needed to talk so badly, but there wasn't time for that at the moment.

"Heya Bones, I'm finally done here. It's about time, right? Are you ready for us to leave immediately? Is everything packed?"

Brennan rose from the sofa. "Sure, everything is ready." She turned to Emma. "Do you have your car here or can we give you a ride?"

Emma got up, too, and reached for her suitcase, pulling it after her. "That's really very friendly. My colleague brought me here with him and he's already gone, so, yes, I'd like to ride with you."

Booth grabbed their two bags, again ignoring Brennan's protests, and together they walked to the car. After all luggage was stowed away, they all climbed in the car. Brennan, of course, in the passenger seat, as always, and Emma sat in the back, a bit in the middle, so she could join in a conversation.

§§§

Once Booth was on the highway, he cleared his throat and turned slightly back to address Emma. "Dr. Cohen, I have an urgent need to discuss something with Bones about our case. I think you're familiar with medical confidentiality, as it also applies in the event of an investigation… I mean about confidentiality. Everything you hear here is strictly confidential, and you aren't allowed to share it with anyone."

He awaited her answer. "Seeley, that goes without saying. Besides, I have very little idea what this is all about. Agent Shaw briefed us that it was probably about a murder investigation with extortion, saying that none of us was under suspicion, but that the resort will be locked down to secure evidence. That was all the information we were given."

Booth nodded. "Okay, that's roughly true. Another thing you should know is that the whole house was wired with security cameras. I'm not talking about the recordings you make at the meetings. They're not of interest to us. Rather, the whole house and every room was totally monitored to capture videos. The background is that couples were filmed in intimate situations and those videos then found their way onto the internet on special sites. Most of the time, the couples didn't even know about it, but if they did, and they took action against it, they were blackmailed, or even murdered."

Emma took a deep breath. Somehow she felt responsible for what had happened. "And because we advise couples and try to put the relationship back together, our center, of course, is particularly interesting to someone who was looking for that sort of thing. It's not uncommon for us to advise our couples to become intimate again after successful therapy." She shuddered. 'I know we can't do anything about it, but the idea that we contributed to the crime is frightening to me."

Booth wanted to calm her. "I get that. Of course, there were a lot of opportunities with your seminars, but those weren't the only videos being posted. We also found footage that wasn't from your group's time at the resort."

He turned to Brennan. "The FBI has a whole server of data secured. A team will have to work for weeks to sift through all of it. Who knows…maybe there'll be another murder case, like a cold case, that we can solve this way. So far, the perpetrator has only confessed to the last two murders."

Brennan couldn't hold back any longer. Naturally, she wanted to know what had happened to that day's recordings and from their evening together. "Booth, what about our video? Is it already on the web somewhere?" The thought of that happening made her feel sick. They had provided so much more material than was planned.

Booth shook his head. "No, Bones. He was still saving everything when we surprised him. Nothing has been uploaded anywhere yet. Anyway, Angela took control over it all. She'll meet with the team on Monday and they will discuss how best to review all the data."

He turned to Emma again. "You have to know we were sort of the bait. The idea was he'd record us and we'd catch him in the act. He'd put up such a big firewall that even our best team had no choice but to let us go there undercover."

He was talking more to Brennan now. "Unfortunately, however, the two of us weren't the only ones filmed tonight. Two other couples have also been recorded, and they weren't as lucky as we were. We knew that we were being filmed and where the camera was. We protected ourselves accordingly, and only shots from behind or when we were under the covers could be seen. Unfortunately, the other recordings were a bit more delicate. We secured the records, but if they need videos for the legal proceedings, only our recording will be shown as evidence, not the others. Their privacy will be protected. I've ensured this, okay? They don't have to worry about it."

Brennan had to process this information for some time. However, Emma was very interested in who the others were, since they had to be very discreet about this. "Seeley, who were the couples involved? Do we need to inform them? Have you already given them notice?"

Booth cleared his throat again. "It was the Sommers and the Bloombergs." He was now speaking to Brennan as well. "The FBI will call them in and at least tell them what happened. If the files aren't needed for the case, the records will be turned over to the couples and all files will be deleted from the FBI." He shrugged his shoulders. "That's the least we can do."

Brennan was still deep in thought. After a while she turned to Booth. "Will we be able to see the footage of us? I want to know exactly what you can see there." And listen to it,too, she thought, but didn't she say this aloud because Emma was in the car with them.

"Of course." Booth nodded to her. "I just spoke to Angela. She made a copy for us and she'll make the file available to us. We won't be able to prevent it from becoming evidence, but at least we'll know what's in store for us. Maybe just short excerpts will be enough as proof."

At least they both hoped so. Although only Brennan's back was likely to be seen, the actions were very intimate and they didn't want it to end up in the public record.

The drive was over quickly and Booth pulled into the parking lot of their hotel. It was well past midnight, so there was nothing going on at reception. The employee at the desk was already waiting for the last guests who had been announced to them by the FBI and after a short check-in, Booth and Brennan said goodbye to their therapist and made their way to their room, each lost in their own thoughts.

AN; One Guest wondered how Crosshair and Blizzard will fit into the story, it won't. This story is not following the canon.

I think it was important for Brennan to have that conversation with Emma, so I focused on that.

I know, I know, you are waiting for the fluff, it is coming… not yet.

Thanks again for all your nice reviews. They keep me going.