Walk on the Wild Side (Rated T, BB, Undercover) - by Bertie456 Posted 11/01/2008 11:41:54 AM

Posted 20/01/2008 09:42:20 AM

mereva - Thank you! I'll try to keep it coming but there will be angst at some point.
Cheese - bertie-worshipper? Not that I'm not flattered, but I'm sure there are things much more worthy of worship than me. Like, say, chocolate. Or marshmallows.
jb - Really? You do know Booth kept his clothes on for the whole chapter, yes?
b206 - *yay!* new reviewer! *waves* Trust me, I want them to get together just as badly (hell, don't we all!) What do I call you for short by the way?
fab - I love the stream of consciousness that is your reviews. They are hilarious, and give an fun glimpse inside your mind. Sorry, just thought I'd share that with you...

Chapter 9 - The Morning After

The alarm clock beeped loudly and 7.00am flashed in bright green lights.

Brennan squinted tiredly at the clock, then reached out, shut off the noise and closed her eyes again contentedly. I'm using my vacation time, she reminded herself. I've got the whole morning to sleep this off before we go to Maryland. She pulled the cover over her head, wanting to fall asleep and forget that her head was aching from the amount of alcohol she drank last night.

Last night... Her mind foggily recalled the events of the early evening, The club, Mendez, the stripper, the dance... She buried herself further in the warm bed as she remembered exactly why she had started drinking so much. It was better than having to strip, she told herself firmly. It's not like there's anything wrong with what I did - many cultures have a similar sort of ritual. It was empowering, liberating, cathartic...

The feeling of embarrassment washed over her again, just like it'd done when she settled in Booth's arms after the dance. Why should I be embarrassed? she asked, hoping that her logical reasoning was working better this morning. I was undercover. I was doing what I had to. It's not like I care what those people think about me - their opinions have no influence on my life and I'll never see them again after this weekend.

Satisfied that she had convinced herself, she took a deep breath and relaxed, ready to go back to sleep, when the thought which she had been carefully avoiding suddenly resurfaced, I gave Booth a lapdance.

Sighing in frustration at her inability to empty her mind, she rolled over, hoping that a change of position might help. It didn't, as she jerked awake when she felt her elbow collide with something that wasn't her soft pillow.

"Ow."

She sat bolt upright and looked down in shock at the man lying next to her. At first he looked as if he was still asleep, but a small smile played around the corners of his mouth. His eyes slowly flickered open and his smile widened as he saw her.

"You know, God invented alarm clocks for a reason, Bones."

"Why are you here?" she asked bluntly, too stunned to think of anything else.

"And a good morning to you too," Booth teased, yawning as he propped himself up on his elbows. The cover slid down as he moved, exposing more of his bare chest, and Brennan quickly looked down in panic at what she was wearing. Finding that she was in her usual negligee, she brought the blankets up to her chest, shifting slightly as she did so and discovering with relief that she was still wearing underwear.

She turned to face him more fully as he continued, "I am here, Bones, because you decided that, out of the two of us, I would be the one to do the walk of shame this morning."

"Walk of shame?" she inquired, still having no memory of the previous night.

"Yeah, you know, where you have to go back to your own apartment wearing the same clothes you left in the night before? And every single person you walk past knows exactly what you've been doing?" He nodded conclusively, "Walk of shame." He flashed her a smile and added, sarcastically, "Thanks for that by the way - my day's just not complete without a little public humiliation."

"So..." she said slowly, doing her best to avoid the conclusion that was staring her in the face, "You spent the night. In my bed."

He laughed, "Hey, this was your decision, not mine. I think I may actually have bruises from where you dragged me in here."

Her heart sank at his words. I slept with Booth, she realised, unsure whether she was horrified at the actual event or the fact that she'd forgotten. Meeting his eyes, she took a deep breath, "We slept together."

Booth raised his eyebrows and said, confused, "Not unless you did something very inappropriate to me while I was asleep." He looked at her with concern, "You okay, Bones?"

Brennan nodded as an immense feeling of relief swept through her. Seeing him sit upright, worried by her silence, she answered unconvincingly, "I'm fine. I just had too much to drink last night."

"Are you sure?" he asked again, voice laced with worry. "I've never seen you drink that much before."

She lowered her eyes, ashamed as to how she had dealt with the situation the night before. "I was just... " She trailed off, not wanting to admit to her partner that he was the reason she had felt so awkward.

Booth moved closer to her, gently tilting her chin up to face him. "Hey, it's alright," he said softly, "I know how difficult it must've been for you last night, but I'm here for you, okay? You don't need to drink to put yourself at ease, Bones." He gave her a small smile. "That's my job, remember?"

She met his eyes but then looked away quickly. His hand dropped from her chin as realisation dawned on him. "Oh." A tense silence hung in the air as he tried to think of what to say. Eventually, he spoke, his tone gentle and sincere, "Listen, about what happened last night... As far as I'm concerned you were doing your job. I won't think any less of you, no matter what happens this weekend. If you don't feel comfortable coming with me, then I understand that, and there's no way I'd force you into it." She looked up at him, and he continued, "We're partners, Bones, and I don't want you to feel uneasy around me."

She nodded, grateful for the reassurance, "I know."

He gave her a hopeful smile and raised his eyebrows, "So, are you coming with me today?"

A playful smile spread across her face, "Oh, so now you want me there?"

Booth leaned back against the back of the bed, stretching lazily, "Oh yeah, I love waking up to a beautiful woman thinking I slept with her. What'll I do without you?"

He jumped quickly out of bed before she could hit him and backed away, laughing. Brennan folded her arms in mock offense but couldn't help watching him as he walked to a chair on the other side of the room for his clothes, dressed only in a pair of dark blue boxers. As he began to put his black jeans on again, she asked absently, "Do you not even have clean underwear?"

"You offering, Bones?" he asked with a grin, fastening up his jeans. He reached over into an open drawer and twirled a pair of pink lacy panties round his fingers, speaking teasingly, "They're not really my color but if you insist..."

Leaping to her feet, she grabbed the panties from his hand and stuffed them back in the drawer, slamming it shut. "Why did I ever let you in here last night?" she asked, exasperated.

"Because, if I recall, you didn't want me sleeping on the couch since we were supposed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, so we needed to share a bed," Booth said, shaking some of the creases out of his red shirt.

"I did not say that," she said firmly, hands planted on her hips.

Buttoning his shirt up again, he nodded, "Yeah, you did, Bones. Along with something about the couch being mean to you."

She rolled her eyes. "You still didn't have to agree to it."

Booth shrugged as he pulled his socks on. "Like I said, you dragged me in here. You can be a very controlling woman at times."

Her mouth fell open in protest and she folded her arms across her chest. "I am not controlling!"

He moved past her into the lounge, whispering darkly in her ear, "I didn't say that was a bad thing."

Throwing a robe round her and delving quickly into a drawer, Temperance followed him into the lounge, seeing that he was now putting his shoes on. "Where are you going?" she asked curiously. "Haven't you taken the day off?"

"Yeah, but I need to go get the address from Mendez this morning." He elaborated in response to her puzzled look, "He wouldn't tell us before today in case it got out. He could give Hodgins a run for his money in the paranoia stakes. Anyway," he glanced down at his dirty shirt, "I'd kinda like to get some fresh clothes." He looked back up at her, "Pick you up at noon?"

She nodded, "I'll be ready." Booth moved over to the door with Brennan following close behind. He stepped out into the hallway while she held the door open, pulling the robe tightly round her.

Right at that moment, the front door opposite Brennan's opened and an old man emerged, bending down to pick up his newspaper. Seeing the two of them, he gave a judgemental shake of the head and turned to go back inside.

"Great," Booth whispered under his breath and started to walk down the corridor, keeping his head down.

A mischievous smile spread across Temperance's face as she found just the opportunity she was looking for. Stepping out into the hall, she called with fake sweetness, "Oh Seeley!"

Booth spun round in confusion on hearing her call him by his first name. Before he could say anything, she threw a pair of black silk panties at him, and said loudly, "Maybe you should try these on - they might be more your color."

Seeing his cheeks flush with embarrassment and the old man glare at him with disapproval, she closed the door again with a satisfied smile on her face. Wandering back into her bedroom, she nodded contentedly, That'll teach him to keep his hands off my panties.

CheeseBK

Posted 19/01/2008 10:25:56 AM

oh bertie, this was just adorable... sooo funny... loved it!

fanofbones

Posted 19/01/2008 04:36:46 PM

OMG....that was fun...lol
Somehow I knew Booth would be in bed with her....ha...loved it...
Loved her shocked state and his enjoyment of it...charm smile and all...
Loved his dark blue boxers and her enjoyment of it...ha
Could just see the look on his face when she threw the black lacey panties at him...my face was just as shocked as I was laughing my ass off....
Love this more and more

and thanks, I think, for your comment about my mind ;-)

hugs
fab

bones206

Posted 19/01/2008 04:44:27 PM

Bertie you can call me 206, and soooooooooooooooo cannot wait for the next chapter, Bones getting revenge, funny.

ToZiKa

Posted 19/01/2008 05:36:10 PM

Omg I can't stop laughing anymore....I think I will need to go see a doctor if it will not stop soon....
The whole chapter with Brennan remembering the lapdance, Booth in her bed, the thought that they might have had sex was just hilarious....but the last scene was the best ever!....they might be more your color....can't believe she did this....

gimmeagun

Posted 19/01/2008 07:13:09 PM


bertie! that was great...i love how even though the situation might be awkward they can still be comfortable with one another and make jokes....i love this bertie cant wait to read more!

A2BOREANAZ

Posted 19/01/2008 07:23:28 PM


omg......i am so waiting for more more more...........you so freakin rock at this woman..........ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Posted 20/01/2008 06:17:37 AM

Cheese - Thanks! There should be more adorableness coming up at some point.
fab - The mind thing was a compliment! Glad you're enjoying the chapters still and that I managed to get a surprise in there somewhere (the panties not the in bed w/ Booth)
206 - Here be the next chappie as requested. It's kinda filler-ish, but hopefully the next one'll be better!
Toz - Thank you! I figured Booth needed some embarrassment after Brennan felt all awkward about the lap dance... and what better way to do that than with panties?
gimme - More is here! And glad you liked the jokey parts - awkwardness is so boring to write. Seriously. Panties are just way more fun.
a2b - *waves* I don't think I've ever gotten a review from you before... I feel like there should be a ceremony... Sorry, I digress. Thanks for the comments and for putting the song "Rebel Yell" in my head now...

Chapter 10 - Arrival

At 12 noon precisely, there was a knock on the door.

Brennan walked quickly to open it, noting with satisfaction that she was completely packed and ready to go, so there was nothing that her partner could tease her about. Unlocking the door, she was startled to find Booth leaning against the doorframe, dangling the black panties in her face.

"Thanks for that, Bones," he said, sarcastically, and she couldn't stop a grin from spreading across her face.

"You're the one who said your day wasn't complete without public humiliation," she replied with a shrug.

He lowered the panties and said with a smile, "Yeah, but I could've coped without getting the evil eye from Uncle Fester across the hall there." She opened her mouth to speak but he pre-empted her with a sigh, "You don't know what that means. I know." He suddenly paused as he realised what she was wearing. "Nice oufit, Bones," he said, surprised but impressed.

She frowned, unsure whether he was being sarcastic, "I thought I was supposed to be in character for when we got there?"

"Yeah, you are, it's just..." He forced his eyes away from her tight jeans and low-cut top and gave her a smile. "You look good."

Brennan gave him a small smile in return, before another thought occurred to her and she asked, confused, "Do I not normally?"

"What?"

"Well, saying that I look good dressed in these clothes implies that you don't hold the same view when I'm wearing my usual clothes. Do you not like what I usually wear?"

Booth was deeply bewildered by the sudden turn this conversation had taken. "No!" he stated firmly, and felt a slight stab of panic when she raised her eyebrows. "Yes? I mean, no, I don't not like what you usually wear," he stammered, trying to recify the situation. "It's just this is different and I thought you looked good, that's all. Not that you don't normally, but..." He trailed off, realising that when in a hole, it was best to stop digging. Giving her what he hoped was a charming smile, he said simply, "You look good, Bones. Just take it as a compliment and let's get going."

Before she could argue further, he moved past her into the apartment and swung her bag over his shoulder. He tried to walk out again but she stood in the doorway, arms folded. "I can carry my own bag, Booth."

He sighed, "What was lesson six?"

Temperance cast her mind back to the journey to the strip club the night before, where Booth had continued his "lessons" on how to blend in with the other women, most of which had been completely sexist and against all of her natural instincts. "Let men do all the heavy lifting," she answered, rolling her eyes.

Booth beamed at her. "Bingo. Now let's go."

She didn't budge. "That's hardly heavy lifting, Booth. And it's not like anyone's going to see us anyway."

Clasping his hands together as if in prayer, he said hopefully, "Humor me?"

Unable to hold out against his best puppy-dog eyes, Brennan moved aside reluctantly and a broad smile spread across his face as he strode past her, slapping her ass teasingly on the way out, "That's my girl."

She froze at his slap and glared at him in shock, but saw that he was already heading down the stairs, whistling happily. Taking a deep breath, Temperance locked the door and followed her partner, knowing that it probably wouldn't be the last time he'd do that over weekend.

---------------------

"Take the next right," Brennan instructed from the passenger seat.
"You sure?" her partner queried. "'Cause the sea's kind of the other way."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Which one of us has the map?"

"I'm just saying, we're supposed to be staying on the coast and that," he said, pointing towards the set of rocky hills on the right, "Is not the coast. You sure you haven't got it upside down or something?"

"I can read a map, Booth! Now would you turn right?"

Gripping the steering wheel hard in annoyance, Booth slammed his foot on the brake and turned sharply onto the road leading away from the coast. Brennan grabbed the door handle to prevent herself falling sideways and fixed her partner with a disapproving stare when she was able to sit upright again. He carefully avoided her gaze, instead keeping his eyes on the empty road ahead of them.

Checking the map again, she said, "We need to follow this road for another few miles and it should bring us to White Horse Cove."

"Should," he repeated under his breath and she rolled her eyes, deciding to change the subject.

"What time is everyone getting there?"

Booth checked his watch. "Most of them'll probably be there already. Mendez said to turn up before 5."

"What do we do when we're there?" Brennan asked, trying to sound casual to disguise her curiosity.

He looked over at her with a smirk, clearly not fooled, and explained, "We blend in, Bones. Tonight should be mostly just drinking, but we need to remain alert and stay with the group. I overheard Young and Lopez saying that Mendez hasn't got any drugs for the first night, which leads me to believe that they'll be coming in at some point tomorrow."

She shook her head in disbelief, "How can they expect to get away with importing illegal narcotics?"

"Because they're cocky bastards," he replied with a shrug. "They know there's no way a local cop is going to argue with eight FBI Narco agents and this place is quiet enough to avoid any attention from Homeland Security. Besides, Mendez is smart, despite what his taste in friends may indicate. He knows how to hide this stuff once it comes in, and how to get it to the gang he's working for without getting caught. That's why we're here. We need to catch him red-handed, or at least see where he puts the drugs, so that Cullen's got something to arrest him for."

"What about the rest of them?" Brennan asked.

"They're involved in this just as much as Mendez," Booth said confidently. "They'll help him bring the drugs in and they'll probably all be high as kites by the time Cullen shows up, meaning he can arrest them for possession while we get enough to charge them with intent to supply."

She frowned, "I thought you said dealers never sample their own goods."

He smiled. "Glad to know I've taught you something, Bones." She rolled her eyes and he answered her question, his tone serious, "They don't as a rule, but like I said, these guys aren't the smartest bunch. Mendez himself never uses his own stash, but the rest view him as the dealer, who just happens to be giving them stuff for free."

"Why does he do it?" she asked, puzzled. "Mendez, I mean. If he can do this without getting caught, why does he bring the rest of them?"

"Company, maybe?" Booth ventured, unsure himself. "Plus, he can use them to do his dirty work a lot of the time. He's already had me break the chain of custody on some evidence and drop charges against one of the gang. Figures that if someone ever finds out something's not right, then they can take the fall for it and not him."

"You corrupted evidence?" she asked, shocked.

Booth mentally smacked himself for letting that slip. "I needed to prove to them that I was on their side," he explained, praying she'd understand. "Cullen gave me immunity from all charges relating to what I do while I'm undercover - he knew that I might have to do some questionable things to get them to accept me." He looked over at her. "You know I'd never do it without a reason, right?"

Temperance nodded silently, only now fully understanding what her partner had gotten involved in. She was snapped out of her thoughts by Booth's triumphant yell, "The sea!"

Peering out of the window, she smiled as she saw that the road had curved round over the top of the hills and was now coming down towards a small bay which was cut off from the rest of the coast. Seeing their destination up ahead, she couldn't resist saying smugly, "I told you this was the right way."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," he replied, giving her a cocky smile. "Now stop acting like a genius scientist and start acting like my girlfriend."

"No-one can see us!" she protested.

Booth grinned, "Then call it a personal preference." Smirking at her outraged reaction, he turned the car off the main road and down towards the house by the sea.

As they pulled up outside, they realised it was a lot bigger than it looked from afar. It was built looking out to sea, on top of a solid rock foundation and the water lapped at the bottom of the sheer drop down. The tide was out, revealing a small pebble beach, and a pier jutted out a short way while a speedboat bobbed up and down on the waves nearby. Looking out at the deserted bay, Brennan began to understand why no-one would expect anything illegal to be happening here.

Turning the engine off, they both got out of the car and were met by Jackson Thomas and Heather White strolling up from the beach. Thomas was a tall, well-built man, who Brennan guessed to be in his mid-thirties. His eyes had a similar glint to Mendez's but she could tell that he was not as intelligent as the leader. Her eyes travelled to the woman standing beside him, holding a cigarette between her long-nailed fingers. Her dark blonde hair hung partly over her eyes as she looked Brennan up and down coldly, but Temperance saw her mouth curve in a slight smile as her gaze shifted to Booth, who had now unloaded the trunk of the car.

"Seeley," Heather said contentedly as she approached him. Brennan felt a small pang of jealousy as Booth kissed her briefly on the cheek, resting his free hand comfortably on her waist.

"Looking good, Heather," he replied with a wink before turning to shake hands with her boyfriend. "Thomas." Brennan was surprised as Thomas shook his hand warmly, not minding his apparent intimacy with his girlfriend. Before she could contemplate further, Booth gestured towards her, "You remember Temperance, right?"

Thomas looked over to her with a broad smile, "How could we forget? I enjoyed your little performance last night."

She let a teasing smile play across her lips and met his eyes, "Not as much as I did."

Thomas grinned and gave Booth a congratulatory slap on the arm, "Nice work, man."

Booth looked over at his partner and spoke as he reached into his pocket, "What can I say?" He pulled out the pair of black panties she had thrown at him earlier, and smiled as her eyes widened. "She's full of surprises."

Laughing, Thomas put his hand on Booth's shoulder and led him into the house. Brennan instinctively followed and found Heather walking alongside her, her eyes focused on the men ahead of them. Leaning in, she whispered furtively, "So, what did you and Seeley get up to last night?"

Temperance glanced up at Booth's retreating back and saw the panties still hanging from his back pocket. A wicked smile crossed her face as she thought of the many possible scenarios she could now concoct. Deciding on one that would be especially humiliating for Booth, she leaned closer to Heather and whispered in a low voice, "Well..."

gimmeagun

Posted 20/01/2008 11:03:45 AM


you're right bertie....panties are way more fun than awkwardness!!

i think im just going to keep repeating myself when reviewing your chapters but i love this!! you really know how to write dialog between them so well!! i love the bickering and the joking...and everything! i do wish we knew what brennan was going to tell heather though...

excellent job bertie!!! im going to go and speed up time so that you can post the next one...oh hey look...its tomorrow already...

SnoopGirl

Posted 20/01/2008 11:40:59 AM

This one of the best lines, well two lines, EVER! The vision that comes with it is incredibly tense and sexy at the same time.

[i]She met his eyes and smiled, before planting her high-heel hard on the chair between his legs, inches away from his groin. There was an intake of breath from the whole group, who were now all watching her with interest.[i]

CheeseBK

Posted 20/01/2008 01:33:25 PM

love it, love it, love it!!!! more soon, please!!!

bones206

Posted 20/01/2008 03:25:43 PM

Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait!!!!!!!!!!! More please NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

beaglelvr93

Posted 20/01/2008 03:37:49 PM


I read this on FF.net... but thought I'd drop in and say it's still one of my all time favs, bertie!

ToZiKa

Posted 20/01/2008 05:13:10 PM

Quote :
bertie456 wrote :
Brennan felt a small pang of jealousy as Booth kissed her briefly on the cheek, resting his free hand comfortably on her waist.

So she is already jealous and they've only been there for ten minutes...

Can't wait for tomorrow....I love this story!

fanofbones

Posted 20/01/2008 05:16:09 PM


God bertie...another cliffee woman? Damn...
Excellent chapter...loved the outfit banter..love it when Booth has to talk his way out of things....very cute indeed...
and the whole stop digging line...adorable...
I am a little concerned how comfortable Seeley is with Heather...now, that could be girlfriend swapping and that scares the hell out of me.....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
will have to wait and see.....damn...is it Monday yet?

hugs girl
fab

jerseybones

Posted 20/01/2008 06:57:15 PM


--i love the one-upping they are doing with each other and all around a pair of panties, so hot.
--i love how booth reads her so easily and can make her comfortable
--i love that he gave her rules to study and re-quizzes her, so perfect for their characters

bertie, i just love this fic. you did so well.

Posted 21/01/2008 04:24:34 AM

gimme - banter is fun to write! And nice going with the time-speeding-up abilities - not entirely sure if it worked, but here's the next chapter and you can pretend all you want
snoop - Interesting choice of fave lines! I'd never really considered them before, but thanks for pointing out what you liked!
cheese - Here be the next chappie...
206 - Jeez, easy on the violence there! It's all already written; I'm just being slow with the posting.
beagle - Thank you! I think you were one of the ones who gave you here and went over to ffn, am I right?
toz - Come on, we all know Brennan is secretly possessive when it comes to Booth... Who wouldn't be?
fab - Girlfriend swapping, you say? I'm not going to say no, but can you really imagine Booth letting anyone else put their hands on Brennan? And I get told the "stop digging" thing all the time. The accepted response is now "But I can see China!"
jb - Thank you! It's always good to know what parts you like, especially since you've read this before and know what's coming...

[s]Chapter 11 - Tequila and Whipped Cream [/s]

"Fold."

Booth dropped his cards face down in front of him and pulled off his one remaining sock, depositing it in the growing pile of clothing in the middle of the table. He checked his watch and saw that it was now past midnight.

They had all been drinking for hours, but Rick Young had only recently instigated the game of strip poker which they were all now involved in. Booth had tried to keep himself out of it, wanting to avoid gambling of any kind, but since Mendez had taken the role of the (fully-clothed) dealer, he'd had no choice but to participate.

His, and Brennan's, strategy had been to fold early, thereby keeping the majority of their clothes and also being spared the large shots of tequila that the winner was forced to consume. It's a good gameplan, he thought to himself, realising that he was relatively sober and still dressed in his wife-beater, jeans and boxers. He glanced over to his partner and corrected himself, It was a good gameplan.

Brennan had stuck to the plan for the first two rounds, but her competitive instinct had soon taken over. Booth looked round the table and smirked to himself when he saw that most of the rest were already in their underwear, staring daggers at his completely dressed partner. He focused his attention back on the game, finding that Anderson and Brennan were the only two left in.

"I will see your pants and raise you my top," she said confidently, her words slightly slurred by the amount of tequila she had won so far.

Anderson laughed, "I will raise you my shirt."

"Then I," Brennan continued, shaking her finger at him while Booth tried not to laugh, "Will raise you my bra."

A few of the men round the table whistled, and Anderson smiled broadly, "Okay, let's see what you got."

"Ladies first," she replied innocently and her inebriated opponent spread his cards on the table, not realising what he'd done until the rest of them began to laugh.

"Flush - all Spades," he said triumphantly.

A smug smile crossed Temperance's face and she placed her cards out slowly, "Three Kings and two Queens. Full House - I get your clothes."

Anderson grumbled as he stripped off, leaving him sitting there in only his white underpants with a scowl on his face. Brennan finished her fifth tequila with a grimace, then smiled brightly, "Play again?"

Booth was frankly quite impressed by her poker capability when she was this far over the limit, but Jackson Thomas whispered moodily in his ear, "Maybe you shouldn't have brought this one. Takes all the fun out of it."

Looking round the rest of the group, he saw that most of them seemed to share Thomas' point of view. Not wanting to arouse any kind of suspicion or hostility towards his partner, he spoke loudly, "Alright, I'll play again."

Mendez raised an eyebrow, "Rest of you in?"

They all reluctantly agreed, despite having gone head-to-head with Brennan before and surrendering most of their clothes. The cards were dealt and exchanged, but Booth was not surprised when everyone else folded on the first round, giving up any remaining stockings and socks. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Brennan and said firmly, "I'm in."

She gave him an enigmatic smile and simply said, "My left shoe."

"My wife-beater," Booth replied, trying not to show any emotion.

She narrowed her eyes, "My right shoe."

He responded quickly, "My jeans."

She checked her cards again, "My jeans."

"My boxers," he said, praying that she didn't win.

"My top," she countered with a broad smile, hoping that she did win.

Booth held up his hands, "I'm all in. Let's see you."

Temperance gave him the same smug smile as she had previously given to Anderson and laid her cards out, revealing four Aces and a five. "Four of a Kind," she said with satisfaction, then added teasingly, "Let's see you."

"Whatever you say," he answered with a shrug and placed his cards down one by one. Her smile widened when she saw he only had a four of clubs, but it quickly faded as he produced a five, six, seven and eight of the same suit. "Straight Flush beats Four of a Kind," he said with a grin and smiles broke out around the table when they realised Brennan had finally lost.

Glaring at him, she removed her heels, jeans and top, leaving her sitting in a black lacy bra and matching panties. Booth's mouth fell open in amazement when he saw her, and he felt a slight pang of guilt for making her strip in front of him. However, he realised that the tense atmosphere around the table had evaporated now that they were all equals again and his guilt was further eased by the extra large shot of tequila that he then had to consume.

As he threw away the lime rind, he saw Rob Anderson coming out of the kitchen, holding a tall white and red can in one hand and the empty tequila bottle in the other. "Okay folks, time for Spin the Bottle!" he shouted, walking unsteadily back towards the group.

Booth rolled his eyes but Anderson's proposal was met with a drunken cheer from the rest of those gathered around the table, including Brennan, who he guessed had no idea what Spin the Bottle was. Anderson cleared his throat to sniggers from the others and explained grandly, "One person spins the bottle. Whoever it lands on has to lick this whipped cream," He rattled the can for dramatic effect, "Off somewhere on the spinner's body. Exactly where is my choice."

This announcement was followed by more whoops and cheers, and a slurred objection from Rick Young, "Why do you get to pick the place?"

"Because," Anderson replied, full of self-importance despite the fact that he was wearing only underwear, "I got it out of the kitchen." He placed the bottle in the middle of the table, sweeping the pile of clothes onto the floor, and pointed to the now topless Ana Lopez, "All yours, sugar."

As the game began, Booth scanned quickly round the group. Most seemed entranced in the action before them and he noted with a grin that Brennan had a look of mild disdain on her face. Looking over towards Mendez, he saw that he had distanced himself from the game and was speaking quietly to his partner.

While the bottle moved round the circle, he tried to overhear their conversation and caught Sophia whispering quietly, "Do they know to come to the pier?"

"Where else is there to go?" Mendez replied in annoyance. "We're the only people around for miles. Why do you think I chose this place?"

"Just asking," she snapped back. "How many men are they sending?"

"Just the two, last I heard," he answered bluntly. "I'll get my guys to help bring it in, but we'll leave the girls here. Don't want to take more than necessary."

"What time's it due?" Sophia asked and Booth leaned in closer to hear the answer.

"Hey! Booth!"

His attempts were foiled as Anderson yelled his name and he looked back to see that it was his turn with the bottle. Fixing a smile on his face, he reluctantly spun.

Temperance watched her partner spin the tequila bottle, still annoyed by the fact that he was wearing more clothes than her. It gradually came to rest and she felt an unexpected twinge of disappointment when it landed on Heather White instead of her. Brennan's eyes narrowed as Heather got to her feet happily, dressed in a flimsy purple bra and g-string, and moved to stand in front of Booth, a large smile on her face.

She watched as Heather whispered something to Anderson, who then turned to Booth, "The lady would like the vest removed." Booth shrugged and took off his wife-beater, leaving him in his low-slung jeans. Anderson grinned and called loudly, "On your knees." He dropped to his knees in front of Heather, and laughed at the chorus of wolf-whistles from those still seated.

Anderson sprayed a line of whipped cream along Booth's shoulder and up the side of his neck, and Brennan felt an overwhelming surge of jealousy as Heather bent low over him, licking the cream hungrily from his muscular shoulder. Her mouth moved up, nibbling softly on his earlobe, and Temperance couldn't help but feel angry when Booth smiled at the intimate gesture. She trailed her lips back down his jaw, catching any last remnants of cream and finally kissed him firmly on the lips. It took all of Brennan's willpower not to stand up and pull her off him, but she felt relief flood through her when Booth broke away from the kiss, giving Heather a small smile but backing away.

Sophia King took that juncture to announce suddenly, "We're going to call it a night." Everyone turned to face her in surprise and she gave them a knowing smile, "See you all in a few hours."

As she and Mendez headed up the stairs, Booth decided to seize the opportunity. Nodding towards his partner, he said with a wink, "I think we'll be heading to bed too."

Brennan started to get to her feet, but Anderson interrupted, "Not yet you're not." He looked straight at her, waving the bottle. "It's your turn."

Temperance glanced at Booth for confirmation and he gave her a helpless shrug as he sat back down. Taking a deep breath, and hoping that she'd judged the momentum right, she spun the bottle.

It landed on Booth.

"Perfect!" Anderson called, still overly excited. She felt her heart start to beat faster as Booth came to stand in front of her while the other shook the can of cream. Surveying her carefully, Anderson crouched down and trailed the cream from her sternum to just below her belly button. Stepping back with a satisfied nod, he clapped Booth on the shoulder, "All yours, man."

Brennan looked up at her partner and gave him the tiniest nod of permission. He placed his hands on her hips to reassure her and bent over so that his mouth just missed the bottom of her bra. She felt his lips brush against her stomach and her skin tingled as his tongue ran lightly over her sternum. As he continued down, she heard him move from a crouching to a kneeling position but his mouth never lost contact with her body. Temperance closed her eyes as his tongue played teasingly round her belly button, moving expertly in tiny circles. Her body relaxed as he moved lower still, and she released a breath that she never knew she'd been holding in.

To her slight disappointment, the line of whipped cream then ended and Booth broke contact with her, standing up slowly. She opened her eyes to find him standing in front of her, looking at her with concern. She gave him a small smile and saw him breathe a sigh of relief that he hadn't gone too far. He put his arm around her shoulders and spoke loudly enough so that the others could hear, "Let's go to bed."

Anderson made no move to stop them, having now moved on to the next person round the table. Booth gently led Brennan towards the stairs, picking up his discarded shirt as he went and slipping it round her exposed shoulders. She leaned into his chest, overcome by tiredness and alcohol as the adrenaline faded. They wandered up the stairs in a comfortable silence and made their way towards their room at the end of one of the many corridors.

Without warning, Booth suddenly clamped a hand over Brennan's mouth and dragged her into a room off the hallway. She instinctively tried to scream but he held her tightly, closing the door of what seemed like a linen closet with his foot. Panic flashed through her and she struggled desperately against his grip, knowing that her co-ordination and reflexes were slower than his due to the drink.

Panicked, she was surprised when he whispered in her ear, "Shh, Bones. I'm not trying to hurt you, but you need to be quiet. Okay?"

Temperance nodded as much as his hand would allow and he released her. She whirled round to face him, whispering indignantly, "What are you-"

She stopped when she saw that he had his ear pressed to the door and was motioning for her to be quiet. Curiosity aroused, Brennan squeezed next to him in the cramped closet, trying to make out what he was hearing.

She was rewarded when she heard Sophia King's voice down the corridor, "Have you told the rest of them?"

"Yes," came the reply and she recognised the voice as Mendez's. "They know to meet me at 5 downstairs, and to make sure their girls stay here."

"What about Booth?"

Mendez paused and they both strained to catch his response. "I've not decided yet," he said eventually. "There's just something that I don't like about him."

"What's not to like?" Sophia asked with a laugh. "He's done all you asked at the Bureau, he's a lot less stupid than Anderson, all the rest of the girls love him... "

In the closet, Booth gave Brennan a cocky smile and she rolled her eyes.

"I don't know..." Mendez answered, uncertainly. "Maybe it's that girl of his."

Brennan's mouth fell open, insulted, and Booth couldn't hide his smirk. She put her hands on her hips in annoyance, but as she did so, her elbow banged loudly against a hard wooden shelf. They both froze in horror, hoping that the couple outside hadn't heard. Booth leaned close to the door again as they both held their breath in anticipation.

Their eyes widened in panic as Sophia asked, "What was that?"

CheeseBK

Posted 21/01/2008 04:28:42 AM

uh-oh!!!! not good... more soon, please, bertie, I love this!

ToZiKa


Posted 21/01/2008 12:14:40 AM


wow now they are already playing strip poker....
and of course Brennan is winning....why did I know that?
but in the end it was a little scarry....what will they tell Mendez if he finds them in the closet...

fanofbones

Posted 21/01/2008 01:51:09 PM


OK this was fun...thank god the games didn't go too far....wouldn't want Booth to shoot up the room...too soon...lol
Crap...Mendez won't buy that they're shagging in the closet...won't help at all...
but they can always try...
Now, throw her on the floor and get to it..

;-)
hugs
fab

Posted 22/01/2008 05:22:04 AM

Cheese - More still comes every morning - have I ever failed you on that?
Toz - They're alone, half naked and in a closet. What would you do?
fab - He might buy tthat they're at it in the closet... Booth seems like the kind of guy to at least give it a shot...

Chapter 12 - Eavesdropping

"I didn't hear anything."

Booth and Brennan breathed a sigh of relief at Mendez's reply, but their relief was short-lived when Sophia continued, "No, I'm sure I heard something."

"There was nothing. Now come to bed."

Yes, go to bed, Booth thought hopefully, pressed against the door. You didn't hear anything, especially not us listening to your conversation from a closet.

"Let me just check..." Sophia murmured and Booth's heart started to pound as he heard footsteps moving back up the corridor.

He looked quickly around the closet for somewhere to hide, but could barely see anything in the small amount of light that shone around the edges of the closed door. His eyes met Brennan's and a deeply unprofessional thought leapt to his not-fully-sober mind. Putting his hands on her hips to get her attention, he whispered urgently, "Moan."

"What?" she replied, more loudly than he would have liked.

Clamping a hand over her mouth again, he pushed her back against the shelves stacked with towels. Her eyes widened in confusion so he explained quickly, "If they think someone's having sex in here, they won't open the door. Now moan."

He released her mouth and she let out an uncertain "Ow?"

"Like you're enjoying it, Bones," he said quietly, rolling his eyes.

"Ah," she tried, without enthusiasm.

Hearing the footsteps get closer, Booth realised he was going to have to do it all himself. Hoping that she wouldn't attack him, he pushed her harder against the shelves, making them rattle loudly. He covered her mouth with his and then ran his hand up her bare thigh. Reminding himself that this was all completely necessary, he squeezed her ass firmly and was pleased to note that her surprised cry, muffled by his lips, sounded suitably like a moan of pleasure.

He felt her arms move behind his neck and he ran his hand back down her thigh, lifting her leg so it was pressed against him. Unable to balance fully on one leg, Temperance let him pick her up, audibly shaking the shelf and wrapping her legs loosely round Booth's waist. He couldn't stop himself from groaning slightly as her legs encircled him and he tried desperately to think of something serious and depressing to distract his mind, and other parts of his anatomy, from what she was doing.

While she trailed overly loud kisses down his jaw, Booth strained to hear what was going on outside but couldn't make out any footsteps. He silently tapped Brennan's waist and she met his eyes, keeping completely still as they both listened.

Suddenly the door to the closet started to open and, thinking the same thing, they kissed briefly again, breaking apart guiltily as the door opened fully to reveal Sophia and Mendez watching them.

Temperance dropped her legs back down and wrapped Booth's shirt tightly round her, while Booth sheepishly zipped his jeans back up, only just realising that she had undone them. They saw Sophia smiling in amusement, but Mendez did not look fully convinced.

"Couldn't make it to your own room, Seeley?" she asked, lips curving up in a knowing smile.

Booth gave her a lop-sided grin, and shrugged, "She's very demanding."

Sophia laughed, "From what Heather tells me about last night, that's just the way you like it."

Confused by her comment, Booth looked quickly towards Brennan and saw a mischievous smile playing on her lips. Making a mental note to find out what his partner told Heather White, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and winked at Mendez and his girlfriend, "We'll be getting to our own room then..."

Mendez nodded and said with a smile, "Make sure you stay there."

Booth caught the underlying threat and he returned the nod in acknowledgement, as he led Brennan down the corridor to their room. Once inside, he looked back down the hall before closing the door, seeing that Mendez had watched them the whole way.

As soon as the door closed, Booth turned to face his partner and spoke quietly, a look of disbelief on his face, "You know how to lapdance, but not how to moan convincingly?"

Her mouth dropped open and she protested firmly, "Firstly, last night was not a lapdance but a recreation of the mating ritual of the Bolivian Sanga tribe."

"Looked like a lapdance to me," he muttered under his breath as he moved to close the curtains.

Brennan followed him round the room, ignoring his remark, "And secondly, it happens that I am not gratuitously vocal during intercourse, so I have never felt the compulsion to "moan convincingly" as you put it."

He turned to face her, impressed yet slightly scared that she could still string a sentence like that together while inebriated. "You're saying you don't make any noise during sex?"

"No, I do in response to stimuli," she said, moving closer to him unsteadily, "I just don't find artificial noises conducive to the experience."

Surprised that he could actually interpret what she was saying, Booth grinned and replied teasingly, "So if I want you to moan for me in future, I'm going to have to give you a reason to?"

"Yep," Brennan answered firmly, beaming at him. "But I'm sure you could."

Not expecting that response, Booth's voice caught in his throat as a world of possibilities opened up to him. Swallowing hard, he changed the subject, "The drug shipment's coming in sometime after 5am."

She nodded, "I heard, but Mendez hasn't told you about it directly, has he?"

"No, but I need to be down there anyway," he replied, sounding more confident than he felt. "I'll follow them down and try to get some pictures; I'm not wasting three weeks of undercover work because Mendez changes his mind about me at the last second."

"Isn't that dangerous?" she asked with concern. "What if they see us?"

He sighed. "There is no "us" to see. You're staying here."

"But-"

"No buts," Booth interrupted firmly, but then his tone softened, "Look, I need you to stay here and watch the rest of the women. If anyone else leaves the house, you call me."

"What if they catch you?" she asked again, not confident in any plan formed after a lot of tequila.

"They won't," he replied, looking her in the eyes. "Ranger, remember?"

"Ex-Ranger," Brennan said pointedly. "Ex, drunk Ranger."

He raised his eyebrows and said firmly, "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger." Checking his watch, he added, "Anyway, I've got three hours to sober up."

He sat heavily on the mattress, leaning back against the bed-board and stretching slowly. Brennan shuffled onto the bed next to him, and brought her knees up to her chest, snuggling into the over-sized shirt. They sat there in silence on opposite sides of the bed as the night's events gradually sank in. Neither looked at the other, suddenly very aware of how far they had taken their undercover roles. The awkward silence continued, both knowing that there was no way they were going to be able to sleep with the shipment coming in, and their partner sharing a bed with them.

Taking a deep breath, Brennan looked over to the semi-clothed Booth next to her and asked in a friendly tone, "What do we do now?"

Feedback appreciated, if only to suggest exactly what Brennan should do in a bed with her shirtless partner...

ToZiKa

Posted 22/01/2008 06:19:19 AM


What do we do now???
Is she out of her mind?
She's in bed with Booth, a halfnaked Booth I should add, and she doesn't know what to do?

I hope Booth's plan works, because if t goes wrong they will have a huge problem....

Can't wait for tomorrow!

CheeseBK

Posted 22/01/2008 08:03:51 AM


ha! I know what I would do!!!

oh, this is great! can't wait for the next update!

fanofbones


Posted 22/01/2008 10:11:33 PM

chapters are moving right along and on cue...
lets think about this for a minute...
Booth needs to stay alert, wait for 5AM and sober up???? I've got it....
hot steamy wet sex with Bren....
that would do the trick I think...no...I know..
so get writing sweetie...

fab

Posted 23/01/2008 05:20:54 AM

Toz - Yes, Brennan is out of her mind, and as for problems, you'll just have to wait and see...
Cheese - I'm pretty sure most (sane) people would do what you would do.
fab - You'd think so wouldn't you? Hhowever, B&B are crazy people, so possibly not.

Chapter 13 - Surprise

Seeley Booth had cramp in his leg.

Trying not to make a noise, he shifted onto his right leg and stretched his left, hoping to alleviate the uncomfortable sensation that was currently filling his calf muscle, and was pleased when he felt the blood rush back to his foot. Checking around him again, he peered back over the rock he was crouched behind and saw that the innocuous-looking speedboat was still making its way across the bay, which was bathed in faint early-morning sunlight.

Leaning back against another rock, he glanced at his cell and was relieved to find no messages or calls from his partner. They must still be asleep, he thought with a smile.

Before he'd made his way down to the beach, he'd verified the location of the rest of the group. Mendez, Thomas and Young had all gone to meet the boat, leaving their respective partners asleep in their beds. Booth had been surprised to find that Sophia King was sleeping soundly, but Brennan was keeping an eye on her just in case. Anderson had also been left behind with his girlfriend, the waitress from the strip club, and they were both sound asleep when he'd looked in.

Probably will be for a while, he reasoned with a grin, thinking back to the energetic noises he'd heard coming from the bedroom next door while he and Brennan had amused themselves by playing every card game they could think of.

Brennan. His mind leaped back to his partner and the annoyed look on her face when he'd set off on his own, leaving her behind to play watchdog. Maybe I shouldn't have left her there, he wondered, guiltily. It's not like I'm not going to be able to see if anyone's coming. I should've let her come with me. At least then I'd have someone to talk to while I'm stuck waiting behind a large rock.

He snapped himself out of it. Don't be stupid. She's not an agent; she shouldn't be here at all. She's no good at stakeouts. Other stuff, sure, but not stakeouts. She's better at scientific stuff - squinting, bones, books, lapdances...

He swallowed hard as he remembered the dance the night before. It was undercover work, he thought, trying to convince himself. She said it was some anthropology thing. It didn't mean anything, just part of the job. All of this is just part of the job. The lapdance, the kiss, the stripping, the whipped cream, the closet...

A contented smile played on his lips as he recalled the various events of the past two days, but he forced himself to push them out of his mind. We're partners, he thought firmly. Nothing more. Everything that's happened, everything we've done - it's all for show. Neither of us want this; we're just playing along till the mission's done. [s]She [/s]doesn't want this, he corrected.

Doesn't she? The way she played along tonight, the look on her face when I was with Heather, undoing my jeans in that closet... He shook his head, bringing himself back to reality. No. I'm seeing stuff that isn't there. None of that means anything. This is Bones, she doesn't work like that. We're partners, and I'm not about to change that. I don't want her feeling uncomfortable about us working together, and if that means going back to the way we were before, then that's fine, he told himself, wishing he believed it.

Focusing his attention back to the pier, Booth saw that the boat had just come in and he crouched forward against, fishing his FBI-issued digital camera out of his pocket. He watched carefully as they started to unload the boat and couldn't help but smirk when he saw that the cocaine was stored in six silver-coloured suitcases, Mendez always loved a good cliché.

He took as many pictures as he could, making sure to include everyone present in at least one shot, and watched through the camera lens as the boat swiftly departed, leaving Mendez, Young and Thomas to carry the suitcases into a cave towards the opposite end of the beach. Booth leaned forward but they disappeared from view, obscured by the darkness of the cave.

Sighing, Booth sat back, satisfied that he had at least got the location of the drugs and proof that they were involved. Realising that he couldn't get caught with the camera, he tucked it carefully under a rock, intending to come back for it when he'd contacted Cullen. Suddenly, he froze when he heard a noise behind him.

His eyes flashed down to the cell that was lying on the ground and saw, too late, that there was a message from Brennan. There was another movement behind him and he heard some rocks tumble down. Cursing under his breath, he pressed himself close to the rock, edging away from the direction of the house, where he was sure the person had come from.

More pebbles tumbled and Booth tried to keep his breathing silent and under control. He felt for his gun and slowly drew it from the holster on his hip, afraid that any sudden motion would draw the attention of the person behind him. Glancing quickly back to the beach, he saw that the men hadn't yet emerged from the cave and so decided to take the only chance he might have.

Clicking the safety off the gun, he edged further round the rock, so as to be out of sight from the house, and then sprang to his feet, spinning round to face his attacker.

The seagull promptly flew off, scattering pebbles as it went.

Booth breathed a sigh of relief and dropped back down behind the large rock, glad that no-one had seen him pull a gun on a bird. Better than a clown, he thought optimistically as he picked up his cell and saw that the message from Brennan read, "Sophia woke up, went to bathroom then stayed in room. All others asleep."

Feeling his heart-rate return to normal, he looked back down to the beach and saw that Mendez was now coming out of the cave carrying only one suitcase, with Young and Thomas close behind. Realising he needed to get back before they found him, Booth slipped back the way he had came, retracing his steps back to the house and noticing that all the curtains were still closed on the bedroom windows.

He opened the side door silently and headed upstairs, after checking one of the back windows and seeing that the three men were now walking back up the long path to the house. As he walked along the hallway to his room, he saw that the other bedroom doors were still closed and that there was no sound from the women within. Glancing down the corridor one final time, Booth went back into his own room, smiling at the success of the plan.

His smile immediately vanished when he saw Brennan lying face down on the bed, completely motionless, with her hands cuffed behind her back.

Panic consumed him and he rushed over to her, heart pounding, trying not to imagine the worst. "Bones? Bones, can you hear me?" he asked desperately, turning her over onto her back and checking for a pulse. His immediate fear was slightly soothed as he saw her chest rise and fall, only to be replaced by anger when he caught sight of a bleeding laceration on her temple and a newly-forming bruise on her jaw. Glancing over the rest of her body, he felt sickness rise as he saw red marks on her thighs and a rip in her thin negligee.

"Looks like your girlfriend missed you."

Booth started when he heard Anderson's sneering voice behind him but was stopped by the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking. "Stand up slowly," he ordered and Booth complied, not taking his eyes off his unconscious partner. "Hands on your head."

Before he could say anything else, Booth turned round quickly, grabbing the gun from his hands and pushing him hard against the wall, his forearm pressing tightly against his neck. Anderson gasped for breath and tried to prise his arm away, but stopped struggling as the gun was held to his head.

Seeing the desired look of fear in his eyes, Booth asked, with barely restrained anger, "What did you do to her?"

His words spilled out in gasps, "Nothing, I-"

Booth pushed harder against his windpipe again and repeated, eyes blazing, "What did you do to her?"

Anderson's face started to turn red from the lack of oxygen and Booth lessened the pressure to let him speak. "Mendez just said to knock her out... That's all..."

He choked as Booth's arm cut off his air once again, and flailed weakly. Ignoring his whimpers, Booth asked again, raising his voice, "How the hell does she get bruises on her thighs from you knocking her out?" Anderson didn't try to talk and Booth pressed the gun harder against his temple. "Answer me!"

Loosening his grip, he allowed Anderson to speak croakily, "I didn't touch her... I tried to... but she kept kicking me... I just knocked her out... I swear..."

Looking him in the eyes, Booth realised he was telling the truth, but didn't move the gun from his head. The thought of Brennan lying unconscious on the bed behind him flashed through his mind and it took all his self-control not to pull the trigger. Instead he kept his voice low, asking coldly, "Why did you do this? What did Mendez tell you?"

Anderson made no response, but Booth's eyes widened in fear as he suddenly heard Mendez's cruel voice answer from behind him.

"That you're a lying son of a bitch who's going to get what's coming to him."

*Cue suspenseful music* Angst-time!