My take on S4, from The Hero in the Hold, up to the spoilers for the end of S4, with a slight twist 

1

Dr Temperance Brennan frowned as she looked up at her partner. Booth was still leaning against her door jamb, but had yet to respond to her question. He had his head bowed, studying the papers in his hands intently.

"Booth?" Dr Brennan repeated, "Do we have a case?"

"Hmm?" Booth queried, tearing his gaze away from the papers to look up at his partner, "A case? How can we have a case when I'm not even allowed to work?"

"Well, you came to my office, with some sort of documents. You seem preoccupied."

"I gotta find a new apartment, my building is gonna be ripped down in ten weeks," Booth waved the papers at his partner, a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Wanna come with me to see this one later?"

"Yes, if you come to see a new apartment with me this afternoon," Brennan bartered, a smile teasing her lips, making her eyes sparkle when Booth returned the smile.

"Why're you moving?" Booth asked as he moved to finally enter the office, sitting on the sofa, his arm stretched along the cushions. "Your accountant found you a mansion to hide from the tax man?"

"Booth, that's ridiculous, and it was Hodgins who recommended it." Booth looked up sharply, gauging her reaction to her own words. She had apparently 'compartmentalized' how she felt about the entomologist and his penchant for stealing evidence, and how that had in turn, led to the events of the past three days. That didn't stop him worrying about her though. "He has a business associate who has a new complex on 10th Street, I agreed to view it," Brennan smiled, aware of how intently Booth was watching her. She would rather have him here, watching her, than missing or presumed dead, so she kept silent on that topic. "I may not move, it depends on many variables, not least of all if I like this apartment."

"What time do you have to meet the Real Estate Agent?" Booth asked, dropping his hand to his knee and standing slowly, his back was still aching from his escapades on board the Navy reef-to-be. "I need pie if I'm gonna take the grand tour of your new crib."

"Hardly a grand tour," Brennan corrected, "We do have time for lunch at the Diner though," she added, closing her laptop and fetching her coat from the stand.

"Great," Booth grinned, moving to stand behind Brennan, his hand falling to her lower back as he escorted her through the empty Medico-Legal lab, his grin fading as he thought briefly of the rest of the team, removed from work just as he was until the Jeffersonian review board could determine the legality of their actions on the Gravedigger case. He could only pray that this case wouldn't have such devastating effects as the Gormagon case; he didn't think Bones could cope with losing her team and the focus they provided her. He knew he couldn't cope with losing Bones as his partner.

"We can walk," Brennan interrupted Booth's thoughts as he tried to steer her towards the elevator that led to the underground parking garage, "It's only on 10th Street."

Booth whistled in mock appreciation, a smile tugging at his lips as Bones looked at him disapprovingly, "Walking distance eh?"

"Walking distance from the Diner too," Brennan mentioned casually, smiling as Booth's smile widened, his eyes twinkling as he considered that. "That would help you to keep in shape after consuming vast quantities of pie."

"Hey!" Booth protested as they turned onto the main road, aiming for the Diner at the end corner of the street, "I'm already in shape, thank you." He smirked, bumping his hip against hers as they walked, "I keep fit chasing after you."

"You do not chase after me!" Brennan retorted,

"I've been chasing you for years!" Booth shot back, falling silent when Bones looked up at him; her eyes betraying the direction of her thoughts as she weighed up the possible meanings of his words. Things had changed since the hug in the helicopter and she hadn't been able to identify what it was that had changed, or indeed how it had even changed between them, but nonetheless; something had changed. "Everyone is here," Brennan spoke softly, allowing Booth to pull open the door for her to walk into the Diner,

"They understand the attraction of pie," Booth joked, following Bones to their usual table, nodding to Cam, Angela, Hodgins and Sweets as they sat.

"Hey," Angela sounded weary, her eyes missing the usual excited sparkle as she moved to sit next to Brennan. "Any news?"

"From the review board?" Brennan clarified as she listened to Booth order her coffee, "Not yet, but there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that they have to evaluate."

"I'm sure they'll clear it all up by tomorrow, they need you all back at work," Booth reassured his team, smiling his thanks to the waitress who placed a large slice of pie and coffee in front of him.

"That is true." Brennan smiled, leaning back on her chair, "This is the most valuable team the Jeffersonian employs, to terminate any part of the liaisons between ourselves and the FBI would be detrimental to the success of both institutions."

"Exactly," Cam agreed, swivelling on her stool to face them, "We should enjoy the weekend, we'll be back on schedule on Monday."

Silence fell amongst the group as they contemplated their own thoughts, the background noise of the Diner fading away as they looked into their coffee cups, glancing at each other surreptitiously, or in the case of Sweets, quite blatantly staring.

"I need alcohol," Angela muttered, looking pleadingly at her closest friend, "glug-glug woo-hoo?"

"Tonight?" Brennan asked, her weary tone matching her friend's, "I have things to do."

"No, you can cancel them, I need to talk, you and Cam are going to listen and give me advice while we drink crazy, colourful concoctions," Angela offered an apologetic smile to Cam,

"Eight o clock?" Cam questioned, looking to the Forensic Anthropologist for agreement. Brennan blinked, mentally rearranging her plans for the evening. It had been a while since she had spent time with Angela, but on the other hand, she had agreed to spend time with Parker, and had a few ideas for the next chapter of her book that needed to be put down on her planning board.

"I'll drop you off on the way back," Booth told Brennan firmly, his eyes fixed firmly on hers.

"What about Parker? He wanted me to watch his dinosaur DVD," Brennan looked for an out; she really needed time to write up her next chapter for her editor.

"I'll let you make it up to him by letting us use your ninety-six inches of heaven?" Booth smiled, his full charm smile that never failed to get him what he wanted.

It worked.

"You'll have to make the beds," Brennan acquiesced, "and not spill popcorn over my sofa."

"That was Parker!" Booth mock-protested with a smirk, he knew Bones deserved a night to enjoy herself, even if Parker was a little disappointed that Bones wasn't there, he loved her apartment and she would be there when they awoke the next morning ready for T-Ball.

"That was not Parker," Brennan refuted, "He tells the truth." She smiled at her partner, before turning back to her friend, aware that Angela was hanging on their every word, "Okay, I'll be there at eight."

"Well then, I think this weekend off also constitutes a reason to shop, before we get drunk," Angela smiled, "Bren? Cam?"

"We have apartments to view." Brennan said apologetically, oblivious to the raised eyebrows of her colleagues, "in fact, we should probably start walking if we want to meet the Real Estate Agent on time."

"Tomorrow?" Angela pushed, sensing that gossip was on the cards.

"Parker is playing T-Ball." Brennan excused herself again, her mind still on her book while she watched Sweets stare as Booth pull out his wallet.

"I'll join you," Cam smiled at Angela, watching the excitement seep back into the artist at the mention of Brennan and Booth apartment hunting together and spending time with Parker, "You two have fun."

"I doubt it'll be fun," Booth told her, dropping some bills onto the table as Brennan stood to put her coat on. "Come on Bones."

"You're paying?" Sweets blurted out, breaking his observational silence, gaining the attention of almost everyone around. Even Hodgins looked up from his coffee for the first time since they had arrived.

"If you'd rather I left you the tab?" Booth threatened, moving from his seat to stand between the table and the psychologist.

"I just understood that Dr Brennan preferred to be treated as an individual." Sweets spoke softly, barely loud enough for Booth to hear.

"If Bones wanted me to pay for her; she would ask." Booth told him firmly, striding away, his hand on Brennan's back as they disappeared out of the door, bickering silently as the team watched them through the glass until they moved out of sight.

More to come soon! :)