Hey everyone! I'm back from my brief hiatus after Masks, but I'm ready to start writing again. I was thinking over Fire in the Ice, and the whole discussion with Perotta and Brennan kind of stuck with me. Here are Agent Perotta's thoughts during the conversation, as per my brain. Happy reading!

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The case had been a weird one for sure, but I'd noticed that being with the infamous Dr. Brennan's team seemed to have that effect on the other agents. Agent Booth and I were pretty sure we knew who had done the deed, we just needed the physical evidence to go along with our hunches. So here we were, back at the ice rink, ready to "take some samples" as Dr. Brennan had so blithely put it. At least I could watch Agent Booth's skills on the ice that he bragged so much about.

I smiled a little at that thought. Special Agent Seeley Booth was somewhat of a legend around the Bureau due to his close rate, though his looks didn't stop his infamy among the female agents one bit either. His eyes were an intense brown that you could just see all of the passion roiling below the surface in. Well, and potentially below the sheets, or so a girl can dream.

As much as I could drool over his rather perfect physique, one thought kept bugging me. We had definitely been flirting throughout the case and if the interview at the Hoover Building was any indication, he was a very charming man. Though we'd been flirting and smiling, I couldn't help but notice the absolute "glow" he got every time he talked to his partner. This particular thought made me frown. Sure I didn't have hundreds of doctorates and degrees, but I was an intelligent woman. Wasn't I worthy of a "glow"?

The more reasonable side of me tried to push the jealousy out of my head as I observed warm-up for the game and his partner sitting next to me. She was watching the movements of the players with a reverence that I hadn't seen anyone have before. Her blue eyes continuously honed in on Booth and his on her while my jealousy reared its head again. I had to get to the bottom of this.

"You've worked with Booth for a while now, right?" I cut into the silence between us. Her eyes darted to me and she nodded, waiting for me to continue.

"Is he the kind of guy . . . you know, I mean, is he . . . flirty?"

"Flirty," She repeated, raising her eyebrows in confusion at my phrasing. To be honest, I was a little embarrassed at my stumbled delivery as well. This shouldn't be such an awkward subject; I was an FBI agent for God's sakes. I shouldn't be worried about something like this.

"Would you say he 'twinkles his eyes' at all women?" I asked, not sure at this point which answer I'd prefer. Her face lit with recognition and she launched into an explanation.

"Well, twinkly eyes actually result when the pupils dilate very wide, which is an unconscious result of intense interest or sexual attraction."

"So no, he doesn't twinkle at everyone," I clarify her complex response for myself and my heart sinks just a little farther.

"No" she repeats once again, shaking her hat covered head for effect.

"Alright . . ." I acquiesced, trying not to show my dampening spirits.

When the Bureau had assigned this case to me, I had been more than a little thrilled at the prospect of working with such a team, and Agent Booth in particular if I was really honest. But then I saw the way that he looked at her, the way that they looked at each other and I couldn't help but feel envious, of his attentions, partially, but mostly of the pure connection that they shared. The whistle blew, ending the warm up and my reverie. I watched them smile, no, glow at each other and I knew it was the end of any chance of mine also.

I just hope that she knew that he "twinkled" only for her.