Author's Note: I'm back. A thousand apologies for having neglected this story. Hope there are still readers interested in this.

Booth ran his fingers through his much needed haircut. His eyes widened, jaws dropped.

"Close your mouth. Heard of me, I'm assuming?" the undercover agent asked.

"Nikki Marini? You're Nikki Marini! The agency had given you up for dead. You never contacted anyone. Two years is a long time to be undercover. You were the subject of conversations in several states. There were talks you ran off with..." Booth hesitated.

She lowered her head. "The talks were right. I don't know what I was thinking...what my heart was thinking. He was dangerously charming." Nikki confided, and exhaled deeply, unaware she had been holding her breath.

"Was?" The ex-sniper raised an eyebrow.

"With all the drug dealings going on, I was afraid one wrong move, and he'd be killed. Instead, he died in a boating accident three months ago. I was there. And I couldn't help him. Died in my arms." She sat herself down on the crumpled bed. Tears escaped from the corners of her hazel-colored eyes.

Booth crouched down in front of her. "Did he know who you were?"

Nikki shrugged. "I'm not sure. His last words were "I love you" and "I know."

The FBI Agent held her hands. "Now, you're ready to leave and don't know how. You know too much. I'm sorry for your loss."

Nikki nodded, then caught herself. Pulling away, she hissed. "I don't need your sympathy. I don't need anyone!"

"You know, when we get out of this, the agency..."

"I know! I know what will happen! I'm not a moron! I'll be interrogated, I'll be stripped of my...I know I'll no longer be one of you!" she hollered.

Booth spoke in a low toned voice. "You know what undercover means? Secret investigations. Where was it in the book that says you're to fall in love with your assigned case? But, it just happens, sometimes. Our hearts are like magnets, and they attach themselves to someone you least expect."

Nikki placed her hand on Booth's chest, pushing him hard against the floor. "You think you're an expertise on love? The guy who calls someone "Bones". Mr. Romantic, are you?"

Booth laid on the floor. "So, why the black outfit?"

"Well, stupid! I'm in mourning, what do you think? You think I like looking like Wednesday Adams?"

"The pigtails?"

"Pigtails, ponytails, what's the difference?" she snapped. Her voice softened. "He loved my long flowing hair. He'd run his fingers through them. He was a chemist. He didn't do drugs...was very well educated," she defended him.

"I see. So, he's not the typical druggie. He was the one with the brains. How stupid could you have been?" Booth snickered, jumping to his feet. "Why didn't you just leave when he died?"

"I don't know! Sorry, I'm telling you all of this! I don't even know why I'm confiding in you!"

"Because, I'm your only way out. Tell me this."

"Depends on what." Nikki placed her hands on her hips.

Booth moved in closely. "If he hadn't died, would have stayed with him? Were you happy living like this? Under an assumed name? I'm guessing he didn't know your real name."

"Rhanda Covers. He called me Rhandi."

"Covers?" he laughed. "Like undercover."

Nikki pulled out her Smith and Wesson 9mm, and jabbed it into Booth. He swallowed hard, feeling the rapid pounding in his heart.

"Nikki, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Put the gun down," he spoke calmly, although he feared for his life.

She smiled with her eyes rather than with her mouth with all her glory. "Make me," she replied in a throaty voice.

"Nikki, I said put the gun down."

"Why don't you just shut your mouth? I shouldn't have said anything to you and let you rot here!"

"Like you are right now? I'm your ticket out. Aren't I?"

Lowering her gun, she whispered. "Can you take me home now?"

Booth laughed. "Yeah, sure. We walk out of here while your entourage are out there, and they'll blast our heads off."

"They're not, they won't. It's rarely there's no one here. This is one of the times. So, we should hurry. Can't waste any time. I want to go home."

"What? No one's here? And you're standing here yapping to me?" he shouted, pacing the floors.

"Catch"! She threw his gun to him. "Good catch! Now, let's go! You'll soon be with your son, and that Bones creature." Nikki opened the bedroom door, Booth followed closely behind.

TBC - Chapter 18