Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, really, zilch

Brennan sat studiously at her desk, rapidly typing her latest report that was due for submission that afternoon. Although she did not notice it, her fingers slammed down upon the keys with aggressive fervour, and her eyes glared down the computer screen as though it had deeply offended her in some irrevocable manner. What she did notice, however, was the pounding headache throbbing between her temples, and the acute ache which twinged in her lower back with every movement, which had its origins in the many hours she had spent bending over a particularly rotten corpse during the course of the day. With bleary eyes she began to read over her writing, hoping to finish with enough time to slip in a few hours of much-needed sleep before a charity ball she was attending that evening with Booth. But, by just looking at her work she came to the conclusion: sleep and the period of that afternoon were about as far from each other as calcium carbonate and camembert.

Simultaneously, Booth was sitting in his own office, before his own computer, trying to finish his report of the same case. He was having just as much success as his partner. The difference between them was that, instead of taking his frustration out on the keyboard, Booth was taking it out on an ill-timed Dr Sweets who had happened, by unfortunate circumstance, to come in search of some minute details for his upcoming book. All it took was one sentence containing the phrases 'war zone', 'troubled past' and 'future repercussions', before Booth's defences rose, and his fatigue from a long week of casework made his replies short and snappy.

Within five minutes Booth was storming out of his office leaving a quaking Sweets in his wake, and attracting many a curious glance from his co-workers in the building. He hardly noticed, merely continuing to head straight to the first place of refuge he thought of: Brennan's office.

Brennan's eyes flicked up from her screen when the door to her office flew open, but when she recognised Booth as the unannounced visitor she quickly turned back to her work. Peripherally, she followed his form crossing the room until it collapsed unceremoniously upon her couch, and after finishing her sentence she raised her eyes to look at her intruder. A flicker of concern flashed in her mind seeing Booth's somewhat disrupted countenance, but further inspection of his features told her he was showing more of the emotion she recognised as anger and frustration than any true angst.

'Is something the matter, Booth?' Brennan inwardly winced at how harsh her voice had made the question, but she was tired and impatient to finish her work, and hence decided that niceties were just a bit beyond her reach at that point in time.
'Just...' Booth broke off with a sigh, running a hand through his short dark hair, 'it's nothing.'
'Something is obviously bothering you, if not just for the simple fact you didn't offer a greeting when you entered my office.' Booth gazed at her for a long moment, before letting out another angry sigh and rising to his feet once again.

'Dr Sweets just came in to my office, asking about my sniper days again. He just doesn't seem to understand that I don't want to talk about it...' Booth quickly caught himself- hearing his voice rising and his anger beginning to boil once again, he took a quick breath before continuing on in a more controlled manner, 'I guess he came asking the wrong questions at the wrong time, and I just had to get out of there.'

Brennan looked thoughtfully across her desk at the man now aimlessly perusing her bookshelf, a slight frown tweaking her brow.
'Well,' she stated in a rather objective tone, 'you do have a tendency to clam down about these things...'
'Clam up, Bones. The phrase is "clam up"' Booth automatically corrected the colloquialism, but a slight frown was now darkening his eyes at the insinuation of the statement. He had thought that Bones, of all people, would understand the longing to forget the painful memories of his past- or at least a decent level of privacy in regard to them.

'Yes, that. You aren't really all that forthcoming with the information, so perhaps if you had just told Dr Sweets what he had wanted to know in the first place you wouldn't be in this situation.' Some small voice in the back of Brennan's head set off alarm bells as soon as the words passed over her lips, giving her a moment's warning before Booth turned to her with a disbelieving anger contorting his generally pleasant features.
'What do you mean, tell him what he wants to know? I don't even think about that time if I can help it, let alone talk about it to anyone! And you really aren't one to talk; you haven't exactly been forthcoming about your past either, especially towards Sweets.'

'Sweets has been able to find out things about my past through its detailed documentation with the foster program that I was in. As I don't have the luxury of being able to protect my privacy, I haven't needed to disclose any further information.' Brennan's voice had suddenly become icily cold, and she instinctively rose to her feet to remove the insecurity of being lower than her unexpectedly confrontational visitor.

'Since you are so resentful of having your privacy breached I would have believed you would understand how much I hate having my own affairs examined by a bunch of doctors!'
'I just find it hardly fair if, in a book written about the pair of us, that my personal details should be considered or included and yours not. If your past isn't as accessible as mine, that is hardly my fault.'

'The reason half my past is inaccessible is because it's classified. The world is not supposed to know about what I did, the...horrible things I was made to carry out. What if my son sees this book? How do you expect me to explain that to him? There is a very, very good reason I don't talk about my past, Brennan, and I am hardly going to break that rule because you find yourself to be bitter that your life story is that much more publicised than mine!'

Somehow the pair had gravitated closer and closer until they were almost nose to nose, each glaring at their opponent with fierce eyes full of conviction and passion. At Booth's last statement, Brennan furiously opened her mouth to respond, but before she could utter a word Booth held up his hands and stepped away.

'Look, we obviously aren't in the right mindset to talk about this now. I'm going to leave before either of us says anything damaging.' Somehow this seemed to kindle Brennan's fury, and she yelled at Booth's retreating back.
'No! I demand that you stay and explain yourself!' Booth paused at the doorway, and turned back to face Brennan. She could see the incredulous disbelief that she had just ordered him to stay in her office, but could also see a patronising glean in his eye, showing that he could read her emotionally, and knew exactly how to deal with her. At that very moment, there was nothing that could have irritated Brennan more.
'Good afternoon, Temperance.' And with one last glance, he exited the office and swiftly walked away down the hall, with his angry strides echoing around him.
'No! Booth, no!' Brennan cried after him, her outrage at his comments still flaring inside her, she dashed to the door. Just as she reached it, however, she saw him turning out the exit, and the doors slide closed behind him. Brennan stood, frozen still, for a moment, before she angrily slammed her office door, retreating back into the solitude. Instead of returning to her report, however, she sank onto her couch. She was sure that, for the one occasion, Cam wouldn't mind her report being a bit behind schedule. Flopping down on to the pillows she raised a hand to her now positively painful head, trying to calm her fuming brain down enough to allow for sleep.

Sorry if the fight sounded a bit ridiculous/ooc, but I wanted to write about something that could easily be resolved by the end of the fanfic, so i attribute all ooc-ness to fatigue (on both the character's and my behalf ;))

I'm basing this off a movie I've seen recently, but I don't want to spoil the plot for people who don't know where this is going yet by naming it right now. But if you can guess which film it is, I shall present you with a virtual cookie :)

And just out of interest, who do you think is right? Booth, for wanting his privacy respected, or Brennan, for wanting equal levels of representation in the book?

Despite the fact it does not look so now, this will be EPIC B/B. Rejoice!