So this fiction was born out of challenge from Bella. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own BONES. The plotline, however, is © WolfMyjic 2008

Hell, Michigan…3:46pm…

Temperance Brennan followed behind her partner, FBI Agent Seeley Booth, her booted feet thumping heavily in the slushy snow. Her auburn hair was stuffed inside the thick, fake fur lined hood of a bright green coat. Her own coat, along with the rest of her clothes were somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains. Brennan figured that some back hill hick was using them to start a fire. The doctor felt bad for her thoughts, knowing that you shouldn't judge people by where they live, but she was in a bad mood, and Booth's nonstop jokes about her hand-me-down coat from the woman at the Bed and Breakfast hadn't done anything to improve it. Brennan adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and mumbled, "Stupid cold," under her breath.

"What was that, Bones?" Booth asked, glancing back at her, but she didn't answer, just continued to follow in silent misery. As they approached a group of men in black coats to match Booths, Brennan knew that they have found the local agents who had called they in. She watched her partner removed one of his gloved hands from his pocket, and held it out to one of the men. "Rusty," he identified the lead agent, his voice becoming visible as a silvery stream lifting towards the treetops.

"Seeley Booth," the agent in question answered. "It's been a long time." The two shook hands and then Rusty's eyes drifted toward Brennan. "And this must be your partner."

"Russell Mahn, Doctor Temperance Brennan."

"Nice to finally meet you," Rusty said, holding out his hand. Brennan clasped the hand firmly, her numb fingers tingling under the pressure. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Where's the body?" Brennan asked. She was tired, cold and mad; the last thing she wanted was small talk in the snow.

"Right over there," Rusty said, pointing to a second, smaller group of men. She granted something toward Booth and then began walking to the remains. "So that's the famous Doctor Brennan. Is she the firecracker everybody says she is?"

"That may be an understatement," Booth replied.

"I heard that she could take down a grown man without breaking a sweat." Booth chuckled that his partner's reputation preceded her, and that Brennan didn't have a clue.

"I wouldn't go that far," the agent said.

"Know what I heard?" another agent said, elbowing the guy next to him. "I heard that she killed a man with her bare hands and that's why she's not allowed to carry a guy."

"Well, I heard that she can dispose of a body and never get caught," yet another agent said. They all looked at Booth to deny the rumors, but he remained silent, starring after his partner, as she bent in the snow to look over the remains.

"Well, I heard," Rusty said, "that she's having a fling with her partner."

"What?" Booth asked, shaking his head as to clear it out. "What was that?"

"You heard me," Rusty teased. "Is it true?"

"Of course not," Booth defended. "We're partners, friends, but we're not in a relationship."

"Umm-mm," Rusty hummed with a smile. Booth huffed then turned from the agents and walked away.

"What's the deal with Agent Booth," the lone female agent asked Brennan, as the doctor carefully examined the remains.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Brennan commented half-heartedly.

"A good looking agent like that, and I hear that he's not involved with anybody."

"He's involved with a lot of people," the doctor answered jotting down some notes.

"He is?" the female agent asked, shocked.

"Sure, there's me and Angela and Hodgins."

"I didn't know he swung that way."

Brennan looked up at the agent with her brows drawn together in confusion. "He hasn't swung anything," she answered. "Well, I guess maybe his son on the swings." The agent and the doctor starred at each other for a moment.

"I think," the agent began, "that we are on two different subjects."

"Obviously." Brennan gave the agent one last look before returning to the job at hand.

Booth watched the exchanged between Brennan and the FBI agent but was too far away to hear. Although he could guess what it was about. How dare those agents assume that he and Brennan were sleeping together? We don't act like we're in a relationship or anything, he thought as he began toward where Brennan knelt waving for him to come over. As he went he couldn't help but notice the smirks on the male agents faces. Booth jabbed his hands further into his coat pockets and gritted his teeth together. He hated that people would just assume that just because Brennan was an attractive woman and they were both single, and they spent long hours together…Booth shook his head as he approached his partner. "What?" he asked, not caring that it came out short. That was the last thing Brennan needed to snap. She stood, facing Booth eye to eye and that is when the fight began. The other agents watched as the two yelled at each other and their hand movements became more animated. "Fine," Booth yelled, and then turned away and began to walk.

"Don't you walk away from me," Brennan called after him, and taking a step forward. When Booth didn't stop, the doctor scooped up a hand full of snow, quickly formed it into a ball and launched it him, hitting him squarely in the back of the head. Booth reached up, touched to cold spot and then turned around.

"I can't believe you did that," he shouted.

"Well, I can't believe you walked away from me."

"You started this whole thing," Booth shot back. The two yelled a few more accusations while the other agents looked on with amusement. Brennan scooped up another handful of snow and flung it at her partner. This time, however, Booth dodged and scooped up his own ball of snow. The two soon forgot about the audience as they throw snowballs at each other. Ducking and dodging and running around. Brennan jumped behind a tree and Booth heard a small scream. He hurried over to find Brennan on the ground, her legs bent over a log. Her hat had come off, and her auburn hair spread out like a halo around her head. Booth's laughter died on his lips at the sight.

"Well, don't just stand there," Brennan began, holding up a hand. "Help me up." Booth smiled and moved forward. He clasped her hand, but before he could pull she jerk him, causing him to lose his balance and falling over the log. He was able to put out his free arm to help break his fall, which left his face open for a handful of snow. Brennan's laughter floated up into the air as Booth shook his head and sent snow flying.

"That was low," he accused.

"But funny." Booth wiped a hand over his face and then looked down at his partner. He could feel the warmth from her body where they were pinned together. He wasn't sure what it was, but something about the light in Brennan's eyes made his heart flutter.

"Truce?" Booth asked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Brennan's ear. The doctor licked her lips. When had Booth gotten so close? She could feel his warm breath across her mouth.

"Truce," she said, her voice a whisper, her eyes closing in response to what was about to happen.

"You two okay?" Rusty asked from beside the tree. The partners pushed apart quickly and both struggled to their feet.

"Fine," the both said. Brennan avoided eye contact with either man as she made her way from them.

"Shut up," Booth snapped at Rusty who stood there smirking at him. "I said that we are not in a relationship," defended.

"You sure about that?"

"Bones and me in a relationship has about as much of a chance as a snowball in…"

"Hell?" Rusty offered, with a gesture around the snow covered ground. Booth stomped off with Rusty's laughter following him.