A/N: I don't own anything. Well maybe the writing but the characters or songs. Nope not a one.
"Fine!" he shouted. "I can't believe how stubborn you are!"
They were standing face to face, their chests a hair's breadth apart.
"I am not being stubborn!" she yelled. "And I will not be intimidated by you like I'm a suspect."
A crowd gathered outside her office where everyone could see through her glass walls at the imminent train wreck that was certainly about to happen.
"I am not trying to intimidate you," he said sternly. "Is it my fault that I'm physically bigger and stronger than you, like men are supposed to be, anthropologically speaking?"
Her eyes widened with fury and her face flushed causing her creamy skin to resemble the flames that were shooting out of her eyes.
"This is not good," Cam said to the other spectators.
"I can't believe he'd use her own words against her like that," Hodgins said.
"I can take care of myself, Booth," she yelled.
"I know you can but when I tell you to stay back," he said, "I need to trust you that you'll listen to me."
"And I need you to trust me that I can take care of myself."
"I know you can take care of yourself," he said. "But I can't stay focused on everything going on and stay focused on what you're doing so I can provide adequate backup."
"I think this is what's finally going to get them together," Angela said as the others looked at her in disbelief. "What I mean is that the sexual tension is so ginormous right now that they have to release it before they blow up like Mt. Vesuvius."
"And we're Pompeii," Cam said as she nodded in agreement.
"I told you I don't need you to protect me," she yelled.
"God Damn it Bones," he said. "The guy answered the door with a shotgun cocked and pointed at us and I'll be damned if I lose you because you're too headstrong to trust my gut."
"While I admit your gut has been right on occasion," she said, "that doesn't mean whatever you feel is some arbitrary law."
"I'm a former military sniper. I've seen more combat that I wish I had," he said. "Why do you think I'm still alive? Because I can recognize when a situation isn't normal, when I'm walking into a trap or ambush."
"Did anyone else catch what he said about not wanting to lose her?" Angela asked. "That's so romantic."
"I disarmed him didn't I?" she asked. "Were there any shots fired? No. Were there any casualties? No."
"Umm, Angela," Hodgins said, "I hope your metaphor isn't completely accurate because unlike Pompeii, we won't get smothered in ashes and I highly doubt the custodial staff will want to clean up after their eruption."
"Yes you disarmed him," he said. "But in kicking the gun out of his hands, you knocked me off the porch leaving you vulnerable to a second shooter if there was one. You can't remove your backup in a situation like that. I can't have you out in the field with me if I think that you'll act impulsively and get hurt or killed or both of us killed."
"I don't think we have to worry about that because they're coming out," Angela said.
"What will it take to prove that I don't need you to hover over me like a babe in the woods?" Brennan asked.
"I don't think you understand the severity of the compromised situations you get yourself into," he retorted.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again," she said with a coy smile while standing almost chest to chest. "I can take care of myself."
"You're always talking about how you can kick my ass," Booth said. "I don't think you can do it."
"Is that a challenge?" she asked. "Because if it is I won't be held accountable for any injuries you may sustain."
"Yeah, I guess it is a challenge," he said with a nod. "You think you can use your various martial arts on me like I'm some sort of bumbling criminal. I'll have you know that I'm a decorated former Army Ranger. I'm a Special Agent with the FBI. I have been trained in hand to hand combat. I may not be able to pull some ninja kick out of my ass but I'm more than capable of defending myself without a weapon."
"Well then I'm glad it'll be a little bit of a fight," she said. "Because I'd hate to hurt you and I don't plan on dragging it out to stroke your ego."
"I'm not worrying about getting hurt," he said. "I expect you to bring it on like Donkey Kong."
"I don't know what that means."
"I know," he said with his charm smile.
"So when I win," Brennan said, "you have to issue me a gun and treat me like an equal in the field."
"Fine, because it's not going to happen," he said as they were both walking towards the doors of the lab. "But I'll play along anyway. And when I win you have to turn in your hand cannon that you bought at the mall and listen to me when I say stay behind me."
"This I have to see," Angela said as she started following them for a few steps before she stopped.
"Miss Montenegro and Dr. Hodgins," Cam said authoritatively. "What are you working on this afternoon?"
"I just waiting for Brennan to finish the tissue markers so I render a face," Angela said.
"I just started an assay that requires a twelve hour incubation before I can proceed," he said.
"Well then that's settled," Cam said as she pulled off her gloves and lab coat. "Are you two coming?"
"Damn straight," Angela said.
"Does anyone else think this is going down like in Mr. and Mrs. Smith during their foreplay scene where they try and kill each other?" Hodgins asked.
"As Angela said, damn straight," Cam said.