This takes place in Season 10 and is AU.

This is for MJ and for Mary C. who named the focus of this story.

A/N: there is a little French in the story but I translated it at the end of the chapter. It will make sense when you see it.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Entering Booth's office, Caroline stopped and studied the man she considered a part of her family and a close friend. "Cher', I have a problem and I need you to help me with it."

His dark thoughts shattered, Booth looked up and smiled, a tinge of sadness never leaving his face. "Sure, what is it Caroline?"

After she entered the room, closed the door behind her and sat down on the chair across from Booth."Well . . . I have a family problem to be truthful and I need you to help me with it. I don't really have anyone else I can count on."

Concerned for his friend, Booth leaned forward on his desk. "Is your daughter okay? Are you alright?"

This was the reason she loved this man. He had a big heart and he never forgoet her daughter. "Yeah Cher', she's fine. That's not the family problem I'm having. My cousin Ted Boudreaux wants to go hunting out of the state of Louisiana and well . . . he needs someone to go with him. None of his friends can go because it's a last minute vacation and he has a family obligation to fulfill while he's gone. I thought you could take a week or two and go with him and maybe keep him from blowing his damn head off . . . He's kind of a calamite'."

"Caroline, what makes you think I have time to go with him?" Shaking his head, Booth protested, "Besides I don't hunt anymore."

Shrugging her shoulders, Caroline leaned forward and placed her right hand on his desk. "Listen Cher', you've been working very hard since you came back and I think you need to go on a small vacation. It'll give you a new perspective and it just might help with that mood you have going on right now."

"If I want to go on vacation, I want to do it with my family, not yours." Irritated, Booth tried to control his emotions. He didn't want to get on the bad side of Caroline if he could help it. "I'm not trying to be rude, but I was away from my family for four months. I've been home for two and I don't want to go anywhere without them."

Pleased he'd brought up that up, Caroline knew she could talk him into her plan. "There you go, problem solved . . . take them with you. You can go camping with them and spend a day or two making sure Ted comes back alive and we'll all be happy. I'll even arrange it so that the week or two you're gone won't count against your vacation time. I'll make it look like you're working on a case . . . Please Cher', you know I don't beg people for favors, but Ted is the only cousin I have left and I don't want to hear that he's missing and his body has been found two years from now by a hunter."

Worried about her cousin, Booth tapped his finger against the desk. "If he's that risky, I don't want to be around him. He might shoot my head off or Bones or Christine. Nothing doing . . . Besides, if he's your only cousin then how does he have family obligations if they don't involve you or your daughter?"

"He has some distant family on his father's side of the family." Annoyed, Caroline studied the reluctant agent before her and decided she needed to add some pressure. "Okay, I guess it doesn't matter all the favors I've done for you over the years. Lending you my car and you giving it back to me all smashed up, getting you warrants that should have been impossible, but because I'm such a great lawyer you got them anyway . . . That's okay, Cher'. I know you only think of me as a co-worker and not as family even though I think of you as family and that's okay . . . I mean I wouldn't . . ."

Defeated, Booth sighed deeply. "Okay, stop. I'll do it . . . I'll do it as a favor for you if you promise me never to bring up that damn car again. I didn't wreck the damn thing, Russ Brennan ran into it on purpose. Hell, I wasn't even in the car . . ."

Holding up her hand, Caroline interrupted him, "Okay Cher', you got a deal."

"Where's he want to go hunting . . . Virginia?" Curious, Booth wanted to know where he was being exiled to for the next couple of weeks.

Quickly standing, Caroline smiled at her favorite FBI agent. "Michigan."

Surprised, Booth stood up. "Michigan? What do you mean Michigan?"

Moving quickly to the doorway, Caroline opened the dooor and waved her hand. "Ted will call you and make arrangements to meet you somewhere and you can caravan up. Thanks Cher'."

Tricked or at least he felt like he'd been tricked, Booth started to protest again. "Caroline, . . . Caroline, I don't want to go to Michigan . . . " Watching her leave his office Booth sat down and glared at the empty doorway. "Shit! Someday she's going to get a hell of a shock when I tell her 'no' when she wants me to do something for her."

Ooooooooooooooooo

"I can't believe I let Caroline talk me into coming up here to hunt with her cousin." Exasperated, Booth sat on the chair near the door to their motel room and watched Brennan unpack their bags while Christine used the remote control to flip through the channels on their television. "I don't hunt anymore. This is stupid . . . I should have told her no."

While removing her clothes from the bag to place in the dresser, Brennan kept her back towards him trying to hide her smile. His ranting steadily filling the room, she soon found herself laughing quietly.

Concerned when his wife started to shake, Booth realized that she was laughing. Standing up abruptly, he walked over to where she was hovering over their luggage and placed his arms around her. Quietly, he murmured in her ear. "So this is funny?"

Turning in his arms, Brennan placed her arms around his waist and leaned against him. Her voice soft so Christine couldn't over hear, Brennan felt comforted when he held her against his firm body. "I never thought I would enjoy hearing you complaining, but yes . . . I think it is funny. You have been very careful not to fuss around me since you came back home . . . You never raise your voice, you walk out of the room when I'm annoyed and when we start to argue you just . . . you get this look on your face and you walk away from me . . ." Swallowing, Brennan cleared her throat. "I thought you'd . . . I thought you didn't . . . "

Booth heard his own voice quaver as he held her. "I know I've been distant Bones since I came back . . . I'm sorry. It didn't have anything to do with you. It wasn't your fault. I . . . I've had a hard time and I didn't want to . . . I didn't want . . . "

"I want you back, Booth." Leaning her forehead against his shoulder, she breathed in his scent and it calmed her. "You never bicker or argue with me anymore and that isn't you. I know that sounds wrong, but I enjoy it when you don't agree with me. I love it when you fuss at me. It's who you are . . . I thought maybe you didn't want to be with me anymore."

Filled with sadness, Booth placed his cheek against her head and closed his eyes. Trying to keep his voice low, he barely spoke above a whisper, "Bones, I'm sorry. I just . . . I'm sorry. My God I never meant to make you feel like I didn't want you. I . . . I thought I was doing the right thing and I guess I was just making things worse. You're right, I . . . I knew you'd been through so much and our lives have been such a disaster that I wanted to make it better for you. I wanted to be the husband that you deserve and not the mess you got . . . I love you Bones and you deserve someone who . . . someone who isn't so angry all the time. I'm trying to not be that man, but it's so damn hard."

Pulling back to look into his sad face, Brennan continued to speak softly, aware that their daughter was just a few feet away from them. "Booth, I know who I married and that's who I want. I want you to act like you've always acted around me. I want you to be you."

"I'll try Bones." Glancing over at his daughter who was raptly watching a cartoon on the TV, he tried to explain, "I've been so angry about . . . everything and I've been afraid to . . . I've been afraid to let you see it. I don't want you to be afraid of me. I don't want Christine to be afraid of me."

Slowly shaking her head, Brennan assured him, "Booth, you have every right to be angry about what happened to you. You have a right to get angry. You have a right to fuss when you want to. Don't stop being you, please. I want you the way you've always been."

On the verge of tears, Booth tried to change his mood. He didn't want her to be sad and he didn't want to upset his little girl. "A smartass?" He kissed her and smiled.

Returning his kiss, Brennan quipped, "Or a dumbass?"

Laughter his answer, Booth was filled with a sense of relief and kissed her once more.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Sullenly sitting in Ted's pickup truck, Booth watched the scenery from the side window as Ted drove.

"Mais, tanks for coming hunting wit me." Glancing at his cousin's friend, Ted frowned at the agent. "Caroline says you don't hunt no mo, but you was willing to come wit me and dat's very nice of you."

Not getting a response, Ted shrugged his shoulders. "I won da lottery for da Elk license and mais I couldn't believe my luck, Cher'. Da only have 15 license for da Elk dis year and I won one. I coulda been knocked over by da feather I was so surprised. Mon cousin voulait que je vous invite parce qu'elle est triste que vous avez été traité comme une merde par tout le monde. J'espère que cela ne vous rendent heureux parce qu'elle vous aime et j'aime mon cousin. So anyway, you don't have to hunt wit me. I'm jus happy dat you came wit me so dat I'm not by myself. Tanks Cher'."

Realizing that he should say something, Booth turned to look at Caroline's younger cousin. "Yeah, not a problem. Where do you plan to hunt?"

Pleased that the Fed was finally talking to him, Ted smiled and glanced at him before turning his attention back towards the road. "Mais in dis county. I got 4 days to find one and kill it. If I don't din I don't." Clearing his throat, Ted broached the subject he'd been dreading to bring up. "Um . . . look Cher' . . . I need to drive to Sault St. Marie, Canada. Do you have your passport wit you?"

Startled, Booth stared intently at his companion. "Why do you need to drive to Canada?"

Nonchalantly, Ted pointed over his shoulder with his left hand. "I got something in da back of my truck dat I need to deliver to a second cousin of mine who lives there. I just got to deliver it and come back. I don't plan to stay no."

Reluctant to admit it, Booth finally nodded his head. "Yeah I have it with me, but it's back at the motel. I always travel with my passport."

Pleased to hear the news, Ted reached out and punched Booth's thigh. "Mais, dat's great. We can go tomorra din."

Curiosity eating at him, Booth asked him, "Okay, tell me what you need to deliver to your cousin."

Happy that Booth was cooperating, Ted told him the truth. "Mais, I need to deliver Carlos in a few days. He probably not happy in da cooler."

Feeling his eyes bulging, Booth shifted in his seat to stare at the Cajun. "You have someone in a cooler?"

Laughing, Ted slapped his steering wheel in amusement. "Mais Cher', you funny for sho . . . My egg isn't broken no. Carlos is a gator."

Shocked at the news, Booth couldn't take his eyes off of Ted. "You . . . you have an alligator in a cooler in this truck?"

Ted knew Booth might not understand, so he tried to assure him. "Well, he a little one for sho. He only eighteen inches, but he big enough. T-Fred want da gator for his bar. I said I'd bring him one when I come up, see?"

Slowly shaking his head, Booth tried to advise Ted. "I don't think you can take a gator into Canada. Those people will have a cow if you try."

Surprised, Ted glanced at Booth then back at the road. "You tink so? Mais, I don't see why. It not like Carlos could live up here in da wild. He a cold blooded creature. Gators need da hot temperatures to live. T-Fred built a special case for Carlos to show him off."

Crossing his arms against his chest, Booth shook his head again. "You're crazy as hell if you think they'll let you bring a fucking gator into Canada."

Worried, Ted bit his lower lip. "Mais, dat's a problem din. I made a promise wit T-Fred to bring him one."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Reviews would be appreciated. Thank you.

A/N: Mon cousin voulait que je vous invite parce qu'elle est triste que vous avez été traité comme une merde par tout le monde. J'espère que cela ne vous rendent heureux parce qu'elle vous aime et j'aime mon cousin. Translation: My cousin wanted me to invite you because she's sad that you were treated like a piece of shit by everyone. I hope this does make you happy because she loves you and I love my cousin.

Calamite = disaster

I hope you are enjoying Ted's Southwestern Louisiana accent. I have a lot of relatives who talk just like he does.