A/N: Okay, the idea for this short fic has been bouncing around in my noggin for quite awhile and my muse just loves weekends for creative writing, so here ya go.

DISCLAIMER: why do I have to tell you I don't own Bones or any of the characters? I mean, duh, ya think I'd be writing fanfics if I did? lol

Part 1

Brennan and Booth faced each other on the training mat, each dressed in sweatpants and T-shirts, barefoot. Booth grinned in anticipation. This ought to be interesting.

"I think you already know, self defense isn't about strength, it's about using your attacker's weight against him. Keep him off balance, and you'll come out on top in any situation. Now, I don't want to hurt you, so if you want to stop at any time, just say so, okay?" Booth told her.

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, same goes for you too. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," she assured him with a wry smile.

Booth chuckled. "Don't worry about me. If you hold back too much, I won't be able to tell you what areas you need help in." Taking a deep breath, he looked her up and down. "Ready?"

At her nod, he stepped toward her. "Okay, we'll go through some attack scenarios and you show me what self defense techniques you would use."

Brennan stepped closer to him. "Shut up and start, Booth. I haven't got all day."

Without further ado, he grabbed her upper arms. Bending her arms, she swept them up and then down, breaking his hold, then feinted a knee at his groin. Stepping back, he nodded. "Very good. You might want to try a jab at the throat with the vee of your hand or boxing the ear to help incapacitate your attacker. Try it again."

They did it again, and this time she jabbed at his throat with her open hand, stopping at the last moment. Satisfied at her effectiveness and impressed by how quickly she learned, he stepped back. "Okay, now we'll try an attack from the rear." Coming up behind her, he wrapped his left arm around her neck and grabbed her right arm. Stepping her bare foot onto his, she dropped and spun left, using her momentum to pull him off balance and over her shoulder. He landed on his back, the breath momentarily knocked out of him.

When he didn't get up right away, Brennan walked over to stand over him. "Are you okay?" she asked cautiously. She had held back as much as she could, but her instincts had kind of taken over and she had flipped him a bit harder than she had intended.

Booth nodded since he couldn't quite talk yet. Reaching down, she gave him a hand up. He stood for a moment, getting his breath back. Brennan was watching him with a smug smile. "Was that one good? Or did you have some 'pointers' to give me to improve it?" she asked teasingly.

Booth scowled at her. "No, that was great," he said, albeit reluctantly. "You held back on the foot stomp, for which I'm thankful. I'd say that move is very effective."

Brennan shifted from foot to foot, anxious to get on with it. "What's next? C'mon, Booth, I have things to do."

Booth took another deep breath. 'Man, she really knocked the wind out of me with that one,' he thought, impressed in spite of himself. "Okay, now let's try one from a prone position. Lie down." Her brows rose and she hesitated. "C'mon, you need to be prepared for every possible scenario. Trust me."

She lay down and he got down and straddled her abdomen. He put his hands to her throat, pretending to choke her. "Now, you need to—"

Suddenly her arms shot up between his and her hands grabbed his ears. Twisting his head, her body heaved up and her legs scissored, flipping him to the side. Booth let out a grunt of surprise at the ferocity of her attack as he landed on his back again, dazed.

Brennan was having a hard time recovering as well. On her hands and knees, her head was dropped forward as she tried to calm her racing heart. 'This is Booth, Tempe. It's only Booth. Get a grip!' Sitting back on her heels, she dropped her head back and rolled it back and forth on her neck, trying to work away the tension.

Booth grunted as he pushed himself to a sitting position. He looked over at her curiously. Why was she winded? And pale? His concern grew as she closed her eyes and put her hands at the small of her back, stretching carefully.

"Bones, are you okay?" he asked, rolling to his feet and going over to her. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes. He reached down to help her stand. He held onto her for a moment, waiting for her to steady herself. Her color was coming back and her breathing seemed to be returning to normal.

She looked up at him, somewhat dazed. "I'm fine. How about you? Did I hurt you?"

Booth frowned. She still seemed a bit off. "Yeah. I mean, you nearly tore my ears off, but I'll be okay. What happened?"

She blinked hard several times. "I—I don't know. I just—lost control there for a minute. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

Booth grabbed her upper arms gently. "Hey, it's okay, I'm fine. I mean, what kind of FBI agent would I be if I let a squint lay me out?" he teased. When she didn't reply his concern returned. He lifter her chin with a knuckle. "What is it?" he asked gently.

Her eyes closed against the gentle concern in his gaze. 'Tell him,' a little voice in her head told him. But she couldn't. There was no point. It had happened a long time ago and she'd locked it away and gone on with her life. She hadn't thought about it in years. But it seemed the bad memories never really went completely away. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back and turned away from him, denying herself the comfort she could find in his arms.

"It's nothing. Honestly, I just got a little carried away," she said, chuckling a little, but Booth wasn't convinced. She could tell when she slid a glance his way. He was watching her suspiciously. "Do you mind if we call it a day? I have a few things I need to do at the lab before I go home."

Booth nodded slowly, unconvinced, but willing to let it go for the moment. "Sure. I'll see ya later?"

Picking up her shoes and socks, she threw him a weak smile. "Yeah, see ya later."

He watched her walk away as he sat down to put his shoes and socks on. His mind kept replaying the events of the last half hour. She had definitely gotten weird when he'd straddled her for that last move. No matter what she said, there was a lot more going on there than she let on. He decided to ask Angela if she knew anything about it.

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