A/N: It's been awhile and I know I've left a couple of my earlier works incomplete...but the way the fourth season has gone and the timeline I put on it I feel they have become obsolete. The lesson I've learned is to have it completed before I start posting or make my stories a series of oneshots, as I'm doing here. My plan is to write a story to fill in a missing scene involving a car ride in each episode. Hope you guys like it, and here we go!

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Brennan leaned wearily against the Tahoe and sighed. She'd shot a man tonight. Sure, he was still alive, but she hadn't been ready for how terrible she would feel afterwards. The scene ran through her mind a dozen times, trying to determine if there had been any way around it. Glancing at Booth, standing beside her like a silent guardian, she had to smile a little.

He was a complete enigma to her, though admittedly most people were. She'd thought after their first case that he really didn't like her, and to be honest she really didn't care much for him, but in the course of the past few days she'd discovered that he had put his reputation at the bureau on the line for her. That had meant a lot to her. She wasn't used to people standing up for her. And now she was terrified that she had put his career in jeopardy by her rash decision to confront the suspect alone.

Deputy Director Cullen approached the pair with a scowl on his face and pulled Booth a few paces away. "Agent Booth, I need you to arrest Dr. Brennan for assault with a deadly weapon."

Brennan watched detachedly as Booth looked at his superior with shock and anger, "What? Sir, this is clearly a case of self-defense. That bastard was going to light her up along with all the evidence. I can't arrest her!"

Cullen moved his glare from Booth to Brennan for a moment before turning his ire back to the agent. "By her own account of events she gave no warning to the suspect; she just hauled out a gun and shot him. Not to mention that she'd been drinking. She is not an agent and had no right to confront the suspect alone in the first place. She demonstrates very bad judgment and common sense; I don't care how high her IQ is."

"She is the one who discovered who the real killer was here, and now, thanks to her and her 'bad judgment' we have all the evidence we need to put him away. You want me to punish her for that?"

As this case had proven to her, Brennan was not always the best at reading people, but from the way the vein in Cullen's forehead was standing out and pulsing with a rapid pace she was pretty sure Booth was upsetting him. Booth had jeopardized his career enough for her; she had to stop this. She moved quickly to Booth's side and tugged on his jacket sleeve slightly. "It's ok, Booth. You can arrest me." The agent looked down at her with disbelief and even a small amount of pain, which surprised her. Brennan smiled slightly and nudged him, hoping to get one of those brief moments of playful camaraderie they had begun to establish on this case, "Do your job. Be a cop."

Seeing that her words had calmed Booth down a little Cullen relaxed himself. He was surprised she was willing to take the consequences of her actions so readily. He had expected her to be much more belligerent and self-righteous. "We can't have civilians going vigilante on us. Especially when they work closely with the FBI. We have appearances to maintain. I'm sure the charges will be dismissed on a claim of self-defense, but if anything like this ever happens again in the future, Dr. Brennan, you will no longer be able to work with the bureau."

Brennan looked away from Booth in surprise at that statement and met Cullen's eyes evenly. "I understand, thank you."

Cullen looked rather annoyed at her thanks and shook his head. As he headed away back towards the scene he called out over his shoulder, "I don't hear you mirandizing her, Booth. And use the handcuffs. I hear she took out a Homeland Security agent and I wouldn't want her to get the jump on you."

Booth sighed and chuckled helplessly at the same time. Placing a hand on her back he began to lead Brennan to the passenger side of the Tahoe. "Dr. Temperance Brennan you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, which I'm sure you can afford, though if you couldn't one would be appointed for you. Do you understand your rights?"

Brennan was climbing into the passenger seat as Booth finished and she shifted to look at him and held her still-free hands up. "You were supposed to cuff me."

"Just say yes, Bones."

"That sounds like coercion. What if I don't understand?"

The slamming of the car door was her only response.

Brennan buckled her seatbelt as Booth sat down behind the wheel and started the vehicle. He sat in silence for a moment listening to the engine idle. Eventually, he started laughing, and Brennan looked over at him, confused. "Most people don't thank people for threatening them, Bones."

"He was giving me permission to continue working with you. Or, at least, the bureau, I can understand if you didn't want to work with me again."

The minutes passed in uncomfortable silence as Booth pulled away from the scene and refused to answer the implied question. As they pulled up to the local precinct Brennan finally broke the silence, "Yes, I understand my rights."

Booth looked down, "I'm sorry I have to do this, Bones."

"It's your job. You put away the bad guys."

Booth looked at her seriously and put a hand on her arm. "You're not a bad guy. Yes, I think you made a bad decision. You need to learn that you can't do everything by yourself. Sometimes we all need help. If you're ready to enter into a real partnership, I'd be willing to work with you. I don't want you to answer me now; think about it. I'll take you in here, get you booked, and see you at the funeral tomorrow, ok?"

"What if I can't make bail?"

Booth got out of the car and moved around to open her door. "It's like working with a four year old with all the what if questions." Then, seeing the hurt flash in her eyes, he felt a little bad and led her forward toward the precinct jail entrance with a hand at her back, "Aw, hell, if you can't make bail I'd bail you out, Bones."