A/N: I don't own anything. Well maybe the writing but the characters or songs. Nope not a one.

"Brennan," she said as she answered on the second ring.

"Bones," Booth said. "We've got a case. I'll be there in a few minutes. You've got your kit ready, right?"

"I'm always ready Booth."

"Good because this is going to be a messy one."

"If it's really messy, perhaps Cam should come along?" Brennan asked. "I don't do well with the squishy parts."

"No it's not that kind of messy," Booth said with a grin. "I'll brief you once we're on our way. Oh and Bones, you should grab your overnight bag."

"Where are we going?"

"We are going camping."

"Was that Booth?" Angela asked as Brennan hung up her phone.

"Yes, we have a case," Brennan replied. "Apparently we're going camping."

"So that means sleeping under the stars, cuddling up to conserve body heat," Angela said with a squeal. "This is the perfect time for you to try something on him."

"Angela," Brennan said with a sigh. "You said I had until Friday to think it over."

"Yeah but now you two will be alone out in the woods," Angela said with a grin. "I can't think of a better opportunity for you to try something."

"I don't know that we'll be alone," Brennan said. "We have a case so there's probably going to be numerous people milling around."

"Well if you get the chance, Sweetie," Angela said with a naughty smile, "Do something I would do."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Booth this case file is over a week old," Brennan said. "Why are we just now going to the crime scene?"

"Because it just came to me an hour ago," Booth said. "The Agent in charge of this case has been missing for almost 48 hours. His investigation took him back to the scene and that's his last known whereabouts."

"The file says there were two bodies, a husband and wife, that were found murdered," Brennan said. "There are multiple superficial stab wounds that are most likely defensive wounds. Cause of death was cervical fracture of the C3, C4, and C5. Death was most likely instantaneous."

"According to the report, Agent Smith had followed up with the victim's family and had come to a dead end with no other leads," Booth said. "The crime scene looked like a struggle had occurred but they couldn't find any tracks leading to or from the vic's cabin."

"Well there must be some evidence still there."

"Exactly Bones," he said. "And hopefully, by the time we get there, the search party for Agent Smith will have been fruitful."

"There's almost 65,000 acres in Allegany State Park," she said. "If he's somewhere out there, it might take more than a day to find him."

"Well that's why we've been brought in," Booth said. "Our help was specifically requested. I guess we have some admirers in the New York office."

"That's understandable given our high conviction rate," she said with a grin. "But surely there's other Special Agents with similar numbers."

"Well yeah," Booth said as he glanced over at her. "Similar as in their numbers are positive integers. But Bones, we're the alpha team in the country. No one else is within 10 percentage points as far as closure rate and conviction rate. And the Beta team has only had about forty five percent of the case load we handle."

"That's very impressive Booth," she said with a slight grin. "I mean I knew we were good but I didn't know we were the best."

"Is that a little bit of pride I see seeping in there, Bones?"

"There's nothing wrong with having a sense of pride about your work," she said with a roll of her eyes. "And anthropologically speaking, knowing that you're the best in your field contains a certain sense of satisfaction, especially when others recognize your status. Not to mention that it's proof that the system works; if you study hard and work hard, a person can achieve success no matter what background they came from."

"I already told you Bones," he said with a grin, "You're the queen bee. And since we're partners, I guess that makes me your king, right?"

"There are no king bees Booth, but you could be like the hive's chief of staff."

"Well the chief of staff has the more important position then," he said with a cocky smile. "I mean making sure everything gets done, keeping the hive protected, keeping the queen safe."

"The queen doesn't need protection like that," she said solemnly. "That's what the entire hive is for."

"Well maybe it's to keep the queen happy and make sure she doesn't forget to eat when she's busy all day laying her eggs," he said. "Or in your case, proving evidence."

"Is that all you see me as?" she asked with a hurt expression on her face.

"Not at all Bones," he said with a sigh. "Listen ok; I think we took the analogy too far. We're equal partners in this relationship. I'm sorry that I said that, that's not how I meant it at all."

"Apology accepted," she said softly as she turned to look out the window, watching the scenery pass by as an uncomfortable silence emerged.

"Booth," she said after a few minutes. "I think you may have misspoken."

"I already said I was sorry."

"No, I mean when you called us partners," she said as she glanced back to face him. "You said that we are equal partners in this relationship. But we're not in a relationship, we're in a partnership."

"Yeah, a partnership," Booth said with a half hearted smile. "That's what I meant. Thanks for the clarification."

Another awkward silence engulfed the SUV.

"You know Booth," she said after a couple of minutes. "I don't think I like the queen bee analogy. When I think of a queen, I think of Cleopatra who was often depicted as lounging around while scantily clad men preen over her and feed her grapes and fan her with palm fronds. While some women might like to be pampered in such a manner, I'm not one of those women."

"I know Bones," he said with a chuckle. "Though I could see you dressed up like her. You know, like all draped in some expensive rare silky toga type thing, though I don't know where you'd keep your gun."

"A woman has to keep some secrets," she said with a chuckle.

"Plus I think the first guy to approach you and try and feed you grapes would get ninja kicked or something."

"Well you are constantly bringing me food and I haven't ninja kicked you yet," she said with a crooked smile.

"Well that's because I try and bring a well balanced meal and not just a whole bunch of one fruit," he said with his charm smile. "I know how much you value good nutrition."

"And for that I thank you."

"That's what partners do," he said. "We look out for each other."