This one's a little bit longer! I just love writing these short things. Anyway, this one I see as one of their random and cute diner conversations after or during a case. Inspired by the 'hero's quest,' which most people either already know or hopefully is explained in this little ficlet. Review and enjoy :)

Words: 520
Spoilers: none
Time:
Anytime
Genre:
General/Friendship


"Every story is the same, Booth. It's always the hero's quest. It's the way that every story always ends – a hero striving against a villain to complete some goal. All stories are variations of that tale. Even in life, it's often the same way. There's more to it, of course, but that's the basics."

Booth grinned, forgetting about his pasta as he glanced up at her. "You really think it's that simple?"

"Of course." Brennan didn't even look at him, eating her salad while Booth watched her and grinned even more. "Even the books I write follow that template, though very loosely."

"So what about our story?" he asked. "What's our variation of the hero tale, or whatever it is?"

Now she looked at him, smiling uncertainly. "Well, we strive for the truth. We work together against murderers and kidnappers and everything in between. That's our villain."

"We strive for just truth?"

"What else is there for us to find?"

"I'd say something like justice would also be pretty high up there on the list," Booth said. "You find the truth; I find the justice."

"Exactly," Brennan replied, smiling. "Truth and justice. We make a good team."

Leaning back in his chair, Booth grinned and stretched his arms out behind his head. "Now, all this 'hero story' talk, it only leads to one question."

"What?"

"You know." He leaned across the table now, his eyes sparkling. "So if our story is that quest thing – which one of us is the hero? Because, you know, I'd say it's me. I do all the real heroic stuff. Like taking bombs and gunshots and running after crazy murderers."

"Hey," scolded Brennan, but she still couldn't keep herself from smiling. "I have to get all the information together to tell you who to chase down."

"Yeah, but you just stay in the lab."

"I do not! I go out in the field, with suspects, and sometimes a gun - "

"And always with me."

Brennan glared at him. Booth grinned, picked up his fork, and returned to his forgotten pasta. "You know I'm only kidding, right, Bones?"

She gave him a good-natured yet withering glare. "Sure you are."

"There can be two heroes," he said. "In the quest. There has to be two heroes for some stories to work out, right?"

"Right," said Brennan. "It can happen that way, in some variations. So – we're two heroes?"

"Two heroes," agreed Booth. "Isn't it heroine for you, though?"

"I use 'heroes' when speaking about a mixed-gender group."

"Right. And because a 'heroine quest' sounds like something out of a Drug-Dealing For Dummies book."

"A what?"

"It's this type of guide book – but nevermind," said Booth, grinning. Brennan smiled too, picking up her fork again and returning to her lunch. Booth did the same, just like always; the two heroes tired from a hard week's work.