A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you're doing well. Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 2: His Duck

Booth kept his hands tightly gripped on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white, as he pulled into the driveway to wait for the anthropologist to come out.

He pursed his lips, letting a long exhale of air leave his body. Shaking fingers reached up to loosen the black thin tie with a gray trim zigzagging up and down the fabric. He felt like he couldn't breathe again.

The sweat kept trickling down his brow as he blinked the black dots out of his eyes. He was trying to forget the nightmare that he had just had. His knee began bouncing up and down as the anxious tension started to release from his body. The car seat squeaked under him in protest.

His hands felt fidgety, so he tried to keep them busy by running them over the edges of the leather steering wheel, adjusting the mirror. Anything to keep his mind occupied as sitting here in his own silence was just a little too much for him right now. He knew if he had just a few more minutes to himself, his thoughts would consume him about the dream.

With an annoyed sigh, he leaned his head back against the headrest. He couldn't believe she was mad at him for being late when she hadn't even come out the door yet. Perhaps she was making him wait on purpose as some sort of punishment, but Booth couldn't take it anymore.

Slamming his hand against the steering wheel, he held the horn for a good while, the beep loud and persistent.

Brennan came out the door, her bag swung over her shoulder and a clear look of irritation on her face. Her eyes glared at him dangerously as she opened the passenger door to climb inside the tall black SUV.

She couldn't believe he had the nerve to be mad at her when he was the one who was clearly late. And pressing the horn to rush her made her scowl.

"Morning Bones." Booth said as he watched her hop inside the car. He added a smile for good measure, trying to spite her for making him wait.

"It's not morning anymore, Booth."

With that snide comment towards him because he had been late, Booth dropped his smile and put the car in reverse, holding the back of the seat as he turned around to pull out of the driveway, the gravel crunching under the tires.

Brennan was digging inside her bag when Booth made a particularly tight turn. The bag flew off her lap, some files spilling beside her feet. Papers thrown about on to the floor mat

The anthropologist scoffs as she reaches down to pick up the files and stuff them back in her bag. Brushing her hair back out of her face, she lets out a puff of exasperation.

She was noting the rough, forceful way he was driving. He was slamming his foot at every stoplight and his turning was erratic and a little too fast for her liking.

"You seem agitated."

"Oh really? And what makes you think that?" Booth barks out, his voice tight and rough.

"Well, your left eye is twitching, your nostrils appear to be flaring quite more than usual, and your mandible seems to be locked tightly."

When Booth shoots her a hard glare, Brennan shifts uncomfortably in her seat.

"Sorry." She apologized, realizing his question was rhetorical.

She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear before turning her head to stare at the window. It stays silent for a few moments.

Booth sighs, knowing that in her way, she was trying to check on him, ask him what's wrong.

"I'm sorry I was late, okay? I mean I even slept right through my alarm." Booth clears his throat, reaching up to pull at his collar. When did it get so hot in here?

Bones studies him and sets her bag flat on her lap, making sure to zip it closed in case it goes diving off to the floor again.

"Is Rebecca in town?"

Booth looks over at her, his eyes cold and stiff.

"Now, why would you ask that?"

"Well, I just know that you don't ever sleep in. You always tell me you take pride in your job and being late is very out of character for you, Booth. So there has to be another reason."

Booth grunts to himself, feeling a dull headache set in right over his left eye.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no Rebecca is not in town. Plus, I would never let that interfere with my work. So, you know….you're way off base here."

"There's no reason to get defensive Booth. You know, alpha males have biological needs and desires. It's normal, healthy even for them to form sexual bonds with a willing participant."

"I can control my "biological desires" thank you." Booth mocks her, putting air quotes around the words.

"It's nothing to be ashamed about, Booth. You know, humans act upon a hierarchy of needs, and sex is very highly ranked. It's an anthropological inevitability."

"Thank you, Bones. I really appreciate you boiling me down to your anthropological inevitabilities."

"You're welcome." Brennan smiles, satisfied with her conclusions', not even realizing Booth was being sarcastic.

Booth rolls his eyes, gripping the steering wheel even more tightly, the tension stretching from his shoulders all the way down to the length of his arms.

"You know, how would you like it if I asked when you've had sex last?" Booth asks, his chin jutting out as he glances over at her.

"Well, I enjoy sex very much, Booth so I wouldn't be ashamed to tell you. I mean just last week, a partner and I….we tried this new position…" Brennan can't contain her huge grin, as the memory comes back, a breathy chuckle escaping her as her cheeks heat up.

Booth holds up a hand to stop her.

"I'm good."

Brennan was more than happy to boast to Booth about her sexual activities. She didn't understand why the FBI agent was so reserved. Surely being as attractive as he was, he had his fair amount of experiences to share. And she was sure he knew more positions than she did. She just wished he was as eager to share as she was as eager to learn.

It stayed silent in the car for a while after that. Brennan flipped through one of her files, jotting mental notes.

They had found a body in the Black Tail Forest yesterday. The bones were a mess of dirt and decay. She had her lab assistant clean the bones and now she studied the X-rays, her eyebrows knitting together as she focused.

But the X-rays weren't the only thing she was looking at.

She couldn't help but cast a few glances over every time she caught movement out of the corner of her eye from her partner.

His hand rose several times to reach up to his head while the other stayed braced on the wheel.

"Do you have a headache?" She asks as she slips the X-rays back in the file and slides it back into her bag before zipping it back up again.

His driving seemed to settle down as they got closer to the Jeffersonian Institute but that didn't mean he couldn't revert back to his jolty turns and twists.

He pauses a moment, contemplating her question.

"Not too bad."

"Well, you keep rubbing your temple. You know this could be the cause of your agitation."

"I'm not agitated!"

"The bulging vein on your sinciput says otherwise." Brennan notes, leaning forward in her seat to get a better look at the huge branch stretching out.

"Sin..what?" He asks, looking over at her.

"Sinciput. Your forehead." She gestures up to her own head.

"You know they simplify these words for a reason!" Booth growls, both hands bracing the steering wheel.

Brennan continues to stare at Booth or rather the large vein taking residence right beside his left eye. It looked like a long snake wrapping around his skull. The sunlight streaming in through the windows gave it a glint.

She reaches out a curious hand, but Booth whacks it away, his teeth gritted together.

"I'm just fine, okay Bones? My sin putty is fine!" Booth reassures her, trying to shut down this topic all together.

He gulps, feeling hot bile rise in his throat. Talking. Arguing with her. It was making his "not too bad" headache much worse, and he could feel his stomach lurch when he stopped at a red light.

Silence fills the car once again and Booth can't help feeling a sense of control in his body once again. A prideful smirk tugs at his lip.

But of course, the anthropologist who he could loathe and love in the same minute had to have the final word.

"Sinciput." Brennan corrects, looking down at her hand resting on her brown tattered skirt.

Booth had never done that to her before. Even though he hadn't touched her physically, she felt as though he had slapped her in the face. His hand hadn't even made contact with her skin and yet she felt hurt by his actions.

These feelings are irrational

It wouldn't have even phased her had it been anyone else, but because it was him, it felt more personal. More hurtful. Damn that man.

Booth stole a glance over at her. She was looking down at her lap and he felt a pang of guilt.

I shouldn't have done that

He knew she was trying to help. Trying in her own way to show she cares about him. But he could handle it on his own and he would. Just like he had done before and would do again now.

He just wished this headache would release its claws digging into his skull. He figured the headache was just another added punishment from last night. He hadn't slept great. The understatement of the century.

And that dream, that dream had consumed his unconscious peaceful being and had left him reeling in confusion and resentment when he became conscious.

Truth be told, the dull ache that he had woken up with this morning had slowly turned into a heavy pounding radiating right behind his left eye and sneaking into the back of his skull. It felt like someone was pummeling his eye with a hammer and he couldn't help but wince every time he moved.

Brennan looked over at Booth. She knew he was lying as she had spent her whole life's work in observing body movements and learning human anatomy. It wasn't just a simple headache.

She just didn't know why he was lying.

But she knew if she kept pushing him about it, he would shut down completely. He could be extremely stubborn at…..really any time.

To say sometimes would be a compliment to him.

She could practically feel the tension rolling off him, so she stayed silent for the rest of the ride. Booth was more than happy to oblige her.

The car finally pulled into the dimly lit parking garage. Rows of cars filled the quiet space. Booth felt guilty for choosing a spot so far away from the elevator.

Brennan didn't seem to notice as she collected her bag and items together and opened the door.

"You know, I can find you a closer spot."

"I'll walk." Brennan deadpans and shuts the door with a heavy slam.

Booth knew two things right then and there. One: this conversation was far from over. And Two: Doctor Temperance Brennan was pissed at him.

"So, he was hit on the back of the head with a tire iron?"

"Yep, Zack and I conducted an experiment to figure out which type of handheld weapon would create the amount of pressure that was used to crack this man's skull."

"Weapons?" Cam asks, regretting it immediately.

"Well, we tried sledgehammers, axes, baseball bats….oh Zack tried a sword."

"Of course, he did." Cam says, looking over at the young lab assistant who gave her a shy smile in return.

"Anyway, the tire iron was the one that matched perfectly to the amount of force and pressure."

"And we know for certain that that was the murder weapon?"

Jack motions for Zack to pull up their diagram and chart results on the computer and Cam walks over to see it better.

"Yep, I found traces of rolled steel and a porous dirt found exclusively in the Black Tail Forest embedded into the skull." Jack points out, pulling up the screen to show his findings.

"That's a hot spot for a lot of hikers in the area. Surprised no one saw the body and reported it." Cam leans in, running her fingers over an indentation on one of the bones.

"Yeah, or they knew he was there and covered it up." Zack adds as he swivels his chair around to face away from the computer to look at them.

"We don't make assumptions here, Zack. Only observations until we get the facts. You know the rules." Cam scolds in a light voice.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan tells me that, but she's not here right now." Zack states looking Cam directly in the eyes.

"Yeah, where is Dr. B?" Hodgins asks, suddenly aware of the fact the anthropologist was nowhere to be seen. Or rather yet to be seen since this morning.

"Maybe she took a vacation day." Cam suggests.

She knew the anthropologist for several years. She was very diligent when it came to her work, but that didn't mean she didn't need a day off once in a while. Lord knows she needed it.

Hodgins and Zack both wear a similar knowing expression on their face as they look at Cam.

"Dr. Brennan doesn't take vacation days." Zack says as if it's a fact.

"Yeah Cam, I mean have you ever seen Dr. B relax? I don't even think she knows how." Hodgins adds with a snort.

"Hey! She does too! She comes to the club with me..…sometimes." Angela walks up, defending her friend, a clipboard resting against her chest.

"Sometimes?" Jack asks amused, trying to crack Angela.

"Okay okay so maybe not sometimes, but she has been known to be quite the party animal." Angela says with a big grin.

"Dr. Brennan?" Zack asks, his face shocked and confused at the same time.

Angela comes over and pats his shoulder. Hodgins and Cam exchange an amused glance knowing Angela was just joking

"I had no idea." Zack admits, his brown eyes wide with the newfound information about his boss.

Hodgins snickers in the back and Cam whacks him lightly on the shoulder, unable to contain the smile on her face.

The person in question comes into view when the sound of the glass doors opening echoes throughout the building. Her heels click as she walks up to the platform.

"Oh Dr Brennan, you're right on time." Cam says sarcastically when she sees Brennan climb up the stairs.

Brennan shows her ID to the scanner to be let onto the platform.

"No, I'm not. I'm a half hour late." Brennnan replies, her eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"I know, I was just….." Cam says, giving up on trying to joke with the anthropologist.

"Booth made me late." She interrupts.

When Angela, Cam, Zack, and Hodgins exchange a glance amongst themselves, Brennan can't help but feel left out.

"What?"

"Sweetie, it's just when it comes to you and Booth, well, you know."

"No, I don't know."

"You really don't, do you?" Cam asks, cocking her head to the side, sharing a playful smile with Angela.

Everyone seemed to know that Booth and Brennan shared an undeniable chemistry. The only people who didn't know were Booth and Brennan.

"I don't know what you're referring to, but Booth and I did not engage in any inappropriate behavior. To do so would be highly unprofessional and a lack of clear judgment."

Brennan ignores the shocked looks on her team's faces as she leans down to examine the bones more closely in the table.

She could be very forward and cut right to the point when she wanted.

"Zack, notice the scratches here on the right radius." Brennan says, picking up the bone and holding it under the zooming mirror lense.

Zack peered over her shoulder and saw the deep scratches cutting into the bone.

"You cleaned the bones correctly?"

"I cleaned them exactly the way you showed me to."

"Elaborate….Zack." Brennan draws out in an irritated tone. She kept her eyes on the radius, running her finger over the indentations.

"I scraped off the excess dirt and let them soak in the mineral solution before polishing off the flash fragments."

"Then how did you miss these scratches? I I want you to go over every bone again with extreme attention and precision, Dr. Addy. You're no good to me if you make mistakes like this!"

Angela hears the harsh tone in her voice and rushes over.

"Hey! Whatever you're mad about doesn't give you the right to talk to Zack like that. He made a mistake. People make mistakes." Angela defends, a hand on her hip, as she stands beside Zack who looks like he's about to fall over from embarrassment.

Brennan's eyes soften slowly as she realizes Angela is right. She was taking her anger out on her lab assistant because of Booth.

"I apologize, Zack. Just…...just try to clean the radius again." Brennan keeps her eyes low, and she grabs her bag off the chair.

Everyone watches with sad eyes as Brennan exits the platform and heads for her office. Something was clearly bothering her.

With a determined stride, Angela followed after her.

Brennan set her bag down on the couch and sat down with a heavy sigh. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she blew out an angry surge of air.

Booth was infuriating! He was infuriating! To her! For no reason!

She felt her hands turn into fists as her frame shook with anger. All she had done was try to help him and he refused it.

"You look like you could use a cup of coffee." Angela speaks up, standing in her doorway, a steaming styrofoam cup clutched in her hand.

Brennan brushes the hair out of her eyes and looks up. A grateful smile appears on her face as a whiff of the aroma of coffee beans swirls around her nose.

Angela walks over and sits down, handing her friend the cup of coffee.

"Thanks Ang." Brennan says, breaking the silence between them.

Brennan takes a sip from her cup, relishing in the feeling of the hot liquid entering her mouth and warming her body.

"What's going on with you? You don't ever snap at Zack like that. You know how fragile that boy is."

"I know. I know. It's just this morning …."

"Your morning with Booth?" Angela interrupts with a smirk.

"There's no "with Booth" Ang."

"Yeah, you know I just don't get that. I mean that man is there for the taking! I for one would love a piece." Angela twirls a piece of her hair, a coy smile sneaking on her face.

When Brennan doesn't share even the slightest hint of amusement on her face, Angela drops her smile and leans towards her.

"Well, do you wanna tell me what happened?"

Brennan looks over at her for a moment before setting her cup down on the table. She leaned back against the couch cushions, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Booth was being completely unreasonable. That's why we were late."

"Uh huh so is this late just driving into work late or unable to get out of bed late?" Angela asks with a smirk.

"No, I was not late Angela. Booth was late because he said he overslept."

"Ohhhh." Angela replied in a knowing tone.

"No, no. Booth made sure to point out that he was not late because of having sex with someone." Brennan says, correcting Angela's thinking.

"Sweetie, even if Booth told you that, that doesn't mean he was being honest."

"Well, why would he lie? I mean we are partners. We should be able to talk about any and every topic without him being so reserved."

"Well, sex is a different topic all together."

"But you and I have talked about sex. I mean you always seem to want to share your sexual encounters with me. Why wouldn't Booth want to do the same?"

"Sweetie, I think you and me…..and you and Booth are a little bit different when it comes to that."

"I see no difference. If we are partners, then we should be able to maintain a conversation no matter what the topic is without having to hide behind feelings of illogical insecurities."

"It's different with men, Sweetie. You know the male species tend to be more sensitive and fragile when it comes to certain topics."

"Booth has no reason to be sensitive. I mean he was a sniper, Angela. Sensitivity in a sniper is not a quality that should exist."

"So you're saying because of Booth's past career choice, he has no right to feel a certain way about things?"

"Yes."

"Sweetie ….no. If anything, it gives him more than enough right to feel how he feels. And if he is reserved about certain things in his life then you need to respect his privacy." Angela says, trying to reason with her.

"But he shouldn't feel the need to hide aspects of his life from me. You know anthropology suggests that the sharing of one's personal experiences can be quite a bonding and enriching interaction. Allowing one's mind to access another one is said to be a very engaging way of communicating."

"I think you hide behind words, Bren. You know you're allowed to feel your feelings."

"But these feelings have no place. I mean they are irrational and absurd."

"They may be to you, but you're not the only person we are talking about here. Booth is entitled to feel how he feels, and you have to remember to respect that and think before you speak."

"I know you're right even if I don't fully understand why." Brennan finally complies.

"I just wish he would trust me with those things"

"All in due time, Sweetie." Angela says, squeezing her knee with a smile.

Brennan gives her a smile back and Angela stands up, stretching her spine, before making her way out of the door.

Brennan reaches for her cup of coffee again, taking a slow sip as she thinks back to how he acted in the car.

She didn't know his actions and words were bothering her so much, but she couldn't deny the fact that they were.

She'd try a lighter approach next time. Maybe then he would open up to her.

Booth sat down in his leather chair with a sigh. He took a swig from the cup of water he had gotten when he first arrived at his office. Swirling the liquid around in his mouth, he tried to get rid of the bitter taste.

The headache hadn't relented in the slightest. In fact, it had gotten worse.

When he walked into the FBI headquarters, the lights in the ceiling made him squint. The throbbing in his head was now a very constant vibration. Each movement was like electricity shooting through his veins. Before he knew it, he was rushing to the bathroom to empty his stomach from the night before.

Now he had finally come back to his office, closing the door behind him so no one would disturb him for the time being. He glanced over at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. Swiveling his chair, he turned to look at the clock on the wall. He definitely wasn't a pencil pusher, but it came with the territory.

With a sigh of defeat, he spun his chair back towards his desk and grabbed the first file laying on top and began to type up some reports.

After a few minutes of stubborn determination, he was beginning to realize he hadn't even made a dent in the first paragraph of the report.

His phone rang and he looked up at the ceiling saying a prayerful thankyou to above and answered the phone.

"Booth."

"Hey, we just found another body in Black Tail Forest. We got guys on the scene now. I can send you the coordinates." A police officer said, his voice stiff and hoarse. He sounded like he was fighting a cold.

"Alright, I'll be there in fifteen. Thanks." Booth ends the call, a hand reaching up to rub his pounding temple.

The circumstances weren't exactly good. Another body was found. The prayer that had said made him feel guilty now. But it was better than doing paperwork.

He knew who he had to call now. That was the deal. Full participation in the case. Not just lab work, everything. She was his duck. He couldn't go to the crime scene without his duck. So, with a begrudged sigh, he called her.

Brennan was looking over the case file and the drawing of the face Angela had left her when her phone rang in her purse.

The chimes rang out three times before she answered the phone. She didn't bother looking at the caller ID, figuring it was one of her lab techs calling with results from tests they were running.

"Hello?"

"Bones, we got another one. I'll be there in a few minutes to come get you."

"Oh okay…..how's your head?" Brennan asks after pausing for a minute, remembering her conversation with Angela.

Booth pinches the bridge of his nose on the other end. She was nothing if not persistent.

"Almost gone. Feeling right as rain." Booth replies, shrugging on his jacket and closing out the report on his computer.

"But rain is wet and cold. How is that right?"

"It's just an expression, Bones." Booth can't help but smile at his partner's lack of knowledge sometimes.

Oh she was smart…..just not with everyday terms and mannerisms.

"So, I'll swing by and get you in a few minutes, alright?"

"Yes."

Booth waits for her to say something else. When it remains quiet on the other side, he ends the call, unable to tell if she was still mad at him or not. Well, he would know soon enough….

And he better not be late again.

With that thought in the forefront of his mind, he walks out his office and heads to his car to pick up his duck.

Alright, that's chapter 2! I hope you liked it and please review. I would love to know your thoughts. Thanks for the support! Stay tuned for the next chapter :)