What I Wish I Could've Said

Rated: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing... Obviously. Just playing in someone else's sandbox for a bit.

Summary: Hindsight is always 20/20. Everyone has a single moment that they wish they could have said something better than what they actually did. A completely random series of what-if vignettes.

Ch 21: That Time Brennan Went Into the Field

Brennan wasn't pleased to be there, and she had absolutely no qualms venting the full blast of her displeasure at the current source of her ire. I don't want to be here, I want to be back at the lab. I don't want to be here, with you, but I am because *you* dragged me here. I want to be back at the lab doing my work, away from you—and I don't want to be here!

As they continued walking to crime scene, threading their way through the complicated maze that had sprung up on the highway of people, moving and parked vehicles, sirens, and flashing lights, Brennan was aware at how close to her Booth was sticking, following on her heels like an over-eager puppy.

"Why am I here?" she grumbled as they continued walking.

Shaking his head slightly, Booth looked at her as he gestured, "You know, you used to like come out to the field."

Brennan, not one to be cowed, glanced around her as she talked over Booth. "No car fires, no tanker barrels—"

He gestured with his hands as they passed an ambulance, "You used to insist to me…"

"—full of acid. No explosions…" Brennan droned on, as she shook her head, her anger growing.

"— you were insistent—" Booth muttered, unclear as to why Brennan was being so difficult about things. I'm mean, really, Bones. What's your problem? You said… I mean, I know things with you dad didn't go exactly like we planned. But, you said you understood and that you were okay with things. You said, when I asked you, that we were good, so why have you been avoiding me for weeks? I just don't get it—

Feeling as if Booth were still too close to her, Brennan made a sharp turn to her left, and began to walk away from him. Booth, reflexively reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her in the correct direction. Brennan scowled and then shot Booth a look as she let him guide her to the proper spot once he dropped her arm. As they approached the car, Brennan narrowed her eyes and said, "Don't tell me you brought me out here for a car accident—"

Shaking his head again, Booth said, "Now, you're just anxious to get back, you know. I can barely get you out of your lab coat."

Brennan stopped abruptly, her sudden movements causing Booth to almost run into her. Her eyes flashed with the anger clearly evident in her gaze as her lips thinned, and she clenched her fists.

Booth, noticing the change, refused to let Brennan intimidate him. "What?"

"Don't do that!" Brennan said sharply.

"Do what?" Booth asked, still uncertain as to what he'd said that had pissed Brennan off so much and so quickly.

"Don't make insinuations about me of a sexual nature," Brennan said through gritted teeth.

"Whoa!" Booth said, waving his hands in front of her in supplication. "Wait—what did you just say?"

"You just insinuated that you wanted to remove my lab coat, no doubt as a part of some type of sexual foreplay," Brennan said, her body rigid and tense as she crossed her arms in a clearly defensive pose.

"No, Bones. You're wrong. What I meant, well, there's nothing sexual about that," Booth said, flashing her a sheepish grin. "All I meant was that it's been a while since you traded the blue lab coat for the blue field jumpsuit, Bones. That's it."

Brennan considered his words, and then shook her head. "No, it wasn't."

Narrowing his own eyes at the sharpness of her tone, Booth felt a surge of annoyance. Why are you being so damn unreasonable, Bones? He stopped, stared at the stubbornness and inflexibility radiating from her gaze, and reconsidered his original response to talk her down from her strong surge of emotions. lest she start to shut down on him again and give him the silent treatment. Fine. You want to do it this way, that's fine. As long as you're talking to me again, we'll play it your way. "Okay, Bones. So, what if it wasn't?" Booth said, widening his eyes as he nodded with her. "What if it wasn't? You have a problem with that?"

"Maybe!" Brennan shot back.

"Ooooohhhh," Booth laughed, clearly taunting her. "I'm shaking here, Bones. Man, I'm telling you—I'm so scared right now. I'm shaking with fear at your big, bad 'maybe'."

In that minute, Brennan saw red. She reached out, grabbing a fist full of Booth's grey t-shirt, and yanked him hard towards her. "Let's be clear about one thing, Booth," Brennan muttered. "I'm sick and tired of you starting things you've no intention of finishing… unless it involves arresting my father."

"Ha!" Booth snapped. "I knew it! You're still pissed off at me because I arrested your old man."

"Hardly," Brennan said, her laugh haughty. "He broke the law, and although he did kick your ass before you could bring him in—"

"Now, wait just a damn minute," Booth said, jerking his body away from Brennan's and putting a couple of feet between them. "Max didn't kick my ass at all. I was the one who beat him."

"Oh, yes," Brennan said. She felt a strange sensation take hold of her, as if some part of her were issuing commands for her brain to speak in a way not okayed by her rational self. I can't help it, though, Brennan thought. I'm still so pissed off at what he did with Zach, but, God— I've missed him, too. I've missed you, Booth. Damn it— "A man in his late fifties going up against a younger alpha male in his thirties amped up on testosterone and self-righteousness—" She paused and then leaned into Booth as she spoke, her voice dripping with a challenge, "That seems really fair, Booth." She stopped her voice very hard and dangerous as she said quietly, in a low tone that only Booth could hear. "Next time, why don't you measure you're virility with someone a bit more suited to kicking your ass on an even playing field, Booth. Someone who's younger, smarter, and more physically fit than you are… and then, maybe, we'll see if you can actually finish something that you actually start—"

Booth's eyes blazed at her, partially confused as to what in the hell had gotten into Brennan and partially incredibly turned on by the aggression her saw in her. "That sounds like you're throwing down the gauntlet there, Bones. Are you challenging me?"

All the time, Brennan thought. And, you love it. "You tell me, Booth," Brennan said, pulling back as she looked at him with a knowing look in her eye. "You're the one who brought up getting me out of my lab coat." She stopped, letting her gaze focus on him pointedly, before she let her eyes languorously take in his casual appearance from head-to-toe. She noted everything from the way he looked in his tight blue jeans, to the bulge concealed by his nylon FBI windbreaker that she knew was where he kept his gun in a hip holster, to his short and crisp haircut—one that Brennan knew he'd gotten recently. "So," she finished, when it was obvious that Booth knew what she was doing, "Anytime you think you want to give it an actual go, you know where to find me."

Booth stared at her for a minute, refusing to break their eye contact, as he swallowed once, uncertain why or how what had just happened had actually just happened. Never one to be intimidated, though—especially by Brennan, Booth finally leaned into her himself, and said, in a very dangerous whisper, "Fine, Bones. Car's over there with a skull in the windshield. Do your squint thing, and as soon as you're done, we'll leave, and I'll show you just how can good I can be about ripping off your lab coat… and every other piece of clothing you're wearing right now—from your boots to your panties."

Brennan shivered at his clearly lewd comment, but felt a warm flush of pleasure at his insinuation. She glanced at her watch, made a quick mental calculation, and then nodded to herself. Reaching into her bag, she quickly pulled out a pair of gloves, and inclined her head at him and as she said, "If it's only a partial set of remains, particularly just a skull, I can be done in seven minutes… or less."

"Fine," Booth told her. "Seven minutes then—and, then, Bones, you're going to really see just who can kick who's ass."

"Sounds like fun," Brennan said, as she quickly turned on her heels and the seven-countdown began.

Not certain what in the hell he'd just gotten himself into, Booth could only mutter to himself, "Game on."

-TBC-