A/N::looks around at all the happy faces:: Goldy and I know that you all are very happy to see a new chapter of 'Real Life' up. We are very happy to bring it to you. There are a few things we would like to tell you before you begin, but since that might give something away, we will tell you at the end.

Booth and Brennan sat on the couch at Booth's house watching television and having some dessert. Chocolate cream pie sat on the table in front of them, with a couple of slices removed from it. "Will you stop that," Brennan muttered as Booth flipped rapidly through the channels.

"Stop what?"

"Doing that? It's giving me a headache."

"Sorry, I'm just trying to find something to watch." He paused for a moment on wrestling.

"I don't get that."

"Get what?" Booth asked, sitting forward on the couch and reaching for another piece of pie.

"Wrestling. I don't get wrestling," Brennan clarified, using her fork to snatch a piece a pie from Booth's plate.

"Get your own," Booth told her holding his plate--and pie out of her reach. "How can you not get wrestling?"

"It's just two people trying to take the other one to the ground. How simple is that?"

"Oh, you think it's simple, do you?" Booth asked. "I used to wrestle in high school, and it's anything but simple."

"You can't tell me there's much thought in it," Brennan said, quickly snatching another piece from his plate when his guard was down. He slapped her hand lightly and again pulled his plate from her reach.

"Okay, Bones, you think it's easy, I'd like to see you get me on my back."

"I'm sure you would Booth," she said.

Booth pinched his mouth into a tight line and screwed it to one side. "Not like that," he said sternly, and then he dropped his voice and said, "But who am I to say no to the lady."

Brennan rolled her eyes, but leaned forward, placed her empty plate on the coffee table, and then stood. "I bet you I can take you down in less than five seconds." Booth matched her movements.

"You're on. Winner gets the rest of the pie." They moved around the table to the open area of the living room and then faced each other.

Booth held his arms out in front of his body slightly, watching Brennan with experienced eyes. His years in the army and his years wrestling had trained him to anticipate movement. Brennan mimicked the stance, her eyes checking over his posture, looking for a weak spot in his defenses.

"You're going down, Booth."

"I don't think so, babe."

"I let that slide once, but don't think I'll do it again." She lunged at him, but he easily sidestepped the motion and ended up directly behind her. Booth couldn't resist, and before he could stop himself, his hand flew out and popped her firmly across her butt.

Brennan swirled around to face him again with a look of utter surprise. "I can't believe you just did that."

"Hey, all fair in love and wrestling," Booth answered. Brennan drew her bottom lip in between her teeth, and scanned over Booth's body again. Noticing that he favored his right side slightly, she threw herself at his left knee, intending to hook her arms around it.

He saw her coming and shifted his stance, grabbing at her. As she caught his knee, he grabbed her waist and hauled her upwards. He realized his mistake as her pelvis was right in his face and she had yet to let go of his knee.

"Okay, let go Bones."

"No! You're going down Booth, you're going down." In an effort to make her loosen her grip, he tickled one of her thighs. Sure enough, she let go to swat at his hand.

"That wasn't fair," she scolded. Booth had to try not to laugh as he flipped her back over a sat her down on her feet. With a gentle shove on her shoulders, he sent her three steps backwards and they both fell into their chosen stances.

"All's fair," he repeated with a grin. Brennan clenched her teeth together and moved to her right. Booth followed suit and soon they had switched positions. After what seemed like hours of staring at each other Brennan made another move that Booth easily avoided, but when Brennan hit the ground Booth dropped his guard and went to her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Just fine," she said, grabbing his arm with lightning speed and yanking, causing him to lose his balance. "Never underestimate." Brennan hit him square in the chest, and then the next thing she knew, she was on her back staring up into his chocolate eyes, her hands by her head.

"You took the words right out of my mouth...Babe."

"Booth," she said as she tried to wriggle away from him, "you're treading on dangerous ground right now."

"Oh, I don't think so. See, you're at my mercy right now, and the way I see it, you'd have to comply with anything I want to do."

"Is this all part of the love and wrestling thing?" There was a tone to her voice he didn't like, but it was a little sexy.

"Absolutely."

"Then since you won, what are you going to do?"

She watched as his pupils dilated and a slow, wicked grin spread over his face. "Well, now," he began. "The options are endless." He let his eyes drift from her face, down to her breasts and then back up. Suddenly, Brennan was feeling very helpless. "See, this is what I don't understand."

"What don't you understand?" Brennan asked, again trying to wiggle herself free.

Booth didn't seem to notice. "Everybody thinks you can kick my ass."

"Because I can kick your ass," Brennan said. "I just didn't want to hurt you."

"Uh-huh, I'm sure that's it," Booth agreed.

"Oh, and you don't think I can?"

"As if our little wrestling match didn't just prove it? Granted, you know three types of martial arts, but I was a special ops guy. I can kill someone twelve ways without making a sound."

"I highly doubt that you could even sneak up on me. I know when you're there."

"Oh, is that so?" Booth questioned. "And just how do you know that?"

Brennan suddenly realized what she had said and decided that in this situation the best thing to do was...lie. "You make a lot of noise when you walk." Booth laughed, causing both their bodies to shake.

"You want to try that one again?" Not really, she thought.

"Are you gonna get off of me?" she asked instead.

"No," he answered simply. "Not until we settle this."

"Settle what?"

"The challenge."

"What challenge?" Booth rolled his eyes.

"The one you just issued."

"I didn't issue a challenge."

"Yes, you did."

"Did not."

"Did so. I'll wager I can take out you and the squint squad without anyone catching me."

"You aren't supposed to gamble you know." She freed one of her hands from his grasp and began reaching for a chunk of pie off to the side.

"It's not really gambling," he said, carefully watching her hand out the corner of his eyes. "Since there's no way I could lose."

"And just how are you going to take us out?" she asked, her eyes staring into his, willing him not to see her movements.

"Oh, you'll see," he said. "But you can't tell anybody about this."

"And how long is it going to take you?"

Booth thought about the question for a moment. "One week," he answered. "You and the Squints in one week from today."

"And what do I get when I win?"

"What is it that you want?" Again, he flicked his gaze briefly to her hand. She stilled her movements until he turned back to her.

"You have to attend a lecture with me, and take notes so I know you were paying attention."

"That's low."

"Well, you asked for it." She finally grabbed hold of the pie, squishing it slightly as she brought it to the back of his head.

"I know you didn't just do that," he said slowly as the cool chocolate cream began to run along his neck. Brennan didn't even try to suppress the giggle that escaped as she brought her hand to her mouth and put one finger between her lips--gently sucking the pie off. "That's even lower," he said, his voice a soft growl. Brennan's heart stopped when he lowered himself down and brought his lips to her ear. "That's gonna cost you."

An uncontrolled shiver went through Brennan's body. "What?"

Booth readjusted himself, and whispered. "When I win, you have to go one whole weekend without saying anything...squinty."

"Squinty?" Brennan repeated, her voice barely there.

"Yeah, no scientific mumbo-jumbo. Just nice, plain, average Joe talk. Deal?" Brennan nodded, not trusting herself to speak. "Good." Then suddenly, Booth jumped up and Brennan got a face full of chocolate cream pie. With that, Booth laughed and headed toward the bathroom, wiping chocolate cream pie from his head. Brennan stood there sputtering. If he thought he'd get away with his little plan, he was sorely mistaken. He couldn't fool her, and she was hell bent on not letting him win.

As you can see, this is an open-ending chapter. What that means is the following chapters all play off of this one. Don't worry, you'll get the idea. Just didn't want you to think we didn't finish. Oh, and btw, we are rebuilding our ceral boxes fort as you read. The furbies are all armed with grape slushie shooters and top secret agents we can't talk about are keeping their eyes open. Do not try to throw things at us...or we will be forced to return fire. teehee ::skips off::