A/N: I actually really enjoyed tonight's episode, but there were a couple things that threw me a little bit and this is my attempt to reconcile some incongruities that I found. I did love that last scene, especially when they were talking about sex, I mean, driving a car Was I the only one though that found that last line of Brennan's to be eerily similar to her last line in 'Wannabe in the Weeds'. Maybe that was just me.

It was late and the usual night owls were finally calling it a day, leaving Booth and Brennan the sole occupants of the diner. They'd finally dropped the car off and had decided on a late dinner when Booth's stomach had started growling.

Booth watched Brennan. He knew she wanted to say something and smiled as he watched the inner battle rage across her features. He was lucky, most men never knew what their women were thinking, but it was rare that he didn't know what was going on in Brennan's head.

"Spit it out Bones," he said and, anticipating her next remark, hurried to amend his request "Just tell me what's bothering you."

Brennan sighed "I have a very steep learning curve."

"I know Bones," Booth groused good-naturedly. "It only took you three weeks to kick my ass at bowling."

Brennan smirked. "Yeah, that was pretty quick wasn't it?"

"What's your point?"

"My point is that after four years of watching you interrogate people…"

"Bones," he warned, fighting exasperation. "I thought we'd been over this."

"I know, I know." She held up her hands in mock surrender. "I bow to your expertise, but I just can't understand why it feels as though I've made no progress whatsoever since we started working together."

"Yeah, you'd think you would've improved a little bit. Working with the master and all." He puffed out his chest.

Brennan rolled her eyes at him. "I'm serious Booth."

"Well, like I said Bones, it's not an acquired skill. You either have it or you don't."

"I'm finally, truly realizing that, and Sweets instructions were no help. All he did was make faces at me."

Booth scrunched up his own face, thinking, before shaking his head at her.

"Nope, not following you."

"Well, in all fairness the exercise did have a purpose."

"What? Annoy you until you got it right?"

"No, he was trying to help me recognize various emotions so I could then proceed to learn how to manipulate them effectively."

"I guess I can see how that would work…if you had the magic touch. Like me." He leaned back in his chair, putting his hand behind his head.

Brennan smiled and shook her head, her hair fluttering about her shoulders.

She pushed on in her reasoning. "I still don't think that it could hurt for me to improve. I know I'll never be as good as you, but I would like to be able to read people better, even just to know how to approach a situation so that I don't end up hurting peoples' feelings." She nodded her head, happy with her conclusion, before going back to her salad.

Booth just looked at her closely.

"I can see that, but why didn't you ask me?" He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He wasn't hurt, but he couldn't help but wonder why she'd turn to Sweets before him.

"What?"

"Why did you ask Sweets to teach you? Why didn't you just come to me?"

Brennan moved her lettuce around her plate.

"Because that would have meant admitting defeat."

"But you said…"

"I know, and I'm alright with the fact that you're better than I am, but I just…I thought you'd find it amusing, thought you might tease me."

"I don't tease you," he protested.

"You do. You continually make fun of my inability to understand popular culture and you make allusions that I'm not equipped to comprehend," she said, pouting a little bit and dropping her gaze to her plate.

Booth's head dipped a bit as he made eye contact.

"I don't do it to hurt you Bones. I'm sorry if I have. I really only mean it in fun."

Brennan bobbed her head at him. "Apology accepted, And I know Booth...I know that you don't set out to intentionally make me feel inadequate."

Booth smiled at her.

"We're good then?"

"Of course." She said softly, tilting her head to the side. He could swear her eyes were shining as they sized him up once more.

His breath caught as her beauty once again registered in his consciousness. For someone who had locked her emotions away for so long she had a very expressive face and one that he definitely hadn't minded putting some significant time and effort into reading during the early days of their partnership. Even when she had sneered at him condescendingly or shot him an icy glare she had been exquisite.

He couldn't help but laugh to himself at the memory of her attempting to interrogate the car saleswoman. It was actually pretty cute, the way she attempted to act tough and appear ahead of the game. Her voice cut through his thoughts.

"You'd tell me right? If I did that to you?" She looked at him earnestly, but his thoughts had wandered so far that he had no clue what she was alluding to.

"Did what Bones?" It was amazing how many times she could lose him in the course of one conversation

"If I made you feel inadequate."

His gaze penetrated her and she had the urge to close her eyes in an attempt to keep him out her head.

"Why would you think that?"

"Something Angela said." Did she want to bring this up?

"What did she tell you?" Booth knew from experience that when Angela brought about epiphanies in his partner that he was in for a whirlwind of questions. Once her brain shifted into gear there was no stopping her until she had answers and he was usually roped into being her reluctant research assistant.

"She said that you intentionally allow yourself to appear unintelligent in order to allow me to feel superior in that aspect of our partnership."

Booth cursed Angela. It wasn't something he did consciously, but it was true, he always found himself moving into the background to allow Brennan to shine. In truth he enjoyed watching her eyes light up as she explained her findings or seeing her look of determination when she decided that she was going to help him understand something, even if it took them all afternoon.

"You don't need any help there Bones," he stated, clearly proud of her accomplishments.

"I know, but…"

"Maybe I do step back Bones, but why attempt to handle a situation that you could approach and figure out so much more efficiently than I ever could? It's only logical," he added with a smirk.

She smiled.

"For the longest time, at the beginning of our partnership, I couldn't give that to you. I couldn't let the interrogation, the dealing with people, be your thing. It wasn't until Dr. Wyatt accused me of wanting to be able to conduct investigations without you that I realized what I was doing by refusing to admit that you could do it better than me. You're indispensable to this partnership Booth and if I've ever caused you to doubt that then I apologize."

Booth reached across the table and placed his hand on hers. He was speechless. He'd never heard such a heartfelt speech from his partner and it's affect on him scared him a little bit. He had always known that Brennan had a charm mixed with vulnerability that would prove lethal if she ever turned it on him and now he was feeling its full affects.

"Don't worry Bones. We've come a long way from the days when I felt that our partnership was more like a competition. Like Sweets said, we complement each other and both of us in this together is what makes this thing work. But thank you for the apology." He couldn't express how much joy he felt after her words to him. He didn't need her to apologize for those countless moments when he felt like a total dunce in her presence, but the fact that she would feel moved to offer one warmed from deep inside.

Brennan gave a relieved sigh. "You're welcome."

They went back to their meals and a comfortable silence reigned for the next several minutes.

"So you'll tutor me?" affirmed Brennan, breaking the stillness.

"Well, if Sweets couldn't do anything with you…." he said playfully.

Brennan tried to glare at him before piping up.

"Did you know he trained car salesman to be more effective at manipulation when he was still in school?" She was clearly still appalled. "But at least he had the decency to feel bad about it."

"Wow. What won't people do for money?"

"Well, I've never…" she began.

"Rhetorical question Bones," he said, cutting her off.

"Oh."

"Alright," said Booth, leaning in. "Let's try this. What is my face telling you?"

He puckered his brow, scrunched up his lips and clouded his eyes. Brennan almost laughed at the comical expression.

"You're confused, but I only know that because Sweets used the same example."

"Okay, new one."

She straitened up in her seat and he smiled at her anticipation. More and more he found his ability to relax and have fun with her increasing. As they spent more evenings together Booth began finding it extremely difficutl to imagine spending his free time with anyone else.

He looked into her eyes and allowed his to mist over (actor extraordinaire in high school, oh yeah) and his face to droop.

"Sad," she stated confidentially.

He dropped his jaw and widened his eyes.

"Um…." she bit her lip and he almost groaned. His eyes zeroed in on those lips that had been haunting his dreams lately.

"Scared?"

"Yup," he said, pride evident in his voice.

She shook her head.

"I can read you Booth. It's just other people I have trouble with."

"Hey," he reassured her, "we'll work on it. You'll get better."

"You think so?" she asked.

"I know it. Not that it won't take a lot of work." He grinned at her, dragging out 'a lot' for affect. The prospect of devoting some serious time to teaching his partner something excited him tremendously.

"Now, one more," he said, determined to give her a tough one.

He pursed his lips and cast his eyes around the room. He shifted in his seat anxiously.

Brennan leaned in to study his face and he could tell she was doing her utmost to figure him out.

She was so close. He could smell the subtle scent of her perfume and worked hard not to blush as her cool blue eyes explored his face for clues. Her nearness was intoxicating and he knew what was happening, but found himself powerless to halt it. He could feel his features morphing from the nervous expression that he was putting on, to one that he desperately hoped she wouldn't figure out. But luck, it would seem, had deserted.

She gasped and pulled back.

"Why are you looking like that?" she breathed.

He quickly blanked his face. "Like what Bones?"

"You know how you're looking." Her voice was edged with frustration, but her eyes were begging him not to lie to her.

Well, he reasoned to himself as he took in her desperate expression, if the cat was out of the bag he might as well go all the way. She hadn't made a move to bolt yet and, knowing her, that in itself was a positive sign.

"Do I? How?" He softened his expression, encouraging her to go on, letting her know that he wasn't going to deny what she had seen in his eyes.

"Your…your eyes are soft and twinkly. You had this smile on your face, one that I only see when you look at…at Parker. I'm not adept at reading people, but that look on your face…it's caring and admiring and….loving."

He nodded his head slowly, never letting his eyes leave hers. "Four for four Bones. You got it."

"What does it mean Booth?" For a moment he couldn't read her.

"Didn't my face say it all?" he asked, not wanting to push her. "I have feelings for you Bones. I don't know how you feel, but….you're my best friend, my favourite person to be around and when I look at you I know that what we could have would be great." He knew he was practically pleading, but he didn't care. He needed for her to understand, truly understand, what he felt before her brain kicked in and the interrogation started. "What do you say Bones?"

He waited for the questions, queries, concerns, protestations, but they didn't come.

The confusion had vanished and in its placed as acceptance and was that contentment?

She leaned in closer and looked him in the eye before smiling enigmatically. "What does my face say Booth?"

His eyes roved over her countenance. Her blue eyes sparkled, totally free from doubt and apprehension. Her lips quirked into a soft smile as she watched him search her face. A soft blush graced her cheeks under his probing gaze. He was flabbergasted as he realized that his earlier look was now mirrored on her face.

"I think it says that it wants me to kiss you right now." He knew he was being bold, but if she felt even half of what he did, and her eyes told him that was the case, then he felt secure in his declaration.

She beamed at him. "I knew you were good," she whispered as his lips came down on hers.

The End