"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends."

- Dumbledore

It had been a tough year. The cases had been piling up. It seemed as if the whole world was closing in on him at times. There had been moments when Booth had felt as though it had been a mistake coming back. He would find himself, sitting in his office, feet balanced on the corner of his desk, eyes closed, dreaming about what life might be like right now. They might have been living on a farm. Or in a small town, with no traffic jams or smog, or noise. They might have a dog or two. And maybe even a cat. Even though he didn't like them, he knew that Christine's biggest wish was for a kitten of her very own. He would take Hank fishing in the local creek, just like Pops did with him when he was a boy. Bones would be a full time writer. She would bake, and maybe even knit. Then he would laugh at that thought and sit up in his chair and look around his office, and at the pile of cases on his desk, and he would be brought back to the real world. His world.

Booth flexed his shoulders and tipped his head left and right, trying to loosen up the muscles in his neck. He sighed heavily and stood up, groaning audibly. He was getting old. Well, not old old, but his past injuries were starting to catch up with him. For years he was fit enough to hold them at bay, but with his job now being more office based than out in the field, his fitness was waning. He noticed his knees and feet hurt more. His back would stiffen up often, and every bone he had ever broken seemed to ache.

He stared at the pile of folders, then knocked on them with his knuckles "You'll keep until tomorrow" he said, looking at his wristwatch. He had promised Bones he would pick Christine up from school and Hank from day care today. She was going to a meeting with Cam at the Jeffersonian. Something about budget cuts. Again. There's always more work and less money available to do it. he muttered as he grabbed his overcoat and shrugged into it as he closed his office door behind him.

He heard a voice behind him as he strode towards the elevator. He wanted to pretend he didn't hear, but his conscience got the better of him. He slowed his step.

"Booth! Good, I'm glad I caught you buddy!" James Aubrey ra up to him, giving him a friendly punch in the shoulder, which actually hurt, but Booth tried not to show it.

"Oh. Wait. Bad shoulder, right?" Aubrey cringed, holding up his hands "Sorry dude. I forgot. How are you doing these days. I noticed you limping the other day. Old injuries catching up with you, huh?"

Booth frowned, feeling irritated. "What? No! Fit as a fiddle!" he said, punching himself in the chest. His macho, bravado kicking in. "that was just." he paused, thinking hard "new shoes. You know how that goes." He nodded, pushing out his bottom lip, trying to divert Aubrey's interrogation.

Aubrey stared at Booth for a moment, then grinned his best gap toothed smile "Sure! Sure. New shoes are a bitch, right?" he said. He knew that Booth was proud. He also knew that Booth was hiding his true feelings. But, he didn't want to embarrass him. He was a good guy. A great mentor and the best partner he'd ever had in his career. He was also a grizzly bear when poked. And Aubrey knew not to poke the bear. It never ended well.

"You leaving early?" Aubrey asked, rocking on his heels.

Booth pressed the elevator "Down" button and raised an eyebrow "What's it to you?" he said.

Aubrey grinned again, irritating Booth with his cheery demeanour.

"Oh nothing. You have every right to leave whenever you need to" Aubrey said as the elevator doors opened.

"Well, I'm leaving" Booth nodded at him "See you tomorrow" then turned and stepped into the elevator.

He barely turned and reached out to press the button to close the doors when Aubrey slipped through the doors and stood next to him, doing that thing again, where he rocked on his heels.

"Are you following me?" Booth asked.

"What? No! No, not at all." Aubrey said, crossing his arms across his chest. "Well yes, kind of. But I'm not following you. I wanted to talk to you is all" he added.

Booth's face hardened and he sucked on his bottom lip, staring ahead.

Aubrey, well aware that Booth was annoyed with him, forged ahead "Well. It occurred to me that when men, such as us, work together and are friends"

"Friends?" Booth muttered.

Aubrey chose to ignore him and continued "Well, friends and colleagues, that work long hours, they often socialise, outside of work"

"I don't like socialising" Booth said.

"And I thought" Aubrey said grinning widely "that it would be great if we. As friends and colleagues, went out for a guys night"

Booth frowned and turned to look at Aubrey "a guys night?" he echoed, trying not to laugh.

Aubrey frowned, confused by Booth's amusement "Yeah, you know. Guys. Like you and me, and Hodgins, and maybe Wendell. We should go out. Grab a bite. Have a drink. Catch the breeze. You know. Hang out." he said.

"And maybe then we could catch a strip show and then run amok, knocking over letter boxes" Booth smirked.

Aubrey hesitated, then realised Booth was making fun of him. "I'm serious Booth. And no. No strip club and I know you're just pulling my leg about the letter boxes." he said, then grabbed his chin "Although I must admit I took out a whole block of letterboxes when Craig Williams and I were thirteen or fourteen and we got new bikes for Christmas. We"

Booth held up a hand to stop the flow "OK, OK, I'll agree as long as I don't have to know about your childhood" he said.

"But see? That's the thing! We should know about each other. That's what happens when you're friends!" Aubrey said, excitement in his voice.

Booth stared at him as the elevator doors opened. He started to step forward when Aubrey clapped him on his bad shoulder again, making him flinch.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry again. So what about it. You. Me. The guys." Aubrey asked.

Booth rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no getting away from him.

"You're going to be like a dog with a bone, aren't you" Booth said, then looked up and waved a hand vaguely in the air "Fine. Alright. We'll go on a guys night. Let me know when." he said. "you'll never give up if I don't agree" he added under his breath.

Aubrey did a strange one legged hop and clapped his hands together once "Excellent! I'll talk to the guys and arrange it."

Booth cringed "Can we please just stop referring it to a "guys" night?" he said using air quotes.

"Of course. Sure. This is gonna be great! We should have done this months ago. But of course, with Hodgins situation, and all the other stuff" he waved his hands around, indicating the other stuff "better late than never, right?"

Booth stared at him "yeah, right. It'll be. Great. Seeya!" he nodded, turned and walked towards the main doors. Just great. he muttered.

"Come on Bones! Surely you could call up on the day that we're supposed to go and tell them I've come down sick. I could be running a fever. Vomiting. Ooh! Diarrhoea! Nobody likes to talk about having the squirts and they won't want me coming then."

Brennan crossed her arms and tilted her head staring at her husband who was pacing backwards and forwards across the living room rug.

"Booth, to suddenly come down with symptoms, that severe, so soon after being at work? I'm not sure they would believe me. You would have to take the afternoon off work, at the very least to make it seem even remotely plausible." Brennan said, shaking her head. "Plus, I don't want to lie to Aubrey. He's sweet and I think he's right. It would be nice for you to go out and spend some time with your colleagues."

"Apart from Aubrey, they're your colleagues, that I just happen to know" Booth said.

"Booth! Wendell is more than a colleague. And Hodgins and Angela are our best friends. He's hardly a colleague." She said, offended. "Well, he is a colleague. Of mine. When I'm at work. And I suppose, to you as well when he's working on one of your cases. But outside of work, he's a friend. And a very good one. To you as well as me." she stammered, frowning as she thought.

Brennan smiled at him. She actually did understand how he felt. She herself had often felt in the past, that she didn't need friends. In fact, there were times when she felt most at home when completely alone. She enjoyed her own company. But meeting Angela, she learned the beauty of having a best friend. And then she met Booth, and realised that it was better having people that you can call on, any time, day or night. Someone, that would have your back, no matter what. She and Booth had each other. It did a soul good to have a variety of friends. To have fun with. To laugh with, cry with, do silly things with. She had that now, and knew it's value.

"Fine. Alright! I'll go." Booth said finally, throwing his hands up in the air, then turned and pointed at her "But it will be under sufferance!" he added, making her laugh at him.

He watched her laugh at him, feeling the corners of his mouth pull.

Guys night.

God help me.