Disclaimer: Give me a break.

A/N: Ok so this is my newest baby. Don't know what people will think of it, hopefully I won't receive enough flames to heat my house (not that I need to, as Florida is climactically comparable to hell). Anyway all names, places, practices, etc that seem made up probably are. There is no Alqueehawlic tribe, unless you count the band of vagrants I call my friends. But I am an Anthropology major, so I'm not a hundred percent shooting in the dark. Well bribery never lets me down, so let me put it in algebraic form: ReviewsXUpdatesY! And to think, I failed Algebra twice. Hey I failed algebra squared!

Having an especially shitty Monday, Seeley Booth was somewhat irritated when he looked up from his overdone burger and fries to see his partner grinning to herself.

"Whatcha smiling for Bones? You picturing me naked or something, cuz today has kinda sucked as far as I can tell."

Brennan cheerfully stabbed some lettuce with her fork and tried to smother her smile for the sake of Booth's stank mood. She shrugged a shoulder.

"Nothing. Definitely not you naked. I was just thinking."

Popping a fry in his mouth, Booth pressed, "What about?"

Brennan was acutely aware she wasn't any good at evasion, especially from Booth, so she plainly admitted,

"I don't want to tell you, you'll get mad."

"No I won't" He responded automatically. He paused, intrigued. "Come on, I'll give you a fry…"

"I'll take your fries" Brennan murmured under her breath. She met his patient gaze and sighed heavily, looking back down.

"You're not going to like this, but I'm leaving for South America on Friday." Her eyes remained fused to the worn linoleum tabletop, but she saw Booth's penetrating stare in her mind with perfect clarity.

"How long will you be gone?" Booth asked in a slightly choked voice, his chiseled face blank and still.

She looked up at him guiltily, her blue eyes arresting the federal agents'.

"Ten days. Now give me fry."

Booth released a breath that seemed to have frozen in his lungs for a few seconds. Brennan reached for his plate, but Booth quickly slapped her hand away. Brennan crossed her arms petulantly.

"I knew you'd be mad."

Booth sighed and slid his plate in front of her, offering it apologetically.

"Bones I'm not mad, just bummed out. I mean, you're my partner in crime fighting. And you nearly gave me heart attack! For a second I thought you were going to be gone for…a while." Booth paused, his eyes drifting to his hand as it traced random patterns on the table. Looking back up at Brennan, he continued, "So why South America? Can't you stay less than ten days?"

Brennan shook her head as she accepted a peace fry.

"When I was twenty four, I went to Brazil to study an indigenous Amazonian culture for my grad work. I stayed with the Alqueehawlics for four months and was adopted by an Alqueehawlic family. I'm going back to visit my relatives and observe the marriage festival, which lasts ten days."

Booth's heart warmed hearing Brennan talk about her "relatives". And also at the breathtaking smile that snuck onto her face as she spoke.

"No wonder you're smiling. You excited Bones? Gonna go play with your little tribe and leave me to do all the real work huh?" The grin on his face washed the sting from his words.

Brennan's eyes brightened, if that were possible, and she started rambling.

"Booth, it's going to be so great. There's going to be a communal feast, a huge hunting expedition, and religious rituals and dancing and probably a dozen weddings. I can't wait to see Lush and Boozur and Rumm and Wissquee… I wonder if they're married yet…"

Booth had been okay up until she mentioned the dancing and the rituals and all the various unmarried "he"s she knew. Now, all he could think of was a mob of bare-chested natives jumping around a fire and doing who-knows-what to Brennan. Instantly a plan developed in his hopefully overactive imagination. Nervously playing with his napkin, Booth casually began,

"You know, I've never been to Brazil. I bet it's gorgeous."

Through a mouthful of salad, Brennan raved,

"Booth oh my God! The jungle and the river, everything is completely untouched. 

The Brazilian portion of the Amazon is one of the most remote, pristine locations on Earth. It's absolutely amazing. And of course my brothers and sisters and I know all the best spots."

Her eyes were shining like brilliant sapphires. Booth was doubtful the Amazon River had anything on her.

"I can't wait to get there" Brennan almost sighed.

Booth studied her carefully.

"I'd love to see it. And I bet those Alchamacallits-"

"Alqueehawlics."

"-are really cool. Do you speak the language?"

Brennan drew her brows together in suspicion. 'He should not be this interested.'

"Yes. Their language is called Was-ted. It's actually very simple."

Booth rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure" he murmured. "Anyway that's awesome Bones. I'm happy for you. I'm soooo jealous." He watched her expectantly. "I'd reeeally love to go."

Brennan continued eating her salad, nodding periodically, wearing a lazy smile. Booth tapped his fingers on the table, twitching with impatience.

"Damn it Bones, take me with you!"

Brennan's eyes popped open wide and met Booth's equally shocked face.

'Woops, wasn't supposed to come out like that.'

Booth quickly reached out and grabbed Brennan's hand.

"Please, can I come? Please?"

His melted chocolate eyes were fixed on her, using intense eye contact to throw her off balance and push things in his favor. When he really needed to get through to her, Booth could always draw on the raw connection they had.

Her eyes darted rapidly from Booth's hand to his desperate face and back. She felt her argument caving before she even opened her mouth.

"Booth I-" she stuttered. "You can't leave work. You'd be miserable, what would you do for ten days in the rain forest?"

Patting her hand gently, Booth gave her the absolute best of his charm smiles.

"Vacation days, no I won't, and help you of course."

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A/N: A million thank yous to everyone who actually read this whole thing- PLEEEEEASE review and let me know what you think! Should I keep going or is this a bit too ridiculous for everone's general tastes?