A/N: So, originally I planned to write a direct continuation of LRaLS, but after they resolved the Pelant subplot on the show, I wasn't really sure what to do. After a lot of thinking, I eventually thought up this plot, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I hope you enjoy it too. -PR
Dr. Zack Addy could hear a small, steady tapping sound behind him as he worked. He set down the equation he was working on and turned around to see Dr. Zoe Simon standing a few feet away, softly clicking her heel against the floor and holding a small box.
"What? No flowers? No card?" she asked him, handing him the box.
"What?" he responded, taken aback by her sarcasm as he opened the box. Inside, he found a small cupcake with "Happy Anniversary, Dr. Addy" scrawled in a shaky, slanted cursive with blue icing atop a glob of white frosting.
"It's been a whole year since we were first teamed up together," she said with a smile. "I wanted to bring confetti as well, but it seemed like too much of a hazard with all the lab equipment, plus it probably violates tons of lab protocols."
"Um, thanks. Happy anniversary," Zack answered awkwardly, uncertain of what else to say. He set the box on his desk to save for later.
Zoe smiled at him as she put on her grey lab coat. It was almost hard to believe so much time had gone by. It had seemed like just a few days and forever all at once. Over the past year, Zoe felt that she was becoming much more trusting of Zack. She was still working on her training to be a full-fledged profiler, but, from what she learned to become a psychologist, it seemed Sweets was right about him.
"Well, I guess it's about time we get started on the case. This one seems like quite the challenge," she said, linking her arm around his elbow and walking with him to the platform. Following their usual routine, Zack scanned his card, then the two walked up the steps and took their usual spots, Zack observing the bones with Dr. Brennan as Zoe took notes on their discoveries. Over the past months, she had picked up a few of the scientific phrases, but, luckily, Zack had become a great translator for the majority of the scientific babble. Meanwhile, her notes were gradually evolving into a strange alien language composed of a mixture of shorthand, abbreviations, and symbols that only she, Zack, and Sweets could decipher.
As usual, Zoe delivered the manila folder to Sweets' office. Sweets looked over his coworker's case notes. "What's your take on it?" he asked in a "pop quiz" fashion.
"Um, well, they determined that the victim was likely stabbed, and it's not particularly easy to stab someone to death, so that might have some significance," she noted, looking up at her mentor. He motioned for her to elaborate. "Well, it could have been a weapon of opportunity or have some kind of symbolic meaning to the killer. Or maybe the killer wanted to see the victims suffer." She took a quick look at the notes to see what she was forgetting. "Oh, also, the victim's left hand was missing. Hands are significant in communication, so it could involve that or maybe an interpersonal relationship," she suggested. "There were also a bunch of scratches all over the bones, but I'm really not sure what that means."
Sweets nodded. "I know from experience that you probably don't get too much respect around here, so I just want to tell you that you're doing a good job."
She didn't really expect too much respect at the moment, considering both the general disdain for psychology among many of the others and the fact that her current job description basically amounted to "babysitter," but she wasn't one to turn down a compliment when it's offered. "Thank you very much, Dr. Sweets."