A/N: This story seemed to write itself and I know it isn't my best work so be kind when reviewing. I also decided to post the complete story at one time rather than chapter by chapter since I had finished it anyway. It's a BB story with plenty of angst and some fluff too.

A light snow has begun to fall over Washington DC as Temperance Brennan makes her way home after a long and tedious week. Two ongoing FBI cases along with a confidential Government identification and pressure from her editor about her latest novel have meant little sleep and longer than usual working days. Even now, at 11 pm on a Friday night, she has only just finished up for the day. With one hand clamped on the steering wheel, Brennan rubs her tired eyes one at a time and hopes she makes it home in one piece. Driving probably isn't a good idea given how exhausted she is.

Nevertheless, Brennan makes it home safely twenty minutes later and is quickly relaxing on her couch with a large glass of red wine and some soft music playing on the stereo. Reclining back, Brennan closes her eyes and sinks into the soft material, her body finally beginning to relax. But her moment of peace is swiftly interrupted by a knock at her door. The clock tells her it is nearly 11.45 pm. Who would come to my apartment at this time on a Friday night? She wonders for only a moment. Then the answer comes to her. Booth she sighs. It isn't that she doesn't want to see him, it's just his visit can only mean one thing. A new case. Setting her wine down carefully on the coffee table, Brennan grudgingly rises to her feet and crosses the room, smoothing down her clothes as she moves in a subconscious attempt to make sure she looks good.

"Hey Bones." Booth greets her with a half smile as she draws back the door to her apartment. His hands are stuffed in his jean pockets and his black leather jacket is lightly dusted by snow.

"Booth, what are you doing here?" she asks wearily, knowing fine well what his answer is going to be.

"I know its late Bones, and it's been a long week." Booth begins, hoping by acknowledging her exhaustion she'll be a little more receptive to him.

"Out with it." Brennan rolls her eyes.

"Right, uh we have a new case."

"I figured as much." Brennan steps aside to let Booth into her apartment. She closes the door quickly behind him and steps around him as he lingers near the door. "So, what is it this time?" she asks as she makes her way back to the couch. Booth follows after a moment's hesitation, then feeling more confident, he flops down into the armchair.

"Skeleton in a box." He states. "Found in a federal park in Chicago." He holds his breath waiting for her reaction.

"We're going to Chicago aren't we?" Brennan asks with a heavy heart.

"Sorry Bones, I hope you didn't have plans for the weekend."

"Mmm, nothing much. Just a couple of ID's for the Government and some paperwork." Brennan replies. Her voice lacks humour but Booth smiles nonetheless.

"Great, well our plane leaves in three hours so you'd better get packed." Booth sits forward and claps his hands together.

"Tonight?" Brennan exclaims, suddenly sitting up, her eyes widening.

"The sooner we get there the sooner we get home."

"One of these days…" Brennan mutters as she rises to her feet. Booth clasps his hands behind his head and places his feet on the coffee table, crossed at the ankles.

"I'll wait here for you Bones." He grins as she walks across her apartment to her bedroom. She doesn't glance back, knowing she might break into a smile if she sees that cute but devilish expression she knows his face is wearing. If he doesn't think I'm mad at being dragged out of state, I know he won't try to make it up to me she smiles as she enters her bedroom and begins to search for her overnight bag.

xxxx

The sun is barely peeking over the horizon when Brennan and Booth arrive at the crime scene, straight from the airport. Brennan had slept the whole flight but she still feels a little groggy. The area of the park the box was discovered in has been cordoned off by local police and aside from a few officers, a local FBI agent and a young man with an FBI Forensics jacket on, the park is deserted.

"Agent Booth, Dr Brennan." The FBI agent approaches them and extends his hand both. "I'm Agent Wright. My boss told me you would be taking over this investigation." Booth thinks he hears some annoyance in the man's voice.

"Not taking over." Booth states with a smile. He doesn't like alienating other agents, especially when they might need help during the investigation. "Dr Brennan is going to identify the victim and we'll take it from there."

"The victim is female." Brennan calls out. Booth hadn't even noticed she had left his side and moved to the box sitting a few feet away, just outside of a deep hole in the ground under a tree.

"What's that?" he asks as he walks over to join her.

"Female, looks like a teenager, maybe fourteen to nineteen." Brennan begins to examine the skeleton, her latex gloves already on her hands. "Blunt force trauma." She states definitively, pointing to the victim's skull where a large hole can clearly be seen.

"So we got a murder?" Agent Wright asks.

"I can't say with certainty, the trauma may have been have been caused after death. But given the circumstances of her final resting place I would say yes." Brennan concludes.

"Okay, well what now?" Wright asks. "You want these bones taken somewhere?"

"I need access to a lab for my initial examination. Then I'll be sending the bones back to the Jeffersonian institute in DC."

"I'll have the whole box transported to the FBI lab, you can work there." Wright tells Brennan.

"Come on Bones, how about I buy you breakfast while the remains are moved?" Booth offers, a hopeful smile crossing his face. Brennan looks over at the remains then at Booth.

"Sure." She replies. Coffee sounds really good about now she thinks as she wipes her brow with the back of her wrist.

"Okay, great." Booth turns to Wright. "We'll see you in an hour or so." He then places his hand lightly on Brennan's shoulder to guide her away from the scene, as she pulls off her gloves.

"Agent Wright." Brennan pauses and turns back to the agent. "I'd like some soil samples from immediately around the box and the surrounding area." She adds.

"I'll have my guy here do that for you." Wright glances over at the young forensics expert. "There's a great diner just down the street from our office." He adds. Booth nods a thanks and continues to guide Brennan back towards their rented SUV.

xxxx

Two hours later and fuelled by a very strong coffee and a bagel, Brennan is hunched over the remains from the box in a small, dark lab in the basement of the FBI building. Booth hovers in the corner of the room, watching her intently as she works. His eyes follow her every move, as she gracefully but with determination, lifts and examines individual bones for evidence of the crime that brought the young girl to her tragic end.

"She was definitely murdered." Brennan finally announces after a long period of silence. Booth straightens up and walks over to the table, standing on the other side from Brennan. "See these marks here?" she holds out the victim's ulna. Booth scrutinises the bones then lifts his eyes to meet hers.

"Uh no." he admits as he breaks into a smile. Brennan can't help but smile back.

"These are knife marks." She explains. "I've found similar cuts on the other arm, her ribs and a few on her spine too." She makes sure to use terms Booth will understand, knowing if she doesn't she'll just have to repeat herself using them anyway.

"So she was stabbed to death?" Booth asks, leaning forward a little.

"Yes. I believe the trauma to the skull was caused by the force of the lid being closed on the box." She places the arm back on the table and lifts the skull, her eyes focusing intensely on it. "The rest of the skull is in very good shape, Angela should have no trouble reconstructing a face for us." She lifts her eyes and smiles a little. "I'll have the remains couriered to the Jeffersonian." That will give us some time to relax she thinks. There isn't much we ca do without an ID.

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