Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: This is my first Bones fanfiction. I don't normally write for shows that are still ongoing because my work gets rendered non-canonical rather quickly, but my muse wouldn't leave me alone on this one. This story takes place after "Pain in the Heart", and contains spoilers. This one is un-betaed because my beta reader hasn't seen the episode yet. All mistakes are mine.
Cam walked into Zack's hospital room and relieved Hodgins. She sat down, placed her hand on Zack's shoulder, and said, "Hey, Zackaroni! How are you feeling?"
"Groggy," he replied. "Hodgins pressed the painkiller button and it's just now wearing off. I don't like the painkillers. They make me see things."
Cam said, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Zack said, "I'm a little bored. I can't hold books because of my hands. Will you read to me?"
Cam smiled. Though a grown man, he sounded just like a kid wanting to hear a bedtime story. "Sure thing. Which one do you want to hear?"
"Boolean Forms of Propositional Calculus," Zack replied.
Cam picked up the book and started to read. It seemed to calm Zack down, and an adorable smile graced his lips. About 20 pages in, she heard the door slide open. She glanced at her watch and saw that she still had another two hours left before Sweets was supposed to come relieve her.
She turned around and saw Booth and Brennan standing at the door looking grim. She knew that look. In her ten years as a cop, she had confronted people while wearing that same expression. She made eye contact with Booth, silently pleading that she was misreading them. Booth imperceptibly shook his head.
Getting choked up, she said, "I have to ask. Are you absolutely sure?"
Booth nodded.
Cam bolted out of the room, suddenly feeling nauseous. She ran down the hall to the restroom and emptied the contents of her stomach. When she had finished, she splashed her face with cold water. She sighed and decided it was time for the moment of truth. She was three weeks late and had thrown up every morning for the last five days.
She reached into her purse, pulled out the pregnancy test, unwrapped it, and took it. The five minutes she had to wait for the results felt like an eternity. She tried not to think about the interrogation that was surely taking place down the hall.
At the appointed time, she looked down at the stick. She blinked, closed her eyes, and looked again. The results were still the same. Positive. "Oh, God," she said. "Now what?"
She sat down on the floor and cried. After half an hour, she had exhausted all of her tears. She reapplied her mascara and ventured out into the hall. She saw Booth, Brennan, Angela, Hodgins, and Sweets standing outside the door to Zack's room. She looked through the glass and saw Caroline talking to him. More tears threatened to fall, but she wiped her eyes quickly and joined the vigil.
She only processed snippets of the conversation. "Zack confessed." "Pleads guilty." "Secure mental facility."
They left and returned to the Jeffersonian. Hodgins had brought a box with Zack's personal effects, and they were looking through it, reminiscing on old times. Cam was only half there as she heard her colleagues blame themselves.
"I should have gotten him to see the world a bit more," Booth said.
"Those things I say about secret societies, I didn't know he was actually listening." Hodgins hung his head.
Angela piped in, "I should have gotten him a girlfriend."
Angela's comment was the last straw. Cam snapped, "The hell with Zack. He's an adult. He made his choices."
Brennan said, "We love Zack."
"Well, he killed someone. He deserves to be locked up for the rest of his life."
Sweets had to chime in with his psychoanalysis. "I must point out that Dr. Saroyan's reaction is her way of handling grief. She doesn't mean it. Quite the opposite, in fact."
Cam inwardly cursed the astute analysis. Choking back tears, she said, "I knew the day I met Zack he'd cause me pain."
She sat back and watched what to her looked like a funeral for the living. After an hour or so, Sweets left. Brennan departed shortly afterward. Hodgins put his arm around Angela and they walked out the door.
Cam still sat at the table, tears silently falling down her cheek. Booth walked over and sat down next to her, putting his arm around her. He held her like that for a long while, until the tears stopped. Booth said, "Come on. Let's go grab a beer."
"I...Booth, I can't have a beer. I'm..." she sobbed on his shoulder. "Pregnant."
It took a moment for the full implication of her statement to register. "Does he know?"
Cam shook her head. "I just found out today. What am I going to do? I can't raise a child alone."
Booth said, "You're not alone. You've got the whole squint squad. We'll help you out."
"Seeley, someday the kid is going to ask why he doesn't have a dad. What am I supposed to say? I got myself knocked up by a murderer!"
"How did it happen?"
"Oh, you know, the usual way," Cam said.
She sighed and continued, "It was about a month and a half ago..."
Flashback, 6 weeks ago
The telephone rang in Cam's office. She picked up the receiver and said, "Jeffersonian Institute. Dr. Saroyan speaking."
"Hey, Cam, it's Daniel."
Cam smiled, "Hi, Daniel. What's up?"
"About tonight, I'm really sorry, but I have to cancel. I've got a big project at work, and I just can't tear myself away."
"Yeah. Sure. I understand." Cam's face fell. This was the fourth date in a row that he had canceled. She remembered the title of the ever-popular relationship book and decided that it was probably apt in this situation: He's Just Not That into You.
Just then, Zack bounded into her office. "I'm King of the Lab!"
Cam stifled a laugh as she waited for an explanation. Zack continued, "I used a cantaloupe to simulate the victim's skull. I put it in a vise and found the amount of pressure needed to cause the damage we saw on the remains. There's no way our suspect could have done it. We're looking for someone who weighs at least 300 pounds and is extremely muscular. Probably a football player."
"Good work, Zackaroni."
Zack grinned. As he was on his way out the door, Cam said, "Wait, Zack. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Tonight is the annual D.C. Coroners Society gala. My date cancelled on me last minute and I have an extra ticket. It would be a shame to let it go to waste. Do you want to come with me?"
"Okay."
Zack returned to the lab and Cam gathered her belongings. She headed home to get ready. She rifled through her closet trying to select something to wear. After trying on several outfits, she settled on her trusty little black dress.
She grabbed her purse and headed out the door. She glanced at the Google map that she had printed out so that she could pick Zack up.
She drove through winding roads and rolling hills until she reached an imposing mansion at the end of a cul-de-sac. There were gargoyles on pillars guarding the front door. She went around the side of the house and up a stairway until she stood at the door of an apartment over the garage. While the gargoyles and the mansion screamed Hodgins, the small door of the apartment had a mailbox that simply read, "Z. Addy".
She knocked on the door. Zack opened it, wearing the suit Angela picked out for him when he defended his dissertation, and a bowtie that had obviously been borrowed from Hodgins. His hair was just a little bit too long, and it was starting to flop. He looked a little bit like a boy trying to dress up as a man.
Zack stared at Cam for a moment. Her dress was low in the front, revealing cleavage. There was a slit up the side to the middle of her thigh. Her hair was piled high on her head in curls. After a good 45 seconds, Zack regained the power of speech. He said, "You look beautiful, Dr. Saroyan."
"Thanks. You look nice, too."
"Would you like to come in? I got you a corsage."
Cam stepped inside and Zack pinned the corsage on, fumbling like a teenager before the prom. She reached into her purse and said, "I have something for you, too."
She pulled out a little trophy. It had a plaque on it that read, 'Zack Addy- King of the Lab'. Zack grinned and said, "Thank you!"
He proffered his arm and escorted Cam down the stairs to her car. They drove to the hall where the reception was taking place and walked in. They began to mingle over drinks, and Cam introduced Zack to the other guests.
After dinner, there was dancing, and more drinking. Zack led Cam onto the dance floor, and they did a waltz, followed by a foxtrot. Cam was surprised, as she had never pegged Zack as a dancer, but he led her effortlessly around the ballroom. She shivered as he pulled her close, his wine-tinged breath on her neck.
At the end of the evening, Cam drove Zack back to his apartment. As they pulled into the driveway, Zack said, "Would you like to come in for some coffee?"
Cam pondered the question posed by this charming boy-man. She wasn't sure quite what he intended- he was so literal-minded that he probably really was just inviting her for coffee. She accepted the invitation and they headed upstairs.
Zack put on the coffee pot while Cam sat down on the couch. She looked around at the sparsely decorated living room. The walls had diplomas and awards, and there was an end table that had various anthropologically themed curios displayed on it.
Zack came over and sat down. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Thank you for inviting me. I had a good time."
Cam said, "I enjoyed myself, too. You're a great dancer."
Zack leaned in and placed a kiss on Cam's lips. Cam was stunned, but found it pleasant. Without realizing it at first, she kissed back. They came up for air, and Zack hesitated before sliding down the shoulder strap on Cam's dress.
Zack paused, unsure of how Cam was going to react. Cam responded by undoing Zack's bowtie. Somehow, they managed to stumble into the bedroom, the pot of coffee forgotten.
When Cam woke up in the morning, she had a headache and a mild hangover. She rolled over and saw Zack still sleeping, looking youthful and innocent. She now knew, however, that beneath that boyish exterior, Zack was definitely a man.
She had made it a policy not to sleep with her subordinates- it was bad form and created problems. However, in this instance, she could not find it in her to regret it. Zack had been sweet and kind since the moment she met him. His naïveté had charmed her from day one. The way he got so excited over his experiments and over being king of the lab brought a smile to her face.
It dawned on her- she had feelings for him. 'Well, this is complicated,' she thought to herself. She began the litany of reasons why it couldn't work. 'I'm 10 years older than him. I'm his boss. He's Dr. Brennan's protégé.'
She looked over again at Zack's face, and her reasons faded away. She pulled the covers back up and drifted back to sleep.
Zack woke up precisely at 6:45 am. This was the same time he woke up every morning, and he never needed an alarm clock. He suddenly became aware that he was not alone. 'I thought that was a dream,' he thought to himself. However, he was confronted by a very real, very nude, sleeping Camille Saroyan.
He sat up and immediately regretted the action. He was still hung-over, and he had a headache as large as his IQ. He decided to go back to sleep, and his last thought before drifting off was hoping that he didn't get fired over this.
Cam tiptoed out around 7:30 and hurried home to shower and change before heading to the lab. She rolled in at 8:05, five minutes later than usual. The perk of being the boss is that nobody said a word.
She went into her office and buried herself in paperwork. An hour and a half later, she heard a knock on her door. She looked up and saw a visibly terrified Zack standing outside. She smiled and motioned for him to enter.
Zack walked in and said, "Good morning, Dr. Saroyan."
'Oh, so we're playing it formal today,' Cam thought sardonically. "Dr. Addy," she said neutrally.
Zack cleared his throat and said, "About last night…I was out of line. I should have never let it happen. I was drunk, but I know that's no excuse. I'm sorry."
Cam felt like a dagger went through her heart. She had just admitted to herself the feelings she had for Zack, and now he was sorry that they did it. She swallowed, put on a fake smile, and said, "It's ok, Zack. You weren't out of line. It takes two to tango."
Zack looked confused, "We did the waltz and the foxtrot, but I don't remember the tango."
He was so cute when he was being literal. "Nevermind. It's just an expression."
With that, Zack left Cam's office.
back to present time
Cam said to Booth, "We never spoke of that night again."
Booth pulled Cam into a comforting hug and just held her until she was done crying. "I loved him, Seeley, and he's a killer."
Booth took Cam to her apartment and walked her to the door. He said, "Do you want me to stay?"
"No. I just want to be alone."
"If you need anything, call," Booth said sincerely.
"I only need one thing," Cam said.
"Name it."
"I need your word that you'll keep this conversation private. From everyone."
"Of course," Booth promised.
"Even Dr. Brennan."
"I promise. Bones won't hear a word of this. Your secret is safe with me."
Cam had thrown herself into her work for the last few months, hoping that it would cause her to forget her pain. It didn't work. Everywhere she went in the lab, she was reminded of Zack. Dr. Brennan was looking for a replacement, but Cam knew that nobody could ever replace the King of the Lab.
Her morning sickness was thankfully over. She still hadn't told anybody but Booth about her pregnancy. She was starting to show, so it wasn't going to be much longer before people were going to start asking questions.
Angela walked into Cam's office, and Cam jumped. Angela said, "Cam, it's visitors' day at the asylum. We're all going to see Zack. Please come with us. You haven't come once. He misses you."
"No. I have nothing to say to him. We spend our days trying to catch murderers. What makes you think that I'm going to spend my free time visiting with one?"
"Please," Angela begged.
"No! Go see your precious killer. I have work to do," Cam snapped as she buried her head back into a stack of forms.
Angela walked out of the lab and met up with the rest of the squint squad. They piled into Booth's car and headed over. After an hour on the road, they pulled up to a gated mansion with a sign that read "Tranquil Pines: A Home for the Criminally Insane".
After passing through security, they walked to the reception desk. An elderly woman who looked bored sat at the desk. She said, "Who are you here to see?"
Dr. Brennan said, "We're here to see Zack Addy."
The receptionist smiled. "Of course. He's our one ray of sunshine in this place." She lowered her voice and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "He's the only sane person in here. I'm including the staff, you know. I don't know how he possibly could have gotten in this place. Such a sweet young man, if a bit odd."
Booth, Brennan, Sweets, Hodgins, and Angela sat down in the parlor. A few minutes later, an orderly escorted Zack into the room. Zack's face brightened when he saw his friends. He sat down and said, "Thank you for coming."
He looked around at the assembled gathering and said, "Where's Dr. Saroyan?"
Angela said, "She couldn't make it. Work stuff. She sends her best."
Zack could tell that Angela was lying, but he decided not to push it.
Brennan turned to Zack and said, "How are they treating you?"
"Gingerly," he said. "I think they're afraid of me."
Hodgins said, "Is there anything you need?
"Pencils, paper, and my unfinished dissertation. I figure while I'm here, I may as well complete my other PhD," Zack said.
"You got it," Hodgins said.
They talked about the goings on at the Jeffersonian, about the latest developments in forensic science, and about what was happening in their personal lives. As the hour was nearly up, Zack said, "I'm so glad you could all visit. Could I please speak to Agent Booth alone?"
The others stepped out of the room, and Booth said, "What's on your mind?"
"I need to talk to someone man to man."
"Okay."
Zack continued, "I know you and Dr. Saroyan are close. Why won't she come to see me?"
"She's just hurting right now. She needs more time."
"She's been avoiding me since even before I ended up here. I did something really stupid, Booth."
"What?"
"Please don't punch me. I know you were in a relationship with her. But, well, I had sex with her," Zack said.
Booth said, "I'm not going to punch you. It was over between us a long time ago."
Zack continued, "I've admired her for a long time, never able to get the courage to ask her out. She asked me out instead. We both had too much to drink, and I'm afraid I took advantage of her. I apologized the next day, and she's been weird around me ever since. I think she hates me for it."
Booth remembered the conversation he had with Cam. Choosing his words carefully so as not to betray any confidences, he said, "Zack, Cam used to be a cop. She could easily take out anyone who tried to take advantage of her. Trust me on this one. She doesn't hate you. Write her a letter. She doesn't know how you feel."
"Thank you, Agent Booth. I will."
The squints left, and Zack was escorted back to his room. Well, the orderlies called it a room. Zack called it a cell. He was incarcerated, just as surely as if he had been in prison. He sat down and began writing a letter.
Dear Cam,
Zack finished the letter just before he was scheduled for his weekly counseling session. He decided that if there were such a place as Hell, he was in it. He knew he was sane, but he was surrounded by crazy people, and by doctors who believed him to be crazy. 'Of course, the insane believe themselves to be sane as well,' he thought to himself.
Dr. Smith, his psychiatrist, greeted him and said, "Mr. Addy, how are you today?"
Zack said, "It's Doctor Addy, and I'm sane today. You?"
"I'm sensing hostility from you," Dr. Smith said.
"And I'm sensing condescension from you," Zack retorted.
"Mr. Addy, we have this same conversation every week. It is highly unproductive. You're obviously an intelligent man. Let's see if we can come up with a solution to make these sessions work better."
"I want a different psychiatrist," Zack said.
"I'm afraid that I'm the only one on staff."
"Then I would like to see one who isn't on staff."
"We don't have the funding," Dr. Smith said.
"What if he's willing to do it pro bono?"
"I suppose we could allow that. Who did you have in mind?"
Zack said, "Dr. Lance Sweets."
"Wait a minute, you're in here for murder and you want to visit a psychiatrist who works for the FBI?" Dr. Smith said incredulously.
"Yes. And I promise to give him my complete cooperation," Zack said.
"Very well. I will contact him and see if he is willing."
Angela walked into Cam's office at the Jeffersonian holding an envelope. She said, "Cam, you have a letter. It's from the Tranquil Pines asylum."
Angela dropped it on Cam's desk and said, "I'll be working on the Angelator if you want to talk."
Cam had half a mind to burn the letter without reading it, but her curiosity got the better of her and she opened the envelope. She sat down and began to read.
Dear Cam,
I hope things are going well for you. Dr. Brennan informs me that you have been quite busy at the Jeffersonian lately.
I understand if you never want to speak to me again, but I wanted to explain myself. When I was in Iraq, I discovered that you were the person I missed most. Going to the ball with you was a dream come true. You have a zest for life that I admire and wish that I had. You are brilliant and lead the team with grace and class. You are beautiful when you're on a crime scene in your protective gear, when you're casual at the diner, when you're dressed in a ballgown, and when you're wearing nothing at all. You could have the pick of any man you want, so I am not surprised that you passed up a dweeb like me. I love you and I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry.
I wish you the best.
Sincerely yours,
Zack
Tears streamed down Cam's face as she re-read the letter. She grabbed her purse and walked down the hall. Angela saw her and said, "Cam, honey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong. I need to see Zack," she said.
She got into her car and started driving. She arrived at the institution and parked her car. After clearing security, she approached the receptionist. "Hi. I'm here to see Zack Addy."
The receptionist said, "Certainly. The patients are just finishing up lunch. If you have a seat in the parlor, someone will bring him to you in about 10 minutes."
Cam thanked the receptionist and sat down. This place gave her the creeps. A few minutes later, she heard the door open. She turned her head and saw Zack walk in. They made eye contact and Zack smiled. "Dr. Saroyan, you came! It's so good to see you."
Cam stood up to greet Zack. His eyes caught sight of her rounding belly and his face fell. He could have kicked himself for saying the first thing that popped into his head. "You're pregnant."
"Yes," Cam said. She gestured to the sofa and said, "I got your letter. We should talk."
Zack's heart broke. He assumed that she had found someone new and was trying to break the news to him gently.
Cam said, "Did you mean what you wrote?"
"Yes. Every word of it."
"Thank you for telling me. I was hurt because I thought that you regretted the night we spent together. I don't know when it happened, but I love you," Cam said as she put her hand on his arm.
Zack's eyes drifted to Cam's belly again. Cam smiled as she took his hand and placed it on her abdomen. "I would like to introduce you to your son."
Zack got a bit choked up as he said, "My son? Our son?"
"Yes. I'm due in four and a half months." She pulled out the ultra-sound picture and showed it to him.
Zack pondered the cosmic appropriateness of the situation. Although he could never restore the life he took, he was heartened to know that he had also participated in the creation of a new life.
Although he was extremely rational, he was raised in a traditional household. He knew that he needed to do the right thing. He got down on one knee and said, "Cam, our baby deserves to be born in wedlock. Will you marry me?"
Cam raised Zack up and motioned for him to sit back on the couch. She started to cry as she said, "Do you love me, Zack?"
"Of course I do. That's why I wrote you the letter."
"Zack, I can't marry you. What kind of life would that be for me? You're in a mental institution because you killed someone. If I marry, I want a husband I can come home to each night. Someone I can wake up with each morning. Someone to fight with over who takes out the garbage. I'm sorry." Cam placed a chaste kiss on Zack's forehead.
Zack said, "I understand. That is very rational of you."
Cam stood up to leave. Zack was escorted back to his room where he sat down on his bed and cried for the first time since he confessed to being Gormogon's apprentice.
Cam got back in her car and cried all the way back to the Jeffersonian.
The next morning, Sweets came by the Jeffersonian and knocked on Brennan's office door. Brennan looked up and said, "Booth and I don't have an appointment with you today. It's next week."
Sweets said, "I know. I need your help. May I come in?"
"Sure," Brennan replied.
"I have a patient I need your help with," Sweets said.
"What kind of help?"
"Well, he's extremely logical and rational, and he's an anthropologist. He's in a mental institution, but I'm certain that he's completely sane. He won't talk to any of the staff doctors, and he requested me specifically. Frankly, I'm at a loss as to why. Will you please come with me? I can tell them that you're an expert I've asked to assist me on this case," Sweets pleaded.
Brennan paused. The patient sounded a lot like Zack. She said, "I don't believe in psychology, but I'll come along to act as an interpreter into anthropology speak."
"Thanks."
They arrived at Tranquil Pines and were escorted to a private room. Zack came in and sat down across from them. Sweets said, "I've invited Dr. Brennan to help with your counseling sessions. She will be bound by the same standards of doctor/patient confidentiality that I am. It's totally your call, though. Do you want her to participate?"
Zack said, "Yes."
Sweets began, "Why didn't you want Dr. Smith to counsel you?"
"He treats me like I'm insane," Zack said.
"Are you?" Sweets asked.
"You tell me. You're the psychiatrist."
"Why did you kill the lobbyist?"
"I had no choice," Zack said.
"Are you referring to the irrefutable logic you confessed to me?" Brennan chimed in.
"No," Zack admitted.
"Why do you feel you had no choice?" Sweets inquired.
"The Master threatened to kill someone very dear to me if I didn't help him. He's a serial killer who eats people. I knew he would follow through," Zack sobbed.
Brennan said, "Why didn't you tell me you were under duress when you confessed? Things would have turned out differently."
"I didn't know he was dead when I confessed."
"We've got to get you a lawyer, Zack. We'll get you out of this place," Brennan said.
"What difference does it make? I confessed and pled guilty. It's over."
Brennan thought for a moment. "No. It's not over. Booth didn't read you your Miranda rights. Your confession isn't admissible." Brennan was practically jumping for joy at this point.
Over the course of the next three and a half months, Zack's lawyer filed a series of motions with the court to get the guilty plea overturned and to get the confession thrown out of evidence. Finally a trial date was set.
On the day of the trial, Booth, Brennan, Sweets, Angela, and Hodgins sat on the front row to provide support to Zack. Cam slid in on the back row trying to be discreet.
Caroline Julian began her opening statements. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. I represent the people. That's every one of you. Your loved ones. Your family. Your children. My job is to make sure that criminals get put behind bars. This man," she pointed to Zack, "the defendant, killed a man in cold blood so that his overseer, his 'master', as he calls him, could cook and eat the victim. This was a premeditated act, planned over the course of months. The defendant was the minion of a serial killer."
The prosecution went on to lay out its case. At the end of the morning, Caroline said, "Well, that's the story. The prosecution rests."
After the lunch recess, the defense began. Zack's lawyer started in on opening statements, "Dr. Addy has spent his career dedicated to fighting crime and catching killers. He identifies victims that nobody else can identify. He brings peace and closure to their families and helps bring the perpetrators to justice. He now stands accused of being the very thing he fights against. He does not deny that he wielded the weapon that killed the victim. However, he was not acting freely. He did so against his will."
The lawyer concluded his opening statements and called Zack to the stand. Zack stood up and raised his right hand as the bailiff addressed him, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
Zack said, "Yes."
Zack sat down and looked around the courtroom. He saw his friends on the front row silently cheering him on. His eyes landed on the back row as he saw Cam. She had a somber look on her face, pain in her eyes at having to relive this heartbreak again.
The lawyer began with the questioning. "Are you acquainted with the serial killer Gormogon?"
"Yes."
"In what capacity?"
"He first approached me a little less than a year ago at an academic conference. I didn't know he was a serial killer at the time. He started talking to me about secret societies, their anthropological significance, and their negative impact on the human experience. He said that he was writing a paper and wanted my help since I was working on the Gormogon case at the Jeffersonian. Over the next month and a half, we met weekly to work on his paper. His true nature was still not revealed to me at that time."
"When was his true nature revealed."
"Eight months ago, I attended a gala for the D.C. coroner's society. He was also in attendance at that gala. The next morning, he approached me with his true nature."
"You are not a coroner. Why were you attending the gala?"
"I was Dr. Saroyan's date."
"What happened when Gormogon revealed his true nature to you?"
"He told me that he was the serial killer and that his apprentice had just been killed. He needed a new apprentice and wanted me. I picked up the phone intending to call the police. He stopped me and said that I would regret it. He told me that he had seen me at the gala the night before. He showed pictures of me dancing with Dr. Saroyan, and he showed me a picture of her leaving my apartment that morning."
Zack continued, "He said that if I didn't help him, or if I told anyone about this conversation, that Dr. Saroyan's bones would be the next addition to the skeleton. I didn't want to help him, but I could never live with myself if I let something happen to Camille."
"Is Dr. Saroyan in the courtroom today?"
Zack gestured toward Cam and said, "Yes, she's right there."
The lawyer said, "Let the record show that the witness identified a pregnant woman sitting in the last row of the gallery."
The lawyer continued, "Please describe for the court your relationship with Dr. Saroyan."
"We have worked together at the Jeffersonian for two years. In that time, I have come to respect her, admire her, and care deeply for her."
"How deeply?"
Zack shifted in his seat and said, "She is pregnant with my child."
Hodgins, Sweets, Angela, and Brennan all stared at Zack in shock at this admission. Hodgins thought to himself, 'Now I know why he's King of the Lab."
After the questioning concluded, the defense lawyer gave his closing statement. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Here we see a story as old as time. Dr. Addy's family was threatened. A hardened serial killer forced Zack to do his bidding, or else the woman he loves and his unborn child would pay the price. Yes, he killed, but he killed to protect those he holds dear. He did not have a choice in this matter and he did not act freely. He was under duress. Once the danger had passed, he led the FBI to the serial killer and made it so he could never kill again."
The lawyer continued, "Look at the face of Dr. Addy. He is young. He is innocent. He is about to be a father. This is not the face of a hardened killer. I urge you to find him not guilty, so that his child can grow up knowing his dad."
The jury was dismissed for deliberation. They returned with a verdict in one hour. The foreman handed the paper to the bailiff, who handed it to the judge. The judge said, "Will the defendant please rise?"
Zack obediently stood as his fate was about to be decided. The judge began to read from the paper. "On the count of conspiracy, the jury finds the defendant not guilty."
Zack exhaled in relief. The judge continued, "On the count of first degree murder, the jury finds the defendant not guilty."
The judge banged the gavel and said, "Court is adjourned."
Booth, Sweets, Hodgins, Angela, and Brennan all approached Zack and enveloped him in a group hug. They stepped back, and a hush fell over the courtroom as Cam stood and walked over toward Zack. Tears were welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall. When she reached him, she put her arms around him. She whispered "I love you" in his ear. Cheers erupted as she kissed him squarely on the lips.
--The End--