Angela jumped as he entered the room through the double glass doors. She cleared her throat to get her best friend's attention. Temperance Brennan-Booth looked up from the skeleton she was currently examining.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Don't turn around just yet but there's a certain FBI agent bringing you roses, and it's not Booth." Temperance's eyes grew wide.
"Sully?" she asked. She scrambled to button her lab coat, pulling the fabric tight over her slightly expanded abdomen. Angela reached over and unbuttoned the coat.
"It's less obvious like this." she assured her friend. Sully's hands came around Temperance's eyes and she jumped, sending an elbow into Sully's ribs.
"Ow!" he cried and the hands moved to rub his sore stomach. "I should have remembered not to surprise you." She turned around to face him.
"Agent Sullivan," she said, her voice flat, "What brings you here?"
"Come on, Tempe, I've been gone a whole year and a half, can't I at least get a hug?" Temperance considered pulling back, but realized he'd know even more quickly that something was up if she didn't hug him, so she scooted close for a quick hug then ducked away. Sully practically pouted.
"You left for a year and didn't come back for 18 months. A lot can change in that time frame," she said. Angela saw the conversation going south very quickly and jumped in to help.
"Sully!" she cried, acting as though he had just seen him. She jumped up and gave him a huge hug, her pregnant belly getting in the way. She leaned back on the desk in what used to be her most seductive pose. Now it seriously displayed what she called her greatest work of art. She was thrilled to be pregnant and Jack was over the moon. They already had the nursery painted and furnished.
"Angela!" Sully said, astonished, "Wow! Congratulations. How far along are you?"
"Six months. Due February 4th." Angela was practically glowing. Zach walked up to the table.
"Agent Sullivan," he stuttered, "It's nice to see you." The young man's eyes flitted from Angela to Temperance to the floor and back to Sully. Jack followed closely, wrapping his arms around Angela and peering at the skeleton over her shoulder. Greetings passed between Sully and the team, then he extended the roses to Temperance. She wasn't quite sure what to do. She took the roses and handed them off to Angela, who moved to put them in her office.
"Listen, Sully, we need to talk," Temperance said.
"Bones! Let's go!" Booth's voice rang through the lab, "We've got that appointment." He paused as he approached the platform. "Hey Sully," he managed before grabbing his wife's hand.
"Booth," Sully responded, the cheer of the greeting falling equally as flat. As Booth pulled Temperance away Sully called out, "Can we do dinner, Tempe?"
"I don't think so, Sully." she called back.
Booth wrapped his arm around Temperance.
"So, I take it that Sully was blind enough to not see the changes, huh?" he asked. Temperance nodded.
"He brought me roses. And he made me hug him. But he didn't notice," she said, "I almost wish he had. It would make things a lot easier with the talk we have to have." Temperance ran her hand over her stomach, gently cradling the baby. She was only four months along, just barely showing, and nervous about this whole thing. Booth reached over and took her free hand in his. His thumb rubbed across the back of it, sending a shiver of joy up her spine.
They drove in silence until they reached their destination. It was parent's day at Parker's school, and since Rebecca had begun to allow Booth and Temperance more time with Parker, they had felt it was important to attend. With Temperance's condition an 'appointment' was good cover.
Booth ran around the car and opened the door for Temperance. She protested slightly but let him have his moment. They walked into the building hand in hand and found Parker's classroom. His teacher, a young twenty something blonde, greeted them at the door.
"I'm Tiffany Hamliton," she said extending her hand.
"I'm Seeley Booth, Parker's father, and this is my wife, Temperance."
"A pleasure. Parker truly is a joy to have in class." She pointed the couple to a table where Rebecca already sat, flipping through a folder of papers with Parker's name on the front.
"Hi, Seeley, Temperance. Glad you could make it."
"Hey, Becca, Thanks for letting us come."
Five minutes later the teacher closed the door and stood at the front of the classroom.
"Welcome everyone, I'm so glad to have this chance to talk to you about what fantastic kids you have. They are so great and they all have such big dreams. If they continue on the paths they're choosing right now we'll end up with five doctors, three ballerinas, three zookeepers, two astronauts, a teacher and a forensic entomologist, his words, not mine." Temperance and Booth exchanged a look. They knew who the one with the big words was. Parker hung around the lab so much he'd picked up on some of the terminology. His newest nick name was Dr. Booth, a title earned when he helped out as a sort of errand boy for her while Rebecca had been missing.
"Each of your students has drawn you a family picture, you'll find them in the folders." Rebecca handed Booth a sheet of construction paper. On it was a group of stick figures, each one unique. Temperance recognized herself, Parker, Booth, Angela, Zach and Hodgins. Hodgins and Angela's baby was also in the picture, still in Angela's stomach. Parker didn't yet know about his little half-brother or sister, so that child was missing. Temperance placed a hand on the child, part of her wishing they had told him so the family portrait would be complete. One look into Booth's eyes told her that he was feeling the same.
"I'd like to meet with each child's parents for a five minutes and then we'll all head down to the assembly. We'll start with the beginning of the alphabet. Parker Booth." Temperance, Booth and Rebecca walked up to the desk at the front of the room. The other parents milled around, talking and observing the artwork which decorated the classroom.
"Hi, Rebecca, Seeley, Temperance," Tiffany extended her hand once more. The adults all settled into chairs around the desk.
"Let me begin by saying that Parker is an exceptionally bright student and very well behaved. I really enjoy his enthusiasm. But he's a very imaginative boy, which is great in a kid, but his peers are beginning to tease him about it. It nothing to be concerned about yet, but we'll keep an eye out. By the way, what exactly is a forensic entomologist?" Booth chuckled.
"You want to explain it, Bones?" he asked, "It is, after all, your fault my son wants to be a squint." Temperance smacked him a bit.
"A forensic entomologist analyzes insects and particulates found at crime scenes in order to determine things such as time and place of death. Our close friend Dr. Jack Hodgins is the best entomologist in the country. That's where Parker got the idea." Tiffany looked confused. Booth immediately cleared a few things up.
"Temperance is a forensic anthropologist and I work for the FBI. We're work partners as well as life partners. Squint is FBI speak for scientist. She got the nickname because she works with bones."
"I see, and I'm beginning to see where Parker gets some of his terminology. Squint School was…"
"Summer day camp at the Jeffersonian." Temperance supplied. Their five minutes ended after Parker's progress in math and science was discussed, and they shook hands with the teacher.
As a kindergartner, Parker had very little to do in the presentation, which lasted thirty minutes. It was only an hour and a half after they had left the Jeffersonian that Booth walked Temperance into her office. As he moved to leave he ducked in for a kiss. His attempt was foiled by the sound of footsteps behind him.
"You said you wanted to talk, Tempe?" Sully said, entering the office.
"Sully, uh, yeah," she stuttered, tearing her eyes away from Booth's. "Why don't you sit down?" Sully made himself comfortable on the couch and Booth headed out the door.
"Finally, a moment alone," Sully commented, "Just you and me." He stood and moved in for a kiss, which Temperance denied him. If only you knew how wrong that statement was, she thought, part of Booth is still here.
"Sully, you were gone for a year and a half, a lot of things can happen in that amount of time." Her hand instinctively went to her abdomen, she gathered strength from the thought of her husband and the life they shared. She thought about the changes she had undergone as a person since that fateful day Sully sailed out of her life. Then she had been reeling from several attempts on her life, from the discovery that her father was a murderer and the fact that he'd abandoned her again. Now she was a woman confident in the love of her husband and step-son, with a baby on the way. She had always been strong, but now she felt content as well.
"Tempe, one thing is never ever going to change. I will always and forever love you. The only reason I came back to the States was to be near you. This was never just a fling. I really feel something for you. I love you." Sully took another step closer to her, reaching for her. Temperance panicked and pulled away.
"No, Sully, you can't love me."
"After so long, you still feel unlovable. Temperance Brennan you are an amazing woman, I only wish you could know how amazing you are." He came closer. Temperance practiced her yoga breathing, trying not to be afraid. Just then, Booth strode in.
"Bones, we have a case."
The skeleton was small, a child. It had been reduced to bone, not a trace of clothing or skin left.
"Male, age 5 to 7. Obvious hyoid break indicates strangulation as COD. Buried face up, arms crossed over the chest, as though the killer felt sorry for what he did."
"Act of contrition? Give the kid a proper burial?" Booth asked.
"Logically, yes. The body position is consistent with the burial ritual of the United States."
"Any idea how long he's been down there?" Booth asked. Temperance shook her head.
"We'll need Hodgins to help with that," she leaned over and lifted something from near the boy's pocket. It was a toy marble, the cold clear glass marked with a stripe of blue and green the colors of an ocean wave. Temperance felt a cold fist clutch her heart. She shook it off, but not before Booth noticed.
"What's up, Bones?"
"Nothing, Booth," she said, a little quickly, "It's just that he's a kid." Booth nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Let's get this back to the Jeffersonian and I'll go get take-out for us," he said. She nodded and automatically reached out for a hand up. He smiled at the gesture, knowing that even six months ago she would have tanned his hide if he had even thought of helping her up. His hand moved to the small of her back, and the pair walked back to the SUV.
--
"This kid has been dead for at least 15 years," Hodgins announced, "even as long as eighteen." Angela entered at the same time with a face. Temperance took one look at the smiling little boy and felt sick to her stomach. She excused herself and rushed to her office. Once there, she buried her face in her hands. She breathed deeply. Get a hold of yourself Temperance, she thought to herself, Don't jump to conclusions.
Her train of thought was derailed by a knock at her door. Suddenly a sandwich came flying toward her. She caught it, but realizing it was meatball, had to fight down her gag reflex. She hadn't had much trouble with morning sickness but meatballs and marinara sauce were guaranteed to make her stomach turn. She set the sandwich on her desk and turned to Sully, who was leaning in the doorway.
"Thought you might need something to eat, seeing as you were out all morning at the site." Temperance pushed the sandwich away from her.
"Booth brought lunch already," she said, leaving out the fact that at that precise moment her FBI agent husband was on a mission to bring her Cheez-its and peanut butter. Sully shrugged.
"That was almost three hours ago, it's snack time now," he said. Angela appeared behind Sully.
"Bren, we have an ID and a last known for the kid, Jack called Booth, he's on his way." Angela pushed past Sully and extended the file she was holding. Temperance took one look at the name on the file and felt even sicker. She grabbed her trash can and vomited. Sully immediately raced to her side, pulling her hair back from her face but the smell of his cologne repulsed her and she pulled away.
"Sweetie?" Angela asked, "Are you okay?" Temperance nodded.
"Don't tell Booth," she asked. Angela seemed surprised, but agreed, knowing how much Booth was apt to worry and how irritated Temperance got when he did.
"Ange, I really don't want to go visit this boy's family, didn't we have an open shopping day coming?"
"Yeah, but are you sure you're feeling alright, Sweetie? I mean, you're actually volunteering to go shopping rather than do your detective thing with Booth."
"Ange, I'm fine," Temperance assured her friend, somewhat unconvincingly. She gathered her coat and her purse and walked with Angela to the door of her office before remembering that Sully was still in the office.
"If you don't mind Sully, I'm leaving early." He nodded and walked from the office, grabbing the sandwich on his way past her desk. He placed it in her hands before he slumped from the lab.
--
Booth walked into the Jeffersonian and was confused to find his wife's office dark and locked. He saw Hodgins on the platform and called out.
"Where's Bones?" he asked.
"She and Angela left twenty minutes ago. I don't think she was feeling so well. Sully brought her a sandwich, I think I saw her trash it as they left though."
"Probably meatball," Booth muttered, "I guess I'll go to the house by myself then."
He tried to call Temperance as he drove, but her cell phone was off.
"Hope you're feelings better, Honey," he said when her answering machine kicked in, "I love you Bones. Call me."
The house was a decent sized two-story in a nice neighborhood. It was only about two blocks from the crime scene. Booth knocked on the door and rocked back and forth as he waited. The woman who answered was probably in her late 50's. She ushered him into the living room, calling for her husband to come and join them. When everyone was settled, Booth began.
"I'm here about your foster son, Evan Conners," he said.
"Did you find him?" the woman, Hannah Miller, asked.
"Evan's remains were discovered in a shallow grave about two blocks from you house. I'm sorry," Booth said. Both Millers nodded gravely and embraced each other. Booth continued.
"When Evan first disappeared, you gave a list of suspects to the police. Now that you know he was killed, are there any alterations you want to make to that list?"
"Yes," Hannah said immediately, "Rancey wouldn't have hurt a hair on Evan's head." Booth studied the file in his hands.
"Rancey Brennan?" he asked to confirm. The Millers nodded.
"Rancey was Evan's best friend in the whole world. She was only in our care for about two months as a teenager before her grandfather pulled her from the system. She hated the fact that we were in such a deep custody battle with Evan's father," Hannah explained.
"Vick could have done it," Jake Miller said.
"Victor Conners, Evan's biological father?"
"Yes, he always said we faked Evan's kidnapping so that his mandatory court visits would stop," Jake explained. Booth nodded.
"And why did you put Rancey on the list of suspects when Evan first disappeared?"
"We thought she might be trying to protect him. He hated making visits to his father's house. She started going with him. I heard her promise before she left that she'd see what could be done to stop those visits. And she left us only three days before Evan went missing."
"Do you have some way of contacting Rancey, I'd like to talk to her." The Millers shook their heads.
"After the initial investigation, she disappeared. Her name was short for something, but it's been so long I don't remember what it was." Booth considered this.
"Do you have a photograph of Rancey that I could take with me?" Hannah nodded and reached for a scrapbook on the end table. She turned to the back pages and pulled a photo from a set of photo corners. She handed it across to Booth.
"That was taken the day Rancey left," she said. Booth turned it over and stared. He would know those eyes anywhere.