The Woman in the Boat

A Bones Fanfiction

1

Doctor Temperance Brennan, or Bones, waved at her partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth's son, Parker, who was sitting at the top of the slide. Parker smiled and slid down, whooping. Booth was waiting at the bottom and Parker slid right into his open arms.

"Hey Buddy! Great slide, huh?" Booth gave his son a high five. Bones made her way over, grinning. She gave Booth a kiss on the cheek.

"Bones!" He gave her a one-armed hug, Parker hanging off his other hand.

"Hi Booth. Hi Parker."

"Hi Bones!" Parker blew a raspberry and ran off to the swings. Booth laughed.

"I didn't think you would come."

"I got out of the meeting."

"Pulled some strings?"

"Maybe." Bones stared out across the park. "This is a really beautiful place, Booth. I didn't even know it existed. Where'd you find out about it?"

"I've always come here with Parker. There are hiking trails, flower gardens, and that big lake over there has huge catfish in it! Huge!" He beamed at the thought.

"It's a nice lake." Bones looked out across the still water, glittering in the morning sun.

"Yep." Keeping Parker within sight, Booth led his partner to a bench by the water and put an arm around her. The water rippled, flat and open, with ducks bobbing like corks through the tiny waves. In the center of the lake a small rowboat sat still, its oars hanging aimlessly, one of them actually floating in the water. Bones squinted at the little vessel, her suspicions aroused. She couldn't see anyone in the boat. She pointed this out to Booth, who shrugged, unconcerned.

"The guy's probably lying down, taking a nap. Its nice out."

"Right." But Bones' highly trained mind was whirling as she stared at the boat. Something was not right. "Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we see what's wrong, please?"

"Why?" Booth glanced at the boat, perplexed. He was perfectly fine just enjoying the morning with the people he loved most; Parker and Bones.

"Its just a feeling. Like the ones you get when you interrogate suspects."

"Fine," He sighed, getting up. "But you're paying. I'm out of money at the moment."

"Paying?"

"For a boat, Bones!" He rolled his eyes. "There's a place to rent them on the other side of the lake. We'll go see if your boat guy is okay."

"Good. Parker!" She called awkwardly over to the playground, where Parker was playing with a few other boys. "We're going for a boat ride!"

"Yeah!" He sped over, his golden curls bouncing like popcorn. Booth hefted him onto his broad shoulders. "C'mon Bones. A boat ride, Parker! Yeah!"

………………………………………………………………………………

The boat rental was a little booth filled with teenagers who were volunteering or working as cashiers. Parker picked out a little row-boat with red flames on the white wood, and after a few seniors in bikinis pushed them into the water ("I can do it myself," Booth muttered) they were off, Booth manning the oars as they shot across the shallows like a water strider. Bones craned her neck to look at the still boat as they drew closer, and Booth, facing back where they had come, had Parker on his lap. Then, the smell hit her. Bones gasped as the unexpected stench hit her. She turned to Booth, who was having the same revelation. His arms suddenly strained as he spun the boat around and began heading back towards the shore.

"Dad, where are we going?" Parker asked.

"You're gonna go see your mom."

"And Captain Fantastic?"

Booth didn't smile as Parker said the name Booth had made up for his ex's new boyfriend. "Yes. And Captain Fantastic."

………………………………………………………………………………...

Haughty and blonde Rebecca, Booth's ex and the mother of Parker came storming over to the playground, her eyes bright.

"Oh no." Booth muttered, and Bones saw his fists tighten. "Hi Rebecca. Sorry about this. We have a case-"

"I ask you to watch him for two minuscule hours and you give him back before I even come pick him up?" She yelled, cutting across his apology. "I was at a job interview and was called out to get your call, Seeley! I have a life, you know! Everything can't revolve around you and your scientist girlfriend!"

Bones glared at her. Booth seemed to be shrinking as she yelled at him, and Parker came over to stand next to him.

"For once I gave him to you when, god forbid, you hadn't specifically asked for him, and you can't handle it? Well here's a newsflash; you aren't getting him next time you call."

Booth winced as if she had punched him. Bones could see the pain in his eyes.

"Rebecca-"

"No, Seeley. I have a life. I have to feed my child. I just lost an opportunity. I'm doing what's best for Parker." She grabbed Parker's hand.

Booth just stood there, frozen, as she led his son away from him, out of the park. Parker turned around and waved, but Booth didn't respond until they were out of sight. Bones looked at her partner. He seemed stunned into shock, unable to move. She touched him on the shoulder.

"Booth?"

He nodded and turned back to the lake, where FBI agents were rowing towards the boat in the center and its terrible cargo.

………………………………………………………………………………..

Bones pulled on her rubber gloves and kneeled to examine the body. It was completely skeletal, with absolutely no skin, and it was surprisingly clean. It looked as if it belonged in a display case at a university, not shoved into a boat. Booth hovered as Bones examined the remains.

"Well?"

She stood. "Female, late thirties to early forties. I'm unclear on cause of death. The remains are surprisingly devoid of any traces of any particulates or organic material."

"Then why the smell in the boat?"

"I have no idea." She picked up the hand. "This is totally clean. Almost expertly done. There is no flesh that would have caused the smell we registered in the lake."

"Then there's another body?"

"Or…" Bones called over her shoulder. "Can we have the boat over here?"

Three agents pulled over the little deathboat. Again the smell assailed them.

"Woof!" Booth reeled back. "Yep, there's another victim."

Bones pulled up the floor of the boat with a ripping of rotting wood. "Or several." A pile of putrid fish lay on the bottom of the boat.

"Thank god." Booth waved over some volunteers to take out the fish. "I thought it was a rotting corpse."

"That would smell different." Bones shrugged. "Not like… fish. "

"Go figure." Booth rolled his eyes. "So, so cause of death?" He scrutinized the skeleton.

"No." Bones sighed and stood. "Tell your people to transport the remains, some fish, and the boat to the Jeffersonian. We'll take it from here."

………………………………………………………………………………...

Doctor Jack Hodgins leaned over the body table, searching for particulates on the scrupulously clean bones. As Bones entered the lab he straightened, looking thoroughly dejected.

"Absolutely nothing." He said. "These suckers could have been licked clean by dogs and there still would have been something, but this, this is just weird."

"Don't get all paranoid on me, Hodgins. There's a logical explanation for everything."

He snorted in disbelief. "How about the case of the Mary Celeste? Or Area 51? Can you put logic into the case of 1897 when-"

She cut across his rant. "Enough. We're professionals, not children."

"Speak for yourself," Came Angela's voice. "I just finished playing with my toys, and there is absolutely no sign of injury anywhere on the body." She grinned and winked. "Maybe she just died in her sleep on the boat."

"The body would have skin. This skeleton has no flesh or organs at all. This body was placed in the boat."

"It was a joke, Brennan."

Hodgins snapped his fingers. "Some tribes float bodies down rivers with candles when they die. It symbolizes the journey into the afterlife."

"That's even more stupid than the 'died in her sleep' theory." Bones said annoyed. "It's a man-made lake. No rivers."

"Oh, right."

"I have a theory." Zack spoke up, pushing his floppy hair out of his eyes. "What if someone placed the body there, and tried to sink the boat, but was scared away before he could execute the sinking, and subsequently the body was left there, and the criminal lost his nerve and never returned."

Bones thought for a moment, then nodded. "That is a distinct possibility."

"Thank you, Doctor Brennan." Zack returned to examining the bones. Hodgins leaned over to Angela.

"He didn't say why it has no skin," He whispered. She snorted and left. With a quick succession of beeps, Booth entered the lab. He jogged up the steps. "Hey. Got an ID yet?"

"Angela is recreating the face right now. The skeleton is completely intact so it should be relatively easy."

"Great. Come on." Booth grabbed her arm and steered her into Angela's office. "You done?"

"Yeah. But you aren't going to like it." Angela was sitting in front of her computer, studying a face. "I checked a recently missing database and got a hit. Look." She pulled up a black and white photo of a young woman in a dress with her hair up in a bun. She was very pretty and was sitting in a chair, unsmiling.
"Wait, that's an old picture," Said Booth. "Like, 50's old."

"Yeah. Not exactly 'recent' is it? Her name is Lucy Giness. She went missing 52 years ago, in July."

Booth sighed. "I hate cases that crop up. So was alive all this time and died of old age?"

"No," Bones cut in. "The remains gave me an estimate that she was ages late 30's to early 40's."

"She was 36 when she went missing." Angela squinted at Booth and Bones, who, Bones realized too late, were standing a little too close together. Angela's eyes glinted as they did when she realized something special.

"Oh my-"

Bones cut across her revelation. "Booth, why don't you go see if you can locate any of the victim's relatives."

"Right," He looked curiously at them before exiting. As soon as he was gone, Angela grinned widely at Bones. "Oh. My. God." She sat down on Bones' couch, and motioned for the latter to sit next to her. "Wow."

Bones looked pointedly away.

"So. You and Booth now, huh? After the kiss?"

Bones shrugged, blushing. Angela's smile grew wider. "Wow," She said again. "Finally."

"What do you mean, finally?"

Angela groaned. "You two are practically made for each other. Everyone knows that!"

Bones rolled her eyes, but was rather pleased. Angela pressed her advantage.

"So- how far?"

"Not very. Just kisses and stuff."

"Uh-huh."

"Really."

"Okay"

"You believe me?"

"Sure, Sweetie." She was humoring her.

"I have to go." Bones hurried away, and nearly walked into Booth, who was standing right outside the office door.

"I thought you left!" She squawked, turning red.

"I want you to come with me." He leaned closer and pulled her towards him.

"Booth!" She jerked away. "There are people here!"

"Just squints that have no love life to speak of so they spy on us. C'mon. They'll find out eventually, right?"

"Right." She was still nervous and his lips touched hers, but as he kissed her she stopped worrying and kissed him back. They stood, entwined in the lab, unaware of the ominous sound of high heels clicking towards them.

"Seeley!"

They leapt apart as though they had been scalded, and Booth's hand instinctively jumped to his gun. Cam was standing there, in utter shock, mouth hanging open, her eyes showing hurt, anger, and predominantly disbelief. Bones and Booth couldn't look at each other. Booth had gone bright red.

"I, um… Hodgins has particulates-" Bones hurried off, almost running into her office. This left Booth awkwardly positioned in front on Cam. He took a step forward cautiously. He was suddenly ridden with guilt. He hadn't even thought about Cam. Big mistake, he told himself.

"Camille, I'm sorry that you had to see that. It, um, won't happen again? It has- well, almost a year since- Bones… I always wanted…. you, you know… I-"

She held up a hand to stop his rambling. Her voice was crisp and authoritative. "How long?" She asked.

"Almost a month. Since… Pennsylvania."

"I see." She blinked. "You can go now."

Booth didn't need telling twice. He followed Bones' path to her office. She was on the computer, drumming her fingers on the desk. Booth collapsed into her couch. Neither of them said a word about the scene, but they both knew that there were suddenly complications in this relationship.

Lizzy88 here- hop you liked the first chapter! More to come soon- I don't have much going on now so I can update like crazy. While I'm typing up this already written story I am in the process of writing the third in this Fanfiction series… any ideas for plot thickeners? I love reviews- thanks for reading!