Introduction

"Booth, I don't know what I am supposed to say. I mean, what is the proper way to burst into someone's life and inform them of something like this? What if they don't want to hear it? What if they don't believe me? What if they don't like me? Maybe this isn't such a good idea?"

Booth reached out and pulled his partner into his arms, resting his head on top of hers, staring at Bones' car next to them. "Bones, I know you've never done this before, but neither have I. As much as I wish I did, I don't have the answer for you. You just have to trust that you will find the right words." Booth pulled his head back, keeping one arm wrapped tightly around her waist and using the other hand to tip her chin up, forcing her eyes to meet his. "Remember what I told you before – put your brain in neutral and your heart in overdrive."

Bones' only audible response was a snort of disbelief, even though she knew Booth was right. She had faith in him; he had never steered her wrong before. Actually, he went out of his way to steer her down safer paths, anything he could do to help her avoid pain. Just that thought brought a half smile to her lips.

"You're right, Booth. But I suspect I need to come up with something more socially acceptable than the only planned introduction I've got so far. I'm sure it's not appropriate to show up on their doorstep and say 'hello, I'm your dead sister's daughter', though I don't suppose anybody has ever done a study directly related to that particular subject to provide any credible scientific evidence….." Booth could tell she was drifting down the road of anthropological and scientific nonsense that would do absolutely no good in this instance and cut her off.

"Bones, you're a best-selling author, I'm sure you can and will come up with something more, what did you call it, 'socially acceptable' before the time comes. And if not, it will no doubt get your point across, but you should be prepared for follow-up questions if you go with that one." Booth threw her the patented Booth charm smile, hoping to make light of the situation and snap the dour mood hanging in his partner's eyes like a cloud.

"I suppose you are right…" Bones' words drifted off and Booth could tell her brain had switched into overdrive. He noticed her eyes had locked on the file he had placed on the roof of the car above the open drivers' door. When Bones had begun considering whether or not she wanted to contact her aunts, she had asked for his help locating and researching them, and he had gladly helped.

In the file was all the information he could find on her aunts, Sarah and Elizabeth, including their current addresses and driving directions. Thankfully, the file was slim, unlike those of Ruth and Max. Booth wasn't sure, but he had the feeling that it had been the deciding factor for whether or not Bones decided to contact them at all. And after having born witness to all of the family drama surrounding Bones since that fateful day seeing Ruth's face on the Angelator, Booth was glad that there may be some good to come out of it.

"Bones…hey, Bones, you with me?"

When Bones snapped out of her state of serious mental consideration, she seemed surprised to see Booth's face mere inches away from her, with his hand waving in between their faces.

"Booth, what are you doing? Of course, I am standing here with you. Are you unable to see me?" She half laughed as she backed up a half a step.

"Yeah, you just seemed to space out a little there."

"I don't know what that means, Booth, but I was thinking of something." She paused, as if she was unsure as to what she was about to say. "Booth, would you do me a favor?"

"Anything, Bones. You know that"

"Will you go with me? And drive?" Bones stood in front of him biting her lip. It was something he wasn't entirely used to from her, and it certainly wasn't like her to ask him to drive. Yes, indeed, she was flustered by this whole situation.

In the time it took those thoughts to run through Booth's head, Brennan interpreted his, albeit brief, silence as turning her request down.

"Never mind, it was silly. This is something I just need to do on my own, I suppose." The words sped out of her mouth at lightening speed, and practically before Booth could move, Bones had dived past him and was in the process of getting into the drivers' seat. Booth caught her arm just before she was seated and spun her around to face him.

Holding her by the shoulders and looking her in the eyes, all he could do was whisper "It would be my pleasure" as the tears welled up in both their eyes. Booth watched the relief wash over her face as he guided her to the passenger side of his SUV and closed the door after she got in. After closing up Brennan's car and grabbing the file off the top, Booth returned to the car and navigated them out into traffic, headed south to North Carolina.

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A few hours later, Booth and Bones sat in the SUV, both staring at a street full of similar looking houses. The trip had been pretty quiet. Bones spent most of the time staring out the window, lost in thought—primarily about what she was going to say to these women she had never met before and she hazarded a guess never knew she existed. She also spent intermittent periods of thought pondering what she had done to deserve her partner—that kind man sitting next to her, being her rock once again. She knew he was doing this for her, not as a 'partner thing' but as a 'friend thing,' and she had no idea how to repay him for his kindness, for his friendship. He was like no other friend she had ever had, and she was certain she was going to need him today. As confident and headstrong as she could be, she was completely panicked about this, and was, possibly for the first time ever, glad that she had an alpha male with her, looking out for her, to protect her.

Booth had also been lost in thought for much of the trip, and when he wasn't, he was sneaking glances across at his partner, trying to gauge what she was thinking of and trying to determine how this was all going to turn out. He had no doubt that Temperance could come up with some sort of eloquent thing to say, but he also knew how fragile she was when it came to issues of the heart and the unknown and how quick she was to build up walls that made it nearly impossible for her to relate to others without turning to anthropological mumbo-jumbo. He just wanted this to go as well as it could for her. He didn't want her to be disappointed or heart broken. As much as he knew she couldn't handle rejection in this, he was equally as sure he would have problems handling it as well. He'd become invested in her life. Even though she didn't realize it, anything that upset her, upset him as well. It amazed him that he had withstood torture at the hands of captors during his days as a Ranger, but when her tears started falling, he was broken.

Now they faced the decision of whose house to try first – Sarah or Elizabeth. They lived on the same street, just a few houses separating them. Brennan had briefly entertained the what-ifs that came to mind when she found that out. What if her parents hadn't been criminals? What if they hadn't gone on the run? Would her parents be living on this street in the suburbs of Raleigh? What about her and Russ? Would they be living here as well?

Bones sighed loudly and turned to Booth. "So, what do you think? Who's first?"

"I don't suppose it matters. You could go with oldest first?"

"Sarah it is, then."

Booth slid the car into drive, coasting down the street in front of them. He slipped it into park on the street halfway between the two sisters' houses.

"I can wait on you here, if you'd like," Booth said as he fidgeted with his tie, suddenly wondering what her intentions had been for his place in this trip. Was he a chauffeur or something more?

"No, Booth. I need you there beside me. You've been with me on this crazy journey for years, and that's not going to change now. That is, if you want to go with me?"

Booth slid the keys out of the ignition and squeezed her hand with a smile across the console and reached for his door handle. He rounded the front of the car, meeting Bones on the sidewalk, and they began the slow walk three houses over.

"So, did you decide what you're going to say?"

"Umm…well, I think I have a good idea, but I'm not sure that it's entirely appropriate. You know sometimes I'm no good with words Booth. I mean, I just want them to like me. What if I come off cold?"

"Whoa, Bones, stop right there," Booth said as he stopped her on the sidewalk in front of Sarah's house. "Don't doubt yourself. In the time I have known you; I have seen you grow into one of the most caring people I know. You can do this. Just be yourself…with your heart in overdrive."

The pair turned toward the house and started up the walk. About half way up, Booth and Brennan noticed two women sitting on the front porch wrapped up in conversation. As they ascended the stairs to the porch, the women turned at the sound of the approaching footsteps.

"Hello, can we help you?" said the woman on the swing hanging at the far end of the porch. She appeared to be about 60, wearing Capri pants and a blouse, sipping tea with her legs curled up under her on the swing with a book next to her. Brennan's eyes glanced to the other woman sitting in a large wicker chair and estimated she was approximately 50 years old, dressed much like the lady on the swing, also with a book resting in her lap.

Booth had made the same age estimates as Brennan and was making an intuitive leap that they had lucked out and would only have to make one set of introductions today. These two ladies must be Sarah and Elizabeth. He also noticed that Brennan appeared frozen where she was, unable to speak.

He cleared his throat, glancing at his partner and began. "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth. Are you Sarah Johnson and Elizabeth Evans?"

Both women glanced at each other, looks of concern at this handsome man's introduction as a Special Agent.

"Yes, we are. I'm Elizabeth, and this is my sister Sarah." The woman on the chair said as she got up and scooted onto the swing next to her sister. "What's this all about?"

Brennan looked at Booth with just a trace of fear in her blue eyes. All Booth could do was give her a nod of encouragement. He knew this was something she needed to do. He was just here for support.

At seeing his nod, Brennan turned to the women and opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she took a few steps forward so that she was just over an arm's length away from the two women, and stuck out her hand, palm down. Sarah and Elizabeth glanced at each other; slightly confused, but turned back to look at this beautiful woman and her extended hand closer.

They saw it at the same time, both jumping out of the swing and practically tackling Brennan in a tight embrace with tears streaming down their faces. Booth just had to stand back, slightly perplexed as to what was going on.

At that moment, Sarah and Elizabeth grabbed her hand, rubbing their fingers over the ring as they went back to hugging her. Max had been right. They had seen her mother's ring and welcomed her into the family.

Booth smiled as he realized that his brilliant partner who was sometimes quite verbose had come up with the perfect way to introduce herself, without a single word.