AN: I just realized how hard it is to write everyone while trying to keep them in character...urgh. But anyway, I've decided to continue on with this story, so I hope you (yes YOU!) will continue to read. I also want to point out now that I will try my best to keep close to canon but please be aware that events, plots and other various things can/will change. Lastly, I don't own Bones.
- X -
- Chapter Two : The Genius in a Mistake -
- X -
Bones looked up from her desk to see Booth at the door frame, the suited man having just knocked. She didn't offer him a smile, eyes quickly moving from his striking face over to Haddon who stood next to him, her thin body quite the contrast to that of Booth's burly one even with their similar heights.
"Booth, Haddon, good morning," she said politely as she stood up from her chair, going over to the father-daughter pair.
"Good morn," Haddon said, Brennan not missing her slight hesitation and guarded tone.
"You know, we can't exactly bring your daughter to the case, we have to see him in jail today," Brennan said, not wanting Booth's daughter who was both blond and young to be anywhere near Howard Epps.
Booth, having already thought of that horrid situation of her being in a twenty mile radius of that serial killer, nodded his head and said, "I was hoping you'd do me another favor and let her stay here." He ducked his head a little as he stopped talking, the action not missed by Brennan as she knew he was really asking her for help.
Sighing, Bones looked over to the tall teenager who was currently looking over the books in one of her shelves. "It's not like I can exactly say no," she said as she walked out her office, yet popped her head back in to say, "Haddon, don't hesitate to read anything you want. I'll meet you at your car, Booth."
"Thank you Dr. Brennan," Haddon called after her as she went through the door once again.
"I'm really sorry about this Haddon," Booth sighed as he went over to his daughter, leaning against the books.
The blond stared at the book she held before flipping open a page and reading for a few seconds before saying, "I understand. I'm actually sorry for inconveniencing you."
Booth sighed before he reached a hand up to land on top of her head. She looked up at him in puzzlement before he grinned and ruffled her wavy locks, causing her to narrow her eyes.
"So you are a girl; you care about your hair," he said as he took his hand off her head.
"My boobs also prove that, in case you missed them," she said as she pointed at her chest, causing Booth to roll his eyes as she lightly smirked.
"Well then, see you in a bit," he said as he turned to leave, yet he stopped and turned back to her. She looked up and, seeing his distressed face, said "You don't have to kiss my forehead or anything, I'm not seven."
"Right," he said, shaking his head, before turning to go once again, this time going for good.
Haddon looked up at where he'd just left from and then lowered her eyes back down to the book again, knowing this wasn't what she wanted to read. She took a few minutes scanning Bones' shelves until she spotted a small stack of, oddly enough, comic books on the table in front of the couch. Interest perked, she grabbed the magazine-like items and flopped on the nearby couch, flipping the superhero filled adventure to its first glossy page.
- X -
"She came again today," Hodgins said to Zack as they watched Booth and Brennan leave. Although her office walls were made of glass and so usually it wouldn't be hard to see inside, it seemed the blinds had been drawn so that visibility into the office was cut off.
"Would you mind giving me some valid points as to why should I show the slightest interest in this private affair of Agent Booth's?" Zack asked, obviously disinterested, as he worked on the skeleton in front of him.
"Dude," Hodgins said as he rolled towards his best friend, "That girl is a tripped out country dweller, don't you want to know why she's like that."
"She explained that very clearly last night. She was nurtured as a boy, causing the anomaly she is today."
"You don't think she's interesting in the slightest?"
Zack stood up and put his hands on his hips, eyes unfocused in thought for a little before he said, "I would be lying if I said you were incorrect on that. But, aside from that," the twenty-four-year old continued as he moved by Hodgins, "I have to get some files from Dr. Brennan's room."
"She's in there, you know," Hodgins called after him, but Zack just waved his hand, as if waving what he'd just said away.
When he got to the door, he remembered what his Mother had taught him about entering on a girl, and so knocked. When no reply was given, he knocked again, this time louder. With still no answer, he cautiously creaked open the door. He looked over the room he felt slight panic when he noticed that he couldn't see Haddon anywhere, and so fearing Booth was going to get very angry, yet when he went further into the office he caught sight of her sprawled on the couch, flipping through one of his comics.
"That one's quite interesting," he said as he went over to Brennan's desk, knowing he needed to alert her of his presence in some way.
At the sound of a person's voice, Haddon sprung up, the comic falling to the ground as she stared wide-eyed at Zack who didn't even look up from the desk, searching for the folder he was in need of.
"You could have at least knocked," she said in an even tone as she grabbed the comic from the floor, hoping she hadn't involuntarily wrinkled or crinkled any of the pages.
Zack gave her a second-long glance before saying, "I did. I knocked twice, but you failed to give an answer to either, so I entered."
"Oh," Haddon said in slight chagrin now, "Sorry."
The young genius didn't say anything as he found the file he needed and walked out of the room, leaving Haddon to stare after him, confused at to how he was so stiff around her. She wondered if it was because he didn't know her at all, and shrugged as she guessed that was the best guess. She wasn't exactly chummy with anyone around here for that reason herself.
She lied back down on the couch, flipping the comic pages until she was at where she had been interrupted and began reading again. Although the books were very interesting, she always did have the problem of reading too fast and soon she had read through the seven copies. She placed the last one on the pile and put them arranged them back on the table, putting her hands on her hips as she now had a problem of boredom again.
She got up and looked around the room for a good twenty minutes, intrigued by all that was around and thinking that Dr. Brennan must be a very interesting person as she did, but soon even that failed to hold her interest. Before she knew it, she found herself looking at the door, biting her lip in thought of how Booth hadn't told her not to talk to any of the squints today, so technically, she wouldn't be disobeying anything.
Gingerly, she rested her hand on the copper handle, and she cracked the door open to get a glimpse of outside. She smiled as she didn't see other people, that in itself giving her enough confidence to fully step out of the office and into the large room. She stood there, her arms crossed behind her, before her sights landed on the elevated platform where it looked like the curly-haired man was working on his microscope again like when she'd first seen him.
Since he was really the only one in her sight, she hesitantly walked towards Hodgins, who saw her out of the corner of his eyes as he took his eyes away from whatever was on his most recent Petri dish to write some notes.
"Do you need something?" Hodgins asked as he leaned over the railing form his chair to give Haddon his full attention, causing the younger to move her arms to cross in front of her chest in slight defense.
"I was bored," she finally convinced as she rubbed one of her sneakers in the tile flooring, causing a light squeak to resound.
"So you're going to bother me?" he asked with a grin, causing Haddon to stay silent before nodding and saying in return, "I guess you can call it that. If you let me."
"Well then, come on up."
Haddon let a ghost of a smile cross her face as she looked up before she went up to the railing and jumped, catching the lowest ring before hoisting herself up with a grunt.
"I meant the stairs, but that works too," he said in slight shock as she positioned herself on the railing.
Haddon said in return, "It was quicker that way."
Jack raised an eyebrow but didn't follow further on the subject, favoring to slide back over to his work station.
"What's your name?" Haddon said after a good five minutes of silence as she sat on the railing, one leg swinging under her out of habit.
Hodgins stopped his work and looked up, surprise evident on his face as he asked, "You don't know my name? Didn't Booth tell you, or didn't you hear it at dinner?"
She shrugged, the older man taking it as a no and sighing before saying, "Jack Hodgins, I'm the slime and bugs guy," he grinned as he looked at some papers before further explaining, "What I do is look at particulates, or minute separate particles, left on the corpses in order to help find out what happened to that person."
"That's pretty cool. You're like a scientist," she offered with a tilt of her head.
"In an overly simplified, no-special credit given sort of way."
Haddon was quiet for a few minutes again before, "So you look at mud and stuff all day long? Nothing else?"
"Well," he said as he rolled away form his work for a second to look Haddon over, crossing his arms, "I do like to try and outsmart the government by uncovering their conspiracies before they can get to me."
"Don't like our government? Isn't that un-patriotic?" she asked in an interested tone, causing Hodgins to raise an eyebrow.
Yet Jack's eyebrows suddenly switched down as he asked, "You're not a spy sent here to investigate what we do, are you? The whole 'being Booth's daughter' all a cover for you to get close to me and my work, your ultimate goal to learn all my secrets before shipping me off to some exotic, over-seas country where you'll inject me with a disease that doesn't have a cure?"
"You really hate the feds, don't you?" Haddon said with amused eyes at his ludicrous theory. "And anyway, what would I do with your odd knowledge?"
"Hodgins," a voice interrupted whatever Hodgins was going to say, causing both heads to turn to Zack who had just appeared, "Do you have your information prepared? Dr. Brennan requests to talk to you."
"Urgh," Hodgins groaned before turning to Haddon, "Sorry, but gotta work. If you're bored, why don't you go with Z-man here."
Haddon looked up from her swinging legs to that of a now stiffly-standing Zack, his eyes flicking from his best-friend to a teen he barely knew.
"I do not believe that's very-"
"Oh, come on, she's bored. Be a gentlemen like your child-crazed parents taught you," Hodgins interrupted him before he could make an argument, waving his hand as he turned to the nearest TV monitor to get ready to talk with Bones.
Sighing, Zack looked back at Haddon another time and she easily leaped off the railing before taking long strides over to him, jamming her hands in her front jersey jacket pockets when she stopped in front of him. Knowing not else what to do, he turned and motioned for her to follow him as he went to the remains room where a full skeleton was on one of the tables, causing Haddon's eyes to widen.
"Here, I examine and evaluate the bones and attempt to put some perspective and analysis on what happened to the person before they became deceased."
Haddon numbly nodded, looking around the room until she spotted a stool in one of the corners, going over to it and dragging it so it was on the opposite side that Zack was moving the bones around. He looked up at her when she sat, but her eyes on the cleaned bones and not him. But when he began to focus fully on the bones again, she glanced up at him. As she studied him studying the bones, thoughts began to manifest in Haddon's head.
From what she could tell so far of this odd-matched gang that Booth was working with, there was Hodgins who didn't seem like a bad person, a little quirky maybe, but then again who was she to judge. She also could tell right away during last night that Angela was not like the other three, she was bubbly and sporadic, the exact type of person Haddon didn't get along with very well. If it was a kind of person she didn't like the most in the world, it was the cheerleaders at her old school. Sure, there had only been five in her small class, but they were annoying as hell. Dr. Brennan she thought was very interesting, her light eyes both sharp and intelligent, something Haddon wanted to look like.
And yet there was 'Z-man' here, or that was what Hodgins called him yesterday and just now at least, who was the most interesting of all of them in Haddon's opinion. The way he talked more then hinted at him being very smart, as she didn't understand many of the words he'd used last night, but the way he conducted himself around others was what really caught her attention. She knew herself wasn't very adapt at making friends at the moment as she was weighed down with bitterness and shyness, but this guy seemed to be at a social status of zero. Checking her watch, and seeing that she'd been sitting her for a good half an hour now, confirmed this as he had yet to say a word to her after his quick explanation of his work place and yet was working as if nothing was wrong. Haddon would think that if a near-stranger was watching you work, the person would be polite and at least say a few sentences of conversation, give body language of wanting you out, or even be nervous and fidgety. Yet this guy, he was acting as if she was a ghost or something unworthy of attention, like the paint on the walls around them.
Feeling herself now the one nervous, she fidgeted in the stool for a few minutes more before she quietly slid off it, going closer to him; thinking that maybe if she was closer she would understand what he was doing and then get his attention. She quietly went to his side and leaned down with him, still not seeing what the machine he was using was doing, but her curiosity was cut short as a voice entered the immaculately clean room.
"Dr. Addy," a voice suddenly came from the door, causing both in the room to shoot their heads up to see a woman in a classy business suit, causing Haddon to blink. That suit looked even more expensive then the ones Booth wore.
She cleared her throat before saying, "It seems you have a guest with you."
"Ah, yes, she is…" Zack drifted off as he looked up to see her gone form the stool, yet when she poked him in the arm, he looked over and slightly jumped at her close proximity, causing him to take a few, quick steps away. This caused Haddon to feel annoyance at seeing him flustered by something so small, yet she hid it as she looked back to the nicely-dressed woman.
"Does she have proper authorization?" she asked as her eyes trailed over Haddon, causing the teen to stand the slightest bit straighter, that gaze reminding her of a teacher in demand of respect.
"Yes, she does," Zack said turning to her and Haddon got without words to show her the guess pass that Booth had given her this morning, which she did as she unclipped it from her jeans and walked up to the older woman to hand it over.
After she read the tag quickly, she gave it back to Haddon who stuck her hand out and said, "It's nice to meet you…Camille," she said as she looked at the name tag on her chest. Although she would usually call her by her last name, it seemed the people didn't even use first names, but nicknames. Apparently formality wasn't an issue in use here; which she didn't mind in the least.
"Please address me as Ms. Saroyan," Camille said abrasively, catching Haddon off guard as she was quite different from any she had met around here yet, "And please don't distract Dr. Addy, he has a very important murder case to solve, less we want another girl like you to die."
Feeling a chill down her spine, Haddon took back her un-shaken hand before turning back to Zack and asking, "Am I bothering you?"
He studied her for a second before stating, "Not in any specific way, but you are not exactly aiding my work."
"Seeing as you are of no use to Dr. Addy, I'm going to have to ask you to leave him so he can work on this case better," Camille said as she looked from Zack back to Haddon who suddenly looked deeply ashamed and troubled for some reason, making the older woman suddenly feel curiosity. Yet before she had a chance to ask what was wrong, the teen turned and briskly walked out the room.
"Hey, Haddon, come check out this bacteria-" Hodgins tried to catch her attention as she passed, yet the blond continued straight to Brennan's office before shutting the door, leaving Jack to blink in confusion and shock before asking himself in frustration, "What did I do wrong this time?"
- X -
Later that day, as Booth and Brennan returned from a hard days work, yet thankful they had finally gotten the murderer, they came back to the lab where everyone was smiles and glad with relief. Yet Booth went straight to the Brennan's office, it being now at least ten at night and feeling slightly guilty for leaving Haddon here (even though he had no other smart decision since the FBI office was an even less friendly place as here, which was slightly ironic in his opinion), and opened the door cautiously. He blinked when he found it to be in total darkness.
"Haddon?" he called out, and was answered with a sniff before a groggy voice said, "Yes?"
His eyebrows furrowed for a second before he flipped on the lights, seeing that the tall teen was sitting on the couch, hugging her legs close to her chest.
"Is anything wrong?" he asked as he began walking over to her, and when he caught sight of her puffy red eyes and slightly pale face, guilt hit his stomach like a hard punch.
"I'm sorry," she sniffed as she rubbed her nose with the back of her sleeve, "I can't stop crying; I hate it when I do this."
Not knowing what to say, Booth favored to sit next to her, their shoulders slightly brushing. At the contact, the girl stiffened for a moment before she relaxed and continued to stare vacantly in front of her.
"Want to talk?" he asked as he looked down at her sorrowful face, Haddon giving no inclination of answering.
Sighing, and still not doing what else to do, Booth moved his arm to drape around her shoulders, gently leaning the blond into his side. Alarmed at first by the gesture, she began to feel the warmth from him seep into her for a few minutes before she felt her throat close up again, causing her breathing became hitched as she tried to hold down the tears, not wanting to go through another crying spree.
"It's ok," Booth said as his grip tightened, "You can cry; let it out. I'll stay. I'm not going anywhere."
At the words, Haddon felt her breath stop all together before a loud, ear-piercing wail erupted from her mouth, causing Booth to momentarily loose his hearing. She cried out a second, third time in that odd scream like sob before she buried her head into his chest, causing him to stiffen in shock for a second before moving his other arm to rub her back, her own arms squeezing him around his waist in an almost painful way.
"I hate it!" Haddon yelled out loudly, causing Booth's ears to ring again, "I hate how she's gone! How I couldn't help her! How I ignored it all, how I'm useless! NOTHING!"
"Shh, shhhhh," Booth tried to sooth as he continued to rub her back and she grasped him tighter to the chest, making it now slightly hard for him to breath, "It's not your fault, I'm sure of it."
Haddon tried to stutter more out, yet she couldn't as another yell rippled from her throat out into the air; although this one was muffled as most of it was absorbed by Booth's chest.
Meanwhile, outside of the office, the squint squad of five looked around at each other in wonderment, having just heard Haddon's outbursts, before Brennan made her way to her office, the door still open. She quietly made her way over to the couch, Booth looking up from his crying daughter to his partner with heavy eyes. Brennan smiled sadly as she sat on the other side of Haddon, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder, causing her to stiffen and quiet for a moment before another wail escaped the girl. Knowing just what she was going through, Brennan moved her hand so that she was grasping Haddon's rougher one, squeezing it in a way to show her support.
"Oh God," Angela whispered as she stood next to the other three who had all come to hover over the doorframe, "she seemed just fine last night, what happened?"
"I have no idea," Hodgins said in return, his blue eyes blinking at the sobs that continued, "I was talking with her earlier today and she seemed cool."
Zack and Camille were silent for a few minutes as they looked into the room before they exchanged glances, the former feeling the heavy weight of guilt on his shoulders, not knowing his simple statement could bring about such a show of emotional-overload.
It was only a few more minutes until her cries quieted down and Booth got up form the couch, leaving his daughter in the capable hands of Brennan and walking out of the office, finally closing the door as he left.
"Squints, Cam!" his voice boomed out over the seemingly deserted room yet in a few moments, four people came out of their respected places.
Angela, who over looked being called a 'squint' this one time, was the first to talk as she got the agents side and asked, "Is she ok? She sounds so broken."
"That's because she is broken at the moment," he said as the other three approached. He sighed deeply before continuing with, "I shouldn't be the one to decide whether to tell you this or not, but seeing as Haddon's pretty touchy right now, I'm going to tell you guys anyway."
He looked over each person in front of him carefully before saying, "Haddon has come to me because her Mother has just passed away, no less then a week ago I'm guessing."
Angela gasped, but Booth continued, "I don't know just how her Mother passed away yet or much about her, but I do know enough that she wouldn't suddenly become the way she was tonight if something or someone hadn't triggered it. Now, you're going to tell me what happened to her today. Now."
"W-Well," Hodgins was first to talk, "She came out a few hours after you left and talked with me a little but then I had to talk to Dr. Brennan, so I sent her to Zack to keep her occupied. Then, next thing I know, she's speed walking across the lab and back into the office."
The special agent's eyes moved from Jack to narrow at Zack who, visibly squirming under Booth's eyes, weakly said, "I did nothing intentional."
"You better tell me what happened squint," Booth threatened as he was looming in front of the younger man, causing Zack to grimace.
"Stop it Booth," Camille finally spoke up, "Dr. Addy was working as she was hovering at his side and I asked if she was a bother to his work and he replied with she is neither helping or being a hassle and then went back into Dr. Brennan's office. After her yells of being presumably 'useless' as she described herself, his words must have unintentionally made her emotional."
"Dammit," Booth groaned as he stepped away from Zack.
"I did not-" the genius squint tried to start, but Booth held up a hand to silence him before he turned back to the office, opening and then closing the door and leaving the four to themselves again.
"It's totally not your fault Zack," Hodgins said as he clapped his best friend on the back, "You don't have any social skills and it was coincidental."
"Let's leave them alone and all go home," Angela said as she patted Zack on the back a few times, too, before going to grab her bag from her office.
Three went their way, yet Zack stayed still and slowly walked to the office door again, leaning his ear against the wood and sighed in relief as he couldn't hear anthing; her cries had stopped.
- X -
"Good morning Sunshine," Booth said cheerily as he saw Haddon shuffle her way into the kitchen. She was wearing an over-sized shirt and wrinkled pj bottoms as her blond hair was still in a bed-head mess, her appearance nothing like the nickname he'd just used for her other then the color of her hair.
"Do you feel well enough to go to the Jeffersonian, or do you want to stay here? I have field work to do today so you can't stay with me," Booth asked as he she sat down, her mouth watering at the waffles before her.
She looked up and Booth winced at the bags under her eyes that seemed more red then brown, before she said, "I'll go to the Jeffersonian." She looked down at her hands as she mumbled, "Sorry for being such a problem, I know your job is important."
"Haddon, get it though your thick skull," he sighed, "you're NOT being a bother and talk to me about stuff, ok? It's not good to keep stuff bottled in until it explodes out like last night."
She looked up at her assumable Father before she sighed and really smiled, saying a quiet "Sorry," before beginning to eat.
- X -
"No way," Angela whispered as she saw Booth and Haddon enter.
"What'd I tell you, she's a toughie," Hodgins said as he waved the duo over to them, causing Zack to visibly stiffen.
Angela sighed before whispering to him, "Just apologize, it'll be ok."
"Morning squints, Angela," Booth said as he stopped in front of them, his arm slung over Haddon's shoulders protectively. Zack found his eyes were not on Booth, even with his greeting, but on Haddon whose eyes were red and tanned face pale, her eyes also drifting up to look at him. There was silence for as the two stared at each other, Zack feeling his tongue heavy with guilt, before Booth cleared his throat to break the slightly tense silence.
"I'm s-"
"I'm sorry!" Haddon suddenly exploded, her loud voice easily covering Zack's apology as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"Sweetie," Angela said in confusion, "Why are you apologizing to us."
"Because," she nibbled on her lip as she pushed her hands into her faded jean pockets, "My actions yesterday were outlandish."
"I am obligated to apologize as well," Zack said seriously as he stood, causing Haddon to snap her head up in shock. "I was insufficient as to what I conveyed about you, I did not mean or desire you to react in such a way."
Blinking her blood-shot eyes a few times, Haddon finally allowed a small smile to adorn her face, causing Booth to sigh in relief.
"Now, she'll be staying in the office again," Booth said as he walked off with the lanky teen, yet turned back around and warned with an undertone of growl, "Don't bother her," before continuing on his way again.
- X -
"She sat in that room with you for over a half an hour and you didn't even properly introduce yourself?"
"Is there something at fault with that?"
"Dude," Hodgins sighed, "She didn't even know my name yet she was brave enough to come out of that office and talk to me. You, on the other hand, don't even give her a polite 'Hi! My name is Zack, how are you doin today?' with her sitting less then seven feet away."
"A greeting like that from me is entirely improbable."
"You know what I mean," Hodgins said with a slight undertone of frustration, "Girl just lost her parent, her entire old life. Least you can do is make her feel welcome in this creepy lab that investigates murder and death."
Zack sighed again, "I yearn to not be so socially inept."
"And I wish I had a hot wife wearing nothing but a frilly apron waiting for me at home, but we all don't get what we want."
The brown-haired youth looked towards the office before sharing, "I need to get folders from Dr. Brennan in there again."
"She's out with Booth wrapping up the last case's paperwork and stuff, remember? Only one in there is Haddon," Jack said as he went back to what he was analyzing.
"I'm curious to know if she's partaking in the comics I placed inside," Zack voiced in thought as he stood, putting his hands in his dark blue lab jacket front pockets.
"Whoa!" Hodgins exclaimed with wide eyes as he turned back to his roommate, "She likes comic books?"
"I saw her reading some I'd carelessly placed in Dr. Brennan's office; I approximated that she'd appreciate more from the way she was reading them yesterday and so placed them there this morning in the scenario if she were to return."
"Nice going, man," Hodgins said as he nodded his head, "This brings your social aptitude up to 3%, keep it up!"
"I feel so gleeful," Zack said in a tone quite opposite to that of his words as he stood and started making his way over to the office, knocking on the door as he arrived at it. He expected to not hear a respond, yet a soft "Come in," came from the other side right after his knocking. He paused to take a deep breath before twisting the knob, eyes going straight to the couch yet as he saw something move in the corner of his eye, his eyes naturally shifted to see Haddon absently twisting on Dr. Brennan's chair, a comic in her hands and not looking up from it. But as Zack approached to her side, she did stop to look up and meet his dark eyes.
Understanding he needed to get to the folders piled neatly on Bones' desk without words, she swiveled out of the way, back turned to Zack as he filed through the stack quickly to make sure it was the right stack Dr. Brennan had told him about this morning. When he saw it was, he grabbed them up and was about to leave, but Haddon's body that was turned away from him caught his attention.
"If you are inclined," he started, unsure of whether he should even try talking to her again, "you are welcome to accompany me as I work."
He didn't wait for her to respond before he was out the door, closing it with a click and continuing on towards his room of bones. He didn't expect her to follow him and take up on the offer and so didn't feel disappointment as an hour, and then two, went by without her coming. Yet when he heard a knock and saw that she was at his doorframe, he blinked in surprise.
"Sure I won't bother you?" she asked as he saw her hands tighten at her sides, him not knowing whether from consternation or shyness.
"Not in the slightest fraction," he said plainly without a smile, yet Haddon gave another barely-smile before she went to her stool from yesterday that hadn't been moved.
He looked up form his most recent set of remains, these needing analysis on condition, and almost smiled as he saw her take out a comic she had placed in her jacket and opening it to the first page.
Without really giving thought, he blurted, "I like the villainous character in that, he's quite adept to exploiting the hero's weaknesses."
Haddon looked up slowly at him, yet he had already switched his view from her to the femur bone, rotating it with his gloved hands.
"You like comics?" she asked as she placed the colorful collection of illustrations down in her lap for the moment.
"Those are, in actuality, mine."
Haddon opened her mouth in shock before stuttering, "I-I'm sorry, I just assumed they were Dr. Brennan's."
"I do not mind in the least," he said as he looked up, "I have already read them and so have no use for them anymore."
"You don't re-read?" Haddon asked as propped her elbows on her knees.
"Instant memorization and photographic memory suffice for that," Zack said as he picked up a vertebra.
"That's amazing," Haddon breathed, reading about photographic memory in physcology while studying how the brain can sometimes function, "Do you rely on it often?"
Zack looked up to her before back to his bones, "It has advantages."
There was a comfortable silence, or at least Haddon felt that way, and so she looked back down to her comic book, not noticing Zack's gaze that lingered on her before he went back to work.
"Do you wish to continue conversing?" he asked after their silence had stretched into five minutes.
Haddon smiled down at the comic before, "I like the way you word things."
"I do not understand what is amusing about it."
"Well," she started as she flipped a page, "It's like you have a cool accent, British or somethin. The way you talk is different from everyone else I've heard."
"Did you just compliment my natural behavior?" he asked in shock, looking up at her again.
"I guess," Haddon said, "It's much better then most of the boys I hung out with back home. And good thing I took SAT prep, or else I wouldn't understand any of the words you say, a lot still go over my head."
"Just inform me and I will reiterate, it happens quite often with Agent Booth."
At the information, Haddon could imagine Booth's confused face, causing light laughter to bubble through and for Zack to then almost drop the bone he picked up in alarm as he hadn't expected that reaction to his words in the least.
"I concur with that," she said, trying to imitate him, with her grin still in place.
- X -
Seeley Booth walked into Bone's office and wasn't alarmed when he didn't immediately see her, yet when he circled the couch to still see there was no sign of her, panic actually did manifest. Rushing out, he went to the bones room Bones had gone into, walking in to see not only her, but also Zack and Haddon, the latter comfortably sitting on a stool with a large stack of comics below her.
"Haddon," Booth growled, causing the teen to look up with brown eyes that didn't seem so downcast as this morning.
"What's up Booth?"
"I thought I said not to let the squints bother you."
"But Z-man isn't bothering me."
Booth sputtered as she used his nickname breezily, his anger turning over to Zack who stiffened under the glare.
"Stop it," Haddon sighed, "Zack here has been keeping me company, he even gave me all his comics to read!"
The FBI agent further narrowed his eyes at the genius who was too shocked-still to look away before the older man scoffed and looked away himself, fully going into the room as he crossed his arms over to his chest.
"What're you reading?" he asked Haddon as he got to her side, the stool now making her a third of her normal height.
"The Flash. He's super cool."
Booth chuckled deeply before affectionately ruffling her hair, causing the teen to smile, not feeling annoyance like this morning.
"We stopped by at Booth's office before coming back," Bones said as she took off her gloves she's just put on a few minutes ago go over what Zack had evaluated, "And he got something in."
Brown eyes turning from the 2-D man clad in red to the 3-D man clad in a expensive suit and goofy tie. Booth grinned back down to her before saying, "DNA test was fast since I called in a favor."
Haddon was breathless as he handed her the folder, the teen opening it quickly and her mouth going dry as she saw the over-report, the definite words of 'match' printed quite clearly.
"I can't believe it," she said breathlessly.
"Those things are 99.9% accurate, quite irrefutable. There is no reason for speculation," Zack piped in right away, but was shot down with a look from Booth as Haddon continued to stare down at the DNA evaluation.
"So I'm definitely staying with you? I don't have to go into foster care?" she croaked out as her throat tightened, looking up at the man who she now had no doubt was her Father.
"Seems that way, kiddo."
- X -