Bones My Version

by femlionqueen

Gonna follow the lead of the series and write each episode, adding and filling the gaps between scenes of the episodes and seasons from my own perspective view. Don't judge me so bad... :) Booth X Brennan

2. Pilot

So as promised, the continuation of story - Chapter 2. Now I know what most people will think while reading this - oh, she just copied and pasted this, I'm out of here and so on... Yes, I'm taking a full responsibility for this and basically bringing this upon myself, but here is the deal. I will follow the original plot of each episode(yes, you read that right - each episode...) and in addition making my own possible situations in between the scenes or adding extra words in dialogues, describing emotions and feelings of characters and including them in episodes there were not supposed to be, but would fit in my opinion. I think it will be quite interesting experiment, as I already have some pre-made scenes for some of the coming chapters in the future, such as Double Trouble in the Panhandle, Hole in the Heart, Change in the Game and Prisoner in the Pipe, but that doesn't mean other episodes will be without any adds. It's just been a while since I finished watching all 12 Seasons. So...

There's more. Since I'm not a native American and English is not my first language, there might be some mistakes or inexactitudes that I might not even be aware of, so my biggest apologies to everyone who will come across this story. It's just a way I see things in it. And since I don't own Bones, the rest it's little piece of my imagination created by the keyboard.

P.S. For those who are still reading my other story about Saints Row and waiting for an update, don't worry. I'm not abandoning it, I swear. I'll get back to it sooner or later... ;)

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September 2005

Year and three weeks later…

'Right, I'm on my way, thank you…' Seeley Booth spoke on the phone and jumped from his chair in his office while grabbing his suit in hand.

'This better be important…' federal prosecutor spoke as she was standing on the doorstep with papers in her hands. Some blonde woman was standing behind her.

'What is it, Caroline? I'm kinda busy right now…'

'Going somewhere, cher?' she raised an eyebrow at him.

Booth stopped in front of her fixing his sleeves.

'In fact, yes…' Booth was looking at her with a serious look. 'My son came back from Toronto and his mother and I have arranged that I'll pick him up…from the airport…'

'And I suppose to believe that?' Caroline didn't seem to be convinced. '…who was on the line…?'

'Caroline, why I feel this is an interrogation now, huh? In case you didn't know, I do have a son…'

'Because I know you too well to trust, cher…' Caroline replied with smile. 'I have a case for you…some remains were found in the pond near the military cemetery…'

Booth was tapping on his feet, anxious to leave, so he just quickly cut her. 'Yeah, yeah…just leave the folder on my table, I'll take a look, but now I'm really short out of time…'

'But…' Caroline tried to stop him as he walked past her and unknown woman, not even curious who she was. '…I brought you an expert who is looking forward to work with you-' she motioned, but Booth cut her again while grabbing the folder from her hands instead of just leaving them on the table. He knew one person who will be really interested to look at it too.

'Thanks Caroline, but I have someone already…no offence…' Booth turned around as he walked and jumped into the elevator.

'What?! I did not hear that...' Caroline yelped in shock. 'What do you mean, Booth? Booth?!' but he was already gone and she with a woman just shared a look before she spoke.

'So, you still want me to work with him?' woman asked Caroline.

'If I were you, cher, I would think twice about word work…' Caroline was slightly pissed not knowing what the hell was going on.

Dulles International Airport

'This is the final boarding call for Flight 416 with service to Dallas – Ft. Worth.' The announcer spoke through the speaker within the airport which was full of people. It was just another ordinary day here, but not for someone.

'I'm late.' Woman dressed in crimson coat with a bag in her hand was rushing to check the screens of arrivals.

Announcer just repeated the warning of a final boarding for passengers going to Dallas.

'This board is broken.' she said once she got closer to the screens and that was true. You couldn't read the list properly and due to a glitch it was impossible to read anything, however none of the staff seemed to notice or care. 'The arrivals board is not working.' she moved away from the screens trying to find anyone in charge among the passing people. 'Uh, did anybody meet the flight from Guatemala?' now she was just asking anybody with a hope. 'Aviateca Airlines? What gate?' once she realised it's useless to keep up like this she gave up and made her way to clerk desk. 'Yeah…I'm late…'

Though she didn't notice that someone was watching her from the close distance.

'That's her?' Bennet Gibson asked the man who was standing next to him leaning on the railing on the upper floor of the airport.

'No.' Man lifted his sight from the paper and confirmed. He had the list of passengers who came from Guatemala today, just to be clear that he is at the right time and place, looking for a specific name in it. 'Angela Montenegro. She's a friend...' He simply said while still looking at the paper. 'You're sure this list is correct?' he asked Gibson.

'I wouldn't have called you today, if it wasn't, Agent Booth…' he replied, but still was curious what was this is about. 'Why that person is so important to you?'

'Let's just say…in the past she helped me a lot and I didn't have time to thank her…'

In a meantime, Angela reached the clerk desk.

'Excuse me…' she began. '…you have a computer glitch at the arrivals board…' the clerk raised his finger to wait and even didn't look from the computer screen.

Angela checked her wrist watch and tried to communicate with him again. 'Hello? Sir, excuse me, yoo-hoo...' And again, he raised a finger to wait up. 'Great.' She murmured and thought of the last resort to make this jerk talk.

She took a step back and took a hold of her coat and pink shirt underneath it. Pink corset was literally thrown into his view, though Angela kept a serious look despite the situation she just got involved into.

'Yeah.' Angela smiled sarcastically. 'Hi. The flight from Guatemala…' she was still looking at him as he was looking at her nearly naked chest. They stood like that for a couple of seconds until...

'That's her…' Booth said and crumpled the paper in his hand before throwing it to the bin. Gibson tensed up once he saw her too. Booth couldn't believe his eyes and his luck as he thought he will never gonna see her again. There she is, standing there with small changes in appearance. C'mon, it's been the whole year, since he saw her. Unconsciously, his left cheek began to itch.

'How you want me to approach her?' Gibson brought him back from his thoughts.

'Carefully…' Booth replied. 'You don't want to get hurt…'

'Is this is some kind of a joke?' Gibson asked him. 'It's just a woman…she doesn't look dangerous…'

Booth turned to look at him while shaking his head. 'I'm not joking…' he leaned back with a smile. 'She's is more than that…she might be small, but it takes guts to stand against her…' Booth sounded serious. 'If I were you, I would ask for that bag she's carrying, it will look less suspicious…' Booth casually said and Gibson turned to look at him. 'I hope, you don't mean the bomb…'

'No, but it's something you just don't carry everyday…and in the airport…good luck…' Booth patted his shoulder and left him standing alone.

On the lower floor, the corset situation was still going on…

'Tell me you tried "excuse me" first…' someone came closer and spoke from behind Angela. She immediately turned around while covering herself. Relief washed over her face as Angela saw the person she was looking since she got here.

'Sweetie!' Angela gasped and began to walk towards her friend. 'Yes, I did, welcome home…' she said as they reached to hug each other. 'Are you exhausted?' Angela asked and saw her leaning tired face to the side as they began walking to the exit. 'Was Guatemala awful? Was it horribly backward?' Angela attacked her with questions.

'And yet, I was never reduced to flashing my boobs for information.'

Angela gasped. 'Flash them for any fun reasons?'

'I was literally neck-deep in a mass grave, not romantic, Ange…'

'You know, diving head-first in a pit of cadavers is no way to handle a messy break-up.'

'Angela, nothing Pete and I ever did was messy.' She said and felt someone was following them, she turned her head to the side just to confirm it. Angela didn't notice and carried on. 'Then you were not doing the right thing.' Angela said and didn't expect her friend to drop her bag and turned around to face someone.

'Sir, why are you following us?'

Gibson didn't reply but grabbed her arm, but she was quicker and twisted her arm up to his shoulder. Then she punched him in chest and gave another hit with her knee. Now that he didn't expect, and it was coming from a woman. FBI agent wasn't lying.

'Attack! Security! Hello!' Angela yelled through the place. 'Who runs this airport?' she asked with sarcasm.

Gibson got on his knees with his hand broke behind his back. 'Kick his ass.' Angela added more and flinged her handbag at the disarmed man.

Long before they finished, few security guards came behind them with the guns pointed. Some of other people stopped to see what was going on in a safe distance.

'Step back now!' one of them warned.

'He attacked me...' she tried to explain.

Gibson was now completely grounded on the floor. 'I'm Homeland Security!'

'Oh…little misunderstanding here.' Angela now felt a bit guilty for hitting the guy.

'You can put away your guns…' attacked woman said as of matter of fact, though she had her hands up in the air. Couple of the guards did as she told while others kept their stance.

Gibson, now restrain-free, was half way standing up, when he couldn't believe his ears as heard her giving orders to his guards. 'What, is she in charge now?' Guards pointed their guns at her again. 'No, I'll tell you when you can lower your weapons.' he was about to stand up. 'Hand over the bag.' He pointed out.

'Oh, is that what this is about?' she lowered her hands and bend over to pick up her belongings. Gibson, now fully standing on the solid ground took the bag and opened. Now, there was another surprise.

'Boo…' he heard her saying as he opened the bag and dropped it immediately back on the floor. He was greeted by what looked like a real human skull. He looked back at her is disbelief and horror in his face.

'You're coming with us…' Gibson said and one of the guards came behind to put the handcuffs.

She let they guy do his job and shared a smile with Angela. Other guards took her stuff and all of them walked to the security room. Angela was following them but was denied to come further.

'I'll wait here…' she said and sat on the bench next to the door.

Gibson smiled slightly. 'I think that will be unnecessary…'

'Wait? Wha-?' Angela said before Gibson closed the doors. 'Great…' she slumped back to the seat. 'I guess flashing my boobs won't help this time…' she mumbled to herself, but loud enough for the person to hear next to her. He looked at her with wide eyes. 'What? It's a reality, deal with it…'

Back in the security room Gibson dismissed the guards who came together and called another guard lady into the room. Then he placed the skull from the bag on the table. Then he looked at her waiting for an explanation.

'I am Dr. Temperance Brennan.' she began with head resting on her elbow like it wasn't a big deal. 'I've been in Guatemala for two months, identifying victims of genocide, including him.' she pointed everything out.

'Most people in this situation, what they do is they sweat it.' Gibson replied feeling quite anxious. This is not how he imagined this day would go on.

'Guatemala? Genocide?' Brennan asked. 'How are you scary after that?' she lifted her head away from hand while looking at him seriously.

Gibson was shaking his head slightly. 'You know who doesn't sweat it?'

'Sociopaths.' An officer behind him answered.

'I'm not a sociopath.' Brennan was now defending herself. 'I'm an anthropologist at the Jeffersonian.'

'Who works for the FBI.' Gibson declared, though it wasn't true, to Brennan at least. 'Which I'd maybe believe if you had ID that did more than allowed you access to the cafeteria…'

Little did they know, there was another conversation behind the walls of this room, that was about to start and carry on…

Angela was waiting long enough to feel worried that her best friend is being kept there too long.

'May I sit here?' voice of a man came up suddenly, but Angela didn't even bother to lift her head up to see who was speaking.

'Knock yourself out, it's a free country, at least for some of us…' she mumbled, and a man took a seat next to her.

'What happened?' he carefully asked. 'I saw security taking that woman with the bags and stuff, even saw handcuffs…'

Angela scoffed. 'Yeah, I was coming pick up my friend from the airport, had to do some crazy stuff, I'm sure you saw it…'

'Sorry, I didn't…' man replied. 'What did you do?'

'You don't want to know…' Angela felt relieved. 'That was the first and the last time I'm doing something like this…'

'Okay…' he wanted to keep this conversation going. 'What happened next?' he was curious.

'And then, then…I found her, we were walking down the airport when that officer came behind us and asked for a bag…like he knew Brennan was carrying something illegal…'

'Brennan? Temperance Brennan?' man asked surprised. 'That famous anthropologist…?'

'Yeah…' Angela was getting more interested in the conversation she was having right now. She became curious when a man handed her a familiar book, his wrist tattoo was showing, it looked like she has seen it before.

'It's her book, right?' man asked. 'She's also an author…'

'Right…' Angela took the book from him and was looking at the cover when her eyesight moved down to the man's shoes. His socks were stripped and in different colours. Angela straightened herself up while trying to control her breathing, her head spinning just because she didn't even look in the face of this guy, yet she already suspects who he is.

'It's gotta be a coincidence…' she thought in her head. Now thinking, she had heard his voice before and didn't hear it for a long time, time of a year.

They both sat in silence for a minute. Angela tensed up from getting close to finding out the identity of a man, her fingers gripped the book more tightly. Man, on the other hand was calm, pretending of not noticing how lady next to him began to tremble.

'You think I'll get an autograph?' he looked at her while facing her completely.

Angela slowly turned her head to meet his face, lips squeezed as well as eyes. He had dark shaded glasses on, smile quickly appeared on his face. She didn't need to turn fully to see him, as she instantly recognised him, she lifted the book and began to hit him on the upper arm.

'What the hell, Booth!' Angela's hits were quickly reaching him, he began to retreat back until he got up from his seat. Angela was still holding the book, surprisingly she didn't throw it at him.

'What?' he took off his glasses and lifted his hands to the sides like it was nothing serious. 'Not my fault, I'm a good actor…' he grinned at her. 'Took you a while to notice…'

'That's because you were gone…you jerk…' Angela lifted the book and was about to throw it when Booth lifted his hands in defeat.

'Hey, I deserved that, and I'm taking responsibility for it…'

'Yeah…?' Angela asked. 'Even when I was looking after Brennan all this time, helping her to get over this, she was like heartbroken, but knowing her, it was in a slight form. She was denying it all that time, like nothing happened, but I saw her how she was all this time…are you taking this responsibility too…?'

Booth looked down in guilt. 'Look, I'm sorry, I really am…' he looked up at her. '…but you think, you guys were the only ones having hard time…?' Booth was defending himself now. 'Since Bones left-'

'Don't call her like that…you know she doesn't like it…' Angela warned.

Booth let out a sigh and carried on. 'Since Brennan left…' he corrected himself, though he preferred to use the nickname he gave her. It suited her better. '…every other case wasn't the same, everything else wasn't the same since she left…I had to work with people, some of them were not qualified enough and thought they are suitable for this place, others were good but not good enough as her…I would rather work with nobody but her…' Booth admitted and Angela's face got softer. 'I couldn't stop thinking about her, I began to lose interest in my own work, without her it just wasn't the same…' Angela wanted to hug him, but retrained herself for now, until another wave of book smack was necessary.

'I missed her, everyday…believe me, Angela…if I could turn the time back, I would change and do things differently…'

'That's really sweet of you, Booth…she was thinking about you too, you know…on how to break your bones…every single one of them…she was that angry…' Angela said in calm voice and Booth just trembled in his seat while trying not to imagine how it would look like.

'Scared? I would be too…' Angela crossed her arms, book in between them.

'Hey, it's nothing compared that I had to lie to Bureau that I was going to pick someone else and not her…' he simply said knowing that this will blow his cover. 'Caroline would have and will kill me…'

A realization hit Angela and she began to hit him with the book again.

'You set her up! You set us up! You knew she was coming today, so you planned this ahead to be a hero of the day!?' her words were followed by stronger smacks from the book. Booth again had to cover himself.

'Hey, I thought you missed me!'

'And we did!' Angela scoffed at him through gritted teeth. 'But not like this!'

'Okay, okay…my bad…' Booth tried to calm her down. 'Let me handle this now, you won't be able to do anything now anyway…'

'I swear to God, Booth…if you hurt her in any way…you'll have problems with me…and this time…I MEAN IT…' Angela said while standing up and giving him a warning finger to his face. Booth stood up as well. 'Did I make myself clear?'

'I learned from my mistakes, Angela…won't happen again…' Booth assured her.

She just harshly showed the book to his chest, he gripped it as soon as it made an impact with his body. 'Good…' she looked at him smugly. 'I assume, I can say…see you at the lab…Boothy boy…' though she looked pissed, secretly she was happy that Booth was coming back, although she was worrying on how Brennan will react.

'Consider it being correct…' he waited until she was a bit away. 'Hey, Angela…' he made her to stop and turned around.

'What?' she threw.

'Nice stunt you did there at the reception desk…' he grinned. You won't see something like that every day.

'You bastard! You said you didn't see!'

'Hey, I'm good in acting…' with that Angela turned leaving him on his own. He well damn knew how to make women mad. First Caroline, then Angela. Now, another woman was waiting in his queue.

Back at the airport security room…

Booth entered the room expecting to see nothing else, but someone he missed like desert misses rain.

'You are illegally transporting human remains, ma'am.' Gibson said to Brennan who was focused on him, but not on the man who entered the room.

There she was, sitting here, so close to him. She did look exhausted, bags under her eyes, Guatemala did that to her, two months it's a long period of time, but she will be fine, it's Bones we're talking about. Booth just leaned back and just observed the whole scene, occasionally glancing at her, Gibson knew he will be coming, so he acted naturally.

'And you assaulted a Homeland Security agent.' Gibson accused her.

'Look, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of you friends, but next time, you should identify yourself before attacking me.' Brennan stood her rational ground that sounded almost comical, and Booth quietly chuckled before Brennan attacked him. 'What are you doing here?' she turned to him.

Booth stood up straight like electricity ran through his body. 'FBI. Special Agent Seeley Booth, Major Crime Investigation, DC. Bones identifies bodies for us.' he had to say it out loud to piss her.

'Don't call me Bones…' she turned back to Gibson. '…and I do more than identify…'

'She also writes books.' Booth showed Gibson the book and slid it across the table. As if he forgot to add that to the list before Gibson got humiliated. As book stopped within a reach, Gibson took it and turned the cover up. Both Brennan and Booth were looking at him waiting for his answer.

'Fine. She's all yours.' he said as he raised his eyes to see Booth.

'Great. Let's grab your skull, and let's vamoose…' Booth was overly happy with the outcome, though Brennan wasn't.

'What, that's it? "She's all yours"?' she asked angrily as she stood up. 'Why did you stop me?' she asked Gibson as he was handing the rest of her stuff.

'What does it matter?' Booth tried to extinguish the fire she was on.' You're free to go. Let's just grab your bags…' he leaned over to reach what Gibson was handing over. Brennan looked at him, she figured out.

'You set me up.' she stated. 'You got a hold-for-questioning request from the FBI, didn't you?' she turned to Gibson. He was looking at Booth, then looked at her, thinking what to say. Brennan turned back to Booth, her look made him feel guilty inside. Gibson just tapped fingers on the cover.

'I love this book.' He simply said and handed it to Brennan. She took the skull and turned to walk past the Booth who was already holding her bags. He had to move aside otherwise she would walk through him.

'Come on…' she left the room first, Booth followed her after. 'Where's Angela? I thought she was waiting for me…' she looked around the corridor.

'Who?' Booth tried to play off. Brennan gave him a condemning look. "Angela?' I told her to go back to the lab…'

Brennan couldn't believe what was happening now, since when Booth began to be in charge again and give orders. She began to walk faster, trying to keep far distance and cursing him in the head, Booth had to keep up with her. They remained silent until they got into the car and left the airport territory and entered the city.

'That's the best you can do?' Brennan asked with a smile once she calmed down.

'What?'

'Getting Homeland Security to snatch me so you can stage a fake rescue?' she explained further.

'Well, at least I picked you up at the airport, huh?' Booth said smiling at her while trying to give the pros of the situation. 'Come on, I mean, I went through the appropriate channels, but your assistant there, he stone-walled me…'

'Yeah, well, after that last case, I told Zack never, ever to put you through. He's a good assistant.' she defended her colleague. 'You can let me out anywhere along here…' she moved to look out through the window.

'All right, listen, a decomposed corpse was found this morning at Arlington National Cemetery…' Booth was trying to change her mind about dropping off.

'Arlington National Cemetery is full of decomposed corpses. It's a cemetery.' she said in the matter of fact.

'Yeah, but this one is your type of corpse, it wasn't in a casket.' he explained further why it was different, however Brennan had different thoughts.

'If you drive one more block I'm screaming "kidnap" out of the window…' she said with a grin on her face. Best idea on how to make him listen to her.

'You know what? I'm trying to mend bridges here.' Booth said while remembering what happened between them last time. Also, he promised to Angela, so no screw ups.

'Pull over…' she said calmly and Booth new that was a silence before storm, so he decided not to take a risk.

The second he stopped she jumped off, grabbed her stuff and started to walk without turning around. 'I'm going home.'

Booth stepped out as well. 'Great. Could we…look, could we just skip this part?' he followed her making sure to keep distance.

'I find you very condescending.'

'Me? I'm condescending?' Booth asked surprised. He didn't expect that from her. 'I'm not the one who's got to mention that she's got a doctorate every five min-'

Brennan quickly turned around and cut him off. 'I am the one with the doctorate.' Then she turned back around.

Booth wasn't going to let her easily this time. 'Yeah, well you know what? I'm the one with the badge and the gun, huh?' she didn't reply, so he carried on. 'You know, you're not the only forensic anthropologist in town.'

'Yes, I am. The next nearest is in Montreal. Parlez-vous français?' she laughed a little, but Booth was out of options.

'What's it going to take, huh?' he stopped following her, having nothing else to offer and waiting for her wish list. Brennan stopped too and slowly turned to face him. She went straight to business.

'Full participation in the case…'

'Fine.' Booth quickly agreed, but Brennan wasn't done with him.

'Not just lab work, everything.' she added.

'What? You want me to spit my in my hand? We're Scully and Mulder.' Booth was thinking about the impossible.

'I don't know what that means.' she said, but Booth, knowing her too well, knew she was honest here.

'It's an olive branch. Just get back in the car…' Booth pointed his thumb back from where they started to walk all this way.

Driving another couple of blocks away they reached the cemetery.

'What's the context of the find?' Brennan began to walk through the countless number of gravestones. Booth followed her close.

'Routine landscaping, they drop the level of the pond, one of the workmen thought he saw something.'

They were getting close to the pond where cars of police and people in uniforms were already at the scene.

'Hi, Zack.' Brennan greeted her assistant as he closed the doors of Jeffersonian truck.

'This eco-warrior look works for you…' he said as she and Booth were coming closer.

'Thanks.'

'Very action-oriented.' he added and the three of them walked together.

'Agent Booth, you remember my assistant, Zack Addy?' Brennan became suddenly all official.

'Oh, yeah.' Booth said while remembering last time they saw each other, he wanted to make sure not to see him again.

'How was Guatemala?' Zack asked. 'Dig up lots of massacre victims? Learn a thing or two about machete strikes?'

'Zack, I need water samples and temperature readings from the pond.' she went straight to the case avoiding Zack's questions.

'Right away, Dr. Brennan.' and with that he left the two walking further towards the pond.

'He's got no sense of discretion, that kid.' Booth said annoyed. 'Typical squint.' he concluded.

'I don't know what that means.' Brennan replied to his comment.

'Well, cops get stuck, we bring in people like you. You know, squints, who squint at things.' he turned to her with his eyes nearly closed as he was imitating people he was talking about.

'Oh, you mean people with very high IQs and basic reasoning skills? she asked while Booth placed his glasses on and caught her bag just in time as she threw it.

'Yeah…' he whispered.

It didn't take long for them to set up the boat with the equipment and other stuff, once they were into the approximately right spot of the pond, Booth anchored the camera, while Brennan was focusing on the view in the screen.

'What, exactly, am I supposed to be squinting at?'

'It's like pornography.' Booth said casually as he stepped closer to her. 'You'll know it when you see it.'

Brennan tried to ignore his once again arrogant tone. Again, she looked at the screen without saying another word. There was something that caught her eye. A net that was wrapped around the sticks that actually were the bones of a human.

'Yeah, okay. This Is a crime scene.' Brennan confirmed. 'We need to lift it carefully to the surface.

'Right.' Booth said. 'Anything else I need to know that I'm thinking of knowing?'

'Get us back at the shore, I'll have to change into proper overalls…'

Once all the raising and lifting of the remains were done, most of the people left while Zack, Brennan and Booth stayed behind despite the fact that it was late evening with darkness covering the sky.

'The remains are wrapped in four-mil flat poly construction sheeting.' Brennan began the observation.

Zack was taking photos of the remains. 'PVC-coated chicken wire…' he added.

'Weighted. That's why the body didn't surface during decomposition.' Brennan carried on. 'The skeleton is complete but the skull is in fragments.'

'What can you tell me?' Booth came suddenly out of nowhere.

'Not much. She's a young woman, probably between 18 and 22, approximately five foot three, race unknown, delicate features.'

'That's all?' Booth was surely expecting more from her.

'Tennis player.' Brennan added.

'How do you get a pretty tennis player out of that yuck?'

Zack began to explain. 'Epiphysis fusion gives age. Pelvic bone shape gives sex…'

'Bursitis in the shoulder.' Brennan said as she leaned over the bones. 'Somebody this young, it must be an athletic injury.'

'When did she die?' Booth wanted to get accurate information.

'Eh…' Brennan began, but Booth was quickly, not having enough patience.

'Eh? What does that even mean?' Booth looked at her. Zack was still taking photos.

'Means wait until our bug and slime guy takes a look.' Zack cut in while lowering camera down.

'No clothing.' Brennan still carried on.

'You know, in my line of work, no clothes usually means a sex crime.' Booth said as he was right.

'In my line of work, it can also mean, the victim favoured natural fibers.' Brennan gave her own argument while still looking over the remains.

'Your suit, for example, will outlast you bones by decades.' Zack made a conclusion.

'Collect silt, three meters radius to a depth of ten centimeters.' Brennan said as she stood up from the ground. Then she turned to Booth. 'Your FBI forensics team can take the plastic and the chicken wire, we'll take the rest…'

Next morning… Natural History Museum

'Dr. Goodman…' Brennan began once she saw him going up the stairs. Zack was keeping with her.

'Ah, Dr. Brennan, good morning…' he leaned over to greet. Brennan followed him up and caught up with him.

'I wish you wouldn't just give me to the FBI.' Brennan went straight to business, obviously annoyed by the events of yesterday.

'As a federally funded institution, the Jeffersonian must seize every opportunity to prove our worth to our friends in Congress, which means I loan you out as I see fit, especially to federal agencies.' Goodman was explaining the situation why it was necessary. The three of them were walking round on the upper floor, Zack following the two.

Brennan was not happy. 'Loan out implies property, Dr. Goodman. The FBI will never respect mere property…'

'I do not view you as property, Dr. Brennan, you are one of the Jeffersonian's most valuable assets.'

'An asset is by definition, property.' Zack was aiding Brennan as he listened the conversation in front of him.

'What's the rule, Mr. Addy?' Goodman asked him with a sigh.

'You only converse with PhDs. You realize I'm halfway through two doctorates? Two halves make a whole, so mathematically speaking…' Zack's voice changed like it was obvious for everyone.

'Go polish a bone, Mr. Addy.' Goodman was tired of his speech. He and Brennan left him alone while they descended downstairs to the centre of Museum.

Brennan carried on with her theory once they walked alone. 'Dr. Goodman, FBI agents will never respect any of us as long as you simply dole out scientists like office temps.' they were walking near the exit now.

'Dr. Brennan, are you playing me?' Goodman looked at her with curiosity in his face once they stopped.

'You know I'm no good at that.'

'Mmm, thus far, but you have a disturbingly steep learning curve.' with that he left her meaning the conversation was over between the two, so Brennan had nothing else to do, but to get back to Institute through the park, in quite speedy step.

Once inside she went straight to her office and sat at her desk, still pissed at the current situation, she couldn't believe that Goodman was willing to give her out that easily to the hands of FBI. Knock on the door brought her back.

'Hey, how did it go?' Angela asked while standing on the doorstep. Brennan just shook her head and Angela let out a sigh. 'Hodgins, Zack and I are waiting for you to get on the platform, remains are ready…'

'Okay…' Brennan said while standing up and grabbing her blue lab coat. Four of them then proceeded to the platform.

'Pond is not only warm and teeming with microbes, which accelerated decomposition, but it houses black carp and koi, which fed on the body…' Hodgins said to the group while they were walking closer the remains.

'Can I, as the only normal person in this room, say ew?' Angela expressed her disgust while looking at Hodgins, though he carried on his explanation on what he has found so far.

'I got three larval stages of Tricoptera, Chironimidae…'

'As we cut to the chase…' Brennan cut him off.

'The body was in the pond one winter and two summers.'

'Spring before last?' Brennan asked.

'You really think I'm lusty?' he said with a smile.

Brennan looked at him confused until Angela interrupted them. 'The book.'

'No, no, no, you're not in the book.' she defended herself.

'Sure he is, we all are…' Zack added too.

'No, none of you are in the book, those are fictitious characters based on…' this time Hodgins cut her off.

'I found some small bone fragments in the silt…' he said as he turned on the screen to show them all.

'We're out of the book now, we're back in real life…' Angela tried to change the subject.

'I'd guess Rana temporaria.' Hodgins said.

'Frog bones?' Brennan asked.

Hodgins carried on. 'Also, some tiny gold links, as from a fine chain…' he showed on the screen again.

'Point of clarification…' Zack said and everyone turned to see him. 'I'm not a virgin., nowhere near, in fact.' He had confident face. Brennan just sighed, it's not like really the time to discuss her book when they have something waiting for to be done.

'Who you captured perfectly is Booth…' Angela started. 'Buttoned down, but buckets of sexual confidence which, oh, I, for one, would love to tap…' she looked at Hodgins, he just shook his head.

'It's not right to discuss tapping asses in front of the soaker….' Zack said.

'I can't bounce back and forth between my book and real life.' Brennan had enough of their discussion over the book. 'Since we're stuck with real life, let's just forget the book.' she turned to Hodgins.

'I haven't analysed whatever it was the victim was holding in her hand, but it looks like cellulose.' he looked at the screen again.

'Paper?' Angela asked him.

'Hmm. Possibly…' he replied, still being unsure about that.

I found microscopic grit embedded in the skull fragments. I need you to identify those two.' Brennan lifted her face to see him. 'Remove the remaining tissue, I'll debride the skull fragments myself.' she turned to Zack. '…reassemble it so Angela can put a face on our victim.' Brennan turned to her.

'Good, I prefer holographs.' Angela pointed out. 'They don't stink.' she added too while looking at the remains with the same disgust. While Angela and Hodgins left the platform, Brennan walked to Zack.

'I don't like those terms for humans remains –'soaker', 'crispy critter'…'

'I know, Dr. Brennan.' he replied honestly.

Though this day was coming to the end, and it was late evening, Brennan stayed behind in the lab, while everybody was out, well, maybe couple of lab security guards. But that didn't hold her of what she had to do. Pieces of small and tiny skull bones were on the platform table in front of her. She didn't want to go home, she didn't feel tired yet, her passion was taking over now. She was glad, she didn't hear anything from FBI side all day. Maybe Booth wasn't serious about this.

So, she began to put the skull, piece by piece, like a puzzle, ignoring any other thoughts and completely losing track of the time till she even didn't realised that she felt asleep right on the table. Completed skull was already there, the sound of cup of coffee being placed next to her and the smell, woke her up. Before she realised where she was at, it was already light up in the lab.

Not long before, she gathered her stuff and left the institute, making her way through the city to get some proper rest at home.

Little did she knew that there was conversation going on in the Bureau which was related to her.

'So, you guarantee this squint will be on a field role in an active murder investigation? Cullen asked.

'Yes, sir.' Booth replied to his supervisor.

'The one that wrote the book?' he asked.

'Yes, sir.' Booth confirmed.

Cullen was sitting at his desk while Booth took a seat before him.

'Thought you said she wouldn't work with you anymore…' Cullen said as he dropped the book on the table and took off his glasses.

'Well, the last case we worked, she provided a description of the murder weapon and the murderer, but I didn't give her much credence.'

'Why not?'

'Because she did it by looking at the victim's autopsy X-rays.'

Cullen scoffed. 'Well, I wouldn't give it much credence, either.'

'Turns out she was right on both.' Booth was defending her. 'Plus, the pond victim…Brennan gives me the victim's age, sex and favourite sport.' Booth added while standing up and passing the folder of the current case. Cullen opened to see the photo of the whole remains and chuckled by hearing Booth saying sport.

'Which is?' he couldn't believe that it was possible to tell from the photo he was holding right now.

'Tennis.' Booth straight answered knowing that is true.

'She's good.'

'No, she's amazing.' Booth knew better and it was true. 'Only way I can get her back on my side is to bring her out in the field…I'm willing…'

Cullen took off his glasses once again. 'Fine. She's on you.' he agreed. 'Take that squint out in the field, she's your responsibility.' he gave Booth back the folder.

'Yes, sir.' Booth tried to stay calm, though inside he felt so relieved and happy that he might explode.

In a meantime, in the other side of the city, Brennan was taking a nap, tired from sleep in uncomfortable position, not even knowing that her real life was about have a twisting turn again when…

There was a cracking sound of doors opening in her apartment, that made Brennan open her eyes and sat up straight on bed, trying to listen further. Slowly she got up on the floor, grabbed baseball bat from under her bed, for self-defence and slowly made her way to the hallway with bat in her hands ready to strike. She even didn't bother to undress herself, she had her pants, tank top and boots.

Sound of someone in her place was still there and Brennan moved to the wall to carefully approach the intruder. Someone was walking out of her sitting room on the way moving through the curtains of the doorstep. As soon as he or she was in the reach, Brennan took a swing and before realising, she hit the TV causing the person who was carrying it to fall back to the room. She came closer to see the person still holding the bat ready to attack.

'Peter?' she couldn't believe her eyes.

The guy stood up and looked at her while trying to regain himself after what happened. For a moment they looked at each other.

'I can explain…' he said. He moved to sit on the couch, Brennan threw the bat away, poured him a drink and sat on the other couch.

'It's not rational for you to choose the first day I'm back to reclaim your television.'

'While you were away, I thought a lot about why we broke up.' Peter said and took a sip.

'We fought all the time and don't like each other anymore.' Brennan gave him an obvious fact.

'We fought because you were emotionally distant and cold.' Peter gave his reason and tried to make up her mind. 'But sexually speaking, I think you'll agree…'

'You sick bastard…' Brennan thought, everything was clear to her. 'You didn't come for your TV. You timed this for a booty call.' she got up and took a glass away making him to stand up. 'Okay, you're leaving. Come on.' she rushed him out of her place.

'Your intimacy issues are probably due to being orphaned so young.' Peter tried to compromise while standing up.

'Ahh, I hate psychology. And you're just horny.' they were walking through the corridor.

'Brennan, do you really want to spend the rest of your life alone?'

'Okay, I don't know about the rest of my life, but I sure as hell wish I was alone right now.' she really wanted him out of here.

Once Peter was out he turned to her. 'So, what? We split the cost of the TV?' he knew he lost his chance, so at least what he could do, was the thing he was trying to get back.

'Goodbye.' Brennan groaned and shut the door right in front of his face. And as it would be a coincidence, her phone rang, she picked up.

'What?' she asked annoyed.

'Are you okay?' Booth asked sensing her tone change.

'I'm fine, what is it?'

'Come to the lab tomorrow morning.' he said and hung up.

Brennan just threw her phone away. Day just couldn't go any better…

Next morning…Imaging Unit Office

'This is interesting, Angela.' Booth said while looking at the wall-size painting.

'Good morning.' Brennan entered the room walked further while looking at him. 'Does Booth know how this works?'

'This computer program, which I designed, patent pending…' Angela hurried to announce it with a chuckle while the machine in front of her was powering up. '…accepts a full array of digital input, processes it and then projects it as a three-dimensional holographic image.' she explained to the gang as all of them were gathering around the device that consisted of two panels, one on the top, the other on the bottom which was glowing in yellow.

'Okay…' Booth quietly mumbled.

'You get that?' Brennan asked him.

'Yeah, the patent pending part…'he said.

Angela smiled at his answer. 'Brennan reassembled the skull and applied tissue markers.' she pressed some buttons on her touch-pad.

'Her skull was badly damaged…'Brennan said while turning around she looked at the skull she managed to put together. The picture of upper bones started to appear between the panels. '…but racial indicators, cheekbone dimensions, nasal arch, occipital measurements, suggest African-American.' she turned back to the picture Angela created.

'And…we have our victim…' Angela said while looking at her creation. Digital bones now were slightly covered by flesh and hair giving it a look and a face of a real person. Booth came closer to check it out.

'Whoa…' he said amazed. He reached with his hand to try and touch it but it was only air he was grasping. ' Gotta admit, that's pretty cool…'

'Ange, rerun the program substituting Caucasian values.' Brennan said while taking Booth's arm away. Angela pressed touch-pad couple of times and that slightly changed the image. 'Does she look familiar to anyone?'

'No.' Booth said.

'Split the difference. Mixed race.' Brennan addressed to Angela again.

'Lenny Kravitz or Vanessa Williams?' Angela asked just to be sure.

'I don't know what that means.'

Angela just swung her head slightly and hit the pad. Now the digital image of victim gained even more clear details.

'Angela, reduce tissue depth over the cheekbones to the jawline.' after that was done, Brennan asked again. 'Does anyone recognize her?'

'Not me.' Zack spoke while Hodgins remained silent.

'Wait…' Angela began. 'Is that who I think it is?'

'The girl who had the affair with the Senator?' Zack asked.

'Her name's Cleo Louise Eller…' Booth suddenly said. '…only daughter to Ted and Sharon Eller. Last seen approximately 9:00p.m., April 6, 2003, leaving the Cardio Deluxe Jam on K Street. She didn't even make it to her car.'

'Pretty good memory.' Brennan complimented him.

'Yeah, well, it's my job to find her.'

'In that case, congratulations on your success.' Hodgins said with irony.

'This isn't exactly the way I wanted it to end.' Booth said.

'Yeah, well that's what happened…' Hodgins said. 'Can we do a break here, I'm looking forward to get some lunch. Who's with me?'

'Me.' Zack quickly said. Hodgins turned to Angela.

'He's right guys…' Angela said and turned off the mighty device.

'Fine, then…'Brennan said. 'I need to find Dr. Goodman to tell him what we found so far…'

'We'll see you in the Museum…' Hodgins said and together with Zack and Angela he left, leaving Brennan and Booth alone.

'I'll come with you…' Booth insisted.

'No need.' Brennan said and walked past him, but Booth didn't listen to her.

20 minutes later…

'Cleo Eller is not just some missing girl.' Booth said as he and Brennan walked down the stairs outside the Museum.

'Yeah, she's a senate intern who was boinking Senator Allan Bethlehem.' Hodgins replied to his Booth's statement. Together with Zack and Angela they were sitting on the stairs, resting and eating lunch.

'I was secondary in the investigation into the disappearance of that girl, and we couldn't confirm that.' he opened the folder and compared two photos – one that was digital creation of Angela, second – one of Cleo's, taken before she disappeared. 'How did you recognize her before she even had her own face?' Booth asked Brennan.

'I recognized the underlying architecture of her features, the rest is just window dressing.'

'I'm not an expert, but shouldn't he be happier?' Zack asked while listening to them.

'Oh, no, believe me, I'm happy.' Booth said while adjusting photos in the folder.

'You seem happy to me, Booth.' Angela said.

'I need this kept quiet.' Booth said and began walking down the stairs.

'Ah, cover-up.' Hodgins bit him.

'Paranoid conspiracy theory.' he said, Brennan began to follow him.

'Is it paranoia that Monica Lewinsky was a KGB-trained sex-agent mole?' Hodgins shouted, but Booth and Brennan were already far away from them to hear, making their way in garden that was between Museum and Institute.

Brennan kept up with Booth. 'So, what do you do first confront the Senator?'

'Listen, Bones. I know…' he began, but Brennan was quicker.

'Don't call me Bones.' she hoped he won't use it again, but here we go.

'I know we talked about you coming out in the field and all…'

This was not happening again. 'Oh, you rat bastard!' she groaned in anger.

'But if it's this big, the Director's going to create a special investigation unit and if I line all my ducks up in a row, I can maybe head it up.' he walked faster, Brennan got to increase her own speed.

'I don't know what that means, but I think I can be a duck.' she caught up with him in a couple of long steps.

'You're not a duck, okay? On this one, we stick to the book – cops on the streets while squints in the lab.'

'Well, in that case, the Jeffersonian will be issuing a press release identifying the girl in the pond.' Booth turned to her knowing how crucial it would be if they did that.

'You do that, I'm a dead duck.' he came closer to her. 'What are you trying to do?'

'Blackmail you.' Brennan said while meeting his eyes with her own.

'Blackmail a federal agent?' he asked her. 'She can't be serious…' he thought.

'Yes.'

'I don't like it.'

'I'm fairly certain you're not supposed to.' she left him no choice, but to rearrange his conclusion about cops and squints.

'Fine, you're in.' and with that he began to walk away.

'Where are you going?' Brennan began to follow him again.

'To the Bureau…'

'Can I come?' they were getting close to the fountain, when Booth stopped again.

'No, you can't…' he said and her face frowned. '…you have to.' her face lit up again.

FBI Headquarters

'You're certain it's Cleo Eller?' Cullen asked them.

'The profile's dead on: age, race, height.' Brennan began.

'Plus, the timeline fits.' Booth said as he turned to her, then at Cullen. 'I mean, Cleo Eller did play tennis in college.'

'Talk to me about the Senator.' Cullen insisted.

Booth looked through the folder. 'Cleo Eller, the victim, worked for Senator Bethlehem.' he handed Cullen the folder, this time with more updates.

'It was reported that they were involved sexually.' Brennan added, but Booth did the opposite thing.

'We couldn't confirm that.'

Cullen was looking at the photo of the Senator. 'Well, Bethlehem's a hound. Everybody knows that.'

'Ken Thompson, Cleo's boyfriend.' Booth handed another photo to Cullen.

'Thompson's still Bethlehem's aide. Thompson keeps Bethlehem's calendar, no way the Senator has an affair that Thompson doesn't know about. No sexual relationship, no motive. What about the nut case?' Cullen revealed his theory and asked.

'Oliver Laurier.' Booth handed another photo.

'Do you like him for this?' Cullen asked as he was taking the picture to see.

'He's a stalker.'

'Hm, what's your first move?'

'I'd like to inform the Ellers that we found their daughter.' Booth explained while Brennan was looking at him. Cullen just scoffed.

'It's better to keep this quiet, it's been what, two years? What's another few days?' Cullen asked while taking off his glasses.

'With all due respect sir, I've come to know the family pretty well, especially the Major and two years is a hell of long time in limbo.'

'I'll have details of cause of death by this afternoon.' Brennan added.

'That's where we'll get started.' Booth said and together they left the room and Bureau.

'Hodgins identified the particulates embedded in Cleo Eller's skull as rolled steel most likely from a sledge-type hammer. Also, there's cement and diatomaceous earth.' Brennan said as she gave the tube containing white stuff.

They were in the car heading over Cleo's parents to tell the news. In that time Brennan was looking over the lab report Hodgins did just before they left the lab.

'What's that?' Booth asked taking it in his hand.

'Looks like that.' Brennan said. 'It's made up of prehistoric sea creatures, it's used as an insecticide, filtering agent cleaning abrasive ceramics.' she explained further. Booth just shook the tube in his hand. 'It's very common.' she finished.

'Diatomaceous earth, common or not, it's a clue.' he said, while handing it back to her.

They drove a bit further until they reached the right house.

'Sharon Eller?' Booth asked just to be sure, they got into the right place and saw the right people.

'Yes, how can I help you?' woman answered after the opened the doors.

Booth showed his badge. 'Special Agent Seeley Booth, this is my partner Dr. Temperance Brennan. Is your husband home?' Booth again felt itch on his cheek when saying word partner, Brennan on the other side looked quite satisfied hearing him saying that. And not calling Bones.

'Yes, he is.' she replied. 'Is something wrong?'

'It's about your daughter, ma'am.' Booth said and woman's eyes got wider.

'We found her…' Brennan finished and shared a quick look with him.

'Can we come in?' Booth asked.

'Sure. Right this way.' she let them in. 'Ted!' she said with high voice.

'Is everything alright?' dark skinned man came in.

'They found her…'

Ted was standing still for a moment until he regained consciousness. 'Please, have a seat.' he addressed to Brennan and Booth.

Once they got comfortable Ted broke the silence.' You're positive it's our Cleo?'

'We established 22 matching points of comparison…' Brennan began with her scientific stuff, but Booth nearly cut her off.

'Yes, we're certain.'

'Did he do it?' Ted asked. 'The Senator? One military man to another?'

'Major Eller, we can't discuss the investigation in any way.' Booth explained.

'Can you at least tell us if our daughter suffered?' Sharon pleased to know the answer.

'Given the state of her skull…' Brennan began and Booth finished after her. 'Cleo never saw it coming.'

'Mrs. Eller, could you tell us what Cleo wore around her neck?' Brennan asked.

'Her father's Bronze Star.' Sharon motioned to look at the photo behind. 'Ted won it in the first Gulf War and he gave it to her for luck.' and immediately she broke. Ted wrapped his arm around her as he pulled her closer, her head on his shoulder.

Booth linked his head to Brennan indicating it was time to leave. 'Thank you.' Booth said to Ellers.

'Please, find who did this…' Ted said not letting go of his wife.

'We will…' Booth promised and together with Brennan they left the house.

'Those people deserve the truth…' Brennan said once they were outside.

'Their daughter was murdered, they deserve the kindness of a lie.'

'There will be an inquest report.'

'Which they won't read because they don't want to, especially because toward the end, Cleo and her parents weren't even speaking.'

They told you that?' Brennan asked surprised.

'You know, getting information out of live people is a lot different than getting information out of a pile of bones, you have to offer up something of yourself first.'

'What exactly did you do in the military?'

'See? See what you did right there, Bones?' he pointed the finger at her. 'You asked a personal question without offering anything personal in return.' he was giving her a lecture. 'And since I'm not a skeleton, you get zilch, sorry.' he was getting inside the car.

'Just bring me back to the lab.' Brennan asked.

'I wasn't thinking anywhere else but there.'

Back in Jeffersonian…

Bones of Cleo Eller were cleaned and moved from platform to the room called Bones. This place had drawers full of unidentified bones waiting to be identified.

'There are stab marks here and odd markings on the distal phalanges. Nothing I've seen before.' Brennan was studying the fresh clean bones while Zack was taking photos. Soon they were accompanied by Hodgins.

'In a nutshell?' he asked. 'Anxious, depressed and nauseous.'

'Take a sick day.' Brennan offered him thinking that he was talking about himself.

'Not me, Cleo Eller…' he gave Brennan the clipboard with another report paper on it. 'Pupal casings show she was on Lorazepam, Chlordiazepoxide and Meclizine Hydrochloride.' he said while looking at the screen where Cleo was photographed in tennis court.

'Nausea, show me those bone fragments.' Brennan looked over the report.

'They are here…' Zack said and Brennan sat next to the microscope.

'These aren't frog bones., Cleo Eller was pregnant.'

'Fetal remains?' Zack asked as he and Hodgins were looking at the screen together.

'Malleus, incus, stapes…' Brennan was naming each of them. 'These are fetal ear bones.' she announced.

'The girl was pregnant.' Hodgins confirmed.

'Not very far along.' Brennan hurried to add.

'You want me to try and get a DNA reading, see if we can prove paternity? Zack offered.

'You can try. Let's hope there's enough genetic material to test.' Brennan handed bones to Zack and he quickly made his way out of the room.

'This Senator, oh, he is smart…he gets an intern pregnant, then murders her when it threatens his career and he has the connections to get away with it…' Hodgins was hating this guy already.

'I hate it when you make paranoia plausible.' Brennan said as she stood up, clipboard with report in her hands. 'It's like sliding off a cliff.' she stood next to Cleo's bones.

'This special unit, no way your FBI pal heads it up, unless the dark powers in charge are convinced he knows where his political bread is buttered.' he took the report from Brennan. 'Either way, that's where the investigation ends.' and with that he left her alone.

Later, Brennan asked Angela to show the digital version of Cleo, but her mind was drifting somewhere else with everything she heard from Booth and Hodgins. She even didn't excuse herself as she left Angela and went to lean over the railing outside her own office. Moments later, Angela came up to her. 'Want to get a drink?' she asked. 'Non-topical application? Glug-glug, whoo-hoo?'

Brennan just lifted her head, but didn't say a word. Angela didn't take that as an answer. 'Come on, sweetie.' Together they walked further between the beams of the Institute and window glass that was covering it.

'What if Booth's right?' Brennan asked suddenly. 'What if I'm only good with bones and lousy with people?'

'People like you.' Angela comforted her.

'I don't care if men like me.' Brennan said and crossed her arms on her chest.

'Okay, interesting leap from people to men, but I'm sure it means nothing.' Angela waved her hand away.

'I hate psychology.' Brennan declared. 'My most meaningful relationships are with dead people.' she was laughing at herself.

'Who said that?' Angela got all protective of her best friend.

'No one, it's true.' they sat on a bench. 'I understand Cleo, and her bones are all I've ever seen. When she was seven, she broke her wrist, probably falling off a bike, and two weeks later, before the cast was even removed, she got right back on that bike and broke it all over again.' Angela nodded and let her to carry on. 'And when she was being murdered, she fought back, hard…even though she was so depressed she could hardly get up in the morning.' Brennan was facing Angela. 'She didn't welcome death, she wanted to live.'

'Honey…you ever think that maybe you come off a little distant because you connect too much?'

'I hate psychology.' Brennan repeated. 'It's a soft science.'

'I know, but…' Angela snaked her arm around Brennan's. '…people are mostly soft.'

'Except for their bones.'

'Yeah.' Angela said. 'You want some advice?' she asked.

Brennan gave her a look. 'Glug-glug, whoo-hoo?' but Angela had something else in mind.

'Offer up a little bit of yourself every once in a while. Just…tell somebody something you're not completely certain you want them to know.'

Brennan lifted her head up with a smile. 'That's the second time I've received that advice.' she looked back at Angela.

'Well, you know I give great advice.' Angela was slightly proud of herself.

'I going to have to have to push this to the next level.' it was totally weird and unusual for her to say those words out loud.

'Right, but before you do, we're gonna have couple of drinks tonight, my treat.' Angela said and stood up. 'So, you can't say no…'

'Wasn't planning on it…' Brennan smiled and stood up as well.

Next morning, U.S. Senate, Hart Office Building

'I'm confused as to why the Director of the FBI would send you to speak to the Senator instead of coming himself.' Ken Thompson asked as he, Brennan and Senator were walking down the lobby.

'Probably because I'm the one that found that Cleo Eller was pregnant.'

'You could tell the girl was pregnant from her skeleton?' Senator asked Brennan. Chewing gum in his mouth got Brennan's attention.

'We found fetal bones.' she explained further. 'The only question, Senator, is which one of you is the father.'

Thompson and Senator share a look. 'Are you willing to submit to a DNA test?' she asked them both. Thompson turned to Senator. 'You know what? Given the sensitivity, don't say anything on the subject without your attorney present, that's my advice.'

'Advice I intend to take.' Senator said while looking at Brennan. 'Ken, we have a vote to get to.' he walked past Brennan to dispose gum he had in his mouth to the bin. Brennan followed him and once he threw it, she rushed to retrieve it with a tissue.

'Uh, what are you doing?' Thompson asked.

Brennan moved away from the bin, lifting the gum to show. 'Saliva, say from chewing gum, it's an excellent source of DNA and I intend to compare it to the DNA in the fetal bones.'

'You need a warrant for that.' Senator said. Then he turned to Thompson. 'Ken. She needs a warrant.'

Brennan stopped and turned around with her arm up. She saw Thompson coming towards her and grabbing her hand. Big mistake, pal. Brennan turned around on her heels and punched him in stomach. Thompson fell on his knees.

'If we have any further questions, we'll be in touch.' Brennan was leaving like it everything normal.

Thompson groaned and Senator came up to him to check. 'Ken, you're okay?'

FBI Bureau. 2 hours later…

'I could place you under arrest on a federal charge right now for uttering threats against a United States Senator.' Cullen was not happy with the situation that happened in the Senate.

'What?' Brennan asked surprised.

'Bones…' Booth quieted her.

'I own her, but she was your responsibility.' he was looking now at Booth.

'Yes, sir.'

Cullen pressed over the phone intercom. 'Send in Special Agent Furst…I warned you about taking squints out to the field, but you vouched for her, said she wouldn't screw up.' he was talking to Booth.

Booth had nothing else to say. 'Yes, sir.'

'No, no. Booth didn't know that I was going to see the Senator.' Brennan stood her ground to defend Booth. 'I wanted to get a sample of his DNA.'

'Exactly.' Cullen said looking at Booth.

'Not helping.' Booth quickly said.

Agent Furst entered the room. Once he was inside Cullen started to reveal his plans. 'Tomorrow morning I'm announcing the formation of a special unit to investigate the murder of Cleo Eller, at which time your investigation will be officially terminated, you will not head the new unit.'

'Congratulations, Patrick.' Booth said to the agent in the room and not even looking at him.

'No hard feelings.' Furst replied.

"Right.'

'I need the complete case files in the morning.' Furst said to Cullen, but Booth answered it for him. 'Of course, they'll be ready.'

'Thank you, Agent Furst.' Cullen dismissed him and Agent left.

'Well, at least Dr. Brennan found out that Senator Bethlehem was having sex with Cleo.' Booth said as he stood up from his seat.

Brennan was so focused on her thoughts about being terminated from the case, being separated from Booth and not working with him anymore, it scared her. 'I did?' she shot up her head to him.

'The report said there wasn't enough DNA in the fetal bones to determine paternity.' Cullen said.

'Senator didn't want Dr. Brennan to take that gum, he's hiding something.' Booth said.

'He didn't know there wasn't enough DNA.' Brennan explained.

Cullen was looking at the one then the other. 'I suggest the you, uh, go back to your lab, Dr. Brennan, and get used to being there.'

'Come on, Bones.' Booth said to her and they left Cullen's office. 'You're okay?' he asked as he closed the doors.

'Don't be nice to me after I got you in trouble.' they began to walk away from the office.

'You heart was in the right place.' Booth gave her some head up.

'I'm not a heart person. You're a heart person.' Brennan was again going against her personality. 'I'm a brain person…you vouched for me…' she didn't even suspect that he would do that for her.

'Forget it.' Booth simply threw.

'No, I won't.' that made Booth to stop and look her in the eyes. 'You think it was the Senator?' she asked him.

'Look, the Senator's had sex with a dozen of these interns and he hasn't killed any of them. Our best bet is still the stalker.'

'You want to check him out?' Brennan suggested. 'We can, um, what do you call it, roost him?' that brought smile to Booth's face.

'Roust. It's called roust, Bones.'

'Roust.' she repeated. 'Well, the murderer snatched the Bronze Star from Cleo's neck, so…'

'I got 12 hours before this case is over and I'm off it, so let's go roust him. Come on.'

Moments later they were at Oliver Laurier's doorstep. Oliver opened with a chain on his doors.

'Mr. Laurier, we have a warrant to search your apartm…' before Brennan was able to finish, Oliver immediately shut his door and turned around to run, but it was just a beginning.

'Don't run, Oliver.' Booth was standing in the middle of the room, doors to the balcony were already opened. Oliver was about to turned around when Booth took his wrist and twisted his arm causing him to fall. 'Open the door for the lady, will ya?' he asked and Oliver did as he was told.

'Agent Booth is under the impression that you might have something pertinent to a case he's working on.' Brennan said to Oliver as he was reading the warrant. Booth was walking around the apartment looking and searching anything that might be useful.

'You're looking for a Bronze Star? Like the one Cleo wore?' he asked Brennan lifting his sight from the warrant.

'Exactly like that one, Mr. Laurier.' Brennan replied to him.

'I don't have it.' he handed the warrant back to her.

Brennan took the paper. 'Sometimes stalkers retain keepsakes.' she explained.

'What the hell are these things?' Booth asked while walking around and picking up a small book from the box full of them on the fireplace railing.

'Miniature Lives of the Saints, okay? I hand them out…' he was in the middle of explaining himself when Booth threw it to Brennan.

'Heads up, Bones.' she caught it and gave him an annoyed look. Oliver carried on.

'I hand them out for donations, I'm not a panhandler, help yourself. I never stalked Cleo…'

'Then why'd she get a restraining order?' Brennan asked curious.

'Okay, okay, no. First of all, no.' Oliver stuttered a bit, while Booth began to walk around the apartment again. 'Ken Thompson, her supposed boyfriend, got the restraining order, with his boss, the Senator, but Ken is only concerned with his job and his tropical fish. They colluded to ruin my reputation with this specious 'stalker' label, when, in actuality…' he took a breath. '…I was Cleo's close friend.'

'Then why'd you run from the warrant?' Brennan lifter the paper.

'My fight-or-flight response is heavily weighted towards flight, if there's anything I can do to help you catch Cleo's killer, just tell me.'

'Oh, a full confession, that would be great.' Booth said sarcastically.

'I love Cleo. Why would I hurt her?'

'If you don't mind, I'm gonna keep one of those little books.' Brennan said while lifting little red pocket-size book.

'Whatever you need…Dr. Brennan.' Oliver said and suddenly Brennan's phone started to ring. Angela was on the other side.

'Come to the lab.' was all she said.

15 minutes later they were all again looking at the digital version of Cleo in Angela's Imaging Unit.

'This is a rough composite, but you get the idea.' Angela said.

'Skull trauma was not the cause of death.' Brennan said as she looked closely. 'Cleo was stabbed first, she was stabbed five to eight times with a military issue K-Bar knife.'

'I just completed this rendering, the defensive wounds to the bones of her hands suggest that it wasn't until the third or the fourth penetration…' Angela said while her created Cleo was now grappling with assailant until the view changed showing her ribcage with the knife in between.

'That's likely the fatal stab, right there.' Brennan pointed finger out.

'That Cleo stopped fighting back…' Angela suggested.

'I believe that the distinctive damage to her distal phalanges, the tips of her finger bones was caused by the murdered using the knife to remove her finger pads.' Brennan said and her words were changed into digital version of action. 'Cranial fragmentation suggests a 20-pound hammer striking four to five times while the victim's head rested on cement floor containing traces of diatomaceous earth.' Assailant was now attacking Cleo with the hammer while she remained grounded. 'That's the best explanation for the particulates found in her skull.' Brennan carried on while Angela turned off the simulation. 'This was not a crime of passion.'

'Cleo never saw the first stab coming, it didn't arise out of an argument.' Angela paused for a second. 'Why smash Cleo's face? Why whittle away her fingertips, remove her clothing and her jewellery?' Angela asked.

'Sink her body…' Zack added.

'The murderer put more effort into hiding victim's identity than he did into murder itself.' Brennan said.

'In case Cleo was identified the murder planted evidence, the little book Brennan got from the stalker matches the cellulose found in Cleo's hand.' Hodgins said after being quiet for a while.

'Military cemetery, military knife, implicates her own father, more misdirection.' Angela said and Hodgins carried on. 'Sound like any conniving son of a bitch senators you know?' he was looking at Booth until he spoke.

'You expect me to declare war on a United States Senator based on your little holographic crystal ball?'

Hodgins leaned back with a scoff. 'It's not magic' Brennan said. 'It's a logical recreation of events based on evidence.'

'It's no more valid than my gut.' Booth replied back.

'A good hypothesis withstands testing, that's what makes it a good hypothesis…' Zack tried to explain but Booth had other thought.

'This is not a hypothesis…you have a dead girl and a United States Senator, this is exactly why squints belong in the lab.' he knew that by saying this he will see daggers in their eyes, but he just had to say it. 'You guys don't know anything about the real world.' Booth said and now Brennan was looking at him, feeling offended by his words.

'Come on, we're done here.' she said coldly and together with Zack and Hodgins she left the room.

'Wow…' Booth didn't expect that his words will affect that much. 'Touchy.' he said to Angela who stayed behind.

'You must know about her family.' she began being serious. 'Both parents vanish when she was 15, that probably counts as the real world.' she walked over the table, Booth coming over too.

'Yeah, Angela, I know the story and I read the file. The cops never found out anything.'

'Yeah.' Angela whispered softly. 'Brennan figures that maybe if somebody like her had been there…'

'Well, for somebody who hates psychology, she sure has a lot of it.' Booth said. Angela and him just shared a look.

Meanwhile gun shots could be heard in the nearby shooting range where Brennan was taking her mind off the last conversation in the lab.

'Thought I'd find you here.' she heard Booth saying as she removed the ear protection and turned to him.' You know, you being a good shot and doing martial arts, it's all your way of dealing.' she turned back to targets while removing safety glasses. 'I mean, who knows better than you how fragile life can be?' Booth said and walked closer while Brennan turned back to him again.

'Maybe an Army Ranger sniper who became an FBI homicide investigator.' Brennan answered and focused her sight on the red targets again.

'Oh, you looked me up, huh?' Booth was surprised that she did as much research about him just as he did on her. 'Do you mind?' he stood beside her looking down at the gun she was shooting with.

'Be my guest.' she pushed it to the side.

'Thank you.' Booth said and took the firearm. He took a couple of seconds to aim by closing his right eye a bit. He took a shot, but it wasn't in the centre of paper torso, it was far away. Booth let out a disappointed groan while Brennan laughed at his shot being so sniperless.

'Were you any good at being a sniper?'

'A sniper gets to know a little something about killers and Senator Bethlehem, he's no killer.' Booth replied while placing the gun back and turning to see her.

'Oh, and Oliver Laurier is?' now Brennan turned to face him.

'Way I read Laurier, he's unhinged. That's makes him dangerous.' he leaned his face closer to her and leaned back stating the obvious.

'That's be your gut telling you that, correct?' Brennan said with sarcasm on her face, grinning at him.

'You know, homicides? They're not solved by scientists.' he was looking at her with seriousness in his eyes. 'They're solved by guys like me asking a thousand questions a thousand times, catching people telling lies every time.' Brennan wasn't even blinking at him. 'You're great at what you do, Bones, but you don't solve murders…' Booth leaned closer to her by placing his hand on the wall behind her. 'Cops do…'

Now they were inches away, their faces were millimetres away, but that and what Booth said moments ago didn't scare Brennan, so she took her ground.

'Cleo Eller was killed on a cement floor sprinkled with diatomaceous earth. ' Booth was looking at her not breaking eye contact. 'Traces of her blood will still be in that cement, so one of us is wrong, maybe both of us, but if Bethlehem wasn't a senator, you'd be right there in his basement looking for that killing floor.' Brennan explained though teeth. 'You're afraid of him.' she carried on. 'Your hypothesis is that squints don't solve murders and cops do. Prove it. Be a cop.' her voice was now quitter and low as she wanted to bite him and make him feel the literal pain. With that she left him and the spot where she was standing. Booth was just taking her words while smiling until he turned around, pulled his own gun and shoot the head of the target, twice.

Later that day…

Clippings of newspapers, photos of Cleo, and all other stuff that was related to her was now spread on Booth's table in his office. There was Cleo in her graduation outfit, hugging her mum, both of them were smiling as Booth was watching them on DVD in TV. He was so focused that he didn't hear Brennan coming and standing just on the doorstep, until she knocked on the door.

'Booth?'

'They look pretty happy, don't they?' he asked, eyes not leaving the screen. Brennan entered his office, crossed her arms on her chest. 'Otherwise they wouldn't turn on the camera, I guess.' he stopped the video.

'Zack said you wanted to see me.' Brennan said after couple of seconds.

Booth looked up at her. 'Something you don't like to talk about, families…'

Brennan let out a sigh and turned to walk away from his office, knowing where this was going again, not looking forward to talk about it.

'Temperance…' Booth was serious this time by using her name and not nickname. '…partners, they share things. Builds trust.' he was now teaching basics of partnership and how they should work. She turned back to him with crossed arms and sarcastic smile.

'Since when are we partners?' she bit him.

'I apologize for the assumption.' he said and took folded paper from his desk. He then unfolded it and handed to Brennan. She came even closer and took it.

'You got a warrant to search Bethlehem's place?'

'You were right, if Bethlehem wasn't a senator, I'd be in that basement, looking for that killing floor.' he looked down on his desk. 'But you're wrong.' he pointed a finger to her. 'I was never afraid of that guy and I'm not doing this because you're genius.' that caused Brennan's eyebrows relax as well as there was a smile on her face. Genuine one. 'I'm doing this for Cleo.' Booth finished and turned to TV. Again, he pressed play on video tape and Cleo with her mother were smiling to each other again.

More later that day…

It was late evening, however one place was full of people in and out. Media reporters outside and FBI agents inside. That is Senator's estate we are talking about.

'Sir, it's John Ferris. Channel 11. Sir!' and other similar type of shouts could be heard between the reporters and media associates.

Brennan was standing in the middle of the yard and wasn't paying attention to the hubbub behind her as she was focusing at the entrance of the house were Senator, his wife and Ken Thompson were standing.

'The warrant says they're searching for blood traces, a sledgehammer and diatomaceous earth.' Ken read the paper. FBI were walking in and out of the building.

'What the hell is that?' Senator asked having no clue. That nearly brought a scoff to Brennan as she was listening on their conversation. Ken just looked around and folded the warrant.

'You're making a big mistake.' Ken said as he stood in front of Brennan and left, though she didn't reply, she took a sigh and turned to right where Booth was standing with Furst, the latter obviously annoyed that Booth was interfering with his case.

'I'm in charge…You come in and mess up my investigation…' Furst was angry, but Booth didn't listen.

'Care to make a statemen, Senator?' someone asked from the crowd behind the gates. Senator Bethlehem, can you just answer a couple questions?' someone else asked and Brennan turned around like she had a feeling someone was watching her but not the scene in front of her.

She could not believe. Oliver Laurier was standing there, waving at her and smiling, book in his arms that was one of hers.

'What are you doing here?' Brennan began to walk till gates didn't allow to go further.

'Look at him.' Oliver began with calm voice. 'For all his politics, he's got nothing. He should've loved Cleo properly, like I would've. Will you sign my book?' he asked out of nowhere while handing forward it towards her.

'Stalk me, Oliver, and I will kick your ass.' Brennan warned him and returned to her previous spot until couple of FBI people were walking out of the house, one of them was carrying a sledgehammer packed into the evidence bag.

'I don't recognize that, that is not mine.' Senator tried to defend himself. Agents walked past Brennan and she only followed the possible murder weapon with her eyes.

Booth finished his unfriendly chat with Furst and walked to Brennan.

'At least we've got the hammer.' she said to him.

'Yeah, but that's all we got.' Booth said disappointed.

'Cement floor in the basement?' Brennan tried again.

'Yeah, but no blood, no diatomaceous earth. We needed a trifecta, Bones…physical evidence, murder weapon, crime scene.' with that he walked away leaving Brennan alone to decide whether to stay or get back to the lab, she chose the second.

Jeffersonian…

Brennan managed to come back in relatively short time, she didn't want to go back home though it was already late evening, maybe an hour left till midnight. Most of the people left the Institute already just couple of security guards walking together, chatting and making the security checks before leaving the place. As she was walking down to her office, lost in her thoughts about today's events, she heard voices and sounds of glass clinking together. It came from the upper mezzanine above her office where workers of Jeffersonian are having lunch and taking breaks. Curious who it was she walked up the stairs and saw her colleagues, by the looks of it, having drink from a lab glassware.

'Hey…' Angela turned and saw her coming closer. Once Brennan took a seat next to Zack, she told them everything about what they have found in Senator's house. After she finished Zack was the first to ask.

'They wouldn't even arrest him?'

'Don't worry.' Hodgins assured him. 'If that's the hammer used on Cleo Eller, he'll get arrested.' he leaned forward to reach a drink. 'A toast…' others followed him. '…to getting the bastard murderous bastard.' he clinked glasses with Zack and Angela while Brennan took a sip and frowned her face, not expecting that kind of taste.

'The hammer's not enough.' she said after swallowing the last bits that were in her mouth. 'He's going to get away with it. Maybe booth is right, maybe outside the lab, I'm useless…' she bit the glass stick.

'Let us take guidance from The Lives of the Saints.' Hodgins picked up the little red book, the same book Brennan took from Oliver.

'Albertus magnus, Patron Saint of Scientists.' Angela read when Hodgins handed her the book.

'I thought Magnus was the patron saint of fishmongers.' Zack said .

'Two separate entities. Albertus Magnus was a 13th century philosopher. The fishmonger saint was…' Hodgins explained but Brennan cut him off.

'Fish!' she shouted. The other three looked at her not knowing why she said that. 'You said that diatomaceous earth could be used as a filtering agent.' Brennan was looking directly to Hodgins.

'Yeah, for swimming pools water filters…' he agreed.

'Or tropical fish?' Brennan wanted them to understand her discovery, so she explained further. 'Oliver Laurier said that Ken Thompson kept fish…' she immediately stood up, dropping everything she had in her hands.

'What's your hurry?' Angela asked.

'Thompson read the warrant, he knows we're looking for diatomaceous earth.' she said while putting her coat on. 'Get in touch with Booth. Tell him where I'm going, okay?' she gave them instructions and left the floor quickly.

Angela looked at Hodgins. 'She didn't actually say where she was going, did she?'

'We should call Booth, she had alcohol, it can't be good…' Hodgins said.

'I'll call him.' Angela said.

FBI Bureau

Though it was late evening, the Bureau wasn't completely empty as there were couple of windows highlighted from inside.

'Booth, I warned you…' Cullen said. 'You and your squint are out of this case, Furst is in charge and you had no right to be there and interfere…' he was angry with the situation that occurred in Senator's place.

'I know, sir, but…' Booth tried to explain himself, but Cullen cut him off. 'You do realize you just broke the protocol for what you can be fired…'

'I'm absolutely aware of it, but there we found the hammer that…' Booth said, but Cullen cut him off again.

'That doesn't matter now. You do something like this one more time, I'll have no choice, but to evacuate your office, Booth. Do you understand?'

'Yes, sir.' Booth replied, stood up and was about to leave when his phone began to buzz in his pocket.

'Booth.' he picked up. Cullen looked at him. 'Woah, woah, woah, slow down now, what happened?' it appeared that Angela was in the rush to tell Booth everything quickly. 'She went where…?' Booth wanted to understand, but Angela had different plans to make it worse. 'She drank what…?!' Booth shouted and Cullen slightly jumped in his chair. 'I'm going there now…' Booth hung up and was about to leave when Cullen stopped him.

'No, you're not Booth, I told you.'

'With all due respect, sir, Dr. Brennan is still my partner and she might be in danger.' Booth said as a matter of fact, not thinking about the fact that they have been terminated and might not be working together anymore, but he didn't give a crap. 'It's my responsibility to protect her.' he thought and remembered their last case and how she explained about protection in partnership between man and woman while interrogating a suspect. And even now when he agreed to take her out on the field, only now things got a bit complicated. Cullen just let out a sigh and didn't say anything else until Booth was gone and on his way to Thompson's house.

Brennan was already there trying to see through the windows if anyone was inside. Luckily, she spotted Ken, surrounded by fish tanks and pouring something on the floor from red canister.

'Stop!' she shouted as she tapped the window to get his attention. 'You can't destroy evidence.' But Ken just looked at her and carried on what he was doing. Brennan knew she had to go inside so she walked up to the front door with glass, took one of empty vases and broke the glass closest to the lock. Then she entered the house from outside.

Ken heard he coming in. 'This is a private residence. I don't suppose you have a warrant?'

Brennan spotted him in one of the rooms. 'I'm working with the FBI. If I have reasonable suspicion of a crime being committed, I don't need a warrant.' she explained.

'What crime?' Ken asked irritated.

'Destruction of evidence pertinent to a federal investigation.'

'I'm just cleaning up.' he simply said as he walked closer to her, his nose frowned. 'Is that alcohol I smell on your breath?' Brennan leaned back away from him and looked on the floor.

'This linoleum looks fairly new.' she clicked the floor with her high heels while Ken carried on, ignoring her. 'What's underneath? Cement?' she asked as she looked back at him. 'The same cement that was embedded in Cleo's skull when you bashed her head in.'

Ken didn't listen to her. 'You might want to get out of here.'

'I can't let you destroy evidence.' Brennan reminded him what she was after.

'How are you going to stop me?'

'I'll stop you.' she said seriously and Ken just laughed at her.

'Not before I burn this place down with you in it.' he took a lighter from his pocket and turned it on. Flame appeared on it and Brennan took no time as she pulled a revolver from behind and shot Ken in the leg. He fell on the ground yelling in pain while Brennan came closer to him still pointing the gun.

'I don't get it. It wasn't jealousy, it wasn't passion, Cleo wouldn't get rid of your boss's baby, so you got rid of her.' she said while Ken was groaning and grapping his leg. 'What kind of psychology is that? What kind of person are you?'

'Temperance.' a voice from her right side appeared and immediately she turned while pointing the gun at the source of sound. Oliver was standing there with his hands up.' Are you all right?'

'How did he get here and how did he know where to come?' she thought. 'Oliver, I understand you're here out of a misguided concern for my safety, but I apparently don't read people very well, and you could be in some kind of psychotic collusion with Ken, so I'm going to ask you to go over there…' at this point Booth entered the room with his gun and stood behind Oliver, but Brennan carried on speaking if not faster. '…and apply pressure to his wound until the police get here, you understand?'

'Okay, okay.' he agreed, although one thing bothered him. 'Did he kill Cleo?'

'Yeah. He killed Cleo.' Booth replied from behind making Oliver to turn his head.

'Okay…then I'm down with him bleeding to death.' Oliver wanted him dead for what he has done.

'That guy bleeds to death, Bones will go on trial for attempted murder.' Booth said while putting his gun back in holster. Brennan was still on adrenaline as she looked at them three, her look jumping from one person to another. 'You don't want that, now, do you?' Booth asked.

Oliver was looking at Brennan. 'I wouldn't want that.' he shook his head.

'No. Besides, you know, uh, applying pressure, that can be very painful.' Booth said while Oliver lowered his arms and walked over the guy he wish to be dead.

Brennan had her gun pointed at Ken as she watched Oliver making his way. 'The evidence said he did it, but…I don't know why…you know what?' she waved with her gun around making Booth to lean away in case she pull the trigger. 'Motive does not matter.'

'He did it to save his job.'

'His job?'

'Yeah, senator in scandal, he'll lose the beltway fast track. It's that simple, it's…' he carefully approached Brennan and gently took the firearm from her hands. 'How the hell did she get a gun?' he thought. 'It's a tough town.' he said.

Brennan sighed in relief once the gun was out of her reach. 'Yeah, it is a tough town.'

Booth placed his arm on her higher back directing her to walk with him. 'Yeah, you know in the future, uh, maybe I should do the shooting.'

She looked up at him. 'Why? I'm a good shot.'

Booth didn't say anything while examining the revolver. Once they were outside, Brennan felt relief as there were FBI and Ambulance cars standing next to the entrance. Those guys will take care of things here.

'C'mon, let's get you home.' Booth said while walking over his SUV, Brennan was near her own car.

'What? I can drive myself…' she said.

'With alcohol in your system?'

'How did you kno-?'

'Doesn't matter.' Booth cut her. 'Just get in the car.'

Brennan stood there for a while as she was looking at her own vehicle. 'What about my car? You think I will leave it here?'

'I'll get someone to drive it back for you.' he said and she reluctantly took a seat next to him.

Next morning…

'Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love…' Reverend read from the Bible as people were gathered around ready-to-be-buried coffin covered in flowers, single photo of a young woman was placed on top.

Brennan, Zack, Goodman, Booth, Hodgins and Angela were standing in the line from the close distance of the coffin, listening to Reverend's speech. Parents of Cleo and the ones closest were there to mourn and make farewells.

'Where there is injury, pardon…' Reverend carried on and with that Brennan moved from the line making her way to the coffin. Booth and Hodgins followed her with sight, though no one noticed Oliver standing behind the people, he was there, looking miserable.

Brennan took a single rose from the vase and placed it on the coffin, among others. Some of bystanders were watching her, she just leaned back and took a look at the photo of Cleo. Then she moved away and slowly made her way through the cemetery.

'Is the FBI gonna lay charges against Brennan?' Angela asked worried.

'She only shot him in the leg…once.' Hodgins said as he turned to look at Booth as he would know the outcome of Brennan's actions.

'She didn't give him a warning, she just shot him with alcohol on her breath.' Booth linked his head to Goodman.

'It was her first shooting.' Goodman defended Brennan. 'You can't expect her to be perfect right out of the gate.'

'How much warning did you give people before you sniped them?' Zack was the last to speak and his words were meant for Booth. He and Goodman turned to Zack while he remained still, knowing his question made a complete sense.

Booth made a small smile and excused himself from the line walking towards the coffin, but mainly walking the same direction Brennan was walking.

'Where there's doubt, faith. Where there's despair, hope. Where there's darkness, light.' Reverend said although Booth and Brennan were far enough not to hear them. Together they walked further.

Booth just let out a sigh and Brennan turned to see him.

'What?'

He quickly looked at her. 'I told you it wasn't the Senator.'

'And I told you who it was, so we're even.' she compromised.

'Except we work on the same cases, and you end up on the New York Times bestsellers list…' he whispered last couple words and she immediately turned to him.

'I didn't know that.'

'Mm-hmm. Number three with a bullet.'

'That's good, right?' she asked feeling excited. 'The New York Times, with a bullet?'

'Means you're rich, call your accountant.' he advised her.

'I don't have an accountant.' she laughed at his solution.

'Well, get one.' he was keeping up.

'Okay, how does that work?' she asked completely clueless.

'Wow, you need to get out of the lab, you know? Watch TV, turn on a radio, anything…pick up the phone and…' he was trying to civilize her until she turned around to look at the burial place. Booth followed her lead.

'Where there is sadness, joy. Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may seek not so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving…' Reverend was still reading though Booth and Brennan barely were able to hear, one thing was there right in front – Ellers were slowly approaching the coffin with roses in their reach. Once they placed them on the coffin, they turned to each other and slowly made their way back, feeling relieved that the mystery behind their daughter's disappearance was finally solved.

'You know, if it weren't for you…' Booth spoke to get her attention from the scene. '…those people would never have known what happened to their daughter.' Brennan turned to face him. 'That's got to be worse than the truth.'

'I know exactly how the Ellers felt about Cleo.' Brennan said still observing the view in front of her. 'My parents disappeared when I was 15, and nobody knows what happened to them…' hearing this from Angela was one thing for Booth, but now listening the same thing Brennan said was completely different. 'She is doing progress, a small one, but still…' Booth thought.

'Being a sniper, I…' he began thinking how to say. '…took a lot of lives. What I'd like to do before I'm done is try and catch at least that many murderers.'

Brennan chuckled at his statement as it was impossible to achieve. 'Please, you don't think there's some kind of…cosmic balance sheet.' she said smiling and Booth hung his head down. Brennan saw him and thought for a moment before speaking. 'I'd like to help you with that.' she said seriousness on her face.

Booth looked at her for a second. 'Eh…' he muttered like it wasn't a big deal. Brennan laughed at his reply and together they walked down the path leaving the cemetery grounds.

'You hungry? I know a nice place…' Booth said while placing his sun glasses.

'Knock it off, Booth…' Brennan said and playfully showed him away from herself.

---

Now, don't judge me so bad, since it's my first time writing that kind of type...Just let me know what you think, so I will know what to focus on...