A/N: Thanks to warmfuzzys for the review and to everyone who's enjoying the story enough to set an alert. Also thanks to redrider6612 to read and edited the whole story for me.
The rest of the weekend followed Friday's pattern. Feeling the need to look after Brennan, Booth was up early and stayed late with her. She wasn't interested in food at all, and wouldn't have eaten if he hadn't shoved the food into her hands. In addition to completing her examination of the three skeletons from their case, she had also identified several bodies from limbo. Booth had completed all his back paperwork by mid-afternoon on Sunday. He spent the rest of the time playing solitaire on one of the lab computers.
When Monday morning rolled around, Cam took one look at the partners and said, "After this case is over, you two should take a couple days and rest."
Brennan began to object, but Booth leaned in and whispered in her ear, "You can argue with her once the case is solved."
Out loud he said, "We need to interview the parents of the three children who were murdered."
The interview with the parents led to interviews with several of the kid's friends, after which the father was brought in for questioning. He was no match for Booth and Brennan and eventually confessed to killing them after becoming insanely angry with them when they misbehaved.
As he drove Brennan back to the Jeffersonian, Brennan voiced her struggle with the case, "I've never understood how any adult could harm a child, but their own parents?"
Booth nodded and softly answered, "It's a messed up world out there sometimes. I think the guy was a bit unhinged."
After moment of silence, Booth changed the subject. "Bones, Cam is going to force you to take some time off. You can argue all you want, but after working so hard this weekend…"
She glared at him. "You don't know what the past few days have been like. Working is how I deal. I can't take time off, you don't know what it will do to me," she confessed, desperately trying to enlist his help.
'She can't keep working like this, but she must be really afraid of what will happen to react like that.' He sighed. "I don't think I'd be able to convince Cam. Look, I worked the weekend too. I'll talk to Cullen about taking a few days off and do what I can to help," he said.
He pulled up in front of the employee entrance to the Jeffersonian and Brennan climbed out of the car. He watched as she grabbed her kit and shuffled slowly into the building, her shoulders hunched over.
Brennan slipped into her office and sat at her desk. She stared abstractedly at the wall until Angela interrupted her.
"Bad afternoon?" she queried.
Brennan turned. "Huh? I missed that."
"I asked if you had a bad afternoon, but I think you just answered the question," said Angela.
Brennan responded, "It was their father. I know people think I don't like children because I don't want any of my own, but on days like this I think people who do want them must be crazy. Why would anyone want to bring a child into a world like this?" Brennan took a breath and continued, "I really need to start my report for this case."
Angela nodded sympathetically. "If you want to talk about it, you know where I am," she offered with a smile before exiting.
Brennan pulled out her notes and began to organize them. She had just started her report when Cam walked in.
"You catch the guy who murdered those three kids?" she asked.
"It was their father," Brennan said, hoping she wouldn't need to say it again. "I just started the report."
Cam nodded. "When you're done, take a few days off. You worked way too many hours this weekend."
Brennan argued fiercely, but it was no use.
"I know you don't like it, Dr. Brennan. But the Jeffersonian could be in legal trouble if you don't. If I have to, I'll have security de-activate your badge temporarily."
A few minutes before the end of the business day, Booth stood in Deputy Director Cullen's office, completed case file in hand.
"This better not take long, Agent Booth," Cullen said. "My wife and I are supposed to be having dinner with some old friends who are currently in town."
"Here's the file on the case Dr. Brennan and I solved earlier today. I'd like to take a few days off. I know it isn't much notice, but there are no major cases on my desk and I am caught up on my paperwork," Booth replied.
"Yes. I saw it this morning. What made you decide to complete it now?" Cullen asked.
Booth answered, "It's this case, sir. It hit Dr. Brennan pretty hard, and she worked all weekend to solve it. I needed to make sure she was okay, so I…"
Cullen interrupted, "I get the picture."
"I worked almost as many hours as she did," Booth pointed out.
"Fine," Cullen agreed.