Chapter 4. The girl in the fridge.

Night one of the investigation Brennan is in bed with Michael, neither has clothes on.

Brennan chuckles, kissing Michael again. "We missed our reservation."

"Ah, well. That's the price we pay for scientific exploration and discovery." He said smiling as he sat up.

"You realize this is just recreational, Michael." Brennan clarified not wanting them to get the wrong idea

"Of course. I'm just impressed that we can just pick up where we left off like no time has passed." He said looking down at her.

"Well, time is an imposed construct." Brennan said simply

"Well, it's nice to know we can rely on physics." He said smiling. Brennan laughed and moves closer to him as he puts his arm around her.

"You really think you'll move here?" she asked hopeful.

"Depends on the offer." He said with a nod

"Maybe I could get you a position at the Jeffersonian." She suggested smiling

"Working for my old student." He clarified with a laugh.

"Would that be a problem?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Well, we're better when we're not vying for dominance in the same arena." He clarified.

"I can't help it if I'm usually right." She said laughing.

"Does that mean you've closed the case on that girl in the fridge?" he said looking down at her again, serious this time.

Brennan tenses unhappy with the direction the conversation has taken. "I found some stress fractures on the wrist, not much else. But I will." She said very confidently.

"Same old confident Brennan." He said smiling

"I'm sorry, is school in session?"

He laughs lightly kissing her."Old habits die hard." He said apologizing.

She smiled kissing him again and ending the dreary conversation.

The next afternoon. Brennan is in the lounge with Angela when Booth walks in.

"Bones?" he said looking very uncomfortable with what he was about to say.

"Yeah?" she asked looking up at him.

"Uh, Bones, I have to ask. How much have you been sharing with, uh, the professor?"

Brennan scoffed. "None of your business."

"I mean, on the case." He said clarifying, not wanting to hear anything about their sex life.

"Oh." Brennan thought for a second. "I bounce everything off him. Why?"

"Well, you gotta keep him out of it from now on." He said simply.

"Out of it? Why?" she asked confused.

"Well, you know that appointment he had today?" he asked looking really uncomfortable."He met with the Costello's lawyer. He's their expert witness" he said breaking the bad news and a shocked look forms on her face."It's his job to tear apart the case that you've built."

Brennan sighed standing and walking away.

A few days later. They are in the midst of a vicious trial where Michal has been tearing Brennan apart on more than just a professional level.

Michael walks over to Brennan as she is doing a last minute cram session for her testimony."Is it safe to approach, Dr. Brennan?"

"Don't charm, Michael." She said clearly mad at him.

"I think you're taking this too personally." He said annoyed with her cold behavior.

"You think I should be more rational?" she said not looking up.

"Yes." He responded seriously.

"Go to hell, Michael." She said walking away.

Meanwhile, Booth was talking to the prosecution telling him to bring up the subject of her parents disappearance so she would show more feeling. It was a cold move but he knew it would work and he couldn't stand if these pervs walked.

Brennan was called to the stand and Levitt came out swinging. "Dr. Brennan, why did you become a forensic anthropologist?"

"I beg your pardon?" Brennan asked confused.

"There must be some reason you chose this field out of the hundreds of other careers someone of your intelligence could've chosen. Was there some emotional reason perhaps?" Levitt suggested.

"I don't see how this pertains to the case." Brennan stated still confused.

"Dr. Brennan is cold, distant, and alienating, Your Honor." Brennan looked offended now."I need the jury to understand why she's so cold. So that they might be willing to accept her testimony. The defense opened this line of questioning, Your Honor. When Dr. Stires was on the stand, he wondered why Dr. Brennan became a forensic anthropologist. So the defense must've thought it had some relevance." He defended.

The judge nodded. "You may continue, Mr. Levitt."

"Dr. Brennan, your parents disappeared when you were 15 and no one's ever found out what happened to them. Isn't that correct?" Brennan looks at Booth and he looked back.

"Please. Answer the question, Dr. Brennan." The judge said looking down at her.

Brennan hesitated. "That's correct."

"It must be very painful. Is it fair to say that you've been trying to solve the mystery of their loss your whole life?" he asked pacing infront of the stand. Is that why you wrap yourself up in techno-speak, so you don't have to feel how these victims remind you of your own parents?"

"How I feel doesn't matter. My job doesn't depend on it."

"But it's informed by it. Or are you as cold and unfeeling as you seem?" he asked facing her.

Brennan is unsure how to answer but finally gives in. "I see a face on every skull. I can look at their bones and tell you how they walked, where they hurt. Maggie Schilling is real to me. The pain she suffered was real. Her hip was being eaten away by infection from lying on her side. Sure, like Dr. Stires said, the disease could contribute to that if you take it out of context, but you can't break Maggie Schilling down into little pieces. She was a whole person who fought to free herself. Her wrists were broken from struggling against the handcuffs. The bones in her ankles were ground together because her feet were tied. And her side, her hip, and her shoulder were being eaten away by infection. And the more she struggled, the more pain she was in. So they gave her those drugs to keep her quiet. They gave her so much, it killed her. These facts can't be ignored or dismissed because you think I'm (Brennan laughs dryly) boring or obnoxious, because I don't matter. What I feel doesn't matter. Only she matters. Only Maggie." Brennan said looking at Michael, who looks down at his hands.

Brennan stepped down and walked out of the courtroom followed by Michael.

"Court will take a 30 minute recess." The judge said banging the gavel and Booth walked out.

Michael ran after her catching up. "Tempe. Tempe! Tempe, I'm sorry. What can I do?"

"Nothing." She said walking out the door.

Booth passes Michael and follows Brennan out.

"Bones! The Costello's are trying to cop a plea to a charge that won't mean the death penalty. They know they're going down."

"You had no right. There are things that are private." She yelled turning on him.

"Yeah. Maybe you're right, but you know what? This was my case too. All right? So… nothing personal?"

She shook her head. "You don't get it." She wiped tears from her eyes and walked away.

6 pm.

Booth knocked on her door.

She opened her door wearing an oversized sweater and nothing else. "What do you want?"

He held up a paper bag and a bottle of wine. "I come bearing gifts." He said with a small Boothy smile.

She sighed again and stepped aside letting him in.

"I'm really, really, really sorry about what happened earlier, Tempe. I didn't think—"

"No you didn't think! That was always the problem with you Seeley! You don't think!" she shouted frustrated. "You just do!"

"Hey! That is not true. I didn't say ANYTHING when you started sleeping with that jackass Michael Stires!"

"Keep him out of this. My sex life is NONE of your business!"

"HE WAS USING YOU!"

"He was an asshole. I've known that since I was his student! But that's not who you are! You were supposed to be my friend! You were supposed to be on my side!" she screamed the tears rolling down her cheeks now. "And you took something I told you and put it on display for everyone to see! I TRUSTED YOU!"

"I'M SORRY! I WAS JEALOUS OF MICHAEL OK!? And I did what I had to do to make sure that bastard didn't win the case because of what he did to you. But I didn't mean to stoop to his level and hurt you too." He said brushing the hair from her face and looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. That was never my intention." He said brushing the tears from her cheek.

"…you were jealous?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "Yeah."

She kissed him wrapping her arms around his neck. He scooped her up carrying her to the bedroom.