DISCLAIMER I DON'T OWN BONES HOWEVER I COULD PROBABLY RECITE EVERY EPISODE
** SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG MURDER IS HARDER TO WRITE THEN FLUFF**
After much catching up, Caroline Julian left with a promise to return as soon as it was possible. Dr. Brennan was now begrudgingly examining the x-rays since she had determined that the flesh was marring all evidence on the victim (despite Cam's protests that flesh was the evidence and the victim). "Obviously crushed clavicle judging by the rugged edges of the break it appears to be perimortem."
"That's been noted Dr. Brennan," Daisy piped in.
Brennan was obviously annoyed by her interruption, "Are you not a fully independent Forensic Anthropologist now Dr. Wick?"
"I am," Daisy answered with her usual perky confidence.
"Then act like one," Brennan said clicking her recorder back on and turning to the x-rays. Wendell very deliberately closed his mouth upon hearing the insult.
"There are four small chips in the skull," Dr. Brennan noted.
"But they are too insignificant to be cause of death my equal forensic anthropologist," Daisy said, "Dr. Bray and I already ruled them out as postmortem casualties, since we are independent forensic anthropologists."
"And now I can see why you are not very good ones," Brennan sighed. "Please examine the markings Dr. Wick." Brennan decided that she was going to have to resume her role as their instructor for the time being, since they were evidently not her equals.
"They are clean chips in a circular pattern from four different impacts, which means we are missing four bone fragments." Wendell said as the answer dawned on him, "which could have lodged in the victim's brain."
"Thank you Dr. Bray," Brennan said pleased that he had finally understood but dismayed by how long this took them, perhaps she wasn't a good teacher after all, "Which means we have cause of death." She added in case the slower Daisy Wick had not understood.
"But what makes that kind of mark?" Daisy asked.
"I'm sorry Dr. Wick," Brennan said walking toward the half decaying body, "do you not work here? Is that not your job to figure out?"
"Dr. Saroyan how long until the flesh can be removed?" Brennan asked.
"I need to file some paper work then the victim is all yours," Cam answered beginning to walk to her office before turning back around and motioning for Brennan to follow.
Brennan peeled off her gloves and descended the platform behind Cam, then followed Camille into her office. "Dr. Brennan you understand that I have the utmost respect for you professionally and personally correct?" Camille asked.
"Yes and I you," Temperance answered confused as to where this conversation was heading.
"Then you will understand that it is not out of anger that I ask you to take it easier on the interns, you must remember that while you have had three years away from the Jeffersonian and Dr. Edison, they have just lost a close friend." Cam said.
Brennan sat down before answering, "I apologize Camille but I do not see the correlation between loss and incompetence because if it was my friend on the table, and I did have a deep respect for Clark, then I would want his murderer caught because all we can do to help him now is to find justice."
"Not everyone is able to rationalize as well as you Dr. Brennan," Camille said hugging her friend because she knew that in Brennan's mind the only way to help any of them find closure was to catch Clark's killer and that she was trying her best to protect them and honor the young anthropologist.
"Now I must check on my children then clean the bones," Dr. Brennan said.
"Go home and clean the bones in the morning," Cam said glancing at the clock to see it was eight.
"This is important Dr. Saroyan," Brennan said walking out.
"So is sleep," Cam called but the anthropologist didn't hear her.
Brennan went to the viewing platform and stood in silence as she secretly observing her husband reading a story to her daughters and Parker pretending not to listen. "You guys should head home," Brennan finally said.
"Come home with us Temperance," Booth said knowing that the argument was futile but also knowing he would feel safer if she was with them.
"The lab has security," Brennan said.
"Because that has always been so full proof in the past," Booth said and they both thought of the time she was shot with an ice bullet while examining remains, when Vincent was killed on the platform, and when they were sent human remains in the mail.
"I will be fine," Brennan said not in the mood to discuss.
"We only have one car how are you supposed to get home when you are finished?" Booth asked.
"I'll have a guard drive me home," Brennan answered but they both knew that it was code for, "I will be here when you sign in tomorrow."
Finally Booth relented and took his kids home. "Sleep deprivation impairs cognitive function," Christine warned before leaving.
When Brennan went back down to the platform she found that Arastoo had come and forced Cam home, Angela had taken to retiring early with her son, Daisy had to get home to little Seeley, and Wendell, mistakenly thinking everyone had left followed suit, so Brennan had the lab to herself.
The bones took a few hours to clean so she sat in her old office and waited, earlier in the day Daisy and Wendell had assured her that she could use it. Then as she went in to retrieve the newly cleaned bones near midnight, she heard movement in the lab. She reached for her purse which she had been carrying around since Booth left and pulled a gun from inside the bag. It was just like her husband to give her a weapon when he wasn't there to protect her and it was a perfect example of what their relationship was when you added the element of working together that she knew he put it there. The noise drew closer and Brennan ducked behind the vat ready to shoot if necessary. Finally a man with scruffy hair and a potato gun entered the room.
Brennan stood up. "Hodgins," Brennan said relieved before putting her gun away.
"You had a gun Dr. B," Hodgins said astonished.
"Shouldn't you be at home?" Brennan asked, "and what is a potato gun going to do against a killer?"
"Kill him and shouldn't you," Hodgins answered, "after all the weird things we have seen kill people you doubt that this can stop a killer? We saw a man killed by a very similar bean bag gun."
Brennan acknowledged the validity of his point, "Well I need to get to examining the bones now that they are clean."
"I thought you guys weren't finding anything in the bones side of the case," Hodgins said, wondering why she would need to stay late for a dead end before reminding himself that she was still Brennan.
"Actually I located cause of death today," Brennan said with her normally boastful tone. "We just don't have a weapon yet."
"That sounds like a job for the king of the lab," Hodgins said as he followed Brennan, who was now transporting the bones to examine them.
They both began their work; Brennan examined the injuries and looked for any others, and Hodgins swabbed for any particulates that might have been left behind. "Are we going with shooting of some kind?"
"Yes with a slower gun, and a strange bullet," Brennan answered unsure what she was describing.
"I'll run this," Hodgins answered leaving her with the bones. Brennan moved from the cause of death down to the crushed bones in the throat that were indicative of hanging. She had examined for longer than she thought because Hodgins was soon back yelling, "Cupric there is cupric."
"What shoots copper bullets at a slow speed?" Brennan asked.
"BB gun," Hodgins answered recognizing his childhood toy instantly.
"For a BB gun to be cause of death it had to be held an extremely close range," Brennan said accidentally imagining Clark standing there facing his killer with a BB gun to his head.
"Dr. B?" Hodgins asked because he had apparently been sharing information that she had not heard.
"Yes?" She asked focusing once more.
"I collected these particulates when the body was first brought in and I think I have finally identified them," He said holding up fibers from a rope of some kind. "They are from a jump rope."
"That's why the killer hung him after he had already been killed," Brennan said her panic seeping into her appearance.
"It's a warning… a BB gun and a jump rope," Hodgins said.
"Children's toys," Brennan replied and they both got the message loud and clear, "then we need to find more evidence." Brennan turned back to the bones and Hodgins began looking into specific brands of jump ropes and BB guns looking for some kind of overlap.
The next morning the rest of the team came in to find Brennan asleep at a desk on the platform with a few select bones nearby and Hodgins at his small desk near the platform with a browser history for toy companies open. Brennan was awoken by a small package being sat on her desk with a loud thud. She sat up instantly. "Oh," she said seeing Cam, Daisy, Wendell, Angela, and Booth already there. She yawned then turned her attention to the package, using her fingernail to break the seal then opening it. Inside where at least fifty stapes. "HODGINS!" She screamed and he sat upright.
He saw the box and let out a string of curse words. "In case we didn't get the first clue the bastard sent us another warning." He said
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