BonesDBchippie: Your reviews never cease to bring a smile to my face! I'm glad you liked the tree scene; I enjoyed writing it. I needed some laughter to get away from all the crying. And you're right; at a time like this in their lives, the characters will have emotional ups and downs. I'm glad you think the case is interesting, too…I got inspiration to bring Pickering into the picture by re-watching "The Woman in the Car" and seeing the look on her face when she found out her security review was suspended.
Kellyjean27: I agree; Temperance is such a non-conventional person that it wouldn't be realistic for her to suddenly just up and want kids the traditional way. Added to the fact that she's always in defense of those in the foster system because of her own past; it just seemed more logical for her to be starting a family this way. Perhaps, later on, she may decide she wants a baby, after she has been in the daily routine of caring for children for awhile.
A/N: OK, I'm going to address a personal review I received yesterday. This person stated that it's not realistic for Bones to be just joking and having fun with Booth and the kids right after finding out about her father and brother, and that it wasn't realistic for Hayley to want to go see Santa right after finding out about her mother. I initially wanted to agree with this person and change the outcome of chapter 5, but I've re-read it and spoken to several people and have decided to keep the chapter the way it is, and this is why. Hayley is six years old; she's in kindergarten or first grade. Kids that age do not understand the concept of death; the most she probably understands is that Mommy's in Heaven now with Jesus and won't be coming home. She's sad that her mommy won't be coming back to her; not necessarily that she's dead. And Bones does tend to draw away from people when she has emotional issues to work out, but she can't do that now with the kids right in front of her and needing her attention. She has to put on a good face for them. Anyway, that's my defense of my story. Speaking of which, now to get back to writing it…
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Booth came back to the lab nonchalantly, with Hodgins trailing after him, white as a ghost. Temperance – wiping down the last of the three exam tables after having packed up the remains and sent them to processing to be released for burial – looked up and headed toward them.
"What happened?" she asked, glancing from one to the other. Angela came running up, followed by Cam and Zack.
"Hey guys, how'd it go?" the artist asked conversationally. She noticed Jack's white face and turned to him, concern lacing her voice. "Jack, are you alright?"
He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and turned to her, smiling reassuringly. "Let's just say I have a hell of a lot more respect for the G-Man now, baby," he replied, leaning in for a brief kiss before heading to his station.
"Booth, what happened out there?" Temperance demanded, hands on her hips.
He shook his head. "Nothing. Bug Man just isn't used to going after criminals, that's all," he answered, shrugging.
"Don't give me that. There isn't much that fazes Hodgins – unless he's been hit by a car and is buried alive, that is – but he looked as white as a blanket just now."
Seeley rolled his eyes. "Sheet, Bones. White as a sheet."
"Whatever." She waved off the faux pas. "Just tell me what happened."
He glanced around to find the kids and, seeing them playing cards in Angela's office, led Temperance to her own. Once inside, he shut the door and pulled down the blinds before addressing her question.
"Nothing happened, really. McVicar made a comment about you and I lost it and punched him in the gut, that's all."
"No," she said.
"Yes," he insisted. "That's it."
"I'm not buying it. If it was just a comment made about me and a punch in the gut, Jack would have been excited, not scared. Now, dammit Seeley, what happened?"
"OK!" he shouted, startling her. "After he and Pickering had been placed in the restraints, McVicar said he wanted to talk to you; I told him not a chance in hell. He started saying how attractive you were and speculating how you would be in bed, and I lost it. I punched him in the gut. Pickering used the opportunity to take Andrews' gun from his side holster, wrap her arms around Hodgins, and managed to get the gun pointed at his head. How she did that so quickly and efficiently in hand restraints I still don't know, but she did it." He shook his head, remembering the scene, but straightened up and continued his story when he saw Temperance's exasperated look.
"Anyway, she couldn't stand behind Hodgins and hold the gun to his head with her wrists in restraints and wrapped around his neck, so she was standing to his left, gun in her right hand and tucked under his chin. She told me I wouldn't dare shoot when she had my friend in a hold like that, but I saw a clear shot and I took it. I killed her when she had her gun pressed against Hodgins' chin and her finger on the trigger. I took a chance with his life, and I know it." He slumped onto the couch.
Her look softened and she moved to sit next to him. "You did what you had to," she assured him. "Jack knows that."
"She could have pulled that trigger by reflex, though."
"Where did you shoot her?" Temperance asked, sighing. Booth pointed to a spot on his forehead, exactly between his eyes. "OK," she continued. "I'm sure that, as a sniper, you know that that is the only spot you can shoot somebody where their reflexes are taken out of commission."
Booth nodded, annoyed. "I know that up here," he pointed to his head, "but it's completely different when…"
"When it's your friend," she finished for him sympathetically.
He nodded. "Yeah." She shifted her position, placing her left hand on his left thigh, her right hand on his right shoulder, and her cheek against his left shoulder.
"You know something?" she asked quietly after a few minutes.
"Hmmm?" He turned his head slightly to the left to regard her thoughtful expression.
"I'm glad you were an Army sniper; it's made you an even better FBI agent than you would otherwise have been." She kissed him gently and stood up, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
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"I want to see McVicar," Temperance announced a short time later, after Booth had come out of her office wearing a much less troubled expression.
He shook his head emphatically. "Absolutely not, Bones."
"Why not?" she asked, irritated.
"Because he's a killer, Bones. He's dangerous."
"He's in a maximum security prison, and I'd be speaking to him in a guarded room with you accompanying me. What's he going to do, talk me to death?" she retorted.
He sighed. "I don't want you talking to him alone," he stipulated.
"Wouldn't dream of it with you around," she responded acerbically.
He glared at her and rolled his eyes. "Come on; let's see if we can get 'Dr. Jack' and 'Miss Angie' to take the kids to pick up the pizza and movies for tonight," he suggested.
"Huh?" she asked quizzically. "What movies?"
He smiled mischievously. "Hodgins and I decided that you needed to increase your knowledge of pop culture. I invited him and Angela over for dinner and movies tonight."
"You know," she scowled, "the last time I checked, it was my apartment we were staying at."
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"You are definitely Ruth Keenan's daughter," McVicar cooed appreciatively, looking her up and down.
"That's not going to work, Mr. McVicar," Temperance responded coldly. "You killed my mother; you can't possibly think I'd believe a word you say now."
"Joy, you can't prove I killed your mother or anybody else. You've got nothing," he insisted.
"I have the weapon you used against her," she replied. "I have the stun-gun and the .45 you used against my father and brother. I have the .36 you used against Amy Smithson. I have the title to the car – in your name – in which my father, Russ, and Amy were found. I have my brother's truck found in your barn. And I have the stash of empty gasoline cans you used to douse your car with before torching it. I have enough to help the DA convict."
McVicar glanced surreptitiously at Booth, standing in the corner, before gently stroking her face.
Booth shook his head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, McVicar," he warned.
McVicar ignored him and was delighted when Temperance reached up and gently grabbed the hand on her cheek. That is, he was delighted until she twisted the arm around her and brought it crashing down on the table next to them. He howled in pain as Booth shrugged and tssk'd.
"I tried to tell you," he grinned.
McVicar glared at them. "I think you broke my wrist, Joy!" he screamed menacingly. "How am I supposed to work if one of my wrists is broken?"
She shrugged nonchalantly. "I'd be happy to break the other one for you, if you'd like," she responded, turning away.
Booth watched McVicar until Temperance was safely out of the room, then grinned. "See ya in court, Vinnie," he challenged cheerfully. He and Tempe heard McVicar screaming until they exited the cell block.
"It's over," she realized, breathing deeply.
"Well, this nightmare is," he agreed. "We still have the little matter that the girls lost their mother yesterday, and you lost your father and brother. But we'll deal with it as it comes."
She grinned and nodded. "So, about the pizza and movies…exactly what movies are we talking about?"
He laughed. "Oh, you're gonna love them, Bones," he promised.
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"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'M FINE! I can jog all the way to Texas and back, but my daughter can't. She never could! Oh, God! I'm so mad I don't know what to do! I wanna know why! I wanna know WHY Shelby's life is over! I wanna know how that baby will ever know how wonderful his mother was! Will he EVER know what she went through for him? Oh, God, I wanna know WHY! Why? Lord, I wish I could understand! No! No! No! It's not supposed to happen like this! I'm supposed to go first! I've always been ready to go first! I-I don't think I can take this. I-I just wanna HIT somebody till they feel as bad as I do! I wanna hit something, I wanna hit it HARD!"
"Here! Hit this! Go ahead, M'Lynn, slap her!"
"Are you crazy?"
"HIT HER!"
"Are you HIGH, Clairee?"
"Clairee, have you lost your mind?"
"We'll sell t-shirts, saying 'I Slapped Ouiser Boudreaux!' Hit her!"
"Ms. Clairee, enough!"
"Ouiser, this is your chance to do something for your fellow man. Knock her lights out, M'Lynn!"
"Let go o' me!"
"M'Lynn, you just missed the chance of a lifetime! Half o' Chiquapin Parish'll give their eye-teeth to take a Whack O' Ouiser!"
"You are a pig from Hell!"
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They shut off the movie and stretched, careful not to wake the kids. Temperance had been laughing so hard her side had begun to hurt. She shifted Parker off her lap so she could stand and start to pick up the beer bottles and pizza boxes from her coffee table.
"OK," she admitted, "I have to say, you were right about the movie. It was very funny."
Booth hoisted Hayley up and leaned over to give Temperance a kiss before heading to the spare bedroom. "I'm glad you approved," he smirked.
Temperance walked Jack and Angela out to the door. "We'll see you tomorrow, Bren," Angela stated, giving the Anthropologist a quick hug as she walked out the door.
"Good night, Temperance," Jack added, waving.
She said good night to her friends, then sighed and shut the door, heading back to finish cleaning up the dinner things.
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A/N: OK, this one's a little shorter, I admit. But tomorrow's chapter should be back up to normal length. Let me know what you think!
