Skeletons in Her Trash Bag
Chapter 10
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and non canon characters.
Author's Note: Sorry about uploading chapter 9 twice. Here is Chapter 10. I was very disappointed that only two people thought to review chapter 9. Clearly my efforts are not being appreciated. To those of you who did review thank you. If I do not continue to receive a fair number of reviews, I will assume there is no more interest in my story.
Cam stepped out of her office, having put her belongings away for the day. It was only a few minutes before nine, around the same time Cam arrived at the office every day. Of course, Dr. Brennan expected her people to be in earlier and Hodgins, first Zack and now the various interns and even Angela were all at work by 8:30. Dr. Brennan herself arrived, from what Cam had heard around seven most mornings. Even during this last case, Brennan was working twelve hours a day. She had heard that this Henderson used to be Brennan's foster father, although Brennan, Booth, Angela and Hodgins were silent on the matter. It was another way she was separate from the rest of the group. Cam peered out of her office; Angela was in her office, running scenarios through the Angelator. Hodgins was analyzing particles looking for something that would definitely show that Brennan could not have been the murderer.
Cam looked around, unable to locate Brennan. Perhaps she is in her office, Cam thought to herself. Her thought was interrupted by Brennan and Booth walking in together. His hand was on her back, as usual, but his left hand was holding on to her left hand, as if needing to keep her with him. Surprisingly, there was no characteristic bickering. She could see Booth whispering something soothingly to Brennan, who looked up at Booth, as if drawing strength from him. She was wearing a knee length, slightly full skirt in a typical red and black, Brennan pattern, a red blouse and black blazer and shoes. Her neck and ears were adorned in the stones she preferred. Cam didn't get it, sure the woman was beautiful, but and definitely an individual, but her manner of dressing was so strange. She didn't understand why so many men were lining up, vying for her attention.
Upon seeing them, Angela and Hodgins closed in. She watched Booth and Brennan speak to them, most likely filling them in on the interrogations last night. Booth looked stricken and Hodgins patted Brennan's shoulder while Angela hugged her. Hodgins and Angela moved away to continue working while Booth and Brennan walked into her office. Despite herself, Cam followed at a safe distance. She knew Booth could hear her, but hopefully he would think that she was merely moving to attend to another task. Cam situated herself several feet away from the door of Brennan's office, where she could still peer in without being detected. To her surprise, Booth sat down on Brennan's sofa and pulled her into his lap. She curled up with her head on Booth's shoulder tucked under his chin and both wrapped their arms around the other. Cam felt a strange stab shooting through her; much like the one she had felt when the Board had told her that she could not fire Brennan. She was meant to administrate, not to interfere in Brennan's scientific process and certainly not to dictate to the anthropologist. The stab was similar to when Booth had ignored her for Brennan while they were dating and when he had left her.
It was a shame sometimes the woman was such a gracious winner. Of course, with her wide blue innocent eyes and obliviousness, it was obvious that she didn't even know what she had won and Cam had lost. Still, like Booth, Angela and Hodgins, Cam had come to feel protective of the forensic anthropologist in her own way. With her Aspersers, Brennan interacted with the world much like a child, and those who cared for her, including Cam, tended to want to shield her from adult interaction as much as possible.
Booth ran his hands over Brennan's back, as if soothing a child. "It'll be all right. Now, Charlie is finding Eileen Cooper and then you and I will go speak to her."
Brennan nodded, looking at Booth in a trusting manner. "What about Marie and Anna?"
"Anna just needs to be available to answer questions. I don't want to send Marie back until this case is solved in case we need her again. I don't really think she has a lot of information, but she is one of the only leads we have. I don't think Joseph is going to be too kind about letting her come back if we need her again."
She nodded in response. "You know, I went to see Marie once. She got married when she turned eighteen. The system kicked her out and she married him. He didn't let her finish high school. They had their first son nine months later. I went to see her after I got my doctorate, about six years later, when I was twenty three. She had four kids with a fifth on the way. The three older sons were just like Joseph. They beat up their little sister all the time, Lisa. Marie didn't even feed her and she was wearing these torn clothes, just because she is the girl. When I left, I gave Marie some money, but the oldest son took it and gave it to Joseph who was in the other room."
Cam felt a chill listening to Brennan's matter of fact accounting of her foster sisters life. She was surprised how relatively unconcerned Brennan has seemed over the whole matter. Cam wished for once that she could reach out and apologize for the incidents when she had first arrived. She had come to see the error in her ways and had tried to change. But Brennan with her Aspersers was like a child and didn't realize that Cam was sorry until Cam directly apologized and made restitutions. Brennan didn't seem to see Cam's reform as an apology and seemed to have decided based on her prior actions that Cam was not to be trusted. Cam was surprised at how much that realization hurt.
Brennan sighed, clearly ready to move on. Cam watched Booth hug her once more before his cell phone rang. Brennan pulled it out of his coat pocket and handed it to him. He smiled at her before answering. His expression remained unchanging during the minute long conversation. When he hung up, he addressed Brennan again, "Marie is in a hotel with a minimal guard, Anna is working with the understanding that she will be available for meeting with the FBI. Charlie found Eileen Cooper. We can go interview her now." Booth stood up with Brennan still in his arms and put her down gently.
"We might be able to find something that will link Eileen to the particles Hodgins found or to help us find the murder weapon."
The two quickly walked out without noticing Cam standing there.
Author's Note: I like Cam, as long as she knows her place. I am trying to show that here. Anyway, I would appreciate it if I received some reviews telling me if this work is appreciated or not. Thank you to those who do review. I read and consider every comment while writing. For those of you who don't review, I am putting a lot of effort into this fic and I feel that a few minutes of your times for a short review is not much to ask for.