First, a big THANK YOU to all my readers! This is my first story ever to have more than 100 followers! So happy! All right, to business now. I was putting off this chapter cos I knew it was gonna be all court stuff. We will get back to B&B stuff after this. I have reread everything I've written so far, and I hope things make sense. Anyhow, enjoy!

"This is Dr. Edison," David Barron said. Brennan, Russ, and Matthew were all sitting in the designated room where inmates met with their lawyers.

"Nice to meet you," Matthew said. "No offense, but you look pretty young to me. You have experience you said?"

"This is not Clark's first trial," his lawyer said.

"Sir, I shave, I have a driver's license, I've won some fist fights, I've saved a life, I've lain with woman, I've been hustled at pool, I've defied my father's wishes, I have broken hearts, and I have been heartbroken. So, by all the markers of this society, I am a grown man," Edison parroted. Brennan and Russ exchanged looks.

"You've lain with woman, eh?" Matthew said, smirking.

"Is he gonna talk like that on the stand?" Russ asked, worried.

"I can assure you that I will conduct myself in a serious, professional manner," Edison promised.

"I wouldn't want to be up against him in court," Barron said seriously.

"Here, Dad," Brennan said, giving him a box.

"What's this?" Matthew asked, opening it. "A tie? Why grey?"

"It shows the jury you are serious man with good judgment," Brennan answered.

"Or that I have no sense of style," Matthew snorted.

"I can't stop this, Dad," Brennan said, tearing up. "Any of it."

"Yea, it's killing us, Dad," Russ added. "We are helpless to help you. All those times you helped us, and we can't return the favor."

"I know you kids would do anything for me if you could. I know you love me," Matthew said, patting both of their shoulders. "I'll wear the tie."

...

Brennan sat on her bench with Ripley sitting beside her. Russ had gone out, most likely for a beer. She just wanted to try and stop feeling so anxious. She didn't want tomorrow to come.

"Hey," Booth said, sitting down beside her. She was surprised.

"Where did you come from?" she asked.

"I went to your apartment and didn't find you, so I assumed you were here," he answered. "You okay?"

"I'm afraid," she said honestly. Booth fidgeted with his fingers for a moment before speaking again.

"I have to be a witness for the prosecution," he said quietly.

"What?" she asked, not having heard him properly.

"I was on the case first before handing it over to Williams. They want me on the stand."

"Oh," she said, swallowing hard.

"It doesn't mean..."

"I know. I realize you have to do your job."

"It's nothing personal."

"Thanks," she nodded. He took her hand in his.

"He'll be all right," Booth said.

"The thing is," she started. "I can actually believe that he'd do it."

"What do you mean?"

"I just...I think he could be capable, you know? When someone you love is threatened, you do whatever it takes to save them, even if that means killing someone," Brennan finished.

"It's up to his lawyer to prove his innocence. Innocent until proven guilty, remember?"

"I know." Brennan sighed. She was remembering something from a long time ago.

Flashback

"It's not fair. I want to see that movie too," Brennan huffed, sitting on the edge of her bed with crossed arms.

"Then go," Russ suggested.

"How?"

"Use Grandpa's car."

"He would never let me."

"Then hitch hike," Russ laughed.

"Russ! This isn't funny. You know how much I love Harrison Ford," Brennan whined.

"All right. I'll take you if you'll stop whining already," Russ said. Brennan jumped up, ready to go. They drove in silence to the movie theater.

"Is that car following us?" Brennan asked, craning her neck.

"You watch too many crime shows," Russ snorted.

"I swear it is," she said, not listening to him.

"It's your imagination. Okay, we're here. Get out," Russ ordered.

"You're not coming in?"

"I've got a date. I'll try to remember to pick you up after," Russ teased.

"Don't make me walk home. Mom and Dad will ground you," Brennan warned.

"I'm already grounded," Russ laughed. Brennan shook her head with a small smile. Only her brother could be so wild and rebellious. She slipped into the theater after paying and found a seat near the back. She couldn't see her parents, which was fine with her. They had wanted a date night anyway.

...

Brennan had ducked when the movie ended so her parents wouldn't see her sitting there. She pretended to look for something on the ground. The guy sitting two seats away from her didn't get up either. She felt nervous of him for some reason. He had a mean looking face, limp brown hair, and his eyes were narrowed. Brennan suddenly wished she wasn't alone. Then suddenly, he was up and moving quickly. Brennan took this chance to get away. She slipped outside to hurry to the place she was meeting Russ, and that's when she heard it, the sound of something metal hitting something solid. The continued "thud" noises made her want to throw up. She dared to peek around, and she saw her father rolling up a body in a garbage bag. Her mother was keeping watch. The both of them loaded the body into the trunk and peeled away. Brennan hurried back around the corner and threw up violently. What had her parents been doing? Had they killed that person? Then Russ showed up.

"Hey, hurry up we gotta beat them home," Russ said, idling. She jumped in the car.

"Something tells me they'll be a bit late," she told him.

"You're right. A date night isn't a date night without...you know."

"Ew, Russ!"

"Sorry," he laughed. She closed her eyes, her head pounding. She couldn't tell him what she had seen. She was still trying to believe it herself. By the time they got home, she had convinced herself it hadn't happened, that it had been her imagination all along.

...

"They won't find him," Matthew promised. Christine was wringing her hands anxiously.

"Did you...?"

"I burned it all. Everything. He'll be a pile of bones at the bottom of the lake. No one will ever find him. No one will miss him," Matthew assured her.

"I feel so sick," Christine murmured.

"Sweetheart, he was going to kill us," Matthew said urgently. "Us and the kids. He had to go."

"I know! I just...I've never seen that side of you before," she whimpered.

"And you'll never see it again," Matthew promised. "I did it to protect all of you."

"You're absolutely sure...?"

"He won't be found," Matthew cut her off firmly. He hugged her tightly. "We are safe. We can go back to living our lives."

"What if they send another person after us?"

"They won't."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"Can we just stay here a little longer? At least until the school year is out?"

"All right," Matthew agreed. "Then we're getting on with our lives."

"Where?"

"I was thinking Washington D.C.," he mused. They kept talking into the night. Hope was fresh in their minds.

Present

Trial Day

Brennan sat with Russ on one side and Angela on the other. Matthew looked for them and seemed relieved when he saw them sitting there. Booth was the first one on the stand. He tried not to wince at her when she looked at him. She knew he didn't really want to be up there either. She listened as he described how he had found the body with Dr. Saroyan. Dr. Saroyan then came on the stand and talked about the crime scene, which had been a block from Angela's place. She listened to Dr. Hodgins talking about particulates and describing the weapon her father had used to kill Director Kirby. The evidence was steep, and Brennan felt very hopeless. Russ squeezed her hand. On the next break, they went with Matthew and his lawyer to chat.

"Why do I feel like you're doing nothing?" he asked Barron. "Shouldn't you be, I dunno, asking for more sidebars or objecting more or something?"

"The prosecution is building their case. They're having a horrific crime described to them, and someone has to take the blame," Barron explained.

"The jury looks mean," Russ muttered.

"We might have to look at putting you on," Barron said, looking at Matthew.

"Absolutely! I was a charmer in my good days," Matthew winked.

"The first question they'll ask is 'Did you murder Kirby?'" Barron said. Matthew hesitated.

"No, I didn't," he answered. Barron caught the look on Brennan's face.

"I can't put you on," he sighed.

"Why? I can be more convincing. I'll bring on the waterworks," Matthew urged.

"It's not that," Barron said. He pointed to Brennan. "She doesn't look like she believes you, and to a jury, that's bad."

"It is?"

"If the kids of the accused don't believe him, then the jury won't believe him," Barron said simply.

"So now what?" Matthew asked.

"We hope they screw up," Barron answered.

...

Brennan watched Dr. Sweets as he analyzed her father. He still looked like a little kid playing dress up. Booth was sitting across the aisle from her, and he kept shooting glances her way. She couldn't look at him without crying, so she avoided looking at him altogether.

"Is Max Keenan dangerous?" the prosecutor asked. Brennan didn't know what to make of that woman. She seemed good at her job, but she was also scary. Brennan flinched at the sound of her father's original name. It wasn't something she was used to hearing.

"When he feels his loved ones are threatened? Mega dangerous," Sweets answered.

"So, in your opinion, if Max Keenan felt his family was at all threatened, he could do this," the prosecutor pushed.

"Totally," Sweets agreed. Then he coughed. "I mean, indubitably."

"Without hesitation?"

"Without hesitation, remorse, or guilt."

Each word slapped Brennan in the face. She looked over at her father, and suddenly, she could see it to be true. The memory of him rolling up the garbage bag carefully burned into her mind. Once it came back, she couldn't get rid of it. She had worked so hard to get that memory as recessed as possible, and yet, here it was again. She had refused to believe back then that her parents could do such a thing, that they had merely helped out another person and got rid of a body that someone else had killed. Now, she knew her father had done it, and that the person had been McVicar. All this time she continued to believe that the man was still after them, and he had been long gone years ago. She blinked back her tears. Her father was a murderer. She needed to confront him about McVicar, to know for real if he was truly gone.

...

Brennan was in disbelief. Dr. Edison was insinuating that they did not have the murder weapon. She sat up straighter in her seat. Russ did too. Dr. Addy was puzzled, and then he came to the realization.

"Oh," he said.

"You sound surprised," Dr. Edison noted. "Could you please indicate on here where the hilt would be?" Dr. Addy stared at the pipe.

"I can't," he said.

"Why not?" Dr. Edison asked.

"Because there is no hilt on it," Dr. Addy answered.

"So this is not the murder weapon," Dr. Edison said thoughtfully.

"No," Dr. Addy agreed. "It is not." The crowd in the courtroom murmured.

"You made a mistake," Dr. Edison threw in.

"I did," Dr. Addy admitted. Brennan saw him shoot glances at his coworkers, who were also stunned.

"Your Honor? The Defense requests that you dismiss all charges. The prosecution's case was built upon the identification of the murder weapon."

"Your Honor, the People need time to review Dr. Edison's evidence," the prosecutor spluttered.

"How much time?"

"As much time as it takes for Agent Williams to find the murder weapon," the prosecutor said.

"I will meet with counsel in my chambers, but if you don't come up with a terrific argument, Mr. Keenan will be going home with his family tonight," the judge warned. He banged his gavel, and Russ looked at Brennan.

"Do you think they'll find it?"

"No," Booth said, sliding over to them.

"What do you mean?"

"Williams is an amateur. He won't find it."

"And you would have?"

"If I was still on the case, probably," he admitted. "I think your father will be coming home tonight."

...

"Since the People have not come up with the murder weapon, all charges against Mr. Keenan will be dropped," the judge said. "Court is dismissed." He banged his gavel again, and Russ ran to his father and hugged him tightly. Brennan hung back.

"What's wrong?" Booth asked. "Aren't you glad?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Cos he did it," she answered. She pushed away. She had to get out of the courtroom fast.

"Tempe!" Matthew called behind her. He caught up with her on the steps. "Where are you going? We gotta celebrate with big man Edison! Add to his list of manly deeds he's done."

"Dad, I can't even look at you right now," Brennan said.

"Tempe...?"

"You did it. I know you did it. Just like I know you killed McVicar," she snapped.

"Whoa, whoa, what are you talking about?" Matthew asked, but his face said it all. She knew now without a doubt.

"I saw you," she hissed. "Fifteen years ago you rolled up a body in a garbage bag and drove off with mom with it in your trunk. I had myself convinced you didn't do it, that you were covering for someone else, but now, now I know you did."

"Tempe," Matthew tried.

"No," she cut him off. "You never clarified that McVicar was dead. You let me live in fear of that man until now. I am done with you." She went to storm off again.

"Temperance!" he shouted, still chasing her. "You gotta understand why I did it..."

"I don't need to," she said, whirling around. "You did it. That's all that matters."

"I saved your life, twice!" he said, getting angry. "Would you rather I hadn't?"

"You should have done it the honest way, Dad, like you taught me to do," she said sadly. She turned and left, not looking back. Matthew blew out his breath harshly. Just like her mother, and hopefully, just like her mother, she would eventually come around again.

Will Matthew be right? FYI I'm sticking with Matthew Brennan as that's how he's established himself and also cos it's my story and I can do what I want lol XD