I didn't expect to have this one out so soon. Lucky you. R&R

You know what? I think I enjoy naming these chapters, as much as I enjoy writing them.

They had picked up some of their favorite dishes from their favorite Thai place, and took them home. As they were sitting there passing around the take out cartons and eating in silence, Booth remembered that she had never answered his question of how Zack was doing.

"So, how was your visit with Zack?"

"He was happy about our news, in fact he pointed out that I was pregnant before I ever said anything other than hello. Other than that he was sad. This is going to sound a lot like psychology, and I suppose it is, but I think that this may be one of the few times that psychology may actually play a significant role. A human being needs to have this sense of purpose in life, and his is gone. He doesn't get as many visits from everyone as he used to get. He says it has just slowly gone down in frequency, and he is starting to feel like he is being shut out of the family. He feels neglected. He feels like he doesn't have a purpose anymore. When we don't visit him, he feels disconnected and isolated. He chastised me for not telling him about our relationship sooner because he assumed that since we were having a baby that everyone else knew about us, and that we just never thought highly enough of him to tell him, too. He felt left out. I think his sentence in the asylum is doing him more harm than good as far as reforming him."

"I can see where he would feel left out; he is isolated from everything he had before, and now it is getting to him. It would happen to anyone in his situation," he said after he had swallowed his bite of food.

"Not just that, but he blames himself for what happened. I tried to explain to him that he was taken advantage of and manipulated, but it didn't seem to have an effect. I think we need to try to get out there to see him more often. All of us. I know you haven't been to see him since you took him back after he broke out to help us with that one case."

"You're right, I haven't. I think I may have taken his betrayal a little harder than I really care to admit. I know. I know; that is no reason to abandon family. If you would like me to take you when you go again, I think I would like to go." He smiled at her in a way that she knew he also felt truly sorry for Zack's situation.

She could easily see in his demeanor the signs he often displayed when he felt guilty. She didn't bring it up to him. She figured he knew that she did place at least a fractional amount of blame on him for what happened. She also thought that after the day he had worrying about her, she didn't need to make his day worse, which in turn would make hers worse, too.

"I think it would be good for you to come with me. Do you think that maybe we could bring him something to work? You know, to occupy his mind."

"What, like a case?" He asked around a mouthful of food.

"Yes, a case, or maybe if we cannot do that something equally as stimulating would be sufficient." Brennan replied.

"Well, I don't think it would be a good idea to have him work on any open cases. If he does find something that one of us does not find, we wouldn't be able to put him on the stand. The judge and jury would think it was some kind of joke to put an inmate from the asylum, who confessed to killing the lobbyist, as an expert witness. Caroline would castrate me for a stunt like that. I think the best approach would be to get everyone to remember he is one of us, and go visit him on a more regular basis."

"I told him I would bring it up to the others that he feels cut off from us and that they need to visit him. It's just a really hard time right now. We are all doing our best to find everything we can to use against the Gravedigger. I am working on strictly Limbo cases, and let me tell you I would much rather be in the field. I know you haven't had any cases since we've been split, so I know I haven't missed out on anything. I just hate not having the option of going with you when you do finally get a call."

"Hey, I am not thrilled about it either, but I am not about to put you in a potentially dangerous situation just so you can have a thrill. Okay, Bones?"

She fell silent and just nodded as she pushed around the noodles in her take out container.

B&B

After lunch they had sat down on the couch to watch season five of House. They had watched it for hours before finally deciding they should eat dinner. Once they were done with dinner they sat back down on the couch to continue where they left off."

A few minutes after pushing play, Brennan paused the DVD and asked, "Are you nervous about the meeting tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah. I guess. I don't know who I can expect to work with. Cullen did agree to let me stay on as the liaison to the Jeffersonian, but all that means is that I bring all of my evidence to you guys not that he will assign one of you to me. He could stick me with a green; I don't know."

"Green? He's going to paint you?" she asked, clearly confused.

"No, Bones. A green is an agent who just completed training, and has no real field experience. So basically, he could stick me with a kid straight from Quantico."

"Oh. That makes much more sense than painting you. While I understand how that could frustrate you on some level, why would you not want a chance at enhancing the experience of a new agent? Your skill and track record with the FBI is quite impressive. I think you would make an excellent teacher, Booth."

"Maybe so, but I don't want to feel like I have been stuck with someone who isn't fully capable of pulling their own weight in this partnership," he explained.

"You know, if you would let me carry a gun when we get our partnership back, I could pull more weight," she said as she nuzzled into his neck.

"Oh, I can imagine you would. Shooting everything that moves. You can bet your ass that I would make you pull your weight on the paperwork for each round fired, too." He laughed, earning him a bite to the neck.

"Hey!" He poked her in the side causing her to squirm slightly at being touched in a particularly ticklish spot.

"Booth, for what it is worth, I still think you would make an excellent teacher to some new agent, if that is what is decided. You never know, maybe he will assign one of my interns to you."

"Maybe."

She pushed play again to resume the episode they were watching. They were about halfway through the next episode when Brennan started to get restless. She couldn't sit still. She would squirm, and shift her weight.

"Baby, if you need to go to the restroom, just go. I can pause the show." Booth said to her.

"I don't need to go."

"Then, what the hell is with all of the moving around? You keep jabbing your bony elbow into my ribs each time you shift your weight."

A look of guilt passed through her features as she thought of hurting him with her movements, then a pink hue flushed over her. She wasn't embarrassed, but she didn't want him to think she had lost all self control. She didn't even have to answer his question out loud. She gave him a pleading look with raised eyebrows, and all he could do in response nod with a dirty grin on his face. One look, and he was a goner along with any chance of finishing the episode they were watching.

Booth stood, scooped up a laughing Brennan, and carried her to their bedroom.

B&B

They awoke the next day very tired, and very late Booth noted with a start when he looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand.

"Shit! Baby, get up. We're late for my meeting. I should have been there five minutes ago!"

She sat up and groaned. Then, as she watched his frantic search for clothes, she asked, "Do you still want me to come with you? It will take considerably longer for you to get there than if you were to go by yourself."

He yawned as he spoke, "Yeah. I know, but I want you there. Besides, I am already late. All I need to do is call him real quick to tell him I am running late this morning, and that I will be there as soon as I can."

She got up and walked to the restroom, talking through a yawn of her own, "Okay, I just need a few minutes to shower."

B&B

When they arrived to Cullen's office, Colleen immediately showed them into Cullen's office. As they entered, he looked up with amusement at the still frazzled looking couple that just entered the room. He schooled his features as much as he could as he indicated that the two should have a seat.

"Sir, may I make a request?" Booth asked Cullen.

"You may."

"I do not wish to be stuck with a fledgling…"

"Booth, I still don't know why you are so opposed showing a new agent how things are done correctly. You would be an exemplary teacher."

"Bones, we are not discussing this right now. I am a field agent, not a teacher. Besides, like I said, I want someone who can pull their own weight. I…"

Feeling left out of the meeting being held in his office, he decided to interrupt. "Agent Booth. I am not putting you with a new agent, although the thought had crossed my mind. I am not going to do that, though."

"Good. Thank you, sir. Could I make a suggestion?" Booth asked.

"Is this going to turn into a conversation between you two again, or is it going to be you and I, Agent Booth?"

"Me." Brennan stated.

"No, Bones. Not you."

She shook her head at him. "No. I wasn't talking about me. I was correcting him. He said you and I, but correct grammar would have been to use you and me."

"Bones! This is not the time to correct him."

"Maybe not, but as a person who holds as high of a position in the Bureau as he does should know that me is used when it is part of the direct object of the sentence, and I is used as the subject of…"

"I know, I minored in English. You don't have to explain it to me. I am just saying that you shouldn't be correcting him!"

She pointed at him, clearly amused, "You…you minored in English?"

"Yes. I did. Is that so hard to…"

"AGENT BOOTH!" Came the loud bellow of Cullen's voice. This time he spoke much softer, "Make your request."

"I'm sorry, sir." He cleared his throat before he began. He glanced over to Brennan who still looked amused. And was that a hint of admiration he saw in her eyes? He smiled at her briefly before turning back to Cullen. "Sir, I would like to request that Wendell Bray be assigned as my partner."

"You cannot choose your partners, Booth."

"I would like you to hear me out on this." Cullen indicated his interest for Booth to continue. "I would not have to break anyone in and get them used to working with the squints. Wendell is already there. He knows and understands how things work at the Jeffersonian. He is already a part of it, sir, and I think that it would be wise to take advantage of that fact. Another point that I feel compelled to make is that he is relatively normal, socially. He has an athletic background, just as Bones has her martial arts that has served her well. This means that he would be better equipped to handle things in tough situations than any of the others. I would also feel comfortable with this knowing that he can easily take care of himself, and that I wouldn't have to do it."

"Booth, do you feel that way about me? You know if you let me have a gun…"

"No." Came the simultaneous response from both men in the room, then Booth continued.

"Bones, I know you are more than capable of handling yourself. That is not how I feel about you." He turned back to Cullen. "Sir, I just think that he has the social skills and athletic ability that the other squints lack, and he would be a good choice. On top of all of that, he is the only one of the interns that Bones hasn't really alienated or scared away these past several weeks."

"I did not scare them away. I simply cannot work with people who are incompetent. If they cannot handle the pressure of our field then they have a career choice they need to make. That is not my fault."

"Bones, I am not saying that it is your fault; I am just saying that you have been quite moody as of late, and sometimes you tend to…"

"Say one more word. I dare you. I don't care how it will affect your back. If you finish that statement, you will be sleeping on the couch, Agent Booth." She crossed her arms and turned away from him.

Sensing the need to get back on topic, Cullen cleared his throat loudly and spoke. "I do agree with all of your points regarding Wendell. In fact, Dr. Saroyan and I have already discussed this matter, and we came up with the same conclusion. We feel that it is a way to keep the team as much intact as possible."

"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate that, as I am sure the others do as well."

Booth and Brennan stood, and left the office after saying bye to Cullen. Booth swung by the dinner to grab some breakfast for them. She just sat there in silence, and didn't say anything the entire time they ate except to the waitress. Booth then dropped her off at the lab. As they were arriving, Booth's phone rang.

"Okay, Bones. That was Charlie, we have a case." He winced, immediately knowing he made a mistake in saying we.

"Wrong, you have a case. You and Wendell." She replied coldly.

"Look, I know you are mad at me, but please stay out of trouble today. If you go anywhere, tell someone. It doesn't have to be me. Just tell someone."

She nodded. It was the best she could give him right at that moment. Then, he started to walk away to go find Wendell. She reached for his arm as he turned. She looked into his eyes, and her features softened considerably. She walked into his open arms, and he whispered into her ear. "It's okay, baby. I know. Your hormonal outbursts are not your fault. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know." It was barely audible, and he wasn't certain that she had even said anything. He just held her for a few more minutes.

"Bones?"

"Hmm?"

"I need to…get Wendell. We have to go to a crime scene."

"Okay. Booth?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Can I come?"

"You know you can't"

She sighed. "Come back soon, and don't let them contaminate the crime scene. Oh, and…"

"Send everything back to the lab…I know. I got it Bones. We will be back with the remains and evidence soon enough, and then you can be involved."

"Okay, go."

B&B

It was four in the afternoon before they got back to the lab with everything from the crime scene, and given her time restraint due to her promise of reduced work hours that left Brennan with very little time to get acquainted with the details of the case. She had only barely had time to get the basic details. Facts that she was sure Wendell had already given to Booth at the crime scene, but that didn't stop her from making her own assessment of the remains.

"Female. Caucasian. Early thirties. Heavy insect and scavenger activity has sped up the rate of decomp. I would place time of death to be around three weeks ago. Hodgins, take samples of the insects for confirmation."

"You got it Dr. B." Hodgins said as he walked away to complete his task.

"There are several old stress fractures in the small wrist bones and fractures to both distal radii and some on the left humorous. These are usually an indication of the wrists being bound tightly together. Also, here just below the tuberculum of iliac crest, there is an indentation consistent with an old gunshot wound; it looks to be about two years old. Booth, was there a bullet found at the scene?"

"Not that we saw, but if this is an old would it could have been removed."

"Or scavengers may have gotten it as they tore away the flesh. Wendell, take a mold of the injury in the bone, and see if you can match it to a weapon, so that we at least know what was used. We should also pull medical records to see if we can find any that match these injuries."

"Okay." Wendell replied.

"Angela, run the dentals, and get a face for us after Dr. Edison sets the tissue markers."

"Okay, Sweetie." Angela replied as she walked off to her office.

"Okay, Bones. It is time to go home now. Let's let the brain trust do their jobs. Wendell is more than capable of handling things from here. You can work on it tomorrow."

She huffed, clearly ticked that there was finally a fresh case that she couldn't work on right now because of her promise to Booth. She would have to settle for working on it tomorrow if she didn't want to start a fight in the middle of the lab. "Fine."

She gathered her things quickly, and walked out of the lab with Booth running to catch up to her.

"Whoa, Bones! Wait up. What's the rush?" he asked, out of breath.

"I am in a hurry to leave, because if I don't then I feel like I might fight you harder to stay. Let's go," she said opening her door.

The next chapter should be interesting, and amusing for those who are frustrated with the show right now. Especially after last night's episode. The only consolation was getting to see a half naked Seeley Booth, and even that was tainted. :(

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XOXO,
CrayonClown