A/N: in case any of you were wondering, yes, i actually did faint when i saw that, not only had i hit 200 reviews, i had passed 200 reviews.

i started jumping up and down and giggling and screaming like a dork. then i skipped in a circle. then i tripped over the corner of a rug. and hit my head on the desk. and was sent to the hospital.

don't worry, i'm not seriously injured. just a small concussion, and i've already gotten like two of those, so it's no big deal. but anyway. ON WITH THE STORY!

"Hey, Zack," said Lily hesitantly. They stood in the hallway outside of the courtroom. Lily had grabbed his arm and pulled him off to the side as the group filtered in. "What did Caroline say to you guys?"

"She told us you left the Jeffersonian because your father wanted to take Adeline. She said it was bullshit," he deadpanned.

Color crept up Lily's cheeks.

"So, uh, what do you think?" she asked.

"It's illogical," said Zack. Her face crumpled. "Caroline's a much better lawyer than your father." He paused, taking in her expression, and felt a rush of tenderness which he found very confusing. "But I think I understand."

The hope in her eyes returned.

"You really care about Adeline."

She nodded. "Besides, when am I ever logical?"

"You aren't. You've never been logical…That was a rhetorical question."

"Yeah. It was." Lily smiled brightly. "Are we good, Zack?"

"Yeah, you guys are spectacular," said Booth, popping his head in between them. "Now, if you don't mind, Caroline is going to start eating people if you two don't get in here."

"What's happening?" asked Lily.

Caroline sighed. "It's not good, cherie. I don't think the jury is completely sold yet. It would help if there was some way to tie Hecklend to the stab wounds. Without that knife there's a giant hole in our accusations. And since you didn't find a knife…"

"It was a hotel room," Booth stressed. "There wasn't even a kitchen, let alone a random butcher knife."

"Well, what about the shack?" asked Hodgins, leaning in to join the huddle. "Did you check the shack where we found Lily?"

"Of course we checked it. Nothing but the cans of paint thinner," said Booth, getting a little offended. "We're not idiots, Hodgins—"

"Where else could it be?" pressed Angela. "Think guys, we need this."

"If we convict him of the murder charge, he'll get the death penalty. If he walks on that charge, and if they manage to convince the jury he's not guilty of the first kidnapping account, he'll get 10 years," Caroline said. "Maximum."

Lily tangled her fingers into her hair, an expression so distressed that Booth was worried she would tear her hair out.

"If he walks…If he's out in 10 years…" Lily shook her head.

Zack lifted his hand and put it awkwardly on her shoulder. Then, suddenly, he perked up, his face brightening.

"I know that look, Z-man," said Hodgins carefully.

"I know where the knife is. I'm going to need the paint thinner you acquired, a twenty-gallon fish tank, and some chicken wire."

Zack pried the lid off of one of the cans of paint thinner, dumping it into the chicken-wire-covered tank. The liquid within the can seeped quickly past the wire.

"So, basically this works as a giant strainer?" Lily peered into the tank. She had been the one to drive Zack back to the lab. Well, first to the hardware store for chicken wire, which the Jeffersonian mysteriously lacked, and then to the lab.

"That is correct." Zack opened another can and poured its contents into the makeshift strainer.

"You really think Hecklend hid the knife in the paint thinner?"

He emptied a third can and something silver, covered in the pungent liquid, was revealed. "Does that answer your question?"

Lily's eyes lit up, and she began jumping up and down excitedly. "Oh my God! Zack! You did it! You did it!"

She squealed in happiness, flinging her arms around his neck. "My God, Zack, I love you!"

"Um…"

Then she pulled back and kissed him fiercely on the lips as astonished Zack blinked in shock.

Lily came skipping up to Caroline like a happy four-year-old, grinning ear to ear.

"He found it!" she sang. "Zack found the knife. Complete with Caleb's blood and Hecklend's partial fingerprint!"

And then, to everyone's further surprise, she went back to where the shy genius stood, took his hand, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Let's convict this guy," said Lily cheerfully.

Zack smiled down at her tentatively as she pulled him gently into the courtroom. "Yes," he agreed. "Let's…go get him?"

Lily laughed. Booth turned to Angela, who was staring at the two with a mixed look of shock and delight, and asked, "What the hell just happened?"

Mr. Michaels looked discontented as the jury trailed slowly back into the room. The judge cleared his throat.

"Jury, have you reached a verdict?"

A petite brunette woman stood, and Booth recognized her as one of the jurors that Lily had seemed to be connecting to. "We have, Your Honor."

She looked down at a piece of paper. Lily held her breath, and, on impulse, Zack reached over and took her hand.

"The jury finds the defendant…"

Stupid dramatic pause, thought Lily nervously. I'm going to die of anxiety, I swear—

"Guilty of all charges."

"Holy hell, holy freaking hell!"

Lily laughed out loud, dancing in a large circle around the parking lot. Booth had to laugh at the sight. Honestly, she was just too funny. She punched the air victoriously.

Suddenly, her laughter died away. She was staring at her car.

"Hey, kid, what's going—" He stopped.

Her father stood by Lily's small white Mazda, a small child perched haphazardly in his arms. His face was a simple stone mask.

"Lily," he said with a tilt of his head that Booth assumed could count as a nod.

"Dad." Lily's voice cracked. She clasped her hands behind her back and began to wring them. "What are you doing here?"

Booth glanced quickly around the parking lot. He and Lily were the last of the Jeffersonian crew remaining, as Hodgins had already left to get Angela and Zack home and Brennan had uttered something about being late for an interview for her latest book. The parking lot was devoid of people, all people except for Lily, Lily's asshole father, and Booth himself.

"I heard the verdict," said Mr. Whitaker. He didn't look like he wanted to be here, and he didn't look like he wanted to be talking to her. "Congratulations on getting the bastard."

"I don't need your praise, Dad," Lily said, much to Booth's surprise. She had stopped wringing her hands, and now they were clenched into fists at her sides. "I've lived without it for twenty-four years."

"I talked with that prosecutor woman." His voice was gruff. Obviously he was trying to overlook her comment. "Carmen or whatever."

"Caroline Julian, Dad."

"Her. I spoke with her."

"About what?" Lily angled herself slightly, looking at Booth out of the corner of her eye. She jerked her head slightly and not-so-subtly in the direction of his car. She wanted him to leave.

He shook his head and planted his feet solidly on the ground. She sighed, but he could see the small smile that poked at the corners of her lips.

"About Adeline," said her father. The small child in his arms shifted, and Lily's breath hitched. She was just short of a year old now.

Caleb had gone missing first…then Kathy had died…Adeline's been through enough change.

"And?" she asked, unable to help sounding anxious.

And as Booth look from Lily to her father to the baby in Mr. Whitaker's arms, he decided that if the man did not hand that kid over to Lily, there was going to be some threats flying. Booth was a creative man; he was sure he could come up with something to make the older man squirm.

A/N: well? well? well???

i finished this and rewarded myself with a brownie! but that doesn't mean i don't need reviews!!!

i'm going to be bold: 300 reviews is my next target!