A/N: Well, this story all came about because of a lovely author here who goes by the penname stevieLUVSAlex, if you aren't familiar with her work please check it out! stevieLUVSAlex and I tossed around some ideas and decided to co-author a story and this is our brain child. Thanks so much stevieLUVSAlex, this wouldn't have been possible without you!
A/N 2: Thank you so much for the reviews, alerts and favorites! They mean the world to us!
Disclaimer: Still unable to claim Bones as my own.
Puck and Brennan sat in her office, waiting for Booth to arrive.
"Dr. Brennan, you said that I could help …" Puck opened hoping that Dr. Brennan would tell him how, he was still a little confused and slightly overwhelmed from their last meeting. Agent Booth had explained that Dr. Brennan was special and that her brain worked faster than anyone else and sometimes she forgot others had trouble keeping pace with her mind.
Just then Agent Booth walked in and Puck couldn't help the quiet breathe of relief that perhaps with a translator for the good doctor he might understand how to help with the case.
"Hey Bones. Puck." Booth greeted them taking a seat next to Brennan.
"Puck, man we've got to thank you." Booth said extending his hand to the young man "thanks to what you told Bones about Marie, we were able to find cause of death and discover that Marie was Patient X."
"No reason to thank me. I just wish I could've saved her … she was my best friend and now …" Puck trailed off, but both Brennan and Booth understood what Puck was saying as their close calls flashed through their minds.
"Puck, we have some more questions for you."
"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan anything that I can do to help you make sure the bastard fries you ask and it's yours."
"The contents of her stomach don't make any sense. They don't fit any known recipe that we can find and we were hoping you could help us determine how they got into her system."
"I'll try."
"Blueberry-apple puree, kool-aid, large amounts of citric acid, sugar, applesauce, other assorted fruit pulp, and a Mount Rain style soda."
"Mt. Dew, Bones."
"Yes, that. Dr. Hoddgins said it was highly caffeinated, but that the chemical composition of the stomach had three times the level of caffeine found in the soda normally."
"Dr. Brennan, that's Joy Juice." Puck stated with a sad smile.
"What?" Brennan and Booth both asked.
"Joy Juice. It was a drink Marie created; it was a little different each time. But the basics were the same kool-aid, sugar, blueberry-apple baby food, lemon juice, applesauce, whatever fruit puree she happened to have and soda added when you drank it. Marie rarely ate; fact is it's hard to remember seeing Marie eat. She'd much fries or a cookie every now and then, but all she really every did was drink that stuff and soda."
"So, if someone wanted to slip her a mike without her being aware they could've put it in that?" Brennan mused.
"Yeah, if you were gonna give her something that'd been the best place to put it. Why?"
"I'm sorry Puck we can't tell you that, at least not right now." Booth said his voice pitched low and tinged with sorrow. "Could you help Dr. Hoddgin's recreate this Joy Juice? That way we can make sure the chemical makeup is the same."
"I said anything. Tell me when and where." Puck said tugging on his ear expander. "Listen there's something I've been thinking about, but I got no proof."
Booth nodded leaning forward waiting for the young man to continue. Without noticing what she was doing Brennan put her hand on Booth's knee and gave it a sympathetic squeeze. Booth glanced down at her hand and laced his fingers through hers.
Puck shook his head and silently wondered I wonder when they'll admit their together, g-d they remind me of Marie and I. Wish we'd gone for it before we were too late. Shaking himself out of his internal revelations, Puck continued.
"I got no proof, but something wasn't right between Marie and her mom. I mean she put on a good show, but that's always what it seemed like to me. That woman was putting on a show, pretending to be this great mom, but it didn't seem like love. When she was around, you could see Marie flinch. It was in her eyes like she was expecting something. I don't know … it just didn't seem right." Puck's eyes were glassy as he continued to rub the piercing seeming to draw comfort from the action.
Booth and Brennan locked eyes both silently agreeing with Puck that something was off with Mrs. Jackson. "Thanks Puck, you've been a big help man." Booth said shaking Puck's hand. "Let me introduce you to Hoddgins he'll be the guy you'll do the experiment with." Booth said leading the youth out of Brennan's office.
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