HEY! Thanx for all of the reviews! I guess I must continue then…
Enjoy this chapter and R&R!
xXx Tiana
Brennan closed the folder to the case in the normal manner by inserting the conclusion and the stamping the top of it, which Angela had done this time.
'Yes! Case closed. Does that mean that I can go home now?' Angela asked, although the look on her face told Brennan that she didn't really want an answer. She got one anyway.
'You know, people usually work certain hours of the day, not just go home whenever they feel like doing so!' Hodgins stated. Angela shot him an 'I don't care' look. She then turned to her best mate.
'is there anything else that you would like me to do?' she asked. Silently she prayed that the answer would be no. It was only 4pm on a Wednesday, but she was knackered. And bored after solving and closing the Zara Mani case.
'Nope. It's 'k. you can go.' Brennan looked up as her face relaxed and smiled gratefully. Her eyes had lit up and she couldn't help but wonder what she was going to do when she got home.
'Ok. See you later.' With that, Angela walked away from the table, which had Zack fiddling with some remains on, and headed out of the lab.
Helping Zack to put the remains together, Brennan could hear her footsteps fade. Then, however, instead of dying away steadily, she then heard them come back, faster. A minute later, Angela was speed walking through the lab doors, and heading towards them.
'Uh oh. Someone's not happy.' She half whispered, in a singsong voice, to the three of them, who were all looking at them with a 'what the hell?' looks. She shook her head and pointed towards the lab doors. A second before Brennan was going open her mouth to say something, two men walked through the doors; one who was very agitated and angry, while the other one looked quite calm.
Agent Cullen made his way to the steps to that main lab area, but was stopped by the guard. The others couldn't help but smile, stifling their laughs. As Dr. Goodman came up behind him and swiped his card to let the two of them through, Angela asked Brennan a question that was going through her head too.
'Where's Booth?'
Brennan shrugged in answer, contemplating about what was going on. Cullen had never came to the Jeffersonian before, and it was known, unsaid, that he disliked Brennan. The only reason why she was still working for the FBI and with Booth was because they got results that way. Or so that was what Angela and herself had come up with one very boring day.
'I am here on urgent matters. The Costello's lawyer has appealed against the sentence. Their team of lawyers are one of the best in the US. How they got them is anyone's guess. But that's not why I'm here. The evidence which this lab stacked against them was strong. Very strong. No attorney would dare to appeal with that against them.' Cullen had started to pace, making the rest of them nervous, even thought he had just given them a compliment.
'Well, then how comes they're appealing?' Angela asked. She was intrigued, but also wanted to get to the bottom to why she had been unable to go home.
'Because, Miss, the evidence collected beforehand is all invalid now. The Costello's lawyers found some evidence which didn't look right, so they took it to the judge and got it invalid. Therefore, all the evidence collected is now invalid.' He almost snapped. The more he paced, the more he seemed to get worked up.
'What evidence was this?' Brennan asked. She was pretty sore that all of the evidence done by her team was accurate, and didn't like the fact that someone thought that their lab was wrong.
'That doesn't matter, Dr. Brennan.' He spat out her name, causing the rest of them to assume that it was something that they had collected. 'What matters is that you and your team put together more evidence against them.' He had stopped pacing now.
'But how? We collected all of the evidence last time.' Brennan enquired.
Cullen looked slightly annoyed with the question, and sighed as if it was obvious how.
'As you would normally do. With looking at the bones. Agent Booth is getting a warrant for the exhumation right now. Until then, you may want to look over the case and start clearing up.' He said, indicating to the remains on the lab desk, and handed a thick file over to Dr. Goodman before heading out. Goodman looked at them, then handing the file to Brennan, and nodded, walking after the Agent to probably show him out.
Brennan turned around to face the rest of her team, who were all anxious. The last time they had to re-do a case was when a man was about to get the needle. In the end, however, he got the needle still. This time, it was different. They were fighting to keep them in jail, not let them out.
She smiled nervously at them, as if she was expecting them to all blow at her. In fact, they were kind of anticipating what was going to happen.
'So. How we do this?' Hodgins asked, no one in particular. No one really paid attention to his question, and it hung in the air. Brennan helped Zack to pack the skeleton away while Angela stood there yapping about the case, trying to help everyone to remember it.
After they were don't in the lab, the four of them headed to the couch area to sit and drink some coffee, as it seemed as if it was going to be a long day. Walking slowly as she was multitasking both walking and reading at the same time, Angela pulled Brennan in step with her. With the other two out of earshot, probably arguing about some next things, they started a whispered conversation.
'Do you remember this case?' she asked in a concerned voice. Brennan frowned and gave her friend a confused look.
'Um. Yeah I think so. Why?'
'Do you really remember?' she widened her eyes on the word 'really' causing Brennan to think back. But nothing was coming to her.
'Yeah. Maggie Schilling. Nineteen, died of – what?' she stopped talking abruptly when she saw Angela shaking her head.
'Apart from the case. Well, I guess it did involve the case too, but think, Bren!' she urged.
Brennan had now stopped walking and turned to face her best friend, who had also stopped, leaning against the rails, which overlooked the lab. That was when it hit her. Her eyes grew wide and Angela nodded, realising that they were now on the same wavelength.
'Oh. Oh. Right. What's that got to do with anything?' the initial thought was now gone, and now she wondered why Angela found it so important. Angela rolled her eyes. In the year, she might have changed, but Brennan was still a bit naïve,
'You didn't exactly end on good terms, now did you? How's it gonna be this time, when you see him again?'
'What makes you think that I'll see Michael again?' Brennan queried. Honestly, she didn't know why she was worried, which she was. Probably because of Angela's reaction.
'Oh, c'mon sweetie. That guy had, probably still has, the hots for you. it means he likes you.' she explained as Brennan opened her mouth. 'And how much do you wanna bet that it wasn't him that got this piece of evidence and caused this whole case to open up again?' when she didn't reply, Angela continued. 'Exactly. C'mon Bren, you know that it makes sense.'
Brennan had to hand it to her, it did make sense. And Michael did criticise everything about the case and her findings last time, so maybe he did that same this time. But she had no prove. And Brennan only went with evidence. Well, most of the time.
Before the two women could get the conversation started up again, Brennan noticed out of the corner of her eye, someone else joining their group. Booth was back form wherever he had gone to. He was on the phone, but smiled at Brennan when she turned to see him. Brennan started to make her way to the couch, where Hodgins and Zack were already seated, but Angela pulled on her wrist gently, and hissed.
'This conversation? So not over.' Brennan shook her head as Angela walked in front of her towards the coffee and seating area.
'Hey. Where did you disappear to?' she greeted Booth, who sat next to her on the couch.
'To see someone about the body. I'm guessing Cullen filled you in with the case.' He nodded in the direction of Angela, who still held the case folder. The others all nodded and sighed.
'How long till the body gets here?' Brennan asked.
'Hour. Two tops.' He sat back, arm along the back of the couch, and just around Brennan's shoulders. The rest of the group were used to this, but at first it was a very unusual sight.
'Cullen said that we have to go over everything and get ourselves familiarised with the case. So…' he trailed off, sighing and looking at Angela expectantly. She nodded and started off with the victims profile and other things to reproach their memory.
So was that a good follow up chapter?
Please let me know?
BTW – I luv the luv I got for the first chappie! WHOOO HOOO!
If you repeat it then I might just update tomorrow!
xXx Tiana