(Before The Widow's Son in the Windshield)

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I don't own Bones.

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"Bones come on, Zach has been gone for a few months now. You said you'd go out in the field with me as soon as you'd replaced him." Booth was getting aggravated with his girlfriend and he wasn't sure what to do about it. "How hard can it be to find another squint that specializes in bones?"

Annoyed that Booth couldn't see how hard it was to replace Zach, Brennan huffed. "He's very hard to replace. I have to find someone that I can trust while I'm in the field with you, but so far the candidates have been less than ideal."

Tapping the dining room table with his fist, Booth felt like Brennan was making everything too difficult and it didn't need to be. "I think it's important that you come in the field with me as soon as possible. I was pulled into Deputy Director Bishop's office yesterday afternoon and it wasn't good what he wanted to talk about."

His tone of voice made Brennan look up from her laptop. "I don't know what that means."

Booth wasn't sure how to break the news, but he knew that Brennan wasn't going to take his news very well. "Because I arrested your Dad and you haven't been going out in the field with me . . . well, the higher ups at the Hoover think we might be having relationship troubles and . . . "

"What?" Brennan interrupted her boyfriend and protested vigorously. "That's not true. You were doing your job when you arrested Dad. You didn't have a choice and I don't blame you for doing your job. I can't go into the field with you because I need someone at the Lab. I can't help you investigate and have the bones of the victims properly examined at the same time. I can't be in two places at once. Surely you must see that."

"And they're going to make us see a psychiatrist to see if they need to break up our partnership." He saw the panic in her eyes and he grabbed her hand. "Not us, personally, Bones. Come on, no one can break up our relationship. I'm talking about our partnership at work. They think we're having problems at home and it's affecting work. If you'd go out in the field with me, it might calm the bosses down some and I might be able to put off us having to see the psychiatrist . . . maybe."

Furious, Brennan pulled her hand from Booth's hand and stood up. Moving over to the kitchen doorway, she stood there and stared at her partner. "I don't believe in psychology. It's a soft science and it has no credible data to back up what they say. It's all feelings and guess work. They can't make me see a psychiatrist. I don't work for the FBI."

Not really surprised that Brennan was so angry, Booth remained where he was seated. "Bones, that's true they can't make you see anyone, but I do work for the FBI and I have to do what they say. If you refuse to cooperate they will break up our work partnership and there won't be anything I can do to stop it. They really think Max is the cause of you not working with me right now. No one is buying the intern search thing. No one Bones."

"Not even you?" Brennan stared forlornly at Booth and wondered why he didn't understand that Zach was so hard to replace. "Zach is a genius, Booth. I could trust him to examine remains while I helped you investigate. I have been unable to find anyone I can trust like I trust Zach."

"Do you blame me for Zach going to Iraq?" Booth had not wanted to keep Zach from doing his duty to his country and yet he knew that Brennan was afraid for Zach's safety. He knew that she loved that squint as a younger brother and she had cried the day that Zach had shipped out. He knew he had done the right thing by not interfering, but it was possible that Brennan didn't see it that way at all. "Maybe you don't want to go into the field with me because you blame me for Zach going to Iraq."

A sense of guilt swept through Brennan and she knew that Booth had stumbled upon her real reason she wasn't leaving the Lab. She did blame him, but she had been trying to deal with that. She didn't want it to ruin her relationship with Booth, but she felt that she couldn't work with him while Zach was in danger. It might be unfair to Booth, but she had responsibilities and Booth had not helped the situation at all. "I need to replace Zach, Booth. It's really that simple."

She hadn't answered the question, but Booth knew why. She was angry with him and she was punishing him. "Alright . . . If you don't want to see the psychiatrist then you don't have to. They will break up our team, but I guess if you don't want to work with me then that's okay. It'll be fine." Booth stood up and once more tried to make her understand about her intern. "Bones, Zach wanted to serve his country. I did and I felt proud to do it. Why deprive him of that honor? Why keep him from helping his country when they need him?" Booth moved over to the small table near the door and pulled his SUV keys out of the basket. Turning he gave his girlfriend a sad smile. "Why don't you go see your father today? It's a beautiful Saturday and I'll bet the ride might be nice . . . You haven't seen him for months and I'll bet he'd love to see you." Opening the door, he looked back. "I'm going to go to the Hoover and catch up on some paper work. I'll be back later this afternoon. I'm probably going to stop by the store and do some grocery shopping, you need anything?"

Brennan wanted to stop him and assure Booth that she wasn't angry with him about Zach, but she was a terrible liar and she knew it. "Yes, I could use some toothpaste, thank you."

"You're welcome." Booth knew that for an argument the words they had just exchanged had been pretty benign, but it still hurt him that Brennan was blaming him for something Zach had done. She didn't see the injustice of the situation and for now he would have to live with it. He just hoped she forgave him soon. If he was going to save his working partnership with her, she needed to cooperate at least a little bit.

Once Booth was gone, Brennan sat down on the couch and drew her feet under her. Tears streaming down her face, she felt confused and unsure. Booth could have stopped Zach but he didn't. Brennan worried that Zach would be killed or maimed and that she might never see her intern again. She loved Zach and she didn't want anything to happen to him. On the other hand she loved Booth more than anyone else in her life and didn't want to lose him either. She didn't know how to fix what she felt inside and it made her afraid. It made her very afraid.

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Surprised that his daughter had finally come to see him, Max smiled, but was careful not to try to touch her. He didn't want her storming off like the last time. "Hey Baby, I'm glad you came to see me."

Brennan sat down and crossed her arms against her breasts. "Why did you punch Booth in the groin area when he arrested you the second time?"

"Um, I didn't want to give up too easy." Max could see Brennan was upset, but that punch had happened months ago. "I didn't hurt him did I? I aimed high enough not to hurt him or at least I think I did."

Her day filled with confusion and fear, Brennan shook her head. "You turned yourself in the first time and resisted the second time . . . why?"

Max shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I'm independent and a maverick. I didn't want to go down without a fight. You know I made sure it was Booth that arrested me the first time. I knew I could count on him getting me to the Hoover without any accidents. I was wanted for murder and I was afraid some trigger happy rookie would shoot me if they caught me. It had to be Booth . . . I didn't hurt him did I? I didn't mean to if I did."

"You could have caused an avulsion fracture or avascular necrosis." Brennan felt that Max was showing a very cavalier attitude about what could have happened. "As it is he just suffered from a contusion, but that is beside the point. He was just doing his job. You hurt him and all he was doing was his job."

He knew that he needed to be careful how he answered, so Max kept a very solemn look on his face. "Look, I'm sorry, Tempe. I didn't think at the time, I just reacted."

"That's your problem, Max. You seem to just react to a lot of things without thinking of all the ramifications." Brennan stood up. "Booth is a good man. He does his job and he tries to be fair and honest while he's doing it. He believes everyone should get a second chance when they make mistakes, even serious ones and he's been encouraging me to come and see you . . . He is a good man, a trustworthy man." Her own words resonated within her and Brennan suddenly knew how to fix her internal struggle. "I have to leave. I'll come by and see you next week."

"But Tempe, you just got here." Max helplessly watched his daughter leave and knew that getting her to forgive him was going to be a huge uphill battle. He would have to do it cautiously, but he hoped he would win her trust back some day.

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Loaded down with grocery sacks, Booth entered the apartment and kicked the door closed behind him. Carrying them into the kitchen, he noticed that there were pots on the stove and a wonderful aroma filled air. After he emptied the bags and put up most of the groceries, he carried the tube of toothpaste Brennan had wanted to the bedroom intending to leave the tube in their bathroom. As he moved through the bedroom, he heard water splashing and knew that Brennan was taking a bath. "Hey Bones, here's your toothpaste."

Pleased to see her boyfriend, Brennan turned and smiled at him. "Would you like to join me for a bath?"

Surprised at the warm welcome, Booth smiled. "Well yeah if you want me to."

"I want you to." Brennan watched Booth slip out of his shoes and start to undress. "I was angry with you Booth about Zach, but I've realized that you really couldn't be anyone but yourself. You love our country and you're proud you served in the Rangers. You want that honor for Zach too . . . I'm still afraid that something is going to happen to Zach, but it was his decision to go not yours and if something does happen, it won't be your fault."

His day suddenly better, Booth hurriedly stepped out of his jeans and slipped off his boxers. "Thanks Bones . . . I . . . thanks." As he approached the tub, Booth felt a weight lift from his shoulders. "Are you willing to see the psychiatrist? We still need to see him if you want to be my work partner."

Once Booth was in the tub with her, Brennan leaned back and pulled his arms across her waist. "I don't seem to have a choice, so I will. I do it under protest, but perhaps the bosses at the Hoover will be appeased."

Pulling her against his body, Booth sighed. "We'll get through this mess, Bones. We always do."

"You're a good man, Booth." Brennan felt that he needed to hear those words and she was determined to say them often. "And I love you."

"I love you too Bones." Booth loved the feel of her naked body pressed against his. Her skin was so soft and smooth and he loved the way he reacted when he touched her. "Should we worry about the stuff cooking in the kitchen?"

Brennan laughed. "No, everything is fine for now. I think we have time to make love, don't you?"

Her laugh welcome, Booth grinned. "Definitely."

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