(After The Pain in the Heart)

Thank you for your continued interest in my story.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Brennan wasn't without an intern for long. When Zach had come back from Iraq, Clark Edison had been offered a position as Cam's intern at the Lab, but he had declined. He wasn't interested in working with flesh and blood that much. He was a bones man and his first love was forensic anthropology. Uncertain if there would ever be an opening as an intern with Dr. Brennan, Clark decided to accept a job in Chicago and continue his education there.

Working as an intern for a forensic anthropologist that Clark considered second rate, he was more than happy to give notice and transfer back to Washington D.C to work as Brennan's intern when an offer was made. Once he arrived, Clark was informed that he wasn't going to be the only intern working under Dr. Brennan, but Clark didn't really care. He had a doctorate in forensic anthropology and he was merely adding to his field of expertise. Clark was continuing his education by studying for a degree in archeology to give himself a better leg up in the field he loved. He knew that Dr. Brennan had multiple degrees and he hoped to follow in her footsteps, someday taking over the title of best forensic anthropologist in the country.

His first case with Dr. Brennan had been a rather easy one and rather surprising. The case had been that of the murder of a police chief in Roanoke, Virginia and the Lab had been brought in to expedite the investigation. Clark had quickly found cause of death which pleased both Brennan and Booth. After that the case quickly came to a conclusion and the police chief's cousin had been arrested for murder. The Chief had had an affair with his cousin's wife and that had led to his demise. All in all a satisfactory case and Clark thought it was a good portent of things to come.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in the Founding Fathers, Booth and Brennan were celebrating the successful close of their case. "Cheers Bones, another case closed and in record time."

"This was an easy one." Brennan sipped her beer and placed the bottle down on the table. "It seems like a foolish waste of resources to bring us in for this case. The local coroner could have handled this case very easily."

Booth agreed, but it was another successful case for them, so he wasn't going to complain. "Politics Bones. The coroner was a political enemy of Chief Bennett and that made some people in high places very nervous. It's okay though. We did the job and now we can move on when the next case comes up. It's a check in the win column for us and our team."

It was logical and Brennan appreciated Booth's explanation. "Yes, I see your point . . . Clark did a satisfactory job."

Her voice had dropped in volume and had tightened which Booth couldn't help but notice. "You still miss Zach?"

"Yes." Brennan sighed and picked up her beer bottle. "I visited him this morning before I went to work . . . He seems to be doing fine."

Still angry that Zach had betrayed them, Booth knew that his anger wouldn't impress his girlfriend since she had already forgiven her intern. "He's where he needs to be. He'd never make it in prison. Caroline did him a favor putting him in that place."

"Yes, you're right." After she sipped some of her beer, Brennan placed the bottle back down. "For now, Dr. Edison will be my only intern, but once the fall semester begins, I will add a few interns into a rotation. I don't wish to rely upon one intern anymore. It would be best if I trained several at a time."

Booth knew that Brennan never wanted to become attached to another intern again and he felt sad that she was doing that to protect herself. He knew she felt things deeply even if she couldn't admit that to him or anyone else. She had trouble understanding her feelings sometimes and Zach's betrayal had confused her and hurt more than she wanted to admit. "Sounds good. Hopefully you'll get more solid guys like Clark. He's pretty serious, but he looks like he's going to be a good team player."

"Perhaps." Brennan finished her beer and dipped her fingers in the bowl of peanuts sitting in front of her. "He doesn't like frivolity which Hodgins finds annoying, but perhaps a little more decorum at the Lab is needed."

Since he only cared about results, Booth hoped all the new interns were on their toes and prepared to help him solve crimes. "Hodgins could use some restraint. That last experiment he did ruined my jacket and pants. He should have told me he was going to do it before he did it. He just lets me walk in the room and boom, shit all over my jacket and pants and I smelled like a damn sewer." Booth shuddered at the reminder. "At least he paid me for a new suit, still . . . from now on I'm not going into the experiment room unless he swears it's safe, the idiot."

Amused, Brennan placed her hand over her mouth so her boyfriend couldn't see her smile.

Aware that Brennan had thought the whole thing had been funny and laughed when he'd been covered in human waste, Booth glared at her and shook his head. "It wasn't funny."

Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "It was a little bit funny. You weren't the only one covered in excrement. Hodgins and Cam were also speckled with feces. Cam's new dress had to be replaced too, plus she made Hodgins pay for a day at the spa and a trip to her beautician."

"Speckled?' Booth complained bitterly. "I was doused not speckled. I almost threw up, damn it."

Not really interested in arguing with her boyfriend, Brennan reached across the table and covered his hand with her hand. "I'd like to go home, Booth. As part of our celebration, we need to have a few rounds of intercourse to end our day."

His anger quickly forgotten, Booth stood up, fished some money out of his wallet and threw it on the table. "If that's what you want then I'm more than willing, Bones. Let's go home."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The living room was semi-dark and silent, but that was fine with Booth. Brennan was asleep in the next room and since he couldn't sleep, he had moved into the living room. Sipping from a glass of Scotch, Booth thought about how much he and Brennan had gone through lately and he realized they needed a real vacation. Parker was supposed to be with him for two weeks in July and Booth planned to talk Brennan into going somewhere for vacation. At this point he didn't care where they went as long as it was away from the District.

Brennan was having more nightmares than she normally had and that worried Booth. He wasn't sure if they were about him being shot or them being blown up in the taxi or if it was Zach's betrayal. Hell it could have been about her father being on trial or her time in foster care, but his girlfriend always claimed she didn't remember her dreams and he couldn't very well call her a liar. Booth was afraid she was under too much pressure right now and a vacation would help her relax.

His Scotch finished, Booth carried the empty glass into the kitchen and placed it in the dish washer. When he reentered the living room, he found Brennan standing in the bedroom doorway staring at him.

"You were gone." When she had awoke, Brennan had momentarily panicked when she found herself alone. She had to remind herself that Booth wasn't dead or being kept away from her by the Bureau. He was fine and he was probably getting a snack. Finding her nightgown on the floor, she had slipped it on and soon found her boyfriend. "Can't you sleep?"

"Nah, I don't know why. You'd think I'd be tired, but I'm not." Booth moved over to where Brennan was standing and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Did you have another nightmare?"

Her arms moved around Booth's chest and she leaned her head against him. "No, I just woke up and I realized you weren't in bed with me . . . when you were gone for those two weeks, I discovered that I don't like to sleep alone."

Booth had hated their two weeks separation too. As his arms moved around her shoulders, he stared at the glass daffodil on the book shelf next to him. "I hate it too." They stood quietly and enjoyed the comfort they felt in the arms of their lover. After a while, Booth released Brennan and took her hand in his hand. "Come on, it's late and we have to go to work in the morning."

As she followed him into the bedroom, Brennan realized that her world was better because Booth was in it. When her world was chaotic, he helped her to organize the chaos and understand what was going on. She hated to think how sad her situation would be if she were alone and had to deal with Zach being in a mental hospital for the rest of his life. Zach had been very close to her, closer than her brother and now he was gone. Not permanently of course. She could visit Zach whenever she wanted to, but for all intents and purposes her intern was gone from her life and Booth understood. He understood her sadness and he was a real comfort to her. "I love you Booth."

As he moved onto the bed, Booth turned on his back and opened his arms, inviting her to join him. "I love you too, Bones. Come to bed, we need to get some sleep."

After she was settled in their bed, part of her draped across her lover's body, Brennan closed her eyes and sighed. "I think we need to go on vacation, Booth. We need to get away for a while from the bedlam."

"Like minds thinks alike, Bones." Booth smiled. "I was thinking the same thing a little while ago. We can take Parker with us and have a real family vacation."

"That sounds wonderful." And Brennan meant that. She loved her step-son and she enjoyed the boy's company.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

Note: yes Parker is not really Brennan's step-son since she and Booth aren't married, but for all intents and purposes, she thinks of the boy as her step-son.