(The Death of the Queen Bee)

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I don't own Bones.

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Brennan's classmates infuriated Booth. Their little sarcastic remarks and snideness about her social awkwardness and her creepiness made him want to strike out and hit someone. And when he heard them call her Morticia, their nickname for her, it just made him want revenge. He knew that Brennan was hurt by her classmates' callousness even if she pretended to him that she didn't care, but he could see it in her face. He cared and he was going to do something about it. He had struggled to think of a way to put them in their place and he saw a way after Julia Coyle had flirted with him as well as Sheriff Becky Conway.

Booth knew he was good looking and because of it, he was the object of flirting all the time. As a rule, he ignored it unless it got aggressive then he usually informed the person doing the flirting that he was taken. As a rule, that stopped it for good. Glares by Brennan if she was around being another way to stop it. Those were Booth's favorite moments. Who didn't like it when the one they loved showed a streak of jealousy? God knew he was guilty of that too.

They arrived at the school gym where the reunion was being held and Booth immediately grasped his girlfriend's hand as they entered. Brennan was used to Booth wanting to hold her hand occasionally when they walked, so she wasn't surprised this time. She glanced at him and smiled appreciating his company. She hadn't really wanted to come to the reunion, but they were investigating a murder and apparently it was tied to a murder that occurred when she was in high school. She just hoped they solved this one quickly so she could leave Burtonsville. The place had too many bad connotations and she had never planned to come back. Her job forced her to confront her past and she had found it just as unpleasant as she remembered it.

Determined to show Brennan's classmates that they were a bunch of classless bums, he decided to show as much attention to her as possible. Of course, Booth still had to investigate a murder, so he knew that was going to be tricky. He considered himself a pretty good actor, so he was sure that he could play the attentive boyfriend to the hilt and still do his job. He also decided not to tell Brennan what he was up to. She deserved to be treated with respect and like a queen and he didn't want her to think he was just being attentive because he was acting. He loved her and he wanted to erase the bad memories she had about her high school experience. He knew that wasn't really possible, but he could replace some of the memories with better ones.

"Bones you want some punch and cake?" He pointed at the food laden table and smiled. "Grab a table and we'll keep an eye on these characters while we have some dessert."

Brennan wasn't really hungry, but she understood that Booth wanted a central table that they could use it as an observation post. "Yes, of course." While he retrieved some cake and punch she commandeered a table across from the stage. It had the advantage of being in the center and it gave them a strategic view of the entire gym. As she sat down, one of her former classmates walked over to the table and leaned on the empty chair. "So, you decided to come? I'd have thought a hot shot author like you would wouldn't want to slum with us peons."

Not sure what his last sentence meant, Brennan assumed it was a crack about how famous and wealthy she was. "Wasn't everyone in our class invited? Was there an exception for famous authors?"

Not sure what to say, Bill Keppler shook his head. "You weren't too much when you were a kid you know? A foster kid . . . no parents, no boyfriends. You were a looker, but still most of us knew who you were . . . what you were."

"What? Brilliant, intelligent, beautiful, a woman with a bright future?" Booth moved around Bill and placed the cake and punch on the table. Once that was done, he faced Brennan's classmate. "Listen Sport . . . what do you do for a living?"

"I sell insurance." Bill was proud of the fact that he had his own agency. "I'm the top seller in this district."

Amused, Booth moved the empty chair away from the table and smiled. "Considering Burtonsville is the county seat doesn't say very much does it? Dr. Brennan is the best anthropologist in the world. The world. Get that?"

Sniffing, Bill shook his head. "So what? This is America. We don't bow to anyone. No one is better than me not even her."

Brennan pulled her piece of cake towards her. "Perhaps not and yet you were bragging about being the best at selling insurance. If you were trying to impress me, you were not successful. I do have more money than you do . . . You see I can brag too." Booth had told her to bring up how successful she was to her classmates, but she wasn't sure how. "If that doesn't impress you perhaps the fact that I work at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C. might sound more impressive because it is."

Just to make sure that Bill understood his position in life, Booth took a step closer to the fellow. "Maybe this will impress you, the Egyptian government awarded Temperance a medal for work she did for their government and they threw a huge party for her at the Jeffersonian. The Vice President of our country showed up to honor her too. Pretty cool, right?"

Since there was no way he could top anything Brennan had done, Bill growled. "So what? Who cares?"

Booth sat down and placed his hand over Brennan's hand. "I do. She's perfect. Just perfect."

Disgusted, Bill stalked away. "I hate fucking reunions."

Just to make sure that her classmates understood what a prize Brennan was, Booth pulled her hand up and kissed it. "Bones, you make me so proud."

Flattered, Brennan smiled. "Thank you. You make me proud too." When her partner released her hand, she picked up her fork. "Bill was the captain of the football team. He never liked me."

"Bill was an idiot. He's probably a big fish in this ridiculous little pond." Booth spoke loud enough for nearby classmates to hear him. "Well, he can stay here and think a lot of himself, but we both know who the real success of Burtonsville High School is. You're the star here, Bones."

She agreed, but decided to show a modicum of modesty. Angela had told her in the past that it was the right thing to do when dealing with people that weren't as famous as she was. "I don't know about being a star, but I am the best anthropologist here and I have sold a lot of books."

He laughed. Booth loved Brennan's lack of modesty. He knew she wasn't joking or trying to be witty. She was merely stating a fact and that made it priceless. "You are indeed."

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As a rule, when they danced in public, Booth tried to be modest in how he held Brennan near him. He believed in respect for himself and for others, but Brennan's classmates were so obnoxious and certain that they were better than his girlfriend despite her success that he wanted to be sure that they knew that she was loved and adored. Once they were on the dance floor and a slow song began, Booth pulled her against his body and made sure his hands hovered over her hips. They moved slowly and Booth kissed her more than once, pleased to see Brennan's smiles. "Maybe we should go to my reunion sometime."

Her arms around Booth's back, her head resting on his shoulder, Brennan enjoyed their dance. "Perhaps we should." As the evening had progressed, Brennan had heard less snide comments from her classmates and eventually they had stopped talking to her. That had been fine with her. Her colleagues at the Lab were working diligently to point them to the murderer and she knew it was just a matter of time before they could wrap up their case and leave. "Even though we are working, I have enjoyed my reunion. I didn't go to my prom . . . No one asked me."

His anger spiking, Booth glanced around at the dancers on the floor and realized that he needed to keep his temper in check. "Yeah, well, this school is shit, Bones. They didn't know class when they saw it, but I do." He kissed her and she returned the kiss. Though soft and gentle, many of Brennan's classmates realized that the man that she was with loved her very much and not all of them could say they had the same luck in life.

Brennan's phone rang and interrupted their moment. Once the call was done, Brennan spoke into Booth's ear. "A metal star like the ones dangling overheard was the murder weapon." That was all they needed to close the case. Soon Julia Coyle was under arrest for murder and Brennan could finally leave Burtonsville.

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Unpacking their clothes, Booth carried their dirty clothes to the laundry room, started a load of white clothes and came back into the bedroom with a bottle of beer for himself and his girlfriend. Once she had her bottle, he sat on the chair near the closet and uncapped his bottle. "I'm sorry you had to go to a school like that Bones."

"I was a foster kid and most kids with families don't like foster kids. They consider them to be trash." Her time in foster care had given her a view of what society was like when you were defenseless and unloved. "I learned that I had to work hard if I wanted to get what I wanted since there was no one that would help me. I think it made me more competitive and willing to take risks . . . I had no intention of ever going back, but perhaps it's a good thing I did. My classmates got to see that just because someone is a foster child doesn't mean they will grow up to be losers."

"Well, you showed them that's for sure." Booth had hated every one of Brennan's classmates. "It killed them that you're famous and that you're the best in your field. You had the best revenge and I loved it."

She didn't want to admit it, but she loved it too. "It seems petty, but I loved it too. They were terrible classmates and I'm glad to be away from Burtonsville. I never plan to go back. They are the past. I have a good life, friends and family and I have you. I am very successful."

Booth sipped his beer and placed the bottle on his lap. "Tops in your field, famous author and you have the best boyfriend. You made it to the big time Bones." He was teasing her, but he also meant every word. Brennan had overcome a bad childhood and she was the finest person he had ever known. "You deserve everything that you've got because you worked hard for it. No one handed you anything. You did it on your own and that is so in your face to all those losers that didn't want to help you when you needed the help . . . You made your own family and we all love you."

She was proud of her accomplishments, but she loved the fact that she did have a family. "You are my family Booth. You showed me that love was possible and you didn't ask me to change anything about myself to get your love. You made me part of your family and I made you part of mine. You've helped me more than you might realize. Your love has helped me understand that I can trust you and that was no small accomplishment. You will always be my family. Always."

Filled with pride and love, Booth raised his beer bottle. "Here's to us and to hell with Burtonsville High School."

"To hell with Burtonsville High School." Brennan opened her bottle of beer and swallowed some of it. "And to hell with my classmates . . . Of course, I don't really believe in hell, but I do like the sentiment very much."

He laughed. He loved her honest to God quirky sense of humor.

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