(The Boy with the Answer)

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I don't own Bones.

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The trial had been Brennan's worst nightmare. A brilliant defendant with a high IQ and no social conscious. Taffet had kidnapped adults and children in a bid to obtain money from loved ones desperate to get their family members back. Some of those victims had died because their family couldn't come up with the money in time. She was a great lawyer and her abilities in the courtroom had never been questioned. They had all had to work hard to convict the Gravedigger and Caroline had proven why she was considered one of the best prosecutors in the District.

"I'm so tired, Booth." She had never felt like this before. Normally, once a trial was over, she could overlook the courtroom antics, the lying, the innuendo, but Taffet had targeted her during the trial, trying to undermine her confidence and the Gravedigger had succeeded. "I'm tired of working on murders, testifying in trials, confronting lawyers who try to make the jury believe that science shouldn't be trusted. I'm tired of worrying about whether or not a murderer is going to walk free because most people on juries have no idea how real science works and let themselves be swayed by someone with charm and a sense of humor. Taffet could have easily got away with murder, Booth . . . she tried to kill you and me and Hodgins. She almost separated us permanently . . . I'm just so tired."

It worried him during the trial that Brennan had been targeted during the trial, not because she had been the weakest link, but because she was the strongest one. Taffet had known that if she could destroy Brennan's confidence, she could convince the jury that the trial had been a vendetta and that she was innocent. During the trial, Booth had tried to backup everyone and he had been surprised that Brennan had been the one he had to worry the most about. Taffet had used psychology against Brennan and it had almost worked and that infuriated and worried Booth. "Look Bones, this trial was rough I know that. I think we need to get away. Go somewhere quiet and recharge our batteries. Remember that cabin I told you about? The one my friend owns? I talked to him yesterday and he says we can use it right now. We can drive up to Pennsylvania, stay for a week and just get this trial out of our system."

She didn't know what she wanted to do, but getting away might help her decide what she wanted to do about her future. She needed to think about what she wanted in life and whether working for the FBI should be part of it. "Alright. We can go at the end of the week. I have a few things I need to finish and I'm sure you'll need to do the same . . . what about Parker? He's supposed to be with us next weekend."

"We can take him with us." He hoped he was making the right decision. "The cabin has two bedrooms, so it should be okay. The place isn't too rustic. There are solar panels on the roof, so we'll have some electricity. Bob says there's a fridge and the stove works on propane. I have to bring up a propane tank and hook it up, but we should be comfortable. . . Oh and it has a compost toilet, whatever the hell that is. The weather is nice and Bob says there's a small lake near the cabin. We can walk there in about fifteen minutes."

"It sounds nice, Booth." She needed some peace. "Perhaps I can use some of the time to walk by myself. I think I need a little solitude."

"Sure, Parker and I can do stuff while you do your thing. Not a problem." He felt sad that he couldn't help his girlfriend out of her funk, but he understood the need for solitude. Sometimes he needed it himself.

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The cabin was soundly built. There were glass paned windows in each room that could be opened to allow a breeze in when needed. Each window was screened to keep the bugs out. The building was surrounded by trees, but enough sunlight hit the solar panels on the roof during the day to keep the fridge going. They had electric lights in each room and portable fans were available if it got too hot. There was a propane heater that could be used if the nights got too cold, but Booth wasn't worried about that since it was late Spring. It was more than likely they would be using the fans in the afternoon, but it looked like they had chosen a good time to use the cabin.

There was a front and back porch and the propane hookups for the stove and heater were on the back porch. Booth swapped out the propane tank and left the empty one on the back porch. He'd carry it back in his truck when they left. After he had finished swapping out the tanks he scanned the backyard and noticed a picnic table sitting under a large oak tree. There was a brick outdoor grill about six feet from the table and everything was fairly neat. Bob had wired a basketball hoop on a wild cherry tree towards the back of the property and there was a brick floor laid out under the hoop to allow dribbling. There was a shed located next to the cabin that contained amongst other things, a lawn mower.

The front yard contained a gravel covered parking space for four vehicles. As soon as the luggage was hauled into the house, Booth had asked Parker to go out and pick up any sticks and branches on the ground and dump them in the wood pile next to outdoor grill. He prepared the mower and mowed the lawn while Brennan went for a walk.

Sooner than she had expected, she was far enough down the trail leading to the lake that she could no longer hear the mower. The sound of the birds flitting through the trees was delightful and a few squirrels barked at her letting their fellows know that there was a stranger amongst them. After fifteen minutes of casual walking, she found the lake and thought it was picturesque. Much to her delight, there was a small pavilion next to the lake. Under the roof, she found four wooden chairs and a large plastic box in a corner. When she opened it, she found chair cushions, a container of wipes and a plastic bag filled with beach towels. Taking one of the cushions, she placed it on the chair facing the lake and sat down.

The sunlight dappled on the water and occasionally a fish would break the surface of the water attacking insects. There was a cool breeze coming from across the lake and she felt comfortable as she enjoyed the quiet retreat.

Booth finished mowing the yard, put the mower up and went inside the cabin. Once he retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge, he walked out the front door and found Parker sitting on the porch, reading. "Hey Sport, want to play basketball?"

"Sure Dad." Placing the book in the cabin, he followed his father out into the back yard. The basketball had been in the shed with the mower and Booth had placed it on the ground under the hoop. "This place is pretty cool, but it's kind of quiet. We don't have a TV."

Leaning over and picking up the ball, Booth glanced at his son. "That's the point. We're in the woods. I don't think we could get a signal out here anyway." Throwing the ball through the basket, he let Parker run over and grab the ball. "There's some baseballs and gloves in the shed and I saw some horse shoes and a couple of spikes. My bedroom has a shelf with board games on it, so we can play those and there's a bookshelf with a bunch of paperbacks, so we can always read. We can go swimming in the lake." He watched the boy do a free throw and make it. "Hey a good one."

Bouncing the ball on the brick floor, Parker stared at it while he spoke. "What's wrong with Bones? She seems sad . . . Did she want to come up here without me? I wouldn't have minded if you wanted me to stay home."

Booth reached out and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "No Parker this isn't about you or me. The trial we just went through was pretty tough on her and she's just tired. She missed some sleep while the trial was going on and she just couldn't catch up. That's why we're up here. She needs some peace and quiet. I told her that while we're here she can have all the solitude she wants and we'll just hang out, you and me. She loves you Parker and she wants you here with us. She just needs some alone time right now."

Relieved, Parker turned and threw the ball at the hoop and missed. Running after the ball, the boy threw it at his father who made a basket. "I'll try to be quiet when she's around, Dad."

"No, that's okay." Booth appreciated that Parker wanted to help Brennan. "You be you and I'll be me. If she wants to be alone she can go for a walk or tell us to go for a walk. We'll work it out. It's okay. I brought some fishing poles, so we can go fishing. We're going to be here a week, since this is part of your summer vacation. Your Mom is letting me split it up, so we can go on vacation somewhere later this summer. In the meantime, we should be able to do some fun stuff this week. If you think of something you want to do, let me know and I'll see if we can do it."

"Thanks Dad." Parker picked up the ball that had rolled near his feet. "I'm sorry Bones is sad . . . I wish I could help her."

Booth smiled at his son. "Thanks Bud. We're here for her if she needs us. We just need to give her some space." I wish I could help her too, but I think she doesn't want my help. "Hey, this evening I'm going to barbeque. I think we'll have some grilled chicken and corn. How does that sound?"

"Good Dad." He thought about it for second. "Can we have a salad too?"

Surprised, Booth stared at his son and wondered where that idea had come from. "Sure."

Parker confided to his father. "Mom made me promise to eat vegetables and salad. She's worried I'll just eat junk while we're up here . . . I told her you make me eat vegetables, but I don't think she believes me."

Not really surprised, Booth shrugged his shoulders. "Your Mom is just worried about you, Parker." As if I'd feed my son just junk food, the bitch. "We'll have salad every night, so you can you tell your Mom you kept your promise."

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Relaxed, Brennan walked back to the cabin and found Booth and Parker setting up the picnic table for dinner. Some delicious aromas were coming from the barbecue pit and there was a bowl of salad in the middle of the table with bottles of French and Italian dressing sitting next to the salad bowl. "It smells wonderful, Booth."

Booth turned and smiled at his girlfriend "I have chicken, zucchini and eggplant grilling and we have salad. I was going to do corn, but I don't want the eggplant to go bad since it was sitting in our fridge for a few days before we brought it with us."

"Good idea." Brennan loved grilled eggplant brushed with olive oil and a little parmesan cheese. She sat down at the table and poured a glass of tea from the pitcher sitting in front of her. "I found the lake. It's very nice. There is a pavilion next to it and there are chairs."

"Sounds great." Booth liked the sound of the pavilion. "What do you want to do tonight? We can play board games, but if you want some more solitude, Parker and I can stay out here and play while you relax in the cabin."

For some reason, Brennan suddenly felt emotional. "Booth, I'm not trying to avoid you . . . I know you think that's what I want, but it isn't. I just need some space, but not all of the time."

Booth sat down next to Brennan and placed his arm around her shoulders. "It's okay, Bones. We're up here to relax. You tell me when you want some space and we'll go with it. I want you to do what you want to do. That trial was a mess and Taffet did her best to make it about you and me, but it didn't work. She didn't fool anyone . . . She got what she deserved and that's the end of it. You want to get away from that stuff and we are. This week is about peace and quiet, space and communing with nature." Booth glanced at his son who was throwing the basketball at the hoop while he waited for dinner. "And if you want something else from me, you let me know. If you don't that's okay too."

Amused, Brennan turned and kissed Booth's cheek. "Well, if I do want something else, you're just the one I want it from . . . we are talking about sex aren't we?"

"Yes, that's what we're talking about." Booth was trying to be cautious around his son, but he was dealing with Brennan. "I just didn't want to say it loud enough for Parker to hear."

Brennan glanced at the boy. "I don't think he can hear us . . . you know he knows about sex, don't you? He told me that his mother talked to him about reproduction a few months ago."

Embarrassed, Booth blew air out from inflated cheeks. Of course she did. "That's fine and all, but I don't want to talk about sex around Parker. He's still a little kid."

Brennan knew that Booth had certain topics he wouldn't talk about in public and specifically around his son. "Fine, we'll talk about sex when we're alone. Perhaps we'll talk a lot about sex while we are actually having sex. We'll see."

"Okay." Booth knew he had pushed one of Brennan's buttons and she was going to tease him about it when she could. "Maybe we'll be too busy to talk about sex. Hm?"

She laughed. Her boyfriend made her laugh when she needed it and it was one of the many reasons she loved him.

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