Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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While many have chosen place Brennan in Guatemala for her undergrad work I have decided to place her in Africa. While the war is fictional the information on each tribe is factual. I love the feeling, the color, and the music. So please enjoy.

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Chapter 7 Late Friday Evening

"Bones, I have always wondered was it your undergrad work in Guatemala that gives you the ability to deal with what we see today. All the goop, blood and gore? Cause I gotta say sometimes it gets to me and I've seen at lot of ugly stuff."

"No Booth actually my first undergrad dig was in Africa. It was pretty ugly. I was trapped between a tribal war with the Chagga and the Massi. At the time it became such a cultural clash that travel to the area was banned for Americans. However at the time I was already there."

"This was my first dig site and I was new and excited. I did not know what to expect, but it was not what I got. When we arrived in Africa we were taken to the site. It was a Taita also known the Chagga burial site. When a Chagga died, they were buried. After a period of approximately one year the body would be exhumed and the skull severed from the rest of the body then taken to a sacred cave. This cave was their proper abode with the ancestors. One such cave and burial ground and been uncovered and the Government had asked us to try and match the heads with the bodies. There were so many skulls and so many bodies and so few of us. I was overwhelmed from the beginning. My Professor was of no help. Every day he would set out a set of remains and then some skulls. 'Match them as quickly as you can. Close as many you can'. I asked about accuracy, his comment was the government just wanted it cleaned up. So just put them together like a puzzle."

Booth interjected, "I can already see he is not on your Christmas card list." At her look of confusion he continued "he's not someone you like and continue to correspond with."

"Not in the least. We were not told by the government a war was breaking out between the Tatia and the Maasai. The Maasai are largely a nomadic tribe and the Tatia's were taking their grazing land away. For some reason the Maasai thought if they interrupted the dig, it would cause the Gods of the Tatia to forsake them. Bad things would happen to the Tatia and they would leave them alone. The Maasai decided to sneak into our camp one night and kidnap three of us. They took Jenny Cline a third year, John Camp a second and me. We were taken out into the African desert by a group of people we did not understand and had no way to communicate with. We were lost, sacred and alone."

He could see remembering this was hard on her, but they had decided to erase all the hurt from their past and fill it with light, so he held her closer and waited for her to go on.

"We were herded with the cattle from one watering hole to the next. It was summer and hot as only the desert can be with no shade. I tried to keep track of our path but after a few days with little water and less food it became impossible. First it was Jenny who became too weak. I tried to get help for her, but either they didn't understand or didn't want to."

Now she was pulling away from him forcefully. He allowed her to make a small space between them but kept a tight hold of her hand. "After about a week she died. They left her there in the desert for scavengers. They left her like so much dead cattle. After Jenny died, John just seemed to turn inward and began to get weaker. There was nothing I could do. He stopped eating and drinking like he had nothing to live for and the desert took him too. About one month after we were taken, a government man found me and was able to get me out of the tribe and returned to Nairobi and the American Consulate. The professor and his crew? They had left as soon as we were taken, afraid they might be next."

"Bones, some men are not meant to protect anyone other than themselves. It isn't right, but it is a fact. I'm sorry your friends died like that. It could not have been easy for you to see, but you survived,"

"Booth, you survived so many horrible things in your life have you ever asked why did I survive? Why me? What was so special about me?"

"Everyday Bones, but I have come to an answer that works for me and gives me solace. It is trite and often over used but that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger, and the greatest gift from gamblers anonymous, God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

They each sat deep in thought. Again a new fold had been shared in the fabric that was becoming their lives. It was enough to sit and hold each other.

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The inspiration for this chapter came from all the rich African Tribal music I love; they have only the music handed down from generation to generation to share with the world.