"As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think."

Toni Morrison

She sunk. It seemed that she had been doing a lot of sinking recently. This time, however, she was at the bottom of her shower stall, knees to her forehead, thick black hair streaking down her back and being pulled with the flow of the water to the drain.

Bon Jovi was turned up just loud enough that her sobs weren't heard on the other side of the bathroom door.

"Hun." Eric knocked a few times on the door. He was fastening a navy blue tie to his uniform. He knocked again. "Cam!"

She cleared her throat. "What?"

"I'm headin' out. See ya tonight?"

"Yeah."

The distance between the two was painfully clear at moments like these. With Cam naked and sitting on the floor of her shower, asserting that she was OK and that she did not want his comfort.

Eric shook his head in silence. "I'm dating Sunshine Bear." He snatched his holster and radio before walking out of the apartment. He locked up behind himself and immediately almost ran into a leggy young woman. "Cheryl."

"Eric... lookin' good." She smiled flirtatiously.

"You, too." He nodded at her, then jogged down the stairs. Cheryl stayed just long enough to see him disappear out of the building.

Cam reached for the water, turning the handle until it was only a drip. She wrapped a towel around herself, tying it between her breasts, then sat on the toilet seat. "Get it together."

Somehow she wondered how much longer it would take before things actually fell together the way she wanted.

*

The wind blew hair into her eyes. She pulled it back quickly into a pony tail, wound it around, then pinned it into a chignon. She had done that so many times that it was second nature. No need for a mirror.

She squatted beside the body.

"That's just..." Her partner swallowed hard, pushing back bile. Cam looked up. She'd never seen Tom look so... green. "I mean.... what in the hell happened to that guy? Looks like someone ran him over with a steam-roller."

"Yeah, well, when we track down Minnie Mouse, I'll use water torture until she tells us where Mickey's lair is."

"Good one, Cam. Listen, you mind if I--"

"Go..." Cam said. She rolled her eyes and watched until Tom was out of sight. He reached the top of the hill just as a black SUV pulled up.

Cam looked back down at the body. It definitely looked like a steam roller had run over the guy.

Little pebbles tumbled down the hill and began to pummel her Wellcos. She looked up and watched as a suited man walked down the hill.

"Woah, what in the hell happened to that guy?"

"That's what my partner asked. I think we've narrowed it down to a steam roller or a giant rolling pin." Cam smiled. "See where your tax dollars are going? Aren't you glad we're on the case? Well, were, now it's all yours, Agent--."

"Booth. And I'll make sure all of the giant rolling pins are rounded up. Just for you, Officer--" He read her name tag. "Saroyan."

"Ah. He's cute and he reads minds. Now I see why my boss sent for him."

Booth shrugged. "I had my palm read once. I still want my money back."

Cam brushed off her slacks. "Bad experience?"

"No... I was drunk as hell, so I don't remember a thing and a week later I had a weird skin infection--"

"Please. Don't go on. I haven't had lunch."

"And yet you were just standing over Aunt Jemima and not a flinch."

"What can I say? I'm just a girl who likes corpses."

Booth laughed. "Well... Guess we should get this--whatever it is-- back to... where ever it should go."

Booth's partner slid behind him and stopped beside Cam. "Wow. That's the nastiest thing I've ever seen and I've seen a lot of nasty things since working Homicide." He held a handkerchief over his nose.

"This is my partner, Special Agent Grieves. Kink, this is Officer Saroyan--"

"What, no clever nickname for her yet?"

"Hey, give me some credit. I don't nickname people 'til I've known them for a while--" Booth shined his charm smile Cam's way.

"You nickname me and you'll lose an inch. And I'm not talking about your height."

Kink sucked air through his teeth. "Don't mess with her, Seels."

"Seels?" Cam asked.

"It's short for Seeley, but you can call me Booth... and what's Officer short for?"

Cam smiled. "Cam, but you can call me Cam."

"Short for Camille?"

"Don't call me Camille." Cam's smile disappeared. Enough with the light flirting. She trudged up the hill.

"See ya later, Camille."

"See you later, Seeley."

Kink sucked in another breath then whispered to Booth, "Yowch. Right between the legs."

"Watch it, Kink."

Kink sunk to his haunches. He grimaced. "Should we ship it to the freaks at the Jeffersonian?"

"Can't imagine they'd get anything out of that."

"Yeah, but... they've got computers and stuff, right?"

Booth shrugged. He looked back up the hill. The streets were full of cruisers and bright lights. Bright yellow tape was criss-crossing the treeline at the top of the hill. Cam was no longer in sight.

Thanks for the reviews!

-Mama