This is the longest one yet! glugg glugg whoo hoo!

Kayla stared out the tiny window of 'Interview Room 4', trying to remember to breathe. Trying to push the feelings of terror and loneliness out of her chest. They still hadn't found a Social Worker for her, and she was a-okay with that. She and her twin brother Tommy had been in the system before, she wasn't in a hurry to go back.

The Detective had tried to question her when they got to the station, she'd gone deadpan, refusing to answer. She remembered what the pretty doctor had said back in the alley, about needing a social worker present, and she wasn't going to do anything otherwise. That doctor and FBI guy had been the first people outside of her brother she ever felt like trusting. She felt like they were going to try and keep her from any more harm.

Kayla turned around when she heard the door start to open, half expecting Tommy to come through, with his long hair and big goofy smile and tell he it was time to go. Tell her that everything was going to be okay. When it wasn't him, it finally hit her. Tommy was never coming back.

She felt like throwing up.

They have her dressed like a criminal Brennen thought when she and Booth entered the interrogation room. She knew the police had to take the girls' clothes as evidence, but did they have to dress her in an orange jumpsuit like she was some kind of convict?

"Hi Kayla." Booth thought the girl looked hollow, probably still in shock. "You remember us?"

Kayla nodded. "Agent Booth, Doctor Brennen." She saw that the agent was pleased, "I always was good with names."

Brennen watched Booth sit at the cold steel table as he watched Kayla. His mood had gone somber again when they entered the building and she was beginning to think it was due to more than just Booth's discomfort with cases centered around children. Even if it wasn't, she knew this East Coast Chopper targeted kids, and if they caught him, Booth would need to be kept at a safe distance. There was no telling what he might do if he met the killer face to face.

"Kayla," Booth began carefully, "I'm going to have to ask you some questions okay? They're gonna help us find out who did this to your brother."

The girl nodded shortly and took a seat opposite the agent and the doctor, who was now sitting down.

"I know the drill."

"First, I was wondering what you were doing in the alley tonight." Booth knew what her answer most likely would be, but there were things he didn't know. And the more he knew, the easier it would be to catch the man he was beginning to regard as his archenemy.

"We were going to sleep there." Kayla said matter-of-factly. She looked up and didn't see the usual judgmental sympathy in these two adults faces. It made her want to tell them anything she hadn't pushed out of her memory completely. "Tommy and I been living on our own for about three years I think. Mom died when we were little. Dad's dead if I'm lucky."

"Where is your father?" Brennen asked. Booth bit back a 'be quiet Bones'. He wanted to trust her, but with kids like Kayla, the more you prompted them, the more likely they were to shut you out.

Kayla flashed severe eyes at the Doctor. "Don't really matter to me, as long as he stays there." Then before she could be interrupted again, she continued. "My dad's a drug addict. He used to beat me and Tommy all the time. Once, he smacked us around so good, we couldn't leave the house for almost two weeks."

Booth leaned foreword, straining to understand Kayla, who talked quietly and to the floor.

"He had these friends. They would come over at night, Dad used to let 'em… my father used to let 'em come into his daughter's room so they could…so…" Kayla shook her head and closed her eyes. "He got a coupla' grams of rock for free for it."

"What rock?" Brennen whispered to Booth.

"It's slang for cocaine Bones." Booth answered in monotone, fury growing in his stomach for what this girl had been through. Kayla didn't seem to notice the exchange.

"Tommy started making me sleep in his bedroom closet under dirty clothes when he found out. He joined me after our father started beating him for every night his friends missed with me. We woke up one day and went out, my dad wasn't in the house and he'd forgotten to lock us in. We saw our chance. We packed what we could, ate what we couldn't and got the hell out of there." Kayla stopped fidgeting and laid her head down on the table, facing the wall. "He's been all I've got for so long. I don't know what to do now. He's the only one that ever gave a crap about me." She whispered.

Booth cleared his throat and took a deep breath, glancing at Bones. He couldn't find his voice.

Brennen read his mind. "Do you remember anything unusual from earlier today, or even in the past few weeks?"

"Like what? I mean, I see weird stuff everyday." She bit back a comment about the one-legged prostitute that worked the corner of V street and Hamilton.

"Well, what about seeing anyone around, who you hadn't ever seen before? Do you remember feeling like you were being followed, or watched?" Booth had regained his composure.

Kayla thought hard. People were always watching her and her brother, they had to, or else Tommy would rob 'em blind.

"No more than usual." She said finally.

"Are you sure?" Bones started, "The person we suspect usually stalks his victims for a while before the actual…"

Be sensitive Bones, don't say it…

"The actual act." Brennen finished.

Booth sighed in relief.

"Did you see your brother talking to anyone you didn't recognize?" Booth was hoping so hard for a break in this case he thought he might burst. He wanted to nail the sorry SOB who was killing these kids. He wanted to kill him.

"No…uh, wait. I do remember something." Kayla suddenly looked up, hoping what she was about to say would help this agent somehow. "When Tommy and I left the pawn shop he did seem a little…different." Kayla focused on tapping her fingers on the hard metal table, not wanting to fully remember earlier in the day when Tommy was still so very much alive.

"Different how?" Booth asked carefully.

"He was…nervous I guess. He kept looking over his shoulder. But when I tried to look he told me to stay looking foreward. All day he kinda seemed edgy I guess. He just kept telling me not to look where he was looking. It was weird, but I didn't question it. When Tommy tells me to do something, I do it. It's never been the wrong thing to do before." Kayla shrugged.

Booth winced at how the girl was still referring to her brother in present tense. His death had not yet registered with her completely.

"What about right before the attack. Do you remember anything?"

"No, not really. I was talking to him about what to get to eat and he kind of narrowed his eyes and looked passed me. I turned to look where he was looking and…that's it. I woke up with a wicked headache and blood all down my face, Tommy lying a few feet away. Blood was everywhere." Her voice shook, "I crawled over to him, held him, shook him, called his name, but it was too late, and I knew it. I thought I heard footsteps behind me and took off running, then I ran into you. I don't even remember picking up the bone." Kayla spoke through the ringing in her ears and held back tears. So tired of tears.

"Does that help?"

"No." Brennen said before she could stop herself.

"Bones!"

"Well, it doesn't. We don't know who the guy is what he looks like where he's from or…"

"We know he stalked them, though not for as long as the others. He targeted them and he is probably still around since the attack was only a few hours ago. We know that your brother," Booth turned toward the haggard looking young girl, "had good instincts and tried his best to keep you out of harms way." And we know he made a mistake, Booth thought, because I'm sitting here talking to the girl, not the boy.

Kayla looked from Booth to Brennen and back again. "So, it does help."

"It helps."

Brennen was still not convinced, but she didn't say anything.

"Can I ask you guys a question now?"

"Go for it." Booth sat back, slightly amused at being on the other side of the table for once.

"Why'd they cut his hair?" Kayla seemed truly troubled by this question.

"What do you mean?"

"When I woke up, all Tommy's hair was cut off. Our dad made me keep my hair long because his friends liked it and he made Tommy wear a buzzcut. When we left I started cutting mine and Tommy grew his out. But when I woke up, Tommy's hair was cut short again."

Booth and Brennen looked at each other. Then at Kayla, whose shortish blonde hair stuck out in chaotic tufts all over her head.

The EC Chopper really had made a mistake. He'd mistaken Tommy for the sister because of his long hair and his sister's short hair.

"Now that helps." Brennen stated. The girl rewarded this with a small smile, which Brennen returned quickly. Booth's heart felt warm in his chest. He loved when Bones did human things like that, thinking he didn't notice.

Booth motioned for he and Brennen to leave, feeling they had put the girl through enough and she should get some rest.

"Wait." Kayla said suddenly before the door had closed behind them. Booth poked his head back in, Kayla had risen and was standing in front of him.

"Will you tell them…tell them his name is Tommy?" She said through tears. "Tommy Bennett. I know they're gonna dispose… of his body, but there should be some name instead of John Doe. He had a name."

Booth nodded, watching the tears fall from her brown eyes, feeling his heart break.

What did you think?