"Where'd he come from?" Booth asked the director of the shelter. Apparently, Bones had called ahead before he'd arrived in her office and the dog was waiting for them when they arrived. His partner was sitting on the floor with the animal, petting it gently. It looked up from where its head was resting in her lap with obvious adoration. Booth knew it didn't matter what the answer to his question was; that dog was going home with Bones.

The director, who'd introduced herself as Missy, shrugged. "It was found as a stray about six weeks ago. It's an adult female. She's up to date on all her shots and of course, she's already been fixed."

Missy looked down at Brennan for a moment. "To be honest, I thought we'd be stuck with her a long time. Most people don't want animals like this."

Booth's eyes narrowed in concern. "Is there some sort of problem with the dog?"

Missy met his eyes. "German shepherds are often associated with aggressive tendencies. Incorrectly, of course. And she's a bit on the large side for this breed, which is why we thought she might be a mix of something. Animals with those traits are often overlooked by potential adoptees."

"Dogs often bite because they are afraid, " Brennan informed them from her position on the floor. "That won't be a concern in my home. This dog won't have any reason to be afraid." Her tone of voice didn't invite argument.

Booth didn't even blink when she recited the random fact. He'd long ago gotten used to her knowing almost everything.

Apparently, Missy hadn't ever met someone quite like Brennan, because she was silent for several moments. Booth finally smiled at her reassuringly to get her talking again.

Shaking her head, Missy looked back at Booth. She wondered about the couple in front of her. They seemed closer than just friends, but neither wore a ring. "Should I get started on the paperwork?"

Booth looked down at his partner. It was obvious she was smitten with the mutt. "Well, Bones? What do you think?"

She looked up and the joy in her eyes had Booth catching his breath. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen that look in his partner's eyes before. Happiness, yes, but not the kind of emotion he was looking at now.

"Yes, Booth, this is the one I want." Brennan stood and the dog immediately sat at her side. "Stay," she ordered.

Surprisingly, the dog didn't move as she crossed the room to fill out the paperwork and pay the adoption fee. Booth watched it as he leaned on the counter next to Brennan. If she moved, the dog's eyes followed her. At one point, Brennan had to step around a corner. The dog whined when she disappeared, but it never moved from the spot.

He didn't know what her real purpose behind this sudden adoption was, but Booth liked her choice. The mutt had potential.

"Are you ready," she asked, a folder of paperwork in her hand. From her purse, she pulled a collar and a leash.

Booth leaned to look closer. "What is all over that collar?"

She held it up so he could see it better. "DNA helix."

He rolled his eyes. "Where did you find that? That dog is not a squint. You should not be forcing it to wear something like that."

Brennan walked away from him to place the collar around the dog's neck. The leash, Booth noticed, matched the collar. Sighing, he watched her check to make sure the dog was securely fastened to the leash. Who was he kidding? This dog would be corrupted in days. Probably would have some scientific reason for why it couldn't chase a tennis ball.

Her voice interrupted his thoughts. "Don't call my dog an it." Together, they walked the dog outside. The dog stayed at Brennan's side and Booth was pleased it seemed to be well trained. Booth had seen animals in the military that were this good. Those animals were something special.

Opening the door to the rear of the SUV, Booth tried to get it to jump in. She turned her head and looked at Brennan. Smiling, Brennan gave a command. Immediately, she jumped in the back, only to jump the last seat to sit in the row behind the driver.

"What do you want me to call it?" he asked. He knew trying to get that dog further away from Bones was useless. He was just thankful the dark colored fur wouldn't show up on his suit.

Brennan furrowed her brow. "I was going to call him Einstein."

"Of course you were," he muttered.

She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "But since he turned out to be a she, I'll have to consider my options."

"Is it too much to hope you'll pick a normal dog name like Rex or Fido?" Booth asked. They were in the SUV and on their way back to her place. Their passenger sat in the middle of the seat. Every time Booth looked in the rear view mirror he made eye contact with the dog.

"There's Terra for Earth and Laika. That was the first animal to orbit the Earth." She didn't seem to require a response, something Booth was thankful for. If she asked his opinion on those names, he wasn't sure how he'd react.

"Elion!" she cried. "Elion was a woman who won the Nobel Prize."

Booth cringed, imagining himself trying to remember that name when he came over late with take out. "Ellie?" he offered. "How about Ellie?"

"Ellie," she repeated. She turned in her seat and petted the dog. "How does Ellie sound?"

The dog licked her hand and Brennan laughed. The sound had Booth taking his eyes from the road to glance at his partner. No, the dog definitely hadn't been such a bad idea.