Chapter Two:
Booth was worried about his partner. He wandered up on the platform looking for his partner.
"Daddy!" Parker ran towards his father, Booth prepared himself for the onslaught of his five year old launching himself towards him. He caught him easily and swung him high in the air.
"Is Dr. Hodgins teaching you a lot?" Booth asked his son.
"Yep . . . he is an ethma . . . etno . . ." Parker had his tongue stinking out, thinking about the correct pronunciation of Hodgins' profession
"Entomologist." Booth provided.
"Yep, that's it." Parker smiled. He looked so much like his son. He said getting a sad look on his face. "You are going to help catch the bad man, right Daddy?"
"I'm gonna try Bud, I promise." His son snuggled closer into his father, knowing he was safe into his father's arms.
Brennan came out of her office and got a sad look on her face looking at the small bones on the table. She heard Parker's voice and looked over in that direction. Booth had saw the expression on his face. "Hey Bones." He said calling her over.
"Hey Booth, hi Parker." She said addressing them. Parker smiled at her.
"Daddy said you are going to catch the bad man." He told her, holding his arms out to her.
She took him from Booth's arms and gave him a squeeze. "We are going to do our best."
"That means you'll do it." Booth had been worried about the effect of the lab around his son but Parker didn't seem to mind.
"Hey Parker, I have what I need, are you ready to help me catch the bad guy?"
"Yep." Brennan set Parker back down. Parker gave her a quick hug around the waist. "Daddy said if you feel better you would make mac and cheese."
"Probably tonight if your Daddy and I are off work in time." She replied to the small boy. She waited until Parker was out of sight until going over to the body in the other room.
He looked at the child on the table. "What general observations can you make about the body?" Brennan asked Zach. Angela stood at the side of the room, observing and sketching.
"Child, probably female . . . wasn't wearing clothes at the time of death . . . body is approximately seventy two hours old according to Hodgins' findings, however seems much more decomposed than that. Victim had several fractures to the bone which apparently healed. Cause of death is blunt force trauma to the head, it seems as if her head was struck against the ground more than once." Zach spoke calmly.
"Jesus Christ . . ." Booth muttered underneath his breath. Brennan was turning green and Angela was turning to look away.
"Who could do this to a child?" Angela exclaimed vehemently.
"Dr. Brennan says it is easier when working on a child to put your heart in a box, but it never gets easier." Zach said, echoing the words she had told him when working the Charlie Sanders case. He finished up what he had to
Booth looked at his partner, her heart definitely wasn't in a box on this case. She could barely look at the child on the table. Something was definitely wrong with his partner. She had broken down during the previous night and he didn't know how to comfort her. Booth had never known her to be more vulnerable.
Angela sighed. "I'm going to finish this up. Bren I'll let you know when I am done." Angela knew about Brennan's secret. She had advised her to tell her partner.
Flashback to the previous night . . .
Booth had wrapped his arms around his partner, whispering that everything was going to be okay, but Brennan felt the pain. She didn't know if it was ever going to be okay. She was afraid of losing him and couldn't deal with losing him and his child who she had grown to love, but if Booth were to find out her secret, he would never look at her the same. She just couldn't deal with that.
Booth had left thinking that his partner was fast asleep, but if Booth knew any better, he would know that his partner was any but. Brennan walked over to the window and watched Booth nimbly swing the black SUV out of the parking lot and out of sight. She picked up her cell phone and immediately called Angela.
"Ange . . ." Brennan started.
"Bren, what's wrong?" Angela replied calmly.
"It was a child today. A little girl." Brennan told her. Her voice was thick with emotions. "Who could do that? What if it is Elizabeth?"
"I thought you accepted she was dead. You just went to her grave." Angela replied, her heart breaking for her best friend on the opposite end of the line.
"I know . . . I had accepted it . . . I had to stop looking . . . Ethan identified the body . . . but, I still feel her Angela." Brennan sobbed into the phone.
Angela stayed on the line listening to Brennan cry. She cried for what was lost, the emotions that she put in a box a long time ago. Brennan let out Temperance, the woman who felt all the emotions of the world. "I miss her." Angela heard her say.
"I know you do." Angela replied.
They stayed on the phone for several more minutes, Angela talking to her best friend, helping in the way that only Angela could. Brennan felt a little better hanging up, falling into a fitful sleep plagued by the sounds of children crying.
Booth caught up with is partner after talking with Hodgins about the case and Parker's school project. He found her staring out one of the windows overlooking the gardens of the Jeffersonian. He noticed for the first time the silver dolphin bracelet on her wrist.
"That's a nice bracelet Bones." He mentioned to her trying to make idol chit chat. He saw her stare at it wistfully. "Is it new?"
"It was a gift from an old boyfriend. We met on a job assignment in Mexico. He was an archeologist at the same site I was at."
He felt a twinge of jealousy, he knew that the assignment in Mexico was almost four years ago, before they were partners and friends. He still didn't want to think about his Bones with other men though.
He walked over to her and saw the fresh tears glistening in her eyes. She was trying hard not to cry. Brennan's eyes connected with Booths. In that instant Booth saw the pain and anguish that she held inside. His hand flew to the Saint Michael's medal around his neck, holding on to it, hoping to find strength for the both of them in that instant.
"Booth, there is something you need to know. . ."
Zach came into the office. "Dr. Brennan you wanted to examine the victim's bracelet when I was ready to clean the bones." He said not realizing he interrupted a moment. He placed the item on the desk.
"Booth can you read the inscription on the inside of the bangle?" She asked quietly.
He picked up the small bracelet realizing the striking similarity to Brennan's larger one. The bracelet was light, tiny. It looked fragile, yet strong. It was designed for a young girl who would hang out with the boys, but yet be a ballerina inside. The person who designed the bracelet put a lot of love into the design.
"Elizabeth, never more wanted or loved – Love Mom."
Brennan sank to the ground. "Booth you have to take me off the case, I think I know who the victim is."
AN: I want to thank everyone who reviewed and as put this story on alert. You guys are awesome. I feel evil though, and everything is not all that it seems . . . some twist and turns are to come. Anyone in the mood for some fluffiness, angst, all around drama??
Why is Brennan so upset? Who is Elizabeth to her? Surprises, surprises up my sleeve. Off to tweak How Much More, which is proving harder and harder to work one with other projects. Please review, give ideas feed my soul and rock my socks!
