I'd forgotten the great high you get from great reviews. You guys are awesome and you fuel my muse.

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She told me we were going shopping with Angela, she didn't say anything about sweating beforehand. I'm sorry, what part of 'I don't like to sweat' is hard to understand?

---

April tugged at her long black sweater and shifted from foot to fit in her red ballerina flats, a present from Angela, doing her best not to scowl at her surroundings. She wasn't sure she'd ever shared her disdain for physical activity with Brennan before, but she was definitely wishing she had now.

Tin Fou's Martial Arts Academy was closed on Friday afternoons, but as a personal favor to his favorite author, he'd agreed to lend out the use of his gym. That was how April had ended up here, in the middle of a sea of red and blue exercise mats that smelled of sweat and feet, wishing she'd woken up sick that morning.

Brennan reappeared from the hallway she'd gone down a few minutes ago and approached April dressed in a tank top and shorts, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"I set some clothes on the bench for you," she held out a hair tie, which April hesitantly took. "The locker room is down the hall, second door on the left." She started to turn away to tye her shoes, but stopped when April didn't move.

April cocked her eyebrow at Brennan's look. "What? You don't actually think I'm going to…box you do you?"

Brennan frowned. "No. This is martial arts, not boxing. And I'm just going to be showing you some basic defense techniques, not engaging in actual combat. Besides, I have something to show you first."

"But, Tempe, I don't think this is…" She started to protest, a hint of whining in her voice, Brennan crossed her arms and gave her a blank look. "I don't like to sweat, it's gross." This time, her argument not only fell on deaf ears, Brennan cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head, as if April were reciting prayers in the original Hebrew. With a deep sigh, she rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Fine." turning down the hallway Brennan indicated.

---

I think these shorts make me look fat.

---

April crossed her arms, self consciously covering as best she could the horizontal blemishes running up and down her forearms. She'd been out of bandages for quite some time, but some of the scars were red and still very visible against her thin white skin. She hated to see them, which was why she usually wore long sleeves. She felt small and naked in the tank top and shorts Brennan had given her and she wished silently for her black baggy pants and sweatshirt she usually wore.

Brennan turned back to her and thrust a small faded photo she'd just pulled from her bag out at her.

Hesitantly, April took it. "Who's this?"

The girl in the photo wore a black miniskirt, knee high black boots and electric blue hair. But the eyes, piercing blue eyes, were unmistakable.

"This is you." She said in answer to her own question. Brennan nodded and sat on a nearby bench, motioning April to do the same.

"It was taken by my second foster family three days before they sent me away. They didn't approve of my…fashion sense."

April smiled wryly. "Yeah. Been there, done that."

Brennan reached for the photo and studied while she spoke. "In my office, you said I couldn't understand your fear because I'm strong and because I kick butt. But it wasn't always that way. When I was fifteen, I was just like you. Scared and lonely and convinced I was as worthless as everyone thought." April's eyes fell to the photo and she shivered, she could see the similarities between herself and teenage Brennan.

"What changed?" She asked in a small voice, arms folded tight around her slight frame.

Brennan sighed and began folding the photo to put it away. "About a year after I got my doctorate I went to El Salvador to help identify victims of the Death Squads." April's eyes widened, but Brennan didn't notice. "While I was there, identifying the remains of what appeared to be a thirteen year old girl, I was kidnapped and thrown into a dark, dirt cell.

Everyday for three days a man came in and made me believe I was going to die. When I got out, I swore, among other things, that I would never let anyone make me feel that way again."

The look on April's face, a mixture of disbelief and horror, remained firmly in place as she responded quietly, "So you took up karate?"

Brennan nodded. "And gun lessons, but Booth would kill me if I taught you that, so I thought maybe instead you'd like to learn some basic self defense moves."

April eyed the blue exercise mats warily, still unconvinced.

Brennan thought for a moment, still nervous about whether or not this was the right thing to do. But, she reminded herself, she had thoroughly thought this through. Perhaps even OVER thought about it. This was what she had to give April, and she was compelled to give it. "April, I already know how strong you are. Booth and Angela know it, now all we have to do is convince you."

April took a deep breath and surveyed her surroundings one more time. Finally, after an eternity to Brennan, a small smile on the girl's lips put her racing mind at ease.

"Can you teach me to flip people over?" She asked, only half joking.

Brennan smiled and stood, pulling April up beside her. "Eventually, but first, the basics."

---

What could it hurt? Maybe I'll finally get those six pack abs I've been wanting…

---

Booth ran a hand over his face, feeling the scuff of five unshaven days under his fingertips as the local PD loaded Georgio Rocka into a squad car. Behind him four other low life drug dealers were waiting for their own blue and white chariot ride to the State Pen and he didn't bother glancing back at them as their insults and threats hit his ears when he tucked his badge back inside his pocket.

It turned out the multi-state drug trafficking ring hadn't been all that hard to crack. Rocka and his crew took to Booth, or Vince Saunders as they knew him, very quickly and he'd ascended the ranks quicker than expected. But not quick enough. It had been thirty-two days since he'd last spoken to Brennan and April, and nearly forty-seven since he'd last seen them. He missed them, and Parker and his home. He was ready to go back.

After he'd finished cutting red tape with the other officers, he climbed into his rusted out Chevelle with a sigh, he couldn't wait to get back to his own truck either. With a sigh, he pulled out of the dark Houston ally and started back to his hotel to begin packing.

His pulled out his phone once his bag was packed, intending to call Brennan and let her know he was coming home, but it rang in his hand. Recognizing the number, he answered with a grin.

"Hey, Hot Stuff."

There was a pause, and he was almost afraid it was April calling him from Brennan's phone.

"Booth? I thought you couldn't answer your phone while on a case. I was going to leave you a message."

Booth grinned, relived he hadn't embarrassed himself. "Well I can't, but the case just ended."

"Really? You're coming home?" Brennan asked, excitedly.

"I'm on my way to the airport now." He paused to throw his suitcase in the trunk. "I missed you babe."

He heard her sigh and imagined her curled up on the couch, phone pressed to her ear, wearing that smile only he could elicit from her. "Me too. I can't wait to see you."

"Me either. How's April?"

"Oh, she's…okay. I mean, fine physically. She had a productive meeting with Dr. Wyatt a few weeks ago, but…I have some concerns."

Booth frowned and shifted his phone to his other ear. "What kind of concerns."

"Well, knowing how much I hate psychology here, I think she's got some self-esteem issues, but I have been working with her on that and I think it's helping," She was deliberately vague on what she and April had actually been doing, unsure of how Booth would react, she continued quickly, "but I do remember why I called now."

"What's that?" Booth climbed into his car, his body protesting with fatigue from all his sleepless nights on assignment, but he took solace in knowing things would be back to normal in a few hours.

"The other day when April and I were talking…she said some things. They reminded me of things I used to say." She stopped but Booth remained quiet, realizing this was one of those times when it was best not to push her. "She misses her parents Booth. She wants to know why her dad left her. She…blames herself."

A long sigh on the other end told Brennan that Booth was still there, tired and worried, probably rubbing his face the way he did when he was thinking hard, but he didn't say anything. "I know it's a lot to ask…but an idea just occurred to me, do you think there's any way for her to get those answers?" She continued before he could voice his confusion with that statement, "I mean, I had that videotape from my mom…are you aware of anything like that for April from her dad?"

Booth shook his head, eyes still closed as he listened to the sound of her voice. "No Bones. I wish I did, but your dad was a fugitive, you know? An expert at hiding things. Joey was never that way. If there was something he would've found a way for me…" Booth's eyes flew open and he narrowed them on a memory he had almost forgotten.

"Booth?"

"Love you Babe, but I gotta call you back."

"Wait, what…"

He interrupted long enough to give her his flight information and hang up, not wanting to get her hopes up before he was sure, but maybe he could help April after all.

So a few more chaps to go, they should be up within the next few days.