Phew, you know what I love? Weekends. Weekends are great. And Pancakes...pancakes are good too. And waffles...and sausage...and milk...

That's what I love about Tommy. Against all odds he still believes in things. He doesn't want to let me go home, and it's really very sweet of him. I mean…seriously. I should be thanking him for…well, so many things. But…I couldn't let him do that. Take me in. He might be able to protect me…but who will protect him?

Booth watched as Brennan walked toward the Jeffersonian and stopped at the doors, turning to give him a small smile before disappearing inside.

He smiled down at his steering wheel, thanking the Lord above for sending him a woman like her. He would have to tell her one-day how good she is at listening. For all her faults, and inabilities socially, she was the only person he dared tell things like that. The only one he knew would only listen without judgment or seeking explanation.

The only one. My only one. He thought with a smile.

Just then the first raindrops started to fall. He cursed and set off for Rebecca's house.

Brennan walked slowly toward her office, her left hand, the one Booth had held to keep her grounded when the world started spinning, was balled into a fist while she tried to contain the tingly sensation running around on it.

Dropping her bag at the bottom of the platform steps, she swiped her way up onto the platform.

She didn't have her lab coat and her hair was loose and flowing, but then, she wasn't up there to make scientific observations. Brennan was there to allow herself a few self-indulgent moments with the victim. Something she rarely did and when she was done, she'd lock all those emotions away and focus on the details.

But now…

She stood at one end of the examination table, staring at the corpse. Hodgins had just finished taking remnants of clothing and other samples and Zach was studying the x-rays before cleaning the bones. So she stared at this rotting body, a body that did not deserve to be on her table.

She was just a child.

She looked up at the drawing Angela had done of the girl taped to the monitor at the head of the table.

She's pretty.

Then, looking back down at the remains, she changed the thought to past tense.

She was pretty.

And Courtney Alamang was pretty. Angela gave her sparkling hazel brown eyes and plump, smiling lips. Her small nose set off small ears and attractive long brown hair.

Brennan looked over the skeleton on her table, anger rising in her belly.

No one deserves this. To be brutally murdered. But least of all a child.

"Hey Sweetie, are you alright?" Angela swiped her way up onto the platform and went to stand next to her friend at the foot of the table.

"I'm fine. Why?"

Angela raised her eyebrows, her hands hanging loosely in her lab coat pockets.

"Because you're crying."

Brennan's hand flew to her eyes to confirm Angela's accusation.

"I was not. Technically crying implies tears have left the eyes, I was…tearing up." She said quickly, moving to the edge of the platform to gather her things and go to her office.

"Bren," Angela followed her to her office, "maybe you should…head home early today."

Brennan shot her a glare as she settled in at her computer.

"Sweetie, there's nothing wrong with taking a break every once in a while."

"Yes Angela but…" She was interrupted by Zach entering the office hurriedly.

"Dr. Brennan I think you should see this."

Nodding, Brennan grabbed her lab coat and breezed past Angela, who let out an exasperated sigh before following.

---

The TV's on. That's not good.

---

"Rebecca! C'mon…" Booth slammed his fist into his steering wheel as he pulled up to a four-way stop.

"Rebecca, this is my weekend with him! Why would you let him make plans when it's my weekend?"

He clenched his jaw and listened patiently, while honking his horn not-so-patiently at the old woman in front of him who couldn't seem to figure out whether or not she should be the next to go.

"Yeah right. Are you even sure he's ready for a sleepover. He's only four for crying out loud." He sighed. "Fine. Five next month but still…"

Finally the woman ahead of him made her way through the intersection and he decided to turn left rather than go straight.

"Oh yeah, sure, then I can be the bad guy. Rebecca…" Deep breath Seeley.

"Okay. Can I at least say 'hi'." He tightened his hold on the steering wheel.

"Of course he is." He said sarcastically.

"Know what Rebecca? Don't give me that okay? Just…tell him I'll see him tomorrow." Pulling into his usual parking spot, he threw the car out of gear.

Booth snapped his phone shut and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel agitatedly for a few minutes.

Okay. Count Seeley, c'mon. 1…2…3…Parker's having fun, that's what matters…4…5…6…And besides, with him at a friend's house tonight, you can work late on the case…7…April's case…8…well not really April's case, but kind of…9…

He threw open his door and made his way inside the Jeffersonian, nodding to the security guards as he got to the Medico Legal Lab. The doors opened with a swish.

…10

---

No! Please just leave her alone. She's just a kid. Leave her alone you bastard! She didn't do anything.

---

Brennan tore her eyes off the x-rays in front of her long enough to look toward the door and watch Booth come through it.

"Booth I thought you had Parker this weekend." Angela said, smiling at her favorite FBI agent.

"Yeah, so did I." He said tersely, walking up behind Brennan. "Whaddayagot Bones."

Brennan turned to face him, a distressed look on her face.

"What is it?"

She put her hands on her hips, darting her eyes between the x-rays and Booth's face.

"There are fractures and breaks varying in age from eight months Peri Mortum to just before death." She thrust her finger out to the image and traced small tree like lines in the bones, "Most were not professionally set."

Booth's face darkened with a frown and he stared at the x-rays.

"She was abused." He said quietly.

Brennan nodded, taking a spot beside her partner to stare at the transparent pictures.

"Zach's cleaning the bones now, but I'm quite sure she was."

Booth gave a curt nod and started for the door.

"Wait Booth!" Brennan followed him out, skipping to keep up with him, "Aren't you going to call someone to arrest the foster father?"

Booth stopped short, his eyebrow raised in question. "What makes you think the father did it Bones? Are you jumping to conclusions?"

"No. Past experience indicates the father is usually responsible in these types of cases." She stated, her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, well, I'd love to Bones but right now I haven't got any evidence to support that theory. Have you?" He put his own hands on his hips and turned to face her. She opened her mouth to speak but frowned.

"Not yet." Brennan's face grew a smile and she turned and went to Angela's office where she'd gone to gather her things.

"Angela?"

"Yeah Bren?" Angela looked up, a few black curls falling into her face and she slung her sequened purple bag over her shoulder.

"When Zach finishes with the bones could you get with him, and since my conclusions point to a fist creating those fractures, find out how big the hand would have been and how much power was behind the blows."

Angela nodded and grabbed her keys.

"I'll get right on it tomorrow morning Sweetie."

"Thank you." Brennan turned to leave and then turned back toward Angela while Booth watched from the doorway. "Tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah," Angela grinned, "Jack's got something special planned for our date tonight so I'm leaving." Her smile faltered at Brennan's appalled expression and she glanced at her watch.

"Look Sweetie, it's already almost seven o'clock. I've really got to go."

"Angela, this case is important, Zach will be done with the bones tonight…"

"No he won't be Bren. Cam sent him, all of us, home. Said she want us out of here by…well…seven, so we won't be staying here that late…"

Brennan tensed her jaw and practically ran out of Angela's office, purpose and danger in her step. Booth jumped out of the way and watched her go wincing at what Cam was in for.

"Dr. Saroyan." Brennan barked, Cam looked up from a conversation she was having with the administrator from another wing of the museum.

"Just one moment Dr. Brennan." She held up a finger, which Brennan promptly pushed out of the way, her eyes nearly melting the skin on it. Unfortunately, Cam didn't catch the War Path Vibe coming off Dr. Brennan.

"I would appreciate it if you not give my team instructions without my knowledge or input, Dr. Saroyan." Brennan said edgily, her arms crossed over her chest.

Sighing, Cam smiled apologetically at her collegue. "I've really got to deal with this Greg."

"No problem Cam." The man smiled at Brennan nervously, the scientists' reputation preceded her in most areas of the building and he excused himself quickly.

After the man had walked away Cam turned to Dr. Brennan, folding her arms across her chest in a like manner.

"Well, Dr. Brennan, now that I've ended my conversation with the Head of Archeology and Preservation, what can I do for you?"

"My team works until the job is done or until I think they need a break, they don't need you to give it to them."

"Yes. They do," Cam responded, matching the anthropologist confrontational tone. "Not everyone can work for twelve hours on end, Dr. Brennan. I need my scientists at the top of their game, and that inevitably includes leaving the lab at a decent time, getting some sleep and relaxing."

A few feet away, Angela and Booth stood side by side, watching the scene and trying to hide slightly amused smiles. After a moment, Angela elbowed the agent in his ribs.

"You better stop her before Cam ends up with a flying kick to the back of the head."

Booth nodded. "Way ahead of you."

"Hey Bones! Chill." He took walked over to the feuding females and reached out for his partner. Taking his life into his hands, he grabbed Brennan's shoulders, and tried to turn her away from her red faced boss.

"Booth I'm not at all warm and I was in the middle of…" She tried to wiggle out of his grip but Booth held fast as he pushed her toward her office.

"You were in the middle of creating a war with the head of the Forensic Department for no reason alright?" She turned to glare at him.

"What are you talking about Booth? She had no right…" Brennan slammed her pen and paper angrily on her desk, causing Booth to wince.

"I know Bones. I know, but listen, the Squints are already gone for the night, you can't do anything until the bones are done, the bones won't be done until tomorrow morning..." This earned him a grumble from the angry anthropologist. "So why don't you call it a night huh? Lets go get something to eat, you need to relax a little."

Brennan had stripped herself of her blue lab coat and sat hunched in her chair, staring blankly at her computer screen. The anger on her face replaced with a neutral apathy.

"I can't." She said quietly.

Booth frowned at her defeated tone and went to her side of the desk, carefully turning her chair toward him.

"Can't what?" He asked, studying her face carefully, but with her eyes downcast he couldn't read her as easily.

Brennan sighed and hesitated just long enough to get Booth to kneel in front of her. She gave a tiny roll of her eyes and pushed auburn hair behind her ears.

"What is it Bones?" Booth asked quietly, the enormous sadness coming off his partner at that moment scared him.

"I just…I need to work Booth. That's all." She motioned vaguely toward the platform. "This case…I need to work." She stated firmly, looking at him, hoping he would pose a solution to her dilemma.

Booth gave her a half smile.

"Okay. Believe me I understand. That's why I got a background check on both the Dickens and ran down a list of family and friends for Courtney. We've got enough paperwork to read to last us all night. How about a beer back at my place?"

Brennan brightened, though she tried to convince herself it was at the prospect of working and not at drinking with Booth.

After all, what was so great about that?

"Just let me get my coat."

---

I wish I could shut my brain off to the pain. I don't want to see her crying and I don't want to see the bruises. The blood. I wish…I wish…oh who cares? It's too late for wishes and hopes and dreams. Maybe this time I'll get lucky and I won't wake up.

---

Duh...duh...duh...well, you've done one 'R', care to complete the other?