Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Eh.

Author's Note: I really should be going to bed right now. But I can't be bothered. I'll regret it in the morning, though. I can't continue if you guys don't review, so if you'd like to read more...Please review!

"Booth. This rib is fractured in two places. See?" She held it up to the light, shoving the rib in his face.

"Geez, Bones, not so close, okay?" He pushed her arm away. Looking at her and noticing her slightly hurt expression he added, "I trust you with this...stuff. You're the forensic anthropologist, not me, remember?"

She seemed slightly confused by his last remark, but decided to let it go so she could finish telling him about what she'd actually found. "Zach?" she called. He came over faster than Booth would have though possible for a kid of his size.

"Yes, Doctor Brennan?"

"Look here. See; these small fracture marks on the bone? And note these indentations, here, too." She was pointing at the fourth and fifth ribs, showing Zach something Booth couldn't even begin to comprehend. Earlier in their relationship, he hadn't bothered to even try to follow her.

But now, he would pay attention. To her. He loved to watch her work. There were four things she would do, that would warn him.

She would frown: she had just noticed something new; an anomaly.

Then her eyes would glaze over: she was thinking about something, working on a theory. Then, he could see the genius-fuelled gears turning in her head, working something over; tossing out one possibility after another.

She'd smile: she'd figured something out.

When she inhaled too deeply: she was about to tell Booth something she didn't want to. Something he didn't want to hear. She was warning him.

Mostly, he just wanted an excuse. He could lie to himself, to Bones, and even to Angela that he was simply trying to learn more about the skeletal system, or the various other things that Bones' work entailed, but he could only ever fool one of them: Bones.

Sometimes she would look at a bone so intensely that he was scared to think what would happen if she looked at him like that. He was sure she'd see something he didn't want her to. Something very un-partner-like.

But she never did.

And probably never will, he thought.

"Zach. What is the cause of these fractures?" Always the teacher, Brennan looked at Zach expectantly.

"Judging from the pattern, and the range of the fracture wounds, I'd say this boy was kicked in the ribs. Probably very hard." He shot a glance at Booth, looking for acknowledgment. Booth winced again.

Zach may not have been able to connect with the 'real world', but he certainly wanted to connect with Booth. His only male friend was Hodgins. And that wasn't saying much.

"Very good, Zach. But how would you explain these marks here, on the posterior side of the ribcage?" Zach took the sample she was holding and looked at it briefly.

"The victim was being kicked, violently, and he rolled from his back onto his...left side, to protect himself. He was in the fetal position, so he was being...wait. He wasn't being kicked at all."

"What?" Booth was confused. Squints changed their minds too much.

"The placement of the fracture marks here and...here," he shoved the sample in Booth's face.

"Would you two quit doing that? I'm not blind!"

Zach was dismissive. "Sorry. But the placement suggests that the victim was on his side, curled up, and the blows were delivered from above."

Booth looked at Brennan. "He was stomped," she stated simply. Booth grimaced once more. He had a horrible feeling he would be doing a lot more than this later. He knew he would get home and be an emotional wreck. Of course, he would never admit this. He liked people to think he was strong.

He needed people to think he was strong; it was his job.

He swallowed thickly. "Stomped," he said as much for his benefit as for confirmation he was hearing correctly. "Someone...stomped...a five year old boy? Jesus Christ." He turned and walked off the platform.

"Booth! Wa - Zach, take over here, I'm...I'll be back soon. Examine the rest of the ribcage and the sternum."

"Yes, Doctor Brennan." He immediately went to work.

Brennan took quick note of what Zach was doing and went after Booth. She found him in her office, looking through the boy's all-too-small file.

"Booth?" she said, unsure.

"Hey, sorry, it's just...You know, I should go. I have a lot to do. Do you know where Angela is? I need that ID soon." He looked around, pretending to search for Angela, avoiding Bones' eyes.

Brennan was standing mute, looking around like he was. "Um, yeah, she's in her office. She's probably sketching him as we speak."

"Okay. Well." And uncomfortable silence had fallen in the room. "I'll see you later, Bones." He turned to leave.

"Booth?" she called him back looking him directly in the eyes. "We'll get him."