Spoilers: Nope.
Disclaimer: Eh.
Author's Note: Oops, another long chapter, here...Oh well. I hope you like this one! It's slightly irrelevant, but it was fun to write. I believe there is going to be some hotel-trouble in the next chapter, so review if you love me!! And thank you again to all who have reviewed so far!
As they pulled into a long driveway, Booth rechecked the address: 157 Viewmont Dr., Charleston. "Yep, this is it..." Booth confirmed. "Nice. I can see why a family would move here to start over." Booth looked around at the houses on the street.
Most of them were large, but not over the top. Each had a front yard, covered with lawn, many scattered with playthings: balls, Tonka trucks, skipping ropes. There were hop-scotches drawn on the pavement in yellow and pink chalk. The street was lined with family-sized cars: four-wheel drives, station wagons, the occasional minivan.
Booth nearly jumped when Brennan spoke. "It must be hard to live in a neighborhood like this after losing a child. Though, anthropologically speaking, it isn't uncommon for people to deal with loss by surrounding themselves with people who have the very thing they don't."
Booth looked at her, confused. "Because they don't feel so much like they've lost it because it seems the norm to have what everyone surrounding you does, therefore, you mustn't have lost it." He was still trying to wrap his head around this when a little girl interrupted his thoughts. She began talking to Brennan.
"Hello! Are you here to see mummy and daddy?" The little girl smiled excitedly, then seemed to remember something. She looked around nervously. She grabbed Brennan's sleeve and pulled her towards her, so she could whisper in her ear. "Mummy says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. But you're pretty." She looked up expectantly, grinning. Booth hid a smile. Yes, she is, he thought.
Brennan knelt down so she was the girl's height. "You know, sweetie, your mum's right. You shouldn't talk to strangers, but this man here is my friend, Special Agent Booth. Do you know what that means?" The little girl shook her head, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Well," she began, "That means that he works for the FBI. He's a special sort of policeman. See, he has a badge." They both turned to Booth, and he obeyed, handing his badge to the little girl. She looked it over with curiosity, running her fingers along the edge. Booth looked down at her; she was about six years old.
"What's your name, honey?" he asked. She answered without looking up from the badge.
"Lili Tucker, with a 'I'. People always forget that." She looked up and grinned.
"Oh, Lili, with an 'I'," -he looked at her and winked, and she giggled- "do you live here?" Booth was confused slightly. The Tucker's had another child...
"Yes. Mummy is inside. She's making me lunch!" Her eyes brightened as she remembered the food. She noticed the frown on Booth's face, and mistook the reasoning. "Daddy is at work," she tried to explain.
This time Brennan spoke. "Well, Lili, may we come inside and say hello to your mummy? My friend wants to ask her some questions." She looked at Booth's faraway expression, slightly worried.
"Uh huh!" She nodded so hard that her messy pony-tail bounced, and ran towards the house, opening the door for them. Brennan called to Booth to get his attention and they stood on the doorstep, waiting.
"Mummy! There is a policeman and a pretty lady here to see you! See? He let me hold his badge!" Booth laughed; he'd forgotten she still had that.
A woman appeared in front of them, Lili at her side, bouncing on her toes. Booth put out his hand. "Hello, you are Grace Tucker?" She nodded dumbly. "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, this is my partner, Doctor Temperance Brennan. We have some news for you, about your son, Maxim, and we'd like to ask you some questions, if it's not too much trouble."
She nodded again, and motioned for them to come in. Booth leaned over to Brennan. "After you, 'pretty lady'," he whispered. Brennan stifled a smile. And the urge to hit him.
As they entered what Booth surmised as being a dining room, she urged them to sit. Booth took a chair next to Brennan at a small dining table. Grace sat opposite them both. "We're very sorry, but we...we have some bad news; regarding your son, Maxim."
"Max," she said almost instantly. "He...he liked to be called Max." She suddenly remembered Lili was still in the room, and flashed a look at her, gauging what to do next.
Brennan stood up. "Hey, Lili, why don't you give Agent Booth his badge back and show me your room?" She looked at Grace, who nodded approval. Booth was again surprised to see Brennan talk to a child almost normally, and he smiled kindly at her as she was dragged out of the room by the over-excited child.
Booth looked up again at Grace. Her eyes were wide, wet with threatening tears. She spoke first. "He's dead." Booth wasn't really surprised. It happened quite often that parents just 'knew' when their child had died.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry. We found your son's remains buried in a park in D.C. The same park he disappeared from in 1997. We are told your family used to picnic there?" He spoke carefully, trying not to upset her too much, but knowing that her pain was inevitable.
A tear slid down her cheek. "Oh, God. There? Oh, God." She pulled her cardigan tighter around her neck. "That's right, yes. We used to go there a lot. Even in December. Which is what made it so odd that he would wonder off. On sunny days, it wasn't so strange for the kids to go and play for hours, you know, away from my husband and me. There were always dozens of people around."
"But it isn't sunny in December. It was cold that day; it was snowing, which is why we went. There was nearly no one about..." she trailed off. Booth nodded sympathetically.
"Mrs. Tucker, I know you have answered these questions before, but I have to ask them. Do you remember anyone specific? Someone you knew? Someone who looked out of place?"
She shook her head again. "No, there wasn't anyone who stood out. In fact, we only saw about three people that day who were anywhere near us. Everyone else was running from the snow."
Booth continued to ask her questions, as Brennan walked up the stairs, following the eager little girl. "This one's my room!" Lilli exclaimed, out of breath from running up the steps so fast.
Brennan put on an amazed expression. "Wow! This is pretty, Lili! You must really like this room, huh?" She followed Lili with her eyes as the little girl sat on her bed.
"Yes! It's the best room ever! My friend Claire has a room the same colour. We do everything the same. See?" She held up the necklace she was wearing. It was half of a 'best-friends' necklace. "Because we are best friends," she clarified.
"Oh, I see! I had one of those when I when I was your age, too. My friend's name was Caitlin." She smiled as she remembered her younger years.
"Are you still best friends?"
"Yes, best of friends," she lied, smiling widely. In fact, she had lost touch with Caitlin years ago, even before her parents had left.
Brennan and Lili chatted for about an hour, Lili showing her all her dolls, telling her all their names, and what they do, what they like; she told her about her favourite Disney princesses, Pocahontas and Anastasia; she told her about school, her friends, her teacher, her favourite subjects.
Brennan was glad that Lili talked so much; she had no clue what to say to a six year old. When there was a break in conversation, Brennan looked at Lili. "You have a big brother named Lachlan, don't you? He just finished school?"
Lili looked at her in amazement. "Wow! How did you know that?"
"Because she's very smart. She knows everything!"
Both the girl's heads whipped around to see Booth standing at the door with Grace, grinning at them. "No she doesn't. No one knows everything. My teacher, Mr. Longman, always says so." She stood with her hands on her hips, frowning at Booth.
Booth shook his head. "Nu uh! Does too. Ask her something." He smiled, winking at Brennan. She rolled her eyes at his childishness.
"Uh...What is...four times...three?" She was sure she'd have her stumped.
"Twelve," Brennan answered automatically. Lili's mouth made a perfect 'o'.
"How did you do it so fast? And you didn't use your hands!"
Booth smiled like a little kid again. "See? I told you she knows everything! Come on, Bones, we have to go." He motioned to her.
"'Bones' is a funny name," Lili giggled. "Why do you call her that? You said her name was Doctor Tem...Tem...um..." Lili bit her lip, trying to remember.
"Temperance," they both finished for her. They exchanged smiles.
"Yes. Temperance. Why do you call her 'Bones'?" She looked at them inquisitively, head cocked, lips pursed.
"Because she likes it when I do." Booth grinned from ear to ear as they left the house, clearly pleased with his response. Brennan again fought the urge to hit him as they said their goodbyes.