Chapter 8. The woman in limbo.
"All I ask is that you stop by the archeology section and identify the skull as a Syrian, Hetite or Egyptian." Goodman asked calmly.
"I'm in court today. I need my notes." She said looking through the mound of papers on her desk.
"Well, there's a photocopy in the file." He pointed out. You can use that and stop—"
"No. The last time I read from photocopies, the defense lawyer told the jury I was winging it." She said flipping through papers.
"Ready?" he asked walking into her office. He sees her looking through papers. "Chop, chop, Bones" he said desperately clapping his hands.
"I can't find my original notes…"
"Photocopy in the file." He suggested.
"No. The last time the defense lawyer told the jury that I…"
Booth cut her off. "It was a ploy. It failed. Let's go." He said ushering her out of the office.
"I found glass. I found pollen. Which do you want first?" Hodgins asked walking over to them and holding up two files.
"Pollen." She said taking it from him and opening it as they walked.
"Perhaps you could swing by archeology on your way to your ah...court..." Goodman suggested catching up to them.
"No. No swinging." Booth said taking the file from her and handing it to Hodgins and they started moving again.
"Alright. Her height makes no sense and her spine length is...wacky." Angela said showing her another file and stopping them again.
"Dr. Brennan?" Zack asked walking up.
"Okay. Calculate the height of the femur and assume that fire shrunk her spine." Brennan said handing the file back to Angela.
"I don't think you should talk about other cases so much on court day. You might get confused." Booth said trying to get her going again.
"One simple question. A Syrian, Hetite or Egyptian?" Goodman tried again.
"Dr. Brennan?" Zack asked again and she turned to him.
"5 Minutes." Goodman prodded.
"Bones!" Booth said frustrated.
"What's up Zack?" she asked ignoring them.
"Buttercup. If you sign off on these tissues markers, Angela can finish the facial reconstruction." She signed and looked at him questioningly. "What's up, buttercup is an amusing, rhyming, linguistic meme." He pointed to the skull on the table. "This is the latest Jane Doe from Limbo."
"How 'bout this for an amusing, rhyming linguini. See ya later, alligator." Booth said frustrated.
"Please don't refer to bones storage as "Limbo"." Goodman chastised and turned to Brennan. "5 minutes."
"There are thousands of human remains down there waiting to be identified. Limbo seems an appropriate name." Zack pointed out."
"No sign of foul play." Brennan said ignoring the chaos around her.
"If you have time for this, you have time for my Hetite." Goodman stated.
"Tissue depth of the cheekbones and along the jaw line looks a little deep to me, but otherwise—" She shrugged.
"...out of limbo, back on earth and on our way to court. Thanks." Booth said leading her away again. They make it into the hallway and they seem to be in the clear until they run into David, Brennan's internet friend.
"Oh, Temperance. Hi." He said smiling.
"David!" she kissed him on the cheek surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"She has to get to court so –" Booth said being ignored.
"Listen, I read your manuscript. I couldn't wait to tell you how great it is." David said smiling.
"Thank you. Really?" she said smiling lightly.
"You read her manuscript?" Booth asked taking it from him.
"Uh, uh, uh.." she said taking it from Booth.
"Yuck on the title. Am I in it?" he asked curiously.
"No!"
"Definitely." They answered at the same time.
"Ah!" he nodded smiling.
"Uh, we have to get to court - -" Brennan said changing the subject.
"Hope you remembered your original notes, because last time…." David said raising an eyebrow.
"Told you, Booth!" she said turning and walking back.
"No. Bones. We don't have time!" he called after her. "Our – all right, listen. Uh, three minutes. I'll wait for you in the car." He said giving in. David and Booth circle each other like two lions in the jungle. Booth laughs. "So are you two, uh –"
"Yeah, sort of. Is that a problem?" David asked smiling.
"Yeah… she told me you're not so… you're just friends." He said smiling. "…and in the future, no jokey advice on a court day.
"Whatever." He said disregarding Booth's comment.
"What's this?" Brennan asked walking into Angela's office seeing the Angelator on.
"Zack's Jane Doe. He said that you Ok'd the tissue markers" She said working.
"…No, that can't be right. That can't possibly be right. You did it wrong. It's a mistake, Angela." Brennan said freaking out.
"Alright, fine. Sweetie. I'll turn it off." She said frantically pressing buttons and looked up to see Brennan running out.
"Zack. The artifact bag from your Jane Doe – do you have it?" she asked running up on the platform not bothering to swipe her card and the alarm starts blaring.
"Yes. I also have three –" he started but Brennan took the bag and ran off with the bag, not even hearing him "...Three bags of soil samples from where the remains were buried." He finished watching her run off.
Brennan drops into her chair and empties the contents onto her desk picking up a small back with a marble in it then putting it down and picking up a larger one. She began to examine the dolphin belt buckle and got a flash of a pretty brunette woman wearing this same belt and began to cry.
Booth walked into the Angelator room looking for Brennan. "Any of you see Bones? We're due in court, like Now." Angela Goodman and Zack all looked back at him at once. "What?" he asked confused.
"This..Totally freaked her out." Angela explained bringing the picture back up.
"Oh my god." Booth picked up his phone and began to dial. "Yeah. You're gonna want to take Dr. Brennan off the witness list today. …No. She can't make it into court. …Thanks." He said hanging up
"Alright. What's going on?" Angela asked growing worried.
"That… Is Christine Brennan."
"Good God." Goodman said stunned and looking back at it.
"You just found Bonus's mother." He said running out. He entered her office to see her staring at the belt buckle.
"I have to miss court." She said not looking at him
"I know." He nodded.
"I remember this belt buckle. I borrowed it without asking first day of high school. My father had it specially made for my mother because she loved dolphins." Brennan said running her thumb along the silver dolphin
"Bones…I'm sorry." He said quietly.
She nodded. "I always knew that for my parents to disappear like that…They – They had to be dead. I thought that when it was confirmed, I'd feel relief, but—"
"It's still bad news." He said understanding as Zack appears in the doorway.
"You have the file, Zack?" she asked looking up.
He nodded. "Jane Doe, Number 129-0998."
"Bones, I –" Booth started to object but when her eyes met his he knew she needed to hear it and let him finish.
"What does it say?" she asked quietly.
Zack read from the file "In September of 1998, a grave-digging crew at the Sunset Memory Cemetery in Salisbury, Pennsylvania, uncovered human remains in a completely advanced stage of decomposition."
"From a grave?" Booth asked hopeful.
"No. It appears that somebody just dug a hole at the edge of the cemetery and…plopped the body in there."
"Zack…" Booth said hoping he would understand what he did wrong.
"Sorry." He apologized and continued "The local coroner found no obvious evidence of foul play and sent the remains, a few artifacts and soil samples to the Jeffersonian, hoping we could identify her." He closed the file. "Technically, you mother's been at the Jeffersonian as long as you have."
Brennan is obviously upset. "Come on… let me take you home." He said offering her his hand. She nodded taking it and she let him drive her home. They sat on the couch and she buried her head in his shoulder and cried as he rubbed her back soothingly until she fell asleep.
Brennan awoke a couple hours later covered in a blanket as dusk fell over DC, she was alone. She sighed sitting up. Her stomach growled and she walked into the kitchen to look for something to eat. She found Booth dancing around as he plated food.
She laughed and he turned around surprised. "Hey" he smiled placing the food on the table. "I was about to wake you."
"You made dinner." She said smiling and sitting at the table.
"Well I thought you'd be hungry." He shrugged sitting down next to her and pouring some wine.
She smiled and they ate silently then Booth cleared the table and washed the dinner dishes.
She sat on the counter. "Thank you." She said when he turned to her.
"It was nothing. Just some spaghetti and meatballs." He said modestly.
She pulled him in kissing him sweetly.
"Wow …I should cook for you more often" he said smiling.
"No I mean for everything." She said meeting his eyes.
"No problem, Bones. That's what you do for a friend." He said simply.
She shook her head. "I don't want to be just another friend." she said her fingers in his hair. He smiled and she kissed him again, her legs wrapping around his waist.
8:30 am. Brennan woke up, a smile on her face and walked out to the kitchen following the smell of coffee and tying her robe as she went.
"Morning." She said pouring herself some coffee.
"Morning" he said taking her into his arms and kissing her.
"Seeley… I don't think this is such a great idea." She said quietly.
"What? You don't wanna be late for work… I think they'll understand." He said smiling.
She sighed. "Me and you. …I don't want to ruin what we had by confusing things. I like it the way things are." She said honestly.
"Oh." He said smile fading.
"I don't want to hurt you, Seeley. You're too important to me."
He smiled lightly. "I get it."
"…are you mad?"
"Nope." He shook his head honestly. "I understand. …as long as we can still do this on occasion." He said kissing her lightly.
She laughed. "We'll see."
"Want some pancakes?" he asked smiling.
"Of course." She said sitting down and taking a few.
1 pm. Booth walked into Brennan's office.
"There's something I need to tell you" he said with a sigh
"What?" she asked leaning back in her chair.
"When you first gave me the file on your parents, I..I looked back into their lives three to four years before they disappeared. Jobs, friends. …I didn't find anything"
"Okay…" she said unsure where he was going with this conversation.
"I looked back a little further and I found that…Christine Brennan didn't exist before 1978." He explained showing her the file.
"What are you telling me? That – That this woman isn't my mother? I was born in 1976. Obviously, my mother existed." She said frustrated.
"Do you know the most common way of creating an identity?" he asked as gently as possible.
"Getting the birth certificate of someone deceased who was born the same year you were…and take over that identity." She said with a nod.
"I found one, Matthew Brennan. Born and died, in 1948." She looked at him in disbelief "Do you understand?"
She shook her head. "I don't know what it means. I don't know what any of it means."
"It means your parents weren't who you thought they were. It means that they were living under…assumed identities."
12:45 am. Brennan is sitting at her table looking at old pictures and reminiscing when she hears a knock on the door. She opened it to find Booth holding a bag of Wong Fu's and smiling.
"It's after midnight…" she said surprised to see him there.
"Well, I was driving by, I saw that lights. I thought you might like some Wong Fu's."
"You saw my lights from the road?" she said disbelievingly.
"That is correct." He nodded. She knew he was lying but let him in anyways. "All right!" he said triumphantly.
They sat on the couch and began pulling containers out of the bag and placing them on the coffee table. Brennan grabbed one and began eating.
"I'm guessing you haven't had anything to eat since breakfast." He laughed watching her eat.
She smiled embarrassed. "Sorry."
"It's good. I kinda figured you wouldn't remember on your own."
She laughed. "Is that the only reason you came here? To make sure I'm eating?"
He shook his head. "That's not the whole reason. …I found your parents car in a Federal impound lot in Jersey. I'm having it trucked to the Jeffersonian."
"I heard that their car was found a couple days after they left but …They really kept it all those years?"
He nodded. "Nobody claimed it… I also found out a few things about your mom."
"She was a bookkeeper." Brennan said switching out her noodles for the mushu pork.
"She was a witness for the prosecution. Twice. On evasion charges. That gives motive. Then there's uh, …your brother.
"Russ – The brother who deserted me."
"He's on parole. He ran a chop shop processing stolen cars for parts."
"Figures." She scoffed.
"He says that you blame him for your parents' disappearance?" Booth said seriously looking into her eyes.
"You talked to Russ?" she asked feeling mildly betrayed.
"I called him. Just asked him a few routine questions. He didn't give me much. We're gonna find out what happened to your mom. Okay?" he promised.
She nodded, forgiving him with a sigh. "I know. Thanks"
"… You got a little…" he said gesturing to her face.
"Oh" she said turning red again and wiping her face.
Booth looked at her smiling, then sighed standing. "I should go."
She stood in front of him. "… you don't have to leave so soon." She said looking into his eyes.
"…I do if we don't want anything to happen." He said breaking their eye contact.
"…please stay?" she asked not wanting him to go.
"you just want me to make you some of my secret recipe pancakes." He said smiling.
She knew he wasn't going to leave. "maybe a little" she said a smile growing on her face.
They sat back on the couch, Booth's arm around her shoulder. "tell me about your parents?" he asked curiously.
She smiled and began sharing the memories of her past, good and bad.
10 am. Brennan was on the platform with Zack examining her mother's skull.
"I'm pretty sure I just found cause of death. Zack?" she said looking up.
"Yes. Dr. Brennan?" he asked walking over.
"See the discoloration on the inside of the skull." She pointed out.
He examines the skull. "Left side, extending from the coronal suture, crossing the superior and inferior temporal lines to the squamosal suture" Brennan looks up to see Booth coming through the door with her brother, Russ. "Subdural hematoma. Whoa! A big one." He doesn't even notice that Brennan was no longer paying attention to what he was saying until she walked down the steps and over to Booth. "Dr. Brennan?"
"…Probably fatal. Scan the outside of the skull. Look for histological changes, microscopic modeling." She said walking over to them. She turned to Booth whispering. "I don't want to talk to him." She said pissed and brushing past them.
"Bones. Bones!" he called after her and turns to Zack "Alright, listen, Zack. If this guy moves, shoot him with a tranquilizer...dart or something…" he said chasing after Brennan.
"I don't actually have a tranquilizer gun…" he said watching Booth then looking to Russ.
"Hey, Bones. Come on." He said apologetically as he walked in.
"My mother died of a subdural hematoma. Bleeding in the brain." She said professionally.
"You want to proceeded rationally, correct?"
"Chances are the subdural hematoma was caused by a blow to the head." She said answering his question.
"Great. You got the how. Now let's get the who. You just told me that your mother was murdered. I mean, who better to help us than – than your brother?"
"I don't want to talk to him."
"but he wants to talk to you. He hasn't seen his baby sister in 15 years… cant you give him 15 minutes?... call it a personal favor?"
"I don't want to… but I'll give him 5 minutes." She said with a sigh. "as a favor. To you. Not him."
"thanks Bones." He said smiling and kissing her lightly.
"uh- huh." She sighed as he walked out.
A minute later Russ walked in "Mom loved dolphins. This was mine!" he said looking at the bags on her desk. "what was she doing with that?"
"Where did Booth find you?" she asked ignoring the small talk.
"It's not hard for an F.B.I Agent to find a parolee." He pointed out.
"I didn't ask how. I asked where." She said annoyed.
"Moorhead City, North Carolina. …I call every year on your birthday. You never pick up."
"Take a hint." She said coldly.
'Can I have this, please?" He asked holding up the marble.
"It's evidence." She said with a sigh.
"Of what? It's a kid's marble." He said confused.
She shook her head "It's the rules. I can't let you have it."
"Same old Tempe. Never met a rule worth breaking." He said handing it back to Brennan
"Same old Russ. On parole." She shot back.
A few hours later Booth got the call that the family car had arrived and the three went to check it out.
Booth talked to the tech in charge then walked back over to them.
"There was a bloodstain. Front seat. Passenger side." He whispered to Brennan "Guys! Everybody!" he whistled getting their attention. "I need the space! Now!"
"What? Now?" A tech asked confused.
"Yeah. Now." He said seriously.
"Take 5. Everybody!" the first tech called.
"Twice in two days…..I think that's a new record." She said giving Booth a look.
"I had the N.C.I.C. database check for a married couple who disappeared in 1978. Meet Max and Ruth Keenan." He said holding the pictures out to them. Brennan looked at the mug shots.
"That's mom and dad alright" he said with a sigh.
"The N.C.I.C. database? That's ..that's criminals. My parents were on the list of Federal Offenders?" Brennan asked stunned.
"How do you like that? I guess a criminal nature runs in the family." Russ said smiling.
Brennan turned to Russ "You were seven years old, Russ. Old enough to remember. What – What is your real name? What is MY real name?" she demanded upset.
"Bones, it's right here in the file." Booth said hoping she would go easy on him.
"No! No! I want him to tell me! What is my real name, Russ?"
He hesitated. "My name was Kyle. Your name was Joy." He said not meeting her eyes.
"You are not my brother" she said slapping him across the face then walking out.
"sorry Russ." Booth apologized and went after her. Booth caught up with her as she reached the stairway and stopped her grabbing her hand. "Tempe wait. please" He said and she stopped, debating, then stepped down to him.
"who am I Seeley. A few days ago I was 'Temperance Brennan' the daughter of a science teacher and a bookkeeper. And today … I'm 'Joy Keenan' daughter of two career criminals who lied to me my entire life and hid me away. I don't know what to do." She said hugging him.
"it doesn't matter who you were born as. You are Temperance Brennan world renown forensic anthropologist and best-selling author. You're brilliant and beautiful and…amazing."
She looked up at him smiling lightly. "you're too nice to me Seeley Booth."
He shook his head. "it's the truth. Ask anyone." He said tucking hair behind her ear.
She gave him a long, slow kiss and hugged him tightly. "thank you." She said grateful to have him.
The door behind them opened and they pulled apart surprised.
"sorry to interrupt." The head tech apologized. "but we need you Agent Booth."
He nodded. "ok." And the tech closed the door.
"go." Brennan said nudging him forward.
"I'll call you later." He promised backing towards the door..
"you better." She said smiling.
5 o'clock. Brennan's phone rang. She smiled seeing his name on the caller ID.
"hey." She said answering her phone.
"Bones. I got what I need from Witness Protection. Let's go for a drive." He said all business. "I'm outside."
"I'm on my way." She said standing and walking out.
They drove nearly an hour until they reached a pig farm in the middle of nowhere.
"Okay, Bones." He said as they got out of the car. "Just listen to me. This guy, McVicar, he might be a pig farmer now, but he used to be a mechanic with ties to the strong-arm crew that your parents ran away from. This guy, he used to kill people."
"Can I help you folks?" McVicar asked walking out of the barn.
Booth drew his gun "Yeah, put your hands up. Check him for a gun." Booth said looking to her.
"What's going on?" he asked hands in the air.
"He's got a .45" she said handing it to Booth
"Check his ankle."
"A .38." she said passing that one too.
"knew it. …I'm FBI. I know who you are."
"Steven Beers, Pig Farmer."
"Vince McVicar."
"You want to talk to Vince McVicar. You do it through the Federal Marshals."
"I do it through the Federal Marshals, I'm gonna have to tell them about a pig farmer who carries two concealed weapons." Booth threatened.
"Three. .22 in the small of his back." Brennan said passing the third one.
"What do you want?" McVicar asked giving in.
"I'm Ruth Keenan's daughter." Brennan said standing next to Booth.
"Joy? You're Joy Keenan?" he laughed. "Yeah. I can see that."
"They found your blood in the car." Brennan said changing the subject.
"You hurt lots of people, Vince. You bashed in their heads." He said holstering his gun.
"My mother was hit on the head." Brennan said proving Booth's point
"Yeah. I was there" he said showing them the scar on his forehead. "Thirty-two stitches."
"She fought back, huh?" Booth said with a smug smile.
"Ruthie fought back, alright, but not against me."
"then who?" Booth asked disbelievingly.
"Your father." He said looking to Brennan
"Why did he attack you?" Booth asked confused.
"Me and Ruthie had run off together. Max caught us pulling into a motel outside of Champaign, Illinois. We were nuts about each other, Ruthie and me. Crazy in love."
"You and my – my mother?" Brennan asked stunned.
"Okay, let's just skip that part, okay?" Booth suggested.
"he hit Ruthie first."
"With what?" Brennan asked needing to know.
"Tire iron. Hit my arm, caught me a roundhouse to the head. Lights out, baby. I came to, Ruthie and Max were gone. Never saw neither of them again. You ask me, Max killed Ruthie and buried her somewhere and vanished. Our plan, once we set up – most likely in Florida – was to bring you down. Your father is a hard man, Joy."
"My name is Brennan. Temperance Brennan." She said walking away and Booth goes after her knowing there is nothing else that can be done right now.
They went back to Brennan's apartment to fill Russ in on what happened with McVicar.
"No way dad hits mom. Now way." Russ said disbelievingly.
"If he caught them together…" Brennan said with a hint of understanding in her tone.
"No way mom cheats on dad. No way." He said denying that too.
"Men like McVicar, he lies the way you guys take a drink of water. He killed people, then snitched to save his own ass." Booth explained validating Russ's beliefs.
"You don't believe him?" Brennan asked looking at him.
"No. I don't believe him." He said shaking his head.
"why?" Brennan asked sitting on the counter.
"Well, there's a story that tracks for me, but without evidence, it's – it's just a story."
"Tell us." Russ said sitting at the table.
"Your parents go out Christmas shopping one day. They spot McVicar, the hit man. Alright? They lead him away from your home. Scrape off the name of the school so he can't trace it back to you and Russ. He takes out your father.."
"...and my mother gets away with a head wound." Brennan added.
Booth nods. "She leaves the car a thousand miles away, finds friends, but she can never go back to see you guys because the crew is still looking for her. It's just a story."
"it fits the evidence." Brennan said shaking her head.
"Alright. You know what? The weapons that McVicar had on him, they're a violation of his agreement with the Witness Protection Program. I'm gonna take him into custody. I'm gonna get a warrant. I'm gonna search his farm."
"Search for what?"Russ asked.
"McVicar like to bash in people's heads. Maybe we'll get lucky and match the weapon he used on your mother."
"It's unlikely." Brennan sighed
"It's worth a shot" he said standing and walking into the other room to make the call.
"Tempe, that theory explains why mom never came back for you during that year and a half before she died." Russ said hopeful.
"What's your excuse, Russ?" she asked hurt.
"You pushed me away, temperance. You needed someone to blame. You chose me."
"I was Fifteen years old." She exclaimed.
"I was nineteen! My parents were gone. My sister hated my guts. Everyone's telling me that she'd be better off in foster care." He shot back.
"You didn't even ask me." Brennan said pissed.
"I tried, Temperance. You wouldn't talk to me. You still wouldn't be talking to me if mom's bones hadn't shown up. And I kept trying. Every year. Every year on your birthday. You're the one that gave up! You turned your back on me and you made yourself a new family."
Booth walked back in, sensing the tense atmosphere. "…I think I should go" he said grabbing his jacket.
"no need. I'm leaving." Russ said walking out, closing the door loudly as he did.
"…you heard that?" Brennan asked with a sigh.
He nodded. "…yeah… kinda hard not to."
"do you think I'm being unfair?"
He thought for a moment. "I think you have every right to be mad at him after all you've been through… but I also see where he's coming from, he was only 19 there was no way he could take care of you. Especially when his whole world was falling apart too. I think he did what he thought was best for you."
"you think I should forgive him then?"
"I think you should." He said honestly. "let him in, let him get to know his sister. Show him how amazing you are despite what he put you through."
She smiled lightly. "what did the marshals say?"
"they said we can search the place first thing tomorrow morning."
"good." She nodded. "maybe I'll be able to get some sleep tomorrow night then"
"I can help you if you want." He said with a suggestive smile. "… you know… as a friend."
She laughed "thanks… but wouldn't people notice if you wore the same thing to work 3 days in a row"
He shrugged. "I'll stop home on my way to work."
"you've got all the answers don't you?" she asked smiling.
"every single one." He said kissing her.
The next afternoon. McVicar's pig farm.
"So what do you think?" Brennan asked looking over her shoulder.
"Same shape as a tire iron, but smaller. This could be a match." She nodded.
"Before you decide anything, we should talk." McVicar said watching from a distance.
"I'd call that nervous, wouldn't you?" booth asked smiling triumphantly.
"There's no way to prove that's the exact weapon that killed your mother or anyone else." He called again.
"You'd be surprised what she can prove." Booth said annoyed.
"I need to speak to you alone." He said to Brennan.
"Forget it." Booth said shutting it down.
"Booth, it's alright." She said handing him the murder weapon.
He knew there was no use arguing. "You got two ways to look at this. One is, you score a private chat. The second one is, you attack her and I'll drill you through the forehead." he told McVicar seriously.
"How could I possibly attack her?"
"I'll decide what is and isn't an attack –like say, a hiccup." He threatened watching them like a hawk as they moved away to talk.
"You killed my mother." She accused.
"Gonna be hard to convince a jury." He said smiling confidently
"I'm pretty persuasive. I'll put you away." She said crossing her arms.
"Here's the thing, Joy. Two people know what really happened that night. Me and your father." He said leveling with her.
"You killed him before you attacked my mother." She said accusing him again.
"Then how did I get this scar on my head?" he asked raising an eyebrow. No answer. "You got a choice, Joy. You drop the bolt stunner down the well, and you'll know what happened. You put me in front of a jury, not only will you fail to convict, but you'll never know the truth." He said trying to bargain. She looked over her shoulder to Booth. "You can't live with that, Joy. You can't live not knowing." He said thinking he had her figured out.
"I found out what happened to my mother. I will find out what happened to my father, too." She said walking away.
A little while later they were driving back to DC when Brennan turned onto the interstate towards north Carolina
"where are we going." Booth asked curiously.
"I'd like to make up for a little lost time." She said smiling at him.
By 8 o'clock they were walking up to the ferris wheel where Russ was working.
Booth stopped. "I'm gonna go get a funnel cake. Okay?"
Brennan nodded and walked up to Russ, alone. "I have something for you" she said holding the marble out to Russ.
Russ smiled knowing what she meant "Thanks, Tempe."
She said it anyways. "Russ. You were right. You were only 19, but at the time, I didn't understand what that meant. Sometimes people need to explain things to me, I guess."
"Then, you have to let them talk to you." He said smiling.
"If you can maybe come back and stay a couple days longer? Please? At my place, I mean." She offered hopefully.
He paused for a moment. "Marco."
"Polo." She said hugging him with a wide smile as Booth watches from the fence.
They part and they all head back to DC.
"Anybody thirsty?" she asked as they entered her apartment.
"Is it too early for a beer?" Russ asked unsure of if it was technically morning or night.
"not if we never slept." She said handing him one. "want one?" she asked looking to Booth.
He shook his head. "I gotta go. You know, I'm Picking up Parker for the weekend." He said spotting her manuscript on the table, the title crossed out. "yeah, actually, I'll take one."
"You have boy?" Russ asked twisting the top off.
"Yeah." He said lifting the front page and reading the dedication. 'This book is to my partner and friend, Special Agent Seeley Booth.'
"The woman I'm seeing, she's got two daughters." Russ said continuing.
Booth smiled replacing the page "Nice. Girls are nice." He said looking to Brennan as she walked back with two beers for them.
"To us." Booth said raising the bottle.
"Whoever the hell we are." Russ added smiling.
"To what we're becoming." Brennan finished and they all drank.
"I'm exhausted. I'm gonna hit the hay." Russ said hugging Brennan and heading to the guest room.
"night" they called after him.
"so you have Parker this weekend?" Brennan asked curiously. "what's your plan?" she asked sitting on the arm of the couch.
He smiled up at her. "you see I'd actually have to leave here to pick him up…so there's that."
She shook her head sliding onto his lap. "well I just can't let that happen. I'm sorry." She said wrapping her arms around his neck.
"is there any way I can change your mind?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"well… you can try but I don't make any promises." She said trying to suppress a smile.
"I see." He said nodding and she squealed as he rolled them over so she was laying on the couch a wide smile on her face now as she pulled him down to her.