This is the second to the promised three chapters that I have written in compensation for the delay... if you can call it that...

Disclaimer: No the characters of Bones belong to Hart Hanson-that brilliant man, and of course- FOX (bleh)

The Problem over the Programme

Before they went to the crime scene, Dunning had gone back to the police station so that Booth and Brennan would be able to follow him with the SUV.

"We have some pieces of equipment in the SUV that just can't be substituted. I need to contact Dr. Saroyan back at the Lab, while we're at the crime scene," Brennan had explained to Dunning.

Plus, your car sucks, Booth had added silently. "Yeah, we should probably let her know what's going on."

The crime scene was about ten miles out of town and down a gravel road. Eventually, Dunning slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road. Booth did the same. Brennan grabbed her kit and the two of them got out of the SUV.

Booth looked around. The area was pretty much all fields except for a couple patches of trees that grew adjacent to the road.

"If you'll just follow me, the spot where the kids found her is just down this hill." Brennan started to follow Dunning into the ditch, wading through the tall grass.

"Hold on," Booth called out. Dunning and Brennan waited as Booth knelt down to tuck his pants into his socks. Brennan had changed into a suit which covered her normal clothes and tucked into her shoes. Dunning wore boots. Booth didn't feel like getting any creepy-crawlies up his leg.

"Nice socks," Dunning commented. Booth was wearing a pair of blue and green stripped socks.

"Thanks," Booth said dryly.

Booth and Brennan followed Dunning toward the nearest patch of trees. Eventually, all three reached a clearing.

"Someone sure put some effort in trying to get rid of the body," Booth commented.

"That's what I was thinking," Dunning nodded to Booth.

"The murderer had to have gotten out of their vehicle and walk with the body to this spot," Booth said, thinking aloud.

Brennan put on a pair of rubber gloves. "I think I can see a piece of the skull over here."

All three spent the next hour searching for pieces of the victim's skull.

At the end of the hour, Booth stood up and stretched his back, "Well, I haven't found anything else."

"Me either," said Dunning.

"Other pieces of the skull could have been taken by animals," Brennan observed. "I want to set up communications with the Jeffersonian."

"Set up communications?" Dunning repeated.

"A web chat through computers," Brennan explained. "Via satellite."

"Nice," Dunning said, impressed.

They got back to the SUV. Brennan opened up the back of the vehicle and pulled out her laptop. Soon they were calling the Jeffersonian.

As they were waiting for someone to answer, Dunning said, "I should get back to the police station. Make sure everything is okay."

"Okay," Booth and Brennan said together. Booth's response sounded much happier about it than Brennan's did.

Dunning glanced up at Booth, "Dr. Brennan, I'm assuming you two can get back to town?"

"I believe so," Brennan began to walk with Dunning to his car. Booth was about to follow when a voice from the computer stopped him.

"Hey Booth, how's the case going?" Cam asked.

"Not bad. Bones has some samples to send you and Hodgins so you guys can give us a closer time of death."Booth said distractedly. He looked up just in time to see Brennan laughing at something Dunning said. Booth growled.

"Booth... did you just growl?" Cam asked, surprised. "Where's Dr. Brennan?"

"Talking to the sheriff." Booth gritted his teeth and looked back down at the screen. "You should really be here Cam. Then you wouldn't have to deal with this Dunning guy. He's a real piece of work!"

"Ah," Cam realized what was going on, "And by piece of work, you mean the fact that he's talking to Dr. Brennan."

"No, I'd be okay with him just talking to Bones. By 'piece of work', I mean that he's been hitting on her 24/7. I mean at least wait until we're done the case."

"Somehow, even then I don't think you'd be okay with Sheriff Dunning was just talking to her." Cam raised an eyebrow. "Has Dr. Brennan told you she's been uncomfortable by his attention?"

"Well, not exactly."

"Uh huh," Booth could see over the webcam that Cam had crossed her arms.

"I just have a bad feeling about this guy."

"And jealousy rears its ugly head once more," Cam smiled slightly.

"Look, Cam, I am not jealous of Dunning." Booth crossed his arms.

"You know, Dr. Wyatt told me that crossed arms could mean denial," Booth quickly let his arms fall to his sides. Cam smirked.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Booth put his hands in his pockets. Cam opened her mouth. "I know what Dr. Wyatt said about hands being in pockets!" He yelled at the screen.

"Hello there, Dr. Brennan," Cam said instead.

Brennan came to stand beside Booth. "Hi, Cam," She nodded to the screen. "What did Dr. Wyatt say about someone's hands being in their pockets?" She asked Booth.

Booth ruffled his hair in embarrassment. "Ah-"

Cam cut in "We were just talking about Sheriff Dunning. Tell me Dr. Brennan, what's your take on him?"

Booth turned to Brennan, also interested in what her response would be.

"Sheriff Dunning takes his job very seriously," was all she said.

"Right, 'cause he was so professional, he decided to ask you out while we were working." Booth air-quoted the word 'professional'.

Cam's eyebrows shot up.

"What? He did not ask me out Booth," Brennan protested. "I simply told him that I'd rather not use first names while we were focusing on the case."

"Right," Cam nodded slowly. Her eyes were wide after watching the encounter. "So, Dr. Brennan, Booth said that you collected some samples for me and Hodgins?"

"Right, as soon as we pack up here we are going to the post office to send them to you.." Brennan began to unzip her jumpsuit.

"So you want us to clarify time of death?" Cam asked.

"That and I would also like Hodgins to identify what type of glue I found on the skeleton. Perhaps we'll be able to discover where the murderer is from."

"You found glue on the body?" Cam looked puzzled.

"You'll understand once you see the pictures, Cam," Booth said. "It's definitely one of the weirder cases we've had in a while."

"After we've sent the samples, we're going to go back to the hospital at the morgue so I can add in the missing pieces of the skull. Then I'll send Angela pictures of the skull along with the pictures of the rest of the body. Then she can run a sketch through facial recognition." Brennan said as she put the jumpsuit into the back of the SUV.

"Sounds like a plan. I'm sure Hodgins will be happy to hear that he'll have something to do. He's been driving everyone nuts with his experiments," Cam sighed.

"And when you say 'everyone', I'm assuming you've been a victim of one of them?" Booth said, grinning.

Cam didn't look impressed. "Try all of them. Oh, and Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"Your problem will most likely sort itself out in the end." Cam said with a meaningful look.

"Problem?" Brennan asked. She turned to Booth. "What sort of problem do you have?"

Cam piped up from the computer. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed Dr. Brennan, Booth seems to be having a problem with the head of law enforcement there."

Booth glared at Cam. "Good-bye, Cam," he said closing the laptop, quickly cutting off whatever response Cam might have had.

"You probably shouldn't close the laptop when we still have a program running on it," Brennan said as she pointed to the laptop.

"You're right, sorry," Booth opened up the laptop again and was relieved to see that the window they had been talking to Cam through was disconnected.

Brennan began to shut down the computer. "Why did Cam say that you have a problem with Sheriff Dunning?"

"Oh, I don't know, Bones," Booth shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe, it's because I just don't find Dunning to be all that professional that's all."

"Because he wanted me to call him, Andrew?" Brennan looked at him skeptically.

No, but he's obviously interested in you and I can't understand why he can't seem to keep it in his pants.

Instead, Booth said, "How has Dunning proven himself to be professional?"

"Well, he was nice enough to show us the way to the morgue and show us where the body was found." She put the computer into its case.

"Uh huh," Booth rolled his eyes as Brennan turned away.

"And, he offered for us to stay at his place tonight."

"What?" Booth practically exploded. "How is that being professional?" Brennan moved along the side of the SUV, heading for the passenger door. Booth went along the other side to the driver's side and opened the door.

"What exactly," Booth got into the vehicle, "Is the reasoning behind that offer?"

"Dunning said that the Riverside Motel wasn't the best place to stay at and that if we slept at his house we would be well rested . More so than if we stayed at the motel." Brennan closed the door.

"Right, and the fact that he likes you has nothing to do with it," Booth shook his head.

"Booth, if I had accepted his offer, I knew I'd be okay there because I know you wouldn't let anything bad happen to me."

Booth looked into her blue eyes and felt his resolve weaken. "Look, just until I get a better read on this guy, can we stay at the motel?"

"I knew you'd say something like that. That's why I didn't take his offer." Brennan looked away to do up her seatbelt.

"You knew I'd say something like that?" Booth asked curiously.

"Yes, you're very protective, you know," Brennan said in a matter-of -fact tone of voice. "Besides, you do like wasting the FBI's money."

"Yeah, well, there are a lot of nut jobs out there. Someone has to be able to sniff 'em out." Booth did up his own seatbelt and started the vehicle. "And if there was a better hotel in this little town we also could have checked into, we would have wasted the FBI's money a little better."

"Dunning's offer is still open. I have his number. I could call him." Brennan began to reach in her pocket for her phone.

"Of course you would have his number," Booth muttered.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, let's just get you to the post office and back then to the morgue, it's already four o'clock." Booth put the SUV into drive and headed back toward town.

"Then we'll be going to the motel?" Brennan asked. Booth couldn't help but hearing a tinge of disappointment in her voice. He also couldn't help feel but disappointed himself for hearing it in her voice in the first place.

"Yeah, to the motel."

R&R Please! With a side of David Boreanaz? TJ Thyne??? (That man has amazing eyes! Not even kidding!)