A/N: You guys were so quick in sending me lovely reviews I decided to work on yet another update since I got home from my performance. Look forward to hearing what you think! A flood of reviews always seems to inspire me... Perhaps even overly so :P))

17CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Another day at the Jeffersonian had passed and it was actually very slow moving given that they still couldn't locate the man they were after. Seeley actually found himself a bit impatient with his own FBI comrades for their snail's pace. Sure they were working to the best of their capacity and he knew that, but he couldn't help but be antsy. Not with a serial killer like this one on the loose, free to do his 'thing'.

And so, without anything to work on and with the squints working over the evidence he had returned to his office where he was now speaking to Parker on speaker phone. On the edge of his desk sat the grey box they had recovered from one of the victims, in a plastic baggy it was labeled in Cam's clear black print for Krys to come and take. She was yet to pick it up. Then again, thinking on it, Seeley hadn't seen her the entire day. And it wasn't like people weren't looking for her. They wanted to catchup on the gossip, mainly pertaining to her and Vincent.

Mister Nigel-Murray was on the floor with Hodgins yet he remained tight lipped whenever the situation was hinted at, even avoiding eye contact. Was this normal for young kids nowadays? Booth remembered himself being far more open about his sex and dating life. He somehow doubted he was the only male like that at that age. Speaking of attraction, Doctor Brennan stood behind his desk alongside him, her brown hair pulled into its usual ponytail.

"That's great Parker." Agent Booth commented with a proud smile at the news of Parker's hundred percent on a math test, something the little boy was very proud of himself. "I told you if you worked hard you'd do well."

"Just like you dad!" Came the excited little boy's voice from the other end of the phone. Booth chuckled and even Bones managed a little smile, which was wiped clean with Parker's next comment. "Did you get hundreds all of the time Doctor Bones?"

"Me? Well..." Temperance frowned. She had to remember to speak to children differently. She tended to speak to them like equals, and as a result their feelings were either hurt or they didn't understand a word that she said.

"Of course she did. And why? Because she worked hard." Booth interupted, leaning forward on his desk.

Bones leaned forward so she could whisper her concerns in her partner's ear. "That's not true. I have a naturally high IQ and an excellent memory." She was shushed by a warning glance from Seeley before he leaned even further so Parker couldn't hear what she said.

"See that Parker? With a little hard work you can do anything." Seeley smiled.

"I know dad. You tell me every day. So does mom." Parker giggled, there was some rustling on the phone.

"Well you listen to your mother." Booth frowned, though of course Parker couldn't see it. Agent Booth loved Rebecca, he just didn't like her, unlike some other people that he knew where he could say both to the positive effect.

"I do dad." Parker sighed, more rustling, and then: "Doctor Bones, the science fair is coming up. Do you think you could help me with my volcano?"

Doctor Brennan blinked and then she was leaning forward much to the surprise of Agent Booth. "What kind of volcano?" Of course, Seeley was there to cut her off so she didn't feel obligated.

"We'll talk about this later Parker. I've got to hang up or you'll be late for baseball practice." Seeley sighed, reaching for the button but not yet pressing it.

"I don't want to go to practice today. I want to work on my volcano." Parker whined some as Doctor Brennan looked toward Seeley.

"Why can't he work on his volcano? It sounds far more productive." Bones questioned with a raised brow and Seeley gave her another warning glance, though he had to admit she looked adorable with that inquisitive look on her face.

"Okay dad." Parker sighed, defeated. He knew his dad was the boss even when they weren't physically in front of one another. "Bye."

Agent Booth pulled away from his desk. "Bye Parker." A click on the line, and then nothing. Seeley reached out and pressed the red button, ending the phone call. Shifting in his black chair he sighed, opening his drawer. "You don't have to take that seriously Bones." He announced, not looking at her as he fixed his loosened tie. "The volcano thing. He's a kid. He doesn't really think before he says things."

"Neither do you but I humor you." Temperance countered in a matter of fact tone which caused Seeley to raise a brow.

"You humor me?" Seeley frowned with widened eyes which was soon replaced with a little, smug chuckle. "If anything I humor you Bones."

"Do not." Doctor Brennan frowned, the two resembling two school children having a little spat. "How?"

"Wouldn't you like to know.." Booth gave another smug little smile beginning to lean back and relax when the figure of Lance Sweets came running through the door.

"I'm sorry Daisy. I can't. I have so much to do." Lance held out his hands in a defensive motion as he backed into the office, looking quite disheveled and unhappy in an uneven tux.

"Sweets, you look like The Penguin." Agent Booth commented quietly with a little smile, liking seeing the young man squirm, but the psychologist didn't even look at him as though he hadn't heard. Then again, by the looks of things he was preoccupied. VERY preoccupied.

"Daisy. There's a murder investigation. People are dying. I think this takes priority over our dinner dates." Lance Sweets frowned like a helpless puppy as he was being railed upon by his girlfriend who looked like a teenager again in her bright pink flouncy dress.

"Lance." Daisy strolled in with her matching pink high heels making clicking noises against the Jeffersonian tiles. "It was our date. We made our reservations a week ago." Daisy's hands rested on her hips, daggers in her eyes directed right at the young psychologist.

"We have a date every night. Every single night." Lance responded frustrated. He was finding her screechy tone annoying. Was this how Agent Booth and Jack Hodgins felt about him? He sure hoped not. "I always have to get dressed up. I hate getting dressed up!" His pale baby cheeks turning bright red as he searched for the words, making sparatic gestures with his hands. "Can't we just spend a night in. Watch a movie. Something where I don't have to wear this stupid bow tie!" And in his frustration Lance yanked the black bow tie right off, crumpling it in his fist.

Daisy proceeded to let out a gasp of disgust, her hand pressing against her chest. "Lance!" Agent Booth inclined back in his chair, watching with interest. Doctor Brennan also seemed oddly calm. "How could you?"

Lance blinked filled with both confusion and mild anger, as his eyes fell on Doctor Brennan and Agent Booth. Suddenly embarrassed, though he felt it was difficult to hide the fire in his belly, he swallowed. "I apologize Doctor Brennan, Agent Booth. We didn't know anyone was in here. We'll leave."

"Oh. So now we get to do what you want to do. What about what I want to do?" Daisy snipped at her boyfriend. It was quite evident that fights like these lately had been the 'norm' for the two of them.

"Don't you even care what I want? Lately it seems all you're occupied with is going out and impressing people at classy restaurants." He tried to catch his breath as he spoke. "I don't know if you've noticed Daisy, but I can't exactly afford classy all of the time. Sometimes I just want a burger." There was no use trying to fit some psychological talk in. Daisy would counter it with her own minimal studies and it'd just make the argument worse.

"The man just wants a burger." Agent Booth announced under his breath clearly siding with Lance (for once), directed toward his partner whom seemed unphased. Daisy, catching this exchange turned around to face her hero.

"What do you think Doctor Brennan?" She inquired, apparently Lance Sweets no longer had any place in this argument. Agent Booth looked completely surprised and Lance's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Me?" Doctor Brennan also seemed to be mildly surprised, a bit less than everyone else as she looked around unsurely. "My opinion in this matter is completely irrelevant. This is a relationship, it's not anatomy. It's completely unscientific." However, Daisy continued staring at her in interest and showed no sign of budging. "Well.."

"Bones." Agent Booth moved to stand up, warning her, but of course he was ignored.

"You're a woman of science." Doctor Brennan began, maintaining her matter of fact tone. "Sweets bases his life on the falsities that is psychology and emotion. There's no common ground."

Daisy bowed her head, biting her lip in thought as she took this information in. Lance meanwhile took a worried step toward his girlfriend but was haulted when she lifted her hand in a stopping motion, before looking back to Doctor Brennan. "None?"

"You need common ground." Bones continued, much to Booth's dismay as he bowed his own head in an inward cringe and Sweets braced himself, looking absolutely sick. "What else is there?" She continued and an uncomfortable silence came between the group.

"Thank you Doctor Brennan." Daisy finally lifted her head and looked to Lance, a serious expression on her angular features. "I'll get my things from your house now, so they won't be there when you get back. If you ever get back." Lance felt his lips curve into a frown and his eyes widen, his lips opened to speak, to retaliate, but no words came out, only a squeak of surprise. "Don't bother calling. We're through." Agent Booth found himself becoming increasingly uncomfortable, and he was a sniper! This was territory no one would ever want to be a part of.

Lance reached out his hand for Daisy's but she kept herself out of his reach, before turning around and exiting the room, her high heels clicking the entire way. Leaving Lance standing all alone, looking very small despite his lanky stature, in his suit coat, staring at the doorway blankly. Had this really just transpired? Could things really become so crappy?

And Booth was feeling so very uncomfortable in the quiet. "You alright there Sweets?"

It took the young psychologist a moment to find his voice. Swallowing he nodded his head, though he didn't look toward the two partners. "Yeah."

"He's lying." Temperance deducted. Though she didn't always agree with the field of psychology the study of facial expressions actually revealed a great deal about a person. Now was one of those times.

"I... I'm gonna go work on some... files.." Lance managed to make his voice come out, shoving his hands into his pockets he looked about ready to cry as he sulked out, leaving Booth and Brennan to their own devices.

"Is he going to be alright?" Temperance asked, watching Booth who was staring at the door.

"Yeah. I think he'll be fine." Moving to his feet with a grunt he walked toward the door, expecting his partner to follow. "I'll tell you, that's one thing I don't miss about dating... The break ups. The fights." Holding the door open for the anthropologist as she followed.

"That's why I don't believe in monogamous relationships." Temperance shrugged, moving through the door as Booth craned his neck after her with a frown.

"Relationships aren't like Santa or fairies Bones." Seeley commented, shutting the door behind him. "They actually exist."

Temperance gave a little thin lipped smile in retaliation. She couldn't help but notice how defensive and pouty the man had gotten all of a sudden. Was there something in the water today? That scenario seemed highly unlikely, but for some reason, she hoped that it was the case.