Title: The Multiples in the Family

Author: SplishySplash, Ihave207Bones

Spoiler: Up to Pain in the Heart

Pairing: B/B

Summary: A case brings Booth and Brennan to Utah where they come into contact with the concept of polygamy and a murder.

Chapter 7

The alarm buzzed loudly bringing the occupants from their deep, content slumber. Sweets was the first one to jump out of the bed, turn on the center light and loudly start to go through his things gaining a groan from Booth, whose face was buried into the hair of his partner. "Haven't you ever heard of the invention called a snooze button, kid?" Booth asked with his eyes closed, his partner stirred with her face in the crook of his neck, but her eyes remained closed and a small smile on her face.

"Yes I have, but . . ." He started when Booth lobbed a pillow at him, for having his eyes closed it hit its target of squarely in the back. "Hey!"

Booth was prepared for another assault, stealing Brennan's pillow in the process when she placed a hand on his arm. "Leave him alone, Booth." She said in his ear. He placed the pillow back down on his legs and slowly sat up with her in tow.

Sweets scoffed and took his things into the bathroom with a glare. A wave of laughter went through the pair and Brennan got up, her hair curly and out of place as she crossed the room towards things, grabbing her computer and bringing it back to the bed. With her back to the backboard, she booted it up as Booth rolled to his side to see the screen with his head in his hand.

He read over her shoulder as she checked her emails and occasionally commenting on the contents. As they read over Angela's update of the day an email from Hodgins appeared at the top of the screen. Clicking on it revealed that he had discovered that all the people had grown up in the same place and that some of them were related, a passing from Cam and that it would probably be easier to explained then written bringing a laugh from Booth, it was euphemism for he didn't want to type it out.

Brennan closed the program and clicked on the webcam program. It wasn't long until Hodgins smiling face was on the other end. "Well good morning." He said brightly and leaning back in the chair he was sitting in, amusement glowing from his face.

"Good morning." Brennan said with a smile.

"Mornin'" Booth said lazily. A sly smile came to Hodgins face as he gathered that they were still in bed and in bed together. "What do you have for us?"

His face fell slightly. "How come you get to sleep in?" He asked and Brennan's eyebrow raised expectantly. "Right, all the people who were buried there grew up in the same place, including the girl from the car and the absence of fluoride in their system can definitely tell you that they didn't live anywhere near Salt Lake or any major city."

"Do you have an idea as to where they are from?" Brennan asked, reaching over Booth to grab the hair tie from the night stand.

"Probably somewhere really rural and it closely matches the makeup of St. George, Utah which is down south about three and a half hours from Salt Lake." Hodgins said and grew distracted as Brennan's arms stretched above her head to put her hair in the tie, exposing her stomach slightly.

Booth snapped his fingers to get his attention back. "Where they buried before they were moved?" Booth asked, glaring slightly at the entomologist.

"What? No, the particulates match the place they were found." Hodgins said, flushing slightly.

Brennan looked at Booth, sensing that she was missing something. "Then how were the bones separated without years of decomposition?" Booth asked, gaining surprised looks from the entomologist, anthropologist and the newly arrived pathologist. "What? I pay attention to the words I understand."

"They were probably boiled and then moved." Brennan answered, looking to Cam for that answer.

She nodded. "They were boiled, but the real question is what happened to the organs." She asked, her looked matched the entomologist as she noticed that they were sitting on a bed and Booth's head was practically resting on her stomach.

"They were cut out." Brennan answered. "There were consistent knick on the ribs to indicate that they were cut out."

Hodgins shifted and pulled out a clipboard from out of view. "The real confusing thing is that the oldest set of remains, which was the first one in the square, had been there since the mid 1840's and each consecutive one after that spread out until the most recent. I'm pretty sure more than twenty one people had died since then."

"Maybe it's some sort of hierarchy thing?" Booth suggested, leaning back so his head was resting on Brennan's stomach and gained looks from the squints. "You know, maybe the first guy was someone important and the most recent are hidden there."

Everyone was silent until Brennan spoke up. "That is very plausible." She said proudly patting his arm. Sweets came out the bathroom freshly showered and dressed, signaling that it was her turn to use the bathroom. She nodded and slid the computer off her lap. "I'll be right back, I need to get dressed."

Hodgins couldn't hold it any longer. "Are you sharing a bed with Doctor Brennan?" He asked, gaining a scolding look from his superior and ignored her.

It was no use lying to him. "Sweets' needed a room and the entire city is booked." Booth said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm nice enough to give Sweets my bed."

"So you can sleep with Doctor B, right?" Hodgins teased, he wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "But not in the naked fun way."

"Seeley always did like to cuddle though." Said Cam with a smile on her face and didn't miss the flush that crossed his features.

Before anyone could say anything, Booth glared at Cam. "Goodbye Cam, goodbye Hodgins." And he shut the screen to the computer as Brennan came out of the bathroom completely dressed and her hair rested in curls along her back.

It was Booth's turn to get ready as Brennan's cell phone vibrated from the bedside table. She picked it up and read the screen, flushing slightly at the words from her best friend. What's this I hear about sharing a bed with a white knight? She pocketed the phone without responding and the pair waited for Booth to finish so they could head out to the compound.

*~*

The three of them had been cramped in the back of Bill's SUV, save for Dalton who sat in the front seat and for Hyde who would meet them there. Booth stretched his legs and groaned slightly as he bumped Brennan with his elbow, gaining a glare from the woman. "I thought you said it was only an hour away." Booth complained.

Bill glanced in the rear view mirror and frowned. "It was a little exaggeration." He answered. "We are almost there."

"What can you tell us about Roman?" Asked Dalton, who looked up from the file with a frown on her face. "Other than what has been said on the news?"

"You mean solitation of minors and forced incest?" He questioned with a question. "I can't answer that."

Brennan raised her eyebrow. "Why?"

Bill shrugged, gaining curious looks from the agents. "I don't know if it's true, seriously." He answered.

Booth and Brennan looked at Sweets for confirmation that he was lying and his face fill with annoyance. "What am I, a lie detector?" He cried and folded his arms.

They chuckled and fell into a comfortable silence until it was Sweets' turn to shift as his phone vibrated against the door and leaned on the anthropologist to reach into his pocket for it. And it was her turn to groan as she leaned on to her partner and also received another elbow to the rib cage. "Honestly!" She exasperated, elbowing both of the men.

"Jesus, Bones." Booth complained, rubbing his sore sternum.

The two occupants in the front glared in the rear view mirror. "Don't make me turn this car around." Bill joked as if he was talking to his own children.

"No!" The three adults said in unison as they glared at each other with their arms folded as the SUV turned on a dirt road towards more nothingness.

It was another forty five minutes until they pulled to a stop at a large gate guarded by two men in police uniforms and Bill drove passed the slowly without making eye contact with the men and the road they took was long and bumpy causing the anthropologist to hit her head on the low ceiling. When he finally stopped the three in the backseat fled the vehicle and stretched their cramped muscles.

When they could feel the circulation in their legs, they took notice of their surroundings and the people who occupied the space the house doing random chores. The older women didn't bother looking up, but the younger women dressed in long sleeves and skirts that touched the ground gave the newcomers a glance, before a hiss from an older woman forced them back to their duties. "What are you doing here, Bill?" She said through gritted teeth.

In the same pleasantries, he motioned to them. "Nice to see you too Adeline, these people are here from the FBI and they would like to talk with Roman." He said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

She sized them up before a curt smile came to her face. "If you will follow me, we'll get you seated." She said before motioning to a younger woman and she turned on her heels, running away from the house. Another older woman motioned for the strangers to follow as Adeline pulled Bill aside, talking in whispers as they walked through the door and into a nicely placed parlor.

Booth waited for Brennan to sit on the edge of the sofa before he sat next to him and the woman disappeared into the kitchen. "Do you think all those women are married to the one man?" Asked Dalton in a whisper as she sat in a chair.

Brennan frowned and considered the question, but was unable to answer when Bill and Adeline walked inside. "Roman is on his way." Bill announced and sat down as Adeline brought in a tray of cookies and lemonade, resting it on the table before walking away.

Booth helped himself to a glass of lemonade and motioned to Brennan asking if she wanted one, she shook her head negatively before turning to Sweets, who accepted it willingly before taking a sip from his own glass. His face distorted as the liquid went down his throat causing him to cough loudly. Brennan shot him a worried look as she patted his back until his breathing went to normal. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine." He answered hoarsely, placing a hand on top of hers in reassurance.

Sweets' matched his and he sat the glass down on the table. "That stuff is strong!" He exclaimed and the door opened and they all jumped to their feet. The man in the door was small and his skin was weathered making him look frail, on his head rested a large black hat that hid most of his face. He took off the hat and handed it to Adeline before surveying the room his icy eyes sent shivers down Brennan's spine. "I am Roman Grant, you must be with the FBI."

Booth introduced the small group as they all sat back down, the prophets eyes rested on Brennan and she shifted nervously. "What can I do for you, Mr. Booth?"

He reached into his pocket pulling out the picture of Elisa and handed it to him. "Do you know who this girl is?" He asked.

Reluctantly he moved his eyes towards the photo before setting it on the coffee table. "Elisa Grant, she is my daughter in law." He said firmly. "She's been missing for a couple of days now I have contacts all over looking for her and my son."

"She was murdered two days ago." Dalton said, hoping to get some rise out of the man.

"That's a shame." Came his unlikely response and Booth tensed. "She was such a wonderful woman, full of life and expecting, what happened to the child?"

Booth opened his mouth to speak, but Brennan beat him to it. "We haven't been able to find any remains to suggest that it was murdered also." Another man stalked into the room and leaned against the wall, his face disclosed discomfort.

"Don't be rude Albie, have a seat." Roman announced before turning his attention back to Booth and Brennan. Albie was a tall man with a bent posture and in Booth's opinion was build like a linebacker with his wide shoulders probably from years of farm work. An annoyed grunt escaped his lips as he took a seat on the chair next to Dalton.

"They want to know where Nathan is, Roman." Bill said, glaring at the new man in the room making the tension in the room double.

The emotionless face fell slightly enough for Sweets to notice. "I haven't seen Nathan since last week when he and Elisa went up to Salt Lake he called me a couple of days ago and said that she had disappeared." Roman explained. "What happened to her?"

"She fell." Brennan answered coldly as if Booths annoyance radiated to her.

"She fell?" He repeated with a frown.

"She hit her head on a rock and suffered from a subdural hematoma, died instantly before the skin on her face and her finger tips were scraped off with a knife and the infant was taken out of her. Then she was place into her truck and set on fire." Brennan said just as coldly as the color drained from Roman and Albie's faces. Bill frowned, having not heard that before he arrived as the color also drained from his face.

The room was silent save for the deep breathing and Roman broke the silence. "You think Nathan was responsible for this horrible act?" He asked.

"He is a suspect." Booth answered. "We need to know where he is, he might have the baby or he might hurt someone else."

"My Nathan doesn't have the heart to do such an atrocious thing." Roman argued as another well dressed man walked into the room with a look of panic on his face, paying no notice to the group or the building tension in the room. He whispered something into Romans ear and for the first time emotion filled his face bringing him to his feet. "I apologize, but a dear friend of mine is dying and is in need of a blessing." He said, motioning for Albie to follow him. "If you could come back tomorrow. . ."

"We just want to see his house or room. . ." Booth inquired, hoping the man would allow them to look for evidence.

"As much as I would love to oblige to your request Mr. Booth, you are going to need a warrant." Roman said turning around to face him. "I have to look out for the well being of my followers." He turned sharply on his heels and walked out the screen door.

Booth sighed and rubbed his forehead to ward off a headache that was sure to follow. They got to their feet and wandered out of the same door, causing Booth to flinch at the bright light. "What do we do now?" Asked Sweets as they gathered around the SUV, with each supporting an annoyed look on their faces.

Booth leaned into the vehicle and folded his arms. "We will get a warrant for the entire compound." Booth said bitterly. "I'm sure we can find something . . ."

Brennan wandered around the SUV as a teenage girl struggling to lift a full basket of vegetables caught her attention. She trotted across the street and took a handle from the girl who smiled appreciatively, before growing nervous when she didn't recognize the woman. They both stood to full height with the bucket in between them when Brennan smiled what she hoped to be softly. "Hi, I'm Temperance."

"I'm Morgan." She answered. Her hair was dark, almost black, and pulled back in braids as the long solid purple dress covered her body and a white apron brought attention to her bulging waist line. She led the way up a set of stairs to a porch, setting the basket down. "Thanks for the help."

"You shouldn't be lifting such heavy thing when you're pregnant." Brennan said as she followed her back down the steep stairs and back to the garden for another basket of vegetables. "Did you know Elisa Grant?"

Morgan bent down and pulled more carrots out of the ground. "We grew up together, but I haven't heard from her in weeks." She said as another woman wandered over to them.

"I told you to wait for me to carry the basket, Morgan." Said the woman who was dressed in a long bright blue prairie dress, but her hair flowed wildly down her back. A frown graced her lips as she sized up Brennan. "Who are you?"

"My name is Temperance Brennan I'm looking for any information on Elisa Grant." Brennan said as the unnamed girl picked up the basket, swaying slightly. Brennan reached out and held onto the uneven side.

"Elisa is my sister." She said with a frown. "My name is Rose Epperson, she's dead isn't she?"

Brennan nodded in surprise. "How did you know that she was dead?" Brennan asked.

It was then Booth trotted over after noticing his partner had disappeared with a look of relief on his face. Ever the gentleman, he took the basket from both of the women. "If you follow Morgan, she will show you where to put it." Rose said gratefully. "Please don't leave yet." She turned on her heels and ran out of the gate.

Brennan stood confused as Booth returned with Morgan, whose eyes were filled with tears. "How did she die?" Morgan asked in a whisper as a group of woman walked passed them, paying them no heed.

The partners shared a look before Booth spoke. "She fell." He answered.

Tears fell steady down her face. "Is there anything you can tell us about her?" Brennan asked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a tissue, handing it to the girl.

"Morgan!" A man yelled from the door and she tensed, taking a couple of steps away from them.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." She cried, before running back up the stairs to the man who glared at them before going inside.

Brennan looked at her partner for his opinion on the matter, but he was strangely quiet. "Are you okay, Booth?" She asked.

He smiled half heartedly before placing a hand on her back, leading her back to the car. "I'm fine, Bones." He said with a chuckle, only for her to shoot him a skeptical look. "Really Bones."

She let it slide as he walked ahead to talk with Hyde, she stopped when she saw Rose running towards her and in her hands was an old and worn shoebox. Breathlessly, she shoved the box into the anthropologist's hands and scanned the area. "Please don't tell anyone about this." She whispered before running away.

Brennan stood on the sidewalk looking at the box in her hands when Booth called her name again. She took her place at his side as Hyde talked shop with Booth. ". . .You might as well head back to Salt Lake and get a warrant to search to compound, I'll call and get a couple of agents to stake out the perimeter."

Booth nodded and Bill turned to open the driver's side door. "I'll drive you back." He offered as Dalton stayed back with her partner, the other three climbed into the SUV and they drove back to the city.

*~*

The car ride was silent.

Brennan sat behind the drivers' seat and went through the box. It was full of letters, small mementos and journals. Her attention turned to a recent picture of Rose and Elisa, both holding their obviously pregnant bellies. Rose was clearly farther along, but they had matching smiles on their faces with the caption on the back 24th of July celebrations, Rose-37 weeks, Elisa 23 weeks.

The next picture was of Elisa in a long white dressed, looking very upset, as who she assumed to be Nathan held her in his arm in the typical 'over the threshold' carry. The date on the picture matched the bracelet that they found and was also on her wrist in the picture. She turned to show her partner but stopped when she realized that he was dozing against the window, his face was flushed and it glistened with sweat.

She reached over and brushed her fingers against his cheek, it was very warm and he twitched at her cold fingers. "Are you feeling alright, Booth?" She asked in a whisper.

A rush of bile surged through him. "Pull over." He said Bill sent him a questioning look as he did as he was asked. Quickly he climbed out, followed by Brennan as he emptied the contents of his stomach on the side of the road. She placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled his tie out of the way.

They stood there for a short while until his heaving subsided and Brennan ran his fingers through his hair as he rested most of his weight on her. "Feel better?" He groaned as Sweets came around to help him back in the SUV. Brennan looked up to notice that the psychologist was also pale. "Not you too."

She faltered slightly as Booth closed his eyes tightly. Bill got out of the car and assisted Booth back into the car as Brennan led Sweets back to his seat before climbing back into her seat. "Maybe it was something they ate?" Bill suggested, Brennan thought back to breakfast where they both had pancakes and sausages, they hadn't had lunch yet.

"Maybe." She said as Booth laid down in the middle, resting his head on her lap with a groan. His eyes closed tightly the heat radiating from his forehead through her slacks.

*~*

It took longer to get back to their hotel because of the extra stops along the way. Both men had taken turns vomiting on the side of the road until they finally made it back and another twenty minutes to get both men from the parking lot up to their bedroom and into bed.

She followed Bill back to the door and smiled gratefully. "Thank you for your help." She said breathlessly, leaning her head on the door.

"No problem." He said, extending his hand to her. "I know it's not proper protocol, but if you need anything don't hesitate to call."

She nodded as the door shut behind him before toeing her shoes off and turning towards her friends to assess their conditions. Booth was curled on his side, huddled under the comforter as Sweets sat on his bed struggling to get his own shoes off. Brennan walked in between the beds and pulled them off for him before pulling off his jacket and tie. "Thanks." He groaned as he laid his head on the pillow, immediately falling asleep.

Carefully she pulled the blanket off of Booth and awkwardly pulled his shoes off without waking him and undressed him the best she could from his position on his side. His eyes fluttered opened and a weak smile on his face as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you feeling any better?" She asked in a whisper.

"No." He answered.

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his forehead to evaluate his fever. "Your fever is getting worse." She said after keeping them there longer than necessary. His eyes closed at her cool touch and moaned again. "Get some sleep."

She got up and went to the couch before pulling out her cell phone. She dialed the number and waited for the other line to answer. She looked at her watch and it read just after six in D. C. as she sighed when it picked up. "Saroyan." The background was loud that suggested that she was at a restaurant.

"It's me." Brennan said trying to keep her voice neutral and was failing miserably. "I hope that I'm not bothering you."

Cam mumbled something to somebody and then the background grew quiet. "What's wrong?" She asked.

She sighed before she talked. "Booth and Sweets are sick." She said with her voice cracking. "I'm worried about them." She described the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, lack of coordination and the set depression that they both seem to be in. ". . . they both started about the same time."

The pathologist sighed. "You need to get them to a hospital, they might've been poisoned." Cam answered as a strange sound from behind Brennan caught her attention.

Booth was on his back convulsing as a seizure took a hold of him. Brennan threw her cell phone on the bed as she ran over to him and she removed the pillow from underneath his head before grabbing the land line. As she used her weight to pin Booth to the mattress the operator picked up the phone. "How can I help you?"

"I need two ambulances right now." She said into the phone before slamming it back into its cradle.

The seizure ended after a long few minutes taking his ability to breath with him. Brennan placed her ear next to his mouth and frowned when she couldn't hear or feel anything. She tilted his head back to open his airway before placing her mouth on to his, forcing oxygen into his body.

His pulse was still there.

She breathed again for him, making his chest clearly raise causing Booth to cough forcefully. "Thank god." Brennan whispered, rolling him to his side as he emptied the contents of his stomach onto the mattress. "Can you hear me, Booth?"

He got no response as there was a knock on the door. "Paramedics."

Brennan ran to the door and opened it, six men dress in the standard EMT wear and all their gear filed into the room as she gave them the detail of the last three hours and they loaded both men onto the stretchers before all three of them were loaded into the ambulances towards the hospital as Brennan held Booth's hand tightly.