A/N: I love hearing from all of you about your thoughts on this story. We're only just getting started; like I said before, this is going to be a bumpy ride, and a very angsty one as well. Prepare yourselves.

Chapter 3

May 29th, 2011

The lab felt stifling, like she was trapped under a layer of blankets rather than standing on the air conditioned platform with the skylights far over her head. Every time someone passed by, she wondered if they could see something different in her. And every time Angela called or Hodgins made a comment, she jumped slightly. She was on edge, and she couldn't deny it.

Now, she closed her eyes and tried to ground her focus. The bones in front of her needed attention. A Civil War soldier from bone storage. He was in need of a name. That was what she needed to think about.

And yet, as she heard the doors whoosh open, her eyes shot up with just a bit too much hopefulness. Of course it wasn't Booth. Booth hadn't been by since they had talked that night after leaving the hospital. And he had stopped calling her after the conversations got awkward and the silences became frequent.

She hadn't seen him in two days.

It was funny, how the happiest moments could also be endings. They could close out an entire lifetime. It was like this past week had been the final chapter of something. Like it had all been leading up to one conclusion, to the words she had spoken to confirm that their worlds were upside-down and inside-out, and that they were never going back to the way they had been.

The days of solving cases side-by-side, of arguing and bickering and pretending their was no attraction there... those were over. Because they had crossed the line, had climbed into bed together, and the consequences were not even in the same hemisphere as those she had been expecting.

All those years, and she had known, known, that it would happen eventually. Only, she had thought having sex with Booth would simply make things uncomfortable, or perhaps end their partnership. She had thought there was a chance it might even lead to an actual relationship between them.

But she had not taken into account all those things that she used to associate with sex, in the earliest days. This time, she hadn't even given a passing thought to the fact that she might end up pregnant. All she had been thinking about... was how amazing those moments with him had been.

How nice it had been to wake up in his arms, before she had slipped away and hurried from his apartment while he still slept.

She wondered if their sudden distance was her fault; if it had something to do with her leaving that morning, or if it had just occurred naturally. She hadn't been very open about the subject of that night or of the pregnancy, after all. Booth... he wanted to talk about the details, about the changes to their lives, about whether or not it would be a boy or a girl...

Brennan didn't want to talk about any of that. Not now. She wanted to hear that Booth was interested in more than just the baby. She wanted him to talk about them, not keep gushing about the unborn child in her uterus.

And what about the kiss? Yet another moment that they would never talk about, like all those in the past that involved their emotions or their near-death experiences. All it took was a day's passing, and then neither of them dared bring it up. She didn't know why, but that was how it went. And this time... this time was no different. He had kissed her, but clearly it had been in his moment of excitement, and nothing more. Because he had made no moves to suggest he cared for her in that way since he had stepped away and they had continued walking together down the sidewalk. At her doorstep, she had almost thought he might ask to come up, or maybe even pull her into another hug, but he had stepped backwards instead, nodding his farewell from a safe distance. That was all the evidence she needed.

And she couldn't even tell him that it was what was bothering her, because she had no right. She'd lost that chance a long time ago, and it wasn't his fault that she was heartbrokenly in love with him. He didn't need to know about that, and have that on his conscience. She didn't want him to lie to her, and tell her he felt something just so it would make her feel better about the whole thing. Because that was what Booth would do. That was who he was.

Still, she couldn't get his smile out her mind; the way his face had lit up when she had told him it was his... that had been exhilarating. And then how he had hugged her, and how relieved and safe she had felt. She would do anything to have that feeling back.

Now, she felt alone and terrified. Less so than before, because she was no longer the only one who knew, but still... the feelings were persistent. It was like being back in foster care; the same emotions were coursing through her. It was a situation that she was trapped in, one she could not force her way out of, no matter how much she wanted to. There was no reversing this, no making it all go away. And then there was the fear; that was familiar as well. And the wondering and wishing... it all brought her back, and she desperately wanted it to stop. Because if there was a time in her life she would erase from her memory, that would be it. She would relive El Salvador again in a heartbeat if it would delete those three years. Gladly.

She remembered Angela, at the start of her own pregnancy. The excitement and the wonder, the hopefulness that just emanated from both her and Hodgins. They had been in it together, fully knowing what they were going to do. They were together, and happy, with everything ahead of them fitting together like a perfect puzzle. A simple puzzle, unlike the complex jigsaw that weaved its way in her path. And she didn't have someone with her, the way Angela had. When things got rough, Angela could tell Hodgins her fears and he could return the favor, so they both reassured each other.

She wished she knew what that was like. None of her relationships had ever had that level of deep trust mixed in. Most of them had involved shared interests, and they had all relied heavily on a sexual component. Some of them had been solely sex, to be honest. What would it be like, to have Booth the way she wanted him? To know he loved her, and that he would always stay with her? She already trusted him; it wouldn't take much for her to gain that level that Angela and Hodgins possessed. But still, she knew it would never be that easy. Because she couldn't be sure she was doing the right thing; not if Booth didn't share her beliefs on the matter.

What would have happened, had she not become pregnant? Would they have simply continued to pretend that they had never slept together, or would they have eventually discussed it? Would it have been easier than this was? Would it have been simpler, without the complications?

Should she have held off on telling him until she was sure of his feelings about her?

Her eyes slid shut again, and she let out a heavy sigh. There was no way of knowing that, now. She'd ruined that opportunity when she had rushed to tell him after simply confirming that he would be happy to have a child.

That was one relief; knowing that he wanted the child.

She should have held off, and waited for both confirmations.

With the way she was acting now, it was likely she'd destroyed everything. What was she supposed to do, though? Embrace all of Booth's eagerness for the child, and simply hope for the best? Or should she tell him how she felt about everything, and force herself to believe his response was honest?

She knew him well enough... would she be able to tell, if he did try lying to her?

But that was a place she didn't want to reach. Doubting every action, every touch, should he indeed claim to have feelings for her... was no way to live.

And he couldn't love her. If he did, he'd have said something by now. He'd have said it that night, in the opening she had given him.

"It's all going to be okay," he had assured, as they had started to walk again, her arm looped through his as she leaned into his side.

"I know," she said softly. "But... everything is still... overwhelming."

"Well, yeah," he said, laughing slightly, "I mean, damn, Bones. I'm overwhelmed, too."

"I just... wish I knew what was going to happen. With all of this."

"Hey, me too," he said, still smiling. She bit her lip and nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. Her eyes closed, and she moved with him, trusting him to guide her steps. He said nothing else, though.

He hadn't said a word that even suggested he had feelings for her. It was like he was purposefully avoiding the subject, and that stung, leaving a sharp ache in her chest. If he didn't want to even discuss the very idea...

She rolled her lower lip between her teeth, and focused on the skeleton again.

A bullet wound to the femur, and a break in the tibia...

"Hey, Bones."

She jumped violently, almost knocking over the tray of instruments next to her, and he caught her by the arm, steadying her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"No, no, it's okay," she assured, meeting his warm brown eyes and snapping her gaping mouth shut.

"We've got a case," he said hesitantly, frowning slightly as his gaze strayed over her face, taking in her pale complexion and her widened eyes. He looked like he wanted to question her about her reaction, and she hurried to cut him off before he could get too attached to the idea that something was wrong with her. Or worse, that something was wrong with the pregnancy. She didn't want to have a discussion about it. Not now, with how much she had been thinking about everything associated with it.

"What is it?" she asked, snapping off her gloves.

"Decayed body in an apartment building... DC police called us in because of the whole un-identifiable aspect. Are you—?"

"We should get going then, correct?" she asked, cutting him off. "Hodgins!" the bug man poked his head out of his office. "We've got a case!" she called, and watched his face light up.

"I'll get my stuff!" he called back, disappearing into his office again.

Booth opened his mouth again, as if to continue with his previous line of thought, but again she spoke before he could get anything out.

"I'll need to get my kit as well. You should probably notify Cam."

He nodded, his mouth still open, but she was already taking the stairs down and heading for her office. He stared after her, confusion written all over his face.

Once alone again, she let out a heavy breath she had been holding, and hastily shed her lab coat and hung it back on it's hook, fixing her shirt and her ponytail and checking her reflection in the pocket-sized mirror Angela had convinced her to keep in her desk—for occasions just like these.

She couldn't isolate herself from him, and she knew it. It would isolate him as well, and it would be unfair. Even if he didn't love her, he deserved so much better. She knew what his situation with Rebecca had done to him, back when he had still questioned his ex's reasons for keeping him from Parker. She could never make him doubt something like that. He was a good man, and a great father. She knew he could do anything for her or their child.

So, if she didn't want him asking questions like that, or even silently believing that... she needed to start involving him more. And then maybe that would lead to something. A confirmation, either positive or negative, to answer her questions.

If you really wanted that, you'd just ask, a probing voice in her mind reminded her. She sighed heavily, knowing that her subconscious was correct. She was afraid to ask. So what?

She shut the desk drawer with a bit more force than was necessary, and swung her bag over her shoulder before leaving the office to re-join Booth by the main doors.

"Ready to go?" Booth asked, clearly having decided to drop the subject of her well-being. She couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. "Hodgins has the address; he and Wendell will catch up to us."

She nodded briskly, and then hesitated rather than leading the way, choosing to follow along with him. Striding ahead wasn't going to help at all with her resolution to stop avoiding him.

He noticed, but made no comment.

"So, who's the dead guy?" he said instead, nodding back over their shoulders towards the lab.

"Civil War soldier," she answered. "Still working on an ID. This case will take priority, though, obviously."

"Right."

They reached the elevator to take them down to the parking structure, and stood awkwardly in silence as they lowered. When the doors opened, she was sure they both released a heavy breath of relief at the same time.

The car ride was less uncomfortable, with Booth filling her in on the details of the case he was already aware of.

"The body was found on the apartment next to the elevator, on the fourth floor. Lived alone, male... if it's the guy on the apartment contract, then his name is Nathan Kaminski. It's more than likely that either he's dead, or Kaminski killed him."

"Then where is Kaminski?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Not exactly a good idea; leaving a body in your apartment after you've killed the person."

"Nobody said Kaminski had to be a genius," Booth commented. "But you're right, that wouldn't add up."

"How was the body decomposed?" she questioned, her mind following a different track. "And do they have any idea how long it's been in the apartment?"

"From what I've been told... Kaminski was house-sitting his neighbors cats."

"Oh," she said at once, realization setting in. "Hodgins will need to bring those cats back to the lab, then."

"Yep," Booth said, giving a distasteful grimace. "This is why I'm never having cats in my house."

"I actually like cats," Brennan said, her gaze straying to stare out the side window. "We had a kitten when I was young."

"Really? You never mentioned it."

"My parents said it ran away. Russ told me later that it got hit by a car."

"Sorry."

She shrugged. "I barely remember it. But I do think they make nice companions. Much more clean than dogs, and more self-sufficient as well."

"Until they eat you," Booth added under his breath.

She smirked. "Yes. But only if you die alone." Her smile fell away, then, and she focused on staring out the window.

Booth said nothing, but she felt his eyes on her for a long moment before they returned to the road. She felt an opening, and she took a shaky breath before she hesitantly voiced what she had been struggling with since the elevator ride, turning to face him at last.

"I have an appointment today. With my doctor."

"For the..?"

"Yes." She struggled a moment, and then asked tentatively. "I was wondering... if you might like to come with me."

At once, he smiled. "Of course, Bones. I would... I'd love to go with you."

A small measure of relief washed away some of her concerns, and she smiled back. "It's at one... we'll need to find an opening to leave."

"Hey, we'll think of something to tell the team. It's not like it's unusual for us to go off to lunch alone, after all."

"Of course," she agreed, feeling lighter than she had in days. This was what she had wanted; someone to take some of the weight from her. With Booth helping her make decisions and staying by her side... she felt better already. A part of her had been worried he would feel obligated to come along, but judging from his surprise and his eagerness... that wasn't the case. He genuinely wanted to go with her.

But, that only made sense. It was about the baby, after all. His child.

She sensed that he wanted to say something more about it, but that he was holding back. She didn't know why, but she was grateful. For now, she was just happy that he was going with her to the appointment. She would deal with how things unfolded from there, but she didn't want to talk about it anymore right this instant.

Thankfully, the crime scene wasn't a far drive from the lab. They arrived shortly, pulling into an opening between a police cruiser and another SUV from the FBI.

A female agent greeted them, and for once Brennan remembered that her name was Genny Shaw. She had worked the closing of the Broadsky case with them.

"The body's upstairs," she said, speaking mostly to Brennan, in case she had not been informed. She nodded in response, but stayed with Booth, not moving towards the building. Shaw seemed unfazed, continuing to speak, except now more towards Booth.

"DCPD was called in by the neighbor across the hall. She thought she smelled something funny, said she hadn't seen the occupant in a few days. The super unlocked the door for them, body was lying in the living room, plain sight. Covered in, uh... covered in the three cats he was watching for the lady down the hall. She's on vacation, according to our woman from across the hall. Scheduled to return later today. There was also insect activity; apparently the building has an ant problem."

"I'll let our entomologist know," Booth said agreeably.

"Has anyone touched the body?" Brennan questioned, switching into protective-anthropologist mode.

"No," Shaw answered immediately, shaking her head. "And with good reason. It's... unpleasant, to say the least. The cats, though, have been penned up. They're ready for transport; I assumed you would want to bring them back to your lab, seeing as they've probably been... eating... for the past few days."

"Alright, let's see the scene," Booth responded when she was finished.

She nodded swiftly and led the way, nodding to the cops stationed by the doors. They tipped their hats to Booth and one of them tilted his head to the radio clipped on the front of his shirt, speaking to his captain before he and the other officer headed for the cruiser. Assumably, they were the last two there, and had just been waiting for the cavalry to arrive.

"FBI techs already on scene?" Booth asked as they stepped into the elevator inside the building.

"Yep. They took over for DCPD shortly after the call was made to our offices. I got here close behind. They have the crime scene secured and are keeping the neighbors in check awaiting your arrival."

"Excellent."

The elevator dinged finally, and the doors slid open, sending them out into a hallway filled with men and women in uniforms and an assortment of civilians with their doors open. The first thing Brennan was aware of was the noise. No one was quietly observing, and everyone appeared to be in discussion or argument about the commotion occurring directly across from them. The door was wide open, blocked by a belt of yellow crime scene tape that leveled off high enough for them to duck under it.

The body was indeed directly visible, and it was the first thing her eyes landed on as they entered the apartment. She went to the body, carefully stepping around it and lowering herself down to crouch on her toes as she bent closer to observe the features up close. The flesh was almost entirely absent, and the ribs were plainly visible. Bodily fluids soaked the carpet nearby, and she was glad of her protective boots, which both shielded her feet and kept the scene uncontaminated.

"No signs of a struggle," Booth was saying, his back to her as he paced the borders of the room, eyeing the furniture and the wallpaper. "The violence seems to have all happened right here," he added, pointing to where the body lay prone.

"The cats didn't undress him," Shaw pointed out from her position from the doorway. At the glance she got from Booth and Brennan, she pointed towards the clothing that lay streamed out in the middle of the sitting area. A shirt hanging off the back of the couch; a sock sticking out from under the chair.

"Hm," Booth murmured with interest.

Brennan turned her attention back to the body.

"Male," she commented, snapping on gloves and reaching forward to examine the skull more thoroughly. "Late twenties..."

"That fits our description of the occupant," Shaw supplied.

Brennan nodded distractedly, scanning the rest of the body for injuries.

"Fractured wrist consistent with a fall..." she murmured, standing and moving to the other side. "He took a punch to his nose," she added, raising her eyes and meeting Booth's. "All I can find here are wounds consistent with an attack. Nothing to suggest he fought back. At least... not very hard," she amended, carefully lifting his right arm and noting the scarring to the knuckles.

"Cause of death?"

She shook her head. "Undetermined. I'll need to—"

"Bring him back to the lab," Booth finished for her. "Got it."

"Sir?" Both of them looked up, even though the address had clearly been for Booth. Another agent stood in the doorway beside Shaw. "There's a woman here who wants to speak with the agent in charge."

Booth glanced at Brennan, and then turned back and nodded, stepping around the body and ducking under the tape. She turned her attention back to the body.

"He's hot. I can see why you like him," Shaw commented. Brennan's gaze snapped up incredulously, and Shaw flushed at once. "Sorry," she said at once. "Just an observation. I'll... I'm going to go... over there." She pointed down the hall, and then swiftly vanished.

Biting her lip and shaking her head, Brennan forcibly turned her attention back to the point at hand. There was a dead body in need of positive identification and justice. And it was her job to make sure both were handled properly.

~BxBxBxBxBxB~

Booth followed Agent Dane Ohlsen down the hallway, and directed him into a room at the end farthest from where the others were occupied with the nosy neighbors.

"This is Selena Sabella, she lives here," Ohlsen told him. "And this is Anna Pollack; Kaminski's girlfriend." He said it with a raised eyebrow, though, and Booth nodded in understanding. Something was off about her, and he was going to have to look for just what that might be.

"Thanks," he said, and the other agent nodded and left him to it.

"Do you live in the building?" Booth asked Anna, who blew her nose loudly and shook her head. Selena looked unfazed, sipping from her coffee cup and idly looking him up and down. He shifted uncomfortably. Her eyes were a piercing blue, more so than Bones' were, and he found it unsettling. "How do you two know each other?" he tried instead, his eyes settling on Selena. Clearly she was the only one of them capable of answering any sort of questioning.

Anna continued to sniffle; slow, gasping sobs breaking up their conversation as Selena responded.

"Oh, we don't. She came by the building when I was out in the hallway, and when she found out about Nate... well," she shrugged and gestured to the other woman offhandedly. "I offered her some coffee, but she seems to prefer my box of tissues..."

"What was your relationship to Nate?" Booth tried cautiously, stepping forward. Selena nodded to the empty chair, and he settled into it, resting his hands on the table and leaning towards Anna in the hopes of coaxing her into an answer.

She swallowed loudly. "We were seeing each other," she finally choked out, hiccupping slightly. "A month now..." she added, breaking down immediately after the last word escaped her lips.

Booth ran his tongue over his dried lips as he struggled for a response.

"Is it really Nate, then?" Selena asked, dragging his attention back to her. "That's what everyone is saying, you know. That it's Nate."

"We don't know for sure, yet," Booth answered diplomatically, and immediately wished he hadn't.

"He's alive," Anna burst out. "He... he has to be. That can't be him! Tell me it isn't him!"

Booth grimaced. He always hated this part, but in all honesty, he knew he couldn't get her hopes up for nothing. The odds were not in her favor. "Ms. Pollack, it's very likely that the victim is Nathan. I need you to prepare yourself for that... and any information you could give me would be helpful. Did he have any enemies that you can think of?"

"Oh, lot's of them." Selena, not Anna.

He sent her a warning look, but she kept going.

"I've seen so many spited woman in that hallway, you wouldn't believe... I almost wish I'd recorded a few of the reactions when they found out just how many woman he was sleeping with. There are some cable shows that would have paid top dollar for action like that..."

"You... you take that back!" Anna forced out, clutching a tissue in her fist, her eyes red and her face streaked with tears.

"Oh please, dearie. It was no secret." She turned back to Booth and said, her voice a stage-whisper, "Three women; that's how many he's seeing right now. Steady, at least. There are a few he comes back with that I don't recognize. Horribly charming; you know the type. Or maybe you don't. But anyways, he's a right-out player, that's what he is."

"Don't say that!" Anna practically shrieked through her tears.

Booth couldn't say he liked Selena very much, but he trusted her word regardless. There was no reason to lie about it, and in general... women involved with men like that tended to be clueless and desperate. Anna seemed the type.

"Hey, be gratefully," Selena argued back, "He was good. Would have to be, with all that practice." She turned to Booth again. "I had to see what all the fuss was about," she explained with a shrug.

Booth stood abruptly, deciding that now was the time to intervene before Anna dove across the table and attempted to claw Selena's eyes out of her head.

"Ms. Pollack, if you could come with me... we might have a few more questions for you that would be easier for you to answer in our offices."

She nodded after only a brief hesitation, her eyes darting narrowly back to Selena before she allowed herself to be led from the apartment. Booth shut Selena's door firmly behind them, and sent Anna on her way with Ohlsen.

Brennan was just emerging from the crime scene, and she met Booth in the hallway.

"Anything new?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"I was just supervising the body. There were injuries to the ribs that could be cause of death, but I won't know until I can look at them up close, in the lab. Wendell and Hodgins are here, so I gave them charge. They'll make sure everything gets handled properly for shipment to the Jeffersonian." She glanced past him, towards the apartment he had come from. "Did you discover anything?"

"Lady down the hall says that our possibly victim was a player. One of his girlfriends is heading over to the Hoover with Ohlsen; I'll speak to her more later, when she's calmed down. Want to help me interview the rest of the neighbors? They might know more."

For a moment, he was afraid she would turn him down, but then she nodded, much to his surprise. She had been avoiding him lately, and he knew it probably had a lot to do with the pregnancy. For the life of him, he didn't know what to make of it.

The night she had told him, she had been so afraid of his reaction. But then, when he had told her how excited he was, how good of a thing it was, she had seemed just as happy as him. With the past few days, though... she didn't seem to be feeling that way. He wanted to ask if she blamed him for it, or even if she wanted this at all, but she always seemed to anticipate his questions and cut him off before he could say anything.

And if she didn't want him to even ask, what did that say?

He hated that she was so afraid. She was pregnant, with his kid, and he couldn't even say anything about it. Couldn't even tell her how much that meant to him, or apologize if she was upset by it. Because he didn't know how she felt about it. Was she happy, and the fear was just the primary emotion she was displaying, or was she genuinely upset, and just didn't want to show him how angry she was?

That would be her, through and through. Trying to hide the pain and take the burden on herself, rather than blaming him the way she should in the situation. She hadn't planned on this, and neither had he... but if he had his way, they'd be going through it all together. And up until she had offered for him to go to the appointment with her, she'd been doing her very best to keep to herself.

So, yeah, he was starting to assume she hated him for it. Brennan, who didn't want children—as far as he knew; it was still a weird subject with her—was pregnant by his fault. He couldn't deny that.

He still remembered waking up the following morning and wondering if it had all been a dream. But it hadn't, because the memories were real and the pillow smelled like her shampoo. She had simply been gone, just as he had always imagined—and feared—she would be. And with that, he had been carrying a heavy load of guilt.

She had been vulnerable and desperate that night, when she had come into his bedroom seeking solace and a shoulder to lean on. And instead, they had wound up sleeping together. He was supposed to be the guy she could always trust, the guy with her best interests at heart... and there he was, taking advantage of the situation. Because he had wanted it to be real, and he had wanted it to mean something.

Only, she clearly hadn't felt the same way. If she had, she wouldn't have been gone in the morning. It left him thinking she was either ashamed, or at the very least regretted what they had done. And now, the damage was done.

He should have stopped her, rather than going along with her when she had initiated the chain of events. When she had kissed him, he should have pulled away. He should have slowed her down, made her more aware of the situation and his feelings. Made her see that it couldn't just be sex.

Now it was too late, and he had dug both of their graves for them. She was uncomfortable discussing it with him, probably because she wanted nothing to do with him anymore. He had abandoned her—like he had promised not to—when he had begun his relationship with Hannah, practically throwing it in her face from his spite over her not feeling the same way. Right up until she told him she did, and then... it had been too late, as well.

He took the lead down the hallway, and they came upon Shaw, who was in the process of interviewing a straggly-haired man in a bathrobe, his orange socks clashing horribly with the carpeting.

"I understand that you don't get out much," Shaw was saying, "But if you remember anything, here is my card."

He snorted and snapped the card out of her hand, shutting his door forcibly in her face.

"Anything to report?" Booth asked, and the young agent jumped and turned to face them.

"Well, our vic wasn't the most loveable guy in the world. Although he certainly got a lot of loving..."

Booth nodded. "Same story I've been hearing."

"You want to grab the two on the end of the hall? I'll have my notes on the rest sent directly to your office for review when I get back."

"Good," he said with a nod, and gestured for Brennan to follow him around Shaw and down to the last two apartments.

The first was occupied by an elderly woman with wispy grey hair and large brown eyes. Wrinkles sank in most of her face, and her expression seemed to be set permanently on surprise. But she was helpful enough, answering Booth's questions without holding back.

"Oh, he was a dirty man. A dirty scoundrel, that one."

"Do you have any idea what his girlfriends' names were?"

"Anna," she said firmly. "That rat bastard used to shout her name in the middle of the night." She lowered her voice, "As if I don't know what that meant..."

"Right. Did he say any... other names?"

"No... no, I don't remember. But there is a pretty girl who comes 'round regular."

"Do you know her name?" Brennan probed.

"Lisa? Maybe... maybe that's it. I spoke to her once in the hallway. She was very friendly... much too good for that rat bastard. I tried to warn her..."

"I'm sure you did, ma'am," Booth said kindly, getting ready to wrap up the brief interview. He didn't want to get her to invested, otherwise she might start talking. She seemed like the type to spill her life story after just a few questions. "We might be back with more questions later. Thank you for your help."

She gave a 'humph' and a little wave, and then shuffled back through her doorway and carefully shut it behind her. They listened as about five bolts slid across, and Booth met Brennan's eyes, sharing a raised-eyebrow look before they both turned together to the door behind them.

Brennan reached forward and knocked, and they both stood patiently as they heard footsteps approach. The man who answered the door was in shorts and a beer-stained wife-beater. He was mostly bald, but he had a scruffy beard going down to his chest.

"What?" he asked shortly.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth," Booth introduced himself, flashing his credentials. "This is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. We're here about the murder down the hall."

"Oh. Wondered what all the hubbub was about..." he leaned out the door and peered down at the taped off crime scene with mild interest. "Who was it?"

"We believe the victim was Nathan Kaminski. Did you know him very well?"

"Him?" he laughed, a loud and booming sound from his belly. "So one of 'em finally did it, did they? Told him once, y'know. Women don't like it if ya' sleep with a whole lot of 'em at once."

"Can you give us the names of any women he might have spited?" Booth said at once, jumping at the opportunity. But the man shrugged.

"There was one here a few days ago... Liz. She's around a lot. Totally clueless, like that Anna girl. God, they're blind as shit. Felt like telling them myself, y'know?"

"Yeah, I get it," Booth assured, pushing forward. "Did Liz have a last name?"

"Sorry, didn't catch it."

Booth sighed, and beside him, Brennan was tapping her foot. He watched her check her watch, and realized they were probably approaching one o'clock.

"Anything else you can think of? Anything that seemed off, any threats you might have heard, any fights?"

The man shook his head again. "Can't help you."

"Alright." Booth handed over a card. "If you remember anything, give me a call."

"Whatever."

The door shut, and they found Shaw heading their way.

"We're going to head out," Booth said, before the younger agent could speak. "Can you hold down the fort here for a little longer? Our Jeffersonian team should be finishing up."

"I... yeah, sure. Anything else you need me to do?"

"Just get those notes to me," Booth called over his shoulder, resting a hand on the small of his partner's back as he guided them back to the elevators. "What time is it?" he asked after the doors had shut.

"Twelve forty-three," she said calmly.

"Alright, we're heading straight to your appointment," he assured.

She nodded, saying nothing. But he could see the relief in her expression and in the way her posture relaxed. At least she trusted him on that, and seemed glad that he was going with her.

One small victory.

This chapter was originally going to be longer, but I thought this was a good cut off point. I know, some of you might not have thought you were signing on for a case-fic, but this is how my brain works now. I used to be completely incapable of incoporating cases into my writing... but now I can't seem to write a story without a case. Strange, I know. The case, however, will be VITAL in the development of Booth and Brennan's relationship from this point out. So, I hope you will all enjoy it, and how it ties in.

Unlike with my other stories, I'm not ahead on this one. So, in this case, I can honestly say that feedback will make me write faster. I don't intend to update earlier than once per week... but the farther I can get ahead, the more certain I am that there WILL be an update every week.

PS- I love Agent Shaw, and I really, really hope she will be around next season. Did anyone else scream MAC! at their television screen when she appeared? Because I did. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, go watch Veronica Mars. It's worth it, I promise.