A/N: I really hope you guys read this because there is some important stuff I'd like to mention first. This chapter is kind of heavy on the football. I'm an über big football fan so with Booth being the quarterback and it being Family Weekend, the chapter is mainly centered around the game. I tried to describe all of the football terminology in layman's terms, not saying you all are stupid, but just in case there is someone out there who doesn't like or understand football. Secondly, if anyone reading this think it seems familiar, it is. I modeled this chapter after a November 7th, 2009 game, Wildcats vs. Hawkeyes. No, I'm not a Wildcat, I am a Hawkeye. I attended this game personally and the events in this chapter pretty much resemble the events from the game, except instead of the Hawkeyes playing the Wildcats, the Nittany Lions are playing the Wildcats. All three are in the Big Ten conference. Sorry this note is going on so long but I just thought I'd give a little back info. If anyone has football questions, just message me or leave a review. So, anyway……

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The Booth family and Brennan took a taxi from the airport over to the hotel Hank and Jared were staying at right off campus. It was cramped in the car. The younger ones let Hank ride up front with the cabbie and Brennan and both younger Booths squished their way into the back.

"I'll take middle," Brennan volunteered.

"No!" Booth yelped, "I will. You shouldn't have to sit there."

"But it makes the most sense, Booth. Between the three of us, I have the least amount of body mass. Both you and your brother are extremely built," she rationalized. Jared grinned. Booth wanted to smack the smile right off of his goofy face.

"Nope!" Booth shoved Jared out of the way and sat in the middle. "Come on!" he hollered, "Let's not keep this nice driver waiting!"

Brennan and Jared both looked at each other. Brennan shrugged and Jared rolled his eyes.

"So, Bren, why did you decide to help my big brother from failing his class?" Jared questioned, practically shouting around Booth.

"Well-" She started. Booth's hand covered her mouth.

"You don't really have to talk to him. He's a pest. Jared looks up to me, see, because they see me on ESPN all the time and I'm kinda a big shot back home. He'll do anything he can to annoy me, including trying to take my woman," Booth whispered.

"Booth! I am not your woman! I don't belong to anyone," Brennan said rather loudly. Booth's arm had taken up occupancy behind her head over the back of her seat. As she realized this, she awkwardly turned around, grabbed his arm and threw it on his lap. Booth scoffed and put his arm back. Brennan huffed and turned to stare out the window. Hank and Jared smirked.

"I didn't mean you're my woman. But you're my friend. And, I'm telling you this, straight up, Jared's no good. Plus, he's a baby. He's so much younger than us."

"Hey! I'm only three years younger!" Jared chimed in. Booth turned to glare at his brother and give him the cut-it-out gesture.

It was a long taxi ride to campus and the hotel. Brennan and Booth both helped Hank and Jared settle in their room when Booth had an idea.

"Pops, I'm tellin' ya, I never do this, but I think I'm going to take tomorrow off. I'll show you guys around campus and downtown, you guys can see my dorm room and stuff. It'll be great!"

"No, Booth, you can't," Brennan said. She received a glare from Booth and raised eyebrows from Hank and Jared.

"If he listens to her," Jared leaned over to his grandfather and whispered, "She's got him wrapped around her little finger." Hank looked at him and nodded. He had never seen his oldest grandson this way. Sure, he had girlfriends in high school and they were nice too, but this Bren girl sure had some sort of hold on Seeley Booth that Hank wasn't used to seeing.

"Why not?!" Booth exclaimed.

"You have your Introduction to Anthropology test tomorrow. And I think you're actually ready. Out of all the time we've spent together, we spent approximately 63 percent of that time studying. And we have spent a lot of time together," Brennan said.

Jared oooh-ed quietly. Hank gave him a gentle elbow to the ribs and Booth turned around to glare at him.

"Shrimp, you should go to class tomorrow. All of them. It'll give me time to wake up your brother because we both know he's going to take advantage of playing hooky from school to sleep all day. Plus this time change thing is gonna screw with my body clock," Hank told them.

"Booth, your last class is that taking that test. You'll be done by noon at the latest. Just come back to see your family then," Brennan suggested.

"Bren, are your folks coming in this weekend?" Hank asked.

Brennan's eyes glazed over. "No, they're not." She swallowed hard and willed herself not to cry. Just the idea of Family Weekend made Brennan miss her parents even more than usual. Maggie, Drew and even acquaintances from her classes were talking about going shopping with their mom or showing their younger siblings what college life is really like. Brennan was going to miss out on all of it.

"Well then, you're welcome to spend the weekend with us. We don't want you to be the only girl on campus without a family this weekend!" Hank said, smiling.

"Thank you, but you don't get to see Booth all that often. I don't want to ruin family time."

"Nonsense! You're the one who's keeping Seeley here! Without you, he'd be back in Philly 'cuz his grades suck so bad!" Hank yelled. Booth smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Basically, Bren, he's saying you're family now, too," Booth explained.

Brennan got the look on her face when she begins to analyze something. Booth laughed. "Wanna hang out with us this weekend or not?"

She smiled and nodded. It was good to feel wanted.

"We should go, though. It's almost five and we both have class in three hours so, I don't know about you," he said looking at Brennan, "but I'm gonna go try to catch a nap."

They all said goodbyes and Booth and Brennan walked back to the dorms.

"Diner for breakfast?" Booth suggested as they walked out into the night, well, morning. The sun was barely starting to rise and Booth was wide awake. He was excited for his granddad and his brother to be here and he couldn't wait to catch up.

"Booth, I'm tired. And we both have class soon. Let's just nap."

Booth shook his head vigorously. For not sleeping in almost twenty four hours, Booth had an abundance of energy that came from nowhere.

"We can sleep when we're dead, Bren. I'm starvin' like Marvin! Let's go to the diner," he begged.

"Who's Marvin? If he's really that hungry, we can take him to the diner with us," Brennan suggested.

Booth just laughed. "Starvin' like Marvin is a saying. It rhymes. It's supposed to be funny, Bren."

"Oh, I still don't understand it."

"Does this mean we can go to the diner?"

"Well as long as we can go back to our rooms to get our books. Plus, I don't wanna wear yesterday's clothes," Brennan told him.

"Yes!" Booth did a little leap in the air with a fist pump. Brennan giggled.

"Thanks for letting me spend time with you and your family this weekend. It means a lot to me," she confessed.

"Bren, you don't have to thank me. Pops loved you before he even met you, just 'cuz you're helping me keep my grades up and keeping me in line."

They walked a little farther in silence. It was a comfortable one but Brennan had something on her mind that she needed to say.

"My parents have been missing for almost five years now. They're dead. After that long, no one comes back. What you and your family are doing for me this weekend…well… it's just nice to feel wanted every once in a while."

She wasn't sad. She was hopeful. Brennan thought she had finally found someplace she belonged, if only for a little while. A little while was better than nothing at all.

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Brennan waited just outside of Booth's classroom in the anthropology and sociology building. He was the last one left taking the test. That was either a good thing or a bad thing. Good, because it meant he was taking his time and answering all of the questions thoroughly. Bad, because it could mean he was stumped or couldn't remember what Brennan had helped him learn over the last week or two.

Booth finally walked out of his classroom. He was surprised she was there, waiting for him, but he knew he shouldn't be. He was her only friend. Not in the bad, I-hate-people kind of way, the way she knew he was the only one she could trust.

"So…how was it?" she asked.

Booth shrugged. "It felt easy. But then again, maybe it was hard and I was just fooling myself. But I wrote a lot for the short answer. My TA even told me I could cut some of it down. So maybe, I'll be fine. I don't know. I wish he would just grade it now so I could know now."

"It'll be fine. We studied enough that you'll pass. I estimate you'll get a low A, high B, guessing from the amount we studied those chapters. Come on, Hank and Jared are meeting us at that restaurant in their hotel." She grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door.

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Brennan and Booth showed the two other Booth men around campus and took them to the diner for dinner. They had all convinced Brennan to go to the game the next day. It was a night game and Booth loved playing under the lights. Booth felt like he had finally made it, like he had a purpose in life. His purpose was to wow and thrill the Wildcat fans every weekend for three months. The rare night games, however, made Booth's life stand still for a few hours.

Brennan and Booth met Hank and Jared at the diner for lunch. Booth had to be at the indoor football practice facility by 3 in the afternoon, even though the game didn't start until 7:30 that night. Jared and Hank walked with Brennan around town and escorted her back to her dorm room to get warmer clothes for the game. It was early November now and, while the days were decently warm, as soon as the sun was gone, it was bitterly cold.

Brennan didn't have much in the way of school spirit clothes. She had a purple stocking cap and gloves to make up for it, however. On the way to the stadium, Hank bought a pack of Wildcat stickers meant to look like tattoos. He put one on each cheek and gave the other two to Jared and Brennan. Jared put one on his forehead while Brennan put one on her cheek, just like the cheerleaders had it Brennan had seen the week before.

At least I have some school spirit now, Brennan thought, Booth would be proud.

They showed their tickets at the gate and went inside. It was close to seven and the stadium was filling up quickly. They were playing Penn State, a conference rival and Booth's second choice school. Penn State was obviously closer to home, but at Northwestern, Booth had the starting spot secured, where as if he had chosen Penn State, he'd be on the sidelines, just watching.

The announcers' voice came through the speakers like a bomb announcing the starting lineup.

Hank, Jared and Brennan all cheered loudly as Booth's name was said first. Booth jogged out onto the field, waved his helmet up in the air and then pumped his arms up, trying to get the crowd to cheer louder. His teammates were announced and Brennan began telling Hank and Jared all about each player. Apart from the after game party at the diner last weekend, Brennan had had a few other interactions with Booth's teammates and she was starting to get to know all of them pretty well. Hank and Jared were surprised at Brennan's knowledge of the team.

Brennan was excited for the game to start. She had learned earlier in the week that his jersey number was five. Her favorite number. So while the entire field was covered with guys in purple and white jerseys, Brennan spotted Booth and never took her eyes off of him. The game started and the Wildcats were on defense first. Booth was sitting on the bench, waiting for his team to gain possession of the ball.

The first half of the game was intense. It was a back and forth ball game. Neither defense could stop the other offense. By half time, it was 28-28 with the Wildcats getting the ball after halftime was over. Booth was playing phenomenally. He hadn't been sacked, thrown an interception and completed every pass. Booth was at the top of his game. And everyone knew it.

The football team left the field as the marching band came on and Booth waved to his own personal cheering section as he went to the locker room.

Halftime came and went. The energy of the crowd at the stadium was intense. The players ran back out and the crowd erupted. Booth was at the front of the pack, leading his team out onto the field.

The Penn State Nittany Lions kicked off and the Northwestern Wildcats returned the ball to the twenty yard line. Booth slipped his helmet on and ran out with the offensive line, the guys who were there to protect him.

Booth and the other players got in the huddle, discussed the play, and lined up. He hiked the ball, handing it off to his friend, Adam, who ended up running backwards and was tackled on the ten yard line.

Second down and twenty yards to go. Booth set the ball into motion again and pitched it to another friend, Brandon, who, like Adam, lost yards on the play. The Penn State defense had stepped it up and now the Wildcats were at risk for losing their undefeated season.

Third down and twenty five yards to go. The offensive line was almost in the end zone. A yard or two more and Booth would've been there, giving the Lions a chance for a two point safety and control of the ball.

Booth hiked the ball and he didn't even see it coming. He was sending a pass down field to Adam, and just as the ball barely left his hand, a defensive tackle came up from his left and took him to the ground.

It was Booth's first sack all season, the first time he had been tackled. Where were his linemen? Why hadn't they stopped this guy?

As soon as Booth hit the ground, that's when he felt his knee dislocate and something tear in his ankle. He yelled in pain, the side of his hip now touching his ankle. No one should bend that way.

The play was almost over. Adam took off and scored a touchdown. But Booth didn't get up to celebrate. He wasn't moving at all for that fact. While everyone's eyes were focused on the celebration in the end zone, Brennan, Hank, and Jared all stared in the opposite direction, waiting for Booth to run back for the sideline. And that's when the coaches, trainers and the team doctor all ran out to see why Booth wasn't moving.

Had there not been barriers in her way, Brennan would be running alongside them. She needed to know he was okay too. By now, the party in the other end zone was finish and there was an eerie silence among the fans. They needed Booth to be okay too. He was going to take them all the way to the national championship. They were ranked number one for the first time since 1962 and were on their way to Big Ten history. They had never won a national title. And Seeley Booth was just the quarterback to lead them to it.

Booth had been lying on the ground for five minutes now and the student section at Ryan Field was now loudly gossiping about what was going to happen. Hank was talking to some parents behind them, discussing out loud the options his grandson might have if he was hurt. Jared sat in his seat, his head buried in his hands. Brennan couldn't see around all of the coaches, trainers, doctors, and now players that surrounded her best friend. Even the legendary Penn State coach, Joe Paterno, was worried about Booth. From the tunnel, a Gator 4-wheeler came out. It had a long bed attached and was normally used for gurney purposes to haul injured players. Seeing this, Jared stood up and Hank turned around. Seconds later, Booth appeared and was being helped by trainers and players onto the Gator gurney. The fans erupted in applause and started chanting his name. As the Gator drove by the family section, Booth locked eyes with Brennan for a split second. Then a trainer tried moving his ankle and he yelped in pain. As he rode by the student section, the students started singing the fight song and cheering his name.

Brennan, Jared and Hank lost sight of him as he went deeper into the tunnel. They all sat down at once, as the commentators announce the backup quarterback, Kale Mayflower, who would play at the next possession change.

Jared scoffed. "This guy sounds like a little bitch. What kind of pansy name is Kale Mayflower anyway?"

Neither Hank nor Brennan answered him. They sat in silence. Brennan was listening to everything but not paying attention. She wanted to tell the coaches to stop the game until Booth could start playing again. But she saw how he went down. His ankle practically bent in half. But even with her immense knowledge of the skeleton, knowing Booth's ankle really didn't bend in half, she just knew he was in pain. Football was his life. So now what? Now what was he supposed to do?

"Mr. Booth?" A young trainer ran up to the front of the barrier just in front of them. He stood on his tiptoes to see over it better. "Seeley's asking for you. He wants you all to come back to the head trainer's office." After Jared leapt over, he and the kid helped Hank over the wall. Jared stuck his hand out to Brennan.

"You know he means you too." He waited for her to accept his hand to help her over the barrier. She shook her head.

"I'm sure the trainer only allows family."

Jared chuckled, sounding just like Booth, "The way he looks at you…you're more than family."

Brennan thought for a split second and took Jared's hand, leaping over the wall.

A/N: So let me know what you think! This is probably my favorite chapter so far; I had a lot of fun writing it. If there is anything you think needs work or even have ideas for the storyline, let me know! If there's something you want Bones or Booth to do, all you have to do is ask!