Call me Kansas

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.

Brennan looked down at the bones lying on her table. Her eyes looked up and down the fleshless body, noting all she could. Same position of the body, same condition, same age of the person. Nearly all the same as the first body.

Then her eyes locked on the three words carved into the same ribs as before. Good. Job. Team.

Brennan scoffed and gripped the table's edge slightly. She felt like crushing those bones so she didn't have to look at those words.

How many times had Booth or Cam or even she herself said those words after a breakthrough on a case? Now they were the taunting message of a person after Cole and Lily.

Brennan heard footsteps behind her and soon Hodgins was standing at her side. He cleared his throat and asked, "Do you think that the person we're after is an inside man? I mean, because of the message?"

Brennan knew what he was talking about. "This person knows that we have Lily and Cole in the same house. He knows that we solved the riddle that was on the first body. That brings up a number of possibilities, one of them suggesting that the person is working on this case. But I'm not comfortable in confirming anything right now."

Hodgins nodded and turned to walk off the platform. Brennan let out a sigh and turned away from the bones, making her own way off the platform.

-Later; The Booth house-

"Spongebob can go jump off a cliff!"

Lily frowned as she walked into the sitting room and heard those words. The sight of James and Michael arguing in front of the TV greeted her and she stopped beside the armchair.

Michael rolled his eyes at his big brother and said, "If Spongebob jumped off a cliff he wouldn't get really hurt because he's underwater and he's a sponge! Duh!"

James frowned at his logic and replied, "I don't care! I am watching my show! You've been watching that sponge all day."

Michael sighed and pouted before walking into the kitchen. James had just sat down on the couch when his phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket to answer it. "Hello?" he said as he flicked the channel. Then he frowned and said, "No! I told you not to mess with the computer!" With that he stood up and walked out of the room, obviously to talk to his friend about fixing his computer.

Lily walked towards the kitchen and saw Michael sitting down at the kitchen island his arms folded on the table and a frown on his face.

Lily walked up to him and said, "Hey Mickey? I was going to get some ice cream. Do you want some?"

Michael nodded slightly and Lily walked over to the freezer. She scooped a lot of ice cream into one bowl and after putting the ice cream away, she grabbed two spoons from the drawer. She sat down beside Michael and handed him a spoon.

They were silent for a few moments as they ate and then Lily said, "Does it bother you when your brothers do stuff like that?"

Michael frowned at her and then said, "What? Oh no! We do that all the time to each other. It's what we do."

Lily nodded. Her brothers fight the same way. "Then what's bothering you?" she asked.

Michael sighed and swallowed a mouthful of ice cream. "Does ugliness have an expiration date?"

Lily frowned at him and said, "What?"

Michael looked at her and said, "Does ugliness have an expiration date? You know, like the kind on food?"

Lily nodded and said, "Um, right. Well where is this coming from?"

Michael ate some more ice cream and said, "Well Bugs got pretty all of a sudden and I'm wondering if she reached her expiration date?"

Lily sighed and replied, "Michael, first of all, you shouldn't use those terms for girl. And also girls are always pretty ok? Jessica was always that pretty and I'm guessing that you just noticed now."

Michael looked at her and then turned his head to see Parker walk into kitchen. "Parker," he asked, "Does ugliness have an expiration date?"

Parker blinked at Michael and then said, "Yes, Mickey, ugliness has an expiration date."

Michael brightened and said, "Right! I'm going to tell Bugs! She'll be happy that she's reached her expiration date." With that the boy jumped off his stool and ran out the door.

Lily looked at Parker and said, "I just had a conversation with him about treating girls right and you come in and tell him the opposite?"

Parker looked at her and replied, "Lily, I am all about treating woman right and respecting them. I mean I have Temperance Brennan as a mother. But Michael got to learn about respecting woman they way we all did."

"Which is what?" Lily asked.

"Say that kind of thing to a girl and get hit," Parker stated.

With that Michael came back into the house and looked at the two of them with a slight pout. "Bugs hit me on the head…and I don't think I should say stuff like that to a girl."

Parker looked at Lily as if to say "I told you so" and then walked out of the kitchen. Lily smiled slightly. The Booths certainly did have their own way of doing things.

The front door opened and Lily looked up to see Booth and Brennan walking through the door. Booth put a hand on Michael's head to ruffle his hair slightly and then looked at Lily and asked, "Where's Cole?"

Lily frowned and replied, "In his room. Why?"

"We need to talk to the two of you about the case," Brennan said.

Lily got off the stool and walked towards them. "Is something wrong?" she asked. Brennan and Booth looked at each other and then Booth said, "Just get Cole ok?"

Lily nodded and walked upstairs. Soon both she and Cole were sitting on the living room couch and Brennan was telling them about the latest body.

Cole's leg was bouncing up and down and Lily resisted the urge to lay her hand on his knee to stop it. When Brennan finished filling them in Cole asked, "What does this mean?"

Booth sighed and said, "It means that this person after you two has knowledge of the case somehow. But right now the both of you will still be in this house under my watch alright?"

Lily and Cole nodded and Cole said, "I'm going to go watch some TV." He stood up and walked out of the room and Lily shook her head. How could he be so calm? She just didn't get it.

It was later that day that Ryan paid a visit to the house. He knocked on the door and smiled when he saw the youngest Booth open it.

"Hi Michael," he said, "Is Lily in?"

Michael frowned at him and muttered, "Yes. But that doesn't mean you have to come in."

Lily appeared at the door and smiled at him. "Hey," she said, "Come inside. Michael…you can let him in you know?"

Michael continued to frown at Ryan and he said, "My dad's an FBI agent you know? He has a gun and if you pose a threat then he can shoot you."

Ryan looked at him and replied, "What threat would I pose?"

"I'll think of something," Michael said before Lily sighed and let Ryan into the house. Michael gave Ryan one last frowning look before walking upstairs.

"He's very protective over you," Ryan said as he and Lily sat down at the kitchen island.

Lily smiled fondly and said, "Yes, it's quiet sweet. Of course so are Parker and James Booth but they're not so sweet when it comes to protecting me."

"How do you mean?" Ryan asked frowning slightly.

Lily smirked slightly and replied, "Well considering that they're both over six feet, are dedicated hockey players and could probably bench press you then they could actually put you in hospital."

Ryan nodded and said, "So you heard more about the case?"

Lily's smile dropped and she said, "Yup, just a lot more evidence that there's a crazy person after Cole and I."

Ryan rubbed a hand up and down her back and said, "Hey, it'll be fine."

Lily replied dryly, "Really? And what makes you say that?"

Ryan sighed and said, "It'll be fine."

Lily looked at him and exclaimed "It'll be fine? That's all you can say? It'll be fine!"

Ryan took his hand back and said, "I don't know what else you want me to say!"

"Well more then that! In fact Ryan it seems that happens a lot with you and me. You seem so calm about everything! You've got to have more fight then that!" Lily exclaimed.

Ryan just shrugged, "I'm not a very emotional person."

Lily scoffed and said, "Not and emotional person? I'm not asking for you to pour your heart out to me. I'm just asking for a little bit more then the miniscule emotions that I've seen so far from you!"

Ryan looked at her and racked his brain for something to say. He was never very good with Lily when she was in a temper. He just shrugged, his mind drawing a blank.

Lily sighed and threw her hands in the air before getting off the stool and stomping upstairs. Ryan sat awkwardly in the kitchen for a moment before deciding to give Lily time to cool down and he walked out of the Booth house, closing the door behind him.

Lily hurried across the landing, hearing the front door open and shut downstairs. She sighed and walked into her room slamming the door behind her.

Cole and Michael, hearing the noise, came out of their rooms and looked at Lily's closed door and then at each other. Michael frowned and said, "I knew What's his Face would make Lily mad."

Cole nodded, "Yes, so did I."

"What are we going to do?"

Cole sighed and replied, "I'll sort it."

Michael shrugged and walked back into his room. "If anyone can cheer up Lily its Cole," Michael thought, "Or make her even madder."

Cole stared at Lily's door a moment and then walked towards it, knocking slightly. Without waiting for a reply he opened the door and saw Lily sitting at her desk.

He stood in the doorway for a moment and then said, "Hi."

Lily smiled slightly and then replied, "Hey." She stood up and walked towards her bed saying, "I guess you heard Ryan and me arguing."

Cole nodded slightly and walked into the room. Lily had moved to sit on the bed, her back against the head board. Cole walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it.

They were both silent for a few moments and then Lily said quietly, "Are you going to tell me every things going to be fine too?"

Cole sighed and looked at her. "The person after us digs up bodies that have been buried for at least fifty years. He brings them to locations and carves messages into their ribs. He has knowledge of the case and I'm not sure how much of a threat he is."

Lily looked at him and Cole said, "But everything will be fine Kansas. It will be fine because we have people around us that want us to be ok and will help us and I don't know about you but I'm not about to let someone try and hurt me."

Lily smiled slightly. Maybe that's what Ryan should have said. The facts lay out in front of her and then being told that everything was going to be alright. But Ryan wouldn't have said that. Words and emotions weren't his strong points.

"Thanks," she said, giving Cole a small smile.

Cole grinned back and stood up. "Well try and keep a clear head about this. Nothing good will happen if we panic about the case."

Lily nodded and watched as he walked out the door.

It was only later after dinner when she finishing putting away the dishes with Brennan did Ryan pop into her mind again. She sighed and sat down at the kitchen island her head in her hand. She really should call him. But then why should she? Yes, she had lost her temper but she had a point about his little show of emotions.

"Is something on your mind?" Brennan asked, jerking her out of her thoughts. Lily looked up to see Brennan standing across from her leaning against the counter.

Lily sighed and said, "Just boy trouble. Ryan and I had a fight."

Brennan nodded and said, "I expected as much. His bone structure, although quite nice, is very different to Cole's and we all know how attracted you were to him…and probably still are. I always thought that the attraction between you and Ryan was quite low and I assumed that you would eventually fight."

Lily nodded and replied, "I think I know what you're saying. It's just…" Lily brushed some hair from her face and said, "Leaving Cole out of the equation, Ryan just doesn't give enough of his feelings and sometimes he is completely oblivious to how I'm feeling."

Brennan smiled slightly and stated, "You're saying that he's not right for you."

Lily looked at her and said, "But he's a nice guy and maybe of we get to know each other better then we might be better for each other."

Brennan walked over and leaned her hands on the kitchen island before saying, "Lily, I think you are looking at your relationship with him in a good way but can I tell you something? From my own experience?"

Lily nodded and Brennan said, "You will meet plenty of guys. In fact you had a good few dates between the time that you and Cole broke up to when you and Ryan got together."

Lily nodded again and Brennan continued, "Well you'll meet more guys. They might all be the same or a little bit different. But then, Lily, you will meet one guy."

Brennan smiled and said, "You will meet one guy who will make you question everything about your self. And you will hate him for it. One guy that will find the one door to the high walls you've put around yourself. One guy that will push your buttons-some you didn't even know you had. And then, Lily, you will fall in love with him."

Lily frowned slightly and asked, "How do you know that?"

"I see a little bit of myself in you," Brennan replied simply, "Not a lot but some. And I think that you are a capable young woman who can think for herself. Don't let anyone think otherwise."

Lily smiled and said, "Thank you Brennan." The doorbell rang at the moment and Lily hopped off the stool to answer it.

Brennan straightened up and sighed. "If only you could see that you've already met that guy," she thought.

Lily walked towards the door, Brennan's words echoing over and over in her head. Although she was thankful for those words they confused her slightly. She answered the door and when she saw who stood on the porch, her mouth dropped open.

"What are you doing here?" she said, a smile coming to her face.

Suze smiled widely and replied, "I thought about what you said about coming home more often. And here I am!"

Lily laughed and hugged her before the two girls walked into the house shutting the front door behind them. Lily glanced at the stairs and then back at Suze.

"Um there's something you should know-."

"What's all the racket about?" Cole said as he appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Look who's here!" Lily said, giving him look.

Cole picked up on it and glanced down the landing before saying, "Hey Suze! You're home from college!"

Suze rolled her eyes and said, "I hate it when you two do your eye message thing. It's like a silent conversation between the two of you and while it is cute, it is also annoying! What's going on?"

Before anyone could say anything, Matt appeared beside Cole and looked down the stairs. His eyes locked on Suze and he was silent for a moment before saying, "Long time no see."

Suze looked at him and said, "Hey Mattie."

Cole and Lily looked at each other, giving each other another look. Then Cole turned to Matt and said, "Come on. Why don't we put a movie on in the living room?"

Matt shrugged and the two boys walked down the stairs. "That's sounds like a good idea!"

Lily said as they reached the bottom and the group walked into the living room. Matt and Suze sat awkwardly on the couch and Cole whispered to Lily, "This isn't going to be pretty."

Lily sighed. "Just great," she said dryly.