Call me Kansas

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.

I know it took me ages to update but I am busy. Hopefully I'll be able to update quicker.

"Don't you dare burn that food!" Booth turned away from the barbecue in front of him and faced his wife, who was standing with one hand on her hip and the other holding a plate of raw steaks for him to cook.

Booth gave her a smile and said, "Don't worry Bones. How many years have I been doing this? I mean I think I can handle it."

Brennan let a small smile come to her face and then she said, "I know. But there are a lot of people here and the last thing we need is another call to the fire department."

Booth took the meat from her and turned back to the barbecue saying, "Well that last time was Parker's fault anyway."

"Hey!" Both Booth and Brennan looked up to see Parker walking towards them. "It wasn't entirely my fault! Dad, you were supposed to be keeping an eye on me."

Booth frowned. "You were nineteen years old. I thought you could handle a barbecue by yourself."

"I got distracted! There was a hot girl-." Parker stopped when he saw the look his mother gave him and continued, "-An attractive young lady that walked right past me and I got distracted."

"Ok whatever. As long as this food doesn't get burnt," Brennan said.

She walked away from Parker and Booth towards one of the picnic tables. The back garden of the Booth house was filled with people, including Angela, Hodgins, Cam and Sweets. There were also neighbours and other co-workers. Lily, Cole, Matt and Suze were sitting at one picnic table, all chatting happily.

Cole saw his mother walking towards them and he got up to meet her. "Hey where did you put the drinks? I can't find any," he asked.

"They're in the cupboard beside the fridge," she said to him. Then in a lower voice she added, "Matt and Suze seemed to be getting along."

Cole glanced back slightly and then said, "I know. They've been getting along better since the fight. They've been talking every day."

Brennan nodded and then said, "Well do you want to get those drinks?"

Cole nodded and walked towards the house. Lily saw him walk away and stood up. "Is Cole going to get the drinks?" she called to Brennan. Brennan nodded and Lily said to Matt and Suze, "I'm just going to help Cole."

She thought the two of them didn't even hear her as they were too busy talking to each other.

Lily smiled slightly and walked into the house. She saw Cole taking some drinks out of the cupboard and she held out her hands to take them for him.

He gave them to her with a smile and she said, "Have you noticed Matt and Suze…getting along?"

Cole nodded and took out another bottle before closing the cupboard. "Yes. I mean the fight seemed forgotten."

"Well it was a few weeks ago," Lily said, "And wouldn't it be great if they got back together?"

When Cole didn't answer Lily frowned and said, "What? What's wrong?"

Cole sighed and replied, "I just don't want them to get hurt again."

"Well that's up to them," Lily said, "I mean if they care about each other and want to give it another go, then who are we to stop them?"

Cole nodded and said, "Well let's get back out there anyway."

Lily turned around and the two of them walked back out into the back garden. They walked around the guests until they got to a long table that held food and drink. Cole and Lily had put the drinks on the table when Suze bounced up to them.

"Lily!" she said, "I need to ask you something."

Lily looked at her and nodded.

"Um, well I was thinking," she stammered, "Matt and I have been getting along great lately and we're just as close as we were before so…"

"You want to ask him out again?" Lily said with a small smile. She looked over at Cole who just rolled his eyes.

Suze sighed and said, "Do you think it's a good idea?"

"Well, I think you might as well ask him," Lily said, "You should at least give him a chance."

Suze nodded and turned back to look at Matt, who was sitting at the picnic table with Michael and Jessica sitting across from him. She walked towards him, nervously playing with her fingers.

Cole leaned against the table behind him and watched as Lily stood beside him. "She's not about to actually do this is she?" Cole said to her.

Lily shrugged and replied, "It's her decision."

Suze sat down beside Matt on the picnic bench. Matt turned to her and smiled, "Hey Suze everything ok?" Suze did an impressive imitation of a goldfish and then said, "I need your advice on something!"

Jessica and Michael looked at each other, deciding they didn't want to hear about such teenage issues, and they got up to get a drink.

Matt frowned and replied, "Ok Suze go ahead."

Suze's eyes searched the table in front of them and then she looked at Matt and said quickly, "Let's say the peanut butter and the chocolate were dating!"

Matt looked at her in confusion and Suze quickly continued, "I mean the chocolate," she said pointing to the bar, "is slightly older then the peanut butter," she pointed at the jar, "but that shouldn't have mattered."

Matt, deciding to play along, said, "I think chocolate has more calories then peanut butter. Is that right?"

Suze frowned at him and said, "The chocolate is NOT fat! You should never say that to chocolate!"

Matt replied, "Sorry?"

Suze nodded and said, "So the peanut butter and the chocolate were dating. Despite the chocolate being older, they had a good relationship."

Suze look at the table again and then narrowed her eyes saying, "Then the salad dressing came along!"

Matt, getting more and more confused, replied, "I like salad dressing!"

Suze gasped and said, "The salad dressing is a whore! It's been with every salad on this table!"

Matt just nodded quickly to keep her happy. Suze sighed and said, "So because of the salad dressing and other things, the peanut butter and the chocolate broke up. But lately they've been getting along really well and the chocolate wants to get back together with the peanut butter. What do you think?"

Matt was silent for a moment and then he said, "Well I think the chocolate has a few nuts in it and the peanut butter is very confused."

Suze sighed and ran a hand over her face. "Mattie! Do you have any idea what I'm trying to say?"

Matt leaned forward and took her hands in his. "How about I pick you up at seven and take you to dinner?"

Suze's face lit up and she said, "Great!"

Lily and Cole looked at each other and Lily smiled. "Now that is sweet," she said.

Cole smirked and replied, "It can't be that simple. They can't just pick up where they left off, can they?"

Lily looked at him and said, "Matt and Suze had an easy going relationship. Why shouldn't they get back together as easily?"

Cole looked at her and said, "I suppose. I mean they know the mistakes they made the first time and now…they know they won't make them again because they don't want to lose each other."

In that moment Lily forgot she was standing in the Booth's garden. Instead her mind was cast back to her relationship with Cole. If they got back together would she make the same mistakes? No, she wouldn't. Not if she had him back.

A hand on her arm made her jump and snap out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Suze standing there with a big smile on her face. "Thank you for your advice!" she said happily.

Lily smiled back at her and replied, "Suze you would have done what you wanted wither I gave you advice or not." Suze just shrugged.

-Next day-

Cole sighed as they bell rang at the end of his English class. As they people around him scrambled to put their belongings away the teacher, Miss Tanner, called to him, "Cole? Stay after class, I need talk to you about your essay."

Cole only frowned and nodded. Lily and Matt gave him smiles as they walked out and soon it was just him and Miss Tanner.

Cole put his things away and picked up his bag. He got up and walked to the front of the room, stopping in front of the teacher's desk.

"What's wrong with my essay?" he asked. Miss Tanner sighed and said, "Well Cole it's not up to its usual standard. In fact it's no where near it. It seemed like you were very distracted."

Cole sighed and looked at the floor. Miss Tanner bit her lip and asked, "Is this about Lily and your relationship with her?"

Cole looked up at her sharply and Miss Tanner chuckled at his face. "You know, it wasn't that long ago that I was teenager too. I remember what that was like."

Cole gave her a half smile. It was true though as Miss Tanner was only in her early twenties and seemed to be one of the teachers in the school who could relate to the pupils. In fact Miss Tanner had been the one that had partnered him and Lily up for the English project. That project had been reason they had met.

Miss Tanner looked at him and said, "I get that it can't be easy. Seeing her with another guy but I can I just say that I think it's important that you don't give up on her. Not with strong feelings the two of you have for each other."

Cole replied, "It's not that simple though. There are so many things going on at the moment and it would just complicated things."

"But wouldn't it be easier if the two of you were to face them together?" Cole frowned at this. That…actually made sense.

"Look I know this must be weird to talk about with a teacher but can I also just say that I totally knew the two of you were prefect for each other."

Cole looked at her and asked, "How?..."

Miss Tanner smiled and replied, "You're Cole Booth. Everyone in this school knows who you are. It must come with territory being hockey captain and being as popular as you are. It seems many things haven't changed since I was in high school."

Cole rolled his eyes and Miss Tanner nodded. "Exactly. But the point is that when I decided to partner you two up for the English project, I saw your faces when I read your names out. You had no idea who she was Cole."

Cole ran a hand through his hair. He remembered that Lily had been in the school a few weeks before he had known who she was. But really he found it hard to imagine being in the same room as her and not knowing her.

"And Cole?" Cole looked at Miss Tanner and she smiled. "She had no idea who you were either."

Cole let a half smile come to his face. Trust Lily not to care about who was popular and who was not.

"All I'm saying Cole is that you shouldn't let feelings that important pass. Ok?"

Cole nodded and cleared his throat. "Well thanks Miss and I'll try and do better with the essay."

Miss Tanner nodded and Cole walked out the door. He saw Matt leaning against the wall and he walked up to him. "Where's Kansas?"

"She went ahead to lunch. What did Miss Tanner say about your essay?" Matt asked as he stood up straight.

Cole sighed and said, "I just got advice about my love life from a teacher. It was weird yet slightly helpful."

With that he went on his way to the cafeteria. Matt stood there for a moment and then walked after him asking, "I thought that essay was about Shakespeare's use of humour?"

-Later-

Dinner was finished in the Booth house and Cole and Lily were busy cleaning up. They were in the kitchen, washing the dishes and glasses.

Cole was at the sink, drying some plates when he heard Lily gasp behind him. He turned sharply to see Lily standing at the kitchen island holding her finger which was bleeding.

She looked up at him and said, "I cut my finger on a broken glass."

Cole looked between her and the broken glass on the counter top. He sighed and said, "Come here and wash it off."

Lily walked over to stand beside him and he turned on the tap for her. Lily let the cool water wash the blood from her finger while Cole stood beside her. He was so close to her, his side brushing against hers. Lily swallowed and sighed slightly, taking her finger away from water and turning off the tap. She turned her head to look at him and she met his eyes. Tension filled the space around them and neither of them spoke.

Finally Cole sighed and said, "This isn't working."

Lily frowned and replied, "What do you mean?"

Cole turned around and leaned against the counter, putting space between him and Lily. "This," he said, "All this tension and moments like the one just now. I thought that I could just let it go and we could get along but I can't."

Lily watched, confused, as he walked towards a cupboard, opening it and pulling out a box of plasters.

"Cole, I thought we talked about this," she said. Cole just closed the cupboard and handed her a plaster.

As she put it on her finger, Cole put the box on the counter and replied, "I know Kansas, but we can't ignore this! What we had is still there and you know that it's more then anything you could have with Ryan."

Lily shook her head and Cole said, "Lily, we can't just keep ignoring it because of everything that's going on! We still have feelings for each other."

Lily looked at him. "Cole-."

"Kansas do me a favour and be honest with me for once!" he said sharply.

Lily narrowed her eyes and replied, "Be honest? I always try to be honest with you Cole but it's not that easy!"

"How is it not easy?" Cole said, "All you have to do is tell me what's going on in your head."

Lily frowned and replied, "If I tell you what's going on in my head then it'll just confuse things!"

"Why?" Cole said, frustrated.

"Why? It's because I still care about you damn it! And I'm with Ryan at the same time and I'm just confused!"

They were both silent for a moment. Lily sighed. She opened her mouth but Cole interrupted her.

"Look Kansas, we can't keep going like this. I-I can't keep watching you with him and…You need to make up your mind Kansas."

Lily looked at him and frowned. Cole shrugged and said, "It's him or me Kansas."

Lily gasped and said, "So what you won't be my friend anymore if I stay with him?"

"I can't just be your friend Kansas! I just can't and you know that."

Lily felt her eyes begin to sting and she knew that tears were about to appear. She hardly ever cried but when she did, Cole always seemed to be the one to cheer her up. But now he was standing in front of her asking her to choose.

Cole sighed and leaned his head against hers. "Please Kansas we can't keep acting like there's nothing going on between us. It just makes things worse."

With that he took his head off hers and walked out of the kitchen. She listened to him walk slowly up the stairs and into his room. And she stood there, leaning against the kitchen counter.

-Next day-

Brennan sat in her office, filling out paperwork. She looked at the lines and lines of questions that filled the page and then just pushed it away from her with a sigh.

She couldn't concentrate, not since Booth had actually found Kelly William's son. She was still amazed that they had missed him. But that woman had kept him well hidden. All Kelly William's things were in boxes in a storage room as her next of kin hadn't seen her in years and didn't know what do with them. It had taken a lot of searching through boxes of clothes, objects and furniture but they had found something.

That woman had actually put nearly every piece of paperwork about her son in the back of a painting. He was twenty-five years old and she had hid his existence in the back of a painting.

What kind of person did that? She sent him to an out of state school and they had talked to her neighbours, who didn't even know she had a son. One person- one person- had seen him but thought that he was a family friend!

Brennan sighed and leaned back against the chair. Did this boy even know what it was like to be loved by his mother? Did she show him any kindness? And at the same time this person could the guy they were after. Someone who dg up bodies and carved words into their ribs. Some one who was threatening Cole and Lily.

It was then that she noticed Booth standing in the doorway. "Hey," she said, sitting up straight, "What did you find?"

Booth had gone to the son's apartment to talk to him if he was there. Booth walked into the office and placed a file on her desk.

Brennan frowned at him and Booth said, "That's not all," pointing at the file. Brennan reached out and opened the file.

Inside the covers were pictures. Pictures and pictures of Lily and Cole. Of just Lily. Of just Cole. Of Lily and her brothers. And all of them were clearly taken without their consent. There were even ones from when Cole and Lily were dating. How long has he been watching them and why?

Brennan looked at Booth and he said, "They were all over the apartment along with a lot of notes. He's been planning this for a while."

Brennan tried to stay calm and she said, "Do you have him in custody?"

Booth shook his head, "He wasn't there and I doubt he's coming back."

Brennan sighed and Booth leaned forward to look at her. "He's our guy Bones," Booth said, "And we will catch him."

Brennan closed the folder unable to look at the photos. "We have to Booth," she said, "We have to."