I would like to thank everyone for there reviews and alerts. I really appreciate each and every one. It helps when people tell you what they enjoyed. So Thank you. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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Thank you again to MaudlinMuse who let me pick at her brain...again :)

Chapter 3

It had been three days and both Bones and Lance had become so comfortable with their unspoken arrangement that neither of them gave it much of a thought.

Booth was happy that Lance had settled into school so easily and seemed to be thriving. He loved Mrs Johnson and she was still watching Lance in the afternoons despite Bones' helpful suggestions in the diet department. Everything in the combined Sweets/BrennaBones household seemed to run smoothly. Of course the whole sleeping on the couch thing was getting a little old but...well it was early days.

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Booth woke to find Lance again standing over the couch. He called it the breakfast position. Still he had to smile, the kid was already dressed for school with his back pack on.

"Hungry Lance?" Booth asked.

"Yep...can we have pancakes?"

"We sure can...ready for school early today, aren't we Lance? Something special on?" Lance gave a nervous giggle.

"Nope." he said with a grin. He really just wanted to get there. The quicker he got there, the quicker he could get home again. His favourite shows started around nine-thirty and it was a stretch to get back here in time. He wished he could take his scooter so he didn't have to walk but there's no way he could hide that.

Bones arrived from her run and kissed Lance on the cheek. "Morning Lance." she said with a smiled through his mouthful of food.

"Mor...ning." she said around his pancakes. Bones continued into the kitchen and kissed Booth on the cheek too. His eyes lit up with the unexpected affection.

"Thanks Bones!" he said with surprise. She pointed to his apron.

"Your apron says 'Kiss the Cook'." she said with a smile. "You're the cook." Booth looked down at the apron but he still found himself smiling.

"That I am Bones that I am."

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They were nearly all ready when Booth's phone rang. "We have a case." he said as he hung up the phone.

They were all in the car within moments and on there way to drop Lance off at school. Booth opened his mouth to give the usual instructions when they got there but Lance got in first.

"You don't have to say it all again. I get it. I know it off by heart...really."

"Ok...be safe." Booth said. They really had to get going anyway. Bones smiled and waved.

"Have a good day." she called to the closed door.

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Half an hour later and Lance was settled in his favourite spot with a can of soda and a bag of potato chips watching his favourite show.

Bones and Booth were just arriving at the scene in the middle of the State Forest. They tramped through the heavily wooded area with cameras and equipment until they came to the badly decaying remains of the victim. Bones poked and prodded and made the odd comment about her findings, while Booth watched. As always he was fascinated by the way she worked...with her knowledge...with her.

"Booth." he said as he answered his ringing phone. Bones went on picking and prodding, taking in every aspect of the crime scene until she heard it...

"Principal Myers...what can I do for you?" Something very akin to fear washed through her at those words. Booth waved at the phone and put it on speaker so she could hear.

"We're both here." he said.

"Yes well Agent Booth, when we had our visit the other day... I was pretty sure that we agreed that young Lance would start the next day." Booth went pale.

"He did!" he said. Bones prodded faster and pretended she didn't hear, discretely moving further away.

"I can assure you he hasn't been here Mr Booth...not even once."

"Oh...damn...sorry...I...I really don't know what to say." He looked at Bones for support but she wouldn't look at him. "Look I'm gonna have to get back to you...but rest assured Lance will be there tomorrow."

"That's fine. I hope he's alright."

"Just left him a half an hour ago at the gate...he's fine." For now, Booth thought.

"I see. Well then we'll see him tomorrow."

"You will."

Booth snapped his phone shut and stormed over to Bones.

"I need to get these remains back to my lab now please!" she called.

"Booth I...I have to get back to the lab."

"Bones did you have anything to do with this?"

"Booth...this isn't the time. We need to solve this crime. We're at work."

"I'm not leaving this Bones so you may as well answer me."
"He didn't want to go Booth..." Booth threw his hands up in the air.

"He's twelve Bones...of course he didn't want to go...he was scared." He ran his hands through his hair in frustration and then realised they were putting on quite a show.

"What she said...get this stuff back to the lab.." he said. "NOW!" They all bounced into action scattering this way and that to do as they were bid.

"This isn't over Bones." Booth said. "Let's go." Bones followed him to the car a little confused and hurt at his reaction.

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Lance was in his element, totally unaware that his life of leisure had just ground to a screeching halt, as had his ability to sit on his favourite couch.

It was eleven o'clock and he really should've done some work but there was still time, or so he thought.

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Hodgins walked into Angela's office with a grin.

"Trouble in paradise I'm afraid." he said.

"Booth and Bones?" Ang asked with a look of tragic disappointment on her face. "Awww...what happened.

"Apparently, the little weird guy hasn't been going to school...like at all." Ang's eyes widened.

"At all?" she asked. "Why?"

"Bones said he didn't wanna." he said with a chuckle.

"Oh? OH! Oh no...oh Brennan...Was Booth pissed?"

"Oh yeah..."

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"Your angry with me." Bones said as she glanced sideways at Booth. His jaw was set in angry angle like he was grinding his teeth.

"Yes." One word...one word wasn't good, even if the word was an affirmative answer. Bones eyes were misting a little Booth was never THIS mad at her. Even when he chastised her over something that she'd said or done, he eyes always held a hint of a smile.

"I...I …..he's been on his own for a long time Booth. In tribes..." Booth puffed out a hard breath.

"Don't." he said. Ok another one word answer and it wasn't even in the affirmative this time.

"Don't what Booth?"

"Don't start trying to justify what you did. Don't try and draw comparisons between our situation and some tribe...none of the mumbo jumbo tribe talk."

"But..."

"But nothing Bones...I need a minute to calm down."

"Ok." she said. "Where are we going?"

"Home to pick up our twelve year old truant."

"Well technically he he isn't a truant."

"No...apparently he had permission."

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Lance was taking a swig out of a large pop bottle when a key turned in the lock. He jumped up spurting Dr Pepper all over ...even on Booth's bedding that he hadn't bothered to move.

"Well well well. A fine mess you've gotten yourself into." Booth said as the stunned young boy stood there, like a deer caught in headlights with brown liquid dripping off his white t shirt and Bones beige couch.

"Um...hi." he said with a nervous giggle.

"Hi?" Booth asked.

"Oh dear...you really should pour this into a glass Lance." Bones said as she surveyed her messy couch.

"Bones. Bigger fish to fry here." Booth said with irritation.

"Would you like to tell me why you're not at school?"

"Not so much." Lance said under his breath. "Um...would you believe early day?"

"Um...NO!" Booth said. "Get your stuff... you're coming with us to the Jeffersonian...Tomorrow I'm going to deliver you to that school myself."

"Awww man." Lance said looking at Bones for support.

"She won't help...and this isn't over...we'll talk about your punishment tonight." Bones glared...she knew Booth was angry, but she really didn't like his tone.

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"Hi Lance." Cam said with a questioning look over his head at both Booth and Bones.

"Hi Dr Saroyan." Lance said quietly and without his usual smile.

"Not at school?" she asked.

"No...not today. But DEFINETLY tomorrow." he said to her, but with a look to Bones who looked peeved and Lance who was definitely shamefaced.

"Ok then." she said with a smirk. "Oh there was story there... but for the moment there was a case."

"I need to get to the remains." Bones said. Lance went to follow her but Booth caught the back of his jacket.

"Nope...this way. You can do some reading in Bones office."

"Aww come onnn." Lance whined. "Can't I even see where all the action happens?"

"Don't you worry about action..." Booth said testily. "Come on."

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Bones was on the platform intently examining the remains.

"You ok sweetie?" Ang asked. Bones pursed her lips.

"Booth's mad at me." Zac passed instruments to Bones as she asked for them seemingly unaware of the ensuing conversation.

"Ok...what exactly did you do?" Ang asked.

"I left a key for Lance so he could let himself in and not have to go to school." she said matter of factly. She still wasn't entirely sure what all the fuss was about. Angela took in a sharp intake of breath.

"Wow!" she said as she shook her head. "That is...that is sooo not good." Bones stood... up a frown creasing her brow.

"Why? He didn't want to go..." she said. "He wants to home school himself." she said proudly.

"A.n.d Booth said he had to go to school?" Angela asked carefully.

"Yes. Booth thought he was going to school. "

"Why did he think that?"

"Because...it was better that way. Booth is an Alpha male. He needs to feel like he's the head of the family. It's important to him Ang."

"That bit I get...but you undermined him hon..big time."

"No...no I didn't. I didn't GIVE the key to Lance. I left it on the counter where he could find it by himself."

"Oh honey...still REALLY wrong." Ang could only imagine how Booth must be feeling. "Booth would have had good reasons for wanting Zac to go to school. And he's only twelve. He shouldn't be alone all day."

"He said that Lance needed to mix more with his peers."

"My parents thought that too." Zac added. "They had me take singing lessons so that I would gain confidence and be better able to relate with other people." he said blandly.

"Yeah...so not helping here Zac...why don't you go and see if Hodgins wants to blow something up?"

"Ok." he said, although he didn't think this case required anything to be blown up.

"The thing is...if you felt strongly about Lance being home schooled you should have talked to Booth. You lied and you gave Lance the message that it was ok to do that too."

"I don't lie Ang."

"It was a lie of omission Bren. It's the same thing." Bones went back to working on the case but her mind was a little more cloudy than it was before.

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"I'm not going to punish you here...but we are going to talk." Booth said. Lance gulped.

"Ok."

"How did this little arrangement work?" Booth asked. "We TOOK you to school everyday...we picked you up every afternoon form Mrs Johnson's house."

"Um...yeah...well... after you drove off in the morning I would kind of walk home and let myself in."

"How?" Booth asked. " Did you pick the lock?" He asked wildly waving his arms around. Lance giggled. He couldn't help himself. Booth leaned on the desk in front of him. "This is NOT funny."

"I know." Lance said more soberly. "I...um..."

"Had a key?"

"Kinda."

"Where'd you get it?"

"From the counter."

"A key just appeared on the counter?"

"Kinda."

"Lance."

"It was on the counter...I'm not lying."

"Did you see someone put it there?" Lance dropped his head onto his hands. He felt like the biggest sellout ever.

"Yes." Booth could see how much that last answer hurt the boy. He tossed a book in front of him from Bones' shelf.

"Here start reading." he said.

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It was a silent trip home in the car. Lance hadn't been punished since he'd been at this place and he wasn't entirely sure what it would mean, although he had a feeling...his mind had mostly shut down that terrible time with those other people before he had gone to live with his adoptive parents. They'd loved him and spoiled him but he'd been taken over his Dad's knee a time or two. He knew the difference between a spanking from someone who loves you and a beating from someone that doesn't.

Bones was wondering how they were ever going to resolve this and what punishment Booth had in mind. She knew though that he would talk to her first. That made her feel a bit bad. Perhaps Ang had been right about her leaving the key without saying anything.

Booth was still angry, he'd wanted to give Lance a nice home with two caring parents...sort of. He thought they had. Now he felt like a sole parent to two kids, three counting Parker. He had a feeling the oldest was going to give him the most grief.

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"Go to your room and close the door Lance. I need to talk to Bones." Lance looked at Bones with sad eyes and ran to his room. He'd made them fight and he didn't want them to fight.

"Booth...I knew he could manage on his own." Bones tried to explain. Booth opened the fridge and took out a beer and then put it back again. There were things he had to deal with first.

"You KNEW Bones? You knew that he could manage what exactly? His school work? Manage to get through life without ever having to interact with anyone...never play sport or go to a birthday party? Manage to walk home from school everyday when I thought he was safe …? With no one to watch out for him? You knew that he wouldn't try and cook and maybe set the house on fire or something equally dangerous? How did you know all this? I know you're a genius Bones but you're not a psychic. You can't tell the future.

"Actually Booth psychic's do not really see the future."

"GOD DAMN IT BONES! That is SO NOT the point!"

"I know..." Bones said her eyes suddenly full and ready to overflow. Booth felt like a heel.

"Bones, Bones don't cry. Please. I didn't mean to shout ok? Ok Bones?" he said as he touched her cheek gently. She nodded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to emasculate you."

"Whoa whoa there Bones...nobody has been emascu...whatever you said there. My masculinity is still in tact. Still there doing just fine."

"Ang said that I undermined you."

"See. Ang gets it. You did undermine me. I told Lance something and without even saying anything to me you told him it was ok not to listen."

"I didn't mean to do that Booth.." Bones said sadly. "I KNOW how important it is to you to be the alpha male. So I didn't GIVE the key to Lance. I PLACED the key on the counter." she said. She was even smiling like that made a difference. "Then he was able to pick the key up and make up his own mind. I was giving him a choice." Booth ran his hand through his hair with frustration.

"Twelve year olds don't get to make choices about the important things in their life."

"But Booth...he has already said he was homeschooling himself before."

"Aww Bones. Did you check his work? Where was he when we came home to get him.?" Bones looked sheepish.

"Watching television."

"Uhhuh. I have an advantage over you Bones. I WAS a twelve year old boy once. I bet if you go and check that computer you find that very little if NO work has been done over the last few days."

"Oh but Booth... He knows he has to learn even if he doesn't go to school."

"Go check...and HE is going to school." Bones went to go check but he snagged her tone softened.

"It's natural Bones for kids to act that way...that's why the adults have to be in charge."

Bones returned a few minutes later after having very few words with Lance. And checking his computer.

"It seems..." she started. Booth flashed his pearly whites and crossed his arms. "That maybe Lance was distracted a little by the cable television." she said.

"I told you so." Booth said unable to resist. "That's why the state employs teachers to yell at kids all day so they pay attention to what they're doing."

"Ok. But you know Booth I never really agreed with the premise of television...and all those channels..."

"No no no..we're not going to blame this on inanimate object."

"But it isn't inanimate when it's turned on Booth."

"Bones...he did the wrong thing. He needs to be punished." Bones wasn't really sure what to say to that. He had done the wrong thing but he did it because he thought it was ok with her."

"But Booth..I left him the key."
"I know...feeling a little guilty now?"

"Maybe we should just forget the punishment this time."

"Nope...did the wrong thing. I'm going to spank him. Any objections to that form of punishment Bones?"

"Well no...not in theory...it has long been established that..."

"Simple yes or no Bones."

"Well maybe not this time...it wasn't only his fault."

"Then Maybe I should spank you too..." he said with a sparkle in his eye.

"You wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I Bones?" Booth was enjoying her discomfort, it was the highlight of his day actually.

"I'm not a child..."

"Oh really..."

"And I've never been spanked in my life."

"Now I never would have guessed that one." he said sarcastically. He had no intention of spanking her. He knew that knowing she helped to get Lance spanked would be enough of a wake up...he hoped anyway. "Better behave then Bones." For once she was speechless as Booth disappeared into Lance's room.

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Lance looked up sharply when Booth entered. He was really gonna get it now. Dr Brennan would have surely told him he hadn't done any work.

"Not your best few days champ." Booth said. Lance looked down miserably.

"I'm sorry I made you two fight."

"That wasn't fighting Lance...that was banter. Bones and I we don't always see eye to eye. We like to try and change each others mind...a lot."

"Ok...so you're still...friends?" Lance asked. "What are you anyway? Are you just friends or girlfriend and boyfriend..?"

"That is a question that a room full of geniuses can't work out Lance and it isn't a question for today. Today...all the questions have been answered and we talk about what happens next."

"I really don't wanna go to school."

"I know...and maybe I should have talked to you more about that...I am hearing you Lance but there will be no negotiation on that. You have to go to school. No ifs ands or buts."

"But I can..."

"Nope. Maybe you could but you didn't. Too many other things to took your attention. Besides, you need to be with other kids. Believe me you'll thank me."
"I doubt that..."

"Well we'll see... anyone bothers you I'll send Bones up there to talk them to death." he said with a chuckle. Lance giggled too, he couldn't help himself. "Just joking. WE love Bones don't we?" Lance nodded.

"She helped me."

"Yeah...she did the wrong thing for the right reason. But you both deceived me and that wasn't cool."

"I'm sorry Agent Booth."

"Now we got a situation."

"You're gonna spank me aren't you?"

"Yeah fraid so."

"Have you been spanked before Lance?"

"Yeah a few my Dad...Not my real Dad."

"I know about the stuff...you know...with your real Dad..." Lance looked away.

"I have to say this to you Lance and then I'll never mention it again unless you want to talk to me... I won't hurt you like that ever and I won't ever use more than the flat of my hand." Lance turned his head around and his eyes were filled with tears. "Do you trust me?" He nodded.

"Yeah."

"Good." He took the young boys hand and guided him over his knee.

"One smack for every year... how old are you again?" Booth asked in an attempt to lighten the mood just a shade.

"Ten." Lance said.

"So that'll be twelve and an extra one for lying." Booth said with a shake of his head. He brought his hand back and landed a noisy spank on Lance's jean covered bottom.

"Ow."

He followed that first hard one with several more just like it, smacks that had Lance wriggling and kicking in an effort to elude the fire that was starting to build in his pants.

"Ouch! Ow! Stop!" he yelped. He pushed off the carpet and tried desperately to swing his bottom for side to side away from Booths's sharp smacks but it was no use. The man held him steady, doing his utmost to ignore the boys cries for him to stop. He finished the spanking with gusto, making sure he'd feel the last couple every time he sat... at least for that evening.

Finally it was over and he helped Lance stand and he pulled him into a hug. "Shh,sh,sh." he crooned. It's all over now." Lance clung on and sobbed into Booth's shirt.

"I'm...so..r..ry..." Lance sobbed.

"I know you are...it's over." Booth said.

"You're n..ot still mad?" The sad young boy asked with a hitched breath.

"No Lance. I was a little mad...but adults worry about what could have happened."

"I won't do it again."

"I know you won't.." Booth said with a smile. "Cos I'm gonna take you all the way in and deliver you to your teacher."

"Awww Man!" Lance whined.

"No complaining...or I might just hold your hand."

"I won't complain Agent Booth."

"And kid...you can drop the Agent anytime now." Booth said. "Put some pj's on...I think Bones might need a hug..." He was nearly out the door and he turned. "WE love you, you know Lance." Lance flew across the room and into Booth's arms.

"I love you too." He said once again clinging and soaking up the comfort that he'd been missing.

Bones stood nervously outside the door listening. She tried to walk away but every time she did she found herself drawn back to the same spot agin. Her heart literally hurt every time Lance cried out. It confused her...a heart was an organ the same as any other organ...it can't break or feel pain... unless one is having a heart attack...and she wasn't having a heart attack. The only thing that stopped her from barging into that room was the trust she had in Booth. He would never hurt a child.

When Booth opened the door finally she almost fell inside.

"Checkin up on me there Bones?"

"No..no...I was curious to know what was happening in there and …..I feel bad." she said with her face screwed up. Booth couldn't help but smile...when she wasn't driving him crazy she was sooo cute.

"I'm sure you do Bones. But like I told Lance...it's over. Tomorrow's a new day."

"Ahh so you spanked him... he payed the price for his infraction … and then the next day he is able to start again fresh?"

"That's right Bones."

"Good." she said finally relaxing enough to smile. "Better I think than a punishment that goes on for days.."

"I agree."

"Let's get Thai for dinner." she said.

"See you never really gave me an apology Bones...not one that made me feel better."

" I'm sure I did..."

"Nope...I believe that you blamed the television." he said with a smile.

"Ok...I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that Lance wasn't going to school."

"Hmm... not much of an apology Bones. It's not making me feel much better." Bones rolled her eyes and went for the phone to order dinner but as she passed Booth, he popped her bottom hard.

"Booth!" she yelped.

"Ok... NOW I feel better."

TBC