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Oooooooooooooooo

Not sure what to do about Booth, Max entered the kitchen and was surprised to find his daughter sitting at the table talking to Booth. "Hey, Honey, I didn't expect to see you for another month."

Placing her fork down, Brennan explained why she was back. "I wasn't accomplishing anything so I returned."

After he retrieved a plate and fork from the cabinets, Max returned to the table and sat next to his daughter. Taking two pancakes from the plate in the center of the table, he placed them on his plate along with four slices of bacon. "Well I hope you at least had some fun while you were up there."

Sipping some orange juice, Brennan glanced at Booth and then at her father. "It was interesting."

Happy that Brennan was home, Booth swallowed his bite of pancake and grinned. "Bones hates to be bored, Max. She can do more here than at a dig that turned into a dud."

His fork slicing through his pancakes, Max nodded his head. "Well, since you're back, I'll check on the progress at my apartment and see if I can go home. It's been nice visiting Booth, but I should go home if I can."

Folding a piece of bacon, Booth glanced at Brennan and then at Max. "You're welcome to stay as long as you want to, Max."

Surprised at the offer, Max turned to stare at Booth. "Why thank you, but really if I can go home I should. I like my bed and as great as your mattress is on the guest bed, it isn't as comfortable as mine."

His appetite back now that Brennan was home, Booth chewed his piece of bacon, reached for another pancake and placed it on his plate. Cutting it up, he swallowed his bacon and informed Brennan, "I get my cast off in two days. I can't wait either. My therapist says that if I stick to it I should be able to walk without my crutches pretty soon. It's been a real pain in the ass trying to take a bath with a cast on so at least that part will be easier once the cast is off."

Pleased to hear that good bit of news, Brennan placed her hand on his hand. "That's great news, Booth. I noticed your breathing has improved since I was gone. You were short of breath last night when we were having sex, but you were doing better than before I left."

Embarrassed, Booth blushed at bright red and shook his head. "Bones, do you mind? Don't talk about that stuff in front of your father."

Amused, Max placed his fork down. "Relax, Booth. It's not like I don't know you and my daughter have sex."

Annoyed at the turn in the conversation, Booth stood up, grabbed his crutches and left the room. "I have to finish getting dressed for work."

Watching him leave, Max lowered his voice. "His nightmares weren't too bad the first two weeks I was here, but they seemed to increase the longer you were gone. I'd keep an eye on it, but if he starts having fewer nightmares again then I'd say he's doing okay. On the other hand, I still think it would be a good idea if he talked to someone."

Brennan knew that wasn't going to happen. "Booth doesn't care for psychology. He hated when we used to have sessions with Dr. Sweets. Psychology is a soft science and isn't quantifiable, so I can understand his reticence. I can't recommend he talk to a psychologist if I wouldn't seek one out in his place either."

Frustrated with her and Booth, Max shook his head. "I just hate to see him in pain like that, Honey."

"I do too, Dad." A little angry, Brennan asserted, "I'm not a cold person. I just don't see how talking to someone will make his nightmares go away. I think time will take care of the problem. It did when you abandoned me. I had nightmares about it, but over time they diminished."

Speechless, Max stared at his daughter while she resumed eating. Finally he said, "Honey, I . . . your mother and I did what we did to protect you. I'm sorry you had a bad time after we left but what we did, we did it to protect you."

Her appetite gone, Brennan stood up, picked up her plate and juice glass and carried them to the sink. "Unfortunately, leaving me created its own set of problems and dangers."

Watching her leave the room, Max placed his fork down and leaned back on his chair. "If I could undo it I would."

Ooooooooooooooooo

While he was retrieving a file from his credenza, Booth heard his phone ring. Moving over to his desk, Booth retrieved his phone and answered it. "Booth."

"This is Detective Cole Simmons, Metro PD. We have a case we'd like to bring Dr. Brennan in on. Is she available?"

Sitting back down at his desk, Booth answered, "Yeah, she just got back from Canada. Why do you need Dr. Brennan's expertise?"

"A house was being renovated at the corner of Upshur and 3rd street and the new owners found a little surprise when they tore down a wall between two rooms."

Not really surprised, Booth posited, "A body, right?"

Amused that Booth was so quick, Detective Simmons laughed. "Well, it used to be a body anyway. It's been there for awhile and all the meaty parts are gone, so I was hoping Dr. Brennan would take a look at it."

"Sure, I'll let her know she's needed." Glancing at his watch Booth frowned. "We'll be there as soon as we can be. Don't let anyone move the body. Nothing pisses off Bones more than for someone to mess with her crime scene."

Since that was something Simmons already knew from past experience, he agreed. "Not a problem. Of course, the crime scene is already screwed up by the people doing the renovations, but they were smart to not touch anything when they found the skeleton. They just called us to come and get it."

Standing, Booth picked up his crutches. "Got it. I'll give her a heads up before we get there."

Ooooooooooooooooo

While driving toward the crime scene, Brennan carefully watched the garbage truck in front of her. "I know the crime scene has been contaminated, but I do hope the police haven't exacerbated the problem."

Shifting his gaze towards his wife, Booth frowned. "No, they know better. It'll be alright . . . They had a case come up four days after you left and Clark had to take it. He solved it pretty quickly too. He's really good at his job . . . Oh, not as good as you of course, but . . . still, he's pretty good."

Disgusted that the dig hadn't gone well, Brennan pursed her lips. "I should have stayed home. My expertise was wasted in Canada."

Aware she was miffed, Booth reached out and placed a hand on her thigh. "Come on, Bones. You had no way of knowing that the dig was going to be a bust. What if they'd found some really cool skeletons? You would have been disappointed if you hadn't been there then. It was good for you to go. You needed the time away from me and my problems and it allowed you talk shop with your friends."

Annoyed with her husband's assumptions, Brennan glanced at Booth and then back at the truck slowly moving in front of her. "I didn't need to spend time away from you Booth. You are not a problem . . . I would have liked for you to be there with me. Even though I wasn't needed you would have found the cistern very interesting."

Squeezing her thigh, Booth smiled. "Yeah, well, next time I'm going with you for sure. I get this stupid cast off tomorrow. I'm going to ramp up my therapy and I should be good as new in a few weeks, you'll see."

The garbage truck turning down a side street, Brennan increased her speed down the road. "Just don't overdo it Booth. You don't want to hurt yourself again."

Removing his hand, Booth crossed his arms. "I know what I'm doing. It'll be fine."

Ooooooooooooooooo

Before she entered the house, Brennan placed some booties on her feet and some latex gloves on her hands. Approaching the damaged wall, she noticed the skeleton was partially lying in the room. Annoyed, she squatted down next to it and studied it.

Detective Simmons, hovering near her, glanced at the front door where Booth was standing and then back at Brennan. "So Dr. Brennan, can you tell me anything about the victim?"

Her eyes remaining on the skeleton, Brennan remarked, "Female, between the ages of sixty and eighty . . . Caucasian. . . . She was definitely murdered."

Impressed, Simmons stared at the skeleton. "Wow, you can tell she was murdered?"

Smirking, Brennan help up a bullet. "I found this under the victim. I will of course, examine the body to make sure . . . Looks like a .22 but since it's damaged we'd best let ballistics look at it or we can take it back to the Jeffersonian and let Dr. Hodgins look at it."

Simmon smiled as he held out a baggy for her to drop the bullet in. "No, that's okay. I'll let Metro ballistics handle it."

Returning her gaze back to skeleton, Brennan finished her examination. "I'll prepare the body for removal and then you can have it sent to the Jeffersonian. I would like all the particulates in this area sent to the Jeffersonian. Who ever does the collecting should also send the section of the wall that victim was located in. Damaged or not, we need it."

Pleased that Dr. Brennan was on the case, Simmon motioned towards his crime scene tech. "You got it Doc."

Ignoring the nickname, Brennan carefully prepared the body to be moved. Once that was accomplished, she informed the detective, "Once the victim's body has arrived at the Jeffersonian I will begin a closer examination." Turning, she walked over to where Booth was standing. "We can go back to the Jeffersonian now."

The street quiet out front, after Booth stepped out onto the porch he looked around. "This seems like a nice neighborhood . . . well, except for the dead body in wall thing."

oooooooooooooo

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