Happy Bonesday! I'm ridiculously excited about tonight's episode, it looks absolutely hilarious. I don't even mind waiting up for it tonight. Yay!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 7

They picked up dinner from Sid's on the way home, and as they ate, Booth brought up their earlier phone conversation.

"Cam pulled me aside and talked to me for a few minutes when I got to the lab earlier. She was autopsying Kevin Duncan," Booth told her. "She asked what I would do if you quit or if she fired you." Brennan twisted her noodles around her fork and pursed her lips without looking at him. "Are you seriously considering leaving?"

"No… Though I can't stop her from firing me, if she's determined to do so."

Booth was relieved at her answer, belatedly realizing how much Cam's implications had truly worried him.

"I don't necessarily think that's true, Bones. I'm sure the top dogs at the Jeffersonian would have something to say about it. Whether she's your boss or not, you've got seniority, and you're the best in your field. Cam's good, but not as good as you are."

Brennan smiled genuinely at his unwavering support and leaned in to kiss him swiftly before taking another taking another bite of her dinner.

"While you may be right about that, who's to say that whomever might replace her wouldn't be just as bad?"

"Cam's not bad, really, she just… she has a different perspective, a different way of doing things," Booth sighed. "I think you two need to sit down and sort out your differences one on one. I've been mediating for you during this case, but I can't always do that. You guys need to find a balance that works for both of you."

"I agree with that, Booth, but I just don't know how to work for someone who can make such blind assumptions in something as important as a murder investigation."

"I know. So… that's one of your concerns that you can address when you talk to her, okay? Figure out what else you want to bring up," he encouraged. Brennan nodded her approval of his suggestion and closed the lid on the container she'd been eating from.

"Right now… I'd like to stop talking about Cam. And work," she added, leveling a hungry gaze upon him. Booth grinned appreciatively back at her and leaned forward to kiss her again, but this time, it was much more than the fleeting peck on the lips she had given him.

Their lips moved in familiar patterns-nipping, sucking, tasting-until both were feeling almost intoxicated with the intimacy. Brennan rose from the couch and gave his hand a gentle tug until he followed, and when they reached the top of the stairs, he swept her up into his arms without warning. She gasped in surprise but recovered quickly, circling her arms around his neck and fastening her lips to the smooth skin covering his pulse.

Booth groaned in approval, and his feet moved quickly toward the bed. He set her gently down onto the mattress and made quick work of her clothing as well as his own. Brennan moaned at the delicious sensation of his bare skin against hers.

On some occasions, their lovemaking was punctuated by shouts of ecstasy and provocative words. At other times, it was so primal that the pleasure of it took them to a place that was completely beyond words. And on still other occasions, it was sensual, slow, and passionate. The intimacy was so intense that neither could find the words to describe the connection they felt. Tonight was like that: intense, emotional, profound.

Booth's hands traveled the silky contours of her skin, drawing gasps and moans, and his lips followed closely behind. He captured the hardened peak of one breast in his mouth and continued to tease her for so long that she was nearing an orgasm simply from that stimulation alone. Her hips moved in an unconscious rhythm, and her center literally ached with desire for him.

"Please…"

It was little more than a whisper-the one word she could summon in her delirium. She was begging for release, begging him to take her, to fill her, to make her whole. Booth shuddered at the raw emotion he could hear in her voice, and he refused to let another second pass without being inside her.

Brennan cried out softly as their bodies were joined, and they began a slow, steady rhythm that took him incredibly deep within her. Their gazes locked, and it became impossible to look away. Each thrust of their hips, each gasp and sigh carried them closer to oblivion until they hovered on the precipice together.

Booth brushed his lips against hers, and the tenderness of the kiss was her undoing. She shattered in his arms, clinging desperately to him as wave after wave of intense pleasure rocked through her body. The spasming of her release triggered Booth's as well, and he erupted with a soft cry against her lips.

Their hips continued to move as the tremors slowed, and still their mouths moved in time with one another. When at last the sensual post-coital ache fell upon them, their movements ceased, and they continued to gaze at each other as their breathing slowed.

Though no words had been spoken until that point, save for Brennan's whispered plea, they now found their voices at precisely the same time.

"I love you," they declared in unison. Identical smiles lit their features, and they curled around one another, completely satisfied.

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The following morning found Booth and Hodgins at the Botanical Garden, which the entomologist had indicated was the most likely place to find the particular breed of rosebud Dylan had been holding. Although Booth hadn't been sure what to expect when they located the flowers, it certainly wasn't the sight of Kelly Morris, standing alone with bloodshot eyes. Well done, Bones, he mused, knowing that she'd pushed for the identification of the rose. He enlisted Hodgins help in distracting Kelly for a few moments so that he could get close enough to speak to her before she made a run for it. Booth tried not to laugh when she called Hodgins a perv.

"Hello, Kelly. FBI, not a perv," Booth promised, showing his badge. She began to run, but Hodgins blocked her.

"It's okay, we're just here to help," Hodgins told her.

"Not gonna hurt you. Just gotta talk about what happened to Dylan."

"Dylan's dead," she replied nervously.

"Were you there when Dylan died?"

"Was I there? Who do you think killed him?"

Booth watched for indications of deceit, but Kelly's blue eyes never wavered from his face.

"Look, we need to ask you some questions, Kelly. You gonna come willingly, or are you going to make me cuff you?"

Booth relaxed a little when the girl made no further attempt to run and walked to the SUV willingly. He stopped by the lab and quickly exchanged Hodgins for Brennan, waiting outside until his partner exited the building. She glanced back at Kelly curiously and saw that the girl was looking out of her window with the same lost expression that Booth said she herself often wore.

Once they were set up in the interrogation room with Kelly and her appointed attorney, Booth cut right to the chase.

"Why did you kill Dylan, Kelly?"

The attorney spoke up to argue the semantics of Kelly's exact words, but the girl set her straight immediately.

"I killed him. I did it. Because he broke a promise to me."

"The promise to stay with you?" Brennan asked. Hadn't she once asked Booth for exactly the same thing? It wasn't difficult to understand Kelly's reasoning.

"He tossed me a couple hundred bucks and told me he was going to college. That we wouldn't see each other anymore," Kelly answered stiffly.

"What'd you do?" Booth asked her.

"I pushed him out a window." Her eyes were gleaming with unshed tears, but her voice remained calm. "It was kind of an accident, right? What do you call it? A crime of passion?"

"You pushed him out the window." Brennan's question was inflectionless, and she was recalling the scratches on Dylan's arms.

"Yes."

"And was he conscious at the time?" she asked, already knowing the truth.

"Yeah. He screamed, okay?" Kelly's tone was sarcastic, but the emotion behind her eyes was building.

"What then?" Booth pressed.

"I ran away," she said simply. Brennan had had enough of the game.

"No, Kelly. You didn't. You went down to the alley and you wrapped Dylan in linen. And then you put a rose from the Botanic Garden in his hand. The Romeo and Juliet rose." As Brennan spoke, Kelly's expression became gradually less controlled, and she shook her head repeatedly.

"You know, it's a strange thing to do right after you murder someone," Booth said gently. He was having no trouble remembering the evidence either. This girl was lying.

"Well, I'm pretty screwed up, didn't you hear?"

"Someone shot Kevin Duncan. He's dead," Brennan told her, watching her closely. She'd seen Booth change the subject on a suspect that way in order to throw them off, and this seemed to be the right kind of scenario for that tactic. Booth glanced at her in approval and waited for Kelly's answer.

"The sandwich guy?" She appeared confused.

"We're thinking the two deaths were connected," Booth added.

"Fine. Yeah I killed him too," Kelly said, flustered.

"She killed him too," Booth announced in mock surprise.

Kelly's lawyer spoke up then and convinced Booth to put the interrogation on hold for a little while. Kelly was taken to a holding cell, and Booth convinced Brennan to regroup over lunch.

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"She's lying," Brennan insisted, stabbing her vegetables with somewhat inappropriate force. "She got it wrong; she forgot about the pipe."

"I know, Bones. I'm just trying to think of a situation so bad that a girl would confess to a murder to try and get out of it. That's just…" Booth trailed off when he saw Brennan sit up a little straighter, and Fran Duncan appeared next to their table.

"Agent Booth. Dr. Brennan."

"Mrs. Duncan," Brennan greeted her. Booth offered a seat or a cup of coffee, but Fran declined. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Did Kelly Morris kill Dylan?"

"Well, she confessed…" Booth hedged.

"And now you think she killed my husband as well?"

"It's very possible," Brennan conceded. "I'd believe that before I'd believe she killed Dylan." Fran's jaw clenched briefly before she spoke again.

"Kelly shouldn't take the blame." She reached into her purse and removed a gun, placing it on the table. "You'll find one bullet missing."

"You're confessing to your husband's murder?" Booth asked in surprise.

"He used me to get close to young girls. I don't know how many through the years." Her voice was heavy with disgust, and it was obvious that she'd had no knowledge of her husband's past misdeeds until he'd been brought in for questioning by the FBI. Booth sighed and stood up to cuff her.

"Thank you," Brennan whispered fervently as Booth was mirandizing her. Booth instructed Brennan to pick up the gun, and she reached into her messenger bag for an evidence bag and latex gloves.

They left Fran Duncan at the Hoover to be processed and made their way back to the lab. It didn't take long for Cam to complete a ballistics check on the weapon and confirm that it was the same gun that had killed Kevin Duncan. Brennan and Cam did some verbal sparring about the credibility of Kelly's confession, and Angela came up with an idea to help them figure out what really happened.

Booth joined the squints on the platform as they ran through possible scenarios that would explain all of the miscellaneous details. They determined that there had to have been a third person with Kelly and Dylan, and they assumed at first that it must have been Kevin Duncan. Booth played the role of Dylan, falling to the floor at the end of the gruesome skit. Brennan extended a hand to pull him up, and when he was on his feet, their hands remained joined for just a little longer than usual.

"Except why would Kelly confess to a murder to protect Kevin Duncan?" Brennan wondered aloud.

"She's afraid of him," Angela pointed out.

"But she knows he's dead."

"Guys," Booth said, inwardly cursing himself for not having seen the truth sooner. "There are only two people in this world that Kelly Morris would cover for. One of them went out that window."

"Alex," Brennan said softly. Her genius mind sprinted through the evidence, picturing the fractures the pipe had caused again and determining that the pipe was heavy enough to have caused that damage even if someone of small stature had been wielding it. She met Booth's eyes sadly and followed him from the platform in silence.

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Booth watched from the observation room as Brennan sat down across the table from Kelly. Alex and his foster mother were on their way, but he had only told them that Kelly had been located. Brennan had asked him to let her talk to Kelly, and something in her tone gave him the impression that it was something she needed more than wanted to do. Predictably, Kelly refused to budge from her confession, and Brennan paused to look toward the mirror. Though Booth knew she couldn't see him, her beautiful, glistening eyes seemed to pierce him anyway.

"Dylan made you feel like you weren't alone in this world, right? He was sweet to you? He took so much weight off your shoulders," Brennan said earnestly. Booth closed his eyes at the words she'd chosen, remembering the discussion they'd had in his office the previous day. "He was good to Alex. And when Dylan said that you'd be together, you believed him."

"Yes. Yes, I believed him," Kelly admitted mournfully.

"And when Suzanne couldn't take care of both you and Alex, you had an idea. Run away with Dylan. Maybe Suzanne will keep Alex, and everybody would be happy."

"Dylan loved me…"

"I know." Brennan's heart ached for the girl, remembering all too well the way it had felt to be a teenage girl, abandoned, craving love, and terrified to trust anything good.

"But I didn't tell Alex. He just…" Tears began to roll freely over her cheeks. "He just… he thought that Dylan was trying to take me away from him forever. I… I did it all wrong. It's not Alex's fault. It's my fault." She sobbed brokenly, and Brennan reached across to hold her hand.

"Kelly. You're fifteen years old. This is not your fault. The weight of the world is not on your shoulders. And we can't let you pay for what Alex did."

Booth swallowed thickly as he listened to her speech, torn between pity and pride. At fifteen, Kelly had been willing to face a murder charge for her brother. ...And Russ hadn't even been willing to stick around for his sister. Though Brennan had made peace with Russ, Booth found it more difficult to forgive someone who had hurt his Bones so much. He shook himself slightly to refocus, but at that moment, he was interrupted by an agent informing him that Suzanne and Alex had arrived.

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Brennan hugged Kelly while Alex was led away, and by the time Kelly was on her way home with Suzanne, Brennan felt utterly drained and exhausted. She waited for Booth in his office, and when he entered the room, he closed the door behind him and closed the blinds. She was in his arms in seconds, burrowing her face against his broad chest as he moved his hands soothingly over her back. Neither of them spoke for several long moments, but Booth sensed that she was having difficulty finding the right words.

"I'm really proud of you, Bones. You helped Kelly and dealt with your own past at the same time. I've got more than a few agents who wouldn't have been able to do that."

"I… I know exactly how she felt."

"I know, baby."

"No, I mean… I feel exactly how she felt. She believed him, trusted him entirely. And he didn't break his promise, but… he was taken from her."

Booth wasn't quite sure how to respond, though he felt he knew where this was going. He pulled back slightly and tilted her chin upward, allowing himself to get a little lost in the crystal blue depths of her eyes.

"I know that you'd never leave me willingly, Booth. But… I'm so afraid that you might not have a choice in the matter. We have dangerous jobs, and I almost lost you once already. When that bomb went off, I… I'd never been so afraid. For those few seconds until I found your pulse, I thought for sure that you were dead…"

"I wasn't, baby. I'm still here, and I always will be." She opened her mouth to argue, but he kissed her quickly to stop her. "I know what you mean. But I swear, Bones, I don't care what kind of circumstances are trying to take me away from you, I will fight like hell to stay. I'll never stop fighting." He rested his forehead against hers and swayed a little with her still in his arms. "You're not alone in that fear, Bones. I almost lost you twice. And I went much longer than a few seconds thinking you might be dead. I know exactly how terrifying it is to even consider."

"I love you, Booth. I won't stop fighting either," she promised. He kissed her with aching tenderness, and her heart contracted again at the thought of losing him.

"I love you too, baby. So much."

They continued to hold one another until Brennan's phone beeped from her inside her pocket. She sighed and removed her arms from around Booth's waist, retrieving the phone and narrowing her eyes at the text she'd just received.

"What is it?"

"Cam… She says we need to talk in private, and she wants to meet somewhere outside of the lab." Brennan chewed her lip nervously, wondering if she was about to be fired.

"I'm sure she just wants to talk," Booth reassured her. "Just like I suggested last night. Why don't you have her meet you at the diner, have some dinner while you're at it. I'm gonna be stuck here for a little while longer anyway to get things settled with Kelly and Alex."

Brennan looked like she might argue with his assessment, but instead, she replied to Cam and gave her directions to the diner. Booth helped her into her jacket and kissed her goodbye, hoping he'd been right about Cam's motives.

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Cam was already seated with a plate of food in front of her when Brennan stepped out of the cab and spotted her through the window. She was unable to read her boss's expression, and Brennan sucked in a calming breath as she entered the restaurant.

"You were right about the pipe," Brennan conceded.

"You were right about the rose," Cam nodded, keeping her expression neutral. She gestured toward the opposite chair, and Brennan sat down. "I wish you'd eat some of these fries; save me from myself," she offered. Brennan agreed that the diner's fries were very good but didn't take one.

"We have a problem," Brennan said simply. Cam nodded immediately.

"Uh huh. Do you see a solution?"

Brennan had been considering her options since the previous night when Cam had mentioned finding a replacement for her. She trusted Booth's judgment enough to believe that it might be possible to coexist with Cam, but she wasn't sure how to get to that point. It felt like this might be another situation that called for 'offering up something of herself,' and she greatly hoped that she wasn't mistaken.

"It's… not completely my fault," she began, surprised at how hard it was to say those words. "I was a foster child, and apparently, Booth says that… Booth says that I have… something about control issues and the weight of the world."

"That sounds like Booth," Cam agreed with a wry smile.

"I think he meant that if I'm going to share responsibility for these cases, I'm going to have to learn to stop controlling everything too. Does that make sense? Psychology's not… I really hate psychology."

Cam listened to her with an amicable expression, and tried to find the words to explain the way she approached an investigation. She knew she had control issues of her own, but their differences were bigger than that.

"Not everyone's brain works as fast as yours," she pointed out gently. "I have to mull sometimes. Are you familiar with that concept?"

"Yes, I just always thought it was a waste of time," Brennan replied candidly. Cam chuckled and moved on to her next point.

"I'm in charge. But out of respect for you, I could extend… Did you ever play monopoly?"

"No," Brennan answered vaguely. To her credit, Cam didn't look at all surprised.

"Well, they have this thing called a 'Get out of Jail Free' card. Think of it as a free pass to defy me. No explanation needed, no recriminations, no repercussions." She smiled at Brennan's intrigued expression.

"Well… how many would I get?"

"One a week."

"Five per case," Brennan countered.

"Three per week."

Brennan considered it briefly and extended her hand to seal the deal. Cam shook it, feeling optimistic that they'd been able to reach an accord.

"Booth told you I was a foster kid, didn't he?" Brennan smiled knowingly. There had been far too little reaction on Cam's face when she'd heard Brennan's admission. A year ago, Brennan would have felt differently about it, but she realized that Booth had only been trying to help Cam understand her logic.

"Okay, yes. He did. But he did it with a good heart, and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't let him know. Please."

Brennan's smile brightened even more, and warmth crept into her eyes as she thought about Booth. The way her face lit up was truly striking, and Cam realized that this must be the Temperance Brennan her old friend had fallen for.

"Even if Booth and I were in the habit of keeping secrets, he'll know that you told me the second he sees me and sees us together."

"It's true," Cam chuckled indulgently. "He's awful like that."

"He reads people the way you read pathology reports, or I read bones."

The continued to chat about Booth, and Brennan even allowed herself a few of Cam's fries. By the time Booth entered the diner to take his girlfriend home, the two women seemed more at ease with one another than he could have hoped.

"Hey, ladies," he greeted them cautiously. As they'd predicted, he realized instantly that Brennan knew he'd shared a little bit of her history with Cam. To his relief, however, she didn't seem at all angry about it, and he felt himself relax even more. He grinned and leaned down to kiss Brennan before taking the seat next to her. He signaled the waitress to bring his usual, but that didn't stop him from swiping a few of Cam's fries as well.

"I take it you two got things worked out?"

"Yes," Brennan answered promptly, "I get three free escape from prison cards per week." Booth grinned affectionately at her, his dark eyes twinkling.

"I'm pretty sure you mean 'Get out of Jail Free' cards. And that's a great idea, Cam," he said, turning his attention to her.

"Thank you. I think it'll work out fairly well." She watched the couple interact and saw in greater definition what she'd only witnessed hints of in the lab. She'd been a little dubious at Booth's insistence that they maintained their professionalism in the workplace, especially since she'd walked in on them making out. However, as she observed the difference in their behavior outside of the lab now, it was clear that he'd been telling the truth. Not that she hadn't seen the awkwardly long, flirtatious eye contact and felt the sexual tension around them, but the connection between the two of them was even more obvious now. Cam smiled, unable to recall her friend ever looking so happy.

"I think I'll head home, guys," she told them pleasantly. "It's been a long day."

The couple agreed and bid her farewell, and when Cam reached the sidewalk and turned back to look at them, they were somehow even more absorbed in each other. She was happy for them. It was true that she might have wondered if perhaps there was a chance of resuming a physical relationship with Booth when she took the job. However, now that she'd seen how happy and in love he truly was, it didn't even occur to her to be disappointed. As perplexing as Dr. Brennan might be, anyone who could put a look like that on Seeley Booth's face was alright with her.

The couple shared a slow kiss as she watched them, and she turned away from the window with another smile.

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Although sometimes they could go a week or more without a case, their next one happened to land in their laps only two days later. They met a park ranger upon their arrival to the crime scene and trekked roughly a quarter mile through the woods before coming upon the site. The park ranger explained that despite the park's rules about leashes, a man's dog had found the remains and was most definitely not on a leash at the moment.

As the came into a clearing, they saw a collection of policeman, park rangers, and a civilian surrounding a dog who was standing on top of a large rock, growling at anyone who tried to approach. There was a nearly skeletonized forearm and hand clenched in his teeth. Brennan watched the owner attempt to calm the dog and convince him to 'drop the bone.' The park ranger told them that Animal Control was on its way, but it would likely be an hour or better before they arrived.

"Drop it now," the civilian ordered his dog. He turned to the partners and park ranger and said, "I'm so sorry. He...he's never done anything like this."

Brennan studied the man's features passively, noting the microphthalmia and unique bone structure. Booth watched the dog owner's unsuccessful attempts to calm his animal and sighed, figuring they could possibly be stuck there for quite a while.

"You ever have a dog, Bones?" he asked curiously. The thought had crossed his mind when they'd chosen a house with a fenced backyard, but he'd figured they really didn't have time for a pet.

"I would want a pig," Brennan replied to his surprise.

"A pig?" Booth echoed, trying not to sound incredulous. She rolled her eyes anyway.

"Very smart and, despite the popular misconception, very clean," she reasoned. Brennan didn't miss his pursed lips and knew he was either stifling a smile or a sarcastic comment. Probably both. "In some cultures, dogs can guard corpses, sometimes to the point of starvation, so… do something."

"Yeah, sure… Right. Dogs love me…" He approached the animal slowly, talking nonsense to it while his partner smirked behind his back. The dog snarled at Booth as he extended his hand, and Booth retreated quickly, muttering about Animal Control.

"I'll do it," Brennan announced calmly. She picked up a pinecone and whistled through her fingers. The sound surprised Booth, who hadn't been aware she could do that. He scoffed a little at the idea that a pinecone would work, but sure enough, when Brennan threw the thing in the opposite direction, the dog took off after it. Unfortunately, he still had his jaw around the arm when he went. The dog's owner chased after him, and Brennan announced that she would need that arm.

As Brennan performed her preliminary examination, she couldn't help but feel that something was odd about the remains. She wanted to stay at the scene longer, but she knew that a more thorough examination would be best done in the lab. Once Animal Control had retrieved the arm, a deputy interviewed the dog's owner briefly, and the remains were packed up and sent to the Jeffersonian.

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Brennan, Cam, and Zack began the initial analysis of the remains and were quickly joined by Hodgins. The victim was female and in her late teens. There was enough hair remaining to discern that she was a blonde, and cause of death appeared to be blunt force trauma to the back of the skull.

"She was buried facedown," Zack added. This amused Hodgins for some reason, and he shared an anecdote about his uncle's burial preference. Brennan gave him a look to convey her lack of amusement, and he sobered quickly.

"Pupal casings and insect remains suggest she was buried out there seven to ten years ago."

"Placement of wrists and ankles suggests she was bound," Brennan announced, feeling that same odd suspicion again. Hodgins followed her assessment with his own.

"Residue on the medial malleolus might tell us what restraints were used."

"Look at that," Brennan said, addressing Zack this time. He scrutinized the right lateral epicondyle and rotator cuff, noting the abnormal wear to each as well as repetitive motion damage to the lower lumbar vertebrae.

"What's that mean?" Cam asked. Brennan had the impression that she already knew the answer.

"Golf?" Zack verified, earning him an approving smile from his mentor.

Brennan glanced in the direction of the platform steps as Angela could be heard swiping her access card. The skirt her friend was wearing was quite a bit shorter than usual, and Brennan wasn't the only one to notice.

"Hi, Angela. You look great today." Hodgins had a dreamy sort of look on his face, and Brennan was slightly puzzled. Even more confusing was Angela's reaction.

"Thanks, Hodgie," she preened. "This is my 'boho-rocker-artist, mid-week, take-a-deep-breath-and-pout' look." Brennan gaped at her slightly, noting Angela's flirtatious smirk.

"Hodgie?" Brennan repeated vaguely. Cam was also rather mystified at their interaction, but thankfully Booth chose that moment to join them. Angela pulled up the facial reconstruction on the monitor.

"That our victim?" he asked. Hodgins used the computer to show him the head wound in more detail, adding that there were flecks of black paint embedded in the wound.

"Shape suggests tire iron," Zack volunteered.

"Tire iron…" Brennan mumbled. Booth watched her face as her eyes slid out of focus, growing concerned at the anxiety in her features. She's seen this before…he thought nervously. Cam watched as well, and although she couldn't read Brennan as well as Booth, it was clear that she was having an epiphany.

"Bones…" She met his gaze and held it intently.

"Tire iron. Hands and feet bound. Buried...facedown."

A chill ran through Booth's body as he caught up to her reasoning. Fuck.

"Epps," he said simply. The team was eerily silent as they processed the implications, each recalling the last time they'd worked with Epps' victims. Cam was the only one out of the loop.

"Hello?" she said, raising a hand to get their attention. "New team member in the room."

"Howard Epps, a serial killer on death row," Brennan explained.

"Killed at least three," Booth said grimly. Hodgins and Angela added that they'd found two of the victims the previous year and that the judge had stayed his execution to try him on the new charges.

"You saved his life. Ironic," Cam said flatly. Booth scowled, remembering all too well the way Epps had played them.

"The timeframe fits. This girl would have been killed about… six months before Epps went to prison," Brennan informed them. Booth instructed Angela to run the reconstruction through the database for an ID, and Cam asked why he wouldn't simply pay Epps a visit and ask him. Booth smirked, and Cam was surprised to see an expression that looked almost… gloating.

"Well, the last time Bones saw Epps, it...got violent." The partners looked at one another, smiling as though they were alone in the room.

"You'll be there to protect her," Cam reasoned, unsure what she was missing.

"She's not the one who needs protecting," he replied, grinning a little more. Brennan looked down at the table sheepishly. "Bones broke his wrist."

"He touched me with his creepy, serial killer hands," she pointed out in disgust. Cam's brows lifted in surprise. She'd done enough research on Brennan to know about her martial arts training, but turning them on a known serial killer took guts.

"Better not take Dr. Brennan," she advised.

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It took Booth less than ten seconds to recall just how much he despised Howard Epps. His hair was longer now, but his eyes still held the same maniacal gleam that made the hair on the back of Booth's neck stand at attention.

"Agent Booth," he greeted him pleasantly. "What took you so long? And where's Dr. Brennan?" Epps asked, peeking around Booth hopefully. Booth ignored the question and sat down across from Epps, tossing a photo of Angela's facial reconstruction onto the dark surface.

"Who's this?" he asked, chuckling when Epps tried to stand for a better look but was hindered by his restraints.

"How about removing these shackles?" Epps suggested.

"The name, Howie. The name."

Epps didn't answer but instead sat back in his chair, regarding Booth with bright interest.

"You know… those hack doctors at the prison infirmary did a miserable job setting my wrist. It aches all the time, and I don't have full range of motion," he complained softly, rubbing his wrist with the opposite hand. "And let me tell you, when you're stuck in a prison cell for twenty-three hours a day, there's really only one thing you can do to pass the time. And I need my wrist."

"Well, I'm sure Dr. Brennan would be… happy to re-break it for you," Booth threatened lightly. Not that she'll be getting anywhere near you enough to do it, pervert, he thought bitterly. Epps didn't answer, but something about his expression conveyed to Booth that Epps spent more time thinking about Brennan than he should. Booth felt his blood pressure elevate responsively.

"What's that?" Epps asked, jerking his chin toward the file full of crime scene photos Booth had carried into the room.

"What, these? These are crime scene photos… the ones you like," he drawled enticingly. "Tell you what. You tell me the girl's name, I'll let you take a look."

"Everything you need to win the game is right there in front of you."

"Game?" Booth scoffed with false humor. "You're bored, huh? You playing us?" he asked, leaning closer. Epps leaned in as well.

"When Dr. Brennan figures it out, come and see me again. But bring your lady scientist. Otherwise… I don't say a word."

Not a chance in hell, asshole.

"Next time you see either one of us, they'll be giving you a lethal injection," Booth replied menacingly. He stood and left the room with a backward glance, but he felt Epps' penetrating gaze follow him until he was out of sight.

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It was dark by the time Booth returned to the lab, and he found his partner and her graduate student diligently analyzing the remains on the platform. Booth swiped his ID and collapsed into one of the chairs near the exam table, not bothering to mask his troubled expression. He gave them a general summary of his conversation with Epps, and Brennan looked nervous as well.

"Classic game theory," Zack surmised. "Throwing down of the gauntlet."

"What?" Booth asked.

"Conflict of interest arises, followed by a series of moves in which divergent strategies can be discerned," he added.

"What did he say?" Booth asked his partner. He was really only good at understanding Brennan, and even that comprehension was spotty at times.

"Epps is playing us," she translated.

"Yes, that's exactly what I said," Booth replied. Zack went on, looking at the remains rather than either of the living people right next to him.

"Zero sum, obviously. After a few moves, we'll know Epps' order of preference."

"What did he say?" Booth begged again.

"We'll find out what Epps wants," Brennan relayed.

"Look, I already know what he wants." Booth addressed Zack, "I told you. He wants Bones sitting across the table from him." His tone clearly indicated that this wasn't an option.

"What did Epps talk about before he said all the information you needed was in front of you?" Zack inquired.

"Mom, Bones, blondes, his wrist being set badly after Bones broke it… And, um, he made the point that he...really needed his wrist." Booth gave Zack a pointed look, but the kid's expression remained blank. Brennan glanced up from the remains to look at Booth, and he gave her a half-smile of embarrassment. Incredibly, she seemed to understand his cryptic words immediately and smirked in response.

"Chronic masturbation," Zack concluded finally. "The game may be all about self-gratification."

"The phrase he used was 'right in front of us?'" Brennan clarified.

"Yes."

"The...blonde is right in front of us," Zack mused.

"And she has a wrist. Well, two in fact," Brennan replied, nodding. Epps must've mentioned his wrist for a reason… Zack scrutinized one of the victim's wrists.

"This wrist looks completely normal."

"Here," she said after examining the other carefully. "The right hamate bone." She used tweezers to hold up the bone so that Zack could see.

"The whole coloration is off. It's slightly greasy compared to the surrounding bone."

"It's about… an eighth of an inch bigger than the same bone on the other side," Brennan added.

"This hamate bone does not belong with these remains," Zack concluded grimly.

"It belongs to a second body. There's another victim out there somewhere." Her gaze locked with Booth's and he saw the incredulity in her wide blue eyes.

"Round one… goes to Howard Epps," Zack declared.

"Why?" Booth asked.

"Because he gets what he wants," Brennan replied smoothly, keeping her eyes on Booth's face. "Me in the room with him."

Booth's jaw clenched in frustration, and his eyes were full of concern. This was precisely what he'd been afraid of. He drove them home a short while later, trying to come up with a way to talk her out of it.

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Okay, so you've probably noticed that I'm covering these cases pretty thoroughly. Hopefully there are enough BB moments in this chapter and the next couple to keep it from getting boring. With Epps in particular, the details are vital, so I shortened where I could, but a lot of it has to stay. BB's relationship will change the interactions with Epps a little bit too. I knew it would have to be covered like this, which is why I almost completely summarized his S1 episode in my last story. It wasn't even half a chapter. So please bear with me - after Epps' case is done, the focus will shift to completely AU BB stuff for several chapters. Take care and please review if you can! :)