Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.

Chapter Eleven

Scarlett, who had been standing on the other side of the door listening to the conversation, hurried away until she was far enough away to make an entrance. She saw Rhett leave the lab and she called out to him. She said, "Dr. Butler, any updates?"

"Let us step back into the lab. We identified the body and how long he had been dead. This has not been confirmed, but I believe chloroform was used to render him helpless. There is not enough of the body to determine if he was sexually assaulted. He was killed by a heavy weight pressing on his chest."

"Like maybe a man sitting on him."

"Could be, but I think a man pressing his knee into the boy's chest is more likely. He was probably trying to hold him still."

"And he pressed too hard."

"I will get Dr. Hodgins to determine how much pressure would have been needed to crack the boy's ribs and sternum."

"Good! We need to know if it was a full-grown man or an almost man. I found out that the foster brothers David and Sean were at the park with Charlie, but David was busy talking with his girlfriend Leila."

"So, he wasn't paying attention to the boys at all."

"Very little. A predator could have easily slipped one of the boys away while he wasn't looking. Why did he take Charlie instead of Sean?"

"That, Agent O'Hara, is the million-dollar question."

After Scarlett had left the lab, Rhett turned to Emily and said, "Would you ask Dr. Hodgins to determine the pressure needed to crack the boy's ribs?"

"Yes, Dr. Butler. I will go right now."

Rhett called Scarlett later in the day and said, "The perpetrator chose Charlie because he had hypophosphatemia. It made his legs bowed and uneven. It also made his bones brittle. It also means that Charlie was not Mrs. Sanders' natural child. It is a genetically passed on condition from mother to child."

"I know he isn't. He doesn't look at all like her, but unless that information is pertinent to catching the killer then we don't have to tell anyone."

"As you wish, Agent O'Hara. Unfortunately, it is also the reason the perpetrator accidentally killed him. I am thinking out loud, but I think the man put his knee on Charlie's chest and applied too much force thus killing him."

Rhett was not one to think out loud, but he was trying to extend his conversation with Agent O'Hara.

"I like it. And I know who has the answers. I will pick you up in fifteen minutes. Meet me downstairs."

Fifteen minutes later, Rhett opened the Bronco door, and the front seat was clean. He got in and said, "Thank you."

"I just haven't had time to get it messy again."

"It was fluoride that he used to subdued Charlie."

"Alright."

"What do you need from me?"

"I don't know. I will let you know."

"Where are we going?"

"To talk to Sean." Scarlett quickly looked at Rhett and said, "You can talk to David."

"What do you want me to ask him?"

"Just get his side of the story. Bond male to male."

"Alright."

After Margaret opened the door, Scarlett said, "Mrs. Sanders, this is my associate, Rhett Butler. He and I are going to talk to Sean and David. We must make sure there isn't some detail they have forgotten to tell us that might lead to determining the person who murdered your son."

"Alright. Come in."

Scarlett and Sean went into the den while Rhett and David were in the living room. Margaret was walking in between the rooms. Rhett talked casually about his first girlfriend. He smiled when he thought, 'That was so long ago when I was young and naïve.' As Rhett looked at the boy in front of him, Rhett wondered if the boy had ever been young or naïve. Rhett said, "Why are you in foster care?"

"Our mom is in prison on drug charges. She gets out then a year later she goes right back in. She isn't a very good thief."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Because she is either high or strung out when she tries to steal something."

"Does she get you back automatically when she gets out?"

"If she contacts child protective services, if not we stay in foster care. At least, until they find out. They have to track her down. She is much better at staying hidden than she is a thief."

Rhett felt compassion for the boy. He was sure it was hard for a child to admit that drugs were more important to his mother than he was. He also knew that Mrs. Cook justified her actions by telling herself Sean and David were better off in the system than with her. And Rhett wondered if Mrs. Cook wasn't right.

In the den, Scarlett said, "How long have you been in the system?"

"Since I was three."

"When did you start getting abused?"

Sean started to deny the accusation, but he looked at Scarlett's knowing face and knew there was no point in denying he had been abused. He said, "When I was four."

"Older kid or your caretaker?"

"The first one was an older kid. It has only happened three times."

Scarlett thought, 'That is three times too many.' She said, "Who threatened to abuse you again? I know it isn't Margaret or David. I know Charlie couldn't have done it."

"If I tell you he will hurt me."

"No, Sweetheart, if you don't tell me he is going to continue hurting you."

Sean met Scarlett's eyes. He saw the truth in those eyes. He also saw the strength that the woman possessed.

In a whisper, Sean said, "Skylar."

"Did he make you choose? You or Charlie?"

With tears in his eyes, Sean nodded his head. Scarlett said, "Where does Skylar live?"

"Next door."

"Was Skylar the one or was he recruiting you for someone else?"

Sean was quiet for a long time. It broke Scarlett's heart that she didn't have to explain to sweet Sean what she meant by recruit. Finally, he whispered, "I think Charlie was going to be delivered to Mr. Nelson. Skylar's father."

Scarlett said, "I won't tell Margaret any of this. It might just remain our big secret."

"Thank you."

"Let's go back to the living room."

As Rhett and Scarlett left the Sanders' residents, they were both looking around. They were both taking everything in. Somethings were not jumping out at them, but nonetheless, they had noticed them and would remember them.

On the way back to the Jeffersonian, Scarlett updated Rhett on what Sean had told her. She said, "You have to get me probable cause to get into the Nelson's home."

"That will be through the fluoride. That is so sick. You know that Mr. Nelson put Skylar in the same position. 'I will use your body unless you bring me another one.'

"Yeah. I know you don't believe in psychology…"

"But even I would admit that it was psychologically damaging. We just can't quantify how much damage was done."

"Agreed."

"The victim's ribs were broken symmetrically. That could not be accomplished by a knee pressing on the chest. After running several different scenarios, I have determined someone was sitting on the boy's chest."

Scarlett chose not to point out to the arrogant Dr. Butler that had been her original theory. She needed him now. There would be time to take him down a peg or two later.

Once Rhett and Scarlett were back at the Institute they went to see Hodgins. After Rhett entered Hodgins' lab, he said, "I asked you to get me a list of products that have fluoride in them. Do you have that list?"

"Yes, I do. Here you go."

"Wood preservatives, car wax, paint thinners, insecticide …."

"Stop! There was a pest control truck on the street."

"One-Shot Pest Control. Let's hope it belongs to Mr. Nelson."

"If it does," Scarlett tapped the paper and continued, "there is my probable cause."

"Yes, it is."

"Let me go find out."

"The oldest ploy in the world. Hide in plain sight."

"Stop talking. Let's go."

Scarlett walked out of the lab.

Rhett turned around and followed her out.

Hodgins said, "Your welcome. No, I didn't work late last night finishing the list up. Jerk."

Rhett walked back in, and Jack was afraid the man had heard him. He said, "The victim's ribs were broken in two places by a uniform weight resting on his chest. Ms. Addy was supposed to ask you to figure how much weight would be needed for that."

"She did. I was working on the list first. Let me calculate it out, now." A few minutes later Jack said, "Eighty-six point eighteen kilograms."

"Did you take into consideration that the victim had hypophosphatemia?"

"No. Let me recalculate. Now the amount of weight needed is seventy-six kilograms."

"Refresh my memory. How much is one hundred and fifty pounds in kg?"

"Sixty-eight-point three kg."

"It wasn't the son. It was the father."

Rhett started to walk out of the room, but he stopped and said, "This was good work, Dr. Hodgins."

Rhett left a stunned Jack in the lab.

A couple of days later, Scarlett walked into Hodgins' lab. She said, "Have you seen Dr. Butler?"

"You just missed him."

"That's too bad. I wanted to ask him for a copy of the report on the fluoride to put with my case file. Great work by the way. You gave me probable cause. I was able to search the Nelson home. I found far too many things that turned my stomach. I was able to get Skylar a deal if he testifies against his father then he will go into witness protection until he is eighteen."

"Let me get it for you." Jack returned with the paper. He said, "So, you are going to let the person who set it all up walk away."

"Skylar didn't kill Charlie. He just delivered him to his father. The boy is an accessory which is the leverage the AUSA used to get the boy to testify against his father. Mr. Nelson is the villain here. Skylar was probably being abused for years. I don't think he is walking away scott free. He will have baggage for the rest of his life. Furthermore, Mrs. Nelson will not admit that Mr. Nelson is guilty of anything. She actually called her son a liar in front of us. Therefore, the best thing for Skylar is to get him out of the home and out of that situation. Three other children have come forward with accusations against Mr. Nelson."

"Nobody said anything because they didn't think they would be believed."

"Mr. Nelson just wanted Charlie to be still, so he sat on him. Unbeknownst to Mr. Nelson, Charlie's brittle bones collapsed, and he died. Sean and David Cook are going to get to stay with Margaret. She will never know that the boy she loves helped kill the other boy she loved. Hopefully Sean will be able to forgive himself. Sean has been in the system for five years. I, personally, have never been in the system, but one thing I know is that the system teaches one that the only person who is going to take care of you is yourselves. Although I don't know this for a fact, I suspect when the boys entered the system they were separated. Sean was back with his brother. I think Mrs. Sanders is a good foster mother. Sean, being human, was probably just a little bit jealous of Charlie's life. Charlie was living with his own mother. Charlie had never suffered like he had. Sean was quite willing to sacrifice Charlie to save himself. The little boy is going to have to live with that choice. Hopefully, Mrs. Sanders will get the boys counseling.

"I hope so too. I get your point. It isn't black and white. You have to look at the person's motives."

"Especially with children. Mr. Nelson was the bad guy here."

"I get it. You can't take down everyone. So, you took down the worst one."

"It is not the way I would like it to be, but I often have to figure out who is the worst bad guy and send him to jail. We can't get Mr. Nelson without Shylar's testimony. I don't really thing Skylar was a bad guy. I think he was a scared kid put into a horrible situation. Put in that situation by his own father and negligent mother."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it."

"It is what keeps me awake at night wondering if I took down the right person. Did I offer the right person a deal? Enough of all that. I've got to go. Thank you for the report. Goodbye."