Chapter Text
I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE ORIGINAL IDEAS OR CHARACTERS FROM BONES!
Chapter 1
"He's heading your way Fin." Eliot called over the radio as he and Olivia ran behind a tall man. The two turned, following the man into an ally between abandoned factories where they found Fin and Munch cuffing the man.
"Didn't work so well did it, Joey?" Munch asked as Olivia walked to the side.
"Eliot." She said making Stabler look at her as she pointed to the base of a boarded up door. Elliot walked over looking at what she was pointing at.
"What the hell is that?" The two started pushing and breaking the board, opening up the door. As the wood broke away, they were hit with a wall of stench as both turned away quickly making Munch walk over as Fin handed the man over to an officer and then joined them. The four pulled their flashlights and started looking around the room covering their faces with their sleeves.
"What the hell was going on in here?" Fin asked as he settled his light on what looked like a melted person. They heard banging around making the four pull their guns and move quickly and quietly through the room in farther into the factory. They spread out and made their way through hearing another clatter. They took up their possessions and turned the corner only to be surprised by what they came face to face with. Standing in front of them was a wide-eyed boy looking like he was about to lunge to run. They all put their guns away as Stabler slowly made his way over to the boy.
"Hi there." The boy only stared frightened at him looking for a way out. "No one's going to hurt you. We're police." The boy started looking like he was going to take off even more. "My name's Eliot, what's yours?" The boy only looked around before Stabler slowly knelt in front of him. "Come on; let's get you out of this place." Stabler reached out waiting for the boy to take his hand only to he him turn and run making the four detectives follow him.
"What…?" Olivia said as they stopped seeing the boy lean over an unconscious little girl. She moved forward checking the little girl as Eliot reached out taking the boy and Munch called for an ambulance. "She's breathing, but just barely."
"There is no way for me to positively id all of these bodies." Warner said as she walked over to Eliot, Olivia and Cragen who were standing to the side talking about this discovery.
"What do you mean?" Olivia asked
"There are seven bodies that either have a face or most of their teeth for a positive id, the others have had their teeth broke, skulls fractured beyond recognition and the flesh isn't there anymore."
"So what are you saying? We won't be able to find out who those bodies are?" Stabler asked.
"I do have one idea that may work." She said after a minute of thinking. "I've heard a lot about this anthropologist who works with the FBI to identify bodies in bizarre situations in DC."
"You want to bring the feds in on this?"
"From what little I can tell from the bodies, they are male and female all minors. And if this anthropologist is as good as the news makes her out to be, we will be able to identify the bodies."
"And it couldn't hurt to get the extra help on this." Cragen said with a nod. "Can you get her?"
"I can try. I'll make a few calls and see what I can do." Cragen nodded and Warner walked off to finish her job.
"Any luck?" Cragen asked standing in the squad room as Warner walked in.
"I tried getting through but they just send me in circles." She told him.
"Who are you trying to contact?" Huang asked as he walked closer to the doctor.
"An anthropologist who works with the FBI in D.C."
"Dr. Brennan?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"At a seminar three years ago I was able to meet a young man who was a psychologist for the FBI he told me about partners who were doing unusual cases and the scientist was an author. I still keep in touch with him. Let me try to contact him and see if they would be able to lend a hand in this case."
"It's a bad idea to involve the feds. All they do is come in take everything, screw with our day and try to make us look bad." Stabler said as Cragen thought for a minute.
"Well this case is still officially ours, so let's bring these partners in to id the bodies and help where we need it. We could definitely use the resources the FBI carries on this one." Huang nodded and left to get a hold of Sweets.
Booth looked up to see Brennan walk into his office holding the hand of their daughter. He smiled seeing the bright grin across her face as her brown curls bounced as she let go of her mother's hand and ran to him. Booth lifted her up with a smile as she giggled.
"Daddy!" She squealed.
"Hey there princess." .
"Hi!" Booth looked at Brennan as she stood on the other side of his desk
"The sitter needed to run an errand so I thought we would visit you while we waited." Brennan explained as she sat in the chair with a small smile as she watched Booth interact with their 2-year-old daughter. It never got old watching the two and how tender he could be with both his children. Booth sat in his seat with their daughter on his lap as she started looking at everything on his desk.
"Baby!" She smiled as she pointed to a picture of her Booth had sitting on his desk.
"Yeah, that's you Abby." Booth said as she looked up at him with his brown eyes.
"Abby." She looked back at the picture before looking at Brennan as Sweets walked in making Father and daughter look up as Brennan turned to look at him.
"I thought you had work today, Dr. Brennan." Sweets said looking at Brennan as he walked over to the front of Booth's desk.
"I do. The sitter merely needed to run an errand so I brought Christine to visit Booth." Brennan explained.
"What do you want, Sweets?" Booth asked making the young man look at him again as the little girl continued to look around.
"I got a call from a psychologist in New York. We had met at a seminar three years ago and I told him about you two."
"That's great Sweets, but what's that have to do with anything?"
"He wanted me to ask you two to help with a case they walked in on." He handed Booth the file as Booth placed Abby on her feet.
"Get mommy." He said as she ran over to Brennan who picked her up and put her in her lap as Booth started flipping through the file. "So what do they need us for? It doesn't sound like an FBI case."
"He said their ME can't identify several of the bodies and she heard about Dr. Brennan and has been trying to get a hold of her, but everyone she talked to ran her in circles. So Dr. Huang contacted me and asked if it was possible. I told him I would show you the case and get back to him."
"Why could the ME not identify several of the remains?" Brennan asked as Booth paused looking at pictures.
"I'm guessing it because of the bones." Booth said looking up from the picture.
"Well from what he told me it was more complicated. He said that skulls were crushed and teeth were knocked out." Sweets clarified.
"They won't even be able to match with dentals to get a positive id." Brennan said. Sweets watched as the partners gave that look, the look they were silently communicating and he once again felt like an outsider walking in on something. He saw Booth sigh dropping the picture on his desk as he sat back still locking eyes with Brennan before he suddenly looked up at Sweets.
"You talk to Cullen yet?" Booth saw Sweets shake his head. "Well if we're going to go we need to get the approval. We can't just go up there and start working." Booth's eyes snapped to Hacker as he walked in making Brennan and Sweets glance at each other and Booth before looking at Hacker.
"What's with the meeting?" He asked with a bright smile before he looked down at Brennan and noticed the little girl playing with her mother's necklace for the first time. "And you brought the little beauty." He smiled as the girl looked up at him furrowing her tiny brows as Booth quickly hid his smirk at his daughter's reaction to his boss. "Cullen is out for the next few weeks, so I'm going to be taking over his place while he's gone. And I heard a case on the news about something happening up in New York-."
"Yeah, Sweets has a shrink friend who asked him to see if we would help." Booth interrupted him. "It looks like we're going to be needed. From the pictures and reports, Bones is going to have her work cut out for her."
"Is it something the FBI should be involved in?" He asked as Booth handed him the file.
"I don't think it is at this point but they won't get the names on those bodies unless Bones does her thing." He watched as Hacker started looking through the file stopping at the pictures as Brennan stood up holding Abby facing out on one hip as she looked at the pictures.
"Yes, there is no possible way for them to be able to reconstruct or find an id of these individuals pictured here." She said softly before they heard Abby squeal with excitement and start babbling to herself as she looked up from Brennan's necklace in her hands to Booth and Sweets.
"You want to take this case?" Hacker asked as Booth looked back at him.
"Well we want to help out, unless it turns into our jurisdiction, then we'll take it." Booth shrugged.
"You know it's in New York, right? What about the little girl?" Hacker asked as Booth glanced at Abby still babbling.
"My father has taken care of her before when we were needed on a case; Angela would be able to take care of her also." Brennan said shifting to pull Abby farther up her hip.
"Alright, then the case is yours." He shrugged watching Booth walk around his desk and take the little girl in his arms as she grinned at him. "She is looking more and more like you Temperance." He smiled at Brennan who gave a nod looking at her daughter in Booth's arms and smiled.
"Yes, although she has inherited Booth's eye color and most of his personality." She watched as Booth took Brennan's necklace from her and set her on the floor handing her his little red stress ball to throw around the office.
"Well keep me updated on the case. And get up there to get this started now." Hacker said before leaving. He still couldn't face the fact completely that Brennan had gone with Booth and now they had a two year old daughter. He was very happy for them both and was one of the reasons the two were still working together, but he couldn't help but wonder what things would have been like had he and her worked out. Booth looked back at Sweets.
"So looks like we're going to New York and Hacker wants us to go tonight. So go home and get your things, we'll leave about 8 tonight." Sweets looked at him confused.
"What? No, I- I can't go I have patients here and-"
"Hey you bring us the case, you can't just drop it and leave, besides we may need someone who can profile the guy for them." Sweets looked at him a minute. He couldn't believe this.
"Abby, wait." Brennan said walking over to the little girl who was trying to reach the ball that had rolled under a cabinet. Booth and Sweet looked over as Brennan knelt on the floor as Abby backed up waiting patiently for her mother to get the ball. Brennan handed the ball back. "Be careful not to throw it where you cannot reach." She said as the girl took the ball happily and started playing again. Sweets still couldn't help but smile at the interaction between mother and daughter even after two years of having firsthand experience watching.
"So we'll get you at 8 tonight. That way we can get Max or Angela to take Abby and get things together." He explained as Sweets nodded before placing the file back on Booth's desk before walking out, glancing once more at Brennan who sat on the floor catching the ball as Abby threw it over and over to her.
"Very good, Abby." Brennan smiled not noticing Booth sit back in his seat behind the desk watching until she turned to look at him noticing how quiet his had become in the office. "What are you staring at, Booth?"
"Nothing." He shook his head with a small smile. "We have to head to New York in the morning, I'll call Cam and tell her what's going on, you call the sitter and Max and Abby and me will meet you at home."
"You still have her car seat in the SUV?" She asked as she stood up and Abby became enthralled with throwing the ball at the cabinet next to her.
"Yeah, I never got around to taking it out last weekend. Go home and start getting everything ready, me and the princess will even stop at Sid's on the way home." Brennan smirked as Booth leaned in giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"I'll see you at home." She said before looking at Abby as the girl turned to look at her, running over to hand her the ball. "Be good for your daddy, I'll see you at home in a little bit." Brennan said as she lifted the girl onto her hip and Booth took her from there.
Booth walked in to the house, he and Brennan bought two months before Abby was born, with Abby holing his one hand while he carried food in the other. He let go of Abby's had as soon as they were in the house letting the girl take off running through the house looking for Brennan as he set the food on the table.
"Bones!" He called as he turned and started tracing his daughter's steps.
"I'm in the living room, Booth!" He heard her call back. As he walked in, he saw Brennan sitting with her laptop on the coffee table with a word document up while she had Abby in her lap giggling. She turned to look at him with a smile as he leaned against the doorway to their living room.
"The food's on the table." He walked over to lean over the back of the couch. "Working on another book?" He asked as she smiled and quickly closed the laptop.
"You know you can't read it until I'm finished. The only reason I don't make you wait until it is published any more is because we are together." She looked back at the girl as she climbed from the couch and took off to find a toy to play with. "Abby." Brennan saw the girl peek her head around the corner to look at her. "Let's go eat baby." She said making Booth smirk. Just two years ago, Brennan was a pure scientist, very literal, rational and very correct with everything. Now she was more openly loving, and caring around him and their daughter. She would stray from her rational, proper thoughts and speech when talking to the child; it helped her better connect to people while they were working cases also. Abby ran past both parents and into the dining room. Brennan looked at Booth as he reached out stopping her from walking past. "Booth…" She turned to face him completely as he leaned closer placing a soft kiss against her lips. "You're still not reading my manuscript until I'm finished."
"Come on, Bones. I'm your partner; we don't keep stuff from each other." He half whined as he followed her into the dining room to help Abby set up for dinner.
Brennan was cleaning up their food while Booth took care of Abby when there was a knock on the door. Brennan walked down the hall and answered it smiling, seeing her father standing here. She took a step back letting him in; telling him Booth and Abby were in the living room playing.
"Pop-pop!" Abby called as she ran over to be picked up by Max.
"Hey baby. How have you been?" Max asked and listened as she started to babble and flash a grin he knew she inherited from her father. He looked over as Booth walked closer. "Tempe said you have to go to New York?"
"Yeah, some case they can't figure out without Bones getting id's on some of the bodies." He paused and watched as Abby looked between the two men. "Thanks for taking care of her while we're working this, Max."
"No problem. She's my granddaughter." Max smiled as both men turned seeing Brennan walk closer to them.
"Booth we should get going. We need to pick Sweets up yet and it's nearly seven forty five." She looked at Abby sadly, as Max handed her over. Brennan walked up the stairs and to the bedroom she and Booth shared with Abby on her hip.
"She still hit hard when you have to travel?"
"Yeah, she's hates leaving for these cases."
"Guess that's my fault."
"Yeah, well you did it to protect her and Rus, and she knows that. She's afraid that something is going to come up and we're going to have to do the same thing."
"Why would you need to leave and hid?"
"I didn't say we needed to I said she's afraid of that. I told her if anything did ever happen Abby has everyone. Angela, Hodgins, Cam, Sweets, you, hell even the interns and the Agents at the FBI would chip in to help. She's not going to be left alone. Bones…. she knows, but the fear is always there." Booth explained as Max nodded before Booth walked passed him and up the stairs to find Brennan.
"No, mommy and daddy do not need the telephone." Booth heard Brennan say with a soft chuckle.
"Phone." Abby said happily.
"The telephone needs to stay here so we can call and talk to you." There was a pause then, "Abby, Mommy and Daddy do not need our bed packed, Sweetie." Booth smiled and he opened the door wider to see Brennan trying to pull the blankets and sheets that Abby had pushed in, out. Abby stood by watching confused before Brennan put the girl on the bed. "You be good while we're away. Pop-pop will take care of you until then, and I'll call every night, okay?"
"Okay." She mimicked as Brennan smiled and the girl flashed her father's grin.
"Bones?" Brennan turned quickly to see Booth leaning against the frame. "You ready?"
"Yes, Abby was just helping me pack some items." Booth looked at her a minute then to his daughter.
"Hey, Princess, go get pop-pop." The girl looked between her parents and then took off to find Max. Booth walked closer to Brennan as she fought hard to keep her walls firmly in place. "Bones, I know you don't want to leave. I know this is hard, just like any other time we get a case and have to leave for a night or more."
"I'm fine Booth." She said shaking her head.
"Bones, I've known you and been your partner for nine years, almost three of which I've been your boy friend. You can't hide much from me." He watched as she looked away. "Besides, I am a special agent with the FBI, I know things." He said with a smirk, gaining a soft laugh from her before she brought her eyes up to lock with his.
"We have a duty to give remains their names and faces, and to give their families closure by taking a murderer off the streets. If we pick and chose who to help and who not to help we may not catch a killer who would kill many innocents. Your son, our daughter…. they could be caught by these predators and… and …. Booth, I've seen so much working as an anthropologist and working as your partner. I can't… I just-"
"Okay, okay. It's okay." Booth whispered wrapping her in his arms quickly as she tried to calm herself. "We do our jobs, we put killer in prison, I know. Just relax okay. We'll get through this like any other case we were given that we had to spend a night or more away from Abby."
"I know." She sighed against him finally reinforcing the walls before she pulled back to look at him.
"You don't have to hold your walls up all the time, Bones. I've told you before, we're partners and partners talk to each other.
"And loved ones don't have secrets." She finished with a small smile. She looked away making him furrow his brow as he curled his finger around her chin and made her look up at him.
"What's going on?" She shook her head but he refused to let the subject die. "Bones." He warned making her looked at him.
"It's nothing Booth. I will tell you when there is something I wish to speak about." He looked into her eyes making him sigh in defeat. He knew he was never going to breach those walls, not all the time at least. He bent kissing her lovingly before pulling back both with small smiles.
"Not going to have much time alone with Sweets with us." He explained making her laugh; shaking her head, she turned back towards the suitcase, closing it. booth reached out taking the bag, earning himself a light glare from Brennan before they made their way down the stairs to see Abby and Max coloring at the dining room table.
"You two leaving?" Max asked looking up.
"Yes. She already ate, and all of her things are laid out upstairs in her room. If you need anything call one of us."
"Tempe, I know the drill. Go save the world." Max said stopping her with a smile while Booth was leaning over Abby talking low about her book.
"Dad, for Booth and I to save the world-"
"It's a saying Tempe, you and Booth go do your jobs and protect people who can't protect themselves. I'll call you if anything happens and me and the little lady here will call every night to give you updates. Isn't that right, Baby?" He asked as Abby looked at him and nodded. Booth kissed her head before standing up with a small smile watching Brennan kiss her head and they were gone to pick up Sweets and start their four and a half hour drive to New York.