Forever Means Always -- Rated T

Posted 24/11/2007 17:46:00 (24/11/2007 08:46:00 AM) ToZiKa

Me too...me too...he just has to talk to her.
I really can't understand why he didn't told her immediately about his daughter. He needs someone to talk to and Bones would just be the perfect person.

Chapter Ten: I Must Speak

Lizzie looked up briefly when she heard a crash downstairs. Brushing her golden-brown curls out of her face she bent back over her French workbook and continued to monotonously copy down simple verb conjugations. Muttering with her pen as it moved repeatedly across her page.

Je parle

“I speak”

Tu parles

“You speak”

Il parle

“He speaks”

Nous parlons

“We speak”

Vous parlez

“You speak”

Ils parlent

“They speak”

Je dois parler

“I must speak”

The small girl winced at the sound of shouting that was floating up the stairs. At the sound of the door slamming she heard the soft sound of her mother crying. Pushing her chair back from the desk she dropped her pen and stood, pushing the chair back in under the desk and turning to face the door. Moving slightly to the left she stood in front of the chair as her bedroom door opened.

“Come on Elizabeth, you need to get ready for bed. Come with me for your bath.” Alexandra, her nurse gestured to the scared girl to come to her side but Lizzie didn’t move.

“What happened?” Lizzie looked imploringly at her nurse as if willing her to answer her question this time. However, she received the answer she always did.

“Nothing Elizabeth, nothing happened, you’re letting your imagination run away with you again.” Alexandra looked at the small girl with eyes full of sympathy. She felt sorry for the small thing. Her mother was always busy with this new case and she barely saw Lizzie at all anymore. She knew the girl missed the attentions of her mother. The house had changed over the past year. Anna had gotten much stricter with Elizabeth and the rules had changed.

She had detached herself from Lizzie and while giving her almost any toy or book she wanted had changed the rules. The girl was no longer aloud to watch any television and she was to study 3 hours a day after school, she had to feed the girl by six and she was not allowed downstairs after that time. She had been pulled out of all her sports teams and music groups and an instructor now came to the house to teach her music instead of her staying after school to learn. Alex had to call her Elizabeth and not Lizzie or Liz as she had used to. All in all she felt like she was living in the Edwardian era.

Lizzie didn’t push Alex’s reply as she knew that she would get nothing out of her. Instead she walked forwards and let Alex lead her along the hallway to the bathroom.

An hour later when she was laying in bed she again began to think about what was going on around her. She knew that her mum was involved in a very high profile case. She was defending the leader of a drug mob and members had been showing up on days after court. She had been spending most of her time upstairs but she still heard parts of their conversations, before Alex came and hushed her away to her room.

She thought about the letter she had got that day from her father. He had told her to call. He was worried about her and for a second she thought she had told him too much. But the more Lizzie thought about it the more glad she was that her father was worried about her. She wanted him to love her, worry about her, put her first. Even though she had never met him Lizzie loved her dad so much. Her mother had told her a lot of stories about him and she had a few old photos from when they were both in Collage. But it made her worry that if it was that obvious to him that there was something wrong at home then she began to wonder how much trouble they were actually in.

Lizzie wasn’t stupid, she knew that things were going on with this case that were causing dangerous situation. She knew that her mother kept her upstairs so that she wouldn’t be there when they turned up. She was pretty sure that they didn’t even know she existed. Lizzie was glad for that. Sometimes she felt so suffocated at home. Alex was always with her and she knew that it was for her own safety but sometimes she just needed time alone. Just her and her mind. Alone to think about anything and everything.

On the weekends she was aloud to wander around all the properties and go anywhere she wanted, they knew all of their neighbours and no-one came down there road, it didn’t go anywhere. She would walk up to Rocky Ned’s and just sit on the rocks looking out across the valley. The view was amazing you could see forever. It was one of Ned Kelly’s lookouts; he would go up there to look out for the police in the valley below. Lizzie loved it so much up there, some days she would spend the whole day up there, take up a book and just read. Especially in summer when it was so hot. The walk up there was so nice too; they had spent her last birthday up there, just her, Alex and mum. But that was before the case, before her mother had started to ignore her, back when they were best friends and did everything together. Lizzie closed her eyes as she felt the hot tears begin to slip down her cheeks. She wanted her mum back. She wanted her dad. She hated her mum for leaving America without telling her father about her and she hated her dad for not following mum. She knew she couldn’t really blame her or him, but she just needed a vent for her frustration.

She wondered what her dad was doing right now. She knew that it would probably be day time over in America. Most probably morning. Getting up to go to work with Dr. Brennan at the Jeffersonian Institute. Lizzie wondered what she would be doing if she were over there with him now. Would she be going into work with him or getting ready for school? Lizzie was broken out of her réveille but a shout from downstairs. Sitting blot upright in bed she strained her ears to hear what was going on downstairs. Through all the shouting she was sure she could make out the phrase; “He warned you what the cost of losing the case would be for you Miss, so I would try harder.” Lizzie shrank back under the covers as she heard someone running up the stairs. She peeked her eyes out form over the top of the doona as her door creaked open. She breathed a sigh of relief as Alex walked in. The nurse moved across the dark room to where Lizzie was lying in bed and lay next to her. She pulled the small girl to her chest and wrapt her arms around her.

“It’s okay Lizzie, just try and sleep Sweetie.” Alex whispered to her while she wiped the tears from her face.

“What about mum?” Lizzie tired to be strong but she heard her voice crack.

“Your mum will be fine. Just try and sleep.” She hushed in her ear stroking her hair. As Lizzie’s breathing slowed out she shifted her weight and felt a crackle under her. She lifted her hip and reached under; pulling out the tearstained letter that Booth had sent Lizzie. She read it over quickly and closed her eyes. What would her father do if he knew the way his daughter was living? Alex decided, as she felt sleep begin to claim her, that she would call him, tell him what danger Lizzie and Anna were in. As her eyes closed she whispered to the sleeping Lizzie.

“Don’t worry Liz, your dad will protect you...”

Posted 25/11/2007 21:11:23 (25/11/2007 12:11:23 AM) ToZiKa

Wow it doesn't look like Lizzie is happy with her life anymore.
And her mum put her in too much danger just because of a case.
Maybe Liz can come to the USA and live with Booth for a while?

PPS

Chapter Eleven: What is ‘it’?

Booth strode into the Jeffersonian the next day with his mind a million miles away. As he headed towards Brennan’s office, a file of suspects tucked up under his arms he was thinking about his daughter, or more specifically, his daughter’s mother. He had loved Anna, but he hadn’t seen her or talked to her in over 12 years. He had decided last night that he had to call. He needed to speak to Anna, talk about how Lizzie was and what was going on at home, something Booth wasn’t very sure about. As it was coming up on the end of autumn he knew that it would be nearing the start of summer over in Australia and he desperately wanted to ask Anna if he could have Lizzie come and stay with him over her summer break. He just needed to get up the courage to talk to her now.

“Booth!” The sound of one very pissed off Angela broke though his thoughts.

“Huh?” Was his incoherent response as his mind slowly filtered back to the here-and-now.

“Huh? Huh?” was Angela’s reply as she took hold of his lower arm and pulled him roughly into her office, slamming the door behind them, she rounded on him.

“Huh? Is that all you really can say!? I can’t believe you Booth that night of the benefit was bad enough, but you apologized, she was hurt and vulnerable and then you go and be a complete arse and yell at her again!” Booth flinched as she raised her hand above her head, but she didn’t hi him, only gestured, waving her arms around her sides showing just how mad she was.

“She trusts you Booth, you are one of her best friends and now you are treating her like dirt. She thinks that you don’t trust her and it hurts her. She will detach Booth; she’ll become the old Bones you knew. The one who was all evidence and facts, she won’t trust you with anything.” Angela ran her hands though her hair and spun around 360 degrees. She looked back up at Booth and spoke again. “God, I can’t believe how much of an arse you are being.” Her voice was full of frustration and repressed anger.

“You need to detach Booth because at the rate you are going you are not going to have Brennan on this case anymore or any of the cases after this one.” Her tone softened slightly as she shifted gears.

“Look Booth, I don’t know what is going on and neither does Brennan but you need to detach from this case before you screw it and your partnership with Brennan up royally. Whatever if going on in that over-puffed head of yours. Deal with it. Or at least put it away while you are working. Brennan doesn’t need this from you, not now and not ever.” And with that Angela was gone. Booth blinked a few times and tried to digest what had just been said. He made his way from her office and continued onto Brennan’s the file of suspects still under his arm.

Temperance looked up when she heard a soft knock on the door. Booth was standing there. She was surprised to see that he was frowning slightly, as if thinking very hard about something, his cocky grin missing.

“What do you want?” She sighed. Booth flinched. Angela had been right; as always.

Booth held up the folder and waved it around slightly. “I have a list of suspects.” Neither of them smiled. Booth watched helplessly as she turned away slightly. The silence filling the room was deafening. Booth took a chance and entered the office shutting the door softly behind him. Brennan’s head jerked up when she heard the lock click into place. Booth moved to the couch and sunk down into the soft cushions. He sighed and looked up at Bones. He eyes were glassy and Booth wanted to get up and hold her, but he knew that he would most probably end up flat on his back if he even made to touch her. So instead he took a deep breath and began to try and haul himself out of the massive hole he had dug himself into.

“Look Bones…” She didn’t look up from her work. He tried a different tactic.

“Temperance” Her head shot up and her brilliant blue eyes glued onto his. This was his chance. He broke eye contact and look at his hands that were wringing in his lap.

“Look Temperance, I owe you another apology. You were right, yesterday in the car. I shouldn’t have told them so much about the case and I should have asked to look in Emily’s room, I let my own personal feeling cloud my judgment and that should never happen.” Booth took in a deep breath and glanced back up at her desk. She was still looking at him intently.

“Then I yelled at you, and that was inexcusable. You didn’t deserve that and I can’t believe that I did it again. Especially after I promised you that I wouldn’t let it interfere with my work.” It was then that Temperance spoke.

“What is ‘it’ Booth?” He voice was small and unnaturally calm. She stared at him her eyes blazing and Booth knew that she deserved the truth. What was it that he was afraid of anyway? That she would judge him like she did when they found out about Parker. Why would she care though? Why was he s afraid that she would judge him? Why did he care so much about her opinion? The questions raced around inside his head making him feel slightly dizzy, he didn’t however have time to analyse them now. He had to tell her, he couldn’t lose her too.

Temperance watched Booth stare across the room. She could tell that he wasn’t looking at anything in particular and was sure that he was thinking about what to tell her and she hoped that it wasn’t another lie. She didn’t think that she could take much more of Booth’s secrecy. He wasn’t a practically good liar and the fact that something of great importance was bothering him and he didn’t feel like he could share it with her, didn’t trust her enough to tell her what was on his mind hurt her more that she cared to let on. As Booth looked up at her, her stomach did a flip.

“I have had some stuff going on at home at the moment.” And he was silent again. Brennan knew better than to push, he would tell her in his own time what was going on.

“It was the night of the Benefit that I found out, that is why I forgot. It was just sinking in. All I wanted to do all night was go home so I could think about it that is why everyone was getting at me. All my anger just spilled over when you followed me to the car.”

Brennan was pretty sure that Booth wasn’t aware that he hadn’t actually told her what it was he had found out about.

“Then I was worried that if I told you, you would judge me. I know it was stupid but I was so worried about you opinion that I just couldn’t tell you. I know it was stupid of me and that you wouldn’t’ judge me like that but I couldn’t help but worry that you would.”

Booth looked up at Temperance as he finished and was worried when he saw a slightly blank look on her face. Oh god. He thought. She is judging me.

“Booth you didn’t…” But she was cut off by the sound of Booths mobile ringing. Booth reached into his jacket pocket and flipped the phone open.

“Booth” He barked, hoping that it wasn’t Cullen on the other end of the line.

“Dad?” The soft sound of a child’s voice floated though the line. Booth felt his heart stop beating. His chest constricted and the air around him went cold.

“Lizzie?”

Chapter Twelve: People Always Leave

“Yes.” Came the soft whisper of her reply across the line. “Daddy..?” The soft voice broke and Booth felt his heart tear. He sat there in a trance, not aware of Temperance only 7 feet from him looking at him strangely.

“Yes baby, what is it? Are you okay? What’s happened?” He gushed all at once. He hoped to god that nothing had happened to her. He listened for a minuet and heard a soft sobbing coming down the line.

“Oh Sweetie, are you crying?” He only heard a squeak in reply. “Gorgeous, you have to talk to me. Tell me what’s the matter baby.”

Brennan looked on as this exchange took place. She felt her heart sink as she realised that he must be talking to his girlfriend. He hadn’t told her that he had a new one, but he was a very good looking man she admitted to herself and it was foolish to think that he would stay single for long after he broke things off with Cam. Still, she would have thought he would have told her about her at least.

“Daddy” Another hiccupped reply came floating across the line before she broke out in sobs again.

“Yes, come on Honey, tell me what is wrong.”

“Daddy, its mum…” Lizzie trailed off. Booth’s heart began to beat incredibly fast in his chest.

“What about her?” He hushed.

As the words left Booth’s mouth Brennan thought she had heard enough. He was obviously on a call that was of great importance and his voice suggested that he was not receiving good news whatever it was. She decided that she had to just get up and leave, as much for her as for him. She knew that he wouldn’t want her listening in to his private conversations and she knew that her heart couldn’t take much more of hearing the pet names he had given to his new girlfriend.

Temperance didn’t know when, or how, with the way he had been behaving towards her lately. But something inside other had just clicked and a sudden surge of emotion towards Booth had seeped though the cracks in her solid walls. She had allowed herself to care, to need and to want. Possibly even love and it had all been thrown back in her face. She thought that she could trust him, that he would tell her anything, and that he trusted her. But now…she just couldn’t take the devastation. People always leave…she thought to herself. People always leave.

---------------

“She…She’s…” Booth willed her to keep talking. Something major was up and he had to know so that he could help her. If she was in any sort of danger at all he would be on the first fight to Melbourne he could get. He didn’t care how damn far away it was.

“Come on baby. What is it? You can tell me.” Booth pleaded with her.

“She’s dead…”

Lizzie whispered it so quietly Booth almost didn’t hear it. But he did, and it suddenly felt like he had ice running though his veins.

“Lizzie, what happened? Are you alright?” The hurt he had been feeling was replaced by a new emotion; complete and utter fear for his daughter’s safety. He could feel the bile rise in his throat but he swallowed it back down and listened as Lizzie began to speak.

“They came to the house and I heard yelling…” The sobs were louder now and Booth could hear her struggling to draw breath as she cried to him, trying to tell him what had happened to her mother. “…and when I came down…she…she…was…just…just…she was just…ly…ly…lying there” The gasps of her trying to draw breath punctuated the sentence as she built herself into hysterics. “…and then they saw me and now Alex thinks…Alex thinks that they are going to come and take me too.” She wailed. “Daddy, what am I going to do!? I’m so scared, I just want mummy back” Emotion surged though his at her words.

“Calm down baby and breath. Shhhh; hey-hey. Everything will be alright. Come on baby, calm down for me sweetheart. Just take some nice deep breaths. I want to hear them. Okay?” He could hear a slight rustling which he assumed was Lizzie nodding her head.

Booth had felt like his daughter was a grown up from her letters, but listening to her on the phone telling him that her mother had been murdered she was that 12 year old girl. And he was not prepared for the surge of fully fledged rage that coursed through him as he heard his daughter cry to him that her mother had been murdered and she was afraid. He urge to protect her was so great. He needed to protect her. Save her from her mother’s problems, the problems that had killed her mother and that were a threat to her own life. He thought for a second.

“Okay baby, shhh, everything will be okay. Who is Alex? Can you get him for me? I need to speak to him about what we are going to do. You can’t stay there anymore.”

Lizzie nodded on the other end of the line and after a second she realised that he couldn’t see her nodding gave a small grunted, airy “yes” in agreement to his statement. She couldn’t stay here. Not after what they had done to her mum. Not after what she thought they could do to her. For the first time in her life she was afraid of her mother’s job. And it was only now, that she was dead and not there to protect her. And as she sat there and listened to her father comfort her she realised how much she needed to be with him; how much her heart ached for him. He was her dad and she needed him more than ever now.

Lizzie took the phone from her head and covered the mouthpiece.

“Alex…” She yelled. “Alex, daddy wants to speak to you!”

Booth smiled as he head the muffled yelling coming through the line. Then there was nothing. Silence for the slightest second before;

“Hello? Mr. Booth?” Alex asked tentatively. She had no idea how Lizzie could be at such ease with him even though they had never met.

Booth heard the woman’s voice and blushed slightly. He had just made a fool of himself in front of his daughter. It amused him though that she hadn’t bothered to correct him. She had waited for him to figure it out on his own. She was exactly like Parker.

“Yes. Alex, Is that you?”

---------------

Bones rushed though the Jeffersonian. How could this be happening to her now! Why did it have to be happening to her at all? She didn’t need this. Not now, and not on top of everything that had happened to her.

Booth; her best friend Booth, had gone and got himself a girlfriend. Had gone and gotten himself someone else to care about just when she needed him more than ever. Just when she realised what he meant to her. How could she have been so blind? Angela had been telling her since they had started this partnership that Booth had had more than platonic feelings for her. And now it was too late. Just when she had stopped being so blind sighted, he had gone and moved on. But then, she couldn’t expect him to hang around forever, especially when he was waiting for someone as broken as she was. He must have finally realised that she was - would never be- enough for him.

--------------

“Yes Mr. Booth.”

“Please, call me Seeley.”

“Okay.”

“Alex, what is going on over there?” Booth asked.

“Not much at the moment. Anna’s friends and relatives came over to the house today, Lizzie was pretty distraught, and you are the only person she has spoken to all day; apart from me. Most of them are staying and I just don’t know how she is going to cope, she has been avoiding them all; even her grandpa. Her funeral is tomorrow and the reading of the will is the day after and that is what we are really waiting on.” There was a pause “What they are all waiting on.”

Booth could tell that Alex was detaching herself, trying not to show emotion. He knew how hard it could be taking care of children.

“Alex, do you want me to fly out? Because I can be on a plane tonight if you would like.”

There was a long moment of silence.

“I don’t know Mr. Booth, I’m not worried about anything except the custody really. Lizzie is just taking it all so hard.”

“What do you mean?” Booth was confused.

“Well, Lizzie’s grandparents are expecting to gain full custody of her.”

“Why is that going to be a problem?” Booth asked her. “From what I have heard from Lizzie she quite likes them.”

“Yes-yes exactly, that is what everyone thinks. And I know that she does love them, god knows they spoil her enough, they payed for her education so that Anna could set up a trust fund for Lizzie. They were there for her from the moment she told them that she was pregnant. That is why I’m not sure how they are going to react when they read Anna’s Will, and find out that she gave Lizzie to you.”

Posted 27/11/2007 20:48:02 (27/11/2007 11:48:02 AM) ToZiKa

I really feel sorry for Lizzie and Bones.
But now when Lizzie is coming to the USA sooner or later, at least Bones can become happy again.
It is good that she finally realized her feelings towards Booth.
PPS

Posted 28/11/2007 03:29:03 (27/11/2007 06:29:03 PM) saraluvzbonz

I read this on another site, and I really like the story. :-)

Chapter Thirteen: Needing

Booth hung up the phone still in shock. It was too much to digest in such a short space of time. His daughter had called. He had spoken to his daughter for the first time. In the subsequent minuets she had also told him that her mother was dead, she was afraid and he had found out from her Nanny that he was now her legal guardian. This was the stuff that was supposed to happen over months, years even. Not minuets. He sighed, shook his head and pushed a hand through his hair, trying to clear his mind. He now had a lot to organise. He needed to get the guest room ready for Lizzie; he needed to get leave so that he could fly out to Australia to get her, schools, sport…he realised that he didn’t even know if she was a vegetarian. Defiantly not minuets.

Standing up he swayed a bit before hurrying into the lab. He looked wildly around for Bones. Spotting her on the platform he paused for a second to just look at her. The way her blue lab coat hid the luscious curves he knew were under there. The way her auburn curls framed her face before she pulled them up into a loose pony tail to examine the remains, and how when her hair was up, you could see the perfect shell of her ears and sharp jaw line. He smiled and moved swiftly towards the platform when she looked up and smiled at him. Swiping his card he came up behind her, placing his hand on the small of her back she asked him, without even looking up from where she was bent over their victim.

“What’s up Booth?” He watched her as she picked up a rib and turned it over carefully in her hands examining it with her expert eye.

“I have that file of suspects, it’s still in your office if you want to finish up here we can go and have a look over it.”

Brennan glanced around at him; she knew that something was up. That phone call was…weird, to say the least. She straightened up and cracked her back, turning to look him in the eye regreting the loss as his hand fell away from her back and hung at his side. She knew it was wrong and she knew that he had drawn the line. But she couldn’t help the way that he made her feel; loved and important. He made her feel safe, for the first time in a long time and she just…needed him. She hated herself for feeling this way. She didn’t like being needy. But Angela had told her that every guy likes being needed and that every girl likes having someone to need. And despite herself, Brennan was beginning to agree with her.

“Ugh, I don’t know Booth. I really need to get my final report on the victim done; Cam has really been pressing me for it.” She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear absent-mindedly. Booth was glad because his hand had been itching to reach out and move it himself.

“No, its okay Bones, you get your report done. We can go over the suspects tomorrow while we are on the way out to the Andrews place. We need to take a look in the girl’s room and on the computer.” And then he added to himself “If my stupidity hasn’t cost us any evidence we may have found there.”

Brennan heard this and spoke to him.

“Don’t hit yourself up over it too much Booth, everyone makes mistakes sometimes and I know personally that you have been having a pretty bad week.”

“Thanks Bones and its bash yourself up.”

“Huh?” She frowned as she turned back to the bones. He grinned knowing that he couldn’t keep her away for long.

“The term is ‘bash yourself up’, not hit.”

“Whatever Booth” She mumbled, now fully engrossed in whatever she was studying. Booth chuckled.

“Alright then Bones, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He smiled at her, wishing that he wouldn’t have to wait, wishing that he could just take her with him now. ‘Whoa’ He thought to himself, ‘back up there a minuet’ since when did you want to take your partner home? Booth glanced up at Bones as he began to make his way towards the exit, tripping over his own feet as he sped up. Now was not the time to be thinking about her like that, especially when she doesn’t feel the same way about you. He thought to himself harshly as he climbed into his SUV and slammed the door. He had to focus on Lizzie right now, and what he was going to do about her. She was the one who needed him the most.

Back in the lab Bones paused. What was she going to do now? Now she had finally admitted to herself that she needed Booth, just when he seemed to be pulling away from her. She knew that he had tried to tell her, back there in her office, but just hadn’t quite been able to find the right words. He had seemed confused and nervous. What did he have to be nervous about? She shook her head; all she really knew was that Booth was hiding something from her, that he didn’t trust her enough to tell her. He had someone in his life now. Someone he obviously cared about a lot; someone who he didn’t want to share with her. The only thing she could do now was to pull back or push forward.

She could pull back and put up her walls. Go back to a completely professional partnership, build up her walls and keep his issues and emotions at bay or, she could push forward. Push forward as find out what was bothering him, try and show him how far their relationship had come, develop the trust and understanding into something more that facts and suspects.

---------------

Lizzie sat curled up in the corner of her mother’s wardrobe holding her favourite photo of her mother to her chest. The only one they had framed of her and her father. They were both smiling widely. Laughing for the camera, her dad had his arm rapt around Anna’s middle, his hand resting over the flat of her stomach. They looked so carefree and happy, nothing to weigh them down. She liked it so much because of the look of pure love and adoration she could see in her father’s eyes. And even know she knew it wasn’t true, she liked to think that some of that love and happiness was for her as well. The photo had been taken the day before their graduation and Anna had told her that she had already been pregnant when the photo was taken. That’s why she liked to think that. Because even though he didn’t know it, her fathers hand had been protecting her, keeping her safe and loving her.

She began to cry, big fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Here, right now, in all this madness he was the one person she wanted. She wanted his strength, his love and his protection. She needed it; needed him. Lizzie looked up when she heard footsteps approaching. Blinking as the clothing was pulled aside, the rushing noise of the coat-hangers scraping along the metal banister, a sound so familiar and yet now so unwelcome. The face that appeared was her grandmothers, yet another familiar thing that she just didn’t want to deal with right now.

“Come on darling, come on out of there and join us at the dinner table.” Her sweet warm voice made Lizzie feel sick. She didn’t want to come out and eat. She didn’t want to have to talk to her grandparents at dinner; she only wanted to talk to her Dad. She wished so hard that he was here. Closing her eyes she shook her head no. She hadn’t talked to them since they had arrived this morning and she wasn’t planning on talking to them until they left; unless they tried to take her with them. She knew that her mother had given full custodial rights to her father, because her mother had asked her if it was okay when she had set out the will after she got this case. Lizzie shuddered involuntarily, the case that had cost her, her life.

“Come on sweetie, you have to come and eat something. You don’t want to get sick now do you?”

Again Lizzie shook her head no.

“Good, then come on and get up. We are all waiting for you.”

As her grandmother’s hand reached into the wardrobe to grasp her shoulder, Lizzie resigned herself to the fact that she would have to abandon her mother’s closet and join the rest of the family for dinner.

“There now pumpkin let’s go.” She said wiping the tears of her face as she grasped her hand and led Lizzie down the hallway and stairs into the dining room.

Lizzie slumped in her seat and played with her food while the family talked around her, ignoring them when they each tried to get her to join in the conversation. Lizzie wasn’t interested though. She didn’t care about when her mother first walked and what colour her room had been painted when she was three. Lizzie was thinking. Thinking about the next few days to come; her mother’s funeral, the will reading, her last day of school for the year, but, most of all, she was thinking about her dad. She wondered what Alex and he had talked about after she had been shooed out of the room by her Aunt, who had gotten angry at her for eavesdropping on Alex’s conversation. “Weren’t you ever taught, Elizabeth, that it was rude to listen into other peoples private conversations.” Lizzie smiled to herself at the memory.

“What are you smiling about Elizabeth dear?” Her grandmother’s voice sliced rudely into her thoughts. She looked up and made a glancing eye contact with the older woman before turning to Alex and blurting out the question that had been bothering her since the phone conversation had ended.

“When is Dad coming down Alex?” The whole table went quiet, it was the first time many of them had heard her speak the whole few days that they had been there. Alex looked a tad perturbed at being asked the question so bluntly and suddenly at the table, in front of all her relatives. But then she looked t Lizzie, she hadn’t glanced around the table and was completely ignoring the rest of the family, so she decided to speak as if it were just her and Lizzie alone.

“I’m not sure Lizzie. He said that he was coming down though.”

“Will he be here for the funeral?” Alex glanced around but decided that it was easier to ignore. Ruth, Lizzie’s grandmother was looking almost livid at the mention of her father.

“I don’t think so Liz, but he said that he would try and be here for the reading.”

Lizzie smiled. “Thanks Alex, I can’t wait to see him!” Alex smiled back, breathing out slightly as she put her head down and began to eat, bracing herself for what would come next.

“Elizabeth, why on earth do you want your father to come down here? You don’t even know the man!” Lizzie just glared at her, rolled her eyes and went back to eating. She would talk to Alex later when she was putting her to bed.

-------------

Booth stepped tentatively into Cullin’s office.

“What is it Booth?” Sam barked at the Agent.

“Um…sir?” Booth’s hesitation showed in his voice.

“For god sakes Booth, what is it. Did you go over that list of suspects yet?” Booth gulped.

“No…not yet, but sir I was wondering if I could possibly take some of my annual leave?”

This got Cullin’s attention and he looked up his eyes piercing Booths with his hard stare.

“When?” The assertive tone was a compete contrast to Booth’s own nervous tone.

“From tomorrow?”

“Now?”

“Yes…”

“Whilst you are in the middle of a case?” His hard tone was beginning to really unsettle Booth.

“Well, I wouldn’t normally ask but this is very important and I need to fly out tonight if I can.”

“Fly out? You’re leaving the state?”

“No…” There was a pause “…The country…?”

“You are asking me now? The day you fly out of the country, for leave, while you are in the middle of a case?”

“Yes…”

“It must be something pretty important Booth.”

“It is sir. I promise you. I um…I have to pick up my daughter…” Silence filled the office. He really didn’t want to tell Cullin, but it was the only way he could really assure that he would get the leave. After Amy and all.

“You have a daughter?”

“Yes sir.”

“Since when?”

“Well, since 12 years ago. But I only found out a few weeks ago. Her mother passed away a few days ago and I am her guardian now.”

“Well, you better get home and pack Booth. I think that I can wrangle you a week or two of leave for that. Good-luck.”

“Thank you sir!” Booth yelled over his shoulder as he ran out of the office and down the stairs to the car park. He needed to get home, pack and book a flight. In just over 40 hours he would be meeting his daughter.

Posted 28/11/2007 17:45:21 (28/11/2007 08:45:21 AM) ToZiKa

And he needs to tell Bones.
What is he thinking he can't leave without telling her what happend.
It's not that hard to say "hey Bones I have a daughter, you know".
Why can't he just say it?

I would love it when she would fly with him to help him with everything.
And she would be the first one of his friends who get to know his daughter.
Maybe they could also work on their own relationship.

Posted 29/11/2007 04:34:59 (28/11/2007 07:34:59 PM) he is a wee little puppet man

ok squirt i just have to say i am soooo loving this fic!

i am only on chapter 10 and i have been bawling my eyes out the last two chaps!

i love where you are going with this, i love the idea, love how brennan and ange are chatting, you have all the characters in character, damn girl for your first fic, you definitely rock!

you need to let some peeps know you are writing this!

self promote, we all do it!!!!

this is soo good!

ok onto chap 11!!!!

Posted 29/11/2007 09:43:40 (29/11/2007 00:43:40 AM) he is a wee little puppet man

oh god squirt i just caught up and i am dying here!

you have to post soon! this fic has me on the edge of my seat!


love the whole thing and i hope he tells bones before he leaves and gets her to go with him!

PPS please please please!!!

Thank-you so much guys. Glad to know you love it. And just for making me such a happy little Vegemite, here is your next chapter.

Chapter Fourteen: Come With Me

Booth didn’t stop to think all the way home. All he could think about was getting there and booking the first flight he could down to Australia. He just couldn’t believe that this was all happening, and in a space of a few weeks. He thought about how much he had changed in the weeks that he had known about Lizzie. They hadn’t been his best; he could admit that to himself. He just could not believe how rude he had been to Bones. His Bones. The look on her face when he had yelled at her almost broke his heart. He didn’t know why he was lashing out at her. None of this was her fault. Maybe it was because he valued her opinion so much, or maybe it was because, even though it had happened all those years ago, to only find out about it now. It felt like he was cheating on her. It felt as though he had gone out and got another woman knocked-up when he was in love with another.

In love? He questioned himself the moment he thought it. He couldn’t be in love with Bones. It just wasn’t possible. She was his best friend, not his love. But the more he thought about it the harder and harder it got to deny it. He jumped at any chance to be near to her, to touch her, she was all he could think about at night, he found himself drawn to her every minute detail, the way her hair fell about her face the few times that she let it hang naturally about her when they were working. The way her whole mind could focus on their victim, her amazing eyes absorbing every detail that a victim had to offer her while he stood there wishing that it was him that her eyes were doing that too.

His heart rate sped up slightly and he began to get butterflies in his stomach. He was in love with Bones. Madly head-over-heels in love. With his partner. He felt the butterflies disappear and his heart rate slow. He couldn’t love his partner. It would compromise so much. And then there was the line, that damn line, the one he had drawn himself. To keep him from temptation. Well, he thought, it clearly hasn’t worked.

He felt dirty and ashamed; that made him feel even sicker. He shouldn’t feel ashamed of his daughter. She didn’t deserve it. He knew that was the reason he had kept her to himself. It wasn’t about protecting her at all. It was because he was a coward. He was too scared to tell them because of what he thought they would think of him. But this wasn’t about him. This was about his daughter.

He felt angry at himself. He was better than this. He knew that he was a stronger person, what made this situation so different? The answer came back to the other woman in his life. Bones. She was the reason that he had hid Lizzie. He didn’t want her to judge him. Selfish-selfish-selfish, and now there was a chance that Bones and the rest of the team would resent Lizzie, and that was just something he could not even bear the thought of. And in the process of all this secrecy, all these lies he had hurt her. His Bones. Something he promised himself her would never let happen. He was her protector, he was the one who protected her from all the murderers they dealt with, all those sadistic killers who found joy in hurting, maiming and killing others; destroying lives and families. He was the one who was supposed to protect her from all the pain, yet he was the one who had hurt her.

As he walked up the stairs to his apartment he decided that after he had booked a flight and packed. That he would go and ask Bones if she wanted to come with him. He knew that Lizzie would love to meet her and he wanted Lizzie to meet her. Because her knew, or at least hoped that one day they would all be a family. He knew it was a lot to wish for, but he loved Bones, and his daughter and there was no-one else that he could picture himself spending the rest of his life with, apart from his daughter.

He sat for a long time staring at his computer screen, just thinking. It was the sound of a car backfiring the street below that finally jerked him out of his réveille. He checked his watch and shot out of his chair. He had to pack quickly before he went over to see Bones.

He moved swiftly down the hallway and into his bedroom, pulling his draws open jerkily and haphazardly rummaging though them and throwing things carelessly into the big suitcase that was lying open on his bed. After throwing a few shirts into beg he cursed, realising that it would be summer over in Australia. He changed his pattern and shoved a few t-shirts into the bag before riding the bathroom of all the toiletries that he would need. He tossed the bag in and closed the lid of the case, zipping it up. He moved back into the living room grabbed his iPod, phone and a bock and pulled open the front door, doing a quick time check on the way. It was 3:54pm, he had 3 hours before he had to be at the airport. 4 if he used his FBI badge to by-pass the customs queues.

He knew Bones would still be at the lab. There was no way that she would have left yet. So after he loaded his bags into the trunk he set off towards the Jeffersonian. He didn’t know what he was going to say to her. I mean. ‘Hey Bones, wanna go pack up your stuff and come with me to Australia to pick up my love child that I have never met?’ Somehow he just didn’t think that would cut it this time. He might just have to be a little more sensitive. I mean, who was he kidding; there was no way that Bones was going to give up everything and come with him to Australia? But he knew that he had to ask; as much for himself as for her.

He had kept it from her when he first found out about Lizzie. At that had had bad consequences, worse than bad, catastrophic, it had almost cost him his relationship with her. It may not be the kind that he wanted, but at least he had a relationship with her. They way things were headed now he sometimes wondered if she would ever even speak to him outside out work again.

As he pulled up outside of the Jeffersonian he began to have second thoughts about what he was about to do. He had told Bones about Lizzie, but he hadn’t waited around to see what her reaction had been. She had run out of the room not long after his phone had rung and he had talked to Lizzie for the first time. It didn’t exactly instil in him the upmost confidence. But he knew that he had to at least tell her that he was leaving her, in the middle of a case too, in effect, to go on a holiday.

He took a deep breath, and stepped out of the SUV and onto the pavement. He quickly made his way into the warm building off the freezing streets and hurried down to the medico-legal lab and to Bones. He was still having an internal battle with himself over what on earth he was going to tell her when her voice floated into his thoughts, bringing his mind back to earth with a sharp jerk.

“Hey Bones”

She gave him a withering look as she made her way down from the platform and over to his side.

“Don’t call me Bones” She insisted adamantly.

Booth just grinned at her; that charming, lopsided grin that always made her go weak at the knees.

“What do you want Booth? I am really busy; I already told you that today. So if you are here about those suspects then I am going to have to disappoint you Booth because the backlog of paper work that I have is really starting to become ridiculous.”

When she paused to take a breath, Booth slipped in.

“That’s not why I am here Bones; I need to talk to you.” And as he looked up and saw, Zack, Hodgins, Angela and Cam all peering at them from the platform, he turned back to her and added. “In private.”

Bones gave him a somewhat quizzical look before smiling at him and heading off in the direction of her office. She pulled the door open and once he had stepped inside moved around her to close and lock the door behind him. She rounded on him and Booth suddenly felt about three feet tall. Her piercing blue gaze was somewhat unsettling, yet her eyes seemed to draw his to hers. They were the most amazing eyes that he had ever seen. The longer he looked into them the more he thought he had seen those eyes on someone else. But he couldn’t quite place it. But then again, it may have just been her, in a different place. Sometimes her gaze was so…he didn’t even have the words to explain it, but it just sucked him in, that her amazing brilliant blue eyes were all he saw.

“Booth, when you are done staring can you please tell me why you are here, and what it is that you want to talk about, like I said already, I am extremely busy.”

“I know Bones, I know.” Booth took a deep breath and began, “ Ihavetogoaway” was all that came out.

“Pardon Booth? I didn’t quite catch that one.” Brennan asked a tad amused by his seemingly lack of verbal control.

Booth took another deep breath and tied again, determined to speak more than babble to her this time.

“I have to go away.” He let the words sink in. He tried to read Brennan’s face but it was, he thought, an expression of shock, confusion and sadness?

“What? Why? When..?” Were her mumbled responses and Booth was shocked at the amount of emotion she saw on his face.

“I have to go away, Lizzie needs me, and I am leaving tonight. I am headed out to the airport after here actually.”

Bones eyes seemed to grow with hurt and confusion and Booth felt his stomach hit the floor. Never in a million years did he imagine that she would react this way.

Brennan felt hot tears poke at the corner of her eyes as his words sank in. He was dropping everything, in the middle of a case, to go away on holiday with his girlfriend. Brennan felt hurt and cheated. Why would he leave her hanging like this? What was so important that he couldn’t wait to leave until they had wrapt their case up?

“Why do you have to go tonight Booth?” Her voice wasn’t nearly as strong as she would have liked. “Why leave me in the middle of a case? What is so important?” Brennan held hear breath, dreading the answer.

Booth looked at her like she was mad.

“What? I can’t just leave her hanging! I can’t let her go though this alone, there is just no way. She needs me and I need her Bones, I thought you of all people would understand that.”

The first thought that flashed through Brennan’s mind was that they had to be getting married. He was leaving her in the middle of a case, with just 3 hours of warning that he was going away with his Girlfriend to get married. I mean, she didn’t even know where the hell he was going.

“Where..?” She managed to choke out though the haze of hurt that was beginning to engulf her. Swallow her up.

“Australia.” Was his soft reply. Booth could see that Brennan was hurt. And that hurt him. He had never meant for any of this to cause her any pain at all and it killed him inside to know that he and his actions were the cause of the pain that she was feeling right now. He knew that he had to ask her now.

“Do you want to come with me?”

Brennan looked up at him her eyes wide.

“What?” She exclaimed in a whisper.

“Do you want to come to Australia with me. I know that Lizzie really wants to meet you and it will be good to take a break from the lab and go away on something that actually constitutes a holiday.”

“I go on holidays Booth.”

“No you don’t you go away to work in exotic countries. You don’t take a break, have fun, and relax.”

“I have fun Booth.” She was starting to get defensive now and Booth knew it was time to drop it.

“I know you do Bones. But I’ll ask you again anyway. Because I want you to come and meet her, and I know that Lizzie would love to meet you; do you want to come to Australia with me Bones?”

“I don’t know Booth…” Brennan looked him in the eyes and saw him silently pleading with her.

“Come with me…” He implored her. Brennan took a deep breath and replied.

Posted 29/11/2007 18:13:11 (29/11/2007 09:13:11 AM) he is a wee little puppet man

yay!!!! what a great thing to read first thing in the morning!

Bones you have to go with him!!!!

squirt this is really very well written, and oh the dialogue, very very good!

keep posting! i love this!!!

Posted 29/11/2007 19:12:24 (29/11/2007 10:12:24 AM) ToZiKa

Very well written.
I like the fact that Bones thinks that Lizzie is his new girlfriend...and that she is so jealous.
I hope she will go with him...and maybe they can talk about everything on the plane.

Chapter Fifteen: Too Much

“I know you do Bones. But I’ll ask you again anyway. Because I want you to come and meet her, and I know that Lizzie would love to meet you; do you want to come to Australia with me Bones?”

“I don’t know Booth…” Brennan looked him in the eyes and saw him silently pleading with her.

“Come with me…” He implored her. Brennan took a deep breath and replied;

“I don’t think I can Booth, not this time…” Booth could hear a deep sense of resignation that weighted her words down as she spoke them to him, effectively shattering his heat into a million pieces. He should have known that she would never come with him; I mean who was he kidding? She didn’t love him, couldn’t love him. He had drawn that line a long time ago.

“Why..?” He managed to choke out, his voice strangled with emotion. He eyes rose to meet his and he swore that he could see unshed tears in them; they were the most amazing crystalline blue and it killed him to see so much pain and hurt swimming in them.

“Because I can’t Booth…” It would just hurt too much she added silently to herself.

“Why not Bones, I need to know. Is it because of the past few weeks? Look I know I have been an arse but…”

“No Booth.” Brennan cut him off “…it’s not because of the last few weeks. I just don’t think that I can do what you are asking me to do. Not this time, it’s just too much.” She couldn’t bring herself to watch him been taken away from her, promised to another woman for the rest of his life; another woman that was not her. She still thought of marriage as an archaic ritual, but the thought of having Booth belong to another woman was just unbearable. She couldn’t be there to witness that.

Booth was completely confused now. How on earth was her coming with him to see his daughter ‘too much’?

“Bones, I’m not asking anything of you, all I want is for you to come and meet her, nothing else, you don’t even have to stay for the whole time; you can come back after the weekend.” Booth was almost begging now, both of them could hear the desperation in his words as he spoke to her.

“Why do you want me to go with you so much?” Brennan wanted him to tell her why this was so important to him. Why it was so important for him to drag her all the way across the world for his wedding. I mean she knew that they were friends but…she just couldn’t help but feel betrayed. Booth was hers, not anyone else’s. This fierce possessiveness she had for Booth came as a shock to her, she had always made fun of this ‘alpha male trait’ that he so often displayed towards her, and now here she was, feeling the exact same thing.

“Because Bones, I want you to meet her. Things are going to change after I get back. No more late night Booty calls, no more hanging out after cases and work. No more popping up in the middle of the night, less out of town work. No more being able to drop everything when you call. Things are going to change, and I need you to meet her, get to know her in her home before she comes back here. You need to know her because you’ll be spending so much time with her. You need to know the reason for all this change and why it is so important, she is so important to me. Bones, I need my two favourite girls to get along…”

Brennan sat there, her heart rate beginning to increase. The part that leapt out at her the most was my two favourite girls he thought of her as his? At first a spark of anger and indignation flared within her, He assumed that she was his, she didn’t really mind but it was his assuming that he owned her that annoyed her. She was not owned by anybody except herself. But the annoyance and anger, that spark, was quickly quelled by the rushing surge of emotion that followed it.

His possessiveness was something that she could now relate to. She felt it for him and he had just admitted to her that he felt the same way about her. But why were things going to change so much? It wasn’t like as a grown woman, Lizzie couldn’t look after herself. Did she need Booth to baby-sit her 24/7. Brennan felt the anger flare within her again, the spark reignited and this time not quelled by a flood of emotion acting upon it like water to a flame, this time for Lizzie. The girl seemed like a complete baby to her, the fact that she couldn’t stand Booth to spend time with anyone but her at night.

Emotional attachment was never something that she needed, not after her parents had left anyway. And it was a part of herself that she prided, not having emotional attachment allowed her to excel in her line of work, however it had left her far behind in the social standing and the things in life that Booth always told her, and was slowly showing her were the really important ones. Life was easier when you didn’t let yourself get deeply attached at an emotional level. She had learnt this the hard way, but it seemed now, right here that she hadn’t learnt from her past because as much as she tired to deny it to herself, she let herself get emotionally attached to Booth. She had told him things that she had never told anyone else. She let him in past her strong walls and built up visage, she let him in behind it all and allowed him to, even if only briefly, see the real Temperance Brennan, the one that she kept buried down deep inside of herself, the one that she was protecting from all the fears, emotions and hurt of the outside world. And the one that Booth was slowly revealing to about how much love and beauty it was missing too. She didn’t want things to change. She was happy with how they were now, just her and Booth…and Parker.

“Bones..?” Booth probed, hoping for her answer. Brennan shook her head, trying to comprehend what Booth was saying to her.

“Why will things change so much Booth? I mean, can’t we just stay the same. I’m sure Lizzie would understand…” Brennan was the one almost begging now. Begging him to try and see though her words and reach the meaning below them. Whatever reaction Brennan was expecting to receive from her words, anger wasn’t one of them. But as Booths eyes began to darken and his fists clench, she knew that was the emotion about to spill from her partner.

“Understand? Understand?” Booth spluttered with rage. He could not believe that Bones, his Bones of all people had just said that to him. “What do you mean; understand? Jeeze Bones, she is 12 years old! I’m not about to let her stay home alone while her father is out gallivanting at a bar with his partner! She just lost her mother; I can’t expect her to just sit home alone without me. She needs me and my support Bones. I thought you of all people would have understood that, given what happened to you when you were 15 years old!” Booth was pacing now and he ran a hand absent-mindedly though his think dark hair as he tried o steady his emotions. “Fuck” He muttered under his breath.

The air in the room was palpable as Brennan tried to digest what had just been yelled at her. His words had been a blow to her heart but she tired to put her hurt aside and deal with what he had just told her. 12 years old? That just didn’t compute with the whole ‘getting married’ scenario. Bones mentally kicked herself; she had gotten things very messed up indeed. She decided to risk opening her mouth and asking a question.

“12 years old..?” Was all she could stammer trying to get him to confirm what she had thought she had just heard, Booth’s head snapped to hers and he stopped pacing at the confusion in her voice.

“Yes Bones. 12.” Booth was still too mad to think about what her question meant and he sook his head again desperately trying to get himself to calm down; willing his emotions into submission so that he didn’t yell at her again, and cause even more damage than he had already caused.

“But who is only 12?” Brennan thought wildly. Not realising that she had spoken out loud. Did Lizzie have a daughter?

“Lizzie Bones, Lizzie is only 12!” He said exasperatedly. He saw Brennan’s eyes widen in shock and confusion cover her face; that gorgeous face that he just couldn’t get out of his mind. He shook his head, now was defiantly not the time for those kinds of thoughts. He had to concentrate of his daughter, who he would be seeing in less than 30 hours and not the lascivious thoughts about his partner.

Brennan blinked at stared at Booth blankly. There was no way that he was marrying her now. So what on earth was he going there for? She had just lost her mother...maybe it was a member of his family, an aunt and Lizzie was his niece. Brennan knew that Booth had a Brother and a sister, but he had never mentioned Australia before. What the hell was going on? She looked up at Booth and as he didn’t look as though he was about to explain anything she decided to just ask him, despite the risks it posed to her health.

“Who is Lizzie?” And now it was Booth’s turn to look bewildered. He had told her! In her office, he had told her who Lizzie was. Was she telling him that she had absolutely no idea who Lizzie was. Well that certainly explained a lot. He thought to himself. He swallowed thickly, suddenly terrified about was he was going to admit to Bones. He took a big shaky breath that Brennan noticed, putting her own sensors on high alert and wondering what was so daunting for him to tell her.

“Bones, Lizzie is my daughter.”

Posted 30/11/2007 10:22:25 (30/11/2007 01:22:25 AM) DBAngelfan

ack more more!

Posted 30/11/2007 20:28:08 (30/11/2007 11:28:08 AM) ToZiKa

Lots of misunderstandings for two normally very smart persons...
But finally she knows that Lizzie is his daughter.
And maybe he also realizes that she was only this way because she feared to lose him...

I really love the fic and I'm looking forward to the new chapter.
PPS

Chapter Sixteen: Long Enough

“Bones, Lizzie is my daughter.”

“What?” Brennan said in absolute, utter shock, trying to digest what he had just told her. Booth had a daughter, a 12 year old daughter to be exact. Whoa; was all she could think at that exact moment. Now she understood why Booth had bee so touchy the past couple of weeks. She opened her mouth to speak but just couldn’t find the right words so closed it again and thought for a few more moments. Not looking up at Booth, she wanted to figure this out on her own.

Her brain went into analysis mode; Booth wanted her to go to Australia with him to pick up his daughter. But why? She questioned herself. He had told her that she was one of his favourite girls. Lizzie was obviously the other one, although that didn’t seem logical to her at all, I mean, he had never even met the girl, how could he love her so much? Feel the strong connection that he was evidently feeling for her? Even if she was his daughter, blood wasn’t enough to define or create a relationship or connection that was often associated with a father/daughter relationship. You needed time to establish a bond, and time was just something that Booth and Lizzie hadn’t had.

He wanted her to get to know Lizzie. But why and how did that constitute flying half way around the world to pick her up. Surly she could just meet her when she arrived here in DC. It almost appeared to her as if he wanted them to have a special bond. Brennan just couldn’t see that happening, for one. How did he even know that Lizzie would want her there? After all, as Booth had said, she has just lost her mother. All she would want was her father, and Bones was sure that the last thing in the world she would want was another person there taking up her father’s time. Booth obviously hadn’t thought about that one.

There were also many other factors that pertained to her view of wether or not she should go. They were in the middle of a case for one. I mean, it was one thing for him to leave, but for her to go as well? She just didn’t know if she could up and leave in the middle of a case. There were people out there, this girl’s friends, her family all of whom wanted, needed, seeked answers. They had waited long enough already and didn’t deserve to have to wait any longer. She decided to voice this argument to Booth.

“Booth, we are in the middle of a case. We can’t just abandon these people, they need answers and Emily deserves justice. We can’t just drop the case for two weeks while we are off gallivanting around the world.”

Booth frowned at her.

“We aren’t going to be ‘gallivanting’ Bones, we are going to pick up my 12 year old daughter whose mother has just died!” He sounded frustrated to Brennan, outing a clear emphasis on the word ‘died’.

“What about the Andrews’? Who have just found out that their daughter has died Booth?” Brennan was beginning to get frustrated.

“Look Bones, I know you want to find out what happened. Cullen is assigning another Agent to the Jeffersonian for the duration of this case, or as long as I am gone. Zach is a fully qualified forensic anthropologist now to, you know Bones, and I am sure that he is more than capable of handling this case in the short time you are gone.”

Brennan still wasn’t sure. As much as she wanted to stay and find out what had happened to that small brunette girl, she didn’t very much like the idea of having to work with another agent while Booth was gone. He was right, Zach was a fully qualified anthropologist now and she was sure that he was more than capable of handling the case. She had already done a preliminary exam and she was sure that she could take her lap-top and get a wireless link set up with the Jeffersonian like they did when they were on interstate cases.

Booth sat there and looked at Brennan’s face as she analysed and worked over things in her head. He hoped that she would say yes. He desperately wanted her to come with him. One because he couldn’t imagine spending 2 weeks without her, two because he knew what had happened last time he’d had to leave her with another field agent. He shuddered involuntarily at the thought of Sully. He didn’t want anything like that ever happening again. Booth glanced at his watch. If she was going to come then she would have to make her mind up soon. They didn’t have all that long before they had to be at the airport.

Brennan was having an internal battle with herself. She was torn between wanting to go with Booth, which was in itself an entirely irrational thing to even want. They were work partners for Christ’s sake; she should not even be considering flying around the world with him to pick up his long lost daughter. She just couldn’t do this. There was no way. It would be the end to their partnership the way it was now. She couldn’t bring herself to risk the rare relationship that they had. It was just too precious to her. That is why she was so shocked when she opened her mouth and instead of apologising to Booth and telling him that she just couldn’t go, she said;

“Yes”

Booth’s head snapped up as he heard her utter that single word that he had been longing to hear ever since he invited her to go with him.

“Pardon?” He just had to clarify, to make sure that he hadn’t imagined the word that she had just spoken.

“I said, yes, yes I’ll come with you to Australia.”

Booth could not suppress the enormous grin that spread over his face as she confirmed her words. He leapt off the couch and pulled her into a hug. Cradling her head in his hands he whispered in her ear,

“Thank-you Bones, thank-you”

Brennan could feel his hot breath tickling his ear and a sudden warmth spread through her limbs. She shivered slightly in Booth’s embrace causing him to drop his arms and step back.

He felt her shiver and he immediately took a step back. He didn’t want to push anything too far. He didn’t want to frighten her into running. He just couldn’t.

“I’m glad that you decided to come with me Bones. It really does mean so much to me that you want to meet my daughter.”

--------------

Lizzie stood at her mother’s grave, looking out over the rolling hills that surrounded the small cemetery. She had been standing there for the good part of two hours. The funeral had ended some time ago and everyone had gone back to her house for the wake. Lizzie had gone back with her Aunts at her grandmother’s insistence but had snuck out the minuet she had her back turned, running down to the paddocks, sliding Gulliver’s halter on and, slipping on bareback, riding back down to the cemetery.

As she stood there, silent tears slipping down her face, the soft breeze blowing her soft curls about her back, she thought about how her life was going to change now that her mother was dead. She was going to have to move to America, with her father. To most people that would have been the most terrible thing, but Lizzie had thought about it, she didn’t have any friends that she was leaving behind; she had no family that she would desperately miss. He grandmother had once been a great source of comfort for her, however things had changed in recent years as she began to get pushy and always be telling Anna how to raise her, and what to do with her, treating her as though she was a nuisance, or something to be moulded, not a person.

She would however miss her grandpa. He was wonderful, always encouraging where her mother and grandmother were not. He taught her to believe in herself and not to worry about what others thought of her. ‘No matter what you do, pumpkin, remember you are you, and if other people cannot like you for you, then they are not worth the effort.’ He had made her feel secure in her knowledge, rather than it being something that she was ashamed of.

Gulliver was another thing she was going to miss; her pony. The small bay pony was her life-line. And she loved the freedom that he gave her. Lizzie absent-mindedly stroked his nose as she thought about the last thing that she would miss, her mother. She knew that she would miss her mother the most, but that longing that she felt for her presence, her touch, Lizzie knew she would not gain from staying here in Australia.

The bottom of her dress fluttered in the warm summer breeze, the soft cotton of the simple black sundress fluttering around her knees and tickling her skin. She would be seeing her dad tonight. The thought scared her. What if he wasn’t like she imagined him? What if her mother had told lies about him. Lizzie knew that she had to push these thoughts aside. She loved him and that was all that mattered.

As her gaze shifted back to her mother’s headstone she felt her heart constrict. She still couldn’t believe that her mother was dead. Dead, never going to see you again, speak to you again; never going to feel you hug me, love me, kind of dead. That dead. That horrid kind of dead that all the movies always made seem so glamorous. There was nothing glamorous about this. This kind of grief that was eating her up on the inside, knowing at her belly and making her feel sick. The sinking feeling of dread that washed though he whenever she thought about her mother’s smiling, happy face. This was the end of her life as she knew it. She felt fresh tears well up in her eyes as she remembered everything that they had shared together.

Her mum had been her best friend. She had loved her so much that it hurt to even think about it, to even think about not having her whenever she needed her. Yet now, here she was, standing all alone at her mother’s grave. The soft grass beneath her bare feet and the mottled pattern that the sun made as it filtered down through the massive gum trees that spread out above her head. She leaned on Gulliver’s soft neck and closed her eyes, a sudden tiredness washing over her. She stepped to the base of the largest gun tree and settled herself in one of the smooth ridges that the large roots made with the surrounding ground. She closed her eyes and breathed in a deep breath the soft smell of eucalypt filling her and the warm sun glowed on her honey skin. With her hands still wrapt around Gulliver’s soft leadrope she drifted to sleep.

The horse snorted softly and lowered his head to graze, his soft snorting breaths blowing a damp, comforting warmth onto Lizzie legs. Her breathing evened out at the church clock struck 5pm. The loud bells clanging out, the noise resounding around the church yard, cemetery and surrounding bushland.

Deep in the recesses of her dream, Lizzie heard the bells on a warm summer’s day, sitting in a garden with her mother. Dressed in white she skipped around, bright light emanating from all around her she moved to the balls of her feet and twirled around in a circle, her light dress fanning out around her, the image of her mother sitting in the log grass surrounded by wildflowers whipping by her as she twirled. She was spinning faster and faster, he mother turning into a blur before her eyes, disappearing. She called out to her but got no response.

Then as the bells began to toll again they became mingled with the sound of frantic shouting, the pounding of footsteps from a person she couldn’t see, gunshots and then a scream. The light receded along with the image of her mother; she looked down in the fading light to see herself in a black sundress, her skin a deathly white. As she raised her arms she felt a warmth trickling down them. She moved her eyes and let out a scream as she saw bright, deep red blood making its way down her forearms and onto her hands. Her head flew up, looking franticly around for anyone, any way out, but all she could see was a suffocating blackness pressing in around her, keeping her glued to the spot, she couldn’t move. There was something hard pressing against her back, all she could feel was a sticky wetness of blood as her dress clung to her body. Then her mother appeared again, white as a ghost, deep purple bruises disfiguring her face. Her mouth opened and she uttered one word. “Run” Lizzie screamed again.

“Daddy!” Her eyes flew open; her head shot back connecting with the tree behind her. White dots exploded into her vision. The warm summer rain was coming down hard, her dress was soaked though. As she looked around she saw Gulliver standing out next to her mother’s grave, grazing contentedly. She stood up and the dots once again exploded in front of her eyes making it impossible to see. She felt herself swaying and she stumbled over to Gulliver. In the distance she thought she could hear her name being called. The sun was setting and the deep golden rays filtered though the clouds and the rain bathing the cemetery in a soft golden glow.

Again Lizzie thought she heard her name being called from a distance. She grabbed at Gulliver’s lead but missed. Her dream was all around her, swallowing her, pulling her into its dark murky depths, all she could feel was the wet stickiness, all she could see was white and black, her mothers face appearing in her vision blurred. She could hear footsteps pounding behind her. She remembered her dream and the gunshots, the pounding footsteps. There it was again, her name, falling from the lips of a voice that she just couldn’t place. She whirled around but the fast movement made her head spin and as the world receded into the blackness once again strong hands caught her and lifted her to them.

“At last” and the hands tightened around her, pulling her to their chest “I have waited long enough for this.” The voice muttered.

Lizzie fluttered towards consciousness, the black haze drifting away as if being pushed by a soft breeze. Light was beginning to form in front of her eyes and she became very aware of a strong pair of arms holding her against the strong, warm planes of a chest. As she opened her eyes she screamed again;

Posted 03/12/2007 09:41:30 (03/12/2007 00:41:30 AM) DBAngelfan

argh post more soon! don't leave it there!

Posted 03/12/2007 20:28:05 (03/12/2007 11:28:05 AM) ToZiKa

Come on squirt you can't stop there....

On the one hand I'm happy that Bones decided to go with him, but on the other hand I feel sorry for Lizzie, because she lost her mom and now has to go to a new country and live with her dad whom she never has seen before.

I hope it is Booth, who has her in his arms and not one of the mafia-people that killed her mom.

PPS

Posted 06/12/2007 21:47:53 (06/12/2007 12:47:53 AM) [b] he is a wee little puppet man[/b]

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

squirt! oh my gosh please dont leave it there! how am i supposed to get anything accomplished now at work when all i am gonna do is worry about poor Lizzie!

*oops, did i say that out loud?*

i mean here at home!

please post soon!!!!

Thanks so much to Angle, Tozika and Puppet for the reviews. Glad to know you are enjoying my story.

Chapter Seventeen: Forgotten

Their plane landed at Tullamarine airport at 5pm on the dot. As they waited at the baggage claim carousel Booth reached out to grasp Bones’ hand. He needed to make sure that she was really there, that she really had gone home, packed, gotten on a plane with him, and flown half way around the world. He knew that he had made a compelling argument with regards to Zach and his ability to continue to work the Andrews case without her presence but he was still shocked that she had decided to leave him with the case. When she looked up at him he quickly released her hand, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks; feeling ashamed at his need for confirmation that she was really with him. He knew that it went against all her instincts and he still really didn’t know why she even agreed to come with him in the first place. Not that he was complaining at all.

“Booth…” Brennan’s voice drifted into his head.

“Yeah, what is it Bones?” He focused his gaze on hers and as their eyes locked Brennan rolled hers. She pointed at the carousel that now had luggage placed on top of it.

“You bag has been by twice. And I know that you just like to stand and brood all day but I actually want to make our train so we can get to your daughters place some time today, and I am sure that she would like that to. So if you could pick up your bag and we can go and find a cab to get us to the train station.”

“Oh, yeah, right Bones.” He blushed again leaning forward to pull his bag off the moving conveyor-belt and it thumped onto the ground in front of his feet.

“Well then Bones, shall we go and find us a Cab?” He said winking at her as he attempted a very poor stab at the Australian accent. Bones burst into laughter and Booth tossed her a scowl. When people around them began to stare he grabbed her upper arm and began to drag her towards the exit. Once they had cleared the ground Booth spoke again.

“Come on Bones, it wasn’t that bad was it?”

“You mean, aside from the hideously poor English and horrendously bad accent? No, it wasn’t all that bad at all Booth.” She mocked him. Booth rolled his eyes.

“Geeze Bones, who knew you could be that mean?”

“Stop being such a big baby Booth, gosh, sometimes you are worse than Parker, and he is only 5.”

At these words Booth stopped dead in the middle of the terminal. Oh god. Bones turned around when she realised that Booth was no longer following her. She dumped her bag and placed a hand on her hip.

“What on earth is the matter now Booth?” He looked up at her. And Brennan was surprised that his face had gone an eerie shade of grey.

“I forgot to call in on Parker. After getting you to agree to come with me it just completely slipped my mind. I am an awful father.” Booth moaned. Brennan picked up her bag and moved to where Booth was standing. She placed a hand tentatively on his forearm and he smiled down at her.

“Booth, you are not an awful father, you have a lot on your mind at the moment. I mean” She gestured around her with her hands, “Look where you are now Booth, you are in Australia, going to help your daughter, whose mother had just died. I’m sure that you can call Rebecca from Lizzie’s place when we get there and explain what is going on. Because I am pretty sure that she has no idea. You only need to tell her Booth, she is a mother too you know Booth, I’m sure that she will understand the position that you are in right now.”

“Right, yeah, thanks Bones, I just feel so guilty, I mean, I don’t see him nearly enough as it is and then I just forget about him?”

“You didn’t ‘just forget’ Booth, there were a lot of other factors, stress factors that attributed to your forgetting to call in on him. Now as I said, I’m sure you will be able to call from Lizzie’s, but that would actually require us to get there, and if we don’t hurry we will miss our train and you will disappoint both Lizzie and Parker.” That last statement seemed to shake Booth out of his stupor and he gathered their bags and began to rush towards the exit. Bones took a second to realise that he had moved off but she soon ran after him.

“Come on Booth, I can carry my own bag you know.”

“Yeah, well, it’s just quicker this way, you were holding us up.” Booth tired to hide his smiled. He loved it when Bones got all ticked off at him. She was just so cute. She was now skipping sideways trying to keep up with him.

“What? Me? I was the one holding us up? May I remind you Booth that, it was in fact, you who stood in the middle of the airport and had a mini breakdown because you forgot to call your son!”

Booth decided to ignore this comment and instead hailed down a Taxi.

“Booth, are you listening to me?”

“Not now Bones just get into the Cab. We have to hurry, remember?” He waggled his eyebrows at her and smirked. Arrogant bastard Brennan thought as she slipped into the back of the yellow cab while the driver put their bags in the boot. Booth followed her in as the driver slammed the boot and made his way around the car and to the driver’s side. Once he had settled himself in he turned to the both of them in the back.

“Where to then?” He asked in his twangy accent.

“Southern Cross Station please.” Booth said “That is where the rural trains leave from, right?”

“Yeah, Southern Cross, that’s the place you want. What time’s your train leave?”

“6:10. Why? Are we going to miss it?”

The driver glanced quickly at his watch. Booth looked at his watch own and saw that it was 5:33 now, having changed it to local time before they had landed.

“We’ll just have to hurry is all. There shouldn’t be much traffic heading into town at this time of night on a Sunday anyway. Righty-o then, hang on.” And they pulled out from the curb and sped off down the ramp and onto the freeway.

Being summer it was still light so they could look out the window and see the view as they drove, rather fast Booth thought, towards what he presumed to be, the direction of the city.

Gum trees lined the road, their twisted trunks spouting thin branches at every angle; beyond them he could see bare paddocks, the grass a scorched brown colour with big round flats of dried and caked mud from what he assumed to be desiccated dams. He made another quick glance at his watch 5:50. He hoped that they were getting close. And just as he thought it he saw the first lot of houses come into view.

“Only another 15 minute or so now, don’t worry, I’ll get you there on time.” He smiled at the look of panic that had flitted across Booth’s face.

They were soon rushing over the West Gate Bridge and into Melbourne. The warm afternoon sun was like a backdrop for the buildings, filtering through the high-rises and illuminating the sky. It was beautiful. It was also 6 o’clock. Booth shifted in his seat. They could not miss this train. It was just not an option right now.

The taxi flew down the side streets and lanes, bypassing most of the traffic that was congesting around the main intersections. Booth glanced at Bones who had her eyes closed, forehead resting against the cool glass window of the cab. He clasped his hands in his lap, twisting them, trying to control his breathing. It was 6:03.

The taxi pulled up outside the train station and Booth flew out the door, racing around to the back of the cab to get their luggage.

“Come on Bones, we have 5 minutes to catch this train.”

“I’m coming Booth, calm down.”

“I can’t calm down. If we miss this train I…I don’t even want to think about it.” He said tossing a $50 to the driver and thanking him hurriedly for getting them here so quickly.

They heard the faint call of “Good-luck” From the driver as Booth practically dragged Bones into the station and looked wildly around for a guard. Then he saw the departures board. Scanning cross he found the information on their 6:10 train to Albury. Platform 1. That was easy.

“Come on Bones.” And they began to hurry down the platform to their carriage. Booth found the door, hauled it open and they jumped on. Booth let out the breath of air he had been holding as they stowed their luggage and made their way down the aisle and to their seats. It was 6:09.

---------------

When they stepped out of the train at Violet Town station the air was thick with moisture and smelled like eucalypt. Brennan glanced skyward and saw deep purple clouds rolling in across the golden blue afternoon sky. The sight was an incredible one. She was glad, in a settled sort of way that she had decided to come with Booth. She knew that Zach could handle the case and she didn’t want to have to work with another Agent while he was gone. But most of all she wanted to know why the hell he had asked her to go with him; after all, he hadn’t even told her that Lizzie existed to start of with. She thought back to when she had found out about Parker, and to the fact that she had made some rather rash and blunt comments with regards to his religion on the fact that he’d had Parker out of wed-lock. She cringed a bit at the thought. Maybe he hadn’t said anything because he thought that she would think less of him for having another child with someone he was not married to. The thought that Booth hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her about Lizzie hurt, more because she knew it was her fault that Booth was reluctant to divulge personal information to her because he thought that she would mock him and use it against him.

The sharp sound of a car horn blasted though her thoughts and they noticed that there was a 4-wheel drive parked across the seat. In the front drivers seat was a middle aged woman with platinum blond hair. Booth took Brennan’s hand and they both made their way over to the very dirty white car. As they got closer the woman in the front rolled down the window and spoke.

“You Seeley?” Her voice was soft, not hard as Booth had expected it to be by the expression on her face. But then, he reminded himself, she had just lost a sister.

“Yeah, I’m Seeley, and you are?” He asked hesitantly.

“Oh, so sorry, my name’s Melissa, I’m Anna’s younger sister.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Melissa; this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan.” He gestured to Bones and saw Melissa nod in her general direction.

“Well, if you put your stuff in the back, well get moving, it’s only about a 20 minute drive to the homestead.” Booth moved to put their things in the back of the car while Temperance opened the back door and looked in. The car smelled of horses and there was bits of hay littering the ground. She looked over at the seat next to her. In it sat a saddle and a few bridles. Melissa glanced back to see what was up.

“Oh, sorry ‘bout that. I was supposed to drop it off up at the Thomas’ yesterday, but they were out. Just chuck it over the back if you don’t want to sit next to it. I cleaned it pretty well so you don’t have to worry ‘bout spiders." Brennan wrinkled her nose slightly but decided to just go with the saddle and slipped into the spare seat as Booth climbed into the front. Once they had both put their seatbelts on Melissa pulled out, did a u-turn and began to head out of town.

“I sure hope you’re both hungry because Ruth’s made a bloody huge meal for you both. If you ask me, I don’t really think she wants you two here all that much. You should have seen the look on her face when little Liz brought you up at Dinner the other night. Ha. The look on her face could have frozen the outback. Anyway, don’t be intimidated by her, she is just protective of us, Anna’s death hit her really hard, shocked her no-end. I always knew that she didn’t like her being a lawyer; just wished that she had done medicine or something."

“It was a shock to us all Melissa,”

“Please, call me Liss. I hate my name.” Liss cut across Booth. Brennan was beginning to think that this woman was much to forward and crass. Booth continued when it was clear that Liss wasn’t going to say anything more.

“I mean, I hadn’t thought about Anna in years, then one day I found out that she had my daughter and 3 weeks later she is dead and I am here to, not only see Lizzie for the first time, but to take her home with me too.”

“Hrmm” Was all Liss said.

As silence settled on the Car Booth took to looking out of the window. The surrounding bushland was incredible. The towering gums were much bigger than the ones lining the highway in Melbourne. Their tall think branches stretched out and covered the landscape. The thin leaves allowed for much light to filter thought the canopy and a mottled pattern fell across the road and surrounding scrubland. The road was rather meandering and he could see the valleys below, the scorched grass splattered with a few gum trees. Most of them looked dead, but when he looked closer it was just their silver trunks and grey toned leaves that seemed to give the whole bushland surrounding them it dead appearance. Booth was amazed by its beauty. And as if reading his thoughts Liss spoke.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It really is. Not at first glance, everything appears dead, but when you look closer you really begin to see it.”

“It’s a pity you are here coming into summer, during Winter and the first part of spring it is amazing, when all the grass is green from whatever rain we get during winter.” Liss glanced skyward at the purple clouds that were begining to dominate the skyline. "Looks like it might rain tonight." She muttered more to herself than to Booth and Brennan. "We need a bit of rain, dry as all buggery at the moment." She shot a 100 watt smiled at Booth.

“I’m sure that Lizzie can show me some photos.”

“I’m sure she will to. That girl is a little firecracker.”

Booth smiled. She was just like her mother. He decided to voice this thought and see where it led the conversation, he really would like to learn more about Lizzie’s childhood.

“She is a lot like her mother then.”

“She is, except for the hair, the eyes, the smile, and there is a lot more that is the polar opposite of her mother. She is a lot more like you than you know Seeley.”

Booth grinned inwardly at this; he was so glad that she was like him.

“What do you mean by more that is polar opposite?” he asked. He wanted to know more, he was hungry for information, even though he was going to see her in about 10 minutes.

“Well, even though she is outgoing like her mother, she isn’t wild in the same way. Don’t get me wrong, she is wild. Damn, trying to control that kid is like trying to control a heard of wild horses.” Booth chuckled at this. “It’s just not the same kind of wild. It’s like she has a fire inside of her and no matter how hard you try, you just can’t control it. It takes down everything in its path, determined and unstoppable. She is stubborn as all hell and to bloody smart for her own good, once that kid gets an idea in her head, good luck trying to get her to think of anything else.”

“Sounds a lot like Booth,” Brennan mused suddenly, Booth couldn’t tell if she was talking to herself of to the car in general. She had a small smiled on her face but was still looking out the window when she spoke again after a brief pause “Stubborn as all hell and determined to do anything and everything.”

“I know that Anna had a lot of trouble keeping tabs on Lizzie as well, I was never here when it happened but I think that Andy might’ve been, you can ask him when we get home. Well apparently she would just disappear for days on end. Get up before sunrise one day and arrive home a few days later. I’ve no bloody idea what she does, I’m pretty sure that she just wanders around the bush, or rides. All the time she has when she isn’t studying or practicing her million and one sports and instruments she is out on that bloody horse just wandering the bush. I can tell you this now; you are going to have a helluva time with her in the city.”

“Well, I can tell you this now, there is no way that I am going to let her do that in DC.”

“Ha, whatever you say Seeley.”

That comment unsettled Booth a bit. There was no way that she could just go running off in DC. He would never see her again. His stomach crawled at the thought. Brennan could see Booth imagining what would happen to Lizzie if she wandered off in DC so she decided to change the subject.

“What is the name of her horse?”

“Gulliver. That girl and that horse are inseparable. He’s the same age she is you know. Anna brought her as a foal when she got home, for Lizzie.”

“Anna loved horses…” Booth said quietly.

“Lizzie loves them too.” Liss said. “Her and that damn horse. That child is scary sometimes; riding ‘round with out anything on the crazy thing, she doesn’t even wear a helmet half the time.”

Booth frowned.

“Anna didn’t make her wear one?”

“Personally, I don’t think that Anna could make Lizzie do much at all. Lizzie generally just did things anyway, because she felt like it. But nah, Anna didn’t really care. She rode without hers enough, she couldn’t really tell Lizzie to wear hers.”

“I like horses…” Bones interjected again almost dreamily. Booth swivelled round in his seat to face her just as the car turned up a drive.

“You okay Bones?”

“Were here.” Booth and Liss spoke at the same time.

“I’m fine Booth.” Came Bones reply, Booth wasn’t convinced but he let it go as they came into view of the house. It was massive, towering above them. It was made of yellow sandstone and was breathtakingly gorgeous. A veranda stretched out around the whole house and big French doors opened onto it. As they climbed out of the car Booth almost expected Lizzie to come running out of the house to meet him, but he couldn’t see anyone. He looked at Liss almost wildly and then closed his eyes. Brennan caught this and moved to his side

“Come on Booth.” She whispered in his ear. His eyes flew open as her soft warm breath tickled his neck. Her proximity was incredibly distracting. When he looked down at her she smiled softly and Booth had an incredible urge to pull her face to his and kiss her senseless. He refrained.

“Come on, everyone is probably inside getting ready for dinner. It’s almost 8.” And they began to make their way up to the house. Brennan’s hand slipped back into Booths. And he was comforted by her touch, drawing strength from it as he began to get butterflies in his stomach. He would be seeing his daughter for the first time every in about a minute. Nervous did not even begin to describe how he was feeling, a myriad of emotions were coursing though him making his nerves feel like they were on fire.

Melissa opened the front door and led them into the entrance hall.

“Just put your bags over there, Mark will take them up later, when he has a spare minute.” Her tone was flippant as she gestured wildly to a spot to the left of the door under a coat rack that had many driza-bones hanging from the pegs.

“Mum, we’re here!” She then called out loudly, the sound of her voice reverberating through the large house. Liss motioned for them to follow her and she led them into a large family room with deep hardwood floors. There was the pounding of footsteps and then the room was flooded with people. Booth felt Temperance shift closer to his side and he tightened the grip on her hand to reassure her. There were quite a few people standing in the room when Booth looked around, the thing that got to him though was that none of them looked like they were his daughter. Silence fell as an old woman with greying hair stood forward from the group and presented herself to Seeley and Temperance.

“Hello Seeley, I am Ruth, Elizabeth’s Grandmother.” She held out a thin, bony hand for Booth to shake.

“Hello Ruth, I’m Seeley and this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan.” Ruth’s gaze shifted from Booth to Brennan as he made the introduction. Booth could sense the underlying hostility emanating from her when she had entered the room. She clearly didn’t really want them to be here at all.

“Dr. Brennan” She nodded curtly.

“Please, call me Tempe.” Brennan smiled widely; Booth knew that she was trying to cover her nerves. But he couldn’t help by join her none the less. Once Ruth had said her bit, the family began to step forward one at a time in tern, as if they all had a specific order that they were all used to adhering too.

First was who Booth immediately took to be Lizzie’s grandfather. A tall man with greying hair like his wife’s, however despite his age his features were still well defined and handsome, his eyes had a kind look to them, almost like their own smile. Booth could see why Lizzie liked her Grandpa so much.

“Hello Seeley, Tempe, I’m Richard. Nice to meet you both, Lizzie is looking forward to meeting you so much.”

Booth nodded. Wondering where on earth Lizzie was. Next it was a middle aged man, with the same blond hair and blue eyes that were present on the rest of the members of this family.

“Andrew, Anna’s older brother” He said in a strong deep voice. The list went on from there, Anna’s cousins and Lizzie’s second cousins, their children, who all seemed to be in their twenties or later teens. Booth was getting restless; he glanced at his watch and saw that it was 8:20 already. He moved over to Richard and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Sorry Richard, you wouldn’t happen to know where Lizzie is would you. It’s just that I would really like to see her now.”

“Oh, of course,” He turned to Ruth and spoke to her, “honey, do you know where Lizzie is?”

“Sorry Richard, I haven’t seen her since we got back from the funeral. Why don’t you go ask Alexandra, she might be out in the yard.”

“Okay, I’ll ask everyone else first.” He paused and turned to the group, placing two fingers in his mouth he let out a loud whistle and silence fell across the room.

“Has anyone seen Lizzie?” He boomed out across the loud chattering crowd.

There was a smattering of ‘No’s and the shaking of some heads. It was one of her cousins who spoke. Booth couldn’t for the life of him remember her name, buts he remembered the words that left her mouth.

“She wasn’t at the Wake; Alyssa and I were looking for her because Dominique wanted a ride on Gulliver. Tamara said that she saw her run off when they got back; she was sulking because Ruth made her leave the cemetery with mum.”

Booth wanted to throttle the girl for claiming in that snotty voice that Lizzie was sulking and Ruth because she just didn’t care. He turned around to face Ruth.

“You mean that no-one has seen her since the funeral and none of you even bothered to look for her?”

“She does this all the time.”

“What? Runs away from her family?” Booth said his voice rising with anger. Ruth stiffened, she had clearly never thought of it like that before. Booth felt a slight twinge of satisfaction at that. Liss could obviously see the situation escalating so she intervened.

“Okay, look, it’s obvious where she has gone this time. She was upset when you made her leave Anna’s grave, she must have ridden Gulliver down to the cemetery.” She turned to Booth. “Come on and I’ll drive you down there. I’m sure that is where she will be and if we hurry we can make it before the sun sets. It’s only 8:30.” And with that she marched from the room. Booth only took half a second and one glance across at Ruth to follow her. The woman looked as if she were about to explode.

They were back in Melissa’s white 4-wheel drive and speeding off towards the cemetery. There was a genuine look of concern on Liss’ face and that worried Booth.

“Is everything okay Liss?” He asked, not being able to mask the worry in his tone. Liss sighed and glanced at Booth before once again looking at the road.

“Ever since I got here at the start of the week Lizzie had been…different…” Booth sucked in a breath as Liss went on. “I don’t know how to put it. I didn’t hear her say anything for over 24 hours. The first time I heard her speak was to Alex at the dinner table and she asked for you. She was so withdrawn, I mean, it’s just not like her not to talk to anyone. She spent all day outside and only came in when it was dark, even if it was raining. I can hear her cry at night. She has changed. She was so despondent at the funeral and she threw a full blown tantrum, she really didn’t want to go anywhere. I have never seen her in such a fit before; I think she might have actually been sick.”

“Oh my god…” Booth muttered. “Why didn’t anyone call me? I could have talked to her?”

“Seeley, I honestly don’t think that it crossed any of our minds, we are so used to dealing with her ourselves.”

“Dealing with her?” Booth was beginning to get mad, he glanced at his watch again, it was 8:47.

“Sorry, wrong words. But, we just aren’t used to there being anyone else in the picture. I don’t think that Ruth wants that to change.”

“Well that’s not exactly my fault is it?” Booth said hotly. “It’s not exactly like I could be here for her. I mean I only got told about her even existing a month ago.”

“Calm down Booth, this isn’t Liss’ fault” Brennan spoke again. Booth sighed.

“I know Bones, I just can’t help it.” His voice was full of frustration. Brennan leaned forward and placed her hand on Booths forearm.

“Try and relax Booth. You being angry is not going to help anyone, especially when we find Lizzie.”

“Thanks Bones” Booth smiled and gave the hand on his arm a squeeze. Liss was watching them from the corner of her eye, a small smile on her face.

“So, how long have you two been dating?” She asked with a sly smile. The moment broke and Booth blushed, Brennan removed her hand and sat back into her seat.

“Oh, no, we’re not…I mean, we’re just partners, friends, nothing more.” He responded, obviously flustered and still rather pink in the face. This amused both Liss and Temperance.

“Sure you’re not.”

“We’re not.” Booth said a little more stoutly.

“Not yet…” was Liss’ muttered reply. Booth blushed again and busied himself with once again, checking his watch to see the time. 8:56. It was Bones who piped up to tease him this time.

“You know Booth, it doesn’t matter how many time you check you watch, we are still going to be there at the same time.” She grinned and then turned to Liss. “How far away is it anyway?”

“Oh, just around this corner.” And no sooner had she said it than they rounded the corner and turned into the driveway of a small, old stone church it was then that the deep purple clouds opened and the rain began to splatter over the cars windscreen. Liss turned on the windscreen wipers and slowed down as they made their way down the dirt drive. The rain began to fall heavily as Liss slowed the car and stopped at the entrance to the cemetery.

As Booth jumped out of the car the church bells began to toll 9 o’clock.

“Lizzie!” He yelled franticly into the rain. He looked back at Liss who pointed in the direction of Anna’s grave. He began to run, the cool rain drenching his cloths and plastering them to his body. He stopped when he heard a scream. There was no doubt about it that the word yelled was ‘Daddy’. He sped up.

“Lizzie!” He screamed again. And then he saw it.

“Lizzie!” A bay horse standing next to a grey marble headstone and his daughter, wet from head to toe, barefoot stumbling to his side, she reached out for his leadrope but missed and staggered to the side and missed.

“Lizzie!” He yelled running as fast as he could to her side. He saw her turn, her eyes role back in her head and he reached out for her, catching her small frame in his strong arms and pulling her to his chest. Warmth flooded him at the feeling of having her in his arms and he sighed in relief that she was safe.

“At last” He muttered and pulled her more tightly against his chest “I have waited long enough for this.” He mumbled into her hair, kissing her forehead lightly. When he pulled back he noticed that her eyes were fluttering, consciousness slowly settling upon her. Then when her eyes opened, she screamed again.

“Daddy!” and she burst into tears. Booth pulled her against him again and she buried her head in his chest.

“Hey there baby, Daddy’s here now.” And he kissed her again. “You’re safe now.”

Posted 11/12/2007 11:01:27 (11/12/2007 02:01:27 AM) saraluvzbonz

Ah... nothing like a nice reunion. Wait? Can you call it a reunion if they're meeting for the first time?