"Talking"
"Thought"
Regular text
Booth and Temp were looking around the apartment as I was on watch duty, making sure Mr. Laurier doesn't escape us. I speak up breaking the silence. "So, Mr. Laurier, Agent Booth is under the impression that you might have something pertinent to a case he's working on." I hand him a photo. "You're looking for a Bronze Star? Like the one Cleo wore?" I smile at him nodding my head. "Yes, exactly like that one, Mr. Laurier." "I don't have it." Temp pipes in "Sometimes stalkers retain keepsakes." Booth then adds in, "What the hell are these things, huh?" "Miniature Lives of the Saints. I hand them out ..." "Heads up, Blueberry." "I got it. Don't worry Mr. Laurier, what were you saying." "I hand them out for donations. I'm not a panhandler. Help yourself. I never stalked Cleo." I pipe in "Oh my, then how come she got a restraining order?" "Okay, okay, no. First of all, no. Ken Thompson, her supposed boyfriend, got the restraining order, with his boss, the Senator, but Ken is only concerned with his job and his tropical fish. They colluded to ruin my reputation with this specious 'stalker' label, when, in actuality ... I was Cleo's close friend."
"I see, but what bothers me is why you disregard my friendly greeting and why'd you run from the warrant I presented you?" "My fight-or-flight response is heavily weighted towards flight. If there's anything I can do to help you catch Cleo's killer, just tell me." Booth pipes in "Oh, a full confession -- that would be great." "I love Cleo. Why would I hurt her?" "I see. Well thank you for this lovely talk. If you don't mind, could I keep one of these little books. Also, the ones that Agent Booth and my sister has." "Whatever you need ... Dr. Venus." I turned towards the door walking away giving Booth a look saying to keep an eye on him, as Mr. Laurier watches me walk out of his home. Booth watches him for a brief second and we all make our way back at the lab.
We are in Angie's workspace as she debriefs us. "This is a rough composite, but you get the idea." Temp steps in "Skull trauma was not the cause of death. Cleo was stabbed first." I then take over from her with a sad look "She was stabbed five to eight times with a military issue K-Bar knife." Angie then pipes in, "I just completed this rendering. The defensive wounds to the bones of her hands suggest that it wasn't until the third or fourth penetration ..." The 3-D hologram shows a fatal stab wound as Temp points out. "That's likely the fatal stab, right there." Angie then cuts in "... that Cleo stopped fighting back." "I believe that the distinctive damage to her distal phalanges -- the tips of her finger bones -- was caused by the murderer using the knife to remove her finger pads. Cranial fragmentation suggests a 20-pound hammer striking four to five times while the victim's head rested on a cement floor containing traces of diatomaceous earth. That's the best explanation for the particulates found in her skull. This was not a crime of passion."
Angie speaks out, "Cleo never saw the first stab coming. It didn't arise out of an argument. Why smash Cleo's face? Why whittle away her fingertips, remove her clothing and jewelry?" Zack adds in "Sink her body ..." Brennan then pitches in "The murder put more effort into hiding the victim's identity than he did into the murder itself." Hodgin joins in, "In case Cleo was identified, the murderer planted evidence. The little book Venus got from the stalker matches the cellulose found in Cleo's hand. Angie then adds in, "Military cemetery, military knife, implicates her own father, more misdirection." Hodgins then speaks, "Sound like any conniving son-of-a-bitch senators you know?" We all look at Booth as I was a bit upset that someone tried to put the blame on the Major. "You expect me to declare war on a United States senator based on your little holographic crystal ball?"
Temp cuts in, "It's not magic. It's a logical recreation of events based on evidence." "It's no more valid than my gut." "Zack speaks in, "A good hypothesis withstands testing. That's what makes it a good hypothesis." "This is not a hypothesis -- you have a dead girl and a United States senator." I finally spoke up, "Sadly, this is why we aren't FBI agents." Booth nods in agreement, "Blueberry is right, you guys don't know anything about the real world." Temp then turns walking away telling the others to follow her out. I stay in place as they all leave. "I don't like it either Booth but weren't you a bit tough on them." "I know blueberry but sometimes they need it to understand. Also aren't you a bit soft on them." "Yah, I am but that is how I am trying to make amends for myself. You understand right." "Yeah, I understand really well. We all try too in different ways." "I will see you later Ranger." "Ya, see you later blueberry." I walk out of Angie's workplace going to my safe place that Dr. Goodman provided me two years ago, as Angie walks back in giving me a little smile.
-No Ones POV-
Angie walks in seeing a bit destress Booth, so she thought of something to help him. "You must know about their family. Both parents vanish when Brennan was 15 and Venus when she was 6. Probably counts as the real world. Especially Venus, she has gone through so much then all of us." "Yeah, I know the story. I read both of their files. The cops never found out anything." "Yeah." "Brennan figures that maybe if somebody like them had been there ..." "Well, for somebody who hates psychology, she sure has a lot of it. What about Venus? What does she think about it?" "Yeah. Venus, she doesn't remember much. She could still remember their faces, and she watched as they walked out of their house. She blames herself for not stopping them from walking out of that door. That's why she tries to please Brennan as much as she could and also trying to keep her safe." Booth sighs a bit, "That girl puts too much on her plate." "Yeah, I know."
-Venus POV-
I am at the shooting range with Temp, watching her shoot. She stops shooting and I walk up to her looking at her shots. "Hey sis, that were some good shots." "Why don't you try it out Ven." "No, I am okay. I just practiced yesterday, so I am good." Booth comes out from behind us. "Thought I'd find you both here." I see that Booth mostly wants to talk to Temp, so I move out of the way and sit on the stairs, listening to their conversation. "You know, you being a good shot and doing martial arts it's all your way of dealing. I mean, who knows better than you how fragile life can be?" I just sit quietly seeing something starting to develop between them. "Maybe an Army ranger sniper who became an FBI homicide investigator." "Oh, you looked me up, huh? Do you mind?" Be my guest." "Thank you.". I smile watching as Booth purposefully aimed badly at the target. Temps laughs a bit, "Were you any good at being a sniper?" "Sniper gets to know a little something about killers. Senator Bethlehem, he's no killer." "Oh, and Oliver Laurier is?" "Way I read Laurier, he's unhinged. That makes him dangerous." "That'd be your 'gut' telling you that, correct?" "You know, homicides? They're not solved by scientists. They're solved by guys like me asking a thousand questions a thousand times, catching people telling every lies every time. You're great at what you do, Bones, but you don't solve murders ... Cops do." I coughed a bit making them look at me as I waved and piped in. "You know if we are placing bets on who the murder is, then I am going with the boyfriend. But proceed in whatever you are doing."
They looked at me for a few second then looked back at each other as Temp speaks, "Cleo Eller was killed on a cement floor sprinkled with diatomaceous earth. Traces of her blood will still be in that cement. One of us is wrong, maybe Ven is right, but if Bethlehem wasn't a senator, you'd be right there in his basement looking for that killing floor. You're afraid of him. Your hypothesis is that squints don't solve murders and cops do. Prove it. Be a cop." Temp then walks off from Booth telling me to follow her. Before I go, I turn around to Booth seeing him shooting at the target again, but he doesn't miss as he hits it twice at the head. Ijust nod and went back to following Temp.
We are at the Senators house after Booth got a warrant to search the place and having a moment with Temp. There were many reporters outside waiting to get a scoop in what we were doing, I was standing right next to Temp waiting for the FBI to find something. I feel someone staring at us, so I turn around and see Mr. Laurier waving at me. I put on a smile and excuse myself and walk towards him. "Oh my, what a surprise? I didn't expect seeing you here Mr. Laurier. If I may ask, what are you doing here?" "Look at him. For all his politics, he's got nothing. He should've loved Cleo properly, like I would've. I read your sisters book and saw that you helped on it. Would you sign my book?" Before I could refuse him Temp sees us talking and comes up to us and pushes me behind her. "Stalk her, Oliver, and I will kick your ass." At that Temp pulls me away from him and we make or way to Booth.
"Thanks, sis. But I could've handled him." "I know you can, but you'll just be too soft on him." "Hmmm, point taken. I will leave the threating stuff to you then." We watch as they pull out a hammer that was used to kill Cleo and hearing the Senator claiming that he doesn't recognize it. Booth walks up to us as well as Temp speaks up. "At least we got the hammer." "Yeah, but that's all we got." "Cement floor in the basement?" "Yea, but no blood, no diatomaceous, earth. we needed a trifecta, Bones -- physical evidence, murder weapon, crime scene." At that Booth started walking away, leaving Temp and I. I then remembered Booth telling me that he had something in his office for me, so I looked over at Temp telling her that I will be going with Booth as he needed something from me and started jogging my way to him. "BOOOTHH!! WAIT FOR ME RANGER!!!" "HURRY UP BLUEBERRY!"
I was in Booth's office doing his paper works in my corner where he set up a beanbag for me when I am there to help him out or just hang out. "Boooth! You tricked me. You said you had something for me." "Yeah, I do have something for you and it's paperwork. Come on you love helping others out. Plus, every time you do it, they don't send back the paperwork. It's a win for you and a win for me." "You're lucky that I can't say no to your requests Ranger." "Thank you, blueberry." I then get a call from Angie, so I pick it up. "Hey Angie, how may I help you .... What?! Okay, yeah, I know where she is at, thank you. Talk to you soon. Love Ya." I hang up and quickly start grabbing mine and Booth's stuff. "We got to go Ranger, Temp is doing something she isn't supposed to do again." We start making our way to the elevator. "What do you mean? What is she doing?" "To save time let's say that I won that bet from the shooting range. Do you know where his home is?" "Yeah, of course I do. Let's go"
As we were getting there, I break the silence, "Hey, Ranger I bet you 20 bucks that she shoots the boyfriend." "Why would she have a gun on her? But you are on." We get there and we both take our guns out. We get there as we hear Mr. Laurier speaking "Did he kill Cleo?" Booth then pipes in, "Yea. He killed Cleo." "Okay ... then I'm down with him bleeding to death." I step in, "Mr. Laurier if that guy bleeds to death, my sis will go on trial for attempted murder, and I really don't want that to happen." Booth then adds in, "You wouldn't want that? Would you?" "I wouldn't want that." "No. Besides, you know, uh, applying pressure, that can be very painful." Mr. Laurier looks at me for a few seconds and goes over to Mr. Thompson and applies lots of pressure."
Temp hen starts talking "The evidence said he did it, but ... I don't know why. You know what? Motive does not matter" Booth then pipes in, "He did it to save his job." "His job?" "Yeah, senator in scandal, he'll lose the beltway fast track. It's that simple, it's ... It's a tough town." I go up to Temp taking the gun off her and handing it to Booth and quickly hugging her. "Please don't do that again Temp. I don't want anything happening to you. But if you do plan on doing it again, I must be there with you or with Booth." "Sorry Ven. But he was going to destroy all the evidence." Booth nods and starts adding, "Yeah, you know, in the future, uh, maybe I should do the shooting or Ven since she does have approval from the FBI to fire her weapon on field." "But I'm a good shot." "Yah, I know sis. But you aren't a berry squint like me. Only berry squints can shoot guns on field with the FBI. Also, Booth you owe me 20 bucks." I take out my hand, seeing booth take out a $20 and placing it on my hand. "Yeah, I know Blueberry. Here's your twenty, you just got lucky." "Ah, that is where you are wrong Ranger. I just know my sister so well." "Wait! You both placed a bet on me." "I. Yes. But it just shows how close we have become to each other." "That makes sense." Temp then starts walking in front of Booth and I and I let out a sigh of relief as Booth whispered to me. "Nice save." "Thanks." And we went on our night with another bad guy away.
It was the next day and the team, and I were at Cleo's funeral ceremony. We watch as the parents grieve and say goodbye to their daughter. We watch as Temp goes and lays down a rose on the casket and Angie speak up. "Is the FBI gonna lay charges against Brennan?" Hodgins spoke next, "She only shot him in the leg ... once." I sigh at this and added, "She sadly didn't give him a warning." Booth then adds on to my statement, "She just shot him, with alcohol on her breath." "Yea, but it was her first shooting Ranger." Boss the adds in, "You can't expect her to be perfect right out of the gate." Zach then cuts in, "How much warning did you give people before you sniped them?" Booth, Boss, and I looked at Zack in a bit of disbelief before Booth walks away to join Temp. I watch them for a few minutes knowing what they were talking about, and I smiled at them. Then watched them as they leave and then I sigh, causing the team to look down at me.
"Uhh, Sweetie? Are you okay?" Yeah, I am okay Angie, but both of my rides just left me." I stand there as they snickered a bit at my comment. "Hey Boss, could I hitch a ride with you. In exchange I will get done three weeks of paperwork done in a week and a half." "How can I not turn down that offer Dr. Venus." I nod in satisfaction as Zack speaks up confused, "How can you always complete such tasks in such a short time." Everyone looks at me wondering the same thing as I look at Zack with a smile on my face. "Ohh my young padawan, if you must know then I shall tell you. So listen carefully." They all come a bit closer to me wanting to know how I do it as I speak up a bit more so they can hear me better. "Do. Or do not. There is no try. Yoda" Zack looks at me in disbelief as the rest chuckles at my advice.
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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN "BONES". IT IS OWNED BY JOSEPHSON ENTERTAINMENT, BY HART HANSON. I ONLY CLAIM MY CHARACTER VENUS BRENNAN. I ALSO DON'T OWN ANY OF THE IMAGES. THANK YOU.