-No One POV-
"Okay, Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth. Together. A little closer. Okay, yeah, that's perfect. Beautiful." Booth and Brennan had their hands placed together as they looked at Dr. Sweets weirdly as he continued speaking, "Now keeping your back straight, I want you each to lean forward." Both of them were about to do it as Booth shakes his head, "No." "Excuse me?" Brennan then says, "Come on, Booth. I'm sure this is just one of those meaningless exercises meant to illustrate the importance of supporting each other." Booth then looks at Dr. Sweets, "We agreed to see another therapist, not be action figures for a 12-year-old." "I'm 22, Agent Booth. I have a doctorate in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where my dissertation on the effects of job stress was published." "That's great. I'm sure mom is really proud of you, Sweets." "Dr. Sweets, or Lance, you know, if you're more comfortable with informality, but I'd prefer, out of respect for each other and the process of psychotherapy, that we at least try to, uh...."
They then hear a knock from the door as it opens revealing Venus as she pokes her head through and says, "Sorry to bother... but I just needed to make sure if this was Dr. Sweet's room." They all look at her as she fully steps inside the room as Sweets was a bit taken aback from her beauty as he says, "Uhhh.... that's me. Dr. Sweets. How-how may I help you?" "Oh, I am here because Ranger here called me telling me that I needed to come here for... I'm not even sure... But I am the other partner." Booth then says, "You finally made it here Blueberry. And look I finally found you a playmate you could play around with." "Playmate? Who?" "This kid here, Sweets.
He is the same age as you." "Venus looked at Sweets excitedly, "Really? I never had a friend who's the same age as me, this is amazing!" She hurried over to him and sticks out her hand, "I'm Dr. Venus Brennan. Younger sister of Dr. Temperance Brennan. But call me Venus." He shakes her hand trying to process everything that was going on. Booth then goes over to them and grabs Venus's head and pulls her back and puts a pen in Sweets face. "Great I just helped you make a new friend, now sign the forms so I can get out of this suit and I could have a Saturday night." Sweets looks at him and sighs, grabbing the pen and looks at Brennan as she says, "I don't care how young you are. I've never believed in psychotherapy." "Mm..." Venus then says, "Don't worry I will listen to anything you want to say." Booth sits down next to Venus as she sat right next to Temperance on the couch as Sweets look between the three seeing how different each person was.
He then proceeded to say, "Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, Venus, this isn't a game. The FBI is considering severing your partnership." Venus just looked confused not getting any notification on this from the FBI director as Brennan and Booth says, "What? " "Why?" Sweets laugh, "Why? Dude, you arrested their father." Brennan adds, "He was just doing his job." "Yeah, but come on, he, like, he arrested your father. He's going to have to be a witness against him. Circumstances such as these tend to stir up a lot of scar feelings." Venus thinks about it and nods, "That does kind of sounds messed up...." Booth then adds, "I don't have scary feelings. Maybe you need a little night-light at night to sleep." "Agent Booth, you've been trying to intimidate me since the moment you stepped in here. And you've succeeded." Venus smacks Booth on the head as Brennan says, "Don't scare the boy, Booth." Venus then says, "He still hasn't seen the whole world yet, don't make it hard on him."
Sweets then says, "Uhh, Venus... you're the same age as me." "I know, why?" He just sighs, "Now, I need you three to, uh, fill out these questionnaires and get 'em back to me. Don't share your answers." Venus sighs, "More paperwork?! But I already have enough to deal with." Sweets sits back down and says, "It'll help me evaluate whether Dr. Brennan's or Venus services should be assigned to a new agent." Venus was confused as to why she was not informed about this as Booth says, "That's not going to happen." Sweets then says, "Like it or not, Agent Booth, I'm the therapist in charge of this case, so I suggest that we work in cooperation rather than conflict."
Venus then says, "That's easy, I am already cooperating... I will try to get Temp to cooperate as well." Venus looks at Brennan as they hold that stare for a few seconds talking through their eyes as Brennan finally says, "I can cooperate." "Good. Agent Booth?" They all looked at Booth as he then says, "I'm still going to call you Sweets." "Yep." Venus adds, "Wait! I want to call him Sweets too..." "Go ahead Blueberry, your new little friend doesn't care if you call him that." She looks at Sweets, "Really? It's fine with you?" Sweets stares at Booth and her for a second as he internally groans knowing that he can't do nothing about it anymore, "Yes... I'm okay with it."
As the three were about to leave Venus says, "We should hang out some time Sweets. Outside of work and get to know each other better and become better friends." Sweets just smiles and nods waving them goodbye. Outside of the room as the door closes, she then says to the two, "The FBI Director didn't inform me about this I need to have a talk with him... I don't appreciate or like this at all." Booth just pats her head as they head out.
-Venus POV-
"I am in my car driving back home as I get a call from Temp saying that they got a call for a dead body. She sends me the location as I head over there. I get there and parked a bit further from where the crime scene was at. I jogged my way over as I see Temp and Booth also heading over to the crime scene as she says, "Look at all the cars. I thought the VA hospital was closed." I then add, "Yeah, I had to park my car a bit further from here." They looked at me as Booth says, "Well, it is, Bones, but I mean, come on. It's the weekend, right? An abandoned building surrounded by acres of secluded land. Huh? Use your imagination." Temp and I were confused as I say, "I don't think we get it Ranger..." He sighs, "Teenagers, hormones." Temp caught on as she says, "You're saying they're here to fornicate." "Yes. Nice image, very, uh, biblical."
Cam then comes over to us, "These two were on their way to a romantic encounter under the stars and literally tripped over the remains." Booth laughs adding, "Oh, I'm guessing that killed the mood." I chuckle with him as Cam says, "I've got patchy tissue. But this level of decomp pushes things into your territory. I haven't touched it yet. " Booth adds, "Definitely not homeless, nice watch, good shoes, at least what's left of them." I nod, "Male, middle-aged." Temp adds, "Level of decomp would suggest he's been out here a few weeks, but..." Booth adds, "I don't get it. Kids coming here every night and they're just noticing him now..." Cam suggests, "Dumped at the top of the hill?" "And he rolled down." "Would explain the amount of fresh mud and leaves on the body." I then say, "These bones are still greasy. Did you take an internal temperature?" Cam shakes her head, "With this degree of decomp, why would it matter?" "Maybe he hasn't been dead as long as he looks. The body is still radiating a lot of heat ." "Wow, you're not kidding."
Cam quickly gets the kit quickly as Booth says, "We used to use the local golf course. I remember taking Mary Ann Milano to the ninth hole- sand trap. She had long hair all the way back to..." I was listening as Cam then says, "You are so going to regret telling this story." The thermometer beeps as we looked at it as Cam reads it and looks at us a bit shocked as she shows us. Temp reads it out loud, "127 degrees?" Booth then says, "Wow, that's really not normal." I shake my head, "No, that's way past really not normal." "You're saying that before the body was dumped, it was..." Cam cuts in, "Cooked." "Cooked?" Temp and I nod as she says, "Cooked." I stand up, "We should take this body back to the lab quickly and figure out what is going on here." They nod and start getting back to work gathering samples and anything that might help us.
We are back at the lab on the platform with team as Hodgins says, "Has it occurred to either of that you this might be another victim in the Widow's Son case?" Zack asks, "Based on what?" "Because the victim was cooked like an entrée, same as the guy in Germany." Temp then says, "There's no evidence here to suggest cannibalism- no bite marks." "No condiments." Zack then says, "We have a bullet hole in the sternum, Dr. Brennan. What guy in Germany?" Before Hodgins could answer I start speaking, "He ran a computer ad online, said he was looking for someone to eat..." They looked at me as Hodgin smiled, "It looks like I have made an inspiring influence on our young boss here." I chuckle and playfully stick out my tongue at him as Temp says, "There's an excessive amount of mud and debris from the dump site. It makes it difficult to get a clear view of the injury." Hodgins agrees, "Yeah, tell me about it. I have to separate and distinguish particulates and insects from the body's original location."
I then say, "I'll help you out then Hodgins." "Thank you." I nod as Zack asks, "People actually replied to the ad?" Hodgin and I say at the same time, "Yeah." He then continues, "Guy ended up feasting on a computer engineer." Zack looks at him, "That's extremely disturbing." I nod as we hear Hodgins say as Cam comes up to us, "Well, hello, my exotic princess." I chuckle as I know he was talking about a bug as Cam says, "What a charming inappropriate greeting, Dr. Hodgins." Zack quickly adds, "I think he's talking to a bug." "Well, now if feel a bit... rejected." I chuckle a bit, "Don't worry Cam you are definitely no princess, you are a queen." "And now I feel better." Hodgin then says, "Looks like something from the Nitidulidae family. Where did you come from, you gorgeous creature? Do you have any friends?"
We watch Hodgins weirdly as I try not to laugh. Cam then says, "Boy, he melted like ice cream on a hot summer day. So when do I get my turn with him?" I let Temp and Cam make that decision as Temp says, "Oh, we should be finished within... 20 minutes." "Excellent." I then see something as I say, "Wow, Hodgin come over here. I think I'm finding a large concentration of bristletails and harvester ants dead by the victim's feet." Hodgin looks and nods, "That is odd." Cam then adds, "He was cooked, Hodgins. Odd is kind of a relative term."
I was helping Hodgins do some testing on what we collected as we made it over to Temps office where Angie, Booth, and Temp where at as we made our entrance and Hodgins was first to speak. "We ran some fabric samples from the victims' pants. They were covered with chloropicrin." We watch as Temp makes a face as Booth asks, "Why the pinchy face, Bones?" "Franklin Curtis built his whole career on organic produce and chloropicrin..." I pipe in, "It's a pesticide."
The three of us made our way to the family's home as we broke the news to the wife and daughter. The wife starts speaking, "I was at a yoga retreat with my daughter. When Frank didn't answer the phone, I got worried." The daughter comes over with a drink, "Here, Mom. Ignatia Amara." She then looks at us, "It's a homeopathic remedy for grief." "When we came home, there was a cup of herbal tea on the counter as if he'd just... stepped out for a moment." Booth then says, "I noticed the fields as we drove in. You still operate the farm?" The daughter then says, "No matter how big the business got. Dad always wanted to remember how it all started." Temp then asks, "Your farm, it's... certified organic, correct? No pesticides besides natural predators?" The wife nods, "Of course."
I then ask, "Was your husband having any personal problems, recent arguments?" "No. Everybody loved Frank." "Mom." "Your dad was a wonderful man." "My dad was kind of obsessed. He'd pressure conventional farmers to go organic." "Pressure' makes it sound so... He was an extremely generous man. He offered to support them financially, while they made the transition." I ask, "What if a farmer didn't want to switch?" "Dad would turn things over to his lawyers. They'd find some legal loophole. Property taxes, zoning, who knows? Eventually Dad would just buy them out." Booth adds, "And he'd force people off their land. I see. Any farmers he was trying to convert?" They nod and got the information handing it to us.
We arrived at Mr. Harding's farm as we got out seeing him in the distance as Booth calls him out, "Yeah, Mr. Harding?" "Something I can help you with?" "Yeah. FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. This here are my partners, "Dr, Temperance Brennan and Dr. Venus Brennan. I'd like to ask you a few questions about Franklin Curtis." "You can tell that son of a bitch that the only crop that will ever grow in this land is tobacco. I don't give a crap how many suits he sends over here to scare me." I then speak, "He, didn't send us, Mr. Harding. Franklin Curtis is dead." "Well, I wish I could muster up some remorse."
Booth then says, "Wow. No love lost between the two of you I see." "The man was trying to kick me off my own land. My family has been on this farm for over 150 years. Tobacco built this country, yet these self-righteous eco-hippies have the nerve to look down their nose at us." "Did you see Frank last Thursday?" "N-not that I can recall." "Really? Because Virginia Pesticide Control Board reports that you registered an application of chloropicrin to your field last Thursday, the same day Frank disappeared." "So? It's a fumigant insecticide. It's perfectly legal." Temp adds, "It was all over Frank's clothing." I pipe in, "All... over." "Okay, he did come over. He said he was giving me one last chance before he started playing dirty. I was spraying the fields. I may have accidentally aimed the chem hose at him."
Booth asks, "Accidentally?" "Look, I swear I wasn't trying to hurt him. I just wanted him off my property. You understand? Who the hell was he to take my land from me?" We then leave back inside the car as Booth drives off as he says, "I'm just saying the guy had a point. If pesticides are so bad for us, then how come people live longer now than they did before they used pesticides?" Temp then says, "You're over-simplifying an enormously complex issue." "Ha, ha. Meaning you don't have a good answer." I pipe in, "She is right Ranger, the arguments in favor of organic farming aren't just about food safety. They're about prevention of soil erosion, protection of water quality, carbon emissions from shipping, that sort of stuff." "Whatever, you know what, you're not going to see me paying four dollars for a tomato." I shrug as Temp then says, "You know, a researcher at the University of Florida proved that alligators who swim in pesticide contaminated waters have smaller genitalia than their clean-water counterparts." We looked at her as Booth says, "No way." "Way." I look at Booths face as he really thinks about it as I say to him, "I could get your groceries if you want Ranger?" "No, I'm good."
We were still on the road as Booth says, "Yeah, in this whole environmental footprint thing, right, I mean, why shouldn't I leave a footprint? I'm here, right? Hey, why should I have fewer rights than any other species?" I was listening unlike Temp as we look at her and Booth says, "Hey, Bones, you know we're having a lively discussion here." "Tobacco has to be cured." "Yeah, I know, and it kills you. We're on the same side with that one." I then add, "Yeah, and to cure tobacco farms it needs to be done in curing barns, by using indirect fired burners." At that I finally caught on what Temp was trying to explain as I smiled, "You're a genius Temp."
Booth also caught on as he says, "Oh, so if Frank's body were in Harding curing barn, that would explain how it got cooked." Temp phone rings as she answers it, "Brennan." Booth then says, "That should be enough to get a warrant to search the farm." Temp ignored his comment as she asks on the phone, "There's what?... Thanks." She ends the call as we look at her waiting on what she discovered as Booth asks, "What, we got big news from the nerd posse?" "When we search the tobacco farm, we'll be looking for more than a murder site." We give her a odd but curious look as she continues, "We'll be looking for a second victim.
The next day Booth got the warrant and took the forensic team and I back to the farm as we start searching and taking samples. I get up and walk over to Booth as we hear a lady coming over to us yelling out, "I'm making lemonade." Booth then says, "Lemonade!" I add, "That sounds delightful!" She nods, "It's awful hot today." Mr. Harding then says, "It's an intrusion, Elizabeth, not a garden party." We walk up to them as Booth introduces ourselves to her, " Agent Booth, ma'am. This here is Dr. Venus." We shake her hand as she says, "Elizabeth Harding." I smile, "Pleasure to meet you." Booth adds, "Listen, we won't be any longer than we have to."
I nod as Mrs. Harding says, "Shame about Mr. Curtis." Mr. Harding then says, "Uh we don't have to talk to them, Elizabeth." "Don't mind Mr. Grouchy." I then ask, "Did you know Mr. Curtis personally?" "Oh, of course. Although maybe not as personally as he might have liked." "Elizabeth..." Booth asks, "How's that?" "Andy didn't tell you?" We shake our head, "Oh, he gets so jealous. No reason. Looks aren't everything. Mr. Curtis was a big flirt. Always making passes at me." I nod, "That makes sense seeing how lovely you are looking today." She chuckles, "Aren't you such a dear. So pretty as well, if only I had a daughter as pretty as you." I chuckle, "I'm flattered." Mr. Harding then says, "It didn't seem relevant."
Mrs. Harding adds, "And right under his poor wife's nose, too. Fool thought he could get me to convince Andy to sell the farm." "Elizabeth!" "Oh, don't you start again. When I told Andy, I don't think I have ever seen him so mad. What a temper you have." We smile at her as Booth says, "Thank you, Mrs. Harding. You have been very helpful." "Tell Andy. He doesn't think I can do anything right. So how many lemonades?" I look at Booth enthusiastically as he turns around and asks the rest of the crew, "Oh, how many lemonades?" One person raises his hand as well as I. He turns around and tells Mrs. Harding, "Make a pitcher." She nods and goes to get the lemonade.
Booth and I were over by the barn as I was drinking my lemonade as an Agent comes over to us, "Agent Booth, Dr. Venus. There's nothing, the curing shed is clean." "Yeah, but the body was cooked, and there should be another body, too." "Not here." Mrs. Harding comes over to us asking, "More lemonade?" The agent and I say at the same time, "Yes, please." She pores some in mine as Booth then says, "No, no, no, just go back inside and check." The agent nods goes back inside as Booth turns around and says to Mrs. Harding, "I'll take half a glass." Booth then gets a call as he answers. "Booth... Pineapples?... You're saying that the body was moved from Florida?... Like pineapples?... Thanks." Booth hangs up as he turns around to Mrs. Harding and I as she hands him his lemonade. I then ask her, "This is very good lemonade, what else do you put in here that makes it tastes so amazing." "I'll go write down my recipe so you could make some at home." "Thank you, that's so kind of you." She leaves as I look at Booth, "So Ranger, what did you find out?"
Booth updated me on the latest discovery as we made it to the location where we think someone grows pineapples in the area. We were talking to the owner as he says, "Boy, sorry to hear about Frank. He was a good man. A big supporter of what I'm trying to do here." Booth then says, "All right, Mr. Paige..." "Please, call me Lyndon. You ever eat a pineapple the same day it was picked, Agent Booth?" "Actually, no, and..." "Let me make you each a smoothie." "That's okay." I then say, "I'd love one." "Frank Curtis ever visit your hot house?" "Once, back when I first built it. He had some advice on how to maximize sun exposure." We watch as he plugs the blender to an outlet and climbs on a bike pedaling making electricity, which turns on the blender.
Booth then asks, "What's he doing?" I look at him, "He's powering the blender. The wheel rim is attached to a generator. This is rather inventive." Lyndon then nods, "Stay fit and save energy. Everyone should do this." Booth then says, "I'm sure it'll catch on; so, you and Frank, you ever have any problems?" "No, never. Probably helped that I didn't have a wife for him to flirt with." "Seems Frank had a habit of hitting on other people's wives." "All great men have their foibles. Go ahead and check out the hot house. I'll bring these out soon as they're done." We nod as we exited the house over to the hot house.
We entered as Booth says, "Frank Curtis's wife stood to gain the most from her husband's death. If she found out he was cheating..." "True, but you did say that her alibi is solid." "That doesn't mean we can't you know, double check. I bet Sweets was picked on all through school." "I'm confused Ranger? How is this relevant now?" "You're kidding me, right?" "Scrawny kid like that sees me coming, a former jock, and he's thinking to himself, 'Time for a little payback," you know? Make him fill out all those stupid forms. Threatens to take my partners away from me." "I see your point Ranger... but you should give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he really wants to help." He shrugs as I look at the potted plants, "These tubs are too small to fit anything. We're not going to find the second victim here."
Booth nods, "Yeah, you know what, you're right. So, what do you say we go check..." He sniffs something and chuckles "Blueberry, was that you?" I looked at him confused, "What was me?" "That smell." "No, that wasn't me... was that you?" "No. Why don't girls just admit it? It's a natural bodily function. You're a scientist." "Sorry Ranger, but it had to be you. 'He who smelt it, dealt it." "That's unfair right there." Lyndon then comes over to us, "Phew sorry about that smell. Guess I left the vents open. Community composting facility is about a mile away, but when the winds blow westerly, it smells like it's around the corner." He hands us the smoothies as I drink some nodding in satisfaction.
I then ask, "Do you take agricultural wastes to the composting facility?" "Sure, almost every organic farmer in the county does. It's a great program. You give them your waste and in return, they give you certified organic compost at a fraction of the cost." I nod getting an idea as I grab Booth's drink from him to his dissatisfaction. "Whoa, I wasn't done with that." I nod, "Sorry, but I have an idea." I hand the drinks to Lyndon, "Thank you very much, Lydon. Your smoothies are excellent. You should think about selling them." I grab Booth pulling him away as Booth says, "Hey, hey, hey, do you have any 'to go' cups?" Lyndon then says, "The road to the apocalypse is paved with disposable food containers, my friend."
We are in the car as I called Hodgins about my idea of the compost from where the bodies were originally found in as he says, "Compost, of course. The identifying organisms would have started dying as soon as the body was removed from the heat." I nod, "Yup, and inside a large compost heap, as high as 170 degrees." Booth adds, "That's hot enough to cook a body." I nod, "And if Lyndon contributes his waste to the pile, that could explain why the pineapple beetle was there." Hodgins then asks, "Hey, you guys going to check out a large compost pile?" Booth then says quietly, "It's wrong how excited he sounds." I chuckle, "Of course we are, why else would I be calling you if I wasn't going to invite you." "YES!!" "We will go tomorrow morning all right Hodgins?" "Yes! Perfect!"
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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.