Bones FF: 525600 moments by Akarana

[akarana]

Thanks to Gianna for betaing!

Chapter 21: Nightmares and moods

"...The Gravedigger case finally begins today with an evidentiary hearing. The defendant, prominent federal prosecutor, Heather Taffet, will be defending herself against multiple charges of kidnapping and murder. One charge involves 10 year old Terrence Gilroy, who has never been found. Testimony is expected from three kidnapping victims: Seeley Booth, an agent with the FBI, as well as scientists Jack Hodgins and Temperance Brennan from the Jeffersonian...," the reporter on TV said before Hodgins took the remote from Michelle and switched the TV off.

"Oh wow," the teen commented affected. Cam had mentioned something, but she hadn't been aware that Hodgins had been buried alive. "I'm sorry," she apologized when he stood rooted to the spot, his eyes still hanging on the now black TV screen, where the picture of Heather Taffet, Brennan and himself had shown up moments before.

"It's not your fault," Hodgins replied and had to clear his voice before he was able to speak. Then he turned around and fled from the living room, slamming the door of his study shut behind him.

"Did you two get into a fight?" Cam asked and came in from the kitchen where she had unloaded the dishwasher. She had heard the door slam shut.

"No, I was watching the news and they were reporting about the Gravedigger case starting," Michelle replied.

"Oh," Cam only nodded and dried her hands on a towel.

"Was he really buried alive?" Michelle wanted to know.

"Yes, with Dr. Brennan," Cam nodded.

"What happened?"

"We got too close to solving it. Taffet had only intended to take Brennan, but Hodgins witnessed it, so she ran him over with a car. Brennan had to operate on him without anesthetic or he would have died and then they bombed themselves out of the car they were buried in, not knowing if they'd survive the explosion or not. Since he knows that the trial is coming up he's started having nightmares again," Cam told her.

"Poor Hodgins. Was this the one who poisoned you?" Michelle asked.

"No, that was another one. A serial killer who tortured and killed young, blonde women. But he's dead," Cam clarified.

"No loss," Michelle said darkly.

"I agree," her mother nodded. "Michelle, I don't mean to throw you out or anything, but these coming days will be really hard on Hodgins and knowing him that means he'll be in a really foul mood. You can stay if you want, but maybe it would be better if you'd stay at our place until the trial is over while I stay here with Jack," Cam said hesitatingly.

"He'll get annoyed and yell at me?" Michelle wanted details.

"Maybe, I don't know. He sometimes has trouble controlling his anger. I don't know what will be coming our way," Cam shrugged sadly.

"I'll stay here with you. You said we're a family and families don't just spend Christmas together, but they are there when times get tough. If he wants to yell at me he can, if it makes him feel better. I know he won't mean it the way it'll sound and I won't yell back. I'm staying," Michelle decided and Cam had to smile at her answer.

"I love you, honey," she told her and placed a kiss on her hair. "Now I'll go look after Jack and see if he's ok," she added then and got up from the sofa. When she reached the door of his study she knocked softly and then opened it and lurked inside. He was sitting at his desk staring out the window.

"You ok?" she asked him and closed the door behind her.

"Mmh, just thinking," he nodded.

"Don't worry too much about the process. Taffet will get what she deserves," Cam told him and walked up to him.

"No she won't! What she deserves is to be buried alive and suffocate to death," he exclaimed heatedly. Cam didn't reply but just stroked her fingers through his hair. "I don't want anything to happen to you," he went on.

"Nothing will happen to me, Taffet is in prison," Cam dismissed it.

"No, please let me finish," he insisted. "She's smart and there's still the chance that she'll be set free after the trial. She hates Brennan and me with a passion and she wants to hurt us. She took Booth the last time, knowing she'd hurt Brennan and I don't want you to be next," he told her.

"What are you saying?" she wondered, not understanding what he was getting at.

"During the trial I don't want her to find out about us. If she's set free I'll have to think of something else, but for now it should be enough if we don't appear in court as a couple," Hodgins said and turned around with his chair so he was facing her.

"Jack…" Cam sighed and wanted to protest, but he stopped her by shaking his head from side to side.

"Also I'll need some distance in court and at work. The trial hasn't even started yet and I'm not too far away from losing it. If you provide any sort of comfort for me while at work or in court I'll break down," he admitted.

"You need someone to be there for you," she insisted.

"At home, when we're alone and she can't see how much this still affects me," he replied.

"Ok, but if you need me…" she started.

"I'll come to you," he finished her sentence. Cam nodded without saying anything and stepped closer to him. He placed his hands on her hips and played with the hem of her shirt, his eyes following his fingers.

"You should go and lay down for a bit. You barely slept last night," Cam said, also looking down at his hands.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," he just replied.

"Get some rest, Jack," she repeated her demand.

"I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes I'm in that car again," he admitted, still not looking up.

"You think it'll help if I go with you until you're asleep?" she asked.

"Only if you're still there when I wake up," he said and looked up at her.

"Ok, then come on. We'll lie down for an hour or two," she smiled at him and stroked through his hair again when he leaned his cheek against her stomach.

Monday morning the team of the Jeffersonian all found themselves in the courtroom. Booth, Max and Brennan sat up front, behind them sat Hodgins and Cam with Angela in between them. Per their agreement Hodgins had waved Angela into the bench row after Cam and had taken the seat at the end. They had just sat down when Heather Taffet was brought in, wearing an orange jumper and handcuffs. Immediately she sought out Brennan, Booth and Hodgins with her eyes. Cam waited a moment, but then looked over to Jack, saw him still shuddering and exchanged a worried look with Angela. The personal tension between them had vanished now that they had to face this extreme situation. They were both worried about Brennan and Hodgins and that brought them closer again.

"Okay. You all ready to play nice?" the judge asked.

"Always, Your Honor," Caroline Julian replied.

"Your Honor, since I'm representing myself, I'd like to request that my shackles be removed while I'm in court?" Taffet requested and out of the corner of her eyes Cam saw Hodgins clenching his fists.

"This is only an evidentiary hearing, Your Honor. There's no jury to prejudice and frankly, I feel a bit more secure with her in chains," Miss Julian disagreed.

"Spare us the dramatic flourishes, Miss Julian. When we go to trial, we can revisit the request, Miss Taffet. First witness," the judge ended the discussion and they all took a deep breath, readying themselves for their hearing.

After a short pause Cam had to go first.

"Burn marks were found on the victims that were consistent with injuries one would sustain from a 3 million volt stun gun," she said, answering the first question.

"And where did you find the stun gun?" Taffet asked Cam.

"In the suspects' storage locker together with boots," Cam replied, although she didn't want to talk to her.

"This storage locker was found with information obtained illegally, wasn't it?" Taffet asked provocatively.

"We didn't know that at the time, Your Honor. We obtained a legal warrant to search the locker," Cam pointed out and was dismissed after a few short questions. Booth and Hodgins followed and Jack had the most trouble with talking to the woman who had buried him alive. He looked like he'd jump up and strangle her any moment, but he kept his composure. When Brennan was on the stand he kept fidgeting and snapped the rubber band that he wore around his wrist again.

"I'd like to move that all charges be dropped, Your Honor," Taffet requested once she had established that the warrant didn't stand. Everybody tensed up except for Caroline Julian.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? We still have dirt samples from the crime scene. The ransom tapes," she said.

"Your Honor, this is a waste of the courts time and the tax payers money," Taffet addressed the judge.

"If I lose, I'll send everyone a note of apology," the prosecutor dead panned with her usual wit.

"You aren't left with much, Miss Julian. You sure you want to proceed?" Judge Dufrey asked her. Caroline first looked at Taffet, then turned around and looked at Booth, Brennan and Hodgins. The looks on their faces spoke volumes and she knew they needed this. Cam and Angela looked scared as well, worrying what would happen if Taffet was set free. Caroline knew she had no choice.

"Yes, Your Honor," she finally said adamantly.

"Okay. The charges stand. We're going to trial. Court is adjourned," he said then and everybody got up. Hodgins bolted out the door and just when Cam wanted to follow him she saw Taffet walking up to Brennan and talking to her. She couldn't hear what she was saying, but the venom in her eyes and the small smile playing around her lips gave her chills. Taffet was then taken away by the guards and Cam followed Hodgins and Angela outside.

"Where's Jack?" she asked Angela when she found her standing alone in the hallway.

"He said he needed some air," Angela replied. "Alone," she added apologetically, making it clear that she had tried to be there for him, but he hadn't let her.

"I figured," Cam nodded and placed a hand on Angela's arm.

"After it happened he didn't really sleep for months," the artist told her and Cam knew this was a peace offering and proof that she was really accepting their relationship. She knew now that Cam would look after him this time and that she could only fit in the role of a good friend, but that was it.

"It started again this weekend," Cam nodded. "But he requested space and I'll give it to him. He knows where to find me."

"Taffet said we missed evidence," Brennan interrupted them before Angela could reply.

"What?" they both asked.

"She said that if I was so smart why didn't I find the number," Brennan repeated and their eyes got wide.

"I'll get Hodgins and we'll meet at the lab in half an hour. Tell Booth to get us everything related to her and the case," Cam told Brennan and then hurried out of the building. She looked left and right and nearly missed him. He was sitting on the stairs to the courthouse, far off to the right, his hands folded in his lap, his head hanging down. When he heard her approaching he looked up, his eyes empty and void of any emotion.

"Taffet baited Brennan, telling her we missed evidence. We have to get to the lab and run over everything again," she told him and gripped the string of her purse with both hands to keep herself from reaching out to him.

"Arrogant bitch," he spat and got up. The fury had taken over for the moment and Cam knew that his mood would change back again at some point. However, for now it was easier for both of them to deal with his anger than with his fear.

Later at the lab Angela and Cam were standing in her office in front of the large screen, running a program through the computer.

"Booth is getting her arrest records as well as old case files from when she was a prosecutor," Brennan said when she joined them.

"Okay, uh, I'm pulling every record we have so far associated with Taffet. Social security numbers, birthdates, blood test results," Angela informed her.

"Ages of the victims?" Cam asked just to make sure they weren't missing anything.

"Got those. I'm using a recursive search algorithm, which analyzes and cross references the data. Since they're related, any inconsistencies can raise a red flag," Angela nodded.

"I think Taffet is just messing with us again," Hodgins, who had just walked in, said.

"I have to disagree," Sweets spoke up. "Her pathology is consistent; this is all a game to her. She won the first round so now she's upping the stakes by challenging Dr. Brennan."

"Yeah, or maybe she knows there's something in the soil samples we already have so she's just trying to distract us," Hodgins argued back.

"You analyzed those soil samples a hundred times," the psychologist pointed out.

"Are you telling me to give up, Sweets?" Hodgins got louder.

"No, of course not. But I mean, I understand the need to cling to anything…"

"Cling. Okay, so I'm crazy now?" Hodgins attacked him.

"That's not what I meant," Sweets said helplessly.

"Go, Dr. Hodgins. Look at the soil again. You may find something," Cam stepped in and stopped Hodgins from saying more. She knew he wouldn't let Sweets win this argument and the only thing that could happen was that he would lose his composure. Hodgins noticed her attempt to appease him and left without another word.

"You know, he still gets nightmares. Says he wakes up in a sweat," Angela informed Sweets and Cam nodded, then left for her office as well.

"Anything new on the soil samples?" Cam asked Hodgins when he came into her office hours later. She could tell that he hadn't come for that, because he had closed the door firmly behind him. However if he actually did come to talk about work and not about himself and she had asked him how he was then he would surely freak out and she didn't want to risk if she asked him how he was and he wanted to talk about wo

"No. Of course not. Sweets was right. You knew that," he replied, admitting that he had known why she had sent him away before. He walked closer to her desk, but stayed on the other side. "I'm barely keeping it together here," he admitted while she just looked at him. Embarrassed he looked down to his feet, then back up, trying with all he had to keep himself from falling apart.

"We will get her, Jack," Cam said softly, but remained sitting in her chair. She ached to take him in her arms and hold him, but she knew it wouldn't help him to stay strong.

"I feel like she's still got me locked up, you know?" he asked and sounded so scared that she couldn't take it anymore, got up and rounded her desk. "I mean, when I see her there's just this, um, anger. I mean, it's like a helplessness that comes," he broke off and couldn't speak anymore. Cam couldn't remember if she had ever felt that protective of anyone beside Michelle.

"You made it Jack," she said and placed a hand on his cheek.

"When I was buried in that car, I didn't think I was ever going to get out. And now, I feel like she's in between us," he admitted, referring to the distance. She knew he had requested it and she also knew that he needed it, but right then it was just too much to take for him. She had told him to come to her and ask for support if he needed it and here he was, doing exactly that.

"She's not in between us," she said with conviction and he pressed his cheek against her palm, seeking the contact. "No way," she emphasized when he opened his teary eyes again and looked at her. "Nobody can get between us," she told him and wrapped her arms around him. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and closed his eyes- breathed her in. Slowly she felt him relax a bit while he clung to her and let her hold him. With her thumb she stroked up and down his neck because she knew that relaxed him- it was one of his spots.

"If you keep doing that I'll fall asleep," he mumbled against her shoulder and she felt his head getting heavier. Usually there would have been a smile in his voice, but not this time.

"How about we go home early today? There's nothing we can do anyway and the others will call us as soon as they find something," she said and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"We can't just leave," he shook his head and straightened up.

"Sure we can. Booth and Brennan look after each other and Michelle and I will look after you," she said and kept her tight hold on him, so he couldn't just walk off.

"I was unfriendly to Michelle the other day," he told her.

"I told her to stay at our apartment until the trial is over, but she said we're a family and family sticks together during tough times," she said and was relieved when a small smile appeared on his face.

"You two really are my family," he agreed.

"Then let's go home. Michelle said she'd cook for us," Cam smiled, relieved that this crisis was averted for the moment.

"I hope she keeps her hands off my Argan oil this time," he worried and didn't see that Cam's grin got wider because she had turned away from him to gather her things.

"Then we better hurry otherwise I can't guarantee anything," she replied. She was glad that he was back to worrying about his oil and not about the nightmares that would haunt him again come night.

She had woken up when he had started to mumble in his sleep. Then he had begun to twist and turn, his mumbling getting louder. She glanced at the clock; he had fallen asleep only two hours ago. Cam wasn't sure if she should wake him now or wait longer. Light fell in through the crack in the blinds and she realized that his forehead was already sweaty.

"Jack," she called quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing over his damp shirt. "Jack, come on honey wake up," she said and scooted closer to him.

"No!" With a loud gasp he woke up and sat straight in bed, breathing heavily, eyes wide. Cam stayed calm; she had seen him like this for the past three nights and knew what she had to do.

"It's ok, everything's alright," she told him, placed a hand on his chest and slowly pushed him back down in a lying position.

"I… she…" he tried but couldn't find the words to describe the terror he had just endured in his dream.

"She's not here. It's just us," she assured him and switched on the lamp on her nightstand so the room wasn't as dark anymore. He looked around the room, then rolled onto his side and laid his head on her chest, nuzzling her breast with his nose like a scared child did when his mother held him.

"I'm sorry I woke you up again," he said, still breathing fast and shallow.

"You should have seen your face today when you realized Michelle had used the last of your fancy oil," she ignored his apology, knowing they'd go in circles. She had found out that the easiest way to calm him down was to talk about everyday life, things that had nothing to do with colleagues, work or the time he had been buried alive. Simple things, family things, things that were random, but important enough to attract his attention.

"I told her at least ten times not to use it," he said, his voice still a bit shaky, but steadier than before.

"She says it tastes better than olive oil and I think she's right," Cam replied and couldn't really believe that she was lying in bed at three am talking about oil.

"That's why it costs five times the price of olive oil," he muttered, his thumb painting random patterns on her hip, while she was back to lulling him to sleep by massaging his neck with two fingers.

"Isn't it also healthier?" she asked him.

"Mmmh and they have to import it from Morocco," Hodgins nodded against her chest.

"Have you ever been to Morocco?" she saw the opportunity for a safe topic change away from the oil.

"Once to Marrakech," he replied, his voice already quieter, more like a mumble.

"You liked it?"

"There's this place with the narrators and snakes and apes and belly dancers," he said and trailed off. "And amazing food," he muttered, his eyes closing.

"Of course you liked the snakes and the other critters," she whispered while he concentrated on her heartbeat, drifting off to sleep again and getting some minutes of rest before the next nightmare.

After Angela had found out that the numbers Taffet had been talking about had been GPS coordinates they had found the remains of the boy Terrence Gilroy. They had brought him back to the lab to take a look at him, even though Hodgins was barely able to look at the boy, knowing what he had endured and he hadn't been lucky enough to get out.

"Hands off!" Miss Julian called as she hurried up onto the platform, ignoring the security guard who tried to stop her as well as the several alarms going off. "No one touches a thing!"

"What are you talking about?" Hodgins wondered aloud.

"This is our chance to get some hard evidence they can't dismiss," Brennan supported him and they finally shut off the alarms.

"Not if you touch it. You can't act as an expert witness in a case when you are also a victim," Caroline informed them.

"We aren't victims in this crime," Hodgins disagreed. This little boy had been the victim. They had been lucky enough to escape.

"We filed one complaint with seven counts. Since the trial started, you and Dr. Brennan are linked to all the crimes," Caroline informed them. Hodgins felt some panic rising up in his chest again when he thought about the boy and that they were linked now through the crimes of one person.

"That's why Taffet wanted us to find the boy. She knows we're the only people who have the skills to connect her to the crime," Brennan knew.

"And now our hands are tied," Hodgins said frustrated.

"Not if you drop our case," Brennan replied rationally.

"Excuse me?" the entomologist gasped.

"If Caroline doesn't prosecute our kidnappings, we'd be free to testify as expert witnesses in the boys case," his colleague tried to reason with him.

"You'd be willing to do that?" Caroline asked disbelievingly.

"Noooo," Hodgins shook his head. "No. Caroline has to prosecute our case. Taffet tried to kill us," he exclaimed.

"All of our evidence has been thrown out. The rational thing to do is to pursue a case with fresh, untainted evidence," Brennan pointed out, upsetting Hodgins. His ability to think rationally had been thrown out when the trial had started. She couldn't get through to him with rational arguments alone.

"Are you kidding me? Is it really that easy for you to forget what happened to us?" he asked Brennan.

"I will never forget what happened to us. Or to Booth. Or this boy. You are not the only one suffering, Dr. Hodgins, but your emotions have no relevance. Not if we want to convict Taffet," Brennan stressed. Angrily he threw his gloves on the table, knowing he really had no choice.

"This better work," he spat and left the platform.

"I'll have the charges dismissed in the morning; you can start right after that," Caroline told Brennan as she watched him hurrying into Cam's office. Hopefully the pretty coroner was able to calm him down.

"Brennan just made me agree to drop the charges in our case against Taffet," Hodgins said angrily as he walked into the autopsy room, not caring that Cam was talking on the phone.

"I'll call you back, bye," she said to whoever was on the other line and then turned to him. "Why?" she asked, knowing Brennan wouldn't just do that because she felt like it.

"Because there's one complaint with seven names on it and if we are victims in a case we can't work it," he told her, snapping the rubber band around his wrist.

"Stop that or you'll have red marks again," Cam said after she had walked over to him, and placed a hand on his wrist. "The evidence we had in your case was thrown out anyway," Cam pointed out.

"That's what Brennan said, but it's just… it's not right!" he said loudly.

"That you have to drop the charges?" she asked, wanting clarification on what exactly was upsetting him that much.

"No, that there'll never be any punishment for what she did to us. It'll never be over because she'll never be punished for it. All the other cases will get justice, but not ours. Years from now she can look me in the eyes and tell me that she's innocent in my case, that she's not responsible for all we had to go through," he ranted.

"Jack, out there is a boy lying dead on the autopsy table that she let suffocate to death. Maybe he was lucky and was unconscious after she took him, but maybe he was not. We'll find out about that as soon as we can take a look at the remains. If she walks because we can't work this case, just because you and Brennan want justice…" Cam didn't finish her sentence and let it stand like this.

"I want both of our charges to go through," he replied stubbornly and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"This is someone's son, Jack. She killed someone's kid and not only once but several times. He was ten years old, the same age as Tyron six years younger than Michelle. Would you still feel bad if you dropped charges on Tyler's account or Michelle's?" she asked him, trying to make him understand.

"You're right," he finally sighed and let his arms drop to his side. "We were lucky, we got out and now it's our job to make sure she won't walk. For the other five names on the complaint," he nodded.

"We will find all the evidence there is to find once we get access," she supported what he had just said.

"Sorry, I interrupted your call," he said then, remembering that she had ended a call because of him.

"It was only Michelle with one of her ideas," Cam smiled.

"For her new room?"

"No, for tonight. I don't know where it's coming from, but she had the idea that we could all camp out in the living room tonight, make smores in the fireplace and sleep on blankets and air mattresses," she replied.

"She knows that it's June not December right? She got hit by camping fever?" he guessed.

"No, she thought maybe it would help you with the nightmares… not having them, actually," Cam let him know.

"That's so nice of her, but I'd rather sleep in my bed and not scare her," Hodgins replied. Cam knew that he most likely didn't want Michelle to see him that broken and scared.

"We can save the idea for winter time," she agreed.

"But tell her thanks. I really appreciate it," he pointed out.

"I will. Oh and when do you wanna leave today? I have to make a few more calls and then I'm done," Cam let him know.

"We can leave when you're ready. I can't do anything anyway as long as Caroline hasn't given the all clear," he said and then walked out of her office. He was still not ok, but at least he had accepted now that he had to drop the charges on his own case to get justice for a ten year old boy.

"These are peri-mortem fractures, bi-laterally on the fifth, sixth and seventh ribs. On the posterior axillary," Brennan said the next afternoon when they were finally allowed to analyze the remains of Terrence Gilroy.

"And injuries to the greater cornu and the left lateral thyroid and cricoid cartilages. I see injuries like this in victims who've been strangled," Cam added to the list.

"Perhaps he struggled and Taffet was trying to subdue him," Brennan did something that was unlikely for her and guessed.

"Taffet tasered all her victims - three million volts - that should be enough to knock out a 10 year old boy for at least a few hours," Cam wasn't too sure about Brennan's theory.

"He wasn't unconscious. These are defensive wounds. Consistent with the boy resisting being placed in the freezer; arms out-stretched," Brennan explained and showed her the marks on the hands and arms of the boy.

"I'll take samples from under his fingernails. Maybe he scratched her during the struggle," Cam nodded and hoped that they would find something.

"Maybe she knew that facts in this case wouldn't be consistent with the other crimes and would give her reasonable doubt," Brennan pointed out the fact that they had just come a step closer to setting her free than making sure she would rot in jail.

"You don't want your fries?" Cam asked Hodgins when they were sitting in the diner for a quick snack. She knew he hadn't eaten anything decent all day and had dragged him out of his lab while the machines performed tests and they couldn't do anything anyway but wait.

"Nah, I'm not hungry," he shook his head and pushed his plate towards her.

"At least eat the sandwich, I can't eat that as well. I've got my own," she pointed out.

"Did you find anything on the remains? You haven't said anything so far," he asked. She hadn't told him anything so far because Brennan's last statement kept ringing in her ears. She knew the anthropologist was right. Taffet had played them and if they didn't find something rock solid, then she would walk. And she was scared to think what Hodgins would do if that was the case.

"We found peri-mortem fractures and injuries to the greater cornu and the left lateral thyroid and cricoid cartilages," she replied without giving him any explanation.

"Which means?" he asked and suspiciously raised his eyebrows.

"Defensive wounds and wounds I know from strangulation victims," she told him with a sigh and hoped he didn't come to the same conclusion as she and Brennan had before. At least not yet.

"He struggled and fought to get away?"

"He had his arms outstretched when she placed him in the fridge."

"God," he sighed and sank deeper into his chair at the diner. They always had horrible crimes and some had involved kids before, but this time it was affecting him more than ever before.

"Wait, if he fought he wasn't unconscious, which means she didn't stun him," he said then, when it occurred to him what Cam and Brennan had found out before.

"It looks that way," Cam nodded and suddenly didn't feel too hungry anymore herself.

"It's not consistent with the other cases. She played us," he concluded, the fury back in his eyes.

"We will find something, Jack," she tried to calm him down.

"Stop saying that! You don't know that, no one knows that! So just… leave me alone!" he yelled, then got up and left before she could say another word. She felt the eyes of the other guests in the diner on her and sighed, closed her eyes for a second to collect herself. Taffet couldn't just walk, she just… couldn't. She wouldn't know what to do anymore if she did.

Michelle was puzzled when she came home the next night from a date with Perry and found Cam alone on the couch in Hodgins' living room.

"Hey, how was your date?" Cam asked her and turned the volume of the TV down.

"Nice. We got something to eat and then hung out at the bowling alley," her daughter reported.

"Good," Cam replied and yawned.

"Hodgins already asleep?" Michelle wanted to know and sat down on the arm rest of the couch.

"No, he's out running," Cam shook her head.

"Again? Isn't your usual morning run enough for him?" Michelle asked stunned.

"He needs it to calm down. Last night he got up around two am and went downstairs. I found him kickboxing when I went to check on him," Cam reported and sounded worried.

"He nearly bit my head off this morning when I asked him if he wanted to eat something," Michelle replied and sounded just as worried.

"He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep… I'll be glad when this trial is over," her mother sighed.

"Me too. I miss the old, happy Hodgins," Michelle nodded. "It's like he can't be around us anymore."

"At the same time he needs us to be there for him. He can't pick up the pieces himself anymore," Cam pointed out.

"Then why is he pushing us away?"

"He thinks he needs the distance to keep his act together. If we look after him too much and when we think he needs it, he fears he'll fall apart at a moment when he needs to be in control."

"That's crap," Michelle commented in her usual blunt way.

"I know, but I can't argue with him at the moment. I can only be there when he lets me," Cam knew.

"You gonna stay up and wait for him?" Michelle asked then and got up, stretching her arms over her head.

"I wanted to, but it's already late and he'll wake me up when he gets home anyway," she replied, switched off the TV and followed her daughter upstairs.

Another day later Cam walked into the FBI building during her lunch break. She wasn't looking for Booth- him she had seen at the lab- but for Sweets.

"Hey. Sorry to bother you. Do you have a minute?" she asked him after knocking on the door. She knew everyone had the habit of just waltzing in and she needed his help this time and didn't want to anger him.

"Yeah, sure," he replied and she entered and sat down on the couch across from him. "How's it going?" Sweets asked when she just looked nervously around but didn't speak.

"I don't know, actually. It's why I'm here. I'm - I'm worried, Dr. Sweets. I - I - this case is taking its toll on everyone," she tried to find words for what was going on.

"Including you?" he needed clarification.

"Including me. Yes," she confirmed.

"It's a very stressful situation, I mean, you're not immune to that."

"I feel like everything's fraying around the edges. We're all searching for some piece of evidence that can put Taffet away but we keep coming up empty. Everyone feels manipulated by her and I-I should be able to pull everyone together - keep them on track…" she admitted and trailed off.

"You want to guarantee the outcome," he summed it up and she nodded. "I wish that were possible. You know, we knew this was gonna be an uphill battle," he said then.

"But did we really believe that? We all knew she was guilty, so someplace we assume that, in a just world, she'd pay for what she did," Cam argued back, not agreeing with him on this one.

"That assumes a just world, I'm afraid," he said sadly and she couldn't argue with that.

"These... are my people she hurt. My friends. I should... be able to do something," she admitted how helpless she felt.

"I know," Sweets agreed.

"I just don't know how to help them anymore," Cam said quietly.

"You're talking about Hodgins now, aren't you?" Sweets knew.

"I'm really worried about him. I don't want to imagine what would happen if Taffet is set free," she voiced her biggest concern.

"Maybe you should get him to come here and I'll start working with him again," Sweets proposed.

"I can't even get him to join us for dinner at the moment, Sweets," Cam laughed sadly and fought with tears.

"That isn't your only concern at the moment, is it?" Sweets guessed again.

"Yes… no… I really don't wanna talk about it Sweets," she admitted and nervously scratched her arm.

"Ok," he nodded and gave her a moment to calm down again and to gather the strength that she needed to keep supporting Hodgins and the others.

After Angela had been able to clear the audio file and transfer it back to Taffets voice they all gathered in her office. Hodgins suddenly looked relieved, like a weight had been taken off him.

"A dust mite?" Cam asked him when he presented what he had found.

"So that little bug is gonna save us?" Sweets, who had joined them, asked.

"Oh, don't call him a bug. Sounds insulting. We reexamined the boy's teeth and found it wedged between the right lateral incisor and canine. Dust mites eat dead human skin cells and this one's stomach sac is full," Hodgins explained and Cam now knew why he looked better. He had found something, something that could be important. He had been able to provide something useful.

"If the boy bit Taffet, the skin cells are probably hers. Whatever's left is gonna be small, but there might be enough to give us DNA," Cam pointed out.

"Come on then, we'll run the tests," he said and together they rushed out of Angela's office. Cam prepared everything so she could perform the test while Hodgins went to fetch the bug. If this was what he needed, then she hoped she could help him find salvation.

"You think this will be good enough?" Hodgins asked for the thousandth time and Cam opened her eyes again.

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow," she replied this time.

"We have DNA, we have a solid process how we got there. She shouldn't be able to talk her way out of this one," he added and was quiet for a moment. "And we really followed all protocols? No fault in the process?" he said just when Cam had closed her eyes again.

"None that I know of," she said and tried to keep her annoyance out of her voice.

"But the evidence is gone, we can't test it again," he worried. "Couldn't you have preserved at least some cells?" Hodgins asked and Cam turned around to him this time, opening her eyes again.

"No, Jack, I couldn't have. And you couldn't have found another bug and we couldn't have run other tests and there is absolutely nothing else to find in those soil samples," Cam said, her patience running short.

"Ok, ok," he muttered.

"Go to sleep, Jack. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow," she told him in a friendlier tone. He nodded and closed his eyes and she did as well.

"I can't sleep. I'm gonna go downstairs and work out some more," he broke the silence again and got out of bed without waiting for a reply. Cam just sighed and closed her eyes again, hoping she'd be able to get some minutes of sleep.

"This is a dermatophagoides farinae," Hodgins said the next day on the stand with a confidence that he had been lacking ever since the trail had started.

"For those of us who don't speak insect, what is that, exactly?" Caroline asked him.

"It's a dust mite: an insect found on clothes, but it also feeds on the cells of the person wearing those clothes," he explained.

"And where was this dust mite found?"

"Between Terrence Gilroy's teeth. It was transferred there when the boy bit the person who kidnapped him," he said and after a few more questions Cam took over, explaining her part.

"The dust mite contained human female epithelial cells. We extracted those cells and ran them through several DNA databases. The cells belonged to Heather Taffet," she said and dared a glance over to Hodgins.

"Nothing further, your honor," Miss Julian said.

"Your witness, Ms. Taffet," the judge decided.

"It seems that you have neglected to include a sample of the evidence that I could have tested independently," Taffet pointed out.

"Since there were so few cells in the mite, the testing destroyed the sample, but the procedures and results are all contained in our documentation," Cam replied and tried to keep the venom out of her voice.

"Let me get this right. I have access to your notes, but I can't examine the actual evidence because you destroyed it?" the gravedigger asked provocatively.

"Your Honor, in California versus Trombetta, the Supreme Court ruled that the prosecution could destroy a sample to test for DNA because there was no bad faith," Caroline knew.

"Bad faith? The motives of every single person at the Jeffersonian are suspect and now their only physical evidence is gone. If it existed at all," Taffet protested.

"I've just about had it with your snide, unsubstantiated allegations," Caroline Julian was ready to attack as well now.

"As have I."

"That's enough, Ms. Julian," the judge lectured her.

"Your Honor, I would like to file a motion to have this unverifiable DNA evidence dismissed," Taffet requested, knowing that it was her only chance.

"Protocol has been followed, Ms. Taffet. It's up to the jury to decide how the evidence will figure in the outcome of this case. Your motion is denied," The judge decided and Taffet's face fell. They had standing evidence against her.

"What'd I tell you, huh? Caroline nailed it in there," Booth said happily while they all stood in the hallway of the courthouse.

"Taffet was pretty convincing in there, too," Hodgins still had doubts. Cam was standing on the other side of the small gathering and didn't dare to go over to him. He hadn't sought her out in the last few days - only at night when he had needed her after the nightmares. He tried to be strong, but she knew it was an act.

"You know what, Hodgins? You ever see the bright side in things?" Booth asked him and Hodgins did a double take, his eyes finally landing on Cam.

"You know what, Booth? You're right. 'Cause no matter what happens in there, I've got Cam," he said, walked over to her and slung his arms around her waist..

"Hodgins," she warned him, not knowing what he was planning. She just wasn't too comfortable with the public displays of affection.

"It's okay. I don't care, baby. Look, Taffet's not going to make the rules anymore," he said to her and pulled her closer to him. "Did you already tell them about you know?" he asked her then and Cam nodded.

"Some know," she said.

"I want everybody to know," he grinned happily. "Cam and Michelle are moving in with me," he announced although the others, except for Sweets, unofficially already knew. Hodgins was so happy about it that the smile lit up his face and the others had to smile with him.

"Do you already know when?" Booth asked them.

"Four weeks?" Cam replied with a question and looked at Hodgins who just kissed her.

"This isn't due to another pregnancy, is it?" Brennan asked them, clumsily as ever. At first they looked a bit stunned, but then they both laughed.

"No, this is due to a case of love," Hodgins replied

"So, this is what you were hiding from us?" Sweets more so asked Cam than Hodgins.

"Not hiding, I was having trouble dealing with things because of the trial. Then I thought... screw it," Hodgins answered for the both of them and grinned down at Cam who had snuggled up to him.

"The jury's back," Caroline informed them that moment and they all slowly walked back inside. While the others walked immediately back inside, Hodgins held Cam back when she wanted to follow them.

"No more secrets, no more hiding. And if she goes after you I will kill her," he vowed and kissed her again now that they were alone. The kiss was a lot more intimate than the short peck they had shared while the others had still been around.

"From what I heard through the grapevine Brennan's dad will take care of that for us if she walks," she winked at him and arm in arm they walked back into the courtroom.

"The defendant will rise for the reading of the verdict. In count one, the kidnapping of Terrence Gilroy, the jury finds the defendant, Heather Taffet, guilty," the judge started reading aloud the verdict and every one started to mutter. "Order, or I will clear the court," he threatened, then continued. "In count two, the murder of Terrence Gilroy, the jury finds the defendant... guilty," he proclaimed and a cheer went through the audience. "The defendant is remanded into custody until sentencing. We are adjourned," he finished.

"We did it, babe," Hodgins cheered and hugged Cam, lifted her up and swung her around. She only laughed and held on to him, but didn't protest.

"We're gonna go out and celebrate, right?" Sweets asked happily.

"Oh, we are definitely going to celebrate," Hodgins nodded and looked at Cam in a way that made it clear he was thinking about a very private kind of celebration.

"Founding Fathers?" Angela asked when Brennan and Booth joined them and didn't look as happy.

"I was out of town for a couple of days. Well, I knew Tempe had everything under control. She didn't need me," Max said, unaware that some of them already knew he was telling a lie.

"Uh-huh," Brennan just said, not even pretending to believe him.

"Alright, let's just raise our glasses here. To the squints, okay? Come on," Booth said and raised his glass.

"To Booth," Cam added and laughed when Hodgins lightly pinched her waist. She didn't say anything to him, but just leaned more into him.

"And Caroline," Brennan added as well.

"Hear, hear," everyone said and they clicked their glasses together.

"You know, I never doubted any of you - not for a minute," Sweets complimented them with a glance at Cam.

"Where'd you come from? Huh?" Booth turned onto the kid immediately.

"Oh, come on," Hodgins saw his chance come to get on Booth's good side again and tease Sweets. When Booth glared at him anyway he just grinned, shrugged and let his lips linger on his girlfriends' forehead.

"Oh, please," Caroline Julian rolled her eyes.

"Okay, let's not forget the happy couple over here," Booth found a way for revenge and threw some confetti over the both of them.

"Seeley!" Cam shrieked and tried to brush the colored paper pieces out of her hair.

"Camille," he replied in the same tone and threw another handful of confetti over her head.

"Yes, best wishes for a successful blending of familial obligations as well as monetary and property consolidation. What?" Brennan asked after her strange wishes.

"We didn't get married, Dr. Brennan," Cam pointed out with a smile.

"Considering your living arrangement and the obvious closeness that you demonstrate I think it's only a matter of time," Brennan shrugged unimpressed. Cam looked up at Hodgins, requesting with her eyes that he say something, but he only grinned.

"What? I agree," he told Cam with a chuckle.

"You'd think I'd have something to say on that matter as well," she rolled her eyes.

"You get to say something once I propose," Jack said and took another sip of his drink.

"How nice of you," she said sarcastically and buried her head in Hodgins' shoulder the next moment when Booth threw another hand full of confetti in their direction.

"I really don't understand why we had to get up and dressed in the middle of the night," Michelle complained tiredly and yawned, her head resting against Cam's shoulder. Cam was riding with her in the back of the car, the two of them basically laying over one another.

"Good question," Cam nodded without opening her eyes.

"Ladies, would you just wait," Hodgins grinned excitedly. He had been bouncing off the walls all evening with excitement and Cam had already suspected that something was up. Two days after they had won the trial he was still on a high and obviously in a mood to surprise them.

"I think whatever you plan on doing could have waited until tomorrow morning," Michelle still wasn't done. She hated to be woken up for whatever reason and Hodgins considered himself lucky that he had gotten her out of bed without suffering injuries.

"Bad news, you have to get up again, we're here," he let them know then and parked the car. Sleepily they stumbled out of it and realized only then where he had taken them.

"Is that a real private jet?" Michelle exclaimed wide eyed and with her mouth not closing after she had spoken.

"Yup," Hodgins replied and rolled back and forth on his feet, hands buried in his jeans pockets and a lopsided grin on his face.

"We're gonna fly around in the night? How cool is that!" Michelle gushed and bounced up and down, hugging Cam's arm.

"I wouldn't call it 'flying around' and I hope I packed the right things," Hodgins shook his head and got two bags out of the trunk.

"You went through my stuff?" Michelle's excitement was gone for a moment and her expression darkened.

"I didn't go through your stuff, I just kept some things that were in the laundry," he held up his hands in innocence.

"Washed, I hope?" Cam grinned.

"No, damn, I knew I forgot something," he joked and rolled his eyes at them. "Now get on the plane so we can take off," he waved in the direction of the plane.

"Where are we going, Jack?" Cam asked him.

"Maybe it's like Pretty Woman and he's gonna take us to the opera on the other end of the country? Or in Rome?" Michelle guessed and made him laugh again.

"Maybe another time. This time we're just flying down to Palm Springs where a team from the local spa is waiting for you two," he finally let them in on what was going on.

"Really?" Michelle asked and then ran to him and hugged him. "Thank you! That is so awesome!"

"No thank you. You two went above and beyond this last week, while I treated you badly," he told them once Michelle had let go of him again.

"That's what we're here for," Cam replied as they walked to the plane.

"You can yell at me all you want if that's what I get afterwards," Michelle giggled, ran up the stairs and disappeared into the plane. A loud shriek came out a second later and made the two adults who followed her inside laugh out loud.

TBC