Discovery

Chapter 12

Booth automatically glanced up at the platform as he entered the lab. Despite the fact that it was still early in the day, Bones and Zach were already up there, studying some bones that were over 100 years old and had been discovered when a farmer had dug up some old tree stumps. The body had been in limbo for a few months as the team had been too busy to study the remains till now.

"Facial structure indicates that the individual was of Caucasian decent," Zach was telling Brennan, "Hip structure indicates that the individual was male, approximately 165 centimeters tall. The teeth indicate that he was aged between 28 and 34 years of age."

"Well done, Zach. I agree completely with your findings," Bones commented, studying the skeleton that was laid out on the table. Booth swiped his card and went up the steps to the pair.

"Booth, what are you doing here? Do we have a case? My phone hasn't gone off at all."

"Nope, no case. I just need to talk to you about something."

"Alright," Bones replied suspiciously, peeling off her gloves and leading Booth off the platform and around to her office. Up on the platform, Zach continued his study of the ancient body.

Once they reached Bones' office, Booth exhaled nervously. Bones frowned.

"Booth, is something wrong? You seem nervous."

"Yeah, that would be because I am a bit nervous. I have no idea how to tell you about this, Bones."

"Are you alright, Booth? Is it about your health or something like that?"

Booth shook his head quickly, "No, Bones. I'm fine. This is about something that happened almost seventeen years ago."

"Why would that affect me?" Bones queried.

"Bones, I need you to not interrupt or ask questions until I'm done, okay?"

"Okay," Bones agreed, her curiosity making her interested.

"Back when I was in high school there was this girl, Carmen Stuart. She and I got together late in my junior year, and we dated the whole way through our senior year. We got into the same college and we'd discussed getting married at some point, but I joined the army about halfway through our freshman year. I shipped out in May of that year. Carmen went missing about a month afterwards. Not long after I came back, her body was found in a cave. She'd died within two years of my leaving. Last week, I got an email from a sixteen year old girl in California named Willow, who'd just found out she was adopted. The name Willow's mother gave as her father's was mine. She tracked me down and asked me if I knew her mother. Willow's mother was Carmen Stuart. Willow was born in early October, 1991. It was possible that she was my daughter, but I wanted to get proof, so I got Willow to send a DNA sample to Cam. Cam got it yesterday, and tested it against mine. It was a match. I have a sixteen year old daughter."

Bones was silent as she processed the information. "Who else knows?" she quietly asked.

"Just Cam, Sweets, Willow, and Willow's friends. I'm telling Parker tonight, Rebecca's letting me pick him up from school and take him out for dinner. I think he'll be excited about having a sister, even though she's almost ten years older than him."

"Are you going to go and see her?"

"Yes, I've applied for leave for the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, so I'll be flying down on Saturday."

"Would you like me to go with you?" Bones offered. Booth paused before shaking his head.

"No thanks, Bones. I think the first time it should just be me."