Discovery

Chapter 45

Willow was pretty sure her dad must have sent a very pointed look at everyone else because no one asked Willow any questions as they walked to the cars together. Parker had jumped at Willow and wrapped his arms around her in a hug the moment she was out of the police tape and hadn't let go but other than that, no one had said anything. The others did, however, keep sending her very concerned looks... but Willow reasoned that it might have something to do with the fact that she must look horrible with blood, dirt and ash all over her face and top.

"So," Hodgins eventually began, "I guess you're glad high schools over?" he asked. Willow shrugged.

"I suppose so. It's kind of hard to believe... you know, that it's over." She glanced over her shoulder and the smoking ruins that had been her second home for the last four years. "I'm kind of going to miss it."

"Don't worry, sweetie... you're going to love college. It's a lot of fun," Angela said with a smile on her face. Willow grinned, reasonably sure that her idea of fun and Angela's were completely different. The group reached to two SUVs that they arrived in and moved to split up.

"You guys are staying in a motel... aren't you?" Willow asked.

Booth nodded. "Yeah... why?"

Willow cringed, tapping her fingers on her chin thoughtfully. "It might be better if you all crashed at my parents' house tonight. They're out of town... naturally, otherwise they would have been at graduation, but motels aren't really secure and after... what happened at graduation... things are going to be a little crazy for a couple of days until things settle down a bit."

"You mean... with the gang of... whatever they were that you guys were fighting?" Cam asked.

Willow nodded. "Exactly. My parents' house will be big enough. Some of you might need to be on an air mattress or something but there should be enough room."

"It might be a good idea," Brennan nodded. Booth privately agreed, although he hated the idea of staying at Willow's parents' house without the couple in question knowing.

"Alright, why don't you guys head to Willow's house and get comfortable and we'll go to the motel and grab everyone's stuff and we'll meet you there," Hodgins suggested. Booth nodded and Willow wrote down her address and gave it to Hodgins. Then she, Parker, Booth and Brennan got into one car and the others got into the other car and they went their separate ways.

Once they reached her parents' house, Willow forced herself into activity, getting out spare bedding and getting the sofa bed ready. She'd had the foresight to ensure that there was clean bedding on her parents' bed and in the two guest bedrooms. Willow had never known why her parents insisted on having two guest bedrooms with double beds in them... it wasn't like anyone ever stayed at their house but Willow was grateful for it now.

Still, by the time the second car arrived and everything had been brought in, Willow was definitely feeling the strain of the day... even more than she had been before at the school. Parker had fallen asleep nestled beside her and Booth had carried him upstairs to the room he and Parker would be sharing. When he came back downstairs, Willow saw the look on his face and mentally sighed. Tired as she was... there was no way anyone else was going to get any sleep without an explanation and if Willow was honest with herself, she knew that she wouldn't be able to go to sleep, tired as she was, because of the thoughts flying around her head, the foremost of which was the question of how exactly she was going to reveal the truth to the others.

"So, I guess you want explanations now?" Willow asked.

Brennan nodded. "I've thought about what I've seen tonight... and none of it makes any sense. It's very frustrating."