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Finding Bones	By : MariaTeresaQuintanar Category: 1 through F > Bones Views: 2697 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bones, The Finder, or any of the other television shows mentioned. I do not make any moneys from this story.

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Hey! Hope everyone had a good week. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
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Chapter Eight

            The older gruff man sat down across from his niece, holding her hands. His hazel eyes looking her over, as if to assure himself that she was okay.
            “Shad told us that you went to Alaska,” he murmured. “I never believed it, but I didn’t say a thing. At times it’s best to wait, but when Jane called me and told me that he hadn’t heard from you that’s when I worried.”
            “Alaska?” Walter muttered. “She can’t stand cold!”
            “That is the story Shad told us,” he stated stiffly, glaring at Walter.
            “Tell him,” Walter said to her. When she didn’t say another word, he trooped over to her, making her look him in the eyes. “Tell him or, by God, I will.”
            Left with no other choice in the matter, she looked over to her uncle. “I wasn’t in Alaska. But to understand what happened, I…” Swallowing hard, she said, “I found out that Shad had stolen from the family.” Her two cousins cursed, but went quiet the moment their father looked at them. “It was a significant amount. Teddy discovered the theft of his property and demanded recompense.” Cleo removed his hands and sat back watching his niece. She latched onto Walter’s hand with her own, as she went on with her story. “Shad had thought I had told Teddy about it. I didn’t. It wasn’t my place.” Cleo nodded at that in understanding. “He was furious with me, but he wasn’t going to do anything. But then I did the unforgivable, I suppose. I asked Walter to take Willa in as a ward. She had gotten arrested!”
            She leapt to her feet and started pacing. “I had to get her out of the family’s influence for her own good!” She looked over to her uncle with pleading eyes. “I may not have been a mother to her, but I was going to do better for my girl than my own ever was to me if only in this one thing.”
            Sitting down once again, she went on, “Needless to say that this didn’t sit well with Shad at all. You see he didn’t have the product anymore, which meant Teddy wanted money. And the only way he was going to get it was through the marriage of Timo and…”
            “Willa,” Cleo said quietly.
            “She was only sixteen years old,” Maggie whispered, her voice hard. “They could have agreed to a long engagement until after she was seventeen-eighteen years old! But no, Teddy wanted his money now or he was going to go to you. Leo, Walter’s friend, had taken her in. Mentored her, took care of her better than I ever could and made certain she was educated, had a roof over her head, went to church, and ate. Between Leo and myself, we forced Shad into a stalemate of sorts. He’d agree to the delay until she was of age, but no longer than that…” Her lips pressed closed, not wanting to talk.
            “Magdalena,” Walter breathed. “If you tell him, you know Cleo will protect you.”
            “And what of you?” She looked at him, cupping his face with a shaking hand. “I nearly lost you as it is!”
            “For you,” Cleo said, his voice low and gravelly. “Anything. He’ll remain safe as will you.”
            Taking another fortifying breath she told her uncle, “Teddy began to push again. His family would need the money to get through the winter, as sales were dropping. The economy is bad for everyone these days.” Biting her lower lip, she gathered her thoughts again. “To get me out of the way to ensure the marriage went through he had me thrown into a psychiatric prison.” This caught the attention of everyone there. “He forged the papers, had a judge in his pocket provide the supposed court transcripts, and I was tossed away into hell.” Tears were running down her face. “No one checked, I wasn’t allowed visitors or phone calls, and no one, not one, single person ever bothered to look at any of the paper work that if they had looked at it twice or even hard enough it would have cleared my name!”
            “I got you,” Walter whispered to her, scooping her up and sitting down in the chair with her in his arms as she wept against his chest. “She was only able to get one message out to me, but I couldn’t get to her. I was having troubles of my own at the time.” Kissing her head, he said, “I don’t know everything that has happened, but I can tell you what I do know. Willa ran, she vanished, and Maggie saw a puzzle piece.”
            Cleo nodded in understanding. “She’s dead?”
            “My poor little gypsy girl is a broken doll,” she sobbed.
            “Leo…” The words caught in Walter’s throat. “Leo was a good man. He went looking for her. Maggie saw another puzzle piece.”
            “Trapped by the man…Shad. It was Shad.” She looked at Cleo. “I have never spoken against anyone in the family ever. I should have. Long before now. Shad is evil, Cleo. Down, deep to the bone evil, and there’s no place in my heart or home for such a-a beast!”
            “Without evidence of his crimes I don’t have a leg to stand on, Maggie,” Cleo said to her gently.
            “Evidence?” Brennan stepped forward. “Pardon me, sir. My name is Dr. Temperance Brennan. Do you mind if I ask a question of Maggie in order to make clear some facts?”
            “But of course, Doctor,” he murmured, motioning to her that she had the floor.
            “Maggie, who cut your back?”
            “No, no, no…” She was shaking her head, trying to bury her face into Walter’s chest.
            “Then allow me to ask you, sir,” she said, turning to Cleo. “Is Shad her brother?”
            “Yes,” Cleo said, looking at the terrified girl in the other man’s arms. “He is her brother.”
            She went over to Maggie, whispering, “Show him and you’ll be able to wake from your nightmare.” She looked up into Brennan’s steady blue gaze. “It’s the only way.” Turning her eyes to Walter, she told him, “Help her stand.”
            Between the two of them they revealed her back to her uncle and cousins. The two younger men began cursing in Romani, even as Cleo stood up and went to her.
            “Shad did this to you?” he asked, his voice hard and unyielding.
            “Yes,” she breathed.
            “Sir, I know it is not my place to say anything, but isn’t the measure of a man judged by how he treats those weaker than himself?” He looked at her a moment, giving Brennan a reluctant nod. “True, she hasn’t the evidence of the crimes she stated, but she does have proof of his past actions and it is written all over her back.”
            Cleo looked at Walter, telling him, “You have my ear. What do you need.”
            Pulling the dress up and held his emotionally drained wife, he said, “We need transportation and protection…”
            While he was speaking to Cleo, Maggie was mouthing the words, “Get the babies! Get the babies!”
            Angela realized what she was saying first. “Jack, is that Michael I hear? Well, that could be Christine! You should check on her with me, Brennan.” And dragged a rather confused Brennan over to get their children.
            Soon Angie and Brennan were standing there with their children. Cleo went over, smiling and kissing both of their heads. “You are truly blessed.” And proceeded to kiss both of their heads as well.
            Clearing her throat, Maggie told her uncle the story of Pelant and Brennan in Romani. He thought it over and asked Maggie in English, “You would give her your name?”
            “It would be an honor,” she murmured.
            He nodded to this, turning to Brennan he smiled at her. “May God bless you, my little niece.” He kissed both of her cheeks and asked, “And where is your man?”
            “Right here,” Booth came over. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir. And I apologize about this morning’s misunderstanding. I need to keep my family safe.”
            “If there is one thing I comprehend, my boy, it is that,” he told him. “Welcome to the family.” He kissed both of his cheeks, backing away from him. “Come, my boys, we must get the things they need.”
            “One last thing, Uncle Cleo?” Booth said, walking over to him. “I’ll make certain Walter gets Maggie into a church for a proper wedding.” The older man’s eyes widened at this. “I’m a dad and a Roman Catholic. I know how I would feel if a marriage to my daughter wasn’t done as it should be in a church before God. I’ll see it done.”
            “Good boy,” he murmured, patting his shoulder. But he looked over to Walter and sighed, “You test my patience, but you are family. Come here and say goodbye.” Walter walked over with Maggie still in his arms. Kissing both his cheeks, he looked down to the woman and brushed her hair out of her face. “Get me the proof and Shad will be taken care of. You have my word.”
            “Uncle Cleo?” she breathed. “Take care of Timo. He needs you.”
            He was quiet a moment and then nodded, turning away and leaving.
***
            Walter put Maggie to bed with the help of the fountain that sounded like rain. Angie leant him their baby monitor to put into the room with her to keep an eye on her. After fifteen minutes of watching her sleeping, he rejoined the others in the main part of the bar. Everyone had a beer or a drink in hand. It was Booth that held out a chilled, freshly opened beer to Walter.
            “I nearly had a heart attack when he blessed Brennan!” Cam whispered.
            “I may very well be an atheist, but I’m not an idiot,” she said in answer to the statement.
            Sweets looked depressed. “I don’t know how I never have asked to see the paperwork in regards to the supposed trial!”
            “The trouble isn’t exactly in the paperwork,” Walter said quietly. “There wasn’t a trial so there isn’t any evidence, there’s no prosecuting attorneys or defense for that matter, and there isn’t a juror to be had. It’s a phantom event with no evidence or witnesses to speak of other than a bribed judge and his clerk both of whom came up with the bench warrant for her arrest, the papers to toss her away into that supposed hospital, and the transcript of the bogus trial.”
            “Why didn’t she say something to me?” Sweets demanded. “I could have helped!”
            “For all she knew, you could have been a part of it,” Max was the one to say. “Think about it, Lance.”
            “What I want to know is why she sounded so…unbalanced when I first met her,” Booth said quietly looking over to Walter. “She freaked out over the blood on her hands.”
            “I think I know what’s up with that,” came from Angela. “Maggie is like an open receiver to other people’s thoughts and emotions. Given the place she was locked up in was a funny farm, I’m shocked that she didn’t really go over the edge.”
            “She has sounded better the longer she’s been out of that place,” Brennan said contemplatively. “Less riddles and more logical speaking.” She suddenly beamed at Booth. “Something just occurred to me! She can speak of her family to me now!”

TBC...
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Finding Bones