A/N: Wow, so it's been ages since I've updated. And I'm so sorry about that! I could make excuses, but I hate that. I'll just go so you can enjoy the chapter!

This is being posted without being beta'd. My beta, Effie, is currently without internet, so I'm going in blindly here. I hope it's not awful.

Disclaimer: I didn't get rights at Christmas like I hoped. Maybe for my birthday?

ooo

The beeping was consistent as it drug Angela from the confines of sleep. She groaned and attempted to shut out the noise with her pillow and when that didn't work she went in search of the culprit. Hodgins, who was snoring lightly beside her, seemed unfazed by the noise with frustrated Angela when she realized the beeping was coming from his side of their bed.

Kicking her foot against his leg she attempted to rouse him from sleep. "Jack," she called lightly and when he didn't respond her voice rose., "JACK!

"What's wrong?" he asked sleepily his eyes not opening. "Are you okay? The baby?"

"We're fine," she assured him gently, "just trying to sleep and having difficultly because of some damn beeping coming from your nightstand."

"I'm sorry," he answered quickly grabbing the device and silencing it with just a few strokes of the keypad. "I had set the computer to keep running the mass spec until it figured out what my mystery fungus was. I guess it did."

"You had it alert your phone?"

"Maybe."

"Jack Stanley Hodgins."

"What?" Hodgins replied innocently and glanced around is annoyed wife to the clock. "Go back to sleep Angie. I'm going to head to the lab."

"What?" Angela exclaimed, "It's three in the morning."

"I know," Hodgins replied, "but it looks like a lead. I need to run."

"Fine," Angela huffed, "I'll call you later."

"Okay," Hodgins said with a small smile and leaned over to rest his lips on her forehead for a moment. "Go back to sleep."

"Trust me," Angela said around a yawn, "I will."

Four and a half hours later Angela wandered into the lab in search of her husband. The lab was still quiet with only a few technicians floating around. She made her way to her office to drop her purse off and grabbed a granola bar from the stash in her desk before finding her way to Hodgins' work area.

"I thought I might find you here," she commented when she found him scrunched over his microscope. "You have to be exhausted."

"A little," he answered honestly, "but I think I may have just cracked this case wide open."

ooo

Booth stretched his arms out as far as he could and felt Brennan stir next to him. He pressed his lips against the side of her head and smiled. "I really think that was it."

"You're not going to stop saying that until I'm pregnant are you?"

"Nope."

"God I hope it's soon then."

"Me too," Booth replied with a laugh. "But I don't mind saying it either."

"We still have a case to solve."

"I know."

"I should see if the lab has any new leads for us today."

"We should."

"I don't want to get up though."

"I need to record this," Booth teased with a grin, "because I don't think I've ever heard you say that before."

"Don't be ridiculous," Brennan retored, "I may not say it often, but you've heard it before."

"Whatever you say darling."

"Darling?"

"What?"

"I thought we went over acceptable nicknames."

"We did."

"Darling wasn't on that list."

"Doesn't matter."

"It doesn't?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Because I decided that I'm going to call you whatever I want."

"That should go both ways then, huh?"

"Yup."

"Alright then sugar lips, get up."

"Wait," Booth complained grabbing her wrist, "sugar lips? I don't think so."

"But you said…"

"Forget what I said, I am not going to be called sugar lips."

"You know, you would think after being together for a year we would have all of this figured out by now."

"Nah," Booth answered with a laugh, "couples go over this all the time. No matter how long they've been together. We'll be eighty and still arguing about this."

"If you say so."

"Don't you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then believe me."

"Fine," Brennan relented, "but we really do need to get up now. I have to check in with the lab."

"I know."

"Then let me go."

"Just give me ten more minutes."

"Ten minutes? That's pretty quick, even for you Booth."

"That's not what I meant Bones!" Booth exclaimed with sigh. "But since you're adamant about getting up, I guess we should."

"You get in the shower, I'll check in with the lab."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Brennan assured him and motioned to her phone, "Hodgins wants me to link up. I guess he's found something."

"I'll wait and see what he says," Booth replied and pulled a tee shirt over his head, "might as well see what the squint has figured out for us."

The computer booted up and only minutes later the curly headed scientist appeared in front of them grinning from ear to ear. Booth groaned as Hodgins opened his mouth.

"King of the lab."

The familiar proclamation from their friend made Booth groan again, "what is it Hodgins?"

"I may have just solved this case."

"Really?" Brennan questioned, "I don't understand how you can say that concretely Jack."

"She was held in a termite infested wooden building," Hodgins continued, "and was moved where she was found no more than a week ago."

"I still don't see how you can conclusively say you've solved the case," Brennan continued. "What has Dr. Bray found?"

"I'm getting here," Hodgins replied with a sigh, "she was killed by a single blow to the head. But your assessment was correct, she was kept alive and tortured before she was killed."

Brennan nodded sadly and Booth rested his hand on her back in comfort before questioning his friend, "what else is there Hodgins."

"There was a fungus that had me stumped at first," Hodgins answered with a sigh, "but I think it's the clue to solve the murder."

"Okay."

"It's a pretty rare fungus," Hodgins continued without a pause, "but I finally narrowed it down. What I found was pretty interesting though."

"Hodgins, spill it," Booth demanded his frustration growing evident. "We don't have all day."

"Cronartium comandrae," Hodgins answered, "found in pine trees. It has to be catalogued in any discovery of it. As of four weeks ago a park ranger in Northern Indiana reported a cluster of trees with the fungus growing."

"In Pokagon?"

"Yeah," Hodgins answered with a smile, "the Northeast corner of the park."

"Anything about cabins nearby?"

"No," Hodgins replied with a shake of his head, "but it is a park, there has to be some close, right?"

"We'll check it out Dr. Hodgins," Brennan stated, "any more information on the type of knife used in the torture. Or the weapon that caused the final blow?"

"Wendell says he's close to having an exact match for both. The hematoma was caused by a large blunt object and Wendell believes it was made of steel, but I'm looking for particulates to confirm that," Hodgins replied, "we'll let you know as soon as we have it."

"Thanks Jack," Booth answered with a smile. "Keep that pregnant wife of yours happy, okay?"

"No worries Booth," Jack insisted, "if you could send me some samples of the trees I'll be able to let you know if that is where she was killed."

"Perfect," Booth replied with a nod, "we'll be in touch."

Hodgins gave a nod back before the computer screen went black. And Brennan turned to Booth, "I don't understand how that solved the case."

Booth chuckled, "it didn't really, but it definitely gave us a lead. Let's head out."

"And see if we can find these pine trees?"

"Those," Booth agreed, "and an abandoned cabin where we find the murder scene."

ooo

Wendell Bray wiped the back of his hand over his forehead and couldn't help by groan. The bones in front of him were telling a brutal story that he was having a hard time stomaching. The intern following him around was a minimal about of help but they were coming up with answers slowly.

"You were right," Hodgins interrupted his thoughts, "steel. From a Ames True Temper Steel Shovel. It's a common snow shovel."

"So we have the weapon," Wendell answered, "you tell Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth?"

"Yeah," Hodgins replied with a nod, "Angela is on with them now. They're getting ready to look for the murder scene."

"Do you think this is a one time guy?"

"I don't think he's a serial killer."

"It makes no sense to me."

"It usually doesn't make sense to me," Hodgins told him honestly, "especially with kids involved."

"Bren and Booth will figure it out."

"They always do," Hodgins assured him and then took a deep breath. "Angela and I are getting ready to head out for lunch. Would you like to join us?"

"Uh…"

"Come on man," Hodgins probed, "get out of the lab, clear your head, and get something to eat. It'll help."

"Sure."

"Great!" Hodgins exclaimed, "Angela wanted me to make sure that everyone come out to lunch."

"Everyone?"

"Sweets, Julie, and Cam are all coming too," Hodgins replied, "Angela is insisted we need a break. She's not way off."

"I don't know," Wendell sighed, "I feel like I'm missing something."

"Which is why a break will be good," Hodgins assured him, "trust us, okay?"

"Okay."

"Great, I'm starving. Let's get going!"

ooo

The trek through the woods was easy for the anthropologist and the agent as they followed the map they were provided by the ranger office. The day was warm and Brennan noticed she was becoming dehydrated easier than normal. Stopping to rest for a moment she downed one of the bottles of water in her bag.

"You okay Bones?"

"Of course," she replied, "just need to take a quick break."

Booth watched her closely, but when he could see any other reason popping up he let it go. Sitting down next to her, he opened his own bottle of water and took a big gulp. Brennan leaned over and placed her head against his shoulder and Booth turned and pressed a kiss against her temple.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Fine," Brennan insisted, "let's keep moving."

"Okay," Booth agreed hesitantly. "If you're sure…"

"I am," Brennan stated firmly, "let's move."

"Maybe we should have taken the ranger's offer to lead us up here."

"We're doing fine on our own Booth," Brennan told him as she walked up the hill. They were setting a good pace when she stopped suddenly and Booth ran into her, bumping her forward slightly.

"Bones?"

"I think we're doing just fine on our own."

"What?"

Brennan pointed up the trail and Booth could only nod. There, about forty feet in front of them was an obviously worn down wood cabin that looked like it was falling apart. But what stuck out to them most were the smears of red on the inside of the window.

"I think we found our murder scene."

ooo

A/N: This isn't my longest chapter, but it's packed full of helpful info. Thanks for reading! Please take a moment and leave me a little review if you can. I would appreciate it!