Title: Into the Wild – The Keys

Rating: M rated story, T rated chapter.

Disclaimer: These characters are still not mine. Too bad for me…

A/N: Well, I'm back with another chapter of this story. I figured that with my track record, too many days without a chapter will just lead to another unfinished story so I've made notes in my dairy to remind me which stories to write chapters for. Everyone's recommendations have been noted and hopefully I'll be revisiting some long forgotten works but for now my concentration lies with this story and Lost and Found. Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing; I always appreciate your time.

And an enormous thank you to all the in-depth reviews I have been getting for Lost and Found. It keeps me wanting to write when everyone gets so involved.

Also, half way down this page my font turns bold. No idea why that is, but it's not intentional!

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"Hey guys!" Alexa called as Angela and Jack emerged from the shrubbery. "Look what we made!" Zach and Alexa sat in the centre of the clearing, Indian style, a blanket of leaves between them. The leaves were large enough not to tear when Zach had made small, neat circular holes at the top and bottom. They were thick and round and reminded Jack of banana leaves.

"We used the midribs like Hodgins suggested," Zach said, directly to Angela. "Some of them were too thick and started to tear the leaves," he pointed to a pile of defective foliage. "But when we tore the midribs in half, they're almost like thread." When Alexa stood, she took both ends of the makeshift curtain.

"It looks great, huh?" she asked, her smile wide. "We've only made four so far and Zach said we need…"

"Twenty four," Zach interjected, his voice grim. "This is so time consuming…" Jack turned in a circle, crossing his arms over his chest. "Where'd you get the flower, Angela?" he asked. Angela's hand flew to her hair, touching the petals. While searching for leaves, she had forgotten about Jack's forbidden gift. "It's alright," Zach said, "no one here is going to tell on you for killing flowers." Angela opened her mouth to object when she saw his tell-tale smirk.

"You know," Jack said, interrupting them both. "I don't think we should set up the huts in the middle of this green. If we move to the edge, away from the beach, the back of the huts would be protected by the forestry and we'd only need large palm leaves draped over the back, then. And, instead of building six huts, meaning we would still need eighteen curtains, we only build three larger ones and put a diving curtain in the middle making sort of… two rooms in each hut… we would only need twelve curtains which is half the amount." Alexa frowned.

"I'm not so good with numbers…" she said. "So, may I summarise? Three huts, three full walls and three dividing walls?" Jack nodded.

"Alright… well Zach, that's only eight more to go."

"You better get moving then!" Everyone turned to where Brennan and Booth stood, carrying branches in their arms. Awhile ago they had deposited a pile when Zach and Alexa were searching for appropriate leaves for curtains. "While you're doing that, Jack and I will start building the huts." It was as if Booth's voice was the command for everyone to leap into action.

Zach reached for Jack's elbow, his voice a low hiss. "What are you doing? Three huts? Hodgins, I don't even know her." Their gazes fluttered toward Alexa, her blonde hair coming loose from the band she kept it tied in. Her eyes were downcast, her attentions focused on her task. "Booth and Brennan in a hut, that's fine. You and Angela, well obviously, but I met her like, three days ago." Jack shrugged out of Zach's tight grip.

"She's not going to bite, man. Anyway, we're making walls."

"Jack!" Booth called. "Angela says you have a new idea? Want to share while we're working?"

Temperance folded her arms beneath her breasts. "Maybe Ange and I should go search for some fruit?" she suggested. "I noticed an orange tree earlier." Brennan tilted her head towards the forestry and Angela nodded.

"Me too," she said. Angela sensed that Brennan had something on her mind. She also knew that her best friend was often far too private to reveal anything. It would be awhile before she divulged this particular secret. But then, with only six of them on an island for seven days… who knew?

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"Amazing," Brennan said as they stood in a line, facing their handy-work. The huts were completed and, although they had planned on being finished before noon, they had run behind their intended schedule and the sun was already dipping below the line of trees beyond their huts. "Nice work with the curtains," Brennan added to Alexa and Zach. "And great idea, Hodgins, using midribs – they've been good for just about everything."

The huts formed a semi circle creating almost a miniature clearing between them and the forestry. With left over wood, they had built a campfire that was ready to be lit as soon as the sun went down. A breeze ruffled the leaves of the curtains, whispering and idyllic. "We should think about catching some fish…" Booth said, his arm brushing Brennan's bare shoulder.

"My father is a keen angler," Alexa said, touching her fingers to damp strands of her atop her head. "When I told him we were going to be in the keys, he told me to look for Florida Pompano. He said it lives close to the shore. Here," she crossed the grass to her bags – Brennan noticed for the first time that she had two – and unzipped the pocket of one. "He give me this picture." Unfolding the piece of paper, they each took turns in looking at the small, round greenish grey fish, the underside of which was a shimmering gold. "I know some ways we could try. Maybe if you guys made tried to fashion something to cut it with, Zach and I could work on getting the fish?" She looked to Booth for confirmation and permission. He nodded sharply. Brennan slid her hands into her pockets.

"Bone," she stated simply. When the group turned to look at her, her features opened in realisation that no one understood her when she made random statements without explanation. This happened quite frequently at work. "Bones have been used since ancient times as weaponry. If maybe we can find some bones we can sharpen the ends."

"Yeah but this doesn't remind me of somewhere that people are frequently murdered," Angela said and Brennan looked appalled.

"Animal bones, Ange," she replied, her brows lifted in astonishment. "I wasn't suggesting-"

"I'm kidding sweetie," her friend insisted with a chuckle. "We should get started. Less chat." Brennan was sure that she'd never heard her best friend say 'less chat' before. Angela was the Queen of too much talking. "Jack and I will work on starting the fire."

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Brennan and Booth searched the top soil for bones, finding none. Their fingers were dirty and their knees ached from rummaging through the leaves. Stretching, Booth growled.

"I watched on the Discovery Channel once that bamboo is really strong when it's roasted. Apparently it can be used for weapons." He reached out to wrap his fingers around long, narrow shoots of the bamboo plant. "With some work, I'm sure this stuff can do the trick." Brennan examined the length of the ridged wood, nodding as her fingers passed over the smooth surface. "I wonder how Zach and Alexa are getting along? She seems like a nice kid."

Brennan hadn't had much opportunity to speak with the lab technician but her instincts told her that Alexa was a genuine, sweet girl. And despite never having much experience in reading the art of human flirting, she was sure Alexa wanted to spend as much time with Zach as possible.

Darkness was rapidly descending over the island, the air thick with the scent of fire smoke, plants and warmth; the kind of tropical smell that lingered in the air at the very end of a warm day. Brennan stood at the edge of the forest, carrying the bamboo in shoots between them, and she inhaled the island's natural aroma.

Across the clearing, the fire crackled, the orange flames flickering, casting shadows against the grass, making dancing silhouettes out of the tall palm trees that stood as proud beacons against the darkening sky. Only the merest glimmer of light remained and Brennan looked at the sky as a blanket that had been saturated with bright colours and then wrung out, draining all the brightness from within. By morning, the sun would dye it again and it would be as if the night never existed at all. Temperance expected to mourn the loss of daylight, but looking across the clearing, where Angela and Jack sat Indian style, their faces close together, their features, conveying their deep and unconditional love, illuminated only by the firelight and Zach and Alexa making their way towards them with their banana leaves filled with their catch, Brennan never wanted it to end. For the first time in such a long time, she felt as though she had family.

A real family whose efforts to pull together had not ceased when they needed to think hard in order to survive.

The huts might have been makeshift and basic, but to her, they were little palaces in their own little bit of paradise.

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I'll update soon, promise.

For now, goodnight.

XxXxX