A/N: This is my first fanfiction in a few years. I used to write a whole mess of fanfiction (all Lord of the Rings) in 2002-2004. I'm starting back up again sort of as a way to practice my writing skills and partially because I still think it can be fun in moderation.

I will also attempt to illustrate this story and I'll post links to my drawings on once they're up!

Be sure to review! That encourages me to keep writing. I promise this story will be full of twists, turns, and that heart-stealing squint, Zack Addy!

Addy

by Merry Poppins

Prologue – Another Psychologist

"Dr. Marceline Bailey."

"Wait, Marceline?" Agent Seeley Booth chewed on the name as if it were old oatmeal. "She sounds like an 80-year old woman who cuts out pictures of kittens from home magazines."

Dr. Temperance Brennan, in her usual way, corrected her partner, "Uh, Parker could live to be 80 years old. Does that mean his given name makes him sound like he's senile?"

"Okay, okay", Dr. Lance Sweets waved his hands, exasperated. "Come on, guys, I am way too swamped with the cases to give Zack the proper attention he needs. Dr. Brennan, I know you have an emotional attachment to Zack-"

"—That is incorrect", Brennan cut in. "I have successfully severed all my emotional ties to him ever since… his crime."

Of course Sweets did not buy this, but he continued. "I happen to trust Dr. Bailey's intuition and intellect. She's a colleague of mine, albeit a year my junior, but extraordinarily bright. She'll take good care of Zack, you have my word. Why would I stake my reputation on Dr. Bailey if I didn't have full confidence in her?"

"Because you still won't loose your job even if she fails", Brennan said. "And intuition and intellect are opposing attributes since 'intuition' relies on immeasurable or unobservable feelings in the abdomen and intellect relies on facts complied in the brain."

Booth touched Brennan's shoulder gently. Like Sweets, he also sensed Brennan's defensiveness towards Zack regardless of her apparent emotional severance. "Alright, Bones", he said taking the role of middleman. "Let's just talk to her and feel her out. Can we do that, Sweets? You gotta understand how important it is that Zack's therapy, you know… not be screwed up by some kid."

"I understand", Sweets said. "I actually told her to come by today just so you, Dr. Brennan, could get acquainted with her. She'll be here in about 15 minutes."

Brennan steeled her jaw and moved her cold blue eyes between the men. In the end she knew it was not her decision, but the FBI's. She still could not help feeling an enormous sense of responsibility for Zack's wellbeing. Sweets suddenly bringing in this new and unproven psychologist—more psychologists!—seemed a bit spontaneous. Zack needed consistency, someone he could trust. He was only barely starting to trust Sweets and now he would have to start all over again.

Brennan sighed, "Let me know when she's here. It doesn't really make a difference whether I approve or not anyway."

She stalked off towards the lab, stomping her heels purposefully. Sweets flitted a look at Booth and the Special Agent merely shrugged. It was always difficult to talk to Brennan about Zack. Whether she could admit it or not she still saw herself as Zack's mentor.

THE LAB:

Hodgins leaned over his microscope and delicately pushed a plate of spider eggs under the lens. Without looking up, he asked the general populace, "Anyone know what's up with Brennan this time?"

A few minutes earlier, Hodgins attempted to show Brennan his results with certain paint chips he found on a victim's tooth, but simply she brushed past him and disappeared into her office.

Angela furrowed her brow in the direction of her best friend, "I'm not sure. She just got out of a session with Sweets. Maybe he tried to convince her that she's in love with Booth again."

"Well, she is", Hodgins chuckled.

"Yeah, but it pisses her off whenever she's cornered like that", Angela smirked. She tilted her head as she caught a better glimpse of Brennan. "No. This is something different, I know that look."

Angela began to move towards Brennan's office, but Cam stopped her.

"Not now", Cam said calmly. "It's about Zack. Sweets wants to hire a new psychologist to help with Zack's therapy since Sweets has no time. Brennan is just nervous about this newbie."

Angela moved her jaw to the side sympathetically. "Hmm… She's still so sensitive about poor Zack."

"Z-Man was barely getting used to Sweets, and he's changing it up on him?" Hodgins joined in. "Who is it?"

"Dr. Marceline Bailey", Cam said. "And if the FBI decides to use her, it's important that we show her the same respect we show Sweets."

"We show Sweets respect?" Hodgins quipped.

"Remember, Zack is in her hands", Cam eyed her employees significantly. "We want to make sure she'll be welcomed so she can do her work to the best of her abilities."

Hodgins and Angela silently conceded. The former moved back to his station to examine the microscope again, "I still think she sounds like my 74-year old grandmother who used to pinch her pool guy's ass and then forget about it."

"Hullo!"

The Jeffersonian team whirled. A young woman in a long, navy blue coat stood in the doorway, black binder in hand and pen in ear. The first thing they noticed were her round glasses—the kind worn prior to the 1950s. She stood about an inch shorter than Cam and was just as slim, or rather, would have been just as slim if she were not engulfed by her enormous coat. Dark brown locks of hair tumbled down past her shoulder blades. Despite the distracting glasses, behind them was a rather pretty face with bright brown eyes and dark, quizzical eyebrows. Her lips were on the thin side, but they had a cheerful shape and curled up on the sides to form an almost permanent smile. She was all together lovely to look at, though somewhat unorthodox—certainly not a suit-wearing Sweets.

Cam stepped forward. "May I help you?" she asked already knowing the answer.

"My name is Marceline Bailey. I am the new psychologist Sweets has referred. He told me that I could find Dr. Brennan's office in the lab?"

Her voice was deeper than they expected, but still unmistakably young. Hodgins whispered to Angela, "Back to my grandma comment, I think I would've been glad to be her pool guy in this case."

"Welcome to the Jeffersonian, Dr. Bailey", Cam said cordially. "Dr. Brennan is right this way."

SWEET'S OFFICE:

Lance Sweets paced his office, slightly perspiring, with Brennan's respect for him on the line. He silently prayed that his old pal, Marceline, to be exactly the same psychology student he remembered—even better! After wringing his fingers for the 11th time, Brennan swung open the door and let Marceline in. Sweets' eyes popped open in anticipation like a dad waiting to see if his daughter made the softball team. Brennan merely nodded and left. Marceline had her approval! Of course it did not matter from a professional perspective, but as a psychologist, Sweets knew Brennan would want to feel a part of Zack's therapy and made every effort to respect Brennan's attachment to Zack.

He grinned and shook Marceline's hand heartily. "You charmed her, Marcy! That takes something special."

"I was so nervous, I almost forgot how to spell my own name", Marceline breathed. "I just want to do the best I can. I can tell how much Dr. Addy means to her."

"That's why I called you", Sweets said. "Shall we meet Zack now?"

"I would love to!" Marcy smiled. "Is there anything else I should know about him other than what you told me?"

Sweets hesitated. He had told her everything that he had gathered in his research—some family history, the Asperger's, work ethic, his ties to Gormagon. But he had not told her the truth about how Zack had not murdered the lobbyist due to patient confidentiality. Still feeling tied to his promise, he decided to keep this from Marcy as well and allow Zack to tell her when. It would indicate genuine trust.

"Nope!" Sweets said. "You know everything I know."

THE ASYLUM:

Sweets lead the way as they marched down the hall towards the meeting room. Marcy was issued her own badge and card key.

Her heart was practically beating out of her chest over the thrill of her first major assignment—and with the FBI, for that matter! She had never seen Zachary Addy before, only read a few articles and the reports Sweets drew up.

"Here we are", Sweets said has the rounded the corner. He slid his card key and opened the door.

The first thing Marcy saw was a tuff of floppy brown hair followed by arched eyebrows over a pair of heavily-lashed brown eyes.

"Hey Zack!" Sweets greeted him casually. "I want to introduce you to a colleague of mine, Dr. Marceline Bailey."

Zack Addy pursed his lips, sensing a change. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Bailey, although I cannot say that for a fact. I just say it as a colloquial salutation."

Marcy glanced knowingly at Sweets and stepped straight up to Zack, staring him square in the face. "Well, if you're not certain, then I can be certain for the both of us: It's very nice to finally meet you too, Dr. Addy."

A/N: Whoo! That's somewhat of a long prologue. Please review! I know it's annoying to ask, but it really does encourage the writers to keep going. I have a lot of fun plot twists planned for this story. Stay tuned, folks!