The young doctors.

Jane Doe.

~(episode 22: The Woman in Limbo)~

"No I'm telling you Marcus, I can't just drop everything and go to fucken Miami for some publicity shots!" I told as I walked through the Jeffersonian.
"Ash, the whole family is meant to be there. You are a celebrity, you actually don't need to work another job."
"It gives me some form of normality."
"Look Ash, your team will understand you needing to take a few days off."
"My team comprises of my cousin, my roommate who is very high in IQ, my other roommate who I rent from who's a conspiracy nut and I don't blame him for it of course, a best selling author who's also very high in IQ and a fed. Not to mention my boss who honestly acts like my father, and would rather me work for him then go run off and play model."
"Can you at least think about it?"
"Sure. But I wouldn't count on it being a yes."
"You are still a life saver. Side note, what's the results of the bet?"
"Still a no."
"Damn it!"
"Why must you guys bet on my love life?" I asked
"Cause you are you." He stated.
"Bye Marcus." I told
"Bye Ash." He told before I hung up.
'The people I work with."

I walked into the lab and joined up with Zack and heard something I never thought he'd say.
"What's up?" Doc asked.
"Buttercup. If you sign off on these tissues markers, Angela can finish the facial reconstruction." Zack told making me give a shocked look.
"Why did you say buttercup?" She asked.
"What's up, buttercup is an amusing, rhyming, linguistic meme. This," he told pointing to the skull hr was holding. "is the latest Jane Doe from Limbo."
"How 'bout this for an amusing, rhyming linguini. See ya later, alligator." Seeley told.
'Oh right they've got their court thingy.'
"Please don't refer to bones storage as 'Limbo'." Goldman told before turning back to Temperance. "5 minutes."
"There are thousands of human remains down there waiting to be identified. Limbo seems an appropriate name." Zack told and I gave him a signal that I agreed with him though I was still shocked he kinda called Doc buttercup with the way he said it.
"No sign of foul play." She told.
"If you have time for this, you have time for my Hetite." Goodman argued.
"Tissue depth of the cheekbones and along the jaw line looks a little deep to me, but otherwise--" Temperance told before Seeley cut in.
"Out of limbo, back on earth and on our way to court. Thanks." He told before guiding her away.
Goodman ended up going to do something else and I looked towards Zack who gave me a confused look.
"What?"
"You have never called me Buttercup. Feel hurt."
"I call you Bunny."
"Zack, I have so many nicknames for you. And you only call me Bunny when I call you Bone boy. I feel hurt you wouldn't think of others for me."
"Ash...."
"See right there. You called me Ash. My heart is shattered."
"Bunny." He told making me raise my eyebrows at him as a come on. "I need to get this Skull to Angela. Can we continue this later?"
"Come on Bone boy. Let's get you to what you are wanting." I told before pushing him to Angies room.

Angie was able to make quick work on the markers and we soon had our Jane Doe, but something felt off about it.
'She looks familiar.'
As I tried to workout why she did even though I knew I had never met nor seen her in my life, Temperance came rushing in looking freaked out.... Like she had seen a ghost.
"What's this?" Doc asked
"Zack's Jane Doe. He said that you okay'd the tissue markers" Angie stated.
"No, that can't be right. That can't possibly be right. You did it wrong. It's a mistake, Angela." She told
"Alright, fine. Sweetie. I'll turn it off." Angie told as Temperance rushed out of the room and began to call for Zack and I realised why she looked familiar.
"Fuck!" I told making Angie and Goodman give me a confused look.
'She definitely saw a ghost.'

The four of us surrounded the Angelator with the three of them being confused at why she freaked out, when Seeley came in looking annoyed.
"Any of you see Bones? We're due in court, like -hello--Now." He told making them give him a confused look and he didn't understand what was going on.
"Booth, she won't be going to court." I told making him know something serious was going on if I called him by his last name.
"What?" He asked.
This.." Angie began before bringing up the image of Jane Doe up. "totally freaked her out."
Once he saw her he instantly picked his phone up and dialled the number I knew he would.
"My theory. Caffeine intolerance." Zack told.
"It's not that Zack." I told before Seeley spoke into the phone.
"Yeah. You're gonna want to take Dr. Brennan off the witness list today. No. She can't make it into court. Thanks." He told before closing his phone.
"Alright. What's going on." Angie asked.
"That... Is Christine Brennan." Seeley told making them all look towards the woman realising what this means.
"Good God." Was all Goodman could say from that information.
"You just found Bones's mother." He told.
'At least someone's got closure for them.'

(Zacks p.o.v)

I walked into Dr. Brennan's office to catch the last of what Booth says.
"It's still bad news."
"You have the file, Zack?" She asked
"Jane Doe, Number 129-0998." I told showing it to her.
"Where was she found?"
"Bones, I-" Booth began only for her to interrupt him.
"What does it say?" She told making me read the file out loud for them.
"In September of 1998, a grave-digging crew at the Sunset Memory Cemetery in Salisbury, Pennsylvania, uncovered human remains in a completely advanced stage of decomposition."
"Is it from a grave?" Booth asked.
"No. It appears that somebody just dug a hole at the edge of the cemetery and...plopped the body in there." I stated
"Zack...." Booth began to tell me off.
"Sorry." I told before going back to reading the file. "'The local coroner found no obvious evidence of foul play and sent the remains, a few artifacts and soil samples to the Jeffersonian, hoping we could identify her.' Technically, you mother's been at the Jeffersonian as long as you have."
"Zack." Booth stated again.
"Sorry. But they both got here in 1998." I told before Goodman joined us.
"Dr. Brennan. Miss Montenegro has volunteered to drive you home." He told.
"Temperance. Go home." Booth told

I looked outside to see Ash sitting on the stairs and to my surprise smoke was coming from her.
'Is she burning something?'
I walked closer and saw she was in fact smoking.
"You know smoking is bad for you." I told making her look and give me a smile before I sat next to her.
"I know." She told before showing it to me. "These types are used in movies and tv shows. Filled with some herbs, nothin toxic. I carry them for Peter, who uses them as a stress relief, and sometimes you just need to blow some smoke out of your mouth."
"I feel inhaling it would still be bad." I told making her chuckle.
"Not if you do it how we do."
"How?"
"We inhale yes, but we store it in our mouth. Doesn't reach the lungs. Thank you for being worried though." She told as she put it out.
"You ok?"
"I just feel terrible. She knows now that her mother isn't alive anymore anyone would want that. To know what happened to a loved one, but I could've helped."
"She's been here for as long as Dr. Brennan has... how would you have helped?"
"The whole reason Angela introduced me to Temperance. I had recently closed my private investigating business and was coming to see Angie to catch up and everything. They had known each other a couple of months at that point, and Angela introduced me and explained how I find the things people want left missing. I of course had no intentions of returning to my career, but Angie said it'll be a favour for her if I at least listened. So I did. I declined, of course and here I am."
"I didn't know that."
"When have I been extremely opened about my life?"
"I've learnt more things about you then I would've when we first met."
"Yeah I was a bit of a stone wall. Look at me now, I'm just a door now with shitty hinges and a door handle that just falls off when you grab it." She told making me chuckle.
"I guess. But I'm glad I know you now, even if it means there will be more to learn in the future."
"Guess so."
'Guess so indeed. And I will love every part of it.'