[NOTE: I hate leaving stories unfinished, and this chapter was already written, so I finally caved and decided to post it. I didn't lose motivation when I "abandoned" this story and the other one I was writing, but I have been very busy. Yes, events on TV have gone a different way, but I'd never try to keep up with that anyway. This different direction was planned with the knowledge that it wouldn't make for good TV but with the hopes that it might entertain a few of you. The inspiration is still there-it's just been long-ignored. It is only now, when I'm really too very busy to write at all, that the urge to write has returned full force. My muse is ridiculously consistent that way.

So this is me... posting something already written in hopes that I'll get out and shop and do the zillions of other things that need doing today instead of holing up here and writing all day. Because that's what I'd love to do. This long-overdue post is really just my desperate attempt to be a grown-up and do the right thing. Or maybe it's a tributed to Caroline-just because she's so awesome. Regardless of the reason, I give you the next chapter in The World Turned Upside Down. Thank you very much for stopping here to read. Please let me know what you think.

Everyone who knows me knows that I definitely don't own Bones. ]

NOTE: If you don't remember where we were with this story (and I'd be shocked if you did), this chapter follows one in which Caroline surprised Booth and "rescued" him from his incarceration by asking her to follow him. He'd been arrested for resisting arrest when Bones showed back up unexpectedly after the summer hiatus preceding TV Season 8.

Chapter 6

When he attempted to speak to Caroline as they walked, she turned to the officer trailing him and told him to put handcuffs on Booth. As she appeared to avoid eye contact with Booth, Caroline confided in the guard in that snarky way that she had long ago mastered, "You'd think that he'd know, after all these years, that I don't condescend to consort with accused criminals—no matter how attractive they think they are or how many favors they still owe me."

Taking her not so subtle hint, Booth stood patiently as he was cuffed again and taken to the waiting transport van. He cringed internally as he watched the guard chain his cuffs to the heavy chain bolted to the floor of the van. He'd seen this done to countless criminals, and he'd wielded those cuffs and chains himself on those particularly violent ones—even Taffett herself. But being locked down that same way was tough for him to handle.

"He's secure, Cherie," Caroline offered, "Thanks for your help." On cue, the security guard closed and locked the van and smacked a hand on the door to signal the driver that the prisoner was ready for transport.

The atmosphere in the van changed the moment the door swung closed. "You okay, cher?"Caroline asked, her eyes apologizing and telling him her façade had been just that.

"Yeah," he responded, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion and fatigue in equal measure.

"Judge Mortenson will be waiting at the courthouse. He will be cranky because it's so late, so we'll need to work fast. I have your situation taken care of. Consider me your personal genie, cher, what else do you need from me tonight? Make it quick because I'm fairly certain that I will be persona non grata or, at a minimum, suspended indefinitely after tonight."

Booth shot her a look that told her not to stick her neck out too far for him, and she met it with a glare that caused him to back down instinctively, "The bureau's lost its head and its conscience, and the whole damned Justice Department is standing on its head over this case with you and Dr. Brennan. I'll not be a party to such a sham. I am doing this, so we'd darn well better make it worth doing. What do you need, Booth?"

Booth jumped in quickly, "Christine... I've got to keep her out of foster care or get her out."

"Understood. Not a sure thing, but we can deal with that. What else? What about Dr. Brennan?"

Booth glanced at her and quickly ignored the question in her eyes. He could tell that Caroline had been hesitant to bring his long-absent lover up to him at all, and that hurt even though he should have appreciated her consideration-he'd been carrying that particular pain around so long that he couldn't remember not hauling it around with him. "Can you get them to keep Bones at the Hoover? There are isolation cells and short-term holding cells that would work. I'm not sure there's a precedent, but Pelant will kill her in jail or in prison. She needs to be where we can trust the people who are watching her."

"With no help from the brass or the flunkies, we'll be at a disadvantage. Flynn's being a jerk. He wants to make this painful so that you'll talk to him. He's looking for leverage."

"Blood from a turnip? Still? Whatever you can do, Caroline. I appreciate it."

"Cher?" she began again, tentative though it was so very much against her nature. "If we don't have enough time. I assume you want me to take care of Dr. Brennan first…."

"No," Booth interrupted quickly. "Christine cannot be in foster care. Bones... she won't... it's what she would want."

"Are you sure? With Pelant still on the loose?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay, cherie, we'll just work triple-time to get through all the issues."

"Caroline, you're a federal prosecutor. How...?"

"No time to explain. Trust me, Booth. When have I ever done anything but dazzle you with my brilliance? I have your back... at least until I need someone to cover mine."

The van stopped, and the door was unlocked and opened moments later. As the door swung open, Caroline whispered, "Showtime."

With that, she glared at him as if he were pond scum and grumbled, "I knew I should have sat up front with the driver. Can't be wasting my time riding with common criminals," she blustered to the guard who had opened the door to greet them.

Booth waited until the courthouse guard had helped Caroline out and then unlocked his handcuffs from the heavy chain. Then, making brief eye contact with the man, he thanked him for his work by name.

"Agent Booth?! What happened?" the man inquired when he recognized the man he'd interacted with dozens of times.

"It'll be okay, Jenkins. The wheels of justice will turn around again. I'll be back and harassing you to hurry prisoners into court soon enough."

"Your partner...? I've been following the news reports... Did they find her?"

"She found me. Thus, the cuffs," Booth said sadly.

"I'll keep you both in my prayers, sir," Jenkins offered.

"Please add my baby girl to that list," Booth asked.

"Consider it done. I know you'd do the same for me," the officer said before leading Booth into the building and to the security desk. After he passed through the inspection, Booth was taken down the long hallway to a bench near where Caroline was sitting. "I'll leave the good agent here with you, Ms. Julian," Jenkins said as he broke protocol to unlock Booth's handcuffs. Shooting him a meaningful look, he patted Booth on the shoulder before leaving.

As free as he'd been in ages, Booth stretched and then rubbed his chafed wrists to soothe the ache. Since they'd arrived at the courthouse, Caroline had not acknowledged him. She sat ramrod straight and staring straight ahead. Following her lead, Booth sat down and waited. A few minutes later, an obviously frantic David Barron raced up to his ex-wife.

"What is it? What happened? Is Monique okay?" he demanded answers.

"She's fine. Listen...," Caroline began.

"No, you listen," he growled, "You wake me up at 11:30 at night with a 9-1-1 page to come here for MY DAUGHTER. Cut the crap, Carrie, and tell me now."

"I simply don't have time to apologize for the rude awakening. I will explain and make amends later. Monique is fine. This does not concern her."

"Have you lost your mind? Are you trying to kill me? I could have had a heart attack!"

"Here, take this," Caroline ordered as she shoved a folder into his hands. "Everything you need is right here. Blue highlight in the important places just the way you like it…."

He started to speak, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Remember that time you made me cry?" she asked him, clearly referring to a painful experience from their shared past.

"You? Cry? No... You never..."

"Do you think I'm a good lawyer?" she asked, changing gears in a way that made him even more confused.

In that haze, he responded as best he could, "What?! Dammit, you're the best I've ever seen!"

"Did you ever love me, David?" she asked another seemingly random question, watching as her words settled in and calmed her ex-husband down as intended.

As anticipated, her tone of voice and the way she looked at him pulled him up short. His voice now soft and low, he replied, "Carrie... I love you still. Always have. Always will. What the hell is going on?"

"This man," Caroline said, finally motioning to Booth. "This damned fine human being needs our help. He needs to get out of jail, get his job back, help his girlfriend—you remember Dr. Brennan, right David?—well, he needs to get her out of jail, too. And he also needs us to help get his child out of the state child welfare system—tonight. In an hour, maybe less."

"Carrie..."

"This conversation never happened. Agent Booth contacted you on his own. You hear me? David, if you ever loved me and if you still believe in the justice system, then open that folder and help him out. Too many injustices are happening right now, and you and I need to partner up the way we used to do to set things right."

"I..."

"I'd be grateful for your help, sir. Bones... she has money. She..."

Barron looked at Booth and then at his ex-wife. "He'll do it pro bono," Caroline offered. "Because of that one time he made me cry."

Without even a moment to confirm her decision, Barron turned to hear the bailiff announce, "Ms. Julian, Mr. Barron... the judge will see you now."

TWTUDFWMTTD... TWTUDFWMTTD... TWTUDFWMTTD... TWTUDFWMTTD...

An hour later, Booth had been released on his own recognizance. He's been stunned by Caroline's brilliance and planning. Because of an earlier call from her, the chief counsel for the District Police department had shown up and dropped all the charges. He raved about Booth's cooperation with them on prior cases and noted that he might have behaved the same way himself in similar circumstances. Caroline had immediately filed a petition to drop all the Justice Department's charges as well. Booth couldn't imagine who'd signed it, but he was grateful someone had. Caroline really had saved them all. She'd even produced papers—somehow signed by Bones—granting him full custody of Christine as long as she remained incarcerated or incapacitated in any other way.

Booth looked down and still couldn't believe that he was holding a subpoena granting him custody of Christine and ordering the state to hand her back to him. After taking a moment to focus on that development, he continued to reflect on the fact that Caroline really had been more than amazing. She had provided her ex-husband with notes and evidence needed for all the issues facing them. She'd also provided him with an argument for keeping Bones locked up at the Hoover Building. Booth testified about the circumstances and the reason she couldn't be put into the prison system—not yet. She had also talked with Cam and asked her to rally Sweets and the squint squad in to testify about their belief in Brennan's innocence and the dangers of sending her into the system. Unbelievably, the folder she'd handed over also contained faxed letters from 3 sitting Governors, one former Governor who was now running for Senate, and the Secretary of the Department of Defense—all of whom lauded Dr. Brennan for her patriotism and her work identifying remains so that families could bury their lost loved ones. Booth's respect and affection for his favorite federal prosecutor rose significantly in the wee hours of that morning.

While even Caroline hadn't been good enough to get Bones out of jail, she managed, through some clever eye rolls and a few texts that told David what to say when he stumbled trying to read and comprehend all the data on the fly, to keep her out of regular jail. Given the fact that things could have been much more desperate, that would have to be a sufficient miracle for that day.

Without making Booth wait one second longer than necessary, Caroline had dialed Family Services and located Christine. Then she and David drove Booth there to pick her up. They stood and watched as he paced and shifted his weight back and forth while they waited for the state employee who'd taken Christine home with her for the night packed up her things and bundled up the sleeping baby. They watched as Mrs. Gandy gently placed Christine in her father's arms. They saw Booth sway and nearly stumble into a nearby chair as he gazed down lovingly at his daughter.

"So big...," they heard him exclaim in wonder as he held his daughter tightly. He moved a finger to touch her small fingertips gently. When he did, she instinctively grasped his finger and held onto it. Without warning, he was hit with the reality of the situation. He'd missed days, weeks, months of holding her like this. Choking back a sob, he held her tightly. He sat there with his daughter—unwilling to move or speak or do anything more than reclaim his baby as his own. He lost all track of time, but those he was inconveniencing understood and waited quietly and at a respectful distance giving the man the time he needed to recover from the quiet, emotional reunion.

Later, Booth rose and looked over toward Caroline. "David and I will drive you two home," she said without asking for her ex-husband's consent. Having witnessed this man's reunion with his daughter, David wouldn't have considered doing anything except what he could do to help.