Can You See Me?

"I think before we go back to New Jersey, we have to do one more thing," Nick said as he and Joe sat in their kitchen eating breakfast, along with Olivia, who was eagerly listening for a plan of action.

"And that would be?"

"The bones we found, you remember the ones-"

"How could I forget?" Olivia muttered darkly.

"Of course," Nick felt the awkward beat but continued on, "we need to get them tested. That way we'll know for sure if they're Olivias'."

"Good point. That'll help us sometime in the future, I'm sure," Joe agreed, as he chewed on his Captain Crunch, "how are we going to get them tested though? It won't exactly look normal if we just bring bones in and ask who they belong too, will it?"

"I don't think so, but who's going to think we've done anything wrong? Which we haven't, of course. Plus the bones are old so they probably won't think we've just murdered someone," Nick countered and Joe nodded.

"I know where we can go," Olivia pipped up.

"Where?"

"The LA Museum of Natural History. They've got an amazing mammal department," she smiled at her knowledge.

"That's good, we'll just take them in and have them looked at, and perhaps they can make a DNA match," Joe suggested.

"It's official; we're genius," Olivia smiled and the three of them burst into laughter.

_____

"Well, this is it," Nick stared in awe at the grand building that was the Museum of Natural History. The backpack he wore suddenly felt ten times heavier as he remembered what it contained.

"Let's go then," Joe led the way into the building. Tons of people were walking around the central room and more milled about the doors. Sneaking into the back would be easy if the entire place was this crowded. Before they had left the Jonas household they had Googled the Museum and figure out the floor plan. They had also planned out a route they would use to gain entrance into the mammal stock area, where scientists were bound to be working, "Nick just follow me and look as natural as you can. It'll help if you pretend to be interested in some of the displays. And Olivia...well you just follow us."

Nick and Olivia nodded as Joe led the way. The three of them milled about with the other guests as they slowly crossed the room to the door that had a staff only sign on it. Luckily there were exhibits on both sides of the door, and plenty of people looking at them. Joe leaned into the door and gently pushed it open and he and Nick slipped inside.

"That was too easy," Nick said, stunned they hadn't gotten caught.

"I know, right? It's almost like they want you to come back here," Joe snickered as they turned around to walk down the long hallway. Before they could step any further, a booming voice stopped them in their tracks.

"What are you two doing back here?" Joe, Nick, and Olivia gulped as they turned around and came face to face with a tall gangly man. He wore a white lab coat and a curious, luckily not angry, expression.

"Sir, we can explain-"

"I would be delighted to hear it,"

"Well, my brother and I found these old bones in New Jersey and we were wondering if someone could help us identify them," Nick pointed at his backpack, praying they wouldn't get into trouble.

"That's all? You two are the least troublesome intruders I've ever encountered. Let's get into the back and I'll take a look at them," the man smiled and Nick and Joe let out their breath, "you two look familiar...are you in a band or something?"

"We're two-thirds of the Jonas Brothers," Joe grinned.

"Of course! My daughters love you guys," he chuckled and Nick shrugged his shoulders.

______

"Let's see those bones then," the man, Dr. Lancley turned out to be his name, instructed Nick and he unzipped his backpack and took out the bag of bones. He handed them over to Dr. Lancley and he began to examine them carefully. Olivia watched him, as an odd feeling rushed over her. She wasn't quite sure how to describe it: it was a mixture of relief, stress, and sadness at the same time.

"Can you identity the species?"

"Boys, I've been doing this for almost thirty years, if I can't identity mammal bones by now then I'm in the wrong profession," he laughed as he picked up another bone, "these are clearly human. The size and shape are indicative of that. I'd say female, a teenager, most likely."

"How old are they?"

"With the decay it's hard to tell by just looking at them...but I'd estimate roughly fifty years," Nick and Joe's jaws must have hit the ground as they took in what they had just been told. Olivia's heart swelled at the doctor's words.

"Could identity them?"

"I can, indeed. I'll have to take them DNA off the bone, which luckily there is some left, and then hopefully we'll make a match,"

"How can you do that?"

"There is a computer, relatively new, which will take the bones' DNA and look through millions upon millions of samples and will hopefully match it,"

"How long does it take?"

"Not very long. Anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours," he started to take his sample from the bones and packed everything back up.

"You are amazing. We owe you mucho....the next concert in LA, tell your daughters to come and we'll put them on the guest list," Joe offered and the doctor thanked them.

"I have one more question...how did you find these bones?"

"We were walking our dog and she dug them up,"

"My oh my. That's quite a story. We'll keep this confidential of course,"

"Thank you, doctor,"

"Anytime. Just take the back entrance out and I'll call you when I get a positive ID,"

"Thank you," Nick, Olivia, and Joe made their way back into the busy LA streets as they quickly headed for their car.

_____

"That was crazy," Nick said when they arrived back home and anxiously waited for the phone to ring.

"Science is crazy nowadays. Back when I was alive, it was so...primitive compared to what they have now," Olivia smiled.

"I can't believe we're so close to solving another piece of the puzzle. It's all starting to fit together," Joe said. They pulled out a large stack of Mad Gab cards and spent the next while playing and killing time. Before they knew it a few hours had passed and the phone rang, "hello?"

"Joe?"

"Yes,"

"It's Dr. Lancley. I've got a match on the bones,"

"Yes?!"

"They belong to a Olivia Ann Cayhill,"

"Oh my. Thank you,"

"Anytime,"

"What!?"

"They're Olivia's bones," Nick and Joe turned their attention to Olivia as her eyes widened and she looked at Nick's backpack.