The Accomplice in the Story (A Finale Fic) T?

This story begs to be written...
[Only admins are allowed to see this image]
_______________
Booth ran through the airport. After a few steps, he glanced at his watch. He stopped a man on his cell phone by grabbing his sleeve as he passed. "Hey, buddy, you know what time the flight to Brazil leaves?"

The man gave him a blank look and pointed to the arrivals board.

"Thanks," Booth breathed. He ran to the arrivals board, but his steps slowed as he recognized the couple standing next to it. "Angela? Hodgins?"

Angela smiled, "Hi, Booth. Did do a little badge-flashing to get past baggage check?"

Booth gave her a confused look, eyes narrowing.

"What? Did you miss Brennan's flight?"

"Oh, dude. Wife's gonna be pissed," Hodgins laughed. The look on Booth's face told him he was not in a playing mood. "Sorry," he quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry, Booth. Didn't Brennan tell you what time her flight left?"

"Yeah," Booth said. He pulled a yellow Post-It from his pocket. "Six-fifteen. She... " She wrote it down herself.

Angela's face became sympathetic. "Oh. It--It left at five, Booth. I don't know why she told you the wrong time--"

"Sorry, man," Hodgins said. "Look, we're about to go out to dinner with Cam and a bunch of lab rats before we all split up for the summer. Wanna come? It's at the bar, so--"

Booth shook his head. "No... It's--It's alright. I'm--I've got things to do anyway."

"Booth..." Angela attempted to console him.

Booth shook his head and pretended to shake it off. "It's no big deal. I just must've misheard, that's all. I'll-- see you guys later, huh?"

He turned away, trying to hide a look of hurt on his face, but his shoulders slumped as he turned his back.

When he was out of ear-shot, Angela whispered, "Something happened."

"Like they slept together or something?"

"I was afraid this would happen if they hooked up."

"You have the heart of an angel," Hodgins whispered, kissing her cheek.

---

96 Hours Earlier

Angela knocked at Brennan's door. "Hey, sweetie."

"Hey, Ange," Brennan replied, not looking up from her work.

"Finishing up on your notes? I'm surprised that the judge didn't throw out your testimony. What, with the stealing of bodies and breaking of federal laws--"

Brennan glanced up for a second. "Perhaps there was something substantial to the fact that Jared was willing to lose his job and we all risked our lives to save Booth."

"Either way, I'm glad that this whole fiasco's about to be put behind us." Angela walked over and sat on Brennan's desk. "When does your flight leave?"

"Um... Friday." Brennan finished writing and looked up. "Why?"

"Well, I kinda wanna see you lift off, Bren. You know, say good-bye?"

"Oh. Well, I'll write it down for you so you can be there on time." Brennan stood and walked over to Angela.

"I'll miss you, sweetie. I hate that you feel like you have to run off to the other side of the world whenever summer comes around. Next year, you're staying here in DC and we're going to actually spend time together. Go shopping, hang out. Hodgins has this great beach house in Martha's Vineyard."

Brennan smiled. "That sounds lovely, Ange, but this year I've already committed to helping out the local government in Brasília."

"You are quite the wild woman, Bren."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "There aren't that many Forensic Anthropologists; my skills are a sought-after commodity. This is important, Angela. "

"And hanging with the woman you consider your best friend isn't? C'mon, sweetie, take a breath, take a break. It wouldn't hurt you to rest a little--relax."

"I'll relax when Heather Tafett serving her sentence and I've finished identifying the Brasílian bodies. After that, is when I plan to relax."

"Please tell me that you're not going to come home and start identifying Korean War mummies. That's not relaxation. Relaxation is sitting on a beach, soaking up the golden rays of South Pacific and admiring a pool boy wearing nothing but a Speedo. That's relaxation. Not death. Take my word for it, sweetie."

"Actually, I plan on renting a cabin for the week before we come back, then I'm going to start doing the thing that I love most-- solving crimes with Booth, because that's what I do and that's what I find relaxing."

"Fine. As long as you find a lonely fisherman at the cabin and/or a stranded hiker. Preferably one with hypothermia."

Booth popped his head into the room. "Ready, Bones?"

"Well, I'll just see you guys at the courthouse. Hodgins and I are gonna have a quickie, then we'll go put that grave-digging bitch behind bars." Angela walked out of the room.

"Lunch?" Booth asked.

"Of course." Brennan replied. She stood and put her jacket on.

"Well, I suppose I'm supposed to just sit here and watch you two yack," Caroline Julian said as she walked up to Booth and Brennan. The pair were sitting on a bench outside of the courtroom.

"Same side. Prosecution," Booth grinned.

"I know. I just felt like being nosy. And don't you correct me. I could be your mother-- well, your mother's younger sister." She walked up to them and gestured at the bench. "Move over, cherie. I gotta get a load off."

The two moved over.

At that moment, Jared was being escorted up the hallway by an armed officer.

"Excuse us, Ms. Julian," Brennan said, standing.

Booth stood, too, and they walked up to Jared. For a moment, the two men stood with about a foot of tile between them. Then, Booth wrapped his arms around his brother and hugged him tightly.

"Seeley, you keep hugging me like that, some of these guys might get the wrong idea."

He grinned and released his brother. "How's it goin?"

"Which part? The sharing a toilet with five other men or not getting to see the sun?"

"Look, I'm--"

"I'm joking, Seeley. It was worth it." He smiled, then he looked at Brennan.

Brennan leaned close and kissed his cheek. "Hi, Jared." A mixture of thanks and apology marked her face.

"Hey, Tempe."

"We should get going," the officer said and began to lead Jared away.

When Jared was out of sight, Booth's face cracked. "Dammit."

"What?"

"What kind of irony is this, Bones? I try my whole life to make sure he turns out OK and now he's-- because of me."

"This is different, Booth. Jared is in prison for doing something that saved your life. And it wasn't your fault. If you should blame anyone, you should blame Heather Tafett. She's the one who ambushed you and put you in that ship, not you--although technically it would be impossible for you to do that to yourself."

"You know, Bones, there are a lot of things that have warped my idea of impossible."

Brennan gave him a curious look.

"Like the fact that I have no idea how a one-hundred and fifty pound, five foot seven inch woman could ambush me and drag me out of a window, stuff me in a yellow submarine and not be seen doing any of it. Not to mention, how the hell could she have dragged both you and Hodg..." He stopped mid-thought. "Did we ever find out how Vega died?"

"Cardiac failure. She held the taser directly above his heart."

"No, I mean--why?"

"Tafett's refused to say anything on that front, you know that." She studied his face. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't... know."

"Court will convene in five minutes," a man's voice echoed into the foyer.

Cam, Hodgins and Angela walked up to Brennan and Booth.

One look at Booth's face and Cam asked, "Are we interrupting anything?"

"What? No, no interrupting," Booth said.

"Booth doesn't think it makes sense," Brennan said.

"What doesn't make sense?" Cam asked.

"Heather Tafett being the Gravedigger."

"No. I didn't say that, Bones."

"But you--"

"I said that there are holes, Bones. I didn't say she wasn't the Gravedigger."

"What holes?" Angela asked.

"Dude, I'm so glad that someone else has been thinking about this. I thought it was just me being paranoid, but there are a lot of gaps."

"Mind filling us in?" Angela said.

"Well," he looked at Booth. "What are your stats? Weight, height."

"Six-one, one-ninety."

"Exactly. And I'm not exactly huge, but I still out-weigh Tafett. Even Brennan's a lot taller than her."

"What? You think Tafett's not the Gravedigger? What about all of the evidence?" Cam asked.

"I'm not saying that she's not the Gravedigger, I'm saying that it couldn't have been just her. She dragged Booth out of a window and onto a ship. She buried me and Brennan in car. And she did the same thing to a dozen others. All alone? It doesn't make sense. Sure, the evidence points to her, but there's gotta be another, right?"

"What are we talking about?" Sweets asked. He had slipped into the group unnoticed.

"Thank God you're here, I'm lost in these conspiracy theories." Angela said.

"They're not conspiracy theories, Angela. It's a simple matter of facts adding up to a logical conclusion." Brennan replied.

Booth began to grin. "You would've never said anything like that back in the day, Bones."

"You've had an effect on my abilities to deduce."

"What's going on?" Sweets was still lost.

"Tafett wasn't alone, man." Hodgins said.

"You all are treading a fine line of theories," Caroline said. She had been sitting and observing until that moment. "You need to have more than a hunch when it comes to the law. Aren't you all a bunch of geniuses?"

"I've never claimed genius-dom," Angela corrected.

"Me, neither," Booth said.

"Doesn't matter, cher. You have Tafett shakin' in her booties in cell block nine. Do you really wanna risk suspending the trial over a funny feeling?"

"If there's someone else responsible for these crimes, then we should investigate it, right?" Brennan asked. "Aren't we all seeking justice here?"

"Well, I don't know 'bout you, but I'm seeking the death penalty. Don't go snooping where your noses don't belong. If you get some actual flesh-and-blood evidence, then we can talk. Until then, Tafett's gonna keep her head on the block." Caroline shook her head and walked away from the group.

"What do you think, Dr. Sweets?" Cam asked.

"The original profile suggested male."

"What about your profile?" Booth asked.

"I assumed it could be either or, but these things aren't a hundred percent. It's just an educated hypothesis, really."

Brennan rolled her eyes.

"That would explain some things, actually," Hodgins said. All eyes went to him. "The conflicting profiles. The fact that the Gravedigger did things differently this last time--there's more than one, man. You were profiling two people, not one."

"It's not like a mixed-up DNA sequence, Dr. Hodgins," Sweets began.

"However," Booth prompted.

"However, when I profiled this guy, I did say that it was possible that there was an accomplice of some sort--a protege of sorts."

"OK," Booth said. "You guys stall--ask for a lunch break or something--"

"You can't ask for a break two minutes into the trial," Sweets said.

"Well, figure something out, OK? In the meantime, we need to have a little chat with Tafett, maybe smack her around a little."

"Oh! Can I come?" Brennan asked, sounding a little too excited.

"Of course, Bones, who else would I mean by 'we'?"

The two of them walked away.

"Caroline's not gonna like this," Cam said.

Love it! This is so great Mama

This is EXACTLY the story I wanted to see written, and I'm so glad you're doing it! So far, so good *gives the thumbs up*

Thanks!!!

Great start, can't wait to read the rest

I love mystery stories that are really well written.

This story has everything a good story needs! GREAT start! Am loving it! Keep 'em coming please!

OMG, yes! It does scream to be written. Thanks Mama!

Thanks everyone!
-------------------

"Hell no," Caroline snapped.

"It's just for a minute." Cam crossed her arms.

"It takes sixty seconds to interrogate a suspect?" She asked sarcastically, a brow tipping.

"Not exactly."

"Then you will not exactly suspend this trial and you will not exactly lie to Judge Haddos. This isn't a circus, cherie. We don't go pulling people around by their nostrils. There are proper channels for these things. You can go back and tell Agent Booth no way no how."

"Well, it's a little too late for that now."

"Excuse me?"

"Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth are interrogating Tafett as we speak."

"You and your brain posse are gonna get me into a world of trouble. I don't know why I put up with this," Caroline muttered. "Goin' aroun', bossin' people, tellin' me what to do. This is supposed to be my weekend off. Next weekend I quit. See what you can do without me for while--" She sighed. "I'll go talk to Haddos. Y'all owe me, cherie." She disappeared into the courtroom.

Angela walked up to Cam. "How'd it go?"

"I don't know. Do I have bite marks on my head?"

"Just a couple. A little cover-up should take care of that," Angela teased.

"We've gotta get that evidence. Get Hodgins and Sweets. Maybe give Perotta a call."

"I don't know, Cam. I don't really trust Agent Bimbo."

"Hey, Booth trusts her. If he trusts her then that's good enough for me. Just don't ask me to like her."

---

"Do you have an angle of attack?" Brennan asked. They were standing outside of a private room in the courthouse. Inside, Tafett complete with orange jumpsuit was waiting to be interrogated.

"I don't know, Bones. I didn't exactly expect to be doing this." He looked at her. "You got a plan?"

"Me?"

"You're the spontaneous one."

She fought back the impulse to blush. Then two things came to mind: One, a smart-ass comment. And two, a flirtatious comment. Before she could stop herself, she replied, "You only know that because I told you."

Did she just...? "Uh... how 'bout we go talk to Tafett. Just follow my lead."

"I think we should bring Sweets in with us." Brennan nodded at the man down the hall. "He was quite helpful when we were interrogating Tafett before--although he wasn't nearly as aggressive as I'd like." She took out her cell and began texting Sweets.

"That's why I'm here, Bones."

"Why?" She looked up.

"I can be very aggressive at times." He grinned at her.

Brennan's eyes fell to the floor. Did he just...? She tucked her hair behind her ear. "That's good. We need that balance."

Booth nodded and shook it off. Brennan never got it when he was flirting with her. Nothing new. He nodded at Sweets as he walked up the hallway, hands in pockets, suit jacket open.

"Where's Tafett?"

Booth nodded at the door. "We were waiting for you."

Angela walked up behind them. "I'm finished hooking up everything. I should get a clear recording of the interview."

"Alright... let's do this," Booth said, putting a hand on the door handle.

They walked into the room. Tafett was sitting, cuffed to a wooden chair. She stared coldly at the three as they walked into the room.

"I hope you know how many federal laws are being broken, Agent Booth," her lawyer, a short husky man said.

"We're just talking. Keep your shirt on, Brink." Booth turned to Sweets for a little input.

Sweets shook his head.

Booth narrowed his eyes, then stepped closer.

"It won't do you any good, Agent Booth. She knows how to shut herself down. She's basically impermeable to your accosts."

"We'll see about that." Booth turned and looked at Brennan. "Bones, you wanna hit her?"

"Yes."

"You will not lay a hand on my client," the lawyer spat.

"Damn lawyers," Booth muttered. He looked at Sweets again.

"I don't know. Go for the aggression, I guess."

Booth shrugged and crossed the room quickly. "Who's your accomplice?"

Tafett just stared at him.

"We know you weren't alone," Brennan said.

"If you're suggesting that I'd put the blame on anyone else, you're very wrong, detectives." She was unnervingly cool.

"She's proud of what she's done," Sweets said. "She won't admit to having a partner. She loves the attention."

Booth looked at Tafett again. "It doesn't matter what she says or doesn't say, Sweets. We know that she wasn't alone."

"Why did you kill Thomas Vega?" Brennan said.

"You've asked those questions before," Sweets pointed out. "And all to no avail."

"You're not exactly being helpful here, Sweets." Booth growled, eyes still trained on Tafett. "I see that your eye's still a little messed up from what my partner did to you. I can assure you that there can and will be a repeat of that if you do not give me a name."

Still no reply.

"Was Vega your accomplice?" Booth asked.

Still no reply.

"What do you think, Bones? Is it possible?"

"It's impossible to pinpoint the minute that Vega died. He was killed in and around the time she called my cell."

"It's more than possible," Sweets said.

"Either way, Tafett, we'll have a hot needle in your arm by the close of this decade. I will appear at every indictment, every rehashing, every appeal. You will die and I will be front row center."

That was when the first emotion twisted Tafett's features. For a second, she swallowed and her eyes grew large with fear. Just a second. Then she was back to cold stoicism.

Brennan grabbed Booth's arm and dragged him into the hallway, closing the door behind them. "What worked last time was being able to present evidence to Tafett. That's when she began to break. Of course by then we didn't need to continue interrogating her, but I think that's what we need. Solid statistics and facts."

"Like what, Bones? We tore her place apart."

"No, you didn't tear her place apart. FBI forensics did."

"Point being...?"

"The point is, Booth, that they may have come across that piece of evidence that would lead you or me to the accomplice, but them not seeing it in context may have caused them to overlook it altogether. It may have been just another phone number, just another first name, just another photo..."

"Good point, Bones. You know, I think you're onto something."

Cam walked up to them. "Well, I bought us some time. Not a lot of time, but some time."

"How much time?" Booth asked.

"Forty-eight hours to present compelling evidence that Tafett didn't work alone. And if we figure out who it is, then we can get another twenty-four. Otherwise, no go."

Booth mouthed the F-bomb.

"We'll take it. We have to," Brennan said.

"Alright. Let's get everyone together. I'll get the contents of Tafett's apartment shipped to the Jeffersonian." He flipped his phone out of his pocket, pressing it to his ear.

Awesome. Wonderful start, Ma. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Hope we wont wait too long, looking forward to this

I'm so happy to see you are writing another fic. I always love them. I always wondered if the gravedigger worked alone...

I'm liking this, mama! I love it when we see the end, and then you go back and tell us the story!

Sounds interesting.
And I love the flirting....
Can't wait for more!

I really like where you are going with this...but I am a little weary as to how Booth and Brennan end up in an argument or something...

Hodgins leaned close to Angela and stole several kisses, one after the other.

She pushed him back. "This really isn't the time, Jack."

"I just wanted to relive the moment, Ange."

She laughed.

"Hey, does anyone know?"

"I told Brennan."

"Really?"

"She noticed that I was wearing the same skirt two days in a row. Besides, it's only a matter of time before Booth and Cam find out." She looked back down at sheet of paper with hand-written wording on her desk. "Does this look like an 'S' or a '5' to you?"

Hodgins leaned over her shoulder. "Looks like an 'S'. Why do you say it's only a matter of time?"

"Well, besides the fact that you keep doing stuff like kissing me when we're at work? I always smell like sex any more."

"What?" Hodgins grinned.

She looked up at him. "Haven't you noticed that people smell like sex when they're getting some?"

"What, exactly, does sex smell like?"

"I don't know. Sweat, certain--bodily fluids, horniness..."

"Wow. You are always full of useful information like this, Ange."

"I may not be a genius on paper, but the guys that were in my college dorm thought I was one."

Hodgins kissed her forehead. "For future reference, that's a little TMI." He stole another kiss. "I love you by the way."

"I love you, too."

Angela watched as Hodgins walked out of her office, then she turned her attention back to the paper.

Cam walked in. "Anything?"

"Well--" Angela flipped through a stack of papers. "Twelve shopping lists, six Post-Its, and nine sheets of notebook paper, torn."

"Wait, twelve shopping lists?"

"Talk about super-organized, right? Basically nothing really suspicious, but this diary--" Angela pulled it from the stacks and opened it to a page that was book-marked. "THTSSJQQ YJS YMZWX. Some sort of code. I haven't found anything else with this code, but I'm feeding it through a deciphering program."

"Any luck?"

"No. Still running it. How about you? Any luck?"

"Approximately a hundred and thirty boxes and time's ticking away." Cam sat next to Angela. "Don't tell Booth, but I feel like we're shooting in the dark here."

"I totally understand. I mean, Booth, Bren and Hodgins have this personal vendetta against the Gravedigger. I mean, what if Tafett is it and that just freaks them out, knowing that the story ends there."

"The thing that worries me is that we could be just delaying Tafett's case. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Tafett hauled everyone to their graves. What if this is what she wants? To delay everything?"

"So she made everything look a little impossible for a single woman to do by her lonesome?"

"Exactly," Cam said. "If I were a psychopath serial kidnapper, I'd try my damndest to make it look like it wasn't my fault."

----

"Do you remember anything before you were tased?" Booth asked Brennan, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I was drugged, Booth. I don't really remember anything." She looked over at her partner. "You?"

"Last thing I remember is talking to you on the phone."

"We talked for a while."

"Hm?"

"I mean, do you remember the beginning of the conversation or the end? What do you remember saying last?"

Booth smiled. "I remember saying that I bet you looked beautiful."

An awkward silence began to grow.

"Then... you remember the end of the conversation. After that you heard a knock at the door so you hung up."

"How about you, Bones? What was the last thing you remember?"

"I remember my reflection."

"I'm sorry?"

"I remember looking at my reflection in the window of my car door. And that was it." She looked at Booth. "Hodgins remembers much less. But that's probably due to the injuries he sustained."

Without thinking, he reached up and touched the back of his neck.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Uh... no."

She reached up and touched the spot. Scar tissue was beginning to build over the burns.

Booth sucked in air. "Ow, Bones." He reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling it to his side and trapping it.

"You said it didn't hurt."

"Well, I lied."

"That isn't rational."

"It is rational, Bones. I just didn't want you to worry."

Brennan pulled her hand out from under his as they pulled up to 108 Arlington.

Great story FM!!

Thanks!!!
--------------------

Sweets walked into the Ookey Room and immediately found the man he was looking for. "Dr. Hodgins."

"I'm not looking up, Sweets. I'm deep in concentration." He still felt the young doctor's eyes boring into his head. "What do you want?" He sighed and looked up.

"Just wondering how I can help."

"You can help by not staring at me. Don't you have work to do?"

"Not really. I've just been going over my notes from assessing Tafett."

That got Hodgins' attention. "You assessed Tafett?"

"You didn't know that?"

"I know everything there is to know about the Gravedigger. It doesn't surprise me that the FBI is concealing information pertaining to the case. What'd you find out?'

"That's confidential."

"Then why'd you bring it up?"

"Just making lively conversation."

"Save your conversations, Sweets. Why are you here?"

"Looks like you don't have a lot to work with." Sweets looked over Hodgins' work station.

"Yeah, Tafett blew up everything I'd been working to collect over the past two years. Bastard."

"I've noticed that you tend to suppress your rage."

"What? You want me to blow this place up?"

"Would you do that?"

"Stuff it, Sweets. I wouldn't actually do that. And besides, Tafett didn't get everything we had."

"Really?"

Hodgins grinned, squatted, and brought a brown box with a brown lid from beneath the stainless steel table and set it on top.

Sweets moved a little closer.

Hodgins opened the box and brought out several large zip-lock plastic bags and set them on the table top.

"What's that?"

"The clothing of every Gravedigger victim complete with bugs and particulates. This, my friend, is a gold mine. Every little bit counts when psychos like Tafett go around burning things all to hell."

"Is your clothing in there?"

"One of my favorite shirts, man. I had to go out and buy a duplicate." He brought out the several bags. "Kent boys," he slapped the bags on the table. "My clothes. Brennan's clothes. Booth's tux--well, what's left of it." He looked up. "And there are about five more boxes like this. That scum-sucking bitch was busy."

Sweets studied him for a moment. "Would it be inaccurate to say that you hold an unhealthy grudge?"

"She attacked me, Sweets. She tased me, ran me over, drugged me and stole any chance that I'll ever get to sleep a full night without feeling like I'm back in that car. Am I mad? Do I hold a grudge? Do I want her to rot in prison? You better believe it."

"It's interesting how you keep referring to 'you' going through all of these things, as if Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth hadn't gone through those things, either."

Hodgins began to pull clothing from a bag, a little forcefully. "Excuse me for feeling a little selfish, Sweets. But you've never gone through anything like that. You've never been afraid to fall asleep at night. You've never known what it was like to relive those vivid memories every night--you want to run, but your feet are glued to the ground--" Hodgins yanked a jacket from a bag. A white sheet of paper slipped to the table.

"Actually, I do..."

Hodgins realized that Sweets was talking about his childhood. "Look--I'm sorry, man--but..."

"It's alright."

"Nah. It was stupid... I guess I just don't know how to-- I dunno."

"What's that?" Sweets looked at the paper that had fallen to the table.

"Well, let's see--" Hodgins opened the little note with gloved hands. "Oh."

"Oh what?"

Memories of that time spent in the car. The moments before the explosion. The letter to Angela.

"It's just something I wrote Angie before we blew out the windshield."

Sweets moved so that he could read it over his shoulder.

My Love,

My greatest fear is that I will never get to tell you this in person. I'm in love with you, Angela. Crazy in love. Six-personalities-crazy. I just hope I can tell you face-to-face.

Jack

"That was before you told her you loved her?"

"I was so in love with her--still am, always have been." He smiled at the note. "I've got an idea. I'm gonna scan it and give it to Angie."

"Sounds like a plan."

"You know what's been killing me, Sweets?"

"That you haven't shown her this note?"

"No. Stay on track, dude. What's been killing me is that Dr. B wrote a letter of her own when we were down there. Wonder what it said."

"Is it--is it in her jacket or something?"

"Only one way to find out." Hodgins set the letter to Angela aside and shuffled through the bags until he came to the one marked 'T. Brennan'. He unzipped it and slid the jacket onto the table.

"She's a righty, correct? I'd check the right pocket first."

Hodgins nodded and slid his hand into the pocket, then produced a white sheet of paper with a torn edge. On one side, it said: Special thanks to my partner and friend Special Agent Seeley Booth. And thanks to all of my friends and colleagues of the Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab.

Hodgins flipped it over. Sweets moved closer.

Together, their eyes skimmed it.

"No surprise there," Hodgins said.

"What? This is huge, Dr. Hodgins. Freaking bigger than huge. Dr. Brennan doesn't just go around saying stuff like that--in fact, she never does. We should show this to Agent Booth, shouldn't we?"

"Woah, slow down there, Casanova. We aren't going to do any of that."

"You're right. I guess the psychologist in me got sidelined there for a sec."

Hodgins grinned and put the note with Angela's. "Patience, my good man. All things happen eventually."

Aww!!! Good job

Yay!!! I really, really like this story! I can't wait to see what Brennan wrote to Booth.

"Can I get you anything to drink? I've got... tea, milk, water?"

"Tea would be nice, thank you," Brennan replied.

Booth gave her a look.

"What? Ms. Russell asked. I simply responded with a truthful answer."

"It's no trouble, really," the woman said. She was in her forties and had kind brown eyes and soft fawn-colored hair. She walked out of the room, leaving the partners alone.

"I just want to get this whole thing out of the way," Booth said, sitting back against the sofa beside Brennan. For a moment, he looked his partner over.

She looked back at him and he quickly looked at the wall. "Did you want anything?"

"Nah. Not thirsty."

"In Turkish culture, it's considered rude to refuse an offer of tea."

"Thank God we're not in Turkey, then."

Ms. Russell returned with two cups of tea. She sat one on the coffee table in front of each of her guests.

"Oh, I didn't ask for any," Booth said.

"Oh. I figured that you only said that so as to not inconvenience me, Agent Booth."

"It's OK--"

"I offered," she snapped.

Brennan gave Booth a triumphant look.

Booth laid on a charming smile. "Thank you, Amelia. It smells great."

"Of course. It's my own blend. Chamomile, lavender, and a handful of secret ingredients."

Brennan took a sip. "Mm... It's good."

Ms. Russell smiled. "No, how can I help you?"

"I'm sure you've heard about Ms. Tafett?"

She nodded. "Heather. Yeah. Unfortunately."

"How well did you know her?"

"Well, not as much as I'd like--"

"What? Romantically?" Brennan asked.

The woman laughed. "Lord, no. What I meant is that I wanted to be her friend. She always took to being by herself and she refused practically everyone's company. I pitied her, I guess. Everyone should have at least one good friend. At least one person who you can confide in."

"How much did she confide in you?" Booth asked.

"Honestly? I think I remember at least one conversation. We talked about the weather or something along those lines."

"Do you know if she had any other friends? Or any colleagues that she talked to?"

"She had lunch once a month with someone. I figured it was a lover of some sort, but she never told me who it was. She was so secretive."

---

"I can't imagine someone living their life without a single person to share their thoughts or interests with."

Booth looked over at his partner. "You were kinda like that before we were partnered."

Brennan looked at him. "I was not."

"Were, too."

"You can't prove that."

"Can, too. You were that type, Bones. You lived and breathed for that lab."

Brennan glared at him. "I had a life, Booth. It was a very interesting life, mind you."

"Let's see, Bones. Monday through Friday was spent at the lab. Saturdays you worked off the clock. Sundays you worked some more. Am I missing anything, Bones?"

"I dated."

"Pete, the loser who cheated on you?"

"He wasn't a loser, Booth."

He took this in for a moment. "Any man who's willing to lose you like that--That's not only completely stupid, but it makes him a loser. And it probably qualifies him for disability in at least ten states."

She was silent for a second. "You're right, Booth. He was a loser."

"I know I'm right." He looked over and smiled one of those smiles that could disrupt traffic.

"Who do you confide in?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I assume that you have a lot of friends outside of work, right? After all, you just went on to describe how insignificant and lab-based my life was before you. So, I assume that you have a whole trove of men you go drinking with after hours."

He shrugged. "Turns out that most of my friends I've made are at work. It's one of the side-effects of working these kinds of hours."

"I understand, although you just made a hypocrite of yourself. You didn't answer my question, Booth. Who do you confide in?"

He smiled, then looked at her again. "You, Bones. I confide in you."

Brennan looked confused. "You don't have a male who you've bonded with emotionally to share your secrets and conquests with?"

He shook his head. "I work twelve hour days, Bones. I confide in you." He looked at her. "You're my best friend, Bones."

"But--we're so different."

"But we have common ground, Bones. We may be different, but we understand each other. That's our common ground."

She nodded. "I agree."

"You agree, what?" He smiled slyly.

"I agree that I count you among my best friends."

"Friends?" He emphasized the plural.

"Well--technically, it's just you and Angela who I count--of course I have plenty of friends, but you and Angela are definitely among my best friends. I do have friends, though, Booth. I'm not a hermit."

Booth laughed. "Never said you were, Bones."

I really like this story mama.
But seriously you let them find the damn letter and you don't tell us what it says?
If Sweets thinks it is huge and Hodgins isn't surprised, I'd say it had to do with Booth.....but I wanna know more about this letter!
Please post more soon!

Thanks Tozika!

"How much time do we have on that?" Cam asked Angela.

"Quite a while, still."

"Really?"

"I found some more documents with the same code. The good thing is that it'll be easier for the computer to interpret, but the bad thing is that it'll take longer." Angela stood up. "I need to stretch."

"That's why I came in here. I'm sick of digging through knickknacks."

"I'll walk with you, Cam. We'll grab some coffee from the lounge."

"Coffee," Cam breathed.

"I know what you mean. I have a feeling tonight's gonna be a long one."

The women walked into the lab just as a pretty blond agent walked in holding her badge up.

"Can I help you, Agent Perotta?" Cam asked.

"This facility needs to be shut down immediately... please."

"Why?" Hodgins asked, taking his gloves off and walking off from the platform.

"The FBI got word of a bomb threat at the Jeffersonian--particularly, this lab."

"A bomb threat?"

"This facility is a crucial player for the FBI in terms of solving cases. Therefore, you are important as well. The Deputy Director himself sent me and the bomb squad over. In the meantime, I'd like you all to vacate this lab."

"There'll be no vacating, Special Agent Perotta," Hodgins said.

"Oh, yes there will. That's why I'm here."

"Don't you see that Tafett's accomplice is staging a bomb threat so we can't do our job and put him behind bars?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm here to do my job just as much as you are, Dr. Hodgins. And you can all get back to work once the bomb squad's gone over the facility."

"Well, how long will that take?" Cam asked.

"I'm not on the bomb squad, Dr. Saroyan."

"Give us an estimate--ballpark figure," Hodgins prompted.

"Well, considering the size and expense of the facility, I'd say you won't be allowed back in until morning. I'll contact Dr. Saroyan once the bomb squad has finished."

"Perotta?" Booth asked, walking through the doors with Brennan beside him.

"Agent Booth."

"Special," he corrected her, sounding a little flirtatious.

Perotta smiled.

"What are you here for? You know where my office is."

Angela and Cam exchanged glances.

"This isn't a social call, actually. Cullen sent me here to clear the facility. There's been a bomb threat."

"Huh. Figured that the bomb squad trucks weren't just there for looks. Had to badge people just to get in here."

"Your badge isn't a free park pass, Agent Booth. It doesn't get you on any ride you please."

"Well... I don't know about that."

Brennan cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but shouldn't we be evacuating the Jeffersonian?"

"That's probably a good idea. Meet back here at seven tomorrow morning?" Booth asked. Nods all around.

Brennan walked past Booth, not giving him any eye-contact, then went on to her office. Booth jogged after her. "Bones!"

He caught up with her in her office. She was grabbing her jacket. "Good-night, Booth."

"I'll give you a ride home."

"No need."

"I gave you a ride to the courthouse this morning, Bones--unless you plan to walk..."

"Angela will drive me. It's not like you're the only person on this earth who can fulfill my transportational needs." She brushed past him.

He reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Bones, stop."

--

From the lab, Perotta, Cam and Hodgins looked on.

"Are they...?" Perotta asked.

"What? Sleeping together? Sweetie, you know just about as much on that subject as we do."

Hodgins shook his head. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Wait, you're taking me home, remember?" Angela jogged up to him and the two walked out of the lab arm-in-arm.

"But he... gets all flirty," Perotta said, still a little confused about the Booth/Brennan relationship.

"The signals those two give off are about as murky as the East River. I'll make sure the rooms are empty," Cam said, walking off.

Perotta shook her head and walked out just in time for the bomb-sniffing dogs to be led through the lab.

--

Brennan shrugged out of his grasp.

"Why are you pissed at me?"

"I'm not angry at you, Booth."

"You tell me 'Good-night' like you're mad at me and then you refuse my ride?"

"You misinterpreted my voice inflections and it's not unusual for Angela to give me a ride home."

"Is it Perotta?"

"No," she quickly replied.

"Bones, we're just friends."

"Just a friend who you twinkle your eyes at?"

"What?"

She walked off and he pursued her through the lab.

"No, it makes perfect sense, Booth. We're just partners and you're just friends." She slowed her pace and put a hand to her head. "I'm being irrational." She turned. "Sorry, Booth--I don't know what got into me."

"S'okay." Booth smiled and put an arm around her. "Hungry?"

"Is that what you do when you get into trouble? You feed people?"

ForensicMama wrote:"Is that what you do when you get into trouble? You feed people?"

I love it! Brennan summed up what Booth does to get out of trouble in one sentence!!! Lol!