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

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!

ScienceLove&Pie wrote:

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!

Gotta admit it works...he shows up on your door with Thai and that grin...how can one help but to bend to his will?

Loving the story, Ma.

Shakari wrote:
Gotta admit it works...he shows up on your door with Thai and that grin...how can one help but to bend to his will? .

[insert dirty word]

Thanks, ladies!

"Ten minutes, cher."

"Thanks, Caroline."

"Don't you lay your charm on me, young man. You get to talk to your brother, now go do it. Don't keep yackin' my ear off."

Booth smiled and opened the door.

"And cher?"

He turned.

"Don't you dare call me unless it's worth draggin' me outta bed for. Not 'til the sun is shinin' at least."

"Will do, Caroline."

Booth walked into the private room. Jared was sitting behind the table, looking down at his cuffed hands.

"Hey, Jared."

"Seeley. You're the only man I know who wears a suit well past midnight."

"Yeah--It's been a long day."

"Yeah, Tempe told me you guys are trying to catch an accomplice?"

Booth looked up sharply. "Bones visits you?"

"Every once in a while." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Booth couldn't get it out of his head. Bones--his partner--visits his brother? "What--do you talk about?" He tried to be nonchalant, too.

"Stuff."

"Stuff?"

Jared was beginning to catch on. He smiled. "Don't get worked up, Seeley."

"I'm not getting worked up. I was just asking--making conversation."

"Really. Would you... like to know?"

"Sure." Hopefully that didn't sound too eager.

"Sex, mostly."

Booth's glare grew cold, his teeth clenched together.

Jared began to laugh. "Seeley! I'm f-cking joking, man!" After a few seconds, he caught his breath. "Seriously, though? We talk about you."

"Me?"

"And it's not like it's that way because of my arrest, either. When we went out--"

"I don't wanna hear this."

"Why?"

"I dunno--It feels like I'm eavesdropping into Bones' private life."

"Seeley, you are her private life." Jared laughed. "I figure that it was probably best that she knocked my ass to the ground. It was not a match made in heaven. Friends? Yes. Lovers? No way."

"Woah. Back up. She did what?"

"Pushed me off a bar stool. Then she chewed my ass out when Tafett got you."

"Why?"

"I'm not proud of myself, Seeley. Let's just say that the reason you're here is because your partner really must love you. I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother to you." He began to chuckle a little sardonically. "Can you believe it took three months of drying up in prison to say those words to you?"

"It's OK, Jared. Because I know you meant them. If you were drunk, I'd probably not have taken them to heart." Booth stood up and walked to the other side, then hugged his brother. "I love you, Jared."

"I love you, too. You should probably let go of me before they offer us a conjugal trailer."

Booth let go of his brother. "Listen, Jer--The reason I came here was because I didn't get a chance to tell you thanks. I know you lost your job because of me."

"Chances are, I would've lost it anyway."

"Yeah, for drinking. Saving your brother's life shouldn't be one of those reasons." He sighed. "I'm talking to the judge that's overseeing your case."

"Think they'll give me a slap on the wrist for falsifying paperwork and stealing a body from the FBI?"

"No, Jared. Probably not. But I've gotta do something. You're my brother."

"Thought you weren't 'saving me' any more."

"This is different, Jared. You didn't get into this mess because you got drunk and drove into a telephone pole. You got into this mess because you did the right thing. I want you to know that I'm proud of you."

Jared nodded. "That's good to hear--especially coming from my brother."

The guard knocked on the window.

Booth smiled at his brother and let himself be let out. As he walked by the glass window, he looked back at his brother. Jeez, he felt guilty--and proud. Guilty and proud. He waved one last time. Jared raised cuffed hands as the guard led him out of the room and down the hall toward his cell.

This is great, Mama! Right here waiting on the next post! And I love your sig that you have to go with it!!!

Ooo! You posted the next part while I was posting this!!! Yay!

love this story, mama