Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Bones.

This idea came to me in disjointed parts. It was meant to be a one-shot then the ideas grew and grew into something longer. I started on this first chapter some months back, then shelved it. I'm attempting to make something out of it now. This combines parts of the show that I really like, Booth's gambling addiction and Max's past. Not sure if you'll be sold on a vague idea like that but anyway here we go.

This is set some time after "Eye in the Sky". Amidst Booth's struggle with an old addiction, Max's past returns to haunt him. As they all attempt to hide the truth would Brennan end up collateral damage? Or would it come back to haunt them?

Booth had a watchlist. It was locked in the top drawer of his desk in his office. He had started the list after Christine had been born. Through the course of their impressive solve and arrest rate, it had dawned on Booth that he and his wife had possibly made a lot of enemies in the process. The watchlist contained names of people they had put away. Not everyone made the list, only the serial killers, the especially evil and those who had made threats for revenge. Those who ended up being executed got crossed off the list, along with those who had died in prison. So the list grew and shrank, but Booth remembered every name on that list. He checked it every so often.

Late that Thursday afternoon, the his phone rang. Eugene Turner had been released on parole. Booth knew a lot of people in law enforcement, many of whom he had helped and many he could always call upon to ask a favour. This particular prison warden had been told to call Booth if ever a particular inmate got released on parole. Booth thanked the warden who has delivered on that promise.

Eugene Turner was the only person on Booth's watchlist who did not get on it because of his or Brennan's doing. Eugene was there because of Max. Back in the 1960s, there had been a bank in San Antonio that had been robbed. The people responsible for that crime were never caught and the money, a cool one hundred thousand was never recovered. Max Keenan and Eugene Turner's names had been linked to the robbery. But they were never arrested for the crime. It was one back robbery that never got solved.

This was one of the lose ends that Booth couldn't tie when it came to his father-in-law. He knew he would be keeping a close eye on this particular name and he would speak to Max in private about it when he got the chance. His phone beeped to inform him of an incoming text, interrupting his rumination of Max's past. Booth checked the text message.

You're down 3000. What's your next move?

It was Jimmy, his bookie. Booth sighed. He had a good run and after a spate of big wins, he was now on a losing streak. It would seem as though the luck he had from finding out that he was to become a father again had run out. That was two months since he had put $200 on the Capitals. The Capitals weren't helping much these days.

Half of it on tonight's Flyers game. You know I'm good for it. Booth hit the send button on his phone.

Jimmy's text came back almost instantly.

Got it. Not worried about getting my money back. Your wife is loaded anyway.

It was a thinly veiled threat against Brennan. Booth's blood boiled. He wanted to text a reply to warn Jimmy to not mention Brennan again but was interrupted by Aubrey.

"Suspect's waiting in the interrogation room. You want a shot at him?"

"Why don't you go ahead. I'll be watching next door."

Aubrey nodded, leaving Booth alone again. He got up from his chair, staring at his phone. The sensation of guilt that washed over him was quickly pushed aside. After his undercover stint that had necessitated him to play poker in an underground game, the urge to gamble again resurfaced with a vengeance. Like a hungry caged tiger that had not eaten for days and had been finally released to hunt again, the need to gamble bit him and didn't want to let go. That night after the case was closed and convinced that Brennan's pregnancy was a sign of his good luck, Booth had placed the call to Jimmy. And that had started his relapse into a world he had thought he had left far behind.

Initially when he placed a bet, the guilt at keeping it from Brennan would eat at him for days but as the number of bets he placed grew along with the money he was winning, he managed to convince himself that it was harmless fun. Nobody was getting hurt and he was making a little extra on the side. He needed that little extra, he was about to have another mouth to feed.

Then his luck changed. After a month of wins, the losses came. This was a part Booth didn't forget either. From experience, he knew he had to stop. Get out, cut his losses. Stop. But he couldn't. He knew his sponsor Gavin was a phone call away but he couldn't bring himself to make the call. That would mean having to admit to his weakness. Admitting that he had fallen off the wagon. That would mean he would have to come clean to Brennan. He wasn't ready for that, at least not yet. Things were going great between his wife and him. He had it all planned out. He would win back the $3000 he had lost, then he would stop. Nobody would even need to know.

He picked up the file on the suspect that Aubrey was about to interrogate from his desk. His mind already switching from gambling to the case on hand. He had a case to solve.

…

When Booth got home that evening he was greeted by his little girl.

"Daddy!" Christine jumped into his arms and Booth held her close to him in his arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Hey Sweetheart." He carried her into the kitchen, inhaling exaggeratedly, "Smells amazing in here."

"Mommy's making dinner."

"Hi Bones." Booth pressed a quick kiss to her lips before setting their daughter down on the chair by the counter.

"It might smell good to you but unfortunately I'm feeling a little too nauseous to enjoy tonight's meal I'm afraid."

"Aww…" Booth rubbed Brennan's back sympathetically. "I don't remember you getting morning sickness this bad when you were pregnant with Christine."

"Morning sickness is a misnomer since the nausea that comes from elevated human chorionic gonadotrophin levels during pregnancy that can occur at any time of day."

"Want me to make you somethin'. Chamomile tea?"

"I already made myself a cup."

"I'll take over making dinner then. Why don't you head over to the couch with this little monkey," Booth tickled Christine, causing the little girl to erupt in a fit of giggles.

"Thanks Booth." Brennan picked Christine up, setting her on her feet. Their daughter out of earshot, Brennan placed a hand on Booth's arm.

"My Dad called to cancel on our dinner plans again."

"Really? That makes it twice in a row."

"I told Christine that her Grandpa is busy but it's a poor excuse for him disappointing her."

Immediately knowing what Brennan was thinking Booth took her hand, squeezing gently. "Hey he's not leaving you or Christine okay? Look if you're worried, I'll check it out."

"No. Max promised to come by tomorrow. If he cancels again…"

"Then we'll discuss it. But not now. Now, you can just kick back and relax and with Christine and our little guy in there on the couch while I finish making dinner." Booth moved his hand to rest on Brennan's slightly rounded abdomen.

Brennan smiled. "You're still maintaining that we're having a boy huh?"

"You know I'm right."

"We'll find out in a couple of months."

"Want something else to eat? Name it. I'll drive to the ends of the earth to get it for you."

"I'll just have some dry toast while you and Christine have your dinner."

"You sure?"

"The nausea will soon pass, once I'm past the first trimester."

"Okay."

"Mommy!" Christine called to her mother.

"Go on, dinner will be ready in a bit. Don't worry about Max okay. Everything will be okay."

Brennan nodded, heading towards Christine. He hated that she was worried about her father. He was even more determined now that he win back that $3000. He knew he had to stop before he hurt the woman he loved.

…

The Flyers lost their game and compounded Booth's losses. He was in a sour mood the entire day causing Aubrey to postulate that his partner had been in a fight with his wife. Against his better judgement, Booth placed another bet on the upcoming Capitals game. This time he was a little more careful to cut the amount he was betting.

That evening, Max did turn up at their house for dinner, without having to break his promise to Christine.

"So how're you doing Tempe?" Max asked after dinner was over.

"I'm good Dad."

"Booth tells me you've been sick."

"It's to be expected given that I'm pregnant."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine there's nothing you have to worry about. Unlike you Dad."

"Me?"

"You've been uncontactable for two weeks and you cancelled dinner on us twice. Christine was disappointed."

"I'm sorry Honey. An old friend who was sick died. I went up to Maine to pay a visit to his widow."

"Someone we know Max?" Booth asked, his interest piqued. Eugene Turner wasn't in Maine, but Booth knew it didn't hurt to be careful.

"Just an old friend. Tempe's probably too young to remember him anyway."

"Next time you should call Dad. I was worried."

"I'm sorry to have worried you. Won't do it again."

The evening passed without any further comment on Max's disappearing act. Christine insisted on getting put to bed by her Grandpa and after the four-year-old was tucked into bed, Booth wanting an opportunity alone with Max, walked his father-in-law out the door.

"So that friend of yours that died in Maine, he have a name?"

"Why?"

Booth shrugged. "Just curious."

"Paul Berton. We taught science together back in the day. You're free to check it out if you don't believe me."

Booth made a mental note to check on Max's story the next morning at the FBI. "I'm just lookin' out for my family Max. You of all people should understand."

Max nodded.

"Eugene Turner, ever heard of him?" Booth slipped the question in.

Booth was a master at reading people but Max was a master conman. He thought he had detected a subtle change in Max's face at the mention of that name but couldn't be certain.

"No. Why?"

"Like I said, just lookin' out for my family."

"You keep doing that Booth. Goodnight." And with that Max disappeared into the night.

His gut told him that Max was hiding something. His phone beeped. Booth's thoughts about Max were again interrupted. The Capitals had won their game. Booth smiled. Maybe his luck was changing for the better.

Your turn now. Thoughts, comments, reviews?

Don't worry, haven't forgotten about my other story Making Things Right. An update to that is in the works!