Title: Something Rotten
Author: Alice J. Foster (a.k.a. shipperfey)

Summary: Brennan gets involved in an international plot for power, and it's up to Booth to rescue her.

Category: UST, friendship, adventure.

Spoilers: Season 2

Characters: Booth, Brennan, OC, and special appearances by the squints.

Rating: R for torture, violence, language and mature themes.

Warnings: nothing that hasn't been mentioned in the rating.

Started: 09/24/07
Finished: 09/30/07

Archiving: If you want it, take it. It'll soon be archived at my website at http://obsessionscorner. This story is made of 13 chapters (plus prologue and epilogue). It will also have a sequel at least. The subsequent story will contain more Booth/Brennan; this one acts more like a setup for the shippy stuff.

Thanks to: n0mdeplum and butterfllykiss for being my lovely betas.

Feedback: The best medicine.

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters and situations you recognize, and I own the ones you don't.

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Prologue

Agent Seeley Booth was almost bouncing as he walked from his car to the Jeffersonian entrance. He tried not to fidget impatiently as he reached for his access card – it was almost childish how much he'd missed this place.

In the three months that Bones had been gone, he'd only stepped in the Institution once – not that he disliked the Squints, but Zack had a way of getting under his skin and it was just easier to deal with his least favorite Forensic Anthropologist via phone and e-mail. Zack was a good kid, but where arguing with Bones had helped Booth's crime-solving process, arguing with Zack always left him emotionally drained and slightly guilty for making the kid so uncomfortable.

"Angela!" Booth yelled when he saw the familiar figure.

"Booth! Thank god you're here," Angela looked slightly nervous, which was a disturbing look for Angela.

"What's going on? Is Bones back?" he said, wondering if the pathetic and needy twinge in his voice was audible to the others. He briefly wondered how he could keep Bones from ever going on vacation again. Even if -- especially if, her idea of vacation was to identify remains in politically unstable countries in Europe that no one had heard of, followed by a short book tour in the same continent.

Angela said nothing, just grabbed his arm and pulled him towards Hodgins' lab area, frantically looking behind them.

"You know, Angela, I think you've been spending too much time around your significant other, you're becoming paranoid," Booth quipped. Not long after, he winced – even his usual quips' quality had degraded over the past three months. This really sucked.

Booth was forced into Hodgins' lab by Angela with more force than he thought possible from the young artist. Inside, the three squints were looking at him with an odd mixture of emotions on their faces. For someone so well trained at reading people, Booth was coming up frustratingly empty.

"What's going on? Did—did something happen to Bones?" He asked, concern blurring his thoughts and vision.

Angela nodded slowly. "Yes," and he must've looked quite distressed because she instantly reached for his arm, "it's okay, she's not hurt."

Letting out a breath he felt like he'd been holding forever, Booth put both hands on a metal table before looking at the others again. "Ok, someone please tell me what's going on before I shoot one of you."

Zack, always the most susceptible squint, took a deep breath. "We have instructions for you. From Dr. Brennan."

Booth frowned. "What kind of instructions?"

"The secretive kind," Hodgins offered.

"The kind that could get you fired, Booth," Angela added, her face showing even more compassion than usual. "Instructions that could get us all arrested – or worse."

He could feel his frown getting deeper. "Ok, let me get this straight: Bones has called you from Leechtown—"

"Liechtenstein," Zack corrected him.

"—wherever-- asking you, to give me some mysterious and secretive set of instructions to be relayed to me, which could get all of us fired, arrested or worse?"

"Well, you fired. But yeah," Angela agreed. "That sums it up. I'm scared, but she said I wouldn't be of any help. You on the other hand... She needs you, Booth." Angela's trust was clear and he wondered how much of it was a reflection of Bones's trust in him.

When it came to Brennan in danger, he would do anything.

She was in danger… Something inside his chest tightened, and Booth carefully examined the three again, noticing for the first time a manila folder that Hodgins was clutching close to his chest. Finally, he nodded and reached for the folder.

"Have you been to Leesburg Airport?" Hodgins asked, handing Booth the folder but not letting it go just yet.

Booth shook his head.

"It's a private airport in Leesburg, Virginia. There's a Cantilever plane there waiting for you," Hodgins finally let go of the folder, inside were two pictures. "These are the pilot and co-pilot. No one else is authorized to be on that flight, if you see anyone else, take them out. When the pilot asks your name, reply 'James James Bond.' "

"Bren's idea," Angela explained off Booth's strange look.

Paranoia was only fun as a spectator sport. "Ok, ok—I need someone who is not out of their mind to explain to me what the hell is going on."

"We can't," Zack added, almost petulantly. "Dr. Brennan was very adamant about the confidentiality of this scheme."

"You trust her, right?" Angela asked, though she already knew the answer.

Booth sighed.

He hated secret missions.