Being struck by lightning. Thats how I compare the feeling I had during the season 3 finale of Bones. Zach helping a face eating serial killer? WTF? I am beyond PO about them ditching this incredible character in such a dramatic way. I have heard from a interview that, if not for the strike, Zach was going to have been approached by Gormogon BUT REFUSE the offer- and then be killed. Personally, I think we'd be better off with a dead Zach than with a crazy murdering one.
So this is what inspired this story- which is my own rewrite, if you will, of the Bones finale and the end of the Gormogon arc. Zach lovers can take refuge in it for now, but come season four of Bones, I don't know what I'll do without my favorite socially awkward genius.
Zach is my favorite Bones character- I have written a series of humorous oneshots about him and his family- check them out! I will probably bring his family into this as well.
So- I now give you my newest Zach installment- and the first multi part story- Storms!
Storms
Chapter One: The First Cloud
Zach's mouth twisted in horror as the shot echoed through the club. It brought back half buried memories of Iraq that used to wake him up many a night and prevent him from pleasant thought. But now, the shot was on a more personal level, for it was directed at none other than Dr. Temperance Brennan, Zach'smentor and the person he admired more than anyone else. With a yell of surprise, Zach saw Agent Booth leap in the path of the bullet.
Time seemed to stop in midair. In slow motion, Booth crumpled to the floor, and Zach felt like he was in a living horror movie. Booth had always been strong- invincible. But now, the Agent's eyes were glazed and an uncharacteristic look of shock and terror was on his face. Zach dimly heard the shooter splutter Booth's name before taking aim at Brennan once more, who had fallen at once to Booth's side. Zach stared on in terror, expecting to see the two people he looked up to the most shot down in seconds.
But Brennan lifted up Booth's fallen gun and shot the shooter staright in the forehead. Zach found himself watching as the second body fell to the ground.
"Call 911!" The voice was Hodgins's, and zach hastened to obey, pulling out his cell phone and running from the scene, to anywhere where he could find service- so much for 'more bars in more places.'
"911 Emergency- How can I be of assistance?"
"My friend has just been shot!" Zach bellowed into the phone. He then recited the address of the club.
"Don't worry." cooed the receptionist. "An ambulance is on its way."
Zach thought it was odd of her to telll him not to worry when there was currerntly a hero dying in the club next to him. He waited for the sounds of sirens to come closer and then led the paramedics inside to a grissly scene; the shooter was dead on the floor, her blood pooling around in a dark red gash. The club people were all huddled in the far corner, pale and many in tears.
But it was the group of people by the stage that Zach's gaze led to.
Booth was on the floor where he had fallen. Brennan was applying pressure to his bullet wounds, while frantically shouting encouragement that Zach doubted he could hear. Hodgins was hugging Angela, who was crying quietly in his shoulder. Cam was just starring in disbelief, while Sweets looked oddly out of place, his face pale and frantic.
In a manor of five minutes, the entire group was gone. Booth had been loaded into the ambulance- which could be heard speeding in to the distance. Hodgins was piling into his car, with Angela and Cam. Brennan was already on her way to the hospital. Sweets approached Zach cautiously.
"would you..." he coughed uncertainly. "I need to... I'm going to inform the FBI of the situation."
Zach turned to stare blankly at Sweets, wondering what this had to do with him.
"Someone should contact Agent Booth's family and I... I haven't known him as long as you." Sweets stared uncomfortabley at the ground.
Zach knew at once that Sweets did not want to be the bringer of bad news. Grudginly, he followed into Sweets's car and the pair rode in silence to the FBI Hoover Building. They pulled into Sweets's assigned employee parking and then entered the building. When they reached Director Cullen's office, Sweets took a deep breath before entering.
"Dr. Sweets." Cullen said in recognition. "And aren't you one of Booth's squints?"
"Dr. Zach Addy." Zach offered his hand to the director, who accepted it, not taking his eyes from Zach's the entire time. Zach was met with the strange feeling of being xrayed.
"Director Cullen, there is no easy way to say this..." Sweets began. "Agent Booth has been shot."
"What?" Cullen declared in shock. "What happened!" he demanded.
Sweets explained the story while Zach wondered what exactly he was doing.
"Dr. Addy here would like the number for Booth's family, who should be informed." Sweets said when he finished his story.
Cullen looked at him in surprise, lost in thought. He was silent for a few moments, than moved to a filing cabinet in the corner of the room. After a lot of rummaging, he came out with a large manilla folder. Cullen put on a pair of reading glasses and examined the contents of the folder.
"His parents are living in Philadelpihia. He has a brother in Virginia- and of course Parker and Rebecca should be told."
Zach was given these numbers and one by one had the three most awkward conversations of his life.
Mr. and Mrs. Booth were shocked, then assured him that they would be on the next flight, and asked Zach to pray for Seeley. Jared Booth, the brother, was in shock before choking that he would be in as soon as he could. Rebecca was in shock and wondered how she should tell Parker.
Zach offered little condulences to any of these mourners- for he did not really know what to do in situations like these. The only person he ever knew to come to a near fatal accident was his Grandpa Roy- but that was a different story.
Hours later, after a stop at the emergency room, Zach found himself back in the apartment above Hodgins's garage. He was trying to comprehend all that had happened- the shot- the phone calls- the doctors informing them that Booth was in a 'serious but stable condition.' He stared weerily out of the window at the clear sky, where the full moon glistened spectacularly.
His mind wandered for many minutes- maybe even hours- until he head something most peculiar- a knock at his door. A glance at the clock told him that it was much to late for visitors. Curiousity getting the better of him, Zach slowly descended the stairs. He creaked open the door and took his surroundings.
There was nobody there.
Nothing, except a small, white envelope on his doormat. Glancing around for any movement, (and finding none), Zach bent down and picked up the enevelope. He would have opened it there, but he had the strangest feeling of being watched- a feeling that he had gotten aquantanied with in Iraq. The hair on the back of his neck rose and something inside him told him to get back in the house as fast as possible and lock the door.
He did just that.
He then ran up the stairs, his heart pulsing and his mind racing, wondering what was the matter with him. His turned on lights and closed the blindes on the window. Still feeling strange, he turned the stereo on and onyl semi- relaxed when the soft tones of Tom Petty could be heard throughout the apartment.
Then he opened the letter.
Dear Dr. Zacharcy Uriah Addy,
I have been watching you for sometime- don't ask me how. I am in need of a partner- an apprentice some might say- for a certain project of mine. My observations have shown you to have the general qualities that I am looking for.
You may wonder what sort of project I am speaking of, and why you have been singled out. These things may not be written in text where all the world can read it. We must speak in private.
Therefor, I ask you to meet with me for a short interview- to further see if you are indeed useful in my project. If you are interested, please leave a reply under your mat where I will collect it and then return instructions on how we can finally meet. You may wonder why I do not reveal myself to you in the open, and why I seem to know a lot about you.
Do not worry. I do not intend to harm you. As long as you comply to my instructions, no damage will befall you.
I encourage you to meet with me, for I will introduce you to something that will be of great importance to you.
I look forward to meeting you, Dr Addy.
PS I suggest you do not tell anyone about this letter. I wouldn't want anyone to come to conclusions.
Until we meet again- I hope.
Zach stared uncertainly at the intruiging message, a cool feeling creeping down his spine. He slowly walked to the window and glanced through the shade. The street around him looked completely normal- expcept for the single pair of headlights on the side of the road- belonging to a parked car. Zach thought he could distinguish movement from inside the vechicle, but at the very moment that he leaned closer to see, Zach swore he saw a light flicker in the passenger seat.
Zach glanced down at the strange letter again, and then at the place where the car was parked.. He felt a chill surround him, and as he looked up at the sky, a gust of cloud appeared to have covered the moon.
He gluped before checking that the window was locked and the shade was down before leaning softly agaisnt the wall. After several long, tense minutes, he got up and moved into the kitchen. Have mentally made his descion, Zach reached past the cabinets in search of something. His hand passed the stationary he used for letters, and several ink pens. It landed at last on a silver lighter.
Holding the lighter up to the clouding night sky, Zach set the message on fire, and then dropped it out the window. He watched as it crumpled to the ground and burned, landing in one of the various puddles that littered the driveway.
At once, the car that was parked at the end of the road sped off into the night. Zach firmly locked the window, closed the shade, and went to turn the stero up.
And thus began the begining of the end of Zach Addy's life.
okay... so this chapter is a little strange for me. I thought that the whole 'Booth gets shot' thing was also underplayed- so I'm bringing that into deeper focus now. Im not sure how accurate or believe the Gormogon letter is- but just go with it for the time being. I promise it will get better.
Not sure when this will update- but reviews can always boost me to a sooner follow up.
Opinions and reviews are greatly appreciated.
-Misty