(The Corpse on the Canopy)
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I don't own Bones.
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Leaving the cold storage room, Aldo was surprised to find Booth sitting in the bar waiting for him. "Hey what's up?"
His eyes darting towards the six patrons at the end of the bar, Booth waited for his friend to get closer, "Pelant is back."
Puzzled, Aldo grabbed a bottle of Scotch, poured some of the amber liquid in a glass and handed it too Booth, "This doesn't sound good."
Pulling the glass towards him, Booth paused before drinking the Scotch, "Oh it's not believe me." The taste of the Scotch soothing, he placed the glass down, "I almost had him and he got a way."
Refilling Booth's glass, Aldo leaned against the bar, "What happened?"
His eyes on the glass in his hand, Booth explained, "Pelant gained access into a company that provides mercenaries and body guard's to the rich and powerful around the world. The company has access to drones and he used some of those drones to blackmail the head of the Cantilever Group to give up all of his assets. He aimed the drones at a girl's school in Afghanistan and Hodgins had to choose between the lives of those girls and his money. . . . He did the right thing and he helped save the lives of those girls, but now Pelant has access to billions of dollars. I'm afraid of what he's going to do with it. The guy is a psycho. There's no telling what he plans to do with that money."
Puzzled, Aldo shook his head, "I've never heard of the Cantilever group. You say we're talking about billions of dollars?"
Nodding his head, Booth sighed, "Yeah, billions. Pelant is dangerous and with that kind of money, I . . . I don't know what he's going to do but it isn't going to be good for anyone. He's already murdered several people and his list of murder victims just keeps getting longer."
Pouring a drink for himself, Aldo sipped some and placed the half-filled glass on the bar. "You said you almost caught him. . . . what happened?"
Finishing his drink, Booth turned the glass over and rested it on the bar, "I tracked him down to the parking garage of the company he'd infiltrated and I had my sights on him . . . I shot him, I know I did, but not badly enough to stop him. He drove away. Now because of me, he's running around free and he has all the money he needs to do whatever the hell he wants to do. . . It's a bad situation."
Curious, the bar owner picked up Booth's glass and placed it in the dishwasher under the bar, "What about the guy that lost his money? What's he going to do? Can't he get his money back?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Booth replied, "I don't know. I talked to a computer expert at the FBI and he said it might take years to track it all down. I told you that Pelant is a computer genius. He's going to hide that money and Hodgins may never get it back. Hodgins went from being the wealthiest man in the world to a regular guy. He's not poor though. He works for the Jeffersonian as their bug and slime guy so he has a pretty good salary." Snorting, Booth chuckled, "It's better than mine so he's not poor . . . just not rich."
His glass in his hand, Aldo remarked, "Well, he might consider himself poor if he used to be worth billions." Finishing his drink, he placed the glass in the dishwasher. "What happens now?"
His elbow on the bar, Booth rested his head on his hand, "Good question. I don't have an answer. We keep looking for Pelant and hope we find him before he kills anyone else. . . . The last guy he killed . . . he flayed the body and draped it over a bed in Hodgins' house. Pelant was taunting Hodgins but . . . that's pretty sick, you know? That body didn't have any skin on it at all, just muscles and bones."
A little sick, Aldo swallowed convulsively, "New rule, Booth. Don't describe bodies to me. It's enough to say they're dead. I don't need the particulars."
His cheeks a little red, Booth nodded his head, "Sorry, Father."
Exasperated, Aldo protested, "Aldo not father." Walking down to the end of the bar, Aldo took care of his other customers and then came back to where Booth was sitting, "How's your family doing?"
Lowering his arm, Booth leaned against the bar, "They're doing okay. Me and Bones are doing alright. It was little awkward when she first came back home, but, we seem to be alright now. Christine is a little doll. She loves her Daddy so that's been alright. Bones showed her pictures of me while they were gone and she talked about me so my daughter knew who I was when they came back. I guess we're almost back to normal."
Relieved for his friend, Aldo reached out and patted Booth's hand, "That's great. That sounds really great."
Clearing his throat, Booth glanced at the door and then back at his friend, "I forgot to mention that we have a house guest right now living with us."
Aware of the odd tone in Booth's voice, Aldo asked, "Um, okay, he's staying with you for a couple of weeks."
Rubbing his hands together, Booth shook his head, "He's been with us for a couple of months. He . . . um . . . he broke up with his girlfriend right after he gave up his apartment and he didn't have anywhere else to go so Bones and me . . . we had him move in with us."
Cautiously, Aldo asked, "A couple of months? You've been trying to fix your relationship with Temperance and you have a house guest who's been living with you for a couple of months?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Booth smiled, "The kid needed us, believe me. He was sad as all get out when he broke up with Daisy. The guy is like my little brother . . . hell he's a better little brother than my own brother . . . and it's not like he doesn't pull his own weight, he helps keep the house clean and he babysits Christine for us when we have to go out on cases late at night. He isn't sponging off of us. He's looking for a new place but he just hasn't found anything he can afford yet . . ."
Holding up his hand, Aldo protested, "Whoa, whoa, I get it. He's a brother in need. I get it. As long as you and Temperance are fine with it then I don't see a problem."
Pulling his wallet from his jacket pocket, Booth fished in it for some bills to pay for the Scotch, "She and I are fine with it. He'll move out eventually. It's not like we can just kick him out. You don't do that to family not even adopted family." Handing over some money, Booth smiled, "He's a good kid, Aldo. I don't have a lot of friends, but, well, he grew on me and I like him."
Turning to leave, Booth placed his wallet in his jacket, "I'll see you around, Father."
Annoyed, Aldo called out, "It's Aldo damn it and you know it."
Waving his hand, Booth opened the door and stepped out onto the bright sunlit sidewalk.
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