Chapter Nine

Brennan sat on her sofa staring a metaphorical hole in her cell phone as it rested, annoyingly silent, on the coffee table. It had been almost an hour since Bernadette had called her, crowing triumphantly, about having the evidence that would secure Booth's release…but there had been nothing since, and Brennan was getting anxious. So it was understandable that when she heard the quiet rapping on the door, she literally flung herself at the doorknob, smiling widely until she saw that her visitor was most definitely not Booth.

"When were you going to tell me?" Max asked as he casually strolled into the living room, taking a seat on Booth's recliner and waiting for Brennan to catch up and join him.

Brennan rolled her eyes, closed the door with a huff, and joined her father, returning to her seat on the sofa. "I wasn't aware that I needed to inform you of anything."

"Don't be like that, Temperance. I heard Booth was arrested, but I couldn't find out why. For once, the feebs are actually keeping their mouths shut."

"I wish you wouldn't use that nickname for the Bureau, Dad." She took a deep breath at his answering grin, trying very hard not to punch him in the face. "And Booth was arrested for murder, but he is being released as we speak."

"Why the hell would they arrest Booth of all people for murder?" Max was, to say the least, shocked. "That man is practically a boy scout! Who do they say he killed?"

Brennan shook her head. "Dad…I really don't want to get into this right now. Booth didn't kill anyone, that's all you need to know."

Max noticed the twitch in her jaw and decided, against his better judgment, to press her a little. "Was it another woman? Someone they think he was seeing on the side?"

"No!" Brennan stood up angrily and pointed a rigid finger in her father's face. "Booth would never cheat on me! It was not even a woman, it was just…" She realized he was trying to get her to admit something, and she forced herself to pull back. Sitting back down on the sofa and affecting a blank look, she continued. "It was just a murder victim, no one special."

Max nodded, irritating Brennan more with his seemingly calm demeanor. "So they arrested a highly decorated FBI agent just for the sport of it?"

"Let it go, Dad. Booth is being released; this was all a big mistake. There's nothing to tell."

"You know I'm going to find out eventually, Tempe."

"Leave her alone, Max." Booth said quietly from his spot at the open apartment door.

"Booth!" Brennan jumped up and threw herself into his arms, ignoring the soft 'oof' he released when he caught her. "I thought…"

Booth held her close and leaned in to breathe in her scent, finally feeling settled for the first time since they'd woken up that morning. "It's okay, Bones. Bernie is taking care of everything. I'm not going back there if she has anything to say about it."

Brennan nodded against his shoulder, letting herself relax finally. She leaned back enough to give him a kiss, and then released him slowly. They shared a look that spoke volumes, and then he led her back to the sofa, where they sat down to confront Max. Together.

B&B

Booth finally released the breath he had been holding the entire time that Brennan was telling her father the story of how she had come to know Dale McInerney. He wanted to feel sympathy for the old crook when tears sprang to his eyes as Brennan described her three days in the trunk of the man's car, but at this point all Booth was feeling was angry. Yes, Max had left his children because he thought it was the right thing to do, and Booth knew that it was Christine that had pushed a resistant Max to go for their kids' safety, but it still burned him up in ways he didn't have the vocabulary to describe.

Brennan, on the other hand, had long forgiven her father for the past in favor of a better relationship in the here and now, and couldn't help herself from reaching out and taking Max's hand, squeezing tightly. "This is not your fault, Dad. This is Dale's fault, and only his. Rationally speaking, we can never know what the ultimate results of our actions will be, and I have accepted the fact that you and Mom did what you thought was best for me and Russ."

Max swiped at his eyes and nodded. "I appreciate that, sweetheart. But it doesn't change the fact that if we had stayed, or taken you kids with us…"

"Max," Booth interrupted. "What ifs and I should haves never accomplish anything. I think Bones just wants to move on, okay? Right now, we have bigger fish to fry. Namely, who is trying to frame me for this murder."

Brennan nodded. "I might have some ideas about that, actually." Pulling out a notebook, she flipped to the first page, where her neat handwriting was visible on every line. "At first I thought I would need to go back and think about everyone we've ever sent to prison. But that list is rather long, so…" She shared a proud but quick smile with Booth before continuing. "In any case, I realized that everything centers around Dale. Not just anyone would know about what happened, and it finally occurred to me that the only viable suspect is Colleen."

Max shook his head slightly, confused. "Who in the hell is Colleen?"

Booth slid his arm around Brennan's shoulders and kissed her temple. "Brilliant as always, Bones." Addressing Max, he explained. "Colleen is the foster kid who lived with Bones while she was with Dale, and refused to testify against him. She even claimed that Temperance was lying when she described the abuse."

Brennan leaned into Booth a little more, still shaky from reliving the past. "Yes, Colleen was very close to Dale. I suspected that they were intimate, but I was too scared of what he might do to say anything. And she seemed…happy. She never had to do chores and was rarely punished, and then only by Dale's wife."

"Sounds like a damn viable suspect to me." Max agreed. "Think you can find her, Booth?"

"Actually, Dad…" Brennan ventured a glance at Booth before continuing. "Booth can't do anything right now because of the investigation. But you can."

Max stood suddenly and held out his hand. "Give me everything you've got on her. I still have some contacts…" He looked pointedly at Booth. "Legit contacts. I will find her fair and square."

Brennan gave her father all the information she could remember about Colleen, and then accepted his kiss goodbye before watching Booth walk him to the door. Once they were out of earshot, Booth leaned over to whisper to the man who was essentially his father-in-law.

"Max, you be careful. You got me?"

Max nodded, stepping into the hallway. "You know I will, Booth. And hey…we'll get you out of this, alright?"

"Yeah." He looked back at Brennan. "Listen, you call me when you know anything. Alright?"

"I will. You just worry about yourself. Let her take care of you for a change." He smiled and was gone before Booth could even begin to lodge a protest.

Closing the door with a shake of his head, Booth turned to Brennan. "Man, he moves fast."

"Well, when you've spent most of your life running from the law, you develop that ability." Brennan's eyes widened as she winced and shook her head at herself. "That was a mean thing to say."

Booth sat down next to her and pulled her close. "You're entitled, Bones. You may have forgiven him, but that doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt a little." He looked down into her tired eyes. "Sometimes, maybe even a lot?"

"Yes. But only sometimes, now." She snuggled close, letting his presence soothe away all the anxiety and worry of the last few days. She used to wonder how Booth had that uncanny ability to make everything better simply by being near, but not anymore. Now, she just accepted the comfort he offered without question. She knew that, in the days and weeks to come, she was going to need to rely on that facet of their relationship more than ever.

"Ready for bed?" Booth asked, leaning over to begin collecting their glasses and discarded plates.

"Mmmhmmm." She reached out and grabbed his wrist, stilling his movements. "Bed, yes. But not sleep."

Smiling widely, Booth unceremoniously dropped the dishes and grabbed Brennan's other hand, pulling her up and into his arms. "Excellent idea. Sleep is entirely overrated anyway."