It has been awhile since I updated, not sure if anyone is still interested in this or not, but I hope so.

Christian offered his new friend a beverage, while the man sat down somewhat stiffly on the lavish furnishings. As Christian handed his drink to him the man spoke, "So exactly why I am here, you still have not explained that to me."

"Relax" Christian said as he settled into an armchair "All in good time, my friend, all in good time." He smiled at the man sitting across from him, who was pointedly watching his host. "I'm having my cook prepare an amazing dinner for us and then after we can settle in with a drink and discuss how I believe we can help each other."

The man looked at Christian studying the man for a moment before he stood up and started taking in the room he was in. "Interesting painting, is that a Van Gogh."

Christian smiled as he rose from his chair "You have a very good eye, I like the simplicity of it, two sacks and a Bottle, which happens to be the name of the piece."

The man moved past Christian and began studying the book cases he held. "You are a well-read man, everything from astronomy to what appears to be a very impressive set of medical books."

Christian rolled his pursed mouth from one side to the other before turning and putting a smile on his face. "I have many interests."

As he studied the scarred face of his host; a noise off to the right drew both men's attention.

"Oh look it appears our meal is ready" Christian held out his arm for his guest to proceed towards the dining room where a maid was waiting to show them to their seats.

As the two men ate Christian noticed he was being carefully studied by the man he had freed and invited into his home. He was beginning to wonder if he had misjudged this man, misjudged his place in this game.

"Mr. Broadsky, I am giving you the chance of a lifetime. The ability to eliminate your adversary and to continue on with the work with which you were doing prior. And I have made it better; I can make you anyone you want to be. No one will ever be able to stop you."

"What's in it for you?"

"I am not sure why you're asking that." Christian turned questioning eyes on Broadsky.

"You don't strike me as a person that would do something just to do it. No, this will benefit you somehow, so I'm just wondering how?"

"Agent Booth put you away; I have just given you the opportunity to rectify the wrong he committed against you by arresting you."

"So you are assuming or hoping I will kill him?"

"I'm not assuming anything, just opening doors, so to speak."

Broadsky surveyed the man sitting across from him "What if I decide to kill you?"

There was a momentary flash of fear in Christian's eyes before he recovered "See you won't do that. You, while a rogue, have certain ethics and you know what I can do to benefit you and your cause."

"Okay, well let's start with a little honesty; your name is not Christian, is it Christopher? Pelant just smiled at Broadsky, not confirming or denying the information. "I might have been in prison, but not totally cut off from the world and my contacts. I heard what you did and I have got to admit to see you get one up on the great Dr. Brennan and send her fleeing the area, I just need to shake your hand." Broadsky gave a grand performance, but Broadsky was not one to trust anyone, however, he was willing to play the game at least for the time being until he found the reason Pelant wanted him free.

The next morning Brennan slipped into Angela's office to talk to her friend. "Hey Sweetie"

"Is it still…" you motioned with her hand "..you know?"

"Yeah, it's still secure"

"Booth came by" She starred at Angela

Angela watched her friend with wide eyes "And"

"He was angry with Sweets when he saw me crying." She rolled her lips between her teeth "He kicked him out."

"Whoa, why were you crying and WHAT was Sweets doing there?"

"Sweets was trying to help…"

"And he made you cry?"

"No I was crying when he arrived and Booth made the assumption…" she held out her hand as she referred to Angela "…much like you just did, that Sweets made me cry."

"Sweets, doesn't use much tact, most of the time."

"While that is true that is not what I came here for. I came to apologize."

"Apologize for what?"

"Booth asked me to have faith in him, to trust in him, to believe in him… and said he would fix this. Booth would never say that if he didn't want to marry me, right?"

"Sweetie, you don't need me to answer that, you know the answer." Angela looked at her friend with sympathetic eyes "You know the answer."

"He loves me" her eyes were threatening to overflow "He loves me" she nodded her head "He loves me" she lowered herself to the couch in Angela's office "I doubted him. I shouldn't have doubted him. I should have trusted him, I should have believed in him." She closed her eyes and aided in releasing tears to stream down her face. "He shouldn't have had to ask me to."

Angela quickly sat by her friend and pulled her into her arms, offering her as much support as she could through the simple act of hugging her. "You told me and I still doubted him."

Angela pushed her friend away so she could look into her eyes "Booth told you Pelant is behind this?"

"No…but when I look at the evidence, it is the only conclusion that makes sense."

Angela nodded, "I asked Booth when he was here yesterday." Both women starred at each other for what seemed like an eternity

"Angela, are you right?"

"Yeah I'm right. Booth has all the information. He said this was going to end."

"Oh no" a fleeting moment of relief on her face was replaced with fear "Booth's going to kill him." She raced from the office trying to pull her phone out of her pocket.

She started to push the speed dial for him from her old phone only to be reminded abruptly that she was now using a burner phone so she could talk to him in a more secure way. She quickly covered the space across the lab and went into her private bath as she frantically dialed his number.

Booth startled when the unfamiliar ring of his burner phone went off. "Booth"

"Hi, it's me"

"Hey" Booth's voice softened as he rose up from his prone position while he spoke to her. He was wiping dried grass and dust from the front of his T-shirt.

"I was wondering if you... or I-I I mean we … were going to lunch?" she pulled her lips between her teeth waiting for his answer.

Booth looked down at himself and then glanced at his watch. He let his head fall backwards when he realized there was no way he could get cleaned up and meet her in time. "Not today, I have a mountain of paperwork in front of me that I need to get done, but … I'll make it up tonight if you'll let me take you to dinner?"

"That is acceptable" she tried to keep the disappointment from her voice, however, failed. "Booth?"

"Yeah"

"Don't…" her voice trailed off. She stared at the opposite wall of her small bathroom while she wondered how to tell him not to kill Pelant, not to kill a man that was trying and almost succeeding to destroy their lives. How was she to tell him to not do what she would do if given the opportunity. "Are you coming home?"

He closed his eyes "Bones, I want …"

"Come home, please" her voice sounded of desperation, a desperation he didn't miss

"We'll talk about it tonight."

"I don't understand. If you love me and I love you, it's ludicrous for you to not be at home with me and Christine."

"Baby, please let's talk tonight, when we can do it privately, Okay?"

She sighed loudly, a sound not missed by Booth "Okay and Booth …"

"Yeah"

"Promise me there will be a tonight and that you won't volunteer for anything."

Booth creased is brow not understanding what she was meaning. "Bones, you know how this line of work is, one …."

"Booth, please understand we need you." She didn't know how to say she couldn't live without him, because rationally her mind told her that life goes on after the deceased are gone. So while it would be difficult at first, she could go on without him. But he needed to understand she needed him, she needed him to be here for a long time. "Please come home tonight, we need you."

"I'll be there Bones" he said into the receiver.

"Okay"

Once he disconnected the call he placed the phone on his bag as he once more moved to a prone position and moved the butt of the rifle snuggly against his shoulder. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, and hold, fire. The shot hit its mark not straying even a millimeter. Booth raised his head up and looked towards the target off in the distance. This has to end, has to end now before any other lives are lost.

Once he was comfortable that the sights were set right and the shots consistent, he rose up and assured that the chamber was void of a round he wiped the weapon down. He could feel the heat in the barrel as he moved the rag over it, at one time that would bring him mixed emotions of satisfaction that he completed his task and sadness of what he just had done. But this time the feeling of the hot barrel sliding under the fabric gave him a feeling of relief that this nightmare would soon be over. This was one choice that did not cause him grief, did not make him doubt the decision. This was the right choice; this was to protect his family.

At this very moment is when Seeley Booth understood Max Keenan better than he ever had. He had always respected a man who protected his family and while Max had murdered, he had only done what was necessary to preserve the lives of his children, no matter the cost to himself. Booth understood this so much better than he ever did before, because now he was standing in very similar shoes to Max Keenan.