A/N: I'm sorry this has taken ssssssssoooooooo long, can't even begin to explain why but anyway...here's the next bit thanks to much prodding and begging by a certain secret agent...this one is for you Jack...FINALLY
Haven't had a disclaimer in a while i don't think so let me just reitterate...it's not mine, never will be and i am extremely bummed about that fact.
And as always a huge thankyou to all that reveiwed and even those that didn't...thanks for reading.
"Seeley!" His mother exclaimed as she dragged him over the threshold into her open arms and vice like embrace.
"Hey, Mom." Booth wheezed as he was crushed by his mother's customary haven't-seen-you-in-ages bear hug.
When she pulled back, she held him at arm's length examining the changes in his appearance since she had seen him. His hair was longer and his normally clean shaven jaw sported the beginnings of a beard. He looked presentable enough, his hair gelled back and out of his eyes but it was a far cry from the clean shaven, and meticulously groomed son she had come to expect. Her gaze shifted to his eyes, their usual twinkle of good humour and life nowhere to be found, replaced with a dull listlessness she did not associate with her son. Her maternal concern was automatically triggered as she had only seen her son like this on one other occasion, just after he returned from his tour with the army. He had told her then that he felt lost; like his life no longer had a purpose without a mission objective and although he was happy to be home he felt foreign in a world he knew well. A deep frown creased her brow as to the cause of this change, worried he might revert back to his old gambling ways to escape his problems.
"What's wrong?" His mother asked as brutally blunt as always, but in a warm tone that bore her concern.
Booth had expected this. His mother had always had a sixth sense when it came to even the slightest change in his mood and he knew he had no chance of masking the hurt Bones' absence caused him. Steeling himself for the impending argument, he squared his shoulders and met her demanding gaze as he answered.
"Nothing." Booth's tone was calm and casual but they both knew he was fooling no one.
"Seeley Booth, you know you can't lie worth a damn." She replied.
"I'm not lying; there is nothing wrong with me."
"Are you gambling again?"
Booth shook his head and bit back a chuckle. His mother had always been as subtle as a bulldozer.
"No." He replied sincerely and although she still seemed a little sceptical, she let the subject drop.
"Trouble at work?"
"Mom, I told you there's nothing wrong with me."
"And I told you you're lying." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Look can we just drop this? Where are Dad and Jared?"
Wise enough to know when she was getting nowhere, Jessica Booth let the subject drop, for now. She would find out eventually and she hoped he knew she would be there when he needed someone to talk to.
"In the living room watching the replay of last week's game, The Steelers are up by 12 in the last quarter."
With a brief smile, Booth dropped a kiss on her cheek in thanks as he moved past her, leaving her to shut the door which had remained open through the exchange. He made his way to the living room where a familiar scene greeted him. His father sat in his aged recliner, which was the topic of many arguments between his father and mother. The old, battered chair had been in the same position in front of the television for as long as Booth could remember, despite his mother's pleas to get rid of the hideous thing. His father had always stood his ground, guaranteeing that Old Rusty's comfort could not be matched. Sprawled on the couch to the left of Old Rusty, was Jared Booth, all that Seeley Booth could never be.
Being the first born, Jared's was a hard act to follow. A straight A student throughout his school life, and a gifted football player Jared had no trouble securing a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania where he left with a degree in engineering and three state championships. He had joined the Navy soon after graduating and had swiftly climbed the ranks. He was now Lieutenant Jared Booth, the chief engineer in charge of one of the largest American warships, the U.S.S Indomitable. With all that in his favour it was obvious why Jared had always been the favourite son, at least as far as his father was concerned.
Booth had been good at school but average compared to Jared. Booth had played basketball but a knee injury late in his senior year had snuffed out any scholarship dreams he had entertained, so his parents had paid his way through college. Eager to pay them back and not really sure what to do with the rest of his life, he too had joined the army barely out of college. He worked hard to become a Ranger and was proud of his accomplishment, but his young and naive mind had not been ready for what he saw and did. Unable to shake the demons of war, his gambling problem began soon after he returned from his tour and he had soon dug himself a hole he could not get out of. His parents had come to his rescue once again, squaring the debts he had accumulated and forcing him into a rehabilitation programme. The job at the FBI came soon after that and Booth thought he was finally becoming a son his parents could be proud of, but then along came Rebecca and consequently, Parker. As happy as Booth was about the birth of his son, for a deeply Catholic family the birth of a child out of wedlock was severely frowned upon. His parents however had said nothing on the subject but deep down Booth knew they had been disappointed with him.
An eruption of complaints at the TV from Jared and his father roused Booth from his unhappy thoughts and caused a small smile to come to his face. Yes, Seeley Booth had grown used to being second best from an early age but that didn't mean he didn't know his family loved him. He knew his father's favouritism was unconsciously expressed and he knew Jared had never tried to encourage it. Booth had never blamed his brother for being himself and although Booth, in those self pitying moments, resented his brother for his achievements, he had come to terms with the fact that he and his brother were two different people. Booth couldn't contain his chuckle as a new round of objections to a bad call made by the referee drew both men from their chairs so they were standing anxiously in front of the television as they watched play continue. The sound of his laugh drew their attention and their previously tense expressions changed as they saw him standing by the door.
"You do know we won right?" Booth asked a grin breaking out on his face.
"It's a wonder that we did with all the bogus calls this idiot of a ref is making!" Jared said smiling as he caught Seeley's hand in his firm grip before pulling him in for a brief hug. "It's good to see you little bro."
"You too Jay." Booth replied before turning to greet his father. "Hey Dad."
"Seeley," Mr Booth said with a quick nod as he shook Booth's hand. "How was the drive up?"
"Thankfully uneventful." Booth replied.
His statement was accompanied by a shrill whistle as the game on screen drew to its conclusion announcing the Steelers victory and his mother's entrance into the lounge.
"Lunch!" she declared, beaming at the sight of all her boys together again.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
The Booth family sat around their kitchen table, laughing at a joke that Jared had just told. The afternoon had been filled with conversation. Stories of Jared's naval adventures, updates of Parker and work at the FBI from Booth, Mr Booth's troubles finding a carburettor for the Carrera GT he was fixing up and Mrs Booth's fight to banish the aphids from her roses. Lunch had come and gone and now Mrs Booth was busying herself around the kitchen making dinner, while the boys sat around the table discussing sports. Jared mostly listened to his father and brother update him on all the football he had missed while he was on the ship. Halfway through a debate about the Steeler's Super Bowl hopes Booth's phone rang. Checking the caller ID and seeing Simms' name, Booth excused himself, opting to take his call on the back porch.
"Booth." He answered as he stepped out into the cool evening air.
"It's Simms, I think we may be on to something."
"You ran the search?" Booth asked incredulously. "What about internal affairs?"
"They fingered Edward Brown. They took him into custody yesterday; word is he's still in the interrogation room, refusing to say a word. I ran the search as soon as I got the clear."
"And?" Booth asked pacing nervously across the porch drawing his mother's attention from inside the house.
"I found a Susan. At least eight transactions, each about two thousand dollars have been transferred from Dr Brennan's account directly to a Susan Taylor. The transactions only started just after Dr Brennan left, which I found suspicious, so I did a little more digging on this Susan Taylor."
"Is she Bones?" Booth asked unable to keep the hope out of his tone.
Simms let out a frustrated sigh before answering. "I can't say for sure. I found a South Carolina birth certificate dated 1956, a social security number and the bank account has been established for thirty-five years."
"So it's not her." Booth stated crestfallen. His mother noticed the change in his demeanour and fought the urge to go outside and see what had him so upset. Instead she remained at her position washing dishes by the sink, tracking her son's movements from the kitchen window.
"I didn't say that," Simms replied. "I can't find a picture of Susan Taylor on the any database, and I cross-referenced that list of locations that you faxed me and they match Susan Taylor's account activity. I can't tell you if this Susan Taylor is your bone lady or not but I have a hunch that she may be the key to finding her."
"And how exactly do I find Susan Taylor?" Booth asked his interest peaked.
"Account activity says she purchased a seat on the 50 yard line for tomorrow's Eagles-Steelers game."
"She's here in Philli?"
"At least until tomorrow, no hotel activity so she must have paid in cash wherever she's staying. The game is your only option."
"Then you need to get me in that game!" Booth ordered.
"There's the problem," Simms said sadly. "The game is near sold out, and you'd have to sell a lung to get anywhere near the fifty yard line. I'm sorry Booth, but the FBI will not cover an expense like that and if you don't mind me saying you're in no position to buy them yourself if you want to make your mortgage payment this month."
"I need to get in that game Simms!"
"Then you need to win the lottery, Booth. You just can't afford it!"
"But I know someone who can." Booth said an idea forming in his head. "Thanks for the help Simms, I'm going to make sure you get a promotion for this."
Before the other man had a chance to reply Booth had already hung up and was hastily searching through his contacts for the man that unbeknownst to him the key to getting his life back. Finding the number and pressing dial, the other phone rang three times before it was picked up by a very confused entomologist.
"Hodgins, I need your help getting Bones back." Booth said.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
Mrs Booth had been watching her son during his conversation. By the look on his face she would hazard a guess it had something to do with whatever was bothering him. However she noticed the change in his disposition as he ended his first call and his good mood only seemed to grow by the end of the second call. He walked back into the kitchen with a smile on his face that Mrs Booth had not seen since his arrival this afternoon.
"Guess which family is going to watch the Eagles-Steelers game tomorrow afternoon!" He announced earning him roars of approval from Jared and his father.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
Sunday afternoon
Looking at her surroundings Temperance Brennan decided that this was an excellent opportunity for an anthropological study. As she stood in the middle of more than a thousand roaring supporters of the two teams that crashed violently on the field below, she imagined that this is what it must have been like in the Roman coliseum centuries ago. Mankind, for all their evolution was still mesmerised by overly brutal displays of testosterone, fuelled by the alpha male need to show dominance. It was fascinating really. Not the football itself, the rules of which she barely understood, but the atmosphere the vehement supporters created. Even her, a woman with no interest in the sport whatsoever found herself swept up in the commotion. As an attempt to not look too conspicuous she had donned an oversized green and white football jersey of the home team, her favourite pair of worn denim jeans and white sneakers finished off the outfit. A black baseball cap and dark sunglasses concealed her face without arousing suspicion as it was a warm and sunny day in Philadelphia. One of the men on the field had just passed the line at the end and those supporters dressed in the same colour as her started celebrating around her.
Ah, Temperance thought to herself, The team must score whenever that brown object crosses the line at the end. The other team tries to stop an attack on their side while trying to cross the opposite line themselves.
Watching both the players and supporters she began to understand the appeal of sports. The supporters themselves never stood alone, on the outside they were a sea of individuals but a single unifying force linked them all giving a sense of security and companionship regardless of background or ethnicity. Together they possessed a strength they could not find alone and even though this realisation was unconscious the strength they received from that realisation was palpable. The football team themselves seemed to almost feed off this strength, performing not only for themselves but for the others relying on them to do well. However caught up in her observations Temperance Brennan did not lose track of the man who sat four rows in front of her and who was objecting to a decision made by the referee as vehemently as those around him. Sheldon Horwitz, was not the man she imagined him to be. Whereas she had imagined a lanky, timid, cold-hearted man, what she found was a tall, very well built, brown haired, blue eyed man that lovingly balanced an eight year old, brown haired, blue eyed girl on his hip. Comparing facial structure and shared genetic markers, Brennan had concluded that the little girl was his daughter. With her father being who he is, she shouldn't have been surprised to see this tender side of a man who did bad things, but she was. She didn't know why but it left her slightly disconcerted. Her focus shifted to field again as the crowd erupted into cheers again as the home team scored again.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
"Aw c'mon!" Jared complained as the Eagles got another touchdown. "Where the hell is the defence?"
"Fast asleep by the looks of things." Mr Booth grumbled, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed with a frown as he watched play continue.
Both were too absorbed in the game to notice that Booth made no contribution to the conversation; someone who did however, was Mrs Booth. Her eyebrow cocked in curiosity she observed her youngest son. As soon as they had entered Lincoln Financial Field he had been quite, unfocused and barley lowered his binoculars from his face. She would have put it down to nervous excitement for the upcoming match but the fact that his binoculars were hardly ever pointed towards the field made her think her son had slightly different motives for coming to this game. His focus, she noted, was rooted to the stands on the fifty yard line on the opposite side of the pitch. Letting out a frustrated growl barely audible above the din of the crowd he removed his binoculars from his eyes excusing himself from the group, saying he needed a soda. His father and brother merely grunted in acquiescence and he was gone before his mother could say a word.
Booth however had no intention of getting a soda. Instead he sprinted to the ticket retrieval desk, it was times like this he thanked god he worked for the FBI. He strode purposely up to the desk, retrieving his badge from his pocket he showed it to the now nervous looking blonde clerk behind the desk.
"My name is Special Agent Seeley Booth, I'm with the FBI and I need your help..." he looked at her name tag before giving her his best charm smile. "Lucy."
"The FBI? Am I in trouble?"
"No Lucy you're not in trouble. I'm undercover, see, and I've been trying to catch an important informant for six months. My intelligence tells me she is somewhere in this stadium but as you can see there are thousands of people in this stadium. I need you to find her for me. You'll be doing you country a great service."
Booth knew she had her when that patriotic spark gleamed in her eye.
"If she is in this stadium I can find her, Sir." Lucy beamed her fingers going to her keyboard.
"I knew you could Lucy. Her name is Susan Taylor."
The click of computer keys soon followed as Lucy searched her database, her grin widening as only one result came back from the search. "Stand J, Row 17, Seat 9 right on the fifty yard line."
"Your country thanks you Lucy." Booth beamed as he pocketed his badge again before turning on his heel heading for Stand J. Lucy's voice calling after him stopped him however.
"Is she a dangerous woman?" she asked, looking slightly afraid.
Booth smiled to placate her. The last thing he needed was her to tell her superiors that there was a terrorist threat in the stadium. "Not at all Lucy, she just knows something very important that the FBI needs to know, that's all. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, it's classified information."
Lucy beamed again, "I understand, Sir. I hope you get what you need."
"Me too, Lucy, me too." Booth replied continuing his journey to Stand J.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
Brennan's sole task this afternoon was surveillance of Sheldon Horwitz during the football game. Her father mean while was trying to find a way into his accounting firm. If they could get the files the accountant had on the other Kings, they didn't have to engage Horwitz directly and after watching him with his daughter, Brennan hopped that was the case. At this stage in the game they were still trying to get a feel for the man before they made their next move. So when his cell phone rang during the second quarter, Brennan watched his movements closely. An angry scowl crossed his features and he seemed unimpressed with what he was being told. The forlorn glance he spared his daughter who was shouting and whooping at the football game did not go unnoticed by Brennan. Ending the call quickly he leant down to inform his daughter of the what looked like bad news and her smile turned into an upset pout. He helped her to navigate their way out of their row and once free from the confined space of the row swung her back onto his hip where she rested her head on his shoulder. Brennan waited a minute before making a move to follow, apologising to those who had to shift out of her way as she exited the row as they clebrated two more touchdowns from their home team. Just as she pushed free of row 17 the half time whistle blew and soon the stairs were flooded with people heading for half-time concessions. She lost sight of Horwitz and cursed inwardly as she took out her phone and dialled her father's number.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
Booth was panting from the sprint to stand J which had started the moment he was out of Lucy's line of sight. As he entered the stand he squinted as the bright sunlight bombarded his eyes. Blinking a couple times until his eyes adjusted, he then searched for the row numbers at the end of each row. The first one he found informed him he was at row 40. Taking the steps two at a time he descended the stand, each step taking him closer to the field.
Row 35...
Row 30...
Row 25...
At row 20 he stopped as his heart rate did nothing but increase. He counted three more rows forward, then eight seats in. In the ninth was the person his was looking for. He just caught sight of a black baseball cap before his vision was obscured by Eagles fans praising their team for another touchdown. When they settled into their seats again Booth was horrified to find the seat he had just been looking at empty, his eyes searched frantically for that black cap again and found it moving along row 17 heading to the opposite stairs. Booth could not lose that black cap as the jeans the woman was wearing or the Eagles jersey were not exactly distinctive features with which to identify her with. He cursed when he lost sight of her as the crowd stood again. After they seated themselves Booth was horrified to see that black cap descending the stairs, heading for the exit at the bottom of the stand. Resuming his two stairs at a time gait he thundered towards the exit on his side, if he was quick he could head her off in the corridor. His plans shattered around him as the half time whistle blew and thirsty football fans flooded the aisle slowing his progress. Booth was not about to let this stop him so he pushed his way forcefully, he couldn't lose that cap. The corridor beyond was filling by the second, the crowd's pace slowing dramatically as the large group was funnelled through the narrow space. Booth craned his neck in search of that cap and caught a glimpse of it before it disappeared into the room beyond, its wearer's face still obscured by the crowd around her. The sight of it renewed Booth's purpose and he pushed harder to get through the wall of people in front of him.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
The hairs on the back of Brennan's neck stood on end as she suddenly had the feeling she was being watched. She hazarded a cautious glance around but found nothing but the throng of people around her. Shrugging the feeling off as paranoia, something she had not experienced before this whole situation began, she looked around to see if she could find Horwitz again as she waited for her father to pick up the phone. With a sigh she realised she was never going to find them in the rapidly filling room that contained the concession and souvenir stands.
Her father answered the phone with a gruff, "Hello"
"Horwitz got a phone call and left the game early. You better get out of there, I lost him in the crowd so I don't have affix on his location; he could be coming back to his office."
"I'm almost done. I'll meet you at the motel in thirty minutes."
"See you there." She replied before hanging up.
Brennan had already directed herself towards the exit. The walk to the motel was only ten minutes from the stadium and she found herself looking forward to some peace and quiet after the excitement of the game.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
Finally extricating himself from the corridor, Booth's head snapped to the left and right searching for that damned cap. For a fleeting moment he thought it had disappeared completely but in a rare moment of space between the crowds he saw the woman's back before the crowd blocked his sight once more. She was heading towards the south exit, he couldn't let that happen. His pushing of patrons began again and ignoring the cries of complaint behind him Booth persevered until he forced his way through to the string of the doors that let the crowd out of the stadium and back into the bright sunshine. Without preamble he charged through the closest doors. The crowd was thinner and more dispersed outside the stadium as only him and a select few people were crazy enough to leave a game like this at half time. Booth in that moment could've cared less if the Steelers won or not, his sole focus was the black cap wearing figure making their way across the parking lot and into the park adjacent to the stadium. This was it, he could catch her in the park. His feet were moving before he registered they were and he was running faster than he ever had in his life. As he entered the park he spotted her instantly, ambling slowly along the path that stretched from one end of the park to the other. Now that he could see her, Booth's pace slowed as his common sense kicked in. Some force that he could only describe as divine intervention made him think about the situation. This woman, whether she was Bones or not, was headed somewhere and his army instincts told him it was better to find out where than to confront her in the open and risk her running off. So with a monumental display of self restraint, he hung back studying the woman in front of him.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
After the door to her motel room clicked shut, Brennan shed her cap and sunglasses before she collapsed on one of the single beds in the room and breathed a sigh of relief as silence finally enveloped her. Today had just affirmed her dislike of crowds and she was reluctant to rejoin the bleating masses anytime soon. Closing her eyes she estimated she had enough time for a short nap before her father retuned but a knock at the door, along with a muffled call of "housekeeping" put an end to that plan. With a groan she heaved herself off her bed and shuffled across the room where she pulled the door open and froze in place. For a moment she thought she was imagining the man standing outside her door, that it was just some sort of twisted apparition that reminded her of that painful night so many weeks ago. His name escaped her lips on a whisper and the spark it ignited in his eyes was enough to ensure her that this wasn't a dream.
"Booth."