February 4, 2010
"It was...Satan?" Bobby asked, not having heard correctly. They were at their favorite coffee shop, and Booth was describing a current case he was working on.
"Well, he had horns and a tail," Booth answered.
"Wow," Bobby said, surprised.
"He was found at a mental hospital," Booth went on.
"Okay, well that makes a little more sense," Bobby laughed. "Still...creepy." He shuddered.
"Yea. I worry about Bones working so much when she's so close to her due date," Booth sighed. "She won't listen to me, though."
"They'll do that," Bobby grinned. "Poor Sue drove Jack mad by insisting on being at work and doing cases with them when she was about to burst. They got through it, though."
"What about you? Any plans of fatherhood?" Booth asked with a grin.
"Ah, well, we haven't really discussed that yet," Bobby answered.
"You can watch me do it first. I'm a pro. I already had practice with Parker," Booth winked.
"A pro, eh?"
"Yup."
"Huh."
Booth's phone rang and he answered it. Bobby looked out the window at the snow that was falling. He couldn't wait until spring.
"Well, we have a lead," Booth said, standing up. He dropped a few bills down on the table. "You up for hanging out later?" Tara, Bobby, Booth, and Brennan had taken to spending time together every so often. It was always fun, and Booth liked being able to share his best friend with Brennan.
"I'll get back to you. I know Tara mentioned something about her sister coming," Bobby said.
"Sounds good. See ya later," Booth smiled, walking out.
Booth
They were in the facility when Brennan cried out and grabbed her abdomen.
"Bones?" Booth asked, worried. "Hey!"
"I'm all right," she said, puffing. "Just some cramping."
"Um, as in...labor?" he questioned.
"Possibly," she agreed.
"Okay, whoa, we gotta get you to the hospital."
"Booth, I'm fine! I have to finish this..."
"No. No way. Nuh uh. I will not have our baby born in a mental hospital," Booth argued. He took her by the arm and steered her away from the scene.
"They have doctors here..."
"I don't care. We are going to a regular, normal hospital where people don't pretend to be doctors and potentially steal our child."
"They're unwell, Booth, it doesn't mean they would steal our baby."
"Bones, just get in the car."
Bobby
He was surfing the television when Tara came into the living room. He still loved seeing her standing there as his wife. It was coming up a year of marriage. He was planning on taking her on a trip.
"Brennan is having the baby," she said.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yea. Booth is freaking out," Tara laughed.
"Do they want company?"
"He didn't say, but I think you might be able to keep him sane," Tara suggested. Bobby stood and went over to her, kissing her.
"I'll be back in a jiffy," he said, grabbing his coat. On the drive over, he kept thinking about what it would be like to have a child with Tara. Before he knew it, he was at the hospital. He found Booth pacing in the hallway.
"All right, mate?" Bobby asked.
"Nervous, man. Very nervous," Booth said.
"Why aren't you in there?"
"I...I feel like I'd be in the way."
"Booth, you march your hide in there right now," Bobby ordered. "She needs you."
"I know, I know. I just..."
"What?"
"This is our baby. This is happening. We're going to be parents, and we're not even married."
"Oh, don't start with that again," Bobby groaned. "You know her stance on marriage."
"I know, I know. I just wish she'd think about it is all," Booth said, rubbing his neck hard.
"Just get in there," Bobby commanded, pointing. "Worry about the rest of it later."
"All right," Booth agreed. He went into the delivery room. Bobby sat out in the hallway, thinking more and more about what a baby Tara would look like. After a few hours, Booth poked his head out.
"You wanna see her?"
"Does Crocodile Dundee have a bigger knife?" Bobby countered, grinning. "Of course I want to see her!" He followed Booth inside where a tired looking Brennan was holding their little girl.
"Meet Christine," Booth said, picking her up and handing her to Bobby. She felt so light in his hands, so fragile. He knew without a doubt that this was what he wanted.
"Hi," he whispered. "You're a beautiful little Sheila aren't you?"
"Her name is..." Brennan started.
"It's Australian for woman," Booth interrupted.
"Oh, right," Brennan nodded. "I'm sorry. My mind isn't so sharp right now."
"You just had a baby," Bobby laughed. "Get some rest." He handed Christine back to Booth. "Congratulations, you two." He smiled and patted Booth on the back.
"You're leaving?" Booth asked.
"Yea," he nodded. "I'll come back again to see her. Figured you guys could use some privacy."
"Thanks for coming, man," Booth said.
"My pleasure," Bobby nodded. No, he wanted to say. Thank you. He went home and found Tara washing dishes. He went up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
"So?" she asked.
"A little girl," he answered, nuzzling her neck.
"Aww," Tara smiled.
"It's got me thinking..." he started.
"Yea?" she asked, getting excited. She had been wanting to talk about babies with him for about a month now.
"Yea. You wanna start trying?"
"I would love that," she answered. He pulled her around and kissed her firmly.
"Then let's get started," he grinned.
Over a Year Later-April 2011
"I'm worried about Bobby," Jack said to Booth. He had called and requested a meeting.
"How so?" Booth asked, sipping his coffee.
"He's not himself. I know the whole trying to get pregnant thing has been wearing them both down, but he's taking it hard," Jack said.
"You're worried he'll start gambling again?" Booth asked.
"I think he already has," Jack answered.
Bobby
He tapped the chip on the counter, thinking about his next move. Tara thought he was at a meeting, and he felt bad for lying. He suspected she had her suspicions. Things had been tense between them lately, and he needed an outlet. He felt horrible, but this was something he was good at. This was something he could control. He did not have control over having a baby, and that really bothered him. It was a part of nature, having a child. Why was it so hard for them? When the results came back saying it was him, he felt even worse. Tara could never have a baby because of him. Not much of a man, was he? He threw the chip down, angry now. He placed his bet and waited, holding his breath. He won. He whooped with laughter. He won! He scooped up the winnings and decided to keep going. What did he have to lose?
Booth
"Where are you going?" Brennan asked again, clarifying. She thought she heard him say a casino.
"I am going to Atlantic City to get Bobby," Booth said. "He's gambling there."
"Gambling?" Brennan asked, feeling worried.
"Yea. He and Tara are having trouble having a baby, and I think it's pushed him over the edge," Booth said. "I gotta go bring him back."
"Be careful," Brennan said, touching his arm.
"I'll be all right," he said, kissing her. "I've got a lot to lose if I go back to that life."
...
He drove. He felt bad for Bobby. He wished there was some way he could help him have a child. He didn't know what was going on. Bobby had stopped giving him updates. Booth had a feeling that Bobby was the problem, and he was now gambling to have control over something. When he arrived, he tried not to be distracted by all the lights and whistles. He had to find his friend.
Bobby
He had lost it all. He stood there in shock. It was not supposed to go like that.
"Bobby," Booth's voice said in the distance. He turned, not quite seeing him. Booth took his arm and led him out. Bobby was in a daze. So much money. Gone.
"Bobby," Booth said again louder. "What are you doing?"
"I was winning," he answered. "Then I lost."
"Oh God, Bobby," Booth groaned. "How much?"
"Thirty thousand..."
"Bobby! Snap out of it!" Booth shouted, shaking him. Bobby looked at him. "You have a wife at home who is worried sick about you. You have friends who care about you. Stop this right now!"
"It's not that simple, mate," Bobby said.
"Yes, it is," Booth argued.
"No."
"One day at a time, remember? Remember the slogans?" Booth said loudly.
"I have been doing it one day at a time!" Bobby shouted. "One day at a time, I have failed my wife."
"Don't go there," Booth said. "Bobby, it's not your fault."
"But it is! I'm broken, Booth. I'm broken, and there's no fixing it," Bobby said, slumping against the wall. They were outside of the casino now. Bobby could hear the sounds of winning inside. Booth could too.
"One day at a time, it works if you work it, help is as near as my phone," Booth chanted. It wasn't all the slogans, but they were the important ones in his mind.
"I can control this..." Bobby started.
"We are powerless over gambling," Booth said firmly. "Your life has become unmanageable. Believe that a power greater than you can restore you to a normal way of thinking and living."
"I get it," Bobby said, closing his eyes.
"Come to a meeting, Bobby," Booth said. "Right now. We'll go right now. You can't throw away all your hard work over something you have no control over."
"She'll be so disappointed in me," Bobby said quietly. "Booth, I've been doing this for over a month now."
"I know," Booth said. "Jack figured as much."
"Yea, Jack. The guy who has twins and is expecting again," Bobby said angrily.
"Unfair, yes," Booth agreed. "But if it's meant to be, it will happen for you."
"You're so sure about that," Bobby commented.
"I am," Booth said forcefully. "Now come on, let's go to a meeting."
May 12, 2011
Booth was frustrated. Broadsky was crossing lines everywhere. He was going to get this guy once and for all. He wished Bobby was there for support, but Bobby had gone away with Tara for a while to recover from his relapse. Booth was very glad Bobby didn't lose his marriage, and things had been looking up for them both again. Tara loved Bobby, and she was going to be there for him always. That's what she had told him when Booth delivered Bobby to her that night he brought him home from the casino. Bobby had gone to extra meetings and was feeling better, but he also felt terrible for relapsing. He was also still upset about not being able to have a child too. Booth wanted to suggest adoption, but he thought it might be too soon for that. He was sure they were probably thinking it anyway. Now, Booth was at the Jeffersonian trying to catch a deadly sniper. Max had Christine. Booth wasn't taking any chances. His phone started ringing. He tossed it to Nigel-Murray, who fumbled it.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked, nervous.
"Answer it when I tell you," Booth answered. Broadsky was not going to hurt or threaten anyone else he loved. Not on his watch.
Bobby
"This was a great idea," he said, sighing. They were in Hawaii. It was a vacation they needed. All talk of babies and gambling were set aside. It was just him and Tara.
"We should have done this long ago," Tara nodded. He took her hand.
"We should have," he agreed.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm more than okay," he replied. "Tara, I'm so sorry..."
"Stop," she said, holding up her hand. "You relapsed. It's okay. You got out of it. As long as you always come back out of it, we'll be just fine."
"I don't intend on doing it ever again," he said firmly. "I swear."
"Let's just take it one day at a time, okay?" she said, leaning over to kiss him.
"Yea," he nodded. "One day at a time."
"I hope Booth is okay," Tara said. "I heard from Lucy that the Broadsky guy was getting worse."
"He'll get him," Bobby reassured her. "Booth always gets the bad guys."
Booth
He stumbled around the bull pen. He felt lost. He felt sick. Vincent's face was always there when he closed his eyes, and Brennan's sobs were trapped in his ears. Death was so cruel, and it was all his fault. He crashed into Jack without realizing it.
"Hey, what happened?" Jack asked, catching him as he stumbled.
"The kid...he...the k-kid died," Booth said.
"What kid?"
"The intern."
"Let's go," Jack ordered, pulling him along. They needed to talk. He knew he wasn't as good as Bobby, but Bobby wasn't here right now. He would have to do.
"The kid died. He died cos I gave him the phone," Booth said. His throat was tight. He could still hear Vincent gasping his last breaths.
"Hey, man," Jack said. "I know I'm not Bobby, but I'm a good listener. You did what you thought was right. You didn't know he'd have eyes on you there."
"Then how come I feel like this?" Booth demanded. "Huh?"
"Because as FBI you feel you have to constantly be on your feet and think of every scenario, and you didn't this time," Jack said.
"I'm a failure," Booth groaned, banging his fists against his forehead.
"Stop that," Jack ordered.
"Don't tell me you had the same experience!" Booth snapped.
"Not exactly, but six people died because I wasn't on my game," Jack responded. Booth looked up at him slowly. Jack nodded. He started to tell the story, even if it was just to distract Booth for a while.
October 2003
"You'll find the casing up there where those birds are," Jack pointed. Bobby and Myles followed his finger.
"How do you know all this?" Sue asked, shielding her eyes against the sun.
"Jack used to be a sniper for SWAT," Bobby explained.
"Makes me wonder what else I will learn about you," she teased Jack.
"I know the feeling," he smiled at her, moving past to go check out the area where the birds were flying around. Bobby found the casing. Jack noticed some tall grass had been cut. This sniper was taking his time with his victims and had a lot of patience. It unnerved him. Three people already dead. The playing card glared up at him, taunting him. 3.
...
"A coward doesn't taunt! He ambushes his unsuspecting victims and then he runs and hides, and leaving behind playing cards is hardly the same thing as daring us to catch him," the mayor finished as he moved off screen amidst the shouting reporters. Jack stood there with the others, feeling a very sick feeling in his stomach.
...
"Jack," Myles said, hanging up the phone slowly.
"Yea?" Jack asked blearily. He'd been awake a long time. Sue had convinced him to go and rest, but now he waited to hear what Myles had to say.
"The mayor has been shot," Myles said. The news slammed into Jack with force.
...
"He's become predictable," Jack said more to himself than anything. He looked at the Joker card in his hand. An idea was formulating.
"Jack," Lucy called. "What do we tell the press conference? They want an update."
"Tell them I'll do it," Jack replied. She nodded and turned back to the phone. Bobby sat there looking at him.
"What are you doing?" Bobby asked.
"About what?"
"You know what I'm talking about. I reckon we both know what you're thinking, mate," Bobby said. "Why are you gonna take this press conference?"
"I'm the lead agent on this case," Jack replied. "That's part of my job sometimes."
"Don't matter what I say you're not gonna listen to me are you?" Bobby asked.
"I'm listening to every word, but you're not making much sense. That's not unusual," Jack answered, slapping Bobby's shoulder.
"Jack," Bobby said, leaning in closer. "Only stupid people do stupid things, so don't." He gave Jack a meaningful look.
"Thanks for your advice," Jack said after a moment. Bobby sighed roughly and walked away.
...
"The only thing we know about this shooter so far is that he's a disgusting, sniveling coward," Jack's voice said on the television.
"Whoa, Jack" Myles said, dropping his papers and coming over to the TV. The others stared at the screen.
"I knew it," Bobby muttered.
"What's he doing?" Sue asked, concerned.
"Setting himself up to make the sniper so angry that we can predict his next target," Bobby explained.
"Jack," Sue whispered, watching in horror.
"It appears he targets the helpless, the unsuspecting. What kind of slime does that?" Jack went on. "He's scared of us. He keeps running away. The minute he
slows down to catch his breath, he belongs to me." Jack stared into the camera as he finished.
"It sounds personal, Agent Hudson," the reporter said. "Like you're sending him a message, man to man."
"Whoever this creep is, he could never be part of a man to man conversation," Jack answered.
"He's purposely making himself a target!" Sue cried, turning to Bobby. "How could you let him do that?!"
"All I can do is point out to someone that they're about to do something stupid. Unfortunately, I can't stop them from actually doing it," Bobby replied, pointing to Jack on the TV.
...
"He's gonna be at the second shooting," Jack told everyone. "He knows that's where I'm going to be. Now, there's only two places he can get a good shot. We'll have snipers here, here, and here." He gestured on the white board.
"What about getting in and getting out?" Myles asked.
"Only two ways," Jack explained.
"You wanna hope so. You might be betting your life on it," Myles pointed out.
"Well, if we don't get him on the way in, then you'll get him on the way out," Jack answered. He avoided Sue's gaze. She was angry with him.
"Coffee," Bobby said after a moment's silence. "Come on." He, Dimitrius, Sue, and Jack went down to get a coffee.
"Thanks," Jack said as they exited the coffeeshop. He had his mug in his hand.
"No worries. Just don't die on me before you pay me back," Bobby tried to joke. He went around to the other side of the car, seeing Jack talking to Sue. Then all of a sudden, Jack's mug exploded in his hand.
"DOWN! EVERYBODY DOWN!" Jack shouted, grabbing Sue and throwing her behind the front of the car. They all huddled there as Dimitrius called it in.
"Looks like he's not as predictable as you thought," Bobby said.
"Yea he's about three miles away from where he's supposed to be!" Jack shouted.
"He's tracking you," Dimitrius said.
"Thank God he missed," Sue told him.
"He didn't miss," Jack told them. "He hit exactly what he was aiming at."
...
The girls came with information about the truck. The team went out and brought down a Shane, who had been visiting mental hospitals and threatened his wife with a gun. The man was former infantry and a sniper. They found the sniper barrel and the bag of birdseed. It was all they needed. Now it was late evening, and Bobby was trying to get Jack to go celebrate.
"We don't have him," Jack said, looking at Bobby.
"What are you talking about?" Bobby asked.
"The sniper. He's still out there," Jack answered. Bobby stared at him. "I can't believe I didn't put it together before. The first shooting, one shot, perfect kill. 150 yards in the middle of a crowd of people. The third shooting, one shot, perfect. 200 yards and change in the middle of a crowd of people again. Shooting of the mayor, same."
"Does this train of thought have a caboose?" Bobby asked, sitting on the edge of Jack's desk.
"Second shooting, 75 to 100 yards tops. A much easier shot, and only a wound to the torso, not even center and mass. If the guy had gotten to the hospital sooner, he would have survived. Number two was a miss."
"Haven't you ever missed?" Bobby asked, not getting it.
"Not by that much," Jack shook his head. "I think there are two shooters."
"Yea but all the bullets match," Bobby argued.
"Which means it's the same gun. It doesn't mean it's the same shooter. There is no way the guy that shot that mug out of my hand missed from 75 yards."
"So who did we arrest?" Bobby asked.
"The amateur," Jack answered. "Did you see that half moon cut on his eye?"
"Yea, sure," Bobby nodded.
"Looks like it could have been a scope bite," Jack told him. "You know, when a rookie puts his face too close to the scope and pulls the trigger? The scope hits him in the face like a hammer. And there was something different about his voice. It didn't seem like the same guy I'd been talking to."
"Hm, so you think the ace of the staff is still out there," Bobby commented. Jack nodded slowly. Within 20 minutes, a call came in about another shooting. A woman who had been jogging in the park. Jack's heart sank as he called his teammates. He wanted this to be over.
...
Jack decided to let the second shooter go. He figured he'd meet up with the pro, and he was right. Sue watched as he made a call, and they followed him to the racket club, but he was shot down while he was waiting outside. Of course the sniper called Jack again, but this time, he made a mistake. Tara amplified the background noise, and they could hear the sounds of a restaurant. Bobby was able to pinpoint the restaurant from the way they called their onion rings. Jack and Sue went and got the name of the customer who had been there earlier with a cell phone. Now they were speeding out to Carl Gordon's home. Tara filled Jack in.
"He was an ex military sniper," she said. "He was discharged because of mental issues. According to court records, his wife filed for divorce two months ago."
"That's the profile," Jack said.
"That's the beginning," she cut him off. "He's financially on the skitz. He pays a credit card with each successive new one."
"Address?" Jack asked.
"Current," she confirmed.
"Got the warrant!" Myles shouted in the background.
"We got the paper," Tara said to Jack.
"Get it to the house ASAP," Jack instructed. "Don't wait for us." He started driving when Bobby called.
"He's not here," Bobby said.
"What?"
"There's nothing. No toothbrush no razor no clothes."
"I'm on my way," Jack said.
"Oh, and Jack, the media is here," Bobby said.
"What?"
"Yea. A neighbor maybe?"
"No it's too fast for a neighbor to-" Jack stopped abruptly. His mind whirling. "Bobby, very slowly get everyone inside the house. I think he might be watching you right now."
"You don't say," Bobby said, looking around carefully.
"I think he wanted us to find him," Jack told him. "And I think he called the media so that he'd have an audience. If I'm right, he's not gonna do anything until I get there. It's me that he wants." The Jack playing card flashed through his mind that the sniper had left at the fifth victim's site.
"Very casually get everyone inside," Bobby said to Myles. To Jack, "So what are you gonna do?"
"I'm not gonna disappoint him. Tell Myles to meet me as the gas station at third and Hill," Jack instructed.
"All right," Bobby said. He hung up and went into the house. After a while, the phone rang, and he went to answer it.
"Hello?" he said.
"Put Jack Hudson on the phone," the sniper said into his ear.
"Yea sure. Jack! Telephone! Hustle up!" Bobby shouted. He could feel the gun sighted on him as he stood in the window. He hoped Jack knew what he was doing. Soon enough, Jack's voice was in his ear.
"Bobby, I got him. You can tell Myles he can get out of my car now." Bobby chuckled to himself. He wiped the sweat off his brow. He was just glad it was over.
May 12, 2011
Booth didn't know what to say when Jack finished. He fiddled with his fingers. He still felt awful, and to top it off, Broadsky was still out there.
"Hey," Jack said. "Go home. Sleep. You'll get him tomorrow. I can help if you want."
"No," Booth said abruptly. "No one else gets involved. I will take him down myself."
"I know you will," Jack nodded. "I know you will."
We all know he did. I didn't think I needed to write that scene out. I hope you're okay with time jumps. I will be fast forwarding again a bit. I skipped the whole brain surgery thing because I didn't think it was necessary since he was already with Brennan. I know things are out of order anyway with Brennan having the baby earlier and everything, so that's the AU part of this story now. Thanks for reading!
