I apologize for my chapters getting longer but there is a lot going on and I don't want to interrupt the flow of the story. I also want to finish it up before September 25.
A/N: just in case you aren't aware of it, I posted chapter 11 last Thursday as a bonus.
I don't own Bones.
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The knock on the door, loud and persistent, invaded Booth's peace, forcing him to investigate who was bothering him at such an early hour. Yanking the front door open, Booth barked out, "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Throwing his arms around Booth, Hodgins laughed, "Man, it is so good to see you."
Annoyed, Booth rigidly accepted his friends hug. "How many times do I have to tell you I like handshakes, Hodgins?"
Releasing him, the entomologist laughed again, "I had to do it man. . . . Can I come in?"
Stepping back, Booth allowed his friend to enter the house, "You do know it's a little after seven don't you? I'm the only one up right now."
Shrugging his shoulders, Hodgins glanced at the kitchen doorway, "Yeah, I know. I've been sitting out on the porch since 6:30. I was just waiting for a reasonable time so I could knock on the door."
"You think seven is reasonable? . . . Okay, whatever." Entering the kitchen, Booth walked over to the counter, picked up a mixing bowl and continued to stir his pancake batter, "Want some coffee?"
His eyes skimming the counter, Hodgins noticed the partially filled coffee pot, "Thanks. I'll get it though." Grabbing a cup from the counter near the pot, he filled the cup with the dark brew and then doctored it with sugar from the sugar bowl resting on the kitchen table. Sipping the hot drink, he sat down and stared at Booth, "You look good."
Keeping his eye on his mixing bowl, Booth replied, "Yeah, thanks. I have a doctor's appointment today to see about my gunshot wounds. I over did it playing with Christine yesterday so that probably means I still need some therapy, but really, I'm doing pretty good."
"That's great man." Sipping his coffee, Hodgins studied Booth and finally said, "Look, I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible. First, I want to apologize for not going to see you in the prison but I wanted to stick close to Angela while she was working on finding something to free you. I felt that I needed to be at the Jeffersonian and Dr. B kept us up to date on you so I was sure you'd understand . . . do you?"
Placing the bowl on the counter, Booth grabbed a cup and filled it with coffee. Walking over to the table, Booth placed the coffee cup down on the table and then sat down, "I do understand. I was counting on you to watch out for everyone while I was away."
Proud, Hodgins smiled, "Thanks . . . Are you going back to work at the FBI?"
After spooning some sugar in to his coffee, Booth sipped some of the sweet drink and then placed the cup down, "Yeah, I need my job back so I can go after whoever is behind all of this."
"Good, good. I want to help." Clasping his hands together, Hodgins explained, "For years I knew that something was wrong with some of the movers and shakers in this country but everyone just thought I was a nutcase. Jack the conspiracy theorist, ignore him . . . he's a loon. Everyone forgot that I grew up with some very powerful people in my life and I knew what they were capable of. My own father warned me to never trust everyone just because they were friends of the family. He told me that some things started to change when he was a young man but he never really understood what was happening. He hired private investigators to look into it when he was older and he thought he was getting close to something just before he died . . . Two weeks before he died, he told me that our government was being influenced and not in good ways. He knew but he didn't have any proof and then he and Mom were killed in a supposed accident . . . I knew it wasn't an accident but no one would listen to me. Someone killed my parents to keep my father quiet. I knew it and I never could prove it. I guess that's why I was angry so much. No one ever listened to me at least not until we uncovered that mess with Director Robert Kirby and people I knew and worked with started to realize that there really were secret organizations and some of them might be deadly. I think that saved me. Knowing that I wasn't the only one that knew that something was wrong, it was a relief actually."
Staring at his cup of coffee, Booth frowned, "I never took you seriously until then. After Max killed Kirby we all knew that Kirby's death wasn't the end of whatever was going on but we never saw any signs that something active was happening until Bones broke open the Ghost Killer case. The weird thing about that is we have Christopher Pelant to thank for that. The man was a psycho but he was a genius and firewalls on computers might as well have been tissue paper. If he wanted to see something he did. He's the one that told Bones about the Ghost Killer. He had to have known that there was more to it but he didn't say anything. Maybe that was part of the plan. Get Bones on his side and then tell her everything he knew. He thought he was a patriot and in his way he was trying to protect this country from hidden enemies. I guess we'll never know since I killed the son-of-a-bitch. I thought I was getting rid of something evil. Who knew there was worse than him out there waiting to come after me if I got too close?"
Reaching out his hand, Hodgins patted Booth's hand and then withdrew it, "When are you going back to the Hoover?"
"I think I'll be able to go back next week, at least I hope so." Careful with what he said, Booth explained, "Someone told me that I'll be able to get my job back so I'm just waiting for them to do whatever they're doing and they give me the go ahead to talk to Stark and the Director. I was told to give it about week."
Cautious, Hodgins leaned forward, "I'm not going to ask who you're talking about. I have a pretty good idea but I'm sure it's need to know and I'm fine with that. I want to help you clean house, Booth. I want to find out who's been pulling strings and who ordered that hit on you. I want revenge for what they did to my parents and I don't care what you ask me to do, I'll do it. I'm your man, Booth. I'm in this to the end."
Grateful to have such a friend, Booth smiled, "Thanks. I don't know what I need right now. Just let me get my job back first and then we'll see what we need to do."
Sipping more coffee, Hodgins delayed the next part of the conversation. His coffee cup empty, he placed it down and then leaned back, "Do you . . . uh . . . do you have any ideas who the mole is? . . I think I know who it is but I don't want to upset you."
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Booth stared at this cup, "The person arranging to get my job back told me a name but I don't believe them. Bones has someone else in mind and I think I trust her guess more than the other one, but the truth is I've been praying that it isn't either one of them. I really don't want it to be either one."
Clearing his throat, Hodgins pointed at himself, "I'm not a suspect am I?"
"No way man" Shaking his head Booth replied, "No way. You're one of the people I know for a fact that I can trust. . . . Cam's name has been mentioned and so has Sweets." Watching Hodgins for a reaction Booth wasn't disappointed,
"Cam? Are they out of their mind?" Disbelief clearly written on his face, Hodgins waved his right hand hard, "No way. Not Cam. I've worked with her close enough to know that she's one of the good ones."
Relieved, Booth smiled, "Thanks. I don't think it's her either. . . . Bones thinks it's Sweets."
Not surprised, Hodgins nodded his head, "Me too. He was brought in after you arrested Max Keenan and the timing always seemed to be a little odd to me. Sure they said it was because they questioned you and Dr. B working together after you arrested him but everyone knew that Max turned himself in and Dr. B didn't hold it against you. Talking to her for five minutes would have cleared that up. That whole partners counseling seemed pretty thin to me and over time it just seemed liked Sweets was playing you like a fiddle. You made it pretty clear that Dr B was supposed to be told you were alive when they had you go undercover after you were shot by Pam Nunan but she wasn't told. Angela found out from Dr. B that Sweets was the one that was supposed to tell her and he didn't. That seemed like a good way to try to break up your partnership to me."
Angry, Booth tapped his finger on the table top, "Hey no one plays me like a fiddle."
Shrugging his shoulders, Hodgins frowned, "I hate to say it, but he has a lot of influence over you Booth, maybe more than you realize or more that is good for you."
Glaring at his friend, Booth stood up and strode over to the counter. Grabbing his mixing bowl, he stared at the contents and then slammed the bowl down on the counter, creating a crack in the bowl. Disgusted, Booth threw the bowl in the trash.
Concerned, Hodgins stood up and took a step towards Booth.
Scowling, Booth shook his head, "Stay there. Don't come near me, not right now . . . Just stay there."
Max, entering the room, saw Hodgins sitting back down at the table while staring at Booth. Booth, standing near the island, tried regain a sense of calm but only felt rage and the urge to hit something.
Worried, Max asked, "Booth are you alright?"
Looking up, Booth replied, "Yes. I'm just . . . I'm . . . I'm finding it hard to accept a hard truth about myself. Just . . . just give me a minute to . . . a minute, I need a minute."
Sitting at the table across from Hodgins, Max frowned, "Thanks for coming over, Hodgins. Tempe is going to really appreciate you stirring up Booth."
Interrupting his father-in-law, Booth growled, "Leave Hodgins alone, Max. He was just agreeing with Bones about something and I took it personal. It's alright. He's right and I'm wrong. I trusted someone that I probably shouldn't have and it's all on me. I'm just angry that's all."
Calmly and quietly, Max responded, "I overheard your conversation because I was sitting in the living room. I was going to talk to you about the FBI mole in the next few days but I guess now is as good of a time as any. We really need to talk about that and some other stuff."
Startled, Booth and Hodgins turned to stare at Max. Smirking, Max shook his head, "If you think I've been sitting on my thumbs since I killed Kirby then you're both very naive."
His emotions finally under control, Booth asked, "Who do you think is the mole?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Max answered, "I think I've suspected something was wrong since Tempe and you ran away from each other. I knew someone must have stuck their big nose in where it wasn't wanted. I talked to Tempe the night before she took off for Maluku and she told me about you and her confronting Sweets about his book and she told me how he influenced you into trying to get her to move into a closer relationship with you. She was sad and a little confused and let's face it she was also angry at Sweets at the time. She was certain that her friendship with you was over or at least damaged. She needed someone to talk to and I was it. She told me everything and I put two and two together. If Sweets was trying to break up your partnership, he did a damn fine job of pushing the right buttons. I wasn't really sure about him so I started to keep an eye on him as well as the two men that I knew were Kirby's accomplices. I never thought to look for anyone else inside the FBI but what Sweets did made me nervous. There were some other men outside the FBI that Kirby was conspiring with but those men knew I knew who they were and they kept their distance. I really didn't know that there was a master manipulator behind the whole thing until I got a visit from the NSA. To say I was shocked that the NSA was interested in me is an understatement."
Concerned, Hodgins asked, "The NSA told you about Sweets?"
Shaking his head, Max replied, "No. I told them about the two FBI agents I'd been keeping track of and those guys were quietly picked up the day before you were attacked in your home, Booth. I think their disappearance and you confronting the congressman was what pushed whoever is calling the shots to panic and try to get rid of you. . . Anyway, when Tempe told me what happened outside the Hoover a few years ago, I looked into Sweets background and well, let's just say I've been trying to keep an eye on him ever since. I guess I should have mentioned my suspicions to you but when you came back from Afghanistan you and Tempe were kind of in a strained situation and I didn't want to add to both of your stress levels. I didn't have any proof and Sweets never did anything that I could see that proved he was in league with anyone. I mean, I could have been wrong and he might have just been a meddlesome busy body. I thought I could keep an eye on him and if he turned out to be a plant then I thought I'd have plenty of time to tell you. The whole thing just took off and I didn't get a chance. I'm sorry."
Crossing the room, Booth placed his hand on Max's shoulder, "You didn't fail us, Max. This just turned out to be a lot bigger than we all knew. We all had our hands in the lion's mouth before we realized he had teeth. The person behind this has been playing us for years and we didn't know it. If Sweets is the mole and I hope to God he isn't, then he's just one more puppet. We're all puppets and its time we cut the strings. We need to find out who is behind all of this and when we do there are going to be a lot of people in serious trouble. At this point, I don't care. All those people made their beds and they are going to have to live with it. We need to stop this and we need to do it as soon as we can."
Raising his hand, Hodgins exclaimed, "Count me in. Tell me what to do and I'll do it. I'm your man one hundred percent."
Smiling, Max held up his hand, "You can count on me too."
Stepping into the room, Brennan smiled, "Good, we can use all the help we can get."
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