A/N: thank you for reading my story. I appreciate the reviews...they are very encouraging to me as I continue to write.

Please note...there is violence and bloodshed in this chapter. Laura

Booth groaned softly as he shifted his position as he lay in a pile of large pillows and blankets on the cold stone floor. His eyes slowly fluttering open, he took a quick look around the dark room, trying to get his bearings. He glanced toward the opposite wall as he heard Rami talking in his sleep, mumbling something in Pashto as he restlessly turned over and nestled down in his pallet in the corner.

Booth lay quietly for a few more minutes in the silence, wondering what time it was. Their plan was to try to leave before daybreak so they could creep up the side of the ridge before the sun came up that morning, but it was impossible at the moment to determine how many hours there were before dawn would actually arrive. Stretching tentatively, he rolled to his side, trying to ignore the constant dull ache in his lower back and the throbbing pain in both of his feet. He knew he was getting too old for this shit...too old to be running around all over the world playing soldier, and the way his body was complaining bitterly about the amount of abuse it had taken recently had only served to underscore that thought. These missions to some godforsaken place were better off being left for younger men to tackle. The old guys like him needed to stay home and direct traffic from a cozy office somewhere back in the civilized world.

Shaking off his depressing thoughts, Booth rolled over and closed his eyes again, hoping to catch up on his rest, but his mind kept wandering back to the previous evening.

Oooooooooo

Achmed's two wives, whom the visitors would never meet, in accordance with the strict Muslim customs of the area, had prepared several dishes fit for a meal to be served to honored guests. Embarrassed at being treated like someone special, Booth ate as much as he could handle, knowing that his digestive system might rebel against the meal the next day, but not wanting to give offense to his host. The goat shish kebob had been excellent. The tender meat was laid on a bed of saffron rice and surrounded with some sort of boiled vegetables, and several varieties of fresh fruit were arranged in beautifully painted gilt bowls.

The visitors, along with Achmed and some of his older sons, sat at a low table and ate their fill of the feast as the cousins reminisced about old times, laughing over some of their youthful misadventures together. Even though Achmed was several years older than Rami, their extended families had spent many holidays and summer vacations together. Achmed had delighted his dinner companions with humorous stories about Rami and his younger brothers as they'd visited the country with their mother all those years ago.

Booth had tried to follow the conversation as Achmed and Rami went back and forth from English to Pashto, but he soon gave up and had found himself thinking of other things. Glancing at the date on his watch, he realized he'd lost all sense of how much time had passed since he'd left the States. He wasn't sure what day of the week it was, or even exactly how many weeks he'd been away from home. All he knew was that it had been too long since he'd seen Bones and Parker.

He was exhausted, trying valiantly to stay awake as the conversations stretched into the night, but he'd drifted off to sleep as he sat by the window in the dining room, only to be roused by Rami so they could move to the adjoining room, where they would stay the night...

oooooooooo

After a few more minutes of tossing and turning, Booth heard a quiet knock on the doorway. Turning over, Booth saw Achmed standing there, holding up a small battery operated lantern up so it would cast some light into the room. "What time is it?", Booth whispered softly.

"Two hours before sunrise." Achmed held the lantern higher so its light shone on Rami. "You should prepare to leave soon. I think it would be best if you were gone before the traffic in the town picks up." He reached down to jostle his cousin's shoulder. "Come, you must rise now, Akram."

"I agree, Achmed. We need to get a move on." Booth sat up and reached for his long linen overshirt, pulling it on over his head. "Listen, I appreciate you giving us that great meal and a place to stay last night. I know it was really risky for you and your family to have us here, especially if nosy neighbors start gossiping about your odd visitors."

"My neighbors and I often offer hospitality to others who are traveling through the area, especially those who are in need of extensive car repairs, so I am not concerned about that sort of thing. But even if there was a risk to my family, it would make no difference to me. This mission is a matter of our family's honor, Sergeant Major Booth, and we are indebted to you for your service as you complete this project." Speaking quietly, Achmed sat down on the floor next to Booth. "I know what you personally have given up to come to Afghanistan on the mission to eliminate this criminal. Akram has explained to me about the woman you love and your son...about how you have left them behind in America to come here so you could avenge the wrongs committed by this evil man." Sighing softly, Achmed stared at the floor in front of them. "He also told me about the man you lost...the young interpreter who served your unit. I was a soldier once myself, Booth...a commanding officer in a position very similar to yours, and I understand how it feels to lose one who is under your protection. I hope you realize it was not your fault that someone else did evil to the young man. Evil exists in the world, and we must resist it, but I know in my heart that you did not cause this evil to occur. I know you are a good man." Glancing up at Booth, Achmed smiled gently. "If you will allow me, I will pray that Allah will give you safe travel and also peace in your heart…"

"Thanks, Achmed...I'd appreciate that." Hearing Rami grumble softly as he tried to shake off his slumber, Booth laughed quietly. "Okay, Little Miss Sunshine, up and at'em. We've got things to do today…"

"Yeah, I'm up." The younger man scrubbed his hand over his face and offered a sleepy smile as he turned to face Booth. "Ugh...I think I know how you must feel every morning, Sarge. I'm not used to sleeping on the floor anymore…I'm all stiffened up like some old guy..."

"Thanks for nothing, Smith. You're gonna think 'old guy' when I come over there and kick your ass outta bed…" Turning to Achmed, Booth rolled his eyes. "Kids these days…"

Achmed chuckled as he scrambled up from the floor. "I will go to find some breakfast for you, and maybe something for lunch in case you need it. I think you must leave soon…" He turned and left them alone to finish getting dressed.

"So do you know for sure where we're going this morning, Rami?" Booth stretched and scratched his belly as he yawned. "I don't want you to get us lost somewhere in the middle of the Afghan wilderness on the way to take out our target…"

"I'll admit it's been awhile, and we'll be traveling in the dark, but I've been that way many times as a boy, so I think we'll be okay." Pulling on his pants, Rami groaned as he reached for the rest of his clothes. "Come on, let's go...hey, Booth, pull your patu up around your face, okay? Just in case we run into someone on the way out of town…"

"Yeah, okay." Booth pulled his woollen cap down low on his forehead and wrapped his blanket around his neck and chin. "Look, Rami...I know what your cousin said, about us staying at his place as long as we needed, but if we're not successful today, I'm not sure we should come back here tonight. I don't want to draw any more attention to Achmed's house than necessary…"

"Yeah, you're probably right." Rami finished dressing and folded up the heavy blankets, stacking them on the floor pillows and pushing the bedding into a corner. "Besides, I guess it's also possible that someone might recognize me and make the connection to Achmed, and that would bring up all sorts of questions we don't want to answer right now. If we don't get the guy today, we may have to sleep in the truck tonight, unless Major Evans gave you some cash…"

"No...I got nothing like that. I guess that means we'd better do our best to get Ghilzai today. I'm not sure I want to spend another night sleeping in the same room with you anyway, Rami…" Booth tried to force a grin to break the tension they both felt as they thought about undertaking their mission. "You snore like a hibernating grizzly bear…"

"Yeah, between my snoring and your issues with passing gas, we probably kept Achmed's family up all night. They're probably praying we don't show up back here tonight." The younger man tried to smile as he pulled his patu around his shoulders. "Okay, Booth. Let's go get that bastard…"

Oooooooooo

Wrapped up against the early morning's frigid temperatures, the three men quietly left the tidy house and walked quickly through the blackness toward the garage that stood in the front of the lot. "I have packed some food and water for your journey, and the gas tank of the truck is full.", Achmed said as he held up a cloth bundle. "Also, Akram...I have a gift for you." After removing some strips of fabric, the older cousin drew out a large khukuri knife from its heavily tooled leather scabbard. "This fine steel blade belonged to our grandfather, coming from his father before him. I send it with you now as you attempt to avenge his death. I am sure you know what to do with it." Pulling Rami close, Achmed kissed him gently on both cheeks. "I fear we will never see each other again, Akram. I pray you and Sergeant Major Booth will have a safe journey. Allah be with you, Cousin, as you go to do this task. Goodbye." Waving at Booth, Achmed quickly jogged back to the house.

Wiping a tear from his face, Rami chewed on his lip as he struggled with his composure. Fastening the scabbard into his waistband, he nodded resolutely. "Let's go, Booth." Climbing into the idling truck, they pulled away from the garage and onto the darkened streets of the sleeping town.

"The road we want is about five miles from here, off to the right…", Rami explained as they drove along. There were no streetlights to show them the way as they traveled through the inky darkness, with the truck's headlights offering very little assistance as they made their way down the narrow pavement. "It's not even an improved road, really...more like a gravel covered goat trail. It's not marked by a sign…" The truck slowly bumped along as they looked for the side road. "There it is…" Sharply turning the truck off the main thoroughfare, they hit a dip in the ground before moving up to a level area of dusty gravel. "So this trail will take us to the base of that ridge that Achmed told us about…" Booth nodded as he stared out into the bitterly cold early morning. Rami took a deep breath as he continued. "It's about 3 miles down this way, but since we gotta creep along in the dark, it'll take a while to get where we're goin'…"

Slender rays of pale sunlight were beginning to show across the tops of the mountains in the distance. Finally finding themselves at the base of a steep rocky wall sloping up and away from them, Rami pointed to a thicket of windblown foliage, standing as a large shadow against the horizon. "That's where we'll park…" He found a spot between some tall scraggly bushes where their vehicle would be somewhat hidden from view. "Ready? Here..." Rami held out a headband with a small battery operated LED light attached to it. "These are better than flashlights…they're fairly bright and you can still use your hands..."

"Yeah." Booth pulled off his heavy woolen cap and exchanged it for an olive green baseball cap, which he turned backwards before putting on the headlamp. Reaching behind the seat, Booth pulled out the Dragunov and the rest of the equipment that he'd use to steady the rifle as he got ready to take the shot. Patting the waistband of his billowing pants, he made sure his pistol and combat knife were easily accessible. "Alright...let's go…as quiet as possible. No need to stir up any more trouble than necessary..."

They scrambled up the hill as quickly and silently as they could in the dark. Every step seemed to echo loudly across the rocky terrain as they tried to move along without making enough noise to call attention to themselves. It was a few minutes before sunrise when they finally made it to the top of the ridge. Booth carefully surveyed the scene below as he tried to decide the best vantage point from which to take his shot.

The large group of concrete block buildings below them was mostly dark, but a few spots of light could be seen through the windows of what were probably the living quarters, moving from place to place as if someone was carrying a lantern through the house. People and animals were starting to stir outside as well. The place was quiet except for the rooster crowing from somewhere on the grounds. Soon everyone would be going about their daily routine of cooking meals and completing the morning chores. It had started out to be just another day, but Booth knew that if he had anything to do with it, it wouldn't end that way.

"Which room is he using, Rami?" Booth set up his tripod and inspected his rifle before affixing the silencer. "I need to be where I'm sure I can get a clean shot the first time. I don't want to have to try twice."

"Achmed said it was the second room from the right on this side of the house. See that enclosed courtyard? It's got a table and some chairs set up, and he said that Ghilzai usually has his breakfast out there…"

"Even when it's this cold?" Booth shivered as he pulled his heavy wool blanket away to free his arms. "Geez….it must be well below freezing this morning."

Chuckling, Rami smiled as he shrugged off his patu. "Most folks in Afghanistan consider this to be warm weather, Booth, especially with all the layers of clothing they normally wear." He beat his arms across his chest and shivered, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I gotta go take a leak…"

"Didn't I tell ya to take care of that before we left? Hurry up, okay? I'm gonna need you to check the scope for me…" Booth chuckled to himself as his partner scurried away to take care of business. Picking out a likely spot from which to shoot, the sniper began setting up the gun as the sun continued to rise behind him, its light filtering through to the small canyon below them. If he hadn't had such an awful job to do, he might've enjoyed the interplay between the bright light and the deep shadows around the compound, but there was no time to indulge that sort of nonsense this morning...not with a mission to complete. He wanted to be done today, and on the way home tomorrow...back home to his Bones.

Smiling at the thought of her, Booth let himself indulge in a little bit of romantic reverie before getting back to business. I can't wait to see her again...to hold her close...God, I miss her...she's so beautiful...and she loves me...Jesus, I'm a lucky guy...don't know what I did to be so lucky...

He crawled silently on his belly as he tried to get himself in the best location to take the shot, not paying much attention when he heard some footsteps behind him a few minutes later. Without looking over his shoulder, he growled at the approaching sound. "Finally..I'm glad you're back, Rami…we need….hmmph..."

Feeling a sudden sharp pain in his side, Booth rolled over on his back and found the business end of a rifle pointing at his nose. A man was yelling at him in Pashto, gesturing at Booth with the barrel of the gun. Holding up his hands in surrender, Booth tried to sit up, only to be kicked in the ribs again by the man, who appeared to be on guard duty. Groaning as he tried to move out of the way, Booth cringed as the man raised the rifle as if to shoot, knowing he'd be done for if he was shot with that rifle at point blank range. His heart pounded wildly as he tried to appease the man standing over him. "Please…", he began in broken Pashto. "...I'm a friend…" His mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do to avoid being killed. Goddammit...I wonder if I can kick this fucker in the balls...I gotta get away...can't let him shoot me...shit...

The man nodded toward the house, motioning with the gun for Booth to stand up as he shouted in heavily accented English. "No friend. American...you come with me…now...unhhh..." The sentry's words gave way to a deep groaning cry as Rami's left arm snaked around the man's throat while he plunged his grandfather's knife deep into the man's lower back with his right hand. Gasping in pain, the man sank to his knees, falling forward as Rami forced the large blade further into the man's body, thrusting firmly upward into his victim's vital organs before withdrawing it slowly. Kicking the man over onto his back, Rami calmly reached down and slit the man's throat with a flick of his wrist. Glancing up at an astonished Booth, the younger man drew a trembling sigh as he surveyed his kill. "I met his partner down the hill from here, but he won't give us any more trouble, either. I had to kill them both, Booth. I had to make sure this one was dead, too. The success of our mission is paramount…we couldn't risk them raising the alarm for the guys down at the house." Using the dead man's shirt, Rami carefully cleaned the blood and tissue from the blade before returning the heavy knife to the leather sheath attached to his waistband. Without hesitation, he reached for the spotting scope. "Are we ready?"

Stunned at what he'd just witnessed, Booth exhaled slowly to calm himself. Clenching his shaking hands, he felt himself go weak in the knees for a few seconds. "Jesus, Rami...am I ever glad to see you! I can't believe I almost got myself killed by making some fucking rookie mistake! Goddammit...I really should've been more careful...I should've been paying more attention to my surroundings. We talked about there being guards up here, but I guess my mind was somewhere else instead of where it should've been. I must be losing it...I'm getting too old for this shit." As his adrenaline rush subsided, Booth suddenly realized his friend was silent and pale, as if in shock. "Are you okay, Rami?", he asked in a quiet voice. "I know how hard it is to do that…"

"To do what? To kill a man like that? To kill some guy with my own two hands? Stabbing them in the back like that? Slitting a man's throat? I suppose that's true...it is hard...but it was necessary in order for us to complete our assignment." Rami closed his eyes, trying to stop his tears from overflowing as his emotions overtook him. "Look, I've been trained in special ops tactics and close quarters combat just like you have, Booth. I always go into a mission like this with the expectation that I'll have to face the enemy...knowing that I might have to kill someone just the same as you might have to do. Even though spotters are supposed to be above the fray, I know the danger that's involved...I know the cost..."

Booth nodded slowly. "Yeah, but it's different when you actually have to use that training, isn't it? When you have to kill someone with your own hands...when you see their face…I guess it's a lot different than spotting for someone else who's gonna pull the trigger instead of you."

"Yeah, I get it. You think I'm all shook up about it, right? That I've lost my nerve and can't continue the mission? Listen, I'm fine...", Rami lied. "...but this little wrinkle here means we gotta take care of this project today. When their two guards don't come back for lunch this afternoon, this hill will be swarming with guys looking for them…and we'd have no chance at completing it tomorrow."

"You're right. It's got to be today." Booth groaned in pain as he rolled back onto his stomach, wondering if his ribs had been broken when the sentry kicked him. "Not that that having a few broken ribs makes any difference if I can still shoot.", he muttered sardonically. "Yeah...let's get this job done." Shouldering the rifle, he glanced back at Rami. "Christ, I can't believe how goddamn stupid I was to let that mother fucker get the jump on me like that. I really should've known better. How come that guy didn't just shoot me in the back? Not that I'm complaining, you know, but…"

"They would've killed you soon enough, Sarge, but they wanted information from you, like who you were and who sent you...you know, stuff like that." Rami shrugged as he adjusted the scope. "I guess you were lucky I came along when I did, right?" He gave Booth a snarky grin as he continued. "Anyway, no use to dwell on making a stupid fucking mistake, okay, buddy? You're still here with us, so let's just get this over with, okay? We need get back to the base as soon as we can, so I can brag to everybody at dinner tonight about how I saved your sorry ass..."

Booth glared at his partner before looking back down at the house. "Right. Okay, I guess I'll hafta give you that one..." Puffing out a shivery sigh, Booth nodded as he looked down on the house below, watching Rami in his peripheral vision. The young man next to him wasn't just an ordinary income tax accountant who happened to be a sniper's spotter. He was also a battle hardened veteran, and, given how well Rami seemed to be holding himself together after killing two men with a knife, Booth was certain his partner on this mission had killed enemy combatants in the past. "You never get used to it, you know? Killing someone? At least I never do…"

"I don't want to get used to it." Rami shuddered slightly, staring down at the house below them as his dark eyes filled with tears once again. "I never want to do that again. When we're done here all I want to do is go home and be a boring tax accountant who coaches his sons' flag football team and has tea parties with his little girl. And I don't want to talk about it anymore, either. Let's just get this thing done so we can go home, alright?"

"You got it, Rami." Booth shifted into the proper position to take the shot. "What's our range?"

"Damn...they gave us a metric scope. 332.58 meters...about 1100 feet. -3.9 degrees Celsius...so right now it's about 25 degrees Fahrenheit...weather conditions clear..."

"Did you do those conversions in your head?" Booth looked at his spotter in awe. "Wow...that's amazing. I mean, I'm always trying to get Bones to quit talking to me about that metric shit because it's a big waste of time trying to explain it to me. I just don't get it, but she says I'm just being stubborn...that I could learn it if I wanted to..."

"Nah...I ain't that smart. It tells me the numbers in the scope." Rami snickered at Booth's glare. "Just trying to keep you on your toes, Sarge…" Noticing Booth's demeanor had suddenly become grim as he focused on house below them, Rami's voice dropped to a whisper. "Do you see him?"

"I think so. Check it out on your scope…" Booth looked through the scope on his rifle. "See the guy sitting on the right hand side of the table? Look at that picture they gave us. That's him, right? Who's the other guy? Do you know?"

Rami nodded as he jammed the small photograph back into his vest pocket. "That's Ghilzai, but I don't know who the other guy is. Probably a visitor of some sort. I think Ghilzai must be like the Godfather around here, you know? He always has people coming and going at the house, asking for favors or running errands for him." Checking his scope again, Rami gave the information to Booth. "Wind out of the south at about 15 miles per hour up here. Down there...less wind. 3 miles per hour, intermittent. Probably the wall around the courtyard is affecting the wind conditions." Holding his breath as he watched their target, Rami waited for Booth to decide the time was right. "It looks like the visitor is getting up to leave…"

Adjusting the rifle, Booth nodded. He put his eye to the sight as he aimed the Dragunov toward the man sitting at the table. Sipping his coffee as he enjoyed the morning, Adelb Ghilzai was unaware of the dangerous men on the ridge above his house, trusting that the guards he'd posted up there would be able to fend off any intruders. He'd chosen this house to take for his own because was easily defended from enemy incursions.

Inhaling sharply, Booth put his finger on the trigger, ready to take the shot, when a woman brought a plate of food out to the table for Ghilzai. She kissed the man on the cheek, resting her hand on his shoulder as they talked. Booth could see her laughing at something she'd said to Ghilzai as she stood next to him. "Dammit...move out of the way, lady. Rami, have the conditions changed at all?"

"No...you're good to go." The next few minutes seemed like hours as they waited for the woman to leave the courtyard. Finally she walked back into the main part of the house, leaving Ghilzai by himself. "Conditions are the same. Whenever you're ready, Sarge…"

Curling his finger around the trigger once more, Booth found the target's profile in his telescoping gunsite and pulled, sending a muffled gunshot toward the courtyard. The force of the bullet's impact knocked their target sideways and overturned his chair as blood and body fluids flowed from the entry wound on side of his head. The growing red stain down his neck and on the front of his shirt along with large red spray of bloody remains on the wall behind the man told Booth everything he needed to know. "Done. Take a picture with that fancy ass spy camera they gave you and then let's get the hell outta here, Rami…we gotta make tracks. They'll be after us soon..."

They scrambled and slid down the hill as fast as they could, leaving the rifle behind as planned. Racing down to the truck, they jumped in as Rami tried to start it, but the engine was slow to cooperate. He cranked the engine once again, praying that it would start quickly. "Come on...come on..son of a bitch...maybe it doesn't like the cold. Come on, baby…start for Daddy...that's a good girl." Finally the truck tentatively wheezed to life, lurching forward as Rami put it in gear, and they jostled down the gravel road toward the paved highway.

"Pick up the speed, boy...we gotta go!" Booth checked over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed. "By now they know what happened, and they'll probably know it was from up on that ridge. Floor it…come on...what the fuck? What's the hold up, Smith? We gotta get outta here! This is not the time to drive like someone's granny..."

"Take it easy, Booth! I don't want this fucking truck to slide on this gravel and flip onto its side. These goddamn farm trucks are top heavy…and the clutch on this piece of shit still slips. I shoulda had Achmed check that out yesterday." Trying to get the truck into gear, Rami scowled as he looked up at his rear view mirror. "Fuck...we got company. Bad guys on our ass..."

Turning to see two trucks coming up behind them and closing fast, Booth pulled out his pistol. "You just drive, okay? I'll take care of them…" He started to lean out the window when a bullet came whistling past his ear and another one grazed his shoulder. Ducking back inside, he shook his head. "Shit, that was close...okay, goddammit, now they've made me mad. Hand me your pistol, Rami. It may take some more ammo to beat the bastards off."

Carefully reaching out the window, Booth fired his pistol at the wheels of the lead truck, causing it to skid and wobble as both of the front tires blew out. The second truck couldn't stop in time and plowed into the first truck, knocking it on its side as they collided. The men riding in both trucks scrambled out of the cabs, launching a barrage of bullets at the escaping vehicle, with Booth continuing to return fire until they were out of range.

"Take that, mother fuckers. That ought to hold them for awhile, huh, Rami?" Noticing how pale and shaky Rami was, Booth suddenly began to worry about his spotter. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I was hit in the upper arm." He nodded at the large red stain oozing down his left shirt sleeve. "It hurts bad, Sarge...I think my fucking arm's broken…"

"Maybe we should go back to Achmed's house and get you some first aid…", Booth began.

"We can't do that, and you know it, Booth. They'll have more guys out looking for our truck soon, and we can't let them find it at Achmed's garage. We've gotta keep going. I'm fine...I can still drive…" Wobbling in his seat, an ashen Rami looked like he was about to pass out. "No big deal…"

"Pull over, quick…" Seeing Rami's grimace, Booth yelled at his partner. "That's an order, Sergeant Smith. Pull over now!" After driving the truck behind a small ridge, Rami put the truck in park. Booth jumped out and ran around to the driver's side, trying to hide his horror as he saw the extent of Rami's wound. Concerned about the possibility of his partner going into shock, Booth tore some strips of cloth from his shirt, wrapping the bandages around the gaping hole in his partner's upper arm as best he could. "I think that'll hold you until we get to the base. Just keep some pressure on it there with your hand and maybe the bleeding will stop. You're already getting really loopy, so I'm gonna drive. Stay with me, Rami...I'm gonna need you, buddy, in case we need to talk to somebody along the way. Move over, okay? I'm gonna get us back to the base as quick as I can."

"Sure thing, Sarge…" Rami's speech was slurred as his head lolled back against his seat. "I'll be fine…it's just a scratch...don' know why I can't drive...I'm jus' fine..."

"I know you'll be fine. Just hang in there, okay?" Booth inhaled sharply. He needed something to keep Rami's mind engaged so maybe he'd stay awake...something besides worrying about his bloody arm. "Hey, talk to me, Rami, okay? Tell me about Abilene, Texas...I've never been there. Tell me how you met Ziza, okay? How'd you get that pretty girl to talk to you?" Drawing a heavy sigh as he got very little response, Booth tried again. "Tell me about the Dallas Cowboys and how they're gonna beat the Washington Redskins. Come on, Rami…tell me all about it...Come on, Buddy….stay with me...ya gotta fight, Rami..."

Worried sick that his companion might bleed to death or succumb to shock as they made the two hour drive back to the base, Booth sent up some quick prayers to St. Lawrence, St. Michael, and St. George, hoping that the military's favorite saints would see fit to send aid for a fellow soldier, even if his faith was different than theirs. Surely the saints wouldn't be bothered by a little thing like religious beliefs, right? Trying to remain calm, Booth headed for the blacktop that would take them to safety. "Come on...stay with me, Rami…."

Oooooooooo

Brennan sat in the chair next to Angela's hospital bed, feeding her ice chips as Angela babbled aimlessly about everything from the ob-gyn being a nasty old bat to Hodgins quacking like a duck. Hodgins had stepped out for a minute to get some air and to calm down after Angela had yanked out yet another handful of his chest hair during a particularly painful contraction. Holding her friend's hand, the anthropologist chuckled softly. "Hodgins seems to be much calmer than I expected in this situation, Angela. He does tend to be volatile when he's under extreme pressure."

"Sweetie...you know how wonderful Hodgins is...he loves me even when I'm bitchy, right?" Angela smiled happily as Brennan nodded in agreement. "I'm so lucky….aaaahhhh!" Angela gritted her teeth as a wave of pain shot through her. "If I'm so lucky, why can't I get this kid out of me? At least we didn't have to induce labor right? It's like the doctor said...babies come when they're ready." Cringing as the contraction peaked, Angela squeezed Brennan's hand tightly. "It's so beautiful...having a child with the man you love...bringing a new life into the world...planning for the future...I hope you get to experience how wonderful this is, Brennan…you and Booth….owwww….." Crying out as another contraction passed, Angela bit her lip. "They're getting closer together, aren't they?"

"The contractions? Yes, they're only a few seconds apart now. I'm sure you'll be giving birth very soon." Smiling as she lay a cool washcloth on Angela's forehead, Brennan spoke softly. "I find that I'm looking forward to being an aunt…"

"And you're gonna be so good at it." Angela braced herself for another contraction as the labor and delivery nurse came into the room to check on her. "It looks like you're dilated to about seven, Ms. Montenegro. It won't be long now…" She made a note on the computer chart, patted Angela's hand and left.

"Is the baby coming now? What did the nurse say?" Full of questions, Hodgins came rushing into the room. "Am I too late? How's your pain, Angie? Are you sure it's too late for an epidural? Oh, my God, Angela..." He grimaced as she cried out during another contraction. "Oh, wow...I'm so sorry, Sweetheart…"

Catching her breath, Angela squeezed her husband's hand. "Calm down, Jack. We've still got a way to go." Smiling at her husband, Angela turned to her best friend. "Brennan, would you mind if I talk to my Wacky Jackie by myself for a few minutes?"

"Of course I don't mind. I'll just step out to the waiting room for awhile. I need to stretch my legs anyway…"

Brennan walked to the small visitors' lounge and sat on one of the small sofas, trying to get comfortable without much luck. Picking up a magazine, she tried to read it, but it was over a year old and didn't hold her interest for long. Sighing softly, she thought perhaps she might take a short nap. She tried to lean back against the couch, but the back was too short to support her head. Annoyed, Brennan shifted in her seat again, and noticed that the television on the wall was showing the news. She watched for a few minutes, wondering what was going on in the world that morning, when she saw the headlines crawl across the bottom. Breaking news: The Afghan government is reporting the assassination of Adelb Ghilzai, a notorious warlord and terrorist leader wanted for committing numerous violent war crimes against his own people. He was shot to death at his home by an unknown gunman. So far no group has claimed responsibility for his death…

Even without solid evidence and absolute proof, Brennan knew exactly what had happened. Booth had been successful on his mission, taking out that target for the Afghan government. Her heart beat a little faster as she realized he'd probably be home soon, and she was definitely looking forward to seeing him again. If everything happened according to plans, he'd be home before Christmas…and then, after a few weeks of making up for lost time, perhaps they could discuss having a child together...

Hodgins came trotting out to the waiting room. "The doctor says things are really heating up, and it's gonna be anytime now...that the baby's almost here…and Angela would like you to join us in the birthing room as we welcome our child."

"I don't understand." Brennan's brows knit together as she thought over his request. "Isn't that sort of thing normally reserved for close family members?"

Smiling broadly, Hodgins nodded as he held out his hand toward her. "Exactly…"

Finally understanding what he was saying, Brennan laughed as she quickly stood up. "Thank you, Hodgins…thank you so much." She smiled to herself as she followed Hodgins back to labor and delivery. Maybe someday, after Booth had been home for awhile, she might be the one who was waiting for a baby to come to make their family complete...and that would be a wonderful thing.

A/N 2: I know some of my readers will consider it to be going against Bones canon for Booth to make such a silly mistake as mentioned in this chapter, probably bordering on heresy, and I'm sure some of you will consider it an unnecessary blot on Booth's sterling reputation. However, even the best of us make mistakes, and no real harm came from it. Booth is one of my favorite fictional characters, and it's not my intention to make him look really stupid. He just slipped up but in the end, he did what he needed to do. All's well that ends well.

I also wanted to add another dimension to Rami's character, and that was the best way to do it.

Don't worry...Booth will make up for things in the next chapter. Laura.