Chapter 9

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Booth sat up slowly, holding a hand to his head. Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped, but he was left with a splitting headache. He groaned and pushed himself up, using the wall for support. He walked to the car, trying to ignore the throbbing of his head. He looked at his watch; 12:13 am. As he got in the car he remembered that Brennan had picked up Parker hours ago; he'd said he'd be back in one. Turning the car on, he headed for Brennan's apartment.

Ten minutes later he was walking up to the door. He raised his hand to knock, but realized Parker would probably be asleep. He found the spare key Brennan kept hidden, even though he had told her many times that it wasn't safe. He was glad it was there tonight, however, as he unlocked the door and put the key back in its hiding place.

He slipped through the door quietly and was met with a scene that put a smile on his face. Parker was asleep in Brennan's lap, while Brennan had nodded off as well, holding a storybook loosely in one hand. Two jars, one of peanut butter and the other containing Marshmallow Fluff sat open on the coffee table, plates - empty but for crumbs - next to them.

As Booth turned to close the door behind him, Brennan's eyes fluttered open. She moved to get up, and then saw Parker sleeping comfortably in her lap. She was about to settle down again when she glanced up and saw Booth standing near her front door. "Booth, what happened?" she asked worriedly, gesturing to the obvious injury just above his eyebrow. She gently moved Parker onto the couch, walking over to Booth and examining his forehead.

Booth actually looked somewhat embarrassed. "Some guys at the Alibi - I think they work for Marcus..."

"Sit down, I'll get you some ice," Brennan said, walking to the kitchen. Booth was sitting next to Parker when Brennan came back with a damp towel, and an ice pack, as well as some gauze and tape. She sat down next to him on the other side, putting the various items on the coffee table. She picked up the towel, tilting his head slightly with one hand and gingerly wiping the now dried blood off of his face with the other. "What did they hit you with? This looks pretty nasty..."

Booth grinned, amused by the way she was fussing over him. "He wasn't too much trouble?" Booth nodded in Parker's direction.

"Not at all." Brennan smiled, realizing that it really hadn't been as difficult as she had expected.

Booth smiled back. "Thanks for watching him," he said, as Brennan took out a piece of gauze and tape.

"You're welcome," she said, carefully placing the gauze and taping the edges. After Brennan had finished smoothing on the tape, she handed him the ice pack. He took it, pressing it lightly to his head. They sat in silence for few minutes before Booth took off the ice pack, putting it down on the table again. "We should be going..." he said, looking at Parker.

Brennan nodded as Booth picked him up, still sleeping. "So, I'll see you at the lab tomorrow?" she asked, following Booth over to the door and opening it for him.

"Yeah - and thanks again for babysitting. Parker will be back in school and I'm hiring an actual babysitter, so you won't have to worry about doing this again..."

Brennan shook her head. "Honestly, I didn't mind - it was actually kind of fun."

Booth smiled. "Good night Bones," he said, walking down to his SUV and putting Parker in the back seat.

Brennan watched from the door as they drove off, and found herself wishing that Booth wouldn't hire a babysitter.

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Medico-Legal Lab

Jeffersonian

8:30 am

Booth and Brennan stood talking by an autopsy table as Angela walked into the lab.

"Hey, Booth. Brennan beat you up?" she said jokingly. "I knew it would happen sooner or later," she winked.

Booth laughed. "Actually it was a bunch of guys from the Alibi. But while I was being beat up I managed to catch a couple things that might help us. They seemed to think I worked for someone named Furlong, and they were protecting Sidney. My guess is, this is the guy Sidney was talking about, the one who's been ordering the kidnappings. I've got Hodgins running the name for me."

Brennan nodded. "So, what should we be doing now?"

"We are going to go back to the Alibi, find Marcus, and get him to talk." Booth started walking out of the lab, but waited for her to catch up.

Brennan didn't look so sure. "Do you really think that's a good idea Booth?" she asked, looking at the now black and blue bruise on his forehead.

"Sure," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders as they walked. "I've got you right? My kick-ass anthropologist with superpowers."

Brennan smiled as they walked out through the sliding-glass doors.

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Surprisingly Marcus hadn't put up much of a fight, leaving Brennan feeling disappointed. Knowing it was his fault that Booth had gotten hurt, she had felt a strong desire to beat him up. Now, she sat across from him at the table, while Booth stood next to her.

"Why are you so willing to talk today Marcus?"

Marcus looked up, a note of anger in his eyes. "Because Sidney's dead," he said harshly.

Booth sat down next to Brennan. "How do you know that?" Marcus didn't answer. "Did you order it?"

Marcus rolled his eyes, exasperated. "No, I was trying to protect Sidney. It's your fault he got killed."

"How's that?" Booth asked, trying to suppress the guilt that was already seeping in, despite the fact that he didn't even know if Marcus was telling the truth yet.

"You got involved in this case and Sidney gave you information," Marcus replied.

"Who's Furlong?"

Marcus shook his head. "No, I'm not getting myself killed too."

Booth sighed and stood up, gesturing to Brennan to follow him. He wished he could just arrest the guy, but as he was suspended that wasn't an option. "If you decide to be helpful, give me a call." Booth handed Marcus a slip of paper with his cell phone number on it. Then he and Brennan left, heading back to the Jeffersonian.

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"Dr. Brennan," Zack called as she and Booth entered the lab, "Hodgins found Furlong."

"Thanks Zack."

Booth and Brennan found Hodgins at his computer, smiling to himself.

"What'd you find out?" Booth asked, leaning on the desk and looking at the screen.

"Well, mark another one down for Team Paranoia - one more very corrupt politician. George Furlong, he's been involved in all sorts of scandals for the past 15 years."

"Where is he now?"

"According to his assistant, he and his fiance just took a flight to Manhattan."

Booth stood up straight. "Manhattan?"

"What?" Brennan asked, wondering what he was thinking.

"That's where Rebecca and her fiance were supposed to be going," he said, chewing his lip.

"It's probably just a coincidence Booth," Brennan assured him.

Booth shook his head distractedly. "There's two things I don't believe in - leprechauns and coincidences."

Brennan frowned. Leprechauns? "Well, is her fiance named George Furlong?"

"I don't know." Brennan and Hodgins looked at him incredulously. "What? He's my ex's fiance - it's not like I'm going to go out of my way to get to know the guy...or apparently ask his name..." He shrugged, feeling incredibly stupid. "Look, just keep digging and find out who Furlong's fiance is okay?"

"The DNA results from the car are in," Zack announced, walking up and handing a printout to Booth.

"Dan Williams," Booth read aloud, "a Ranger." He looked at Brennan. "Well, let's go talk to Dan."

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Booth knocked loudly on the door while Brennan stood beside him. "Mr. Williams - Agent Seeley Booth, FBI. I'd like to ask you some questions."

A few seconds later they heard the lock turn and the door opened. "Yeah?"

"Can we come in?"

The man looked the two of them over suspiciously. "No, sorry."

Booth sighed. He had been hoping the man would invite him in, as he had no warrant and no way of obtaining one while he was suspended. He looked around at the little he could see through the doorway, spotting a ripped Kevlar vest in one corner. "You were involved in the kidnapping of the Pearsons," Booth stated, nodding in the direction of the vest.

Dan closed his eyes and looked down. "I can't tell you anything."

"Because of Furlong?"

Dan nodded. "Yes, he'll have me killed. Unless - you can give me some kind of protection?"

Booth sighed. "Okay. Tell us what you know - everything that you know - and then stick with us." Booth just hoped he wasn't making an empty promise. Dan wouldn't be getting official FBI protection.

Dan opened the door wider, letting Booth and Brennan enter. A few minutes later they were sitting on Dan's couch. He had insisted on getting them some water, and was off in the kitchen.

"Why would he leave the vest out in plain sight?" Brennan wondered aloud.

"Probably because a part of him wants to get caught. He's tired of doing these jobs and he wants a way out."

Dan walked back in with two glasses of water, handing one to each of them before sitting down across from them. He looked as if he didn't quite know what to say.

"Was this your first job with Furlong?" Booth prompted.

Dan shook his head. "No, there was one other - that one I did with Sidney. It was an old man; I don't know his name."

"How do you know Sidney?"

"We were in the same regiment - both snipers. He talked about you, it was right after you'd left I guess. We worked together on every job, until recently. One of the last jobs we did with the army - it just went wrong. Sidney didn't want to do it again. Then Furlong approached us, asking for another 'favor'. That's when Sidney ran away. I did the Pearsons by myself while Sidney was hiding out. I guess Furlong found out that Sidney was staying with you. He thought Sidney had ratted him out, so he had him killed - by me." Dan looked down sadly.

Brennan sat forward. "What did you do with the - " she began, but caught herself when she noticed the dark look that passed over Booth's face. " - with Sidney and the Pearsons - after?" She looked away momentarily, doubting that she'd actually managed to make the question any less unfeeling.

Dan sighed. "There was a place Sidney said he'd used before - it's in Maryland."

Booth and Brennan exchanged anxious glances, both knowing what Sidney had probably used it for.

Questions? Comments? Ideas?

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