(Season 10)

Thank you for reading my stories. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

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"What did you call me?" Booth slammed Agent Tyson against the wall and held his forearm against his throat. "Say it again."

"Agent Booth, let him go." Agent Aubrey pulled on Booth's arm trying to get his attention. "Let him go Booth. He can't breathe."

Barely moving, Booth released some of the pressure against the other agent's throat, but didn't release him. "You think that's a good name to call me? You think I'm a traitor? Is that what you think?"

His hand still on Booth's arm, Aubrey tried once more to get Booth's attention. "Booth, let him go now. He didn't mean anything by it."

Certain Agent Tyson did mean something by it, Booth released the agent, but didn't move away from him. Crowding the smaller agent against the wall, Booth gave Tyson a look that would worry anyone with common sense. "I asked you a question, Tyson and I want an answer."

Nervously, Tyson cleared his throat. He knew that Booth had a quick temper, but in all honesty he thought he'd complimented him. "I don't think you're a traitor, why would I think that? Agent Booker mentioned that he served with you in the Rangers. He said that everyone called you the Assassin. You and Jacob Brodsky were considered the best in the business. He was the Left Hand of God and you were the Assassin. Am I wrong?"

Stepping back, Booth glared at Tyson and gave him one of his more intimidating looks. "I'm not an assassin. I was never an assassin. I was a sniper. I worked for the United States government and I did my job. Assassins are scum . . . they're traitors to their country. Agent Booker is full of shit. I didn't have a fucking nickname in the Rangers and I don't have one now."

"Alright, my mistake." Agent Tyson admired Booth and tried to emulate him or at least the best parts of him, but he also knew that Booth could be a dangerous man and pissing off the agent wasn't the smartest thing to do. "Booker and I were having a few beers last night and he talked about serving with you and Brodsky. He told me about the manhunt for Brodsky a few years ago and he said when he heard about it that he knew if anyone could get Brodsky it was you because you knew how men like Brodsky think and . . . and he mentioned that you had a nickname. If he made it up then how was I to know? I know you set the record for the longest successful shot and you've had a lot of success as a sniper in the past. Talk to Booker if you don't like the nickname. I had nothing do with it, Booth."

Aubrey tugged on Booth's arm finally forcing Booth to step back from Tyson. "Booker is just being his usual pain in the ass self, Booth. He likes attention and he doesn't care how he gets it. . . . Tyson was just repeating what Booker said."

Slightly mollified, Booth stepped back, but continued to stare at the younger agent. "Assassins are criminals, they're murderers. No decent human being would want to be called that. For the sake of your career, stop listening to Booker and stop listening to gossip about me."

Now that Booth was calmer, Agent Tyson felt he could explain a little further. "You know I was a Marine and I was a sniper too, but I didn't have the career you had. Now that I think about it, I guess I wouldn't like it if some called me an assassin either."

Tyson was one of Booth's better agents and he felt the man was going to go far in the FBI. "I need you to keep looking for Hal Fugatt. He botched that bank robbery and by killing that security guard I'm sure he thinks he has nothing to lose. We need to find him before he kills anyone else."

A quick nod of his head and Tyson left the breakroom without the coffee he had come for. As he left the room, the young agent vowed to stay out of Booker's circle of friends. He knew that Booker was a self-centered son-of-a-bitch, but he hadn't realized that Booker was a liar too. Lesson learned.

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"Booker!" Agent Aubrey ran into the troublesome Agent in the parking garage and thought it might be time to have a little talk with the man. "Hold up." As he got closer, he couldn't help but notice the annoyed look on the other agent's face. "I need to talk to you."

"About what? I'm busy." Booker had only been in Major Crimes for three months, but he felt he was the equal of every man in the division. "Booth has been raising hell about Fugatt ever since the bastard killed that guard and wounded that kid. I don't want him pissed at me because you're keeping me from doing my job."

Coldly, Aubrey stared at the agent with hooded eyes. He knew he had a reputation for being easy going, but Booker had never crossed him before. "You're new around here and I've been willing to let you get a feel for how things are done in Major Crimes, but I think it's time you learned the facts of life. Our department is the envy of the rest of the FBI. Our solve rate is phenomenal and that is due to Booth and his partner Dr. Brennan. He had the foresight years ago to hook the Jeffersonian up with our division and we've closed cases that were so cold they were frozen solid. Booth put away a few serial killers over the years and the Director sings his praises and therefore our praises."

Bored with the conversation, Booker didn't see the point of the conversation. "Yeah, so I know all this. Get to the point."

"Booth is the engine on our train and because of him, we all look good." Aubrey saw the agent sigh and he was starting to get pissed. "Booth approved your transfer to our division because of your good work in New York and we needed to replace the scum that worked for Durant. He thought you might fit in, but you've been gossiping about Booth behind his back and it reached not only Booth's ear but the Deputy Director too . . . The Deputy Director has asked me to give you a message and you'd better listen . . . Stop it, stop it right now. Do your job and quit spreading bullshit about Booth. No one wants to hear it."

Filled with anger, Booker puffed out his chest. "I do the jobs I'm given and I'm successful. This is a free country and we have a little thing called the Constitution. You can't suppress my free speech and neither can the Deputy Director. I'm good at my job, I'm damn good at what I do, but Booth isn't the only one that works here. He's a glory hog. That's how he was in the Rangers and I should have known he'd be that way here. We work our asses off and he gets the big office and the hot doctor partner. Well, if I was sleeping with that hot piece of . . ."

Unwilling to let Booker finish, Aubrey shoved the agent against a nearby support column and pressed his arm against the agent's throat, ignoring the irony of the situation. "Shut up . . . I'm trying to warn you, but you seem to be too stupid to get that." Aubrey saw that the agent was having trouble breathing and he eased up the pressure against the man's windpipe. "You've been talking about Booth behind his back, calling him an assassin. Booth heard about it and so did the Deputy Director . . . yeah do you get it now? Booth was almost killed because of that traitor Durant and the pieces of shit that worked for him. They tried to kill him and when that didn't work they tried to destroy his reputation."

Aubrey knew he was being too emotional, but damn it, it just never seemed to end with the bullshit surrounding Booth. "Just in case you don't get it. I run interference for him and for the Assistant Deputy Director and the Deputy Director when they need me to. You think I'm a nice guy, but I'm not. I'm a real bastard when I need to be and if you continue to make trouble in our division you're going to find out what a mistake that really is. We all work our asses off because that's what's expected. Most of us are happy to be in Major Crimes because it's going to help us all advance up the chain someday. The Deputy Director plans on being Director some day and he needs people like Booth and Dr. Brennan to make that happen. He needs all of us to do our jobs. If you don't understand that then I'm starting to wonder how you even got into the FBI. It's not just solving crimes around here. It's politics. You're in Washington D.C. for God's sake. If you can't play the game then you're going to be squashed like a bug . . . stop gossiping about Booth and everyone else around here. Forget how pissed off Booth is right now, the Deputy Director is going to ship your ass off to some Podunk town you've never heard of if you piss him off any more. Leave Booth alone." Stepping back, Aubrey shook his head, turned and left.

Rubbing his throat, Booker watched Aubrey move over to the elevator and wait for the car to arrive. Furious, Booker stayed where he was until the other agent was gone. As soon as he could he planned on filing a complaint against Aubrey.

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Fugatt was captured before he could kill anyone else and Booth appreciated the fact that he hadn't had to shoot the idiot to get the job done. He was tired to killing people and he wanted to just have some peace in his life. All in all, he was in a good mood, a very good mood. After spending a romantic night with Brennan while Max took care of Christine, Booth was ready to tackle the world and that included the mountain of paper work sitting on his desk. Fugatt had consumed his attention for the last week and now that the murderer was in jail, Booth could concentrate on the everyday requirements of his job. After sipping some of his coffee, Booth pulled the top folder off of the pile and opened it. A little surprised, Booth stood up and went in search of Agent Aubrey. Finding the man in his office, Booth plopped the folder on the desk in front of his friend. "What the hell is this?"

Nonchalantly, Aubrey flipped it open, looked at it quickly and then closed it. "Seems clear to me. Agent Booker has asked for a transfer to the LA field office and the Deputy Director approved it."

"A transfer?" Booth sat down and stared at his friend. "Why? He campaigned pretty hard to be transferred to the Hoover."

Pursing his lips, Aubrey considered lying and then changed his mind. "Deputy Director Stark heard about the rumor that Booker had spread about you and he didn't like it. He didn't like you being connected to assassination. Your last name just has bad connotations when it comes to the word assassin and he wanted that squelched as quickly as possible. He told me you've been through enough shit and being brushed with that nickname is not going to happen if he can help it."

"He didn't like it." Booth just continued to stare at Aubrey. "It was just bullshit gossip."

Aubrey shrugged his shoulders. "Malicious gossip. Booker didn't know how to play the game around here. Some never learn. The Deputy Director talked to Booker and he decided that Booker wasn't the team player we needed. He asked Booker to transfer and Booker realized he'd better do it . . . okay?"

"I can fight my own battles." Booth hated the idea that what Booker had said had gotten as far as the Deputy Director. "I was going to talk to Booker about it."

A realist, Aubrey sighed. "It's politics, Booth. It's always politics. The Deputy Director is concerned about the image of the FBI and since you're a hero for uncovering that treasonous scum Durant and those traitors working for him he wanted to make sure that no one was staining your name. I wouldn't worry about Booker, I'm not. The Deputy Director laid down the law. If Booker does anything that puts you or us in a bad light Booker's going to find himself in a very bad situation. You know Stark, he's not someone that likes fuck ups. He wants to be Director some day and he's tough enough to make sure no one gets in his way."

"I hate politics." Booth wasn't happy about Booker, but right now he found it really hard to care. "And I didn't uncover Durant's treason by myself. It was a team effort. I had a lot of help from Bones, the squints and you. I'm no hero."

Aubrey shrugged his shoulders. "It's how the press played it and no one cares if you got the hero title. You deserved it after all the shit you were put through. Besides I think hero is a pretty good nickname." His gap tooth smile in evident, Aubrey grinned at his friend.

Not sure whether or not to take Aubrey seriously, Booth decided to just ignore the nickname thing. "I have to leave at six this evening, so don't put anymore shit on my desk today."

Amused, Aubrey chuckled and leaned back against his chair. "Not a problem." He'd noticed how happy his friend was earlier that morning and he didn't think Fugatt's capture the day before had anything to do with it. He was pretty sure that Dr. Brennan was treating Booth like a hero at home and he was happy for him. "Anything else?"

His thoughts on his plans for the evening, Booth shook his head and stood up. "Not a thing."

Once Booth was out of his office, Aubrey turned to face his monitor and smiled. Booth had been through a lot in the last year and if he was happy right now then he deserved it. Aubrey also had meant what he had said about Booth being the hero that got Durant. Someone had to be the face for the FBI when it came to that disaster and since Booth had suffered the most, he deserved the accolades. Aubrey knew his time would come someday and there was plenty of time for his light to shine.

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Just a little something I wanted to write. Let me know if it's any good. Thanks.