(The year is 1999.)
A/N: This chapter is rated T for violence.
I don't own Bones.
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Serving in the 5th Special Forces Group, Booth had the honor to serve in one of the most decorated active duty special forces group in the United States armed forces. He'd served in The Gulf War, Somalia, Guatemala, Kosovo, Afghanistan and numerous places that he wasn't allowed to talk about. Being one of the best snipers in the Army made him valuable and his skills were used when the situation called for it.
He was leaving the service soon. In fact, his mission in Kosovo was his last one and he was glad. That mission had proved to him that he could no longer do his job and move onto the next one. He had been given the task of killing the Serbian General Radik. The general had been responsible for the murder of numerous ethnically Albanian civilians. His goal was to make his country ethnically pure and he planned to do that by killing every man, woman and child that wasn't Yugoslavian.
Booth had found the man at his home, attending a birthday party for his small son. Always using high ground if possible, Booth had made his way to the top of an apartment building overlooking the backyard of the general's home. As long as the general was at the party, Booth had time to kill him, but he needed to avoid collateral damage. The backyard was filled with children and happy parents. The boisterous children ran around the yard playing games which made targeting the general very difficult.
His moment came when it was time for the birthday boy to cut the cake. General Radik had stood proudly next to his son and beamed his pleasure while the cake was cut. Booth aimed his rifle at Radik and took his shot.
He was far enough away, so he doubted anyone heard the shot fired, but they would have heard the crack of the general's skull when the bullet hit even though the music playing for the party was loud. Booth knew his shot had been successful when he saw the General's head explode. The sound of screams from the children, the terrified shouts from the adults as they lunged for the children, the blood splattered everywhere were sights Booth would never forget. Before he left, he saw the general's son grab the body of his father and scream. The boy was covered in his father's blood and Booth knew that no one at that party would ever forget that moment in time. He knew he wouldn't.
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Aldo Clemens had grown to hate taking confessions from the returning soldiers, especially Master Sergeant Seeley Booth. The man was used for special missions and when he came back, the first thing he did was go to confession. Over the years, Father Aldo had heard about many of the grisly things that Booth had been ordered to do and most of them made him feel sick. He had become soul-sick providing absolution and he knew that he would have to walk away from the church soon.
Booth loved God and he hoped that God loved him, but Aldo knew that the sergeant was starting to worry about his soul. No matter how many times he had given Booth absolution, Aldo could see the doubt in the other man's eyes. He knew that Booth wanted to believe that everything between him and God was fine and he did his best to make sure the soldier felt at peace with God. He didn't want him to lose his faith and he found all the right words to keep Booth going, but inside Aldo knew that his own faith was slipping away and there was nothing that he could do to stop it.
When Booth came back from Kosovo, the man was clearly depressed. He couldn't seem to accept that what he had done had been the right thing to do. He came to Aldo and made his confession and that confession was a turning point for the priest. Booth told him about how he had killed General Radik at a birthday party in front of his young son. The screams of the children. The blood splattered clothes on anyone who had been close to the target. The terrified adults grabbing their children and running from the back yard to safety. Aldo had listened and managed to give Booth the absolution he needed, but he knew that that would be the last confession he would ever hear. He could no longer accept that what he did mattered. He was angry that the Army thought it was okay to send young men out to kill under the most heinous of circumstances and expect for them to remain whole and he was angry with God for putting him in a position that made him hear such confessions. He couldn't serve God anymore, he just couldn't.
Once Booth's confession was over, Aldo broke the news to Booth. "I'm not going to be able to hear your confessions anymore, Master Sergeant."
Aware that Aldo didn't know he was leaving the service, Booth patted the priest on his shoulder. "That's okay, Father. I'm getting out of the service at the end of the week. I've been accepted for training at Quantico. I plan upon becoming an FBI Agent."
Surprised, Aldo smiled. "Good for you. Good for you. I think you're making the right decision."
"I hope so, Father." Booth sat down on one of the pews near the confessional. "I'm still going to be in the reserves, so they can call me up when I'm needed, but basically I'm out. I've got a girlfriend in Washington D.C. and I'm hoping I get stationed at the Hoover. It will depend upon a lot of things of course . . . Where are you being transferred, Father?"
"Oh, I'm not being transferred anywhere. I'm leaving the priesthood." Aldo saw the look of shock on Booth's face and shrugged his shoulders. "I've come to realize that God and I don't really get along. He's asked me for more than I can give, so I'm leaving."
He couldn't get over the fact that Father Aldo was leaving the Church. "But . . . are you petitioning the Holy See to leave the Church? Won't you have to wait until they let you leave before you can quit?"
Aldo knew that Booth wouldn't understand, but he tried to explain anyway. "No, my enlistment is up in a few weeks. Once I'm out of the service, I'm just going to stop being a priest . . . It's okay, Master Sergeant, I know what I'm doing."
Studying the Father, Booth finally shook his head. "If you don't petition the Church then you'll still be a priest, Father . . . You've really helped me out over the years. I think you'll change your mind when your enlistment is up. You're really good at what you do."
"No, I'm not and I won't change my mind." Aldo was firm. He wasn't about to let Booth talk him out of what he needed to do. "I'm done. You're going to start a new life and I'm going to start one too." He held out his hand and waited to see what Booth would do. When the soldier stood up, Aldo was pleased that Booth shook his hand. "Good luck in the FBI. I hope you get what you're looking for."
"Thank you, Father." Booth was worried about Aldo, but he knew that the priest had to live his own life. He just hoped he realized before it was too late that the Church needed him. "I'll miss talking to you."
Aldo released Booth's hand and sighed. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not going to miss talking to you. You've been a trial for me. It wasn't your fault. I just don't have what it takes anymore. Good-bye."
As the priest walked away from him, Booth called out. "Pax vobiscum, Father." He hoped the Father found peace and happiness.
Waving his hand, Aldo kept walking. "Peace be with you, Booth."
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