(The Change in the Game)

A/N: Kareneb and mphs95 has requested a sequel to chapter 161.

Thank you for reviewing my story. I appreciate it.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Breaking up with Fred had been the right thing to do, but it was leaving her with a lot of free time on her hand. Her friend, Li had been after her to join her bowling league and she now had the time to do it. Fred had been jealous of her bowling skills and that should have been a clue right there. Jealous of how good I bowled? I was being as dense as he was.

The tournament was scheduled for that evening and Paula Cornette had been surprised if not a little scandalized that the bowling tournament hadn't been rescheduled. After all it's not every day that a human body is ground up in a pin setter. Jeff Fowler was a lousy excuse for a human being, but even he didn't deserve to be killed and his body ground into pieces. Yuck.

After she arrived at the bowling alley, she found her lane and rolled a few balls to warm up. Once she was ready, she sat down and waited for the tournament to begin. Her team had a good chance of coming into first or second place now that The Thunder Balls had lost their best bowler. She felt a little guilty thinking about the benefits of Jeff's death, but she found it hard to work up any sympathy for the man. He'd been a braggart, a misogynist and a practical joker that took his jokes way too far. To be honest, she wouldn't be surprised if 'The Raven' had killed him. Poor man. Jeff humiliated him.

As she waited for her team to start bowling, Paula noticed a man arrive with a rather trashy looking woman. The man looked familiar and she wondered why. Puzzled, she studied the man's face when he turned to talk to the woman he had arrived with and realized that she was looking at FBI Agent Seeley Booth. The casual clothes and the mullet were off putting, but she knew she was right. After all, it was hard to forget someone who had stopped a robbery at a bar. He had stopped an armed man from robbing the place and probably saved some lives, but she had paid him back by slapping him and walking away from him.

She had been quick to tell some of her friends about her experience only to be told that she had overreacted. The man was a hero and she should have seen that instead of slapping him. Since her friends had been so adamant that she had done something wrong, she had thought over what had happened in the bar and came to the same conclusion they had come to. She had overreacted. Probably because she had been afraid and the bullet hitting the floor near her foot had terrified her. Once she had realized that she had acted like a drama queen she wanted to call the agent and apologize, but she felt too embarrassed to do that. Now there he was bowling in the lane next to her.

After hearing the woman with the wild hair call the Agent, Buck she knew that he must be undercover. There was no other explanation for what she was seeing and she began to wonder if he was investigating Jeff Fowler's death. It was logical and if he was at the tournament undercover, she would try not to blow his cover. The thought that there was a murderer in the bowling alley gave her chills, but with Agent Booth on the case she knew that everyone would be safe. He would make sure that the murderer didn't kill anyone else.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

While he was talking to Brennan, Booth noticed a woman in the next lane staring at him. She seemed familiar and after a few seconds it dawned on him who she was. "Shit." Sitting down next to Brennan, he leaned close to her so that she was the only one that heard him. "Remember a couple of years ago when I went for drinks at a bar and the bar was held up and I stopped the robbery?"

"Of course." Brennan had an eidetic memory and wasn't likely to forget anything unless she chose to. "What about it? Is the robber here? I would have thought he'd still be in prison."

His voice low, Booth leaned closer. "The woman I was with . . . the one that slapped me is in the next lane. She's staring at me. I hope she doesn't blow my cover."

Calmly, Brennan stood up turned to face the woman while rummaging in Booth's bowling bag. "I don't see your wrist guard. You'll have to bowl without it." Settling back down on the chair next to Booth, she leaned closer to him. "She is staring at you. I'm not sure we can say anything to her and not chance blowing our cover . . . We should just wait and see what happens."

"Yeah, I guess we don't have a choice." A little aggravated, Booth leaned back against the chair and crossed his legs. Raising his voice, Booth stared at the bowlers down the lane. "That's okay, Wanda. I don't need it."

Puzzled with Booth and Brennan's behavior, Max rolled his wheelchair a little closer, lowered his head and spoke as low as he could and still be sure Brennan could hear him. "What's going on?"

Changing seats so she could speak quietly to her father, Brennan glanced at Booth then focused her attention on Max. "There is a woman in the lane next to us . . . behind Booth the one with the shoulder length blond hair . . . She's met Booth before. He's worried that she might blow his cover."

Annoyed, Max glanced towards the woman who was obviously staring at Booth. "Okay, let me handle this. I know her. She's okay and not a bad bowler either."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Careful not to draw attention to himself, Max waited for Paula to leave the area where her team was and followed her to the refreshment stand. "Hey, Paula . . . hey Paula can I talk to you?"

In a hurry, Paula glanced back but kept walking. "I'm just grabbing a drink. It's my turn to bowl in a few minutes." Once she was at the stand, she ordered a large unsweet iced tea. "What do you want to talk to me about?" God, please don't ask me out.

Moving closer, Max made sure no one was near by and lowered his voice. "I need to talk to you about what's happening in the lane next to your lane . . . about Buck."

Surprised, Paula handed the concessioner some cash and grabbed her drink. Moving closer to the old man, she stood next to Max's chair and leaned over. "I know who he is, Max. Is Agent Booth investigating Jeff Fowler's death?"

"Well, you know I can't really tell you that, but I won't call you a liar if you know what I mean." Max knew Paula was smart and he hoped she understood what he was trying to tell her. "Buck is here bowling for me and taking a look around. Get it?"

Amused, Paula smiled. "I do get it Max." Standing straight, she started walking back towards the bowling lanes. "Don't worry. I won't interfere. I want this taken care of as soon a possible. For everyone's sake."

Slowly exhaling, Max watched Paula walk away sipping some of her drink. "I forgot what it's like to do undercover shit. I'm too old for this crap."

Ooooooooooooooooo

After she witnessed Booth arrest the shoe attendant, Paula moved over to where the exit was and waited for the agent to leave. First two men arrived that looked like FBI Agents and probably were. They took custody of the suspected murderer of Jeff Fowler and left the bowling alley. Before long, she saw Booth walking towards him with the wild haired woman walking beside him. Eager to talk to him, she moved towards Booth to intercept him before he reached the exit. "Seeley Booth . . . I knew that was you."

Surprised that Paula was seeking him out, Booth gave her a wary smile. "Yeah, thanks for not blowing my cover."

"That's alright. I knew about Jeff being murdered and I assumed you were here investigating." Paula coughed in her fist. "Look, I'm sorry I slapped you. I overreacted. I'm not used to weapons going off near me and I guess I was afraid. I took that fear out on you and I apologize."

"Thank you. Don't worry about it. I understand." He hadn't liked being slapped at the time but a lot of water had streamed by under his bridge and that was the least of it.

Grateful that Booth wasn't holding a grudge, Paula gave him a bright smile. "Would you like to go out for a drink? I'm buying?"

Quickly assessing the situation, Brennan moved closer to Booth and hooked her arm around his arm. "Booth and I are on the way to the hospital. One of our friends is having a baby tonight."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth glanced at Brennan and back at Paula. "Thanks for the offer, but my girlfriend is right. Angela will kill us if we don't show up at the hospital soon." This was the first time he'd actually called Brennan his girlfriend, but he knew he had to make sure that Paula knew he was off the market. His heart belonged to Brennan.

"Girlfriend?" Disappointed, Paula turned her gaze upon Brennan and realized that her assumption that she was an FBI agent was wrong. "I assumed you were an agent working with Booth."

"I'm a forensic anthropologist. Booth is my work partner and we are in an intimate relationship." She hoped she was being clear. There was no way she would share Booth with Paula or any other woman. He belonged to her.

Her cheeks warm, Paula felt a little foolish. She knew there was no way that she could have known that the agent was with this woman but seeing how he looked at her told her everything she needed to know. "I see. Well, it was nice seeing you again, Seeley. At least I got the chance to apologize."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Glancing at his watch, Booth started to walk toward the entrance, Brennan by his side. "Come on Bones. Angela should be close to having her baby soon."

Watching him walk away, Paula sighed. "Oh well."

Ooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.