Thank you for the reviews and feedback on this story. Now we are at the dinner that Booth and Hodgins are looking forward to. This dinner format came about as a result of what my family did so that myself, my sisters, and others could be together in a virtual environment. I hope you enjoy this one as we get to see if Booth has his feast, Hodgins gets some real food, and if Angela punishes Billy. Gregg
Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Day 3, Concluded
Hodgins was getting a bit worried. Billy had been really sucking down the Tequila all afternoon, and it wouldn't surprise him if the sadistic freak has something horrific in mind for poor, innocent little Jack Hodgins. Let's face it. There wasn't a whole lot of body real estate left to mutilate, and if he had to have a tattoo on his dick removed, the very thought of which made him want to throw up all over the place, then Billy would be spending a number of years in a rubber room in a straightjacket when he got through with him. If he spent the rest of his life celibate it didn't matter, seeing as poor Jack Junior would not be too interested in any such activities ever again.
"Hey, Billy, you've been hitting the sauce a bit hard today," Hodgins said, keeping his distance from the demented nutbar.
"It lets me be a bit more creative," Billy replied, his smile not one to engender a whole lot of happy, happy thoughts in Hodgins.
Hodgins did a mental inventory of what all was in the Man Cave and sighed a bit in relief that there was nothing that could be used for tattoos, but that didn't cover knives and other equally horrid torture implements. Hodgins resolved to slip the nut a Mickie so that he would be able to sleep a bit more relaxed knowing that Billy would be out cold when he himself was getting some rest. Too bad Sweets wasn't alive. He knew that the kid would be on his side and sign off on Billy being a permanent resident in some out of the way Psych Ward.
At least there was something to look forward to this day. Imagine. Two and a half days of nothing but liver and onions! And Billy having such a delicate digestive system was a real apocalyptic nightmare! After Angie had apologized profusely for the duplicity of the two muscle bound oafs, he had looked through the text messages he had frantically sent her over two days and couldn't believe that he hadn't asked her about food! Now that was one omission that he would have to remember to never make in the future. He only hoped Billy never got even a whiff of the fact that he had had to eat liver and onions because his son-in-law had forgot to ask Angie what the Hell was going on with the food! Now, though, Hodgins was mentally salivating over the idea of an Easter feast! He wasn't a terribly religious man, but he would become one of it allowed him to have a real meal after nearly three days of a living Hell. Maybe he could talk to Booth's friend, Bishop Mitch, about becoming a Catholic, albeit a Sunday Catholic as opposed to a 24/7 one.
Booth, on the other hand, was trying to ensure that he would be having a real meat filled bonanza of an Easter feast. He knew that calling any restaurants was out. He tried to bribe Aubrey to let him know what was on the menu, to no avail. He finally broke down and called Mitch. He hadn't wanted to, but the Big Guns had to be called in on this one. If Mitch could pray for the well-being of his faithful flock of parishioners within his diocese, then he could damn well pray for Booth to have some real food on this of all days! Of course, Mitch had expected some confession time. Booth cringed over the ensuing tally of Hail Mary's and Our Father's that he was given as some penance, along with a few extra Rosaries to work through. He could actually hear Mitch's tisk tisk as he detailed his murderous thoughts about Hacker and the many ways that he had mentally planned the jealous waste of skin's torture and maiming for this latest offense. Then, of course, came the ever-familiar observation from Mitch that he was a sexual pervert and freak for all the impure thoughts about Bones in the face of this no nookie while quarantined BS. Booth was certain that he was missing something in this confession business somewhere, but he couldn't quite figure it out.
"Bones?" he said after getting off the phone with Mitch, and fervently hoping that no one had been listening in and recording his confession.
"Yes," she said as she came into the Man Cave.
Once more Booth cursed the stupidity of that bastard Hacker. Here was Bones in the Man Cave looking totally sinful, and the kids were taking a good break outside from the strenuous lessons in movie watching that they had been plowing through all morning and early afternoon. What better opportunity to have a little action instead of impure thoughts?
"Don't I get any quality snacks to munch on? It is a holiday, after all," he pointed out. He also pointed to the baseball game that was streaming on his massive flat screen smart TV. He'd been ecstatic that the CBPL (Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan) was still in business and letting the world stream games. It was almost sacrilegious to be seeing a game and not have some seriously unhealthy snacks on hand. Bones had even confiscated all the beer!
"I have some celery and carrot sticks along with some fresh fruit prepared for you," she told him. While she was going to be nice on the dinner, she was perfectly willing, and determined, to work on the other meals and snacks to make sure that her Boothy practiced a healthier eating regimen.
"I don't want that rabbit food!" Booth squawked in horror. Watching a game without hot dogs or wings? It was pure sacrilege! His stomach was also screaming that it needed some thoroughly unhealthy food like chips, dip, summer sausage, and copious amounts of cheese cubes. In essence, the perfect opportunity to make a total pig of himself! His angry stomach was suffering from withdrawals, after all!
"Then you will have to wait until dinner, as I don't have anything else available," she reminded him.
Booth sat back and grumbled as he took a healthy pull from the bottle of lemon-flavored club soda that Bones had put in front of him a little bit ago. It wasn't bad, but he would deny it if anyone asked. He was being seriously deprived here, and he was going to milk whatever crumbs of sympathy he could get from anyone who would listen.
Three (long) Hours Later
Booth was trying not to be too uncomfortable sitting at the table with a large smart board opposite the table with a ZOOM setup showing. There was a screen with Angela and Michael Vincent. Another with Hodgins and Billy, with Hodgins visibly trying to increase the distance between himself and his father-in-law. A screen with Cam and Aristoo along with their adopted sons. And finally, one with Bishop Mitch. The only problem was that there was no food on any of the tables.
"Uh, Bones?" he asked. "Where's the food?"
"I didn't trust Hodgie to be patient and not pig out before anyone else was able to take a bite," Angela said with a smirk.
"Hey!" Hodgins protested.
"I'm still waiting on the food because The Thing can't be trusted?" Billy asked with a glare at Hodgins, or what Booth assumed was a glare given that Billy was wearing his ever-present dark sunglasses.
Booth almost laughed out loud at the sight of Hodgins instantly assuring Billy that he could be trusted. He also wanted to laugh his ass off at seeing an empty Tequila bottle in the background of the video image coming from Hodgins' Man Cave. Booth was certain that Hodgins had been walking on eggshells all day if Billy was hitting the sauce!
"I believe Seeley should offer Grace," Mitch said from his personal dining room.
"Uh, Mitch, there's no food yet," Booth pointed out the obvious. Call him Old Fashioned, but he preferred to be thanking the Man Upstairs when there was actually something edible on the table to be thankful for.
"I believe it is time to bring in the food," Bones said as she stood up and went into another part of the house hidden from view.
"I better have some meat," Booth grumbled under his breath. He did enjoy, though, seeing Hodgins look eagerly at a hazmat suited person wheeling in a large cart into the Man Cave for the two hapless souls.
At that very moment he turned upon hearing Bones wheeling in a long cart loaded up with platters of covered items. The smell was incredible!
"YES!" Hodgins said loudly as a large platter was set in front of him. He grabbed the lid and lifted it up. The man's eyes widened, and he looked as if he was about to sink in and consume all the food like some rabid wolf or something.
Booth was instantly jealous as he saw that Hodgins had a feast indeed and the meat in question was a large, thick cut of Prime Rib! He gave Bones and her cart a rather jaundiced look as she pulled off the first lids and he saw steamed vegetables and her, ahem, tofu turkey! He held it in, trying not to let Hodgins know he was going to be getting another roommate in the Man Cave. The next few trays didn't give him much confidence. It was all the Vegan stuff that Bones loved. This was a nightmare! And Mitch was expecting him to say Grace over this?
"What is this?" Billy's voice was heard over the ZOOM. He didn't sound incredibly happy.
"Since you like finger food Dad, I decided to have that as your entire meal," Angela told him. "You have deep fried chicken livers, liverwurst finger sandwiches, goose liver paté, chopped liver empanadas, and for dessert goose liver mouse." She then looked hard at the screen, and everyone knew she was talking directly to Billy. "And I expect you to eat all of it, and Hodgie is forbidden to give you any of his meal."
Hodgins looked absolutely giddy as he cut a big slice of Prime Rib and took a bite right in front of Billy, looking for all the world as if he were gloating.
"If you keep that attitude up, Hodgie, I can easily send down a tray of liver for you, too, and remove your meal," Angela warned him. She may be mad at her father, but there was no excuse for deliberate rudeness by Hodgie.
"Yes, Dear," Hodgins said, loving the grimace on Billy's face.
Booth turned his attention back to his own family and was pointedly looking at Bones. It hadn't escaped his notice that Mitch and also Cam and Aristoo had all gotten their Prim Rib dinners and were all set for a royal feast. Booth, on the other hand, was still waiting for the good stuff at his happy home. The kids were all taken care of as they liked all the healthy food that Bones loved, but Daddy needed his meat!
"Okay, Bones, where's mine?" he demanded.
Bones smiled as she took a final tray off of the cart and placed it in front of Booth. With a dramatic flourish she pulled the cover off and stepped back.
Booth looked down and smelled, and saw, an absolutely outstanding feast! Prime Rib, all four thick slices (he knew he would be having some top-level leftovers), baked potato, candied yams, green bean casserole which he loved, passion salad, and a massive piece of apple pie. Now this was what he was talking about! His stomach was singing Hallelujah! He reached for his fork and knife, only to be stopped by Mitch.
"Uh, Seeley? Grace?" Mitch said, a smile tugging at his lips.
Booth got flustered. How the Hell did he forget to say Grace? On this of all days! Oh, well. He made the sign of the Cross and quickly said Grace. A little rapidly, and he'd confess to Mitch the next day for rushing Grace, but he needed to reacquaint his taste buds with some real food! Then he noticed something.
"Where's Aubrey?" he asked.
"Spending time working at a food kitchen for the homeless," Bones informed him. "He does it every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter."
Booth nodded. He made a mental note to make sure and tell Aubrey he was proud of him for helping others like that.
"Alright, let's eat!" he said firmly, and then cut a large bite of Prime Rib and put it in his mouth. He dramatically sighed and thought that finally everything was as it should be during this whole quarantine business. He hoped Hacker was sucking down bread and water!
For the next two hours everyone visited and had a great meal together. That is, everyone except Billy. He looked like he had to force himself to put each bite in his mouth and choke it down. Hodgins ate every single morsel on his plate, and looked like he wanted more, which wasn't surprising considering what he'd been sucking down the last couple of days. Bones had her Vegan/Vegetarian meal, along with the kids. And Angela finally doled out some punishment to her Father, which she knew would make Hodgie very happy. The good feelings and mood were interrupted by what had to be the most horrific sound of flatulence anyone had ever heard, and Hodgins voice raising above the silence.
"Angie!" he said loudly. "Get the air freshener in here immediately!"
A/N: Well, there concludes Day 3. I hope you enjoyed this one. I plan on putting flashbacks to discussions from the meal in later chapters, so I kept the meal itself short. Sorry about the delay, but a schedule change for a video seminar I was going to deliver next week got moved up to yesterday, so I had to work on it before I could finish this chapter. I hope everyone is safe and well. Gregg.