A/N: Where is Beau? How is the team going to find out what's going on at Maxco? And what do ham and curling have to do with our story? Read on to find out.

Tuesday, March 7th, was a gloomy and overcast morning, setting the tone for the day as Aubrey and Booth headed out to do something neither was looking forward to doing.

"How's Jessica doing, Aubrey?", Booth asked as he drove them to their destination.

Aubrey brushed some imaginary lint off his suit. "Alright, I guess...she's still pretty shook up from her fight with Daisy on Friday night. She's tried calling her several times this weekend but always got the voicemail. She even sent Daisy a message on Facebook Messenger, but then Daisy responded by blocking her."

Booth shook his head. "I'm sorry for Jessica, but I'm sure this will blow over eventually. Daisy and Beau have a lot to deal with regarding Martin, and I'm sure that's part of it."

Aubrey nodded. "Do you think she's told Beau about their fight?"

"I don't know, Aubrey." Booth sipped his coffee. "When she came by to get Lance on Saturday, she was still hungover and very quiet. Bones asked her about Beau's last minute trip out of town, but she was vague about it and changed the subject."

"You don't think Beau is doing something to help his dad get out of trouble, do you? I wouldn't want him caught up in Martin's bullshit...I know what that's like…"

Booth shook his head. "I don't think so, but when Hunter tried calling him to set up a time for an interview yesterday, Beau never called back. Maybe he's just screening his calls, but he can't avoid this situation forever. He's a material witness in this case and the SEC needs his testimony to collaborate what his father told them."

Aubrey's jaw clenched in frustration before he sipped his coffee. "So they can cut Pixler a deal…"

"Yeah...although I hope it's one that hurts him…I don't want him to get off too easy.", Booth grumbled. "I mean, I get it...they need him to talk, and it's possible he might have seen or heard something about the Vacchio case and not have realized it, but still..."

"It's certainly possible. Anyway, I hope they stick it to Pixler. You know big shot types like that don't always learn from a slap on the wrist." Aubrey groaned when he saw the sign for the National Forensics Laboratory. "Yay, we're here."

"I don't want to do this either, Aubrey, but we have to find out where Beau is. I would prefer not to do an official search, but if he doesn't talk to Hunter or Agent Matney within 48 hours, we'll have to do that, which will be public and embarrassing to Daisy. I'm sure she'll be forthcoming or she'll push Beau to do the right thing."

Booth pulled up to the gate and flashed his badge. When the gate opened, he drove to the area marked VISITOR PARKING and found a spot.

"Maybe I should stay in the car…" Aubrey saw Booth's face. "If she's still pissed at Jessica seeing me may not be the best thing."

Booth got out of the vehicle and looked back at his passenger. "Too bad, since you're the other agent on record. Now come on...quit being a wuss."

Aubrey got out of the vehicle and exhaled. "I'm not a wuss…"

Booth rolled his eyes. "Right. Whatever."

"I'm not…", Aubrey retorted as he slammed the passenger side door. "I'm trying to avoid an argument, that's all. Daisy may not want to talk to you while I'm there."

The two men walked inside the large building and checked in at the front desk. After explaining to the the receptionist that they already knew where the anthropology department was, the two took the stairs to the third floor. Arriving in the large room, they looked around but didn't see Daisy anywhere. Noticing a scientist walking in their direction, they caught the man's attention.

"Excuse me, but do you know where Dr. Wick is?", Aubrey asked.

"Are you sure you want to risk her wrath?", the gentleman replied jovially. "That can be very dangerous…"

As Aubrey rolled his eyes, Booth pulled out his badge, which resulted in the man's demeanor changing quickly. "Yeah, we're sure, smartass. Now, do you know where Daisy is?"

"In her office..take a left and it's down the hall on the right...room 312. Sorry. She's been in a major bad mood since yesterday. She's bitten everyone's head off and said to not disturb her for 'petty, stupid shit.'" The man gulped nervously. "But I'm sure what you need to see her for isn't petty or stupid."

"Yeah, you could say that. Thanks.", Aubrey replied drolly before the two walked out.

Finding her office, they weren't surprised to see the door shut. Booth knocked on the door and the response was immediate.

"I said not to bother me for stupid, petty shit, Lisa. Delegate!"

"This is going to be fun.", Booth said sarcastically before opening the door, where they found the anthropologist working at her desk. "Sorry, Daisy, but we're here for important shit."

She quickly lifted her head up to acknowledge her visitors. "Hi, Booth...Aubrey."

The two men stepped inside, and as he saw the irritation in Daisy's eyes, Aubrey decided to let Booth take lead for this interview. Standing to the side, he observed his friend move closer to the desk.

"Daisy, the IRS and SEC are trying to get in touch with Beau and he's not returning Hunter's calls. Do you know where he is?"

"No.", Daisy said succinctly before going back to her work.

"Daisy, Beau is a material witness for his father's case and they need to talk to him to collaborate all that Martin told them in order to proceed with their investigation." Booth put his hand in his pocket. "If you think he'll respond better, you can call him now and we can talk to him to set up a meeting."

Daisy didn't look up as she continued to focus on the work in front of her. "Beau is obviously busy, Booth, and it's not my job to be his keeper. Try his cell phone. Now, if you don't mind, I have April's budget to complete."

Booth knew he was being dismissed but he wouldn't be deterred. "They did try his cell phone, Daisy...multiple times, as well as the Redskins front office, but, like I just said, it goes directly to voicemail or he's not around to take the call. We need to talk to Beau...right now. Please call your husband so we can put this part of the case to bed."

"Oh, of course...the case.", Daisy snarked back. "I'm surprised you haven't had Jessica come here to poach me for more information like she did on Friday. She sure as hell tried this weekend when she kept calling me until I blocked her on Facebook."

"Jess did nothing of the sort, Daisy-" Aubrey was stopped by Booth's stern glare before the older man turned to the anthropologist.

"Daisy, either he calls Hunter back by 4:00 tomorrow or we will have to issue a warrant on him at home, and we will have to come back here with several federal officers and possibly take you in for questioning as well as his parents. Aubrey and I don't want to do that, so help us out and get Beau to call Hunter, please."

Daisy continued to type on her computer. "You can serve a warrant and you can bring the entire Virginia National Guard here, but it won't matter."

Aubrey noted the flat tone. "Why, Daisy?"

Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the two men. "Because I don't know where the hell he is. He left me Friday night with a note telling me our marriage is over and not to try to find him. He hasn't called his parents, either. Denise has been calling me non stop for days, wanting to know if I've heard anything, and then yelling at me so I'll tell her where he is, but I can't...because I don't know."

"He left you? Just like that?", Booth asked. "When he dropped off Lance Friday night, he told us he got called out of town at the last minute…"

Not wanting to reveal the truth, Daisy carefully chose her words. "He's gone...he said I can stay at the condo, so I'm assuming he's made the bank payment on it. He hasn't withdrawn any money from our account and I haven't received so much as an email. My husband fucking abandoned me and my son...that piece of shit can rot in Hell for all I care! So go ahead and issue an arrest warrant for him. Maybe you can find him and bring him back to face his responsibilities."

Booth and Aubrey looked at each other before turning back to her. "Okay, let's hope that he checks in, because if he's found after the material witness warrant is issued, he will be arrested. He will then be put in jail to ensure his cooperation and his safety because this case is getting nasty and dangerous."

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Yes...this case that will make or break the world because Miss Jessica getting a job offer at a prestigious university is just so damn dangerous...and it has destroyed my family..."

"Daisy…", Booth said quietly. "Don't talk like that…"

"It's true. Martin scammed the government somehow and dragged Beau into it. You all lied to me, pumping me for information because you didn't trust me...you even convinced my best friend to lie to me, although it wasn't a stretch for Jessica, since she's already lied to me enough to ruin my life."

"Jessica did not set out to ruin your life, Daisy, for crying out loud." Aubrey was fed up with the anthropologist's stubborn attitude. "You were getting back together with Beau and Oliver was staying with Rani. Telling you everything would've destroyed two relationships and for what? Because you think Oliver belongs to you now that someone else has his attention?"

"I deserved to know the truth!", Daisy spit back, not acknowledging Aubrey's point.

Aubrey nodded before deciding tact and politeness were now out the window. "You're all high and mighty about Beau leaving you but then you're pissed because you didn't know that another man, who you supposedly had moved on from, still had feelings for you. How's the view from that very high sanctimonious pedestal you have yourself on, Daisy?"

"How dare you!", Daisy snarled, angered by Aubrey's comments.

Booth put his hand on Aubrey's chest. "Aubrey-"

"No, Booth, I have something to say." The agent stormed up to her desk, eyeballing the anthropologist. "Jessica has bent over backwards for you these last several months while you've sucked her into your never ending bullshit to the point of straining our relationship more than once and this is how you reward her friendship?"

Daisy stood up as well and leaned over her desk to glare at the agent. "Me? She's the one who's always putting you first now...lying to me and manipulating my life. Jessica is my friend and she needed to mind her own damn business!"

"Mind her own damn business? That's rich." Aubrey's finger hit the desk. "How many times have you called our house whining about your latest crisis? Or showed up at all hours without calling first, including early on Sunday mornings and on the day I came home from the hospital? I love it when we've had to cancel our plans because you showed up being all dramatic about some 'end of the world' problem before you're placated by Beau buying you some new toy. You see, Daisy, Jessica can't mind her own business, because you're always dumping it on our doorstep!"

Daisy's mouth drew up into a pout. "She was my friend and I needed her…"

"Yeah...you need her until she stands up to you and finally calls you out on your crap." Aubrey straightened back up. "What the hell has happened to you, Daisy? You didn't used to be this spiteful and angry. The Daisy Wick I knew was occasionally overdramatic, but she also bent over backward to be compassionate to the people she loved."

"What happened to me is that my best friend betrayed me for you and the FBI.", Daisy growled. "She decided your case and other people were more important than me and our friendship. Even worse, she lied to me, and now my son doesn't have a father."

"What would you have done, Daisy?", Aubrey asked. "Seriously...what would you have done if she told you that Oliver confessed to still having feelings for you? Would you have ignored it and focused on your marriage? Or would you have pursued him into an affair so you could get your intellectual and sexual jollies while keeping Beau around as a father for Lance?"

Daisy's chin trembled slightly as she tried to keep from crying. "Shut up, Aubrey. I don't want to hear it…"

"Too bad, because you're going to hear it!", Aubrey snarked back. "You're not mad about being lied to...you're mad because Jessica not only did the right thing for everyone instead of just you, but also shattered your childish fantasies by telling the truth about your mean and spiteful behavior these last few months."

Hating the nerve the agent had hit with his sharp words, Daisy fought back tears. "After leading Karen on by the nose while you waited for Jessica to get back together with you, you're going to lecture me about how I conduct my life? You're a hypocrite, Aubrey. Fuck you!"

"No...fuck you, Daisy.", Aubrey shot back as Daisy's jaw dropped. "Karen's deal was an entirely different situation, so leave her out of this. As for who's the hypocrite, you're the one who got married to the wrong man to stick it to Oliver and you're the one who, instead of putting Beau first, played along with Wells' games and then got pissed off when he didn't want to play with you anymore."

Before Daisy could respond, Aubrey continued. "As for the case, your father-in-law is the one who got stupid and screwed with the IRS and SEC. Your mother-in-law is the one who, along with her little friends, has tried bribing everyone and then delivered veiled threats to not only me, but to Jessica, Booth, Genny, and even Dr. B to get them to drop this case. Denise is lucky she hasn't been arrested."

Daisy's eyes widened as she realized what Aubrey had said. "They threatened Dr. B-"

Aubrey didn't answer as he continued. "Jessica agonized over lying to you about this case, even though you should understand that as a member of the Pixler family, we couldn't tell you anything. If you're going to be pissed at anyone, it's your husband's parents you should yell at, because their arrogance and stupidity is messing with Beau's life and now yours. Then, as to who destroyed your perfect marriage and took away your son's father figure, take a good look in the mirror."

Aubrey took a step back, secretly thrilled that Daisy was rendered speechless. "You're 33 years old with a two year old son, and it's long past time for you to grow up and be an adult. I'm so sick of your shit and so is everyone else. Keep it up, Daisy and one day you're really going to be alone and it'll be all your fault!"

Booth sensed a time out was needed. "We'll keep in touch, Daisy."

Aubrey's words affecting her more than she cared to admit, Daisy sat down and turned back towards her computer. "Don't bother. I'm not helping the FBI take down the Pixlers, which is now only family I now have left."

"Aubrey, wait outside.", Booth said firmly. "Go...now."

When the lanky man walked out of the room, Daisy turned to Booth as he leaned forward towards her. "How could you stand there and let Aubrey say those awful things to me? I know I was rude on Friday, but I was drunk and Jessica lied to me-"

"Like Bones said to you on Friday, we all put Jessica in a bad spot by letting things get this far with you, and to say we owe her an apology is an understatement."

"Booth, I'm not jealous of her! Besides, how can you take her side when she lied-"

"My opinion still stands, Daisy, but that's not the point right now. I know what you said to Aubrey, but you and Lance are part of our family, too, and you know it. However, if I find out that you're holding out on us regarding where Beau is, I'll come down here personally and arrest you, family or not. I won't tolerate anyone breaking the law, especially if they're doing so just because they're in a snit."

Shocked again, Daisy's lip quivered. "Booth...you're my son's godfather…"

Booth bent down to face the young woman. "If Sweets were still alive and saw you like this, I think he'd be ashamed at what you've become. I know his death hurt you deeply, probably more so than any of us realized, but you're better than this, Daisy. Get yourself together, before it's too late. If you can't for yourself, at least do it for your son."

Booth stood up straight again and walked out of the office, not seeing the tear fall down the anthropologist's face. "Bones sends her love."

Finding Aubrey waiting by the stairwell, Booth and his friend walked down the stairs and outside. There was silence for the few minutes until they reached Booth's SUV. Getting in, it was still quiet as the tension was still thick between them.

Ashamed for losing his temper, Aubrey stared out the passenger window. "I'm sorry, Booth. I was completely unprofessional up there but Jess has been so upset all weekend and Daisy's excuses just...pushed me too far."

"I know...that's the only reason why I'm not busting your chops right now. Aubrey, you know better than to lose your cool like that when we're working a case...especially this case, you hear me? One fuck up and this case is lost." Seeing that his friend understood, Booth started up the SUV. "Did you get it out of your system?"

"Yeah…."

"Good." Relaxing, Booth made a confession. "Listen, I agree with everything you said, but Daisy is hurting right now, too. Beau taking off on her is pretty much the icing on her shit cake." He sighed as he pulled the car out of the parking lot. "He's obviously pissed at her for something, but I can't believe he would be such an ass and just abandon Lance. I thought he was better than that."

"Some dads are just ignorant asses, Booth." Aubrey leaned back into the seat. "I hate admitting this, but I'm worried about Daisy...a lot."

"Me too, Aubrey…" Booth turned on the exit for the Memorial Bridge to take them back to Washington DC. "Me, too."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

At 8:30 the next morning, Hunter Geren pulled his black sedan into a space in the Hoover's parking garage. He sent a quick text before grabbing his briefcase and heading for the elevator that would take him up to the fourth floor.

Muttering to himself softly, he went over the plan one more time as he watched the numbers change over the door. It was a crazy idea...he knew that much. After all, it wasn't often that a staid accountant like him would come up with such a harebrained scheme. On the other hand, it would be so unexpected that it just might work. Surprise would be on their side…

Exiting the elevator, Hunter turned and headed for the large conference room, where Special Agents Booth and Aubrey would be waiting for him. He took a deep breath, hoping they'd be open minded. He respected the obvious investigative skills of both men. They were intelligent and intense...just the kind of people he needed on his side for the plan to work. In addition, Hunter had begun to think of them as more than colleagues. They're my friends as well, and as such they'd surely be willing to listen to what I have to say, right? He hoped so…

As he approached the glass walled room, Hunter saw that Aubrey and Booth were already waiting for him. Waving at them, he took a deep breath. Here goes nothing…

"Hey, Hunter. What's up?" Aubrey poured a cup of coffee for the accountant. "Based on what you'd said about Maxco's data being so scrambled, I was surprised to get your call."

Shrugging at the agents, Hunter sat down and took a sip from his mug. "Well, Ms. Montenegro is just as amazing as her reputation suggests. It only took her a couple of days to figure out how to decipher all that stuff."

"I told you Angela is a genius with all that computer shit. What did she find for you?" Booth sipped his coffee. "Anything interesting?"

Sighing heavily, Hunter pulled a stack of papers from his bag. "Well, here's what she printed out for me...names, dates, and cash amounts…"

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Booth reached for one of the pages. "That should give us something to go on...something to take to Stark so he'll give us the okay to reopen the Vacchio investigation…"

"I'm not sure." Hunter grimaced as he pointed at a highlighted entry. "We have numbers, but we don't have any context. There's nothing that explicitly states where this money came from and where it's going...nothing specifically linking it to any money laundering through Martin Pixler's restaurant chain. I mean, we can tell that the figures aren't salaries, but that's about it." He ran his finger around the rim of his mug. "I'm not sure why they were so worried about hiding this information from us. We don't have anything to compare it to…it's just raw data...but they were sure scared to let us see it..."

"Son of a bitch." Booth threw the paper aside and shook his head in disgust. "So we're no better off than when we started…"

"Well, maybe, but I do have an idea." Hunter paused, grinning as Genny entered the conference room. "Or should I say my beautiful, intelligent wife and I have an idea…"

"Oh, boy.", Aubrey snarked. "I can't wait to see what you two have come up with…"

Genny sent a withering glare toward the SAC. "It's a great idea...you just need to keep an open mind, Boss." Patting Hunter's arm as she sat next to him, she smiled. "Tell him, Honey…"

"Right." Clearing his throat, her husband sat back in his chair. "When I was at Maxco the other day, I was waiting for the FBI agents to finish up, so I was looking around, and I saw a poster for the company's curling club…"

"What? They have a big group of hair stylists that run around fixing hair?" Booth chuckled at Hunter's irritation. "I get it, okay? I've seen that curling shit on television, but what does that have to do with our investigation?"

"It's going to let us go undercover." Genny smirked as she saw Booth's surprise. Turning to Aubrey, she continued. "I'm going to join the curling club at Maxco."

Hunter hastily explained. "Genny can play both skip and second. She used to be a member of a top curling rink while she was in school at Rutgers."

"Wait...you were on a rink in college?", Aubrey asked Shaw. "That's crazy...so was Jessica. East Lansing had one of a handful of teams in Michigan that were part of some league she played in while attending MSU. She was usually lead or third, though...whatever those positions were."

"All curling positions are important ones.", Genny huffed. "Everyone on the rink contributes to the team."

Booth sat back in his chair and sighed loudly in exasperation. "So we're talking about that stupid game where they slide big rocks down a strip of ice and try to hit a target? Why would anybody want to do that, anyway? It's not even a sport...more like a kid's game...and boring as hell, if you ask me..."

"It actually takes some skill, but that's not the point right now." Hunter pulled another page from his briefcase. "I looked up the club information on line. They have several rinks...or teams, if you'd prefer...and they're always looking for new members. They play against several other clubs around the area, like the two in Morgantown. They even have these tournaments called 'bonspiels'. I guess it's a pretty big deal there. After all, there's not much to do in the area besides college sports, so why not watching people slide big rocks down a lane?"

He pointed to a paragraph. "And get this...Craig Stephenson is in charge of the whole thing. Now, that guy is a hound if ever there was one...and I bet he'd just love having a 'pretty little thing' like Genny in the club so he could put some moves on her. What he won't know is that while he's checking her out, she'll be checking out some of the underhanded things the company does with their money."

"Well...that's not a bad plan, I guess…" Aubrey paced the front of the room for a minute as he thought through Hunter's suggestion. "...but she can't just walk in there and join the team, right? She'd have to work there…"

"We have that figured out that, too." Hunter smoothed his tie thoughtfully. "My associate with the IRS, Agent Matney, has given Mr. Pixler an opportunity to avoid some of the more severe penalties that would normally be incurred by his being found guilty of financial misdeeds."

"In other words, Pixler cut a deal…", Booth harrumphed. "Leave it to the rich guys to avoid going to jail…"

"Kendall feels like Pixler was set up by some people higher up on the Maxco food chain. Evidently he was the patsy. The guy did commit a crime, but it was more because of ignorance than willful disobedience. I know ignorance is no excuse…" Hunter gazed evenly at an aggravated Booth. "...however, in this case, we can use his willingness to 'cut a deal' to our advantage, and so we're going to do just that. He'll pay a hefty fine, and he'll also be required to have both his corporate and personal taxes audited for the next seven years, but, in exchange for his cooperation, he'll avoid jail time and the nasty publicity that would ruin his business."

"So Mr. Pixler is going to recommend that Maxco hire me for their accounting department with the idea that I'll be a member of the curling club as well." Genny wore a smug smile. "Hunter's going to give me a crash course in bookkeeping, and I'm going to sit in with some agents in the accounting department for a few days so they can give me some pointers."

"I don't get it. Why is curling such a big deal for Maxco and Histavark anyway?", Aubrey asked. "I know it was popular in the Olympics, but still…"

"Who knows? Stephenson is from Canada, so maybe that has something to do with it. I don't really care, as long as it gets us in the door." Genny glanced over at Booth. "Do you think you guys can sell Stark on this plan?"

Booth pursed his lips, pressing his fingertips together as he considered Genny's question. "It's possible, I guess, but what about the leak? You know, it's possible that someone...whoever has been passing on confidential information from the SEC...will spill the beans about this operation to the guys running Maxco, just like what happened with the other stuff…we've all been getting job offers and threats. Somebody knows we're onto them..."

Hunter quickly interrupted. "As we speak, my associate, Agent Mendez is working on a way to flush out the rat. He's been giving out some slightly different variations of the same story to a group of junior accountants that are working this case...and it's a really juicy story...the type that will come back to us in a big way from Maxco. Jose will know who he told that version to, and we'll be able to plug the leak. Anyway, nobody in my office will know that Genny is going undercover...and most of them haven't met her. Jose knows, but I'd trust him with my life."

Still unsure, Booth glanced across the table. "You'll need to have a partner, Shaw. I'm certain Stark won't let you go undercover by yourself...and before you ask, no, you can't take Hunter. He's not qualified for this sort of assignment, okay? It needs to be an FBI employee...and not me or Aubrey, either. I think we'll be better off staying out of it for now."

"What about Bower? He's done undercover before…" Aubrey grinned at Genny's angry groan. "He's gotten a lot more tolerable since he married Mitzi, you know…"

"No...not Bower." Booth shook his head. "Actually, I was thinking about sending Bones. Technically, she's a contract employee, but she can participate because she'll be working with an agent. She's done undercover work before, so she's experienced, and if Stephenson is the horndog you say he is, Hunter, having two attractive women around could really distract him. Of course, he'd better not lay a hand on either of them…" He looked around the table and nodded. "Let me have all those papers. I'll make an appointment to go see Stark."

"Thanks, Booth." Hunter rose from his chair quickly to shake his hand. "I appreciate it…"

"I can't promise anything, but he's more likely to consider the idea if we have a plan in place. I'll be in touch. C'mon, Aubrey...let's go put this proposal together for Stark before we head over to see Angela at the lab."

After Aubrey and Booth left, Genny walked her husband to the elevator. "I hope this works…"

He bent down to kiss her. "Listen...you know I'd never consider this idea if I thought it was dangerous…"

"I've been in danger before, Hunter. That comes with the job…anyway, you were the one who got shot, remember?"

"I know...and I'm glad it wasn't you, even though you're the FBI agent. I guess I just never gave it much thought before now...about you being put in these scary situations...and you know, since you'll be pretty much on your own...it bothers me." He gently caressed her cheek. "Are you sure you want to go through with this crazy plan?"

"Absolutely. I know how important it is for you to find out why Louie Vacchio was killed, and if I can help, I'm going to do so. And I won't really be on my own. Dr. Brennan will be with me, and we'll keep in contact with Booth and Aubrey, so I'll be fine. I'm a professional. I've been trained to do this sort of thing, and I know what I'm getting myself into."

Knowing she was right, he smiled as he took her hand. "I'm so proud to have you as my wife." Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he shrugged. "Not much more I can do around here today. I guess I might as well go back to the office. I'll see you later, okay?"

She nodded as he kissed her again. "Bye." Watching him enter the elevator, she laughed softly to herself. "Maybe I should call Jessica and she if she'll help me get back into game shape. It's been a long time since I've touched a curling stone…"

Ooooooooo

Two hours later, a frustrated Aubrey stood in Angela's office, tapping his foot noisily. Watching Booth pace back and forth only added to his agitation. "Come on...Beau must've used his credit cards or phone somewhere in the world during the past 72 hours."

Rolling her eyes, Angela puffed out an irritated sigh as she worked on the Angelatron. "It's going to take time, okay? We don't have any useful parameters for narrowing down the search…"

Booth walked over to look at the large projected computer screen. "Well, he took his car with him, so we can maybe eliminate Europe and Asia…"

"Being sarcastic doesn't help, Booth." Angela pulled up a map of North America. "We can probably estimate how far he's gotten from DC if we assume he's traveling at an average of, say...50 miles an hour or so. He's most likely traveling on an interstate highway with a speed limit of 70 miles per hour…"

"Or he's holed up in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains...or in the Florida Keys. We don't even know if he still has the car…" Booth paced the room playing with his GA chip. "Come on, Aubrey. You and Jessica have spent a lot of time with Beau and Daisy. You must have some idea of where he might be hiding out."

"We aren't best friends, Booth. When he and Daisy weren't making Jess and me uncomfortable with their snarky bickering, all the man talked about was football!"

Booth rolled his eyes. "You're a seasoned interrogator, Aubrey! Couldn't you get him to change the subject once in awhile? Weren't you curious about him?"

"Not really. The guy's a big oaf, you know? We don't have a lot in common other than Daisy and Jessica being friends." Aubrey gestured towards his friend. "I mean, you've met him, right? He's not exactly Mr. Personality…"

"Maybe not, but if he was married to my girlfriend's friend, I'd make an effort, right? Jesus…" Booth glared angrily at the younger man. "Some investigator you are…I mean, his parents may be a part of an organized crime family..."

"That's not fair, Booth! Who knew his family was involved in criminal activities?" Aubrey threw up his hands in frustration. "I'm not a fucking mind reader, for God's sake!"

Booth's irritation boiled over as he pointed at Aubrey. "Well, you might've known if you'd paid more attention to who his folks are…who their friends are...instead of whatever they were serving for dinner!"

Fed up, Aubrey got up in Booth's face. "Well, maybe if you made more of an effort to get to know him instead of being such a judgemental jackass, we'd know where he was, wouldn't we?"

"Stop it, both of you! You two are worse than a couple of children and you're getting on my last nerve.", Angela barked as she stopped her search and turned to them. "Now sit down on that couch, shut up, and let me work in peace."

When she saw them hesitate, she pointed to the opposite ends of her couch. "Now! I'm pregnant, irritable, and if either of you annoy me one more time, I will not hesitate to pull your wife and your girlfriend in here to shape your asses up. You really want to push your luck?"

Booth and Aubrey stood silently before each sat at the ends of the couch. Realizing he was being harsh, Booth turned to his friend and shrugged his shoulders. "A cup of coffee would be good…think you're in the mood for one of your quad shot cinnamon foamy crap things?"

Aubrey accepted the apology and nodded in agreement. "Yeah...and it's almost time for my mid morning snack, too. Want to walk to the diner?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Booth nodded back.

"I want a large black coffee, a fruit salad, and some french toast with extra maple syrup.", Angela looked back at the two men with a stern look, daring either one of them to say no to her.

"Sure, Angela...no problem.", Aubrey said as he followed Booth out of the room.

When they were gone, she smirked. "Just like dealing with Michael Vincent at home...hey, wait a minute." She paused, turning over an idea in her mind. "...I'm going about this all wrong..."

For the next forty-five minutes, Angela explored different websites on the internet, gathering information she thought might be useful. Checking the FBI databases she had access to, she found more bits and pieces, and once she'd put them together, they made a complete picture. However, she didn't have anything concrete to connect all the information to her hunch.

"I don't want to send them out on a wild goose chase, but it makes complete sense." Angela stared at the screen. "For shits and giggles, let's check his accounts one more time. I doubt Daisy can access his personal account, and it might have changed since this morning."

Using her computer skills, she got into his online banking account and found a large withdrawal from Sunday that hadn't been posted until thirty minutes ago. Reading the locations, she hooted as the two agents arrived back. "Yeah, I knew I was right."

"Okay, Angela, we got you your french toast…" Aubrey set down the Styrofoam container before holding up a capped beverage. "...large black coffee…"

"Fruit salad…" Booth set that box down before holding up another one. "...and because we were being annoying assholes, we got you a piece of cherry cheesecake, too."

"Thank you." Angela smiled. "I found Beau."

"You found Beau!", the two men said simultaneously before rushing to flank Angela.

"Whoa, boys...let the pregnant woman breathe...and let her have her coffee. I get one a day, and I haven't had it yet because you two were in such a rush."

"Sorry." Aubrey gave her the brew and waited anxiously as she sipped it slowly, savoring its aroma.

"Good stuff...it's going to suck when I have to go to decaf after the baby is born." Deciding to put them out of their misery, she smiled. "Smithfield, Virginia is where you'll find him. I can't specify his exact location, but he used his bank Mastercard to pay this place…" Angela pointed to it on the screen. "I researched it and it's a vacation house rental place."

"How did you know to go there?", Aubrey asked. "Smithfield is like over three hours south...and it smells great with all that ham…"

"Aubrey!", Booth chastised. "Focus! We're not going on some sort of crazy food tour!"

Aubrey looked suitably chagrined. "I'm sorry...I love Smithfield hams…"

"Is there a ham you don't like?", Booth shot back.

Angela held back a chuckle. "Well, my research showed that Martin Pixler grew up in Smithfield, and when I researched Beau's Instagram page, I saw some photos of him with his parents vacationing there. That pointed me here, but this post to his checking account sealed it for me. Unless he gave his debit card to his personal account away, Beau is here, guys."

Booth looked at his watch. "It's 11:20. If we leave now, we can get there by mid afternoon. We'll link up with Hunter on a laptop and hopefully be home tonight, albeit late."

"Take a hotspot with you, boys." Angela turned to at the men and explained. "Some parts of that county don't have much wifi connectivity, and you'll need the net to Skype Hunter."

"Do I have one…hmm...", Aubrey wondered. "Jess might have hers since she and Dr. B have their class this afternoon..."

Angela reached into her bag and handed one to Booth. "Here...use mine...but make sure you return it. I'll do some more research and call you if I find anything else on Beau."

"Thanks, Angela." Booth paused at the door. "Angela, I'm sorry, but I have to say this…"

"Keep my mouth shut around Daisy. I got it, and I promise I won't say another word." Angela picked up her breakfast. "Now get out. I want my French Toast and the baby's hungry."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Thanks to the siren on Aubrey's SUV, they arrived in Smithfield around 2:35. Driving through the quaint downtown area, the lanky man rolled down the window and took a sniff. "That smells...heavenly…"

Booth couldn't stop his sigh. "Yeah, it does...I'll have to bring the kids here without Bones...she would lecture them on what they do to the pigs before they're slaughtered."

Cringing slightly, Aubrey decided to change the subject. "So according to the Navigator, we're almost to the address Genny got for Beau from the rental company."

Booth saw the small town being left behind in the side mirror. "Damn...he's out in the boonies…"

"Perfect place for a man that doesn't want to be found, Booth, although I don't get why he left Daisy like he did. Just taking off after the big deal they made about reconciling? That just...doesn't sound right. I don't think she gave us the whole story about that."

Booth sipped his cup of coffee. "Probably not, but it's not our business, either. If Beau tells us on his own, then we'll know...but I hate drama and all that shit, so I'm not gonna bring it up."

"Works for me."

Five minutes later, they drove down a winding driveway and spotted a familiar SUV parked in front. "Virginia personalized plate NFLROXS...that's his Suburban.", Booth remarked. When they stopped, he saw Beau coming out front onto the porch. "Well, he now knows we're here...and he doesn't look surprised."

"No, he doesn't. Probably thinks we're hunting him down for Daisy." Aubrey shut off the engine and when they got out, they greeted the wary man. "Hey, Beau."

The normally jovial man stood with his hands on his hips. "So, Daisy convinced her cop friends to track me down, even though I asked her to leave me be. She's lied to me enough times that I shouldn't be surprised. Is she in the vehicle with you?"

"No, Beau. The only ones who know are the three of us, Angela, and Genny Shaw. We won't tell Daisy if you don't want us to.", Aubrey said quietly, surprised at Beau's sharp words. Seeing that Beau was uncertain, he continued. "Look...you know you can trust me, right?"

Thinking things over for a few seconds, the man slowly nodded. "Fine...why are you here then if Daisy didn't send you?"

"Because of your father, Beau.", Booth said softly. "We need to talk."

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

An hour later, the three were on the couch as Beau talked into the computer monitor. "...and that's all I know. Does that help my dad?"

On the screen, Hunter and Agent Matney nodded. "Yes, Beau. Your father will be given a deal, and we'll do our best to keep it out of the press as much as possible. Although if the case grows, it could come out that he was involved."

Beau sighed in relief. "So my father isn't dirty?"

"We don't think so. Your father trusted the wrong people...or at least Harold Maxwell trusted his CFO when he shouldn't have, and then ended up needing your father to cover his ass. If this case goes as far as I think it will, we may be able to bring down several networks of smuggling, money laundering, and corruption.", Hunter replied. "Honestly, whoever called in that tip to the IRS may have saved your dad from getting into more trouble. He could have been facing severe jail time."

Beau merely nodded his head. "Good...great...I'm glad."

"We'll keep in touch, Hunter.", Booth said before ending the video conference.

The three men sat together on the couch for a minute before Beau spoke up. "I've forgotten my manners. You guys want anything to drink? I've got a six pack in the fridge..."

"No, we have to get back to DC.", Aubrey stated as he rose from the sofa. "I hope to stop and get a ham on my way out of town."

"Aubrey!", Booth hissed. "Enough with the ham, okay?"

"Hey, I need you guys to do me a favor, okay?" Beau hesitated for a moment. "Keep an eye on Daisy and Lance, please. I know that she's lied to me but...I hope they're okay."

"Why don't you come home and do that yourself, Beau?", Aubrey asked quietly. "I'm sure Daisy would like to see you and Lance needs his father."

Beau scratched his arm. "Daisy doesn't want to see me, Aubrey. As for Lance, his father is dead...I was just the convenient substitute..."

Both men were shocked. "Beau, why did you just say that? You're the only father that little boy has ever known!" Booth was incensed. "You can't break that kid's heart…"

"You think it's not breaking my heart to feel that way? I said it because it's true...she kept me around because she couldn't have Sweets or that Wells guy." Beau put his head in his hands. "I was so stupid not to see it until now…"

Booth and Aubrey looked at each other before the younger man turned to Beau. "Beau, what are you talking about?"

Beau gave a sarcastic laugh before looking up at the agents. "Daisy didn't tell you why I left, did she?"

Booth felt a jolt in the pit in his stomach. "No, just that you'd left a note and took off for no reason. She's...quite angry and upset...at a lot of things."

"Is she still mad at Jessica for the fight they had?" When Beau saw Aubrey nod, he grew sad. "She needs to forgive her. Daisy always talks about how Jessica is her best friend even though they shared Sweets...really weird."

Beau's last comment finally sunk in for Aubrey. "Beau...how did you know that Jessica and Daisy had a fight? You weren't at Cam's party."

"Yeah, you arrived at our house not even five minutes after Bones and I got home with the kids.", Booth added, suspicious as well. He didn't want to get involved, but he realized what Aubrey was asking and sensed the man needed to vent. "Beau, do you want to talk about it? It's none of our business, but we can listen if you need that."

Beau silently debated but then finally gave in. "I was at Cam's party. I felt bad since I'd been so moody all week because of my dad and I wanted to surprise Daisy and be supportive. When I couldn't find her, Cam pointed me towards Angela's office..."

Booth groaned. "Oh shit...how much did you hear?"

"Daisy talking to Oliver...before I could go see my wife, I heard her confront Jessica and all that stuff about her almost having sex with Oliver...I just couldn't move...then I saw you all coming." Beau smiled sadly. "You all didn't seem that surprised, so I'm assuming you all knew..."

"Some of it...not all. Jessica hated lying about it but she felt loyal to Daisy…", Aubrey said, feeling bad himself. "Jessica is one of the most honest people I know, Beau...she never wanted to hurt anyone."

"It's okay, Aubrey. I get it. It was probably really awkward that day we had lunch and I asked you for advice about Daisy." Beau shrugged. "I love her so much but...she has lied to me...over and over."

"She's had a lot of upheaval in her life, Beau.", Booth said diplomatically. "Maybe after some time apart, you two can work things out."

"Daisy doesn't want to build a life with me, guys...she just wants someone around because she's afraid to be alone. I don't deserve that and...neither does she. Between that and my parents lying to me about all this shit...I had to get away and clear my head, you know? My dad grew up here and I've always loved it in Smithfield. It's quiet...peaceful. People accept me for who I am. I miss Lance, but I just can't deal with Daisy right now."

Aubrey realized Beau was right and he wasn't going to say otherwise. "We won't tell Daisy where you are, Beau. That's your business. I'm sorry we had to intrude on you, but we needed your corroboration before the IRS and SEC could finalize their deal with your dad."

"I get it...and I'm in a dead zone right now, so I can't get phone calls. I'm sorry you all had to drive down and find me.", Beau smiled. "Listen, I'm heading into town to have dinner at Touch of Smithfield. Why don't you fellas join me? My treat."

Booth was hesitant to accept, but they were hungry and Aubrey was chomping at the bit to get a ham to take home. "Yeah, sure. Maybe we can talk about your future plans."

"Okay, follow me. You probably took the long way here, but I know a shortcut.", Beau replied before leading them out the door.

"We'll follow you so we can just leave from the restaurant afterwards." Aubrey and Booth climbed into the SUV and got ready to leave.

"So there goes the whole 'getting home at a decent hour' thing.", Booth sighed as he glanced at his friend. "Look, I know this wasn't what you hand in mind for your evening..."

"It's no big deal." Following Beau's SUV along a narrow dusty road, Aubrey shrugged. "I think the guy can use a friend or two, but he doesn't really have anybody he can lean on like that...at least nobody that I'm aware of...so I guess we're gonna be it this evening."

"I think you're probably right. Poor fella. He's had a rough couple of weeks, hasn't he?"

"He really has…" Aubrey frowned as he shook his head. "And things aren't gonna get easier for him any time soon."