(The Purging of the Pundit)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

With the list of people compiled by Wesley Foster before he'd been murdered as well as the documents used to blackmail them the Department of Justice started the ball rolling and soon ten judges, five Congressmen, six Sheriffs and thee FBI Agents, two Homeland Security Agents and numerous lawyers, businessmen, federal employees and two Senators were out of work and hiring the best lawyers they could find. Angela had provided additional information and shown how she'd used Foster's data to set up the organizational chart with Glen Durant at the top of the chart. The DOJ also received the proof that Cam and Brennan had compiled showing that Durant had murdered Howard Cooper. The data provided by Peter Jackson was presented by the CIA as coming from them and Danny Beck handed over the proof that Adam Peterson had sold Kings Company's services to Durant to try to murder Agent Seeley Booth.

No one wanted Pete's name attached to the cases against the traitors. Both Booth and Danny were pretty sure Pete would run if they tried to tie him to his covert hacking and the Director accepted that. If the CIA wanted to hide Pete from the world then the Director of the FBI didn't care.

After his arrest, Deputy Assistant Director Alan Butler had protested that he was being set up, but he couldn't make the pictures and blackmail that Durant had used to keep him in line go away. Darouse planned to clean house at the Hoover and he wanted everyone connected to Durant gone from the FBI.

Disgusted that the FBI had been betrayed once more, the Director tented his hands in front of his face and stared at the window across the room. "Alan Butler was a damned hero . . . this is going to be as damaging as Kirby's betrayal of the FBI. It took us awhile to live that down."

"Not really, I don't think so." Deputy Director Stark leaned back against his chair and crossed his legs. Resting his hands on his knees, he gave the Director a grim smile. "Agent Booth helped bring down what looked like a coup going on in this country. He and his people brought down a lot of very powerful people who were being blackmailed to do some pretty awful stuff. Durant tried to have Booth killed, but with the help of some of his CIA friends, he lived through the attack . . . I think that Booth's bravery and heroism in this case will offset any bad news generated about Alan Butler, Craig Birchfield and Kerry Masterson. We'll be fine . . . A lot of powerful people are going to prison and they need to . . . this turned out to be worse than we thought it would be."

"Yeah, I was sure it was going to be a mess." Darouse sighed and leaned back against his chair. "After I saw some of the names on the list of people the Jeffersonian squints had found on Foster's data chip, I knew it was going to be bad. When the CIA came up with what they came up with then I knew it was going to be very bad . . . I don't know how Durant managed to get as far as he did but somehow, we need to make sure that this doesn't happen again . . . I'm not sure how though. People can be stupid, selfish, greedy and there will always be people out there who notice and will use blackmail to take advantage of the situation."

Stark could see that the Director was worried. He was worried too. "The blackmail material is locked away at the Jeffersonian. Booth has arranged to have two FBI agents in the Lab at all times. We'll need to keep that material until all of the trials are over and the sentencing has been handed down . . . Damn Herbert Hoover. He was so worried about keeping his power that he didn't care about what would happen in the future with the material he had collected."

"I will personally watch all pf that material burned when this is over." The Director knew that they would have to make sure this time that Hoover's files were completely destroyed. "Booth and his people have been targets ever since they started looking into Gale Storms' death . . . We're damn lucky that we have that team on our side. Dr. Brennan, Dr. Saroyan, Dr. Hodgins, Angela Montenegro . . . their lives were at risk right along with Booth and they continued to help him and the CIA . . . we owe them a lot. I'm thinking that Booth deserves a promotion . . . Jason Kraus is talking about retiring, his title could go to Booth . . . Assistant Deputy Director . . . of course, I don't know if he wants the position. I'll have to ask him since Jason plans on retiring next January."

"Seems like Booth would be a good fit. If you want me to, I can ask him what he thinks about a promotion." Stark believed that Booth was a valuable asset to the FBI and he wanted the man to know he was appreciated.

Slowly shaking his head, Darouse smiled. "No, I have a meeting with him tomorrow afternoon at one, you should be there. The Director of the CIA is going to be there. I need you with me in case he tries to poach Booth again. We can't trust that bastard not to try."

"Got it, I'll be there." Annoyed with the news, Stark knew that Darouse would be furious if Booth was enticed to join the CIA. "I don't think Booth will jump ship. He loves working with his wife in the field and he's a damn good investigator . . . Booth loves the FBI. I've heard him say so, so I think you're worried about nothing, Sir."

"I hope so." Darouse checked his watch. "This has been a hell of a year, Victor. We were in the middle of a damn coup and we were in the dark about it for most of the time. It's hard to believe that something like that could happen here."

Standing, Stark knew that Darouse had a meeting at the White House that he needed to get to. "Good luck with your meeting with the President, Brian."

"Yeah, that meeting is going to be a bitch." The clock ticking, Darouse knew he needed to leave now to make his appointment on time. "I'll talk to you later."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

"I'd like to have Glen Durant's body brought to the Lab." After reading the autopsy done on the traitor, Brennan wasn't sure if the autopsy was complete. "There was a tiny puncture wound found on his neck. The coroner did a toxicology screen and didn't find any poisons or drugs in his body, but that needle mark hasn't been explained."

Cam considered Brennan's statement for moment and decided to make a phone call. Once the call was complete, she turned to face her anthropologist. "Durant's family had the body cremated last night and is having a private service this morning."

"That was quick wasn't it?" Brennan found Cam's news to be worrisome. "He's been dead for four days and the autopsy was completed two days ago."

Shrugging her shoulders, Cam knew that nothing she said was going to appease Brennan. "The coroner released the body to the family and they're anxious to get his funeral out of the way. Durant is going to be in the news for months if not years and his family wants to deal with Durant now and not wait. I don't blame them. Once the trials start they're going to miserable. No doubt about it."

"But the needle mark leaves a lot of questions." Annoyed, Brennan crossed her arms against her breasts. "He may have been murdered and now we won't be able to prove it if he was. His family should have demanded another autopsy."

"No, I can see their point of view." Her coffee growing cold, Cam picked the cup up from her desk and drank some of the needed caffeine. Satisfied for the moment, she placed the cup back on the desk. "Durant had people killed. He tried to have an FBI agent murdered. He's responsible for a lot of terrible things and his family wants to separate themselves from him. They don't care if he was murdered or not."

Since there wasn't anything they could do about it Brennan walked over to the doorway, paused and looked back. "If it had been my relative, I would have wanted to know if he was murdered or not. What he did wouldn't have mattered to me. It's possible a murderer is now free from prosecution because the family of Glen Durant is embarrassed. It's ridiculous."

"It is what it is." Cam was a realist. She wasn't going to worry about things she had no control over. Not when Glen Durant had been such a monster and he probably would have got the death penalty if he had gone to trial. "The coroner said Glen Durant died of a heart attack and the case is closed. There isn't going to be any further investigation into his death."

Cam was right, but that didn't mean that Brennan had to like the situation.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

While his daughter and son-in-law cooked dinner, Max sat at the kitchen table watching Christine eat some spaghetti and meat sauce. The child was allergic to fish and so whenever Booth cooked fish, she got her favorite meal. "The house looks great, Tempe. The contractor worked faster than I thought she could. You'd never know anything happened by looking at the rooms."

"I agree, she said she could do it in two weeks and she did it." Brennan checked the roasting vegetables in the oven while Booth flipped over the salmon filets he was cooking in a skillet. "I will remember her if we ever decide to do any renovations."

While the salmon was cooking, Booth grabbed a head of romaine lettuce from the fridge and started to tear off leaves and place some in salad bowls. "I liked the couches we had, but they had to be replaced and Bones found a coffee table at the antique store that looks like the one my grandparents had in their house. It's pretty cool."

"Yeah, it is nice." Max wiped Christine's cheeks and kissed her. "You're getting more spaghetti on you than in your mouth, Baby."

"Nu uh." Christine spooned up some of the chopped up spaghetti and laughed. "I like spadetti."

"I know you do." Opening a jar of peach slices, Max showed his granddaughter the jar and smiled. "Your favorite, Christine. Oh boy. When you finish the spadetti you can eat some peaches."

"Oh boy." Christine shoved more spaghetti in her mouth and chewed. She adored her grandfather and she loved it when she got to have peaches for dessert.

Amused, Brennan sliced some tomatoes and cucumbers for the salad. "Thank you for looking after Christine for us. I felt better knowing that Christine was being guarded by you."

"Oh, I loved it, Honey." Max handed his granddaughter the spoon that held a bit of peach and smiled as she put the spoon in her mouth. "Any time you need me to look after her, you let me know. I'm retired and I could use something to do."

"We knew Christine would be safe with you, Max, so thanks." Booth wanted Max to understand that what he had done was appreciated by him too. "After I was attacked in the house, we weren't sure what would happen next. Durant would have considered Christine and Bones collateral damage if he'd had someone go after me again . . . Well, the bastard is dead and his group of traitors are going to serve long prison terms . . . They're getting what they deserve." Booth had no sympathy for people who thought it was okay to betray the country he loved. "If I did something bad, I'd never give in to a blackmailer. Better to take your punishment up front and not let someone control your life forever . . . All of those people were cowards."

The jar of peaches was almost empty and Christine was full. "All done."

Happy to have such a wonderful granddaughter, Max cleaned her face with a damp cloth. "I think we're going to have to take you outside and hose you down, messy kid."

"Na ah." Christine slid off her chair and walked over to where her mother was standing. "All done, Mama."

"I see that Sweetheart." Placing the knife down on the cutting board, she leaned over, picked up her child and kissed her. "Did you like your dinner?"

"Yes . . . I liked the peaches." Christine laughed. "I like spadetti."

"Spaghetti . . . yes I know. You're just like your father." Brennan smiled as Booth leaned over and kissed the top of their daughter's head. "You need a bath, I think."

Standing, Max stretched his back and heard a faint pop. "God, I hate having old bones . . . I think I'll give Christine her bath and then put her to bed. She's had a long day."

"Once you're done, dinner should be ready by then." Brennan handed Max her child and watched them leave the room. "Christine loves to be around him."

"Yeah, I hope she doesn't get fussy when he goes back home." The salmon filets finished, he placed them on a plate, sprinkled some olive oil in the skillet and added two more filets. "Jared called and said he and Padme plan to come for a visit Saturday. He bought a large brisket and he wants to use my outdoor grill . . . Out of the goodness of his heart, he said we're invited to his barbecue."

Chuckling, Brennan placed her hand on her husband's arm and kissed him. "We are? That is very kind of him . . . I'll call Padme and ask her if she'd like me to provide anything for Jared's barbecue."

Relaxed and happy, Booth returned her kiss. "I'll call Pops and see if he wants to come. He hasn't been feeling well lately and I think he'd like to have the family together. It might cheer him up."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

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