The Perfect Shot – Chapter Nine

WARNING: Spoilers for Season 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or any of the characters. They are all owned by Fox and Hart Hanson.

When Booth arrived at the Jeffersonian the next morning at 8 Cam, Brennan and Hodgins were already there and working hard. They were gathered around the cold steel table that held the bones of who he assumed belonged to Vincent Nigel-Murray. Hodgins was gathering additional particulate evidence as Cam and Brennan discussed the entry and exit wounds.

As he approached the table all eyes turned to him, "Is there anything you can tell me about the ballistics?"

Brennan looked at him with tormented eyes as she spoke, "It's just like Taffet, single gunshot to the left temporal bone and zygomatic arch exiting the right side of the mandible. Hodgins is analyzing the particulates now but it appears to be the same weapon."

"Hodgins were you able to get anything from the roof top?" he asked never taking his eyes off Brennan.

"No, nothing out of the ordinary."

"Well, keep looking, that may be the piece of evidence that breaks this case wide open" Booth said with more confidence than he actually felt.

"Bones, can I speak to you in your office, please?" he asked eyeing Brennan's face.

He saw the look of panic before she hid behind her brick exterior "Ok Booth. Dr. Saroyan, Dr. Hodgins, let me know if you find anything" she said as she walked away, Booth right behind her.

After entering her office Booth closed the door and turned to look at her. She had taken the steps to her desk and sat down. He walked over and sat in the chair across from her. "Bones, how are you holding up? Did you get any rest last night?"

"I'm fine Booth, you know me, you know I can compartmentalize better than anyone."

"Yeah, I definitely know that" he mumbled.

"Excuse me?" she asked with her brow arched.

"Nothing, listen, Hacker was able to get me a list of active and inactive Army Ranger Sniper Personnel. He's faxing it over as we speak. It's a long list and may not yield any results but we have to at least try."

"I agree with both your theory and logic Booth but why couldn't you tell me this out there?"

"I just wanted to check on you, to see how you're holding up. You're my partner Bones and my friend. I wanted to make sure you were ok and to see if you had changed your mind about staying with someone."

"Booth, I told you last night, I'm fine and I'm not staying with anyone. Whoever is doing this is not after me."

"Bones, you can't know that for sure. Just because you didn't get shot last night doesn't mean that it wasn't intended for you."

"Booth you don't really believe that and you know it. Whoever this is they are a trained sniper as are you. You don't miss what you're aiming at and I'd bet neither do they. I'm not changing my routine because your "gut" is telling you I should."

"Ok, alright, you're right Bones. Just please be careful no matter where you go. OK?"

"I can take care of myself Booth."

"I know but for me, please take extra care of yourself" he gave her his most charming smile.

Unable to resist that charm smile Brennan said, "Fine Booth. I promise I'll be extra careful".

"That's all I'm asking Bones. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now I really need to get back to work."

"Let's see if Hacker sent that list Bones."

Booth ushered Brennan from the office to find Cam standing on the platform.

"Cam, Hacker was going to send a list of active and inactive Army Ranger Sniper Personnel to your fax, have you received it yet?"

"I don't know Booth, let me go check."

As Cam walked to her office to check the fax machine Brennan went back to work on their latest victim. Booth watched as she stepped up to the side of the table and began piecing together the skull fragments. He liked to watch her work. Her blue eyes darkened by the intensity of her concentration on the bones.

Cam returned to the platform, "Booth, I have the lists. Do you want to go over them now?"

"Yes, Bones let's go to your office and start looking over the lists. I feel it's going to take all of us to get through it."

Brennan removed her latex gloves and walked around the table toward her office as Booth and Cam followed her. Once inside they each took a portion of the list and began crossing off names of personnel that were not in the United States in the past three days.

The work was tedious and all three sets of eyes grew tired as the day wore on. Booth's phone beeped with a message, "Will you be home for dinner?"

Booth surprised at the hour looked up to find Bones looking at him. He smiled then typed his response, "No. Bones and I are in the middle of something. Go ahead and eat without me".

Placing his phone in his pocket he rolled his head from side to side to release the tension. "Bones, Cam, it's late and we've worked right through lunch. Let's take a break and order some Thai food, what do you say?"

Cam stretched, "I'd love to but I really need to get home to Michelle. We can finish going through the list tomorrow, right?"

"Bones and I will continue on the lists, right Bones?"

"Actually I need to get home myself Booth" Brennan said not wanting to be alone with him.

"Oh, OK Bones, I guess we can finish this tomorrow."

As Cam turned to leave the office she said, "Right. Bye Booth, bye Dr. Brennan".

"Good night Dr. Saroyan."

"Good night Cam."

Booth walked to the door and waited as Brennan rose from her seat and began collecting her things. He stepped outside in the hallway as she pulled the door closed and locked it. They left the building and arrived at Brennan's car.

"Well, goodnight Booth."

"Good night Bones. Please be careful" he said looking into her eyes.

"I will, you too." She replied as she climbed in her car.

Booth watched as she drove away then headed to his SUV.