This is a sequel to chapter 17. Tanargue felt that the snake needed to be found.

Thank you for the great reviews.

I don't own Bones.

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Hearing a scream coming from down the hallway, Booth pulled himself away from his wife and stared at his kids, "Do you know what that is about?"

Shaking their heads vigorously, Christine, Joseph and Michael stared big eyed at Booth, "No sir."

Staring at the one hold out, Booth asked, "Hank, do you know what that's about?"

Not looking at his father, Hank shrugged his shoulders, "I sort of dropped one of the snakes and he may have got away, maybe."

Walking over and placing his hand on Hank's shoulder, Booth stared down at his son, "Show me where you lost it."

Nodding his head, Hank reached up and grabbed his father's hand, pulling him out of his mother's office. Booth let his son lead him to Hodgins Ookie room. Entering the room, Booth found Hodgins staring at his snake aquarium.

Noticing, Booth and Hank enter the room, Hodgins frowned, "One of my snakes is missing."

Glancing down at his small son and then at Hodgins, Booth responded, "Yeah, well, Hank here may have lost him."

Frowning, Hodgins shook his head, "How many times have I told you kids to keep your mitts off of my stuff?"

Staring at his hand in his father's hand, Hank muttered, "Too many?"

Rolling his eyes, Hodgins shook his head again, "Was Michael involved in this?"

Refusing to look at Hodgins, the boy bit his lower lip, "I don't want to be a rat."

Irritated, Hodgins sighed, "So the answer is yes."

Releasing Hank's hand, Booth pointed at the doorway and asked Hodgins, "Who screamed?"

Sighing, Hodgins answered, "Murphy's law is in full force today. Cam was sitting at her PC when a snake brushed her leg. She ran out of her office and closed the door. She's making me verify how many snakes are missing and then I have to go back and search her office."

Anxious to make amends, Hank asked, "Can I help? I can . . ."

Booth held up his hand, "Is the snake poisonous?"

Shaking his head, Hodgins replied, "No, it's a blue racer. It does have a nasty bite though."

Placing his hand back on to his son's shoulder, Booth spoke to his son, "Hank, go back to your mother's office and stay there. Your Uncle Jack and I will look for the snake. We'll talk about punishment tonight when we get home. I'm thinking no games or TV for a week; but, we'll talk about it tonight."

Swallowing, Hank placed his hands into his pockets, "Okay, I mean yes sir."

Watching his son walk out of the room, Booth smiled, "This reminds me of the time I was a kid and Jared dropped a jar with a black widow spider in it in the house. Pops spent hours looking for the damn thing. We had to stay outside and couldn't leave the porch until he found it."

Sniggering, Hodgins responded, "Damn, don't give Michael any ideas. Keep that story to yourself."

Laughing, Booth pointed at the doorway, "Okay, let's go find the snake, Jungle Jim."

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Feeling the full blast of disapproval aimed at him by Cam, Booth held up his hands, "They'll be punished. . . . Hodgins and I are going to look for it, there's only one."

Tapping her foot, Cam turned her ire upon Hodgins, "From now on, you are to keep your Ookie room locked up when you aren't in the room. I mean it. No exceptions."

Holding up his hands in a placating manner, Hodgins assured Cam, "Not a problem."

Opening the door, Booth poked his head through the doorway and looked around, not seeing anything he slipped into the room with his friend close behind him. Closing the door, Booth sighed, "Okay you take the right side of the room and I'll take the left."

Shrugging his shoulders, Hodgins began his search. Booth reluctantly got on his hands and knees and searched under the couch. Not seeing anything he crawled over to the credenza and stared behind the cabinet. Seeing a forked tongue sliding in and out of it's owner, Booth grabbed the snake. The blue racer, taking exception to being manhandled, bit Booth on the wrist and the top of his hand. Refusing to let go, Booth pulled the snake out and shouted for Hodgins, "Get your ass over here and take the snake." Placing his free hand behind the snake's head Booth grabbed it and pulled the snake away from his bleeding hand, "Man what's that smell?"

Startled, Hodgins stood up and raced over to where Booth was. Pinching the back of the snakes head, Hodgins removed the snake from Booth's hand, "It's a musk they emit when they're cornered."

Staring at the small tears in the wrist and hand, the blood welling up, Hodgins grabbed Booth's hand with his free one. "Let me look at that." Staring at Booth's hand while the snake writhed in his hand, Hodgins advised, "You have to go to the doctor. It's not poisonous but you can get an infection from a snake bite."

Pulling a handkerchief from his jacket pocket, Booth pressed it against the holes as best as he could, "You do know my kids and your son were holding these."

Feeling himself grow pale, Hodgins walked over to the door, opened it, marched out of the room and shouted, "Michael Vincent Staccato Hodgins, front and center."

Michael, racing out of Brennan's office along with the Booth children and Brennan found a furious Hodgins marching towards the Ookie room. Christine, noticing her father walking out of Cam's office with a blood soaked handkerchief pressed to his wrist and the top of his hand, inhaled sharply and cried out, "Dad."

Brennan, changing course, rushed over to where Booth was now standing and placed her hand on the now blood soaked material. Peering under it, she shook her head, "We have to go to Emergency. You may need stitches and you'll certainly need antibiotics. " Turning towards her pale children, she shook her head, "You'll have to go home with Aunt Angela. We'll come and get you when we can." Turning towards Booth, she continued, "I'll go get my purse and then we can leave."

Angela, staring at Booth's hand, shook her head, "Jack and I will take care of them."

Glancing up at Angela's concerned face, Booth spoke, "No TV or games tonight." Turning around, Booth walked down the hallway towards the entrance to the Lab, approaching the entrance, he looked over his shoulder, "I am very angry right now. You behave while you're with your and aunt and uncle and start using those smart brains of yours."

The children watched their father until he was out of sight only to turn when their mother came racing by them, "You behave."

Watching their mother until she too was out of sight, Christine turned and stared at Angela. Angela, walking over and hugging a crying Hank shook her head, "Boy, when you guys mess up you really mess up. You guys need to use a little common sense."

Wiping his eyes, Joseph responded, "Daddy says that common sense isn't common."

Carrying his very angry snake to the Ookie room, Hodgins remarked, "You're Daddy is right. Apparently the only one with sense around here is your father. From now on my Ookie room is going to be locked when I'm not in it. You guys better find a way to apologize to your parents or I can see you being grounded until graduation day."

Nodding his head, Michael sighed, "It was dumb to let the snake escape."

Angry at the holier-than-though attitude on her son's face, Angela growled, "And it was dumb to fool with the snakes in the first place young man. We'll talk about punishment when we get home tonight. I advise you to avoid your Uncle Booth for the next week or so."

Grimacing, Hank spoke up, "Daddy is going to be in a bad mood when he comes home."

Shaking her head, Christine folded her arms across her chest, "It's not Dad we should worry about. You know how mom is when Dad gets hurt. We are in so much trouble. I mean, wow, we are in a lot of trouble."

Cam, shaking her head, sighed, "I guess you learned your lesson."

Nodding his head, Joseph replied, "We sure have. From now on we have to make sure that Dad isn't around when we want to do an experiment."

Rolling her eyes, Cam walked by the children and into her office. Angela, staring at Joseph, sighed.

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