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After they booked into their rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn, Booth and Brennan decided to take a walk before they went out for dinner. The Richards planned on setting up their tent in the Cajun Dome parking lot on Thursdayafternoon, but they were already in town. They had made plans to meet Booth, Brennan and Aubrey at Dean-O's Pizza at 7 p.m. to go over the undercover roles of the agents and Brennan while they were investigating the disappearances and possible murders of five men.

Booth and Brennan wanted to stretch their legs after their flight from D.C. and the drive across the very busy basin to Lafayette. Aubrey chose to stay in his room and watch TV until it was time to go out and eat. "I want to watch a little TV and have a snack. I might go down to the dinning room and see what they have to tide me over until dinner . . . Besides, you two love birds don't need me tagging along."

Hand in hand they walked down the sidewalk away from the hotel towards the quieter neighborhood nearby. As they walked, Booth thought about how lucky he was that after all they'd been through together Brennan still loved to be with him. Lost in thought, he lightly swung their hands while he kept his gaze on the sidewalk in front of them.

Not sure why Booth was so quiet, Brennan decided to give her husband the time he needed to work out whatever problem he was ruminating about. She knew that something was on his mind and had been for the last three days, but so far he had been unwilling to share what it was. As they moved down the sidewalk, Brennan studied the Cajun Dome to the right and once they were past it, the houses bordering the sidewalk on each side of the street. After a while she noticed a used bookstore across the street. "Booth, let's go over to that bookstore."

Pulled from his thoughts, Booth looked around and noticed a sign across the street, 'Alexander Books'. He also noticed how busy the traffic was on that stretch of road and shook his head. "The traffic is pretty busy, Bones. I don't want to get killed trying to cross over to that side of the street."

The traffic unrelenting, Brennan glumly nodded her head. "Perhaps we can drive over here tomorrow morning and have a look at their stock."

Shrugging his shoulders, Booth thought that would be okay. "Sure, why not? I think the Richards probably want us to help set up tomorrow afternoon as we're supposed to be part of their crew, but we should be free in the morning. We'll drive over here after breakfast."

Reluctantly, Brennan turned to face back the way they had come. "Perhaps we should go back to the hotel room now."

Turning, Booth took Brennan's hand back into his hand and they started to walk back towards the hotel. "Bones . . . uh . . . I've been meaning to talk to you about something . . . Deputy Director Stark talked to me a few days ago and . . . he said that the Director wants to give me a promotion . . . there's an opening coming up and he wants me to fill it."

Suddenly nervous, Brennan gripped Booth's hand and stopped walking forcing Booth to stop. "What's the position?"

He hadn't meant to make her nervous, but now he saw that he'd done exactly that. "No Bones, it isn't something like overseas . . . I'm done with that . . . I wouldn't trust that kind of offer if the President of the United States offered it to me . . . no . . . um . . . well it's Executive Assistant Director for Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch." Chuckling, Booth placed his left hand on her arm. "A mouthful I know. It means I'd be in charge of four divisions . . . Criminal, Cyber, Critical Incident Response and International Operations . . . It's a huge step if I want to take it."

Impressed, Brennan moved closer to hug her partner. "That is very impressive Booth. Congratulations."

His arms automatically moving around her, Booth held her against his body for a couple of minutes. The tooting of car horns made them both realize that they were in a very public place and stopped them from doing anything inappropriate. "Thanks, but I haven't really decided if I want the job or not . . . well, that's not true . . . I think I'm going to pass."

Stepping back, Brennan cocked her head to the side. "You're more than qualified Booth and it's much more prestigious than the position you were promised in Germany."

Not sure how to explain it, Booth took her left hand in his hand and smiled. "Let's go back to the hotel." As they moved down the sidewalk, Booth tried to decide how he wanted to explain the problem to her.

A little confused at Booth's reticence, Brennan remained silent and allowed him to gather his thoughts.

He knew he was going to sound paranoid, but Booth didn't know how to explain it and not give away how he felt about the offer and why he thought it was a bad idea. He had been through too much when he'd been betrayed by the FBI and Congressman Hadley who was now sitting in prison, but the facts were the facts and he had been betrayed and he'd almost been killed, Brennan had almost been killed, their Mighty Hut was destroyed. Pulling Brennan to a stop, he faced her, his back towards the street.

"Okay, look . . . When I was offered the post in Germany, I had these great ideas. I was going to make a huge difference in how we handled terrorism . . . I was going to make my mark and fix the things I thought needed to be fixed in the FBI and then . . . then Congressman Hadley made the world think I murdered an American citizen in Pakistan in 2002 . . . Daniel Johnson . . . I still can't talk about it even to you . . . I can't betray my oath, but I'm not a murderer. . . I'm not . . ."

Brennan saw the look of anger and betrayal on Booth's face and she knew he still lived with the nightmare that the corrupt congressman had started. "He's in prison Booth. He was the criminal not you. You are not a murderer . . ."

Unable to stop himself, Booth interrupted her. "But that's what most of the world believes . . . even now. I can't answer to what happened in Pakistan and the State Department can't explain it without endangering a bunch of lives . . . They tried, but they couldn't say what it was about and . . . it's a mess. I was doing my job and in ten minutes in front of a Congressional hearing my honor was impugned forever, our lives were almost destroyed . . . How can I trust anyone after that? How can I risk you and the kids and . . . and me . . . This position would require another Congressional hearing and who knows what hatchet someone would use on me this time . . . A lot of Congressman think I'm a dangerous man, you know that . . . maybe too dangerous . . . I can't do it . . . I won't take the risk of one of those assholes trying to ruin me or you to get revenge for Hadley or for whatever bug they have up their ass . . . I can't endanger you or the kids, not this time . . . not ever."

"But the FBI gave you back your position with confidence and support after you were exonerated. The Director gave a press conference pointing out how you were framed for murder when you were attacked in our home." She wanted him to see that his honor was intact, but she knew it was an uphill battle. "The State Department held a joint press conference with the FBI after Congressman Hadley was arrested for maleficence of office and explained that Daniel Johnson wasn't murdered by American agents and that you were a victim of corruption and treason. He explained how we uncovered a vast conspiracy undermining our government by Glenn Durant. Booth, your honor is intact and I don't think any congressman would try to go after again considering what happened to Hadley."

Snorting, Booth shook his head and started to walk back towards the hotel. "Yeah I don't think so. Congressman Wood made it clear after Hadley was sentenced to prison that he thought I was all part of some plot to bring down some congressional leaders because of some hidden agenda. You know people eat that shit up . . . Once it was put out there . . . a lot of people think it's all a big cover up or a plot or something. Hell, there are still agents in the FBI that think I got away with the murder of three FBI agents and you and I know that . . . No, I can't go through that again . . . I won't jeopardize what we have . . . not again Bones. I'm sorry that you're married to a loser like me, but it's not going to happen again. I won't endanger my family or . . ."

Furious, Brennan stopped in her tracks and yanked on Booth's arm. "How dare you say that? You are not a loser and you have no right to say that . . . of course you were set up and of course it made you distrust everyone, but you were exonerated by the Director of the FBI and the Secretary of State and you have had the full backing of the FBI ever since . . . Booth don't take the job because you don't want it, it's your right . . . but don't reject it out of fear or because you think you may be set up again for something else. The FBI cleaned its house. You can trust them, Booth. You can trust the men and women you work with because they trust you."

His face flushed with embarrassment, Booth stared at Brennan for a few minutes. Tentatively reaching his hand out, he finally took her hand in his again and started them walking back to the hotel. "I'm sorry I upset you, Bones. I didn't mean to do that . . . Okay, the FBI cleaned it's house, but I have too many enemies in Congress now . . . I don't want the job. I don't trust them . . . I won't place my honor or my life in the hands of a bunch of politicians at a congressional hearing . . . and it's not just me that I'm worrying about. We have too much to lose . . . We do . . . I won't take the job."

"Then don't take it." Her emotions back under control, Brennan gripped his hand firmly. "If you don't want to move up in the FBI then don't. I will support whatever you chose to do . . . They may try to force you to take another position or they may try to retire you. You need to be prepared for that."

Glumly, Booth nodded his head. "Yeah, I thought of that and I guess I'm ready to retire if they push me . . . I can find something else to do . . . The CIA made an offer . . . I could look into that."

Surprised, Brennan glanced at her husband and then back at the hotel in the distance. "When did the CIA make an offer? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Before I was framed by Durant." His eyes on the hotel, Booth kept walking. "I didn't tell you because I wasn't interested, so I guess I didn't think it was worth mentioning . . . After we proved Durant was behind our problems, Danny contacted me and told me the offer was still good. In fact, he tried to get me to quit the FBI and go work for them right after we nailed Durant. They knew something was wrong with the whole setup and when they found out about Durant they went ape shit over at Langley. They went through their agency with a fine tooth comb trying to find out if there were any of Durant's people there."

Curious, Brennan asked her husband, "Did they find any?"

Slowly nodding his head, Booth led them up the driveway towards the hotel entrance. "With the help of Angela . . . Oh yeah. Danny said they kept it quiet, but several people were fired and two were prosecuted for something or other. They handled things like they always do."

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