"When did the future switch from being a promise to being a threat?"

~ Chuck Palahniuk (Invisible Monsters)

Chapter Nine: 2000 Light Years From Home

By tacit agreement, when they went back into the house, Booth headed for the dining room to speak to the other team members, and Charlie led Sweets into the study to update Gus. Booth stood in the doorway to the room, silently enjoying the sight of his family, the people he loved, working together for the first time in a very long time. He knew that, despite his skill at his job, these people in front of him were responsible for his current position…his current life, really. The life he loved so much and couldn't imagine any other way.

Brennan sensed his presence and looked up with a smile. As it always was with this woman he had loved so long he couldn't even remember not loving her, he instantly found himself smiling back. Booth soaked in these last few moments of calm, knowing that very soon all hell would be breaking loose.

"Is there something going on, Booth?" Brennan saw the underlying tension radiating off him, despite the smile.

"Yeah, babe." He ignored her eye roll at the endearment she had managed to get used to and sat at the head of the dining room table. "Sweets has narrowed down the suspect pool. To thirty-four."

"Thirty-four? How did he get that precise?" Brennan lay the letter she was reading down, giving her husband her full attention.

Booth ran a hand through his already-disheveled hair and sighed. "Apparently, the letter writer is someone from my unit in Afghanistan."

Hodgins shook his head as Angela gasped. "Wow, man. How did he come up with that?"

"The letters start while Charlie was in country with us. He couldn't have seen her every day unless he was there with us."

Brennan was tapping her fingers on the table top, deep in thought. "It's probable that he knows you, then. And he knows about-"

"Yeah."

"So, the rational course of action would be to get Alexandra and Parker from Jack and Angela's and get them somewhere safe, correct?" Brennan completed her thought as she dialed her phone. Hodgins and Angela looked at each other, confused as to who Brennan would be calling, but Booth knew his wife was calling the only person they would trust to take the children and protect them with their life.

"Dad? It's Temperance. I need help."

B&B

Once Charlotte and Sweets found Gus in the study, Sweets hung back and let the woman at the center of all the drama explain the newest developments. When she finished, Gus stared blankly at her.

"What do we do now?" She asked, still successfully reigning in the frenzy of emotions that had been building in the five days since her husband had been missing.

Gus stroked his goatee, deep in thought. "What did Booth suggest?"

"Nothing. I think he has other things to be worried about now. You're in charge, Gus. You make the calls."

"I know." He stood and rotated his back to release the tension that was quickly building. "I know, it's just…He's more than investigating this now. He's in this and he might have a better course of action in mind. He knew those guys. He slept, worked, and ate side by side with them for what? Close to a year?"

Charlotte sunk into a sleek, leather chair, "So did I."

Gus looked at her sympathetically, "I know. I'm going to pull the files on all 35 men, Booth included. Even though we know that he isn't the stalker, there might be clues in his jacket." He grabbed his cell phone, stepping into the hallway to make the call.

Sweets cautiously sat down across from Charlotte, "I'm sure you're already asking yourself this question but, does anyone from that period of time stick out in your mind? As paying too much attention to you or anything like that?"

"No, not at the moment. They were all…a little scary in a way. I mean, these were top tier guys, trained killers whether from 1500 yards away with a rifle or up and close personal with their hands." Charlotte shuddered slightly at her own words, "But at the same time they were respectful and good natured. It was a good assignment for me - the best of my five trips over there."

"For personal reasons?" He asked quietly.

"Partly but not entirely. I mean, I finally knew what I was looking for in a story and how to relate to the men and how to stay out of trouble or so I thought."

Sweets scooted forward and leaned toward her, "I think we're going to find that whatever started all of this was something benign and inconsequential. It could have been something you said in conversation or a t-shirt you wore or any number of little things that you didn't do on purpose. In cases like these, when the suspect isn't someone you were 'involved' with but is just someone you met or spoke with or even just saw you once there's an incalculable amount of events that could have spurred them on. I am correct in assuming that you were only you know…with Booth over there?"

She nodded slowly, "Yes. As a matter of fact, he is one of only three men that I've been 'with' in the last decade. I don't sleep around – no matter what the press has said."

Gus stepped back into the room prompting Charlotte to ask, "What's going on out there?"

"Booth is uh…he's having his father-in-law take the kids and keep them safe for now. He'll be by with them shortly."

Charlotte guiltily leaned her head back and closed her eyes, trying to pinpoint the moment that her life and the lives of those around her had started to spin out of control.

B&B

Once the situation was explained to Max, he went into what Booth liked to call his Protective Dad/Pop Pop Mode. The older man offered to go get the kids from the Hodgins and take them into hiding immediately, but Booth and Brennan wanted to say goodbye to their kids first, and since Jack and Angela had decided Clementine was going with them, they wanted to see her as well.

When Max arrived with the kids, they were waved back down the driveway and pointed towards the rear entrance by the agents guarding the house from the massive press crush outside the gated drive. Flashbulbs went off around the minivan, but Max never looked anywhere but forward as he guided the van slowly and carefully towards the house. Angela, Brennan and Jack went out to help Max bring the kids in while Booth stood watch near the driveway turn. Once everyone was inside, he followed them in and locked the heavy door behind him.

Booth walked into the comfortable living room, where everyone was getting introductions and preparing for goodbyes. Max stood off to the side, back to the wall out of habit, watching his daughter hold her daughter close, so Booth moved to stand next to him.

"Max."

"Booth."

"I appreciate you doing this."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Bones and I don't trust anyone else to handle this. Neither do Jack and Angela."

Max glanced to Booth, then looked down. "Thank you, Booth." He looked back up and Booth was a little alarmed to see moisture in the old crook's eyes, which he blinked away quickly. "You know I'll die before I let a soul touch those babies."

"I know." Booth nodded to his father-in-law once more, and then walked over to take Alexandra from Brennan.

"Hi Peanut! You ready to go bye bye with Pop Pop?" Booth blew a raspberry on her exposed belly, eliciting a laugh.

"Pop Pop! Candy, Pop Pop! Candy!" Alex screeched, slapping her father's face with both hands.

"Pop Pop better not be giving you candy, your mom will kick his butt." Booth grinned at Max.

"Kick butt, Mama! Kick butt!" Alexandra crowed, pointing at an amused Brennan.

"Exactly, Peanut. Mama kicks butt." He laughed at her apt description, smiling as Charlie moved to stand next to them.

"She's gorgeous, Seel. Looks just like her mother, and those eyes…wow. Bren's color, your shape. But that nose is all Bren. And your chin, I think. She's the perfect combination of both of you."

"Thanks, Charlie." He jiggled the baby slightly. "Can you say hi, Allie?"

Alexandra gave Charlotte a toothy, Boothy grin. "Hi Allie!" Booth and Charlie laughed as the baby waved her hand in Charlie's face happily.

Parker came over and reached for his sister. "Geez, Dad. She's even more literal than Bones!"

Booth gave Alex over and turned to Parker. "Parker, this is Mrs. Woods. She is the Speaker's wife, and an old friend of mine."

Parker nodded over his baby sister's head as she tried to pull his hair. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Woods."

"You too, Parker. Your dad has told me so much about you. I understand from Temperance that you're thinking of studying physics?" Charlie smothered a grin at Booth's surprised expression. Apparently he wasn't aware of her friendly chat with his wife the day before.

"Yeah, I'm interested in astrometrics. Grandpa Max says that could change tomorrow because I'm so young, but I doubt it."

"Wow, you must be smart…I have no idea what that is." Charlie smiled, impressed.

"Bones says I just have to apply myself and I can be anything because I'm smarter than even my dad, and he's pretty smart." Alex began wiggling to get down and get to Clementine, who was running around the living room between the adults' legs. "It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Woods. I need to get-" His goodbye was cut off by his sister's attempted dive for her friend as she ran past, and Parker struggled to put her down before she fell. "Bye!"

"You have a beautiful family, Seeley. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Charlie. I appreciate that. And…we'll get your family back for you, okay? We will. I promise." Booth gave her a determined look. Charlie smiled in thanks, patted Booth on the arm, and walked over to introduce herself to Max.

October 4, 2012, 7:45 PM EST: Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, Washington D.C.

Her association with Arcilla has brought her nothing but public mocking that I know is painful for her. The press calls her; Albatross Annie, Ginger Snap, Strawberry Tartinni and the list goes on and on. They say she has a questionable past and is a liability to his career but they don't see her for who she really is. They do not know her.

No one knows her.

It is her curse and my blessing.