The Face with Two Skeletons
By: Tropicwhale
Disclaimer: Hehehe I wish.....but they're not.
Author Talk: You people...I'm spoiling you with all these updates, I know....but I'm on a deadline. Remember, after the 12th of June, if this fic isn't finished it's going on hiatus. So enjoy the quick updates while you can
Chapter Six
Booth finally made it past the accident and was on his way to the park. His cell phone rang. He dug it out of the inside pocket of his leather jacket. It was Bones. He answered it. "Booth. What's up, Bones?"
"Hey, Booth. I have a question…what's FBI protocol for bodies of international victims killed in the US?" Booth started. What was Bones....wait....
"Are you writing another book?"
"I'm…working on a possible outline. I'm not sure if I want to write it out into a full novel yet."
"Would I be in it?"
"Booth, you're not in my books. I merely base certain aspects of certain characters off of interactions that I have had." Translation-he was in the books.
"I'm in the book." Booth was very happy about that. He could practically hear Bones roll her eyes.
"Booth. My question?" Bones' patent wait of ignoring things that annoy her....stay on task.
"International victims murdered in US. Got it. I have no idea."
"Oh." He recognized the tone of her voice.
"Bones, are you pouting?"
"No. Why-why would I be pouting?" She was so pouting. Booth could practically see it. He grinned.
"Because your very handsome connection to the FBI didn't pan out with the information you needed."
"That's-"
"Come on. Admit it. You're pouting."
"No. Because it's not true."
"Liar. You, Dr. Temperance Brennan, are fronting."
"I am not!"
"Are too."
"I'm not engaging in this argument with you. It's childish. Where are you?"
"I am on my way to a basketball game." Booth said slowly as he made a right hand turn.
"Oh. Who are you playing?"
"I'm not playing. I'm watching."
"Oh." There was a pause as Brennan assested the information. "I didn't know Parker played basketball."
"He doesn't. Not yet anyway." Parker would, evenually, try his hand at sports....if Seeley had anything to say about it.
"I'm confused."
"Would you like to keep guessing? Or would you like me to tell you?"
"I would…like to continue to guess. Is it a friend?" Booth considered the question.
"Slowly looking like it."
"I don't understand." Booth grinned.
"I don't really hang out with them but they invited me and it would have been rude to turn them down."
"I see…do you work with them?"
"On occasion." This was getting fun. Bones would never guess it was Zack and frankly Booth wasn't sure if Zack would want his extracurricular activities to be known to his colleagues at work.
"Have I met them?"
"Yes. Yes you have." Booth was trying really hard not to laugh. It was proving difficult.
"Have we worked with them on a case?"
"Yes."
"Which case?"
"Guess."
"Booth, that's cheating."
"We didn't establish rules, Bones." Booth laughed when Bone exhaled into the phone. He knew that she knew he was right but didn't want to admit it. He pulled into a parking lot at the park. "Look. I'm here. Gotta go."
"Bye."
"Bye Bones." Booth hung up and got out of his car. He jogged across an expanse of grass that had a playground complete with slides and a swing set to a group of four basketball courts which beyond those were several tennis courts. Two of the basketball courts were empty and one had a bunch of kids playing tag on it. The fourth and last had a game going on. Booth jogged over and slipped in on the side of a set of bleachers. Zack was on the court jogging away from where Booth was sitting.
Booth took a moment to check the portable score board. It was top of the third quarter with a score of 18-20 to the Potomac Copperheads and the crowd was getting into it. Someone sitting above Booth screamed "GO COPPERHEADS" as Zack looped around his defender and caught the ball as 34 looked at where he was when Zack's teammate feinted a pass. Zack caught it and prepped to take a shot. 34 saw what was about to happen and slid his foot just as Zack was about to release for the shot. Zack's balance was thrown and the ball went wide of the net.
"REF! FOUL! HE TRIPPED HIM!!" Booth was on his feet along with the rest of the crowd that seemed to be Copperhead fans. The referee heard Booth and nodded. He blew his whistle and called a foul on 34. Zack looked up and there was a moment where Booth and Zack made eye contact. Booth mentally swore that it was the jog across the park that had made him feel a little flush and promised himself that he would work out more. Zack gave a slight nod as he walked up to the foul line acknowledging Booth. He then took the ball from the referee and dribbled it once, looking at the net. Booth couldn't see Zack's face from where he was sitting but he would bet good money the kid was doing math in his head. The crowd went still. After a second Zack bent his knees and aimed the ball. He shot and it went in nothing but net. Booth punched the air with a closed fist in victory. It was a good shot. The referee handed the squint the ball a second time and everyone preps to go into play even the crowd. Zack repeated his motions of the first foul shot. Booth froze, his body settling into a familiar feeling of quiet, empathizing with Zack's situation. Zack prepped for the shot and went to shoot. 26 of the Devils suddenly coughed loudly and so did the Devils that were on the bench. Booth smirked. He knew something little like that wouldn't distract Zack from making the basket. Then a Devil whose number Booth couldn't see shouted.
"SHOOT!" Zack jumped, startled. The ball left his hands and arched gracefully to miss the basket by a good three feet falling harmlessly out of bounds. The ref blew his whistle and possession was awarded to the Devils. Those slimy, underhanded foul-dealing bastards dribbled and passed the ball back up the court to score closing the Copperheads' lead down to one point. The crowd groaned and Booth with them. 04 of the Copperheads called time. Zack and the others crowded around their benched players.
Zack went over to the bench and accepted his water bottle from Bailout. "They're getting wise to our style." Zerbrowski said. Othello nodded.
"So lets change it up. Epsilon with the Alpha variation on defense." Robbie said.
"That won't work. They're picking on Zaddy." Keg said.
"Then let's do a theta variation." Zack offered. Robbie made a face to show he didn't remember.
"Which one was that again?"
"The one where Bailout takes Wineskin's point position and we switch our guards with our forwards so that Zerbrowski and you are on rebound detail and Othello and Keg clear the way for Bailout to steal the ball and take it home."
"Oh, yeah. I like that game plan." Bailout grinned.
"Of course you do. Alright. You heard Zaddy. Break." Robbie rolled his eyes. The group broke up and Zack sat next to Wineskin on the bench.
"Alright. So it looks like your man showed up after all." Zack looked over at the Greek. "I saw the look you gave him when you got fouled. Zerbrowski's right. You like him."
"Define 'like'." Zack was calculating in his head how much his teammate could surmise and how to work around it so that his attraction would not be so obvious to others, like Booth, who were not as open-minded as the Copperheads.
"You find him ascetically, emotionally, sexuality and intellectually attractive." Wineskin said in his thick baritone.
"Yes. I do. However, he does not return the attraction."
"Explain."
"He's heterosexual and, last night, when I admitted to being bisexual he-I believe the term is 'freaked out'. He also was uneasy when I took off my shirt."
"You stripped in front of him?" Wineskin was smirking. Zack was convinced that all his teammates had minds, as Angela said, constantly in the gutter.
"He did not want to take me at my word that I am strong. So I took off my shirt to prove it."
"I see. Zerbrowski said that you were trying to seduce a federal officer, now I believe him."
"I am not trying to seduce Agent Booth."
"Maybe not intentionally-"
"The word 'seduce' implies an active and intentional courtship. Neither of those things can be applied. He merely drew the short straw."
"He came to your game when you asked him too."
"He enjoys basketball. Our team is very good. I thought he would enjoy it."
"Zaddy, sometimes you are just too cute for words." Wineskin looked up and let out a whoop. "Thata boy, Bailout!! Go. GO. GO" Zack looked up as Bailout jumped and slammed the ball into the basket. Zack and Wineskin leaped to their feet, cheering as Bailout dropped down from the basket. Zack noticed that Booth was on his feet too, clapping. Wineskin nudged Zack when he saw Zack was looking at Booth. "You have it bad, my friend." Zack looked at the Greek man. Wineskin clapped Zack on the shoulder at the Devils took possession. "Are you going to invite him over when we win the game?" They sat back down.
"We may lose." Zack pointed out as 34 scored, pushing past Robbie to do so.
"Bah, even better. You can cry on his shoulder about how upset you are that the big bad Devils beat you up." Wineskin pointed to the bandage on Zack's arm.
"I wouldn't do that to Agent Booth. That would be dishonest."
"Only if he does not want to be seduced."
"He doesn't find men sexually attractive so-"
"Details, my friend. Sex is sex no matter what position you do it in." Zack looked back at Booth. The federal agent was sitting down and looked very interested in the game.
"It still seems dishonest."
"Love usually is."
"I don't believe in love." Wineskin looked at Zack. Zack watched the game....or at least he pretended to watch the game so to better observe Booth. Booth was wearing blue jeans and a tee shirt, his leather jacket was thrown over the bench next to him and he wore aviator sunglasses and a watch. He seemed to be really enjoying the game to Zack.
"Believe in it or not. It's real." Wineskin said just as the ref screamed foul. Booth was on his feet with the rest of the audience screaming at the action on the court. Zack looked over to see Robbie on the ground clutching his ankle. Zerbrowski and Keg flanked him while Othello was holding an enraged Bailout from attacking one of the Devils, 18. Wineskin and Zack were on their feet too. Wineskin screamed for a time-out and Robbie was helped off the court. Halfway to the bench, Robbie waved away Keg and Zerbrowski to limp over on his own power. Booth and the crowd liked this and cheered. Robbie carefully levered himself down onto the bench and accepted water from Zack as Keg examined his ankle.
"You sprained it." Keg declared. Othello and the ref succeeded in dragging Bailout away from the larger player in time to hear that.
"He didn't sprain it. That cave-man freak tripped him." The young blonde growled. Robbie held out his hand to get him to be quiet.
"Are you going to be able to make the foul shot?" The referee asked. Robbie looked at him.
"Can we have a sub in right after I do?" The referee looked at Robbie and Robbie looked at the referee.
"Sure, son. We can do that."
"Zaddy. After I make my shots I want you to get out there…Wineskin…you're going to have to help me off the court as soon as Zack gets into play."
"Got it." Wineskin said.
"Alright." Zack added. Robbie stood with the help of Othello and Zerbrowski and limped over to the foul line. The referee gave him the ball as the rest of the team lined up alongside the free throw lane. Zack prepared to sub in for Robbie, crouching next to the score keepers table. "Subbing in for 04, Copperheads." The girl who was keeping track of subs, fouls, and time-outs nodded. Robbie bounced the ball twice, shot, and missed. Zack figured it was because he wasn't putting weight onto his hurt foot. Everyone tensed as the ball was returned to Robby. He bounced the ball once and took aim. 24 of the Devils coughed and so did the players on the side lines. Zack felt his body coil in anticipation.
"SHOOT!" 34 yelled at Robbie. Robbie didn't flinch though. He looked over at 34 and smiled. He threw the ball and it hit the backboard, balanced on the outer side of the rim. Everyone held still. Zack held his breath even though he knew it would not affect the outcome of whether or not the ball went into the basket. The ball swayed and rounded the rim of the basket twice. The crowd gasped. Robbie hopped back, looking at the orange sphere. It fell toward the backboard and went in. Robbie looked up at the sky and sighed. Zack started moving as the Copperheads took possession and Wineskin moved to help a limping Robbie to sit down. Zack was in play. He jogged out onto the court and accepted a blind pass from Bailout. Zack dribbled up the court to accomplish a layup off the backboard. Devils took possession and Zack jogged to their end of the court.
Author After Talk: I'm very hungry....I thought the world needed to know.
Tropic