"The Face with Two Skeletons"
by: Tropicwhale
Disclaimer: Whoa. Not mine….just fucking with them.
Author Talk: I've been writing, painting, acting, working, technician-ing, doing the school thing, trying to keep up with homework that requires lab time and partners….I know I've been bad fanfic writer but you still love the story, right? Besides, I heart Cam now. I've actually rewritten one of the sub-plots because of her reaction that I sooo didn't plan…enjoy! PS: I haven't updated in so long due to the fact my computer went into a coma and took the chapters with it.
Chapter Thirty (holy effing cow, longest fic I've ever written)
Hodgins was not a calm man. He was paranoid, super intelligent, loyal, arrogant, and just a little bit wiffy from working in the lab for days on end. All of which was fine. Everyone else was a bit wiffy, super intelligent, and loyal while also coming to accept Hodgin's nature of being arrogantly paranoid as quid pro quo. So with all that was going on with Zack…could anyone really blame Hodgins for sticking in his nose where it didn't belong?
Yes, he was suspicious of why Booth had a sudden, unexplainable interest in Zack's age and apparently diverse social life. But then, Hodgins found himself suspicious of Zack's apparent lying and strangely diverse social life. Hodgins knew why he wanted to know more about the man who, until very recently, had been staying in the apartment above Hodgin's garage. Zack was his best friend. Why wouldn't he want to learn more about the kid but Booth…Hodgins was suspicious.
So, Hodgins did the thing that he and the rest of the squint squad did best. He investigated. He collected empirical evidence for the recent mystery that had so engaged all of their lives that was Zack. He started following Booth around with his eyes in the lab, stalked him in the Diner, set up hidden cameras in Booth's office. All of which was fine until Booth caught him trying to install one of the little bugs in Booth's car. Hodgins could only grin when he found himself up against Booth's car with a very angry, gun-wielding federal agent in his face. "WHAT the hell are you doing, Hodgins?"
"Investigating?" Jack tried and was shaken for his troubles. "Okay, not good enough." Quick! Let's play 'Outthink the fed'. "I don't trust you."
"You don't trust anyone."
"Oo, Touché."
"Hodgins." Whoa, angry Booth. Hm, he could see why Zack was a little intimidated by this guy. Of course, Hodgins' reaction to an angry federal officer was to make matters worse and not cower in fear. He's quirky that way.
"I'm concerned for Zack, is all."
"And putting a video camera in my car helps that concern how?"
"Well, if I planned for you to catch me and test your control over yourself when it comes down to things like this." Booth's expression got darker and darker. "And you're not buying that either. Okay. I'm being paranoid and nosy?"
"Now that I'd buy."
"Of course you would." It was after all the truth. There was a silence in which Booth just glared and held Hodgins to the side of the SUV. "So….Take it out?"
"Yeah." Booth let go of him with an extra push against the truck. Typical jock. Hodgins straightened his jacket and crinked his neck to the side to prove that he just didn't do the cower thing; not for Cam, Brennan, or Booth….maybe for Ange', if there was leather involved... "Today, Hodgins." Hodgins snorted and went to remove the camera. "I'm not even going to go into how illegal that is on soo many levels." Hodgins rolled his eyes when he was sure Booth couldn't see his face. "And don't roll your eyes at me." Grr. Hodgins yanked the last of the wiring out from under the dash and stood. "I don't even want to know how you got into my car to begin with!" Was Booth still on this? The federal agent grabbed Hodgin's collar and slammed the car door shut then dragged the squint into the Royal Diner. Booth slammed the furry, little man into their usual booth and sat down across from him. "And don't think I haven't noticed you stalking me for the past few days. I've had enough. What the hell, Hodgins?"
"I told you. I'm being nosy and paranoid."
"You're never paranoid and nosy without a reason behind it. It has to be pretty bad for you to act on your paranoia." Hodgins briefly wondered when he got sooo predicable. "So let's hear it." Booth sat back and crossed his arms, looking for all the world like he could wait out the squint until the truth came out. Hodgins suddenly understood why Booth was on homicide detail for the FBI. God knew it wasn't for his analytical rationale. Hodgins shifted and settled into his seat as a waitress brought them their usuals. Booth thanked her and turned back to Hodgins.
"I'm suspicious of your sudden interest and concern for Zack, okay?" Booth raised his eyebrows but otherwise didn't react. "It's fishy, okay? You find out he plays basketball and all of the sudden you're suddenly his best friend?"
"Are you jealous?"
"What?" Hodgins was weirded out that Booth would even ask that. "No. I'm…just….Zack's had it rough, okay? I'm just being a little overprotective." Booth seemed to relax. It appeared they both were, god forbid, feeling the same way about one Dr. Addy.
"Yay, no kidding." Booth shifted. "Between Zerbrowski and this whole Bradley Oscarmann thing coming back to haunt him-"
"Having his home blown up."
"Getting sidelined from the team and squint squad."
"His basketball team sidelined him?"
"Because of his injuries during the explosion."
"Oh." Hodgins laughed. "That kid gets blown up a lot."
"Blame Hart Hanson."
"Who?"
"I don't know. I just made the name up." Hodgins laughed and Booth smiled.
"But, seriously. Zack can't seem to catch a break. Do you know why he doesn't drive anymore? He hit a cyclist when he came to DC after the whole Oscarmann thing." Booth's eyebrows descended in confusion. "Keg and Robbie" Hodgins refused to admit to the bitchy tone in his voice. He was Zack's friend, not his lover. He had no right to be jealous. "pulled him out of the wreak. What?" Booth's face looked really confused and more than a little angry.
"Zack told you that?"
"Yeah. Why? Jealous?" Hodgins' tone was smug. Definitely smug. And he was okay with that.
"No. I knew he was in the crash." Hodgins' smugness evaporated into annoyance. "Robbie told me that he was the one on the bicycle, though." Hodgins didn't see the significance. "He lied to you." Hodgins blinked then got it.
"HEY!" That little punk.
"He lies a lot." Booth looked almost sad at having to voice that revelation. Hodgins understood. There was an innocence to Zack that sometimes Hodgins sort of- "There is a sort of logic to it though." Hodgins looked at Booth. The federal agent had a faraway look on his face. It surprised Hodgins. Booth wasn't the brains of the operation, Brennan and the others were.
"How so?"
"He lies when he feels he needs to protect himself. When you think about it…it makes sense." Booth focused on Hodgins and grinned. "I may not be book smart but I know people and Zack's actions have a certain….people logic to it."
"It does?" Obviously, Booth was a moron. At least in Hodgins' opinion.
"You said it yourself…Zack's been through a lot and he doesn't want people to judge him by it so he moves, acts like emotions don't matter…" Booth made a 'come on' hand motion until Hodgins caught up.
"And lies to hide any weaknesses he thinks he has. I get it." Booth nods. "I guess he doesn't trust us."
"He doesn't trust himself." Booth shrugged and looked down at his food. "Which, when you think about it…"
"It's worst then not trusting others." Hodgins finished. "I…I need to get back to the lab. See ya, Booth." Hodgins stood and left Booth with the check. No wonder the guy was so rich. The cheapskate.
"See ya, Jack." Booth took a sip of his coffee before Cam slide into the seat across from him with a truly dastardly grin on her face.
"You and Hodgins were having a deep discussion."
"Hey Cam. Where did you come from?"
"Over there. Not the point." Booth grinned his flirty grin.
"What's the point?"
"Oh. Nothing." Cam grinned some more and took a sip of Hodgins' coffee. "Eugh, what is this?"
"Decaf. Hodgins' drink."
"Blech." She signaled the waitress and traded Hodgins' food for a cup of good, hot, caffeinated, strong coffee. Camille liked her coffee like she liked her men. Booth just added more cream to his quickly cooling cup. The waitress refilled his cup when she topped off the new cup for Camille. "It still freaks me out how you can memorize coffees like that." Booth smiled.
"A coffee tells you a lot about the person who drinks it." Cam rolled her eyes.
"So what coffee does Angela drinks?"
"Sugar with French vanilla creamer or a caramel latte. Brennan drinks black with sugar and Ms. Julian drinks it whatever way she can get it…including stealing other people's drinks."
"What about Zack?"
"He doesn't drink coffee. He makes it for everyone else."
"I've seen him drink coffee."
"No, you've seen him drink decaf tea with a lot of milk in it. And only when he's feeling under the weather."
"You've sure have noticed a lot about people that you don't care about."
"Camille, I care about them. They just annoy me."
"Especially Zack?" There was a sly quality to Cam's voice. She was definitely up to something. Booth wasn't sure what it was but she was up to it.
"Less lately but yeah…there's something about him that really gets under my skin."
"But he's so sweet. He's like a puppy except less annoying. It's so hard to stay mad at him." Booth snorted. Cam didn't know how much Zack lied. "Well, maybe not for you. You get angry a lot."
"I do not." That wasn't true. Cam smiled grimly.
"Yeah, it is, Seeley. I care about you enough to tell you the truth. You need to learn how to forgive and let go."
"Cam…"
"Booth. I get it. I love you but…Zack can't help being what he is any more then you can-"
"Hey-!"
"Or I can or Brennan can." Cam placed her hand on Booth's wrist. "Just…" she looks like she is about to say something then shakes her head. "He's staying with you. Just give him his space and don't go all federal agent on him. He doesn't need that right now." Booth looked at her, hard.
"What do you know?"
"He told me." Booth felt a stab of panic. Cam waited a moment to see if Booth was going crack. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. He was in too deep a shock. Oh well. Cam cut him a break. "He told me that you seemed angrier than usual. He didn't tell me why so I'm asking you. What did Zack do? Why are you mad at him this time?" Booth jerked back. Zack thought he was mad at him? Well, in a way he was. Zack was the one that pulled away from Booth after they… "He didn't say but…I think he thinks that you're upset with him because you think he's guilty of the twins' murder." Booth blinked as he digested that then smiled. "What?"
"It's not that at all. He's assuming." Booth had to laugh. Cam looked at him weird. "Assuming is the same as guessing."
"And Zack doesn't guess." Cam smiled at the joke. Booth shook his head. "Talk to him?" Booth exhaled then nodded. "Thank you. That's all I ask."