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Title: The Agent In the Game

Summary: When dangerous goes beyond the definition, it's a race against the clock. But it's also a game...a game of Life...

Rating: T

Characters: Temperance "Bones" Brennan, Seeley Booth, Angela Montenegro, Jack Hodgins, Zach Addy, Rebecca Stintson, Camille Saroyan, Tim "Sully" Sullivan, and Parker Booth

Pairings: BB and Hodgela

---

'I remember the thoughts of many things...
I was never the right one to dare to dream,
It's funny what this life has done to me now
You were always the only,
To help me see there was a road I must find,
A road that was mine
But I'm down to my last,
I'm standing here alone
Looking back, on it all
But I'm down to my last,
I'm ready but I'm wrong...'

-Down to My Last, AlterBridge

---

The next morning, Booth felt slightly numb. He showered, dressed, then grabbed the keys of Brennan's new gold Porsche. He started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, heading into the direction of the Jeffersonian.

So many thoughts raced through his mind. He knew Angela would be the first one to ask questions. She had called him at least five or more times last night.

Yes, he had counted.

What would he say? How would he explain not being with Brennan when they now lived together? And besides, everybody on the team knew that Temperance never skipped out on work unless it was absolutely necessary.

Pulling into the parking lot, he killed the engine, stuffed the keys in his blazer pocket and prepared himself.

Booth didn't have a plan yet. He was playing by ear for the moment at hand until he thought of something to do. Walking into the Jeffersonian, he kept his head down. Unfortunately he couldn't dodge the bullet.

Namely, the Montenegro Bullet.

"Booth! Hey, FB Eye Candy!"

Booth lifted his head, but quickly turned away as Angela ran to catch up with him. "Not now," he muttered. But Ange was persistent and the FBI Agent knew that.

"Booth! Hello?" Angela caught up unfortunately, and walked beside him with a sketch pad in her hand.

Typical Ange.

"Hi," Booth looked at her briefly. "What's, uh, up?"

Angela gave him a look. "I called you six--"

"Five."

"--whatever--times last night and neither you nor Bren answered. Not to mention that you didn't even show up with her and all you can say is 'What's up'?" Angela asked incredulously, looking hard at him.

Booth stopped and turned to face her. "First of all, nobody says 'nor' anymore. Secondly..." He pointed towards Bren's office, "...I have something to check, okay?" He turned on his heels and walked off.

Angela stood still for a moment, then went after the agent. She walked through the doorway of Brennan's office and found Booth standing over her desk, looking through papers. She stood a good distance away and scrutinized him. She sensed something as up. Totally and completely.

"Booth."

He didn't look up.

"Where's Tempe?"

He looked up. "I--don't know," he lied, walking past her very briskly. He headed into the direction of the lab, leaving the artist standing alone...very confused and very, very lost.

---

Temperance Brennan stifled a yawn and bit into a Chocolate Chunk granola bar. In the back seat, Parker Booth was finishing up the last of his orange juice. He's just finished off his breakfast of a cinnamon doughnut and Brennan was glad that he was able to keep himself content at all times.

"Hey, Parker," Brennan looked in the rearview mirror at him briefly, deciding to make conversation. She needed to stay awake, anyhow.

"Yes, Dr. Bones?"

Brennan grinned. If he wasn't just like Booth, she didn't know what else to think. "I wanted to ask you something." She pushed her sunglasses up further on her nose.

Parker nodded. "Okay. Shoot."

"I want to know what you think about me--about me and your daddy marrying," Brennan bit her lip. She didn't havea great experience with kids, but Parker was different. She couldn't explain it, but he just was. And she always knew that Booth had intended on talking to the boy about it, anyway.

Parker put on a thinking face that very much resembled Booth. Brennan kept from laughing. "I think..." he paused for a moment, "...I like it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Daddy needs to be happier. And I know you can do it," Parker gave her a boyish smile. "He needs someone like you. His Bones!" He tossed his hands up and Brennan laughed.

"Did he say that?"

"Yes."

Brennan nodded and looked out the window. "Well I'm glad both ways."

"Dr. Bones?"

"Yes, Parker?" She moved her sunglasses back up to the bridge of her nose.

Parker looked out his window and was silent for a moment. "Will Daddy follow us? I mean...will he come to get us?"

"I..." Brennan faltered and drummed the steering wheel with her fingers. She didn't know the right answer without being so technical and rational that he didn't understand her. But she figured that giving the boy hope would be better than not doing so in the best way she knew possible.

Booth wouldn't want that.

"Yeah. He will."

"Mean it?"

"Has he ever let you down before?"

"Not yet," Parker shook his head.

Temperance grinned the best she could. "Then he won't this time."

But as she made a turn onto the freeway, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong. It was settling in her stomach and wouldn't leave anytime soon.

Not to mention that as she drove on, she had no idea that she was being watched and followed.

Closely.

---

Jack Hodgins was the first one to look up when Booth entered the lab. Zach Addy had his back turned, sitting at a nearby computer. Angela was following the agent.

"Hey," Jack waved with a smile, then looked. "Where's Brennan?"

Booth started to open his mouth when Angela interrupted him. "If he says he doesn't know, don't believe him. He's lying," Angela walked past Booth and dropped her sketch book on the lab table Hodgins was at.

Booth looked at her. "Look, I mean it. I woke up this morning and she was gone. She took the SUV." He put his hands out. "Can we just move on?"

"She didn't leave a message or anything?" Jack asked, giving his fiance a side look.

Angela shook her head. "Apparently she doesn't answer her cell phone, either."

"Dr. Brennan always answers her cell," Zach joined in, spinning around in the chair to face them.

"Yes, Zach, I know," Angela rolled her eyes, not meaning to sound condescending and Zach knew this.

Booth shifted. He was being rear-ended into a corner and knew that he would sooner or later have to spill everything. However, now was not the time. "I'll be right back," he turned and

Angela tossed her hands up in frustation.

"Where are you--"

"FBI office!" Booth snapped, exiting the lab. On the way out, he made a run-in with Camille Saroyan.

"Hey, where's Br-"

"I don't know," Booth snapped again, taking her shoulders and moving her aside so he would walk past her quickly. "I'll be right back."

Confused, Cam turned to the others. "Did I miss something?"

Angela shrugged, then waved her hand. "Not a clue, not gonna get a clue."

---

Seeley Booth walked into the Federal Bureau Investigation building, shaking the rain off of him. It had since began to pour down rain when he left the Jeffersonian. He hoped that Brennan was driving okay with Parker in the weather. He tried not to think about it.

But that's when it clicked. He hadn't heard from Rebecca. Not a cal one. No matter. He wasn't in the mood to fight with her at the moment.

Booth walked through the double doors, leading to his office. But it wasn't long before he was stopped by Deputy Director Sam Cullen. So not the time, Booth thought. Yet, he greeted his boss all the same. "Hello, Sir."

"Agent Booth," Cullen nodded. "I thought you ewre going to be working with Dr. Brennan today?"

Booth sighed and put his hands on his hips. "Well, Sir, something came up." He paused. "I was wondering if I may use the mainframe computer."

Cullen eyed him. "You're tlaking about the mainfram used for tracking, Agent Booth?"

"That'd be it, Sir," Booth nodded.

"Am I missing something? Is there anything I can help you with, Agent Booth? Something I should look into?"

Booth shook his head. "Sorry, Sir, but not this time."

---

Booth made sure the door was locked, then sat down in front of the computer. he had to see where Brennan was. And if there was no place safer than the FBI, he didn't know what else to think or where else to go.

Once he had successfully gotten into the main system, he hurriedly typed her name in.

Nothing showed.

"What?" He stared at the screen for a blank moment, confused. He tried again, this time punching in his car information. Nothing again.

Booth threw his hands in frustration and leaned back in the chair. Somebody was keeping him from reaching her. Somebody didn't want him to find her and his son.

The agent jumped when a message blared on the screen. "If you want to make your actions count, try harder before you make the choices you decide."

Sucking in his breath, Booth stared at the screen, unsure of what to do. Someone had hacked into the FBI's mainframe. Surely it wasn't Kenton. Only the best knew how. He waited and it wasn't long before another message popped up.

"I would watch that team if I were you, Agent Booth."

"The Jeffersonian team?" Booth wondered aloud to himself. He was shaking now by this point.

"I have my boys all around your girl and son. She'd better watch herself."

Booth's breathing became shaky as the screen went black. Brennan and Parker were being followed. But there was nothing he could do. Not right now, anyway.

Getting up, he raced out of the building and into Temperance's car. He would tell them. He had to now. Because now and somehow, the team had been involved...even though they had no clue.

Danger was creeping around him at every angle and the only way to get through it was with help. Yes, Seeley Booth now admitted the fact that he needed help with the whole situation.

And what better help could he get than the help of the people who also knew his Bones well?

---

Temperance Brennan gazed in the rearview mirror for the sixth time. The navy blue Lexus Coupe had been following her for two straight hours on the road. She was starting to feel uneasy.

Taking a left turn, the Lexus followed still close behind. Brennan then took another turn onto the highway.

The Lexus followed and Parker noticed. "Dr. Bones?"

Brennan looked at the Lexus. "I know, Parker." She glanced at him quickly. "Tighten your seatbelt. It's going to be rough."

Parker nodded and obeyed. Brennan then made a left swerve.

The Lexus followed again.

Brennan then persisted to weave in and out of honking cars through both lanes. The Lexus was pursuing on. Brennan then shifted gears and zoomed into the right lane. The Lexus would not let up.

"Who the heck is this guy?" Brennan fished out the extra gun and set it on the passenger seat.

Parker looked out his window, seeing the navy blue Lexus pull up more, now side-by-side with them. "Dr. Bones..."

Brennan looked out her window and saw the Lexus pull up next to her, five feet away at most, maybe less. Her eyes widened when she saw a man in a black suit and lack sunglasses on pull out a gun. "Parker get down!"

The boy obeyed again and Brennan swerved when the shots were then fired in their exact direction. She ran two cars off the road and had to keep from spinning out of control.

Behind her, Parker laid down, clutching the seat he was on. he looked scared and Brennan didn't blame him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and she swerved again when the shots came from behind, shattering the glass of the back window.

Parker screamed. Brennan screamed. Brennan lost control. The SUV slammed into the side rails of the road. The Lexus swerved out of control as well in the opposite lane, but didn't crash.

Shaking, Brennan undid her seat belt and stepped to the back, scopping up Parker in her arms. "Oh my God. Are you okay?" She looked at him and held his face in her hands.

Parker nodded. "I'm okay."

Brennan found herself to smile. The boy was so much like his faterh with a bravery unlike any other his age. Still shaky, she looked to her left to find the Lexus gone. Whoever it was trying to kill her and Parker was gone now. Still shaking just a little bit, Brennan looked Parker over to check for any cuts, bruises, abraisions, or anything of the sort from the crash and breakage of the glass behind him.

Nothing thankfully.

Sighing relief, Temperance stepped back up to the driver's side. She started the engine again and Parker sat up more so he was looking at her. "Who was that, Dr. Bren?"

"I don't know," she shook her head and gripped the wheel. "But now that we've almost destroyed your dad's car, it's best for us to cover as much ground as we can."

---

Jay