Ribcage (Bones Angela Montenegro fan fiction)

II

First case, and it's pretty gruesome already. Victim with his feet lobbed off, eyes gouged.
"Like a horse." I frown.
"I'm sorry, what?" Booth looks at me.
"Well, you see when race horses get sick or they fall and they can't perform anymore...they usually put them down and the feet go." I shrug.
"How do you know this?"
"One of my bunkmates had a thing about horse racing."
"Right, not much to talk about is there?" He crouches beside me.
"Been there?" I look at him.
"Done that." He chuckles.
"If you two are done, we can get this body back to the lab." Brennan looks at us. "I mean, it's great that you guys get along and all, but..."
"Sorry, Bones." Booth holds his hands up.

"Gambler maybe?" Booth frowns.
"This feels more personal." I rub my face. "See, loan sharks are messy."
"That's right, but maybe he got creative?"
"This feels personal though." I frown deeply.
"Angry lover?"
"Possibly, but why this method?"
"I can't think..." Booth sighs.
"Maybe you're right here." I look at him. "Maybe, just maybe he was a gambler, let's just say he knew the loan shark."
"That would work, he becomes friends with a shark, gets into gambling trouble, asks for a loan from a friend, then dead."
"Or, borrows money from a family member." I shrug.
"Finally getting along I see." Brennan joins us.
"Theorizing." I mumble.
"Theories don't bring evidence though." She looks at me.
"Of course not, but until we know more theory is all we have really."
I hear my cell ringing. I grab it from my pocket and sigh.
"Excuse me." I walk off to the side to answer. "Hey."
"When are you coming home?"
"Listen, I just got a case in so I don't know how long this is going to take." I frown.
"I thought it was date night."
"If I can get away early, I'll be there."
"Alright...I love you."
"I love you too." I mumble.

Angela hands me a coffee with her usual smile, she studies me then laughs.
"What?" I raise an eyebrow as I take a sip.
"You're definitely under pressure."
"How can you tell this time?" I smile.
"Your tie actually, it's all messed up."
I look down and quickly fix myself.
"Its date night, we always set aside a Friday night to have us time. It was working until I was back at work."
"How long have you been back at work?"
I check my watch.
"Six hours." I laugh. "I should see if I can leave."
"I'm sure they won't mind, Bones is seeing her dad so she leaves all the time right now."
"I didn't know we could."
"Prior commitments." Angela shrugs. "Why don't you go, I'll tell them you had to leave early."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Sure, you can pay me back one day."
"I owe you one." I set the coffee cup down and quickly head out.

I sit at the dining room table, across from the woman I married. She sips her wine and frowns.
"Whats going on?"
"What makes you think there's something going on?" I play with my food.
"Don't answer my question with another question." Her playful smirk makes its way to her lips. "We got your favorite food from your favorite place, you started a new job..."
"I just feel bad that I might be late every week to date night now...and the kids."
"Honey, you were in the military when Amanda was born, she understands. Mikey on the other hand, might not." She shrugs. "But, I'm sure he'll learn that his dad is out catching bad guys."
"I just don't want him to think I don't care, I mean my dad was always working late." I sigh heavily.
"Kids learn quickly, you know that. You love your dad."
"So does everyone at the Jeffersonian apparently." I scoff.
"Your dad has made a huge name for himself."
"If I could live up to that..." I frown.
"Don't worry about that, worry about being you and the best man you can be."
"You're right." I smile.
"I'm always right." She winks.
This is why I fell in love with this woman, she knows exactly what to say to make me feel better. I sit up straight and get back to enjoying my meal, I'm gonna miss being around for my family, but this is what I wanted to do and I'm doing it.
"Oh." She stops for a moment. "Remember the thing on Tuesday."
"Do I ever miss it?" I chuckle.
"Your new job might have a few things to say."
"They don't need to know."
"Unless it's a case that you might be able to help in right?"
"Mel, that's never going to happen." I laugh.

"I figured it out." Bones looks at us.
"Yeah?" Booth smiles. "Are we right?"
"Horse play."
I freeze, why is my wife weirdly right about things?
"You alright, Carter?" Booth nudges me.
I choke on my coffee a little, trying to think of something to say.
"I'm fine."
"Are you a part of this community?" Bones frowns.
"Not exactly, but I am involved in other aspects of...things." I clear my throat.
"So you know how these meets work?"
"Not exactly." I shrug. "I know how munches work."
"I'm sorry, what is horse play and what is a munch?" Booth frowns deeper.
Angela stares at us from across the room, Hodgins looks confused, Bones just stares as if she wants to pick my brain apart about this subject.
"Horse play is a fetish or a kink where one person acts as a horse and the other acts as a handler." I shrug. "Munches are meetups for people in other parts of the community that like kinks and fetishes."
"So, you're a pervert?" Hodgins smirks.
"No, I would never bring it to work...unless it required my area of expertise on the matter, its never public, never harmful...there's rules on this stuff." I rant. "Its a release from things."
"Thats actually what I was about to say, it's role-playing." Bones nods.
"Thank you." I sigh. "Anyway, should we go and check this out?"
"Sure." I sigh.
"Maybe...there's something at one of these munches?" Brennan raises her eyebrow. "One of us could go with you undercover."
"You want to join me...and my wife in a munch?"
"Not me, although I do have questions for you."
"You can ask questions later, right now we should focus on the undercover person." I frown.
"I'll go." We all turn to Angela. "No ones going to expect anything right?"
"Good point." Brennan smirks.
"Are you sure?" Hodgins gulps.
"Listen, I have a very open mind there is nothing that bothers me."
"Alright, fine." I groan. "Angela, I'll meet you later after we go check this place out so we can talk about things."
"Sounds good."
Great, this is going to be awkward.