-Venus POV-
I watch as Zack walks up to Temp with a finished reconstructed skull. "Ta-da" "Nice job." She takes it and walks over to a magnified glass, "No wonder you had such trouble with the reconstruction. Look at the spread of the trabecular pattern in the bone." "Microscopic fissures, like cracks." Hodgins looked at Zack a bit offended, "I know that.". Temp then pips in "I don't think so. Can we focus? The spread was too rapid for any organic bone disease or genetic condition. I apologize to you Venus, you were defiantly right, it was a toxin." "It's fine sis, you just wanted to make sure. Hey Zack, is there any surviving marrow to test?" "I'll try and find some." "Great. Thank you."
I was standing next to Zack and Temp as Hodgins was checking the marrow, "The marrow's degraded. I can give you basics, but that's it." Zack then adds, "Well, according to these tests, the liver function was impaired." I nod, "His body was trying to get rid of whatever was poisoning him." I look over seeing Angie walking in, "There is trouble in paradise." Temp looked confused, "I beg your pardon?" "Tessa does not feel secure in that relationship. I think she's threatened by you." "You talked to her?" "She didn't say much but, even though she has a phenomenal figure, she was chowing down on a fat-free muffin. And she was reading about unsolved FBI cases. She's obviously feeling insecure." Hodgins then adds in, "She's spying for you?" "No. No!" Zack decided to add something else in, "Even if you have nothing in common, it's difficult to sublimate intense sexual attraction. And we hear it's been a while." "Okay, stop!" "He is there for the taking, honey."
I look over seeing Booth coming up the platform, "Okay. I couldn't get his medical records." Everyone then looked at him. "What?" We all look away as Temp says "Uhh... nothing." Booth just chose to continue "Trying to track down the doctor." I then jumped up to him, "We don't need him ranger. It was a toxin but were still trying to figure what kind.". Zack then speaks up, "Too bad the liver is cooked. That could tell us everything." I look at Zack with a bright smile confusing him as I turned back to Booth "Until now. Before you ask, the liver is like a filter. It would contain evidence of any toxins in the system. But since we don't have the liver, Zack here gave me the perfect idea to get what we need." Zack looked at me confusingly, but then understood, "No, not them." "Sorry Zack but we need to. Ranger we got the beetles. Hodgins, please come with Booth, Zack, and I to where we keep the beetles." "Sure, but why so many." "Booth and I don't want to touch the beetles and Zack won't be able to do it."
We are now in Hodgins workspace as he speaks grabbing the jar of beetles as I stand next to Booth as Hodgins speaks "They ate Hamid's flesh and whatever organs remained. And, as we know, you are what you eat." Booth then speaks up "So you can ID the poison from the beetles?" Zack looks down at his beetles as he speaks up as well "You can't kill them. They have names." I look at Zack with sad eyes, "Sorry Zack but we need to. At least some. How about for some beetles I could give you something else?" "Really?!" "Yeah, Zack I promise. So, what do you want Zack?" "Could I get a kiss from you?" Booth then stands up straight, "Slow your roll their squint..." "It's fine Ranger a promise is a promise. Hodgins you may proceed." Hodgins grabs some of the beetles and puts them in a jar as Zack closes his eyes. Hodgins then speaks up looking at the beetles, "In Thailand, they're sauteed in peanut oil. Mmm..." Booth and I looked at Hodgins a bit grossed out. I then walked over to Zack tip-toing and placed a kiss on his cheek walking away. Booth chuckled a little as Zack stood there shocked. "Well buddy, it seemed you weren't specific enough." Booth then walked up to Zack about to console him but didn't and just left him there, thinking.
I was sitting next to Zack, letting him finish the final touches of the bomb I created. Temp then walks over to us as Angela was there as well, "We're going to have run a simulation. I need you to input the skull and give me a face." "You got it." "And no more talk about Booth. You shouldn't gotten involved." "But that's what friends are for." "Please, Angela ..." Booth then walks over to us seeing the bomb, "Hey, whoa. Where did you get this?" "Venus is building it, but she is letting me help. Theoretical construct of the bomb based on the particulates we gathered." Booth looks at the both of us, "This isn't your job. Bureau is doing this." Hodgin then cuts in "Got it! They were poisoned by dioxin. A very pure form. It would stay in his system for years, cause cancer, diabetes, heart attack and the facial cysts and bone degeneration we saw." He hands it over to Temps, "Give me the saturation levels. Angela can use it in the simulation to give us an approximate date of ingestion." Booth then asks, "How much would it take to poison them?" "Just a little slipped into their food." I piped in "They could've also inhaled it." "It could but it was probably like at the lunch they both had with Sahara's lover."
We watched as she walks off and Booth starts joining her but stops and turns around and comes back picking me up from my seat and slings me over his shoulder. "You are coming with us, this time Blueberry." He then starts walking away as I picked up my head seeing the others watching us. "Roger, Ranger." Before I lost view of the rest of the team I called out to Zack. "Zack! I am leaving it up to you to finish it! If you don't blow the place up, I will give you something again!" We were now out of view, but I could still hear Zack, "How about another kiss, but not on the cheek!" "You got yourself a deal Zackaroo!" Booth pips in "You really soft on your employees, Blueberry." "True, but I put my trust in them and they will do the same for me. It's a give and take kind of deal Ranger." Booth just nods at that.
We were in Angie's workspace looking at the hologram as Temp speaks, "Dioxin levels were 5,600 parts per trillion. Speed of bone degeneration is an 80% increase over baseline osteoporosis. Date of death was..." Angie cuts her off, "I remember that one. Thanks." "Run the scenario." Booth then pips in, "I will never get used to this." Angie then teases Booth, "Yeah. Chicks with toys." "Poor bastard." I then speak up "Hey Angie could you match it to his INS photograph, to show everyone how amazingly accurate you are." "You know how to make a girl feel special sweetie." I smile as she pulls up a picture Temp then cuts in, "Good work, Angela. Probable date of exposure ... about four months ago -- I'd say first week in June." We then look at Booth as he starts talking "Let's go pay a little visit to Mr. Ladjavardi." Temp, Booth, and I leave the room. As we were about to leave the building Zack comes running up to us. "Venus, I finished the explosive without blowing the place up." "Ah, good job Zack. As promised..." I grab Zacks face and bring it down towards my face as I tip-toed again and placed a kiss on his forehead making Booth laugh again. We start walking away from a shocked Zack again and left to our destination.
We are at a building, and we all get down as Temp speaks, "I thought you were told to stay away from him." "Yeah. And, as an FBI agent, I cannot disobey my superior. But you both are not an FBI agent." I then pip in, "That is true, but I do have FBI trust and I don't want to lose my gun over this. So, Temp this is all yours." Temp looked so excited and walked over to the Mr. Ladjavardi "Hey! Hi. How you doing?" "What the hell are you doing here? You had orders. No, not me. I... I just have a couple of quick questions for you." "Look, I'm not involved in this. Sahar won't even talk to me anymore." "Yea. I wonder why." "I'm calling Santana." "Yeah, I don't think so." "I'm warning you." Booth then adds in "I wouldn't threaten her if I were you." "Look, I just want to know where you were in June- first week- to see if you poisoned Hamid and Fraid." I add in "Subtle." "I'm leaving. That's it." We watch as she flips Mr. Ladjavardi over onto the floor. Booth and I both cringe a bit and walked a bit closer as Temp steps her foot down on him. I then added, "He just warned you that she doesn't like to be touched." "I didn't poison anybody." "Then tell me where you were in June." "In Utah, for training with Homeland Security. I didn't get to D.C. until August 12. Check with the department." "All right. Thanks." We all walked back into the car. As we all shut the door I speak up, "Temp that was awesome. You flipped him just like a pancake." "What does a pancake have to do with me flipping a person?" "Bones she was just saying that you made it look easy." "Oh, well thank you. I did flip him as a pancake." I chuckle as we drove off.
We were in the car as Booth comes up with a scenario, "How about this? Sahar wants out of the marriage. Hamid refuses. So, Sahar poison him so that she can run off with Lajavardi." Temp sighs, "Doesn't make sense." "When someone dies, the first suspect is the spouse." "Well, what about Hamid's brother? Did she poison him, too?" "Why not? You know, he's pushing his nose into their marriage. I mean, suddenly Sahar's facing, you know a devout Muslim and a fundamentalist Christian. And, you know, nobody allows divorce, and she's pushed to murder." "That is eschews logic." "Aw, come on, Bones! Just work with me here! All right? It's what we in law enforcement call 'positing a scenario.'. And we don't use the word 'eschew.'" I then decided to speak in, "Sorry Ranger, I don't think it's the wife either." "Not you to Blueberry!" "I know, but here me out. I have made many explosives before, and if I am correct if they both brothers where to inhale the toxins it might've come from Pyrobar which were made in the 1903." "Hey at least you came up with a scenario."
Temp then cuts in "What if you and Tessa were going to break up, but you didn't want to?" "Which I don't." "Well, I'm positing a scenario. Tessa wants to break up, and you don't want to, so she poisons you." "No, no, no." "And then, just to make sure, she blows you up with a bomb." "Why, would Tessa do that?" "Exactly. Thank you." "See, 'cause Tessa and I... that's a bad example." "You're a couple in love, right?" "Why do you keep bringing up Tessa? I mean, why? What's the big deal? I mean, is it so odd for you that I have someone in my life?" "We were talking about couples. It's a natural segue." "All right, you know, you have to quit using the word 'segue' and 'eschew.' All right? They... sound French." "You keep changing the subject. I get it. You're sensitive about you and Tessa." "Why aren't we talking about you and your boyfriend?" "I don't have a boyfriend." "You just said that as though it's a good thing. And you know what? It's a very, very, sad comment on your personal life."
I cut in, "Uhhh... Ranger. I don't have a boyfriend either." "Look, you're angry again." Temp phone rings and she answers it and puts it on speaker, "Brennan." Zack then speaks, "The bomb insulation was made from Pyrobar, which was used by an architect named William Allard. He was known for developing the Woodley Park neighborhood around 1910." Booth looks at us, "That is where Farid lives. Okay, hold on." He turns on his siren and we swurved around. I pip in again, "I knew it. I was right again. No wonder you couldn't get his medicals, Ranger. He already knew what was poisoning him." Booth noods and looks at Temp "All right, just stay in contact with your boys, and tell them we're going to need them. All right, listen, Bones. All right, we're heading into a very unknown situation. I think it's best that you stay in the car." "Why does Ven, get to go?!" "It's because she is my backup, and she knows how to deal with this situation. Okay, then, you know, if you have to come in with us, then stay behind either of us." Temp looks at him not amused, "Fine. Just be careful, all right? You ready for this Blueberry." "I will always be ready for you Ranger."
Booth kicks down the door and we entered with our guns out and Temp behind us. Booth speaks out "Okay, anybody asks that door was open. Bones stay right here. Come on Blueberry. FBI, Farid! Show yourself." We check the rooms and clearing them. Temp then calls for me as she was on the line with Hodgins. "Farid was making something here." I look at it making sure Hodgins could hear me, "There's melted plastic, bottles of chlorine and Dioxin. Yup these are what was used to make the explosive." Hodgins pitches in "I concur." We then hear Booth call for us. "The insulation. Farid definitely made the bomb. He killed his brother. Hamid must have been killed because he found his brother making dioxin. All right, that's probably how they got contaminated." "Ranger look a mechanic's guide for Hamid's SUV. Page on the odometer... dog-eared." Temp then went through his box chest. "Ah! He wasn't a Christian. 'Deceit in the service of Allah is holy.'" Booth then asks, "The Koran?" I shake my head "No. An Imam's twisted interpretation of the Koran, so that mass murders don't have to feel guilt." Booth then takes out something from under the bed, "He's made another bomb. It's out there right now." Temp nods grabbing her phone and talking to Hodgins and I. "What's the dispersal rate for a bomb packed with say, two liters of dioxin?" Hodgins starts speaking, "A homemade device similar to the car bomb?" I cut him off "That would be 300 to 500 meters." "Yeah, if the victims weren't killed, they'd develop cancer, blindness, lesions, diabetes." Booth then speaks up after looking through a book. "Today's date is marked. Call Homeland Security. They'll secure the apartment."
We are in the car as Booth was talking on the phone "There's a convenience store across the street from Farid's apartment. The owner saw him get on to a bus and head downtown." I look over seeing Temp talking to the rest of the team, "We're not sure what bus. Booth is checking with the FBI now. If you find anything ..." Angie then cuts in "I know. It's just these bus schedules are totally confusing." I look back at Booth "Yeah. We saw his datebook. He had 5:30 circled. Just check anything that has to do with 5:30, begins, ends, whatever. Yeah. I'm not going anywhere." Temp then notifies Booth "Angela's checking, too. I still don't understand why Farid would kill his brother." "Because both of them were developing symptoms, man, and people were going to start asking questions, and then Farid- he would have been exposed. He had a mission to accomplish." "How the hell does he think he's bringing about a better world by blowing people up?" "Fanaticism and logic don't go hand in hand." I then added, "And yet, it still makes sense to them." Temp "It's almost 5:30. Come on, Angela. Anything between Woodley Park and downtown... Peace conference, Hamilton Cultural Center. That's it." Booth nods "That's got to be it. Okay, Gibson, just get your boys over to the Hamilton Cultural Center. Just keep them back when you get there. You understand me? If you spook this guy, he'll blow himself up before we can take him out."
Temp thanks Angie and they both hang up as Both looks over at Temp. "You know, you don't have to come." "You've got to be kidding me." We are now inside the Hamilton Cultural Center as Booth speaks "We'll start down here and we'll make our way upstairs." We look around and I look at Booth and Temp "I got nothing here. Do any of you see him?" They shake their heads no as Temp speaks, "There are too many ways in. Where are the reinforcements?" We are now heading up as Booth speaks, "I'm sure they're downstairs tying up the horses." "Sacrasm doesn't help." "Okay, they're mobilizing SWAT teams and additional agents, but it takes time. And if Farid has the bomb, spots them, that could be bad." I am up ahead by a few feet as they were talking, looking around. A few minutes later I hear Temp who was a few feet behind me. "There! That's Farid." I look and see the man she was pointing at, I aimed my gun at him as I wait as Booth speaks, "I'm not sure." "Look, his walk is labored from the dioxin poisoning, and the parietal bones in his skull match his picture." "His back's to us. What if you're wrong?" "This is what I do, Booth. Do you really want to wait? He's carrying something heavy in his camera bag. See? The actual weight is causing his shoulder to..." "No, I can't." "He has all the markers, Booth." "I need a face. I need a face!" I hear Temp calling Farid name out and he turns around and sees them and Booth tells him to get on the ground. I hear Booth curse. I knew that his gun was jammed and before Farrid could press the button I whistled at him causing him to and the others to look at me as I shoot Farid right between the eyes. This causes everyone to shout and run. I slowly lower my gun as the Homeland Security agents take the bomb. I slowly look up to Booth and Temp with no expression, as they watch me walk over to them. Booth could see the hurt look I have in my eyes and wraps his arm over me consoling me as Temp holds my hand in comfort as we make our way out of the building.
We were in the car as we were all quiet. Booth looks over at me, "Hey Blueberry you want to join us to a restaurant." I look at him with a small smile shaking my head. "No, it's okay Ranger. I just want to go home and take some time to myself. Could you drop me off at Temps. and my place?" "Yeah, of course. Remember, we are here for you all right." "Yeah, thank you. Both of you." They give me a small smile as we get back to Temps and my apartment. Temp pats my head saying that she will see me soon and I wave them goodbye as I make my way to my room and cry. I start remembering all the things I had done during my time in the military and then I fall asleep.
-No Ones POV-
Booth and Brennan were at the Chinese food place sitting down on the bar table. "I told them to tell the press that it was an undercover operation." "But it would be a Rose Garden ceremony. That's an honor, right? I thought people like medals especially you FBI guys." "There's no pleasure in taking someone's life. Blueberry knows as I do that it's nothing to celebrate." "She saved so many people, Booth. It was either her or you that was going to shoot him anyways. Don't forget that." "Yea, but it should've been me. I know we both took countless lives before, but I could handle the pain much better than her. I was already an adult who signed up into the military. She was just a kid who was forced into a job that she became good at. She never asked or wanted to take any lives. That would traumatize any kid." "Yeah, it would. But we are here for her, and she could talk to you about it. You're the closet to understand what she went through." Booth smile at Brennan "Want another drink?"
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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN "BONES". IT IS OWNED BY JOSEPHSON ENTERTAINMENT, BY HART HANSON. I ONLY CLAIM MY CHARACTER VENUS BRENNAN. I ALSO DON'T OWN ANY OF THE IMAGES. THANK YOU.