BONES AU - PART THREE "The Cannibal in Question"

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Later on, Malo stood near Scott's office on the phone. "Yes. I'm busy. Cancel all my patients. You don't have to tell them anything-" Joe came up behind him and tugged him into Scott's office. "-Wha- Joe- What're you doing?!"

Joe gave him a look. "A word?"

"Joe, I'm on the phone!"

"Then hang up."

Malo rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll talk to you later, Ethan." He said before hanging up. "What do you want, Joe?"

"Tell him."

"...Tell who what?"

Scott raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you mean me when you say him?"

Joe groaned. "Fine. I'll tell him. Okay? I sent my list to the bureau. They sent it to Malo. You were the one who decided not to tell Dr. Hoying that I was still alive. He's the one that you should have slugged, so do it. Go ahead and do it now. Go."

Scott whipped his head to Malo. "What?! You choose not to tell me?!"

Malo took a deep breath. "Yes, it's true. Technically."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "Technically?"

Malo sighed. "Okay, I reviewed the list and decided, knowing Dr. Hoying as I do, that she was in fact able to handle your death."

Joe turned to Scott. "Slug 'im."

Malo interjected, not wanting to get punched. "It was a National Security issue. The fewer people that knew Agent Hobbs was alive, the safer he would be."

Scott thought for a second before nodding. "I think it was a good decision."

Joe's jaw dropped. "You do?!" Scott looked at him for a moment. He hated when Joe dropped his jaw. It did not help his professionalism at all.

Scott turned to Malo to distract himself. "Yes. You knew that Joe's death was something that I could deal with because I can compartmentalize."

Joe's eyes narrowed. "Woah. Wait a minute. Now why are you mad at me then?"

Scott rolled his eyes. "Because you should've told me personally!"

"Oh, I should have just ignored National Security concerns, broken the law and told you, then?"

"Yes. You know I am very trustworthy."

"Yea, but Malo-"

"Malo made a professional decision. He knew I could process your death and move on, which is precisely what I did."

Malo smiled. "Exactly!"

"There's gotta be other stuff going on here, right? Transference. Uh, paranoia. Come on! I mean, when I offer him a piece of pie you say it has deeper meaning." Joe defended himself with.

Scott shook his head. "Don't like pie."

"Well, apple pie. He doesn't like baked pie." Joe shrugged.

Scott nodded. "I don't like my fruit cooked."

Malo face palmed. "Okay, changing the subject is a way to avoid your feelings, I guess."