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Ch. 1 - Boredom
Brennan sighed as she leaned back in her desk chair. It was eleven o'clock on a Tuesday morning and she felt bored. It was a relatively new sensation for Temperance, who had never had a problem occupying her mind before. But now, seated in her office on a warm day in May, she found herself wishing for something interesting to happen. Something that would break the tedium that had descended on her slightly less than a week previously. Realizing what had happened on that particular date, Brennan struggled to come up with an alternative explanation for her sudden onset of restlessness. But there was no escaping it. Whether Temperance liked it or not, she missed Booth.
She would never admit it, of course, especially to him. But she was forced to stare into the face of the realization that she missed the FBI agent, with his lack of scientific exactitude, his hunches, and his incomprehensible pop culture references. For a brief moment she considered the idea that perhaps she only missed the cases Booth brought her, but she quickly realized that she was not lacking work, and that she did in fact miss the agent's presence. Why she did was an entire other question that she veered away from answering. Facing up to that particular part of her psyche was not something she wished to do today.
Shaking her head gently in a physical attempt to clear her thoughts, Temperance turned her attention back to the x-rays she had been examining previous to her reverie. Absorbed by an intriguing anomaly in the left femur she reached for her magnifying glass and brushed her arm against her disposable cup of cold coffee. The half-full container tipped over, spilling its contents, which creeped over the desk until it reached the large stack of galleys she had set aside to examine later during the day. As the dark liquid began to seep into the paper, Brennan cursed softly and then jumped up; using tissues from the box she kept on her desk to soak up the beverage.
The immediate crisis averted, she picked up the affected galleys and examined the damage. As she flipped through the pages a small slip of paper fluttered out from between them and down to the floor. Trying to remember what could have possibly ended up between the pages of her latest proofs of her new novel, she bent down and picked up the scrap of paper. Flipping it over she read:
In case of emergency only
Seeley Booth
555-2762
So much for concentrating on her work. The small slip of paper only prodded her memory and caused her to reflect on her last encounter with her partner from the FBI.
It was the sound of shoes scuffing in the doorway of her office that caused Brennan to look up from her case file. Expecting to see Zach she was surprised to instead see Booth in khaki cargo pants and a white t-shirt. The scuffing was coming from the small dark-haired boy with large brown eyes dressed in jeans, a Spiderman t-shirt and a baseball cap that was standing next to the agent. She gave a small smile to Parker who was peering at her shyly.
"Booth. I wasn't expecting you today," she greeted.
Crouching down she put herself at eye level with the small boy.
"Hi Parker."
Parker nodded and gave her a small smile.
"Parker, do you remember Dr. Brennan?" Booth asked.
Parker nodded again and then spoke.
"Do you have lollipops?"
"I'm sorry?" Temperance answered.
"Whenever I go to the doctor with my mom, he has lollipops. Do you have any?"
Booth began to answer but Brennan waved him off, preferring to answer the child's questions herself.
"You know what, I ran out of lollipops. I think my assistant had the last one. But the next time you come to visit, I promise I'll have a lollipop for you."
The little boy beamed at her and turning his head up to address his father he said, "I like her."
Booth smiled at his son's brute honesty and exchanged a look with Brennan who had stood up again.
"I'm glad I've got the stamp of approval," she said with a smile.
Booth chuckled.
"So what brings you to the Jeffersonian on the first day of your vacation. I doubt Parker is interested in the exhibits."
"No, actually I came to drop this off for you," Booth answered, lifting up a blue folder.
"Not a new case?"
"No, the one we just finished up. I just forgot to get your signature on a few pages."
"Ah, well, if you'll just point out where I need to sign I'll let the two of you continue on whatever adventure you have planned."
"Daddy's taking me camping," interjected Parker.
Temperance smiled at the boy.
"That sounds like a lot of fun. How about you sit on my couch for a minute while I sign these papers?"
"Ok."
Booth gave her a long look she didn't understand as he followed her to her desk.
"What?"
"For a woman who insists she isn't any good with children, you get along with them very well."
Brennan shrugged and sat down in her desk chair, picking up a pen and taking the file Booth offered her. She attempted to ignore the small flutter in her stomach when Booth leaned over her shoulder to point out where he needed her signature. After completing what he needed from her, she leaned back in her chair.
"How long are you going to be gone camping?"
"Parker and I are going to spend a week in Prince William Forest Park in Virginia."
"That's a beautiful park. I frequently spend a weekend there during the summer. There's an impressively large population of beavers in the river considering its proximity to the urban areas. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. I assume you'll be unavailable during the next week then?"
"I am to the FBI."
Brennan cocked her head, giving Booth a questioning look. Booth returned her gaze, appearing to be searching for something in her expression. Apparently finding something in her face he continued speaking.
"I'm attempting to avoid all contact with the FBI, so I'm not taking my cell phone. I'm bringing a disposable cell instead in case Rebecca needs to contact me. But knowing your propensity for getting into trouble when I'm not around, I'd better leave the number here just in case."
"That's not true, I do not have a propensity for trouble."
"Need I remind you of New Orleans?"
"That happened while I was on vacation."
"I wasn't there and you got into trouble."
"If you insist on viewing it that way…"
"I do."
Reaching past her, Booth pulled a sheet from the small pad of paper Brennan kept beside her phone and then scrawled the information on it. Placing the pen back in the mug where he had taken it from, he handed the paper to Brennan and then spontaneously gave her arm a light squeeze that could only be interpreted as a sign of camaraderie and farewell. Scooping up the folder from her desk, Booth approached his son, holding out his hand.
"Ready to go, buddy?"
"Yup!"
Smiling at his son Booth allowed the small child to pull him out of the office. Pausing in the doorway, he turned back.
"I'll see you in a week, Bones."
Brennan opened her mouth to complain about the name that had almost become a term of endearment but was interrupted by Parker calling out, "Bye Bones!"
Despite herself, she smiled at the boy's exuberance and waved a goodbye as Booth was towed out of her office.
"Hey Bren, what you up to?"
Startled at the sound of her name, Brennan looked up to see Angela in the doorway of her office.
"Oh, Angela, you surprised me."
"Sorry. What are you doing?"
"Not much. I should be studying the x-rays from this skeleton that we're supposed to get tomorrow, but I keep getting distracted. It must be this warm weather that's causing my inattention."
"Are you sure? Maybe it's the absence of a certain FBI agent."
"Don't be ridiculous, Angela," Brennan protested, feeling a light flush creep up her neck. Coughing, she attempted to change the subject.
"What are you doing?"
"Same as you. Let's face it, Bren, we're bored."
Leaning back with a sigh and closing her eyes, Brennan nodded her agreement.
Angela plopped down on the couch, and briefly thumbed through an anthropological journal that had been lying on the arm before looking up and spying something of interest through the window.
"Hey Bren?"
"Hmm?"
"Unless I'm very mistaken, I think things are about to get a whole lot more interesting."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because there's a man approaching you're office, and based on that suit I'd say he works for the FBI."
Brennan's eyes flew open and she evaluated the man approaching her office. Angela was right; he did look like an agent. She quickly removed the last signs of her spilled coffee and then attempted to look busy. Angela mirrored her and returned her attention to the journal. When the man rapped on the open door they looked up with feigned expressions of surprise.
"Dr. Temperance Brennan?" the man queried.
"That would be her," Angela replied pointing in Temperance's direction.
Approaching her desk with his hand proffered he greeted her, "Dr. Brennan. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Thank you," Brennan replied with a polite smile as she shook his hand. "Angela, would you mind giving us some privacy?"
"No, I'll be in my office. See you later."
Angela shot a look at Brennan as she exited as if to say, "Finally, some excitement!"
Gesturing for the man to sit down, Brennan did the same, while checking over his guest pass for the building. Booth had subliminally rubbed off on her and had given her a bit more suspicion when encountering new people. Noting that the pass was not falsified, she gave the man another small smile.
"What can I do for you, Mr…?"
"Actually, I'm an agent. Agent Mitchell Clark."
Brennan quirked an eyebrow and waited only a moment for the inevitable display of his badge. Casting a discerning eye over it, she quickly ascertained its authenticity, giving a quick nod of approval.
"Well then, what can I do for you Agent Clark?"
"I need your help on one of my cases for the FBI."
"I see. Typically, I work on FBI cases with Agent Booth. He's my partner."
"I'm aware of that, but I do have Deputy Director Cullen's permission to ask for your aid on this case."
"In that case, if the Deputy Director has given his permission I don't see a problem. So where's the body you need me to analyze?"
Clark gave her an indescribable look.
"Well, we have a small problem there. I don't exactly have a body for you just yet."
TBC
Mitchell Clark is my own creation; if you want to use him, please ask. Prince William Forest Park is a real place.
This is my first Bones fic so absolutely any type of review is welcome. Just press that little button and give me that motivation to churn out more chapters. Or at least give a prod to my muse. Whichever you prefer.