This is one that I wrote quite some time ago, but forgot about until I was checking a couple of flash drives that I had not labeled. I always wondered how Booth got ordered to be the liaison with the Jeffersonian, and this is what I came up with. It also adds a bit to the mystery of Booth, as I feel he is a great deal smarter than he lets on. One of the best elements of good leadership is to let your people do what they do best and provide guidance as opposed to trying to do the work for them. Booth is very good at that by assessing all the information that Bones and the Squints provide and drawing solid conclusions from it, with added input from Bones, of course. I hope that this is realistic enough for everyone. Gregg.
Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Special Agent Seeley Booth was in a hurry. His boss, Deputy Director Sam Cullen, had asked to see him this morning and he was running late. It wasn't his fault that there was an accident on the main route to work and he had to turn around, but late was late. Punctuality was ingrained in the former Army Ranger/Sniper. He entered his office and set down the files he'd been working on the night before. His main portfolios at the bureau consisted of being the point man on the major crimes unit, as well as Cullen's second. He had other responsibilities, but none worth dwelling on. He got his work done, and done well, so he had nothing to worry about.
"Hey, Booth? Cullen's been asking if you got in yet," his assistant, Charlie, said from his door.
"Thanks, Charlie," Booth said as he poured another cup of coffee and walked to the door. "I have to drop this file off to Thompson and then I'll be right down. Let Cullen know."
"Sure thing, Boss," Charlie replied, moving to his own desk in the bullpen and picking up the phone. Booth was a great guy to work for, and Charlie was learning a lot about how to be a good agent.
Ten minutes later Booth was in Cullen's office sitting in front of the older man. Cullen was a gruff, no nonsense kind of agent, but a good guy who was one of the best. He'd been Booth's boss from the start and had fast tracked Booth's promotion to Special Agent long before he should have been considered for such a step up. He didn't have to wait long for Cullen to get right to the point. That was another thing that Booth liked about the man. He didn't waste any time.
"What's your opinion of Dr. Brennan over at the Jeffersonian?" Cullen asked.
Booth's eyes narrowed. He'd been asked to work with the woman on a case about six months before and had hated the experience, despite the fact that he had to admit that the lady, who he called Bones, knew what the Hell she was doing when it came to working on human remains. If she wasn't so damn awkward and socially inept she would be great.
"She's good at what she does," Booth replied.
"Just good?" Cullen asked, though he knew all about Brennan. The woman was the best at what she does, period.
"She's the best," Booth amended. "She's difficult to work with, though, and a royal pain when she thinks you don't know what you're talking about, which is most of the time."
"The higher ups want to develop a relationship with the Jeffersonian, and Dr. Brennan in particular," Cullen told Booth. "They want a liaison assigned to work cases with Dr. Brennan, and we've decided that you're the best for the job."
Booth's jaw hung slack for a moment. Thankfully his coffee cup was on the desk or it would have fallen to the floor. "Me?" he asked, hoping that this was some kind of a joke. "She said she had no intention of ever working with me again!"
"We've tried three other agents for this portfolio and she's sent each of them packing within an hour," Cullen explained. "You at least worked a complete case with her and solved the damn thing. You have a JD from Georgetown and also a Masters in Forensic Investigation. We need you to try."
"She can't stand me, Sir," Booth protested. Not that she wasn't really easy on the eyes, but she gave off a chill that would freeze a penguin.
"It doesn't matter, Booth," Cullen informed him. "The fact is that you're better at working with a diverse group than anyone we have. That's part of why I have you working on so many different projects and cases."
"Just how often will I be stuck working with her?" Booth asked glumly, knowing that his fate was already sealed. He decided that he would spend a couple of hours on the shooting range that afternoon to get over this whole thing.
"Quite a bit," Cullen replied. "It won't be so bad. It's not like she'd be going out in the field with you except to see the remains and the crime scene. Other than that she'll be in the lab." He handed over some files. "Here are the personnel files on Dr. Brennan and her team. I figured you'd like a little background on your new team." He stood up. "Let me know if you have any troubles."
When Cullen sent him back to his office, Booth opened the files and began reading through them. He shuddered when he got to Zack Addy. The kid had given him the creeps the one time he'd seen him. No social skills whatsoever. He made Bones look like a social savant. Good background, though, and if Bones had picked him as her grad student, then the kid must have some serious potential in the Forensic Anthropology field. Hodgins just made him want to hurl. Who the Hell found bugs and sludge exciting enough that the guy almost blows his load at the mere mention of the stuff??? Now Angela Montenegro, though, he liked. She had something of a free spirit and she actually seemed to enjoy the real world outside of the lab. At least he'd have someone human to talk to, and she was really good looking, too. Two beautiful women in the same team? Nice! And finally there was Bones. Dr. Temperance Brennan. Brilliant, respected world wide, no nonsense, and a killer body. The downside, though, was she didn't have a clue about social norms and popular culture.
After he'd spent some time reading through the files, he left to go over to the Jeffersonian. He needed to discuss this with Bones' boss, Dr. Goodman. The man had introduced them the first time they'd worked together, so he figured he would speak to him and see if this was a doable arrangement. He was ushered right into the man's office.
"Agent Booth," Goodman said kindly with a handshake. "I assumed you would come to see me about this arrangement, so I gave instructions that you were to be shown right in. Please sit down."
"Thank you, Dr. Goodman," Booth replied as he took a seat in front of the mans desk.
"Your superiors have informed me that they would like to try to make a liaison position between the FBI and the Jeffersonian a stable, long term position," Goodman remarked. "While I can see the benefit in that for the FBI, I am unsure as to the benefit to the Jeffersonian."
"I can think of one very important benefit," Booth replied. "The grumblings in Congress about the money being given to the Jeffersonian are escalating. What return on the investment is what they're asking. If the Jeffersonian assists the FBI on cases that don't immediately get classified, then the public awareness factor alone will tone down the rhetoric in Congress. That way the private funding will continue to be augmented by government funding."
Goodman was pleased. He had been thinking of just that, but wanted to see what the proposed liaison would come up with. It wouldn't do to have someone teamed up with Dr. Brennan who didn't have some intelligence outside the narrow confines of his position. From what he'd seen in Agent Booth's record, and what he'd just heard, he was satisfied. The only thing left was to convince Dr. Brennan that this was a good development. He made a note to stock up on his antacids as she was sure to give him the beginnings of an ulcer as she complained and protested this development. The entertainment value of seeing this confident Agent clashing with his best scientist would be well worth it, though.
"I see," he said after his mental evaluation was concluded. "I, however, am not the one who needs convincing, Agent Booth. Dr. Brennan will not be pleased with this development."
"She doesn't know?" Booth asked, surprised.
"She is out of the country in Guatemala at the moment, helping to identify remains in a mass grave," Goodman explained. "She is due to return in one week. Communications are sketchy at best."
"So that leaves me to tell her the good news when she gets back," Booth hazarded a guess.
Goodman smiled. It wasn't the happy, fun loving smile people would like to see, but rather that wicked 'this is going to be fun' smile that a person who loves to see people suffer offers. He may have felt a twinge of guilt, as he was a good man who cared about the people he was talking about, but he also loved good entertainment. "Exactly," he said as he leaned back in his chair. "Is there anything else you need, Agent Booth?"
"No," Booth said with a grimace. "That's more than enough, Dr. Goodman." He decided that he would go elsewhere for more information about his new colleague. He stood up and offered his hand. "Thank you," he told the other man.
"You're welcome," Goodman replied. "A word of advice, Agent Booth. Dr. Brennan is fiercely committed to the truth, and respects honesty and seriousness. Give her the respect that demands and you should do well. Disrespect her, and you will find working with her to be a trial."
"Or a nightmare," Booth muttered as he left Goodman's office and made his way back to work.
Seven Days Later
Booth was looking at the image on the screen and made a decision. This was exactly the kind of case that needed the help of Bones. He'd done a lot of thinking this past week and decided that his initial use of the nickname for her from the one case they'd worked on was a good thing and eventually would pay dividends. Now that he was faced with a case that called for her expertise, he needed to convince her that working with him was a good idea. A quick glance at his watch told him that her flight, which he'd checked on, would be landing in an hour. He had to work fast. He pulled out his cell phone.
"Hey, Frank," he said quickly. "I need a favor from Homeland Security. Who do you have working at Reagan?" He listened for a minute. "Is he a good man?" Another pause. He got into the SUV and began to drive to the airport. "Would he be interested in doing a favor?" Pause for only a second. "Great. I want him to play this as if he was acting on an anonymous tip. He needs to detain Dr. Temperance Brennan and act as if she's doing something suspicious. Question her. You know the drill. I'll swoop in and save the day and take her with me." Pause. "Unfortunately I need her help and that's the only way I can guarantee she'll even speak to me, let alone go with me to a crime scene." he stopped at a light. "Thanks Frank. I owe you, Buddy. Bye." Booth snapped his cell phone shut and made his way to the airport.
It only took a few minutes once he was there to find out that not only had the Homeland Security Agent found Bones, but that Bones had laid the guy out when he tried to restrain her. As he got to the door to the interrogation room he made a mental note to find out the guys favorite liquor and get him a case of the best he could find. Taking a deep breath he opened the door and stood in the doorway. Bones looked pissed. When the HS Agent looked up he flashed his badge and smiled.
"Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI..."
And the rest is history.
A/N: As I said I wrote this a year ago and forgot about it. It's short and doesn't do much except provide a small glimpse into the short time before the pilot episode. It does give us a little detail on the kind of education Booth has (which is pure conjecture on my part, of course), and how he is able to see the broader picture, despite his own reluctance and personal preferences. I hope you all enjoyed this one. I have a chapter each of How's the Crocheting? and Friends With Benefits, along with the long dangling Facing Fear about ready to post and hope to do so in the next couple of days. As always I look forward to any comments. Gregg.