This is just a little quick oneshot I put together. Still sobbing over the premiere of Season 10…still can't believe it. Obviously I don't own Bones.
I've taken some liberties. I don't know much about the FBI or psychology so some details have been fudged here and there. I also don't think the FBI gives tours of their headquarters but, for the sake of the story, they do.
Hope you enjoy!
May 1998
Thirteen year old Lance Sweets stood outside the ominous building at the back of a long line of high school students waiting to gain security clearance into the Hoover Building, the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The roughly 20 students were part of a senior AP American Government class at Right Bridge High School outside of Salem, New Hampshire. As part of the course, the students travelled to Washington D.C. to visit various historical sites and engage in a series of educational activities; however to Lance that also meant spending four days with a group of 17 year olds that looked at him like a genius younger brother who their parents secretly loved just a little bit more then themselves. Needless to say he had spent the first half of the trip in silence with his eyes downcast, fearing he would anger others just be glancing in their direction.
Lance had no desire to attend the trip but his adoptive parents had thought differently.
One Month Earlier
"Lance honey," Mrs. Finley began as she sat down for dinner one evening. "Your father and I had no idea there was a Washington trip scheduled for your government class."
Lance slowly put his fork down as he looked at his mother. "I wasn't planning on going," he stuttered. "I figured I could use that class time to read up on some Freudian theories I wanted to include in my University of Toronto application."
"A trip to the nation's capital could make for a wonderful essay," Mr. Finely exclaimed with a smirk as he scooped a helping of mashed potatoes onto his plate. "I think it could make for a wonderful experience."
Lance felt his heartbeat quicken at the thought of spending that much time with his fellow classmates.
"Lance there are always going to be people who are tough to get along with in our lives but the trick is not let them interfere with your goals," Mrs. Finely spoke shooting a glance at the boy. Lance's mother found that reading the young boy's emotions had become so much easier with time. She knew that he was having a rough time with the other students in school but also knew that this was a great chance for Lance to visit a place he may never make it to again.
Lance nodded his head as he picked up his fork and began to pick at his food.
"Cheer up kid," his father said breaking the silence. "The world is not as bad as you think."
"Fancy Lancey move your ass!"
Lance was broken from his thoughts as his classmate Jacob Paskinski yelled at him from the back of the line. Lance had been so caught up that he hadn't noticed the line move in front of him. He began to run forward to catch up when he tripped over his own feet and stumbled to the ground. The students behind him laughed as he pulled himself back up and, keeping his eyes downcast, shuffled to his place behind the student in front of him. It was hard to be the awkward 13 year old going through puberty while everyone else was a confident young adult but Lance just reminded himself that he was mere months from graduation and would soon be far away from these people.
"Good morning Ms. Julian," a middle aged man in a crisp black suit said breaking Lance from his thoughts yet again.
"Nothing good about it Sam," the woman replied as she hurried along. "I tell you cher, these young agents have no respect for anyone and that new one Booth is on my last nerve."
"Trying to interview suspects again?" Sam Cullen questioned as he pressed the button for the elevator.
"He could compromise everything," she continued. "I tried to tell him that junior agents were made for filing paperwork or giving presentations to all these hormonal teenagers."
"I agree," he said as the doors opened to the elevator and they both stepped on.
The conversation ended as the doors closed and Lance looked forward once again. It was his turn to pass through the metal detector.
"Have you lost your school little man?"
Lance turned to the security guard who obviously was questioning what this young boy was doing with a group of high school students.
"Unfortunately this is my school," Lance said as he passed through the scanner and continued to follow the group.
The high school class assembled in a hallway on the sixth floor of the Hoover Building waiting for the agent who would be leading their tour to arrive. Lance wandered over to a large picture window that overlooked the city when a striking voice with a British accent broke through his thoughts.
"I think he's a good lad," the British man exclaimed. "I feel that he merely had a fondness for the young female victim. His sorrow is genuine. His body language was very telling. I don't think he is the killer you're after."
Lance nodded his head. This British man in the tweed jacket was talking psychology and Lance loved psychology.
"Dr. Wyatt he is our number one suspect," the woman with an F.B.I. clearance badge whined.
"I'm sorry Agent Finn," Dr. Wyatt continued. "In my opinion as a forensic psychologist, he is not a suspect."
Agent Tricia Finn rolled her eyes and stormed away as Dr. Gordon Wyatt walked to the elevator. Lance stood in shock. Here was a psychologist who was interrogating potential murder suspects. The 13 year old boy in Lance was completely blown away by how awesome that seemed.
"May I have your attention," a slightly annoyed voice boomed over the hallway chatter. Lance quickly turned and tried to see through the mass of students to the person talking. The person seemed less than enthusiastic about his current position.
"My name is Junior Agent Seeley Booth and I will be conducting your tour for today."
After a short tour covering everything from the holding cells and the director's office to the more ordinary sites of the agent lounge and elevator, Agent Booth shuffled everyone into a conference room to watch a fascinating film on the history of the Hoover Building. As the group settled in to watch the painfully boring film, Booth took a seat in the back, placing his feet on the chair in front of him.
Lance casually glanced sideways as his brain started picking apart the agent. 'He looks young, maybe 27 or so. He was obviously unhappy giving this tour. Maybe he wanted to work on whatever that woman Finn was working on. Maybe he has a complex. Perhaps this is a new job and in his old job he was the head honcho. Is he wearing striped socks?' Lance's thoughts became jumbled as he tried to discern everything he could.
Lance turned and tried in vain to pay attention to the film. He shifted his eyes back to the agent in question unaware of why he was so fascinated by him. 'No wedding ring so maybe he is lacking connection with a female companion or maybe he is recently divorced. He keeps sneaking peeks at Ms. Doniwitz. I guess she is young and attractive but girls are kinda gross.'
The film finally ended as Booth took his place at the head of the room. "I will now answer questions that do not compromise federal security."
The group sat silently as nobody wanted to start the discussion. Ms. Doniwitz got things rolling by asked about Booth's past experiences as an agent. Slowly the group warmed up as they heard about his Army days and his love of hockey.
"Have you shot anybody?" Paskinski yelled from the back of the room as a bunch of the students giggled. Lance's eyes focused on the agent. 'He's hesitating and he licked his lips. He is staling. His eyes are shifting to the left. He definitely has.'
"I'm not at liberty to say," Booth said keeping his voice as casual as possible.
"Can you kill someone with your bare hands? How about neck snapping?" Pasinski was very much into this Q and A session. Lance feared it was because he was a sadist who would probably end up in jail someday. Thankfully Ms. Doniwitz saved Booth from the question. Booth breathed a sigh of relief. 'He is neck snapper?' Lance thought reading his body language.
"Perhaps Agent Booth could talk about team dynamics within the F.B.I.," Ms. Doniwitz said trying to redirect the conversation.
"The team is very important," Booth started. "We rely on each other. We keep each other safe. We do our best to solve and prevent crimes. It is very fulfilling to bring criminals to justice and to help others."
Lance smiled at the thought of being able to help others. He always envisioned himself in a clinic helping psychiatric patients or those affected by traumas. He even considered working with children like the psychologist who worked with him after he was adopted.
Working to bring criminals to justice definitely sounded enticing though.
"I hope to one day be a lead agent where I will be in control of a team," Booth continued. "The team of people involved in a large criminal investigation could include other agents, coroners, profilers, and district attorneys.
The thought of working on such an important team made Lance almost want to burst. He had never been on any kind of team previously and wondered what it would be like.
"Sometimes agents even like to call in psychologists to help on a case," Booth said catching Lance's attention. "I don't find them to ever be useful. I feel like a Magic 8 Ball would be just as accurate."
The group laughed at Agent Booth's joke but one poor face wasn't laughing at all.
'That sounds like a challenge Agent Booth and I am definitely up for it,' Lance thought as he envisioned his new career path. He was going to prove himself worthy of Booth's team.
9 years later
A now 22 year old Lance Sweets took a deep breath. He looked up seeing the words displayed on the door.
Dr. Lance Sweets, Clinical Psychologist
He opened the door to see his newest patients sitting on the couch waiting for him.
"Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth," he began. "My name is Dr. Lance Sweets and I am your new psychologist."
Hope you guys liked this one. I seriously channeled little Sam Weir in this one. Overall I'm happy with it. I think were going back to angst for the next story though but we shall see.