The alarm clock began chirping exactly at 6:15am, as it had been programmed to do, but it wasn't really necessary; Seeley Booth was already awake. It had been years since he left the military, but the Army Ranger turned FBI agent's body was still conditioned to get up at precisely the same time everyday. He lay in bed, willing himself to get up. Thunder boomed outside and rain pelted his bedroom window. He hated the rain; rain meant painfully stiff joints and a limited range of motion. After taking a severe beating over the years, his body had finally begun to retaliate, especially on days like today. Wonderful. Staying in bed was starting to seem like a better option. But there was work to do. Sighing heavily, he threw back the covers and rolled out of bed. His muscles protested and he had to stretch for several minutes before being able to move comfortably.
Walking towards the hall, he stopped to study the two sheets of paper thumb-tacked to the back of his bedroom door. The first was a list of names, 52 in all. The paper had begun to yellow with age, the ink at the top slightly faded, but the bottom section of names appeared to be more recent additions; the lastest being "Gormagon." The second was a much longer, newer looking list of names. He took a pen off the dresser and added a quick notation to the bottom of the second list before exiting the bedroom; Molly Briggs.
He performed his morning toilette quickly. If he wanted to stop by the coffee shop and the lab before going to the office, he'd have to hurry. Rain always made the normally bumper to bumper downtown D.C. traffic ten times more insane. Dashing back into his bedroom, he quickly threw on a clean pair of dress pants and a fresh white shirt. Having a sinking feeling that it was going to be 'just one of those days', he grabbed his "cocky" belt buckle, the flashiest tie he owned, and a pair of particularly bright striped socks. With one last glance at the clock, he finished getting ready, snapped up an umbrella, and flew out the door.
Entering the lab, he made a beeline for Brennan's office, stopping just outside the door to make sure she was actually in. He was in luck. She was seated at her desk, scribbling furiously on a legal pad, her brow furrowed in concentration. She was wearing the blue dress again. It was one of his favorites, but he would never verbally admit that. It brought out the lovely tints of auburn in her hair, and made her eyes turn an impossible shade of blue. He loved the way the silky fabric felt against the palm of his hand as it rested on the small of her back, the way it flowed as she walked. She normally wore it only for special occasions, like that time she had attempted to date two men simultaneously. After she had been dumped, they had gone out for dinner and spent the rest of the evening star gazing from the roof of her apartment. He smiled a little at the memory. Then he realized with a sinking feeling that she probably had a date that night. He knew that he shouldn't care about her dating misadventures, but he did. Putting on his typical grin, he poked his head in her office and gave a low whistle.
"Hey Bones, I brought you coffee." Brennan's head snapped up at the sound of his voice and smiled at him.
"Thanks, Booth." He crossed the room and placed the hot cup on her desk.
"What are you working on?" He casually tried to peer over her shoulder. Noticing his movement, she slid the paper under her desk blotter.
"My publisher needs the title for my next book by tomorrow. I'm sort of stumped though. You didn't come here just to give me coffee, did you? Do we have a case?"
"Uh, no. I…" he groped for an excuse, "I was curious what you were doing tonight. What say we get together after work for some Thai food and we can brainstorm on the title for a while." He smiled his usual charm smile and waggled his eyebrows.
"Booth, you know I don't like anyone to read my novels before they're published."
"I know, but technically I wouldn't have to read it. I'd just be helping you come up with a title. Completely harmless."
"In order to help me find an appropriate title, you would need to know the plot synopsis. That's more information than I am willing to release to anyone outside of the publishing company."
"Okay, fine. So how about we grab a pizza and watch a movie or something. I'm telling you, you need to watch Indiana Jones. You'd like it. He's an archeologist." He was desperate now.
"Forensic Anthropology and Archeology are completely separate fields. I also feel that a movie, unless it is a documentary, would not accurately depict the occupation. And besides, I can't tonight. I'm sorry, Booth."
"What, do you have a hot date or something?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.
"Actually, I do." An awkward silence filled the office.
"Oh, uh, okay." Booth quickly backed up towards the door. "I guess I'll catch you later then." The sudden movement caused his already sore joints to protest painfully, and he couldn't help but wince. Brennan was already focusing on her list of titles again and didn't notice. Sighing, he turned and trudged towards the exit. Yeah, this was going to be one of those days.