Author's Note: This story is set WAY before they meet in the show. Characters slightly changed. Ages roughly the same. Constructive feedback are welcome eitherin reviews or in PMs. Not sure the rating on this story yet though. Thanks!

Chapter 1

Seeley Booth was a college graduate with the world before him. His degree in Criminology had supposedly prepared him for everything the world of crime could hand him; well this is what his lecturers had said. Come graduation, he was full of hope, expectation and encouragement to apply for positions at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Filling out the applications for each graduate entry job was a tedious process, each differing slightly to the previous one. He applied for something that translated to mail boy first, then with nothing to lose, prepared an application for an agent position. Grunt work I guess. You've got nothing to lose, what could be the worse that would happen? With this thought running through his mind, he submitted three applications, with the third a middleman for the FBI and the Jeffersonian Institute, located near by.

With his applications submitted he researched what the Jeffersonian Institute did, offered and the type of people he could be working with. After half an hour of looking through the academics program and the head scientist there, he hoped he wouldn't get that particular job. Really? These people look like they know nothing about the outside world, let alone how to be useful to the FBI! Booth took a deep breath, turned off his computer and decided to call up a friend.

He'd had too many shots at the bar and his thoughts and vision both blurred as he walked up to the dance floor. Seeley Booth was not a guy with any sort of artistic flair or talent, but the alcohol coursing through his blood stream told him differently. His friend, Tim Sullivan, who he'd met through college agreed to come out with him but only if he could choose the bar. Booth met Tim at the loca bar at 9pm, where college students and recent graduates came to drink, dance and pick up. A girl doing a shot caught Booth's eye as the room filled with her loud laugh as she and her friend took a second shot.

As Booth made his way to the dance floor he saw the girl who had caught his eye the minute he had walked in. He danced over, moving his arms in the air, moving his head to the beat and clicking his fingers. The girl he was looking at was dancing with another girl with long brown hair. She's pretty too, maybe she'll be do? Booth inwardly kicked himself as the thought went through his brain. You idiot, that isn't your game. He casually danced his way between the two friends, eyeing off the one with the shoulder length auburn hair. As the lights quickly skimmed over her face Booth caught her eyes quickly though he couldn't pick up on the colour. They were face to face, dancing to a song Booth didn't recognise, when the longhaired brunette pulled her friend from the dance floor up to the bar and Tim came stumbling towards the dance floor.

"Booth, look at her, the one with the jeans and halter neck shirt on. What I wouldn't give for a piece of..." Booth punched him on the arm as soon as he saw whom he was talking about.

"Dude, she's so out of your league you better leave her to the professionals". Booth looked over towards the girls, and as the two turned around he turned around, rushed for the exit and vomited outside near the cabs.

Waking up the next morning was far less enjoyable than the night before. He wasn't sure how he had gotten home but he was alive and that was all that mattered. Booth woke up to 1 missed call from Pops and an email. He'd call Pops back tonight but for now he needed food, sleep and water. After he was fed and hydrated Booth thought back to his night, though somewhat cloudy, he did recall auburn hair on a very pretty girl. Though his thoughts were much dirtier he didn't want to think too much into it. It has been too long; I'm in the middle of a severe drought. Booth called Sully and said he was headed to the same bar tonight if he wanted to come.

To occupy his mind through the day Booth went for a run to try and sweat out the hangover, did some more research about the positions he had applied for and slept. Waking up to his ring tone, he answered it still half asleep.

"Seeley Joseph Booth, when I call you, you call me back. I've been worried all day and to find out you've been sleeping?" He heard the worry in Pop's voice but couldn't deal with it now so he quickly snapped back.

"Pops, it's 5pm, I was up all night doing job applications and decided to go out for a celebratory drink or three. So get off my case." He heard a sigh from the other end, Yes, I've got him! A thought of victory through Booth's mind.

"Yeah, yeah, Shrimp, I've heard it all before. Just wanted to ring and make sure you hadn't gone too crazy with the parties and girls."

" No Pops, you know me. I don't get that wild, well when it comes to the women that is. Anyway Pops, I gotta go get ready. I uh, I have a dinner date with someone". Lying to your Pop? Good one Seeley.

"Right Shrimp, well just ring me when you can." And with that Pops hung up and left Booth feeling guilty.

Though, as usual the guilt was short lived and Booth got himself ready for the local pub's pool tournament, a lot was at stake, his reputation and $1500. He'd won last months pool tournament and wasn't about to get beaten by whatever drop kick college student decided to take him on. Without realising, his mind went to her. Would she be there to watch him win? Would she even care about some stupid pool tournament at some dingy bar? Shut the hell up man. Who cares, just win so you have the money to pay rent or buy drinks.

It was 8pm and the tournament had just begun. Booth was winning, which was no surprise to anyone there, when he saw her. That head of auburn hair, those jeans and when she turned to face him, those eyes. He couldn't think or move the first time he saw her eyes. Those blue eyes just looking back, practically laughing at him and his current position: bent over the pool table ready to sink a ball, mouth open, basically drooling in her direction. He saw her laugh; turn away and his attention went back to the game. After he saw her, he missed a lot of easy shots, Easy for me anyway, though he managed to win the competition somehow. With the $1500 prize money lining his pocket he strutted over to her, confident that he was being his irresistible self and decided to introduce himself.

"Hey, I'm Booth, I saw you here last night and if I didn't know better I'd say this was fate".

Her reply was quick. " Well Booth, I don't believe in fate. We obviously both live in close proximity to this bar and enjoy the social scene, for different reasons. You are here looking for a sexual partner, either for one night or maybe two nights if you're lucky. Me, well I'm here looking for nothing but a drink with my friend Angela here and a good dance floor".

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He was off his game, maybe it was the lack of alcohol? No, he'd never needed alcohol for confidence. It was the object of his attention, or woman, of his attention that was different.

"Ah yeah, right. Well, I just won the pool comp, I'm pretty good at that around here. I won $1500 and if you're interested I can buy you and your friend a dink?"

Again her response was just as terrifying and dismissive as the last. " Again, just here with my girlfriend, not for any sexual partners. Enjoy your gambling wins and your alcohol." With that she and her friend turned away.

Booth heard Sully laughing behind him and turned around and planted another punch on his shoulder. The night couldn't get much more depressing so Booth caught a cab home and went to bed.

Two weeks had passed and Booth hadn't been out much since the run in with Aurbs as he called her, at the pool tournament. He'd been waiting to hear back from the jobs he'd applied for but was yet to receive one. It was 10am on a Thursday and he was writing a list of good things about being a college graduate. There was nothing on that side yet the opposite list had a total of 11 bad things. As he was thinking of number 12 his phone rang, an unknown number.

"Seeley Booth".

"Yes, Mr. Booth, this is Human Resources at the FBI calling, we have received an application from you for the field agent working with the Jeffersonian Institute. We would like you to come in for an interview tomorrow".

Shit. No, Yes. Shit. Yes. Shit. Shit

He cursed himself for ever applying for that job but heard himself agree to come in and interview for the position.

"Okay, thank you. Yes, I'll be there at 11am. Thank you. Bye".

Now he really needed a drink or a game of pool to calm his nerves. But there she was again, in his thoughts, the hair and eyes, Aurbs. He imagined what it felt like to run his hands through her hair, kiss her neck, her lips. As his mind wandered from different parts of her body he felt himself distracted from the need to play pool or drink and got into bed, just thinking about her.

So thoughts? :)