The Shot In The Dark: A Bones Fanfic
Chapter 1: Vile Feelings
"Oh, Dr. Brennan," began Camille Saroyan.
"It's OK, Cam, I'm just examining some remains from on of the Epps cases a few years back."
"You are?" asked Dr. Saroyan. "I hope you don't mind me asking why," she finished.
"Sarah Koskoff, actually. One of the girls killed by the accomplice, Gil Lappin. The guy I… killed. She was a blonde, of course."
Dr. Saroyan walked, in her confident stride, over to Dr. Brennan's desk, where the three-year old (since death, of course) body lay. "Isn't Koskoff the last name of one of the characters in your new book that comes out on Saturday?"
"Yes, her name is Sabrina Koskoff. As you'd know, the very idea of a tribute to a dead person is scientifically flawed. If you are trying to acknowledge them, but they are forever resting, they will never know. But, for some reason, with this book, I felt a strong desire to do so."
Dr. Saroyan almost rolled her eyes. For someone as genius as Dr. Brennan, who had an incredibly high IQ and was a bestselling author, Temperance Brennan could be so dense.
"Um… o-ok, Dr. Brennan. Again, why are you even examining the remains in the first place. Epps is dead."
"This is going to sicken you," Dr. Brennan said.
"Dr. Brennan, you know as well as I do that I conduct autopsies, help you find dangerous criminals on a daily basis, and had to go through years of college and small-time jobs to work at the Jeffersonian. Not much sickens me anymore."
The door opened. "And sweetie, I…"
"Ang," Dr. Brennan cut off 3-D Facial Reconstructionalist and one of her best friends, Angela Montenegro. "Ang, can you hear me out on this? Someone like Cam, who he almost killed, would be completely hurt."
"Epps?" asked a shocked Angela. Dr. Saroyan nodded, and then shook, her head.
"Yes or no?" Angela asked.
"Yes," said Dr. Brennan.
"Is this psychological?" asked Dr. Saroyan.
Dr. Brennan was lost in thought, as her finger pondered her forehead.
"If it is, we should bring in Lance," advised Ms. Montenegro.
"But I hate psychology," Dr. Brennan groaned. She sighed, and thought of what vile, evil things Epps had done.
"Sweetie, Lance would be the best option," Angela told her.
"Dr. Brennan, I have to second that emotion," said Dr. Saroyan.
"What?" Dr. Brennan asked. "Am I wrong, or is the correct term 'I second that motion?'"
"Cam, she's never heard of Diana Ross," Angela said.
"Oh sorry," Dr. Saroyan said, with a laugh.
"But sweetie, what's bothering you?" Angela said, care and genuine concern in her voice.
"I don't know how to explain it," Brennan admitted.
"I'm getting Lance," said Angela, and she left Dr. Brennan's room. It wasn't an office, nor a lab, but aside from some autopsy supplies (which is why Cam was in the room in the first place), Dr. Brennan was the only one who usually occupied the room.
Dr. Brennan and Dr. Saroyan waited in silence, tension obviously filling the room. Known to her colleagues as Cam, Dr. Saroyan surveyed Dr. Brennan, for lack of a better thing to do.
She had a unique combination of dark hair and piercing crystal blue eyes. An attractive Caucasian woman, Dr. Brennan was wearing a blue lab coat with "Brennan" stitched across the front pocket.
The door opened again, as Angela was practically dragging FBI Psychologist Dr. Lance Sweets into the room. "She doesn't… even… appreciate psychology," Sweets was saying.
"Lance, Daisy is one of my friends, who will (with some exceptions) listen to me under pretty much any circumstance. So, if I tell her that someone is being unfaithful to her, she will believe me," Angela slyly told him.
"Are you blackmailing me?" asked Dr. Sweets.
"I am totally blackmailing you, Sweets. Now, help our friend," Angela grinned.
Dr. Sweets reluctantly took a seat on the couch, beside Angela. Dr. Brennan and Dr. Saroyan were facing the two, in chairs by the desk.
"Ok, Temperance (can I call you that), I'm going to go for broke: what's bothering you?" Dr. Sweets questioned.
"Lance, it's… personal. But not psychological."
"Sweetie, that's kind of impossible," Angela informed Dr. Brennan.
"Angela told me it had to do with Howard Epps, that Serial Killer you guys dealt with a few years ago," Dr. Sweets said.
"Sweets, you weren't even in the country when Epps died," Dr. Saroyan told him.
There was a knock at the door. "Bones," said FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth.
"Well, Tempy, you are the woman of the hour tonight," Angela remarked.
"Bones, we have a body," Booth said from outside the door. He opened it, and leaned against the wall. "We better get going, Bones," he told Dr. Brennan.
"So, Dr. Brennan, can you please tell me what is wrong," Dr. Sweets said. "I can help you, I've done it in the past," he added.
"I just don't know exactly what I'm thinking is wrong," Dr. Brennan said honestly.
Dr. Sweets ran his hands through his dark hair and tanned face twice, and then took another moment to think. "It's about Epps, right?" said Dr. Sweets.
"What?" Booth said. "Epps? Bones, you're worried about Epps? He's dead. He fell off the railing. We already went over this, years ago."
"Sometimes, Booth, people have horrible thoughts about things they have already overcome," said Dr. Saroyan.
Dr. Sweets looked at Dr. Saroyan in amazement. "How do you know things like that?" he asked her.
"I took a psychology class in high school. The teacher got us Burger King on Fridays if we got good grades on the tests. I learned some minor things like that," she told Dr. Sweets.
"Sweetie, you are going to eventually have to come to grips with the fact that he killed many innocent people, but now he's dead," said Angela.
"Um… Bones, that body we have is kind of important," Booth interjected.
"Promise you won't be hurt or sickened by what I say?" Dr. Brennan asked.
"Promise," Sweets said.
"I understand what you're going through," Dr. Saroyan told her.
"Sweetie, you know I'm always here for you," Angela said.
"Let's get going," Booth quipped from the wall.
"Okay, here goes. You know how you guys all said Epps is dead. There's a part of me that, for some reason, wishes he wasn't dead."