On the FAKE side, this is set after book seven (but before JJ moves on). On the Bones side, sometime after we meet Sully. None of the characters except the murderer and the victims belong to me. Forgive me for an OOCness and/or mistakes!
Ryo Maclean sat at his immaculate desk and raked his fingers through his honey colored hair. The file lying before him was one of the worst they had been given in a long time. A serial killer who had practically destroyed any chance at positively identifying any of his victims. All four victims so far had been sent to the Jeffersonian Institution's forensics department for the best to work on IDs a few weeks ago. Supposedly the plan was to send someone up from DC to help with the case.
He sighed and flipped the file shut. They had practically nothing. The victims had had almost no similar traits that the forensics here at the 27th in New York could decipher. Except the fact that they were all teenagers. Maybe the squints in DC would be able to get more information from the charred and hacked remains.
The squints?
He started and blinked. Squints. Where had he heard that term? And why was he using it?
"Hey Ryo." Dee Laytner slid into his own seat opposite Ryo's and caught his partner's dark gaze with his own green eyes. "Any luck yet?"
He shrugged, forcing his gaze away from Dee's. The man was captivating but now was no time for personal fantasies. There was a killer on the loose who needed to be apprehended. But nothing could be done until the Jeffersonian got back to them…
"No," he responded at last, fiddling uncomfortably with the corner of the file. "I was hoping you had heard something about the people DC's sending up."
Dee shook his head and lit up a cigarette. "Nada."
"Laytner! Maclean!" The chief's voice growled from the doorway.
Ryo shot up but Dee took his time hoisting himself to his feet and turning to face the Chief.
"My office," he shouted, pointing down the hallway. "Now!"
The partners glanced at each other as they followed the Chief down the corridor to his office.
There were already two people in the office, a man sitting uncomfortably before the desk and a woman staring out the window with arms crossed over her chest.
"Sit," the chief ordered.
Ryo took the only other available chair when it was clear the woman didn't want it.
Dee stood behind him, leaning on the chair back, oblivious to Ryo's burning blush.
"Dee Laytner, Ryo Maclean," the chief began, motioning to each in turn then to the other two. "Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan."
Brennan turned on her heel and speared Ryo with her sharp green gaze. Her voluminous red-brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and dangling earrings hit her cheeks as she spun. She had high, prominent cheekbones, a small nose and lips and defined eyebrows. Ryo blushed even more as he felt her examine him in return.
"Great, nice to meet you," Booth said suddenly from beside Ryo and stood. "Now that we're all acquainted, can we get to the case?"
The Chief raised an eyebrow and settled himself behind his desk. "Unfortunately, Booth, we know only as much as you do. There's a serial killer on the loose in New York and we can't ID the bodies."
Brennan seemed to perk up for a moment and turned to Chief. "Actually, we did ID the bodies. Katie Johnson, Amy Goodrich, Harry Eades and Terry Smith. They were all killed within a few days of each other. Hodgins is working on some soil we found on two of the bodies. They were all around fifteen or sixteen when they were killed. We're still working on a means of death. Maybe if you could show us the crime scenes we could—"
"Bones," Booth said sharply. He glanced at the forensic anthropologist out of the corner of his eye.
Dee cleared his throat, reaching over Ryo's head to grind out his cigarette in the chief's ashtray. "Do we really need the feds involved in this?"
Booth shot him a glare.
"Dee," Ryo muttered, grabbing his partner's arm and locking gazes with the detective. "Just calm down."
Dee visibly forced himself to calm down and meet Booth's gaze squarely. He set his jaw and stuck out his hand. "Glad to have you on the team, Seeley."
"Booth," Booth corrected, shaking Dee's hand once, firmly.
Brennan watched with one eyebrow raised.
"JJ and Drake will be working with you on this too," Chief said suddenly, standing up. "Get going. We need this closed as soon as possible."
"Great," Booth said before Dee could protest to having JJ on the team, smacking his hands and rubbing them together. He stood up, adjusted his suit coat and headed toward the door. "Let's go."
Ryo stood up and he, Dee and Brennan followed Booth out the door.