A/N: This is set during "The Boy in the Shroud" after they solve the case but before the last diner scene with Brennan and Cam.
Meeting of the Minds
Special Agent Seeley Booth walked into the Jeffersonian a man on a mission. He looked around trying to find someone. Several people walked passed him and he could see some working at their desks but did not see the person he was looking for. He decided on a direction and walked purposefully towards it. He reached his destination and through the glass wall he could see her, leaning over a table, examining remains.
He stopped. The only thing going through his mind was that it could not be true. The rumor that had reached his ears simply could not be true. How could it?
He took a deep breath and walked through the door, "Camille."
"Seeley," she said without looking up. She knew what was coming.
"Please tell me the rumors aren't true."
"Depends on the rumors, Seeley."
"Camille."
She looked up and into his eyes. She could see the disbelief and confusion. She could also see a hint of something she did not recognize. She sighed.
"I had to, Seeley."
"You're serious?" he asked jaw dropping.
"I didn't have a choice."
Booth closed his mouth. Looked her right in the eye, and said, "You always have a choice, Camille."
He stared at her a moment longer before turning and walking out the door.
Cam sighed again. She knew this would cause some problem. Unfortunately she had to do it. There was no way to avoid it. She could not let her authority be undermined like it was. She just hoped that Booth and everyone else did not hate her forever and that Angela and Booth were wrong.
When Booth left the autopsy room he headed for her office. How could Cam do this to them? To him? It wasn't right and that whole thing about not having a choice was bullshit and they both knew it.
Just like before he saw her before entering her office. She was just sitting there. In her hand was a piece of paper and there were two boxes on her desk. She was just staring at the piece of paper.
Again he took a deep breath before entering. He stopped just inside her door,
"How could she, Booth?" she asked without looking up.
"I don't know, Bones."
"I mean I knew we weren't getting along but to fire me? It's not logical. Where else is she going to find a forensic anthropologist as good as me? It just isn't logical."
She finally looked up at him. Her face was blank. She looked most like she was in shock. She probably was. Dr. Temperance Brennan, one of the top forensic anthropologists in the country, had just been fired.
Booth had lost his partner but Brennan had lost her job. It really was shocking.
When Cam asked Booth what would happen if she fired Brennan, he never thought she actually would. It never even crossed his mind. He was shocked at the question but was sure that it would never happen. Yet here they were, less than a week later.
"Bones . . ."
She looked at him, "Here's the official notice," she said waving around the piece of paper in her hand, "Here it is . . ."
Her voice trailed off. Booth did not know what to say. She looked at the paper for another minute before putting it down. She took a deep breath and began putting her things into the boxes on her desk. Her old desk.
Booth opened his mouth in hopes that something reassuring would come out, but was interrupted by Zach coming into the office.
"Dr. Brennan, I was wondering if you needed any help?"
"Zach, you know Cam invited you to stay and study under my . . . study under my replacement."
"I know, but I'm your grad student, Dr. Brennan."
"Thanks, Zach." She got up, walked over, and hugged him.
When she let go she looked around the room. Booth noticed it looked kind of bare. She must have removed some of her stuff already. She sighed again before pointing to two boxes that Booth had not noticed by the couch.
"You could take those out to my car, Zach."
Zach nodded, took Brennan's offered keys, picked up both boxes, and walked out the door.
Brennan turned back to her desk and continued to pack the rest of her things. Booth again opened his mouth to speak but Brennan beat him to it.
"I guess you'll need to find a new partner, Booth."
"Bones . . ." again Booth had no idea how to respond.
Hodgins walking in saved him from having to think of something. Hodgins was carrying an envelope and looked very determined – like nobody was going to stop him no matter what.
"Do you know what this is, Brennan? Booth?" he asked her with the slightest hint of glee in his voice.
Brennan just looked at him. Booth watched him carefully.
"This is my letter of resignation."
"Hodgins, no. You can't leave the Jeffersonian."
"Yes I can and I will."
"You shouldn't leave just because I got fired."
Before Hodgins could reply, Angela walked in behind him, also with an envelope in her hand.
"Oh, no. Not you too. I was the one fired. The rest of you should not give up your jobs too."
"Yes we should. It was unfair. She was pushed in over you're head while you on vacation, only to fire you a short time later. Sweetie we want to do this," said Angela. She too looked determined but also a little uncertain, "Hodgins and I were just about to go give these to Cam. We wanted to make sure you were okay first."
"I'm fine."
Angela looked at Brennan before either deciding that she was telling the truth or that she could live without her because Angela then said, "Okay, we'll be back in a minute."
She and Hodgins turned and walked out the door and down the hall in search of Dr. Saroyan.
It took them all of five minutes to get back. During that time Brennan continued to clean off her desk while Booth helped. When Angela and Hodgins came back, though, they weren't alone.
"I can't loose my entire team in one day!" said Cam trailing behind Angela and Hodgins.
Angela turned and said, "I told you, you loose Brennan, you loose us all. This shouldn't be a surprise."
"What am I going to tell Dr. Goodman?"
"That's your problem isn't it, Dr. Saroyan," said Hodgins.
With that both Angela and Hodgins walked into Brennan's office, leaving Cam standing outside holding two envelopes, not knowing what to do.
The next afternoon a very unhappy man set out to find Cam. He was two weeks into a two-month sabbatical when he got a call that his medical-legal lab was falling apart. Apparently his forensic anthropologist got fired by his newly hired head of forensics pathologist. Subsequently his entomologist, artist, and FBI liaison had left. In his lab he now had a few techs and the aforementioned pathologist.
He walked into the lad only to be met with unusual quiet. There was nobody on the platform or the surrounding workstations. He walked to autopsy to see the person he was looking for with her head in her hands.
He walked in and said, "Dr. Saroyan."
She looked up and quickly stood, "Dr. Goodman."
"Why is my lab empty."
"Because I fired Dr. Brennan."
"Why?"
"Well . . ."
"Let's start at the beginning."
Two hours later everyone was assembled in Goodman's office. Both Cam and Brennan were seated in the two chairs in front of Goodman's desk. Booth, Hodgins, Angela, and Zach flanked Brennan. Everyone was curious as to why they were there since most of them no longer worked at the Jeffersonian. Cam just looked uncomfortable.
"Obviously there is a problem here," started Dr. Goodman, "My medical-legal lab is empty save a pathologist and a few techs. We need to work something out. I cannot have my entire forensic staff walk out."
"Dr. Goodman –" started Brennan.
"I have two resignations," he said ignoring Brennan, "and one notice of job termination. We need to make this work. I believe we have some of the best minds in the country in this room. I don't want to loose any of you and I stand by my appointment of Dr. Saroyan.
"I must however think of the lad. Dr. Saroyan, I have the utmost respect for you but I'm afraid I'm going to have to rip this up."
Dr. Goodman picked up the notice of the loss of Dr. Brennan. Cam nodded and Dr. Goodman ripped it in two.
"I cannot let you fire Dr. Brennan now but if the problem continues I will take action. With that taken care of I'm going to assume that these are no longer needed."
Goodman picked up Angela and Hodgins' resignations. At their nod he ripped them in two, also.
"I have informed Special Agent Cullen that you're services are still needed at the Jeffersonian," said Goodman to Booth. Booth nodded in reply.
"And I have informed to university that you are still with us Mr. Addy."
At Zach's nod Goodman concluded, "I really need you to fix this problem. If you don't I will take action that none of you will like."
At their dismissal everyone filed out and went their separate ways, still to surprised to say anything. Somehow they had all gotten their jobs back.
Later that evening Brennan walked into the diner looking for someone. Sure enough there she was, eating alone.
Brennan walked up to Cam and asked if she could sit.
"I wish you'd eat some of these fries. Save me from myself."
Somehow within five minutes they had come to an agreement, which allowed them not only to keep their jobs but also to maybe get along. Maybe.
FINIS
Read and review. This is my first story so I could really use some feedback.