Under Different Circumstances
What if Booth and Brennan had first met under different circumstances and had not been partners on their first case? Would they still end up partners and lovers?
A/N: I don't own Bones or its characters. There are references within this story to events and dialogue from various Bones episodes, but all good Bones fans will recognize those as tributes to the TV show to which this story pays homage. They are points of reference to the original brilliant work—not an attempt to co-opt them as my own.
Nothing fancy or overly complicated here. Seven chapters written and ready-some of them very brief. This was a simple exercise dabbling in the experience Sweets encountered during the 100th episode. What if Booth and Brennan had met in a different way. Would the circumstances change their dynamic enough to throw them off course? Would they have been pulled together anyway?
Those of you who have read my other stories might faint when you see how short this first chapter is... But thanks for stopping here!
Chapter 1: His Lucky Day
Today might finally be his lucky day. He'd paid his dues and done his legwork. He'd shaken enough hands and kissed up to just enough of the right people to show he was interested. He'd always been able to outshoot any man in the bureau, and, over time, he had learned how to interrogate the bad guys almost as skillfully. He was smug but not quite obnoxious in his self-confidence, and he didn't mind working hard and getting his hands dirty. He was equally adept at stakeouts, manhandling the guys who tried to get away, and finding the missing pieces of the puzzle. He'd long since mastered the role of FBI agent, and he was ready for that promotion. Agent Seeley J. Booth felt as if the good Lord had made him specifically to lead the task force being put together to infiltrate three organized crime rings, and he was pretty sure his bosses were ready to agree.
Of course, he hadn't realized they would be making the announcement this morning. He'd only seen the email announcing the 8:00 a.m. staff meeting half an hour ago. Anticipating a later, more leisurely start to his morning, he'd planned to slip in to the office and check emails and then head to the gym for a workout followed by a badly needed shower. But once he'd seen that email, there just hadn't been time for any of that. He'd have to get by without that luxury.
He'd been extremely hot last night. Crazy on fire and unstoppable. Riding the all too addictive high of knowing he simply could not lose. Not anticipating what the morning would bring, he had stayed at the same lucky table all night—racking them up one after the other and raking in fistfuls of cash from guys who lost at pool the way he never wanted to lose again. He'd seen his share of ups and downs betting on games—enough to know when to keep going when he was ahead. Last night had been one of those nights-he had absolutely been on a roll and had known better than to stop such a good thing.
Booth was a man who was ordinarily fairly meticulous about his appearance. He cleaned up pretty well. It was unfortunate that he hadn't had time to stop by his apartment for a shower, a shave, and a fresh suit that morning. But being late for this particular meeting simply had not been an option, so he'd just have to adapt and pretend that he wasn't phased at all. Trying to look more put together than he actually was, Booth straightened his tie and yanked the sleeves of his rumpled shirt down to their full length. Then, blowing out a calming breath, he'd slipped through the door and into the conference room. Hoping for more good luck, he slipped a large, strong hand into the pocket of his slacks and patted the folded stash of bills he'd won the previous evening. After scanning the room quickly and finding that he wasn't actually late, he crossed to the back of the room and poured himself a cup of coffee.
Nodding at his peers and making eye contact with his superiors, Booth put on the familiar mask of complete calm and confidence and took a seat near one end of the large table. Sitting still was always a challenge for him; fighting back the urge to move with so much adrenaline coursing through his veins was difficult. Even so, he sat sniper-still-not giving any indication that he was really amped up and excited about this meeting.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Director Cullen began speaking as the rest of the agents settled in around the table, "I'm sure you all know why we've called you here this morning..."