Striking the Chord
By: AndiKaneUnderwood
Characters: Julian Klein, Ted Gibbs, Scott, Ian Johnson (mentioned), Ester Hines (mentioned), Liz Dervan, Jake
Tag to Bones S.11 E.16 The Strike in the Chord, mostly because Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi are my favorite singers of acapella, and given how dedicated some of the fans are, I'm surprised I haven't gotten any hits when I searched them playing on Bones.
Ted met Julian when they were young. Julian was ten and Ted was just turning 11 and Julian's father had just gone to jail for abusing him and his 17 year old brother Mike, who had ended up in the hospital, then sadly passed on from his extensive injuries.
Ted knows that Julian's one regret from that particular age is that he never got to say good bye.
Ted's family ended up adopting Julian, which Ted was grateful for, given how upset Julian was, Ted wasn't sure anyone other than his parents could've handled Julian's mood swings and silence.
In the end, it was Ted who'd gotten his new friend to open up about his father and brother, telling Ted about everything that happened in his home since his mother had died. Cancer, Julian had whispered one night, when I was three years old. That's all he would say about it.
Bones~Bones
All through elementary school, Julian was teased for being different, how he held himself, how he looked, how he sounded.
Because his voice was higher pitched, other boys thought it best to ridicule him about it.
Ted was told that it was nothing but playful teasing. At least until Julian came home with a splint and a black eye.
The bullies didn't get to last much longer.
Not after Ted was done.
Bones~Bones
When they hit middle school, Julian was diagnosed with severe Anxiety Disorder after being found in the boy's bathroom shaking and hyperventilating and very close to passing out. Luckily, the person who found him knew how to handle Anxiety and Panic attacks and managed to calm him down and get him to the nurse. From there, the nurse managed to get a hold of Ted and Ted's mother, both of whom rushed right down to the nurse's office and proceeded to take Julian home.
They somehow managed to get him medication despite their low budget and they ended up keeping it for a long time, until Julian and Ted went off to college.
Middle school wasn't just bad though, together, Ted and Julian found their love of acapella. They'd always loved to sing, loved to perform, but in Middle School, they found their love of acapella.
Julian somehow convinced Ted to join choir with him, they flourished and thrived. Ted somehow managed to score a solo for a song he didn't remember now, but he remembered his parents' proud smiles and Julian's happy grin and every doubt just kind of melted away and he immediately knew this was what he wanted to do with his life.
And he knew Julian would go with him.
Bones~Bones
High school passed on uneventfully, but collage. Oh, collage was pure Hell.
Finals, term papers, grades, assignments, everything just blended into everything else and the whirlwind swept them along for the ride. By mid terms, they both knew how to handle things without insomnia and Anxiety attacks.
Julian went out one night to find a store that sold alcohol without checking IDs, but when he came back, he was talking miles a minute about Whipersnaps and a boy named Scott.
Being interested anyway, Ted agreed to check it out.
Scott agreed to have an audition and the days blended into studying, assignments, and practicing for their audition.
They got in. Julian nearly lost his voice in the process, but they got in. Moving in to Whipperspace was one of the proudest moments of Ted's life.
Not only that, but Julian had found a place to get Anxiety medication cheep.
Now if only Ted could find a way to pass his midterms.
Bones~Bones
Their director ended up graduating after two years of the pair being in the group and Julian saw an opportunity Ted refused to pass up.
However, when they were caught buying term papers it was torn down.
In reality, Julian told him after a few weeks, I think it's for the best. He's a very good director.
Sure, a good director. We could've been great, Julian. Great, Ted replied, but even so. I don't think I could've handled all the work.
Julian's smile was more than worth saying words he didn't truly believe.
Over time he came to realize as Julian had that Scott was the best possible choice for the Whipersnaps.
Bones~Bones
Their next semester was awful, Julian, Ted, and Ian Johnson all got strep throat only months before a big performance.
Julian thought it was the Gingersnap girl, Ester, who'd seduced them into the kissing booth.
Ted didn't care how it happened as long as it was gone before their performance.
Julian managed to get evidence that it was Ester and Scott took care of it.
How, neither of them knew, but Ester didn't go anywhere near them again.
They did however see more of Liz Dervan and less of Ian Johnson.
Bones~Bones
Ted didn't think he could be more grateful for Scott, until one night Julian's medication supplier bailed on them before a performance and his attack was imminent. Ted spend an hour helping his adopted brother calm down, but it wasn't doing any good, Julian somehow found new things to worry about and didn't seem capable of stopping it.
Thing was, if Julian couldn't go on, the Whipersnaps wouldn't just loose a high tenor who could hit any high note, but also a baritone who could hit most lower range notes.
The assistant director, Jake, told him to get over it, and Ted swore he almost snapped the stupid pixie's neck for that, but then Scott came in with a bottle of pills marked for Anxiety.
It doesn't matter where I got them, he replied when Ted asked, just matters that our best tenor is okay.
Julian didn't say it, but Ted had spent years reading Julian's silent language and the look in his eyes was most definitely one of gratitude and admiration.
Thank you. Ted took the pills and pulled a water bottle from his supply bag. Julian's smile echoed the sentiments he couldn't speak.
Bones~Bones
Scott's death brought all of the Whipersnaps to shock and sadness. Scott had been there for most of them when no one else could be.
Julian and Ted had been especially upset. Scott had been a good friend to both of them and now he was dead?
The only one who was happy about it was the assistant director who got to boss the other around.
When the FBI came to Whipperspace, none of them where even remotely concerned until they spoke to them directly.
They came in while they were in the middle of a practice.
As they faded the song out, Jake got angry.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Jake snapped as the song was over, throwing up his hands and turning to face the group. "I cannot take this anymore."
He pointed a finger at Julian, who was pushing his bangs from his eyes. "And what is it with you, Julian?"
Julian's look of surprise told Ted that he hadn't noticed his voice was slightly lower than usual, which was normal after an unexpected Anxiety attack like the one last night.
"You are pitchy and you snapping looks like weird chicken claws." Jake snapped.
The others of the group, excluding Ted, had backed away, fully expecting one or both of the brothers to lay into Jake with all the fire in their bodies.
Julian raised an eyebrow and Ted's eyes rolled. Julian would give it to Jake.
"Well, at least I can keep my diva hand under control." Julian snarked back, mimicking Jake's hand movements, then putting a hand on his hip.
Jake's protested was smoothly interrupted when Ted stepped in as well. "Yeah, Jake, you look like Mariah Carey's skaggy little sister."
The group suppressed laughs and chuckles, but Julian made no effort to hide the smile.
Jake turned his impatience to Ted instead. "Uh, it's called passion Ted, something no one has ever felt for you." He snarked with a fake smile.
Julian's narrowed eyes made everyone take another two steps back because wronging the brothers was cause for one of Julian's infamous "diva fits".
They were saved when Ted smirked and replied, "Really? Cause your Dad would disagree." He swung his hand up and Julian hit it with his own, the fit was successfully defused.
The FBI men came in. "Alright, that's enough. FBI." He held up a badge and the smiles faded. "See that? Everybody. You." The man pointed to Jake. "You replaced the director, Scott, didn't you?" He asked.
Jake looked at the men like they were insane. "Yes."
"Okay, well, we need to ask you a few questions. Everybody else, out. Let's go, move it." The man demanded and the group began moving around, gathering what belongings they'd brought with them to the practice room.
Julian and Ted stayed where they were because if Scott was in trouble, then they needed to know. Scott was their friend and they wouldn't put it past Jake to do something to him if it meant Jake could be director.
"Oh my, God, Jake. What did you do to Scott?" Julian asked and Ted's eyes turned to Jake.
Jake threw out his hands and looked at the FBI people.
"Uh, you two want to stay? Where were you Friday night?" The first man asked.
Julian slid into a mock bow with a sarcastic grin on his face. "Here working, you're Honor." At the same time, Ted replied. "We were here.
"Yeah, you can work all you want, still not getting you a solo now that I'm in charge, so." Jake snapped to Julian.
Ted's eyes narrowed, Julian had worked hard for that solo and Scott was happy to give it to him until Jake did whatever he'd done.
Julian rolled his eyes and Ted stepped in. "You're only in charge because apparently you killed Scott."
Julian shrugged with a slight head tilt and gave their director a mock smile, grabbing his bag and walking right out the door with Ted on his heels.
The FBI men stepped to the side as Julian leveled his famous glare at their heads.
Ted smiled; laughing to himself as both of the FBI agents quickly averted their gazes.
Apparently Julian's glare made even the toughest FBI agents turn their heads.
Bones~Bones
The Whipersnaps had always been a fast paced group under Scott's guidance.
Jake took them down a slower road and while it wasn't any less thrilling, it got really boring, really quick.
The Whipersnaps took a vote and Ted and Julian where put in as new director and assistant director respectively.
They immediately set to work making the songs more fast paced and fun and Ted definitely gave Julian the solo he'd been working so hard for, technically the only difference between this version and Scott's was that instead of four leads doing the two songs and the rest as back up, there were three people on lead until they hit the chorus of the songs and then it was Julian and Ted singing lead while the rest did backup vocals and vocal percussion until the end of the song, when Julian joined the back up and Ted took lead, and finally they all sang the last line together.
The song went so much better and so much smoother than it had previously, the group picked it up so much faster and even Jake had no complaints.
For a moment, everything was fine.
Bones~Bones
The FBI men came in during their practice again, just bursting through the doors.
The group ignored them until the performance was done and they'd been instructed and trained to do since they'd been admitted into the group.
The first man, Booth, clapped twice, calling out to the Whipersnaps. "Hey! Let's wrap this up here!" Ted's eyes closed as he sighed and Julian rolled his eyes.
Jake immediately jumped in as Julian and Ted groaned at the annoying interruption. "We have one day to get ready!' He protested as the rest of the group stepped back to let the FBI have room inside their practice space.
Booth held up a search warrant. "Yeah, that's fantastic, but I've got a search warrant here that trumps your little glee club, so everybody out." He snapped.
The group filed out, Julian and Ted made to follow, but where stopped. "Move, move, uh-uh, except you two."
Booth put out a hand to stop them and they both looked up in surprise. "You two back."
He pushed forward and to avoid getting knocked over the pair moved back three steps.
They glanced at each other. "What? Why?" Julian asked.
"Why, because you two where here the night Scott Hill was murdered." Booth replied.
Aubrey's voice made them turn to look as he spoke. "And the murder too place right here. Parallel rungs made of oak. Fits the weapon profile."
"Weapon profile? What are you trying to say?" Ted asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"You are both under arrest for the murder of Scott Hill." Aubrey concluded.
Ted's eyes went wide and he stepped forward. "We are not murders!" He cried, looking between the two men.
"I-I cry at the end of Legally Blonde Two. Does that sound like a murderer to you?" Julian asked, completely done with this whole investigation.
They already had enough to deal with the Competition going on; they didn't need jail time too.
Bones~Bones
"We've got you two at the scene of the crime on the day of Scott's murder." Aubrey told them.
Both of them started talking, trying to get the agents to see that they hadn't done it. It was just a late night rehearsal going over some scales and helping Julian practice for the solo he wanted.
"Oh, my God are you serious?" "I mean we may have been there at some point," "No there's no- mean look at us." "But we're there every single day." "We sing, no, we do." "Yeah."
Eventually, it all melded into unintelligible words and bits and neither of them could make it out either.
Aubrey got very annoyed very quickly and he pulled his hands down in the 'cut off' gesture a director uses to signal their performers it's time to stop.
Due to years of following the instruction on instinct, Ted and Julian immediately stopped and Aubrey grinned to himself. I can't believe that worked. "Okay, slow it down. Thank you. One at a time. Is there anyone who can account for where you where on Friday night?"
"Yeah, totally." "Yes."
"Okay, who?" Aubrey asked.
Julian jerked his head, glancing in Ted's direction as Ted pointed towards Julian. "Him." They spoke in unison.
"Anyone who isn't a suspect in this murder investigation?"Aubrey amended.
"Oh." Julian breathed deeply, trying to avoid the panic attack that was creeping up on him.
"Wait, we're actually murder suspects? We didn't do this." Ted protested.
"Oh my God, I'm freaking out, right now." Julian breathed, closing his eyes and trying to calm himself down.
Ted knew immediately that they needed to get back to Whiperspace as soon as possible. By now, Julian's attack was inevitable and the medication Scott had gotten was gone.
"Scott blackmailed you so he could become director." Aubrey informed them, like it was something they didn't already know.
"Yes, Scott blackmailed us, but it was for the best." Ted told him, trying to get Aubrey to see the bigger picture. "He was an amazing director." He glanced at Julian to confirm and subtly checked on him.
Julian nodded his affirmation.
"So you admit that he blackmailed you. That must have made you angry."
"Well, I mean, at first, yeah, but after we saw how good he was, we realized it was worth it." Julian replied. "He even gave me his Anxiety medication before a concert just to help me chill out."
"Hold on a second, Scott gave you drugs?" Aubrey asked.
"Well, yeah, yeah, I-it-it was just medication, uh, uh, a friend helping out a friend. You know, I... I tend to get really... Um..." The next words where lost as his breathing picked up and the panic set in.
"Do you... do you have a paper bag?" Julian asked and Ted immediately recognized the signs of an Anxiety attack. He wondered briefly if Aubrey did too.
Hyperventilation set in and Julian gasped slightly for breath.
Ted looked at Aubrey as the man nodded and started to stand. "Yeah, I'll be right back."
The second he left, Ted had moved over to get closer to Julian.
Booth watched from the window as the blond man helped the younger one get through the attack.
Aubrey came back with the bag. "They didn't do this, Booth." He murmured.
Booth nodded. "I know."
Bones~Bones
The Anxiety medication turned out to come from Scott's roommate, Neil McKay.
Julian apologized for taking them from him, stating he hadn't know they where his. Neil told Julian that the blame lay with Scott, not Julian.
That was the first and last time either of them spoke with him.
They did however, see Liz Dervan more.
"Hi." The blonde girl came up to them as they were leaving practice.
"Uh... Hi." They looked at each other, then at her.
"I just wanted to tell you how sorry I was. I know how much Scott meant to this group and how much he meant to the both of you." She sympathized.
"Sorry, unfortunately, can't bring Scott back, but your apology is both welcome and appreciated." Julian replied, giving her a tight smile.
"Yeah. I also know that you guys are going to be great at Nationals. You'll give the Gingersnaps are run for their money." Liz said.
"Are you not competing? I thought you where their lead?" Ted asked.
"No, I, uh... I quit the group. Too many secrets and such." She replied looking down.
Julian and Ted looked at each other and Julian nodded.
Ted smiled. "How'd you like to be a Whipersnap?" He asked.
Liz looked at them and a smile spread across her face.
Scott's vision turned out to be a reality, the Alumni Director signed the paper to let Liz join the Whipersnaps.
It took little convincing.
In the end, the Whipersnaps did when the competition, blowing everyone out of the water with their rendition version of Chandelier and Walking after Midnight.
Liz joined their group and became the first female Whipersnap.
Julian looked at Ted and grinned as they took their bows at the end of their performance.
Ted smiled back.
They'd come a long way.
They'd struck the right chords.