This is one that I have been interested in doing for a long while, but never felt the timing was right. I have always deeply appreciated the response to the original character I created, Father Mitch, and felt that his story was one that needed to be told, outside of what I wrote in A Priest's Perspective. I hope you enjoy this multi-chapter look into the life of Father Mitch. Gregg.
Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Father Mitchell Stevens, better known by his friends and parishioners as Father Mitch, sat back in his chair behind his desk. He was somewhat surprised to get a call from one Dr. Temperance Brennan. Oh, he knew her well enough through his friendship and pastoral relationship with her now life partner Seeley Booth, but she rarely called him directly unless she was interested in having a discussion about some esoteric argumentation in the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas. His doctorate was on the Summa, and he always enjoyed their debates. One that came to mind was the assumption, without debate, by Aquinas that God existed. He was sure that no matter how many debates he would have in his life on the Summa, nothing would ever match that one in difficulty and also sheer enjoyment.
What was interesting about this call was the fact that when he asked if she wanted to continue their last discussion on the Summa which had been interrupted, she told him no and that she just wanted to drop by for a visit. Not so strange if it was if it was anyone else, but in the years he had known Brennan, she had almost never wanted to just visit. She was an intellectual, a genius with a photographic memory, and had a difficult time with simply visiting.
There was something, though, that made him consider that she was changing, and for the good. She was now in a committed, and, from what he could tell, permanent relationship with Seeley Booth. Booth had long sought him out in the confessional for his covetous thoughts regarding the brilliant Forensic Anthropologist, and for a long time had moaned about Brennan's very skittish, and deeply held views of relationships and love. Her views on religion were also equally focused and sharp. Despite all that, he found her a very refreshing person to be around as she was totally honest about what she was thinking and feeling. No one had to wonder where they stood with her. He recalled the very first time he had met her face to face.
"Mitch!" the strong, vibrant voice of Seeley Booth rang out as Mitch was coming into the chapel from his office. He would be hearing confessions in less than an hour, and usually spent time at the altar praying for divine assistance in his sacred duties. Turning, he smiled as he saw Booth, and smiled even wider when he saw a woman beside him.
"Seeley," he said as he offered his hand to his best friend.
Booth smiled. "Mitch, this is Dr. Temperance Brennan, my partner," he explained. "Bones, this is my good friend and Priest, Father Mitch."
Mitch angled himself to face Brennan. "Seeley's told me a great deal about you, Dr. Brennan," he said, offering her his hand, noting the horrified expression on Seeley's face as if the man thought the sanctity of the confessional was about to be violated. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Brennan looked at him, an odd, quizzical expression on her face. "I have never understood that phrase it's a pleasure to meet you as it is unknown at that point whether any association that may develop will be pleasurable or otherwise," she said, though she did shake his hand.
"Bones," Booth groaned. "It's simply saying that it's a good thing to meet a potential friend," he explained.
Brennan nodded and continued. "Booth has also mentioned you on numerous occasions, and I expressed a desire to meet you, though I believe he is not so sure about this as he expressed a fear of being excommunicated and asked me to restrain myself when it came to the fiction of the existence of God."
Mitch raised his brow and smiled as Seeley muttered I'm doomed. "Interesting," he replied. "By any chance are you familiar with the works of any of the Doctors of the Church, such as Saint Augustine or St. Thomas Aquinas?"
Brennan nodded. "I am well versed in the works of both of them," she informed him. "Are you?"
Booth looked as if he wanted to sink into the floor and never emerge. Mitch chuckled.
"I have my Doctorate on the Summa Theologica of Aquinas, and my Habilitation for a professorship in European universities if a chance arises is on Augustine's De Civitate Dei," he told her.
"Then perhaps you would be interested in engaging in some disputations regarding some of the underlying assumptions in each," Brennan suggested.
Booth looked like his life was totally over with and the various levels of the Inferno were awaiting him.
"I think Mitch is a bit too busy for that, Bones," he quickly said, trying to stave off what he considered a coming Apocalypse.
"Nonsense," Mitch replied. "I would be happy to discuss my favorite religious works with someone well versed in them."
"Bones, I think we need to go," Booth told her as he rushed her out of the church.
Mitch chuckled as he finished recalling that meeting. It had been the start of an intellectual exercise that he genuinely enjoyed, and her facility with modern disputation without entering the bounds of Modernism which was still looked down on by the Church was incredible. In all the previous five years of knowing her he still did not know too much of her personally, outside of what Booth shared on occasion that didn't have anything to do with his friend's covetous impure thoughts, which Mitch found hilarious, despite his having to give his friend penance. He made up for that difficult duty by also taking the time to jokingly call his friend a pervert any number of times, though. He was understandably curious to see what she was interested in visiting about.
A/N: This was simply the basic setup for the whole story. It will contain reminiscences as well as flashback sequences at key points, so it should have something for everyone. I hope you enjoyed this opening foray. Gregg.