The Bones in the Mountains
All rights belong to Fox, not me, not ever, sigh.
Chapter One:
"You can't stay angry with me forever Bones." Booth turned to look at his partner. Booth wasn't excited to be driving through the mountains, but he was going to make the best of the situation. He had gotten a call on his way to work to pick up his partner and jump on a plane for North Carolina. They had landed a few hours previously at a local airport then had rented a SUV for the two hour drive up the rural roads of the mountains. It wasn't his cup of tea either.
"That would be impossible." Brennan replied staring out the window. There was one thing she could say, the Smokies in the fall was absolutely beautiful, but even in the beauty of the mountains, she was still ticked off at her partner, and this time the "charm smile" was doing nothing but irritating her.
"I knew you couldn't stay mad at me forever."
"Forever would be never ending, and eventually it would end because either you or I would be dead. So logically no, I couldn't stay mad at you forever." Brennan replied in an exacerbated tone.
"I'm sorry that a dead body in a national forest was an inconvenience, but you are the one who wanted full participation with everything." Booth tried to reason with her. "Besides why are you so mad with me, you normally love field work."
"I have so much to do at the Jeffersonian, and being down one person, well it makes the work a little much. I'm also behind with the newest chapter for my book . . ." Brennan tried to explain to him. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little irritated with my bag getting lost. I shouldn't take it out on you."
"It's alright Bones." Booth took it in stride. "You should only need one day of clothes anyway. We will just stop by the convenience store and grab you a pair of jeans and top. At least you have your kit and laptop."
He turned onto a road as prompted by the GPS. Booth was grateful that his phone was equipped with one for he was certain that he would have gotten lost up in the mountains of North Carolina.
"Bones, I think we have arrived in Mayberry." Booth told her pulling into a small quaint country/mountain town. The sign on it said population 210.
"The sign back there said Hamptonville, NC." Brennan replied.
Booth rolled his eyes and looked at the road, "Come on Bones even you would have to know about Andy Griffin."
"Who?"
"The television show?" He shook his head in disbelief.
"I didn't watch a lot of television growing up." She replied staring back down at her laptop trying in vain to get her chapter finished.
He sighed reaching over for his coffee. It was sure to be cold by now, but he needed the caffeine just to keep going at this point. The road took a sharp turn and he caught it in time, but not in enough time to keep his coffee cup from flying through the air and effectively spilling all down his partner's pristine top.
"Booth!"
"Sorry Bones . . . what did you want me to do, slam into the side of the mountain?"
"Just keep your eyes on the road." She replied, snapping her laptop shut.
She took off her seatbelt and climbed into the backseat to the vehicle. "What are you doing Bones?"
"I'm not going to sit in a soaked top. I'm borrowing one of your shirts. You said you had extra."
"Alright." He resigned, staring straight ahead at the road, trying not to think of his partner stripping off her shirt in the back seat.
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Booth whipped his vehicle into the sheriff's office parking lot around four in the afternoon. He stepped out of the SUV and stretched his legs. Brennan wasn't far behind him.
"What are we doing here?" She asked, shielding her eyes from the setting sun.
"The formal introductions. You know how it goes with the federal government and the local government. I just don't want to step on anybody's toes." Booth replied. He looked around and took in the site of the town. It definitely wasn't very big by any means.
The town was composed of one main street with little shops that were run the with local flavors. There was a drug store, a Mast General Store, and even a dollar movie theater that was showing "new" releases that had been out for several months now. Trees, now blossoming with golden hues of red, orange, and yellow, lined the streets adding to the rustic appeal of the town.
"Definitely Mayberry." Booth muttered.
"Say all you want about small town America Booth, but it may help us solve this a little faster. Everyone knows everyone else's business. It's not like someone can disappear without anyone else noticing." Brennan used her logical with him.
"Let's hope you are right Bones." He walked over to the door of the sheriff's office noticing a sign . . . "I'll be back when I get back."
She smiled at him. "Looks like I can walk across the street then to the Mast General Store then. Maybe they will have something in my size." She fidgeted in the shirt that was almost engulfing her small frame.
"Sounds good." Booth placed his hand on the small of her back and led her across the street.
The door opened and a bell sounded, alerting the owner to the presence of a customer arriving in her shop. She walked out, wiping her hands on her jeans. "Hi. I'm Norma Jean Hampton."
"Hampton as in . . ."
"Hamptonville." Norma Jean finished off his sentence. "My husband's great-great-great-grand daddy help found this town . What can I do you for today?"
"My partner spilled a cup of coffee on my blouse and my bag was lost in transit. I just need to find a good pair of hiking boots and some clothes to suffice for a day or two here." Brennan replied.
"Oh you two must be the investigation team that was sent out her to figure out who that poor soul that was found. Let me get you fixed up."
She led Brennan to a corner in her shop, and soon Brennan was able to find items that were suitable for what she needed. She quickly thanked the clerk.
"If you guys need anything else, just let me know. Wayne should be in soon."
"Wayne?" Booth cocked his eyebrow up.
"Wayne Hampton, my cousin and sheriff. He is at the crime scene now, securing it." Norma Jean replied smiling.
"Thank you." Booth replied.
"If you want to find him quicker, check with my son Billy. He runs the courthouse just up the hill." Norma Jean supplied them with more information.
Brennan turned around and smiled. Was everyone related in this town?
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The three-story red brick building was the tallest structure in the small town. There was a courtyard they had to walk up, which held a monument of sorts honoring the soldiers from the wars fought throughout history. Names lined the walkway with dates going back as far as 1776.
"It's funny there is a county courthouse here." Brennan told her partner.
"It doesn't get as much action as it use to. Now just the meth lab people and the moonshiners." Billy Hampton greeted them. "The town used to be bustling with bootleggers during the prohibition and during the glory days of the railroad, we were a popular stop. Now though, with the railroad shutting down up here, the town is just slowly dying off." He paused. "William Hampton, chancery clerk of the county. What can I do you fine folks for?"
"We are looking for Sheriff Hampton." Booth supplied. "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth."
"I'm his partner Dr. Temperance Brennan."
"You guys are here investigating the remains on the mountain. Uncle Wayne was on his way back but then got called to the Davidsons for another domestic disturbance. He won't be back for a thirty minutes or so."
"Can you give us directions to the site, we would like to get a jump on recovering the remains." Brennan asks impatiently.
"Up Route 140." He replied, turning the lock the door.
"How far up route 140?" Brennan asked, her irritation showing even more.
"How the hell am I supposed to know? It's not like I would be playing around with dead bodies. Now if you don't mind I have a meeting with the historic society so I can try to save a piece of land." William replied, shoving past the two of them.
Booth put a comforting hand on Brennan's shoulder. "Look we will just wait for the sheriff, it's only thirty more minutes."
Brennan looked at him and sighed in resignation. She could tell that her day was already shot.
They waited an hour for the sheriff to arrive. The sun was setting and with it, the air around them was growing cool. Booth put his arm around her, and pulled her a little closer.
"Hey. It looks like he may have just gone straight home from dealing with the domestic disturbance. We might as well just call it a night. You're tire, and I'm hungry. Norma Jean was telling me about The Hampton Motel and Lily's Café while you were trying on your clothes."
Brennan shot him a look.
"I told you we are in Mayberry. No McDonalds or Ramada's here. Let's just make the best of it. Okay?" Booth asked trying to calm her irritation.
"I guess that will suffice." She gave in, she was just too tired to fight anymore.
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Booth pulled up to the Hampton Motel which consisted of 10 units with doors painted different color and a swimming pull which had been closed for the cooler weather. The parking lot looked a little busy, which had Booth worried that they were going to be out of luck for the night.
They walk in together, another makeshift bell at the top of the door alerted the sleepy receptionist. A sign hung, announcing the proprietors being Alex and Virginia Stubbs. The receptionist looks up.
"Ya'll ain't from around these parts." She observes. "You paparazzi?"
"No. FBI." Booth takes out his badge and shows her it while biting back some laughter. "We need two rooms for the night."
"I have the last two available. People are in town for some celebrity wedding." She replies.
Brennan looks up in surprise.
"Yeah, a lot of celebrities have mountain homes up here that they come to frequent every fall and winter. Their property taxes alone keep the town running." She hands them the keys. She chats with them a little longer, and they discover that she is the daughter of the proprietors and that her cousin Lily Green runs the café that serves the best fried chicken in town.
Booth walks to his room, which is adorned with a bright pink door. She laughs at his distaste.
"Welcome to Mayberry." She laughs at him walking up to her door. "Come get me when you are ready for dinner." She walked over to the SUV to finish getting out the rest of her packages from her purchases.
Booth quickly got over his distaste and opens the door to his room. There was a queen size bed for poster bed with a subdued blue comforter on it. At least someone in this town read a decorating magazine he thought. He sat down reaching into his bag to grab a change of clothes. He always over packed for trips like this. He never knew what he was going to need. As he stripped off his shirt, he heard her shriek from the next room.
Booth on instinct grabbed his weapon and ran over to where she was. "Bones!" He stopped and realized what had happened. A pipe had burst and had flooded the room. "Don't scream like that you about gave me a heart attack." He stowed his weapon at his back. "We will report this later. Let's just get settled and get some dinner."
He reached over and helped her carry the rest of her stuff into his room. Booth allowed her the shower first, knowing that she would use all the hot water, but it didn't matter to him for the time being. He just wanted the hot water to wash away her bad mood.
AN: As always, stick with me. I know that I shouldn't be writing a new one, but hey, I have lots of ideas all the time. Please review, it feeds the soul and rocks my socks.
Previews into this story line include: a wedding . . . the case . . . some Parker . . . (vague, I know, but I can't give it away, you just have to stick with me.)