First Impressions 2
Disclaimer: I still don't own or profit from the characters from Bones…
Angela was still seated at her work station on the platform when Brennan returned from her meeting with Goodman and the FBI agent. The anthropologist stormed through the doors of the medico-legal lab and bypassed the platform to head straight to her office. Angela stared at the doors waiting for Agent Booth to follow, but after several seconds determined that he wasn't going to be gracing them with his presence. Ever eager to know all the details Angela hurried over to Brennan's office to find out what had transpired.
Brennan was gathering her things and muttering to herself when Angela walked through the door.
"So what happened sweetie, did you get Goodman to kick that FBI guy out the door?"
"Dr. Goodman believes that the FBI is justified in making their ridiculous request to maintain custody of all remains for the time being. This means we will have to suffer the presence of Agent Booth for a while longer."
Angela smiled devilishly, "Well it sounds like a deal, not only do we get a case, but some bonus eye candy as well…"
Brennan scowled in frustration, "No Ang, that man is the most infuriating human I have ever come in contact with. He called me the 'bone lady'."
Seeking to calm her friend Angela replied, "Well maybe he forgot your name? Did you think of that sweetie?"
"Angela, there is only one forensic anthropologist in the time zone; one name should be easy to remember. I remember his name and there are hundreds of FBI agents in the city."
"Bren, just be the bigger person here and forgive him."
"He has to be at least 188 centimeters tall and 90 kilograms of muscle. Agent Booth is clearly the larger person."
Angela rolled her eyes, "Sweetie just let it go and try to work with him. Maybe if you play nice the FBI will start sending us the remains again and we can do without the agents underfoot all the time?"
Brennan smiled, "Now, that's something to look forward to," grabbing her bags she continued speaking, "Ang, have Zack finish filling out the forms in the files on my desk and tell him we will meet at 8:30 tonight to go over the first draft he submitted to me.."
"Ok, go solve the murder so the poor FBI can catch the bad guy."
Confidant that Angela would relay the message to Zack, Brennan opted to not run my modular skeletal storage to speak with him. Her allotted time to gather her things was coming to a close, and she didn't want to give that Agent Booth any reason to come back into her lab again.
The Drive to the Hoover Building was silent, both Booth and Brennan lost in their thoughts and covertly watching the other. Booth pulled down the short drive to the security guard station and into the parking garage. An elderly man stepped out of the building to greet the car.
"Agent Booth, back so soon?"
"Yeah Eddie, just had to pick something up and come right back."
Beside him Brennan was bristling at being referred to as a 'thing.'
"Looks like you brought back more than a thing. Who you got in there with you?"
"Oh this is the bone lady from the Jeffersonian; she is here to consult on a case."
"Ah ok, you two have a good day. I'll see you later."
"Thanks Eddie."
With that Eddie pushed the button to allow Booth and Brennan access to the parking garage. Booth navigated the garage to his assigned parking spot.
Remembering how Brennan had left him standing on the forensics platform Booth got out of his car and walked briskly toward the entrance. Brennan grabbed her bag and jogged to catch up with the infuriating agent.
Once in the building she had to pass through the guest security check-point while Booth walked in the employee gate and waited for her on the other side. After walking through a metal detector, having her bag searched, and being "wanded" she was finally able to join Agent Booth in the main lobby.
"Do you have all your things Bone Lady? Good lets go solve this case."
Brennan fell in step beside Booth has he led her to the morgue and forensics lab, "You know Agent Booth, I have a name."
"I'm aware of that."
"Then use it."
"Why?"
"Because 'Bone Lady' is condescending and derogatory."
Booth opened the door to the forensics lab as he replied, "But it's so you…"
Brennan walked into the forensics lab and took in her surroundings. It was certainly nothing like the lab at the Jeffersonian, the room carried the stench of chemicals and bodies. One side of the room was filled with chemical workstations and ventilation hoods with fans droning. Several lab techs were performing various experiments at their respective stations; none looked away from their work to study the new comers in the lab. On the other side of the lab were three autopsy stations, complete with sinks and supply cabinets. A tall Asian man was studying the only set of remains in the lab.
The man stood up to greet the Brennan and Booth as they approached his area.
"Booth, is this the forensic anthropologist?"
"Hi Yang, this is Dr. Temperance Brennan the Jeffersonian's top bone lady."
Agent Yang turned to Brennan with a wide smile on his face, "Dr. Brennan it's a pleasure to meet you. I found the article you wrote in last month's forensics journal truly fascinating."
"Yes, the topic of forensic identification is fascinating. Can you bring me up to date on the victim?"
If the agent was surprised by Brennan's abrupt mannerisms, he didn't show it, he merely rounded the autopsy table and began rattling off details.
"Male, approximately 185 centimeters tall, 80 kilograms. Dentals matched missing person case, Jason Forts. We are estimating time of death at 3 weeks ago."
Brennan didn't answer, just studied the body.
The body was definitely male; the pelvis was sharply pointed and visible under the desiccated flesh. Bruising was evident in spite of the pervasive lividity, the remaining flesh also showed signs of sharp force trauma. The distinguishing features of the face were missing due to scavenging and insect activity.
"Agent Yang, did your people collect insect samples?"
"Of course Dr. Brennan."
"Have those sent to Dr. Jack Hodgins at the Medico-Legal lab, he can give us a more precise time line."
Agent Yang looked to Booth for approval, when he received a nod from the more senior agent, he walked off to get the samples ready for transport.
"So what have we got there bone lady?" Booth asked after Yang was out of the room.
"Don't call me 'bone lady.'
"You really don't like that do you?"
"No, I don't. I've told you that already."
"Well then I'll have to come up with something else."
"Agent Booth, my name will suffice."
"Ok anyway, what do you think about the body?"
"Their statistics are accurate. Male, 20-30 years of age, dead approximately three weeks. You can see bruising along the upper torso, neck and head. There is sharp force trauma evident on the clavicle, humorous, ulna, radius, and costal bones." As she spoke she indicated each site on the body.
"Can you repeat that in English?"
"He was beat up and cut up." Brennan said with a sigh. It was really irritating having to repeat herself. She was using basic scientific terminology; didn't they teach these agents anything at Quanitco?
"Can you tell what he was attacked with?"
"I can once I get pictures and x-rays sent to the Jeffersonian."
"So does that mean you're done here?"
"For now, my team and I can analyze the pictures and x-rays and give you a more complete picture of the incident. It might help if we have pictures of the suspects, we could match the individual with the evidence."
"That's staying out of your territory, you get me the evidence and I will match it to a suspect," Booth said as he ushered Brennan out of the lab and back into the elevators.
After the doors of the elevator closed Brennan turned to Booth, "What do you mean 'straying out of our territory'. We are investigating a crime…"
"No, you are doing lab work, I am investigating the crime. You stick with your bones thing and I'll stick to the cop thing…", Booth's eyes lit up as a perfect nickname for the aggravating scientist came to mind," Now, that's a perfect nickname for you, Bones!"
"Bones? What's wrong with my name?"
"Nope, not gonna happen, you're Bones now. It fits you…"
Brennan's face flushed with a combination of irritation and embarrassment, "Agent Booth, this is rid…"
"Bones, why don't you drop the 'agent' bit? There are so many agents around, it's going to get really old saying 'agent this' and agent that'. Just call me Booth."
The conversation continued down the hall to the parking garage, "Agent Booth, I prefer to keep our relationship professional."
"Bones, what we have isn't a relationship; it's a forced work detail. You stay in the lab and I stay in the streets, we get this done as painlessly as possible."
"Fine," Brennan replied, slamming the car door for emphasis. They rode back to the Jeffersonian in silence; Brennan reading the full case file Booth had in the car, and Booth weaving through traffic.
When he pulled them into the visitors parking lot, Brennan decided to try for one last time to be courteous to Booth, "Booth, I'll call your office when we finish our analysis."
Booth smiled when she used just his last name, maybe they could work together after all, "And if I finish with the interviews before I hear from you I'll bring my notes back for you to review. See you later, Bones."
Brennan's eyes flared, "Don't call me Bones."
Booth didn't reply, just pulled out of the parking space and left Brennan standing alone.
Brennan pulled her bag farther up on her shoulder and trekked back into the Jeffersonian, and the medico-legal lab. After swiping her card and entering the lab, she called out across the room, "I need everyone in the bone room now."
Tuesday 6:35 pm
Brennan surveyed her four colleagues seated around her in the lab's lounge. They were enjoying a sip of the alcohol Dr. Hodgins was brewing in his office and discussing the progress they had made that day. Dr. Hodgins had determined that time of death was 19 days prior to the discovery of the body based on bug ratios; Dr. Brennan and Zack had identified the murder weapon as a hatchet; and Angela had used her new computer simulator to determine the attacker's height. All the group needed now was Booth with a list of suspects for them to compare with their results.
As Angela and Dr. Hodgins were packing their bags to leave, the lounge phone began beeping. The caller ID showed the number was from the FBI building, Brennan picked up the phone.
"Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab, Dr. Brennan speaking."
"Ah Bones, good news, we were able to identify the assailant and I'm on my way to pick him up now. "
"Don't call me bones, and don't you need our findings before you make an arrest?"
"No, just type up a report or whatever and I'll send someone to pick it up in the morning."
"Booth I wouldn't make an arrest until you have confirmed with our findings."
"How do you propose I do that?"
"Can't you hold the suspect until morning? I'll come to the FBI building first thing in the morning, confirm your suspect with our findings, and have the report turned in my noon."
"Fine, but this is just a waste of time. You know you are an exasperating woman there Bones." Booth sighed before he hung up his cell phone.
"Don't call me Bones." Brennan groused into the now dead phone line.
****Please R&R****