Disclaimer: I do not own Bones and never will, but I am obsessed!

Author's Note: Here is my next chapter. I've been having some computer issue (fun times). So that is why I am a little delayed in posting. A few of you have asked about Parker, and I already have a chapter about him written, however it's still a long way from being posted in my time-line. Hopefully, you can be patient and I can interest you enough in the other stuff to keep reading. Once again, thanks to all of my reviewers and those who have alerted my story. You guys are great!

Every Little Thing

July 19, 2005 2:07 PM The Hoover Building

Booth stormed into the bull pen outside of his office. He found three agents standing at the water cooler and he found himself more annoyed by this fact than usual. He knew, just knew that they were gossiping about him. Did they already know that he had called from the car to request a meeting with Cullen? Who was going to collect when Cullen threw his ass out on the street? All three agents carefully avoided making eye contact with him. He worked for the FBI, how clueless did they think he was?

"Charlie, Stu, Mac, I need information. I want all of the files on Congressman Wells."

Agent Ryan Stuart looked at him with questions written all over his face. "Which one? There are three Wells currently serving. I assume you mean the one who is missing, or his suspect of a twin brother, and not the 64 year old Republican from Idaho."

Charlie Burns spoke up now, "Uh, there is a 64 year old Wells in Idaho? How do you know that?"

"I am an informed voter. I can also name the senators from Alaska and recommend an excellent dry cleaning service to any Cabinet member. Wanna test me?"

Booth practically snarled. He was not in the mood for this joking. For Pete's sake he was probably dealing with the body of a dead Congressman. "I need everything that we can get our hands on: medical records, every memo, any files we can get from any other agency. I want receipts from lunch orders from meetings about this case. Every little detail. I expect reports in thirty minutes, pull any strings, call in all favors. Go."

Agent Mackenzie Davis jumped first, she'd always had a bit of a crush on him and she had heard rumors that he was no longer dating that blonde lawyer, Jess Something-or-Other; maybe this might be a chance to impress him. Charlie was a little more cautious. He was putting two and two together. "Does this have anything to do with the case at the Jeffersonian?" All agents froze and eyed each other.

Booth spoke first, "Just keep it under your hat for now. I am working on a hunch. Come on what are we standing here for? Move." Booth glanced at his watch and groaned. He had to meet Cullen in ten minutes. In fifteen minutes he may no longer have a job. What was he going to say to Cullen, "Sorry, boss, but she is beautiful and intelligent and crazy and I can't say no to her?" Honesty was the best policy.

Booth made his way to Cullen's office giving the rumor mill plenty of fodder. He rubbed the back of his neck, sighed excessively, barked at a technician who dared to bump into him outside of an elevator, and nearly punched a wall outside of Cullen's office. No wonder agents didn't last with the Jeffersonian, he was giving himself an ulcer. Cullen's secretary made Booth wait for several minutes before he was ushered in. She carefully avoided eye contact with him, she knew his reputation with firearms and she valued her life. She fleetingly thought that it was a good thing that she was only six months from retirement; she wasn't sure how much longer she could have lasted in this place.

Cullen did not look pleased to see Booth in his office. Booth at least had the grace to look contrite at the interruption and let Cullen speak first. "Do I need to find another agent?"

"No, no, sir. It's just that," Booth swore. "Sorry, I'm just going to come out with it. Dr. Brennan wants to come out into the field. She wants to come with me on interviews."

"You have an identity already, and leads?" Cullen sounded slightly impressed; it had been less than a day since the case was handed over to the Jeffersonian.

"Sir, we don't have a positive ID yet, but we think that we found Wells."

"Congressman Wells?" Cullen whistled. "Well, easy solution then, it won't be her case anymore; it won't even be your case anymore. If it is Wells, there are going to take the case away from you. We have a hundred agents and a dozen agencies looking for this guy. So just tell her it's no longer going to be her problem, so she won't need to go into the field. Issue resolved. Have a nice day."

Booth would not be dismissed so easily. "Well, sir, you said that we couldn't solve this case without her. I am going to be on this case just as long as you need her. And in order to keep her, I have to take her out in the field. Do not take me off of this case. Uh, please?" Booth tried a little of his charm. It seemed that even Cullen was not immune to its sway.

"Do you actually want her in the field?"

"I have no idea." Cullen grunted. The Jeffersonian Institute was a pain in the neck, and a necessary pain in the neck at that. Booth continued, "Sir, she will be my responsibility."

"She better be. You keep an eye on her, she screws up or gets hurt and it is your ass on the line. So think very carefully where you want to take her. Are we clear?"

"Crystal. Thank you, sir." Cullen sighed, and turned his back to the agent, waving him away. Booth stood to exit, as he was walking out of the door, Cullen got the last word.

"And for God's sake, whatever you do, do not let her have a gun."


An hour later, Booth was on the phone with medical records at a D.C. hospital. He had already been in contact with Walter Reed Medical trying to get access to original X-rays and images and was now tracking down all records taken when Wells was a civilian. He knew copies would be unacceptable for Brennan. The woman on the phone was being very uncooperative, talking about confidentiality, and protocol. Booth was tired of not getting his way. He needed these records.

"Seriously, these records are needed for an open case between the FBI and the Jeffersonian. Have you ever heard of a Dr. Temperance Brennan? Because, you are going to have to deal with her if you do not give me access to these records." The voice on the other end of the line was quiet for a moment and then responded.

"Where can we send the records, sir? We will have a courier available in twenty minutes."

Booth couldn't believe that had worked, but what he didn't know was that Brennan had been at that hospital eight months earlier when Lucy had fractured an arm in karate. Legend of the fiery woman had spread throughout the hospital, it really was best to do what the woman said. Booth didn't question the reasoning behind his winning this argument; he simply gave the address for the FBI, graciously thanked the harried worker and hung up. He had a lot more phone calls to make and a lot of files to go through.

When a congressman goes missing for three months there are bound to be a lot of files. The FBI had interviewed the wife, the brother, every available relative. There was also every aide, every intern, every Representative that had ever shook hands with the guy in the Capitol Building. There were repeat interviews with every one of these people as well, and interviews with their aides and interns. Booth briefly thought about handing the files back to other agents and just moving to Maui. That would make his life easier. But Special Agent Seeley Booth was not a quitter. He sent his agents to look over the less relevant files, keeping family members and key political opponents for himself. His gut told him that one of these people would be the guilty party. As he shuffled papers and tried to make sense of the dozens of files, the medical records began to arrive.

He continued to look through files until he felt that it was time for a break. Just why Booth thought that a trip to the Jeffersonian could be considered a break was an idea he didn't have time to ponder.