(The Woman at the Airport)

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I don't own Bones.

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The first time Booth heard that Brennan's book 'Bred in the Bone' might be made into a movie was when they were in L.A. working on a case. Special Agent Tricia Finn who had been assigned to help Booth and Brennan had mentioned that she was a screenwriter and she'd be happy to help Brennan with her movie. Surprised Booth had asked Brennan to say something and his partner had mentioned that if she had time, she was supposed to meet some producer about it. He wanted to know which producer, but Brennan didn't know since it had been set up by her agent. That didn't surprise him, since he knew that Brennan didn't really watch movies that much especially movies made after the 50's. As far as he knew, she really wasn't interested in pop culture.

Booth had thought since he was her partner, that she might have told him about the exciting news, but he guessed she didn't see it that way. At one point during their case, she did an interview on a local talk show and she met the producer interested in making her book into a movie.

"The interviewer asked the producer Penny Marshall who was going to write the script." Brennan had found the interview interesting but not very satisfying. "I mentioned that I thought I would be the one writing it and Penny said we'll talk . . . what do you think she meant by that? It wasn't really an answer and it lacked commitment."

He knew that Brennan didn't read magazines about movies and movie stars and he knew he could help her understand what was going on. "Well, I'm not an actor or producer, but I know enough about Hollywood to know that she doesn't want you to write it."

"Really?" Surprised, Brennan shifted in her seat in the car and stared at Booth while he drove to the Santa Monica pier where they hoped to track down the boyfriend of the victim. "My agent didn't say who was writing the screenplay, but I assumed since I wrote the book, I would be the one to write it."

"Nah, I don't think that's how that works." Booth was enjoying driving the Mustang he had rented and it was nice to be able to drive a car with the top down and not freeze or get wet this time of the year. "I think I read about this once and I guess the producers of movies want a tight script and that means your book has to be cut down to make it fit into a two hour film. A lot of dialogue has to go and scenes have to be omitted from your book. They need the bones of your book, not the book itself . . . Kind of like you, you need the bones of victims to do your job and that's what Hollywood filmmakers need . . . Since you wrote 'Bred in the Bone', the producer might think you wouldn't be open to butchering . . . um, editing your story."

Ruminating about what Booth had said, Brennan now was concerned about having her book made into a movie. "But if they edit my story, it won't be my story anymore."

"Yeah, I know." Booth wanted his partner to understand that once she gave them permission to use her book, she'd lose control of what happened and he knew she liked to control everything about her writing process. "You know once you give them permission to make a movie about your book, they can do anything they want. I don't know if you've ever read the book, 'Dune', but when they made a movie about it, they basically used the premise of the story but they didn't film the book. That movie wasn't even close to the book . . . well, that's my opinion and I want you to get that . . . okay? They like your story enough to want to make a movie about it, but they're in business to make money and they have to make the movie compact and interesting to the general public although I'm not sure what they were trying to do when they made the 'Dune' movie."

"I see." Brennan did love movies although modern movies didn't interest her as much as the ones made before she was born. "So, they want to use my book as a general outline but they don't necessarily want to make my story into a movie . . . I'm going to have to think about this before I commit."

Surprised, Booth glanced at his partner then back at the road. "But I thought there was a bidding war to do your book and someone won . . . that producer you met is going to make the movie."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan stared at an older woman walking her dog as they passed her and thought she looked vaguely familiar. "I haven't signed any contracts. If I don't sign then no one can make a movie about my novel. I have final say about that . . . I would love to see my book made into a movie, but I have reservations."

"Like what?" Booth knew that his partner could be stubborn and if she decided that she was going to pass on the movie deal then no one would be able to talk her out of it. No one told Temperance Brennan what to do.

"If they make the movie, I need assurances that the science will be accurate. That is why I assumed I was going to write the screenplay. I have seen some television shows that are centered around solving crimes while I was sitting in automotive shops and airport terminals and their use of science is laughable. They either treat DNA as if it is magic or they treat it as if it doesn't exist. It's one of the reasons why I was leery about making 'Bred in the Bone' into a movie in the first place. It would be fun to see my novel played out on the big screen, but I don't want it made into a parody."

He knew that science was important to her and if they made a movie that screwed up the science part of her book, she would feel humiliated. "I get it, science all the way."

"Yes, science all the way."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Their case was solved and the partners were sitting in business class as the plane they were on was on the way back to Washington D.C.

"I should have sat in first class. I don't need to travel in business class anymore." Brennan was annoyed. Booth had talked her into sitting with him in business class and she wasn't sure it had been the right thing to do. "I can afford first class accommodations. I am a best selling author now."

Feeling a little hurt, Booth frowned and decided that he might have made a mistake getting her to sit with him if all she was going to do was complain. "I can't afford first class and the FBI won't pay for an upgrade." Trying to tamp down his irritation, Booth changed subjects. "Hey, are they going to make a movie out of your book? Who's going to play Andy?" He didn't want some wimp playing Andy since Andy was really him. He was afraid that the agents he worked with him would make fun of Andy if the wrong guy portrayed him and they'd yank his chain about it.

"My book isn't going to be made into a movie." Ready to do some reading, she pulled a copy of Anthropology Today from her pack and flipped it open to the index.

"Wait! You're not going to get a movie deal out of your book?" Not sure if he should be outraged for his partner or relieved, Booth chose to be cautiously outraged for Brennan's sake. "But Penny Marshall was interested in your book. She bid on it."

She didn't really want to talk about it, but clearly Booth did. "I wanted to write the screenplay to make sure that the science part of the novel was portrayed realistically. Ms. Marshall said she had another writer she was going to use . . . It would have been nice to see my novel made into a movie, but I don't wish to trust it in the hands of someone not trained in forensic anthropology. It wouldn't be the right thing to do." She was feeling a little sad about the situation, but she felt she was doing the right thing.

Disappointed that Andy Lister wasn't going to be portrayed by someone important or famous on the big screen, Booth sighed. "It's your decision and I back you on it . . . it would have been nice to see Andy and Kathy on the big screen, busting criminals, solving crimes . . . maybe some day someone will make you an offer you can't turn down, but for now . . . it's your decision."

"Yes, it is my decision . . . Since I turned down Ms. Marshall's offer, I don't think anyone else will try to make the movie. It is what it is." She was just as disappointed as Booth appeared to be, but Brennan knew she had to stand for something and if she didn't do it no one else would. "I'm working on another book."

Surprised, Booth smiled. "Really, can I read the draft?"

"I haven't written it yet and no you may not read the draft." Brennan sighed. "It will be edited many times before I have a novel that I want to publish and I wouldn't feel comfortable letting you read it before it's ready for the public."

"Fine." It really wasn't fine, but Booth knew that Brennan wouldn't give in and let him read it no matter how many times he asked. Maybe someday she'll trust me enough to let me read the drafts of her books.

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