Chapter Text
It was the end of February, the warm weather was slowly coming back, spring was around the corner. It was only 8 in the morning and the sun was already up, the city was awake, ready to start the day.
Brennan, Booth and Sweets were having breakfast at the royal diner.
“So you’re telling me that if you never thought about doing something else for a living?” Booth seemed surprised by what his partner had just said.
“Why would I think about something else when I’m so good at my job? A lot of people depend on me, on my research, on my brain. It would be a great loss in the forensic department if decided to leave.”
“Yes I know Bones, but let’s say people didn’t depend on you, what would you do?”
“Yes but that is impossible, I just told you. It would be a waste of my time to imagine something else.” Brennan shrugged.
Sweets intervened and said “Actually, it’s not stupid, a lot of people daydream, it helps dealing with the harsh reality of this world. They create a safe space, where they can imagine anything without taking risks. Psychologists use it a lot to help people with social anxiety. And even if you don’t have anxiety, it can be fun to just imagine yourself in a total other situation. For example, I like to imagine myself as-”
The scientist stopped him and said “I don’t need to imagine anything.”
“It’s just for fun Bones. I do that all the time, if I wasn’t working in the FBI, I would maybe be a teacher, or a cook, or maybe -”
“You’d make a terrible teacher Booth” chuckled Brennan.
Booth was about to say something else but stopped himself when he saw someone opening the door of the diner. Much to their surprise, Caroline Julian stormed in. She saw them at their usual table, she immediately walked towards them and sat down next to Brennan, facing Sweets. She looked at the three of them.
“Why are you here?” asked Brennan, directly staring at her.
She seemed serious. “We have a problem”.
“What’s going on?” asked Booth as he put down his fork, he was done with his pancakes anyway.
“Congressman Daniel Adams called me this morning, he needs this case closed as soon as possible, he doesn’t want the media to learn about it, and he feels like it’s taking too much time.”
“Well we’re doing the best we can, he’s gonna have to wait.”
“Except that we can’t, there’s a killer on the loose, and it’s been more than three weeks and he keeps killing, it doesn’t seem like he’s gonna take any vacation. I’m going to call in a few favors and get you some help.” said Caroline, taking her phone out of her pocket.
Booth slightly leaned down on the table, looking straight into Caroline’s eyes “Look, Caroline, you know me, I don’t do well with new partners, I don’t need any help. I have Bones, I have the squints, we’re close to a breakthrough, I can feel it”
“Look, chéri, I admire this “lone wolf” attitude of yours, but my ass is on the line and yours is too. I don’t know about you but I like my ass. So you’re going to shut this pretty mouth of yours and accept all the help you can get. Okay?”
Booth obeyed and didn’t say anything. It was Caroline Julian, he knew there was nothing he could do to make her change her mind.
“And if I remember correctly, you and Brennan couldn’t bear to be in the same room at first, but now you’re basically married.” said Caroline with a smirk.
“We’re not married, you know that.” said Brennan, confused. “Why would you say that?”
Caroline waved her hand “Nevermind. I’m just going to call my friend at the BAU and they’ll come save you”.
Booth’s eyes widened in horror. “The BAU? Caroline please don’t, don’t do this.”
Meanwhile, Sweets started smiling and said “I can’t wait to meet them, they’re like the A team of the profilers, I have so many questions for them”. He was more excited than a kid on Christmas morning.
“Calm down Sweets or you’re gonna pass out” said Booth, annoyed .
“Why do you hate the Behavioral Analysis Unit?” asked Brennan, frowning.
“Because they all act like they’re above us”
“They are” said Brennan, with a shrug.
“What?” asked Booth, offended.
“Well aren’t you on the fourth floor? The BAU headquarters are on the sixth floor.”
“That’s not- That’s not what I meant Bones.”
Brennan shrugged and finished her waffle. “That’s not like they’re going to be a good help for us, the truth is in the bones, that’s it. I’ll find the killer, I don’t even need you”. Her tone was neutral, as usual.
“Well, that’s not completely true, I’m the muscles”
“My gun is bigger than yours”
“Are we going back to that ?”
“It’s just a fact”.
“You guys, stop. They could actually be really helpful, David Rossi, one of the special agents was my teacher in college, he’s really talented and competent”
Caroline shushed the three of them. “Quiet now.”
She dialed a number on her phone. It rang twice and the person picked up.
“Hi Jennifer, it’s Caroline Julian, you know from the self defense course, yes-”.
Booth choked on his coffee. “Self defense?”
Caroline covered her phone with her hand and whispered “Like I said, I like my ass and I intend to protect it in any way possible, now shut your mouth”.
She uncovered her phone “Yes Jennifer, sorry. I know you work at the Behavioral Analysis Unit. We need your help.”
Brennan could hear the woman talking on the phone.
“What do you need?”
“I need your team. The FBI and the scientists at the Jeffersonian Institute are working on a highly important case, and we need to act quickly, and we need all the help we can get.”
“I mean, we need to be invited by the local authorities to investigate, I don’t really know what we can do-”
“Listen chérie, I can get you anything you need if it means you and your team can come here and help us.”
“Send me the file with all of the infos, I’m not the liaison anymore but I’ll see what I can do, alright?”
“Thanks chérie”.
Caroline smiled and hung up. She grabbed Booth’s muffin before getting up and leaving the diner.