STICKS AND BONES
Chapter Five: The Chemistry of a Crash "All our lives we search for someone who makes us complete. We choose partners and change partners. We dance the song of heartbreak and hope all the while, wondering if somewhere, somehow, there is someone searching for us." - Kevin Arnold Author's Note: I've rewritten this chapter about ten times, I finally caved and decided to go with this. Hope you enjoy it! The bright blue Virginia sky, accompanied by the radiant sun, gave the impression that today would be a beautiful day. A beautiful day filled with birds chirping, children playing in the park, couples laughing and holding hands, all in all, a relaxing day. However, as Special Agent Christopher Walker trudged his way through deep pools of mud, he couldn't help but feel cheated. The air around him was thick and heavy with the putrid scent of decaying burnt flesh. In every direction were large piles of trash containing a variety scrap metal, bursting garbage bags, and containers filled with sewage. It had been approximately one month since his last case and while he was eager for a new challenge, he was not grateful to have received this new assignment at 5:30am on a Saturday morning. Especially since he had been planning on spending the weekend with his pregnant wife and three-year old daughter. However, without asking, Christopher knew exactly why he had been personally asked by the Deputy Director of the FBI to lead this investigation. Over the course of the six years that Christopher had spent at the bureau, he had earned himself the reputation of being a lone wolf. He never worked with a partner for more than the course of a single case, he was never seen at any social events with his colleagues, in fact, he never took the time to learn anyone's name. On the other hand, when it came down to it, no one ever questioned his effectiveness or the method for which he solved his cases. His solve rate was one of the highest in the bureau's history, coming up just below that of Special Agent Lister and Dr. Reichs. Regardless, Christopher could only assume that the reason he received this assignment, was that it would mean Hanson would be ruining only one of his agent's weekends, as apposed to two, and that was simply good office politics. Not that Christopher understood them, much less cared for them. "What do we have here?" He called out to the FBI technician currently crouched over, what he could only assume, were a set of human remains. The middle-aged technician glanced up from the body, his eyes taking a moment to readjust against the morning sunlight. "Well, I'm not entirely sure if these are even human remains. The body has been far too decomposed and damaged for me to properly identify the species let alone give you a sex, age, or even a cause of death," the technician responded honestly, as he rose from his uncomfortable position and begun removing his blue latex gloves. "I see, well, don't Lister and Dr. Reichs usually cover these type of cases?" Christopher questioned, suddenly confused why Hanson would call anyone besides the duo to solve this case. The technician nodded, taking a step away from the body. "Typically, yes, but didn't you hear? They had their partnership dissolved," he explained. "Ah yes, how could I forget?" Walker responded absently, briefly remembering some of his colleagues gossiping about the non-couple. Unsurprisingly he hadn't paid it much attention, only briefly registering what they had said. "Is there any one else who would be able to successfully identify these remains?" "Not that I know of, Dr. Reichs is the best." "Very well then," Christopher concluded, "where can I find her?" The sharp sound of knocking broke through the peaceful silence that had descended in the apartment. The sole occupant groaned loudly at the sound, turning over and reaching for her pillow, before burying her face in it. As the knocking grew more incessant, she let out a dejected sigh and rose from her bed. Pausing only to reach for her dressing gown, Kathy made her way through her apartment, not caring that she hadn't even washed her face yet. Upon reaching her front door, the anthropologist peered through her peep hole. Blinking in confusion at the unfamiliar man standing on the other side. Cautiously Kathy opened the door, keeping the chain securely in place - just in case. "Can I help you?" she questioned, once the man, upon hearing the door opening, had turned to face her. "I hope so," Christopher responded, before introducing himself. "I'm Special Agent Christopher Walker, Dr. Kathy Reichs I presume?" Kathy nodded, unsure why the FBI would have sent an agent to her apartment. Especially since she had made it crystal clear that she never wanted to have anything to do with the bureau again. "May I come in?" Christopher prompted, wanting to be out of the public's eye when divulging classified information. "Show me your badge and identification first." After doing so and taking the time to properly read his credentials, she unhooked the chain and stepped aside, allowing him to pass through the threshold. Christopher entered her apartment respectfully, his eyes roaming around her apartment briefly, taking in the various artifacts she had accumulated. Although his glance was only cursory, years of training and an intricate sense of detail, allowed him to catalogue everything and, in turn, draw his own conclusions about the doctor. From what he could tell, she lived alone, she had only been in the apartment for a few months at the most, and she was quite well off. "Have a seat, I'll get you some coffee," Kathy politely suggested, as she made her way purposely into the kitchen. Christopher nodded, accepting her offer, before turning his gaze to the woman. From his angle he could only see her when she was directly in front of the coffee pot. Whenever she stepped back to retrieve something, he lost sight of her. Having only briefly scanned her file on the way over here, he was intrigued. As awful as it sounded, he liked to view people as intricate puzzles. Everyone, whether they were conscious of it or not, revealed a piece of them self in everything they said or did. If one pays close enough attention, one day all the pieces come together to create the unique picture of that individual. It was something that Christopher had always enjoyed, picking apart people in every way possible and discovering who they really were behind whatever metaphorical wall they had placed around them. Kathy soon returned with two steaming mugs of black coffee in her hands. Placing them both on top of her discarded anthropology magazines, she turned her attention back to the agent. "Do you take milk or sugar?" "I'll have it black, thanks." Kathy nodded, also deciding that she would take hers black too. Taking a seat directly next to the agent, Kathy decided to get straight to the point. "Why are you here, Agent Walker?" Christopher blinked in response before quickly regaining composure. The other agents had warned him that she wasn't one to beat around the bush. Choosing to follow in suit, he jumped right into the case at hand. "A set of human remains were discovered some time this morning. Unfortunately, the remains have been far too discomposed for any of the technicians to uncover the identity of the victim, let alone, give us cause of death." "And you want me to identify the body," she replied. Her response more of statement than an actual question. Christopher nodded before elaborating further. "I was hoping that you would be able to successful identify the remains and provide me with a cause of death." "That's it?" Christopher looked at her in confusion, "what do you mean? Is there something else you are expecting?" "All you're offering me is lab work. I already have plenty of lab work at the moment." "What else would you like?" he questioned, unsure at what she was hinting at. "Full participation in all aspects of the case." "Are you asking to be my partner?" "Just on this case," Kathy quickly clarified. "Huh, that's interesting. Word is, every single agent that has offered you partnership, thus far, you've turned down. Now tell me something, Dr. Reichs, why are you so quick to ask to form a partnership with me?" Chris questioned, angling himself closer to her. While typically this was something he did solely when he was trying to threaten a suspect, he found himself hoping to make the good doctor slightly uneasy. Although she was strong woman, something that he admired, he had also noticed that she was quick to answer his questions without ever really saying anything. Without ever really taking the time to examine or think about a question in depth. In other words, she wasn't providing him with any insight into who she was. It seemed as if his slight invasion of her personal space was working, because she almost reflexively leaned back in her seat. Thus causing her to momentarily forget what she was about to say and in turn, actually have to properly think about the question now that her automatic response was lost. A few moments passed by as Kathy found herself pondering why now, of all times, with Agent Walker, of all people, she wanted to continue working with the FBI. After a moment of thoroughly analyzing each of her reasons, she broke the silence. "It's time." Seeley Booth was late, again. This was the fourth meeting in the space of a month that he had arrived to late and for some reason he couldn't bring himself to care. It seemed as if finally, after years of being disappointed, rejected and most of all, alone, he had stopped caring. He had stopped caring whether his hair was perfect in the morning, if his socks were just as wacky as his tie, hell, he even stopped caring if the Steelers won the Superbowl. Not bothering to pick his head up and walk more quickly towards the meeting room, he trained his once warm brown eyes on the stained blue carpet before him. As he began to lose himself in meaningless thoughts he found himself suddenly jolted back to reality as he collided with someone. A sharp female yelp caused him to snapped his head up in concern, his body propelling himself towards the young woman now staring up at him from the floor. As the brunette haired woman raised her head slowly, Booth froze. His eyes widening as he found himself meeting one of the bluest pairs of eyes he had ever encountered. His breath caught in his throat as he continued to stare, only to blink rapidly when she spoke. Author's Note: I'll explain the reason for my long absence in the next chapter, if anyone is still reading. Please review and let me know if you are.
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