The Jeffersonian, Dr. Camille Saroyan's Office

[argyle_princess]

Hannah knows something is up.

Well, duh. Obviously. Escaped serial killer and all. But there’s something more to it than that, she thinks.

Dr. Sayoran had pulled her out of the lab, away from a cheerful, laughing conversation about a newspaper article, about two hours after Dr. Brennan left with Agent Booth. “Sorry,” Dr. Sayoran said, after she’d explained a little about Howard Epps and his escape. “I’m going to need everyone pretty focused right now.”

Hannah had nodded, yawning. (One of the workers renovating the apartment next to Dr. Brennan’s left his radio on last night, and it turns out hip hop is not exactly conducive to sleep.) “It’s okay. I mean, it’s more important and all. And I have a ton of stuff to read.”

Dr. Sayoran left her in the lounge. Two hours later, Dr. Sayoran asks her to gather up her stuff. “I’m going to have you relocate to my office for a bit.”

“Your office? Won’t I be in the way?”

“Not really. And we need the lounge for a bit. Just make yourself comfortable, and if you need anything, ask.”

Hannah’s pretty sure the person she’s supposed to ask if she needs anything is the security guard in the chair outside Dr. Sayoran’s office. She’s also pretty sure that neither the guard nor the chair was there yesterday.

She looks at the next marked article she’s supposed to read, and then closes the journal. “Screw it,” she mutters, and pulls out her laptop.

Fifteen minutes later, she’s skimmed the first four items that Google brings up on Howard Epps.

Something is definitely up.

Comments

[paladinsuitsyou]

Booth grins. "Naw, I really think you'll be safe here. You don't think I'd leave Bones and the rest of the gang unprotected, right?"

As an afterthought, he adds, "Of course, if we could get Bones to stay here, too..."

The trailing off is due to the utter impossibility of this ever happening.

[argyle_princess]

"Yeah, I'm not loving your chances on that, Agent Booth," Hannah says.

"Safe as houses here, right?"

[paladinsuitsyou]

"Yeah, I know. It's a good thing I'm not a gambler."

Anymore.

His brow wrinkles. "Since when were you British?"

[argyle_princess]

Hannah blinks.

"British?"

[paladinsuitsyou]

"Safe as houses is not something most American teenagers say," Booth explains. "I mean, I could be wrong, and it could be the cool new catchphrase, since I haven't been a teenager in a long time, but...yeah. Never was big slang in my teen years."

[argyle_princess]

Hannah shrugs. "I guess I picked it up somewhere."

A slight smile.

"British is what I accuse my boyfriend of being when he gets all formal."

Which, let's face it, is most of the time.

[paladinsuitsyou]

"That would explain it," he says, smiling. Some of the tension has gone out of him. Hannah's a soothing sort of person to be around, it seems.

Not all the tension, though. "So. You're staying here, in Cam's office?"

[argyle_princess]

"Yeah, and he is British, so, you know, it's fair."

Another shrug.

"It's out the way, for the most part. Security guard right outside the door and all. Not too far from the ladies' room.

"Dr. Brennan wants me to be near the lab. Near people."

[paladinsuitsyou]

"Dr. Brennan is a very smart woman," Booth says, a bit absently. He's going over the logistics and it makes sense. Central location, the guard, and lots of people at most hours.

"Yeah, I think it'll work OK. I'll get a security detail, too, especially at night when the Jeffersonian's people have gone home."

[argyle_princess]

Hannah's smile is a little wry, and a little forced.

"Did you ever read a book called From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frank-Franksomething? I had to, for school, when I was about ten.

"I thought it would be a lot of fun to spent the night in a museum when I was ten."

She's pretty much changed her mind.

[paladinsuitsyou]

Booth raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, I read it when I was nine, I guess. I thought so too."

Pause.

"I can see how maybe it's not so much in reality."

[argyle_princess]

"I guess it could be worse," she says, looking for some kind of bright side.

"It could be Christmas."

Yeah, she's heard that story.

[paladinsuitsyou]

Booth lets out a surprised laugh. "Yeah, no kidding," he says. "And you could be in danger of getting a loathsome disease by hanging out here."

Or stuck with Booth when he's high. God, that's embarrassing to remember.

[argyle_princess]

Hannah would be impressed he could remember it, really. She knows people who have forgotten entire semesters, under similar conditions.

"I think being targeted by a serial killer is bad enough without adding something that makes you break out in spots."

[paladinsuitsyou]

Booth sobers. "It is. But really, Hannah, we're going to catch him. And it won't take long. He's playing a dangerous game, but the fact that he's still communicating means he's going to slip up. And soon."

Pause.

"Did Bones tell you about the other times we dealt with Epps?"

[argyle_princess]

"Not much. Just that he likes to be the Moriarty to her Holmes."

It's her metaphor and she's sticking to it, because as far as she knows, Holmes always figured it out.

[paladinsuitsyou]

"That's pretty accurate," he says. "Except Epps isn't even as good as Moriarty. He thinks he is, but Booth wins every time."

Pause. "She broke his wrist once."

He gives her a serious look. "You gonna be OK? We really could arrange to send you home early, if you wanted. I could do security there with the field office about as easily."

[argyle_princess]

"Good for her," Hannah says.

She shakes her head and gives him a bit of a smile.

"I'm fine. It's an adventure, right? Story to tell my grandkids or something. So long as someone can find me a toothbrush and some clean clothes, I'm perfectly fine."

[paladinsuitsyou]

Booth nods slowly and smiles encouragingly. "Yeah. An adventure. And I'll leave the clothes to Dr. Brennan, but I think I can manage the toothbrush. Paste, too."

[argyle_princess]

"Thanks."

She gives him a slightly brighter smile.

"So why are you hanging out here talking to me? Don't you have a bad guy to catch, Agent Booth?"

[paladinsuitsyou]

"You're welcome."

And his smile is fierce, the smile of a hunter who has work to do.

"I do. And I've got some security guys to put the fear of God into, as well. Be careful, kiddo."

[argyle_princess]

"You, too. Be careful, I mean.

"I'm safe as houses, after all."