[cl] 15. Diligence
[Crack. SUCH crack, because I am in need of it. This is, quite obviously, not binding on any muse unless they wish it to be and I’m not even sure anyone would. This is just me needing some fun. This is also not set at any particular point in the timeline, so let’s just assume Bela lived, Lucifer stayed put and Dean never went to Hell for the sake of my needs for crack. It’ll be in parts. Not sure how many, but definitely more than one.]
They had been at this for hours. Pouring over burial records, obituaries, anything they could find and they kept coming up with nothing. Bela was frustrated, the boys were frustrated and neither group wanted to spend any more time with each other than they had to, but they were both working this case and neither was willing to let it go. Bela was never willing to let go of a decent pay day, and the brothers were never too busy to be white knights so until this was sorted, they were in trouble. She gave a heavy sigh, before slumping back against the chair.
“This is impossible.”
“There has to be some sign of his remains somewhere,” Dean replied, throwing his pen down. “I mean, he wasn’t cremated. He wasn’t buried-where the hell is his body?”
“ … I think I found it.
Sam had been quiet for a long time, mostly typing as best he could to see if he could find the information they wanted. Bela turned back to him, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Well? Where is he?”
Sam looked up, swallowing hard before running a hand over his face. “He’s at the Jeffersonian.”
Bela stared at him for a moment, trying to process that statement without getting a headache, before getting up and making her way around to see what Sam was looking at. “You must be joking.”
“What’s the Jeffersonian?”
“John Doe number three-five-six was transferred to the Jeffersonian and placed in bone storage pending a later identification to be done by Doctor Temperance Brennan.” Sam pointed as he read, before glancing back at Bela over her shoulder. “They still haven’t done it yet.”
“Brilliant. Just brilliant.”
“Guys-what’s the Jeffersonian?”
Bela rolled her eyes up to look at him, before shaking her head. “The Jeffersonian is one of the foremost institutions of learning in the country. Doctor Brennan is one of the best forensic anthropologists in the country. She works with the FBI in solving some of the harder cases.”
“And this is a problem, why? We go, pretend to be FBI needing information on a case, and get out. Easy.”
“Not that easy, Dean,” Sam sighed. “This place has more security than Fort Knox, never mind real FBI crawling all over the place. We can’t just waltz in there pretending to be FBI. We need an in. An in we don’t have.”
“Actually, we do.”
Both boys looked up at her in surprise. “We do?” Sam frowned. “Do you know something I don’t?”
She sighed heavily. “I know someone who works there. I don’t want to have to use, but we don’t have a choice, do we?”
“Who?”
“That’s not important,” she replied, pulling away from Sam. “Look, I’ll get in, find out where the remains are and get a better look at the security system. He’s been wanting to show me around for years, I might as well finally take him up on it.”
“For years?” Dean blinked a little at that. “Bela, do you have an actual friend?”
“What? Surprised I have something you don’t as oppose to the other way around?”
“Guys,” Sam spoke up, waiting for a period of silence between them before turning back to her. “Are you sure you want to do this? This is a friend of yours.”
“I can handle it,” she sighed. “You know it won’t be fast, though. I’ll need some time.”
“Well, we know his target. Maybe we can use that to keep the spirit from killing anyone for now while you get us in to the remains.”
“I’ll see what I can do to expedite the process,” she replied, before gathering her things together. “Well, it’s getting late. See you boys in the morning?”
“Yeah, Bela,” Sam sighed. “See you tomorrow.”
Bela made her way out the door and back to her car. When she got there, she settled into the driver’s seat before reaching for the phone. She didn’t want to do this, especially not to him, but she didn’t really have a choice. More people would die otherwise. She dialed the number, and placed the phone to her ear, waiting quietly for him to pick up.
“Dr. Jack Hodgins.”
“Jack? It’s Abby Winters-I know, it’s been a long time …. ”
720 words
They had been at this for hours. Pouring over burial records, obituaries, anything they could find and they kept coming up with nothing. Bela was frustrated, the boys were frustrated and neither group wanted to spend any more time with each other than they had to, but they were both working this case and neither was willing to let it go. Bela was never willing to let go of a decent pay day, and the brothers were never too busy to be white knights so until this was sorted, they were in trouble. She gave a heavy sigh, before slumping back against the chair.
“This is impossible.”
“There has to be some sign of his remains somewhere,” Dean replied, throwing his pen down. “I mean, he wasn’t cremated. He wasn’t buried-where the hell is his body?”
“ … I think I found it.
Sam had been quiet for a long time, mostly typing as best he could to see if he could find the information they wanted. Bela turned back to him, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Well? Where is he?”
Sam looked up, swallowing hard before running a hand over his face. “He’s at the Jeffersonian.”
Bela stared at him for a moment, trying to process that statement without getting a headache, before getting up and making her way around to see what Sam was looking at. “You must be joking.”
“What’s the Jeffersonian?”
“John Doe number three-five-six was transferred to the Jeffersonian and placed in bone storage pending a later identification to be done by Doctor Temperance Brennan.” Sam pointed as he read, before glancing back at Bela over her shoulder. “They still haven’t done it yet.”
“Brilliant. Just brilliant.”
“Guys-what’s the Jeffersonian?”
Bela rolled her eyes up to look at him, before shaking her head. “The Jeffersonian is one of the foremost institutions of learning in the country. Doctor Brennan is one of the best forensic anthropologists in the country. She works with the FBI in solving some of the harder cases.”
“And this is a problem, why? We go, pretend to be FBI needing information on a case, and get out. Easy.”
“Not that easy, Dean,” Sam sighed. “This place has more security than Fort Knox, never mind real FBI crawling all over the place. We can’t just waltz in there pretending to be FBI. We need an in. An in we don’t have.”
“Actually, we do.”
Both boys looked up at her in surprise. “We do?” Sam frowned. “Do you know something I don’t?”
She sighed heavily. “I know someone who works there. I don’t want to have to use, but we don’t have a choice, do we?”
“Who?”
“That’s not important,” she replied, pulling away from Sam. “Look, I’ll get in, find out where the remains are and get a better look at the security system. He’s been wanting to show me around for years, I might as well finally take him up on it.”
“For years?” Dean blinked a little at that. “Bela, do you have an actual friend?”
“What? Surprised I have something you don’t as oppose to the other way around?”
“Guys,” Sam spoke up, waiting for a period of silence between them before turning back to her. “Are you sure you want to do this? This is a friend of yours.”
“I can handle it,” she sighed. “You know it won’t be fast, though. I’ll need some time.”
“Well, we know his target. Maybe we can use that to keep the spirit from killing anyone for now while you get us in to the remains.”
“I’ll see what I can do to expedite the process,” she replied, before gathering her things together. “Well, it’s getting late. See you boys in the morning?”
“Yeah, Bela,” Sam sighed. “See you tomorrow.”
Bela made her way out the door and back to her car. When she got there, she settled into the driver’s seat before reaching for the phone. She didn’t want to do this, especially not to him, but she didn’t really have a choice. More people would die otherwise. She dialed the number, and placed the phone to her ear, waiting quietly for him to pick up.
“Dr. Jack Hodgins.”
“Jack? It’s Abby Winters-I know, it’s been a long time …. ”
720 words