A/N: As promised: an extra chapter in an attempt to ease the long wait. For now, this is the end of this story. I might return with a Part II about Lilly and Wendell at Quantico, but I am currently not in the right frame of mind to write for that. I am working on fanfiction for another series, which also has a long way to go. Thank you for all your patience with my slow and inconsistent updating.
I worked in a character some of you might know from a different series. I thought it would be fun to pick an FBI agent that was cherished by many throughout the series he was part of.
"Hi, is this miss Johnson?"
"Yes, this is she", Lilly said and sat up a little straighter on her couch.
"Great. I am Taylor calling from the Office of Personnel Management of the FBI. I am calling to make an appointment pertaining to a mister Bray's security clearance."
"Oh, alright," Lilly said, walking to her desk to find her calendar. She squeezed her phone between her ear and shoulder to flip to the current date.
"You are aware of his application?" Taylor asked.
"Yes. He's my boyfriend so I expected this call."
"Great. I do see he has listed you as a cohabitant."
Lilly chuckled. "Yeah, that does not have as nice of a ring to it."
Taylor politely laughed. "I agree, but legalese hardly ever caters to romance. I have a few dates here." Taylor listed the possibilities.
The call ended with Lilly asking if she needed to bring anything but was reassured that if anything was needed she could always bring it in later. The usual identification to enter a federal building was enough.
"Hey Lilly, wait up," Booth said as he jogged up the stairs.
Lilly smiled. "Hey-ya, Booth."
"Are you here to see me?" He asked, wondering if he had forgotten a meeting or anything else.
"No. I am here to be grilled by one of your colleagues."
Booth looked at her with a look of wonder.
"Wendell's security clearance," Lilly explained.
"Ah," Booth said as they showed their badges to the security officer.
"Do you think I should get a visitor's badge?" Lilly wondered as she clipped her usual badge back onto her shirt.
"You could try, but they won't give you one since you already have your own badge", Booth said.
Lilly nodded. "Alright. Well, I do have to see the receptionist to see where I need to go. Will you bail me out if they arrest me?"
Booth chuckled. "Sure. See you later." He waved as he made his way to the stairs.
Lilly smiled as she watched him leave. It was weird to be at the Hoover for an interview instead of the normal everyday things. She wasn't sure what was about to happen. Her own clearance process had been a paper ordeal from start to end. She didn't think anyone had been called into an FBI office to be interviewed. Lilly wondered if something had changed in the rules or if the difference was the position Wendell was applying for. Good or bad, she would find out soon enough.
"Come in, miss Johnson", The agent said in the doorway, gesturing for her. "Agent Aaron Hotchner", The man said as an introduction of himself as he shook Lilly's hand.
Lilly wondered if he was always this serious. He had the look of a hawk and he was impressively stern. Did they select agents on their stare down look?
"Please, take a seat", Hotchner said as he made his way to his own chair.
"Thanks." Lilly settled herself and looked around the office. It lacked a personal touch. Unlike Booth's office or any office of the Jeffersonian team, this office wasn't decorated at all. No pictures, paintings or medals of honor, nothing. Lilly wondered if agent Hotchner was new here or only visiting. She tried to wreck her brain if this was the part of the Hoover for out of town agents.
"I am glad you could come in on so short notice," Aaron said with a tight smile. "It is routine that we call in the spouse or partner of an FBI applicant to determine the risk level during the security clearance process. That doesn't necessarily mean there is anything wrong or that we found something that is concerning during our background check, but as you might understand, the person someone spends a lot of time with, says a lot about that person as well."
Lilly nodded. She wondered how often this agent had told this introductory story before. He didn't sound annoyed by it, though Lilly wondered if anyone wanted to join the federal government to check out the threat of family members.
"As is regulatory, I have to record the rest of our conversation, is that okay? Did you bring any ID?"
Lilly nodded, grabbing her driver's license.
"Alright." Hotchner turned on his recorder. He started by stating the date, his title, and name, Lilly's name and identification number, and the case file. "You don't have to answer any question you don't want to answer. Nothing you say here can lead to a criminal conviction based on your statements. If you choose not to answer, it might have consequences for the security clearance of your partner."
Lilly nodded. "Of course, I understand. Interesting opposite of a Miranda warning", Lilly said.
The agent frowned, looking down at his page.
Lilly picked up on his expression. "Oh, oops, you probably are thinking I know from experiencing the real deal during an arrest."
This time the agent gave a genuine smile. "Yes, I can't deny that crossed my mind just now, but I see you studied Law."
"Yes, I am. Well, technically I passed everything, but graduation is still coming up."
"Congratulations", Aaron said.
"Thank you."
"Well, since we're on the topic of work. Could you state your occupation?"
"Of course. I am currently finishing up my internship at the FJD. Starting September I'll start there as a junior assistant prosecutor's assistant."
"That is great. I've seen that you have no criminal record or any ties to people who are known to the police. Mister Bray enlisted that you've lived abroad in the previous seven years. Is that correct?"
"Yes. I went backpacking through Europe for a year. Well, not exactly backpacking. I crossed the ocean to study abroad, work as an au pair, and see Europe."
Aaron nodded. "Which countries did you live in?"
"And with 'lived in' you mean as a citizen?" Lilly asked.
"Yes."
Lilly nodded. "The study part was in the UK and afterward I made my way to reside in France with a family."
Hotchner scribbled down her answers. "So France and the UK?"
"Yes, more specifically England", Lilly noticed the agent was left-handed.
Hotchner nodded. "Did you make any friends overseas?"
"Of course. Wouldn't it be weird if I hadn't?" A year was a long time, without any friends it would have been a lonely endeavor.
The face of the agent was emotionless or just frozen in seriousness. Disregarding Lilly's rhetorical question, he continued. "Any acquaintances you're still in contact with?"
"Not really," Lilly said. "I have a few of my friends on Facebook and every once in a while we chat. However, I've been back for over a year and a half, and how crude it sounds out of sight out of mind is a real thing."
Unimpressed Aaron continued. "What are the names of those friends?"
Surprised Lilly listed the names, accompanied by the country she has met them. "I didn't know the FBI cared about study friends from abroad."
Hotchner nodded. "Well, foreign acquaintances potentially pose a threat. Though, friends from Europe usually clear pretty quickly. It would be more worry some if your friends were from the Middle East."
Lilly looked disgusted. She hated generalities like that.
Understanding showed on the agent's face. "I don't make the rules, but I agree with you there is some inequality there. Mister Bray wrote down you also lived in Canada? Is that incorrect?"
"No, that is correct. I attended a boarding school there, but I finished right before turning 18, so that doesn't fit into the time frame of seven years."
Hotchner nodded, writing it down. "Excellent. Who are the people you do consider your inner circle?"
"Well, my family."
Aaron interrupted. "And who are they?"
"Pretty much everyone named Johnson that works at Johnson Inc.", Lilly said. "And then there is an aunt and uncle of my mother's side, who also have kids my age or a little younger."
Hotchner continued by asking for the names of Lilly's family members. "As for friends?"
Lilly smiled, wondering what her bestie was going to think about Lilly listing her in FBI documents. "Susan Miller, Ana Diaz. The rest is pretty much the team I am part of, but they all have security clearance."
Hotchner insisted on the names anyway.
As Lilly listed the people of the team, she watched the agent's expressions. She wasn't able to read him and couldn't tell if he did or didn't know Booth.
Agent Hotchner asked her another couple of questions and then they were done. "That is it", Aaron said. "Thank you for coming in. If everything checks out, you won't hear back from us. Eventually mr. Bray will get notice whether or not he receives clearance, but that might take another couple of months."
"I understand", Lilly said. They shook hands and Lilly left the agent's office.
"So how was your security clearance check chat?"
Lilly smiled. "Technically it wasn't my check, it was Wendell's." She knew that Booth would hate her pointing out that detail and therefore she just had to. Her efforts were rewarded by his scold.
"You know what I meant."
"It was okay. A bit weird, maybe? Definitely intense. Do you know an agent Hotchner?"
Booth chuckled. "Oh man, intense is probably an understatement."
"So you know him?"
Booth nodded. "Dark hair, furrowed brow? Serious gaze, serious tone?" Booth imitated Aaron's voice.
Lilly nodded. "Sounds about right, that is kind of creepy though." She got shivers from Booth's accurate impression.
Booth smiled. "I am a man of many talents."
"Uhu, sure," Lilly said with a lopsided smile. "He's really a hard to read man."
"Trust me, I know, he is very focused and goal-oriented." Booth dislikes being unable to grasp someone's emotions, even though on occasion it was a useful skill.
"How do you know him?"
"He lectured at Quantico."
"He trained you?", Lilly asked, wondering how the math in the age difference between the agents would work out.
"No, agent Hotchner is an expert in crisis negotiations. Wrote the book about it and everything. He lectures for those credit courses. He used to be a lawyer," Booth said. "At the Justice Department. Caroline might even know him."
"Hmm." That explained the agent's reaction to Lilly's job. "How does a man like that end up working security clearances?" Lilly wondered out loud.
"Well, until a couple of months ago he worked as a profiler."
"Like Sweets?"
"Not exactly. Sweets is a trained psychologist and not an agent. Hotchner lead a team of agent profilers who work on catching serial killers." Booth explained. "His wife got murdered during one of the cases a few years back and his son got kidnapped. Apparently, recently there was another threat to his son and Hotchner decided to step down."
"Wow", Lilly said softly.
Booth nodded. "It's hard." He swallowed thinking back to when he had almost lost Parker to Epps. "Serial killer cases always were the worst. Rumor has it he wasn't feeling it was worth it anymore."
Lilly nodded. "That makes sense. There is probably always that point where someone is done with the sacrifices."
"Yeah." Booth thought of all the people who he had seen eventually crack under the persistent pressure. He wondered how long he would stay in this job. He had passed on promotions before because he enjoyed working with Bones so much, but there probably would come a day where he would reach his breaking point as well. Unlike Hotchner, he wasn't sure he would stay with the FBI when that happened.
"How come you've never worked with that team? I've heard you and Dr. Brennan have dealt with serial killers before." Booth was a great source of information about the inner workings of the FBI. Lilly welcomed any and all knowledge and enjoyed that Booth shared his thoughts with her so easily. She knew he didn't divulge inside information easily. She had heard some of his agents complain about the sometimes curt way Booth handled them, but she was sure they got lucky being on Booth's team and working Major Crimes this early on in their career.
"Our cases are different. Bones and I usually work on older cases. Sometimes even cold cases that become hot again. Hotchner's team focuses on cases with a really high body count and where the killer is extremely active and increasing the speed of his killings. They also fly out to small counties that miss the expertise to handle cases like that. We have all we need between the lab and the Major Crimes division."
Lilly cringed. "I don't know how long he did that job, but I am sure it was too long."
Booth nodded. "Every murder case is horrible but serial killers are definitely next level."
A/N: Thank you for reading and joining me on this journey. It was a lot of fun to write and share this story with all of you.