Prologue
Welcome Back
January was cold in DC. Snow blanketed the ground of the White House, leaving it postcard perfect. Throw in the fact that it was a cloudless night and all the stars were out in full force and you had the backdrop of an old Jimmy Stewart movie.
Except it wasn't.
Booth frowned at the scenario in front of him before he took off down the sidewalk, careful not to slip on the ice. It wouldn't do for a top FBI agent to fall on the ice and crack his head open. He already had one fake death in his records, he didn't want a real one added to that anytime soon. And he certainly didn't want his death to be attributed to clumsiness. Nodding at the few other pedestrians that he passed on the sidewalk, he finally arrived at his destination and stood across the street, looking at it for a few minutes.
The J. Edgar Hoover Building. FBI headquarters. Booth's frown grew deeper. It had been three years since he had last been inside. Three years since he had shut his office door and shed his identity as Seeley Booth. And it was only after one night and God knows how many harrowing arguments that had caused him to make the decision to go undercover. But now that case was over and he was back in DC. Back to his old way of life. Back to his old job, if he wanted it.
Problem was, he wasn't sure he wanted anything more than a hot shower and a warm bed right now. It had been a long thirty-six months of grueling, high-pressure work. His skills as both a Ranger and an agent had been tested. And except for the few times he had seen Parker and Rebecca, there had been no down time at all.
But it was over and done with now. Come Monday morning, if he wanted, he could go back to being Special Agent Seeley Booth. However that decision wasn't coming until after he and Cullen had a little talk.
The light flashed. The crosswalk was clear. Booth carefully crossed the icy street and flashed his ID at the night guard. A key turned, and he was let inside.
"Welcome back, Agent Booth. It's nice to see you again.