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AN: Yet another story in my 'Angel of the Bones' series- based around the idea that Seeley Booth is the human identity of Angel, the vampire with a soul- with this one serving as a 'sequel' to 'The Writing on the Wall'; where that story was essentially set between the episodes of the Bones/Sleepy Hollow crossover, this one is set mid-way through 'Dead Men Tell No Tales', giving Abby and Booth a chance to talk after the previous one focused on Brennan and Crane (Consider it a replacement to Booth and Abby's conversation after Crane and Brennan identified the tomb's location but before they actually went to the tomb, if that helps)

A Vampire in the FBI

The more she learned about the supernatural, the more Abby Mills found herself wondered when she'd stop being surprised by some of the things she'd discovered.

On the one hand, she felt that it should be easy to accept the unusual in a world where her closest ally had worked alongside George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and her first major enemy had been the Headless Horseman of Death, but on the other hand, the discovery that she wasn't the only FBI agent to have a really freaky background…

In a strange, petty way, she felt cheated at the fact that someone else had 'beaten her to it'. Not only had Booth worked for the FBI before her, but his ties to the supernatural were far more complex than even her role as a Witness; god, the man was once a freaking vampire…

"So," Booth said, breaking her train of thought as he walked up to her with a couple of coffees, "care to explain why you called in a favour to solve… what, some two-bit historical mystery?"

"History's important," Abby replied. "Somebody's got to keep the record straight."

"OK, so let's keep this straight," Booth said, looking at her thoughtfully for a moment. "What is this really all about? You trying to solve some… off-book investigation or something?"

"That depends," Abby said, looking inquiringly at him, deciding that she might as well make a start on 'testing the waters'. "Did Doctor Brennan tell you about her… talk… with Crane?"

"Among other things," Booth confirmed, looking at her in silence for a moment before he spoke again, his casual manner at least reassuring Abby that she wasn't involved in some kind of elaborate joke. "Does that… worry you?"

"That you used to go around drinking blood and are basically older than the country?" Abby replied, shrugging slightly at the idea. "It's… odd, but I've seen my ex translate for a headless horseman when my ex had his neck broken by a demon; after that kind of experience, you learn to keep an open mind."

"You'd have to," Booth smiled at her in brief acknowledgement. "Sounds like a nice job."

"It would have worked better if we'd been able to keep him contained for more than a night or two," Abby sighed, shaking her head in frustration at the memory before she looked back at Booth. "So… you were seriously a vampire?"

"If it helps, I was basically just a very strong walking corpse," Booth answered, as he sat down beside her. "The whole thing about vampires turning into bats and mist is exaggerated; Dracula's the only one who can do that-"

"Hold on; Dracula?" Abby repeated, looking at the other man in shock. "As in, the Dracula? The guy really was a vampire?"

"Yeah," Booth confirmed, shrugging slightly before he smiled at her. "If it helps, other vampires don't really like him much, so he tends to remain low-key these days; making our vulnerabilities public because he wanted to make a name for himself didn't win him many friends."

"Right…" Abby said, taking a moment to think about that particular twist before she focused on the former vampire she could actually talk to. "So… what was all that Doctor Brennan told me about how you were cursed?"

"When you become a vampire, you don't just change physically," Booth explained. "Part of the transformation is that, after your 'death', your body's basically inhabited by a demonic spirit that's a twisted corruption of what you used to be. A shy bookworm can become a vicious dominatrix, a pious Catholic virgin is a twisted nymphomaniac, a devoted mother accuses her son of having an Oedipus complex…"

He sighed. "I wasn't exactly a saint when I was human the first time around, but I wasn't so much of a monster that I was immune to what happened when my soul was restored to me a century and a half after I first became a vampire."

"So… basically, you went around killing people for food for a hundred and fifty years?" Abby asked, trying not to shudder at the mental image.

"Among other things," Booth said grimly, his tone reinforcing the idea that Abby wouldn't want to ask any more questions on that topic. "After my soul was restored by a curse intended to punish me for my latest victim, I tried to keep up with old habits just because I didn't know what else to do, but I only ever targeted killers or other criminals; I eventually broke away when I was… well, one of my vampire associates ordered me to kill a baby, and I couldn't do it."

He sighed solemnly as he leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before he turned back to look at Abby. "After that, I drifted for the majority of the twentieth century, until… well, things happened that prompted me to start getting more involved with the human race than I had been before. One thing led to another, the other thing led to me setting up shop in Los Angeles as a private detective specialising in… unconventional cases, and then that led to me learning about an ancient prophecy."

"What kind of… prophecy?" Abby asked uncertainly.

"That once I fulfilled my destiny, I'd be restored to humanity as a reward," Booth explained, smiling slightly at the memory before he continued. "It took a few years and a few close calls, but eventually, after my last major stand as a vampire, I was turned back into a human and given a completely new backstory; as far as the wider world is concerned, my vampire identity died a few years ago, and Seeley Booth's been around for years."

"Complicated," Abby noted grimly.

"Oh, I've been there," Booth said, smiling at her in understanding. "But when it means I get all this… well, I can't say it hasn't been worth it."

"So what prompted the career choice?"

"I still wanted to help people," Booth explained with a solemn smile. "Solving murders isn't the same as hunting demons, but I feel like it's a good way to make a difference at my current speed."

"Fair enough," Abby said, smiling in understanding before looking thoughtfully at him. "You know… if you know about the supernatural…"

"I can't."

"Can't?" Abby repeated, looking at him in surprise. "From what you've told me, you spent years doing this kind of thing-"

"And it ended with me staging a massive assault on a group of ancient beings that have sought dominion over mankind that hasn't been followed by anything worse only because they think I'm dead," Booth said grimly. "Believe me, I sympathise with your situation, and I'll do what I can to help you in more conventional cases, but if I get involved in that world again on a large scale…"

He sighed grimly before he looked at her directly. "I have three children to think about now; I… I know it's selfish, but I can't put them at risk by making people from that world aware that I'm still alive. Hell, I wouldn't even have told Bones about this if we hadn't been confronted by my vampire demon-"

"What?"

"Long story involving some ancient evil restoring my vampire demon in a new body to try and 'avenge' how I'd interfered with its old plans; long story that isn't important right now," Booth said, waving a dismissive hand before he focused on Abby once more. "The point is that I just… look, I keep up-to-date on anything supernatural going on in Washington just in case I need to step in, and I'll help out if I absolutely have to, but I just…"

"I get it," Abby said, nodding at the ex-vampire in understanding. "That friend I mentioned during our interrogation; the one who died and came back? He made a similar decision, and I don't blame him; he had to do what was right for his family, and I accept that."

"Thanks," Booth said, smiling briefly at her before he continued. "Just remember, if you really need an extra pair of hands for something…"

"I'll let you know," Abby confirmed.

It wasn't perfect, but it was still good to know that she and Crane had other supernaturally-experienced allies to fall back on in the event of a crisis…