The plane landed with a thud as the pilot's voice filled the cabin. He spoke but nobody listened, they were all just impatient to get out of their seats. Allie now realised that she hated flying coach. She swore this would be the first and only time she'd try it. A five hour flight next to a frazzled, young mum and screaming baby was enough for her to go crawling back to her parents and ask for them to rent a private jet. Or at least upgrade her ticket to first class.

After what seemed like an eternity, it was her turn to exit the plane and catch her first glimpse of Washington DC. It was a bleak, grey day which made Allie wonder why the capital of the country was (to her) such a boring state. Next to the glitz and glamour of California, Nevada and New York, poor Washington was left behind. It was also exactly what she needed.

She remembered the day she told her friends about the move she was making to pursue her career in forensic anthropology. She could still hear their cruel, mocking laughter. Maybe they weren't as good friends as she had thought, she knew that if they'd had a dream like her she would've supported them the whole way and not dismissed it as a crazy plan. Her loyalty was something she was very proud of, friendship mattered to her.

After their reaction she decided it was best to keep the other factor that caused the move a secret. For years she'd wondered about her birth father and if she looked like him or if she had an unknown sister (a brother just didn't sound as fun). Of course Ben would always be her dad, he raised her as his daughter and had done a pretty good job. Despite all of his lawyers trying to change his mind, he cited Allie as his heir in his will. A morbid thought but when you have as much money as her dad, you have to make sure it's going to the people you care about when you're gone. But more than anything, she wanted to know the man who was part of her, the man who'd abandoned her. He was here, she wasn't going to pass up the chance of him moving away and never finding him.

Stepping out of the automatic doors, Allie wished she had packed a coat in her hand luggage. Quickly, she hailed a cab and recited her new address to him. She tried to pay attention to all of the places she passed although she knew there was no point, all she was seeing was a glimpse of the city. She would have to live in it first before she truly started to learn where everything was.

Her flat was small but comfortable and she was happy to see the furniture was all in a good condition. Allie sat in the snug looking arm chair and found herself quickly dozing off to sleep. Reluctantly, she headed to the bedroom hoping to get a good nights rest after a long day.

The following day was to be even more hectic than the previous. Allie woke early to prepare herself for the meeting with her hero, Doctor Temperance Brennan. The last 3 years of her life depended on this woman liking her, it had to go perfectly.

Allie plugged her iPod into its dock and pressed play. The beats of Boys Like Girls throbbed through the speakers singing "The Great Escape". She smiled, this song reminded her of hot summers, beach parties and crazy antics with her closest group of friends. She swung her hips loosely as she made her way around the apartment, picking up a hairbrush and elastics from a suitcase. She experimented with a ponytail, bun and plait before deciding to leave her curls hanging around her shoulders. One final look in the mirror showed her she was ready. She smoothed down her dress and turned to leave. There was nothing else she could do but dazzle. And that was something she had been born to do.

Thankfully, the Jeffersonian wasn't far from her new home and so she was at the entrance only ten minutes later, looking at the large modern building. She knew it was stupid but she was scared. Scared they would laugh at her and think she was another Malibu bimbo, scared they would reject her. It took every ounce of self-control she had to make herself walk through the doors.

"Think confident!" she whispered to herself. She fixed a smile on her face and strutted towards the reception.

"Hi, I'm Allie Holland and I have an appointment with Doctor Brennan." She was doing a good job, or so she thought. Her voice oozed confidence without sounding arrogant. It was a hard line to balance but she had years of practise at faking confidence.

The receptionist was a mousey woman in her late forties. Her face wore a tired smile, wire framed glasses and when she spoke she sounded as though she'd been startled.

"Oh yes. I'll take you to her office. This way please," and with that she scurried from behind the desk with Allie following closely behind.

Suddenly, the woman stopped at a large glass door, "this is Doctor Brennan's lab. I will take you to her office and then notify her of your arrival." Allie nodded in response and continued to follow the receptionist, hoping that the office wasn't far inside. Allie was thankful when they stopped again outside of a reasonably sized office. "Sit here," the woman gestured to an empty seat, "and I will tell Doctor Brennan you are here."

Brennan stood with her team on the podium in the centre of the lab studying some remains that the FBI had left for her when the Jeffersonian receptionist appeared. Brennan had always found the woman mildly irritating, she was ridiculously timid and scuttled around the building like a woodland creature.

"What is it, Amy?" she asked in a sharp tone, "I am busy with a murder." She saw the woman's face turn red with this comment and although a small part of her felt bad, she was mainly just annoyed at the interruption.

"Allie Holland is here to see you, Doctor Brennan. I took her to your office." The woman squeaked out her reply and scurried away to her desk.

Brennan's partner Booth turned to her curiously, "Hey Bones, you guys getting a new squint?" Brennan walked away, shrugging her shoulders in response to Booth's comment.

"Allison Holland?" she queried as she entered the room.

"It's just Allie, it isn't short for anything." she responded. It wasn't as though it matter but it had always annoyed her when people assumed her name must be short for something. Remembering her manners she added, "It's nice to meet you Doctor Brennan."

She noticed the quizzical look Brennan gave her and hoped she hadn't sounded rude. It would be just her luck to blow the chance before the interview had even started.

After twenty minutes of questions and answers, Brennan told Allie she had told her everything she wanted to hear.

"Your references speak very highly of you and your grades have been very impressive. I think you'll fit in well with the team."

On hearing these words, Allie broke into a beam,

"Oh you won't be disappointed, I promise. This is the best news ever!" she gushed whilst shaking the woman's hand.

Even Brennan couldn't help but smile at the girl's enthusiasm. She knew that her current intern Zack wasn't too happy that she was taking on someone else but with all the work from the FBI she needed to spread the load. She was confident that Allie would be a good fit, both intelligent and social so that even Booth wouldn't be able to fault her.

"I'll take you to meet everyone, we're currently busy with a case from the FBI so my partner Booth is here. He isn't very tolerant of science but he isn't stupid, he is very good at his job."

Allie hadn't thought anything could ruin the mood she was currently in but the mention of that name sent shivers down her spine.

"Booth? Is his first name Seeley?" she said, her voice almost a whisper. She could feel her heart pounding harder and harder in her chest. All of her research and here she was caught off guard.

"Yes it is. Do you know him?" Brennan replied, clearly not sensing the tone of Allie's voice.

Allie's first thought was to run as far away as possible. But then there was a small part of her, one tiny, brave part that chose to stay just where she was. She took a deep breath before speaking. Four little words that could change her life.

"Yes actually. He's my biological father..."