CHAPTER 1

"Yes, I realize that, but how did he just disappear? Kids don't just go poof!" Booth shouted into his phone.

He and Brennan were sitting in seats 13A and 13B (not the lucky row), waiting on the tarmac for the remaining 2 planes in front of them to take off. It was now nearly 3:45 and they still hadn't left. At this rate, they could have kept their 4:17 flight.

Booth had gotten in touch with Cullen immediately, who informed Booth that Parker had disappeared from the carousel at his favorite amusement park around 12 noon D.C. time, nearly 7 hours earlier. He had been there with his nanny as Rebecca and Drew were both at work and with Parker out of school for the summer, he loved to go to the park.

Brennan's mind was racing and she didn't know what to do for Booth. Booth's shock had worn off approximately 2 minutes after it had begun and from there, he had moved on to sheer rage. Brennan's heart was breaking for him, but all she could do was be supportive. She had called Angela and told her and the team what had happened. Brennan sent Zack over to the park to collect any evidence that he possibly could to help find Parker faster. Zack had reminded her that he wasn't "dealing with a body," and he didn't know what he could do. Brennan promptly snapped at him and told him to do his job.

Everyone was doing their jobs, but the one man who should be there on top of it all was sitting on a plane in the middle of the desert, unable to move because excessive heat had overheated some of the planes. Brennan could not help but feel guilty. He was there because of HER. If he hadn't come out there, maybe Parker wouldn't have gone to the park; maybe Parker would have been with his dad, safe and sound. Brennan watched Booth as he continued to shout into his phone. Who he was talking to at this point, she didn't even know.

"I expect to be FULLY involved when I get back to D.C. I don't care if you have to-"

"Excuse me, sir. You have to turn your phone off. We're getting ready to take off," a brunette flight attendant with a bun informed Booth.

Booth turned his head toward the woman, his eyes fixated on her, his lips tightened. The woman flinched and swallowed.

"I'm sorry, sir, but-"

"He'll be off before we take off, I can assure you," Brennan cut in, saving the woman from a likely verbal beating.

She nodded at Brennan and turned on her heel.

Brennan looked at Booth, sympathetically.

"Look, you can't tell me I'm too close to this case. HE'S MY SON!!!" Booth bellowed into the phone. Heads turned and nearly everyone in the plane was now looking over at Booth and Brennan, whispering. "Yeah, you do that…and fast."

Booth slammed his phone shut, gripping it tightly as his knuckles turned white.

The flight attendant returned. "Sir, is there a problem?" she asked, condescendingly.

"Yes, there is. My son has been kidnapped and I'm trying to get home to find him and I'm stuck on a plane in the middle of the desert and you keep asking me questions. So, I'd say there's a huge problem," Booth told the woman, glaring at her, unflinching.

Brennan sighed and leaned forward. "If you could just give us some privacy. I apologize for the yelling," Brennan told her.

The flight attendant nodded her head and gave Booth a sympathetic look before sheepishly walking away.

Booth swiped his hand across his face, leaning back into the seat, his fist still tightly clenched around his phone, which was still turned on.

"Booth, here, hand me your phone," Brennan said as calmly as she possibly could.

Without looking at her, he relinquished the phone. She took it and turned it off, slipping it into her purse. She glanced back over at him. She wanted to cry for him, but she couldn't.

"Maybe they'll know more by the time we get home," Brennan offered, trying to stay positive.

"Yeah," Booth replied without really listening.

"Booth, I have no idea what you're going through right now, but you know I want to help in any way I can. You have to let me in here. I know that you're angry right now and that's completely normal in this phase of a kidnapping situation-"

"He's my son!" Booth yelled at Brennan.

Brennan's eyes flinched and she leaned back toward the window. She hadn't even realized how her words must have sounded to him. She was simply thinking of the thought process one goes through in this type of situation. But this was Booth…the man she loved. This wasn't a normal kidnapping situation…this was Parker. And she was a part of it.

"I'm sorry," Brennan said, closing her eyes for a moment and then reopening them. "I didn't mean to be insensitive."

Booth turned away from her and rested his head against the seat. He closed his eyes and after a few moments, he turned back towards Brennan. "I know you're not being insensitive. I'm…just-" Booth tried to find the words for what he was feeling, but there weren't any.

"I know," Brennan said as she put her hand on his. "We're in this together…as always," she told him.

Booth sighed and looked over at her. "Thank you," he said as he gave her hand a squeeze.

"You don't have to thank me, Booth. It's what we do, right? We'll find him," Brennan said.

Booth nodded. This is going to be the longest flight of my life