It was raining that day I got the call. Actually, it wasn't me that it was assumed to be for. He called for him.

"Brennan," I answered just like every other time. At first there were only quiet grunts.

"Hey," he whimpered.

"Booth?" I raised a brow and my heart irrationally raced. I knew something was wrong, he never answered like that. He always called me "Bones".

"Listen, ok?" Booth whispered into the receiver.

"Booth, what's going on?" I nervously arranged my papers to find my tape recorder. Damn, Ange was using it. "I-i-is everything ok?" Ok, stupid question.

"I just want you to know that everything we've been through… including that time when I got you that bitter apple from the pear tree…" my heart thumped; I could hear it in my ears. A chill made its way into the pit of my stomach. He was wrong. There was never a bitter apple or pear tree. Why was my body being so foolish? Was he drugged?

"Say it!" a shriek from the background yelled at him. "Do it already, or I'll blow your head off!" I carefully reached for my cell phone in my pocket, acting more rational now.

"Booth, what is going on?" I firmly urged through my teeth. "Where are you?"

"Ok ok ok!" he must have told the man I heard. "You still there?" I was talking the whole time, and breathing loud enough so he could hear me. Why would he ask that?

"Yes, I'm here," I mouthed.

"I love you." The words struck me like Benjamin Franklin must have been struck by lightning several times before his famous key experiment.

"Wha…" I stopped dead in my tracks and dropped my cell. I was attempting to text my co-workers, but my phalanges wouldn't move anymore.

"Bye, bud," click.

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I was tied up, struggling to move. My leg hurt. Blood was gushing from underneath me and all over my face. Where was I? Where was Bones?

"Hey, Mr. Wrong-Place-at-the-Wrong-Time," a guy with a gun approached me.

"Hi," I sarcastically groaned. "Who the hell are you?" I squirmed against the rock. The tape itched.

"I am the last person you will see, unless I get my money," he calmly explained.

"What money?" I half-answered still trying to escape.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about; you can't do anything anyway," he winked. "So you have a son?"

"Yeah," my face felt hot. If something was going to happen, I needed to say something.

"I got a son," the guy shrugged and tossed his a cell phone at my head. Ouch. "I know what it feels like to never say goodbye. I'll give you that chance." He cocked his gun. Aw crap. The guy stepped closer and unwrapped the tape around my left arm. Ah ha, free!

"I'm not gonna say thanks," I muttered and flexed my arm out. Taking no control of my action, I shot my arm out and gave him a shiner. He stood stiff and laughed.

"Nice try," he threw his head back and roundhouse-kicked my jaw.

"Ah," I moaned and he stuck the tape back in place.

"You lost your privileges, tough-guy. Poke the buttons with your big nose," he grinned and held the phone to my face. I rolled my eyes and aimed carefully, making sure I called the right person. There was no point in fighting; this guy had me good!

"Brennan," her voice rang from the other end. Perfect plan.

"Hey," I said after a series of grunts. Bones had no idea what was going on, but I hope she could figure out my plan. She knew it was me at least.

"Booth?"

"Listen, ok?" I began. If this was gonna work, it had to look real, so I made a sad face.

"Booth, what's going on?" she whispered and ruffled for papers. Probably looking or the tape recorder that she lent to Angela. "I-i-is everything ok?"

I just want you to know that everything we've been through…" I thought of clues to give her. Then I saw two buildings, one was a lot shorter than the other. One was the Empire State, the other. I couldn't tell. There was also no socks on my feet, which I just realized. "…including that time when I got you that bitter apple from the pair tree."

"Say it!" the guy with the gun pointed it at me. "Do it already or I'll blow your head off!" He cocked it again.

"Booth, what is going on? Where are you?" Bones angrily spoke. I felt so nervous. The guy thought I was calling Parker. I wish I had in a way. But the one thing she had to know was that I didn't want to say what I was about to.

"Ok ok ok!" I held my hand up. I heard Bones' breathing, but I just wanted to make a scene. "You still there?"

"Yes, I'm here," I could barely hear her.

Here is goes… "I love you." Hm, that's not so hard.

"Wha?" Bones dropped something. There was a small part of me that could not stop giggling inside.

"Bye, bud," I said just like I would to Parker and shut the phone off.

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"Sweetie, is everything ok?" Angela poked her head in. "You've been sitting at your desk for a while."

"Um," I looked up, exhausted. I've been staring at the piece of paper with what Booth said in front of me for about 2 hours, when I should have told someone. It was stupid why I didn't. "Yeah, it's just… there's a problem with Booth." That was hard to say. He's hardly ever in these situations.

"Oh?" Ange plopped on the couch.

"He called me," I began, setting the paper aside. "And said he loved me."

"Oh my God!" she sprang up.

"But I don't think he meant to talk to me," I interjected. Did I sound upset?

"Huh?" Ange sat down again.

"He's being tortured or something similar!" a tear rolled down my face. I wasn't sure if it was because he probably didn't mean what he said about love. Ugh, the irrationality!

"What?" she reached for the paper before I could grab it. "'Bitter apple, pear tree?"

"Yes, that's what he told me. He said he 'gave me a bitter apple from the pear tree'. That makes no sense so I'm trying to decipher his message. That is unless he knew what he was saying and wasn't drugged, which he most likely was. And for all I know, I don't even know if he'd even ali-"

"Bren!" Angela smiled at me and grabbed my arm.

"What?" I gasped as she dragged me away.

"I know where he is, but I don't understand the 'pear' part," she said as soon as we were in her office.

"What does it mean?" I put my hands on my hips. This was my only chance at finding him without making a huge deal this late in the 'game' as Booth would call it. Was he even alive? The thought burned inside me.

"Ok, he's in New York, the 'Big Apple'. And is looking at something bitter or tasting something bitter. Are you sure he said pear, like fruit? Could he have mean pair, as in 2?"

"Oh," I whispered and stared at her. "Socks come in pairs." I felt like crying.

"So what is he saying about his socks?" Ange placed a hand on my shoulder.

"He's not wearing them, because bitter is negative!" I smiled a bit.

"Ok…" she tried to follow me but didn't. "So where are they?"

"I don't know," I put my head in my hands and let it out.

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"Ugh, is she gonna even figure it out?" I muttered to myself.

"What?" the guy with the gun suspiciously looked at me.

"What?" I innocently asked. "The last person I talked to was my son; you know that!"

"