A/N: Hi! Well, this is my first ever Bones FanFiction, so please don't be too hard on me! Sorry if any details are incorrect, but I have only recently started watching the show, and I don't know too many forensic terms and techniques, as I am only 15! But please review, as constructive criticism is appreciated, but flames are not.

I know that some other people have had a story with a similar storyline, but I've been working on this for ages, so all ideas are purely my own.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything that you recognise.

"Which is why, on the…"

Dr. Temperance Brennan hurriedly switched off the radio as she heard her partner and friend, Seeley Booth, enter her office hurriedly.

"Hi Bones, what were you listening to just then?"

"Huh?" she replied, "Oh, nothing important." Her stomach clenched as she berated herself for telling such an unforgivable lie. Each day was important, and it was wrong for her to try and shrink the impact it had had on her.

Booth watched Brennan as she went off into a daze, her eyes glazed over, and conflicting emotions presented themselves, and then withdrew again almost instantly.

"Yeah, okay. Anyway, Bones?" Booth flashed her his charm smile, as he told her the four words that always got her moving. "We have a case."

Brennan nodded, and tried to display some form of enthusiasm, to direct Booth's concern and curiosity away from her, and onto something or someone else. Today, she knew, was going to be hard for her, but it was important that no-one knew why.

When they arrived at the crime scene, Brennan, who followed Booth under the tape, saw Booth's face drop. It was a kid. Brennan was worried, not only about Booth's inevitable obsession with this case, but also her's. She was not going to give up, no matter what.

Brennan tied her long, brown, glimmering hair back into a tight pony tail, and stepped over to the body.

"Kid looks between the ages of five and eight," she informed Booth, and then started examining the skeletal remains for any evidence that could be lost during transport. Satisfied that there wasn't, and after examining the rest of the scene for evidence, she gave the nod, and immediately people moved in.

"Remember," said Brennan, "please transport the body to the - "

" – Jeffersonian Institution immediately," they droned. They had all worked with the esteemed Doctor Brennan enough times now to manage to work out where to take the body.

Booth chuckled as he saw Brennan's surprised look, and said, "I think they know the drill by now, Bones."

Brennan frowned, and looked confused. "What does a construction tool have to do with this case?" she asked, confused, but Booth, chuckling, just shook his head as if to tell her that it didn't matter, and placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her gently back to the car.

When they arrived back at the Jeffersonian, everything just started moving as always. Evidence was analysed, suspect lists were drawn up, and identifications were made. However, today, Brennan seemed distracted. And this wasn't like her at all. Everyone was worried, but she wouldn't talk to anybody about what was going on inside her head.

"Hey, Bren?" asked Angela Montenegro, as she and Zack poked their heads around Brennan's office door. Brennan shook herself out of her reverie, and turned to Angela, tilting her head slightly to the left, silently inquiring about Angela's findings.

Angela walked over to Brennan's desk and handed her a folder. "I've made an identification," she stated. "Thomas Alders, age seven. Went missing at the age of five, was never seen again, but no ransom demands were ever made. He just disappeared off the face of the earth."

"Ange, you do know that it is scientifically and physically impossible to disappear of the face of the earth, don't you?"

Angela just sighed, smiling gently. "Yes, sweetie, it's just an expression."

"Oh, okay. Anyway, I have worked out that the victim died about five years ago, which means that he went missing," she paused, as if suddenly realizing something, then continued in a slightly lower, more subdued voice, "seven years ago. Zack, anything to add?"

Zack nodded. "Yes. Doctor Brennan, I was examining the body, and I discovered that cause of death was a broken neck. However, at the angle of the break, I have come to the conclusion that it was accidental. Either way, it would have taken a while for him to die, and he was in quite a bit of pain."

Brennan sighed. "Okay, thanks guys. I'm going to find Booth so that we can inform the parents." And with that she left the room.

After looking up Maxine and Terry Alders' address, Booth and Brennan arrived at their cottage. Straight away you could sense the homeliness of it all. The windows were clean, and the view into the living room showed that it was tidy, but not so tidy that it felt like a display. Then, if you looked up above the living room, you could see the dinosaur print wallpaper and decorated curtains. There were colourful models of various dinosaurs on the windowsill, as well as numerous storybooks that were suitable for a five year old. As the Alders' didn't have any other children, it was safe to assume that this was Thomas' room.

"Remember Bones, let me do the talking."

Bones simply nodded, and stepped up to knock on the door, which was opened by Maxine Alders.

"Hi, Mrs Alders? I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI, and this is my partner, Doctor Temperance Brennan. May we come in and talk to you and your husband? It's concerning your son, Thomas."

Maxine's face looked at them in fear. "Have you found him?" she asked quietly.

"May we come in?" Booth replied, to which Maxine simply nodded and opened the door.

The house was a perfectly normal family house, but you could sense that there was something missing. Unless you knew about their son, you probably wouldn't be able to place the feeling, but if you knew the story, then you probably could.

As Maxine led them through to the living room, they couldn't help but notice the peaceful look that was attempted, probably redecorated after Thomas disappeared. The walls were magnolia with a deep red carpet. The curtains hung loosely by the windows, and the DVD rack was placed strategically by the television, where you could still see many children's DVDs. Sitting on one of the cream sofas was Maxine's husband, Terry, and he motioned quietly for Brennan and Booth to sit on the other sofa.

Booth took a deep breath, and then began to speak. "Mr and Mrs Alders, I'm really sorry to have to tell you this, but today we found the remains of your son, Thomas."

Mr Alders nodded silently, trying to hide his tears, probably trying to be strong for his wife, but Mrs Alders just sat there, gazing into the distance at nothing in particular, a few solitary tears trickling down her face.

"Did he… When he… Was he in pain?" Maxine asked.

Booth paused for a moment, trying to work out what to say, but surprisingly, Brennan came to the rescue. "I'm afraid that we are still in the early stages of the investigation, so we are not really at a stage to confirm or dismiss any theories or possibilities, so, at the moment, I'm afraid that I cannot answer that question without there being a small amount of doubt. However, we will keep you updated with all areas of the investigation."

Booth sat there, dumbfounded. "How did she know what to say?" he thought. It was as if she understood, but that was impossible. Wasn't it?

After a few more questions, they got up to leave, Brennan promising to keep them up to date in the investigation.

When they got in the car, Booth immediately turned around and asked Brennan, "So how did you know what to say in there Bones?"

"I… I… Erm… I guess I'm learning from you,"

Booth frowned, still unconvinced, but accepted it. For now.

In the car on the way back to the Jeffersonian, Booth decided to turn on the radio, deciding that a little bit of music was needed to lighten up the atmosphere slightly. He could tell that something was wrong with Brennan, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. He just needed some sort of way to show her that he was there for her. He glanced over at Brennan, but saw that, once again, she was in a world of her own.

"Hey, Bones? Are you okay?"

Brennan shook herself out of her reverie, and turned to Booth. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Booth shook his head in mild amusement. "Nothing Bones, it doesn't matter. You were just away with the fairies, that's all."

Brennan frowned, but decided not to make anything out of that phrase. She just couldn't be bothered.

Then a song was announced on the radio: "Where In The World Are You?" by the Great Lake Swimmers.

I've been looking in churches and looking in bars
Thought that I saw you in the oncoming cars
It was your reflection cast off by the light
And into the sky of this dark city night

And I thought that I saw you in the tallest of trees
Swayed back and forth in the mid-autumn breeze
When the leaves reddened and left too
I knew then that it wasn't you

Where in the world are you now?
Where in the world are you now?
Oh where in the world are you?
Oh where in the world are you?
Where in the world are you now?

And I looked for you there in music and song
'Cause I thought I could find you there
They were only notes pulled from the air
Not the kind I could read or breathe if I dare

Where in the world are you now?
Where in the world are you now?
Oh where in the world are you?
Oh where in the world are you?
Where in the world are you now?

About half way through the song, Booth glanced casually over to Brennan to make a remark about the lyrics of the song, but then bit back the comments, because, to his surprise and sadness, he saw one single solitary tear trickle gently down her face.

"Bones? What's wrong?"

Brennan simply shook her head. "Nothing Booth, don't worry about it."

Too late for that, he thought.

Booth kept a watchful eye over Brennan whenever he saw her, but his greatest shock was when he went to update her on the details of the original kidnapping.

"Hey Bones," he said as he entered the room. He watched Brennan put what looked like a photo frame face down into her desk, and then locked it and hung the key on a chain around her neck.

"Hey Booth," she replied, "What have you got?"

Booth held out a case file, and stated, "Thomas Alders. Disappeared seven years ago at the age of five. He went missing from the local park, and was never seen again. His parents were, obviously, distraught, and it didn't help matters that the only piece of evidence found was a set of twigs laid out in an arrow, facing towards the swing set. Apparently that was where-"

"Where Thomas was playing when he went missing," completed Brennan quietly, her voice subdued and monotonous.

"Yeah, how did you know that?" Without waiting for a response, Booth continued. "Anyway, three weeks later they received a ransom note, basically telling them that if they didn't raise 10, 000 dollars, and leave it on the swing set where he was taken from, then-"

Once again Brennan interrupted. "-then they would soon receive photographs of their son being in the most unbearable pain imaginable. But they paid the ransom, and they never heard from him again. Their son didn't return and they never had any contact again."

Booth frowned. How did she know that? But when he asked her, she simply replied that she remembered the original case file. That was perfectly acceptable, due to the fact that she had been working with the police force for quite a while. However, what concerned Booth was that Brennan seemed to be getting more and more withdrawn each day.

They continued working hard, but had no extra leads, until a few days later Booth came bursting into the Jeffersonian, waving a file madly in the air.

"Bones, Bones!" he shouted, at he leapt up the steps, remembering at the last minute to swipe his key card to prevent the alarms going off.

Brennan turned around, and to Booth's horror he could see dark circles under her eyes, her lids drooping, and she leant heavily on the table, as if it was too much effort to stand up unassisted.

Booth hastened his pace and guided into her office, where he drew the blinds, sat her down on the couch, then crouched in front of her taking her hands. "What's wrong Bones?" he asked.

"Nothing," Brennan replied, obviously trying to sound indignant, but not succeeding.

Booth shook his head and frowned, refusing to be taken in. "That's bull Bones, and you know it. You are my friend and partner, and I would like to think that we could share things with each other. Now, first things first. How much sleep are you getting?"

But Brennan just answered vaguely, "Enough."

Booth gently pushed Brennan down by her shoulders so that she was laying down on the couch, and gently brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face, as he said gently, "Now, I don't know what is going on here Bones, and I'm not going to push you for an answer, but I can tell that you haven't been getting enough sleep. So, I want you to rest here, and in two hours I will tell you what I have found out about the case. Oh, and don't even think about working during that time. I will be sitting at your desk, making sure that you don't move from that couch for the next two hours. Understand?"

Booth, expecting a fight on his hands, was surprised when Brennan just nodded mutely, and shuffled around to get more comfortable, then closed her eyes, her breathing evening out almost instantly, which made Booth smile softly. He knew that something was troubling her, but it was important that she got her rest. And if she were still asleep in two hours, then he would let her rest.

Well, two hours passed, Brennan still hadn't awakened from her slumber, and Booth didn't care. She needed the sleep, and he wasn't going to be the one to deprive her of it. A few people had come and gone, but he had shooed them away from the door, so she wouldn't be disturbed.

A couple more hours passed, then Brennan slowly awakened, rubbing her eyes and glancing at the clock on the wall.

Booth, seeing that she was awake, walked over and sat on the couch next to her, and waited for her to fully awaken, before handing her the file that he had wanted to show her ages ago.

Brennan opened up the folder, and looked down at the folder, then looked up in shock.

"You have a suspect?" she whispered in disbelief. "You actually have a suspect?"

Booth nodded. "Yep. Her name is Hannah Jaggrat. She was once arrested on suspicion of kidnap, but when the kid turned up safe whilst she was still in custody, they had to let her go. But we have an address. You want to come?"

Brennan nodded as she grabbed her coat and headed for the door. She was a woman on a mission, and nothing was going to get in her way.

Booth smiled as they headed out to the car. He just hoped that the results at the house would be positive. He wanted his friend back, not the shadow of her that had consumed her recently.

When they arrived at the house, Booth could sense in his gut that they weren't going to find anything. But he didn't mention anything to Brennan, as she was all fired up and ready to go, and he didn't want her to go into this with doubts about whether there would be anyone in there or not. After all, if Booth was wrong, then he wanted her to be ready, and not be forced into a dangerous situation that could have been avoided.

However, they were in for more disappointed when, as they flung open the door, armed backup at the ready, the house was empty. Brennan's whole body just sunk to the floor, her sadness evident on her face, especially as a lone tear was making its way down her face, trickling its way down past a rosy cheek, to the corner of her mouth, where she brushed it away with one finger.

Booth held out a hand and pulled her up, guiding her gently back to the car, where they then went back to the Jeffersonian in silence. Not due to a disagreement or anything like that, just because neither of them felt the need to say anything, and Booth was desperately trying to figure out why Brennan found this case so much harder than all the others.

When they arrived, they contacted the Alders' so that they could, as promised, be brought up to speed in the investigation.

After guiding them through the details of the case, Maxine said quietly, "I knew he had died you know. I could feel it in my gut. I wanted to ignore it, but I knew it was true."

Booth frowned, knowing how Brennan reacted to any mention of gut instincts. But what surprised him more was when Brennan suddenly excused herself from the conversation, and rushed to her office. Booth frowned. He needed to get to the bottom of this. And soon.

Brennan shut the door as tears cascaded freely down her face, remembering that one phrase that had been used before. Not by Booth, but by her. Seven years and three weeks ago.

Flashback:

"I'm sorry, but you need to start preparing yourself for the fact that he isn't coming back," whispered a detective.

Brennan shook her head. "No," she replied fiercely. "He's alive. I know it. I know in my gut that he is alive."

End flashback.

Booth came bursting into Brennan's office, but ground to a halt when he saw Brennan's tear-stained face.

"Hey Bones?" he asked, concerned with her current emotional stability. "Temperance? What's wrong?"

Brennan lifted her head up, and answered, "I'm not ready to talk about it, okay?"

Booth nodded, and told her his news. "We have a new location for the whereabouts of Hannah Jaggrat. She owns a disused warehouse. They've decided not to send us this time though. If she spotted us before, and that was why she escaped, then she will be on the lookout, and if she sees us approaching, then she will run, and we may never see her again."

So Booth and Brennan waited in silence, until another agent came in. "We caught Hannah Jaggrat, and she confessed to killing him. It turns out that she couldn't have children, so when she saw other children, she snatched them, and raised them as her own."

"Thanks," they muttered, and returned to work.

They worked solidly for a couple more hours, until one word made Brennan drop the flask that she was holding.

"Mom?"

Brennan stared at the boy standing in the doorway, wide eyed, as did Booth, but then Brennan ran toward the fifteen year old boy and held him close, both of them sobbing hysterically.

"Andy, I missed you so much," she sobbed.

Booth, still confused, shot a questioning glance at the agent, who told them both, "Andy here was the other kid who Hannah Jaggrat kidnapped seven years ago. When we found him we recognised the surname and brought him straight here. In a bit though we will need to take a statement from him."

Brennan nodded, and Andy said, "I could go now, then we could maybe get some food."

Brennan agreed instantly. "Pizza?"

Any smiled, and they both said together, "Super Spicy Salami and Sweet corn!"

As Andy gave his statement, Brennan flung her arms around Booth's neck. "He's back Booth," she sobbed. "It's been seven years, and he's finally home."

Booth held her close as she released her pent up emotions. He now knew why this case had hit her so hard, and was thankful that it had all turned out well.

"Why wasn't it in any case files?" he asked, to which Brennan replied, "Because I am a successful author, I knew that there was a chance that the case could get leaked to the media, so the FBI agreed that there would be one file with the information in, locked away in my desk at home. They would have access, but it would be impossible for the media to find out about it, and only a handful of agents knew about the case, minimising the chances of leaks."

As they waited a while longer, Brennan revealed how Andy was a product of rape just after she had arrived at her first foster home, causing her to give birth at the age of sixteen. With all the events that had happened in her life, by the time Andy was taken from her when he was eight, she knew in her mind that there was no God.

After about half an hour, Andy came out of the interview room, and they prepared to leave. Brennan asked Booth if he would like to come with them, but Booth understood that she was desperate to spend some time alone with her son after seven years so he declined. She hugged him gratefully, and Brennan and Andy left, arms around each other, as if determined to never leave each other's sides again.

A/N: Well, there you go! My first Bones FanFiction. Please review, and please don't be too harsh, but as I said before, constructive criticism is appreciated.