Summary: Brennan takes an overseas assignment. Goes missing. How do Booth and friends react? Sappy, Angsty, Romantic! BB

AN: Ever have a story idea that you'd be thrilled to read if it's done correctly, but you're so damn sure you're not the one to write it? Yeah. That's this one.

Also - It's written partly in flashback, and that's sort of a pet peeve of mine. I know, I can't believe I am using it either.

Disclaimer: Bones, et. al belong to Fox. I am not Fox. Although some boys happen to think I'm foxy. Not the same thing, though.

An Assignment
Special Agent Seeley Booth stared at the phone that sat on his desk. He sighed. It was still silent. He turned back to the folder open in front of him, pretending to do work. He'd been pretending for the last half-hour, just counting the minutes until seven pm. Her call always came between seven and seven-fifteen on Mondays. Her calls to Angela came between seven and seven-fifteen on Thursdays. Mondays and Thursdays quickly became the days the team met at Wong Foo's for a late dinner, each night discussing the conversations with his fearless girl.

She'd been gone almost the full eight months on assignment for the State Department. An assignment that he had been restricted from, not that he would have wanted to go to the Sudan. But he would have gone. For her. He glanced at the phone, again, willing it to ring.

He sighed, heavily. He hadn't even known where Brennan was going, not until she'd already left and Cullen had let it slip a few weeks ago. He'd been terrified of her going off on her own, without him. Hell, he was still terrified. Sure there were thousands of UN peacekeeping troops and State Department security, but that didn't really calm his fears. He wasn't going to be there to protect her. He didn't know if she was truly safe.

He glanced at the clock, 7:09, and his eyes came to rest on the phone once again. Come on, you damn phone. RING!

Booth stood on the platform, staring at Brennan. Her eyebrows were raised expectantly, as if she required a response. But, honestly, he was dumbfounded.

"Booth. I asked you what you thought," she was getting impatient, and he knew he had to stutter out an answer soon, or she'd get angrier.

"You wanna know what I think? I think you shouldn't go anywhere without me!" Oh, God. Did I really just say that out loud? Shit.

"I … I shouldn't go anywhere without you?!" Brennan asked, incredulous. "Because, of course, I cannot take care of myself, is that what you're saying?" Her angry tirade had energy, and she stormed up the stairs to her office, slamming the door for emphasis when he'd barely made it inside.

Booth shook his head, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. But are you seriously considering leaving m-… the team, for eight months? And going someplace overseas that could be incredibly dangerous? What about Angela? What about your work with the FBI?"

Brennan sighed, "This is really important work, Booth, that –"

"That you can't tell me about," he snorted.

"Important State Department, Confidential work, Booth. You only have Top Secret Clearance, not SCI. I'm sorry, I can't tell you," Brennan's voice was firm, but soft. "Angela will be fine, she's got support in Hodgins. And the FBI has a new doctor here at the Jeffersonian: Dr. Addy. They won't even know I'm gone, he's that good."

"Bones," Booth's voice was wavering, and he cleared his throat to cover it. He tried again, unable to meet her eyes, and with an unconvincing voice, "What about us?"

Had he been looking at her, he would have seen the shock on her face at the implications of his words. Those three words sent her mind reeling. She felt so many things run through her, she was unsure how long she was silent. Booth kept his eyes trained away from her, down toward the small Ficus tree that sat in the corner of her office. He refused to speak, lest his voice give way again.

Her resolve faltered as she took in his crestfallen expression, and his sudden insecurity. So many thoughts entered her head, and she realized she was leaving him. Like so many others had left her. One thought won out, though, and she realized they meant something to each other, though she couldn't define what exactly. It confused her, and instead of over-analyzing like she normally did, she followed what Booth called her 'gut'. She reached her left hand out to caress his cheek, which brought his sorrowful eyes back to hers. His warm hand covered hers, and she shivered.

Her response to him was the only thing that kept him from grounding her airplane by whatever means necessary.

"I will come back to you, Seeley. I promise. I will come back. To you."

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