Firstly, thank you for the reviews, they are appreciated. I do not own anything but my imagination.

Jsboneslover – Dulcet is a very big clue. Cullen does have a soft spot. All will be revealed in this chapter. Animus et Anima – longer chapter but you'll have to stay with it to see the tie in to X-files.

I'll attempt to post more soon, but my Masters is due in November, and I'm just a little bit behind….one wonders why!


Deputy Director Cullen eyed the papers sitting to the far right of his desk. The papers Booth submitted only yesterday lay in a manila file marked confidential. Less than thirty minutes later they'd landed in Cullen's proverbial lap. Requested to take care of it, Cullen suspected A.D. Hacker anticipated this particular development but refused to handle it due to his previous affair with Dr Temperance Brennan. Conveniently, for Hacker at least, Cullen now had a decision to make.

Counting down mentally, Cullen smiled at the knock on his door.

'How come I'm just learning about his now?' Tapping the file, Sam Cullen infused his voice with menace as Special Agent Seeley Booth entered his office rather sheepishly.

'Bones,' Booth swallowed convulsively, hopping from one foot to the other. He hated telling anyone about his personal life, let alone his relationships. Cullen and the FBI only knew about this one because the rules made it impossible to hide and it might be the only way to keep Bones safe. 'Bones,' he tried again, his voice stronger this time, 'wouldn't commit until the pregnancy reached 13 weeks.'

'Rational,' Cullen remarked and could almost be heard to say under his breath, 'but we wouldn't expect anything less from Dr Brennan.'

In a sudden change of tactic, Cullen took his hand from the file, appearing to ignore it and casually offered Booth a seat. Reaching to the photo directly before him, Cullen turned it over before handing it to Booth. A man, in his early fifties stared out from the frame. Dressed in full military regalia, his gaze dared the person examining the picture to defy him. A hard man, weathered by a career in the military, and yet he and the uniform appeared as one. Strong, resilient, determined.

'I see you recognize Colonel Marcus James.' Cullen remarked, hiding his smile.

'I served with Colonel James in Afghanistan last year,' Booth returned. 'I've met The Colonel several times over the years of my army career.'

'Now, you see,' Cullen began to reel the agent in, 'my surprise when Col James contacted the FBI several months ago, specifically requesting your services.'

Booth swallowed. Nothing, absolutely nothing could make Booth return to the army. His relationship with Bones, finally on tract, meant the world to him. Now, with Little Bones making an appearance, life couldn't get much sweeter. He almost had it all, only Bones dislike of 'archaic rituals' suck in his throat. If they were married, Booth could claim perfect contentment, well if he and Bones could continue to work together. No, if only he could keep His Bones safe. Booth knew that for a pipe dream at best.

Face it Seeley, he lectured, living and working with Bones will never be a bed of roses, but you'll never want to change the status quo, no matter how much danger she gets you, herself, or Little Bones, into.

Under the circumstances, Booth wouldn't contemplate leaving his newly formed family. As much as he liked and admired The Colonel, Booth couldn't consider doing the man any favours this time around. The last act of kindness cost Booth a year in a war zone and any change of fighting for Bones affections. No way on God's green earth would that happen again, with his partner sitting in his office waiting to hear the outcome of this interview.

Sensing Booths disinclination, Cullen picked up four more photos, laying them down, one at a time, in order to draw the agent's attention back to the case at hand. Each photograph held the image of a young officer in their late twenties to thirties. Watching closely, Booth counted three Major's and a Captain in dress uniform. From personal experience, Booth knew these pictures were to identify the officers' on their personnel records.

'Sir,' fascinated, Booth looked up at his boss. Intrigued with the direction of this interview, he chose to remain silent. Booth didn't want to know more because further enlightenment might invoke his curiosity and Bones would surely kill him.

'Know any of them?' Cullen asked blandly.

'Yes, Sir, all of them.' Starting from the far left, Booth pointed to each photo and explained. 'Major Samuel Worthington, we served in Bosnia, must be fifteen years ago. Captain Joseph Carter, US Special Forces, I met him once, in Iraq while on a need to know mission. Major Eloise Kyle, we were stationed at the same base in Afghanistan. Man does that woman run a tight ship. She has a reputation, tougher than most men do. This last one, he's a Major…I don't know his name but I saw him on base last year. I think he's from Australia, attached to the US army for two years.'

'Majors Worthington, Kyle and Reeves, and Captains Carter have been assigned to teaching post at Fort Irwin within the last nine months.' Cullen informed lightly.

'Don't tell me, The Colonel's currently stationed at the same base?' Booth stated sarcastically, beginning to see the direction of this investigation, although not the specifics. They would come, he knew, when Cullen chose to divulge them. Still he didn't like the direction of this thing. Something about it sent a shiver of apprehension along Booths spine.

Noting the agent's response, Cullen pulled a second set of photos from a folder, overlaying the originals. Happy couples graced the frames before Booth. Each wedding photo displayed delight, love, happiness on the faces of the young couples.

'Over the last six months, each of these individuals and their significant others have disappeared. The MO appears to be the same in each case. The couples leave base for a few days R&R. They're missed a few days later when they fail to return. They disappear into thin air, not trace of their remains or vehicles have been found.'

'So, I'm what,' Booth spoke impatiently, really disliking the direction of Cullen's suggestions, 'being reassigned to missing persons, in California?'

'No, Agent Booth,' Cullen raised an eyebrow, removing the final set of pictures from his file. He snapped them down on the previous photos. These pictures formed part of the officer's official records. The regaled military personnel stood beside their life partners, smiling elatedly for the camera. 'These were taken within a week of each couples disappearance,' Cullen mocked lightly, 'see the connection, Agent Booth.'

Nodding, a shiver slid down Booths spine. 'All the women are pregnant.'

'Very good, Agent Booth, and now your partner is also pregnant, I think you can see where this is going.' The soft smile on Cullen's features displayed anything but pleasure.

'Not really sir.' Booth could see exactly where this conversation headed. Cullen's next words invoked Booths worst nightmare.

'Col James informs me you're still in the reserves,' Cullen hedged, 'inactive of course with the change in your personal circumstances, but able to be called at a moments notice.'

'Yes, Sir,' Booth agreed defeated.

Cullen picked up the phone on his desk. 'Please ask Colonel James to come in, Dianne,' Sam spoke politely to his personal assistant.

Lost in thought, Booth lowered his head, wondering how he'd ever be able to explain this to Bones in a way she'd understand. Cullen stared across the desk, feeling sorry for the agent. Booth really had no idea what they wanted him to do in the near future. The silence dragged, becoming heavy. The two men waited together, startled out of their individual introspections by a loud knock.

'Sam,' The Colonel nodded towards the Deputy Director before turning towards his real quarry. Automatically, he saluted in Booth's direction.

Booth immediately stood to return the formal military greeting. 'Sir,' he barked, realizing you could take the man out of the uniform but not the soldier out of the man.

'At ease soldier,' He dismissed lightly, before turning his attention to Cullen. Reaching across the desk, he offered the younger man his hand.

'Special Agent Booth had been apprised of the situation in general,' Cullen stated. 'I'll leave the specifics to you.'

'Thank you Mr. Cullen,' The Colonel nodded. Turning his full attention to the man standing beside him, Colonel James considered how best to broach his request without it sounding like an order.

'Sit down Seeley,' The Colonel offered after claming his seat.

Nervously, Booth did as requested. 'Sir…'

'Before you say anything, hear me out,' The Colonel asked softly.

With the audible swallow and slight nod from Booth, The Colonel chose his words carefully. 'In light of your exemplary service record, I've personally seen to your commissioning paper work. You report to Fort Irwin as Captain Booth at the start of next month.'

Stunned, Booth attempted to articulate the thoughts running rampant in his head. 'I got a baby on the way. I don't want…Captain, Sir…'

Sighing, Colonel James made himself comfortable in one of Cullen's chairs realising he'd mishandled Booth. 'Sit down man. I'm fully away of your domestic situation and that's precisely why we need you. You fit all the criteria.'

'Criteria?' Booth choked on the word.

'Professional army officer recently married with a pregnant wife.' Before Booth could protest, The Colonel continued, 'I know you'll convince Dr Brennan to marry you this weekend while you pack up your life in D.C. and make the move across country. You'll spend two weeks preparing for you roll as an officer.'

'You haven't met Dr Temperance Brennan, have you?' Cullen piped in, secretly delighted.

'No,' Colonel James looked irritated by the interruption.

'This should be good then,' Cullen laughed. 'May I suggest you let Agent Booth collect his partner before you dig yourself in further?'

'Sam,' Booth warned, rolling his eyes at the thought of telling Bones about this case.

Re-evaluating his position, Colonel James suggested, 'perhaps allowing Dr Brennan early access to the file would be best.'

'You better believe it,' Booth muttered before he fled Cullen's office. 'How on earth am I gonna tell Bones about this?' Shaking his head, Seeley Booth imagined the confrontation awaiting him. 'I've been trying to get Bones to marry me since I found out about Little Bones, what makes the Colonel think a case will achieve what I've been unable to do?'