AN: Sorry for the delay--unexpected traveling. Thanks to all who are reviewing!

Chapter Three: Something's Wrong

Brennan sighed in frustration as she slammed down her office phone for the third time, the silence on the other end mocking her. Rubbing her eyes, she felt a nervous fluttering in her stomach as her mind replayed Booth's outburst in the diner. He appeared sick, feverish. But just as quick as his anger had surfaced, it had immediately been replaced with regret and guilt. He seemed like normal Booth again, and it left Brennan lost. She shook her head, not understanding, and despising the sensation. She was a genius--why couldn't she help her friend?

In Brennan's professional opinion, she was almost positive the knock to his head hadn't been fatal, but she was still one phone call away from driving to his house and dragging him into the E.R., just to make sure that he hadn't suffered a fracture, or wasn't bleeding in the brain. After all, he was neither answering his home phone or cell, and several hours had passed since he abruptly departed the restaurant. Another wave of uneasiness pounded against the inside lining of her stomach as she went to pick up the phone again. A knock on her doorway almost made her jump out of her seat.

Cam announced, "Hodgins got results from the soil sample that was found in Lydia Groening's bedroom…are you alright, Dr. Brennan?"

Sighing, Brennan rose from her seat and nodded in confirmation. "I'm fine, yes. It's just…I'm worried about Booth, that's all."

Cam frowned, concerned, and asked, "Is it the case?"

Brennan shrugged her shoulders and replied cryptically, "I hope."

Following Cam into the lab, she grimaced after observing that her top-notch team was either spinning idly on the lab chairs or staring off into space. Zach appeared to be counting ceiling tiles. "What are you guys sitting around for?" Brennan asked. Cam cleared her throat, wondering the same thing.

Angela flickered her eyes up from her sketchbook and clarified, "This is the first time in a long while when we haven't been working on the recent murdered/stabbed/burned/decapitated/mutilated--"

"We are waiting for some bones from limbo. Booth hasn't found any bodies for us to identify in his kidnapping case. I find it rather refreshing," Zach interrupted and admitted. Brennan looked around the platform, realizing that they were right. The lab was spotless, with the exception of Hodgins holding several evidence bags of soil.

"What do you have on the dirt?" Cam questioned as Brennan retrieved the samples

Hodgins narrowed his eyes and corrected, "It's not dirt. It's adipocere, and the samples originate from the same location based on the levels of fatty acids in the soil."

"So Donna Willows and Sophie Rodriguez both have grave soil in their rooms? All that gives us is more evidence that the disappearances are linked," Brennan murmured.

"What about the first kid? Lyon Riddick?" Hodgins asked.

"There was no sample found in his room, or message for that matter," Brennan confirmed.

Cam let out a low whistle and agreed, "Booth's definitely not going to like that."

"I don't understand," Brennan directed her inquiry to her boss.

Cam leaned back and explained, "Think about it. Lyon goes missing. Then several kids follow with soil from a human grave in their rooms. If I were a psychotic serial killer jerking around with law enforcement, the dirt would have been from where I buried Lyon."

"You're making assumptions and jumping to too many conclusions. Lyon could still very much be alive," Brennan pointed out. More forcefully, she added, "we need evidence before we decide these kids are as good as dead."

Cam clicked her tongue. "I understand that, Dr. Brennan, but from what we have so far, the outlook isn't so bright. If you want to look at this objectively, just take a look at the statistics--"

"54.6 of statistics are falsified," Zach butt in. Everyone turned their heads and gaped at their colleague. Hodgins finally asked, in mock horror, "Zach, did you just make a joke? What is this world coming too?"

"Enough," Brennan shook her head. The case was irritating her, and Booth's behavior had sent her nerves into overdrive. She was so tense, she barely noticed the shrill ringing of her cell. She was in such a hurry to answer she almost dropped it. Hoping the call was from Booth, she answered quickly, "Brennan."

She heard a soft click and static on the other end. It almost sounded as if there was a soft wind in the background, mingled with a labored breathing. Brennan started pacing and asked attentively asked, "Booth?"

Cam tapped Brennan on the shoulder and whispered, "Booth just came into the lab…" Brennan whipped around and saw Booth trudge up the stairs to the platform. His clothes were wrinkled and his eyes were dark and hollowed. Overall, he looked ten years older, and it made Brennan sick with anxiety. A tremendous crash and harsh gasping on the phone made Brennan freeze. A rush of static followed before a deathly still silence.

And then in the quiet, "He needs to find them…we both can't rest…evermore"

There was a final slam and dial tone reached Brennan's ears. Booth touched her shoulder gently and demanded, "Who was that?"

"I don't know, but I think it's the guy…" Brennan trailed off.

Booth motioned with his hands to clarify, his face almost exasperated. "Gotta be a little more clearer than 'guy', Bones."

"He said 'he needs to find them, we both can't rest' and then 'evermore'. That guy, Booth, who else would I be talking about?" Brennan defended.

"How the hell did he get your number?" Booth said as he Brennan handed over her phone. He dialed star sixty-nine, his face set in disdain. Someone got Brennan's cell--the last thing he needed to worry about was Brennan having a stalker. He doubted whoever called his partner would answer, but at the very least he could get their number…

The thick silence in the lab was shattered when Booth's cell rang in his coat pocket. Brennan's eyes widened as she uttered, "That's impossible."

Booth dug his phone out and flicked it open roughly. Brennan's number flashed on his screen and he shook his head, stunned. "What the hell…"

"What the hell doesn't even cover it. Brennan gets a freak call from your cell while it wasn't even in use? What's going on?" Cam demanded. Hodgins and the others looked on uneasily.

"I'm just as thrown off as you, but I know it has something to do with my missing kids case…" Booth acknowledged. He turned to Brennan, almost meekly, and asked quietly so that the others wouldn't overhear, "I need to talk to you…something's happening to me…"

Brennan nodded, feeling a rush of relief knowing Booth trusted her enough to open up about what was wrong, and felt little trepidation. "We also have something back from the soil samples…where do you want to talk?"

Booths scrubbed his face and murmured, "I could really use some coffee right now. Like seriously."

Brennan offered a small smile, and refrained from pointing out that their coffee spot was becoming a second home of lately. Instead she returned, "The Royal Diner it is." She tried to get him to smile by adding, "Too much coffee stunts your growth."

Booth strained a grin and replied, "Guess Hodgins didn't get the message." Hodgins snorted, and for a moment things seemed to be back to normal. But Brennan could plainly see the distress in her partner's eyes, and still feel the tension on the platform between her colleagues and friends.

As the two of them left the Jeffersonian lab, Cam threw up her hands in bewilderment. Angela jumped down from her stool and asked, "Okay, what just happened?"

Cam groaned, "I don't know. I'm worried about Booth, did you see how horrible he looked?"

"Like he just got rolled over by a semi?" Hodgins threw in.

"He appears sick," Zach observed.

Pacing over to edge of the platform, Cam hugged herself, nervousness gnawing at her insides. To herself, she muttered, "That's not only it. Something's seriously wrong…this isn't right."