Where was Bobby? Tara was frowning at her phone. He had disappeared after they were released from the safe house, and he wasn't answering his phone. She hoped he was all right. She sighed. This whole Jessie fiasco had derailed her from thinking about her birth mother. It had made her forget that someone out there hadn't wanted her. It still really hurt to think about. She regretted not grabbing the adoption papers when she was at her father's house. Even though she didn't want to read it, a part of her really did. She decided to go back and get them.

Bobby

He found her amidst bags and things strewn everywhere. She was in an obvious hurry. He waited a beat before knocking on the screen door.

"Oh!" she yelped, whirling around. She clutched at her chest. "You scared me."

"May I come in?" he asked.

"My lawyer cleared me. If you're here to arrest me, you've got no grounds," Amy said.

"I'm not here about that," Bobby assured her. She peered at him curiously.

"Okay then," she said, gesturing. He opened the door and closed it behind him gently.

"You going somewhere?" he asked.

"Last minute vacation," she smiled grimly. "Although not so much a vacation. A friend of mine is really sick. She needs me to help care for her."

"I'm sorry," Bobby responded. He didn't buy it, but he let her have it.

"So, what can I help you with, Mr. FBI?" she asked, pausing for a moment and looking at him. She wiped her brow to clear the sweat. Bobby pulled out the file with the adoption papers in it and set it down on the table carefully. She eyed it suspiciously.

"Are you serving me with something?" she asked.

"No. Look at it," Bobby gestured. She reached for it and picked it up gingerly. When she opened it, she went very white in the face. She closed it after a moment.

"I'm afraid you've got the wrong person," she told him.

"I don't think I do," Bobby said, crossing his arms. "And you know it."

"So what's this about then? I'm being arrested for giving up my child? It was totally legal," she added.

"I'm not here to arrest you for anything," Bobby said. "I'm here to tell you that your daughter is in D.C."

"She...what?" Amy asked, her heart skipping.

"She actually is a friend of mine," Bobby went on. "And she recently found out about you."

"Oh," Amy said. "Should you even be here? I mean, won't she be angry you contacted me without her permission?"

"Perhaps, but I knew you were gonna take off," Bobby said. "So call it drastic measures if you will."

"You think that by telling me my daughter is in D.C. it's gonna keep me from leaving?" Amy asked. "You are sadly mistaken. I am needed elsewhere, and I'm sorry but I don't want that chapter of my life ripped open again."

"So you really didn't want her," Bobby clarified. They stared at each other.

"Is that what she thinks?" Amy asked. "Is that what you think?"

"It's what the file says," Bobby pointed.

"I wanted her to have a better life than I could provide her," Amy said slowly. "I didn't want to look at her every day and be constantly reminded of why she was here in the first place."

"I see," Bobby said, getting it. He had been right.

"No, you don't see. You've already made a snap judgment about me, and I won't stand for it," Amy said sharply.

"I'm not making any judgments, Amy," Bobby said.

"Then why does it feel like it?" she challenged. Bobby's phone rang then, and he looked to see it was Tara calling. He ignored it.

"What if I told you you could meet her without her seeing you," Bobby said.

"I'm not interested," Amy said quickly. "Look, Agent, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I am quite fine to leave my past in the past. Please respect that." She turned back to her packing.

"All right," Bobby said. "But if you change your mind..." He put down an address on the table and left. Once the door closed, she went over to it and picked it up. Fiddling with it, she now didn't know if she should disappear after all.

A Few Hours Earlier

"I got released," Amy said. Jonah had found her once she had exited the FBI building. "I thought you were leaving?"

"I am. I just wanted to make sure you were all right," Jonah said.

"You're so thoughtful," Amy smiled. They were at her place sitting at the table.

"What's the plan now?" Jonah asked.

"I don't know. I feel like I should get out of here, but I don't know why," she sighed.

"I can help with that," Jonah offered.

"How?" she asked, looking at him sharply. "You're not a fugitive are you?"

"Well," Jonah said, shifting slightly.

"Are you?" she demanded. She felt a shot of fear going through her.

"Yes and no," Jonah said. He looked at her carefully.

"Do you care to explain?" she asked.

"I will, but first, answer me this: do you want to disappear? Become a ghost?" he asked. She stared at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she whispered.

"Do you want to become a ghost?" he asked again.

"But what does that entail?"

"Just answer the question, Amy," Jonah prodded.

"I..." Did she? Did she want to disappear? It's something that she had wanted before, especially from her attacker, but now? The FBI would be watching her that's for sure. She didn't really have anything left here. She already was semi invisible to others.

"Amy?"

"Okay," she agreed. "I want to become a ghost."

"Figured you'd say yes," Jonah beamed.

"So, how does it work?" she asked.

"I will tell you," Jonah said. "But first, you need to know my story."

1991

James Montgomery was in his prime. He had a beautiful wife and two wonderful children. He was an accountant, and he worked very hard. James loved his family. He spent as much time with them as he could. Then his wife became pregnant with their third child, only to lose that child during childbirth. James' wife almost died herself. This sobering event caused James to close off from his family. He somehow felt it was his fault their second son had died before ever hearing his name spoken aloud. James was broken inside, and he didn't know how to let his wife in. He didn't know how to be there for her either. Their two children recognized their parents were falling apart, but they didn't know how to help either. It had been a simple gesture that started it all.

"Feeling lucky?" a guy asked James, passing him a chip. James looked over at the casino across the street. Did he feel lucky? When he turned, the man was gone, and James was left with a churning in his stomach. The desire to forget it all was very strong, so walked over to the casino and played his chip.

"Where were you?" his wife, Lily, asked later. James shrugged off the question.

"I worked late," he offered. Lily didn't argue. She knew he would sometimes work late when he needed space. He seemed to need a lot of space lately. James felt badly for lying. He just couldn't admit that he had been gambling. The months went on with him gambling more and more. Then he had a bookie. Then he lost so much that he knew his wife was going to find out. His bookie was looking for him, and he needed money fast. One evening, James came home to find his house on fire. The firefighters were already there, and upon seeing him, they called out to him, asking if he was the owner of this home. Unable to speak, he simply nodded. They proceeded to tell him that there were no survivors, that they were very sorry. He could only numbly stand and listen, knowing the reason for this tragic accident. This was his punishment for gambling. This is what he deserved, to be miserable forever. He spent many nights afraid and in hiding. He cut his hair and dyed it. He started wearing sunglasses. He didn't know if the bookie was still looking for him, but he wasn't taking any chances. One night, he was approached by a man.

"Do you want to disappear?" the man asked. "Do you want to become a ghost?"

"W-what?" James asked. Did this man know?

"Do you want to become a ghost?" the man repeated. James thought about it hard. If he stayed here, he'd eventually be killed by the bookie. If he left, he was running away from his past and would forever be guilty for what happened to his family. In the end, he decided to take the coward's way out.

"Yes," James said. It all happened quickly. He was given the name Jonah and explained how Ghost worked. Ghost was a silent program for those who needed to disappear from their lives and be relocated elsewhere to do good deeds in the background. When James heard he was going to D.C., he felt relieved. It was a big place. He could hide easily. It was far away from everything. He thanked the man, and went on his way. Once in D.C., he realized an even better way to punish himself. He'd be homeless. What better way to be a ghost than to be living on the streets as a nobody? His first night was cold, but he survived. He had survived every day ever since.

Present Day

Amy stared at Jonah.

"How awful," she whispered.

"Mmhmm," he said, bowing his head.

"So, you ran away, and you've punished yourself ever since?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Why the name Jonah?"

"Jonah was the man from the Bible who ran away from God's request and was swallowed by the whale after a storm hit," Jonah explained. "The purpose of the story was to teach of repentance and God's forgiveness."

"But...what was God's request of you?" Amy asked, confused.

"I don't know. Sal just thought the name fit. I did need to repent for my gambling though and the destruction it caused in my life."

"And the forgiveness part?" Amy asked.

"I repent every single day," Jonah said. "I live my life this way as my repentance, and maybe God has forgiven me for what I've done, but I can't forgive myself."

"Oh, Jonah," Amy said. "You didn't burn your house down."

"But I may as well have," Jonah said. "It was my gambling problem that got them killed, I know it, so in other words, it was me."

"No," Amy shook her head. "Did you not find out the cause of the fire?"

"I don't have to. I know who started it. Look, you believe it the way you want, and I'll believe it the way I want," Jonah said. He stood. "Are you still wanting to be a Ghost?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"I'll get you in contact with Salvation then," Jonah said. At her confused look he went on. "Salvation, or Sal, is the name of the man who offered me this invisible freedom. He started Ghost because of his own past and knowing that sometimes you had to start new somewhere else as someone else in order to move on. He also believes in doing good for others in an almost invisible way, so it's one of the important things you'll be doing as a Ghost."

"Okay," Amy echoed. Jonah patted her hand and turned to go. "I'm sorry, Jonah."

"I'm sorry too," Jonah said. "But we can't change it."

"You could. You don't have to live like a homeless person," Amy urged.

"Maybe in my new home, I won't," Jonah shrugged. He doubted it.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked.

"Probably not. In doing a good deed I've brought attention to myself in a way I don't want. I've got to move on," Jonah said. "It'll only be a matter of time before they find me and discover who I am."

"I'll miss you," Amy said.

"And I you. Don't be sad. I'll be all right," Jonah smiled. He knew she'd be sad anyway. When he left, he felt a little bit of freedom in having told his story. He hadn't told anyone else his story aside from Sal, and even though both had tried to tell him he was not a killer (he wouldn't be in the Ghost program if he was, no criminals were), in his mind, he knew he was no better than one. It was his haunt, and he'd live with it forever.

Tara

She ransacked until everything was everywhere. She sat amidst the pile of papers and other things that were in her father's desk. The adoption file was gone. This puzzled her. Had she taken it without remembering? No. She shook her head. She had been angry. She hadn't wanted to know anymore. Why, then, was the file gone? Then it hit her. Bobby had taken them. She scrambled to her feet and went to find him. She was hurt that he had pocketed them without her permission. How could he have done that? She found him at his favorite diner looking rather disgruntled about something. She sat down across from him and stared. He knew.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Why?" she asked. "Why did you do it?"

"I wanted to find her, to show you she wasn't a monster," Bobby said.

"You had no right..."

"I know I didn't," he cut her off. "I'm sorry. I really thought it would work."

"So, you saw her?" Tara asked, shocked. He nodded.

"She was the nurse who fixed up Myles. I knew it as soon as I saw her that she was your biological mother. I couldn't believe it, that she was practically delivered to me without even searching, so I thought it was fate."

"Bobby..."

"I know. I was stupid. I shouldn't have even approached her. You were right," Bobby sighed.

"About what?" Tara asked.

"She didn't want anything to do with you," he told her. The news slapped her in the face even though she had already known it to be true.

"Oh," she said.

"But," Bobby went on, "I was right for the reason. She said she didn't want to look at you every day and be reminded constantly of what happened to her, so that leaves me to believe she was sexually assaulted."

"So what," Tara spat. "I was a baby! I was harmless!"

"I know. Tara, she was a kid herself," Bobby said, reaching out to grab her hand. "She made a mistake. She knows you're here, in D.C."

"What?!" Tara yelped.

"I told her she could see you if she wanted, but I don't know if she will," Bobby said.

"What about what I want?!" Tara shrieked. "You didn't even stop to think about that!"

"You're telling me that you aren't even the slightest bit curious about meeting your biological mother?" Bobby challenged. Tara seethed inside, but she knew he knew he got her with this one. She was curious. She did want to know. She sat back and crossed her arms.

"I hate you," she said.

"No, you don't," Bobby grinned.

"In this moment, I do," she argued.

"I just really know you," he tried. "I know you want to meet her whether you know it yourself or not." She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands.

"Am I that much of an open book?" she asked, looking at him finally.

"No. You're human. You're curious. You are a caring, compassionate person, and I know that you know Amy had a good reason for doing what she did no matter what this stupid file says," Bobby finished.

"I care too much," Tara muttered.

"No such thing," Bobby said to her.

"So now what? I just wait for her to decide if she wants to see me?" Tara demanded.

"No. I know where she lives," Bobby said. "You decide if you want to see her or not."

"Take me there," Tara instructed.

Amy

She had hung out to see if the FBI guy would come back, and she was right. He did. This time he had a woman with him, and without a doubt Amy knew this was the little girl she had given away all those years ago. It felt like yesterday. She could easily see this woman was nervous and anxious to be there. Amy debated whether or not to go over and say hello. In the end, she decided not to. She didn't want to further hurt the little girl she had given away. It would be for the best. She was a ghost now.

I might change this chapter. I'm not sure how I feel about how it's turned out. Sorry for the wait. I've been struggling with writer's block and some family health issues that have come up suddenly. Anyhow, let me know what you think. If the whole Ghost idea is dumb, I'll take it out.

Also: I am writing a crossover of Sue Thomas FBEye with Bones called Booth & Bobby: FBI (Friends, Bros, & Inspirations) for those who are interested in reading it. I find putting crossovers in its own section ends up with nobody reading them, and I want people to read it lol