A/N: Here you go =) Thanks to Timeloopy for Beta-ing it so quickly!

Chapter 9. Brennan

Two hours before

"Booth, when are we going to be there?"

Booth didn't answer. It seemed that he didn't even hear the question. Before Angela was able to touch his shoulder to attract his attention, Cam stopped her.

"Angela, don't disturb Booth, please. I want to get there in one piece."

"But, Cam, I just want to know, how much time it will take!"

"You asked that question five minutes ago."

"Three minutes and eight seconds, to be exact," interfered Hodgins.

"Jack!" exclaimed Angela at the same time as Cam said:

"You've been counting?"

"Yes," answered Hodgins with a sly smile.

Cam lifted her eyebrow. Angela just stared at her husband clearly debating whether to believe him or not. A few moments later he gave in.

"Fine! I didn't count. I didn't need to, actually."

After those words, he showed them a stopwatch. Angela hit his shoulder lightly.

"I knew you were joking! I don't get one thing, why do you have a stopwatch turned on at all?"

"As if we have other things to do right now."

"And looking at the running time will solve the problem. Why didn't I think of it?" said Angela sarcastically.

"It takes my thoughts away from worry! Besides, I turned it on the moment we were in this car."

"Which means…?"

"It means that I know exactly how long we've been driving. And, as the result, how much time is left."

"Tell me!"

"Ok, let's see… Booth said the road would take at least three hours…which means we are approximately two hours away from our destination."

Angela almost groaned with frustration.

"That long?"

Hodgins sighed.

"I'm afraid so. Don't worry, Angie, we'll be there on time."

But his words didn't sound as hopeful as he intended.

...

Jeffersonian Institution

The same time

Sweets was bored. Really, really bored. Zack was studying some bones; Richard left to help Michele with children. Sweets himself had a task to watch after Alex. It would be fine, if the kid had been a little bit more talkative. Since they came back to the office Alex answered all Sweets' question with no more than a few necessary words.

During an hour after Booth and the others had left, Sweets studied the boy. All his observations showed that Alex had had a tough live. Richard had offered to take Alex with him, but Sweets forbade this because he had great doubts that the boy had ever played with other children his age. His professional opinion was that it was too early to let Alex socialize with others, not while he worried so much about his mother and sister. That's why they had been sitting in silence in one of the Jeffersonian Institution offices for more than an hour.

While Sweets was analyzing him, Alex thought about his mum, his sister, his father… He realized that his family didn't resemble those he'd read about in books… He thought about Agent Booth, who was very kind to him, who agreed to help him, and even knew his mother. How he wished at that moment that agent Booth was be his father! Alex was sure, that Booth would never hurt his mum or sister. The biggest relief of his short life was that neither he, nor Scarlett looked like their father. The only feature, they had inherited, were Donald's brown eyes. And Scarlett's hair colour was close to that of their father.

Alex was distracted from his daydreams when Sweets decided to break the silence.

"Alex, can you tell my anything about yourself?"

The boy shuddered and shook his head but didn't lift his eyes. Sweets sighed. He hoped that the boy would open up a little.

"I understand. Maybe, you can tell me how you came to the city instead."

Alex didn't acknowledge the question right away, so Sweets added:

"I just thought that I might need to know the way, if I ever have to do it."

Alex's lips curved up a little.

"You won't be able to."

"Why do you think so? I can at least try."

This time the boy chuckled.

"You are too big. You won't fit in there."

"Fit in where?" asked Sweets with a growing suspicion.

"In the car body, of course," – answered Alex with the intonation that it was obvious. Then he explained without being questioned: "My dad has a big car. I hid in there and came out once we reached the city. I needed to find help and Mum forbade me to contradict him. I couldn't think of anything else to do to help her. I couldn't!"

He clenched his fists in obvious anger and helplessness. Sweets tried to calm him down.

"You did a good thing, Alex. It was really brave of you to try to help your mother. I'm sure she is proud of you."

Alex visibly relaxed after these words and even asked a question:

"They'll help mum, right?"

"Of course, they will. They've waited for this opportunity for years. They'll do whatever it takes not to lose it."

After a few seconds Alex nodded and wanted to go back to drawing, when loud footsteps were heard and the door burst open.

...

They found Scarlett, but even after they had searched throughout the house, there was no sign of Brennan. However, they found traces of a fight in the nursery on the first floor. After that all Booth could think about was 'Please, be alive!'

He carried a girl, who looked so much like Brennan, out of the house and gave her to the paramedics. Than he turned to go search the forest, but Angela grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Where are you going, Booth?"

"I know she's out there, Angela! I'll find her."

"I'm coming with you."

Booth shook his head.

"It is too dangerous. For all we know, Ditrich could be armed."

"Booth is right. Angela, Jack, you stay here."

Booth looked at Cam with gratitude until she added, pulling out her gun:

"I'm going with him."

Booth just nodded his agreement, having no desire to waste time trying to persuade her to stay.

They were lucky. From all the possible routes, Booth had chosen the one that they needed. Not even ten minutes into their walk Booth had stopped abruptly. Cam barely managed to stop her stride not to bump into him.

"Booth," she whispered. When he didn't answer, she looked over his shoulder preparing for the worst. What she saw made her sick…

Brennan sat leaning against the tree. She was definitely unconscious: her head bent down, tangled hair covering the face. Only her arms, tided on the other side of the tree, prevented her from falling on her side.

Shaking her head to clear it, Cam looked around for any signs of Ditrich. She saw none. Booth finally managed to come out of his stupor and was already standing on his knees near Brennan. For a few moments he had just looked at her, than slowly extended a shaking hand, as if fearing she would disappear. Only having felt the heat of her skin with his fingertips, did he believe she was really alive.

"Bones…"

He wanted to shake her, to make her open her eyes… but he carefully untied her hands and lifted her from the ground, trying not to disturb her injured body too much.

...

JeffersonianInstitution

"Dr. Sweets!"

One of the assistants ran into the office.

"How can I help you, Adam?"

"We have a call from the central hospital addressed to you, sir."

Sweets jumped from his chair. He thought about Dr. Brennan. But it was too early for his friend to return!

"What happened? Why didn't they call my cell-phone?"

"I do not know, sir. They said it concerned your wife."

"What?"

Sweets immediately turned to the door to leave the office, but then he remembered about Alex.

"Alex, I need to talk with somebody on the phone. You…"

"May I go with you?"

Sweets didn't have either time, or desire to argue, so he nodded, took Alex' hand and they followed the assistant out.

"What happened to Daisy?"

"Mr. Lance Sweets?"

"Yes, that's me. What is it with Daisy?" Sweets was panicking and it was clearly heard in his voice.

"Your wife was brought here by an ambulance fifteen minutes ago with a preterm delivery. Now she is in the operating room."

Sweets had almost dropped the phone. The voice continued:

"We were not able to reach your cell, so we tried this number. Mr. Sweets? Are you still listening?"

"I…yes…I'd be right there!"

Not waiting for her response, he dropped the phone and ran out of the building still holding Alex' hand.