"When I was in high school, he and I were always fighting. I would want to do things like sports and hang out with the guys, while my dad wanted me to do all of the stuff that regular girls do, you know? Go get your nails done, have sleepovers, go shopping. I just wasn't into that kind of stuff."

Brennan nodded. "So he was angry that you weren't... being a girl?"

"Exactly. I was just a tomboy, I guess. So then, one night, me and him were arguing again, but this time he... he just got so angry at me that he slapped me." Megan sighed. "I was just so scared at the time, and I didn't know what to do. So I ran away."

Brennan stared at the piece of paper, and Megan could see doubt in her eyes. "Do you think that I should-"

"Yes." Megan immediately said. "Don't do what I did... don't wait until the last minute... because if you wait any longer, you may no longer have the chance."

David walked over to Don and handed him the phone. "It's Charlie, Don."

Don took the phone from David's hand and put it up to his ear. "Hey Charlie, we need your help."

"Alright... 6, 7, 16. Carbon, Nitrogen and Sulfur on the periodic table of elements. They are buried in coal rich soil." Charlie explained, and he typed a few things into the computer, bringing a picture of a map up onto Don's computer screen.

Don sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. "You have to narrow it down, Charlie... we're counting on you."

Booth walked over to look at the map. "Alright... keep going."

"Umm... mineral components of coal are all the same. It's the organic components that provide a unique fingerprint." Charlie said, and the map began to zoom in, getting to a certain location. "They are called mascerals... they fluoresce at different levels. A reflectance of 1.4 is quite rare, suggesting a high concentration of inertinite."

Don looked at the screen, confusion written all over his face. "What does that mean? Charlie, tell me what that means."

David grinned. "It means he knows where they are."

"Charlie..." Don began, not so sure, looking at Charlie for assurance.

The map zoomed in for the last time, pin pointing a specific spot on the map, and Charlie smiled. "I know where they are."

Back in the car, Brennan and Megan sat in the backseat, with Brennan holding a jumper cable that's set up across the dashboard of the car.

Megan stared at the wires. She had never seen anybody come up with something like this. Well, except for Charlie, of course, but he was a math genius. Dr. Brennan was an anthropologist. "How can this thing possibly work?"

"Well, I'm not really an explosives expert, as you can tell by me being an anthropologist, but... the dash might shape the charge enough to blow out the windshield." Megan nodded, understanding what she was saying. That must have been a first for her, since all she would hear from Charlie was random babbles. "If we're less than four feet beneath the surface... this charge could blow us... to freedom."

Megan's face held a worried look. "And... what if... what if we're buried more than four feet? What will happen?"

"Let's see... how do I put this nicely." Brennan quietly asked herself. "If we're buried more than four feet, the concussion from the blast will... it will turn our brains into jelly."

"Huh." Megan scoffed. "That sure is a nice way to put it, Dr. Brennan."

Brennan stepped up into the front seat, re-wiring a couple of things before turning around to look at Megan. "We should get as far away from the explosion as possible, Agent Reeves."

"I already am, Dr. Brennan." Megan extended out her arm, holding her hand out for Brennan to grasp. "Care to join me?"

"Alright, let's move, people." Booth ordered as everybody began rummaging around. "I've got FBI cars out front waiting."

"Thanks, Charlie." Don said into the speaker so Charlie could hear him through the video. "I'll update you later."

Charlie gave his brother a warm smile, as did Amita. "Glad I could help, bro."

The screen went black. Don got up out of the seat and began making his way towards the group, which was already almost out the door. None of them were wasting time. Because any second could be their last.

Desert areas surrounded the black FBI cars that sped through the dunes, passing nearby cactuses and trees that have appeared to have been dried out for months. The cars came to a halt as a giant ditch appeared in front of them, stretching for at least three miles each way. FBI agents and the group exited their cars and stood at the edge of the hill, surveying the sandy area below. Thomas and Janine soon joined them, receiving news of their discovery minutes after they did.

Booth and Don stood side by side, scanning the area carefully, hoping to find something that could possibly lead them to the discovery of Megan and Brennan.

"Alright, they have to be here." Don said, still scanning the area back and forth.

Booth nodded in agreement with Don and began shouting orders. "Come on, people, let's get moving!"

"Look for anything... tire tracks, recent digging, mounds, depressions... anything!" Cam shouted and in seconds, FBI agents were running around, milling their way through the desert area.

Colby and David each grabbed a shovel and began making their way downhill, but not before passing Don. "We'll find them."

"Megan... where are you?" Don whispered to himself.

"Are you ready?" Brennan asked as they both sat in the backseat of the car once again.

Megan nodded, hoping to look fearless to Dr. Brennan. But all Brennan could see in her eyes was fear. Lots and lots of fear. "As ready as I'll ever be." She turned to look at Brennan. "Dr. Brennan, it has been a privilege working with you."

Megan extended her hand, hoping for Brennan to shake it. Brennan stared at it, but then looked up at Megan and embraced her tightly.

In their minds, they knew that this may be the last embrace that they share with anybody for the rest of their lives.

Minutes passed, and already many holes were scattered throughout the ditch, made from multiple agents.

"Let's go, people, pick up the pace! We're running out of time!" Booth yelled out, but his voice then grew to a whisper. "They're running out of time."

Megan grasped the note in her hand tightly, the one she had written earlier. Giving the crumpled piece of paper a quick peck, she placed it in her coat pocket and sat in the back of the car, hoping to stay as far away from the steering wheel as possible.

"You ready?" Brennan asked her.

Already Megan's breathing had become labored as fear overcame her once again. "You asked me that already... but yeah... I'm ready."

Brennan sat behind the driver's seat, but had her arms around the seat so she could reach the wires. As she grasped them tightly, Brennan began to bring the wires closer together. Megan felt like she was in slow motion. As she watched the wires near each other, panick began to fill her as memories of her life flashed through her mind. But before she could think about anything else, a loud explosion was heard, and Megan's world went black.

Don stood next to Booth once again, watching the agents digging holes again and again. A soft boom was heard and Don looked over to see a puff of smoke shooting out from the ground. As soon as he laid his eyes on it, both Don and Booth were off. As everybody watched the two head agents running towards the smoke, they immediately followed. Colby and David stopped their digging and began making their way towards the smoke, as well as Cam, Angela and Zack.

Booth and Don reached the spot in minutes and they immediately began digging with their bare hands. As Booth kept digging, he felt soft skin against his calloused hands and immediately realized that it was a hand. Grasping it tightly, Booth managed to pull the body out of the dirt and onto the ground.

It was Brennan.

Booth panicked at first, thinking that she may be dead, but his panic turned to relief when he saw her cough lightly and watch her chest silently rise and fall.

Before Booth could do anything to help Brennan, she said something, but it only came out in a hoarse whisper. "Get... Megan."

Don, David and Colby kept digging and they saw the familiar brown hair that belonged to Megan. Grabbing her upper body they pulled her out from the dirt and onto the safe ground, but fear and shock ran through their veins when they saw that she wasn't breathing.

"No." Don whispered. "No, no!"

Booth and Brennan looked over at them, wondering why Don was freaking out, and they soon realized that Megan wasn't breathing as well.

Don soon began to give CPR to Megan, with him operating alone.

"Don, why don't you let me help." Colby offered, but he immediately backed away when Don gave him a glare.

"I got this." Don told him. "I can do this."

Duh duh duhhhhhh! D

Please R&R!