He was pacing again. This time, he had a distraught Hadley in his arms. It was the middle of the night, and she wouldn't settle, crying harder whenever he stopped, so he just kept walking.

And waiting.

The team searching for Parker's drop off point had to wait until morning, even though Angela and Parker had managed to pinpoint a more specific search area. The Dallas field office couldn't go knocking on people's doors in the dark and expect cooperation, so they, too, had to wait.

The only forward motion that Booth thought might happen before sun up was from Hodgins. The entomologist was pouring over the soil sample, trying to narrow it down as much as possible.

Booth knew it was his best hope. And as much as he wanted to be doing something constructive to find his partner, he was finding some comfort in just being Hadley's father at the moment.

"It's okay, Sweet Girl. " He murmured. "Daddy's here. You're okay. Ssshhhh." He bounced her gently as he went back and forth across the lounge.

Hadley rested her little head on her father's big shoulder, her cow tucked safely to her chest, and sobbed into his shirt.

"I know, Hads. I know." He could only imagine she wanted her mother, even though she had no idea what was going on. That was one thing he could be grateful for; that Hadley was too young to understand what was happening.

But the entire situation made him desperate and furious and his daughter's shrieking was a clear reflection of that.

"She can feel your stress, Booth. Mine, as well. Babies can sense their parents' emotional state. We should try not to bring our feelings about work home with us."

Remembering his partner's admonishment from an earlier, difficult case, he took a deep breath and tried to physically relax. His entire body was as taut as a wire and it took several deep breaths and some concentrated effort to unspool some of that tension.

After a while, it seemed to work. Hadley's sobbing lessened to whimpers and then finally the only sound that came from her was the sweet breaths of a slumbering baby. Slowly he lowered himself onto the couch and resettled her more firmly against his chest. She sighed deeply, raised her head for a moment and then laid back against him, sleeping soundly once more.

As he sank into the couch at a better angle for Hadley, exhaustion hit him. It buzzed up his legs and spread through his body. His jaw hurt from being set with stress, his eyes were scratchy and dry and his head was pounding. As much as he wanted to fight it, sleep was overtaking him and his last thought before he let it win was to hope that his dreams were more pleasant than his reality.


Brennan spent most of the night awake, thinking up logical ways to escape. The few times she did doze, she dreamed of Booth finding her, unfastening her ankle restraints and leading her to safety.

By the time the sun came up she had a plan. She needed to be unbound and able to get the key to the lock from his pocket. She didn't know if her plan would work, but she knew she had to try.

She heard Todd stir, so she closed her eyes, feigning sleep yet again. She heard his footsteps as he emerged from his room. Once more she could feel his gaze rest on her for a few moments, and then she listened as he walked to the kitchen and began to rattle some bowls and pans.

In case he was watching she pretended to wake slowly, blinking her eyes against the sunlight and stretching as best she could against her restraints.

"Good morning!" Todd sounded... jolly, almost manically so, and she found it strange in light of her rejection in the middle of the night. "How did you sleep?"

"Better," she fibbed. "Thank you, again, for the pajamas." It was important that she show gratitude. Compliance. Anything that would make him believe she was happy to be there.

"You're welcome. I'm going to make pancakes. Would you like to help?"

Cooperatively, Brennan nodded.

"Let me get your feet undone." He came over and unlocked her ankle restraints. She sat up and oriented herself for a moment before she stoop up.

Suddenly, Todd was tugging on her right hand, pulling her up off the bed and into his chest. He placed her left hand on his shoulder, and settled his own at her waist as if they were about to dance. He began to sway back and forth to some imaginary tune she couldn't hear, pressing his body into hers. "I feel like we've turned a corner, my Temperance," he whispered in her ear, his breath hot against her skin.

She fought back the nausea that was bubbling up, trying to remember that her complacency was important to her plan. "I'm glad you think so," she said as he began to waltz her around the room. She let him for a for a moment, and then tried to redirect him. "Todd, I really am quite hungry."

"Of course." He kissed her cheek, and she kept her fake smile frozen in place.

She had a plan to implement and his belief in her acquiescence was key.


Booth jolted awake in panic when he felt Hadley being lifted from his chest.

"It's just me." Angela said softly. "I thought I would put her in her crib in Brennan's office. Hodgins is looking for you."

"Has he got something?" Booth croaked, his voice hoarse with sleep as his heart pounded in his chest.

Angela nodded. "He's not finished yet, but yeah, he's got something." She put Hadley on her shoulder. "Go. I've got her." She walked towards Brennan's office, patting Hadley back to sleep as she went.

Booth stood, cracked his back, then tried to shake himself into full consciousness as he headed for Hodgins office. The short time he'd slept had been just enough to prove he was sleep deprived and his body was screaming for more. His head felt foggy and he rubbed at his eyes trying to get them to focus.

"Hey, man," greeted Hodgins.

"Look, whatever you got, tell me in English right off the bat. I can't do the squint thing right now."

"It's a farm. " Hodgins said bluntly. "Or at least, it was a farm. Based on the age of the deteriorated chicken scat and the insects I've found in there, I'd say it's been out of use for four years."

"So, an abandoned farm?"

"Abandoned, foreclosed, non- functioning… there isn't really anything new in the soil, nothing that indicates any other usage. It's just a small sample, though, maybe not indicative of the entire area. Once I analyze the soil itself, I'll have more for you, but I figured you'd want to know. "

"No, this is good. Thanks, Hodgins."

"Don't thank me. Let's just get our girl home."

Booth smiled wryly at Hodgins' terminology. "She'd beat you down for calling her that."

"I'd gladly take it if it meant she was back here with us." Hodgins answered sincerely.

Not for the first time Booth was overwhelmed by the devotion of his partner's friends. "Yeah. Me too."

"I'll keep going."

"I'm going to see if I can get together a list of abandoned farms within a 2 hour radius." Booth turned on his heel, took out his phone, and dialed Hacker's number, noting that the sun was rising and praying that today was the day he brought her home.


She contemplated her options as they prepared breakfast. Initially she thought she might use one of the dull knives or even a fork. If she could hit him just right, in his carotid or his eye, he'd be stricken and she could get out. But she needed the key and she couldn't risk that she might miss or that he'd still be conscious enough to stop her from fishing it from his pocket.

No, rendering him unconscious would be the only way.

The one lamp that lit the room at night was mostly glass and looked heavy enough to do the job. If she could unplug it without him noticing, she could grab it and swing freely for his head, most likely knocking him out at least long enough to get the key and get out the door.

She wouldn't even stop to put on her shoes or find the van keys. She would simply follow the same advice she'd given Parker.

She would just run.

But timing was everything and so she kept on being cooperative all through breakfast and the subsequent clean up. He washed as she dried and she entertained visions of taking the pan and simply wielding it like a bat, but she couldn't be sure it was heavy enough.

"Ready to do laundry?" Todd asked, his voice and demeanor both cheerful.

"All right."

"I don't have a washer, but we can do the laundry in the sink and then hang them outside to dry."

"That sounds fine." Brennan attempted a small smile. She really did hope she was convincing. Booth always said she was a terrible liar. She hoped Todd's delusions would cause him to believe her more easily.

"Someday, when it's safe to tell the world about us, you can shop at all the fancy stores you probably like. But right now, they wouldn't understand."

"Of course." She decided to see just how much freedom he would give her. "I just need to use the restroom first."

"Temperance, this is your home. You don't need my permission."

She smiled at him because she could see her plan falling into place with his answer. He was starting to trust her. "Thank you."

She thought that perhaps today was the day she would get to go home.