A/N: The last few weeks have been crazy, thus the irregular updates. I promise I'm not holding out on everyone, but the two little people in my life have needed me. That said, I'm still trying to update as often as I can and thank you all for the reviews because this is where all my free time is going.

Thnx,

Gum

Chapter 49: Knowing is Half the Battle

Booth stepped off of the elevator onto the third floor, his body battling fatigue but his mind as sharp as it ever was. Vladov was nowhere to be seen, so Booth went off in the last direction the security cameras had caught the other man going. Like Vladov, he made it to the nurses' station, but not beyond.

"It's our policy to put our patients' needs first," the head nurse explained to him. "I was on break at the time, but more than likely, your Mr. Vladov was turned away here."

"He was posing as a doctor," Booth tried to explain. "Maybe someone just let him through? Or gave him the information he was looking for?"

The woman shook her head firmly, "No. We have strict protocols up here, Agent Booth. That wouldn't have happened."

The longer Booth stood there, the more agitated he became, knowing that Vladov could be anywhere by now and possibly closer to finding his son. The nurse remained steadfast in her position that Vladov would not have been granted access to patients, but at Booth's continued insistence she left Booth at the desk and went back into the ward to find the nurse who would've been out at that time. Several minutes later she emerged, informing Booth that the other nurse was needed with a patient at the moment, but that she had confirmed Vladov had gotten no further than the front desk.

"Thank you," Booth's shoulder's sagged with just the slightest relief, though he had no clue where he should go from there.

Weary from the day and suddenly aware of the late hour he returned to the elevators. The group of them trooped through the halls back to the security office. A group of men huddled around several monitors, scouring the older video footage for Vladov, while another group kept close watch on the current feed. Booth and the security chief went over all the steps that had been taken to secure all entry and exit points, as well as the individual wards themselves.

Sometime later, Booth found himself yawning and the chief suggested he go back to Parker's room and get some rest. There was no evidence that Vladov was still on the premises and every precaution had been taken to be sure he couldn't get back on. With a long, weary sigh Booth conceded that he could do no more without sleep and with Parker as safe and secure as he could be rest was the next order of business if he wanted to survive.

The chief himself took Booth in the one elevator that could get them into the children's ward, swiping his key-card to let Booth out when they reached the right floor. Booth's respect for the hospital went up markedly as he was stopped at three separate checkpoints after that, where he had to show ID before he was escorted by one of the nurses into Parker's room.

"Hey, Dad!" a huge grin lit up Parker's face as he looked up from the card game he and Max were engrossed in.

"Max!" Booth groaned, "You were supposed to keep Parker safe, not wake him up!"

"Aw, he didn't-"

"Look your kid has a mind of his own, Booth," Max cut the boy off with a sly smile. "I just told him I'd wait up with him until you got back."

"Were they out of coffee?" Parker asked his father curiously.

"Huh?" Booth looked from Parker to Max, then back to Parker. "Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, bub, they were all out."

"Did you see Bones?" came the next eager question before Max could step in.

This time, Booth's eyes were riveted to the older man.

"Booth, my boy," Max stood up, clapping Booth on the back as if everything was normal, "there's something you should know."

B&B&B&B&B&B&B&B

Vladov was after her. She was running, always running, staying ahead of him, but never quite able to lose him. Dodging doctors and nurses, she wove through the corridors and out the front door. Halfway across the parking lot she tripped she tripped, slamming down to the pavement.

A whimper escaped her trembling lips as he descended on her, pulling her up sharply so that she was on her feet. She barely had time to open her mouth in protest as his fist slammed into her abdomen, striking over and over again with increasing force.

When he was finished she asked tremulously if he was going to kill her but instead of an answer all he did was laugh, turn on his heel and walk away. As his figure receded from view, she looked down to find blood trickling from between her legs.

In the distance she saw Booth running toward her. Heard him calling her name. And she screamed.

"Bones," she felt her shoulders being shaken as she surfaced from the dream. "Bones!"

"Booth!" her eyes flew open to find his face, his body, mere inches from her own.

He crushed her against his chest forcefully, but not hard enough to hurt her, muttering, "Shh, I got you, Baby," in her left ear. Squelching questions as to what he was doing in her hospital room and where Vladov was, she allowed her arms to anchor her to Booth as she drank in the rich scent she'd been craving for over a week.

"Parker?" the single word drifted up to him so softly at first that he thought he was hearing things.

When he looked down into her eyes, though, they were wide and filled with concern so he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled, "He's fine. Just upstairs, actually. He's begging to see you."

"I'd like that," she sighed, her body sagging in his grip with relief.

A million question lay between them unanswered, but for now she was content with the fact he was there and he was more than willing not to push her into talking about anything. There'd be plenty of time for conversation later. Neither one of them could ever say who made the first move, but the end result was a passionate kiss from which they drank long and deep.

His taste felt so good in her mouth Brennan thought she might never be able to get enough of it no matter how illogical she knew the concept was. While their lips moved in synch her hands mapped out the planes of his chest, making certain that each sculpted muscle was just as she'd remembered it, then moved to his strong, wide back and pulled him closer still.

"Mmm," he rested his forehead on hers, pulling back his lips just slightly. "I missed you, Bones."

"I missed you too," she couldn't help the catch in her voice and raised a hand to gently brush the lone tear tracking down his cheek. "I love you."

She startled as he drew away abruptly and stood up straight, his eyes boring into her intently.

His hands plunged into the pockets of his jeans as he began pacing like a caged tiger, "Look, Bones, I know this might not be the greatest timing on my part and I'm not even sure I should be doing this." He paused long enough to release a whoosh of air, "Hell, I never wanted it to be like this-"

"Booth," she reached out to comfort whatever was bothering him, concerned with the stress and uncertainty she read in his eyes, "you don't have to do this. Whatever you want to say can wait."

"No," he shook his head vehemently, hands flying from his pockets to run through his hair before he said softly, "No, it can't, Bones. I – I almost waited too long to say this and I don't want to wait any longer."

"Okay," she nodded. "It's okay, Booth."

"The thing is," he stumbled with his words, "that when it comes right down to stuff-" He stopped again to compose himself, coming to a halt beside her bed as he fumbled in his pocket.

Brennan watched as if things were in slow motion as he pulled out a small velvet box that seemed dwarfed in the palm of his hand. With half an ear, she listened as he spoke: about what had happened in the past; about how scared he'd been when she went missing; and about all he wanted for them and for their future. She tried to stop him because she knew what he was leading up to and she still hadn't gotten to share her own very important news. He shook her off though and pressed on, determined to have his say.

Before she knew what was happening, he dropped down on one knee and looked up at her, asking her if she would spend the rest of her life with him. Asking her if she'd be his wife. Her eyes closed of their own accord, but instead of the fear and the countless arguments against that she was used to encountering, she saw herself as a young girl spinning wildly and gleefully without a care in the world. When she opened her eyes to find him waiting for her response she knew what her answer would be.

B&B&B&B&B&B

His heart had raced when she'd started thrashing on the bed. It was seven in the morning and Booth had passed the night on the cot the hospital had graciously provided for him. It had taken more than a few shakes to awaken her and when he finally did her eyes were glazed and unfocused.

From there they'd hugged, then kissed, and after he'd prattled on and on feeling more and more like a kid asking his first crush to the junior prom, he finally pulled the box out and dropped to one knee. He watched her eyes close and wondered what that meant, and the longer they were closed, the more worried he felt.

Then she shook her head and her eyes bored into his before she told him firmly, "We need to talk."