(After "The Prisoner in the Pipe')

A/N: this story was requested by JAG'ed Bones in the Casckett. This is a sequel to chapter 226, but it's not necessary to read that one to follow this one.

Note: in this story, Assistant Deputy Director Andrew Hacker is now Deputy Director Hacker.

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Two weeks before Brennan was due to go back to work from maternity leave, she told Booth she planned to travel to see her brother and his family and to take their baby with her. She wanted to introduce Christine to her family and she thought this would be a good time to do it. Her niece Hayley was having problems with her cystic fibrosis and Russ couldn't come to the District to see his sister's baby.

The trip was sudden and unplanned and unfortunately for Booth he couldn't go with her. The son of a congressman had been attacked in his home and the attacker was linked to a hate group working in the DC area. Booth was part of the team trying to find the attacker. "Bones, you know I'd go with you if I could, but I can't. Our primary suspect is Bruce Dickson and no one is getting anytime off until we find him. Get Max to go with you that way you'll have company on the drive and he can spend some time with you and Christine."

She was disappointed that Booth couldn't go with her, but she understood his reasoning and agreed he had to stay. "Alright. I'll call him and see if he can go with me. If he can, we'll leave this afternoon. I only plan to be gone for one week. I need to register Christine with Day Care when I get back and make sure I have ample baby supplies to give to Day Care to use for Christine."

Booth kissed Brennan and his baby and left the house. He knew that they'd be safe with Max and he could concentrate on looking for the attacker of Congressman Christopher's son.

Ooooooooooooooo

Four days had passed and Booth was surprised to find Max sitting on the swing on his porch when he arrived home. "You're back early. I thought Bones was going to stay for one week."

Puzzled, Max stood up and placed his hand on Booth's arm. "What are you talking back? I don't understand."

A chill running down his back, Booth stared at his partner's father and finally found his voice. "Bones went to see Russ and his family with Christine. She told me she was going to ask you to go with her since I couldn't go."

Slowly shaking his head, Max started to worry. "She never called me. I was in Cincinnati visiting a friend. I just got back this afternoon and came by to see the baby."

Worried, Booth removed his phone from his jacket pocket and called Brennan. After his call went to voicemail, he left a message. "This is Booth. Call me." The call ended, he called Russ Brennan. "Russ, let me talk to Bones . . . what do you mean she's not there? She drove down to see you four days ago . . . Russ, she's supposed to be there . . . Russ, I got to go." Ending the call, he turned to face Max. "She's not there. As far as Russ was concerned, Bones is here . . . God, I don't know where she is. Bones and Christine are missing."

Ooooooooooooooo

Before he got anyone else involved, Booth called Angela and asked her to track Brennan through her GPS program Angela had downloaded to Brennan's phone while they were looking for Jacob Brodsky. After a few moments, Angela called Booth back. Brennan's phone GPS has been turned off. I can't trace it . . . If she's been missing for four days then she could be anywhere including overseas.

"No, not overseas." Booth was confident his partner and child were still in the country. "Her passport is still here and Christine hasn't been added to her passport or mine yet. They're still in the country."

Well, if it's a CIA thing like the last time she disappeared then they have their own planes and they may not care if she has a passport or not.

He had thought the CIA might be responsible for Brennan's disappearance, but Booth had been sure they wouldn't whisk her away to do a job somewhere without telling him first. Not after the stink he'd made the last time they'd done that. "Maybe, but I think they'd tell me before they talked her into doing a job for them. My search for her put them in a tough spot the last time."

You may trust them to tell you, but I don't. They probably thought they could get her to do the job in three or four days and have her back here before you knew she was gone . . . or someone has kidnapped her . . . If I have a choice, I hope the CIA has her.

"Yeah, me too." Booth rubbed the back of his neck. The hair on his neck was standing up and he knew he was starting to think the worst had happened to his family. "I'm going to call Danny Beck. He can find out if his organization has her."

Good luck with that. He got in trouble the last time he helped you.

"Yeah, I know." Ending the call, Booth stared at the picture he had of Brennan and Christine on the bookshelf near the fireplace. "Max, Angela can't track her. Her GPS is turned off on her phone."

A feeling of dread rushing through his body, Max sat down and folded his arms against his chest. "What are you going to do, Booth. My daughter and granddaughter are missing. We have to tell someone."

"Oh, believe me. I'm going to tell someone." Booth glanced at his watch and started to make some phone calls. He knew there would be no sleep for him the next few hours and he was going to make sure no one else slept either, not as long as his family was missing.

Oooooooooooooooo

The Deputy Director of the FBI made numerous calls trying to find out if a United States agency was involved with Dr. Brennan's disappearance. Booth had made several phone calls and he had felt that no one was taking his concerns seriously and had come to him for help. The Agent was on the verge of putting out an APB on Dr. Brennan and her child, but Hacker wanted to try to track her down before that happened. Like Booth, he hoped that she had been drafted to work for some agency and she and her child were safe. The alternative would mean she had been kidnapped by someone unknown for possibly nefarious reasons and that meant that she and her child were in danger. Aware that Brennan had worked on many secret projects for foreign governments, he decided to call the Secretary of State and see if he knew about Dr. Brennan's disappearance. If that call turned out to be a dead end, then he would have the APB put out. Dr. Brennan and her child had been missing for too many days and their trail had to be cold by now. They needed to exhaust other options before they turned this into a nationwide man hunt.

Secretary of State, Paul Finch took the call even though it was late and listened to Deputy Director Hacker explain the situation. Once Hacker was done, Finch cleared his throat and knew they had run out of time. "Look Andrew, I know Agent Booth has been making a lot of calls and he needs to stop. He's stirring a big pot of trouble."

"So, you know what's going on?" Angry, Hacker tried to control his temper. "The man wasn't told about any of this and he's frantic. He's on the verge of putting out an APB on Dr. Brennan and their daughter . . ."

"Don't let him do that." Finch was exasperated. Dr. Brennan had warned him what would happen if she hadn't returned home in three or four days and he had thought he'd have time to handle Seeley Booth. Now he knew he had been too casual about the situation. "He could set off a chain of events that could cause a lot of deaths. I mean it, Andrew. Sit on Booth and make him behave. Dr. Brennan and their child are safe and will be back home in another day or so. You're his boss, order him to stop searching."

Chuckling, Hacker shook his head. "I may be his boss, but when it comes to Dr. Brennan I may as well be talking to the wind. He wants his partner and child back home . . . now, Paul."

"It can't be now." Quickly thinking about how to handle the situation, Paul rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Where is Agent Booth? I'm going to send a car for him."

"He's at the Hoover, in his office." Hacker was curious about what was going on, but he knew if he asked Paul Finch about the situation, he would probably tell him it was none of his business and he'd have to accept that. "You'd better hurry, the man is ready to put the whole country on alert to find Dr. Brennan and his daughter. She's a famous novelist. She's got a large fan base and if Agent Booth makes a public plea asking for help to find her those fans will mobilize."

Worried that this situation was about to become front page news, Finch motioned towards his aide. "Go get Supervisory Agent Seeley Booth at the Hoover and bring him here. Now!" Back to his phone call, Finch explained to Hacker what was about to happen. "I'm sending a car for Booth. Go over to the Hoover if you're not already there and be in Booth's office when my people get there. I want this to go smoothly."

"Like it has been so far?" Hacker was annoyed, but he would follow orders. "I'm in my office. I'll be in Booth's office in a few minutes." Ending the call, he leaned on his desk. "God, give me strength to deal with assholes."

Ooooooooooooooooo

"Booth, I've just talked to the Secretary of State and he's sending a car around for you." Hacker saw the look of anger cross Booth's face and he knew he'd better get the Agent under control. "Apparently he knows where Temperance and Christine are and he says they're safe and they'll be back in a day or two." Before Booth could say anything, Hacker held up his hand. "Wait, I told you Finch is sending a car around to pick you up. I advise you go to with the driver and behave. I guess, she's doing something important and if it gets out in the press a lot of people could die."

"I want to talk to Bones." Booth had had enough. "I don't want to talk to Finch, I want to talk to Bones. I want to see her."

Before he could respond, a man walked into the office and held out his ID. "I'm Miller are you Supervisory Agent Seeley Booth?"

Moving around his desk, Booth marched across the room and stopped a foot from the man. "Where is Dr. Brennan and her daughter?" He was barely under control and felt that if he didn't get some answers soon, someone was going to get hurt and it wouldn't be him.

"If you'll come with me, I'll take you to her . . . to them." Miller turned to stare at Hacker. "Agent Booth will be gone for a day or two. He'll be back with Dr. Brennan when she's finished with her work and can leave. Don't tell anyone about what is going on. Secretary of State Finch will call you and your boss in a few days and explain everything."

"Like I know what's going on now." Hacker glared at Miller. "Tell Paul I'm expecting that call and so is the Director."

Aware that tempers were on edge, Miller nodded his head. "I will." Pointing at the doorway, Miller smiled at Booth. "This way Agent Booth. Your chariot awaits."

"As long as it doesn't turn into a pumpkin." Booth was in a foul mood but had no choice but to go with Miller. "Take me to Dr. Brennan and our daughter." Glancing at Hacker, Booth nodded his head. "Thanks for the help."

"Not a problem." Hacker watched Booth and Miller leave hoping that Booth would keep his temper in check while he was gone. He knew that when his family was in jeopardy, Booth was like a powder keg and one spark would set him off.

Oooooooooooo

He entered the room, spied Brennan sitting on a chair near a bookcase holding their child in her arms and Booth rushed across the room. "Bones."

She had known that Finch had been a little too cocky about the situation and Brennan had warned him that Booth would look for her the minute he noticed she was missing. "Booth we're fine."

His arms around his family, Booth kissed Brennan then Christine's cheek and Brennan's lips once more. "I was worried sick when I realized you weren't at Russ' place."

Glancing at Paul Finch who was standing near a closed door across the room, Brennan explained to her partner what had happened. "I had packed my luggage for my trip to see Russ when Secretary of State Finch called and told me that there were three bodies that were badly burned that needed to be identified as soon as possible. I can't tell you why or who the victims are because of National Security Concerns. Once this over and the proper authorities in Haiti have been informed then I can explain . . . I told the Secretary that I needed to inform you what was going on, but he claimed that the State Department wanted very few people to know what was going on. Even though you have a high security clearance, he still wanted to keep you in the dark. I thought I might be able to identify the bodies in four days, but it looks like it will be a little longer, perhaps another two days or so."

Aware that Finch was watching him, Booth leaned over and kissed Brennan lightly on the lips. "You're safe, Christine is safe and that's all that matters to me right now." Turning to face Finch, Booth made the man a promise. "If you ever do this again and you don't tell me from the beginning, I won't go through the channels I went through this time. I'm going to go to the Press and tell them Dr. Brennan has been kidnapped and I need their help finding her. I'm tired of you and the CIA fucking around with Dr. Brennan and with me. This is the last time."

"Are you threatening me, Agent Booth?" Finch cocked his head to the side and stared at Booth with curiosity. He wasn't used to people being that blunt with him.

"It's not a threat, Sir. It's a promise." Booth was serious and he wanted Finch to understand that. "No more games."

Amused, Finch chuckled. "Well then, I'll make sure you're kept in the loop the next time." His attention now on Brennan, Finch bowed. "You did warn me that your partner would be like a bull in a china shop. I should have listened to you."

"I didn't say those exact words, but I understand what you are intimating." Brennan shook her head. "Booth is trustworthy and from now on, I will insist that he be told if you want me to work on special cases for you or the CIA."

"Yes, Booth is trustworthy and he will be told, even if that means he has to disappear with you. These are serious times and sometimes, people must be inconvenienced for the greater good." Finch saw Booth roll his eyes and he knew that pretty speeches didn't impress the agent. "I am sorry that we worried you, Agent Booth. When Dr. Brennan is done, you and your family will be free to return home with the country's gratitude." Glancing at his watch, Finch nodded his head at Miller. "Make sure everyone is fed dinner and made comfortable for the evening. Agent Booth, there is a big screen TV in the bedroom you will share with your family. I hope you will be comfortable during your stay."

"Sure, as long as I know where Bones and Christine are. I assume you have cable."

Amused, Finch laughed. "Of course, Agent Booth. Of course, we we have cable."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.