Author's note: I've been sitting on this one for a couple days so it wouldn't get buried. I'll bet you didn't even notice, with all those post-ep fics. ;)

Disclaimer: Can't wait till the season finale!

The forensics team bustled around them as they considered the latest clue. Brennan's gaze was focused on the window in contemplation. A small frown presented on her brow.

"What's up?" Booth asked at her expression, following her gaze.

"Behind the curtain," she murmured.

She went to the window and pulled back the green curtain. She and Booth started checking the wall for any other messages. Booth craned his neck to look behind the curtain rod while Temperance checked the windowsill carefully. Something else caught her eye, though. She reached up and tugged at Booth's shirt, straightening.

"Booth, look down at that street on the back side of the building. Tell me what you see."

He squinted as he quickly scanned the storefronts. He shook his head, "What am I supposed to be seeing?"

"The Oreo guard," she said, pointing vaguely.

He gave her a bemused look. "The what guard?"

"Oreo," she said bluntly. "You know, the guys."

At his continued blank stare, she lowered her voice and spoke conspiratorially, "You know…" she checked to make sure no one was in ear shot and started to intone, "O-re-o, yohhh-oh."

He gave a small snort before bursting out in a full-on laugh. The agents in the room looked over, but didn't inquire.

She stood by quietly as his amusement subsided. She looked hurt by him laughing at her. "I'm sorry, Bones, I just…I don't actually think they say 'Oreo.'"

"Well, whatever they say," she snapped. "There's one of them on a sign down there. The name of the place is blocked by the building next to us, but it starts with an E. I'm betting that's the Emerald City."

He took a closer look, and sure enough, there was one of the Witch's guards—the "Oreo" guards—on the sign.

"Nice catch, Bones. Saved us a search through the white pages," he said appeasingly.

She didn't acknowledge the compliment. She just turned and walked out of the room.

If I only had a brain, he thought to himself as he followed her out of the apartment and down the stairs. They exited the apartment building and made their way through the alley to get to the other street.

The Emerald City, as a window notice advertised, sold mostly Wizard of Oz memorabilia, as well as some Wicked merchandise. The outside of the shop was an unimpressive, bland gray. The green lettering and figure on the sign offered the only color on practically the whole block.

"Hey, Bones, notice something about the sign?" he pointed upwards.

"The M is missing," she said, nodding.

"Just like in the anagram."

"Think we're getting close?" she asked.

"God, I hope so," he said, pulling the door open and ushering her inside. Just as she went to walk in, a man in a green shirt walked out.

"Oh, excuse me," the man said apologetically. Tempe stepped aside and offered a polite smile before resuming entering the shop.

"Whoa," Tempe said, stopping in her tracks, causing Booth to run into her.

He grabbed her shoulders to steady himself, and when he looked around, he gave his own input. "Whoa."

The shop's interior was cheerfully lit, and the shelves were lined neatly with all sorts of colorful collectibles and merchandise.

"I feel like Dorothy stepping into Technicolor™," Booth said after a few seconds of slack-jawed staring.

"I think that's the idea," Brennan answered, also still looking around.

"Hi, how can I help you?" a voice called from somewhere behind the counter. A few seconds later, a man's head popped up. He stood on a stool so that he could see over the counter.

"Uh, hi," Booth started, "we're actually just gonna look around a bit."

"Take your time. My name's Jerry, and I'll be right back here if you need me." He pointed to a green curtain that obviously served as a partition to a back room.

"Thanks," Booth answered. They both watched as he disappeared below the counter again.

Booth looked at Brennan and raised his eyebrows, but otherwise said nothing of the man's size. It was probably good for business.

Booth was checking out the nearest shelf when something caught his eye. He reached behind him and grasped at air before finding what he was feeling for: Brennan's shirt. He tugged it and she turned to where he was staring at an object on the shelf.

"Right arm, severed neatly at the shoulder." Brennan was already in full scientist mode. "Hand appears to be…" she trailed off.

"Pointing," Booth finished. He turned his head in the direction the skeleton was pointing and started walking that way, taking in as much detail as he could, trying to find the next hint. Brennan was already on the phone with the lab.

Booth turned the corner and found the matching arm. "Bones," he called out. She came walking up behind him, finishing up her phone conversation and pocketing her cell.

"Looks like we found the left arm," she stated obviously.

"It's pointing to the sign," he said.

I'D TURN BACK IF

I WERE YOU

Brennan shook her head in frustration, but Booth was looking at a reflection in a glass display case right next to the sign. He turned around.

"Bones," he said again.

When she turned around, she found herself looking at a perfect replica of the red sand hourglass from the movie. A quarter of the sand had fallen already.

"Booth." Brennan was looking at something on the shelf next to the hourglass.

He craned his neck to look. Brennan put a glove on and picked it up.

"Oh, my God," Booth said, looking at the photo that Brennan was holding.

It was a picture of a girl, no older than fifteen, bound and gagged. She had a look of utter terror on her face. Temperance flipped it over. On the back was written:

HURRY, PLEASE HURRY!

THE HOURGLASS IS ALMOST EMPTY!

"Booth, look." Tempe pointed to a newspaper lying next to the girl in the photo. "This is today's paper. She could still be alive."

Booth tapped the hourglass and a look of realization appeared on his face. "He was just here!" He strode back to the front of the store and called, "Jerry!"

"Yeah, what can I do for you?"

"There was a guy in here,maybe fifteen minutes ago," Booth said. "Do you know who he is?"

"There have been a few people in here," Jerry answered.

"Well, any information you can give us on them would be great," Booth said urgently.

Brennan hadn't been paying attention to the exchange. She was looking at an ad for a hot air balloon ride enterprise. "Excuse me, what can you tell me about this?" she asked Jerry, pointing to the poster. Booth glanced at the poster, then back at Jerry.

"Professor Marvel Balloon Rides. What do you wanna know?"

"I'm curious about this man in the photo," she said, indicating a picture of a white-haired man dressed uncannily like—

"The Wizard. That's the guy who runs it. Fruitcake, if you ask me. But he's my best customer, so I advertise for him."

"You wouldn't happen to have his real name, would you?" Booth asked, whipping out a notebook and pen.

"Naw, he only goes by The Wizard. Pays cash for everything he buys."

"Was he in here recently?" Booth prompted.

It was Brennan who spoke up. "Yeah."

Jerry and Booth looked over at her.

"Bones?" Booth left the question unasked.

"He was just walking out when we were walking in," she explained. "I didn't recognize him right away because of the costume."

"Yeah, that's him," Jerry confirmed. "Shame he's closing up shop."

"What?" Booth and Brennan said together.

"Yeah, he told me that after today, I can take down the flyer. He's packin' up and movin' out."

Seeley and Temperance looked at each other, and Booth said, "Do you know why?"

"No idea."

"Dammit," Booth muttered.

Brennan was looking out the window. "Backup's here," she said.

Booth and Brennan lead the forensics team to the remains. At the hourglass, which had lost a few more minutes, one of the investigators called out, "Hey, I've got something else over here!"

Brennan and Booth were almost out the door, but they came back to see what he'd found.

The CSU tech held up the note.

BE GONE BEFORE SOMEBODY

DROPS A HOUSE ON YOU, TOO

"It was under the shelf, like it had fallen out of someone's pocket," the tech explained.

Brennan picked up the photo, which was now bagged, and looked at it again.

Booth saw, and he asked, "What's up?"

"I think I know where this picture was taken."

"Where?" Booth asked, looking at it over her shoulder.

"Shipping docks. See the rivets?" she indicated the pinpoints of light. "And her wrists are bound with baling rope."

"Which docks?" Booth wondered aloud.

They looked at each other, then turned together and called out, "We need the Yellow Pages!"

To be continued…

I have to give credit where it's due. My sistah James (a.k.a. yellowbrickrd) told me about the "Oreo" malaprop. So when next time you watch The Wizard of Oz, you can only think of them as "Oreo Guards," you have her to thank…or blame.