Chapter 4: Discovery

18 hours later

After a fresh shave and shower, along with a small nap, Booth felt rejuvenated and ready to go. Blake's feet shuffled beside him, long legs keeping up surprisingly well with his fast pace.

"Where's the fire?" Blake questioned.

"You know that feeling, when you get a lead?"

"Yeah. Look, it's your day off and I have been working nonstop, so if like only for my sake, can we slow down?"

Booth slowed and a small smile spread across his face.

"Okay for you?"

"Yeah. So now that I can breathe again without wheezing, why must I accompany you?"

"I had Cullen assign you full time," Booth answered.

"What?" Blake yelled. Slowing to a stop, she began to talk in a lower tone. "Damnitt Booth! I do missing person's cases. I have a feeling this is something entirely different."

"Woman's intuition?"

"I'm serious. This one is shady. Just from the digging I have done, I've hit some major road blocks. I can't get access to anything, even with FBI access."

Arriving at the desk, a blonde looked up from her computer and smiled at Booth. He leaned against the cabinet, elbows resting on the top. He flashed her a smile and the woman blushed.

"Oh geez," Blake muttered as she watched. "Here we go again."

5 minutes later

"It's like hypnosis or a trance or something!" Blake exclaimed in disbelief. Glancing over at Booth, she saw another smile spread across his face.

"Even though I have been trying to get that file for a week now, don't get cocky," she mumbled.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Women, they like that tall, dark, and handsome thing you have going on. And when you flash them that smile, they are gone."

He sent a grin over her way and she laughed.

"I am immune to your charm."

"And every other woman isn't?"

"You wear a suit and tie, keep a nice and clean appearance. Women are used to ending up with t-shirt and jeans men who scratch themselves in public and fall asleep during sex," Blake explained as she walked. "You are every woman's dream who used to fall asleep at night and hope one day a prince would rescue them. You are the angel Gabriel to every other man's Pigpen."

"But not to you."

"It's a tactic. I see through that. You get what you want based on your charm. I see you guys walk around every day at the Bureau. I am used to it. Why are you all into what I think anyway?"

"None of you woman can decide what you like. That woman back there liked me for some reason you do not. It's always something different. You are impossible to please."

"Spoken in the true words of a bachelor there. You are doomed to a life alone."

"So Zach sees through all of that"

"Why are you driving this in the ground? You act like you feel nothing towards Brennan, but it is obvious."

"What? No, I'm just helping her."

"Yeah, right."

"Leave her and I out of this. At least in the romantic sense."

"And you leave Zach out of this. I have seen him all of one time and talked to him a handful of times more. Nothing is there. Now can we get back to the case?"

Booth nodded and opened up the case file. Blake scooted closer to him to get a good look at the information.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Alexander Krieg."

"Doctor busted for malpractice. Supposed ties to the mob, getting hacked parts from hits. This is way high profile. I didn't know Brennan's mom worked on this."

"I hate past tense."

"English lessons from a man who thinks 'A river is just a river.'"

He shot her a look, then said nothing for the next few minutes. Blake could see the mental clogs working in his brain as he looked at the information.

"Dig up what you can on Krieg," Booth said handing her the file.

"What? Wait, why? Where are you going?"

"To beat out of the good doctor who he was working with."

Medico-Legal Lab

Jeffersonian Institute

2:25 p.m.

"Clean the bones Zach. I need them done as quickly as possible," Brennan ordered.

The young man nodded, strapping a pair of latex gloves on. She pulled off her own as Angela approached.

"Where's Booth," Angela asked, amusement filling her voice.

"With his partner I guess," Brennan retorted.

"They've been spending a lot of time together."

"Booth has been looking into my parent's case. The new partner thing is only temporary."

"Let's hope right?"

"Why?"

"Oh come on Sweetie. I see you keep gazing toward the door. He isn't coming."

"What? That's ridiculous. I do not."

Angela leaned against the door frame of Brennan's office as Brennan took a seat at her desk.

"Your denial is astounding," Angela smiled. Closing the door, she followed Brennan's path, choosing an empty spot on the edge of the desk. She placed a hand on Brennan's shoulder and gave her a concerned look.

"You can tell me anything Brennan. What's going on with you two?"

"Nothing," Brennan sighed. "Sadly."

Angela threw her another look, begging for an explanation.

"Promise not to say anything Angela? It could jeopardize things."

"Scout's honor."

"I try to play it off that I don't really care about Booth. But I find myself having this weird feeling inside of me that I can't explain. It's distracting and I don't like it."

"It's okay to admit you might feel something."

"There is something there. I am just not exactly sure what."

"Maybe a deep affection and blooming love?"

"I'll work through it. But I don't think it is love."

"Come on Brennan!" Angela urged.

"What do you want me to say? That I can't do my work properly sometimes? That when he is away, I lie awake at night and worry about his safety?"

"Why not? Try to enjoy your life."

"My work comes before my personal life, always."

"It gets old."

"I will always have work. How long will I have a man? The security…"

"Is never guaranteed. For once, just take a leap. Do something you wouldn't normally do. You might surprise yourself."

A knock on the door sounded, Booth's head peeking in a few moments later. Brennan straightened and stood quickly.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," he countered. Looking over at Angela, he gave her a small smile. "Can I have a minute with Bones?"

"Sure," she said with a smug smile.

Booth moved from the door, letting Angela pass. After an "Oh my God" spread across Angela's face as she exited, Brennan became nervous. Booth entered the office, a man following behind him.

"What is he doing here?" Brennan breathed.

Russ stood silent, green eyes fixed on her. Stubble traced his cheeks and his brown hair looked ruffled. Fifteen years, yet something still looked childish about him.

"Blake dug up some stuff, including your brother's location as you know. I went to visit him and questioned him about some things,' Booth explained.

"About what? What have you found?"

"Something about your mother doesn't add up. She worked as a lawyer but was struggling for a while. Suddenly, she lands the Krieg case, the case of the century, and money starts pouring in. She opens an account and adds to it for six months," Booth began.

"How much are we talking about?" Brennan queried.

"Four hundred thousand."

"Shit," Russ choked out.

"Yeah. That isn't all," Booth sighed.