Brennan flashed her visitor ID at the guard, he smiled in recognition and waved her through the doors of FBI headquarters. Booth had gotten her a visitor pass soon after she had given him a pass for mediolegal lab. This however was the first time she had used it without his presence. She felt the cell vibrating in her pocket and pulled it out quickly knowing with dread who it would be. She ducked into a quiet corner and lifted it to her ear.

"Dr Brennan."

"Bones where have you been? I've been trying to contact you all morning."

She closed her eyes and fingered the envelope in her hand nervously.

"I've had to leave town on business."

"I need you to come back Bones, I need your help..."

"Booth...I'm sorry, I can't. It's Russ, I have to go see him, I can't explain it right now..."

She shudders at the blatant lie that she has just told him.

"Bones, I really need your help...It's Parker, he's missing. I've asked Zach for some help with the crime scene, but I don't trust anyone to be as thorough as you...Please Bones?"

She grits her teeth and is silent for a moment, fighting every urge she feels to blurt out the trust...she hates that she is causing him further distress, firstly by not helping and secondly by not telling him all she knows.

"Booth, Zach is more than capable of gathering all the evidence...I'm sorry, I need to go."

She quickly disconnects the cell and shoves it back into her pocket. She leans against the wall, lets out a shuddery breath and closes her eyes again fighting the wall of tears that is threatening to fall.

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Booth looks at the cell in his hand as though it had just bitten him, his brain is still trying to register the conversation that he has just had, he shakes his head slowly in disbelief before it is replaced by anger. Suddenly hurt and feeling rejected he slams the palm of his hand against the wall and curses to himself.

A knock at the door causes him to look over his shoulder...Zach stands with a forensic kit nervously waiting for his instructions.

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Brennan walks briskly out of Booth's office, file in hand and toward the elevators. As she approaches, the doors slide open and she almost bumps into Cullen. Her eyes widen in horror and he smiles politely.

"Dr Brennan..."

"Hello"

"I didn't realise that you and Agent Booth had a current case..."

She looked past him nervously as the elevator doors slide shut again

"Uh...we don't, he wanted me to stop by and sign some paperwork..."

Cullen nods, oblivious to any of today's events and smiling politely walks away from her. Brennan hastily takes the stairs next to the elevator hoping not to attract any more attention on her way out of the FBI building. She doesn't pretend to be an actress, she is fully aware of her issues when relating to people on a personal level which is making her task of denial in this charade all that more difficult. The cell in her pocket vibrates as she reaches the courtyard outside of the building and she answers curtly.

"Now, now Temperance...is that any way to speak to someone who holds any future happiness in his hands?"

"I've done what you've asked, now tell me how I get Parker back!"

"I'd keep your voice down Dr...we don't want to cause a scene now do we?...Go back to your car, I'll be in touch shortly."

At that the line cuts off. She slips the cell into her pocket and follows her instructions. As she is walking back to her car her mind is running over the conversations that she has had with the mystery male, something about the conversation in her apartment had seemed out of place, there was something this morning that had stuck in her mind, but her sleep induced haze hadn't been able to decipher it and now she couldn't remember what had caused her ill ease. Reaching the car she opens the door she slips inside. A package on the passenger seat catches her attention and frowning she glances in her rearview mirror to the black vehicle behind her. She pulls the cell out of her pocket and waits for her call, almost as soon as she has thought of the cell it begins to vibrate again. Holding it to her ear she closes her eyes.

"So, I see you have what I want….well, as you've already noticed, I've left a present there for you too.."

"What is this?"

"Now now Temperance, where is the fun in a surprise if you have me tell you what it is first. I much prefer being able to see your reaction….Go ahead, open it."

She reaches across her seat, cradling the cell between her ear and shoulder. The box is taped shut, she quickly tears the tape from the lid and taking a quick breath pulls the lid open. Inside is a child's t-shirt, neatly folded but evidently worn, here is dust on the collar. Lifting the shirt from the box it unfolds in her hands and she closes her eyes when the folds release to offer blood smears.

"What have you done to him?"

"Nothing….much. I just want to make sure that you are in on this one hundred percent Dr. I want you to know that I'm serious. We are quite alike in that respect you and I."

"We are nothing alike! Now tell me what I have to do next so that we can get this over with."

"I don't appreciate your tone Dr, but I must admit your keenness is encouraging….I want you to go to the Bethesda Memorial Hospital….Go to the parking lot, park in bay 12 on the second floor…. We'll do an exchange."

Brennan looks at the file in her hand and nods, much to herself.

"Ok."

Moving the box and file to the passenger seat she starts up the engine.

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Booth rubs a hand over his face as he waits for the elevator to reach his floor. The doors slide open and he steps onto the fourth floor of the Hoover building. Taking a deep breath he walks down the corridor and towards the office of Assistant Director Cullen. He has decided that he will need to keep his boss apprised of the situation, to get the unofficial nod to use his official status with the local PD. He realizes that he is unable to get the FBI directly involved in the case due to jurisdiction issues, but that doesn't mean that the Bureau would be totally useless as a tool in obtaining information. Stopping outside of the office he steps into the reception area.

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Cullen shakes his head in remorse, Booth sitting opposite him clenches his jaw attempting to maintain some semblance of control.

"When I saw Dr Brennan I thought that she was behaving oddly, I never realized that this was the reason, she never let on."

Booth's eyes snap up from his hands to focus on the man across from him, "What?...Where, when?" He shakes his head and clears his throat "You saw her today?"

Cullen's brow creases in confusion. "She was here, I bumped into her about ten feet away from your office…something about paperwork?"

Booth closes his eyes and sucks in a deep breath "She lied."

"Agent Booth?"

Booth looks at the man across from him and gets up from his seat. "Whoever has my son, is using Dr Brennan to get him information….I'll keep you updated sir."

Before Cullen has a chance to digest Booth's last closing statement, Booth is out of the office and down the corridor heading to his office. "What are you after? Why were you here Bones?"

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Sorry it took so long to update, have 2 stories on the go as well as decorating my house…phew