Title: Deja Vu

Disclaimer: Language, violence

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Chapter Seventeen: Here Without You

She turned off the radio in her car. She didn't want to listen to the news reports anymore. They were all the same. They never changed. For four days now the search had been on to find the missing agent. Brennan looked up at the Jeffersonian from inside her car. She recalled the night she went over to see Booth. She had gone to talk to him, hoping to make sense of the feelings that were swimming around inside her. Only, it didn't appear as if that was ever going to happen. She remembered the panic that had sent her heart fluttering when she had seen Booth's apartment door hanging open. No one had been able to find him since that day. Part of her was afraid that he would be the next body on her table. But Angela wouldn't let her think like that. Bless her heart; Angela tried hard to cheer Brennan up. The only thing that would make her happy was to know that Booth was okay.

It was common knowledge that the agent wouldn't just walk away. He loved his job, he loved his son. And she knew that he loved her. Why would anyway kidnap him and not leave a ransom? Or call one in? His fellow agents had scoured the city looking for him. They had interviewed everyone and anyone, including every person employed at the Jeffersonian. They went over old case files looking for disgruntled convicts. Every time they found one, they tracked them down. None of them had seen Booth and they all had solid alibis. It was almost like he had just disappeared off the face of the earth. Here one minute and gone the next. It didn't make any sense.

She was about to climb out of her car when someone knocked on the window. The unexpected sound made her jump. Instead of climbing out she opened the car window. Standing outside her car was the agent who had blown up at Booth after the shoot out. He looked years older, like he hadn't slept in weeks.

"Agent Stone is there something I can do for you?" her voice was flat. The man hadn't exactly shown his best side to her, and after talking with Booth, she was a bit leery of him.

"Actually, there is," he replied. "I need you to come with me."

Brennan looked at him, trying to gauge what his motive was. "Where to and what for? Last time I checked you weren't too fond of having me hanging around."

He gave her a smile. "That's true, but I think it would be best to have you along on this." He nodded at the passenger seat. "May I?"

Curiosity getting the better of her Brennan unlocked the passenger door so that he could climb in beside her. It may have been a bad idea but she felt like giving the agent a second chance. "Along for what, if I may ask?"

"We're going to the docks," he replied.

At first, Brennan was scared. Had she made a fatal mistake? Was this agent, this man of the law, going to do something to her? Booth had said some pretty nasty things about Agent Stone and here she was, letting the man into her car. Now he wanted her to drive to the docks. The deserted docks. With all the metal storage containers. What motive would he have for killing her? Unless of course he had done something to Booth and thought she knew. Was she a loose end? Relief washed over her as a uniformed officer stopped by the car and talked with Agent Stone. They were indeed going to the docks. The officer and his partner were going too.

"You want to tell me what this is about?" Brennan asked as she pulled into traffic. Checking her mirrors she saw the cop car pulling out behind her.

"I have reason to believe that Booth may be there somewhere," he replied, giving her a long look, probably trying to gauge her reaction.

"Why would Booth be at the docks?" She prided herself on keeping her joy locked inside.

"A worker thought he heard screaming coming from one of the storage containers. I sent an officer out there to secure the sight," explained Agent Stone. "I gave him explicit instructions not to open the container. He's been waiting for me. I was going to head over there myself when I was hit with an idea."

"And this idea has something to do with me?" Brennan gave him a quick sideways glance before returning her eyes to the road. "I don't mean to sound rude, Agent Stone, as I'm sure you know how to do your job, but if Booth is in that container, why would you make that officer wait to open the doors?"

"Because I want you there," he replied.

The words took her by surprise. "Why? I'm not an agent, or even a cop. I'm just an anthropologist." Realization hit her as soon as the words were out. Quickly she brushed the thought from her mind. Agent Stone couldn't mean what she thought he did.

"Seeley Booth talks about you to anyone willing to listen," Agent Stone said. "It's clear that the man has a thing for you. If he is indeed in that container I thought it would be best for him to have you there. Someone he trusts with his life." Agent Stone paused, chewing over a thought in his mind. "You may not know this but that man would die for you."

"Let's hope he doesn't have to," was all Brennan could think to say.

They arrived at the docks. She parked her car near a patrol car that was already there. An officer leaning against the hood gave them a grim smile of welcome. The two officers that had followed them climbed out of their patrol car. An ambulance slipped into the parking lot, its sirens off. Brennan and Agent Stone followed one officer while the others stayed behind with the paramedics. She felt cold, walking amongst all the large metal containers. If Booth really was in one, how had he faired? The weather had been hotter than originally anticipated. Being locked in a metal container had to have the same affect as a furnace. Would he be okay?

A few minutes passed before they came upon another officer and a filthy man. The man fidgeted with a hat in his hands while looking at Agent Stone and Brennan. The officer looked at them. "This man here is the one who called in the report, Agent Stone. I haven't heard a peep from that thing since I got here. I'm not sure what you want to do."

"Can we get into it?" he asked, nodding at the large green, rusted container.

"Yes, sir," he replied the officer, smiling. Brennan didn't find the smile appropriate. "We got lucky; this man has the master key to all of these."

"Good, then open the damn doors."

The man fumbled with a ring full of keys before finding the one he wanted. He inserted it into the lock and they all heard the click. Agent Stone pushed the man away and looked over his shoulder at Brennan. Not wanting to just stand around she joined him at the doors. Together they pulled them open. The metal groaned in protest. A cloud passed over the sun. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. As the cloud passed the sun lit the interior of the metal container. Agent Stone yelled at one of the officers to get the paramedics. Brennan made her way to Booth, who was lying on the metal floor on his stomach. She saw the blood on his hands, the filth on his once white shirt. With a shaky hand she reached out to feel for a pulse. Agent Stone was standing behind her, waiting.

At the touch of her fingers Booth's eyes fluttered open. "Bones," he said in a gravely whisper. She wasn't sure if he really recognized her but she didn't care. At least he was still alive. They'd finally found him.