(After 'The Beginning in the End')

A/N: Just a reminder that this story is AU. A little angst coming up.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

It was his weekend to have Parker, so Booth swung by Rebecca's house to pick up the boy after work. He found it odd that there were no lights on in the house and the yard was looking a little unkempt as he drew near the house. As he pulled up in the driveway, he noticed a sign in the front yard that proclaimed that the house was for sale. Surprised, he parked his truck and walked up the walkway to the front door. Knocking hard, Booth felt his temper starting to rise when no one came to the door. If Rebecca was planning on moving, why didn't she mention it when he dropped off Parker the day they came back from vacation? Where the hell was she and where was his son?

After a couple of minutes, when no one appeared at the door, he walked over to the front window and peered inside. The room was dark, but he could see that the room was empty. There was no furniture in the room and Booth knew that Rebecca had done the unthinkable. Moving around the side of the house he peered in each window and found the rooms to be empty with just bare walls and floors. After circling the house, he knew that his ex was gone and so was his son.

Furious, he walked over towards his truck wondering what he should do next. As he leaned against his truck glaring at the empty house a patrol car pulled up in the driveway blocking Booth's SUV. Careful to keep his hands at his sides, Booth watched a police officer leave his car and approach him. "Officer Phan? FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth."

The officer recognized Booth and relaxed. "We had a report that someone was trespassing here."

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "I came to pick up my son and I found out that he isn't here. In fact, no one is here. I'm sure my ex just forgot to tell me that she moved." He was embarrassed and he didn't want to be the butt of gossip at the Metro police station. "Rebecca has had a lot on her mind lately . . ." He didn't know what else to say and not make the situation worse than it already was.

Officer Phan found that the whole thing was bizarre, but he knew the agent and he had no intention of embarrassing the man. He had to work with him occasionally and the last thing he wanted was to turn the agent into an enemy. "I see . . . The house is for sale." It was obvious and yet the agent hadn't left when he saw the sign.

"Yeah, I'll call her when I get home and see what's going on." He continued to stand next to his truck and stare at the officer. "Do you patrol this neighborhood often? Do you know when this sign went up?"

The officer nodded his head. "Yeah. The 'for sale' sign went up about two weeks ago. I think it might have been a Tuesday although I won't swear to that. The movers were here for a couple of days and had everything out about three weeks ago."

His anger under tight control, Booth gave the officer a smile, although it was probably the fakest smile the officer had ever seen. "Thanks. I guess I'll go home now."

Since there was nothing else to say, Officer Phan got back in his car, backed down the driveway and out into the street. Just to make sure the Agent left, he waited for Booth to drive his SUV down the driveway and out into the street before he left. Whatever was going on, the officer decided it wasn't his business and he was going to stay out of it. He would report that Agent Booth was checking on the house and leave it at that.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Once he was home, Booth sat in his truck and tried to control his anger. He knew he was in a volatile state and there was no way he was going to take his anger out on his girlfriend or anyone else. This problem wasn't her fault and she shouldn't bear the brunt of his anger. He needed to be in control. He needed to be in total control.

Brennan had heard the truck pull into the driveway and after a while began to wonder why her boyfriend hadn't come into the house. She knew that Parker and Booth must be hungry and she had dinner ready for them. After a few more minutes, curiosity and worry won, she left the house and walked out to the driveway. Finding Booth alone and slumped over the steering wheel, she grew alarmed and opened the passenger door. "What's wrong? Where's Parker? Is he alright?"

His anger tamped down, Booth straightened up, turned to look at Brennan and spoke with little emotion in his voice. "Rebecca and Parker are gone . . . The house is empty and there's a for-sale sign in the front yard. I . . . I talked to a police officer patrolling the neighborhood and he told me that . . . he told me that movers moved everything out of the house three weeks ago and the sign went up two weeks ago."

Shocked at the turn of events, Brennan slid into the truck and sat facing her lover. "She moved while we were on vacation and was waiting for Parker when you brought him back. Why would she do that? Surely, she knows that she can't keep you from seeing Parker. You have an agreement. It's legal and binding. That doesn't change just because she's moved."

His mind racing with possibilities, Booth exhaled deeply. "Maybe she took a job near her parents. They live in the state of New York. Maybe she thought I'd fight the move. Her Dad is sick . . . she should have told me. We could have made other arrangements."

Brennan found the situation to be infuriating. Booth was once more being mistreated by his ex and she was getting tired of it. Very very tired of it. "Have you tried to call her?"

Booth nodded his head. "Yeah, twice. She's not picking up. I left her a message twice, but . . . I don't know . . . I need to find out where she went. Where she took my son."

His voice was so void of emotion, Brennan worried that he was masking a white hot rage. She knew that Booth was afraid of his temper and he was probably trying to protect her, but this emotionless state he was in seemed so unlike him. It was almost as if she was talking to a stranger. "You're angry." She needed to understand his emotional state.

"Yes." He was filled with rage, but at the moment he was in hunter mode. His son was missing and he was going to find him. He needed control and he would maintain that control until he no longer needed it. He had hunted dangerous men down in the past, he was certain he could find his ex and his son. "It's okay, Bones . . . I'm in control . . . I'm in hunting mode right now. I can't . . . I have to be in control if I want to find Parker. I'm going to call Angela and see if she can help me. She's a computer genius. She can probably put the clues together . . . I have to find Parker . . . Do you understand? I'm in control."

And she did understand. She knew that Booth was a very dangerous man when he needed to be and he wasn't one to cross. "Yes, I do understand. I'm on your side and I will help where I can." She spoke calmly and rationally. She would back up Booth no matter where this took them.

"Thank you." He got out of the truck and walked around to the other side where Brennan met him. Placing his arms around her he held her against his body. "I'm in control."

"Yes." She placed her arms around her boyfriend and felt his body tremble against hers. She knew he might be in control, but it wasn't deep control and there was a limit as to how long he could maintain his control. Rebecca had made a very serious mistake and she hoped that she was with Booth when he confronted his ex. She didn't think Rebecca really understood who Booth was.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Angela had bad news for Booth and made sure that Brennan was in the room when she broke the news. She wasn't afraid of Booth, but she was afraid for Booth. He was going to need support. "She's in London . . . Her law firm transferred Rebecca to London the week before you went on vacation. Apparently, she waited until Parker was out of the way and had her household goods packed up and most of them shipped to her new home in London. Some of her goods are in storage here in the District. She spent a few days in England while you were in Pennsylvania and flew back the morning you planned to return. She had tickets for her and Parker and they left for England that night. You dropped Parker off and she was on a plane to London two hours later . . . her phone is still activated here, but I have another phone she had activated a few days ago." She handed Booth a paper with Rebecca's new phone number and her address in London. "I'm sorry."

Relieved that he now knew where his son was, Booth took the paper from Angela. He was still in control, but the tightness he had been feeling in his chest had lightened considerably in the last few minutes. "It's the not knowing that was killing me . . . thank you Angela . . . Thanks." He left Angela's office and walked down the hall to Brennan's office.

Brennan smiled at Angela and followed Booth to her office. Once they were in the room, she closed the door while Booth removed his phone from his jacket pocket and dialed the number Angela had given him. The phone rang twice. "Hello Rebecca. You didn't really think I wouldn't find you, did you?"

Seeley . . . no, I knew you'd find me sooner or later.

"Why Rebecca?" That was the question that had been eating at him for days. "Why?"

This transfer is important to me, Seeley. It could lead to a partnership in my law firm. If I do well here, I've been assured that the partnership will be mine. I couldn't let you interfere. This new job is going to be my ticket into a better position and that means more money for me and our son. I'll be able to do so much for Parker now, but I didn't think you would be able to see that. This doesn't mean you won't be able to see Parker. It just means that you won't be able to see him three times a month. I think we can increase the summer vacation to two months, he can stay during Christmas and Easter for a week each and perhaps you can come and visit here in London when you can. I'm not keeping you from our son, Seeley. That is not my intention.

"Why couldn't you come to me and tell me all of this?" Booth was so angry his heart was racing. "Why kidnap my son and take him out of the country without telling me? I know I'm not important to you and you don't give a shit about my feelings, but you could have talked to me about what you were doing . . . I didn't know where you were and where my son was. What you did was wrong. I'm Parker's father. I have rights."

I knew I could count on you to lose your temper. You're so predictable. This is why I didn't tell you. This career move will make my future and Parker's future, but of course that doesn't matter to you. Only your rights count . . . I did what was best for me and my son. My lawyer will be contacting you tomorrow with a legal paper emphasizing that your rights are still valid and that your visitations have changed due to circumstances. Accept it, Seeley. Don't fight me on this. If you do, you may never see Parker again.

The blood rushed from his face. "I want to talk to my son." His breathing was ragged and he was close to losing control.

Only if you will not blame Parker for this. He didn't know about the move until the night we got on the plane. He's just a little boy, Seeley. Don't take your anger out on him for something that I've done.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Rebecca?" Booth wanted to throw his phone at the wall, but he needed it at the moment. "Why would I yell at Parker?"

Just making sure. Wait a minute. He's in the other room.

Soon the boy was on the phone. Dad . . . Dad I didn't know we were moving Dad. He was crying. The boy was afraid his father would hate him for moving away and not tell him.

"Parker . . . son, don't cry. I'm not mad at you. Never you, Parker. I love you." He heard the boy stop crying and that assured him that the boy was okay. "Look, your mother was the one that . . . it's okay, Parker. Really . . . Your Mom and I are going to work this out. It's going to be okay . . . Parker I love you."

I love you too, Dad. I didn't want to come, but Mom said I had to . . . I wanted to stay with you, but Mom said I couldn't.

Booth didn't know what else to say. "It's okay, Parker, really . . . You're still going to see me. You're still my son and we're going to be together again I promise."

I had fun at the camp, Dad. Can we do that again when I come back?

"Sure we can, Parker. Sure we can." Booth wasn't sure what the future was going to be, but he would see his son again. "I love you. Always remember that Daddy loves you."

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