AN: It continues... Shout outs at the end.

Disclaimer: Dear Fox, Please disregard previous disclaimer about jumping the shark, and not having Cam (I respect your writing choices. See? Cam was in the last chapter!). I promise to be more aware of the ridiculous, but seemingly necessary, tension created by Booth and Brennan not being together. I give my word that any future story will not include any "realization of feelings". But you have to admit, I've got the angst thing down.

How Many?
After allowing several minutes for Angela to compose herself, Agent Foley continued.

"As I've said, we had two official cover operatives there to protect Dr. Brennan. One, Andrew Manor, was shot in the ambush, but is now at Ramstein Air Base in recovery. Everything we know we've discovered from him and other survivor accounts."

Angela looked up from the tissue in her hands, "How many?"

Foley blinked, as if unused to being interrupted. "How many what?"

She met his gaze, teary, but unwavering, "How many survivors? How many dead? How many missing?" She took a deep breath, "How many?"

Foley responded without consulting his notes, "Six dead. Nine survivors have been retrieved from location and are at Ramstein. Two missing."

"Dr. Brennan is one of the missing. Who's the other? Do you expect them to be together? What is being done to recover them? Was there a contingency plan? Where were your State Department Security guys?" Cullen fired these questions off rapidly, and with intimidating force. Angela was surprised that Foley did not react.

Foley responded with a deliberately calm manner, which Angela supposed was why he got this job. "There was a security plan, in place in case of an ambush or something like it. That's why we only lost six, four of which were State Department security detail. Who fought back, by the way. But semi-automatic weapons usually find their mark."

Foley took a deep breath, and continued, "They were attacked at night, around ten-thirty. Turns out, the attackers chose the wrong night. The team usually went to bed around ten, rising with the sun. Saturday night was someone's birthday, so they were celebrating, and weren't in their tents – where several grenades ended up. The six that died were shot. The nine that survived followed the plan, and escaped to a predetermined location, where we were able to pick them up."

"And the two who went missing?" pressed Cullen, worried about Booth's silence throughout the explanation.

"Dr. Brennan and Samantha Rollins, CIA," Foley responded evenly.

Suddenly alert, Booth straightened in his chair, "Sam? The anthropologist who cooks? She and Bones take walks after dinner." Booth's eyes clouded, "Took. Took walks after dinner."

"Stop it, Seeley," Cam hissed. To Foley, she asked, "Dr. Brennan is missing with a CIA Agent? Did she know this Sam Rollins was an Agent?"

Foley kept his eyes on Booth, though Cam had asked the question. "It is unlikely Dr. Brennan knew Rollins was CIA. However, Agent Booth's information about the two taking walks has been corroborated by our second agent-on-scene, Agent Manor, and it is our hope that they were on a walk when the ambush occurred. It is our hope they're together."

"As for recovery, we're doing satellite scans of the area, and we have several friendlies on the ground who are keeping their ears open about two women. We have a team ready to go once we've located them."

Angela was confused, "Friendlies keeping their ears open?"

Booth muttered the answer, angrily. "Locals who are friendly to us, listening to local gossip. He's referring to finding out if they've been kidnapped," Booth ground out that last word, as if it caused him physical pain when said.

Foley nodded, "Exactly, Agent Booth."

"Kidnapped?" Angela whispered in horror, her body frozen at the thought. It was Booth's turn to grasp Angela's hand to try to offer comfort.

"The attacks in that area have not resulted in any kidnappings, so that avenue is unlikely, but we're still looking into it," Foley's response lacked any sympathy, and Booth was becoming agitated again. "We're also listening for any news of two foreign women traveling together in that area."

Foley paused, apparently aware of the tension in the room. "Why don't we take a fifteen minute break, Director Cullen? After that, I'd like to go over some things that may have been brought up in the phone calls to Agent Booth and Miss Montenegro."

She'd been gone two weeks. Two weeks today. Booth had been replaying his last minutes with Bones in his mind the entire two weeks. He was still kicking himself for not saying anything to her in response.

Forever. He was her forever.

The thought made his heart beat a little faster, but also hit him with a pang of sadness. It would be seven and a half months before he saw her again.

Angela had stopped by last Friday morning; Brennan had called. Booth wasn't sure why, but he was a little jealous that Angela had gotten the first phone call. But only just a little.

He didn't respond, after all. His denial for the past year was coming back to bite him in the ass. He kept thinking; maybe if he'd said something, she wouldn't have gone. But, in his heart, he knew her and knew she would have gone anyway. It was what she did. He knew that from the very beginning, from the Guatemala incident. He grinned at the memory.

His smile faded, as his glance rested once again on the silver picture frame that rested on his desk. He reached his left hand out to trace the words, reciting them in his head. I believe in forever.

It was her way of saying I love you, he was sure of that. And he hadn't the sense to say anything back. Let the metal kicking commence in 3, 2, 1…

Riiiing.

"Booth," he barked into the phone; he really didn't want to be interrupted. It was late, after seven, and he had spent enough of his workday lost in thought about Bones. He was behind on his paperwork because of it.

The other end of the line was almost silent. Almost. The line crackled with the tell tale sound that indicated a very long distance phone call. His heart flipped, and he held his breath. Hoping. Just hoping.

"Seeley?"

"Bones," his reply wasn't a question; it was more like a sigh.

"Booth. It's so good to hear your voice. How are you?"

"Better now, Bones. Much better now." She could practically hear him grinning down the phone. "You being safe over there?" wherever there is, he thought to himself.

"Of course. You know I can take care of myself."

"Bones," his voice was almost a groan, almost a warning. It amazed him how they could easily slip back into their old ways of verbal sparring.

She laughed, and he let it wash over him. "Booth. You know there's a whole team of State Department Security here. And if I didn't know any better, some of the guys in town are UN Peacekeepers. And when I say town, I mean seven huts and an open air market. Angela called it the 'lap of luxury', though I'm sure she was being sarcastic."

Her good mood was contagious, and Booth knew she was enjoying her work over there. She'd let slip a piece of information though, and he was going to figure out where she was. UN Peacekeepers?

"Yes she was, and I wanna know all about it, Bones. Tell me the story," Booth leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes, prepared to stay on the phone as long as possible.

"I can't tell you much, Booth, you know that. But what I can tell you is that I made a friend. A young anthropologist from New York, named Sam."

Booth felt a tug at his stomach. Sam? "You made a friend? Bones, I'm impressed," his lighthearted tone did not hold any of the jealousy he suddenly felt.

"Yes. I assumed you'd be proud of me. Sam's just received her masters. This is her first assignment in the field since graduation. I guess you could say she's my new Zach."

Booth released the breath he was holding. Sam's a girl. Thank God. "You teaching her all kinds of science stuff?"

"Science Stuff? Booth, that's so technical of you," Brennan's amusement was evident in her voice.

"You know me, Bones. I leave all the technical stuff to you," Booth joked.

"I know. How are you doing with Dr. Addy? Is he holding up his end?"

"Yeah, Bones. He's pretty great. But he's not you."

There was silence on her end, and for a brief moment, Booth thought the line had gone dead.

He heard her shaky inhalation as she continued the conversation, ignoring her momentary lapse in composure. "I knew he'd do well. He's a smart kid. Sam really reminds me of him. Maybe I'll introduce the two of them when I get back."

"Oh, no, Bones. One matchmaker is enough. Leave it to Angela, she's the professional," Booth chuckled.

Her deep laugh sounded in his ears, and he felt calm knowing she was safe and happy. "Seeley, I never said anything about matchmaking. I was merely intoning that they would have common interests, being of the same age and scholastic inclination."

"There's the Bones I know," and love, he thought. She called me Seeley. "I miss those convoluted sentences."

"I miss you too, Booth."

Booth was shocked into silence for a brief moment, and again, that moment was enough to carry the conversation away from him

"Booth, I have to go. I don't know how I lucked into getting two phone calls per week, but I'm not going to complain or abuse the privilege. I'll call again next Monday."

"I'll see you soon, Temperance." His response was automatic, his subconscious recalling their parting words at the airport.

"You too, Seeley."

Booth was struck by her openness and honesty. He really hadn't expected it from her to begin with, and now that she'd surprised him twice, and he hadn't responded twice, he was going to kick himself twice as hard for the next week. He promised himself he'd tell her next week.

He replaced the handset of the phone, his eyes drawn to the picture for what felt like the millionth time. The paperwork forgotten, he jumped from his chair, grabbing his coat and pushing a few buttons on his phone on the way out the door.

"Angela?"

Authorette Shout Outs:

For being my first review: Thank You Mockingbird84!

For approving the "Admission by Bones" in chapter 2, a big thanks to MissBennet (such denial by Booth!), emmastar (I'm sticking with the title I think), bandbfan24 (oh you make me laugh, thanks for the great review), KristiM (she IS a genius! and i'm so glad you'll be a reference to Fox for me. hehe), Myralee8 (I like your super-promise!), & statler (glad you think she's not emotionally ignorant either!).

And MORE THANKS to Alanna (I'm glad you like the char emotions), polopanic (made me happy to see your words), boneswhisper and dizzysteps2u and lemlee (I'll keep the chappies comin' if you keep the reviews comin'), saturn567 (for being a faithful reviewer!), Meg (hire me? Sure! Whatcha got?), and Julia (Oh there will def be a Brennan/Sam adventure – can ya wait a few chapters?).

You know what to do, friends!! Push that shiny purple button.