A/N: I'm really sorry this is late, ladies & jellyspoons, but I had one hell of a migrane so this is the first time I've crawled out of my very dark bedroom in over 36 hours. As a result, this one's very short because it was originally the first part of the next chapter but I didn't have time to check all of it. The next part should be up tomorrow night. I'm really sorry for the delay. Also, because I'm now seriously behind on everything, you still have time to vote for your top 5 season 1 moments (details in the A/N at the end of chapter 13). If you don't vote, you don't get a say in it. I still don't have broadband back till weds so it'll probably be up soon after that. Anyways, thanks for all your reviews, votes and support. You guys rock my world (especially Ava, she's my muse...). Thanks for reading.

Zach Addy had been called many things over the years. 'People person' had never been one of them. But just because he struggled to hold a conversation with other people, it didn't mean he didn't care and it certainly didn't mean he couldn't notice when things weren't right.

Sitting on the forensic platform examining the bodies from the park, he couldn't help but notice what was going on around him.

Angela was walking around in a teary daze, Hodgins was casting longing looks in her direction every few seconds, Cam was hiding away in the autopsy suite and Doctor Brennan was nowhere to be seen.

Turning back to his work, Zach carefully examined the gunshot wound to the first victim while his mind assessed the situation in the lab.

Obviously the events from earlier today have upset Angela which has caused Hodgins to worry about her. As for Doctor Saroyan and Doctor Brennan, as usual I suspect that Agent Booth is somehow involved…

Something in the victim's ribs caught Zach's eye. Picking up a pair of tweezers, he carefully extracted some small metal fragments and dropped them in to a Petri dish. Examining them under the microscope, he frowned and spun his stool around to look at the other victim.

His tweezers hovering above the neck, he gently pulled some lose fibres from the shattered vertebrae in her neck. Putting them in a Petri dish on the workstation beside the metal fragments, Zach blinked rapidly.

Turning back to the transgender victim, the grad assistant arched an eyebrow as he carefully peeled back the rotting clothing to examine the decomposing flesh underneath.

Hodgins wandered over, a stack of reports tucked under his arm as he attempted to keep his eyes off Angela's office.

"Hey Zach, how's it going?"

The metal fragments catching his eye, he didn't give him a chance to answer.

"Oooh, shiny!"

Zach rolled his eyes as he watched the scientist.

"They appear to be fragments of a reasonably small calibre bullet and I've also found some microscopic fibres in the second victim's fractured vertebrae."

He pointed at the chest he had just uncovered.

"I'm focusing on this right now though."

Hodgins craned his neck to look down at the body.

"What do you… Oh. I see."

With Zach using a gloved finger to carefully push the decomposing flesh back to where it would have normally lain, a pattern began to emerge. Hodgins and Zach shared a look.

"We'd better find Doctor Brennan."

oo00oo

Special Agent Seeley Booth stared at the phone he had dropped to the floor.

This isn't happening. This can't be happening…

His heart pounding, the agent's mind was racing.

Maybe she really is just running late, maybe nothing's happened at all. It's rush hour right now, maybe it's just bad traffic.

Digging his cell phone out of his pocket to call her, he felt how much his hands were shaking.

Something's happened. I know it. I have an instinct for this kind of thing, especially with her. It's my Bones. Something's happened.

Jabbing his partner's speed dial button, he listened with baited breath as the phone just kept ringing and ringing in his ear. Eventually it switched to voice mail and Booth found himself lost for words.

What can I possibly say to make her understand how I feel right now, how I feel about her? She's my partner, I'm supposed to protect her. I'm the one with the gun for Christ sake and I just left her on her own, even with Nate somewhere out there and breaking in to the Jeffersonian.

If anything's happened to her, it's my fault. I don't think I could ever forgive myself. I can't lose her. Not now.

Swallowing hard, he tried to keep his voice level as he left her a message.

"Uh, Bones, it's me. It's Booth. Where are you? Cam said you left the office nearly an hour ago. I'm gonna try your apartment but please, even if you're still mad at me, just give me a call when you get this. Please. I just… I need to know you're ok. Just call me."

He snapped the phone closed and squeezed his fist tight around it, willing her to ring him back.

But the call never came.

Sighing heavily, he grabbed his jacket and practically sprinted across his office. Realising he'd left his car keys on his desk, he span round to grab them. Sensing someone behind him, he turned slowly, praying his partner was already here.

Instead he found Deputy Director Cullen stood in the doorway, a look in his eye that paralysed Booth immediately.

"Booth… We need to talk. I have… I have some bad news."

A/N: Uh oh... I promise, answers next chapter. Well, some answers next chapter...