Disclaimer: I'm terribly unoriginal. Where do you think the characters came from? Not from me, that's for sure.

AN: This chapter it a lot of talk. Sorry. I promise more on Parker in chapter six. Love and thanks to all my reviewers! Enjoy.

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Without You – Chapter 5

Another unsuccessful 28 straight hours of searching, and Booth was back at his office, making phone calls and filling out paperwork for other cases. His movements were mechanical, and his thoughts never strayed from his son.

But it wasn't the possibility that Parker might be out there alone that scared Booth the most, but rather the very probable possibility that Parker wasn't alone, but with some stranger that Booth knew the Parker would be afraid of.

As he continued to fill out the forms that released all other cases to different agents, he didn't notice when a presence appeared in his doorway. When Booth finally glanced up, he found the agent from the day before giving him an uneasy look. Booth waved him in.

"I'm sorry this took so long, Agent Booth, but we wanted to make sure that everything was correct. We all know how important this case is," Don said while handing Booth a thick stack of papers in a manila folder labeled "MATTIA".

"Thanks, Don," Booth said honestly. "Really." He skimmed over the contents of the folder to see what all they had found out. Don remained in front of his desk in case there was something else he wanted.

The house address. Tax records. Names. Birthdays. Police records. Medical records. Others connected with the house and its residents. Their police records. The list went on and on.

"Don…this is amazing. Thanks a lot. Tell your boys they've done good once again."

Don smiled, glad that his team's efforts were appreciated. But before he made his exit, he had to ask one question that had been bothering him. "Booth, where did you get that number?"

Booth looked up, shrugged. "This lady. I don't even know how valid the lead is. But hey, it's better than nothing."

Don nodded. "Well, I hope that information helps. Good luck."

"Thanks."

Booth opened the file to read it more closely. Jonathan F. Mattia owned the house. "Well, Mr. Mattia," Booth said aloud. "Let's see what kind of dirt we have on you." He flipped to the first police record. "Holy shit," he said after taking one look at it.

-

Angela had waited for her best friend to return in the morning. But by ten, she began to get a little worried. She had called Brenn's cell so many times that she thought she might have exhausted the battery just by making it ring so many times, and Brenn wasn't picking up at home. She decided to call Booth.

"Angela," the FBI agent answered by way of greeting.

"Hey, Booth."

"It's nice to hear from you," he said. He sounded honest, but Angela wasn't sure if it was an act or not. "Did you need something?"

"Have you seen Brennan recently?" she asked.

Angela heard a sigh come from the other end of the line. "No, I haven't. Remember, Angela? Kind of not partners anymore. The good doctor hasn't talked to me since yesterday afternoon."

"Yesterday afternoon?" She hadn't known they'd talked that recently.

"Yeah, she wanted to give me this name and number. She told me this prick called her, but she wouldn't tell me what he said," Booth said, the frustration in his voice apparent.

"Want me to see if I can get it out of her when I see her next?" Angela offered.

"That'd be great in Angela, thanks."

"Mmhmm."

"I'll talk to you later then?"

"Yup."

"'kay. Bye."

"Bye."

-

Temperance didn't want to get up. She didn't want to answer her phone; she didn't want to call into the Jeffersonian to tell Goodman that she wouldn't be in today. She also knew that she should assure Angela that she was fine, but again didn't feel like doing it.

Everyone would think she was just being flaky. Which she was, wasn't she? Again she decided that she didn't care.

She thought for a moment that Booth would be worried if he didn't know where she was and she didn't pick up either of her phones. But she then realized with a sudden pang of regret that that was a thing of the past. Booth couldn't care less about her whereabouts.

Temperance buried her face in her pillow and let of a long sigh. She let her thoughts slip to Booth again as she lay in her bed like and invalid. His son's disappearance was undoubtedly tearing Booth up from the inside out, and Temperance regretted the fact that she couldn't do anything about it. She hoped that he had gone somewhere with the lead she had given him. She also secretly hoped that maybe, if all this ended well, her and Booth could get back to working together, and she thought that maybe if she had helped find Parker, Booth might be more inclined to forgive her.

And to end her thinking session, she again mentally kicked herself repeatedly for ever listening to that bastard before she got up to make some coffee.

Tomorrow, Parker will have been missing for a week.

Tomorrow was the day she was pulling it all back together. She knew that for a fact.

Today, however, she was unsure of what she was trying to do. Mentally prepare herself for what she was going to have to do tomorrow? Celebrate a day of pure self-pity? Sit with a carton of ice cream and watch some sappy movie? Do some at-home work for the lab?

Maybe I should make two pots of coffee, Tempe thought on her way to the kitchen. Definitely, she resolved once she saw the state her apartment had come to be in after a week of neglect.

-

Angela knocked on Dr. Goodman's door, and receiving an invitation, she entered.

"Miss Montenegro," the archeologist greeted.

"Hi, Doctor Goodman," Angela said uneasily. But before her boss had the chance to asked what was wrong, she got to the point. "Did you know that Booth and Brennan aren't partners anymore?" she asked.

Goodman nodded. "Deputy Director Cullen informed me that they were no longer able to work together." He paused a minute, as though wondering about it himself. "It is a completely understandable situation and I don't feel like pressing the matter while this whole ordeal with Agent Booth's son is unfolding."

"Are we still working with him, though?"

"Anytime Agent Booth would like to come to the lab, he is completely welcome. I'm not going to take away his clearance or ID, if that's what you're asking. But anytime he comes, it will be strictly on his own time."

"Are we getting a new agent, then?" Angela asked, her shoulders visibly sinking.

"That is what I was informed of. Agent Booth is spending most of his time on his son's case, which is expected and accepted, but there are still FBI cases that the Jeffersonian needs to help solve. And Cullen doesn't feel the need to ask Booth to do that, especially with this problem between Doctor Brennan and Agent Booth."

"I see," Angela said, opening the door. "Well, thanks for the information, Doctor Goodman."

"Miss Montenegro," Goodman said, making Angela turn around. "If you could…I'm very curious as to this ordeal between Doctor Brennan and Agent Booth," he told her with a smile.

Angela knowingly smiled back. "I'll tell you what I can find out."

"And also…if Agent Booth ever contacts you with any favors he needs done…these resources are available for his personal use as well, you tell him that."

"Thanks, Doctor Goodman," Angela said, stepping out of the office. "I know he'll appreciate that."

-

The phone rang again, and Temperance once again looked at the caller ID, expecting to see either the lab or Angela's number. She was surprised when she saw David's name, and she decided to go against her vow not the talk to anyone today and answer it.

"David," she said, a smile spreading across her face.

And even though he couldn't see, he knew. "You sound happy to hear from me."

"I am," she replied. "I'm taking a day off of work, too."

"You? Taking off of work?" He sounded surprised.

Temperance began to wander around her living room, continuing the clean up she had begun. She was bending over to straighten up some magazines she had sitting on the table beside the couch when David spoke again.

"What does Booth think of this day off?"

Standing up abruptly, Temperance's hands collided with the lamp on the side table, knocking it off backwards. "Crap!" she exclaimed, reaching behind the table to retrieve it.

"What?" David asked.

"Stupid lamp!" she fumed under her breath as she brought it up to inspect the damage. The body of the lamp was completely broken in two, held together only by the wiring that ran up the middle. "God! Can't anything go the way I want it to? Just…normally? Without being completely ruined?" she asked angrily.

"Tempe…it's just a lamp. I'm not sure what it did to you, but I can assure you that everything's okay," David answered sarcastically.

"No, it's really not okay. Why can't I do anything right? Why can't I think before I do? God, Booth hates me now! He's never going to forgive me."

"It's Booth's lamp? Why do you have Booth's lamp? Are you at his house?"

"I think he needs my help, but he won't accept it because of the things I said to him. And I want him to forgive me. I need him to forgive me, and I want to start working with him again. I want to help him find Parker."

"We're not talking about lamps anymore, are we, Tempe?"

"David, I have to go. Sorry."

After hanging up without further explanation, she stared at the broken lamp. It couldn't even sit upright anymore without help.

She could relate.

Stupid lamp.

-

AN: Again, next chapter we have more Parker stuff. Please review, I must know how you are all liking it! Thanks.