Glad everyone is enjoying this. Thanks for giving it a chance! ;P

---Monday---

Brennan smiled slightly at Madison and stroked her dark hair for a moment, the innocence in her daughter's eyes pained her, almost more than the news report.

"Sorry about that Dr. Brennan, she slipped away from me." A college-age girl with brown hair pulled into a messy bun and a gray pullover sweatshirt stepped up to Angela's door.

Brennan shook her head. "It's fine Jackie." Then looking at her phone, added, "Could you hang on for just a minute?"

"Sure Dr. B."

"Thank you. Sonny, why don't you show Jackie Mommy's office?"

"Okay." Madison dashed away from her mother's legs and grabbed the girl's hand. "Mommy's othifice got lotsa…um…lotsa stuff! I'll show you, c'mon!" She enthusiastically pulled Jackie away from the door.

Most people called Madison 'Sonny' for short, it especially fit because the little girl was like a ray of sunshine to anyone who met her. The only person to call her otherwise was her father, Booth called her Princess. That explained the never ending supply of pink clothes and the plastic tiara perpetually glued to Madison's head. No matter how unruly her auburn mob became, Madison Booth never let her tiara slip.

"I see she dressed herself today, very self expressive." Angela said, as the little girl disappeared from sight. Madison had her long hair down in an unruly mess, indicative of her active nature, a bright green t-shirt with a frog on it, a pink tutu, blue sandals with sparkly butterflies on the sides, and of course, her tiara. "I'm so proud."

Brennan didn't hear a word Angela said, the phone was at her ear as she eagerly anticipated the sound of Booth's voice.

"Bones?"

Brennan gasped and closed her eyes. "Booth. Are you okay? Where are you? Were you in there? What happened?" She rattled off all her questions in one breath.

"Whoa...calm down Babe." Booth winced as the paramedic he'd shushed moments before finished wrapping a second-degree burn on his forearm, "I'm fine, a little singed around the edges but I'll be okay. Look, I want you to have someone pick up Sonny, David and Parker from school."

"Sonny is already here, why? We aren't still going out to lunch are we?" Brennan began pacing restlessly, the chaos she could hear on Booth's end unnerved her.

"No, probably not…but I need to know they're safe."

Brennan stopped moving and looked at the television, the burning inferno of FBI headquarters filled the screen.

"Why wouldn't they be safe Booth?" He hesitated so she pressed him. "Booth?"

"Just…get them to the lab with you, okay? I'm going to be here for a while longer."

"Why? Why are you going to be there longer? Booth what's going on?" Her voice rose with her anxiety and Angela touched her arm, wanting her to calm down.

"Look, Bones, the firefighters are having a tough time navigating the building, there's a lot of people unaccounted for and this fire is spreading fast. They need help getting people out."

"Booth! Do not go in that building!"

"Temperance..."

"Seeley!"

"They don't have enough man-power to search the entire building because fires have been breaking out all over the city due to the heat. They need help, I'm not badly injured and I was a volunteer firefighter a while back so…"

"Booth that was years ago! Please…don't do this." Brennan was near tears, they kept flashing the building on the TV screen and every now and then the picture of an agent strapped to a gurney would be shown being loaded into an ambulance.

"I have to Temperance."

"No you don't! You have such a hero-complex Seeley! Let it go. Let the firemen do their jobs."

Booth was quiet for a moment and the sound of muffled sirens and shouting filled her ear before he spoke.

"They're my friends Temperance. Fellow agents. If something happens to them and I know I didn't do anything to help when I could have…I'll blame myself forever."

She closed her eyes, she knew that was true. Sighing, she finally agreed.

"Just get David and Parker, please. I'll call you back as soon as I can."

Brennan opened her eyes again. "Booth!"

"What?"

"Just…be careful okay?"

She could hear his smile through the phone.

"I love you too."

The sound of a dial tone finally brought an end to the chaos in her ear, but not her head.

"Sweetie what's happening?" Angela searched Brennan's eyes with concern, she'd sounded pretty panicked a moment ago. "Is Booth okay?"

Brennan nodded, still clutching her phone.

"He's fine, except that he's nuts and I'm going to kill him."

She ignored Anglea's puzzled look and grabbed the remote, turning the sound back on the TV.

"…the roads are closed off for blocks in several directions because the FBI is under the impression there may be more bombs. No word yet as to who orchestrated this attack or what they're intentions are. Again if you're just tuning in…"

Brennan muted the TV and ran to the door.

"Jackie!"

The girl appeared from around the corner of Brennan's office, a giggling Madison on her back.

"Horsey! Horsey!" The child chanted. "Look Aunty Angela, I'm a cowgirl!"

From behind Brennan, Angela nodded warmly at the delighted Madison.

"Jackie." Brennan walked over hurriedly. "Would it be possible for you to go to Rummsfeld Elementary on Fullerton and pick up David and then over to Central Middle and pick up Parker? I'll cover gas and pay you double what we usually do."

Jackie's smile faltered, "Well, I don't know Dr. Brennan, I got class in half an hour…"

"I'll call your professor, have him pardon you."

Jackie brightened, "You'll call my Anatomy prof? He loves you Dr. B. Seriously you'd do that?"

Brennan smiled at the girls' enthusiasm. "Yes. I will, just please hurry."

Jackie nodded and slid Madison off her back before bolting for the door.

"What was that all about?" Angela asked, scooping Madison up into her arms and bouncing her on her hip.

Brennan took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves, she was so on edge she could feel her blood pumping through her veins.

"You heard what they said Angela," She began, turning toward her, "There might be more bombs. Seeley thought it best we get the boys out of school and to the lab, he thinks they're safer here and I quite agree with him. In my experience it's never a good thing to have the surname 'Booth' when explosives are involved."

With that Brennan took Madison from Angela and headed back toward her office, hoping to distract herself with work until the boys got there.

Booth…you better know what you're doing.

Sorry, still no end to the cliffee...not for a while. But there is fluff on the way if that tickles your fancy. ;P