There is no doubt, y'all ROCK! Thanks so much to all of you who are reading this story and to those of you who are reviewing. This is the same Wednesday that you read about in Chapter 2, but it's about someone else's day. :) Can you guess who? Anywho...read, enjoy, and review.

ooOoo

(The Day at the Lab)

A black SUV wheeled into the parking lot of the Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab. His eyes darted about the parking lot in search of her car, but much to his disappointment her space was empty. Grabbing his phone from the console, he immediately dialed her number.

"Come on, Bones, pick up," he mumbled after the fifth ring,

Much to his dismay the call was directed to her voicemail.

"The number 555-3243 is not available. Please leave a message after the tone," stated the automated voice.

Booth pulled the phone away from his ear giving it a confused stare before snapping it shut.

'No…'Hi, this is Brennan',' he thought to himself. 'Something just isn't right.'

Finally deciding that none of his questions would be answered by sitting in the parking lot, he proceeded out of his SUV to the entrance of the Jeffersonian.

Walking through the front doors, he was immediately stopped by security.

"Name and ID," stated the security guard.

"Name and ID?" Booth questioned.

The guard stood with this hand out stretched.

"Where's James?" Booth asked, "James knows who I am. I haven't been asked for my name and ID since I…first…started working…here."

Suddenly it hit him; he'd been away for over two years. Time didn't stop for him. Lives moved on. 'Did she move on?' he asked himself.

After showing the proper identification, Booth was allowed into the lab. His eyes rested on the closed door and the darkened window of her office.

"Booth, man, is that you?" Jack's voice called from the platform.

"Hodgins, my bug and slime guy, how are you?" Booth answered making his way toward Jack.

Setting off the alarms as he stepped on the platform, Jack waved his card to the guards allowing Booth to proceed.

"Completely forgot about that," Booth stammered.

"Yeah, well I guess some things are more easily forgotten than others," Jack replied with just a hit of sarcasm.

"Agent Booth," Zach called from the computer, "Shouldn't you be dead."

"Dead?" Booth responded.

"Well logic would have us to believe that you were dead. Since you disappeared and had no contact with anyone from your previous life, statically your chances for survival were low," Zach rambled.

"It wasn't like I was lost in some desert," Booth mocked with a smile.

"Hodgins!" Angela's voice resounded from her office.

"Be right there," Jack answered.

"Duty calls, men. Duty calls," Jack grinned as he left the others on the platform.

"So Zach," Booth began, "Where's Brennan?"

"It's Wednesday," Zach replied matter-of-factly.

Giving a irritated huff, "I know it's Wednesday, Genius. What I don't know is the where abouts of Brennan."

Zach had learned a thing or two since Booth had been gone. Being a smartass was just one of them.

"Well since you weren't lost in a desert," Zach retorted, "Then I'm sure you know where she is."

Zach couldn't hide his grin as Booth threw up his hands in frustration and turned to leave.

"Booth!" Angela yelled running after him, "Wait just one minute! You're not going anywhere!"

"Ange…"

"What in the hell are you doing here?" she huffed through gritted teeth.

"Nice to see you too," he replied.

"Where have you been? Why did you leave her? Do I even want to know?" the questions poured out of her like a fountain.

"Why does it matter?" he asked becoming irritated with the tone everyone was using with him.

"Why!" she shouted, "Because for the past two years Brennan has been paying penance to a God she doesn't even believe in because of what she did to your son!"

"She did nothing to my son!" he yelled back with just as much fury.

"I know that. You know that. Hell, the whole world knows that…. except Brennan!" she threw her head into her hands and the tears began to flow.

"Do you have any idea what you've done to MY best friend?" she asked through sobs.

Moments past with neither saying a word.

"Look, Booth," she stated finding some composure, "We need to talk."

"Apparently we do," he replied, shock radiating in his voice.

Booth always knew that explaining his two year disappearance would be difficult, but he had no idea it would be this complicated, this hurtful.

Stepping into Angela's office, he noticed that not much had changed. She was still an artist regardless of the bones. Angela motioned for Booth to sit down and she in turn sat beside him. Placing her hands on his knees, she searched his eyes for understanding.

"Booth," she stated, "I think it would be best if you did some explaining first."

"I agree," Booth admitted.

Booth began from the beginning; that night at the hospital. He had left the hospital while Brennan was in surgery with the expectation that he would be returning. He left to see Cullen; to demand an assignment with the case, and he was prepared to make threats if need be. A rogue FBI agent was never a good thing. Cullen wasn't willing to give Booth an assignment to the case, but he wasn't willing to let Booth out of his sight either. The compromise was basically witness protection; deep uncover work with a totally knew identity. The only thing that remained the same was his status as an FBI agent. He described the horrifying details of being forced to work with his son's killer, and the unspeakable acts he preformed all in an effort to bring the SOB to justice and protect Brennan. As Angela listened to his story, her harsh exterior began to soften ever so slightly. Utterly exhausted by the whole process, Booth finally finished his story.

"I'm sorry Booth," she whispered, "I had no idea."

"It's ok Ange," he assured her, "Really, it is."

"No it's not," she disagreed, "None of it. Not the experiences you had to go through or…what…she had to go through."

"I need to make this right, Ange," he pleaded, "but I can't go in blind. Tell me what happened."

"You know this is going to come out very biased," she stated.

Giving a nod, he replied, "I wouldn't expect less from her best friend."

Adding a reassuring smile, Ange began her story. Just like Booth she started from the beginning. From Brennan's lengthy stay in the hospital to her face off with Cullen, Angela left no details out. She told him how Brennan patched the bullet holes in the plaster, and acted like nothing had changed. Booth was filled in on Brennan's Wednesday activities: Parker's grave, the children's hospital, and babysitting her nieces and new little nephew. Last, but not least she let him know that Brennan had bought a new house; she even gave him the address.

"Has she met someone knew?" Booth refused to look up.

"She met a lot of people, Booth, but she's confined herself to making everyone else happy and living here at the lab," Angela replied.

"No dates?" he questioned.

"Not a one. Even though I tried," she replied.

Booth gave her a puzzled look.

"Now Booth," she began, "You know I think you're the hottest piece of FBI candy, but there is Dr. Andrews. He could knock my socks off any time."

"Thanks for that reassuring vote of confidence Ange," he mocked.

She patted his knee, "I told you it would be biased."

"Do you have any suggestions?" his voice worn.

"Talk to her," she simply replied. "Tell her everything you just told me."

"I've got a feeling she won't be as understanding," he sighed rubbing his hands across his face.

Giving a sympathetic glance, Ange answered, "She has that right, you know?"

Booth left the Jeffersonian defeated and simply worn out. This wasn't the reunion he had envisioned. He could only hope that by some small miracle Temperance hadn't shut him out.

Positioning himself behind the wheel of his SUV, Booth looked at the address Angela had given him. 'It's now or never,' he thought to himself.

It wasn't hard to find Brennan's new house. It was in an upscale suburban neighborhood with manicured lawns and big front porches. Booth decided to park on the other side of the street; hoping not to draw attention to himself. Looking from the outside, it was a picture perfect home, but it wasn't the house that caused his breath to catch. There in the living room window was Temperance Brennan. She was beautiful. Even from across the street he could see her eyes sparkle as she laughed with her nieces. Her auburn hair tossed about from shoulder to shoulder has she moved according to the directions Haley called out. Watching her caused so many feeling to swell in his heart, but when he saw Kade nestled in her arms, he was certain his heart would break. It was what he always wanted. She was playing out his dream. He wanted that life. That life filled with happiness, THEIR children, and her. But it was just a dream. After all, those weren't his children, and she wasn't his wife. He wasn't even in her life.

The slowing sound of a car snapped Booth out of his daydream. He saw Russ and Amy stroll hand in hand up the walkway to Brennan's door. After a few moments of goodbyes, the family piled into the minivan and crept down the road. He saw Temperance close the door and he knew this was his chance.

Racing across the street, he bounded up the walkway. Before doubt or coherent thoughts could settle in his mind, he was knocking on her door.

Well...now's your chance to tell me what you think. Just let me know when you're ready for chapter 4. :)