A/N: I got a few responses who were shocked that I killed Rebecca off. I did it because she was never my favorite character and it gave the victims of Pelant a face that they know through Parker. There could be other casualties in the future so stay tuned and keep up with those reviews...there like my crack that fuels me as I write more chapters.

Also thanks for the overwhelming response to my other story Actions Speak Louder Than Words. Angela was totally in the wrong and I felt it had to be dealt with. Thanks for the support.

Disclamer: I don't own Bones but I am sure as hell glad they're married now. About damn time.

Booth came out of Parker's room looking defeated. After telling his son about his mother, he held Parker until he cried himself to sleep. It killed him that there was nothing he could do for his son's pain. His only comfort was that he would someday get the root of his problem either behind bars or six feet under.

As he got to the top of the stairs, he felt his phone buzz. When he saw the message from Alex, his blood boiled.

Faxed copy of GC 30 min ago. ICE being assholes. Boss unable to reach. Does Dr. Brennan have any connections?

"God damn ICE agents. Just because he's from the Middle East doesn't make him an enemy. I thought this shit was over."

Booth was about to dial a number when he saw that Brennan was calling and he understood why. With dread, he answered the phone. "Bones?"

"We found her, Booth. I was able to identify her and I am making arrangements to accompany her home. Did she have any family?"

Booth's insides sank. He had prayed Rebecca wasn't among the dead, but knew deep down she was before the call. "No just Parker. I'll make the arrangements today. You can bring her back here, Bones. I want her close for Parker's sake."

"Okay, Booth. I'm so sorry. How is Parker?"

Booth inhaled for a moment thinking about his devastated son. "He's sleeping. He cried himself to sleep after I told him."

Brennan felt a tear fall down as she thought about the boy she thought of as her own. "Can I do anything besides let you know that my checkbook is in the top desk drawer if it's needed?"

Booth took a deep breath. "Help me with Parker. You're his only mother figure now. I know you didn't expect this—"

"Seeley Booth, if you finish that sentence I will kick your ass when I get home." She waited for a moment and then continued. "Booth, I talked to the team. They want to come home for the memorial service to support you and Parker. We can have the FBI take over recovery for a day or two. Will that be okay?"

Booth wanted to cry, thankful for the generosity and love shown him and Parker by the Jeffersonian team over the last near decade. "Yeah, Bones that would be just fine, but not Daisy or that douche Wells. I can't deal with their shit right now."

"I will find something for them." Then she got to the question she had wanted to ask. "How are you, Booth? Really?"

Booth wiped across his fatigued face with his opposite hand. "Drained, Bones. Exhausted. Angry as hell because of this."

Then he remembered the reason he wanted to call her. "Bones, the timing sucks, but I need a favor."

"Anything Booth."

Armed with a copy of Arastoo's Green Card, Booth and an exhausted Alex Radzwill stomped into ICE Headquarters. When Alex told him the agent in charge of Arastoo's case, he was grateful he had Bones' connections.

He also remembered he needed to keep his temper in check as he knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Both men entered and approached the desk. "Special Agent Childress." Booth said with barely held back contempt for the woman in front of him.

Special Agent Monica Childress was a former FBI Agent who was aggressive in her pursuit of Booth eighteen months earlier. She was a woman who didn't take no for an answer and was angered when Booth actually filed a sexual harassment complaint against her.

Thanks to her old friend Andrew Hacker's intervention, she was able to get in at ICE. For almost a year and half, she waited for a chance to stick it to Seeley Booth for rejecting her and marring her FBI career.

Booth threw his copy of Arastoo's Green Card on the desk. "This is Arastoo Vaziri's green card, Monica. Get him out of here now. You've wasted enough of Alex's time and mine. I have a crime scene to get back to and he has a sister who just got out of surgery he needs to be with."

Monica purposely ignored Alex as she stood up and examined a copy of the green card. "You want me to release an undocumented resident just because you throw a copy of this at me? Not enough. It's not in the system."

Booth was getting pissed as his nerves were about shot. "Agent Childress, if you don't release him now I will go over your head and hand you your ass on a platter. You now have two copies of a legitimate green card. I'm too busy for a pissing contest just because I wasn't interested in screwing you in one of the Hoover's storage rooms."

Childress felt the nerve hit by that statement, but was determined not to show it. "Get the fuck out, Booth. I don't work for the FBI anymore nor do I have to answer to you or anyone for that matter. I run my own division now."

"Last chance, Monica. I'm not in the mood."

"I'd listen if I were you, Special Agent. We know enough people to make you a pencil pusher tomorrow." Alex added.

"Listen here, little man. The documentation is not in the computer system and these are copies. Now there's the door. Don't let it hit your asses, or in your case, Mr. Radzwill, your head on the way out."

"Want to play games? Let's play games." Booth walked out towards the door.

Monica got a cocky grin as she rested her hip on her desk. "What are you doing to do, sic Cullen on me?"

"Not Cullen." Alex said with relish.

Booth opened the door and let in a third person. When Monica saw who it was, she became pale. "Director Napolitano."

"Special Agent Childress. I hear that there is some confusion about a green card that got lost in the system?"

"Yes, ma'am, there was, but since these two gentlemen brought the copies in, we're going to release Mr. Vaziri now."

"Good. I believe in interagency cooperation, Agent Childress. I won't stand for people who, to put it metaphorically, like to show who's is bigger or let grudges dictate how he or she do their jobs. How about you?"

"No, Director. That would be petty." Monica looked to the two men holding her anger in a mask of friendliness marred by eyes full of anger and humiliation.

"Good, glad to clear up the confusion." Janet Napolitano said before turning to the men. "Agent Booth, thank Temperance for the advance copy of her new novel. It was excellent as always."

"Will do, Director."

"Mr. Radzwill, I'm sorry to hear about your sister and the fact you had to be called away from her. How is she doing?"

"She had surgery on her leg this morning as the police caught the driver that hit her yesterday. She'll be in a wheelchair for a while as she goes through physical therapy, but considering she was broadsided by an SUV, I'm just glad she's okay."

"I'm glad everyone her is all right. It's dreadful about that plane crash in New York yesterday. Are there any updates, Agent Booth?"

"The NTSB, FBI Techs, and the Jeffersonian are still going through the damage. We hope to have a cause soon."

"If there's anything my office can do, let me know, Agent Booth. Good day gentlemen." Ms. Napolitano said before looking at the female agent. "Agent Childress."

Janet Napolitano walked out of the office. When the door shut, the men turned and saw Agent Childress shooting daggers at them as she made a call. "Release Arastoo Vaziri and bring them to my office."

Ten minutes later, agents escorted Arastoo into the office. The fact that he had a black eye, right arm in a cast, and a healing split lip didn't go unnoticed. Booth's anger increased and he turned back to the woman.

"I'll be looking into this, Monica."

"Not my fault he was beaten by prisoners. Arabs are low on the pecking order in holding. He got the best medical care possible."

"I'm Iranian, as it states on my green card." The beaten intern said before he hissed in pain from his lip.

Booth had enough. "Come on, Arastoo. Cam's worried sick about you and we need to get you looked at, plus Bones will need you in New York soon if you are able to travel."

"Agent Booth, I can't thank you enough."

"Thank Bones and don't mention it, Arastoo." Booth replied as the three men were leaving.

The next day, Booth was at Dulles waiting in the gate with Agents Shaw and Sparling. When he saw the passengers led by Brennan come though he greeted his wife with a hug. The rest of the Jeffersonian team, including Fisher, greeted Booth with either hugs or condolences before stepping aside to give the couple privacy.

"They're taking her to the funeral home, Booth."

"Do you think Parker can see her if he asks before the service tomorrow?" Booth asked

"I wouldn't recommend it, Booth." Brennan said, giving Booth the understanding of the condition of Rebecca's body. "Ms. Wick stayed behind at the site. I sent for Dr. Wells to go there also. I told the two I needed them to work with the FBI team until the team returns."

"Thank you, Bones. I just can't handle either of them right now, and I don't want to hoist them onto Parker."

"Hodgins and the others will be leaving tomorrow afternoon after the service. I will be going back on the 22nd to claim Rebecca's belongings for Parker and assist with any final body retrieval. Thank you for getting Mr. Vaziri released. I'm sorry you had to deal with Agent Childress again."

"You're the one who ultimately got him of there. I'm sorry you had to call the director for me to make that happen with all that the squints are doing back in New York."

"It's okay, Booth. I've always enjoyed speaking with Janet. She's a fascinating woman."

Something that his wife said finally sunk in through his sleep deprivation. "Rebecca's stuff. The agents wouldn't release them to you yet?"

"No but I told the Special Agent in Charge that if the items were not ready for me to pick up by the time I come back I would be calling you and Sam."

'Leave it to Bones to be the one to bring it on.' Booth thought as he let loose the first genuine laugh he had in the last three days. He was brought back to reality when he heard his wife calling him.

"What, Bones?"

"I want to get back to the house. I need to see Parker, Christine, and Emma." She hesitated for a second. "I need to be there for Parker."

Booth felt his emotions swell up like a balloon at that moment. His Bones has always loved Parker like a son and it made him feel good knowing she would be there for him now. In turn, he will help his wife with their niece, whose quick visit will now be a summer visit due to her sister's health issues.

'Not the best timing, but it can't be helped.' he said to himself.

"Come on, Bones. Let's go home."

The couple, by this time the only two left at the gate, walked out hand in hand.

The morning service was a simple one in a cemetery near the Brennan-Booth home. Emma was home babysitting Christine and Michael during the service with Agent Shaw keeping guard. The squints gave their condolences with Wendell and Finn each giving Parker a hug letting him know they were there for him. Fisher uncharacteristically remained tight-lipped, feeling the weight of the situation did not warrant any comment.

Sweets and Sparling held hands as they walked over to Booth and Parker. After giving their sympathies, they left to be together.

Finn and Michelle were talking to Cam and Arastoo, who was sitting. His injuries were healing, but the nightmare of his time in ICE confinement still bothered him. He shook it off, resolving to help Doctor Brennan and Agent Booth catch Christopher Pelant.

The anthropologist knew he was the one responsible for his situation and wanted the worm to go down.

When the people and the environment got to be too much for Parker, Max took him away for a walk, earning Booth's gratitude. He was starting to get a bit overwhelmed himself. He turned to his wife, who looked exhausted.

"Bones, honey, are you okay? You look really tired."

"I'm okay, Booth. I didn't sleep much last night and the last week has been, a twister, to say the least."

As Brennan finished speaking, she felt the nausea in her stomach and prayed it would calm down. She didn't want Booth to know as he had enough on his plate as it was.

It took Booth a minute to figure out what she was trying to say. "A whirlwind, Bones, and that's okay. I understand the feeling."

"Is Parker going to be okay?" Brennan watched Parker walk with Max leaving the cemetery.

"In time Bones. I think he needs someone to just let him be for a bit. Max is probably the best one to do that right now."

Booth looked around to make sure they were truly alone. "Bones, I'm going to nail that bastard. Murdering innocent people was bad enough, but the son of a bitch crossed a line. Rebecca did nothing to him nor involved in any way except by association with us. I'm going to kill him if I have a chance."

"But, Booth, your cosmic balance sheet—"

"Doesn't count, Bones. This man has almost murdered an entire family, stole someone's citizenship papers so that he would be killed in holding or back in Iran, and manipulated a teenager to try to kill Sweets. Now, he's killed my son's mother. He has to pay."

Brennan took both of his hands and squeezed them. "Booth, I will be there every step of the way and I will be there helping you take him down."

Booth's mouth opened, but Brennan put her finger on them. "Either accept my help or I will do it behind your back. We're partners. Don't forget that."

Booth moved her finger. "You misunderstand me, Babe. First, you got that expression correct. Second, and most importantly, I don't want you in danger, but I also need you and the squints to help nail Pelant. So, I accept your offer."

Brennan smiled. "Good, we understand each other and don't call me Babe."

She led him as they started to leave the cemetery. "By the way, Agent Seeley Booth, Parker is our son and don't you forget it."

Booth felt tears in his eyes when he heard that. He had never been so happy to be corrected by her in his life. "I won't Bones, I won't."

They took each other's hand again and walked out of the cemetery together.

Christopher Pelant watched the monitor of the cemetery. He saw Arastoo Vaziri and exploded. "SON OF A BITCH!"

He threw his cup of coffee across the room with his good arm before looking to the monitor again. "How the hell did he get back here!? He was supposed to either be dead or shipped back where the other pieces of shit were to kill him!"

He struggled to get up and was finally able to after several minutes. He got into a drawer and pulled out a remote control console with only one button. He smiled and then turned back to the monitor facing the Brennan-Booth house.

"All in due time, Agent Booth….all in due time."