Hey. Chapter eight. Sorry it's so short and not very good, but I didn't want it to ruin the next chapter, which will be longer and better. Anyway, thanks to those who have supported me so far, please keep it up. Also check out my other Zack/OC story "Crashed". I hope you somehwat like this chapter and if you do, please REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bones.

Chapter Eight: Hide and Seek In a Bush

Five years was a long time for friends to not see each other and that meant a lot catching up to do. Thus, Booth and Kristen made the effort, considering their busy schedules, to have at least one meal every day with each other. Today, since things were slow at the bureau and at the Jeffersonian for Booth and Kristen didn't have night classes, the two gathered in Booth's office for dinner, eating from the local deli. At the same time, they would talk about anything that came to mind or ask each other questions.

"So, you're television show will be starting up soon, right?" the FBI agent queried after swallowing a piece of his BLT. He was at his desk, typing away at his computer—he still had some paperwork to do.

"Mmhm," the actress nodded, a hand over her mouth because she was still in the middle of chewing on her Caesar salad. She swallowed and spoke, "We start filming next week. I finally get to meet my co-stars and everything. Apparently, the cast is full of some really experienced stars. It's…" She paused, a finger wounding itself into a strand of her golden hair. "…Kinda intimidating."

"Why? You're a good actress." Booth said.

"You think so?"

"Does it really matter what I think?"

"W-Well, it's just--"

The older person sitting across from her flashed her one of his charming smiles. "Just relax, Goldilocks. You'll be fine, just have confidence in yourself. End of story." he reassured.

Her green hues searched his dark brown ones until a smile graced her face. He was right. Booth usually was when it came to things like this. "Okay, I'll chill out." she stated.

"Good," the dark-haired man nodded. "Now, how's that boyfriend of yours?" His tone didn't sound as cheerful, it was a bit more strained. Kristen, in a sense, was like a younger sister or the daughter he never had—or at least that's how he felt back in New York—so the thought of her dating never really settled well with him. Nevertheless, she was an adult—though, more often, she didn't quite act like one—and she dated.

There was silence for a moment, which caught the ex-sniper's attention and he looked to the girl sitting in a wheelie chair Indian-styled. His brows furrowed noticing how hard Kristen was tugging at her hair—that a sure sign that she nervous, upset, or uncomfortable. "You okay there, Kris?"

"I don't have a boyfriend." she muttered, her voice emotionless.

"What? What happened to that Ren guy you were nuts about in New York?"

"It didn't work out. I broke up with him."

Booth's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why do I feel like there's more to this story?"

"There is, but it's long and I don't want to talk about it or him." Kristen stated icily.

"Kristen," he began in annoyance. "What did I tell you about closing the rest of the world off?"

"I'm getting better!" she argued. "I told Zack about my family life!"

That caught the man off-guard. He blinked slowly. "You told Zack—as in Zack Addy, Squinty—about your family life?" he questioned, anger radiating in his voice.

"Yeah, so? What's the problem?" the young woman said with an arched brow—why was he getting so mad?

Booth opened his mouth to tell exactly what the problem—or problems—was with telling Zack of all people about her personal life, but he was cut off when Agent Santana entered his office with a stern look on his olive-skinned face. Booth stood and shot Kristen a look that clearly read: "This conversation isn't over" before addressing the other male in the room, "Yes, Agent Santana?"

"You've got a case, Agent Booth," Santana said gruffly, handing Booth a manila folder. "We got a call from an adolescent girl found a body in the back a mall. It might be that Charlie kid that went missing two days ago."

"Right," Booth curtly nodded. "Come on Goldilocks. We've got to pick up Bones and Squinty."

"Righteo." Kristen dumped the rest of her dinner in the garbage before sliding on her denim jacket and following her companion out of his office.

After picking up Brennan at a forensic anthropologist's seminar for college students, they picked up Zack at the Jeffersonian and headed to the mall where the body had been found.

The minute they arrived, Kristen was overwhelmed by bright lights that the FBI was using to search for the corpse and by the barking of dogs, who there were to assist. They were surrounded by high and dry grass, which was going to make finding the body hard to find.

Or at least that's what the twenty-one-year-old originally thought until Brennan ordered her assistant to put on some sort of suit that helped them see body heat. Zack was reluctant at first because according to him, it made him like the "Great Gazoo"—who was that, she wondered—but did as he was told in the end since he knew there was no point in arguing with his mentor.

However, when the young genius came out of the FBI trunk adorned in the clunky, orange and yellow attire, Kristen understood why he didn't want to wear it, despite its usefulness. The fair-haired woman tried controlling her snickers at the sight from behind her head, but, on the other hand, Booth didn't hide how funny he thought Zack looked.

"How are things in the Death Star, Darth Vader?" mocked Booth with a smirk. Kristen clasped both hands over her mouth to restrain herself, her shoulders shaking. When no one but them were laughing, Booth glanced between the scientists skeptically. "Please tell me you've seen at least one Star Wars movie." he said.

"When I was a child," Brennan said nonchalantly. "Now, stop picking on Zack." she scolded Kristen and Booth.

"Can we please hurry this up? It is very stuffy in here." Zack said, his voice muffled by the large helmet. He stepped ahead of the group, turning his head this way and that in search of the body they were searching for. "With this, I can see body heat, so if the boy died recently than I shall see him in the brush of these bushes." he announced as the other three followed him through the bushes.

They walked further and further away from the mall, trudging through mud and pushing tall grass aside. Kristen had the most difficulty being the shortest. The grass tickled her nose and rose above her making it hard for her to see and concentrate. After her tenth sneeze, Booth helped her along, keeping her at his side.

Suddenly, "Over here! Shine your flashlight over here!" cried Zack from ahead of the group. He had pulled his helmet off his head and was pointing with a bulgy gloved finger at a spot in the grass.

They rushed over to him and Brennan shined her light of her flashlight to where the graduate was pointing.

Booth's lips were pursed tightly. One shaky hand was over Kristen's mouth. And Zack and Brennan were staring somberly.

They had found the body all right. It was small, something Kristen hadn't expected. He had to have been young. Gray and dried skin covered most of the boy's very small frame with a bit of his bones showing. Beside him, were his tiny clothes in perfect condition.

Kristen immediately felt her heart break. Children were always a weakness for her and to see something like that was pretty devastating. But she should've expected this? A boy had been missing for a couple of days and a girl a body, you didn't need to be a genius to put two and two together. Yet, it didn't stop the churning in her stomach any less. She frowned, only imagining what could've happened to this child. A part of her didn't want to know.