Author's Note: Okay, so I would like to take a second to thank all of the amazing people who reviewed the last chapter. I knew there were more of you reading out there. It means a lot to know people love this story, so I hope I'm doing it justice.

Reviews are amazing as always, so please feel free to leave one for this installment. Thanks!


Brennan turned the ring over in her hand and watched as the light from the lamp glittered off the diamond in the center. She squinted her eyes, knowing there was no recognition there, but trying to make sense of it all.

"What happened?" Angela asked. She could tell Brennan was close to hanging up, but wasn't ready to let go of the conversation yet. Something had obviously happened. "Brennan?"

She shook her head before setting the ring down on the nightstand. There was a reason for everything, a perfectly good one, and she would deal with it properly in due time. Her eyes scanned the room as she cleared her throat, preparing to offer Angela an answer. It would have been easy to ask her over the phone, to have her access the numbers quickly so she could make the phone call to the hospital herself, but Brennan felt it was something she herself had to handle. "Sorry, I'm fine. I suppose it has something to do with the lack of sleep I received last night. Everything here is fine; it should be sorted out soon."

"Sorted out?" Angela asked, pulling the phone back to stare at it quizzically. "Bren, what are you talking about?" She asked. But it was too late. Brennan had hung up, leaving Angela feeling nothing but confused.

Hodgins walked up behind her, snaking one arm around her waist while using the other to hold his glass of wine. "What was that all about?"

Angela sighed before leaning back into him. She smiled as she felt his lips against her neck. "It's Brennan; with any luck, it'll just be nothing. But she sounded kind of worried for a minute there. She just wouldn't say why."

"Yeah, well, she's with her family now. Relax, Angie." He spoke as he moved her hair over to one shoulder. Her shoulders were tense, and he knew she'd been worrying more than the most of them for months. The pain was still visible in her eyes, still reflected in the way she'd often sit painting in her studio until later at night, or until a project was finally finished. He knew what she was going through, what their whole team was experiencing, but it didn't stop him from wanting to make her forget for at least one night. "Everything's going to work out."


She waited until morning to bring the subject up, because by the time she had taken a shower and decided to how best approach the issue, it was too late to do anything. She tried considering how anyone could have misplaced something that was surely valuable to someone. Wouldn't they have realized it was missing? In truth, it really was a beautiful piece of jewelry, but it belonged to its rightful owner, whoever it was. It rested in her palm as she stared out the window across the lawn. Russ and Amy lived in a beautiful neighborhood. It wasn't as well-manicured and 'straight out of the magazine' as some they had seen while driving there, but what struck her was how even just looking at the yards of those around them, what she felt was a sense of family; a sense of home. After everything she and Russ had gone through while growing up, it made sense he would pick this place.

A soft knock came at the door before Max leaned against the frame. He stayed the night before due to accidents out on the freeway, but also because having both of his children close for once was something he didn't know when he'd get the chance to experience again. The woman standing near the window, eyes pensive and deep in thought, shoulders remaining tight despite the obvious trouble she was experiencing; she was his daughter, and seeing the expression worn on her face as he stepped into the room made him want to seriously hurt whatever was responsible for putting that look on her face. "You said you wanted to speak with me?"

Brennan jerked her head in his direction, obviously surprised to hear his voice. Her mind had been elsewhere, unable to focus on anything else. "Yes, I did. I believe I have a reason to head back to D.C. with you later today."

Max frowned for a second until a hope flared up within him. "Really, you're saying it's all back? Just like-"

"I wish I could say that was the case, but it isn't." Brennan sighed. She felt guilty for allowing his hopes to rise, but she knew it would be the case with anyone she said she had something to tell. Her fingers closed around the ring in her hand, and the diamond imprinted on her palm. "I believe there's been a mistake."

"A mistake?" Max asked. He saw her hesitate, which made him all the more concerned. "What kind of mistake?"

Brennan moved a strand of hair from her face before crossing her arms. Maybe asking her father hadn't been the best option, because he already sounded upset. She supposed that could have just been his need to protect her now, the one she knew everyone felt even if they didn't admit it. "The kind a hospital worker could possibly make in the midst of his or her busy workday. I found something in my belongings that came from the hospital safe. It doesn't belong to me."

He watched in surprise as her fingers uncurled. She was holding the ring; the ring he saw placed on her finger just a few years before. "Tempe-" He began to speak, but he stopped. This was not what he was prepared for. When she said she wanted to talk, he was more than happy, but this was not what he expected.

"There's also a necklace, one with a star pendant. I suppose it's possible it's mine, but I don't recall that piece either. Which is why I need you to help me get back to D.C.; someone is missing valuable pieces of jewelry, and someone's job needs to be reassessed." Brennan spoke. She sounded she sure, or at least she was trying to, but she saw the doubt in his eyes. "Dad?"

He found the necklace on the nightstand. Picking it up, he watched and smiled as the star swung freely, reflecting light from the morning sun. He saw the look Brennan shot him, the one that clearly asked him what he was doing.

"That's mine, isn't it?" Her voice cracked and the ring in her hand suddenly felt heavier. "Who gave it to me?"

"Someone very special to you." Max replied, because if he told her, it would basically be telling her everything, and he knew he probably shouldn't be the one to break it to her. "Listen, Tempe, you should come back to D.C. with me, but we're not going to the hospital."

"But the ring." Brennan protested. The room faded a little as clouds passed over the sun, momentarily blocking the light. When everything came back into focus, her eyes locked with his. "Just tell me what's going on here."

Tears were laced in her voice, whether they were from confusion or frustration he wasn't sure, but there was really only one solution to the whole situation. He sighed and took a step closer to her. "I shouldn't be the one to tell you, it's not my place. Just come back with me, and everything will be worked out."

Brennan picked at a string on her sleeve, stalling the conversation, because her brain couldn't completely process what he was saying. The painting on the wall, the sea foam colored comforter, even the necklace still swinging from his hand. She wanted to focus on anything but him, but what she thought he was telling her. "I don't remember."

"I know." Max nodded in sympathy before patting her shoulder. She didn't shrug away. He wanted to take that as a good sign, but he still felt wary. "You know he didn't want them to take your ring off? When he found out, he was so angry with them, but they had to. Surgery I guess requires everything to be completely clean, to remove all jewelry. I don't know, whatever it was, he wanted to find it and slip it back on."

Her breath hitched in her throat and her stomach flipped. "What? But it's not mine. I don't-" She shook her head. "I don't remember it being mine. There has to be some kind of mistake."

Max shook his head. There was supposed to be another way to do this, he wasn't supposed to be the one to tell her, but someone had to. "There's no mistake, sweetheart. Flip it over."

"Why?" Brennan asked, already feeling a little angry at being deceived. Her recovery, while still fragile, should have still been complete. "No one told me. I was recovering for weeks, and no one tells me the convenient fact that I'm married? To who?"

Max made a motion with the hand that wasn't holding the necklace. "Turn it over. Wait-" He caught her wrist just as she was about to turn it over. "I just...you know we weren't lying, right? What the doctors said, about you gaining your memories back, none of us wanted to hurt you. If we had remembered about the ring being in your belongings, you know we would've told you."

"He never came to visit me?" Brennan asked. Her tone now sounded a little hurt, a little defensive, but then the idea dawned on her. It wasn't possible. They were friends, he'd been there nearly every day, but it wasn't true. She turned the ring over and squinted to read what was engraved on the inside. "Always-Booth and..." Her eyes lit up in recognition. "Booth?"

"Booth and Bones. You always thought it was cheesy, but he said it made sense. Sweetheart, I know you're probably feeling upset right now, but take a minute to think about this, alright?" He was trying to calm her fears, but it wasn't working. "Tempe?"

"He sat there by my bed, talking to me, telling me things, and not once did he ever tell me. How many opportunities were there? And you all knew this and still kept it from me?" Brennan asked. She was angry, confused, but more than anything, a little relieved to finally know something made sense. "I have to talk to him."

Max watched as she darted past him into the other room, in search of the phone. "You should really think about this, Tempe. You can't just call someone angry, expecting answers; you have to think through this."

But it was too late, and by the time he got to the kitchen, she was already dialing.


The lab was quiet save for the team surrounding one of the exam tables. Hodgins and Angela stood at one end while they stared on at Zack, who had called them over in excitement. Cam stood on the opposite side of the table, observing quietly, but still eager to learn what Zack knew.

"It makes perfect sense." He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"Can we hurry it up here, Zack? What did you find?" Cam asked.

He pointed a gloved finger, gesturing for her to look. Magnified, the scratches in the bone were clearly visible. "When discovered, the flesh from this victim was almost entirely decomposed, therefore not allowing us to see this originally."

"So you're saying a sharp blade was used to...what, try and pierce him?" Hodgins asked. He saw the look of annoyance on Cam's face and shrugged.

"Okay, so we've found cause of death. Someone call Booth." She gave everyone a quick nod before walking away.

"I'll do it, I need to speak with him anyway." Angela said before fishing her phone from the pocket of her lab coat.

"Why?" Hodgins asked as she was already dialing the number.

Angela sighed and waited for Booth to pick up. "The way Brennan was acting on the phone last night, you know something was going on." She replied, tapping her foot in frustration until he placed a calming hand on her shoulder.


His pocket buzzed quietly twice before he dared to try and look at it. Morning meetings were tedious, but this one was important, and they had all been warned to not miss it. He slouched a little in his chair before reaching into is pocket and grabbing it. Normally, he would have ignored it, but with an active case he had to keep it with him.

The number on the screen caused him to freeze momentarily before finally starting to cough. He motioned at the door before quickly stepping out. Whatever it was had to be important. "Hello?"