Years ago...
Carolyn and Agent Rice walked back into Carolyn's office two hours later, the director had returned to his office, and found the best team in F.B.I. looking miserable. Bones was sitting in the corner of the couch with very red and very swollen eyes. It was obvious to anyone that she had been crying. Booth was sitting on a chair in front of Carolyn's desk staring straight ahead with red swollen eyes as well. They were in an impossible situation asked to make an impossible decision. No one envied them.
"Have you made your decision?" Agent Rice asked.
"We have." Booth answered for the both of them and Bones began to cry again. Booth and Bones had spent the last two hours arguing and crying over the situation. They discussed every aspect of their situation and desperately tried to find another solution but they came up empty and when it came down to the lives of their children and grandchildren there was only one choice that could be made.
"And what choice have you made?"
"Take us in." Bones sobs increased at Booth's words and he moved from the chair to the couch in an attempt to comfort her but she could not be comforted.
"Now I understand what a hard decision…"
"You have no idea how hard this decision was." Bones shouted through her tears.
"Shhh. Sweetheart. Calm down."
"Don't tell me to calm down Seeley Booth." Bones seethed.
"You can't yell. Someone may hear." Bones glared at her husband and then turned it on to Agent Rice.
"Have you ever had to walk away from your family? Have you ever had to make your wife, your children think that you were dead?" Agent Rice was silent. "Answer me." She demanded.
"No ma'am I have not."
"Then don't you dare tell me that you understand what we are going through because you don't. You have no idea."
"I apologize Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth." Booth nodded.
"When is this going to happen?" Booth asked.
"I can't tell you for sure at this point."
"Why not?" Bones asked.
"Because until you made your decision nothing had been set in stone. Once I leave here I will begin to set everything up and when it's done, you will only be notified right before "your death" occurs."
"How?"
"With these." He pulled out two burn phones from his briefcase and handed them to Booth. "Right before it happens I will call you with instructions and you have to drop everything and follow my instructions. Can you do that?"
"Yes." Booth whispered.
"Now this is the most important detail here. We have to assume that your offices, cars, phones and homes are bugged so absolutely under no circumstances are you to discuss this with anyone, not even yourselves. The slightest slip can result in your children's and grandchildren's death."
"We understand."
"Now another thing you can't deviate from your normal day to day routines. For example, I know that you both never call off of work so you can't call in sick tomorrow. You can't throw an impromptu family dinner. Any deviation will arouse suspicions. Finally, don't write any letters to your children, grandchildren or friends. Remember, just because you are dead, it doesn't mean that your loved ones are automatically safe. They have to be as surprised by your death as anyone and a letter found after your death could arouse suspicion."
"We already have letters written to the kids. They are in our safe deposit box. We update them every year." Booth explained. They started writing letters to Parker and Morgan after Booth woke up from his coma. Since there was a high possibility that they could die while performing their jobs, they wanted to be able to say goodbye to their children if anything unexpected happened to them
"When was the last time you updated them?"
"About nine months ago." Booth answered.
"So you haven't been to your safe deposit box in at least nine months?"
"That's right and it's not like these letters are a secret. They kids have always known about the letters we write. In fact they have written letters of their own."
"That shouldn't be an issue then." Agent Rice made some notes. "Now I hope that you two are good actors because until you die you are going to have to act normally. No crying. No long telephone calls, telling everyone how much you love them. You have to act normal." Agent Rice was looking at Bones.
"We can do it."
"I have a condition." Bones spoke up and everyone, including Booth looked at her in surprise. She hadn't mentioned this condition before.
"I'm not sure you can have conditions Dr. Brennan." Carolyn spoke for the first time since returning to the office.
"I want Angela to know."
"What? Why Bones?"
"Because she can come up with a way, a secret way that we can follow our children's lives."
"Dr. Brennan, that isn't a good idea."
"Agent Rice, I am not leaving my children, my family unless I know that I can still be a part of their lives even if they don't know it. Angela is a computer expert and I know that she can figure out a way to send me updates without anyone else knowing what she is doing. I cannot just walk away from them. I won't do it unless I have Angela's help." Bones knew she had no leverage in making this request and everyone in this room knew that even if she didn't have Angela's help she would still go into witness protection to keep her children alive but she had to try. She was sick about leaving and the only thing that could make this heartbreaking choice better would be having the ability to make sure their kids were okay.
"I'm sorry Dr. Brennan but I just can't allow for that type…"
"Angela Montenegro is the best computer expert that I know. If anyone can create a way to communicate without leaving a trail its Angela." Carolyn interrupted the agent.
"But…"
"These two have worked hard and risked their lives for this country for years. They are giving up everything they hold dear to them. The least we can do for them is allow some type of contact as long as it can't be traced as contact. We owe them that."
"Fine. Bring Ms. Montenegro in and if she can come up with something that cannot be traced then I will approve it." Bones shot Carolyn a grateful look.
"Thank you Agent Rice." Bones whispered as Carolyn picked up the phone and called over to the lab, demanding Angela's appearance in her office with her files on the case they were working on so there would be no suspicions.
If Angela had known how much her life was going to change just by walking into Carolyn's office she never would have went. When her best friend told her what was happening and what would happen, the two women held each other and sobbed. Of course Angela asked all the questions that Booth and Bones had asked and insisted that there had to be some other way and her heart broke when she was told that there wasn't any other option so she got to work.
An hour and a half later Angela had completed an untraceable way to keep in contact with her friend. It was simple. She developed a page on a social networking site. She created a profile for Bones obviously using a different name for her. Using her computer skills she made the page look like it had been active for years. Angela also made a profile for herself that had been active for years. She made sure to post things about her niece and nephew on there so it wouldn't look to obvious when Angela gave Bones updates.
"Very good Angela." Agent Rice complimented her.
"Thanks."
"I've got arrangements to make. I will be in touch and remember, outside of this room, life goes on as normal." Booth stood and shook the agent's hand.
"Thank you for saving my family." He didn't thank him for saving his life. That didn't matter to him. What mattered was his children and grandchildren's would be safe.
"I'll do what I can do. Just make sure that you and your wife do what you need to do."
"I will."
"You'll be hearing from me." Once Agent rice left, he went and sat next to Bones who was sitting next to Angela.
"Angela I need you to promise me something." Bones was requesting.
"Anything."
"Take care of Parker and Morgan. They are going to need you, especially Morgan, when…when we are gone."
"Of course I will. You know that."
"There is no one else I would trust with my children."
"I wish that I didn't have to do this." Angela whispered as tears fell from her eyes.
"Make sure they know, that I…that we, Booth and I love them."
"They know that sweetie."
"Don't let them forget it. Don't let them forget us." Booth added tearfully.
"You both have my word."
"Thank you Angela. I knew we could count on you."
"Dammit Bren, why did you have to call me? Why do I have to carry this burden? Why couldn't you have chosen someone else or not told anyone?" Angela was angry but not at her best friend. She was angry that her dear friends were going to have to walk out of their children's lives; their children were going to be without their parents because they will be told that their parents are dead and she was angry that she was losing her two best friends in the world. "This is so not fair." She mumbled tearfully.
"Would it have been better if you thought that Booth and I died?"
"No."
"Angela, I just didn't know what else to do. I can't just walk away. They are my children, my grandchildren; I have to know that they are okay."
"Bren, they are never going to be okay. Their parents will be dead or that's what they will think."
"One day they will be." Booth assured her with more confidence than he felt. Now he and Bones on the other hand would never be okay but it was a sacrifice that they were willing to make because it's what parents do.
Booth and Bones decided to work late that day because at this point because if they were alone, they knew that they wouldn't be able to act normally. It was hard enough to act normal at work, but miraculously they managed to pull it off and no one suspected anything. Part of that success was because they managed to avoid both Parker and Morgan. There was no way that they would be able to act normally around their children. Hopefully, by the next day they would their emotions under better control because they can't avoid their kids for very long.
"I love the after dinner clean up when we order out." Booth commented as he gathered up the cartoons of Thai they picked up on the way home from work.
"There is no clean up. We use chop sticks and eat out of cartoons. We drink beer and everything goes into the trash."
"My point exactly." Bones shook her head. "No clean up is the best thing about take out." Suddenly, Bones' cell phone rang. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID.
"It's Morgan." She whispered. She knew she had to answer it and act normal. Her hand was shaking slightly as she answered the phone.
'Hi mom."
"Hi sweetheart." Morgan called her parents every night so there was no particular reason for the phone call. They talked about their days, Morgan's upcoming wedding and just life in general. When she was done talking to her mother the phone was passed to her father so she could have her daily conversation with him.
As soon as Booth had the phone, she went upstairs to take a shower. Parker had called earlier, like he also does every night and Bones couldn't take it anymore. If she couldn't get into the privacy of the shower, she was going to break down and ruin everything. Acting as normal as possible she turned the shower on, stripped down and stepped in. As soon as she closed the curtain she sank to the bottom the tub, pulled her knees to her chest, clamped her hand over her mouth and sobbed as quietly as she could and that's how Booth found her a few minutes later.
After he hung up with Morgan, Booth was hanging on by a thread. Having these "normal" conversations with his children felt like lying. He locked up and went upstairs to join his wife in the shower. When he pulled the curtain back and saw Bones sobbing on the floor he almost broke down himself. He quickly climbed into the tub and joined her on the floor. They wrapped their arms tightly around each other and cried. They cried for everything that they were losing, they cried for what their children were going to have to go through and they cried for everything they were going to miss in their children's lives; Morgan's wedding; her possible babies; Lauren and Rebecca growing up; more children for Parker and Emily; they were going to miss so much and nothing could console them over this loss.
It took eight days before the call came in and by that point it was a good thing. Booth and Bones were barely hanging on. It was pure hell living with their secret. They were terrified that the slightest thing would let their secret out. Anytime they talked to their children on the phone or went for a previously scheduled dinner they thought that it would raise Liam O'Brian's suspicions so it made it almost impossible to act normal. The only reason they managed to maintain a sense of normalcy was because their children's lives are at stake.
They were on their way to Carolyn's retirement dinner when Booth's burnt cell phone rang. The two looked at each other and tears filled Bones' eyes. Taking a breath to calm himself Booth answered the phone.
"Booth."
"Seeley, its Agent Rice. I need you to act like this is any other phone call. Is your wife with you?"
"Yes. I have a minute."
"Five miles up the road you will find a disabled car on the shoulder. Pull over get out and offer assistance. A female undercover will be the driver. I had her brought over for this case and I trust her. She will use a taser on you; very low voltage so it won't do any damage but you need to fall and then the agent will do the rest. Do you understand?"
"I get what you are saying but you are moving too fast. Don't jump the gun; give away what you think you have too soon. Wait until you have the evidence to back it up."
"Don't give anything away to your wife. I will be calling her shortly myself. I'll see you soon Seeley."
"No problem." Booth hung up the phone.
"Who was that?" She had to ask because anyone listening to them would know that it's normal for Bones to ask about his phone calls.
"Agent Wright. He was just put in charge of his own team and he wanted to run some stuff by me. He is worried that he is on his way to screwing up his current case and he wanted to take advantage of my experience. He's a good kid and I don't mind helping him out."
"New employees tend to seek out an older, more experienced employee for advice and affirmation of their job so it is logical that he would call you."
"Gotta remind me that I am old, don't ya Bones?" Before she could respond, her burnt phone rang. She had been expecting it.
"Brennan."
"Dr. Brennan this is Agent Rice."
"I assumed that."
"Your husband will be pulling over shortly to assist a stranded motorist. He will come in contact with a taser. When he goes down, you need to get out of the car and go over to him. You will come into contact with the taser. Its low voltage and it won't hurt you. From there the undercover agent will take care of everything else. Just don't get up on your own. Do you understand?"
"Yes. Just send the x-rays to my office and I will review them and get back to you within the next couple of days." She ended the call.
"What's that?" Booth asked the pointless question when he saw hazard lights blinking ahead of them. He eased off of the gas.
"It looks like someone is having car trouble." Booth eased off the gas and pulled over to the shoulder, behind the distressed car. "Maybe we should just call a tow truck."
"Nah. I can take a look and if I can't figure it out then we'll call a tow truck." Booth opened the door and stepped out of the SUV. Bones could see tears in his eyes. "Stay here. I will be right back."
From her seat, Bones watched as Booth walked over to the undercover agent. They exchanged a few words then the taser was brought out and Booth went down and that was her signal. With teas rolling down her face she got out of her own seat. "Booth ." She called before she shut the door. In case she was being followed she walked over to Booth and knelt down next to him.
"This is it." He whispered as his own tears fell.
"I…I…don't think I…" Before she could finish her thought she felt the taser and she fell on top of Booth.
After the agent got her "victims" into the car she drove to the lab where she escorted Booth and Bones inside so they would be seen by security but she kept her face down. Once they were inside, they all snuck out through a virtually unknown escape route under the janitor's closet and then they were driven to an airport in New Jersey where they were put onto a plane to their new lives.
"I wonder where mom and dad are." Morgan commented to her brother. They were at Carolyn's retirement party. Their parents were supposed to be there but so far, they were an hour late and no one had heard from them.
"They probably caught a case on their way out the door. As soon as mom gathers her remains they will be here." Parker told her.
Since Booth and Bones didn't show up on time, Angela and Carolyn had avoided looking at each other because they knew that they must have gotten the call. They knew that no one at this table would be hearing from them again. It was hard for them to act as if nothing was wrong.
"I'm calling them." Morgan said.
"Honey, I'm sure they will call." David said and Morgan glared at him.
"Don't you know by now that once she sets her mind to something not to try and talk her out of it?" Parker joked.
"You would think that I should considering the amount of death glares that I have gotten over the years."
"No answer. Both of their phones went to voicemail."
"Probably because they are out of cell phone range which explains why they haven't called."
"Yeah. You are probably right." Morgan admitted.
An hour later, no one had heard from Booth and Bones and Parker was beginning to worry and that's when Cam's phone rang. Everyone was having their own conversation over coffee and not really paying attention until she hung up the phone and stood up. "The lab is on fire." The table froze for an instant before everyone stood up and took off.
By the time they arrived at the lab it was ablaze. There were cops, firefighters and crime scene tape keeping everyone back. The guests from the restaurant pushed their way to the front of the crowd that had gathered. After showing their ID's they were allowed under the tape. For a few minutes, they all stood there, in shock watching their beloved lab burn to the ground.
"What happened?" Cam asked the fire chief.
"We're not sure Dr. Saroyon. We got the call and by the time we showed up, this is what we have." He gestured towards the burning building.
"Was there anyone inside?"
"A security guard was able to get out and told us that there were three people inside when the fire started but he was suffering from pretty bad smoke inhalation and had to be rushed to the hospital."
"Have you gotten them out?"
"No ma'am." Parker was standing next to Cam and he got a bad feeling when he heard that there were three people inside. Walking away from the crowd he began to call his parents…again. Morgan saw this and followed him.
"Any luck?" She asked.
"No."
"Do you still believe that they are out of cell range?"
"No." He admitted softly. "Can you call and have their phones traced?"
"You know I can." Morgan pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "This is Agent Morgan Booth 41789. I need a trace put on two phones please." Morgan rattled off her parent's cell phone numbers. "I'll hold." She looked at her brother. "They're on it." They stood silently, waiting for an answer." Okay thank you." She hung up her phone and looked at her brother with fear across her face. "Their phones are off."
"Maybe the batteries were dying and they shut them off to conserve power."
"Bullshit Parker. They always have their chargers with them."
"I'm not jumping to any conclusions. It won't do us any good."
"You sound like mom." Parker smiled softly and then he noticed Cam waving them over. "Come on. Cam wants us." When they got back over to Cam both Booth children noticed the tears in her eyes.
"Who is inside? Who was trapped?" Parker asked.
"Parker, Morgan this is Agent Hopkins." Cam introduced.
"What are you doing here? A fire is not F.B.I. jurisdiction."
"Shut up Morgan." Parker demanded and Morgan glared at him.
"Dr. Booth, Agent Booth…" The agent began
"I'm Parker and this is Morgan."
"Parker, Morgan, when was the last time you heard from your parents?"
"About 4:30 when I was leaving work." Morgan answered. "I said goodbye to dad."
"Same here. Mom and I walked out together around 4:30." The agent nodded.
"Since we hadn't heard from them, I had their phones traced but they were turned off. Have you heard from them?"
"No and that's why I am here. We received a call from the local LEO's that your father's F.B.I. vehicle has been found abandoned on the side of the road."
"It probably broke down and him and mom are walking." Parker asked hopefully. He knew he was grasping at straws.
"The keys were still in the ignition and your mom's purse was left. When the officer on scene started it, it turned right on. They sent an officer to drive the road but there have been no signs of either of them." Parker reached out and grabbed his sister's hand. "Now the reason I am here is because I work in the department that handles threats against our agents. Four days ago a threat came in against your parents."
"So? It happens all of the time." Morgan insisted, refusing to believe that someone had gotten to her parents.
"This was a credible threat. Fifteen years ago, Mary Louise Thornton burned her husband alive because she caught him cheating. Your parents caught the case and solved it resulting in Mary Louise going to prison."
"I vaguely remember it." Parker said.
"Due to good behavior Mary Louise was paroled a week ago and she sent a letter to your father. In the letter she stated that what happened to her husband was justice and she lost fifteen years of her life which she feels was unfair and she was going to punish the people that put her away just like she punished her husband."
"The fire." Morgan whispered.
"I can't say with any certainty that your parents were inside when the fire began."
"No. They are not in there." Parker insisted. "There is no way a woman could take dad down and there is no way that dad would let anyone hurt mom."
"A taser was found on the ground a few feet away from your father's SUV. What we think happened was your father pulled over to help someone and she surprised him."
"Why didn't they know? They should have been told."
"They were told Agent Booth. The threat seemed credible enough that they were made aware of it." When Agent Hopkins' phone rang he stepped away to answer it and David and Emily took that opportunity to return to their loved ones. From a distance they could see the heartbreak, anxiety and despair written all over their faces. Sensing that something was happening, Cam, Angela, Jack and Carolyn joined them. Agent Hopkins' returned to them.
"What is it?" Morgan asked.
"The security guard is able to talk and he was able to tell us that your parents and a third party, an unknown female who matches the suspect's description signed in about thirty minutes before the fires started. They never signed out. I am very sorry but it looks like your parents were caught in the fire." Morgan heard her Aunt Angela cry out behind her.
"No. Do not say you're sorry." Morgan snapped. "My parents are not in there."
"Morgan…sweetie…" Angela reached out for Morgan but she jerked away from her.
"Morgan is right." Parker interrupted. "We don't know that mom and dad are in there. I…we will not accept the fact that they are inside until…until we have…"
"Proof." Cam spoke up. She was well aware of Bones' policy that no one jump to conclusions until all the evidence was in and apparently she had really instilled that into her children.
"Right. Proof. Until it is confirmed that…that…as far as I am concerned mom and dad are still alive. They just can't reach us right now." Parker told everyone and they nodded. They all knew that Parker's scenario is unlikely but it never hurt to hope.