Unsure exactly what pulled him from his sleep, Booth opened his eyes and looked over at his alarm clock. The green digits glowed 5:55. Groaning, he stretched and turned over on his left side. Hoping to fall back asleep, he closed his eyes and let his mind wander, yet again, to his family. As always, he wondered where they were and what they were doing. No matter where Bones had taken Christine, Booth knew she would keep their daughter safe, yet he couldn't help but question how she had managed to hide all those weeks without being caught. After all, she was known throughout the country, both as a writer and a forensic anthropologist. No matter how she had decided to hide, he just hoped that she hadn't turned to plastic surgery, much like Max had done himself. Bones needed to be Bones when she came back; he wouldn't be able to live with her decision had she chosen the surgery.

Several minutes passed and, when sleep clearly turned out not to be an option, Booth dragged himself out of bed and made his way to the adjacent bathroom.

As he turned on the shower, the deep quietness of the house now filled with the sound of pouring water, Booth slowly undressed. In the mirror, he could see the dark circles which had formed under his eyes over the past month. He definitely didn't look good. Yet, as he stepped into the steaming shower, his heart felt somewhat lighter. He felt as though a weight, though small, had been lifted off his shoulders. Suddenly, he realized he had slept through the entire night without being startled awake by nightmares of Bones getting arrested or his family being murdered. For the first time in weeks, he felt happier.

He wasn't sure how long he had spent under the running water, letting the last of his worries wash away, but, as he pushed the glass door and stepped out of the shower, the mirror had completely fogged and the bathroom was filled with a thick and humid mist. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he made his way back to his bedroom.

He quickly dressed before heading to the kitchen. On his way out, he glanced up at the baby monitor taped to the wall. He still hadn't taken any of them down. Doing so at the time had seemed completely useless. After all, he would need to put them back when Bones would come back with their daughter. There had been a time when he had thought that her love for him and their daughter would have been enough to drive her right back into his arms. Yet now, as the reality of his situation had finally sunk in, he knew he should take them down. Bones definitely wasn't coming back any time soon and it was better that way.

He would be early at work once again. Since his family's disappearance, he had been the first to enter the Bureau in the morning and almost the last one to leave in the evening. Today would be no different. Booth quickly washed the dishes used for breakfast and put them away. At the door he grabbed his jacket and stopped at a picture of Christine where, barely three months old at the time it was taken, she smiled back at him. He looked into her blue eyes and felt his love for her overwhelm his heart, mixed with a soft pang of sadness. Somewhere, his baby was growing; she had even turned six months old the previous day. He just hoped that wherever she was, she was still the happy baby he'd had christened a few weeks earlier.

With a soft sigh, he tore his gaze from the picture. It broke his heart to think that she would probably have no recollection of him the next time he would see her. He just hoped the rest of his life would be enough to fix their bond.

The building was quiet as Booth stepped out of the elevator and made his way to his office, the quietness only broken by the low hum of running computers. None of the agents had arrived, but Booth preferred it that way. It meant he didn't have to ignore the whispers and the stares as he walked through the corridors of the building, nor did he have to react to the unfounded accusations that he had helped his partner escape. No one fully understood why Brennan had taken off; in their eyes, it made her look guiltier. For that, though, Booth couldn't blame them.

Just like he had done every morning since he had come back to work three weeks earlier, Booth took a seat at his desk and turned on his computer. Each time, he had checked his emails, hoping to see a message from his girlfriend telling him they were fine and would come home soon. Much like every other mornings, there were no new messages in his inbox. Booth closed the window.

As he turned, he was startled to find Caroline standing in his doorway, looking at him expectantly.

"You're here early," Booth said.

"So are you."

"Yeah well, I enjoy the silence."

Caroline nodded, unsure what else to say. Their working relationship had been strained since the Pelant-Brennan case had taken a turn for the worse. She didn't blame the agent for being mad at her since she had been the one who had granted the search and the arrest warrants for the forensic anthropologist.

"I've got some good news and some bad news."

"Great! Just what I need, more bad news!" Booth replied, sarcastically. "What is it?"

"The bad news is that the FBI has decided to maintain the nationwide search for Dr. Brennan. They are still completely sure that she is guilty of Sawyer's murder. Her little escape didn't help in restoring her reputation."

Booth felt his jaw clench.

"What's the good news?" he asked, ignoring her last comment.

"The codes found by Ms. Montenegro in the library books are putting a new spin on the Pelant case. The Bureau has assigned an agent to the case in order to find out why, and if¸ Pelant put them there. If it does turn out that he is guilty, he will be arrested."

Booth couldn't quite see how this was good news. He knew Pelant would be in a lot of trouble for breaking the court order stating that he wasn't allowed to do any kind of hacking. Yet, that would only mean he would be in prison for a couple of years or that he would go back to house-arrest. The murders would still be unsolved, Bones would still be considered the prime suspect in Sawyer's murder, and, once Pelant would be free again, the killings would most likely resume.

"Of course he's guilty, Caroline."

"That's what you believe, chéri, but there could be alternate explanations."

When Booth didn't reply but simply looked away, Caroline added:

"Listen, I know you want me to believe that your partner is innocent, but running away has made her look guilty as hell. I work for the prosecution, not the defence. In my eyes, she's guilty, especially when the evidence points to her."

"Pelant is framing her, Caroline. I know that and you know that."

Caroline sighed.

"I'm really sorry for what's happening to you, Seeley. I shouldn't even be here telling you this information since you've been kicked off the investigation and Flynn seems determined to suspend anyone who tries to help Dr. Brennan. You should consider yourself lucky that Dr. Saroyan can still work the case. Otherwise, your partner wouldn't even stand a chance. Flynn has got the FBI wrapped around his little finger."

Again, Booth felt his anger flare towards the man he had worked with for years prior to the Pelant-turned-Brennan case. Flynn's attitude after being put in charge of the case angered him. He had done everything in his power, including suspending professionals from the case, to accuse Brennan of the crime without even considering other alternatives. Though Booth knew he'd had the right to make all those decisions, he wondered why he had. The Jeffersonian team knew the Pelant case by heart; their help would have made his work a lot easier. Why was Flynn so focused on proving Bones was guilty?

"Thank you, Caroline. I really appreciate it."

Nodding curtly, Caroline walked out of the office.

Booth turned to his computer and paused. Flynn had been working at the Bureau for over five years and never once had Booth had any kind of trouble with him. What had happened? Why was Flynn so focused on working the case alone? Was he hiding something?

Getting to his feet, Booth walked over to the door and peered outside. When nobody was in sight, he closed the door behind him and sat back down at his desk. Double-clicking on an icon, he waited patiently for the program to launch.

Glancing once more outside his office window, he quickly typed a name in the search bar and a file popped up.

Flynn smiled back at him.