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Thank you to MaudlinMuse as always :)

Chapter 7

Lance kept his eyes peeled as they made their way through the mall...he had to make sure that he had his bearings. The get away was going to have to be quick if they weren't going to be caught. Lance felt a little guilty, he didn't really want Bones and Booth to worry themselves sick, but he had to do this...he had to see the movie, and it had to be with friends. He didn't want to be taken there like a baby. He knew though what would happen if they were caught. He just hoped if it had to happen that they didn't figure out where they'd gone until the movie was over. There's no way he wanted Booth to storm into the movie theatre and drag them out in front of his friends.

What Lance didn't realise was that the crumpled up paper with the time, date and Harry Potter scrawled on it had fallen from his pocket and was sitting just under his bed just waiting to be found.

They stood at the counter and waited as Booth paid. He hesitated when he opened his wallet...there'd been more cash in there he was pretty sure.

"Is there a problem Booth?" Bones asked in a loud whisper...I can get this if you don't have enough..."

"I have ENOUGH Bones." he said with irritation I just thought I had more cash is all. I must have used it on something." He paid with his card and then handed them all their shoes. Parker's eyes didn't leave Lance's face, and he was never more than two feet away from him. He wasn't going to risk the older boy getting away without him.

"Back off a little will ya?" Lance hissed under his breath. "Why don't ya just tell em?" he mouthed.

"Ok,ok." Parker mouthed back. He dropped back a little but kept still followed Lance's every move. He hadn't missed his Dad missing the money and the guilt was seeping into his concious thoughts. What he'd done was probably the worst thing he'd ever done and he wasn't going to let it be for nothing.

Booth and Bones headed for the lane they'd been assigned.

"Come on boys...chop, chop...shoes on." he said happily. A lightbulb went off in Lance's head.

"I don't wanna change my shoes here." he said.

"Huh?" Booth said. Parker caught on and joined in.

"Me either." he said. "Can't we go to the rest room to change our shoes?"

"That's ridiculous." Booth said. "Why?"

"I...I don't want anyone to see my feet." Lance said lamely. He knew it sounded lame...hell he knew it WAS the lamest excuse ever, but well...he was clutching at straws here and time was running out.

"Me neither!" Parker wailed.

"Come onnn...!" Booth said. "They're just feet..." He bent to try and pull off Parker's sneakers and the little boy jumped up and hid behind the plastic bench seat.

"No." he squealed. Booth sighed.

"Come back here Parker." he said.

"I just wanna go to the restroom to change into my shoes." Lance said.

"Honestly Booth." Bones said. "I don't know what difference it would make to let them change privacy." Booth rolled his eyes.

"Go ahead." he said with exasperation. He and parker had been bowling dozens of times and he'd never asked to change his shoes in the bathroom. "You have exactly three minutes and then I'm comin to get you.

"We'll be quick." Lance said.

"Yeah we'll be quick." Parker mimicked.

"What about you Bones...?" Booth asked Bones as he settled on the seat next to her. "You frightened of people seeing your feet as well?" Bones looked at him seriously.

"No. Why would I?"

"You wouldn't Bones. That's the point. Most people aren't scared to change their shoes in public."

Lance tore off towards the exit with Parker hot on his heels.

"Whatta we gonna do with the shoes? Parker panted.

"Stick them here behind the trash."

"Won't that be stealin?"

"Only stealin if we leave the alley." Lance puffed out as he dropped his shoes. Parker did the same and both boys headed out of there as fast as they could run.

"Where ya goin?" Parker asked.

"You know where we're going." Lance answered.

"Yeah but isn't it quicker to go up that way?"

"It might be quicker but we'd also be more likely to be seen."

"Oh." Parker said as they headed for the elevator that was furthest away.

"Geez...thought you weren't gonna make it Sweets." A boy with long straight blonde hair said as they arrived finally panting. "This your brother?" he asked seemingly unimpressed.

"Yeah." Lance answered. It was easier than trying to explain their complicated relationship. Parker flushed with pride at his new upgrade in status.

"Hope he won't be a pain." the boy said.

"He won't." Lance said as he shot Parker a look of warning.

"I didn't do nothin." Parker said.

"And you won't." Lance said.

"That's what I just said." Parker said with a roll of his eyes. "Can we get some popcorn?"

"Just let me buy the tickets first." Lance said uncrumpling the notes and fishing out the few coins he had in his pocket.

"What about candy and some soda?" Parker asked as he tugged on Lance's pocket.

"We'll see." Lance said. God the kid made him sound like a grown up.

Bones sat tapping her foot waiting for Booth to return. He'd finally stalked off impatiently to look for the boys. She didn't know what could have been keeping them so long. First the boys and now Booth as well.

"Booth?" Bones asked...a little panic creeping into her voice at the sight of her worried partner. Booth was past panicking but he was trying to keep a calm facade for Bones' sake. The fact that he was holding two pairs of empty bowling shoes that didn't have two boys anywhere near them gave his secret away.

"Now don't panic Bones." he said. "I'm sure they've just gone off on some fun kid adventure."

"What fun Booth? You said THIS was fun for kids...you said that bowling was what kids like to do. Clearly if they've run off to have more fun this is not fun for them." she said her voice rising to a pitch he didn't often hear from her. "Unless...they haven't run off and someone has taken them... What if someone has taken them Booth?"

"I'm on it Bones." he said as calmly as he could. "I have someone checking at your place for clues and the squints are all going to do their best to help as well..." Bones nodded and headed for the men's bathroom. She needed to check it out herself.

Lance was able to get a matinee deal and Parker was finally happy with his tub of popcorn and drink. His candy was safely stashed in his pocket for later. As they sat down in the darkened theatre Lance couldn't help but scrunch down in his seat. Guilt and fear was creeping down on him but he did his best to push it away as the movie started and the kids all cheered. Parker copied some older kids and threw some of his popcorn down towards the front. Lance punched him lightly on the arm.

"Knock it off... " he hissed.

"What?" Parker said innocently.

"Are you nuts? We're gonna be in enough trouble as it is." Parker shrugged and poked out his tongue but stopped.

"Why you gonna be in trouble?" One of his friends asked.

"Um..." He couldn't think of anything but his friend was still waiting for an answer.

"Your folks know your here don't they?"

"Ahh...not exactly." Lance whispered. "That's why I had to bring the brat."

"OHHHh." his friend said. "That is way cool...but didn't you say your Dad worked for the FBI?"

"Thanks." Lance said proudly. "Yeah he does."

"Way cool." the kid said with a chuckle. "But NOT very smart."

"But worth it." Lance said as he took a large slurp of his coke.

BONESBONESBONESBONSBONESBONES

Bones was ready to barge into the mens room when Booth's phone rang. He grabbed her arm.

"Nothing yet." he said.

"Ok."Bones said continuing on her quest.

"You can't go in there Bones." he said.

"Why not?"she asked.

"I don't know." he said. "I don't know. It's a men's bathroom Bones."

"What difference does that make Booth. I go in men's bathroom's all the time."

"That's different Bones...that's when there are bones and crappy disgusting things in there. Stuff to distract you. Not real live men..."

"We need to check it out Booth."

"I already have Bones...nothing there." he said. "I think we need to check out the rest of the mall."

"Where?"

"Food court...gaming rooms...toy stores..." he said. She nodded. It was a start.

"Wouldn't they need money for all those things Booth?" Bones asked. Booth stopped. They had money. THAT'S where the cash had gone.

AS the closing credits rolled on the movie most of the kids cheered...all except Lance. Now face with the inevitable facing of the music he felt a little sick. Parker was obliviously munching on the last of his candy and washing it down with the last slurp of his drink.

"You gonna be in much trouble?" His friend asked. Lance shrugged.

"Hope not." he said...In reality he knew he'd be lucky to sit by Christmas. "Nah Man...it should be fine."

"Wow...your Dad must be cool. I'd get my ass whipped for sure." Joel, his friend said. Lance's head popped up.

"Really?" he asked.

"You lied...lying is like the worst thing." Parker had finished his candy and was listening quietly. He hadn't really considered the consequences before now. If lying was the worst...how bad was taking money from your Dad's wallet? He should really tell Lance...

"Lance?" he said as he tugged on his arm.

"Yeah?" The older boy asked. "You need the bathroom after that giant drink?"

"Um actually yeah...but I need to tell you somethin."

"What?"

"Um..."

"Spit it out." Lance said with a hint of annoyance.

"Lance... I ...kind of lied." Parker said. Lances eyes almost popped right out of his head. This was bad...really bad...but he could could just tell it was gonna get a whole lot worse.

"WHAT ABOUT?" Lance squeaked in a voice he didn't even recognise himself.

"Don't yell!" Parker said sadly. His lip wobbled and his eyes filled with tears.

Joel's Mom would be waiting for him in the car but he needed to hear this, it was better than TV.

"I'm not gonna yell." Lance said calmly although he was feeling anything but calm inside.

"That money wasn't for a birthday and it wasn't my money." Parker blurted out. The colour drained from Lance's face.

"Where'd it come from?"

"I kind of took it from Dad's wallet."

"YOU DID WHAT?" Lance shouted.

"You said you wouldn't yell!" Parker cried.

"That was before I realised that we just snuck out and went to the movies paid for by the proceeds of ROBBERY!"

"He's gonna be real mad isn't he?" Parker asked. Tears streamed down his pink cheeks.

"Ya think?" Lance asked.

"What's he gonna do?" Parker asked.

"Well he does carry a gun." Joel joked.

"My Dad wouldn't shoot me." Parker said grumpily. "I had to Lance...we didn't have enough money."

"I know you thought you were helping." Lance said, his tone softening. "But we're gonna be in a LOT of trouble..." he said pointedly.

"Ok." Parker said softly. He was scared.

Booth was seething. Taking the money right out of his wallet from beneath his nose.

"You're angry." Bones said.

"Yes Bones. I'm angry." he said. "Taking money and taking Parker away like that...anything could have happened." Bones stopped walking and grabbed Booth's sleeve.

"Booth...you can't blame all this on Lance." she said. "You don't even know what happened."

"I know this is wasn't organised by an eight year old."

"Maybe not...?"

"Definitely not..."

"That doesn't mean that Lance coerced Parker into doing anything. And it certainly doesn't mean that he took your money."

"Parker's NEVER done anything like that before."

"There's a first time for everything Booth. I'm not saying it was definitely Parker either. We should wait until we know." Booth said nothing but he KNEW Parker wouldn't steal from him. Bones wasn't convinced by his silence. "WE couldn't solve crimes if we always went with our first impressions of a situation." Booth nodded. She had a point.

They'd just about exhausted every area of the mall that the boys could have gone to. "What's left?" Bones asked. Just then Booth's phone rang.

"They found a note." he said. "Well it was a crumpled piece of paper. It had Harry Potter...5:30."

"Well that movie would be over by now." Bones said.

"We'll have to try. Maybe one of the ushers saw them."

"At least we know they're safe."

"For a while." Booth said.

Joel had left finally and Lance and Parker were left the dilemma of what to do next.

"I have an idea." Lance said.

"Uhhuh?" Parker said.

"Well, they're presumably looking for us..."

"Uhhuh." Parker added.

"They're NOT at the alley anymore." Lance said as if he'd just come up with the most brilliant idea ever. "WE go back to the alley and wait...we can pretend that we've been waiting for them there all along."

"Hey yeah!" Parker said.

"You're smart Lance."

"Thanks." Lance said proudly.

TBC