Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.

Author's Note: Hopefully none of you thought that I was dead, because I'm not! I had been so busy with all those schoolwork and standardized tests for the past few months (and if I don't get a good score on my ACT on Saturday, I'm blaming you guys). I should be able to update more once it's summer, but that really depends do I get a job this summer, we'll see. But for now, enjoy! (As usual, this chapter is not beta-ed, if you want it to be beta-ed, find someone volunteer to be my beta, then the chapter onwards will be beta-ed, because it's really hard to get a beta nowadays. So, I do apologize with those horrible grammers you are about to read)

Chapter 11

A month of this living pattern with Brennan had passed. Angela and Booth had already got used to how Brennan would argue with them no matter what, they learnt how to put up, give in or argue back with Brennan. Even though after a month, Brennan never stop trying to argue her way out, but sadly, she often failed.

Sometimes, Brennan seemed to be happy, seemed to be enjoying her life; but when she's alone, she seemed to be grimed, sad, frustrated, agitated. Though Angela seemed not to have taken notice of it, Booth had. Sometimes when Brennan was in the bathroom, Booth could hear some sobs coming from there, it pained Booth to hear it, it hurt Booth that there's nothing he could do to stop Brennan from crying.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Welcome to the annual anthropology meeting. Let me introduce myself, I'm Dr. Andy Collins. On my left hand-side, Dr. Temperance Brennan, Dr. Tony McArthur, Dr. Anna Wilson, Dr. John Matthews, Dr. Daniel Lee, and Dr. Edith Helton." Collins introduced as everybody finally sat down for the annual meeting in the convention center.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Where's Dr. Brennan?" Zack asked when he saw Brennan's office was closed, and with no sign of Brennan either.

Angela replied, "She's at that convention thing."

Zack sighed, wondered what he was going to do for the day. He didn't want to help Hodgins again; maybe he would help Angela, if the artist would let him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Certainly you can't agree with him, Dr. Brennan?" Dr. Matthews asked, a bit pissed that his other colleagues were not accepting his point.

"Well, I can understand what Dr. Lee said. I once had a similar case like that, so I do think it's fair for me to judge on it." Brennan explained.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Booth? I'm surprised to hear from you, what's up?" Angela asked.

Through the phone, she heard Booth asked, "How's Bones going to get home tonight? Am I going back to the convention place to get her, or what?"

"No. Booth, I'm giving her a ride to the Jeffersonian, so you just come here at about 6 to pick her up." Angela instructed.

"Okay. Thanks Angela."

"You welcome."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At about 6, Booth entered the Jeffersionian forensic lab, where most of the squints were still there, working. For instance, Hodgins was paying his fullest attention to that soil sample he got, constantly looking the sample under the microscope, and trying to identify its composition. Angela was nowhere to be found, so Booth assumed she was on her way to pick up Brennan. Zack was in one of those platform, working on some bones, probably came from the "limbo"; with Zack's intelligence, getting his PhD was not hard at all, but why the boy hadn't got it, Booth had no clue.

Booth picked an empty seat, waiting for Angela and Brennan to show up. But instead, his cell chirped. Booth sighed, hoping it was not coming from his boss, Cullen. He already had a hard day with a hard case, which he had been working on for the past few weeks, and nowhere near closing; his main suspect was missing. He flipped open his cell phone and answered.

"Hey, it's Angela. Are you in the lab right now?" Angela asked quickly.

"Yep."

"Is Brennan there?"

Booth shook his head, though he knew Angela would not be able to see it. "No, why?"

"I can't find Brennan in the convention center." Angela replied, sounded worried.

"She's probably in the bathroom or something like that." Booth suggested.

"No, Booth. I had been here for 15 minutes; the meetings had long been over. I checked the bathroom and she wasn't there. She was nowhere in this convention center, Booth."

"But how about her cell? Did you call her?" Booth asked, trying to be reasonable.

"Yes, but either she wouldn't answer, or she forgot to turn her cell phone on." Angela said. Booth could tell she was feeling helpless.

Booth bite his lip; trying to think of the best solution.

"Booth, what if it's like the last time? What if she fainted just like the last time? Oh, God. I don't know what to do. What if…"

The FBI agent stopped her. "Angela, don't assume what happened. Just concentrate on what should we do in order to find Bones."

He heard Angela took a deep breath in order to calm down. "How about you go home and wait for me or Bren; while I go search for her?"

"Don't you think I should be the one doing the searching?" Booth asked.

"Booth, no offense, but I know Brennan better and therefore would know where she would likely be going. So, you go back to the apartment, keep calling her to see if she pick up or not. I'll call you as soon as I got something, okay?"

"Yeah." Booth replied, and cut off the conversation. He walked quickly out of the lab and into his SUV.

Where is Temperance?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Dr. Brennan. I'm glad that you accepted my invitation to have dinner with me." Dr. Collins said, raising his glass, smiling.

Brennan returned the smile.

"So, how do you think of this dinner? I heard it's one of the best restaurant around DC."

"It certainly is, and it's the first time I have been here, Dr. Collins."

"Call me Andy, please."

"Of course."

"Mind if I call you Tempe?" Collins asked.

"Not at all."

Brennan gave the man another smile. Dr. Andy Collins surely was a man with charm and intelligence. In Brennan's work, she seldom met people got both talents, except maybe Booth. Booth may not have a Ph D, but he surely was smart, and charms? He certainly got it too. But she and Booth, it's just not going to happen, they were just friends, that's all, right?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Where is Brennan? Angela asked herself. Where does Brennan usually go when she's alone?

Angela had asked the receptionist back in the convention center for some clues, but the receptionist had failed to notice anything or Brennan for that matter. So, Angela had searched almost everywhere Brennan loved to go in order to find her best friend. But so far, the plan was not working. She's currently walking around the bookstore to see if Brennan's there.

What if- Angela shook her head, trying to get her mind off what if she couldn't find Brennan. Brennan's just going to be all right when I find her. She kept repeating this to herself, trying to make herself believe it, but she wished she could. One side of her was trying to believe it, while the other side was thinking the worst. Was she being paranoid or what? Angela couldn't understand herself right now.

No sign of Brennan in the bookstore. Angela noted. She sighed to herself, and retreated to her car, continue her search for her best friend.