The Woman in the Warehouse

Chapter One:

Booth switched on his radio in his small, dark office in the Hoover Building. He listened to the sound of Christmas music filling the air. He always complained about the music starting early in the year, however didn't mind listening to it once the official Catholic advent started. He chuckled softly remembering the past weekend with Parker and his partner. The child was so exuberant about the season, and Booth couldn't blame him for that one. For some reason that Booth couldn't explain, he just knew that this Christmas season would be different from the rest of them.

"Come on Bones, please come with us to pick out a Christmas tree. Dad and me would love it if you came with us!" Parker pleaded with her from the kitchen table.

Brennan wanted to say yes, but she didn't want to interrupt such an important bonding time between father and son. She smiled softly at the child and began to object when she heard Booth coming down the hall.

"Who are you talking to Parker?" Booth asked while rubbing his wet head a towel.

"Bones." Parker quickly replied while shoveling another spoonful of Cinnamon Toast Crunch into his mouth.

Booth stopped his movements and saw his partner leaning up against the arm of his couch. Boxes of Christmas ornaments had littered the floor of the small apartment and Parkers toys were all over the couch. "Sorry about the mess Bones." He smiled sheepishly at her.

Brennan smiled at him. "Looks like a tornado flew threw here." She chuckled. "Parker was telling me that you guys were going to get a Christmas tree. I hope you guys have a wonderful time."

"Come with us." Booth offered.

"See Bones, I knew that Dad would want you to come with us." Parker smiled a toothy grin.

"I really can't. I have so many things to do this weekend. I have to get to work and finish . . ."

"You aren't going into work today." Booth commanded softly. "You are coming with us up to the mountains to chop down our own tree, drink hot chocolate and roast chestnuts."

"It sounds like fun." Brennan admitted.

"Come on Bones! Come with us please?" Parker piped up again.

"Yeah, I guess I can go with. I'll just have to pack for my trip tomorrow." Brennan replied taking off her coat. "When are we leaving?" Brennan asked.

"As soon as my son finishes up breakfast, cleans his room, and takes a shower." Booth replied. "I'll get some breakfast started. Scrambled eggs and toast okay?"

"It sounds great." Brennan replied.

Booth quickly worked his way around the kitchen while Brennan sat quietly at the table. He finished making their breakfast fairly quickly, brandishing a plate of eggs and toast in front of her. He sat down across from her. She looked up from her plate, her eyes stopping at his bare chest.

"Like what you see?" Booth teased her.

A slight blush crept up on her cheeks. "You know you have great structure. I've told you that before." She defended herself. Booth let out a low chuckle.

"Eat your eggs before it get cold Bones." Booth told her.

Her eyes fell on the star scar that marked his left chest. Crazy Pam. She reached out and touched his scar. Booth felt electricity shot between them with her touch.

"I never thanked you for that." She told him simply.

"You don't have to." Booth said, reaching over and covering his hand over hers. "I would do it again in a heartbeat." Booth remembered every second of that ordeal. It hurt like hell, but at least he knew that she didn't have to deal with him. It was better for him to feel the pain then her. He remembered the blackness descending and thinking at least he was going to die in her arms.

Booth felt her dislodge her hand from his. He instantly missed the heat that her hand provided. "Thank you Booth. Don't leave me again."

"I'm not planning on it. Now you better eat your eggs before Parker finishes, otherwise he is going to be mad at you for holding him up." Booth warned her again.

She smiled softly and started eating her eggs. They started talking about her week long trip to Belize. Brennan was heading up a talk about the importance of proper technique and to investigate some suspicious remains that were discovered at the site. Brennan had been excited about the trip, she hadn't been able to go on many since her involvement with the FBI.

"Be careful down there Bones." Booth told her.

"I will be. Besides how dangerous can it be, I mean we go out and fight murderers on a daily basis." She replied.

Booth nodded, not finding any fault in her argument. After all she was only going to do a lecture and some excavation.

Booth had got her to the airport earlier that morning after spending the weekend together. She had stayed after they got the tree and had decided to go to morning mass with them. He was pleasantly surprised that she had finally decided to keep her religious conviction to herself that day. She had even commented on the loveliness on the service with the lighting of the Advent wreath. Had it really only been six hours since they had last seen each other?

Booth picked up his coffee cup and noted that it had gone too cold for him to drink it. He went to the common area of the office and found everyone engrossed, staring at the television.

"What happened?" Booth asked joining his co-workers.

"An airplane exploded at Dulles airport. It looks like you and your partner will be called in at anytime." Johnson replied.

Booth watched in horror as the plane exploded again. "Oh God." He dropped his coffee cup. It shattered into a million pieces on the floor, hot liquid spewing all over the place. He heard the swears of the other agents around him. He heard the voice of his superior behind him. It didn't matter to him at that moment.

Booth pulled out his phone desperate to talk to his partner. Her phone immediately bumped him over to voicemail.

"Agent Booth." Cullen quietly slid behind him. "My office."

Booth just stood there shaking his head. "No, no, no!"

The agents around him stood quietly. Cullen finally began to speak again. "Agent Booth I'm sorry to inform you that Dr. Temperance Brennan was aboard flight 923."

Booth started pacing the room. "No." He started shaking his head. "No she wasn't on there." Cullen watched his agent lose his resolve. "This is some joke, she wasn't on that flight."

"Booth . . . her name was on the manifest. I'm sorry. Take as much time as you need." Cullen tried to offer the man some support, knowing that it would be futile. Booth stood in shock. He tried to will his feet to move, but it just wouldn't.

He heard Cullen assigning agents to assist the FAA . . . apparently there were some Ambassadors on board that were needing to be identified. It would have normally been him and his partner, but it seemed like that would never be the case again. Cullen watched, knowing his agent was still processing the news, and from experience Cullen knew it would take awhile for the news to really hit Booth's consciousness, and when it did, it might awake a beast that no one could contain.

AN: Stick with me – it is a good old angsty/romantic story, and there is some BB interaction coming up . . . As always reviews rock my socks, without reviews/alerts/even hate mail, us authors don't know if you readers are getting any enjoyment out of our overactive imaginations 