This is my first Bones fanfiction inspired by the idea of getting Zack back into the show. Sorry that it starts right off like this, but I couldn't think of a better way to start it, so here it is. Hope you like it. This story takes place shortly after the episode where Zack is sent to the mental institution.

I was sitting in my living room at around 10:00 at night after a long day of studying a 6 year-old skeleton, staring at the floor when the call came. I looked as it blinked and rang beside me for a second before actually picking it up. "Hello?"

"Dr. Brennan," a male voice spoke and then continued before I could say anything, "Dr. Temperance Brennan. Pretty name. Not your real one, though."

I sat for a moment, wondering whether or not I had actually heard what had been said. "Um... who is this?" I asked. My mind immediately began thinking of people it could be. It wasn't Booth; his voice wasn't so rough. It wasn't Hodgins and it wasn't Goodman.

"We'll exchange information later. For now, I'm just going to set down the rules before we begin. One: you're not going to tell anyone about this conversation and two: you're going to do everything I ask you to. In return, you will get a reward for your good work. Now, you will know why I expect you to listen to these rules in about... 4 minutes."

"Wait, who is this?" I asked, sitting up in my seat. I listened to the background, but couldn't get anything from it. I then grabbed a recorder and turned it on.

"Wait for the news, Dr. Brennan and then we'll chat some more." With this, the man hung up.

I sat with the phone in my hand for a second, trying to decide what had just happened. I could tell from the voice that the man was in his thirties somewhere, but nothing else. I looked down at the phone and then began dialing a number. I jumped when the phone suddenly rang in my hand before I had finished dialing. "Hello?"

"Dr. Brennan?"

I knew this voice.

"Hodgins," I said.

"Hi... um... I'm not really sure how to..." he paused and then continued, "Zack's been reported missing."

"No, that's not possible. He's in the mental institution."

"Yeah, he was in the mental institution. Now he's not."

"People don't just disappear, Hodgins."

"He didn't just disappear... look, come up to the lab. Booth will be here in a little while to give us all of the details."

"Why didn't Booth call me?"

"He's preoccupied."

"What does that mean? Hodgins, what's going on?"

"Just get over here, okay?" Hodgins said with exasperation and then hung up so that I couldn't argue about it anymore.

I stared at the phone, as though it were responsible for the two unusual phone calls I had received. Working through both of the calls in my head, I went into my bedroom and threw on some shoes and a dress-coat, since it was already out from having worn it to work just a half-hour ago. I went back into the living room to grab my purse when I heard ringing again. My eyes glanced to the phone, but the blinking light that informed me of a call wasn't blinking. It took me a minute to realize that it was my cell phone: most likely Booth.

I ran over to the kitchen counter where I had left my purse, dug through it for a second until I found my cell, ringing and vibrating. "Hello?" I asked as I opened it up.

"I decided I'd call you on this phone, so that you'd know I could contact you wherever you were."

That wasn't booth. The voice belonged to the man that called earlier. "Who are you and how did you get my number?" I asked, grabbing my purse up and heading out.

"No names right now and it doesn't matter. I assume you know about your missing friend by now."

I stopped dead. "You have..."

"Yes, I have your ex-assistant. Good boy. Very cooperative, which is helpful. And what a mind! He's been rambling on and on, almost like he's speaking in a different language. It's truly incredible," the man said, as though he were having a conversation with an old friend.

"Where is he?"

"Relax, Temperance."

"Dr. Brennan," I snapped.

"Fine. Dr. Brennan. He's fine. A little shaken, but otherwise in perfectly good condition. And where he is doesn't matter for the time being. He's just insurance."

"Insurance of what?" I asked, feeling anger rising up in my throat.

"That you'll keep our conversations to yourself. I cannot stress how important that is going to be for Zack's well-being. Don't tell Booth, your boss, your colleagues, not even your psychiatrist Sweets. And believe me, I'll know if you do. Am I clear, Dr. Brennan?"

"You're clear."

"Good. Now, go to your lab and meet with your friends. Booth will give you some useless information, most likely throw out a few scenarios and suspects and then you will leave and get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, the Jeffersonian will get a package. When it arrives, I'll call you on your cell phone and instruct you from there. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I said.

"Good. Have a good night, Dr. Brennan. Mm... pretty name. Temperance Brennan. Just beautiful," he said and then hung up again.

I paused, running information through my head. Whoever that was knew my cell phone number and house number, the name of my psychologist and that my name wasn't my birth-name, which meant that he'd done his research. Until I got more answers, I decided to keep it to myself. I needed more information before making a final decision and the one who had that was Booth.

It was ten minutes before I got to the Jeffersonian, which had seemed like eternity with my mind racing like it did when I saw a new set of bones. I found Hodgins, Angela and Goodman in the conference room, sitting with their heads lowered and slightly slumped in their chairs. Booth, who was standing, walked immediately over to me.

"Bones, you're here."

"Yeah, what's going on, Booth?" I asked. "Hodgins called and said that-"

"I know, I know, I'll tell you everything I know," Booth said, leading me over to one of the chairs and gently sitting me down.

"Booth, what's going on?" Angela asked.

Booth put his hands on his hips, making him look slightly bigger and then sighed. "Zack went missing about an hour ago. Police searched the area surrounding the hospital and found a piece of his shirt. I'm having it sent over here so that you guys can analyze it and... see if you can get anything off of it."

"Do you mean that Zack... ran away?" Angela asked.

"I'm not saying anything at this point. One of the nurses saw him go into his room, went to check on him later and he wasn't there."

"Zack wouldn't run away," Angela said. "That's just... not Zack."

"We didn't think Zack could be an apprentice to a serial killer, either," Hodgins said.

Angela flashed an angry look at him.

He held up his arms, "I'm just being realistic. I mean, we don't know Zack as much as we thought we did."

"He wouldn't have run," Angela said defiantly.

"Guys, come on," Booth said, looking at the two of them sternly before continuing. "Right now we don't know anything for sure. The police are getting the staff and patients questioned as we speak. Hopefully someone saw something." He looked around at everyone and then focused on me. "How is... everyone doing?"

"How do you think?" Hodgins asked.

"Hodgins," Camille snapped.

"We're fine, Booth," I said, trying hard to sound convincing, but all I could think about was the fact that I had information (important information) that I was keeping to myself. I had to think about this logically, though. Saying something might be Zack at risk. I needed to talk to the kidnapper a little more and get an idea of what exactly was going on. Why kidnap Zack? Why not someone a little easier to get to, like Hodgins or Angela or someone closer to me, like my brother? It somehow didn't add up in my mind. I was missing some pieces and until I got them, I needed to stay quiet.