What does Booth do after Brennan sacrifices her life to save his and falls into a deep coma? B/B
Disclaimer: I own Bones, I own Tempe, I own the jeffersonians and agent Booth... yeah right...

Burden of Sacrifice

Chapter One
Don't leave

It was here

It had to be here

Booth got out of his car quickly and got his gun out in one swift movement. He gazed over at his partner who jumped out of the car and followed him into the abandoned warehouse. He threw her the weapon and pulled out his spare gun. He met her questioning gaze and sighed "This ain't no ordinary crook" he whispered huskily

Denzel Peters, a 41-year-old artist, had a rather extraordinary way to make sure his sculptures were anatomically correct. He would hunt down beautiful women. He collected them. Observed them. Tortured them. And when the sculpture was ready, he'd kill them. Ruthlessly. Baleful. He had made 36 casualties for as far as they knew and he had even written Brennan a letter once, telling her she would be his ultimate masterpiece someday

Booth would never forgive himself if Bones would ever fall into the hands of this lunatic, or in anyone else's hands for that matter. If something would ever happen to her. To his Bones... No... No, he couldn't think like that. He wouldn't think like that. Nothing would happen to her. Not for as long as he was around. He would guard her. He would protect his Bones... He would...

"Booth. You ready?" She asked, staring at him expectantly. He nodded swiftly and made his way into the warehouse, feeling how Bones followed him closely

The place looked deserted. Though they knew better. They knew he was there, working his way through a chunk of marble. Or maybe he was with his latest acquisition to his collection, doing god knows what to her. Or maybe - just maybe - he was watching them, observing them from the darkness as they squirmed deeper into his territory, into his empire. Until they'd get to the heart of this sinister place, 'til they'd meet the real Denzel Peters and got exposed to all his menacing plans and thoughts

There were no lights. Only the small amount of sunshine that penetrated through the dirty windows giving them any idea of where to set their feet, ofwhere to go.

They moved quickly. Their feet bringing them further as their eyes drifted through the darkness to find anything out of the ordinary. Booth was aware that he was holding his breath and he knew that the grip around his gun was a lot tighter than usual. But, something about the fact that this man had written his partner a letter, that he knew where she lived and the possibility that she was his next victim unnerved him. It unnerved him much more than it should.

He glanced over at the woman in question. She looked tired. He knew she hadn't slept a lot over the past few days. Catching this guy had been her top priority. Her only priority. Finding out where he was and putting him behind bars were the only two things that kept her going these last two, long, tiring weeks filled with work, tears, bodies and a letter.
Her normally beautiful, vivid brown hair was damped against her forehead - due to the heavy rain that fell down outside - and her eyes - oh those beautiful, azure-blue eyes – read only one emotion; fear
She looked strong, sure, she looked coldblooded, unbreakable even, but he knew better. He knew her better. And just by looking in her eyes he could see through those walls she had pulled up around her heart long ago and he saw how the fear was consuming her. Slowly. Unhurriedly.
She tried to disguise it. Tried in vain to keep her shoulders straight, hold her head high and convince everyone – including herself – that she was fine.
Who was she fooling?

They found a door. A metal slide gate with a lock on it. A soft thumping coming from behind it. Thumping and a cry, almost too faint to hear, but too important to miss
They got it open without making a sound and as they made their way in they saw a seventeen year old girl cradled up in one of the corners of the room, scared that it was Peters who would enter. Booth couldn't help but notice the relieved smile coming to his partners face. He hadn't seen her smile in quite some time, she had been too busy, too concerned to bother. It was the first time in weeks that he had seen that sparkle in her eyes. The first time for far too long that he had even seen her lips in that position or have some colour back on her face.
Oh god, she looked so beautiful

He got over to the girl and tried to sooth her by giving her his ID and telling her he was with the FBI and that they were going to get her out of here. He asked her to stay put and told her that reinforcements and an ambulance could be there any minute as he saw that their was another door in the room. He walked over to it, tightening the grip around his gun even more. He looked back at his partner, who held her gun just as tightly and nodded, letting him know she was ready

He kicked open the door with his foot, revealing the illuminated room filled with sculptures. The room was gigantic, though most of the room was filled with the lifelike statues of beautiful young women. They skimmed through the room and it appeared to be deserted, the murderer nowhere around

Bones nodded towards one of the statues "Libby Saunders" she said, utter disgust plastered on her face

He looked at the white stone and could see the resemblance with Peters' first victim, Libby. She was portrayed with snakes creeping around her,how very appropriate, since she worked in a zoo with reptiles. And it also explained why she was found dead due to being strangled and they had found snakebites all over her skin
On his direct right stood the statue of Peters' 12th victim, Amy Libertine, a fire-fighter. In the statue she was literally fighting against the fire, flames resting in her hands and licking her legs... much to like they had found her body; carbonised.

He looked over at Brennan, who was warily observing the statues one by one, and Booth couldn't help but wonder what Peters would do to her if he'd ever get his hands on her... all of his statues were torn from a real life, whether it had to do with the woman's job or just a hobby, he had been able to portray and torture them at the same time in what they loved most. It unnerved him. Not only the fact that he turned the dreams of these girls into their nightmare, but that he had written that Bones would be his masterpiece. What was he planning on doing to her? Her biggest love was her work, that wasn't really a secret, but what could he do with that?

"Booth" The concerned voice of his partner dragged him out of his train of his thoughts almost immediately and he looked over at her, an unimaginable angst that Peters had somehow gotten hold of her without him noticing going through him

"Yeah" he said, utterly relieved that she was still standing there, until he saw the anxious and scared expression on her face

"There are 41 statues here" she said and it took him a while to realise..

"But, we only found 36 bodies!" he said wide-eyed

5 girls... 5 more girls were out there somewhere, dead or alive. Oh god...

"Booth!" Bones suddenly screamed and jumped in front of him, holding him tightly

He heard a sound that he couldn't place and then heard his partner gasp. He felt her body go limp and had to use all his of his power to keep her up. It was like carrying someone who was asleep. Or with no strength at all. Or dead
"Hey, Bones, are you okay?" he asked alarmed, and then felt something wet on his fingers
He looked at his hand that had been supporting her back.
He didn't recognize it. He couldn't recognize it. It was red, bright red.
"Oh God" he said and felt sick

She was breathing heavily and he laid her down on her side. A metal spear stuck through her, the point of the spike right underneath her right breast, the metal cylinder sticking out of her back "God damnit, Bones.." he said softly, stroking some hair out of her face as she looked up at him

"Booby-trap" she whispered and nodded towards the harpoon and then towards the fishing line Booth had stepped on

"you should have just pushed me away" he said, tears stinging his eyes

"No time" she mumbled, her eyes fluttering open and shut
"Do me a fever, will you..." Brennan said, her voice merely above a whispered

"What's that?" he asked, looking around helplessly. Where the hell's the damn backup when you need them?

"Grab the damn bastard, will you?"

"It's catch, Bones... catch the damn bastard" he said, cracking into a small smile as he caressed a few more wild locks out of her face

"Okay... you go catch him..." she said, and coughed up some blood

"We'll catch him together, Bones" he said, taking hold of her hand and pressing a kiss on her knuckles

"Of course we will" she said, smiling. Atear slipped from her eye
"I love you, Seeley Booth" she said sincerely

He stared at her surprised, always had he thought that she didn't believe in love, and if she did, that she would never feel it for him... and yet, she did just confess it "I love you too" he said, pressing his lips against hers for the first and last time. Tears rolled down his face and he broke the kiss. She looked so happy, as if she was just a bit tired, would go to sleep and wake up in a few hours, like nothing ever happened

"Bye Booth" she said and closed her eyes

"No... Bones..." he said. A sob left his mouth as he pushed his fingers against her throat as he desperately tried to find a pulse "Please, Tempe... please..." he pleaded, shaking his head "Please, don't leave..." he said, taking her lifeless body in a tight embrace and starting to sob hysterically

"Bones..."