Author's Note: I am very sorry for the long delay in getting this posted, but I have certainly not forgotten about it. I have every intention of finishing this. Please Read & Review!

I hope everyone has a Happy Holidays!


"You doing okay, Bones?" Booth asked, his voice brimming with concern.

Brennan slowly hobbled up the ramp to the plane. Every step hurt & she was starting to wonder if leaving the hospital so soon was such a good idea.

"Bones?" Booth said her name again when he didn't get an answer the first time.

"I will be." Brennan managed to get out. "The pain is... to be expected given the extent of my injuries & time I spent hardly able to move."

Brennan was beginning to sound like her old self again, but that didn't make hearing her words any easier.

They slowly entered the plane. Booth helped Brennan to her seat, he quickly sat down beside her. Brennan had slumped back in the seat, her breathing was heavy. Booth could tell she was in pain but he knew she was trying not to show it.

After a moment of relaxing, Brennan began to look around. It felt so strange, sitting there next to Booth on a plane... seeing people all over. It even seemed strange to be able to see outside & feel fresh air. Strange how one simply overlooks the every day things... until those things are taken away.

As the plane took off, pain rushed through Brennan's body. Every broken bone was aching, it hurt so bad she almost couldn't take it. However, she knew she needed to be strong. Brennan had not been looking forward to the trip back to D.C. She knew though, that once she returned this would all be over. She could go home, to her apartment, shut the blinds, & be alone.

For the longest time when Brennan was being held captive by Jacob Lawrence, she wanted nothing more than to escape & go back to her friends & the Jeffersonian. After a while, that want faded. Brennan had gotten to the point where she had given up. She just wanted it all to be over, she had wanted to die. The last thing Brennan wanted to do, was face Booth or any of her friends again. That was almost over, she was almost home... there were only 4.5 hours left until she would be back in D.C. on her way to her apartment. Once Brennan got there, she had every intention of locking herself inside & shutting the world out for a very long time. No, that wasn't really like her... but being held captive for 3 months changes a person.

Booth watched Brennan intently. He could see that she was lost in her thoughts. He wondered what was going through that brilliant head of hers. The one thing he knew for sure, they had a long road ahead of them!

The entire flight passed with awkward silence... neither knew quite what to say. Brennan stared blankly out the window. Booth spent his time mostly watching her. He was trying so very hard not to allow his mind to wander to the horrible events that had taken place. Getting his Bones back was a true blessing. He needed to be grateful for that. Booth also knew he needed to be strong for Brennan, because as strong as she would try to be, he knew she would need someone to be there for her. Someone to lean on. Booth was determined that person was going to be him. No matter what, Booth vowed to not allow Brennan to push him away this time. No matter how hard she tried.


There was a large welcome party eagerly waiting when the plane finally landed in D.C. Angela was the first to greet Brennan, as she slowly made her way through the busy terminal.

"Sweetie! It is so good to see you!" Angela cried, as she wrapped her arms gently around her best friend.

Angela's tears were falling before she even reached Brennan, but she couldn't help but let a small sob escape when she felt Brennan flinch with her touch.

Hodges, Cam, & Sweets were also there. Everyone was taken aback by the sight of Brennan. She looked horrible, like she had been through hell... which she had been. Still, her appearance was worse than they had expected.

"It's great to see you Doctor B!" Hodges said.

"Yes, it's wonderful to have you back." Cam said. "If there is anything I can do..."

"I am very exhausted." Brennan said. "I would like to go home & get some rest."

"Ok sweetie, but call me if you need ANYTHING!" Angela said. "I mean anything! Even if it's just to talk."

Brennan looked to Booth, who was standing behind her. "Booth, could you please give me a ride home?"

"Of course Bones." Booth replied.

"Thank You, Booth." Brennan said.


The ride to Brennan's Apartment was just as silent & awkward as the flight back to D.C. Neither spoke the entire drive. When Booth pulled his SUV in front of Brennan's Apartment, she looked at him with a shy smile.

"Thank You for the ride, Booth." Brennan said.

With that, Brennan turned & reached for the door to get out.

"Whoa Bones!" Booth said, instinctively reaching for her arm.

Booth regretted doing so immediately, as he felt Brennan flinch. Her whole body tightened. There was a look of fear that flashed through her eyes. It burned into his soul.

"Hey Bones, I'm sorry... I" Booth started.

"It's fine!" Brennan said, sharply.

"I didn't mean to startle you..." Booth continued.

"I know, Booth." Brennan said. "I said it's fine."

"Let me help you in." Booth said. "Then, I will park & be right in."

"I will be fine alone." Brennan said.

"Bones... I know you don't like accepting help, but you've been through a lot." Booth said. "I am not letting you stay here alone. I am staying with you."

"I am fine, Booth." Brennan persisted. "I am a grown woman, I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, Bones." Booth said with a sigh. "But, until that bastard who did this is caught... I am not leaving you alone."

Again, Booth immediately regretted saying what he had, because as soon as he mentioned Jacob not being caught, he saw that look of pure fear. It killed him to see her like that.

"It's just temporary, Bones." Booth assured her. "Look, we'll catch him & this will all be over soon. Until then, I am staying with you. I wouldn't be able to do anything if I went back to my place, I would be too busy worrying about you. I know you can take care of yourself. I just need to know you are ok..."

Brennan let out a labored sigh. "Alright." she said.


Brennan had been so eager to return home, she had not thought about the fact that her Apartment was where everything initially took place. Where the assault took place & her abduction.

Brennan unlocked the door. Booth was right there behind her.

As the two partners entered the Apartment, Brennan reached for the light. It come on, but her mind immediately flashed back to the night of the abduction... when she had reached for the light, but it hadn't come on.

Booth could tell something was wrong. He could hear Brennan's breathing increase. He saw her body tense up.

"You ok, Bones?" Booth asked.

Booth's voice snapped Brennan out of the memory.

"I'm fine." Brennan lied.

The Apartment had been totally cleaned. Everything had been picked up. The room smelled of fresh cleaners.

"Angela come over this morning & cleaned up a bit." Booth said, as if he had read her mind.

Brennan nodded. Her eyes shot in all directions, as she remembered that horrible night.

"Bones, are you sure you don't want to come stay at my place for a while?" Booth asked.

"I told you I am fine, Booth." Brennan said, a little more harshly than she had meant.

Booth put his hands up! "Ok, ok... whatever you want, Bones."

Brennan made her way to the couch, where she sat, quietly. Booth sat beside her, as he did... he heard her stomach growling.

"How about I order us some Chinese?" Booth asked.

"That would be nice." Brennan said.

It wasn't long & the arrived. Booth sat on the chair across from Brennan, who was sitting on the couch. Booth started to eat, when he noticed Brennan was sitting there, just staring at her chop sticks.

"You okay, Bones?" Booth asked, gently.

That was all it took... the chop sticks dropped from Brennan's hands & she broke down into sobs.

Whoa Bones, what's wrong?" Booth asked, his voice seeping with concern, as he quickly made his way to her side.

Brennan would not look at him, she just buried her face in her hands just as she had done at the hospital.

"Bones..." Booth said, sadly. "Talk to me..."

"I'm sorry, Booth." Brennan managed to get out, before another sob swept over her body.

"Bones... I told you that you have NOTHING to be sorry for." Booth said. "None of this is your fault."

"I don't... I don't think I can do this, Booth!" Brennan cried.

"Do... do what?" Booth asked, confused.

"This... be here... be alive. I don't think I can. I wasn't supposed to make it out of there. I don't think I can live like this!" Brennan sobbed.

"Do NOT talk like that Bones!" Booth said, firmly.

"I'm sorry, Booth." Brennan cried. "I just... I don't know how to deal with this."

"I know it's hard, Bones." Booth said. "But trust me, it gets better."

"How do you know?" Brennan asked, looking up at Booth for the first time.

"I know, Bones. I have faith in you." Booth said.

"I... I don't have faith, Booth." Brennan said, tears still running freely down her cheeks. "When I was there... with Jacob... I wasn't allowed to live like a human. I wasn't allowed to even eat with utensils. He... he forced me to eat with my hands... like an animal... or not eat. Now, I just... I feel so ashamed. None of this feels right. Just looking at those chop sticks... I got so emotional. I can't control it."

Hearing his partner cry, sounding so broken... talking about not being able to live, it shook Booth to the core. It broke his heart in two. How could someone do this to her? How could he have allowed it to happen in the first place?

"It's going to be okay, Bones." Booth assured her, as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

Again, Brennan flinched but instead of pulling away... she turned towards Booth & buried her face in his neck. He instinctively wrapped his arms protectively around her. Brennan sobbed.

"Sshh, I got you, Bones." Booth soothed. "I got you. It's going to be alright. I promise you."

Not another word was spoken. Brennan just sobbed harder. She cried, for at least a half hour before her sobs slowed. Her breathing got deeper. Booth knew she had fallen asleep. Booth's arms had also fallen asleep, but he didn't dare move & chance waking her. And so, the two just stayed where they were. Booth was comforted by feeling Brennan so close to him, for the first time in months. She was there, badly hurt... but safe in his arms. He was bound determined he was going to make sure no one ever hurt her again.


TBC.