Brennan heard the door close behind the soldier, but her mind barely processed what the sound was. This can't be happening. It just...can't. She thought, her heart beating slowly, almost sadly as she sat on her couch.

Why this? And why now? I don't believe in fate. Never have, never will.

Nothing made sense now. Brennan knew what had just happened, that the voices, the 'shadows', as Sergeant Bell called them, were real. But what her mind, in all its brilliance, could not process, was the message the shadows had given her, the answers to her questions. And she only had one question now, one that could never be answered.

Why?

XXXXX

The door closed with a gentle click behind Sergeant Bell and she leaned against it, calm as always, but her heart filled with sadness.

So much pain. So much tragedy. So many dead. Why, Watcher? Why?

She knew that no matter how many times she asked, that question would never be answered. Never. Not even the shadows could answer that question.

Walking to the closet, she opened the door, pulling out her overnight bag and kneeling next to it as she grabbed some nightclothes. Then she paused, deep in thought.

What if The Watcher tries something? I don't want to be caught with my pants down...literally...

Changing her mind, she put them back, nudging the bag into the closet with her foot and closing the door as she went and laid on the bed, fully clothed.

Not the first time I've slept in full dress. Won't be the last.

Kate closed her eyes, knowing that sleep, if it came, would be tortured and full of painful dreams.

The curse of the Shadow Song. Every gift has its price. This one, I will keep, no matter the cost.

To Kate's surprise, sleep started overtaking her mind almost immediately. Just before she drifted into the shadows, one last thought flashed through her mind.

Fate is calling my name...a call I cannot ignore. I hope they can stay strong, for themselves, and for each other. The worst is yet to come...for us all...

XXXXX

Booth sat very, very still as he stared at Brennan. She's way too quiet. And what did Bell mean? What did the shadows tell Bones?

He nearly jumped out of his skin when his phone buzzed. He answered it quickly, his heart racing. "Booth."

Brennan turned her head and watched him, her eyes calm and lacking emotion. Well, whatever it was, Bones locked it in a box and threw away the key. Booth thought as he finished the call and hung up.

"What was that about, Booth?" She asked, watching him fiddle with the phone.

"We have a body. We're up." He answered, and they both got to their feet, grabbing their stuff and heading for the door.

"Wait, Booth. What about Kate?" Brennan asked as they looked at the closed bedroom door.

"I think we'll be okay. Besides, I think she needs some sleep. She's had a hell of a day already." Booth replied as they quietly opened the door and left.

XXXXX

The Watcher, furious that Kate had stopped him, had barely taken any time to clean and bandage his wounds before he headed back to Dr. Brennan's apartment building to wait for his chance.

Ha! The fools! They don't have The Guardian with them! He was ecstatic as he watched them climb into Booth's SUV and take off.

Now, let's see where you're going... He had bugged all three vehicles with GPS trackers just after he had identified the vehicles that they drove. He waited patiently for about twenty minutes until he saw where the vehicle stopped.

I've got you now. The Guardian can't protect you if you don't let her. Fools...she is always stuck guarding fools. She will never forgive herself for letting me get you. This is the last time she will ever get in my way. Time to die...

With that, The Watcher hurried to his own vehicle, starting it and heading to where Booth and Brennan sat unprotected, and unsuspecting.

You lose, Guardian.