A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! It's greatly appreciated! Here's the next chapter- I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: Still not mine!

Booth drifted on a sea of darkness. He sensed movement around him, but couldn't seem to force his eyes open. A touch, feather light, swept across his cheek, growing more demanding as it moved restlessly across his forehead.

"Can you hear me? Booth, wake up!" Brennan tapped her palms against his cheeks. A low groan emerged from his throat, followed by his left eye cracking open. "Bones?"

Relieved she helped hoist him into a sitting position, pushing a bottle of water against his lips. "Drink this, it'll help," she commanded. He did as she ordered, enjoying the cooling sensation as the water trickled down his throat.

They sat in silence as Booth regained his bearings. As the fog over his mind cleared he turned, grabbing Brennan into a giant hug. Too shocked to protest she landed against him with a muffled 'oomph'.

"Thank God you're alright. I thought- - I was afraid - - I'm just so glad I'm not too late," Booth told her. He kept one arm wrapped around her waist, the other cradled against the back of her neck, savoring the contact.

Brennan shifted trying to move back, but Booth didn't seem in any hurry to release her. She winced as his hand contacted the cut along her arm. Feeling her body jerk, Booth drew away. "What's wrong," he demanded.

Smiling for the first time in hours Brennan squeezed his hand. "Nothing. I just cut my arm on a broken spring in the sofa. It's bandaged, but it still hurts like hell."

Booth immediately took her arm, gently checking to make sure the bandage was clean and dry. "It looks okay. How'd you manage to bandage it by yourself?"

"I didn't. He bought bandages and antiseptic. He said it was his duty to take care of me since I'd gotten hurt unintentionally by the sofa spring." Brennan stared at Booth. "Do you know who this guy is?"

Letting out a dry half-laugh Booth rubbed his side where the taser had hit him. "Yeah, I got a good look at him right before he drugged me. I gotta tell ya Bones, we could be in a lot of trouble here."

Brennan offered Booth the water bottle. "Why? If you know who he is then so does the rest of the team, right? Angela and Hodgins will realize he has both of us, not to mention Cam with her cop instincts. They'll find us."

Booth toyed with the water bottle label. "It's not quite that simple. See Cam is in the hospital, she was apparently attacked, but I think she knew something about your disappearance. I went to see her and a few parts of her story seemed off to me. I couldn't prove anything so I let it go, that was when he got me- - in the hospital's parking garage. The son-of-a-bitch called me, and then caught me off guard which is how I wound up here with you."

"You think Cam might have something to do with my kidnapping?" Brennan looked at Booth incredulously. "Are you sure? I mean I know we didn't exactly hit it off when she first started, but things have gotten better."

"I'm not sure of anything at the moment; I'm just letting you know my suspicions. And about the guy who did this- - Angela, Hodgins and Zack might have a difficult time tracking him down since he's dead." Booth closed his eyes trying to alleviate the pounding at the base of his skull.

Brennan frowned. "You mean we're hostages of a ghost? Booth that's impossible. Paranormal activity is suspect at best. There's never even been a one-hundred percent proven case of a ghost 'appearing ' to a person let alone one capable of plotting a kidnapping. And besides- -"

"Bones, that's not what I meant," Booth interrupted with a smile. He'd missed hearing her logical explanations over the past several hours. "I meant that the guy who plans to kill you is presumed dead. His records say he was run off the road, died upon impact. Nobody's going to look at a dead man as a suspect. I sure as hell didn't! Besides the team is trying to track down a completely different man, so we're probably on our own."

Stretching her cramped muscles she stood pacing the small room. "So if he wasn't the guy in the car that ran off the road who was? And why did you say the 'guy who plans to kill me', how do you know he isn't going to kill you too?"

Booth got up coming to wrap his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on top of her head. "Because he wants me to watch. He wants me to see him commit the crime. It's personal Bones, he wants me to suffer."

Brennan forced her heart to steady. It was racing, and it wasn't because she was being held captive by a crazy man.

Booth had never held her quite like this before. Sure they'd exchanged hugs, he'd comforted her, but this felt different. It was different. She didn't want to think, she wanted to stay in his arms forever, but a deranged man with a vendetta took top priority. With a long sigh she slowly turned to face Booth, surprised when he didn't drop his arms, just held them loosely encircling her. "Booth, why is it personal? What does this have to do with you?"

He stepped away, leaving Brennan chilled. "Because he holds me responsible for his daughter's death."

Shocked she could only stare. "Booth how is that possible?"

Before he could respond footsteps approached. Booth and Brennan locked eyes, prepared to meet their captor face to face.