Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or its characters. But they are a complete joy to work with!

Chapter 10

Two weeks. It had been a full two weeks since they had been taken from us. Two weeks since the absolute worst day of my life. Jackson and RJ had figured out who had taken them. I had been so proud of the both them. The substitute teacher, Arnold Smith, I'd nearly choked on the name. A bit of a far jump from his old name, the one that he had when he married Heather Taffet. I felt sick just thinking about it. William Burton. I snorted. There's a serial killer name if there ever was one. I felt anger welling up in my chest, and I breathed deeply trying to rid myself of it.

The evidence against Burton was quite staggering. Hacker had made the arrest himself, since I technically couldn't be a part of the case on paper. That had caused quite a stir at the school, but Jackson and RJ were never going back there again so I cared very little. Burton had left traces of DNA everywhere. The first trace had been when he'd probably scratched himself against the rough surface of the metal box lid, the second trace had been left behind under my wife's finger nails, the third a splatter of blood on one of the murdered agents, and fourth and final one had been in Jackson's room. Apparently Jackson had tried to fight back even if it was only for a second. Two strands of hair were found near Jackson's bed on the floor. At the time it had all seemed much too messy, but then I remembered what Gordon had said. Burton in his mind had been in control. He completely believed he would never get caught, without him the DNA we gathered was useless. I shook my head, rolling over to my back. Sleep was not coming easily tonight.

I sighed reveling in the silence of the house. Beside me Bones slept peacefully and I smiled brushing a strand of her hair clear of her face. She looked the same as she had the night after RJ was born, and my heart swelled. These past weeks had not been unlike the first two weeks of RJ's life, only in place of small unhappy cries of hunger, there were screams of sheer terror. Those screams had jarred me from sleep for the past twelve days, and my heart still shot into my throat at the sound of them. I moved away from the unhappy thought remembering Bones' last two days in the hospital.

We walked into the hospital RJ clinging to me as if she thought I was going to disappear. She shrunk from nurses and doctors that showed their overjoyed pleasure that she had been found. I tried my best to make up for her seeming rudeness but they all seemed to understand her discomfort. When we finally reached Bones' room she had dashed to her mother's side climbing up into her arms, and that is where she had stayed for hours, only removing herself long enough to give Parker a rib crushing hug before retreating to the safety of her mother's embrace. I tried to leave, to finish up some paper work and fill in the blind spots Hacker hadn't been present for, but RJ had literally latched onto my waist; begging me not to leave her. The tears spilling down her face was enough to ruin me completely and I decided Hacker could wait one more day.

That had been hours ago, somewhere along the way I fell asleep on the small couch by the window. I didn't remember how long I was out, but coming to my heart sunk to my feet. Bones was lying asleep in her bed alone; Parker resting quietly at the other end of the couch. Where was RJ? My son shifted, my startled jump into awareness must have roused him from his dozing.

"Where's your sister?" I asked in a harsh hushed tone. Parker smiled, shaking his head and bidding me to follow him. I did so as my heart slowly crawled back into my chest. A few doors down from Bones' room Parker opened another door and ushered me in quietly. Pulling back the curtains I couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped my lips.

Hodgins and Angela were sitting on the couch by the window, conversing quietly as they ate take out. Probably the Chinese shop down the street from the smell. My eyes were pulled towards Jackson's bed and I smiled. There she was. Piled up and sleeping peacefully on Jackson's shoulder. Jackon was asleep as well, his cheek resting on the top of her head. I never noticed Parker had left until Angela spoke.

"She's fine Booth. Parker brought her in here about an hour ago."

"We fed her some fried rice. I'm fairly certain she inhaled it." Hodgins grinned, adding quickly. "Don't worry I picked out the shrimp."

I chuckled remembering her allergy, and found myself slightly surprised Hodgins had even remembered. I moved towards them and Angela scooted over to make room.

"You know they're each other's safety blanket now." Angela smiled. "It was hard enough separating them before, it's going to be nearly impossible now."

I nodded knowingly. They had been through hell together. They had been there for each other because no one else could. Jackson's words a few hours before echoing through my mind. He had been completely unconcerned with himself, completely uncaring about getting himself out of harm's way. His only thought had been someone getting to RJ, because he couldn't.

A blood curdling scream rang out through the house. I was out of bed and down the hall before Bones had even been able to yell the words, what's wrong. I dashed into my daughter's room grabbing her up in a hug. She shuttered beneath my hold as tears soaked into my t-shirt like a waterfall. This was becoming much to routine and it was killing me; tearing me up from the inside out. I knew Jackson had gone through the same thing, but Hodgins had said that since they had moved Jackson's room down the hall closer to them, the nightmares had nearly stopped entirely.

Bones and I had discussed the possibility of moving. To get RJ away from the thought that her home was not the safe haven it should be. My head snapped up as Tyler and McDole appeared in the door way. I wave them off and they nodded in understanding moving off to continue their sweep of the house, which RJ's terrified screams had most likely interrupted them from. The Gregor Case was still ongoing and our protection detail had been doubled. I sighed, wishing life for my family didn't have to be so complicated.

"I don't want to stay in here." RJ muttered sniffling. "Can I camp out in you and mom's room?"

I smiled down at her; remembering when she was smaller and I would come home late from the office, and find her snoozing in her sleeping bag on the floor of our room. The excuse of course being the thunderstorm that was always raging outside.

"Of course you can Princess." I replied, moving off the bed to grab her sleeping bag from the closet. I turned back as she latched onto me again, her pillow and comforter already clutched in her hands. We moved slowly down the hall, and back to my wife who was waiting patiently, the light by her side of the bed switched on. She was growing used to this too and I felt myself die a little more inside. I met her gaze briefly and I read the decision in her eyes. We had to leave this house. We had to get her as far away, from anything that would trigger memories of this, as we could. I unfolded RJ's pink sleeping bag on the floor by my side of the bed and helped her situate her comforter. She snuggled down, drying the last of her tears taking a calming deep breath. She would sleep undisturbed for the rest of the night, and I took small comfort in that.

Climbing in bed side my wife, I kissed her on the cheek, before she turned to switch off the light. I rolled over on my stomach my arm draping off the side. I smiled sadly as I felt her little hand grab my forefinger and hold on with everything she was worth. My shoulder would be sore as hell in the morning but it was worth it. RJ's peace of mind was worth everything.

"Good night Mom. Good night Daddy." RJ murmured softly. My smile grew wider listening to my wife reply with her normal 'Good night, RJ.' I must have taken longer to reply than she liked because I felt a nervous tug on my finger.

"Good night, Princess." I whispered, and all was still again.

Yes. I thought, closing my eyes and quieting my mind. Tomorrow we'd start looking for a new home. Somewhere to make new memories and leave these horrid ones behind. Somewhere she could believe was safe.

Fin