Seeley Booth paced. It was something he'd always been good at: waiting and pacing.

When the doctor came down the hallway, he tensed at what he was about to hear. He shouldn't be the one to be told anything on Zach. He barely knew him and now his medical wellbeing was in Booth's hands.

"We're going to need to operate," the doctor said looking Booth squarely in the eye, "Has the family been contacted?"

"Uh…," Booth stuttered. The truth was he had no idea.

Suddenly he heard a loud yelling in a voice he recognized immediately. Smiling slightly, he saw Angela storming down the hallway, a bag of food in hand and a nurse in toe.

"Go to get some food and you tell me that only family is allowed past this point," she rambled off coming to a halt beside Booth. She threw the bag into his arms before turning on her heels to face the petite woman nurse. Leaning down to be right in front of the woman's face, she said calmly, "You really don't want to try and stop me from being up here. There's no point unless you really want your ass meeting the floor." With that she turned to the bewildered looks of Booth and Zach's doctor. "What'd I miss?"

"Zach going to have to get surgery," Booth filled her in, "Did someone call his family?"

"Yeah," Angela answered, "I did. His parents are flying out on the next available flight."

"Alright," the doctor said writing something on his clipboard. "I'll keep you posted." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Angela said. "You didn't tell us why he needs surgery."

"Oh….uh," the doctor said looking uncomfortable. "You won't like what you hear."

"Go for it," Booth said, "Can't be as bad as some of the stuff we've seen."

"Alright, well, it seems the perpetrator forced Mr. Addy to ingest over a hundred needles," he said giving them a sympathetic look, "We'll do everything we can for him. Don't worry." He turned and left the pair.

They looked at each other stunned.

This had to be one of the worst things Booth had ever heard anyone being forced to do even with all that he'd seen. Maybe it was just too real now that it was someone he knew.

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"I don't remember much," Hodgins said sifting in his bed so he could sit up, "What I do remember is dropping down into this large…well now I know what it was….but anyway I heard footsteps and cried out to them. Then I heard a cold laughter and that damn synthetic voice telling me that it was no use….that I was dead."

"Any idea about who it was?" Brennan asked.

"None," he answered, "It was too dark. I didn't get a good look at a face or even a profile really."

She nodded.

He looked at her nervously. "What exactly are you looking for? I mean there isn't much I can really tell you."

Brennan sighed. She wasn't sure she knew what she was looking for. She just wanted something…..anything, a sign, a slip up, anything to point them toward who ever this maniac was. "I'm sorry, Jack. I just feel so helpless sitting around waiting for something to happen to the people I care about." She got up from the chair to face the wall, trying to hide her tearing eyes. "I just want to catch this BASTERD!" She punched the wall in frustration.

A sound of a clearing throat behind her made her turn. Angela had returned with Booth in toe.

"They're taking Zach into surgery," Booth informed her. Worry was set behind his eyes. "Can I talk to Temperance?"

She looked down debating on whether or not to let him. There was a fierce battle raging inside her, one that made her angry and sad.

Booth took her silence as a yes. Grasping her elbow, he led her from the room, down the hall to what seemed to be an unoccupied utility closet.

Closing the door behind them, Booth calmly watched her pace back and forth in the room. "Temperance!" He grabbed her mid-stride causing her to fall into him. "Sorry," he muttered letting go of her.

Taking a deep breath, she faced him. "I don't know if I can do this Booth."

"Do what exactly?" he asked moving forward to comfort her.

She moved away. "This….everything….I'm afraid to go to sleep at night just to wake up and find myself back in that coffin. I'm afraid to get into my car by myself for fear of being kidnapped." Her eyes began to run with tears as she hugged herself trying to keep it together. "I can't stand the thought that my father could somehow be involved in all this, and I especially can't stand the fact that one day I could come into to work and none of you will be there. You'll all be gone and it will have been my fault!"

Booth stepped forward wrapping his arms around her small shaky frame, allowing her body to sink into him for support.

"Sh…." He tried to sooth, stroking her hair tenderly. He kissed to top of her head lightly, breathing in the scent of her.

She turned in his arms to gaze up into his face. He looked down at her with the loving devotion that she always felt from him. Stroking her face with his hand, he leaned down and placed a tantalizing kiss on her tear soaked lips.

"One thing, you don't have to worry about is me, Temperance," he said reassuringly. He placed a kiss on each of her eyelids. "I will protect you, and I will always be here for you. You can count on that."

She nodded unable to speak. He leaned down and kissed her again. She just melted into it, allowing him to comfort her.