Sorry for the delay, but thanks for the wonderful reviews. As usual, I love you guys. :D

And I think theres only going to be three to five more chapters. Not exactly sure yet.

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Chapter 14

Brennan watched as Booth made his way into the bathroom, and then turned her attention back to her food, pondering what it was that he and Dr. Wyatt had talked about when the conversation had turned to her. Now that he had brought it up, it was all that she could think of. She was interrupted in her thoughts by a large group of people that appeared in front of her table, Cady among them. Brennan raised her eyebrow in acknowledgment and set her forkful of food down.

"Can I help you?" she asked the rather large group. A girl of about twenty one stepped forward with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"We dared Cady to ask you for your autograph to see if you were really Dr. Brennan." She clutched the book in her hand to her chest and squealed excitedly, which reminded Brennan of Angela. "And you are!" she finished happily. Brennan nodded slowly.

"Yes. I am." She said slowly. She warily scanned the whole group and made no attempt at further conversation. The girl's bright smile dropped slightly, but then she hitched it back up in a milesecond. Brennan made a face of recognition, as she now noticed that every person in the group had a copy of her latest novel. "Are you guys those Brennandites?" she asked even more warily. Just what she needed. To be mobbed by fans.

"Brennanites," the girl corrected, "and yes we are. This is the group that likes to have weekly book discussions over lunch at this place." She said proudly.

"Yes, and we even like to act out scenes from your book." Another girl with bright fiery red hair piped up excitedly. Brennan rose her eyebrows again.

"So you guys formed a social group dedicated to me," she said slowly, "and you act out the murders committed in my books?" she asked, giving them weird looks. The bubbly blonde nodded her head vigorously, oblivious to the look that she was receiving. She made a mental note to remind herself to hurt Booth for suggesting the weekly home of the Brennanites. Turning back to her food, she picked up her fork again. "You guys need help." She said calmly. The blonde opened her mouth, and then shut it.

"We were wondering if we could have your autograph." She gushed, ignoring her last comment. "I mean, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity." The girl held out her book hopefully, along with a pen. Brennan looked at it, and then at the mass group of people behind her.

"I suppose so." She said defeatedly, and then grabbed the pen and the book that the blonde girl held out for her. She scribbled her name and handed it back. She cursed Booth again, blaming him entirely for the impromptu book signing that she was currently undertaking. Handing the next book back to the owner, she held out her hand for the next one, but instead of the book being placed in her hand, it was slammed on the table in front of her. Brennan looked up at the girl; she was around twenty, and had lanky brown hair. She looked somewhat familiar, but couldn't place it. She gave the girl a look, and then reached for the book and opened it to the first page. But it wasn't there. Instead, there was square hole cut in the book. Inside the whole were a few newspaper clippings, and a photo of the girl and…

"Gil Lappens." Brennan whispered, more to herself then the crowd. The first man she ever killed. She stared at the photo, transfixed. He looked happy, and not at all like the killer that he had been. He had his arm looped around the girl that was currently in front of her. She looked up her.

"You killed him." She whispered, and then reached into her jacket and pulled out a gun, aiming it at her. A woman screamed, immediately drawing the attention of everyone else.

"Emily, please…stop!" Cady said desperately.

"He was a good man, a good brother, and you killed him." She continued, completely ignoring Cady, her voice trembling, yet her eyes were steady, and watching her coldly. Brennan slowly raised her hands in a move of surrender.

"I'm sorry." Brennan said slowly. "I really am, but…he was the accomplice of Howard Epps." She paused, and swallowed. "He killed those girls, and…he was going to kill my partner." Her mind went back to that night. Booth had told her to stay with Helen. She had listened for all of two seconds before taking the gun that he had given her and racing off after him.

"Shut up!" the girl screamed. She aimed her gun at the floor and shot at it. Brennan flinched slightly, but didn't let the current fear that she was feeling show on her face. THIS is why she needed a gun. Gil Lappen's sister brought the gun back up to her face. "This is why I joined the Brennanites. I knew if I stayed around them long enough, they would eventually lead me to you." She smiled bitterly. "And they did." She laughed, never once taking her eyes off of Brennan. "And now, I'm going to kill you."

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Booth stood in the bathroom, washing his hands, all the while listening the bustle of the restaurant outside the door. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, and it bothered him to no end. He heard a woman scream and cursed himself. He knew he should have listened to his gut. He then heard a gunshot, and his heart went to his throat. He wrenched open the bathroom door and looked in shock as Brennan sat at a table with her arms raised as another, much younger girl held a gun on her.

"This is why I joined the Brennanites." She was saying. Booth took his gun out of his holster quietly, watching the girls every move. "I knew if I stayed around them long enough, they would eventually lead me to you." Booth's heart rate skyrocketed. "And they did." She laughed, never once taking her eyes off of Brennan, which was an advantage to Booth. "And now, I'm going to kill you."

"Drop the gun, or I'll shoot." Booth said loudly into the silent restaurant, aiming the gun at her. He saw the girl jump slightly, and move her eyeshot away from Brennan to him. 'Yes.' He thought. 'Stay on me.'

"She killed my brother." The girl said wildly, her arm now shaking slightly, and then moved her sight back to Brennan. "She deserves to die for killing an innocent man." Booth thought to the only man that Brennan had killed, and realization hit him.

"Miss Lappen, Gil Lappen was far from innocent." The girls head whipped to Booth's, and Brennan saw this as an opportunity.

"How-how did you know my name? And who my brother was?" she asked in astonishment. Booth kept his gaze locked on the girl, but could see Brennan making her move out of the corner of his eye. Before he could answer her, Brennan leaped up and grabbed the girls wrist, twisting it behind her back and making her drop the weapon. Booth holstered his gun and made his way over to them both.

"This," Brennan said as she shook the girls shoulder, "is why I need a gun, Booth." She told him. Booth shook his head in response.

"Why is it I cant leave you alone? You always get into trouble." He said in exasperation.

"I do not." She told him indignantly.

"You don't know what it's like." Emily said quietly. "To lose someone that you love." A lone tear fell down her cheek.

"Actually, Emily, I do." Brennan said quietly. "All to well." Booth put Emily in cuffs, and let the police take her away, who had just arrived. Brennan stared after her, and Booth put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I shouldn't feel guilty." Brennan said, watching as they put her in the police car. "But I do. By helping yours and Helens lives, I ruined anothers." She finished quietly. She picked up the picture that Emily had placed in the book and stared at it. Booth allowed her a moment of silence.

"By killing Lappen, you saved Helen. She wouldn't be here today." He told her, and watched as a tear slid down her cheek, the only one she would shed. He gently wiped it away before continuing. "By killing Lappen, you saved me," he said, giving her a charm smile. "What kind of crime fighting duo would we be, if half of us was gone?" he asked. Brennan smiled weakly.

"A horrible one." She took a deep breath, and then threw some money on the table. "Thanks Booth." She said. He placed an arm around her shoulder and led her out of the resuarant.

"That's what I'm here for Bones." Booth said cheekily. She smiled and rolled her eyes.

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