Despite what many of you may think, i do actually have a life, that involves school, and i am not an UD machine =P So sorry i haven't UDed, but i have been busy. Also, i'm having less and less of an incentive, because less and less people are reviewing each chapter =( This is a long chapter! This is dedicated to Elena's Auntie Sam =D (Preppi101) inside joke people... because she's amazing =D Anyway.... here you go:

Chapter 25

"Booth, we need to identify that skeleton," Brennan said quickly,

"What?" Booth asked,

"Think about it – we identify the skeleton we have a lead, it's better than what we've got at the moment, which is nothing!"

"Fine, umm, ok, go," Brennan practically ran off and yelled for Cam.

Booth was left on his own, to sit and think. He had Elena's necklace in his hand; he let the light silver chain slip in between and around his fingers smoothly.

He remembered her bright little smile, which had the ability to light up the room, her small giggle and the way she charmed everyone she met. He remembered her bright blue eyes and the way she played with Parker and, just, fit right in.

He couldn't lose her either.

A million dollars.

That was a lot of money.

So many things were running through his mind. How would they pay? I mean, Brennan got money for her books but, could she afford that?

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he jumped when Hodgin's spoke, "You ok man?"

Booth shook his head a little, "Have you found something,"

"Brennan just told me about the ransom – look, I, if you're struggling I can help you out with that kind of money," he looked a little sheepish, worried that Booth would take the offer the wrong way.

To be honest, relief flooded him it was one less thing to worry about in the sea of things they currently had, "If it comes to that, just, thank you." He said seriously.

"Anytime, we all want to find her too." Hodgin's said honestly.

"Booth," Brennan's voice rang out, and he jumped up at the sound of it,

"Yes,"

"I've got a hit on the missing children's database, we've identified the skeleton."

Booth and Hodgin's rushed over to her, "Who is she?"

"Her name's Katie Mya Jones. Booth, she goes to the same school as Elena, she was in her class." Brennan said, clearly upset.

Booth's blood ran cold as he looked at the pretty dark haired girl on the computer screen, who was six, just like Elena. "Bastards," he muttered.

"What have you found sweetie?" Angela walked up behind them, "Oh my god, is that?"

"Yeah, her name was Katie; she was in Elena's class." Booth said quietly.

"Oh my god," Angela said again, and Hodgin's took her hand.

"Where did Katie live?" Angela asked,

"What's going on people?" Cam asked as she too walked up, Angela explained what was going on as Brennan clicked away at the computer.

"There's an old abandoned warehouse about ten miles away from their school and Katie's house, it's possible she was killed there, and that that's where Elena is," Brennan said quickly.

Booth was the first to speak, "Ok, I'm going."

"I'm coming with you," Brennan told him.

He opened his mouth to argue, "I'm coming."

"Wait a second," Cam said, "We're all coming."

Booth went to argue, "We're wasting time arguing about it, just let them come, we'll all fit."

"Fine, but I'm calling for a back up team to meet us there, and you cannot get in the way,"

"Booth," Brennan said desperately, and looked at him,

"Let's go,"

Nobody said a word the entire way to the warehouse. Booth was driving like a maniac, but none of them cared.

Brennan was torn, a part of her thought that maybe, just maybe this nightmare would all be over soon. That she might get her butterfly back, in one piece. Another part of her could see images in her head of her small petite body spread eagled on the floor, blood staining her beautiful, innocent form.

She wanted this ordeal to end. To have Elena back and stop feeling that all too familiar tug on her heart, the fear that overwhelmed every cell in her body.

As they pulled up outside the place, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't think about anything but her butterfly.

Elena was scared, but she was also bored. She was six, stuck in a room with nothing to do but hope and pray that the nasty person who had her wouldn't kill her.

She was sat in the corner, playing with her hair, looking around the room nervously. She didn't know a lot about her situation, but she knew it was a bad one and that if she could escape, it was a good thing to do.

But she'd looked around when she'd woken up. And hadn't seen anything apart from the doors, and the room had no windows. Then again she had been upset.

And quite suddenly a new feeling filled her up, it sort of hit her all at once. She was alone.

All by herself. She didn't have Lucy; she didn't even have her special necklace.

Her teachers at school told her mom she was smart, but the problem, she decided, was that she just wasn't smart enough for this.

Then she noticed the pipe, and the small ventilator at the top of it. It was too small for a person, but not too small for a six year old.

If she could get up that pipe…

Her mom would be proud of her for thinking that. Filled with a refreshed positivity and reveling in the fact she had a plan, she began to feel hopeful. If she could at least get away from the room, then hide or get out… and Tempe could find her….

She did gym at school, and she was good at climbing up the ropes, it made it easier because she was very light. So carefully she began, it wasn't a particularly tall room, so she didn't have that far to go – she'd been further on the ropes at school.

She easily managed to wriggle her small form into the ventilator, in fact there was plenty of room. What to do now… she crawled along for a little while, terrified that she would be too loud, it was relatively slow going.

She got to another opening, and peeked out around her, there wasn't anyone there, the place was big and very open, she was on a second floor in the space below her there were stairs leading down to the ground floor, which she could actually see from where she was.

But she was scared to go out, paralyzed by the fear that she might get caught, she stayed rooted to the spot.

Brennan quickly got out of the car, "Bones, you can't go in,"

"She might be in there Booth!" She looked at him, her gorgeous eyes filled with fear.

"Fine, wear this," he handed her a bullet proof vest from the car, "No arguments." He warned.

She quickly put it on.

"We should wait for the back up team," Booth said, "Don't look at me like that," he said to Brennan.

"Let's go," he said and saw the relief in her eyes.

"Bones," he said, and she pulled her a little closer to him, "Please be careful," he whispered, she searched his eyes.

"She might not even be here," Brennan said softly.

"And she might be, just promise me you'll be careful."

She looked into his dark eyes, "I promise."

Elena had eventually mustered up the courage to climb down the pipe where she was, shaking. She'd never been so scared in her life; the sound of her own breathing was making her jump.

She really, really wished that the man hadn't taken Lucy.

She clutched her arms around herself, like she was giving herself a hug. What was she doing? She was six.

And three quarters.

She shouldn't be here. Not really. It wasn't fair.

Her mom used to tell her life wasn't fair, she had been joking, but now, Elena realized she was right.

She got down to the ground, and realized that she didn't know what she was doing. Then she heard some voices, she squeaked and got cross with herself, because she couldn't make noises.

Elena watched, from her little hiding place, the door open on the ground floor, she held her breath and cried when she saw who was coming through the door. Forgetting how much danger she was in, overwhelmed by the desire to be safe again, she ran out, to the stairs.

Booth and Brennan entered silently, looking up around them, the place was huge and very open, there were stairs up to another level around the side and you could see up onto it. Then she heard a cry, "Tempe!"

Brenna whipped around and looked up to see a disheveled but healthy and very much alive Elena running down the metal stairs noisily to her. Relief filled her as her little butterfly got closer and both her and Booth began to run to meet her, a smile on both their faces, it was a perfect moment.

The moment was shattered like a pane of glass falling and breaking into a million pieces, when two shots rang out. The smile on Elena's face was stopped suddenly, as the bullet jolted her small body and she crumpled to the floor.

Don't kill me, blame Hayley and Hannah (OutCold and YouGottaSingAlong) you guys wouldn't tell me what was going to happen.... lol =P

Please don't kill me *hides behind cushion* But please do review! The more reviews i get, the quicker i UD!

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