A/N - Thanks for all the reveiws and I hope that I can met all the expectations of those reading this fanfic. Nothing much happens in this chapter and compared to the up and coming chapters, it is suprisingly short. I just wanted to build on the Booth/Bones friendship a little before moving on to the Angela/Booth friendship later on. So please keep reading and sending those awesome reviews my way! Oh and just in case no one has guessed yet, I do not own anything to do with Bones. Some of the characters are mine (Doctors, Samuel James, Macca - later chapters and Harry, also in later chapters.) but the rest all belong to the network and Hart Hanson.
Chapter Two – Harder to Breathe
Armed with the things Angela had requested, Booth and Temperance made their way back to the hospital, and after a brief check with the nurse to ensure that the cops had gone, they re-entered her room. Angela was sitting up more in her bed then when they had left, her dark eyes glued to the picture in her hand.
"Ange we got you –"
Angela turned the picture towards them as she spoke.
"They said he's been doing this for months."
Booth cursed loudly, doing nothing to hide it as he took the picture from Angela's hand.
"Samuel James."
Both women looked at him with surprise. Angela found her voice first.
"You heard of him then?"
Booth nodded, his voice low as he spoke.
"He's been going from state to state for months now, raping woman, leaving them for dead before moving on. Eighteen months we've been trying to get this guy."
Angela swallowed hard as she studied Booth.
"The cops said that in theory I should be dead. What exactly do they mean by that?"
Booth sat down next to Angela's bed, Temperance remaining standing.
"Criminals tend to follow a pattern, one that we measure their escalating violence by. James here started out as a petty thief, stealing handbags. Then he moved onto burglary, then robbing banks, then into a peeping Tom before escalating to molestation then to rape. If he's following the pattern like he has been since he was 14, he should have moved to the next level."
Angela nodded, her mind grasping the concept easily.
"Which means that he should have killed me. They said I was lucky."
Booth nodded slightly.
"In a way, I guess you are."
Temperance pushed back a wayward strand of hair as she spoke.
"So why hasn't he been caught yet?"
"Because he uses different names and has friends that keep him covered. It's hard to track down someone who is so well protected."
Temperance gave Booth a confused glance.
"Why in the world would someone want to protect a violent rapist?"
Booth shrugged.
"Some because of threats, others because of a strange sense of loyalty. His mother won't speak about where he is; neither will the rest of the family. They are willing to protect him because they believe he is innocent. But we'll find him. He's crossed state lines so the FBI is in on the whole deal, which means I can get information the cops can't. We'll find him Angela, I promise."
Angela gave Booth a half smile.
"I know you will. At the moment all I want to do is go home."
Temperance shook her head.
"That will not be happening anytime soon. You had a blood transfusion and surgery on your spleen. You will not be going home for a couple more days at the very least."
Angela sighed and sunk deeper into the stiff hospital pillows.
"How am I meant to rest when he's still out there?"
Booth began to unpack the stuff they had brought Angela; unable to answer the question that he was certain was on all their minds. He placed the small stack of CD's beside the portable player, as well as a large bag of green seedless grapes that Temperance said Angela loved.
"We brought your PJ's if you want to get changed."
Angela took the PJ's that Temperance held out to her and carefully slid out of her bed. The movement caused her hospital gown to ride up her legs, revealing vicious black and blue bruising that covered her thighs, ending at her knees. Angela made her way to the bathroom, closing the door securely behind her.
"Did you see those bruises?"
Booth's voice seemed to catch in his throat, his eyes still on the bathroom door.
"Yeah I did."
Booth turned his attention to straightening up Angela's bed, Temperance's accusing voice stopping him.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Booth let out a large sigh before answering.
"James stalks his victims."
Temperance frowned.
"He stalked Angela?"
Booth nodded as he rubbed his chin.
"He stalked all of them."
Temperance's voice was soft.
"Which means he could have picked his next victim right?"
Booth nodded again, words not really needed to deliver the bad news he wanted to avoid. Another girl was going to suffer as Angela did, only this time she might be killed.
He watched her stride to the bus stop, her blonde hair flowing behind her like a banner. He loved her hair, how it looked like liquid honey flowing around her shoulders. He had been watching her for a couple of days now and he was happy with his new choice. His sweet Angela had been great but she had fought him and he had been forced to hurt her. He would have killed her if he had not been interrupted by the homeless man that came stumbling drunk into the ally. But he had let her live and he had moved on. He watched as she boarded the bus and waited until it was well out of sight before heading into her building. He liked to know them before he loved them.
Temperance could not sleep. She had too much on her mind and when she lay still, it became almost unbearable to her. Which is why she was still awake at three in the morning, drinking tea and munching on cookies as she looked over some paperwork. Except the idea of any kind of work sent her thoughts back to Angela and her current situation. Angela had somehow convinced the doctors that she was better off at home and discharged herself a day and half earlier then planned. Temperance argued as hard as she could about her staying in the hospital but Angela would hear none of it. So they dropped her off at home and left her to it. Temperance would have moved in if Angela ad let her but instead she just about pushed her out the door. So trusting her friend's judgement, she had left her to her own devices. Temperance jumped when her phone rang, picking it up before she could wonder over whom in the world would be calling this time in the morning.
"Brennan."
Booth's voice was urgent as it travelled down the phone line.
"Bones come to Angela's, NOW!"
Temperance dropped the phone back onto the cradle and dashed out the door, paperwork and sleeplessness long forgotten.
When she arrived at Angela's, all was quite. She slipped into the apartment quickly, not quite sure of what she would find.
"Booth?"
"In the bathroom Bones."
Temperance pushed open the bathroom door, taking a moment to absorb the situation before her. Angela was sitting on the hard tiled floor, her back against the wall and her head in her arms as she rocked back and forth. Booth had obviously did his best to cover her up but the big blue towel was doing nothing to keep her warm judging by the goose pimples all over her bare skin. Temperance crouched at her friend's side, her hand trying to warm the bare skin.
"What happened Booth?"
Booth shrugged, pacing slightly from wall to wall.
"I don't know. I just drove past to check on her, the light was on so I came up and found her here. I tried to get her to move but she refused so I called you."
Temperance gave Angela a gentle shake.
"Angela."
Angela continued to rock back and forth, so Temperance reached her hands out to either side of her friend's head and forced her to look her in the eye.
"Angela, what happened?"
Angela's eyes swum into focus on Temperance's and she lost the vacant look, one to be replaced by panic and fear. Her voice was shaky and scared as she spoke.
"I could feel him again. He was here, I could see him and smell him. He was in me and I wanted to get him out."
Angela's eyes became vacant again and she continued her rocking.
"Booth can you get her some clothes? Top draw of her dresser."
Booth disappeared quickly and returned, clothes in hand. Temperance was busy looking at some blood spots that she had located that started at one end of the shower and stopped just beside Angela.
"Booth, look."
Booth followed her pointed finger, moving past the two women and picked up a loofah that lay on the floor in the corner. It still had blood on it and tiny bits of skin.
"She tried to scrub herself clean."
Temperance grabbed Angela's hands in her own, squeezing hard to get her attention.
"Angela, you need to stand up ok?"
Angela said nothing as Temperance hoisted her up to stand at the basin. She rearranged the towel to cover Angela a little more before calling Booth closer.
"Booth, look what she did to herself."
The long handled loofah had reached everywhere, the rough cloth scratching and tearing at the skin, making it look red and raw. She looked like a gang of cats had attacked her.
"Chamomile tea."
Temperance gave him a look.
"What?"
Booth continued to stare at the long raw scratches.
"Does Ange have chamomile tea?"
Temperance nodded.
"And honey?"
Another nod. Booth handed her another towel.
"Dry her thoroughly ok? I'll be back in a minute."
Temperance was too scared to remark on Booth's mysteries requests. Angela had really hurt herself, some of the cuts so deep that the damaged skin hung loosely over the wound. Booth came back a few minutes later, a large pot in his hands. Temperance sniffed it warily.
"Smells good. What is it?"
Booth pushed up his sleeves as he soaked two face clothes in the amber liquid.
"My grandmother was a firm believer in home remedies and this is one of them. Chamomile soothes the pain and honey seals out the bacteria. Just wipe her down and pat her dry."
Temperance took one of the clothes off Booth and they began to wipe Angela down, Booth getting only as far as Angela's knees before giving Temperance a half smile.
"I'll leave you to do the rest while I go and make some drinking tea ok?"
Temperance nodded and waited until Booth was gone before targeting Angela's lower body, humming to herself the same rhyme she did in hospital.
Booth was still fussing over the pot of tea when Temperance emerged from the bathroom holding Angela's hand as she pushed her gently into a seat, placing a hot tea in her friend's hands.
"Drink this Angela."
Temperance picked up the hairbrush she had brought with her when she had exited the bathroom and began to gently untangle Angela's hair, still humming to herself. Booth felt compelled to watch this special side of Temperance, one that he had only seen once before, when Angela's boyfriend Kirk had been killed. She was gentle with Angela then as she was now. He liked seeing her so human. And whatever she was humming was having the same effect on her as it was on Angela, making her seem to relax for the first time since the attack. It was amazing how someone so intelligent could get lost in something so simple. She continued to brush Angela's hair as if it was the most natural thing in the world, braiding it loosely before coming to sit beside Booth, who handed her a cup of tea.
"What were you humming?"
Temperance shrugged.
"Nothing, it's just a nursery rhyme"
Booth shook his head.
"It means something. Your face changes when you hum it."
Temperance drummed her fingers on the mug as she spoke.
"My mother used to sing it to me when I was a child. She sung it to be just before she left. My first boyfriend broke up with me and I was beside myself with grief and she fixed it with one song. Quite silly really."
Booth shook his head.
"It's not silly if it means something to you. So why don't you sing it?"
Temperance gave Booth a small smile.
"For all of my talents, singing is not one of them."
"She never could sing."
Both Booth and Temperance turned their heads at the sound of Angela's voice, clear and strong despite what she had been through.
"Hey how are you?"
Angela shrugged.
"I'm ok. I'm sorry for giving you both such a fright."
Booth waved off the apology with a flick of his hand and a smile.
"Not a problem, what are friends for?"
Temperance took the now empty mug out of Angela's hands, placing it on the table beside her own.
"You need to get some sleep. I'll be here if you need me ok?"
Too tired to argue, Angela bade them both goodnight before disappearing into her room. Temperance sat back heavily into the sofa, her face confused.
"I don't think I can do this."
"Do what?"
She indicated Angela's now closed door with her head.
"I can't watch her be like this. I had to dress her Booth! The last time anyone had to dress her she was five. I can't watch her when she's so weak."
Booth gave Temperance's hand a quick squeeze.
"You just need to be there for her, which you are. We can do nothing except that."
Temperance sunk back into silence and Booth was clasping desperately at straws to lighten the mood.
"Lets watch a movie"
Booth pointed to Angela's wide selection that was spread over two different bookcases.
"We could watch a comedy. Rush hour maybe?"
Temperance gave a half shrug.
"Never heard of it. Is it any good?"
Booth nodded, doing a Jackie Chang martial art move.
"Oh yeah, it's got the King of Kung Fu in it."
Temperance frowned.
"Is Kung Fu a boy thing like pirates? I didn't like the pirates thing much."
Booth gave her a smile as he started to load the DVD into the player.
"You'll like it Bones. Lots of bad guys getting shot with guns."
Temperance kicked off her shoes and started to make herself little more comfortable on the sofa.
"Ok I'll take your word for it."
Temperance had herself curled on the sofa and Booth slipped himself under her legs, allowing them to rest on his lap as the movie began to play. He let the mindless action and blunt humour try and block out the events of the early hour.
