A/N: Ok, so here's your latest offering. I'm afraid it's just a quickie before I have to go to bed. Sorry it's shorter than normal but you'll get a bumper deal tomorrow instead, scout's honour! As usual, thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed and offered up theories, you've really been keeping me going. Biggest thanks as ever to Ava, my muse!

Temperance stared upwards, her heart in her mouth, Booth deathly pale beside her. Blinking rapidly, he charged forwards, scrambling up the tree to the lowest branch.

Regaining her focus, Brennan raced after him, grabbing hold of Katie's legs and hitching her upwards, trying to ease the pressure of the noose and making it easier for Booth to cut her down.

His body wrapped around the tree trunk, Booth pulled a penknife from his pocket and stretched out as far as he dared. Hacking at the rope, he finally felt it give way, almost crushing his partner under the weight of Katie's limp body.

Jumping back down, he fell to his knees beside the two women, his heart pounding so loud he could barely hear what his partner was saying.

"She's not breathing and I can't find a pulse."

Almost on autopilot, the pair began CPR with Brennan pushing on the profiler's chest as Booth locked his mouth over Katie's, offering up a silent prayer as he forced air into her starved lungs. Over and over, they pushed and breathed, pushed and breathed, hoping their sheer force of will was enough to bring her back.

Brennan looked at Booth as she continued the compressions. His eyes were wide and swimming in tears, his face still pale. She glanced at her watch. They'd been doing CPR for over five minutes and she had no idea how long Katie had been left there hanging.

Swallowing hard, Brennan removed her hands, her eyes locking with Booth's. He just stared at her in confusion.

"Seeley…"

He shook his head frantically, grabbing her wrists and forcing her hands back into position.

"No! She's not going to die, not like this."

He leaned forward again, breathing for Katie. Looking back up at his partner, his eyes were pleading.

"Temperance… It's Katie. Please..."

Brennan just nodded, restarting compressions and counting out loud as she stared down at the blonde, the rope now hanging loose around her collar bone.

One…

She's way too pale, her lips are blue.

Two…

Even if we do get her back, what's to say she won't have severe brain damage?

Three…

Why the hell did she face down a suspect all on her own, without even trying to reach Booth?

Four…

Her brain's been starved of oxygen. We have to let her go…

Five…

Katie…

Booth leaned forward again, preparing to breathe for his friend when she suddenly coughed hoarsely, gasping for air. Booth jerked back, his eyes wide as he stared down at her.

Brennan wrapped her fingers round the profiler's wrist, monitoring the heartbeat as she tried to ignore the deafening pound in her own chest.

"Her pulse is weak and rapid."

Booth didn't seem to hear as he brushed blonde tendrils away from her forehead, a relieved smile spreading across his face as her eyes fluttered open.

Her lips were less blue now though her eyes were bloodshot and wide with fear. Her mouth moved, attempting to speak, but Booth laid a gentle hand on her cheek.

"Shhhh, Katie it's ok. You're ok. Everything's going to be fine."

A tear escaped out of the corner of her eye, rolling down her temple and disappearing in to her hair as she stared back up at him mutely. Her breathing was raspy, her throat ringed by an angry red mark where the noose had been.

As he scooped her up in to his arms, Brennan rocked back on her heels, running a relieved hand through her hair as she let out a long breath and attempted to steady herself.

The sound of breaking twigs caused her to spin round, pointing Booth's gun directly at the new arrival's chest.

Hodgins came skidding to a halt, his hands quickly reaching up in surrender as his eyes widened, though whether it was due to the sight of the gun or the fact that Zach and Angela had just charged right in to his back, Brennan wasn't sure.

She lowered the weapon, running a hand across her face and sighing heavily.

"I'm sorry Hodgins."

He just nodded, taking in the scene around him with a concerned gaze, his eyes finally falling on the blonde woman coughing loudly in Booth's arms.

"Is everyone ok?"

Brennan just nodded mutely.

Ok? I'm still shaking… And as for Booth…

She looked down at her partner. Although obviously relieved, he still looked terrified, his grip tight around his old friend. Brennan couldn't help but experience a strange feeling pulling at her chest. Seeing the way that Booth looked at Katie, his eyes smiling sadly, she refused to believe it was jealousy.

She turned back to her team, offering a grim smile. Angela looked terrified as she crossed to her best friend, sliding her arm through Brennan's and squeezing it tight, as much for her own reassurance as her friend's.

Hodgins sharp blue eyes bored in to Brennan's, theories surging through him.

"Whoever this bastard is, he strung her up to stop her from talking, didn't he? He's probably part of some government conspiracy. I mean how else could he commit all these crimes at Quantico? Has she said who it was yet?"

Before she could answer, Zach interrupted, pointing over her shoulder.

"Doctor Brennan, what's that?"

She followed his gaze, crossing the clearing to the base of the tree that Katie had been hanging from. A large piece of white card was poking out of the grass. Brennan's heart sank at the sight of the familiar handwriting.

Pulling a pair of latex gloves from her pocket, the anthropologist crouched down, retrieving the evidence warily as she felt Booth's eyes boring in to her back. She read the card out loud.

"I set the game you're meant to play

And still you have defied me.

The third for answers now you've lost

Hanging from this pine tree."

She turned the card over, reading yet another bible passage.

"A time to get, and a time to lose - Ecclesiastes 3:6."

Brennan's eyes locked with Booth's who just stared at her mutely. She didn't know what to say, her frustration building at her lack of ability to find the words, the strength to help him. She had always built up walls, kept her heart in a box, as a way of coping with the hand that life had dealt her. And now she wanted to let him in, she wanted to be able to comfort and console him, but she didn't know how.

A renenwed coughing fit from Katie pulled Brennan from her thoughts, watching as the blonde grabbed at Booth's lapel, pulling him close as she struggled to speak. Temperance couldn't make out what was being said but from the look on her partner's face, she knew it wasn't good.

He looked up at her, his eyes flashing with rage.

"The killer…"

He swallowed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's Nate."

A/N: Sorry to have to do this to you folks but no, the end is not nigh... There's at least another four chapters up my sleeve so stay tuned for tomorrow's bumper edition of...(drum roll please)... The Man In The Lecture Hall! Reviews will receive my eternal love, gratification and a shower of delicious cookies.