Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bones or its characters. All credit goes to their rightful owners.
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Chapter Eight
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Booth stood in Cam's office as she went over her newest findings. She was clearly leading up to something big. "Cam, get to the point?"
"We found a partial fingerprint. And it belongs to one Ronnie Jonathan Willis."
"You're sure?"
"Hey, I'm good at my job. I'm positive."
Booth's heart seemed to kick up to overdrive. As he all but ran to his car. By the time he was in it, he'd already called Caroline to get a warrant.
Maybe it was a dick move, but he didn't even bother knocking before walking into Sweet's office, and all but dragged the guy from the room.
He wasted no time filling Sweets in, from the scarf and Brennan's hair found with their victim and then Willis' partial print.
He felt as if his heart was going to beat out of his chest as they approached the house. Was Bones in there? Was he minutes away from having her in his arms?
Knock. Knock. Knock. "Ronnie Willis, this is agent Booth and Dr. Sweets." He banged on the door again. "We have a few more questions for you."
When there was no answer, Booth kicked the door down, consequences be damned. He would handle that later. Right now, he wasn't leaving this property without knowing for certain that Bones wasn't here.
"Nothing!" Booth boomed a little while later. "Willis is MIA and we found no evidence that anyone was ever held there. The house is clean."
"I'll send a team over anyway. Just to be sure there isn't something that was missed."
Booth lowered his head, leaning on the rail. "I thought. I thought we were close. That we'd have her back today."
"Seeley, I feel like you need to prepare for the possibility that even if we find her, it might be too late. It's been two weeks."
"I know that Camille" he ground out. "I have to have faith. Faith that God wouldn't take her from me. Not when…Not when she's my person."
"You're person?" Cam smiled softly at that.
He glanced at her, knowing she was waiting for an explanation. "Hannah and I broke up."
"Oh," she put her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."
"No. No, I'm. It's for the best. Otherwise, I'd be lying to her. When I was interrogating Oliver Laurier, I lost my cool and told him that he would regret it if anything happens to my partner, the woman I love."
"And so you realized what everyone else already knew."
"I love Bones. I guess I just didn't want to love her anymore. Hannah, I loved her too, but she made me realize that my feelings for Bones were more. Deeper."
"I found sand!" Hodgins said as he and Angela hurried over to them. Manufactured sand that makes its grit a very precise size. That makes it easier to track the brand. It was found on the victim's shoes."
"Why didn't we find this sooner?" Cam interrupted."
"Because it was mixed in with the soil. I barely caught it."
"So I looked up the manufacturer, and they sent me a list of everyone who bought their product in the last six months." Angela handed a piece of paper to Booth as she spoke. "Oliver Willis incorporated. That's too much of a coincidence if you ask me."
"Oliver and Willis are in it together. That's why Oliver had an alibi."
"This property is in a secluded area. No one has neighbors for miles." Cam looked at Booth. "We might have found her."
Booth was already heading out the door as he pulled out his phone. "Caroline."
Water. She needed water. It's been longer than normal since anyone has come down here. She knows Oliver and Willis had argued. It had started down her with her before they moved it upstairs. She knew it was because Oliver was pissed about the shape she was in. But she doesn't know the conclusion of the argument.
After a while, they came back down, something had spooked them, and they were talking about moving her to a different location. They injected her with something. She didn't know what, but it made her groggy. A phone rang, then both of them were gone again, once again arguing.
She hated to admit that part of her was ready to die. She was so tired. In so much pain. But she couldn't give up. Couldn't stop fighting because Booth was out there, looking for her. She knew that. Booth wouldn't give up so neither can she.
She just hoped he'd find her soon. Her will to keep fighting was draining. She was too weak. Too tired. In more pain than she'd ever been in.
Especially right now as she hung here. Her arms would never be the same after all the abuse. She was confident that her left shoulder was out of place from Willis' last beating. Her breaths were painful from bruised ribs. Her wrist was cut open again. She could feel blood fall down her arms.
She focused on her breathing as she fought whatever they'd given her. It wasn't the same as the first time. She was awake and aware, but it felt like everything was further away. Her mind slowed to a crawl.
She heard footfalls upstairs and hated how fear made her squirm. Those were heavy footfalls. Willis. He was back. She cursed the tears that fell. She didn't like that she was afraid. Hated it in fact. If she could just see! She wanted to see. So her imagination wouldn't make things worse.
Arguing. She could hear arguing. More than two voices it seemed. She tried to make out the words, but she couldn't. The argument seemed to escalate. That wasn't a surprise. She figured the two of them wouldn't be able to get along, long term. They both wanted her. Sooner or later, they'd fight to have her. But what of the other voices? Was it an illusion? The drugs?
The sound of a gun made her jerk in surprise. There was a thunk. A body falling to the ground. More heavy footfalls. More than one. There were several. Oh god.
Willis has told her he had friends and when he could, he'd bring them by to have their way with her. Was that what this was? Had they argued about that? And someone got shot. And now they were headed down the stairs. She knew the sound well. But what about moving her? The two theories didn't seem to connect.
Fear overloaded her as the steps grew closer. "Don't touch me!" Someone was trying to console her. Or at least she thinks that's what he was trying to do. She couldn't make out his words over the panic. Someone touched her cheek. "Don't! Don't touch me!"
"Don't touch her!"
He was using Booth's voice again. "Don't! Please don't do this. I can't take any more." She sounded defeated, yet she fought against the chains. She wanted out. She wanted to go home. Wanted Her lab. Wanted Booth.
"Easy. Easy. Bones. It's me. It's me." A finger touched her cheek, wiping away a tear.
"No! Don't touch me. Don't. Please I'm." Her throat tightened. Wait, did he call her bones? She fought against the fog that was now trying to pull her under.
"Bones. It's me. Okay? I'm going to take the blindfold off. Okay." Was this some kind of joke? In all the time she'd been here he'd never called her Bones. And was he actually going to remove the blindfold? Was this really Booth?
"B— Booth?" This could be a trick, but this voice really did sound like the real Booth. That authority it carried that Willis couldn't pull off was there. That had been the difference.
"Yeah, it's me." She went still as he drew closer. She breathed in his scent, that familiar scent of dark spices filled her longs and as he removed her blindfold, she blinked, the lights too bright. But there he was. Booth. Just inches from her, his brown eyes, saying it all. All the fear and worry and relief.
She cried silent tears as he took her in his arms, lifting her bridal style to take the strain off her arms. "There's a switch somewhere." She croaked out.
"Found it." Sweets called out. "Give us the room, guys."
She winced as her arms went down, her wrist getting relief for the first time since she woke up here. Her arms ached. Her whole body ached. God, she was tired.
"Are you going to put me down?" Booth held her to him tightly.
He looked at her, eyes red with tears. "Not yet." He whispered the words, pressing his forehead to hers.
"This is real? You're here?" Her mind reeled and she feared this was just the drugs. If this was some kind of messed-up dream, if she woke up back in hell, she'd never survive.
"I'm here. This is real. I'm here."
A sob escaped her as she threw her still chained wrist over his head, hugging him to her. She didn't even care that she shouldn't be holding him like this. Didn't care that he wasn't hers. What mattered was he was here now. That he'd found her. That he was just as relieved to find her as she was.
"Don't let me go." She said as Sweets took the restraints off, making her limbs feel odd. She squeezed him tighter, not caring that her wrist screamed in protest.
"I've got you," Booth said in reply, holding her tighter. "I'm not letting go. I've got you, Bones."
"Say it again."
"Say what again?"
"Bones. Call me Bones again." Because it meant that he was really him. That this was real and because she'd missed it so much. Hearing him call her.
Booth let out a soft chuckle. "Bones. Bones. Bones."
She buried her head into the curve of his neck and shoulder and cried.
He'd imagined many horrors over the days. What Bones might have been going through. All the things they could have done to her. He'd learned about torture, and had enough information to imagine things from one's nightmares.
But nothing could prepare him for this. It wasn't that he hadn't imagined a similar scenario to what he'd walked into. It was simply the very fact that it had been done to her that hit him hard.
Her screams of "don't touch me!" Had him bolting down the stairs before he'd finished his sweep of the ground floor. Seeing her like that? Hanging off the ground, her toes barely reaching the floor? It made his blood boil.
She'd been afraid of him. Even after he spoke. Like she hadn't recognized his voice. She'd been uncertain to believe he was him until the blindfold was removed. She'd squinted at him as if the light was too much for her eyes, she took him in as if she were couldn't believe he was there.
Unable to stop himself, he'd pulled her to him, lifting her in his arms as Sweets found the switch Bones spoke of to lower her arms. She stared at him with an expression he didn't quite understand, silent tears streaming down her cheeks
When her arms were lowered she seemed a little confused. "Are you going to put me down?" She'd said the words slowly, almost sounding like a child with the rhythm in which her words were spoken.
"Not yet. His own words came out in a whisper. He pressed his head to hers, just needing to be closer.
"This is real? You're here?" Her voice cracked as she spoke. Fuck this, was killing him.
"I'm here."
A sob escaped her as if reality had just hit her. She moved, putting her arms around his head as she buried her face into his neck and just cried. She held him tighter when Sweets got the restraints off, even though she had to have been in pain. Hanging like that pulls the muscles, and makes you ache. Her wrists from what he saw were raw and bleeding.
When she requested that he call her Bones he couldn't stop the chuckle. She hated when he called her Bones. Or at least she'd always said that she did. But if she needed to hear him say her name, he would. Over and over.
She was so light. Too light. Had they been starving her? What else had they done to her? Had she spent the entire two weeks chained like that?
He'd wondered if she'd been raped, but he didn't get the answer to that question until they were at the hospital. Everyone kept trying to make him leave, but by the time they got to the hospital Bones was in a state of panic and when they tried making him leave, she'd lost it.
"No! He can't go! Please, don't leave me! Don't. Don't touch me. Booth!"
Her cries of terror had made his blood run cold. He'd never seen her like this before. Never saw that terror on her face.
They allowed him to stay as it was the only way they could examine her, and she refused drugs to sedate her. She'd told them she was already given something. She didn't know what. After some time, she calmed down and allowed them to do a quick exam and put in an IV. After she had time to calm further, they were back with questions.
"Sexual assault?" The nurse had asked so gently it was as if the words were a caress.
He'd stiffed, bracing for her answer. Her hand squeezed his as she nodded. "Yes. Three times. Each by Willis. Oliver only over masturbated on me."
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! His mind reeled and he fought to keep his face blank as he imagined all the ways he'd like to kill Willis. Oliver was already dead. But Willis was MIA, and he'd better hope he wasn't the one who found him.
"Did he use protection?"
"I don't know. I was always blindfolded."
"And your last menstrual cycle?"
"Is this necessary?" Booth snapped. Couldn't they just let her rest?
Bones squeezed his hand again. She was calmer now, her eyes seeming more focused. "It's okay Booth. She's asking important questions." She looked back at the nurse. "Given that I was contained for two weeks, It was three weeks ago."
"Okay. We can give you a plan B, though it might be too late."
"Please. Yes."
It was as if the hits kept coming. She could be pregnant? From rape? Yea, he knew it happened but, shit. She shouldn't ever be pregnant from such a horrific act. Babies should be made from love.
"Agent Booth?" The nurse called him to attention.
"Yeah?"
"We need to do a rape kit, Dr. Brennan asked you to wait outside."
He looked down at her. "Yeah? You're okay?"
"Yes, Booth. I'll be okay."
He swallowed, feeling as if leaving her was physically painful. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'll be right outside. You call me, I'll come."
Bones smiled. It was a small shadow of a smile, but a smile nonetheless. "I'm fine, Booth. I promise."
"Okay."
He left the room. They did that exam and a few more. Sweets had shown up to take her statement which pissed him off because he wanted her to rest, but she insisted on giving it.
Every. Horrible. Sorted. Detail. She spoke as if she were giving details on what someone else went through. Her words were spoken matter-of-factly, cold, detached. As if it didn't affect her one bit. Meanwhile, every word she spoke made his stomach sick and his heartbreak. It made him feel murderous with how angry he was.
He'd seen the evidence of said abuse. Bruises, cuts, and three angry-looking burns that were each about two inches long and deep. They'd scar and it will be painful to wear pants as it was on her hip.
When Sweets was finished, she was finally able to sleep. He had to promise her three times that he wouldn't leave before she allowed the meds to lull her to sleep.
Angela and Hodgins showed up soon after she fell asleep. They didn't want to wake her so they just stayed with her for a few minutes before telling Booth they would be back. Cam showed up a few minutes later. She and Booth talked for a little bit in hushed voices before she too promised she would be back.
Max showed up, looking at Bones with fire in his eyes. Booth imagined that Max was feelings a rage very similar to his own for the men who hurt her.
They exchanged a few words before Max took the extra chair and they now sat in silence.
He was content with just watching her breath. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In….-and out. Something so simple as breathing was likely causing her pain. But it made him feel high with relief. Her breathing meant she was alive.
But he hated that she was in pain. Torn rotator cuffs. Both shoulders. Lesions on both wrist and ankles. Cuts on right ankle we're infected. Most of her ribs were bruised, and one was cracked. Broken toe on the right foot. Sprained right ankle. Left wrist partially fractured. Tears in… In her vagina. Yeast infection. Various lesions and bruises throughout her body.
Booth stood, feeling anxious. He wanted to be out in the field, looking for the asshole who did this to her. According to her, most of this was Willis. But he didn't want to leave her and he promised he wouldn't.
"You look like you're about ready to kill someone," Max said softly.
"Willis. Ronnie Willis." Booth said his name as if they were poison on his tongue.
"I know you don't want to hear this. But don't kill him unless you have to."
Booth's eyes shot to Max. Usually, he'd never considered killing unless necessary. But what he did to Bones? How could he let that monster live?
"She won't like it. It will bother her. Make her feel like she's the reason you abandoned your belief system. Besides. She needs to help you catch the SOB. To get closer. Justice."
He hated that max was right. "Funny advice coming from you. I know you've imagined all the ways in which you could kill him." He'd said the words a bit harsher than he'd meant to.
"Yes. But she holds you to a high standard. Higher than even me. She needs you to be what you've always been to her."
"And what's that?"
"The good guy, with a steady aim and a heart of gold. Don't let your rage take that from her."
Closing his eyes he nodded. Because he knew max was right. Bones didn't need his rage. She needed his strength. His honor to do the right thing. Even if doing the right thing would kill him.
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I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Reviews and comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks :D
