Since you've all been so good, here's the next chapter!
btw, just realized I never gave this one a disclaimer, so: I'm sure by now you know I don't own Bones in any way, shape or form. Don't own Booth either, but, oh, do I wish I did!
Brennan sat on the couch in her office. It was late, time was running out, and they still couldn't come up with anything. Angela was trying to figure out the bullet pattern, Zack was checking the bones for any other information, and Hodgins was still going over the trace evidence. Hopefully, when Angela was done, they would be able to determine the exact gun that had killed Kenton. She didn't understand. Why was the killer doing this? Why would he want to play this game, knowing that the possiblity existed that she would find out who he was. What reason could he have? Unless he wasn't playing the game. Unless this was all a lie. The last time she had played this kind of game, Booth had almost died. No! She wasn't going to let herself think like that. He was NOT going to die! She would not give up. Her mother was dead, her father and brother gone. She was not going to lose the only other person to make her feel special, that she was a part of something. Booth was right. There was more than one kind of family. Zack, Hodgins, Angela,...Booth. They were her family. And she was through watching those she loved leave, watching them being taken from her.
She leaned her head back on the couch, willing her thoughts to clear. She needed to focus, to do what she did best, and find Booth. She couldn't read people very well, but she could read bones. She would find the truth. She wanted to get up and help Zack. She would in just a minute. She would close her eyes for a moment. Just a moment...
The hallway was dark and eerily silent. She was following Booth. The killer was up ahead. Booth's gun felt cold in her hand. Suddenly, she stopped. There was a light shining up ahead. She looked around for Booth. The hallway was empty. "Booth" she whispered. No answer. She couldn't hear anything. Where was he? He wouldn't leave her. "Booth!" Her heartbeat quickened. Panic threatened to overtake her. "Booth, please, answer me!" She started to run in the direction she had last seen him. The light was going again, and she was running in darkness. She had to catch up with him, she had to find him. She ran faster and faster, not knowing where she was going, only that she had to find him. "Booth!" She was crying, not caring who could hear her. "Please wait! You promised not to leave me!" She fell to the ground, and the gun flew out of her hand. "You promised, please, you promised.."
Brennan's eyes flew open. She looked around at the familiar surroundings of her office. Her heart was pounding. Only a dream, it was only a dream she kept telling herself. She had to stop. She wasn't doing Booth any good sitting here feeling sorry for herself. She could do this, she knew she could. Kenton's killer was right about one thing. She was the best. And she would find him. When she was a kid, she didn't play a lot of games. She wasn't too good at them. But in this game, she was the best. And she would win.
She got up, and walked out to the lab to help Zack.
BBB
"Dr. Brennan, I still can't find anything else on the bones. The only sign of injury is the gunshot wound in the skull." Zack had gone over every inch of the skeleton 3 times.
"There has to be something." Brennan was getting frustrated. "Maybe Angela has something on the bullet. She turned and started towards Angela's office.
"Angela, have you had any luck?"
Angela turned to look at her friend. She looked exhausted. It had been 12 hours since she had found the note, and probably about 16 hours since Kenton had been shot and Booth had been missing.
"I think I've got something." Angela turned back to her computer. "I've reverse engineered the bullet. I'm sending it in to Cullen as we speak. Hopefully they can trace the bullet to the gun that killed Kenton."
Brennan looked at her friend. "Thanks, Angela. You should probably go home and get some sleep."
"Sweetie, there is no way I'm going home until we find Booth. None of us are." She stood up and went to her. "I know that you won't either, but maybe you can try to rest in your office."
Brennan shuddered at the thought of the dream. "I'm okay."
"Really? Look, I can only imagine what's going through your mind right now, but you have to stay positive."
Brennan walked over and sat down. "I never told him..." Angela had to strain to hear the words. "I just thought I would have time. I thought..." her voice broke. She turned to look at Angela. "Now he may never know."
Angela took her hand. "Sweetie, he knows. Everyone knows. Even you knew, you just didn't want to deal with it. And don't talk like you'll never get the chance. We are going to find him. You are going to find him."
Brennan turned to her friend, her best friend, the only person other than Booth that that she had let into her world, into her heart. "Angela, I just want you to know what you mean to me. You came into my life, and I didn't know how much I needed you. I want you to know that I couldn't have done this without you. You are my best friend, and I love you."
Angela hugged her. "I know. I love you too, Sweetie."
BBB
Zack was sitting in the lounge, trying to rest for a moment, when Cullen walked in. "Where's Dr. Brennan?"
"I think she is in Angela's office. Did you find something out about the bullet?"
"Yeah" he said, "but she's not going to like it."