"I now own this fatal role that lives

Imagine here's a better feel

Told to dissolve, or choose to fade

Or stay here you'll live"

- "Letter From A Thief" Chevelle

Brennan was completely frozen. She couldn't make her brain communicate to her legs to move. Who was this man? Why was he so dedicated to taking her partner's life? Most importantly, what could she do about it? She wasn't armed. Booth's gun was most likely lost back in the blazing rubble.

She took a chance and threw herself back towards the side of the vehicle. Another bullet just missed striking her. Frightened yet determined, she lifted herself onto her feet in the crouching position. Cautiously she peeked up over the hood.

Vick was briskly approaching her. She'd ducked back down behind the SUV. Just as she was plotting her next move she heard the explosion of another bullet being discharged. Something entered her shoulder, slamming her onto her back in the hard snow. Instantly she knew she'd been shot. Blood was already seeping into her shirt.

Using quite a bit of strength she sat herself back up. Vick was only a short distance from her. Again he pointed the gun at her. This time he aimed straight at her head. Brennan made a shrieking sound. She tried to push herself up, but with only one good working arm she found herself nearly rendered helpless.

Vick fired. Brennan shut her eyes tightly. She waited for the stinging pain; for the world to go black. Nothing happened. Fearfully she opened her eyes. In front of her she found she was staring at the smooth exterior of one of the SUV's doors. Booth had thrown it open to protect her.

He ambled back down out of the cab. He had a hard time keeping his balance, but pulled her arms around his neck. She locked her fingers together as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up from the snow. Carefully they guided one another back inside. Booth pushed Brennan ahead of him. Then he got in, shutting the door behind him.

Brennan started the SUV. She looked back in the rearview mirror to find Vick nowhere in sight. She'd been in the field enough with Booth to know what sort of danger that could lead to. Throwing the shift into drive, she floored the gas pedal. Snow spit out from the tires behind them. Sideways they fish tailed until the vehicle righted itself. At a break neck speed they took off through the woods.

There was nothing else Brennan was allowing herself to think about until they were safe. She didn't even glance in her mirrors. When the thought came to her she looked over at Booth sitting awkwardly in the passenger seat. His head was in his hands. "Booth?"

A few moments passed before he responded. He looked up, and she could tell immediately from his eyes that he was hallucinating all over again. His breaths were choppy with an uneven amount of time between his inhales and exhales. Sporadically he trembled. Brennan knew Booth had been captured and tortured during his time in the Army. He'd shared few of those horrors with her. What he was going through she couldn't imagine. It made her hate Vick all the more for forcing him to relive those memories.

"Booth, it's okay." She didn't know if her words penetrated his dream. But it didn't stop her from trying. "You're okay." But she knew he wasn't. Not by a long shot.

Suddenly glass broke behind them. A bullet soared through the car and cracked the windshield as it exited. Brennan unintentionally swerved, nearly toppling them. She looked back to find Vick chasing them on the only working snowmobile. She had to hand it to him, she didn't know too many people who could steer a snowmobile with one hand and fire a gun with the other at the same time. Well, she supposed Booth probably could if need be.

Another bullet bounced somewhere off of the vehicle's side. Was Vick aiming for their tires? Brennan had no idea what to do, and was losing her logical resolve. Her shoulder was aching with intense pain. She was panicking. "Booth. Help me!"

Booth was lost so deep that this time he didn't even acknowledge her.

Back and forth Brennan began swerving, for lack of a better idea. Hopefully Vick would have a difficult time following them. Keeping up with them. Her idea worked, but back fired at the same time. She could hear another muffled pop. A tire blew out. The steering wheel became loose in her hands. The snow gave way to ice. Abruptly the world turned upside as the SUV flipped and rolled onto its roof. It skidded along in the snow, eventually coming to a stop.

Brennan was knocked unconscious. She woke in a daze sometime later. Between the blood loss from her bullet wound and the repeated onslaught to her head, she was weak. Only could she just barely undo her seat belt and free herself. Using her elbow she managed to break the already cracked driver's side window. Feebly she fell out into the snow. Gasping, she laid on her back and looked up at the snow covered pine trees. The pain was blinding. But they weren't out of trouble yet. Vick was still on the loose.

Brennan sat up. She looked and listened for the snowmobile. Except for the usual various outdoor sounds all was still. No. This wasn't right. Once again she was able to get herself onto her feet. She stumbled vigilantly back the way she'd driven. It wasn't too long before she came upon Vick.

The same trap that he'd set up to capture Booth had worked against him. His snowmobile was stuck, still running in a snow drift. The man himself had flown off over its handle bars. He'd gone head first straight into a tree. Brennan approached him just close enough to be sure he was dead. And he was indeed. His neck had snapped upon impact.

Back towards the damaged automobile she walked numbly. Her mind urged her that she was forgetting something. Someone. Booth! As fast as she could she ran back to him. Luckily (or unluckily) his window had already broken. Inside Booth was completely unconscious. Unmoving. Blood was leaking down the side of his face from a wound on his temple.

Brennan crawled inside. She tugged on him repeatedly with all the strength she had left. Mentally she cursed him for not wearing a seat belt. Just as she felt ready to pass out she got him completely out into the snow. Over him she knelt, nervously checking his pulse. Without a seat belt on she had no idea how hard he'd hit his head. Death wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

His faint pulse beat beneath her fingertips. She nearly collapsed in relief. Finding her cell phone, she managed to play with it enough to get reception. She dialed for paramedics, then sunk down on top of Booth. Her eyes closed as she drifted off, her heart against his.