This story is really starting to take off now. When I wrote the first chapter I had no idea it would turn out like this but I'm loving where it's going. I hope you are too because as soon as you don;t I'll stop writing. So you need to tell me what you think by clicking on the review button at the end. enjoy this next installment.
The FBI was quick to bring the evidence and remains of the woman in the car to the lab. As soon as it arrived, Brennan assembled her team, along with some other lab techs, and assigned tasks to them all. They are going to go over every millimetre of the car for evidence, every speck of dust will be analysed, every inch of the woman's body scrutinised. No one misunderstands the importance of this case and as Brennan handed out orders, each recipient accepted willingly and with determination. Booth also noticed the switch being flicked in Brennan's head, the one that changes her from Temperance Brennan the woman, to Temperance Brennan the scientist. He also knows that switching off her emotions is the only way she will be able to work this case. But that still worries him because he knows that means she will be bottling up those emotions and they'll have to come out somehow.
As Booth stands silently and unobtrusively at the edge of the platform, he watches Brennan analyse the female victim on the table. Zach takes notes and every so often throws in his own opinion. Angela stands to the side, her sketchpad clasped in one hand as the other sketches.
"Bren, I have a preliminary sketch." She announces. "When you're done with the skull I'll take another look."
"Zach, I want you to continue here, I'll be in my office." Brennan pulls off her gloves and backs away from the table. "Rehydrate the hands and see if you can pull any prints." Booth visibly winces at the thought of this, remembering the last time Brennan dealt with a mummy and he had the unpleasant experience of watching her slide her own hand into the skin of the victim. "Strip the rest of the tissue and when the bones are ready, give the skull to Angela." Zach nods his understanding.
Brennan moves to the stairs of the platform and Booth falls into step beside her.
"How's it looking?" he asks.
"I was right about time of death." Brennan states. "Three weeks ago. A week after Hodgins and I…" she trails off.
"How long before we get an ID?" Booth asks another question to interrupt her train of thought.
"A few hours." Brennan sighs.
"Okay, well I'm going to head back to the office. I have all the old files so I'm going to take a look through them."
"I'll call you as soon as we have an ID." Booth steps towards the door, hesitating before stepping out. He is about to speak when Brennan anticipates his question.
"I'm okay Booth." She smiles, not lifting her head from her downward gaze at the papers on her desk. Booth nods and leaves without a word.
xxxx
True to her word, only a couple of hours pass until Brennan calls Booth.
"You got an ID?"
"Zach found prints and we ran it through the database. Angela's face matches the ID." Brennan states. "Her name was Sabrina Wilcox, aged twenty eight. She was an investment banker, her fingerprints were on record for her job."
"I'll find the next of kin." Booth states. "You heading home?"
"In an hour or so. I have a few things to finish up."
"You want me to come over later?" Booth asks casually. He doesn't want Brennan to think he assumes she'll want or need him. She pauses before answering.
"You don't have to. I'll call you if I need to." She replies. Booth tries not to feel hurt that she doesn't want him with her but he knows she needs to prove to herself that she can handle things.
"Okay, just promise you'll make that call if you need to."
"I promise."
Xxxx
Brennan arrives at her apartment a little after eight. After setting down her jacket and bag, she presses her answering machine to check for messages. There is only one, from a sales person advising her she can get a discounted kitchen if she calls before Saturday. Brennan quickly erases the message and heads for her couch. As she sits down she notices a white envelope propped up on the coffee table. She is immediately nervous because she knows she did not put it there. Reaching out she lifts it up and takes a cursory look. It is unsealed so she pulls out the note inside. Before she even opens it she knows who it is from and that thought sends shivers down her spine.
Dr Brennan,
I see you have found her. I put her there for you. I wanted you to be the one to investigate. You'll try hard, I know, but you won't find me. You and Dr Hodgins were lucky. That luck won't last.
GD
Brennan's hands begin to shake as she sets the letter and envelope down on the coffee table. He was here. He was in my apartment Brennan realises. She rises quickly from the couch and stands, taking a look around her apartment for anything else that is out of place or shouldn't be here. She sees nothing. There are no disturbances. And she remembers that her door was locked when she arrived so that means he had a key to her apartment. The only other way in would be via the balcony but she is the second floor up and that would take some skill to achieve. Brennan shudders as she grabs her cordless phone and steps out into the hallway. She can't stand to be inside her own place knowing he was there. She might not have been able to see anything but that doesn't mean he didn't leave another surprise for her.
Still shaking, Brennan punches in Booth's cell phone number and holds the phone to her ear. It rings four times before he answers.
"Bones, that you?" he asks when no one speaks.
"He was here." She whispers.
"What? Who was where?" Booth asks.
"My apartment, he was here. He left a note."
"Bones, who was at your apartment?"
"The Gravedigger." As she speaks the words, her knees turn to jelly and she slides down the wall to the floor.
"Bones, listen to me carefully." Booth says. "Get out the apartment and wait for me."
"I'm in the hall." She whispers.
"Okay, good. Stay there and do not move." Booth instructs. He is already throwing his jacket on and looking for his keys. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Okay." Brennan hangs up and grips the phone in her hand. She doesn't think about what her neighbours might say if they are to see her like this. All she can think about is the Gravedigger coming after her.
xxxx
Booth screeches to a halt outside Brennan's apartment building. He flies across the sidewalk and through the doors, not stopping to acknowledge the night doorman. He heads straight for the stairs and pounds up them two at a time. As he bursts through the door onto Brennan's floor he immediately sees her at the end of the hall sitting outside her apartment. She jumps and turns to him when she hears the door bang open. The relief on her face is obvious and she clambers to her feet as Booth runs along the hall.
"You okay?" he asks, his hand reaching out and cupping her cheek in an instinctive move. She nods and Booth draws his hand back. "Did you hear anyone in there?" he asks, his eyes focused intently on Brennan.
"No." she shakes her head.
"Okay, wait here." Booth pulls out his service weapon and enters her apartment. Brennan hovers by the door, for once happy to stay back while Booth does the dangerous thing. He disappears down the hall checking her bedroom then her bathroom and the various cupboards. When he reappears his gun has been holstered but he now holds his cell phone in his hand. He signals for Brennan to enter and she takes a few steps in, a little hesitant at entering a place she no longer feels safe in.
"This is Agent Booth." Booth speaks into his phone. He proceeds to request...no demand, a full forensics team and additional agents to Brennan's apartment. When he's done, he pockets his phone and walks over to Brennan.
"Go pack a few things, you're staying with me." He commands. Under any other circumstance, Brennan would have argued that she could stay by herself but the last thing she wants is to be in this apartment. She merely nods her acceptance and walks to her bedroom to pack some clothes. Booth uses the opportunity to take a look at the note, still sitting on the coffee table. The words send shivers down his spine. The Gravedigger obviously killed this last woman with the specific intent of getting to Brennan and Hodgins. I won't let that happen he vows. He is not going to hurt her again, not while I'm alive and breathing.
Whilst Brennan packs, the FBI arrives in full force. Three agents plus a full forensics team arrive and immediately begin to take over the apartment. Brennan emerges from her bedroom with a large holdall slung over her shoulder.
"Booth?"
"Hey Bones." Booth walks over and with a hand on her shoulder he guides her towards the front door. "These guys are going to go over every inch of your place. If he left any trace behind, they'll find it." He assures her. "Hardy." Booth turns to one of the agents. "Call me the minute you find anything."
"Sure thing Booth." Hardy nods before turning his attention back to the Gravedigger's note which is now sealed in an evidence bag.
"Okay Bones, lets go." He ushers her out of the apartment and down the hall, his hand never leaving her shoulder.
xxxx
Half an hour later Brennan is walking through the front door of Booth's house.
"We should call Hodgins." She states. Booth is a little surprised as it is the first thing she has said since leaving her apartment. "What if he's been there too?"
"I'll call him now." Booth nods and pulls out his cell. While he waits for Jack to answer, he watches as Brennan drops her bag on the floor and curls up on the couch, wrapping her arms protectively around her body. He can see her walls going up and her emotions shutting down.
"Hodgins, its Booth. Where are you?"
"At the lab." Hodgins replies, a little confused by Booth's call.
"I'm sending an FBI forensics team to your house. I want you, Angela and Zach to go somewhere safe tonight."
"What's going on Booth?"
"The Gravedigger left a message for Bones inside her apartment."
"Is she okay?" Hodgins asks with genuine concern in his voice.
"She's with me at my place."
"Okay Booth, just have one of your guys get Martin to let them in." Hodgins advises. "But I doubt they'll find anything, I have a lot of security."
"I know, but we need to be safe."
"I get it. I'll let Angela and Zach know." Booth finishes up the call, places another call to the FBI then finally turns his attention to Brennan.
"How are you doing?" he asks. She shifts her gaze from the floor to him as he walks over and sits beside her.
"I don't know." She shrugs.
"You hungry?"
"Not really."
"I'm gonna order some pizza." Booth picks up his phone and quickly places an order for a large cheese pizza. When he's done he rises and heads to his kitchen. "You want a drink Bones?" he calls. Brennan rises to her feet and pads through to him.
"Something strong." She sighs. Booth nods, appreciating her need for something more than beer, and pulls a bottle of scotch from the cupboard.
"Will this do?" he smiles.
xxxx
A few hours later, the pair are slumped on the couch. Two empty glasses sit on the coffee table beside the bottle of scotch and a pizza box empty but for two slices.
"It could be a while before forensics call Bones, you should get some rest."
"I don't think I can sleep." Brennan admits.
"How about you try. Come on." He stands up and pulls her to her feet. Standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders, Booth guides her to his bedroom, picking up her bag on the way. Inside his bedroom he sets the bag down on the bed.
"Bathroom is through there." He motions to the door off the bedroom. "I'll be in the kitchen." He adds as he backs out of the room.
Fifteen minutes later, Booth hears the shower being turned off. After giving her a few more minutes to get changed, Booth walks through to the bedroom. She has changed into a pair of cream pyjama bottoms and a tight fitting cream tank top. Her hair is damp and hanging loose around her face.
"Hey." Booth smiles. Brennan sits down on the edge of the bed and pulls her hair behind her ears. "You don't feel much like sleeping huh?" Booth can tell she doesn't want to sleep and knows it is because she's afraid of having nightmares.
"I can't believe this is happening." She mumbles. "How many times are we going to have to go through this? Wasn't Epps enough?" Booth senses her question is really a rhetorical one and doesn't reply. Instead he squeezes her shoulder gently.
"It's late Bones. You should try to sleep a little."
"Why? So I can dream about how he's going to kill me?" she turns to Booth, her eyes filled with anger this time.
"He is not going to hurt you Bones. I won't let him."
"Even you can't protect me all the time Booth." Her voice softens. "I understand that." With her words, Booth feels that Brennan is accepting that the Gravedigger will get to her again and that scares him. She isn't usually so defeatist.
"Temperance, look at me." He draws her face to his with a finger under her chin. "We're prepared this time. We know what we're dealing with. And I am not going to let him hurt you, understand?" he speaks forcefully. Brennan nods, not sure if she truly believes it. "Come here." Booth opens his arms and wraps them around Brennan, drawing her into an embrace. "You'll get through this Bones, you're strong." He whispers. "And you've got me."
Xxxx
