One week later:
He marched down the hall towards the two agents down at the end.
"Connors, Heinz tell me you have good news." He said. Connors turned to face him. The agents had been working hard for the last week following the best lead they'd had all year.
"It's definitely her sir, but she's badly beaten, they don't know if she'll wake up. they're questioning brain damage." He said slowly. Cullen sighed and looked into the room. There she was lying in the hospital bed. Her face was badly bruised but it was definitely her. Dr Temperance Brennan-Booth.
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Booth rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He was sitting at the kitchen table watching Harlow colouring. Max sat down beside him and handed him a cup of coffee. His father-in-law had been living with them since Booth had rung him the week before, Booth was surprised at how much help he'd been over the past few days.
The older man looked over a Booth. the poor guy was slowly picking himself back up after his fall last week. In his mind Booth deserved to continue grieving in his own way for another while but the man had his kids to think about. And rightly so. He watched as the younger man smiled at Harlow, his granddaughter.
"Daddy can we go to the merry-go-round today?" she said looking up.
"We'll se Harlie. Maybe later."
Just then there was a loud knock on the door. Max got up and walked over to the door. Sam Cullen was standing there. Booth stood up.
"Sir…"
"We've found her Booth! we've got her she's alive!" he said hurriedly.
Booth could have sworn he felt his heart stop. He couldn't have heard the right…
"Daddy what's happening?" Harlow said.
"Booth…" Cullen repeated.
"I heard… alive…how…" Booth started he was barely able to think. "Take me now!" he grabbed his coat and flew out the door. Cullen followed him.
"Grandpa what's going on?" Harlow said standing up on her chair. Max turned around to her slowly, could his baby girl really be alive after all this time.
"we have to go to the hospital now darling." He said and he picked her up.
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Booth sprinted down the hall past Connors and into the room Cullen had directed him to. He stopped short when he saw her lying there. it was really her, his wife, the love of his life. He collapsed onto his knees beside her bed and gently took her hand in his. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises and her hair was matted with blood, but he had never been happier to see her. she was hooked up to a breathing tube and her eyes were shut. The tears ran freely down his face.
"Bones…" he said softly. "…Bones it's me can you hear me?..." he rubbed her hand tenderly. "Bones…"
"She's very beaten up Booth. we can only begin to imagine what she's gone through. You have to prepare yourself for the fact that she might not wake up…" Cullen said from the door.
"She will I know she will… she's Bones, she's strong…" he said taking her other hand. Turning to Cullen he asked. "How did you find her… who…"
"We've been following evidence for the last year and a few months ago we hit a dead end but it broke last week when we got a call. One of her kidnappers broke off and traded her location for protection. Turns out he was one of the paramedics that came to the office."
"Did… did you get them?" Booth said in a broken voice.
"Two dead three arrested and our informant." Cullen said.
"Why?"
"Simply because she got to close. She was working on a case for homeland security that I doubt even you knew about. A case that infiltrated deep into the Russian mob which is quite prominent in Miami at the moment. She just got too close to them…" Cullen said.
"Why did they… why did they keep her alive?"
"Her intelligence, her value is what saved her…" he started but Booth cut him off.
"You know what I don't want to know. I don't care I have her back and you got those sons of bitches." Booth turned back to Brennan. "I have her back…"
Cullen turned and left the room silently.
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Booth squeezed out the face cloth and gently wiped her face. He'd been cleaning her up for the last few hour, wiping all her cuts and scars, talking to her, trying to wrap his head around it all. The door opened and Angela walked in. she gasped.
"Oh my… it's really her! she's really here!" she said quietly. Booth didn't even turn around.
"She's back Angie! She's really back." He said.
"I can't believe this…" she went to the other side of the bed she then looked at Booth. "Booth Max and Harlow and the others are all in the waiting room. I think Max is afraid to come in and Harlow is very confused no-ones told her what's going on yet." Booth knew he had to go talk to her. But she couldn't see her mother like this and he didn't want to leave her… "Please go talk to that poor little girl, I'll mind her I promise." Angela said. Booth looked up at her and nodded. Kissing Brennan's hand he stood up and walked out to the waiting room.
