Okay suedo, here it is...MORE! lol.

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I really should have thought this plan through a bit more. I'm here and I'm in his bathroom and I have no idea what I'm doing…Shit…Rodger's gonna come after me for this... What am I doing?

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April heard the female voice at the door and lifted her chin.

"Is everything alright? Do you need some help?" The voice asked, it was Dr. Brennan.

Yes. April's mind immediately answered. She did need help. At the moment she was curled up in a ball on the floor, hugging her legs tightly, waiting for something to happen. She had noticed, though, that Booth had a pretty clean bathroom floor.

She thought a moment. April wasn't a stupid girl, she knew she couldn't get her clothes changed by herself and she'd almost lost feeling in her hands and feet, she was so cold.

So finally, she heaved herself to her feet, wincing at the exertion and went to the door.

Brennan threw a reassuring smile to Booth who was pacing at the end of the hallway, before slipping inside. April looked quite out of place against the brightly lit red and blue bathroom as she stood motionless in the middle of the floor.

Booth likes his bathroom almost as flashy as his socks. Brennan mused silently.

"Seeley sent you?" April asked, her dark green eyes studying a spot just to the right of Brennan's head.

"He was worried about you, he said you wouldn't come out."

April nodded, a soft smile coming to her pale lips.

"I didn't mean to worry him." She started to shrug but thought better of it and turned to fiddle with the clothes on the counter. "I just…needed some time to think, that's all."

Her voice kept dropping off at the end of sentences and Brennan strained to hear, but at that moment she was more interested in April's movements than her conversation.

"Can you hold your arms out?" Brennan asked, stepping forward and studying April's torso intently.

Involuntarily backing away, April drew her arms down to her sides. "Why?"

Brennan paused. "I'm an anthropologist."

Raising one eyebrow, her black fingernails dug into the palms of her hands.

"So? I'm an artist." April stated matter-of-factly. "Can I see your brain?"

Brennan took another step forward. "Just…please hold out your arms."

April stared at the woman for a few seconds, but when it became obvious she wasn't backing down, she sighed and did as she was told.

Brennan reached out and took hold of April's arms, gently pushing up the sleeves of the her wet shirt. Her eyes widened as her suspicions were confirmed, red and yellow scars along with large purple bruises in the shape of hands were imprinted on April's pale forearms.

Seeing her reaction April immediately pulled away and pushed her sleeves back down.

"I fell." She said automatically as she turned to face the wall.

I fell? That's the best I can come up with?…a tough game of croquet would be more likely…why am I still protecting him?

"April, I know you didn't fall. Those bruises are in the shape of hands."

April shivered again but otherwise didn't move, her arms still crossed over her chest with her back to Brennan.

"I fell." She repeated evenly.

What the hell? I did it again!

Brennan sighed studied the girl's back for a moment, her wet hair still dripping intermitently and keeping her shirt soaked.

"April, I understand you don't want to tell me…but you can't keep lying."

April spun around and found Brennan sitting on the edge of the tub, her hands clasped with her elbows on her knees.

"What makes you think I'm lying?" She asked boldly.

Why am I so angry? I am lying!

"Because I've been there April." Brennan replied calmly, repressed tears stinging her eyes. "I was put in the foster system when I was fifteen."

April's gaze softened and she sat on the toilet lid, waiting for Brennan to continue.

Deep breath. Do this. Do this for April, for Booth. Do this for you.

"About a year and a half afterward I was placed with a couple named the Warrens. Mr. Warren had a drinking problem and he used to…beat my foster brothers and I relentlessly. After about four months he died in a drunk driving accident and I was moved to another home. But for four months I was just like you April. Hiding every bruise, covering every scar. But he's not worth it. April, men like Mr. Warren and Rodger don't deserve our protection." She looked up from the spot on the floor she'd been staring into and found April hunched over on the toilet seat, tears dropping one by one off her eyelashes.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." April said in a voice just below a whisper, gasping for breath the tears had robbed from her.

Brennan nodded and blinked back the moisture in her own eyes.

"Me too April, and I'm sorry for you. But I promise you're safe now. Booth won't let anything hurt you." Brennan spoke with absolute confidence and both of them believed her.

"I know he won't." She smiled slightly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "When I was eight I came home from school crying because a boy had made fun of me at recess. I told my parents and Uncle Seeley heard about it. My dad ended up having a harder time dealing with him than me! All he wanted to do was go down to my school and make the kid pay…but Dad convinced him that scaring a nine-year-old boy wouldn't be good for his career in the FBI."

She smiled, bowing her head as she looked down at her shaking hands. "Uncle Seeley always was the hothead."

"Meathead is more like it." Brennan smirked and April laughed for the first time. Brennan sat straighter, proud she'd brought that smile to the girl's face.

"Alright." She said, standing. "You ready to take those wet clothes off?"

April's smile fell away, but she nodded, standing as well.

Brennan went to the medicine cabinet behind the mirror and rummaged around for a moment and came out with scissors.

"What the…" April jumped away. "What are you doing? This is my favorite shirt!" She gestured to the tight black tee with the faded skull and crossbones in the middle. Brennan had almost turned it into confetti.

"I'm sorry April but with your injuries this shirt is simply not coming off over your head." When she was still reluctant Brennan rolled her eyes, "I have a friend who I'm sure could help you find another, okay?"

Finally April stood still and allowed Brennan to destroy her precious shirt. Then she helped her out of her black pants and boots, all heavy with moisture.

April tried not to notice Brennan trying not to react to the horrendous state of her stomach, ribs and back. Not only were her ribs and spine easily visible every time she drew air into her lungs, but her thin skin that was a deathly white on the rest of her body, was splashed here and there with a dark shade of violate or crimson red.

She looked like what one might expect a soccer ball to look like if it had a human form. Brennan had seen worse…but not usually on someone still alive.

Her clothes were gone, her black cloak of anonymity that usually kept her so safe. She was naked, in every sense of the word and her humiliation was deafening.

Brennan helped the girl towel off and April resigned herself to standing completely still and putting her mind in another place.

---

I saw the sunrise over the Atlantic once. Dad had a brief posting in Florida and the base was right on the water.

One day I was up all night with an ear infection and mom took me out on the beach, hoping the fresh air would do me some good. We sat on a blanket on the cool sand and I remember being simply fascinated that the sand could be so red hot during the day and cool as ice in the morning. I sat there with mom and we watched the sun come up. The most beautiful shades of yellow and orange and red…I swear there's nothing else like it. It took my breath away and I spent the rest of first grade trying to capture the scene with finger paint and crayons.

Even though mom hung up every single one of those pathetic little attempts at art…none of them were quite right. I guess it's because you can't paint a moment, a feeling…the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the sand. You can't recreate how safe you feel when you're wrapped up in your mother's arms, watching a sunrise over the ocean.

---

April hissed as Brennan pulled the t-shirt over her head and her hand flew to the offending spot. Pulling back her fingers, she cursed.

"He got me."

Brennan finished threading her hands through the arms of the shirt and caught sight of April's bloodied fingers. Without a word, her lips pursed in the same hard line as they had been and she tilted April's head toward the light.

This poor girl. I can't believe what this monster did to her.

"Well…" Brennan muttered, inspecting the wound carefully through the mass of black hair, "it doesn't look like you're going to need stitches or anything, but you're going to have one helluva headache tomorrow."

April rolled her eyes, pulling her long hair back into a ponytail.

"Yeah. What else is new?" Then, glancing at herself in the mirror and her shredded clothes on the floor. "Thanks by the way. I mean…I literally couldn't have done this without you."

Brennan smiled and nodded, halfway to the door before she realized she wasn't being followed.

"April?"

April, now swimming in oversized men's clothes and her hair pulled back showing her angelic face, looked more like a child than ever before.

"I just…I know I shouldn't be…but…I don't want to tell him…Idon'twannatellhim I really really don't." She said all in one breath, dropping her face so she could hide the tears both women knew were there.

Brennan went back over to her and took one of April's cold hands into her own.

"April. You can do this."

April lifted her chin and Brennan frowned at the doubt in her eyes.

"Really. Booth is the best listener I've ever known. I believe in him more than most things in my life. He'll always be there for you." She said confidently, giving what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"You have a lot of faith in Uncle Seeley."

Brennan opened her mouth to object but April threw up an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side.

"What?"

April's stare deepened and was tainted with a smirk. Brennan sighed.

"Fine. Yes. I have lots of…that in Booth. But…he can't ever find out or his ego will outgrow his head and we'll be cleaning gray matter off the walls for weeks." She said flatly, turning to leave, a smile in her eyes.

But April surprised her by squeezing her hands just as she pulled away and looking up hopefully.

"Will you…um, will you stay?"

Brennan blinked and paused for a moment. "Yeah. Yeah, of course I'll stay." She nodded and April smiled.

"Okay."

Here goes nothin'.

Booth paced a circle around his living room. His whole body felt like it was tingling and he couldn't sit still. He hated this feeling.

It was uselessness.

Where are they? What could they possibly be doing? He questioned over and over, never receiving a satisfying answer and not wanting to go back and listen to the conversation, he was content with wearing a hole in his living room carpet.

Finally, after almost an eternity he heard the bathroom door open and Brennan emerged, followed closely by April.

"Hey." He said quietly, approaching them. He noticed Brennan's eyes were red rimmed and he wondered what had gone on in that room to make his Bones cry.

Both of them look like they've been crying.

April's face was clean of all makeup, her thick hair pulled back from her pale face. He hadn't seen her look that childish since she was ten. It made him want to pull her into a hug and never let go.

"Everything all right?"

Stupid question, of course everything's not alright.

Brennan glanced at April and April looked at the floor. She reached up to push a piece of imagined hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture and Booth caught sight of it.

"God, April." He whispered, stepping forward he grasped one of her hands, then the other, staring at the awful looking bruises. "April who did this to you?"

As if I don't already know.

"Did Rodger do this?"

I'll kill him.

Booth struggled to keep the hostility out of his voice, but it was a losing battle.

Brennan was proud to see April bring her eyes to Booth's and never falter. She shrugged her good shoulder.

"I got home late." She said simply.

Concern and anger fought for dominance in Booth's eyes.

He's a dead man.

He wanted to snap Rodger in half, beat him to a bloody pulp and see how he liked it. But he also wanted to wrap April in a hug and protect her forever.

One look into his goddaughter's eyes and concern won.

Not the time Seeley. April needs you now, end Rodger later. He stepped toward her.

"Booth." Brennan stopped him and he looked at her.

"What is it Bones?"

She swallowed hard, her eyes still glassy. "There's more."

Booth cringed, but nodded, stepping back to take in whatever his girls were about to present him with. He was quite sure he wasn't going to like it.

April looked at Brennan, who nodded. Chewing her bottom lip, she reached for the hem of her shirt.

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Moment of truth, here I come.

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Oh the angst. The angsty angst that seems angsty.