Here we go again.

---

I try to put myself back in that place where I used to go when he was like this. When he's unreasonable and animalistic and all he wants is to hurt someone. I used to be able to take myself away from it, remove my mind from what was happening and suddenly the warmth on my face was sunshine, not blood. His words would get lost in the distance and I could smell summer instead of the moldy bed I was burying my face in.

But for some reason, this time is different. For some reason, this time I'm still here, I can't make it all go away. Rodger is here and I can feel every pinch, pull, hit or cut. It sears through my skin and radiates through my entire being.

I wonder what's changed, but I already know. I've been to the other side now. Seeley and Dr. Brennan and Parker have reminded me what it feels like to be safe, and I simply don't want to go back to the world I used to live in.

I've decided pain is better than nothing.

---

"Parker I need you to tell me exactly what happened, bud."

Booth's apartment was crawling with agents by the time he got there, just ten minutes after his phone call with his son.

When he saw him, curled up and frightened on Ms. Green's lap, he couldn't scoop Parker up quick enough. Couldn't hug his son tight enough.

Brennan watched them for a moment, then taking a queue from Ms. Green, who got up to give father and son a moment alone, she looked away and started bugging the forensic team.

"Have you checked for fingerprints here? Often intruders touch more than they mean to, adrenalin overpowering common sense. If he wasn't wearing gloves his fingerprints would most likely be around here somewhere." Brennan shadowed the young man through the rest of the apartment, only when she returned to the living room for the second time and found Booth kneeling in front of Parker, his little shoulders gripped tight, did she realize she might be needed somewhere else.

"I don't know…I just…I was hiding." A couple huge fat tears rolled down the boy's pudgy cheeks and Brennan watched Booth tense with frustration.

She immediately lowered herself to their level. Putting a calming hand on Booth's shoulder, she spoke to Parker.

"Parker, we really need your help to find the bad man who took April okay? Do you think you can do that?" She asked gently. Parker nodded, wiping his sleeve across his runny nose.

"Okay. What were you and April and Tommy doing when the bad man came?"

Parker looked thoughtful for a moment.

"We was drawin'. I got thirsty so Tommy was gonna get me somethin' to drink." Booth's hopes soared as Parker slowly recounted the events of that afternoon. He'd never wanted to kiss Bones more in his life.

"Then somebody knocked on the door so Tommy went to answer it 'cause I'm not s'posed to." Parker glanced at his father, who nodded, telling him that was right. "And a man was at the door. I don't know what they said 'cause April was tryin' to show me how to draw eyes good." Parker leaned over to pick up one of the drawings that had been sent to the floor during a struggled and Booth tried not to lose his patience at his son's short attention span.

"See? April said the eyes need to be the same size like this." Parker held up the drawing and Booth took it and put it on the coffee table behind him.

"Parker, what happened after Tommy opened the door."

The little boy glanced between his father and Dr. Bones. Deciding he still wasn't in trouble, he continued.

"I don't know. They was talkin' and then I heard April, she um…she like got really surprised and I looked and Tommy was on the floor over there." He pointed to the door where three agents stood, examining a small pool of blood. Brennan immediately redirected his attention, hoping he hadn't seen it.

"Then what Parker?"

"Then April pulled me up and told me to go to my room and hide under the bed and I didn't wanna' but she told me I had to and that she'd tell me when it was okay to come out. The man was comin' inside and I got scared so I ran."

Brennan's eyes clouded over with anger and she stood, pacing near the foot of the couch to spend some of the energy building up inside her.

He found her. How did he…she was finally safe and he had to ruin it for her. This man will be lucky if I don't break him with my bare hands.

"Parker," Booth said patiently, regaining the boy's full attention. "What did the man look like?"

Parker seemed troubled by the question. "He looked like…himself."

"Parker," Brennan grabbed Booth's arm and pulled him up to his feet. "Was he as tall as your dad or shorter?"

Parker squinted. "A little bit shorter, like this much." Parker showed two inches of space between his thumb and pointer finger.

"Did his hair look like anyone you see here?" She gestured toward the agents and forensic tech's swarming the apartment.

"Yeah. Him right there." Booth looked over at Agent Lavnie, a man with dark, shaggy hair. "And he was kinda fat."

Booth and Brennan looked at each other, thinking the same thing.

That's Rodger.

"Did he say anything buddy?" Booth asked, returning his attention to his son.

Parker frowned. "I don't know 'cause I couldn't hear really good. I was under the bed. But they was fightin', kind of like when you and Mommy argue, but louder."

Brennan saw Booth's ears get slightly red, but chose wisely not to comment.

"I think the man said somethin' about…home. I think he was takin' April home." He looked up, "Is that right?"

Parker searched Booth and Brennan's eyes earnestly for approval and grinned when both the adults smiled down at him.

"Good job Parker." Brennan knelt down to hug him. "You did a very good job."

Booth smiled at the sight of Brennan embracing his son. "Yeah, you did a good job buddy."

So did you Bones. I think you two may have just saved April's life.

---

I didn't want to go. I knew he would hurt me and I didn't want that. But then…then he brought Parker into it. Of all the things in the whole wide world he had to choose Parker.

I wouldn't have gone if I didn't honestly believe he would kill that little boy.

---

April opened her eyes and blinked, consciousness coming into a somewhat blurry focus. She felt his eyes on her and pulled her knees closer to her chest, forming as small ball on the floor of her bedroom.

"So nice of you to join me April."

His voice made her shiver and she knew the next words out of her mouth were not the smartest, nor the best chosen for that moment, when she was so utterly vulnerable. But…she couldn't help it.

April opened her eyes, wanting to see the look on his face as the words rolled off her tongue, easier than she'd imagined and more satisfying than she'd expected.

"Might as well start diggin' your grave now Rodger," she snarled, "because Seeley's gonna make sure you lay in it."

April saw the shock closely followed by anger and closed her eyes satisfacting pooling in her stomach. She braced her small body for the punishment it was about to endure.

Oh man. Angst train...not the most desirable means of travel is it? But it does make for a scenic trip.