Well, I'm updating, so I'd like to dedicate this chap WOATCAPIITON and niah1988 whom I am BEGGING to update as well. Seriously, the wait is literally draining my life force...

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It'll all be over soon. I keep telling myself that and I hope it is enough to get me through.

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April was aware of the ringing in her ears before she was fully aware of herself. She blinked and looked around to found that she was still in her bedroom. She sat slumped against a different wall this time and she didn't really want to open her mind to the memory of how she got there.

Attempting to push herself up, she whimpered involuntarily and shut her eyes. She hadn't expected the pain that ripped through her body. Unsure as to whether or not it was broken, April hugged her injured arm close to her chest and stood slowly.

Her face felt tight, her lips tasted rusty and she knew he'd hit her, of course, she'd known that already anyway. The more she moved, the more various muscles throbbed and the more she felt like lying down.

Instead she stumbled across the room to the bathroom. Her legs felt tingly from lack of use and she wondered briefly how long she'd been lying on the floor. Groping the wall until she found the light switch, April entered the bathroom and faced the mirror, bracing herself for the worst.

She allowed her eyes to meet that of her reflection and exhaled slowly, almost smiling. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Her lip was cut and swollen, her left cheek in a similar condition and turning a lovely shade of purple along with a jagged cut above her right eyebrow. Her hair was messy and makeup running all over the place, reminding her that she hadn't had a bath in two days, unless she counted getting soaked to the bone in the rain the night before.

She turned her head from side to side, studying her reflection for any other bruising, and found none. Really, all in all, it wasn't so bad. She'd expected worse after what she said to him, a broken nose or something. But…she was mostly all right. At least she didn't have a black eye this time, she hated that. She needed her eyes to draw.

"April, dinner's ready."

Rodger's voice nearly sent the girl flying from her skin and suddenly her heart was pounding. She gasped in short breaths and glanced around, searching for where the voice had come from.

"April? I heard you moving around up there." She realized he was at the bottom of the stairs and as they began to creek, signaling he was coming up for her, she finally found her voice.

"Uh…yeah, I-I'm going to be down in a second." She dared not move a muscle while waiting for his reply.

"Oh. Okay, don't be long please."

She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard him heading back downstairs.

Hands shaking violently, April used a warm washcloth to wipe the blood and mascara from her face. When she decided she was presentable, she made her way silently down the stairs and sank into a dining room chair, her eyes glued to the floor and then the table.

"Oh, April." Rodger reached out and gently took the girl's chin, trying to turn her face and get a better look at her. "That looks terrible sweetheart."

April stiffened when he touched her, but didn't jerk away, knowing it would only anger him. The sympathy in his eyes made her want to vomit.

He clucked his tongue, shaking his head while he continued to pile food on his plate.

"I didn't mean to April. You shouldn't have said those things…you brought it on yourself, you know." His voice was soft, as if scolding a small child for taking a cookie before finishing dinner.

"I know Rodger, I'm sorry." April said quietly, repeating her well-rehersed line automatically.

Rodger put down the food and reached out to cup her cheek, causing April to flinch away. She looked at him, preparing to let her sharp tongue loose on him, but started to get frantic when she realized how fast the anger was polluting his eyes.

"H-how did you know where I was?" She asked quickly, trying to distract him as she shoved a bit of chicken and rice down her throat.

Rodger relaxed a little and settled into the nearby chair across from her.

"Do you know what an eidetic memory is April?"

Repressing a groan, April responded in monotone.

"It means you have a photographic memory." Of course she knew what that meant, he only told her every single day.

Rodger wiped his mouth on his napkin and clasped his hands. "I saw the card you set down after those meddling cops came by. Special Agent Seeley Booth, 376 West Nelson Ave., Washington DC."

April's eyes widened in horror as he effortlessly recited Booth's address.

-----

A fleet of black SUVs flew down the highway, lights on and sirens blaring. Booth out in front, barking orders into his radio while Brennan white knuckled the armrests for added stability in case Booth's crazy driving left them on the side of the road.

Booth slammed the radio back down when the others confirmed his order to turn off the sirens and lights in approximately twelve miles. His death grip on the steering wheel was really what gave it away. Even Brennan, in all her "lacking people skills" glory, could read Booth's expressions like an open book. The insanely tight steering wheel grip was a dead giveaway for his stress.

"Booth…" She began.

"Bones, I don't know what we're were walking into here so I want you to stay in the car." Booth cut her off in an 'all business' tone that, for anyone else, would have meant it was pointless to argue. But...Brennan never had been like anyone else.

She scoffed. "Yeah right Booth. You think I'm dangerous when I'm agitated? You have a gun!" She scowled at him.

Booth licked his lips and took a deep breath. He'd anticipated this answer, but that didn't make it any easier to take.

"Bones, for once, would you just do what I ask? This guy beats women and children for fun, he escaped police custody, he has April as a hostage and there are twenty agents who are going to be under my command out there…I don't need one more thing to worry about!"

"You don't have to worry about me." She grumbled, not giving an inch.

"But I do anyway Temperance." She was startled at the softness in his tone, sounding completely out of place when she looked over at his tense form in the driver's seat. She sighed heavily.

"Fine. I won't go in the house, but I'm not staying in the car." She crossed her arms, showing that was as good a deal as he was going to get.

"Thank you Bones." Was all he said, more than willing to take that deal.

Suddenly all the lights and sirens died out and the caravan made it's way up the lonely gravel road that to the Dickens' residence.

Dusk was fast turning to night when the cars began to park, agents pouring out of them and swarming the small forest that surrounded the house.

Brennan got out of the SUV and in the fading gray light, glanced over at Booth. She could tell he'd gone into Sniper mode. His movements were quick and calculated, his face void of emotion. He'd shut out everything in the world in order to get his vest and gun ready as quickly as possible. She both admired and worried about the state he was currently in. Strong…unreachable.

The agents began to gather in a small thick of trees about four hundred feet from the house. Booth could see two figures moving inside. He started toward the thers, but caught Brennan's gaze in the process. He went to her.

Kissing her quickly, Booth told her to be safe.

"I'll be right back." He said with a small smile.

She smiled in return and watched him head over to the group of agents, dolling out assignments and taking charge, as usual.

Be careful Booth, come back. Please.

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April stared down at her ankle, wiggling her foot at the new weight present on it and winced when the metal started to rub at her skin.

Rodger stepped back, admiring his handiwork. It was a good thing he didn't tell April what that metal bangle was or he might never have managed to get it on her.

"Now, for your own protection April, I suggest you not make anymore attempts to run."

April looked up at him, the unspoken question in her eyes and holding her right wrist to her chest protectivly. It hurt like hell from when Rodger slammed it into the doorjam, penalty for trying to run away not even half an hour ago.

"Becauusssee." He drug out and lifted a small black remote in his hand. "All I have to do is push this button on my clever little remote here, and anywhere you are…you'll be blown to pieces." He grinned triumphantly and April's stomach lurched. She stared down at the device…the bomb, on her ankle.

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He made me a prisoner. He wants to home school me now…I'll never leave this place. My world now consists of him and these four walls and pain. No more Tommy, no more Seeley, no more anything.

I know I shouldn't be thinking this way…but…what else is there? The Bastard has strapped a bomb to my ankle. What do I do now? What…what…oh God. This is really it.

I don't even think Seeley can save me this time.

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Rodger cleared the dishes from the table and left April on her spot on the couch. Her head was in her hands, tears running from her eyes and falling to her arms, racing down to be soaked up by her shirt sleeves.

She could feel her body tremble with every heartbeat and she hoped to God the bomb didn't have any sort of motion trigger because she couldn't stop shaking. Darkness fell and silence along with it. April had never felt more alone in her life.

---

Now, as I'm sitting here with this invisible leash on me…I'm wondering if it would really be so bad to take the leap. To run…maybe the remote won't reach far enough…maybe I'll get this stupid thing off…maybe...

But I know I can't. Won't. There's still Seeley and Parker and Tommy…I can't leave them here. Even though I'm pretty convinced at this point that they'll ever see me again…on the off chance they do…I don't want it to be in itty-bitty pieces.

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April wasn't even sure when she'd said it, or why, but she knew she hoped she never said it again.

"I don't ever want to hear that name again, you hear me?" Rodger spat. He held April's frail body up against the wall, his large hand pressing against her throat with a dangerous amount of force.

Tears ran out of April's eyes as she tried in vain to pull his hand off her throat and draw air into her lungs.

"I'm sorry." She choked out, "I won't do it again."

His eyes were crazed, he didn't even seem to see her.

"I don't ever want to hear it again April. He took my family from me. He accused me of murder…he would have taken you too…" His eyes suddenly focused on her again, "April, if you ever say the name Seeley Booth again I will make sure you regret it."

April nodded as best she could and used her dark green eyes to plead with him to let her go. Unconsciousness was tickling the sides of her brain and she wanted so badly to ignore it, but she didn't know how much longer she could.

Rodger's grip started to loosen and as she opened her eyes, sucking oxygen greedily.

She felt his arms encase her and closed her eyes, stiffening in his embrace.

"I'm sorry April." He rubbed her back gently and cooed into her ear. "I didn't mean to hurt you sweetheart, I just lost my head."

---

I believe the word he was looking for was 'mind'. He lost his mind. And that is a fact I am well aware of, it's a permanent state really, not a recent occurrence.

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Rodger started to pull out of the hug and look at her when there was a crashing sound and the house was suddenly overrun with occupants and noise. People burst through every door and window, shouting, moving. Plates and windows shattered and April, still coming back from the brink of unconcious, tried to decide whether these were good guys or bad guys and wondered why she didn't seem to care.

She didn't even have time to panic. Rodger twisted himself around behind her and pressed his back up against the wall.

"Step back, all of you!" He shouted, his right hand wrapped firmly around April's shoulders, his left raised in the air gripping a small black remote.

"FBI! Let the girl go Dickens!"

April searched the dozens of faces surrounding her, looking past the guns, beneath helmets and around the masks hoping to see a single face. Finally she saw him, wearing only a bulletproof vest for protection, the scariest look she'd ever seen on his face.

Booth's weapon was trained unwaveringly on Rodger's head, looking him straight in the eye, refusing to waver.

Rodger got a firmer grip on April's shoulders as Special Agent Booth took another step forward.

"Stay back Agent Booth. One press of this button and we all go up in smoke." He said evenly. Booth paused, he was uneasy at the look he saw in Rodger's eyes. A look only a man with nothing left to lose wore.

A man with a grudge and nothing to lose, was a very dangerous man.

"It's a bomb Seeley." April whimpered and she noticed that the people in the house quieted immediately. Tears rolled softly down her cheeks but she feel them, didn't even notice when the salt in them settled in the small cuts on her face, she was so used to crying now.

April's small hands tried to pull down on Rodger's arm, as if she was doing a pull-up on a metal bar, her face peaked out from behind it. But it was no use. She wasn't getting away until Rodger let go.

"Everybody out! We've got a bomb on the premises. Garrison, call for the Bomb Squad." Someone shouted, maybe even Booth, and movement was instantaneous as agents and SWAT teams cleared the house.

April watched, but Booth didn't move a muscle.

"Rodger. Put the remote down." Booth said as calmly as possible with his heart pounding in his ears.

Rodger seemed flustered, now alone in the room with just April and Booth, but made no move to put down the trigger.

"No. You put down your gun…then maybe I'll let her go."

"Not good enough Rodger." Booth slowly inched forward, hoping to get at least a hit or two in before this psycho blew himself up.

"Well it'll have to be!" The man shouted, his were eyes wild, resembling a cornered animal.

"It's just you and me Rodge, I want you to calm down and let April go."

"No! Step back! I'll set off this bomb Agent Booth. I swear."

April bit her lip to keep from crying out and then squeezed shut her eyes to keep from yelping at how much it hurt to bite her already split and swollen lip.

Just shoot him already Booth!

Booth looked at April for the first time and fought to keep his face neutral.

He beat her. This sonuvabitch is gonna pay.

When his eyes returned to Rodger, a new anger blazed within them. In a voice that sent shudders down her spine and was so low she had to strain to hear it, April heard the most important words Booth would ever say to her.

"April, close your eyes and don't…move."

Rodger's eyes widened and then turned to a scowl. He pressed his thumb to the small white button.

"Goodbye Agent Booth."

"Goodbye Rodger."

"Oh Shit."

Duh duh duuuuhhhhh.