Thank you so much for your reviews and alerts! It got me really motivated to keep writing. I will finish this story no matter what, of course, but the reception was truly wonderful, thank you.

For me at least, this one feels like a filler chapter after the action. The next one will delve into Brennan's mind and there's lots of angst. I like to get everything as messed up as possible before starting to resolve it. I'm just evil that way. :)

Chapter 2

Booth was yanking at his binds so hard that it hurt, but the knots had only loosened a bit. He was nowhere near getting them off, but he had to concentrate on something else than the occasional grunt or cry of pain coming from upstairs.

It had been forever since the men had dragged Brennan away from him. He guessed it had only been less than half an hour, but it felt like the longest half an hour of his life. All he wanted to do was scream and hit at the men, preferably to shoot them. If he got the chance, he certainly would. But he couldn't even make a sound. He had never felt more helpless in his life.

Finally he heard the stairs creaking. Matt was holding his gun, but he wasn't pointing it at Brennan. There was no need, because she looked like she was stopped fighting a long ago. It scared Booth, seeing the strongest person he knew so run-down, both emotionally and physically.

Her hands were no longer tied behind her back. Jeff was gripping her arm so tightly that Booth could swear he saw bruises forming. Brennan's blouse was half torn and her hair was a mess, as was her face, teary and bruised. She was looking down with hollow eyes, craddling her wrist that seemed to hurt. She wasn't crying now, but her eyes were red and puffy.

As Jeff almost dragged her across the room, she tried to kick her captor once more, but the effort was so weak that Jeff dodged it easily. He let go of her by the couch and she slouched on the floor.

"Well, I guess our work here is done", Matt announced cheerfully and Nathan sneered. Nathan closed on Brennan and kicked her harsly to the side, getting only a silent whimper out of her, as she lay there in a fetal position.

"I'm sorry, baby, but we have to go now. Make sure Max gets the message", he whispered to her and petted her head. As he rose, he gave Booth a triumphant smirk. Matt just waved at them, going out the door and the other two following him.

Brennan was still lying on the floor and all Booth could do was wait since he was not going anywhere. A minute later he heard a car starting. He tried to remember what kind of van had been parked by the street, but his memory was hazy. All he could concentrate on was Brennan, who had closed her eyes and wasn't moving.

At last, Brennan moved carefully from the floor and made her way to Booth, pain evident on her face, but still she got the knots untied in a matter of seconds. Then she slouched on the couch, unable to stand anymore.

Booth stood up slowly and tried to stretch out his sore muscles. His first instict was to hug Brennan, but she must have figured out his intentions because when he moved closer to her, she whispered: "Don't."

Immediately he stopped and picked up his gun and badge from the floor instead. All he wanted to do was go to her, hold her in his arms and say that everything woud we okay as he had done so many times before. But this was different. He had no idea what to say or do while Brennan continued on staring at nothing. He knew that she needed him more than ever and that he had to be there for her at all costs. He decided to take it step by step.

"Bones? Can you get up?" He asked as gently as he could. A while later he got a nod as a response. He took her carefully by the arm and helped her up. She couldn't stand straight or walk fast, but soon he got her in the car. After a quick call about the incident, he stood in the driver's seat and started the car. His gaze happened to stop at Brennan's still unfinished luch. The time before they had gone in the house felt as if it had been ages ago.

Brennan was now leaning at her door. Her eyes scared him, because he saw nothing there. All he wanted was to hear Brennan blabber on about some bone or some scientific phenomenon, her face gleaming with exitement. But she kept still.

She didn't speak until they passed the Jeffersonian institute and kept driving.

"Where are you driving?" She asked, eyeing the surroundings.

Booth felt taken back at that. Both because he was surprised at hearing her speak and because

he had thought it was quite obvious. "To the hospital."

"Why? Are you hurt? Because I need to get back to work."

"Bones", Booth started, exasperated. "You're hurt. You're not going back to work, but the hospital. You probably have broken ribs and other - injuries."

"Booth, I'm an anthropologist. You are aware of what that means? I think I'd know if my ribs were broken", she argued, speaking like she was debating with an idiot. But for once he felt like the more rational one of the two.

"Ah-huh. Do you feel fuzzy? You might have a concussion", he wondered, eyeing her carefully. She shook her head, but the movement seemed to hurt her, because her face flashed with pain and she lowered her head back against the window. "The hospital it is, then..."

As Brennan fell silent after that, Booth started to ramble on about work and Parker and anything he could think of to fill the silence that felt deafening. They reached the hospital and Brennan reluclantly let him guide her inside as she could still barely walk.

For the second time that day Booth waited for Brennan anxiously. He was barely able to sit still while she was being treated. He wanted to keep her in eye sight. The nurse came to take him to see her when they were done and he entered the room. She was in a hospital bed, wearing the gown and holding out her x-rays in the air with her left hand, as the right one had been wrapped in bandage.

"Did you seriously ask to see your x-rays?" Booth asked, amused but not that surprised. Brennan looked at him quickly before turning back to her task at hand.

"I want to make sure they've made the right diagnosis", she simply replied, moving her hand to get better lighting.

"Have they?"

"Yes, I am quite satisfied now."

Booth sat down on the most uncomfotable chair in the world, but in that moment he didn't really care. He took in the surroundings. It was a basic, depressing hospital room. Brennan cleared her throat and with a movement so fast he felt his neck would break, his head snapped to the direction of the sound.

"You can go now."

The words took a while to register. "I'm sorry?"

"You can go now. I'll be fine", she said quietly, holding the x-rays up again. He knew it was so she wouldn't have to look at him.

"I'm not going anywhere", Booth replied sternly.

"Why?"

"Why?" He repeated, incredilous. Brennan's way of dealing with things wasn't the most common, but he had thought she'd want him there for her. Things hadn't been the same lately, but they were still partners, still good friends. Right?

"Because I care about you, Bones, and I don't want you to be alone."

"I understand you might feel obligated towards me -"

Following her reasoning was once again turning out to be a bit difficult. "I don't feel obligated. What're you talking about?"

She was now removing lint from her sheet. "There is no reason for you to stay here, I'll be fine on my own."

"You're not serious. Would you please at least look at me?" He asked and she met his eyes. Immediately he saw that she was being serious. "You really want me to leave?"

"Yes."

Booth shook his head. Anger was bubbling inside him. Anger at her, the situation and himself. Why couldn't he make her understand? Maybe the best option would indeed be to leave.

"Fine, then", was all he said before exiting the room. He didn't have time to see Brennan blinking away her tears.

The next morning, the first thing yawning Angela saw, was Booth standing in front of her office, arms crossed. She raised her eyebrows at the sight.

"I know you're trying to scare me by standing there all butc, but it looks more ridiculous than anything else", she quipped as soon as they were withing earshot. Normally that woul've deserved a flirtatious smile, but not his morning. Booth could see her concern rising.

She narrowed her eyes. "Okay, what's going on?"

"Did you go to the hospital?" He inquired, carefully avoiding the question.

She sighed. "You tell me my best friend's in the hospital, you won't tell me why she's there and you sound like you're being chased by all of your ex-girlfriends. What do you think I did?"

"And?"

"She wasn't there."

"What?" Angela took him by the arm and guided him to her office as people were starting to stare.

"Stop screaming, please. She wasn't there. I'm not family so all they said was that she had left."

Booth ran a hand across his face. That woman would be the end of him some day, he was sure of it. "So she was alone last night?"

"I guess so. I went by her apartment, she wouldn't let me in. I heard some moving around, so I knew she was there. Calling didn't help either and finally I went home. Are you going to tell me what's going on?" He saw he was starting to really worry Angela, but there was nothing he could say to make her feel better. He had hoped after he'd been kicked out of the hospital room, his partner would open up to Angela. Or at least let her keep her company.

But Brennan had gone home, alone.

Suddenly he was very mad at Angela. He was mad at her for not forcing Brennan to open the door, for not waiting all night outside her apartment if she had to. But he knew he was being ridiculous. The only person he was mad at, was himself. He was supposed to be the one to care of her, be the one she turned to. But he hadn't been doing a great job at that lately, he realised with a jab of guilt.

"Has she come in yet?"

Angela shook her head. "Haven't seen her. But if she's hurt, you'd think she'd stay home today." Booth gave her a pointed look, reminding her who she was talking about. "Good point. Why don't you -"

Before Angela could finish, Booth was already on his way. "I'm going to talk to her. I'll explain later", he informed her from the door so firmly that she had no choice but to sit down and begin her work. Still Booth knew that the interrogation wasn't nearly over.