Tough Man in the Tender Chicken floored me. Never saw that hand holding scene coming. It was so awesome. Gah Booth's so in love with her. And he's not doing a very good job of keeping it to himself!

"Listen Bones. I would do anything for you. I'd die for you. I'd kill for you."

(Me grinning like an idiot at the screen.)

Back to the story. Thank you everyone who added my as your favorite author, and all the story alerts made me smile too.

Yarrie, lydiag1984, NatesMama, DoctorSweets, Blackbeltrules13, boothandbones4ever, MicekyBoggs, thank you for your reviews. They gave me the biggest smiles. And to all the others who read thank you. Hope you guys didn't have to wait too long.

For the first time since she woke Brennan's mouth twitched upwards in some semblance of a smile. Booth smiled back. She had been afraid the rape would make Booth feel or behave differently towards her. She had been afraid she had lost his love.

"I love you too Booth."

"I know Bones. I would always love you, don't ever doubt that."

He held her to him, never wanting to let her go again. She patted his thigh gently, trying to tell him she was okay. Truth was she wasn't so sure she if was.

There was another knock on the door.

Two men entered. The older man flashed a badge.

Booth stood immediately. Defensive.

"Detective Burke. This is my partner Detective Sumner. MPD. We'd like to talk to your wife."

"FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. I don't think my wife is ready to talk."

"The sooner we get a statement, the faster we can catch this guy."

"How's that coming along? Cos he already raped five other women."

"You of all people should know how this works Agent Booth." The younger detective, Sumner replied clearly ticked off.

"I know how this works but I also know you can't make her talk if she isn't ready."

Booth was going all protective on her and there were times when Brennan hated it. He wasn't even letting her talk for herself. She was never one to be helpless.

"Booth. It's ok. I have to talk to them. The sooner I get this over with the better."

Booth turned round. "You sure?"

"I have to do this, might as well get it over with."

"Right." Booth glared at the two MPD officers. "I'm staying."

"Of course." Burke replied.

Booth sat back down on the bed beside Brennan, looping an arm round her shoulders again.

"Just tell me what you remember Dr Brennan." Det. Burke said, pen hovering over his black notebook.

Brennan took in a breath. "I went for my morning run."

"What time was this?"

"Half past six maybe. I took our usual route. When I got to the park I tripped, I'm not sure over what. Then there was this person on top of me. I managed to fight him off and I ran but I wasn't fast enough. He tackled me to the ground. I tried to fight him off again. He bound my wrists."

The tears were flowing down Brennan's cheeks again. She held out her bandaged wrists, to show where she had been restrained. Booth clenched his fists, his anger at the rapist rising again.

"He pinned me down. Cut off my clothes. I couldn't see with what. I tried so hard to fight him off but it made him angrier. He spread my legs, then he was…." She trembled.

"You don't have to do this Bones." Booth whispered softly, smoothing her hair with his free hand.

Brennan shook her head. Might as well get it over with, like she reasoned earlier. She took a breath, the pain between her legs and the aching cramp in the stomach a harsh reminder of what had transpired just that morning. She took in a painful breath, her ribs protesting at being stretched.

"He was inside me, and I struggled and he hit me on the head. I woke up here. I tried so hard to fight him off, tried so damn hard but it wasn't ehough…."

Booth held her tighter to him. He would hunt down the son of a bitch and kill him slowly. Another man had touched his wife. His love. Had been inside her, joined with her against her wishes. The privilege that was supposed to be only his had been taken from him.

"Did you see his face?"

Brennan took a moment to compose herself, bringing her ragged breaths and sobs under control. She shook her head, each movement making her head hurt more.

"He wore a ski mask."

"Did he speak to you?" Burke asked.

"He kept telling me to keep still, said I was beautiful." Brennan would never forget those two words that still sent chills down her spine.

Booth cringed. What right did this man have?! He didn't even know his Bones. She was beautiful not only on the outside but inside as well. No one knew his Bones like he did.

"Anything else you remember about your attacker?"

"No."

"Thank you Dr Brennan you've been most helpful. If you don't mind, I'll get a female forensic tech to come photograph your injuries as evidence."

Brennan nodded.

The two detectives left the room, motioning for the forensic tech to enter. Booth followed them out.

The forensic tech got right down to business, no small talk, to Brennan's liking. She took fingernail scrapings, combed out her hair for particulates, then requested to photograph her injuries.

Outside, Booth was still at his boiling point.

"You have any leads on this guy?"

"Agent Booth you know we can't discuss an active investigation with you."

"I have a right to know. He's raped five women, six counting my wife. He caused her to miscarry. That's felony murder at the very least!"

"I understand your anger but you also understand our position. Besides the FBI isn't involved in this case."

"We should be. We'd have caught this guy by now."

Sumner took a step towards him. Booth stepped up, meeting him nose to nose.

"Easy." Burke held his partner back.

"What your wife told us is the same as all the other victims. Same M.O. He lays trip wires barely visible. If they fight back he restrains them usually with nylon cords. He's always in a ski mask." Burke offered.

"No DNA on the seminal fluid you got from the victims?"

"He always uses a condom. Your wife fought back, maybe we can get DNA from her fingernail scrapings." Burke seemed to be opening up to him.

"Damn it! I want in on this."

"I know you want to get this guy bad Agent Booth. I understand. But you're too personally involved in this. I promise once we catch this guy, you'll be the first to know."

"You better pray I don't find this guy first," Booth growled.

"I'm gonna let that slide Agent Booth." Burke stretched out his hand. "We'll be in touch."

Booth shook the detectives' hands, squeezing each hand tightly, letting them know he meant business. He walked back into Brennan's room, but wasn't quite prepared for the sight.

He had known the extent of her injuries but he never expected that. Brennan had her hospital gown lifted up, and Booth could see a large bruise over her abdomen. There were bruises over her ribs. The bruises on her thighs marred her ivory skin. Booth felt like he wanted to vomit.

The forensic tech left when the photographs were taken.

Booth stood frozen, his mind seething, heat aching. Brennan stared back at him, eyes glistening with tears.

He took steps, closing the short distance between them, resuming his place on the bed beside her.

"Oh Bones. I'm so sorry."

"I told you it's not your fault Booth."

"You should never have been alone." He kissed the top of her head.

"You told me not to go off alone. If anyone's to blame - "

"Bones. Let's not go there ok? None of us wanted this, least of all you. It's happened. Not your fault baby. I'll find the guy who did this. I promise."

There's no point. Find the man who did this won't bring my baby back, won't undo what has happened. Won't change the fact that I was raped.

Brennan didn't verbalize what she was thinking. She was so tired.

"Get some rest Bones. I'll be right here. Would you like me to get the nurse? Maybe get something to help you sleep?"

"I don't' want – "

"You need the rest."

"Okay." Brennan conceded. Moments later she had poped a sleeping pill and had drifted off to sleep.

Booth sat by her bed on the lone plastic chair. Max returned with a sandwich for Booth, promising to visit her again the next day.

He only managed a few bites, it wasn't like he was feeling hungry. He held Brennan's bandaged hand in his, brushing his lips against it. He fingered her wedding ring, remembering when she had amazed him by marrying him. They were at the Founding Fathers for dinner that evening, and his heart was thudding away in his chest as he slid the ring towards her. She had looked up from her salad, the fork still in her hand. He hadn't even expected her to accept the ring.

"This ring used to belong to my Grandmother Then my mom. It's kinda like a family heirloom. Passed from daughter-in-law to daughter-in-law."

"It's beautiful."

"I know you don't believe in marriage and all that stuff, but I figured you're the closest girl to a daughter-in-law Pops is gonna get. You don't have to marry me, just wear it, make the old man happy."

She had slid the ring onto her finger.

"It's a perfect fit."

Booth grinned widely.

"Yes it is. Pops used to say it would only fit the woman I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. It didn't fit Rebecca."

"It would make your grandfather happy."

"Yeah it would."

"Would make you very happy too, to see me with it."

"Extremely happy Bones. I'm a very happy man right now."

"It's only a piece of paper right Booth? And I already decided I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with you."

"Yup."

"So I guess we should make it official. It's not too difficult to sign on a piece of paper."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"It's only a piece of paper. And a small ceremony."

"You never fail to amaze me Bones."

They had got married in the month that followed. The memory and the events that had occurred that morning, seeing her injuries was too much for Booth to bear. He had kept it in but he couldn't any longer. The tears started to fall. He cried quietly, for his Bones, for what she had been through, for the baby they'd lost. Their sanctuary had been invaded.

The tears kept falling until he had no more to shed. And his grief turned into anger, fueling him. He would find the man who did this, and make him pay. He wiped the tears from his eyes, took a breath and stood up. His hand brushed Brennan's hair. She groaned in her sleep.

"Be right back." He whispered.

Stepping outside the room, he fished his cell from his pocket. He didn't care if FBI didn't have jurisdiction, he didn't care if his wife had been the victim. He just wanted justice. He had a couple of junior agents he had mentored and trusted. He made the call to one of them.

Yes revenge is probably coming. It's brewing slowly in my head just as it is in Booth's. And yes rape is nasty business, I thought long and hard about writing it.

Poor Brennan, had to tell what happened to her. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one feeling sorry for her and that you guys do too. Poor thing, can't help writing the angst and pain.

I'm really feeling so sorry for the poor girl. And things aren't getting better fast, at least not yet anyway.