Strong T

The time couldn't go fast enough for Booth, sitting in his apartment awake long before his alarm. His phone was in his hands, turning it over and over as he knew that he had to resist calling her. If Steve answered, it would only make things worse. And yet he couldn't fight the horrible feeling that he had that something was going to happen.

Racing through the traffic to the Jeffersonian once enough time had passed, his worst fears were confirmed when he saw a very worried team gathered around Cam. She smiled sympathetically at him as he joined them.

"What's going on?" he asked, seeing Cam wince at knowing that she was going to have to be the one to tell him this.

"Dr Brennan resigned this morning. I tried to talk her out of it, even convince her to come in and discuss it face to face but she refused." Booth dropped his head to his hands, pulling at his hair as he tried to push away the thoughts of what could have gone wrong. "Seeley, she sounded upset and tired. I think...I think there's something wrong. I think we need to find her."

"So do I," Angela added, her face a picture of worry. "Can you help us, Booth? We need someone on the law side to help us."

"God, of course I will, Angela, how can you even ask me that?" he asked, his eyes looking so sad that tears started in hers. "I'm gonna go to her apartment now."

"I'll come too," Angela added, before Hodgin's held her back.

"No. It's too dangerous, Ang, I'll go. And I promise I'll let you know something as soon as we get there. OK?"

Sighing, she nodded, knowing that there was no use arguing once Hodgins had made up his mind about something. Nodding to Booth, he shrugged out of his lab coat and grabbed his jacket, following the taller FBI agent out of the lab, into the unknown.

Booth cursed as he stood in Bones's apartment, thankful for the key she had given him a while ago. She was not there, and by the looks of the place, she hadn't been there for a while. He ran his hands through his hair, completely lost in worry. If she wasn't there, then where would she have gone? And why was Steve not calling him constantly asking him where she was?

"Booth?" came Hodgins's worried voice, his pale face appearing from the direction of the bedroom. "I think you should see this."

Gulping, Booth followed him through. The sight that hit him nearly made him sick. There was blood all over the adjourning bathroom floor, not huge amounts but enough to let him know that whoever had walked through there had been bleeding from somewhere, and he somehow doubted that it had been Steve.

Heading back into Bones's bedroom, a place where he would be happy to be under different circumstances, Booth tried to ignore the chill that was running up his back. The drawers and wardrobe had all been left open, things obviously taken in a hurry. He winced as he saw a pair of handcuffs still attached to the head of the bed, hoping that it didn't mean what he was sure it did.

Seeing Hodgins watching him anxiously, he nodded to him, heading back into the living room. He jumped as Hodgins patted his shoulder awkwardly.

"I'm sorry, man. I know how I feel, so I can just imagine what you must be feeling right now."

Booth nodded. "Thanks. But we're going to find her, Hodgins, I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to her. I think the place to start is what property Steve owns."

"This isn't your fault, you know that, right? Dr Brennan chose to leave with him, you know how stubborn she is."

Booth smiled, glad that Hodgins had been there with him. "Thanks. But let's just find her right now, OK?"

Angela sat in the back of the car, praying that they had the right house this time. Booth was silent as he drove, focussing all his attentions on getting them there alive. They had tried four places that were associated with Steve, and they were running out of options. It had been nearly a week since they were aware that Brennan had gone, and her best friend was beside herself with worry.

"OK, guys, stay in the car while I go in," Booth told them, not really surprised when both Hodgins and Angela hopped out after him, staring resolutely at him.

"If you think that I'm staying in the car if there's a chance I can help my best friend, you have another thing coming mister," she told him, Hodgins trying not to laugh at his girlfriend's tough talk.

Booth smiled grimly and nodded. He'd feel just the same if he were told to wait this close to Bones as well.

"Fine, just stay back, OK? I don't want more injuries to deal with," he warned them, setting off for the door.

Counting silently to three, he pulled back and kicked the door with all his might, pleased when it shattered, giving him access to the run down shack that someone called a house. Checking the first room, he found a musty kitchen, pots sitting in the sink. He smiled grimly. That meant that someone was living here, which gave them a good chance.

The next room was a dusty living room, a patch running through the dust where someone had obviously used the small sofa and worn out TV within the last few days. Feeling his heart pounding, Booth reminded himself to go slow, however desperate he was to find Bones. The last thing he needed was to get injured, or to kill her best friends!

Going for the creaking stairs, he inched his way up, hearing the corresponding creaks as Hodgins and Angela followed him. The banister at the top was almost giving way, it was that old and worn. The first room revealed nothing but a double bed, a case of clothes standing open. Heading in, his breath caught in his chest as he saw a small tank top that he knew belonged to Bones. Venturing further into the room in case he was mistaken, he grabbed his old FBI sweatshirt, throwing it to Angela as he threw caution to the wind, dashing out of the room.

"Bones!" he yelled, running across the landing and hoping nobody else was there who he didn't want to see. "Bones!"

Trying the next door, he found it locked. Bracing himself, he shoved his shoulder against it, almost falling through as the old lock gave way.

He had not been prepared for what he saw next. Bones was lying on the bed, blood caked onto her face between the bruises. Her hands were cruelly tied above her head, but it was obvious that she was unconscious and wouldn't have been moving anywhere anyway. Her upper body was almost naked except for her bra, giving Booth a first hand view of the cruel bruising covering her upper body.

"Bones," he whispered, dashing forwards instantly.

She cowered away from him as he touched her arm gently, before cracking her eyes open painfully. He smiled reassuringly at her, fighting the tears as he told himself he had to be strong for her.

"Booth?" she murmured hoarsely, swallowing to try and get some liquid down her throat.

"Yeah, Bones, it's me. You're gonna be OK, now alright? Just relax, baby, I've got you."

He knew that he was talking more to himself that to Bones, as he stood and fumbled with the ropes binding her hands. She let out a groan as they pulled against her wrists slightly, Booth mumbling an apology as he finally got them free. The skin was red raw, and he rubbed them soothingly as he put them down by her sides, Brennan smiling slightly at the fact that one pain had gone.

"An ambulance is on it's way, Booth," Hodgins told him, seeing Booth nod and take the sweatshirt that he was offering from him.

"You hear that, Bones? Help is coming, you're gonna be just fine," he told her as he slipped the jumper over her head, so carefully putting her arms through the sleeves to cover her up. Angela barely repressed a sob to see her friend in such a state.

"Booth?" she mumbled, feeling his hand stroke her hair, a feeling she had missed so much.

"Yeah, Bones? Don't talk too much, you'll make your throat sore."

"You can't be here, Booth," she told him, sighing with the effort. "You have to go."

"I'm not going anywhere, Bones, not without you. This ends now, OK?"

She shook her head, tears coming as she tried to sit up, her arms shaking with the effort. He was there in an instant, trying to ease her back down. When he realised that wasn't going to work, he changed tactics, easing himself onto the bed behind her and cradling her upper body in his arms, rubbing her hair softly.

"Easy, there Bones! You need to take it easy."

"No, Booth, you don't understand! He'll kill you...he'll kill you if he finds you here!"

He smiled, kissing her forehead gently. "He won't find me here, Bones, we'll be gone before he gets back. It's OK, just shh."

"It's not OK!" she told him, trying to get away from his arms only to find herself too weak, and Booth not willing to let her go, soothing her into lying back down. "He'll kill you, Booth, then this will all be for nothing!"

"What do you mean, for nothing?" he asked, watching as her lip trembled, tears falling on her cheeks, burning the cuts they found there. "Oh, Bones," he groaned, finally coming in. "That's why you left? Because you thought I was in danger? Oh, God, Temperance, you shouldn't have done that! I can't believe, you..."

He broke off, unable to carry on anymore. She'd willingly endangered her life to save his. His shoulders sobbed as he cried, knowing that she loved him just as much as he loved her, but not willing to believe he let her walk into this.

"Hey, Booth," she told him, rubbing the tears from her cheek with a wince as he smiled down at her. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

He grinned, kissing her forehead. "It's gonna be OK, now, Bones, I promise. We're gonna make this OK."

"Is this Dr Brennan?" came an unknown voice from the door, Bones stiffening in Booths arms, as her hands came to grip his shirt. He soothed her, smiling at the paramedic.

"Yes, this is her. I'm Agent Booth," he told them, seeing the recognition of their partnership on his face. "Easy, Bones, it's OK, it's just the EMT's. They're gonna help you, OK?"

She nodded slowly. "Don't leave?" she whispered, feeling his arms tighten around her.

"I'm right here, baby."

He watched as they set up their equipment, all the while his eyes on Bones's face, soothing her by just talking to her. She was in a bad way, any fool could see that, but the way she was struggling to hold onto consciousness was killing him. There was a sudden gasp from Angela, and Booth looked down in horror to see a huge blood stain on the bed.

"Dr Brennan, were you injured somewhere? There's a lot of blood," the EMT said kindly, seeing her blink before looking up in fear at Booth.

"It's OK, Bones, you can tell us," he assured her, seeing the tears start again.

"I'm so sorry, Booth, I'm so sorry," she whispered, as he stroked her head.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for, Tempe," he told her as she shook her head.

"There is. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't. I couldn't stop him forcing himself..." She broke off, swallowing painfully. "I was pregnant," she replied to the EMT who nodded with a wince of understanding. "I believe the blood must be from a miscarriage."

"Oh, Bones," Booth groaned, hugging her tighter.

"I couldn't stop it, Booth, even though I wanted to. I know I disappointed you, and I let down the child. I couldn't keep it safe, he hit me anyway."

He groaned, fighting back the tears again as he kissed her forehead. "Oh, Bones, you couldn't do anything to disappoint me! You haven't, I promise. I'm going to kill that son of a bitch, but you're perfect just as you are. And you didn't let the baby down, Bones, he did. He's gonna pay for that."

"Don't do anything, Booth, please, promise me? I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"We'll see, Bones, we'll sort it out, OK?"

He nodded to the EMT as he wheeled in a trolley. Standing by the bed, he watched them place a mask over Brennan's face, hooking up an IV to help her. She was out cold the instant they lifted her off the bed, making Booth's heart race faster with worry. Angela patted his arm carefully as he stood watching the ambulance drive out of sight. She hadn't felt able to interrupt the scene of the two partners so obviously in love, and she had had no idea what to say to comfort her friend.

"You did good, Booth, she's gonna be OK," she told him, seeing him nod and rub his face wearily.

"Are you OK?" he asked, as she nodded and smiled, her eyes still a little watery.

"I will be. I just wasn't expecting...that!"

He smiled. "Me neither. Let's get going."

"Going where?" she asked suspiciously, Hodgins holding up his hand.

"You can't do anything, Booth, you need to be with Dr B right now."

"I'll drop you off at the hospital first, then I have to go."

"Booth..." Angela pleaded, cut off when she saw his determined and stubborn face.

"No, Angela, he's done enough, I have to end this. Once and for all."

Sitting quietly in her seat, Angela couldn't say she wasn't glad that this would be over, for Brennan and herself. She just wished it didn't have to involve Booth going into danger, because she didn't know what Bren would say when she found out that Angela had sat by and let him do it.