Authors Note; So, this is a longer oneshot. xD Uhm, I guess I didn't know where to start. By the way, these aren't in a chronological order. :P So yeah don't get confused. Uhh...Sitting in the middle of my yard mooching on someone's internet connection...At 2:51 AM. Sad, right? Yeah. Well, I have no internet anymore, that's why I haven't updated much.
Rating is M because there are hints of sexual assault. So don't read if it makes you uncomfortable.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. D: Just the fictional characters that are not associated with the show. 3
If You Need Me
Jackson Montenegro-Hodgins ran a hand through his raven colored hair, leaving it sticking up in all sorts of places. He sat outside his best friends' bathroom, blowing out air through his mouth. "Ellie, please...Just listen to me." The 16 year old pleaded, eyes darting up to the door as the knob turned.
Ellie emerged from the bathroom, auburn colored hair straightened and cascading down to her clavicle. Her bangs swept over to the left across her forehead. She wore a pair of skinny jeans and a white tank top with a cropped black sweater over it. She looked at the boy sitting on her bed, her eyes searching his. "What?" She snapped, impatiently. "What am I listening to? It seems to me, that you're jealous." Her arms folded across her chest as she took an offended stance.
Jackson stood up, anger suddenly coursing through him. "What! I'm not jealous, Ellie! I'm simply worried." His voice raised an octave higher than it normally was as he tried to convince Ellie he wasn't jealous. Or maybe he was trying to convince himself. None the less, aside from being jealous(Which he totally wasn't), he was seriously worried. "Brad is not a good guy, Ellie!" Suddenly his voice softened and his cheeks reddened. "Y-you should hear w-what he says about you, and...Other girls." He looked down, visibly swallowing.
Ellie stared at him a moment, deciding that perhaps he was just worried for her wellbeing. He was her best friend, after all. She stepped closer to him and rested a hand on his arm. Offering him a small smile, she waited for him to meet her eyes before speaking. "Thank you for your concern, Jackson; But, I'll be fine. I can take care of myself and Bradley has been all but kind to me. I'm sure what ever he says is nothing too bad. Now, I'm going out with him weather you like it or not." She backed up slightly and waited to gauge his reaction.
Jackson huffed, not even bothering to hide his annoyance. "God, you are so damn stubborn, Ellie. Just...Just call me if you need me, okay?" His voice softened at the last part. He met her gaze once more, almost falling into the cerulean pools, but catching himself as he spoke. "I'm not going to fight with you about this. I care about you and I just don't want to see you hurt. So please, call me if you need me." He smiled weakly and pulled the girl into his embrace to hug her tightly.
"O-okay." Ellie stammered, hugging him back. Downstairs, the doorbell rang and she could hear someone opening it, and then her mother call up to her.
Jackson pulled back and they both stared at each other. Breaking the silence as well as eye contact, Jackson turned to leave, but not before turning to take one last look at his friend. "You look beautiful, by the way." Before Ellie could even answer, her best friend was gone. She stood there, mouth agape, slightly stunned and staring at her opened door. She couldn't quite decipher the feelings that were festering and bubbling at the pit of her stomach. She was taken out of her reverie as her mother appeared at the door.
"Ellie? You're date is here. You better hurry and leave before your father gets here. You know what happens when you bring boys over..." She smirked at the thought of Booth showing his gun to the boys who had come over for one reason or another. Booth never failed to scare the living hell out of each and every one.
Ellie forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah. Uhm. Tell him I'll be down in just a second. I just need to find my shoes." Temperance nodded to her daughter and turned to leave.
B-B-B
Jackson took the stairs two at a time as he walked briskly to the door. As he opened it, he heard a voice try to get his attention. "Yo, Hodgins...Jackson!" Came Bradley's deep voice. Jackson stopped mid-step and turned his head to look at the tall boy. He had somewhat of a frown on his face, his hands shoved into his letterman jacket. He was slightly taller than Jackson, and much more muscular. He was one of those boys that all the girls wanted and looking at him made Jackson want to punch him in the face.
"...Yeah?" Jackson finally replied, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his tone.
"What are you doing here?" Brad sounded slightly demanding as he folded his arms across his chest and waited expectantly for an answer. Jackson stared up at his gelled, cropped blond hair and made his way down to the boy's Vans, as if sizing him up. "...Well?" Brad growled.
Jackson snapped his gaze back up to Brad's and shrugged. "I walked Ellie home from school and we did our homework together..." He replied honestly. That was what they did every day.
Brad looked angry but kept his voice low. "...You don't have a chance with her, Hodgins. You're nothing." Jackson's brows knitted together and he tried hard to keep his voice calm and cool.
"Honestly, Bradley. She's too good for you. Ellie and I are best friends, anyway. Nothing more. I see straight through you, and she will too. She has to learn from her mistakes." Brad just gave a smug smile, watching Jackson carefully.
"Yeah, whatever. She can realize it after I nail her. I see where she gets her looks from. Her mom is a freaking cougar. 'Ya know...Your mom is sexy as hell too, dude." Brad laughed, knowing he was getting under the boy's skin. Jackson visibly stiffened, hands balling into tight fists. Before he could say anything, Temperance emerged from the stairs.
"Bradley, Ellie says she'll be down in a moment. She's just retrieving her shoes." Brennan glanced at her best friend's son, noting his rigid stance and contorted look. "Jackson, are you alright?" The concern was evident in her voice.
Jackson's jaw clenched and unclenched as he watched Bradley smirk. Trying hard not to ram his fist into the boy before him, he forced himself to look over to Brennan. "I'm fine, Aunt Tempe. Thanks for the pizza this afternoon." He worked hard to force a smile. Brad cocked his head slightly at the term 'Aunt', wondering what Jackson's real relationship to this family was.
Brennan smiled softly. "Of course. Tell your mother I said to call me later, okay?" She watched as Jackson nodded and turned to leave, only stopping when Bradley called his name.
"Hey Hodgins..." Bradley waited, a grin still plastered on his strong features. Jackson slowly turned, body tensing. "Remember what I said...Cougars, man. What I wouldn't give to-" Before he could finish, Jackson lunged after him, his fist colliding with the side of Brad's face. Brad fell back onto the floor, a stunned look on his face. Before Jackson could throw his body on Brad's and continue to throw punches, he felt a pair of arms holding him back. His aunt Temperance was strong for being so small.
She pulled him back, speaking to him calmly. "Jackson, stop. Calm down. You should go on home. It will be okay." She knew Jackson well enough to know that whatever Brad had been talking about was bad because Jackson would never raise his hand on anyone, in fact it was rare he ever paid much attention to insults. She had never seen him so worked up.
Bradley scrambled to his feet, holding his right cheek and staring at Jackson with a shocked expression. Jackson stopped struggling, knowing that his Aunt wasn't letting go unless he calmed down, and when he did, she let go. "I'm sorry, Aunt Tempe. I'll get going." He hurried over to the door, only to turn around and stare Brad in the eye. "Oh, and screw you Brad." He growled before he slammed the door behind him.
Just as the door hit the jam, Ellie came down the stairs, taking in the site of Bradley still holding his already bruised cheek, and her mother looking to the door. "What the hell happened?" Ellie questioned, looking between her mother and her date.
Brad immediately looked at Ellie. "Hodgins flipped his lid and punched me!" He claimed, looking offended and hurt as best he could. That was easy, he was a pro at manipulating. Brennan turned to look at Brad, brows quirked.
"What! That doesn't sound like Jackson." Ellie looked to her mother for conformation. Brennan narrowed her eyes at Bradley, trying to compartmentalize.
Finally, she opened her mouth to speak. "It's true, Jackson did punch Brad in the face..." She paused, still thinking calmly. "However, Bradley said something to provoke him. I'm not sure what he meant or why the mention of a wild animal would set him off like that..."
"A Wild Animal?" Ellie looked confused. Bradley visibly swallowed and worked quickly to remedy the situation.
"I think he's jealous, Ell. I was talking about what happened in our Science class today. Anyway, I apologize for what happened, Mrs. Booth. I hope it's alright that I still take your daughter out?" He offered the older woman a smile.
Ellie answered before her mother. "Of course you can, Brad. It sounds reasonable that Jackson was jealous. We we're arguing earlier..." Ellie said, looking over at her mother and giving her a pleading look. Brennan simply shrugged.
"Don't go past your curfew..." Brennan warned, walking over to kiss her daughter on the cheek. "Have a nice time." She watched Ellie and Bradley nod as they both walked out of the door.
B-B-B
Jackson slammed the door behind him as he entered the large estate that was the Hodgins' residence. Hearing the slam, Angela walked briskly into the foyer to see her son stomping toward the stairs, a scowl on his face and his hands balled into fists. She then noted that his right fist looked swollen and purple. "Jackson?" The boy stopped at his mother's voice, but he didn't turn around. "Jackson, what happened to your hand?" She started toward him, watching as the boy lifted his hand and unclenched it.
Jackson realized how badly his hand was hurting now and once he unclenched he grabbed it immediately and cursed under his breath. This didn't go unnoticed by Angela. She put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around gently to search his eyes. She immediately felt sick to her stomach as she noted the tortured expression on her young son's face, and the fact that his eyes were so much darker than they normally were. She could see the anger in them. "Jacky, what's wrong? What happened?"
Jackson considered telling his mother what happened. He was very close with her, and usually told her just about everything. She was easy to talk to. He sighed and brought his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes. Pain shot through his right hand and he sucked in a sharp breath, muttering another slur of curses. "Ellie is going out with an ass face." Jackson grumbled, looking at his mother through long dark lashes.
Angela raised a brow. "So you're jealous?" She tried to hide her smile at the thought of her son being jealous of whomever this 'ass face' was. Jackson snapped his head up and looked at his mother with an annoyed expression.
"What? No! Why does everyone think that?"
"Alright, calm down...So then what's the deal? I need details." She said as she grabbed his good hand and led him to one of the couches in the living room.
After relaying what had happened earlier, Jackson closed his eyes as his head fell back against the couch. His mother had brought him ice and she ordered him to keep it on his swollen hand. She told him that Ellie was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and that she'd figure it out. Angela had first hand experience on dating assholes, but this didn't quell Jackson's anger, nor his worry.
B-B-B
Ellie sighed softly as she pushed her bangs out of the left side of her face and looked up from her finished dinner. She couldn't help but think about Jackson, he had never punched anyone. He rarely even got mad. Annoyed, yes...But never mad enough to punch someone in the face. Ellie brought her cerulean eyes to look at Brad. He was taking a sip of his soda and looking at her with a look she couldn't quite place. She didn't like it.
Clearing her throat, Ellie pushed her plate aside and forced a smile. "So...," She started, breaking the silence. "I really enjoyed dinner, Bradley. It was lovely." She clasped her hands and placed them on the table. Bradley reached across the table and set his hand over hers.
"No problem, baby. I'm glad you liked it. This night isn't over yet, though. I want to show you something." He smiled and Ellie suddenly felt uneasy. The pet name he had just used made her stomach churn. She never thought something so silly would make her so uncomfortable. She then realized it wasn't the name itself, it was the way he said it.
Bradley put some money on the table and stood, pulling Ellie up beside him and wrapping his arm around her waist. "Where are we going?" Ellie asked, blood pressure rising as they neared the exit of the restaurant. She had a bad feeling. Her gut was telling her something was wrong. You're being silly, she thought as they walked through the dimly lit parking lot. My gastrointestinal cannot speak, I sound like my father.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Bradley spoke. "You'll see." A look flashed across his face that made Ellie even more uncomfortable.
"You should know, I don't like surprises." Ellie replied, about to open the passengers' side of the car. Before she could open it to get in, she felt her body being forced against the vehicle, back against the car door. Again she was too slow to react, now feeling weight and pressure against her body. Fear struck her when she couldn't break free and then suddenly she felt like her dinner was about to come back up when Bradley kissed her hard, one hand moving down her body.
Finally, Ellie was able to recover from the fear and shock as her brain quickly worked to compartmentalize and she reacted. As Bradley's tongue entered her mouth, she bit down hard. Ellie felt him begin to recoil and she shoved his chest hard to get him away quicker. As he stumbled back, hands to his mouth he scowled at her.
Ellie could taste his blood in her mouth and she spit in an attempt to rid the bitter, coppery taste before she began to speak. "What the hell, Bradley! What's wrong with you?" She demanded, anger coursing through her.
"Me!" Bradley snapped, finally recovering. "What about you? You just fucking bit my tongue! Christ!" He spit out his own blood and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"You're advances were too rough and too fast. You can't just shove me up against a car and expect me to react in in a good way." She folded her arms across her chest. "Don't worry about taking me home, I can find a ride." She turned her back and pulled her cell out of her purse. She pushed the speed dial number 1, but before she could put the phone to ear she felt two pairs of strong arms around her and everything dropped to the ground.
B-B-B
Jackson had moved from the couch, to his bedroom. He was laying in bed on his stomach, his swollen hand resting up above his head with ice on it while his good hand hung off the bed as he stared at his cell phone. He had been staring at it for an hour now, willing it to ring. When it finally did, he shot up like his bed was on fire and quickly grabbed it.
His heart sped up as the caller I.D read "Ells", one of his many nicknames for his best friend. Quickly, he pressed the TALK button and answered. "Hello? Ellie?" When the only thing on the other end was a muffled scream, and scuffling, noises Jackson felt sick and dizzy. His heart was in his throat and he couldn't bear to listen to Ellie's muffled protests.
He hung up the phone and rushed to his computer. "Please let Ellie have turned on her GPS." He mumbled as he typed in the needed information. He silently thanked God when he got a hit and he quickly wrote down the address before he bolted down the stairs, almost running over his mother.
Angela stumbled to the side and Jackson quickly grabbed her. "Sorry, mom. Got to go." He said quickly before taking the rest of the stairs by two.
"Jackson! Wait, what's going on?" She had never seen such a panicked look on his face.
All Jackson said before he slammed the door behind him was, "Ellie." and then he was gone. Angela wasn't sure if she should feel worried or not. If it was serious, wouldn't he tell her? She decided to call Brennan just in case something really was wrong. Something didn't feel right.
B-B-B
Bradley kept his hold on a struggling Ellie as he opened the back door to his large truck. Once it was open, he lifted the girl with no effort and threw her inside. "Bradley, I'd advise you to let go of me...My father is an FBI Agent and I wouldn't put it past him to shoot you in the head with his gun." She worked hard to keep the fear from creeping in her voice. Why hadn't she listened to Jackson?
Bradley just chuckled and shut the door behind him, locking the doors. Ellie turned to unlock the door on her side, but Bradley grabbed her ankle and pulled her toward him and away from the door. "Your dad wont find out...or else." he sneered, his large hand grabbing both of her wrists and holding them above her head. She was useless. She couldn't move. His weight was too great on her and he had a good grip on her wrists to keep her arms from flailing about as she tried to hit something.
Ellie stared up at Bradley as she tried to keep from giving him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Her voice was merely a whisper as she spoke. "Or else, what...?"
Bradley leaned down until his lips brushed against her cheek. "Or else I'll kill you and hurt your friend." As his hot breath touched her skin, her body tensed and she tried to jerk away. Bradley laughed and began to slowly move his free hand up her shirt. Ellie kept quiet, looking away from him as she tried to keep the tears that desperately wanted to break free, at bay. "Look at me..." Bradley demanded. Ellie didn't budge, she kept her eyes fixed on the windshield in the front, her jaw clenched. Bradley cupped her chin hard and forced her face to his before letting go and slapping her. Her head whipped back to the side and she fought her urge to cry out as the hot sting of his slap made her cheek burn. "Now look at me." Ellie finally complied, wanting to avoid being slapped again. Her eyes met his and he noted the hatred burning in her gaze. She looked at him with a fierce glare that made him feel like she was just willing the fires of hell to open up and take him. Along with hatred, he could see the fear in her eyes and it gave him some sort of thrill. He liked the control he held.
"Keep your eyes on me, babe." Brad whispered in her ear, beginning to kiss the side of her neck. Ellie cringed as his hand pulled her shirt up, causing gooseflesh as her skin was exposed. Her heart pounded in her ears and she closed her eyes, forgetting Bradley's order to keep her eyes on him. She couldn't keep quiet anymore as he managed to lift her shirt high enough to expose her chest. She let out a soft sob, tears streaming down her cheeks. Bradley pulled back to see the tears and he grinned. "Not so tough now, are you?" He said as his hand traveled passed her bellybutton to the beginning of her jeans. He slowly unbuttoned them, as well as his own and the fear Ellie had felt before only escalated to panic as she watched on in horror.
She decided to struggle more, but he only forced more weight on her as he slowly tugged at her jeans to pull them down. "P-Please don't..." Ellie all but whispered, her own voice betraying her. Bradley paid no attention to her pleas as he leaned down to let his lips travel her body...
B-B-B
Jackson had weaved in and out of cars, breaking several laws as he raced against time to get to Ellie. His hands gripped the steering wheel, yelling at people to get the hell out of the way. He took a sharp turn into the parking lot and searched for anything that would lead him to Ellie.
His heart felt like it was trying to beat it's way out of his chest as he came across Brad's truck. He stopped right there in the middle of the parking lot and shut off his car, hurrying out. His eyes caught site of Ellie's purse and cell on the ground, and he knew they were in the car. Quickly, he rushed over to the truck and he could soon hear the muffled sobs of Ellie as she pleaded, and then came Bradley's voice. "You'll like it." All Jackson saw was red now. He moved to open the door to realize it was locked.
"Shit." Jackson growled. He searched around the parking lot and quickly ran back to his car. He opened the back and pulled out a jack handle that he kept incase he needed to jack his car up to remove a flat tire, and moved quickly back to Brad's car.
Brad was in the middle of attempting to remove the rest of Ellie's clothes but she was fighting him more than he expected. Suddenly glass went flying everywhere and he was being yanked out from behind. The bits of glass from the window cut his arms and back as his body scrapped against them and then he was on the ground. Before he even realized who had him pinned, he felt a blow to the face and then another.
Jackson gripped Brad's shirt by the collar and held his head up from the ground as he threw punch after punch. He couldn't stop himself. The anger and rage he felt masked the pain in his arms, fists, and face. The only thing that pulled him out of it was the unfamiliar sobs from his best friend. He let go of Bradley and hurried to open the back door. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes took in Ellie. She was in a bra and her jeans were unbuttoned. She was in the corner of the vehicle, working to put back on her shirt. Once it was on, she turned her head to see Jackson. She went to throw her arms at him, but he held up his cut up hand and she stopped, confused. "Wait. The glass." He said quietly as he moved from view.
Before Ellie could panic at Jackson's disappearing form, the door behind her opened up. She turned to see Jackson standing there, unsure of what to do. Her eyes traveled over him. His face was cut up slightly from the glass flying, as well as his arms when he reached in to grab Bradley and pull him out, and then there were his swollen fists. She felt more tears as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her, sobbing into his neck. Jackson wanted to cry himself. He had never seen such fear in her eyes and it angered him more, especially the bruise on her face. "Shhh. I'm here now. I've got you, Ellie." Jackson whispered as he gently lifted her into his arms, carrying her bridal style out of the car and toward his own car. Ellie kept her arms around his neck.
Jackson gently sat Ellie down in the passenger side of his car and pulled back slowly to wipe the tears away from her face. "I'll be right back, I've got to call your parents and mine and-" Ellie cut him off, shaking her head.
"N-No. Please-Don't leave me." She all but whispered, trembling in the seat. Jackson let his eyes search her body for any wounds and they quickly landed on the button of her jeans. Ellie followed his gaze and her cheeks flushed. "I-I'm sorry." She quickly pulled them up more and buttoned them. She recalled the fear and disgust she felt when Brad looked over her half naked form. She knew Jackson had seen her too, but for some reason it didn't bother her. Probably because she knew Jackson wouldn't hurt her.
Jackson shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere. I just need to call the paramedics and stuff, I need your cell phone. I just need to get it." He let his eyes travel across the parking lot to where Bradley lay unconscious and Ellie's purse and phone. Ellie nodded reluctantly and watched as Jackson walked back over to Brad's car.
B-B-B
Brennan and Booth were the first to arrive. Booth was furious. He wanted to kill this kid, shoot him right between the eyes...No, make him suffer first. When Temperance had gotten the call from Jackson, her heart immediately leapt into her throat and she envisioned the many sexually assaulted young girls who had come across her table to be identified. She had been uncharacteristically quiet on the way there, trying to compartmentalize. Jackson said Ellie was okay, just very scared and worked up. He had made it on time, but she just kept thinking what if he hadn't?
As they pulled into the parking lot, Temperance and Booth searched for any sign of Jackson and their daughter. They soon spotted them. Jackson was in the drivers' side of his car, the door open with his feet resting on the ground outside with Ellie's trembling form in his lap. She was curled up as best she could get as Jackson rocked her softly, rubbing circles into her back. Their eyes then landed on the unconscious boy on the other side of the parking lot. Jackson had tied his hands together in case he woke up. The car came to a stop and both Brennan and Booth exited the car, and walked toward Ellie and Jackson.
The paramedics arrived, along with two cop cars. As Booth and Brennan walked up to their daughter and Jackson, Booth noted the cuts all over the boy's arms and face. He felt his heart swell with pride and relief that he had been there to take care of his baby girl. "Jackson, why don't you come with me, son. Your parents are on the way, but we need you to give your statement and let's get your wounds checked out." Booth said as calmly as he could right now. Ellie clung to Jackson harder, not wanting to lose the comfort he brought.
Jackson looked down at Ellie. "Ellie. I have to go. Your mom is here, she can take care of you." Ellie looked up to see both her parents standing in front of her. Her mother had unshed tears in her eyes and her father looked sad and angry at the same time. Brennan held out her arms and moved closer. Ellie looked back at Jackson and attempted a smile at him before she slowly stood up from his lap and moved to her mother's warm embrace. She took in the sweet and familiar scent of vanilla that was her mother and nuzzled into her, crying quietly.
Brennan kissed the top of her daughter's head and hugged her tight, now not able to hold back her tears. "Thank God you're alright." She said softly, feeling her daughter hug her tighter. Booth suddenly wrapped his strong arms around them both.
"Take her to get checked over." Booth said softly before turning to talk to Jackson.
Bradley was treated on site and immediately hauled off to the police station. Both Ellie and Jackson made their statements and both sets of parents hugged and cooed over their children, both recalling a night 9 years ago that scared the hell out of them.
B-B-B
Ellie lay curled up in her bed, hugging the stuffed Ladybug she had gotten when she was 3 years old from Parker. It had been two days since the incident. She felt afraid and violated all the time. No matter how many showers she took, she couldn't get the feel of Brad's hands on her body off, or the scent of his cologne from her nose. There was a knock on the door and then a soft voice. "Ells, can I come in?"
Jackson poked his head in to see his friend curled up. He was worried about her. She never missed a day of school. He got no answer from her. He decided to come in anyway. Setting his backpack down, he pulled out some books and set them on Ellie's desk. "I brought you your homework." He said softly as he slowly walked toward the end of her bed and cautiously took a seat.
"I'm sorry." Ellie suddenly blurted out.
"For what?" Jackson asked, confused.
"For not listening." Ellie sat up and looked at Jackson with tears in her eyes. She wanted to hug him. He still looked rough and it made her feel guilty. "It's all my fault-You're face and-" She started to cry and Jackson moved closer to hug her softly.
"Shhh. The only person who is at fault is Brad. So don't tell me it's your fault. You know that's irrational." She pulled back and a small smile curved her lips. He was right. Ellie moved closer into his body and snuggled her face to his chest, the fear that had been gripping her beginning to melt away in his arms.
"Thank you, Jackson." Ellie whispered, looking up to kiss his cheek and then leaning into his chest again, keeping her arms around his waist. Jackson smiled and let his cheek rest against the top of her head.
"I'll always be there for you if you need me, Ellie. No matter what." Jackson felt her hug him tighter and he smiled, pulling her into his lap and holding her just as he did before, rubbing soothing circles into her back. Ellie heaved a sigh of contentment, feeling safe for the first time since that night...
