Hi everybody again,

Here is the 14th chapter of my story. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: as always, Bones is not mine…

PROFILE

After talking to Angela, Brennan remained for a few moments in her office, trying to adjust herself. Then she headed to the platform where Clark has already cleaned the bones of Caroline Stanton. She knew they needed to identify as much evidences as they could about her life style. This way they could give Sweets as much information as they could to maybe, just maybe, let him be able to predict his movements in order to catch him. She spent all the afternoon working with Clark on the bones. Booth tried to talk to her but she refused, and made him lie on her couch again and sleep for a while. He didn't complain because he thought he should be in the best conditions to face that crazy plan she and Perotta wanted to perform. He thought he should talk to Perotta too, to make himself sure she understood the only way he was letting her do this would be if he was with her. But that'd be later.

At the end of the afternoon Sweets came to the lab with a full psychological profile of Michael Corball. He had done a research on the FBI old cases and had found some interesting and macabre discoveries. Perotta had also come back from Biology with nothing more than the employee profile and a few references of his coworkers. Everyone told her that Michael Corball was an excellent officer.

Brennan had wakened Booth up and they headed to the upper platform, to the meeting table. Perotta, Sweets and Cam were already there. After welcome them Perotta started. She explained in chronological order, what had happened since Dr. Brennan had received the first package, the light bulb. She remembered every detail, just to check all the data they had til now. She concluded with the employee profile and the plan for the next day. Then Sweets took the floor.

"I've developed an exhaustive psychological profile of Michael Corball. Here you have." He said, handing a copy to every one of them. "Although the habitual is to call a killer as a serial one when he or she has killed at least three persons, this is indeed a serial killer, as I said in our first meeting. A disorganized kind, in fact. It seems that the only thing that motivates him is to get to Dr. Brennan. I think he doesn't want to kill her in an instant, but to take her to a private place. He wants her alive by the moment, and that's a good thing, because that could give us more time to catch him, and a chance to find her in case he gets her." At that comment Booth clenched his jaws but said nothing. Brennan shuddered almost imperceptibly. "The attack at the hospital confirms that theory, because he didn't kill her, but he didn't doubt to try to kill agent Harmon, as he tried with agent Booth before. As I've said, his obsession for her, in this case, runs in our favor, because this gives us the chance to find her in case he gets her." Brennan closed her eyes trying to stay calm and paying attention to Sweets. Booth sensed her uneasiness, it couldn't be any other way, and held her hand. He was doing exactly the same he did in the first meeting, tell her without words he was there no matter what. "If everything he has said to her and Booth is true, he has prepared a place to hide her, especially for her. Given the facts and the way he killed the first two victims I don't have doubts that he wants to take her there and enjoy the process of killing her." Brennan involuntarily clenched her fists, and Booth looked at her. She was fighting the tears. He held her hand with both hands.

"Sweets! Could you be more subtle, please?" He said. Sweets saw their hands and understood.

"I'm sorry, agent Booth, but I think it will be better for everyone if I explain all this as aseptic as I can. But I'll try."

"Thanks." Booth said, and Sweets went on.

"I think the things he had done to the two victims are an outlet for his own temperament. He gets excited with his victims suffering, what turns him in a sadist pervert." He took a breath and went on. "I'm sorry, but what I'm about to say I can't soften it." He said looking at Booth and Brennan. "I don't know what he'd be able to do to her if he had the opportunity. I mean, what he wants to do to her, he has everything already planned. Usually, a person who wants to take revenge on someone causes a lot more pain when he or she does it deliberately, than when he or she does it feeling the urge to do it, in the heat of the moment. I'm sure that his violence and sadism would be elevated to the highest level if his victim was Dr. Brennan." She didn't want to react but couldn't help to start shaking. She hated to be scared, but even more to not be able to control herself. Booth passed her arm behind her back and clasped her against him to comfort her a little. Sweets was paying attention to her, just in case, but he thought that while she was with Booth she could manage.

"As I've said he is a sadist, because he enjoys making others suffer, both physically and psychologically. He had made himself sure to make this point very clear with the last note founded at the Stanton's place addressed to agent Booth. Obviously, everything or everyone that steps in his way must be eliminated. He's really clear about that and has demonstrated it beyond any doubt. Fortunately he hasn't found his purpose neither with agent Booth or agent Harmon."

"He has no conscience, and therefore he doesn't feel any remorse for what he does. He shows that treating everyone that's trying to catch him with irony. He's arrogant but very intelligent too. And he has access to both medical and technological resources to attack and to spy his objectives."

"About the way he chooses his victims when he cannot get Dr. Brennan he searches for women as similar to her as possible. Not similar in the appearance, but in personal achievements. Well, Karen Lindberg and Caroline Stanton were beautiful women, indeed, but their beauty wasn't similar to Dr. Brennan's. The principal reason for the attraction he feels for her is that she's a very successful woman, one of the best in her field if not the best, and sure her appearance can increase his desire for her. All this is a symptom that leads me to think that, in fact, he envies her to the point to yearn for the reputation she has, and in his mind, the best way to get this is just get her."

"His familiar records are excellent. He fulfills all the requirements to become a serial killer. He passed his childhood between the abuses and the battering from his father and the indifference from his mother, who also suffered the constant abuses from his husband. In fact, Anthony Corball killed his wife Margaret when Michael was ten. His father killed his mother in front of him. I don't think anyone could ever recover after that. Seemingly Mr. Corball enjoyed raping her repeatedly. At the crime scene the agents found all kind of gadgets hanging on the basement wall, such as shackles, handcuffs, whips, robes, and some torture items more typical from the Middle Ages than from our time. The police report of that case is one of the more horrifying I've ever read. I'm going leave out the shocking details, but it's important to know what triggered his behavior to understand how his mind works. According with his own testimony in his parents' case he saw only the end of his father's attack against his mother. He told the agents that that day his mother has sent him to her sister's home. It seems that his mother did it frequently, supposedly to move his son away from his husband. His aunt's house was not far away from his own, and that day his cousins asked Michael for a train game he had in his basement. When he arrived and opened the door he saw her mother on a rickety bed, on her stomach, with her hands and feet tied to the four corners of the bed, and with his father upon her mother, both naked. He explained that his father looked at him, but kept doing what… what he was doing to her wife, staring at his son until the end. Michael saw that his mother was tied with a sort of handcuffs with thorns on the inside, hammered on her flesh, totally bloodstained. He explained that his mother couldn't turn her head to look where he was, so she never knew that her son watched her die. Michael explained, word by word that "my mother was yelling and writhing in pain as if she was possessed by the main Devil, who was my own father." This is extremely hard to explain, believe me, I'm trying to soften it, but it's very difficult." Sweets said, visibly shocked.

"Did someone listen to the shouts? By what you're telling that was not the first time Mr. Corball abused his wife, right?" Perotta asked.

"Mr. Corball was very cautious, and soundproofed the basement, like a recording studio. The police report says that nobody wouldn't have heard anything from the inside, not even standing in front of the basement door. The story ends with her mother's death. His exact words were "my father put the head of my mother in a transparent plastic bag. She stopped yelling, but my father started to do it, but he didn't stop to stare at me." I think everyone here understands what that means, I'm not going to translate it. Michael ran away from the house when he saw her mother stop moving. He went to his aunt home and told them what he had seen. They came back to the Corball's house, because the story Michael was telling was too much incredible and they believed he was delirious. When they arrived Mr. Corball wasn't in the house, but they found the scene exactly how Michael had explained. They called the police and his father was arrested two hours later. Anthony Corball was sentenced to death and executed sixteen years ago, when Michael was 14."

"In short, we're dealing with a psychopath with no conscience or remorse. This was probably caused by his traumatic childhood and to witness the extremely violent death of his mother by his father's hands. He enjoys making the others suffer. He prefers to cause physical pain, but he also enjoys the psychological one. It's absolutely obsessed with Dr. Brennan, and I'm sure he's totally determined to do anything in his hand to capture her." He said. Booth sensed Brennan's hand tighten at that sentence.

"Sweets!" Booth said, looking with an unfriendly face.

"Sorry…"

"Something else?" Perotta asked.

"No, that's all." Sweets answered.

"Where was his parent's house? Is it the one that he has blown up?"

"Yes, it's the same. It seems that he inherited it when her father died. He was living with his aunt since he was 18 and then moved to his own house again. I find that very disturbing, because he had suffered a lot of bad things in that house, but instead of never return there he went back to live there at the first chance he had. A lot of indifference is needed to do such a thing, and I think he had already begun to transform in what he is now." Sweets answered her.

"I don't remember him as a problematic man when he was in my class." Brennan said.

"Well, that's due to what Hervey Cleckley calls the mask of sanity. A psychopath usually has a normal behavior between acts. It's very difficult identify them when they're acting. Well, they really act to make everyone surrounding them believe that they're as normal as everybody. Although, he was dumped from the university because of rape charges, right?"

"Yes, he was. In fact, as I've already explained to agent Perotta before, he came to me asking for help. He didn't want to be dumped. And besides, Claire Damon dropped the charges against him, so he was never sentenced." She explained.

"We can't know anything about that just because of that, there's no file to study." Sweets concluded.

"Ok. We're dealing with a big son of a bitch. Do we have something new to catch him? We've tried to go to the house but that was a trap. Have Ms. Montenegro something new about the webcam?" Perotta asked.

"What webcam?" Brennan asked. She had been working on the platform all the afternoon and knew nothing about that.

"There was a webcam in the house. Perotta saved it before the house went off. It's in your office, on your desk." Booth said.

"And nobody has found that important enough to give all the priority?" She said standing up.

"Bones! Where are you going?" Booth asked.

"I'm going to give it to Angela to examine, of course! I'll be right back." She said, leaving the meeting.

"Sweets, how do you think we should tackle the plan for tomorrow?" Perotta asked.

"Yes, Sweets, I'm dying to know what you have to say about that…" Booth replied staring directly at Sweets.

"I guess we have an issue here."

"Sweets, this is not one of your sessions. Agent Perotta and I are not partners, so you don't have to analyze this relationship. Go to the point and answer the question." Booth replied.

"Ok, ok. I think agent Perotta's plan is a good idea." He said. Booth didn't let him go on and with a snort he replied.

"How can you say that?"

"Let me finish, please, agent Booth." Sweets said. Booth bowed his head with resignation and Sweets continued. "As I was saying, I think broadly speaking is a good idea. But, though I'm sure Dr. Brennan has agreed to go with it," he said looking to Perotta, who nodded "I think she shoudn't be alone in the process. I know Dr. Brennan and I'm sure she's blaming herself for the death of the victims, and this is her way to cope with that, put herself in risk in a desperate plan to stop him. But she isn't thinking rationally right now, although she could say right the opposite. I think it could be very dangerous for her to be alone in the house because her mental state could make her do something stupid if she has to confront the killer alone. She could kill him without hesitation, or even worse, he could kill her because the rage she feels could cloud her judgment."

"I'm agreed with your reasoning, but not at all points." Booth said. "I guess I'm the only one that thinks this is just a crazy plan, but you're right. She's absolutely decided to do it, but she mustn't be alone. If this plan is finally going ahead I'm going to stay with her all the time, and I don't care if Perotta, Cullen, Bones, Sweets, or the President of the United States himself doesn't like it." He said that with total determination.

"Booth, you are NOT…" Perotta started, but Sweets interrupted her.

"Booth's right. He must be with her, because, although I know the things between you two" said turning to Booth again "are being difficult these days, she trusts you enough to let you be in charge of the situation. Agent Perotta, think about it. If you put an unknown agent in her apartment with her you are fixing nothing about her mental state. She won't allow him to take care of her in any case. And that gives Michael Corball a good chance to catch her. My advice is to let Booth be with her in her apartment all the time, although his conditions are not the best right now."

"Don't you think that maybe Booth is not in enough good shape to face a confrontation with Corball?"

"Maybe, but among all the options we have to go ahead with the plan this is the best. As I've said I don't recommend in any case, that Dr. Brennan stays alone in the apartment. Neither with an agent she doesn't trust. That leaves us with just one option, and that's to search for someone who wants to stay with her and that she trusts enough. Do you know someone else with that description besides agent Booth?" Perotta didn't answer. "You must take into consideration that you're making her face a possibly violent situation with a killer, and she thinks that all the people he's killed before have died because of her. How would you react in her situation? Probably you just pull the trigger at the first opportunity, even if he appears unarmed. That would be the most probable scenario for you, but she's not a trained agent, despite of what she could think about herself. She can react that way, or just block herself in front of him. I found very improbable that she tries just to stop him without shooting at him at the first chance. And it would be even worse if she just block when he appears. She could get killed or abducted by him. The best option is that Booth stays with her, both to protect her from Corball and Corball from her."

"Ok, if that's your advice then we'll do it this way. I'll talk to Cullen to make all the arrangements to get Booth in the apartment discreetly."

"You know, Sweets, I'm starting to think better of you." Booth said smiling.

"Yeah… but that's just because I was agree with you in this. It will be fantastic when you think better of me when you aren't." Sweets said.

"Come on! Don't play the victim, Sweets!" Booth said jokingly.

"I'd like to speak with you and Dr. Brennan as soon as all this finishes. I'd speak with her now, but I know she won't listen to me right now."

"You're right. She's under a lot of pressure and is having troubles even listening to me. But don't worry, everything's gonna be ok with her. She's the strongest woman you've ever met." Booth said, standing up.

"Yes, I think you're right." Sweets answered.

"Thanks, Sweets." He said, and left.

Booth headed to Angela's office searching for Bones. When he arrived she was leaving her friend's office.

"Hey Bones!" Booth said.

"What are you doing here? Weren't you at the upper platform with them?"

"We've finished." He said.

"Oh, ok. So then, I have to continue with what I was doing before…"

"No, wait. Come to your office for a moment, please."

"Booth, I have a lot of work to do, and I don't want to argue with you anymore." She said.

"Does that mean that we're never going to speak again?" He said smiling lightly.

"Of course not! I mean, of course we're going to speak…" She said, but he didn't let her finished.

"It was a just a joke, Bones." He took her hand and leaded her to her office.

"I know the way to my office." She said, but without bad feelings in her voice. She just made a statement. He didn't release her hand until they arrived at her door. She sat on her couch and he on the armchair.

"Perotta is calling Cullen to make the arrangements to get me discreetly in your apartment to stay with you when this farce begins. I know, I know!" He said, watching her disgust face. "I know what you think about it, but I don't care. Don't misunderstand me. I care for you and you know that very well. Don't try to turn my words against me. It's not going to work. Do you remember what we agreed in the hospital before he appeared?" He said looking directly in her eyes.

"We talked about many things."

"I bet you know the meaning of watch someone's six." He said with a low voice.

"Oh, that! Yes, I remember."

"Bones, Sweets thinks is a good idea for me to stay with you, just in case things get nasty."

"I can't believe it! What have you said to him?" She blurted out.

"What? Nothing! It was his advice to Perotta in order to go on with the plan with guarantees!"

"Guarantees? Now what the hell is all this? What the Hell do you all think I am?"

"And there we go again…" He said tiredly.

"Why can't you trust me to do this, Booth?" She asked angrily.

"What?" He asked skeptically.

"You've heard me!"

"Yes, I've heard you, but I can't believe what I was hearing. How can you ask me that? I gave my life for you!"

"I never asked you to do it!" She yelled. Then she bowed her head, being aware that, what she had just said, would hurt him a lot. They remained silent a few seconds before Booth spoke again. He never stopped looking in her eyes.

"You did exactly the same for me yesterday morning, Bones… I didn't want you step in front of him but you did it anyway. I didn't ask for it, right?" He said with defeat in his voice.

"What did you want me to do, Booth? Let him kill you?" She replied. Her voice sounded as scared as she was just remembering that.

"You couldn't help to jump to protect the ones you love, Bones." He said. "That's exactly what happens to me." He took a breath. "If I had to relive the moment Pam Noonan shot at you I'd put myself between you and the bullet, again and again. But you already know that, because you'd do exactly the same you did if Corball was aiming me again, even if he had shot you." He said looking at her. "Bones, I trust you with my life. I can't believe you have forgotten that." He said sadly.

"I haven't forgotten that, Booth. I'd never do such a thing."

"Do you trust me?" He asked lowly.

"Completely." She answered. "You already know that."

"So let me stay with you. I just… I want to be with you if something happens to you. I'm not in perfect conditions, but I'm enough ok to be able to face everything, as long as I stay with you. I know you just want to protect me, right?" He said softly.

"Of course I want to protect you. That's just why I don't want you there. Because I'm not sure if your skills are ready, and if something happens to me I won't be able to protect you."

"But maybe I could do something to prevent anything happening to you. But you wouldn't want me there even if I was in perfect conditions, Bones, for the same reason I don't want you to do it. It's not a problem of trust here, is just that neither of us wants to face anything bad happening to the other." He said. She didn't answer to that, not knowing what to say. "Bones, I'm tired of fighting with you too. I don't like it at all. One thing is our daily bickering, that's even funny, but I don't want to argue neither fight with you because of this. We both want the same for the other. We shouldn't fight for this. We should face the situation as we always do."

"Together…" She said lowly.

"Yes, together." He said, standing and sitting again on her couch, by her side. "I understand very well why you want to do this, and although I don't like the fact that you are gonna be the bait to catch that monster, deep inside me I admit it's not a bad plan."

"I suppose you're going to stay with me, right?" She asked finally looking at him.

"Of course. I couldn't do any other thing. We're partners and that's what partners do. Face all kind of situations together."

"Yes, you're right." She said. "But I'm still very reluctant to let you stay with me. But ok, I understand your reasoning."

"Ok, so I suppose I should get going with Perotta to finalize everything for it." He said standing up again and walking slowly to the door.

"Yes…" She just said. Before he left she called him. "Booth!" And he turned around. "Be careful." She just said.

"You too."

He left her office and called Perotta. She just remained in her office trying to put herself in order. She couldn't help to feel some relief knowing that Booth was going to stay with her. Although she didn't like to need protection, in fact she hated it, she knew, deep inside her, that that was the best option. She was glad that Booth had insisted so much in this. It was beyond any doubt that she must do it, but she felt a lot better because she knew he didn't let anything bad happen to her. She focused in her computer screen a lot more motivated.

After a while she went back to Angela's office.

"How are you, Bren?" Angela said. She was on her desk connecting the webcam to her computer.

"I have to admit that I feel a lot better now that Booth is going to stay with me at my apartment. But I'm worried for him. I can't help it."

"Of course you can't. It's absolutely normal. You love him and you don't like the idea of him being in danger. Exactly the same as him. But you know it's the best option." Angela said.

"I suppose you're right. It's just that... I must go on with the plan, you know that, but..."

"Sweetie... I understand you. You're scared to carry out this crazy plan to catch that bastard. It's absolutely understandable that you feel better knowing that the man you love and who can better protect you is going to be by your side, doing just that, protect you when Corball appears at your home. But you don't know what's gonna happen. You don't know if Corball is gonna play his star appearance at your apartment. Maybe he just... well, doesn't appear."

"I've thought about that possibility. That would be the worst to happen, because it would mean that he's gonna kill again. And that's just what I want to avoid." She explained.

"I know Honey, but a lot of things could happen, good or bad, and you won't be able to control everything. While you'll be at your apartment waiting for Corball to appear you must know that a lot of things could go wrong. Just that. But I feel better too, knowing that Booth was gonna stay with you."

"Me too, Ange." She admitted. "I leave you with the webcam. Call me as soon as you find something out about it."

"I'll do it." Angela answered.

To be continued...

I know, I know... I'm late again... I'm really sorry!!!!

By the way... many thanks to all of you that have reviewed my story! I love them!!

More soon...