Thank you all so much for the reviews! I enjoy reading them so much :) This chapter is focused solely on The Hero in the Hold. I altered it a bit as you will see. I hope you enjoy it. The next few weeks are looking hectic for me, so I might not be able to update for a bit. I will do my best though!

Booth opened his eyes to darkness. It took two seconds before he realized what had happened to him. He made to move his arms when they bumped into something, something that moaned in return. He flicked on his watch that Parker had given him that day (at least, he thought it was still the same day). He shined the light beside him.

"Bones?" he yelped. She stirred, moaning again. "Bones, wake up. Bones!"

"Stop shouting," she groaned. She made to move when she discovered she couldn't. "Why can't I move?"

"We're stuck in a container," Booth explained, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

"A container?" Brennan asked, confused.

"It's the Gravedigger, Bones. He got us," Booth said. Brennan swallowed hard. She couldn't see Booth's face, but she could already tell it showed a lot of fear.

"I can't believe he targeted me again," she muttered. It pissed her off.

"It's all right," Booth said, shining his watch at the lid. He was looking for a way out. He started banging on it with his fists.

"I don't think that's working," she pointed out.

"Do you have a better option? We're crammed in here like sardines. It's not like I've got a lot of options," he snarled.

"Okay," she replied simply. She was thinking hard as to how they got into this mess in the first place.

Flashback

"It's your big night! I bet you look gorgeous," Booth was saying over the phone with Brennan.

"Are you sure you will find the place?" she asked.

"Yes, Bones. I got a new watch that will help me," he replied.

"I somehow doubt that," she said. "I'm coming to get you."

"Not necessary! I'm already in my car," he lied. Brennan knew he was lying. She made a turn and headed to his apartment. "So what are you wearing?" he went on, making his voice all sexy like.

"I haven't changed yet. I'm on my way home to do that," she replied. She pulled into his parking lot and cut the engine.

"Well, whatever it is, you'll be the most beautiful woman there," Booth continued. He was yanking his shoes on. Brennan smiled. Ever since they had agreed they were in a relationship, things had been going very well. She knocked on his door, which she heard through her phone on his end as well.

"How come I hear knocking if you're already in your car?" she asked. Booth hung up on her, and the door opened in her face.

"Now why would you do that?" he asked. "I told you I could find the place."

"I just wanted to make sure-" She was cut off by a stabbing sensation in the back of her neck. Booth shouted her name as she fell, but it all went black.

Present

Booth was still banging on the lid of the container.

"How did he get you too?" Brennan asked. Booth stopped for a moment.

"He was ultra fast," Booth muttered. "I'm talking ninja fast. He was small too."

"Small?" Brennan asked.

"Yea. That's all I saw before getting knocked out," he sighed. He could feel Brennan trying not to be upset. He knew her well enough to know that she was trying to stay rational.

"We'll get out, Bones," he said. "We're the best team there is."

"I have faith in you," she replied. He reached and found her one hand and squeezed it. He commenced banging on the lid again.

The Jeffersonian

Cam, Zack, Angela, Hodgins, and Sweets were all waiting for Brennan and Booth to arrive before leaving together. Sweets looked at his watch for the tenth time.

"What do you suppose is keeping them?" Angela asked. "It's unlike Brennan to be late."

"Traffic?" Hodgins suggested.

"Booth got lost?" Zack said, making Sweets scoff.

"Booth does not get lost," Sweets told him. Cam's phone rang just then, and she answered. The look on her face was of horror, and she instantly grabbed Zack's phone to record the message.

"What was that all about?" he asked, taking his phone back gingerly.

"The Gravedigger," Cam spit out. "He's got Booth and Brennan."

"Oh my God!" Angela cried. "Brennan? Again? Booth? What is happening?" She whirled to face Hodgins. "You! It's because you have the evidence isn't it?!"

"Hey, whoa," Hodgins said, holding his hands up.

"You have the evidence?" Zack asked. "The same evidence you and Dr. Brennan were accused of stealing?"

"I was...I was trying to figure out the make of the car," Hodgins said defensively.

"Give it," Angela said.

"And you," Cam said, turning to Sweets. "You're FBI. Get out of here. There is to be no involvement with FBI or they both die faster."

"But I..." Sweets started.

"Get out!" Cam roared. Sweets took off at a run. It was killing him that he couldn't help.

"What do we do?" Angela asked, frightened.

"We've got maybe 20 hours at best," Hodgins said.

"But they're both in there," Angela said. "Won't it be shorter? Like with those poor twins? And...last time?" They all knew what she meant. Hodgins had been in the wrong place at the wrong time when Brennan had been taken before.

"Maybe it was planned," Cam said. "Maybe he knows they're partners and are close."

"I doubt it," Hodgins said. "So we've got ten hours. Damn it!" He kicked a nearby cart, making the trays smash to the floor.

"That's not going to help us, Jack," Cam said sternly. He grabbed his hair with his hands.

"We need to think, hard," Angela said. "Give me that recording. I'll go analyze the shit out of it." She took Zack's phone and ran to her office.

"Just give me an hour with the evidence," Hodgins begged. "Zack can watch. I am so close to finding the make and model of the car. If I find that, then we can scan surveillance to find the car when they were taken."

"We can't involve FBI remember?" Cam reminded him.

"This keeps getting better and better," Hodgins muttered, taking off. Zack followed in pursuit. Cam went to help Angela. This was a nightmare, and the glaring clock on the wall was not helping things.

Booth & Brennan

"Untwist that," Brennan said suddenly. Booth stopped pounding on the lid.

"Untwist what?"

"That," she attempted to point. It was difficult with her arms pinned to her sides.

"Ohhh," Booth said, seeing what she meant. He set to work with the screws. In no time, he had them all out, and he kicked the lid off. Fresh air swept into their lungs, making them gulp greedily. Booth climbed out gingerly and then helped Brennan out. He hugged her tightly.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking around. He did the same.

"Looks like some kind of hold," Booth said. They both examined their surroundings.

"There's a door up there," Brennan said, pointing.

"Too high," he observed. "Here's one here." He ran over to the door that was lower. He tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Try this," Brennan said, handing him a propeller. He pried at the door with it. "Don't hurt your back! Bend your knees."

"All...right..." he grunted, yanking at the door. He was suddenly propelled backwards by the force of the door opening and water sweeping in.

"Shut it!" she shrieked. She attempted to help him push the door back, but it wasn't working.

"It's all right, it's all right," Booth kept saying. "We'll get up to that door soon enough."

"I don't know if I can tread water that long," Brennan lamented.

"You can and you will. I'm here too don't forget," Booth said. He caught a sight of something in the corner of his eye. When he turned his head, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Teddy?" he asked. Brennan whipped her head around. There was no one there.

"Who's Teddy? Booth? There's no one there," she said, feeling frightened even more. Was he hallucinating?

"I thought I saw one of my colleagues," Booth said, still seeing Teddy but pretending he didn't so as not to scare her further. Teddy waved at him.

"She can't see me," Teddy pointed out. That was obvious.

"Booth?"

"It's all right. Figment of my imagination. Okay, focus," Booth said. "We get to that door and we get out."

"How can you be so sure that we'll be free?" she asked.

"I'm not, but I like to be optimistic," Booth answered. Brennan didn't respond. For once, she wanted to believe his optimism too.

The Jeffersonian

"I got it, I got it, I got it," Angela chanted. Cam rushed over. "Waves. Sea gulls. Wind. The Gravedigger made this recording by a beach!"

"Okay!" Cam said excitedly. She ran to get Zack.

"Where are we going?" Zack asked as she tugged him along.

"The Gravedigger either is that author who was writing the books about him or is very close friends with that author," Cam said, rushing them out the door and to her car. "We have to go talk to him right now." They sped off, hoping against hope that they finally had the identity of the horrible person who had stolen their friends. Their hopes were shattered when they found Vega dead in his car. Then things got even more worse when Agent Perotta showed up, explaining that she was following them. Cam and Zack drove back to the Jeffersonian in even lower spirits. Now the FBI was involved. Booth and Brennan wouldn't stand a chance.

Booth & Brennan...& Teddy

"It was lucky you had Parker's watch," Brennan said as they neared the catwalk.

"Yea. When I get out of here, I'm going to tell him how he saved his father," Booth replied.

"You named your kid after me?" Teddy asked, surprised. Booth ignored him. They were on the catwalk now, trying to open the door. Teddy was watching amused as they struggled.

"You need a fulcrum," Teddy pointed out. Booth huffed in annoyance.

"I'm really trying here, Booth," Brennan said, thinking he was huffing at her.

"I'm mad at myself," Booth told her. "Not you."

"We need a fulcrum," Brennan said, examining the door further.

"Hey, she's a smart one!" Teddy exclaimed. "You got a good one here."

"Shut it," Booth hissed at Teddy. Brennan didn't hear him as she was busy looking for a fulcrum.

"I got this," Teddy said, diving down into the water. Booth looked over at Brennan, stunned that she wasn't seeing or hearing Teddy at all. Did that make him crazy? Teddy returned with a yellow crowbar, and Booth took it over to the wheel on the door.

"Where did you get that?" Brennan asked.

"Over there," Booth said vaguely. He didn't have time to argue with her that ghosts possibly existed and one was with them right now helping. Together they pulled hard and opened the door. Booth waited for Teddy to go through after Brennan before going in behind them, closing the door tightly. They were in another room.

"Oh this is perfect," Booth groaned. There was a fence with a lock on it in front of them.

"Give me your cuff link," Brennan said.

"Why? You gonna please it with your fashion sense? I don't think it's a magic lock," Booth said sarcastically, giving it to her. Brennan gave him a look before bending down to pick the lock.

"I really like her," Teddy whispered to Booth. "I haven't had to tell you anything. She's got it all figured out."

"Go away," Booth muttered quietly so Brennan would hear.

"Sorry, Sarge. I'm here to save you, so you'll have to just put up with me." Teddy winked at him. Booth just stared back. He really wanted to talk to Teddy without Brennan hearing him and thinking he was completely losing it. Maybe he could blame the trauma of this situation.

"I got it," Brennan said triumphantly. She un-looped the chain and pushed the gate open. Booth noticed a door on the opposite wall and headed towards it before going through the gate.

"Yo, Sarge," Teddy said. "What are you doing?"

"Opening this door," Booth answered.

"What?" Brennan asked. She looked at him curiously.

"I'm opening this door," Booth said again. He reefed on it and pulled hard until it gave way. He came face to face with a window. Brennan came up beside him and peered out with him.

"We're on a ship," Brennan said. "The toys..." She paused, looking around at the children's toys around them.

"This ship isn't gonna be floating for long," Teddy said.

"This ship is going to blow up," Brennan said at the same time. Booth shook his head, confused.

"What?"

"When they sink ships for the reef, they get children to decorate it," Brennan explained.

"Maybe I'm not even needed here," Teddy said, grinning. She really was taking the words out of his mouth. Booth gaped at her.

"We gotta hurry up then," he said. He pulled her through the gate and into a room filled with C4 explosives.

"What are you gonna do, Sarge?" Teddy asked. Booth shook his head in response.

"How are we going to get out of this, Booth?" Brennan asked. She was feeling afraid again.

"Let me think," Booth said. He dug around until he found the transponder. He made a strangled sound in his throat.

"What's wrong?" Brennan asked.

"We have six hours left," Booth replied, showing her. Brennan's breathing quickened. He fingered the transponder absently.

"What are you thinking?" she asked him, knowing that look very well.

"I might be able to create a signal with this," he said.

"If you fail, this bomb won't be able to be stopped," Teddy advised.

"I know," Booth said aggressively.

"I didn't say anything," Brennan said, looking at him. "Are you still seeing Teddy?" Booth glanced at her, not wanting to lie but not wanting to tell the truth either.

"I'm not crazy," Booth said instead.

"I didn't say you were," Brennan said. "You were drugged."

"So were you. How come you can't see him?"

"Maybe because he's from your memories and not mine?" she suggested.

"I...I don't know," Booth admitted. He looked over at Teddy again, who was grinning broadly.

"You want to talk to him," Brennan said logically, watching his face.

"Wouldn't you? If someone you cared about was standing here watching you?" he asked.

"I don't believe..."

"I know. Forget it," Booth cut her off.

"I'm just worried about your mental state," Brennan went on.

"My mental state is just fine," Booth muttered. Teddy laughed out loud at this. Booth yanked out the transponder, making the decision.

"I hope this works," Brennan said.

"Me too," Booth responded.

"Me three," Teddy nodded.

The Jeffersonian

Hodgins was shaken at the latest attempt of murder by the Gravedigger. He had gone with Angela and Sweets (who was allowed to help again since Perotta was now involved) to deliver the evidence so as to get Booth and Brennan back, but he was almost blown up instead. Now they were denied access to Vega's body, and they all knew it would help save their friends. Zack was particularly frustrated and upset. Cam was watching everyone until she'd had enough. She knew what needed to be done. She left without a word and found the person who could offer them some hope.

"Jared," she said, sitting down beside him at the bar. "I need your help."

"That's a first," Jared smirked. "Camille needs help. You never usually admit that to people."

"Jared, your brother has been kidnapped by a serial killer and is going to die very soon if we don't save them," Cam said quickly. She dismissed his comment despite its sting.

"Wait...what?!" Jared asked, getting anxious.

"Yes. We need a body to examine for clues to help find him and Dr. Brennan. She was taken too...again," Cam finished. "The man's name is Thomas Vega, and he's being held by the FBI." Jared stared at her.

"I'll make a call," he said.

"No, no," Cam said. "No calls. You do it."

"I'm the guy who makes the calls," Jared explained.

"I don't give a shit!" Cam exploded. "For once in your life do something right! Seeley has always saved you, so now it's your time to save him. Get off your ass and go get the damn body!"

"I'm not a body hijacker," Jared told her.

"You know what," Cam said. "You are a damn coward, and you never deserved to have Booth as your brother." She stormed off, leaving Jared to stare into his drink, thinking.

The Ship

Booth had ruined the transponder. There was no hope of sending a signal for help now. He and Brennan were standing there in shock, unsure of what else to do. Teddy came to the rescue then. He tapped Booth's shoulder and pointed to the area on the wall where there were visible bolts running up it.

"Hang on," Booth said, going over and examining it.

"Stairs," Brennan finished for him. "What are you thinking?"

"We use some of this C4 and blow through. We can go up the stairs to the deck," Booth said.

"And then what?" Teddy asked. "You'll either die from the jump into the ocean or get hypothermia."

"The drop is too far," Brennan said, echoing Teddy. "And it's really cold. How are we going to survive?"

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there shall we?" Booth asked. What was with all the damn negativity? He needed them to be positive like he was.

The Jeffersonian

Cam was stunned when Jared came into the lab with Vega's body in tow. Zack leaped into action. Jared only tipped his head at her while the team got to work. He stood guard with his other colleagues. Cam knew he would probably lose his job if this got found out. She had a newly found appreciation for Jared just then.

"Stun gun marks," Zack muttered to Hodgins.

"Same trademark as the other victims," Cam nodded. Zack kept looking. He was very worried for Dr. Brennan and Booth. He knew it all came down to this body lying in front of him.

"Their is damage to the victim's right medial and lateral epicondyles and his coronoid fossa, " Zack said triumphantly. "Potentially consistent with a defensive response to a posterior assault."

"English?" Jared asked.

"He got a part of the bad guy," Cam explained.

"The bad guy will have some broken ribs," Zack added. "Since our victim elbowed him there very hard."

"And that helps how?" Jared asked.

"It helps a lot," Cam told him. Now all they had to do was find someone with broken ribs.

The Ship

Booth and Brennan were making a small bomb to blow the wall out. Once they had it constructed, they looked at each other.

"If this doesn't work," Booth said. "I just want to say how much I love you. These past months have been the best of my life. I wouldn't change a thing."

"Oh, Booth," Brennan said, kissing him hard. "I wouldn't change anything either, and I love you more than I thought I would ever be capable of. You've changed me in ways I didn't think could be changed. If there's an afterlife of some kind, I hope I get to spend it with you." Booth's throat tightened at this.

"Wow," Teddy said. "You guys are really tight. I'm proud of you, Sarge." Booth gave him a grateful look. Then he took off his cocky belt buckle.

"Get as far back as possible," Booth ordered. "Pile some things on and around you." Brennan obeyed.

"You're making sure she lives if you don't," Teddy observed. "That's just like you."

"Well," Booth said. "I'm not going to die in vain."

"You're not going to die at all," Teddy said, taking the buckle from him. "I've got this one, Sarge." Before Booth could stop him Teddy moved to slide the buckle into the contraption Booth had created to set off the bomb. Booth dove for cover as the explosion went off. He heard Brennan shouting his name. Everything was bright and dusty. He couldn't see Teddy or Brennan. Then something heavy fell onto his chest, pinning him. Then, he lost consciousness.

The Jeffersonian

"Why the hell wasn't I informed of my daughter's kidnapping?" Max demanded, coming onto the platform and making the alarms go off. Cam spun around at his voice and her heart sank. Why had she forgotten to call him?

"Probably because you would have taken matters into your own hands," Zack said absently, still examining the body.

"Damn right I would have! No psycho can stand a chance up against me," Max growled.

"Look, we've got a pretty good lead here..." Cam started. The alarms went off again suddenly. Heather Taffet, the lawyer who accused Brennan and Hodgins of stealing evidence the day before, was standing there fuming.

"I have jurisdiction here," she snapped. "And since you felt the liberty to take it from me, I've got a warrant here reclaiming it." She held it out, her arm shaking slightly. Max eyed her suspiciously, as did Zack, who noticed she couldn't extend her arm out fully. He stepped closer to her.

"Have you been injured lately?" he asked her.

"Why the hell does that matter?" Taffet snarled. Zack reached out and shoved her in the chest, making her scream in pain.

"She's the Gravedigger!" Zack called, triumphant.

"Of course," Hodgins breathed. "She's got access to files and now that the other lawyer is out of the way...yea, it's totally her."

"Where is my daughter?!" Max shouted, grabbing her neck. Taffet flailed her arms, trying to escape. Jared grabbed her one arm, yanking her around.

"Where's my brother?" he demanded.

"She won't talk to you," Sweets said, entering the scene. He had been doing some research.

"Why not?" Max demanded.

"Because, she's very intelligent and calm. She just won't," Sweets explained. Max socked her in the jaw hard. Taffet squealed in pain but didn't speak.

"Enough of that," Jared said.

"You gotta do spring cleaning on her," Hodgins said. Jared stared at him for a moment.

"Cam, I'll need secure access," he said finally. Cam led him to her office.

"You paranoid nutjobs," Max snickered. "Only you guys would call it spring cleaning." Hodgins just shrugged.

"I'm right aren't I?" he asked.

"I could kill you, you know," Max said to Taffet. "You're messing with the wrong family."

"Let's get her somewhere secure," Sweets suggested.

"Good idea, kid," Max said, hauling Taffet off into another room and tying her to a chair. It wasn't long before Jared was back with information that buried her, and they knew where to find Booth and Brennan. Officers came bursting into the lab, arresting Jared, so Max quickly offered to go get them. No one argued.

The Ship

"Booth?" Brennan called. "Booth!" She saw the beam across him and panicked. She wasn't strong enough to lift it off, she knew it.

"I'll help," a woman's voice said suddenly. Brennan jumped in fright. Then she saw who spoke.

"Mom?" she asked. She blinked hard. She shook her head. Christine Brennan would not disappear from her sight.

"Yes, I'm here. I was going to help, but Teddy was doing such a good job without me," Christine said. "Come on." Together they lifted the beam off of Booth. He groaned in response, waking up.

"This isn't rational," Brennan said, touching her mother. She could actually feel her. It was unbelievable.

"Not everything has to be," Christine told her. She hugged her daughter tightly and briefly. "Help is coming. Hurry up those stairs!"

"Wait," Brennan said as her mother slipped away into the shadows.

"Temperance?" Booth asked. She turned and helped him up. "Who were you talking to?"

"Myself," Brennan said quickly. She would not have Booth rub it in that she saw her mother's ghost.

"Teddy," Booth muttered.

"What?"

"He's hurt," Booth said. He shuffled over to a spot on the floor and made motions as though he was lifting someone up and supporting them. Brennan just stared. She had seen her mother, so why wouldn't Booth see Teddy after all? She said nothing as they made their way up the stairs. They burst through the door and onto the ship's deck.

"Booth..." she paused, seeing he was now kneeling over something. She turned away to give him privacy.

"Help's here," Teddy said to Booth, grinning weakly.

"I'm not leaving you," Booth said.

"You gotta. I'm a ghost, remember? Please tell Claire that I love her, and please stop blaming yourself for my death," Teddy went on. "Do that for me."

"Okay. Okay, I will," Booth said. He looked up at the helicopter coming towards them. When he looked back down, Teddy was gone.

"Booth, come on," Brennan said, pulling on his arm. He stood there, staring where Teddy had been.

"Come ON!" Max roared at them from the helicopter. They were running out of time.

"Booth! Please," Brennan begged. He finally let her pull him away. They ran to the chopper, and Max hauled them inside. He hugged Brennan tightly as they flew away. Booth watched as the ship blew into pieces behind them. He took Brennan's hand and squeezed it, not caring that Max was watching. They were partners after all.

The Next Day

They were standing in the graveyard, watching a young woman bend down to set flowers onto a grave. Brennan said nothing as Booth watched her.

"I really did see him," Booth said.

"I know," Brennan replied. He looked at her.

"You believe me?"

"Yes," Brennan said. "I believe you saw, heard, and talked to Teddy Parker."

"Wow, Bones. What made you change your mind about ghosts?" Booth asked, curious.

"It doesn't matter," Brennan said, shaking her head.

"You saw someone," Booth said, figuring it out.

"No, I did not," she lied.

"Bones, you can be honest with me. Who was it?" he pressed.

"It was nobody," Brennan said. "Please just let it go."

"I won't," Booth said. "But I do have to give that woman a message from Teddy."

"Okay," Brennan responded, watching him walk over to her and start talking. She caught sight of her mother past Booth's shoulder, waving at her. Brennan waved back, making Booth think she was waving at him, so he waved too. She smiled to herself. He didn't need to know.

Later

"Thank you, Zack, Hodgins, Angela, Sweets, and Cam for saving us," Brennan said, lifting her beer bottle into a salute to them. They were at the Founding Fathers together. Max coughed.

"And you too, Dad, for coming to get us and punching the Gravedigger in the face," Brennan finished. He smiled at her.

"My pleasure, honey," he told her. Jared wasn't there or else she'd have thanked him as well. She had heard what he'd done for them.

"Jared really stepped up?" Booth asked Cam, who nodded.

"I didn't think he would, but he did. Unfortunately, he's been dismissed of his post and is now jobless," Cam winced.

"Well, I'm sure he'll figure something out," Booth said.

"You two have been through a very traumatic ordeal," Sweets said. "May I suggest we have a session soon?" Both Booth and Brennan groaned. "What?" Sweets asked.

"I think we're fine, Sweets," Booth said.

"You don't want to risk getting PTSD..." Sweets started.

"I'll risk it," Booth cut him off. "I have been to war just so you know." They hung out for a bit longer before deciding to leave. Brennan hugged Booth goodbye in front of the others, and when they were outside she gave him a knowing look.

"I'm right behind you," Booth said. After their traumatic event (they wouldn't admit it to Sweets), they wanted to be together in order to feel safe. Neither of them slept well, but they were comforted by the other's presence, and that was enough to get them through the night.

You will see a little more of Jared. I disliked how his character was kind of dismissed and then brutally murdered after not seeing him for six years...Anyhow, I'm planning on keeping Max around more too. Oh the things I have up my sleeves ;)