"What we call chaos is just patterns we haven't recognized yet." ~ Chuck Palahniuk (Survivor)

Chapter Twenty-Two: Play With Fire

After the slamming of the stairway door above them stopped echoing, Brennan and Clay looked at each other with matching shocked expressions.

"Do you think he heard?" Brennan asked, unable to raise her voice above a whisper.

Nodding grimly, Clay glanced at the closed door. "I think maybe he did. You're sure…I mean, I know that Gus will watch over Charlie, but…"

"She is well-protected, Clay. He can't get to her." Something passed across Brennan's face at her own reassurance, something Clay caught, but chose not to vocalize. Instead, he just nodded.

"I believe you."

"You should, I'm not good at false sympathy. When I tell you that your wife will be completely safe, I believe that and so should you."

"I do, Bren." Clay looked back up at the door, still concerned. "I hope he doesn't take it out on anyone else, that's all."

"As do I." Brennan "But I think he is still up there, I saw a light flickering."

"Good. Better here than there."

"Agreed."

Clay glanced back to Brennan, a half smile on his face. "So, Bren…if I remember correctly, you and Booth have a little girl?"

Brennan smiled softly. "Yes. Alexandra. She is almost fifteen months old."

"Is parenthood everything you hoped it would be?"

"More, actually. Before Booth, I wasn't even sure if love existed. But when I look at our daughter, I can't remember how that ever felt. It's illogical, but it truly was love at first sight."

"I look forward to it. Fatherhood, I mean." He looked up at the ceiling for a moment, thoughts on his wife and unborn child. "I have always wanted children. My first wife and I were trying when she died."

"I am sorry. That must have been very hard."

Clay looked back at Brennan, wondering about descriptions he had heard of Temperance Brennan and how completely far off they appeared to be. "Thank you, at the time I wondered if I was going to even survive it, but life always seems to have other plans. I know that I am blessed to have Charlie and our child, and I don't plan to ever take that for granted."

"You already sound like a wonderful father." Brennan smiled.

"Thank you again, Bren. That means a lot to me."

"I am simply pointing out the obvious. You-" She stopped, and tipped her head to the side, sniffing lightly. "Do you smell something burning?"

Clay sat stock still and began sniffing as well. "Uh…no, I don't think so."

Brennan shook her head. "No, something is burning! I have an excellent sense of smell. I don't know…"

Clay smiled lightly. "In your line of work that has to be a detriment."

"You acclimate." She leaned her head back and sniffed again. "Something is burning, Clay. I-Oh, God. Look!"

Clay turned to look where Brennan was gesturing with her head at the bottom of the door leading to the stairway. Barely visible at first, but getting stronger, was a wisp of smoke.

B&B

"Gus, you stay with Charlie. She doesn't leave your sight. The rest of you, stay put! No going outside for anything. I have a tac team getting ready to move in as soon as I get there." Booth strapped his shoulder harness on and checked his weapon, before holstering it.

"Booth, do you think it's a good idea for you to be there? I mean…" Sweets trailed off when Booth glared at him. "Alright. Never mind."

Cam grabbed Booth's arm as he headed for the back door, pulling him aside. "Seeley. Since Brennan isn't here to tell you, I'm going to. Okay? Be very, very careful. We need you back in one piece."

Nodding, his features softened. "I will, Cam. I promise." He looked back over everyone standing in the kitchen, waiting for him to leave. He centered his gaze on Charlotte, who was staring at him with what could only be described as a pleading look. "Charlie, I will bring him home. Okay?"

She nodded once, her belief in his words evident on her face. With another look at his family, Booth grabbed his jacket, turned and headed out the door.

Another agent was waiting with an SUV running, and Booth wasted no time jumping into the passenger seat and giving his orders. "Let's go! Sportsman's Liquors, L Street. Move!"

The car screeched out of the driveway, three other vehicles hot on its wheels.

B&B

"Bren…this is bad." Clay coughed, closing his eyes against the increasingly thick smoke filling the room.

Brennan turned her head, trying to see her hands where they were tied behind her back. "I'm afraid I have to agree. It appears that the fire has spread from the stairway, up to the apartment upstairs, and down towards the store." She struggled another moment. "I just wish I could see what kind of knots he's tied back there."

Clay leaned back as far as he could and tried to see behind Brennan. "It looks like a bowline, but I can't be sure from here."

"Dammit." She began jerking the ropes back and forth, trying to create some give. Suddenly, Clay heard a snap and Brennan cried out.

"Bren! What the hell did you do?" He tried to look behind her again, where he could see her hand was turned at a strange angle from her arm.

"I believe I have dislocated my wrist. I'm not…" She stopped to breathe through the pain, which caused her to cough over the acrid smoke that was beginning to permeate the room. "I can't do anything else right now without causing irreparable damage." Her head dropped to her chest as she tried not to panic.

"We're going to get out of here, Bren. Think positively." Clay looked around the room closely, and then looked down at the chain anchoring his chair to the floor. Suddenly, he threw his body weight backwards, causing the chain to tighten. He then pulled forward, once again yanking the chain tight.

After a few more rocking motions, Brennan nodded frantically. "You're pulling the chain loose! Keep moving, it's coming out!"

Brennan's encouragement spurred him on, and he began to move faster, throwing more of his weight into each swing of his body. Suddenly, there was a loud crunch and Clay managed to throw his weight the other way before the momentum knocked him over.

"Well done, Clay!" Brennan coughed. "Can you move this way, maybe untie my ropes?"

"That's the plan, if I can get there." Clay managed to set his feet on the floor and began painstakingly inching his way towards Brennan. It was slow going due to the rope restricting his movements as well as the fact that, having been tied in a sitting position for over a week, his legs were almost useless. After quite a bit of struggling, however, he managed to find himself back to back with Brennan, trying to reach her knots without causing her anymore undue pain. "Bren, this is going to hurt like hell, I think. Hang on…" He gingerly slid one finger into the knot closest to him, stopping when Brennan hissed in pain.

"No, don't stop…we have to get out of here. Go ahead." Brennan said through gritted teeth.

Even though she couldn't see him, Clay nodded and continued with his task. Just as he felt the rope begin to slip, they both heard a loud crashing noise coming from the front of the store.

"Bones!" Booth practically screamed as he entered the building behind a heavily armed tac team member. "Where are you?"

"Booth!" Brennan cried, relieved. "We're here!"

Almost as if it were in slow motion, Brennan watched as Booth ran across the room, gun drawn. He stopped in front of her, dropping to his knees and grabbing her tightly.

"Oh, baby…I thought I lost you." He whispered, fighting tears he wasn't entirely sure were all from the smoke filling the room.

Brennan leaned her chin on his comforting shoulder, indulging in his unique scent for a moment before moving to kiss him. "Booth, we need to get out of these ropes. I dislocated my wrist, but if you cut them…" She stopped, realizing that Booth had already cut her feet loose and was working on her wrists, while checking on Clay.

"Mr. Speaker…are you alright?"

"Fine, Booth. Great. Just get us the hell out of here." Clay grinned stupidly, fighting the urge to kiss the other man as he flexed his arms. He winced in pain, finally realizing that he probably wasn't going to be able to stand on his own. "Booth, I'm going to need some help getting out of here."

Booth understood the problem and ordered two team members to carry Clay out of the building while he grabbed Brennan around the waist and guided her slowly to the door.

Brennan was put, complaining all the way, into a waiting ambulance while Clay was loaded into a second one. Booth stood next to the open door of the ambulance, cell phone out, as he called Gus to let him know that Clay and Brennan were alive and well…and that after a thorough sweep of the building they knew that Tucker was not on the scene. Once he was done, he jumped up and sat next to Brennan, grabbing her hand and kissing it. She moved to the gurney he was sitting on, one arm around his waist and head on his shoulder. She sighed in relief and smiled softly up at him.

"I knew you wouldn't give up."

Booth kissed her head and pulled her closer. "I knew you wouldn't give up."

The medic pulled the doors shut, and the ambulance sped away into the smoke-filled dawn.

B&B

Gus snapped his phone shut and addressed the group in front of him all anxiously waiting. "They got them both, they're fine."

Everyone cheered as Charlie sank to her knees, crying. Angela knelt down, pulling her into a fierce hug. "See? I told you Booth would find them. He's fine, Charlotte…he's coming back to you."

Nodding, Charlie continued crying while the rest of the team hugged and wiped away a few tears of their own. "I'll call Max." Hodgins said, grabbing his cell and stepping away from everyone.

"Which hospital are they going to?" Cam asked. "We'd all like to be there."

"Sibley." Gus nodded at Hodgins as he reentered the room. "Jack, can you take everyone to the hospital? I'll bring Charlie over myself."

"Sure thing." Hodgins gestured to the group. "Sweets? Ladies? You ready?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and began to follow Hodgins out. As they passed her, each team member gave Charlie a quick hug and a smile, and then filed out of the room.

Charlie smiled, sniffling a bit. "I can see why Seeley loves them all. They're wonderful people."

Gus took Charlie's hand, squeezing lightly. "He's alive and he's unhurt, Charlotte. He's perfect."

Nodding, tears streaming down her face again, Charlie moved to hug Gus, holding onto him for a moment before pulling away. "Thanks, Gus. I don't know how I would have survived this without you."

"You would have. You're tougher than you give yourself credit for." He took her by the shoulders and pointed her towards the stairs. "Go, get changed and cleaned up. Let's go see your husband."

Less than ten minutes later, Charlie was downstairs ready to go. Gus led her to the garage, where her personal SUV was parked. They climbed in together, Gus taking the wheel, and waited for the garage door to open. Once they were clear, Gus maneuvered the car into the street, heading for the hospital. Two blocks from the house, Charlie turned to Gus to ask him a question when she was interrupted by a soft voice in the backseat.

"Well hello, Ms. Charlotte."