A/N: Time to address some of the concerns that people's reviews brought up. :)
There'll be some heavy duty Bones/Booth fluff moments the next chapter so once I get 5 more reviews it'll be going up. I hope you guys like it. *keeps fingers crossed*
I'm also glad that some of you liked the Hodgins/Sweets moment. I figured with Zack gone Hodgins needs a new friend and Sweets well, he has always needed a buddy. I'm also glad that some of you who weren't fans of the pairing (or Sweets as a character) are starting to like it (I hope). If you have any suggestions of what would make you happier regarding this PLEASE tell me.
That being said.. ONWARD.
25CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
It had been quiet for so long and Krys had actually managed to shut her eyes to rest. Of course she didn't fall into a deep slumber or anything but she had at least closed her eyes and momentarily 'escaped' from this cage of sorts. From this hold. From the darkness. She could feel Parker's weight against her side as she held him to her person providing him with a sense of safety and the knowledge that someone was looking out for him even though his dad wasn't around.
God, what she wouldn't give to have Agent Booth come rushing through the door. Maybe kick it down. That's something that he would so, something very television cop. Of course he would lecture her that it wasn't a regular thing, kicking down a door like he was on an episode of Law and Order but Krys knew better, or at least often pretended to. What was the point of being a law enforcer if you can't break things and shoot at things? Her and Temperance shared that thought at least.
Her back pressed against the wall she shifted a bit so to remedy her current uncomfortable position. Her head tilting to one side, her eyes still closed, that's when she heard it. Tweeting. Soft yet ear piercing tweeting. Her eyes fluttered open, her vision blurred not obviously wanting to work from lack of sleep, that's when she saw it.
A line of light across the floor. Very slim, very skinny. It was the size of twine as it streaked across the dirt floor. Her eyes would then attempt to follow its path in the darkness right to the boarded up window. It was high up. She certainly couldn't reach it, missing the bottom length with her arms outstretched probably by about six inches. She'd never reach it. Damn her height, damn everything about herself. A sigh at her side caused her to blink with recollection as an idea that wasn't even properly thought through, ran through her mind. There was no stopping her now, this was there only chance (even though deep down she knew it would only work for one of them and she was fairly certain it wasn't going to be her).
"Parker." Her voice was rushed but also hushed as her hands weaved around him just enough to shake him a little bit, so to wake him up right away but also as gently as possible. "Parker wake up." Another shake.
"I'm tired..." Parker whined softly into the girl's side but she moved her hands to lightly hold him away. This forced him to wake up (for the most part). Blinking with a glazed over look in his eyes, like most kids have when being made to wake up for school, he looked to Krys with his dirt streaked face. His messy bed head that was threatening to tangle. "Did my dad come for us?" He asked with a tired, hopeful voice.
"No. Not yet." Krys felt a little guilty in telling him this, bashing his hopes, but it wasn't like they didn't have a Plan B... If it worked. "So we're going to go to him." Without waiting for a response she pushed herself to her feet, already on a roll for what needed to be done. Despite the pain in her chest and head she began to move toward the window. "Big time saver." She said aloud though it was more to herself as her usual sarcastic quip.
"We are?" Parker followed suit, rising up onto his own feet. "How are we going to do that?" There was a pink spot on his face where the drop of acid had touched but it had long ceased hurting. Fear and rush of adrenalin often overcame such stinging pains. The young woman was now watching the boarded up window intently and Parker felt himself growing impatient and increasingly curious. "Krys?"
This brought the data analyst back to the real world and she hunched over some so she could be eye level with Parker, as she was five foot three this took only a little spine bending on her part. "See the window Parker?" She pointed and Parker gave a nod of comprehension. "The light is coming through.. Just a little bit, you see?" Parker nodded again. Smart kid. And Emma couldn't help but smirk a bit at her self conscious relief. "That means..."
"One of them is loose!" Parker cried out excitedly, and a bit too loudly and he made himself speak quieter so not to have the bad man hear. "The lower board is loose."
Krys furrowed her brow and unable to keep the comment from coming out, she spoke. "You've been spending a little too much time with Doctor Brennan." A declaration which made Parker smile and nearly giggle before Krys stepped right up to the window. Looking over her shoulder she nodded her head, beckoning him. "Come on." Parker seemed hesitant at first but Krys repeated herself and then he boldly stepped forward. "Up and over." And with a grunt she bent down, allowing Parker to sit up on her shoulders.
Straightening back up on her own two feet she stepped as close to the wall as she could manage, her nose practically touching the stone. Parker immediately reached out with little hands for the lowest board and gave a tug. One hesitant tug turned into a more sure one. And then a few shakes. Then a few yanks in rapid succession. Then it was an all out assault as the little boy panted and grunted with all of his might wanting nothing more than to be free.
And then, after what felt like forever (though it had only been a few minutes) the lowest board came flying off and a bigger beam of light came in. Parker closed his eyes with the sudden brashness of the light allowing the warmth to overtake his face. It felt so good, so warm, so welcoming. Unlike anything that he had felt in the past few days. His stomach grumbled hungrily as he peered out the window. Trees. Lots of trees.
"We're in the woods." Parker declared in a soft voice as Krys blinked, she too was also cringing against the sudden rush of light.
"Try for another one." She encouraged in a hoarse voice, blindly balancing the kid on her shoulders trying so desperately to be still so that he couldn't fall. She knew that Parker could reach at the most the second one which would make a big enough space for at least one of them to get through.
Parker nodded obediently and breathlessly he reached out for the next board repeating the same set of motions. Unfortunately the board wouldn't give out as easily and they spent a bit more time on actually loosening it before being able to yank it fully off. But that was it, that's all Parker could reach, even with the assistance of being on Krys' back.
Krys looked up toward the window, more light coming through and taking an inhaling breath she uttered the words that she had been anticipating and yet fearing. "Now go."
Parker blinked from up on the young woman's shoulders, startled. "What?"
"Go." Krys' voice was more firm, still soft but rushed. They were running out of time, Harold could be back any minute. They needed to get a move on. Well, Parker did. "Crawl through the window. Just be careful getting down, you're dad will kill me if you hurt your shins." At least I'll have the option. Booth or crazy Harold. Krys gave a little smirk up at the boy, trying to be reassuring, trying to have a sense of humor in the darkest of circumstances but Parker wasn't having it.
"I can't leave you by yourself." Parker retaliated with a frown. His dad lived by the motto 'never leave a man behind'. Now, Krys was a girl but he was willing to bet the same motto applied to her.
"Yes you can. You have to." Krys once again rose up on her tip toes in another sign of encouragement. "You have to go and get help. Tell them where we are," Parker frowned and showed no sign of budging. This wasn't helping the situation and made Krys increasingly nervous. "I can't fit through that hole and I couldn't reach even if I wanted to. You're up there and you need to go." Not a budge and now she had to get forceful, though she hated herself for it, jumping a bit which caused Parker to fall right in between the boards and part of the wall, clinging for dear life. "Go!"
Parker's legs dangling he looked over his shoulder at the woman. With the light shining in he could see her dirt streaked face, something shiny in her eyes that he couldn't figure out. Swallowing with his dry throat he opened his chapped lips. "Bye." Krys gave a silent wave and Parker turned back to the hole, managing to wiggle out he grasped onto the wall and slid down into a bush.
Krys could only stare up at the window. Slowly her smile would fade into that of a frown, as though all hope was lost. Had her reassurance all been an act? True Parker was now out there, on the outside, so he at least had a chance but now the thought sunk in: What about her? Accepting her fate, Krys took a few steps back and plopped right down staring outward. Her arms wrapped around herself and she let out a heavy sigh. That was that.
Parker held his breath, worried that the bad man might be outside so he stood perfectly still so not to draw any attention. After a long minute he then took off. He felt his socked feet step on sharp rocks and twigs snapped beneath them. But still he ran, only daring to look back once to see the grey, brick shaft. No house. No garage. In the middle of nowhere was the shack that they were being held in. No one would have found them if the stayed in there. But now he was free. Now he had the chance to save Krys, to be a hero like his dad.
He was fairly certain that his feet were bleeding or at least bruised as he ran through the woods. Something hit him in the face but he just kept going. He had to keep running, running until he found someone. He stepped through something cold, something wet. A running river, he could tell by the sounds but he wasn't going to stop to drink even though he should have. Even though that was the smart thing to do. He had to keep on going. There was no time to stop, to worry. Not when Krys was alone and that bad man.. That bad, bad man...
Parker cried out as he tripped over a rock after about ten minutes of running. He had hurt his knee pretty bad. He could feel it throbbing. No. He had to be the hero. Shaking his head he got back onto his feet and began to limp. In the distance he could hear a familiar sound. Cars. Cars and trucks whisking past. A street! Now limping he pushed through the various trees and shrubberies.
He could see the street now and he began to limp in that direction but didn't realize there was a ditch there. He fell. Now on all fours and in awful pain, while being horribly dehydrated, he crawled, dragging his stomach up the small hill until finally he was at the edge of the street. Pushing himself to his feet he limped slowly, in a dazed fashion, right into the middle of the street. That's when he heard it. A car horn. Turning his lazy eyed gaze around he saw a blue car racing right toward him but didn't have the heart or energy to move.
The car honk now turned into that of a streak which grew louder and more ear piercing as it approached. Louder... Louder...