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CHAPTER 22

"She's just… disappeared?"

"Yes. Somehow she eluded the Marshalls watching her and escaped. Or the person who took her did."

"The same person who kidnapped Anne?"

"Probably."

"Probably, Booth?"

"Look, Bones, let's just get out of here and think, okay? I… shit, I need to think for a moment. This is… two lives, now, okay? Two lives that I…"

"Okay. Okay, we'll leave. It will be all right, Booth."

"…"

"Trust me."

"…"

"Are you two done hugging? 'Cause I've been holding this door open for a while now… Hey, not that this isn't entertaining, I mean the look on your face, dude? Priceless. Just kiss the girl, she's your girlfriend… I think she wouldn't be too upset."

"Shut up, asshole. I still haven't forgiven you."

"Don't just stand at the door! Walk to us, honey!"
"What's your name, FBI chick?"

"You're so hot I'll…!"

"This boner is for you, princess!"

"Damn!"

"Look, your friends are happy to see you again, babe…"

"Stop calling her that."

"Shut up, Booth. You… what's your name? Earl? It says so on your uniform, don't look so surprised. Earl, your Intelligence Quotient seems to be abnormally lower than the average, but understand this: unless you shut your mouth during the rest of our visit I'll punch you so hard your neurons won't be able to handle synapses and you'll actually be as stupid as you look."

*

"Bones, that was really cool."

I tried not to smile and looked out the window of the car. Booth thought I was cool.

"Seriously, you were fantastic! I mean… the guy looked like you had punched him! Ha! You're… brilliant!"
I couldn't help it. I leant my forehead against the window, half embarrassed and half delighted, hoping he wouldn't catch the big grin on my face. And then I remembered why we were driving to the Hoover Building, and the grin vanished. It was hard to maintain this balance between my life and my… other life.

"Booth, we need to find Margaret Stoker. She knew everything."

He didn't answer. I still kept my forehead on the cool glass, though, and watched colours and shapes whirl past us.

"Booth. She lied. What if the person she loved the most was herself?"

He still didn't answer. I turned to look at him.

"Booth."

His eyes shone, and I knew Booth didn't cry, he'd never cried, but he was about to. "Booth, look at me."

"I'm driving."

"Then stop the car."

He robotically parked on the first free space he found, and continued to stare ahead.

"I didn't see her picture. Anne's. I didn't want to, but you saw her. She was pretty. I know even though I didn't see her. Blue eyes, right? Long dark hair. Pale skin, like her mother?"

He just nodded, breathing heavily. His eyes no longer shone, but I would have preferred if they had; now they were dark again, black, two holes that sucked light dangerously. My heart clenched (metaphorically) as I saw the hate in his features. It was a passionate anger I'd seen before, but I wasn't scared, as I hadn't been the last time I saw it. He was still Booth.

"She is a beautiful young girl. And she's scared and trapped, yes. Maybe her mother has been captured too. Maybe they are both in grave danger, and we are the only ones who can save them. Maybe they're being hurt. We both know how horrible humanity can become. We've seen how far the darkness can go." My voice was soft and true in the confined space of the car, but now he spoke, and the words chilled.

"You forgot dead."

"Booth…"

"Maybe they're already dead."

"We can't know. It's not logical to think…"

"Then fuck logic!"

I looked at him seriously. "Booth, I understand that you need to feel this right now. I've felt it too. The helplessness, the fear. I know what you're feeling. I also know you're too familiar with these things, more than me. I wish it wasn't that way but this is what we do. It gets to us sometimes, and that's all right too, okay? Christ, the last time I felt this I ran out into a storm!"

He finally turned to look at me, and I knew what was going to happen before it did.

"No." I said firmly, shifting backwards. No matter how much I may want it, this was not the right way for things to happen.

He leant closer, like an unstoppable force, like gravity and I was the centre. Somehow managed to make the angles of his face sharper, more dangerous, predatory. The anger in his expression was still there, and everything combined made him powerful and frightening.

But I was perfectly matched to his level. I shook my head, drilling into his eyes, hoping the real Booth would come back once this moment was over. "Booth, no."

And then…

"Bones." He said in a breath. I nodded kindly, sensing the light coming back.

He hung his head and sat back properly on his seat. "What's with you, me, and cars, huh?"

I didn't smile, but I felt relieved. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine."

"I'm glad, Booth."

"It's just… the pressure, you know? The incredible responsibility. Two more lives which depend on me. And she… God, Bones, Anne… she looks exactly like you."

I felt a twinge of surprise, which I eradicated quickly.

"Her appearance is irrelevant to our…" I began quietly.
"Yes but her eyes. You should have seen her expression in that picture… she was smiling but shy, as though she wasn't used to…" for a moment he seemed to lose his trail of thought, still staring into my eyes, but then he plunged on. "… as though she didn't smile enough, you know? I know you hate it when I make a judgement on a person based on a picture, but…"

"I don't hate it. Angela does the same thing you do. I just think it can be… inaccurate, but I understand that some of these things are beyond my capabilities. I accept my limitations."

He nodded without looking away from me yet. I felt a little uncomfortable holding his gaze, just because I was generally unaccustomed to feeling quite as exposed as Booth made me feel sometimes. Now was one of those times, when I felt like a book being read.

"Booth, it doesn't change with time, does it? It doesn't fade, the anxiety?"

"Of course not. It's what makes us human. It keeps us sane, Bones."

"Then you're human."

He reluctantly chuckled. "Yeah, that I am. You remind me every second."

"I don't know what that means."

"Nothing." But it didn't feel like 'nothing'. Not when his eyes looked like that. "It doesn't mean anything, Bones."

He reached a hand and put it on my cheek. I froze. I'd thought his momentary impulse had faded. What now? How many times could I say 'No' to him?

Upon seeing my expression, he flinched in regret. "No, I'm not…" he tucked a stray lock behind my ear, then drew back sheepishly. "It was just distracting."

"Oh." I still hadn't moved an inch. Like a ghost touch, I still felt his warm fingers brushing my cheek, neck, hair…

"I'm sorry Bones. Thanks for not… I was being a jerk. You know… before. And I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's all right."

He leant forward again and drew me close for a slightly awkward yet sweet embrace.

"Okay. I'm back now."

I smiled. "We're back."

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I know, I know. It's very short. But the next chap will be longer than usual, so it TOTALLY makes up for this. Besides, I posted one yesterday.

How's that for effective work? Does it matter than I'm slightly behind on my actual, real job? No. Am I proud that I just spent an hour writing instead of focusing on important stuff like studying? YES

;)

If you review the next chapter will be longer. Promise.

One more sentence per review.

Was that too petty? It was too petty, wasn't it? I know I've already got tons more reviews than I deserve, but it's a well known fact that addicts often keep increasing their dosage, desperate for more…