Ok so this story has officially broken my record for most reviews. Woot. I believe a big thank you is in order to everyone who has reviewed. And to all my fans if I have any, that have stuck by this story since it came out... thank you for putting up with me.

Enough of that, I'll try and make this a pretty darn good chapter for you guys. It's a combination of five different tries, because I've been working on this one so long.

(I'm about to become Queen of the Flashbacks btw)

"Empty As I am" (Part Two)

Song by Kelly Clarkson, Chapter by Kate

Booth, Brennan, Angela, and the rest of the Squints by Fox


"Why don't you just kill me then" Brennan spit at him. She knew he wouldn't. She was right.

There was nothing more to say. No pleading. No begging him to save her friends. No hoping that Booth would come, that he wasn't already dead. No more feelings of regret. No more anything.


2 hours earlier...

"Bones open the door!"

Booth tried to break it down but it was made from a hard metal and barely moved at all.

Angela stood there stunned. "She locked us out"

Booth sat down against it, leaning his head back, and with his hand throbbing painfully.

The only thing left for him to do right now was to pray that she would be able to keep Steven at bay long enough for him to save her.

Angela closed her eyes, trying desperately not to cry. Her best friend was in danger, as she was so very often, and her Knight in Shining Armor was sitting defenseless on the ground.

Angela could still remember when the gravedigger had taken Brennan, how desperate he was.

Now he just seemed broken; he was giving up.

And from what she had just seen of Brennan, she was too.

Angela had just come back to the dorm from a nightclub, half leaning against an adorable football jock... or something. The point was he was amazingly hot, and she was taking him back to her dorm.

Earlier her and Brennan had gotten into their first real fight after Brennan refused to come to said nightclub. They had both said things they didn't mean and so Angela left without her.

It was something that had been bothering her all night, only escaping her mind when Brad... or whatever his name was, was kissing her.

"She's probably in the library; she's always in there reading. She never has any fun" Angela thought shaking her head.

Fumbling for her keys she finally got it into the keyhole, and pushed open the door.

There was a faint sound of someone crying in the bathroom, and after realizing who it was Angela felt instantly like shit.

She had called her roommate, the only real friend she had, a few choice names before she left but the one that instantly came to her mind when she heard her sobbing was "cold unfeeling bitch".

Angela turned to the confused guy next to her and started pushing him out of the room.

"Okay time for you to leave"

He hesitated, looking at her strangely in his drunken haze "But I thought you said..."

"GET OUT!" Angela half yelled, half seethed.

As soon as the door shut behind him Angela rushed to the bathroom door leaning her head against the door frame.

"Brennan?" she asked softly. There were no more sounds coming from inside and Angela started to worry.

"Brennan, it's me. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean what I said before"

There was no response and Angela tried the door handle, not surprised to find it locked.

"You won't be able to see how sorry I am with this door between us Bren, so please just let me in because... well because among other things I'm drunk and I'm going to need that toilet."

The lock clicked open and Angela opened the door slowly.

Angela took in her friend's blood shot eyes and disheveled appearance and immediately pulled her into a tight hug.

"Bren I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything I said before; I really didn't... especially the part about you not caring"

"Your exact words were 'cold, uncaring bitch'"

Angela cringed and held Brennan out at arm's length. "And they are so far from the truth Bren, I know you care"

"In your defense I did call you a nymphomaniac"

Angela nodded her head glad they were talking. "I still have no clue what that means"

Brennan smiled hearing her common phrase said back to her. "I called you a slut"

Angela smiled back at her. "I figured"

After a few rounds of Angela throwing up while Brennan stood guard repeating all the facts about the effects of drinking, they sat on the couch in their pajamas to watch a movie.

"Ange"

"Yeah"

"...I just..."

Angela studied her friend, wondering what she was so hesitant to say.

"You can tell me anything, you know that right?"

"I know, but I just wanted to say thanks"

Angela scoffed "for what being a total bitch tonight?"

"No, for coming back for me"

Those words spun in Angela's head now as she stared at the Roxy. Somewhere inside Brennan was with Steven McCoy.

Brennan was there because she was afraid of getting them hurt, because hurting more of the people she loved would be worse than any punishment she would have to injure. It had taken years for her to get to the point to be able to let Angela and Booth in, and this was why.

"I never thought that he'd... try going after Angela"

She forced those words to the back of her mind, unable to even think about them.

Little did Angela know, Booth was thinking about the exact same things. She had slept with that scumbag because she was afraid he would kill him. It made Booth physically sick to think about his hands on her.

She had asked him to trust her and he had, because he did trust her immensely. Now though he couldn't help but think that he should've followed her again or stopped her from going into the nightclub all together.

He knew guys like Steven McCoy. They killed anyone that crossed them but the killings could never be traced back to them. They acquired young helpless girls and forced themselves on them. When those girls refused he'd threaten them or their families until they were so terrified they did what he wanted them to.

Not only was his Bones one of those girls, she was Steven's favorite.

And It made him sick to think of her in any sort of trouble.

They still sat in the church pew thinking quietly about the day's advents. Brennan was breathing, she was above air, she was alive.

She was in a church.

It was only the second time she had been in one; the first time had been traumatic enough.

Tonight the old church was oddly comforting, possibly because it was a large open space with no dirt anywhere in sight. Maybe it was because churches were supposed to be safe places for people to pray and whatever else the church told them they had to do to be saved in an afterlife that didn't exist.

Brennan thought it had more to do with the man sitting beside her.

Though she would never admit it to anyone, the only time she truly felt safe was with him. There was an undeniable comfort she felt just being able to see him or smell his aftershave, and the very few times she touched him.

She tried very hard not to touch him, because it seemed that every time she did it became harder and harder not to do more than touch him.

Like now for example, their hands were laying on the bench next to each other. A few inches over and she would be holding his hand.

She could, she knew he would let her, but touching him now might mean her break down. And she'd be damned if she ever cried in front of Booth.

So she kept her distance.

Deep down Brennan wanted more than this with him, more than late night take out and sitting in empty churches, but putting herself out there like that could be disastrous to their relationship.

It wasn't a chance she was willing to take.

Today was the first time she had really admitted to herself that she was falling in love with Booth, or more practically she was already in love.

The letter she wrote him underground was in her pocket, the ultimate confession of her feelings for him. Now that she was safely above ground she doubted she would ever be able to give him that letter or say it to his face how she felt.

Booth caught her staring at their hands just inches apart on the bench and quickly threaded his fingers with hers, surprised once again at how perfectly they fit.

She took a deeper breath than usual and refused to look up at him. He wondered what she was thinking about, hell he was dying to know what she was thinking.

He needed to hear her say she was alright a few more times, he needed to hear her laugh or make comments about how Religion was an antiquated ritual or something. He needed her to break down into his arms and tell him how in those last few hours she wished she had told him she loved him.

Booth needed anything at this point to know she wasn't retreating into herself, because he wasn't sure his heart could take it after today, after almost losing her.

"You okay Bones?"

She was still staring at where their hands were intertwined.

"Yeah..."

With his other hand he lifted her chin up so he could see her eyes, so he could see whether or not she was telling the truth.

"Are you sure?"

Somewhere along the line he had figured her out and gained the ability to read through her wall.

As she stared into his eyes, she forcefully had to stop herself from leaning towards him for maybe just one kiss...

He kept staring at her, making her shiver, and it wasn't until she remembered what she had asked did she reply.

"The doctors already cleared me for work in a few days"

"That's not what I asked"

God did he want to kiss her right then in there, even if he was in church. She just looked so broken and lost and all he wanted to do was wrap her up in her arms and kiss away all the horrors of the day.

"I'm going to be fine Booth, I've been through worse trust me"

With that she stood up, her hand still in his. Looking down at him she looked stuck between staying and leaving, or maybe possibly stuck on the middle of that line he had put up only a few months ago. That stupid line he had put up between romance and partnership.

Finally she pulled away and walked slowly towards the back of the church.

Booth shook his head knowing she was waiting for him.

"It's only a matter of times Bones" he said to himself "only a matter of time."

It was only a week after the Grave Digger incident that she had snapped and kissed him. He supposed he would never know what finally caused her to make the first move but he wasn't complaining.

For one whole month she was finally his. They had gone on their first date, made love for the first time, hell she had even told him she loved him out loud. Booth missed those days, the days before Steven McCoy came back into her life and ruined everything.

Booth wanted his Bones back, he wanted her to smile again, and he wanted her to kiss him like she wasn't afraid he would leave het at any moment but just content to be kissing him.

"Son of a bitch!" Booth yelled as he got up quickly and punched the door a few times, letting his anger out on the building that had stolen the love of his life out from under him.

"Booth stop before you really break your hand!" Angela said trying to calm him down.

"I don't care"

"It's not going to help us get back inside so we can help Brennan"

Booth took a deep breath and stepped back.

"She doesn't want our help"

Angela hit him with her purse.

"Ow what was that for?"

"She needs you Booth and you're just sitting around. You're supposed to be her knight in shining armor and you've given up"

Booth took in what she said, his panic level rising more and more as every second went by. He always saved her, always. And he knew that if he let that bastard ravage his partner, his girlfriend, she would secretly never forgive him.

"You're right" He finally said "Angela stay here and call the FBI. Tell them what's going on and have them send a swat team. I'm going to find a way in here"

"I'm coming with you"

"No you're not. I promised Hodgins I'd keep you safe and I'm going to do just that"

Without another word Booth left Angela standing there.


Meanwhile...

A tear made its way down her cheek as she walked away from the only family she had left. Brennan leant against the wall taking deep breaths to calm herself, now was not the time to break down.

There were at least forty of Steven's hit men in the next room, all of whom would now be aware that an FBI agent had made his way in.

The place had started to clear out to where Steven's men along with the waitresses were the only ones left.

Brennan knew that Booth and Angela wouldn't have left yet, which meant that if she were to act, then now would be the time.

She followed the same route she had taken to Steven's office, some waitresses watching her go by. They knew what was about to happen, they had heard about the incident in Steven's office, and they knew the consequences of something like this.

Brennan opened the office door to find Steven wasn't there. Confused she stood there a moment until there was a loud thump and the next thing she knew everything had turned to black.


"Hi yes, look Booth needs a swat team sent over to the Roxy now! Dr. Brennan has been... kidnapped and she's locked inside. There's also about forty of Steven's friends with guns who look really criminalish and Booth just went in by himself."

"Ok, the Swat team is already on their way" Cullen said rather calmly into the receiver.

"What?" Angela asked, "How are they already on their way?"

"The rest of the Squints called it in, they found the evidence they needed and got a warrant. They're all on their way now."

For once things were going right.

"What evidence did they find?"

"I don't exactly know, but I'm sure that they'll tell you when they get there"

Angela hung up the phone and looked around, unsure of what to do now. She jumped as she saw a figure appear from around the corner.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you"

Angela immediately recognized her "Lindsay Richards right?"

"Yeah and you're... Angela?"

"Montenegro"

"Right, what are you still doing here?"

"Brennan went back in to "talk" with Steven"

"But she was already in his office"

"She went back and locked us out, and I don't think that those guards are going to let us back in."

"No they won't, everyone just got the order to lock all the doors. What happened with Steven?"

"Booth, Agent Booth pushed him up against the wall and then Brennan stepped in and said she'd do anything as long as we walked free and now she's in there having god knows what done to her."

Lindsay looked petrified by the time Angela was done talking.

Flashbacks from back when she was only fifteen played in her head.

"Where's Temperance?" She asked the man she had come to hate more than anyone. She was too young to work here but she knew what her sister and Tempe had gone through with him.

"You're Mandy's sister" he replied, studying her over.

"Where is she, we haven't seen her in weeks" Lindsay said avoiding the subject of her sister.

"Who Temperance or Mandy, because I'm sorry to say this but your sister is dead"

Her temper flared as she realized he was just playing with her.

"Look you asshole, tell me where she is or I'll have the cops here so fast you won't even have time to get out of your chair"

He rounded the desk quick, grabbing her chin. "You think you can threaten me huh? Do you want to know what happens to girls that threaten me?"

In a moment he had opened the door and was leading her away.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they turned into another staircase.

"You wanted to see Temperance didn't you? Come on!"

At the bottom of the stairs was a door that Steven opened into a hall. The next door he opened was the one that connected them to the warehouse.

Once they were inside Lindsay could hear the sounds of someone moving around, occasionally crying out in pain.

A few turns around some crates and there was Temperance, chained to the wall with only a small bed and a chair around her.

Lindsay gasped when she saw the woman she had come to see as another sister. She was covered in bruises and cuts, from her face down. She was only wearing one of Steven's long shirts to cover her skinny form. She looked tired and pale, like she hadn't eaten or slept in days.

"Lindsay" she said her name but it was no more than a harsh whisper.

Without thinking she ran to her, dropping down in front of her on her knees.

Temperance looked terrified; she was shaking slightly, and flinched when Lindsay tried to touch her.

"What have you done to her?" She yelled at Steven, but he only laughed.

"Nothing compared to what she's going to get, and if you even talk to a cop you'll end up down here too"

Lindsay started talking to herself acting panicked "This isn't part of the plan, he's going to find out and... oh my god!"

"What's wrong?"

Lindsay started shaking her head "You don't understand, Booth was supposed to be dead. He was supposed to be dead and he isn't and then there's the thing and ... this isn't playing around he's really going to kill her."

"But I thought..."

"Every time she comes back here Steven almost kills her. The first time was when my sister was killed, Steven kidnapped her for two months after she tried to tell the police and tortured her in his warehouse. The last time was when he found out she was working alongside an FBI agent where I think he had almost drowned her, but they worked out an agreement to which she would tip him off whenever the FBI got too close to his operation, which is why it's taken so long for FBI to show up at these doors."

"Why is it now that he started all this?"

"He took a special interest in her again after some Gravedigger thing. He managed to sneak in to that fundraiser the Jeffersonian had a month ago and flipped out when he saw her and Agent Booth together and killed Michelle that night. Temperance had been helping her find her younger sister for a while now, and when Steven said he was going to kill Tempe, she freaked and pulled a gun on him. She couldn't do it though, she couldn't kill him. So he killed her, and left her for Tempe to find."

Angela was now even more petrified for her friend than ever. "How do you know all this?"

"We all do, it's how we stay alive, all we've got is each other here"

Angela nodded feeling bad for all these poor young girls at Steven's disposal.

Lindsay felt someone watching her and turned to find two of the guards coming towards them.

"You have to go now!"

Angela turned to run but it was too late. There were already two more guards coming from the opposite direction.

In the words of Scooby Dooby Doo, rough row raggy lol. Okay so not a lot of action going on because I'm saving that till next chapter, but this one goes before the last chapter if you're looking for a timeline. Also a lot of you have said how much you like the background story I've created for Brennan, so I figured I'd add a little more to it.