Chapter 5

She tried to remember. She tried to recover the last memory that was locked in her mind, but her memories were fuzzy. She couldn't be sure if what she remembered really was the last thing she remembered. She couldn't figure out how she had gotten to wherever she was and she had no explanation for why she was suddenly blind and in so much pain. Nothing made any sense.

*****

Wednesday

7:37 AM

Higgins walked in front of them as he led them down a series of hallways. The halls were dank and dimly lit. The building was certainly the opposite of what could be considered comforting. Brennan and Booth had been to a number of prisons, but they both shuddered as they walked down the halls.

Finally they stopped as they encountered another security guard booth. Booth and Brennan both had to sign in. Higgins said his goodbyes, winking at Brennan and giving Booth a 'man hug' where they patted each other on the back and embraced for merely seconds. Booth and Brennan were led by one of the guards from the booth into a small, holding room. There was nothing in the room but a small table in the middle and three chairs. They were told that Collin Brown would be in momentarily. Brennan took a seat in one of the chairs, but Booth couldn't stop pacing around the room.

"You're nervous," Brennan observed.

"I'm not nervous."

"Then why are you pacing? Pacing is most often a physical manifestation of nervousness."

"I'm not nervous. I'm...irritated."

"Why are you irritated?"

"Because I'm about to look a killer in the face and he's going to know that there's nothing I can do to keep him here. And..." He stopped.

"And?"

"And you're here."

"That irritates you?"

"Right now it does."

"Why?"

"Because."

Brennan stood up and walked over to him, essentially cornering him against the wall. She needed to get him to stop pacing so that he would talk to her.

"That's not a good answer."

"Bones…"

"Tell me."

"I don't want you here because you're a woman, alright."

She took a step back, alarmed by his answer. "I didn't know you were sexist, Booth."

"I'm not sexist."

"Then what do you call what you just said? Just because I'm a woman, Booth, doesn't mean I can't take..."

"Care of yourself, I know. I know you can take care of yourself and it's not…it's not because you're a woman and I think you're weak or something. Jeez, Bones, I'm not sexist."

"Then why are you so irritated?"

"Because you're a woman."

She threw her hands up. "Then you are sexist!"

"I am not!"

"You just admitted that you are. Although I agree that they are clearly differences between the sexes, I don't see how having a vagina and not a pen…"

"It has nothing to do with…what you have down there."

"Obviously it does or you wouldn't be so irritated."

"Fine, maybe it does have to do with you having a…a…"

"Vagina. It's ok, Booth. You can say it."

Booth shook his head. He was not about to start another argument about his resistance to talking about anything have to do with sex.

"He preys on women."

"What?"

"Creepy preys on women."

"True, but I'm certainly capable of taking care of myself."

"I know that, Bones." He finally stopped pacing and sat down next to her. "I just...I have this bad feeling, ok. And it's not because I think you can't take care of yourself. I know you can take care of yourself. You've proved that more than once. I'm not sexist, Bones."

"You have a bad feeling?"

"Yes, in my gut. I have a bad feeling about this in my gut."

"You know there is nothing scientifically proven about supposed gut instincts. I mean, gut isn't even the scientific word for it. Without facts, without hard proof..."

He covered her hand with his. It was a simple gesture, but she knew there was meaning behind it. "Just be careful, Bones. Don't say anything to provoke him, don't make eye contact with him. Just...be careful."

"You really don't want me here, do you?"

"It's not that I don't want you..."

"It's that you're trying to protect me. Is that it?" He nodded. He knew she hated it when he admitted to trying to protect her, but they were partners and that was his job. She would do the same for him. "Then I'll wait outside."

"Wait...you begged and begged me to come here and now you're just going to wait outside?"

"I didn't beg you. And yes. If it means that much to you, I respect this partnership enough and trust you enough to listen to your...gut...even if I don't understand it."

She stood up and made her way over to the door. She was about to knock on the door to signify she wanted to be let out when the second door in the room opened. Three men stood in the doorway. Two were guards, each holding on to the man in the middle's handcuffed arms. The man in the middle was an average looking guy. He was of medium build, medium height, and his hair was somewhere in between blonde and brown. He wore an orange jump suit that most likely covered up his medium physique.

Collin Brown was nothing but completely ordinary until that is, he made eye contact with Brennan. He completely ignored Booth and looked right at her. As the guards led him to the seat opposite Booth, he never took his eyes off her. It was the eyes that gave him away for the monster he was. They were dark brown; so dark brown that they looked black. There wasn't one ounce of emotion behind his eyes. There was no happiness, no sadness, no remorse. Absolutely nothing. Brennan shuddered and knew immediately that the nickname 'Creepy' was an understatement. The guards left the room leaving Booth, Brennan, and Brown alone.

"Agent Booth," Brown said as he continued to stare at Brennan. "I see you brought me a present."

"Eyes front," Booth snarled.

Brown reluctantly turned to look at Booth. "But she's so pretty. Is she yours?"

"She's not anybodies," Brennan answered.

She could tell why Booth didn't want her anywhere near Brown, but she couldn't leave. She needed to be there for Booth. She walked slowly back over to the table and sat down next to Booth.

"Does she have a name?" Brown asked coolly, focusing on her once again.

"Doctor..." Brennan began to answer.

"It doesn't matter," Booth interjected.

"You know, I'm getting out of here, Booth. In less than five hours, I'll be a free man. You have anything to do with that?"

"I should have shot you when I had the chance."

"But you wouldn't have, Booth. I know you. You've got too much heart."

"You don't know me."

"Oh, but I do. What do you think I've been doing in here all these years? I've been watching you, Booth. I've been following you. You've become quite the FBI agent. You and your sexy doctor here. It's Dr. Brennan, isn't it? Dr. Temperance Brennan?"

"How do you know my name?" Brennan asked.

"Just because I'm in prison, Dr. Brennan, doesn't mean I don't read the newspaper. Every time you and Boothy here catch a criminal, it makes headlines. You and your doctor friends. What are the names again? Oh yeah...Dr. Hodgins, Ms. Montenegro. Did I say that right? I always wondered if I was pronouncing it right. It must be killing you Booth that I'm getting out of here. Must be tearing your apart."

"I'll find a way to haul your ass back in here, don't you worry," Booth stated.

"Is that why you're here? To warn me? Or did you bring Temperance here to taunt me? It's been so long since I've enjoyed the company of a woman. You don't know how lonely it gets in here. And seeing an attractive, sexy woman makes me makes me…" He began to reach his hands out towards Brennan.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Booth warned.

"Why not? You gonna shoot me, Booth?"

"No. But if you touch her, she will break your face."

Brown lowered his hands back onto the table and folded them in front of him.

"That's alright. I like a feisty woman. I bet she's feisty in bed, Booth. Is she feisty?"

Booth stood up, ready to lunge across the table. Bones put her hand on his arm and he sat back down. He leaned over the table, putting his face close to Collin's.

"Hear this…I'm on to you. We are going to find evidence to throw your ass back in here so fast you won't know what hit you."

"You've got nothing, Agent Booth. But it does…excite me a little bit to know that Temperance here is going to be staying up all night thinking about me."

"I'll be watching you. Every minute of every day I'll be watching you," Booth threatened.

Brennan was about to speak up and state that it was virtually impossible for anyone to watch another person every minute of every day, but she stayed quiet.

"Agent Booth…" Collin began to say.

Booth grabbed the top of Collin's shirt and pulled him even closer.

"And if you go anywhere near her or my friends, I will kill you."

Brennan had never seen such anger in Booth's eyes. He let go of Collin's collar and stood up. Brennan followed his lead. He made sure to put his hand on Brennan's lower back and they walked to the door.

"We're done here," Booth said to the guard on the other side of the door. They waited for the guard to open it.

"I'm not afraid of you, Agent Booth," Collin said.

Both Booth and Brennan turned around. Collin was smiling.

"You should be," Booth said through gritted teeth. "Because I swear to God I'm about to make your life a living hell."

"We'll see about that. Goodbye Temperance. I'll be thinking about you. I'm sure we'll see each other very soon."

He winked at Brennan as the door opened. Booth quickly left the room with Brennan close behind. He practically stomped through the hallway in silence. They stopped at the guard booth to sign out and walked back out towards their car. As soon as they got there, Booth kicked the front tire of the car in a rage.

"Booth…" Brennan began to say.

He kicked the tire over and over again. Bones laid a hand on his shoulder and he finally stopped.

"You shouldn't have been in there," he said, not looking at her.

"Why? Nothing happened. I'm fine. Trust me, Booth, I've had men say more vulgar things to me than that," she said.

"It's not about what he said. He's a serial killer, Bones!"

"I know that."

"A serial killer who kills women!"

"So this all comes back to me having a vag…?"

"You shouldn't have been in there! He shouldn't know who you are!"

"He would have known who I was whether or not I was there! You heard what he said. He knew about us working together and Angela and Hodgins. I don't know what you're getting so upset about…"

He threw his hands up in the air. "Damn it, Bones! You should just stay in the lab!"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Is that what you really think?"

He took a deep breath, realizing what he had said. "No, Bones. I'm sorry. This guy…this case…the lack of sleep…it's just getting to me."

She stood still, facing him, not uncrossing her arms. Her jaw was set. She obviously wasn't backing down. Booth put his arms on her shoulders.

"I don't think you should stay in the lab. I'm sorry. I wouldn't want to work with anyone but you. Besides, what man wouldn't want to work with a woman who nags him all day?"

"I do not nag."

He cracked a smile.

"You're not funny." She said. He took his hands from her shoulders and opened the car door. He got inside the car and poked his head out the door.

"You coming?"

She rolled her eyes and got in the passenger side.

"Where are we going now?" She asked as she put on her seatbelt.

"Back to the lab. Maybe Hodgins found something."

"And if he didn't?"

"Then it looks like I'm going to be following Creepy around wherever he goes."

"Let's hope Hodgins found something."

"Let's hope."

Author's Note: Well, everyone you finally met Creepy. I have to admit that I'm not much of a descriptive writer (I much prefer dialogue) so it was hard to write him. I hope he came off as being creepy enough. Anyway, thank you again for all of the great reviews. Keep them coming!