Author's Note: I'm sorry for the delay, everyone. I've had a very rough week. Still am, but trying to get better through my writing and the support I get here. A very special thanks to the beautiful and amazing BluCrayons for being there for me and not leaving me alone when I thought I wanted to.

Chapter 52: Trust and Answers

"Agent Booth," Micky said when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Mike followed behind Booth and Dr. Brendan telling Micky he was the one who let them in. Booth was holding a file folder in his hands and Brendan was holding a black bag. "Good morning."

"How is Sarah?" Dr. Brendan asked.

"She's sleeping now," Micky answered. "But she'll be fine. She just needs to rest."

"And the baby?" Agent Booth asked.

"She's fine, too," Micky answered. "She's stubborn like her mother."

"That's good news," Agent Booth said.

"What did you find out, Agent Booth?" Mike asked moving to sit in a chair next to Davy. Peter and Willow were sharing the couch. "Do you trust us?"

"I found a few things, actually," Agent Booth answered. "I looked into the disappearances of working women in Los Angeles during the time Chucky was there. They didn't increase after he was born. Nor did they decrease when he was in the military and stationed elsewhere. They didn't decrease until he moved to D.C. How do you explain that?"

"It's a family business," Micky said. "Everyone in the family is involved. They've been kidnapping women who wouldn't be missed for generations."

"Not everyone," Peter said quickly. "Only most."

"That's not important, Peter," Micky said. "Did you find an increase in disappearances when he arrived in D.C.?"

"Actually, yes," Booth said handing the folder he was holding to Micky. "But more incriminating than that is this."

"What is that?" Mike asked getting up to walk over and peer over Micky's shoulder. Micky opened the folder and found himself looking at important military documents. A lot of the information was blacked out and he didn't understand most of it. But a few choice words jumped out at him.

"When I was investigating his murder, his military jacket was flagged," Booth said. "I wasn't able to pull it and I still can't get the whole thing, but I have a friend in records. He was able to legally get me just this much. It's not a lot, but it looks like a little over half a dozen women living on base or nearby reported that he'd raped them."

"Why didn't the military do anything about it?" Davy asked angrily.

"Part of the problem is that he got bounced around so often," Booth said. "Different bases, different commanders. It's harder to connect the cases. The individual cases wouldn't have been investigated strictly because of the fact that he's a soldier and these women are civilians. A lot of people are anti-military. The commanders can easily chalk claims like these up to people wanting to slander the military. Especially since Chucky was so highly decorated and connected. The claims were swept under the rug."

"That's not fair," Peter said.

"That's the way things work, unfortunately," Micky said. "And he knew it."

"So does this mean you believe us?" Mike asked.

"Yes," Booth answered. "So will you answer my questions now? Fill in the holes?" Mike and Micky exchanged looks with each other and decided it was safe to talk. If Booth believed them, he'd keep them safe as long as he could.

"Have a seat, Agent Booth," Mike said moving a chair into the room for each of them to sit in.

"What's your first question?" Micky asked as he sat in a chair next to Mike.

"The Eichmann's had a son named Michael," Booth said sitting in the chair Mike had brought from the kitchen next to the one Brendan sat in. "He ran away when he was 16 and was never seen again. One of you is that boy, aren't you?"

"I am," Micky said. "I ran away when I was 16 with Rose and Sarah. I couldn't take seeing them abused any longer, so we ran. I allowed them to find me a little while after so I could let Sarah and Rose have a head start. They beat me till they nearly killed me. Mike saved me. He came up with an idea to fake my death and when night fell, he came and dug me up."

"How did you escape?" Booth asked.

"I drugged my parents with the same stuff they drugged us with to make us sleep," Micky admitted. "Stole the handcuff key and ran. I had a van waiting. They let me and Rose go to school on the threat if we ever talked or didn't come home, they'd kill Sarah. I arranged the escape while at school."

"How do you fit into this?" Booth asked Mike.

"Same as Micky," Mike said. "My father was best friends with his. He did the same thing as Chucky, but in Texas. He was a seated judge so he could basically do whatever he wanted, including bury evidence and convict anyone who might speak out against him."

"What kind of evidence do you have then?" Agent Booth asked.

"Did any of those missing women ever turn back up again?" Micky asked.

"Some, but not most," Agent Booth said.

"The ones who turned back up were never taken by my father," Micky said. "The one's my father took were never seen again."

"They're dead," Brendan said. "You know where their bodies are?"

"We were forced to help bury them," Micky answered. "That's why we said we could get in trouble. We can give you names and locations of victims as well as names of others involved."

"I don't know how much use they'll be now," Booth mumbled.

"There's actually a lot we can tell from a body buried that long," Brendan said. "Depending on how well preserved the bodies are and the condition of the bones. If they tell us where to look, I can take the bones back to my lab and see what we can find on them."

"Alright, then," Booth said. "There's one other thing I need before we move on. I need to know what happened at that hospital."

"I told you," Mike said. "They kidnapped and tortured us."

"I know, but I need to know details," Booth said. "It'll give me an idea of what I'm working with, plus I need it for the report when this is over anyway."

"Fine," Micky said, "but don't say we didn't warn you. It's graphic."

"I can handle it," Booth said. "Sarah was a patient and she escaped, right? You just happened to find her and take her in or did you help her escape?"

"We just happened to find her," Micky answered. He quickly went over what had happened to Sarah over the year with agent Booth leading up to them getting kidnapped. Mike filled in the information about Heather, including, rather reluctantly, their engagement.

"So why did they take all of you?" Booth asked. "If you're her son and she was mad you escaped, why take everyone else?" Micky fell silent; he didn't want to answer. He didn't want to risk putting Hope in harms way by telling Agent Booth about her.

"They wanted something from him," Peter said after the room was silent for several minutes.

"Peter," Micky hissed.

"I think you should tell him," Peter argued. "He could help."

"No," Micky said firmly.

"I agree with Peter," Mike said.

"So do I," Davy said.

"Well, it's not up to you, so forget it," Micky snapped. This was his child and they didn't have a say in putting her in harms way.

"But it is up to me," Rose said from the top of the stairs.

"Rose!" Micky said surprised. He wasn't even aware she was listening.

"I was coming down for some more water," Rose explained as she walked down the stairs toward him. When she reached him, she lowered her voice so only Micky could hear her. "She's my daughter. He can help her."

"Or he can lead them straight to her," Micky said.

"How!?" she shot back. "As far as they're concerned, he was just a man who investigated Chucky's murder. They don't know he has anything to do with this so how are they going to even know to follow him? Besides, do you really think they're gonna just give up looking for her? Who's to say they haven't figured out she's here. Who's to say they haven't already found her while we've been hiding? He can check. He can make sure she's safe and he can keep her protected. We need to tell him. Not for us; for her."

"Fine," Micky said after a long pause. "If you think its for the best…"

"I do," Rose said. "Do you want me to tell him?"

"No, I can," Micky said turning back to face Agent Booth. "Ok, you wanna know why my mother tortured me and kidnapped my friends? Peter's right; she wanted information from me." Micky took a deep breath before continuing; hoping he was doing the right thing. "The reason I left at 16 and not before is because I didn't really have much incentive to. I mean, I did want to help Rose and Sarah and everything, but I was more scared, I guess. But Rose got pregnant and I didn't want a baby to be raised around that. And I thought the baby could be mine, which made it so much worse. But whether it was or not, I couldn't let a baby be hurt the way I was. So I left. Took the baby with me. We gave her to a wonderful woman to protect her and my mother wants to know where she is. I can't let that happen. I can't let anyone hurt her."

"I understand," Booth said looking at Micky compassionately. "I understand completely why you wouldn't want to tell me. I have a son, myself. I promise I won't let anything happen to her."

"We don't know if they found her or not," Rose added. "I don't think they did, but maybe you could just check on her?"

"Discreetly," Micky said. "She knows absolutely nothing about any of this. She doesn't even know she's adopted. She's happy and she has a wonderful, loving family now. That's all I really care about. She's safe and happy. I want it to stay that way more than anything."

"I understand," Booth repeated sincerely. "Is she even in California?"

"Yes," Micky answered.

"I can see if Angela can check on her while she's there," Dr. Brendan said. "She's a very close friend and colleague of mine. She's doing some work in California right now. I trust her with anything."

"Thank you," Rose said. "We appreciate it."

"There's no reason a child should get roped into any of this," Booth said.

"Thank you," Micky said feeling a little better. He still wasn't sure if somehow telling Booth would lead Claire to Hope or not, but he realized it was more paranoia driving the fear than anything else.

"There's one more thing I need," Booth said. "I am documenting everything for court later and keeping it under wraps, but that means I need to document your injuries."

"We've already inspected Mike's burns," Dr. Brendan started, "but we need to take pictures. And I need to inspect yours, too. And anyone else with injuries."

"Are you ok with us taking pictures?" Booth asked trying to be somewhat delicate.

"I'm fine," Micky said. "I've gotten over it. And I know how the process works. Do whatever you need to do. I don't want there to be even a chance they get off on a technicality or anything."

"Alright, I'll take the pictures and Dr. Brendan will inspect them," Booth said.

"Don't say we didn't warn you, though," Micky said knowing they probably hadn't seen anything like the wounds Micky had before.

"I was a soldier," Booth said. "I've seen a few torture wounds before." Micky took his shirt off to let them inspect his wounds. He heard a sharp gasp from Willow as she saw his wounds for the first time. He watched as Agent Booth tried not to cringe and Dr. Brendan peered at him with a strange interest.

"Tell me those aren't whip scars," Booth said.

"There's some on his back, too," Dr. Brendan said looking at his back.

"They whipped you?" Booth asked.

"Yes," Micky answered.

"What else do you see?" Booth asked Dr. Brendan taking a camera out of his bag.

"Cuts, deep cuts," Dr. Brendan said. "And it looks like there are some burns. Like you'd see on cattle."

"Like the electrical burns on Mike?" Booth asked taking a few pictures.

"No," Dr. Brendan said. "More like branding."

"She pushed a hot piece of metal against my flesh," Micky said.

"What are these?" Dr. Brendan asked pointing at another set of wounds on his chest. "They appear to be chemical burns of some kind, but I've never seen anything like it."

"She poured acid on me," Micky answered starting to feel a little uncomfortable with how Dr. Brendan was inspecting him.

"Acid!?" Booth asked lowering the camera with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Hurt like hell," Micky said.

"I've never seen acid burns on human flesh before," Dr. Brendan said. "It's fascinating. This is an excellent opportunity to study the effects of acid erosion…"

"I'm not a lab rat," Micky said covering his wounds a little feeling even more uncomfortable.

"Sorry, she's not great with the personal interaction thing," Booth said. "She forgets people have feelings."

"I do so remember," Dr. Brendan answered. "It's just this is really fascinating."

"Yeah, ok, put your shirt back on," Agent Booth said. "I think we got what we need. I'll need to take a picture of Mike's injury, too."

"Peter was shot in the leg while we tried to escape," Davy said. "Do you need that too?"

"Yes," Booth said. They spent the rest of the rest of the day going over just what happened. They went over everything that happened and showed their scars and wounds that were still healing. Booth took pictures and notes while they talked. Willow went over her experience at the hospital and being buried alive. Dr. Brendan wanted to take some blood from them and test their hair a little saying she might be able to see any drugs they'd been given in their hair. They all decided to wait to get information and blood and hair from Sarah for a few days to give her time to rest. Before they left, Micky gave them the address of where to find Hope and Dr. Brendan said she'd let them know as soon as she heard anything from her friend. Micky finally felt that things would hopefully be turning in their favor. He'd give anything to see his family put away and punished for what they'd done to his friends. His family.