Author's Note:

This chapter contains mentions of violence and sexual assault. It's dark, you have been warned!

Brennan woke to a sharp pain in her head, it was pounding. Shaken, it took her a few minutes to process what had happened. It was dark, she couldn't see. Something was covering her eyes. She could feel that her hands and legs were bound, to what felt like the steel rails... possibly of a bed? She could smell the blood, which was dried on her face and lips. Her entire body was aching, everything hurt... it even hurt to breath.

"Where I am? What happened?" Bones thought to herself. Everything was blurry. She tried to remember... though at first her mind was drawing a blank.

Then, everything - every memory, came flooding back... being in the car with Booth, crying when he told her that she was too late. Going home, going back to the Lab, going home again. It was then that she remembered... walking into the apartment, pitch Black, the lights wouldn't come on, a strange voice, the fight, being knocked unconscious. Waking up in her bed, a stranger on top of her, his hands touching her, touching her everywhere, ripping her clothes off, touching her some more. He was inside of her, as she tried hard to fight him off, it was to no avail. The screams, the tears, somehow reaching her phone during the struggle, almost dialing Booth's number before her attacker knocked the phone from her hands. The pain, the blood, the horrible feeling that swept over her when her attacker took her body for himself against her will. The sickness she felt as he kissed her, as he touched her, and squealed with pleasure of what he was doing to her. Then, it all went Black...

She woke up once, moving. She couldn't see, the air was thick. Like she was in a trunk. The fear that had rushed over her. She couldn't breath. Struggling to get free, struggling to breath. It went Black again... then she woke up here, but where was here?

Brennan heard the sound of a door opening. She heard footsteps.

"Ah, nice to see you are awake Temperance."

Just as quickly as it had in her apartment, her heart was suddenly racing. Some many emotions... fear, panic, confusion all flooded her mind.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Brennan managed to get out, trying hard not to cry.

"I already told you, Dr. Brennan... Temperance... I want YOU." the stranger replied, with an evil laugh. "As for who I am, I would guess you'll figure that out soon enough. After all, you are a genius, yes?"

"Why?" Brennan asked. "Why are you doing this?"

The stranger laughed, again. "Well, Temperance... because I am your biggest fan. I have been, for many years. And because... I love you, Temperance. I have since the day we first met... but you, you never even acted like you knew I was there." he explained. "You are perfect, Temperance. Perfect in every way and yet, you don't even seem to notice. You are beautiful, brilliant, amazing at everything you do. All I ever wanted, was to get your attention... for you to return the feelings I've had for you, all these years. I have been at almost all of your conferences, all of your book signings. You were too busy putting all of your feelings into that stupid FBI Agent, to even think of noticing me. I've been waiting for my chance to catch you off guard, to make my move. Ironic, isn't it, that the same FBI Agent who has had your affections is also the same person who broke you down and practically handed you over to me? I mean, he did break your heart and all. Just made things for me a little... easier."

Tears immediately clouded Brennan's vision, she swallowed hard. "How did you know about what happened between Booth and I?" she asked.

"Ah, because I have been watching you, Temperance. I have been watching, I have been listening. I know EVERYTHING about you, Temperance. Everything." the stranger boasted. "I know what you eat, how you sleep, when you shower... I even know more about you than the good Agent Booth."

"You don't know me! You don't know anything about me!" Brennan snapped back, suddenly feeling a bit of fight come back to her.

The stranger just laughed. "Ah, but I do Temperance. Just let me show you."

With that, Brennan felt the blindfold being removed from her eyes. She squinted when the light hit her, taking a moment for her eyes to adjust to the sudden change from darkness to light. She looked around the room. Everywhere were pictures, all over the walls and the ceiling. They were pictures of her, pictures of her and Booth, pictures of her and Angela, pictures taken at the Lab, pictures taken at various Crime Scenes, pictures taken in her apartment... Judging by the photos, this man had been watching her for at least a year... maybe even longer. It made Brennan feel sick.

Brennan looked around, she was naked. Covered only by a thin sheet. Her hands and feet were bound to the steel rails of a bed with zip ties. The room was dreary, there were no windows visible, just a ladder that looked like it went up. It was damp and dingy. It must have been a basement. In the dim, yet bright light... she could see the bruises that had formed on her arms and legs.

"Why would you do this?" Brennan asked, so low it was barely a whisper.

The stranger stepping closer to Brennan, hovering over her. A sick smile on his face. She didn't recognize him at all, but yet, his features did seem familiar in a way. She couldn't place it, though. She could not place where she had seen this man before, as hard as she tried.

"You still don't remember, do you, Temperance?" the stranger asked, looking somewhat disappointed.

Brennan shook her head, slightly. "No, I don't."

"You make my heart hurt." the strangers said, with a sigh. "No matter, maybe after we get to know each other better, it will come back to you."

The stranger reached down and softly touched Brennan's cheek, he traced her lips with his fingers. His touch made her skin crawl, her body trembled. Brennan immediately tried to pull back, restrained, she couldn't move... she spit directly in the strangers face.

"You bitch!" the stranger yelled, wiping his face. In an instant, Brennan felt his hand connect hard against her face.

"Don't touch me again, you sick bastard!" Brennan shot back.

The stranger laughed. He picked up the cloth that had been used as a blindfold and placed it in Brennan's mouth, tying it tightly around the back of her head.

"You, Temperance, belong to me now." the stranger said. "You are mine and I will touch you, anytime I want to. I cannot tell you how long I have waited for this day to come. To make you mine, forever."

The tears Brennan had been fighting so hard to hold back, now started to flow freely down her cheeks. She felt like she was going to vomit. Her breathing felt labored, like she couldn't get enough oxygen, even though she was breathing rapidly.

The stranger wiped the tears from Brennan's face with his fingers. He ran his hands down her face, down her chest, and all the way down to her opening. He slowly, gently ran his fingers down and then thrust them deep inside of her.

Brennan struggled, she tried hard to pull away... but the restraints kept her from moving.

The stranger laughed. "Don't fight this, Temperance. I want you to enjoy it. I promise... this won't hurt unless you fight it."

Brennan tried to scream for help. She tried to pull away. However, she was unable to speak through the cloth that covered her mouth, she was unable to move due to the restraints that bound her arms and feet. She couldn't breath, she couldn't think straight, she couldn't understand why this was happening. Brennan was a logical person and nothing about this made any sense. Brennan squeezed her eyes shut tightly, tears still streaming down her face.

The stranger just laughed some more. "Enjoying this yet, Temperance?" he asked with a smile on his face. "Oh, I forgot... you can't answer that because you're a little tied up, right now!"

The sound of a phone ringing in another room interrupted the strangers attack. Just as quickly as it started, it had ended.

"I will finish this later, dear Temperance." the stranger said, as he climbed the ladder and closed the hatch... leaving Brennan sobbing and alone.

Booth paced back and fourth in the doorway of Bones apartment. Cam had brought in her whole team from the Lab to analyze the scene, but so far, they had come up with nothing. Who ever had entered Bones apartment and abducted her, had seemly left no evidence behind. There were no unknown finger prints found in the apartment. No blood or DNA, other than that belonging to Bones. Booth was getting more and more upset, frustrated that they had found no leads to help him locate his partner.

"Tell me you found something, Cam? Anything?" Booth pleaded, his voice a bit louder than he had intended.

Cam shook her head. "So far, we have found nothing."

"How can someone come in here and do... do this to Bones, but none of your squints can find a damn thing?" Booth snapped. "How is that possible? Tell them they need to work harder! They need to give me something to go on! I need something!"

"I'm sorry, Seeley." Cam said, placing her hand gently on Booth's arm. "Trust me, we all love Dr. Brennan. We all want to find who ever did this and bring her home as much as you do. But we have nothing, Seeley, absolutely nothing... I'm so sorry."

"I know, I know... I'm sorry, I know you're doing your best." Booth said. "I just really need to find her, Cam."

"We will, Booth. We will find her." Cam said, hoping she sounded more convincing than she felt. "This is Dr. Brennan we're talking about... she's strong. She is going to get through this and we will find her."

Suddenly, Booth's boss stormed in. "Agent Booth, I am taking you off this case. Effective now!" he told Booth, firmly.

"Sir, you can't! I have to work this case, I have to help find Bones." Booth pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Agent Booth. You are too close to this." he confirmed.

"With all due respect, I cannot walk away from this case, Sir." Booth said. "Please?"

"Go home, Agent Booth."

"But Sir..." Booth started.

"Go home."

Cam shot Booth a sympathetic look. "Go home, Seeley. I will keep you in the loop." she said.

Booth was angry, frustrated, sad... Defeatedly, he turned and left Bones apartment. If he couldn't work the case officially, he would just have to work it on his own. He would not give up!

Booth walked into his apartment, slamming the door behind him. He threw his gun and badge on the kitchen counter. That's when Hannah appeared from the bedroom, wrapped in a towel, obviously fresh out of the shower.

"You're home early?" Hannah said, seductively. "Just in time..."

Smiling, she approached Booth, leaning in to kiss him but Booth pulled away quickly.

"Not now, Hannah! I can't!" Booth shouted, raising his hands in the air to signal that he didn't want her to touch him.

Hannah took a step back, stunned by Booth's strange outburst. "What's wrong Seeley?" she asked. Her voice filled with genuine concern.

"Bones was abducted from her apartment this morning." Booth said, quietly.

"Oh God Seeley... I am so sorry, honey." Hannah said, trying to comfort him.

"Me too." Booth said, defeatedly. "I got taken off the case."

Hannah could feel the guilt in Booth's voice. She placed her hand on Booth's shoulder. "You know this isn't your fault, Seeley."

"It is my fault!" Booth shouted, as he spun around to face Hannah.

"I know it's easy to blame yourself, but this is really not..." Hannah started.

"You don't understand, Hannah! It IS my fault, it's all my fault! I shouldn't have left her alone last night!" Booth spat, cutting her off.

"Why? Did something happen last night?" Hannah asked.

"Bones was really upset when I took her home last night. I asked if she wanted someone to stay with her, but she insisted she would be fine. I never should have left her like that. I knew she wasn't fine." Booth explained.

"You didn't say anything last night when you got in?" Hannah said, questioningly. "If something was wrong, you could have stayed there with her. I would have understood."

"I was the reason Bones was so upset last night." Booth confessed.

"What? Why?" Hannah asked, confused. "That's impossible."

"The case we were working was really getting to Bones." Booth started. "Last night, Bones solved the case. While driving her home, she told me that she didn't want to have any regrets..."

"I'm confused, Seeley... regrets about what?" Hannah asked.

"Bones was telling me, in a round about way, that she had feelings for me. She wanted us to give it a try." Booth finished.

Hannah looked shocked and hurt. "What... what did you say?"

Booth sighed, tears welling up in his eyes. "I... I told her that I was with someone now. That I loved you." Booth explained. "Bones, she... she got really upset. She was crying. She said, she understood and that she would be alright but... I never should have left her alone. This is all my fault."

"Wow Seeley... why didn't you tell me?" Hannah asked.

"I was going to... I just didn't know what to say or how to say it." Booth answered. "This morning, Bones didn't show up for work. When I went to check on her, I found her apartment door open. Her apartment was trashed. I found blood. Bones was no where to be found."

"Oh my God, Seeley! Do you think she's alright? Is there any idea who did this?" Hannah asked.

"There is reason to believe Bones is alive but... there was evidence at the scene that suggested she was... was..." Booth couldn't finish.

"Was what?" Hannah pushed.

"That she was sexually assaulted before she was taken." Booth said, finally.

"I'm sorry, Seeley... I don't know what to say." Hannah said.

"I feel so useless! I can't work the case, Cam found nothing at the scene." Booth said. "If anything happens to her, Hannah, I will never forgive myself! I will never forgive myself for what's already happened..."

"It's not your fault..." Hannah said, again.

"Damn it, Hannah! You don't don't understand! This IS my fault! All my fault! We're partners, I am supposed to protect her!" Booth shouted, before throwing his hands in the air again. "I can't do this, right now! I gotta' go!"

"Seeley wait!" Hannah called out, but the only response she got was the slamming of the door as Booth quickly left the apartment...

TBC...