Author's Note:

Thanks Everyone, for the follows & reviews!

Here is the next chapter. This chapter will center around Bones & the stranger. There are mild spoilers for the episode Mayhem on a Cross.

Brennan was so drained, physically and mentally... that she drifted in and out of sleep. She would, however, bcome immediately alert with every sound she heard or thought she heard. Her whole body would begin to quiver, terrified of what each new sound would bring. She dreaded the strangers return. She dreaded what he was planning to do to her the next time he did.

Brennan had been the victim in the past, but this time far surpassed any of the previous times. She was afraid, no... afraid was not the word. Terrified, was closer to how she truly felt, but even that did not accurately describe her feelings at this very moment. So many things were running through her head, so many questions but... in the back of her head, there was one thing that she felt certain of. That one thing was Booth. Brennan always said she did not believe in having Faith, but she truly did believe in Booth.

Brennan knew, deep down in her heart that, logical thinking or not, Booth would find her. She just knew that Booth would find her, that he would come for her, that he would save her. Somehow, he always did. Booth had been the one and only constant in Brennan's life. Since they met, the two had been almost inseparable. Brennan had learned early on that the only one she could count on or trust, was herself. Everyone else in her life had betrayed her, abandon her, hurt her...

That was until she met Booth, that is. Booth was different. Booth was the one person who was always there for her, no matter what. When she needed him, even if she was too stubborn to admit it, he somehow always knew. When she was in trouble, Booth was the one who always found a way to save her. When she was sad, he was always there to try and cheer her up. When she was feeling lost and confused, he was always there to offer advice, a kind word, or just a listening ear.

As Brennan lay bound to the bed, waiting for the stranger who had taken her, to return... Booth was the one thing that kept running through her mind. Not just the fact that she knew he would save her, but also all of the things they had been through together. All of the times he had been there for her. Brennan realized, in that moment, that she had never really truly appreciated Booth the way she should have. She had taken their partnership, their friendship, their "whatever you call it"... for granted. Booth was always there, she was just too blind to see it. When Booth finally confessed his feelings for her and said he wanted to give their relationship a shot... she had pushed him away. Not because she didn't feel the same, but because she was scared. She was so scared to admit that she loved him, she was scared to let someone in after almost everyone in her life had let her down. Even her own parents. What she realized now, what she regretted not realizing at the time... was that she had already let Booth in. She had already fallen in love with him, whether or not she wanted to admit it. In reality, she had loved him for a long time.

Then, Brennan found herself pondering the current situation she was in. How could have this mysterious stranger have been watching her for so long, without her even knowing? She wondered, just how many times he had been in her apartment watching her silently while she was there? It was a scary thought. And who was this stranger? He had told her that he had been watching her for years... but how did they meet? Brennan could not place this person at all. If he knew her from somewhere in the past, she had no idea from where. That too, really bothered her. Was she really that self absorbed and so into her work, that she could come in contact with the same person over and over, without even remember they had previously met? Why was he doing this? It just didn't make any sense. Brennan didn't understand.

Brennan was exhausted and had just about fallen asleep again, when the sound of footsteps jolted her back to reality. Her heart began to race, her breathing became more labored. She was silently begging that the footsteps she heard were Booth, coming to rescue her. Yet, she feared that wasn't the case. As the door opened, she held her breath. Her heart sank when she saw the stranger coming back down the ladder.

"How did you rest, Temperance?" the stranger asked, with a laugh.

Brennan's mouth was still covered, she was unable to speak.

The stranger walked over, he untied the gag from her face and gently traced her facial features with his finger. It made Brennan feel instantly sick.

"Don't touch me!" Brennan said.

The stranger just laughed again. "So, you still think that you are in control of this situation, do you?" he asked.

Brennan remained quiet.

"What is it going to take for you to understand, dear Temperance?" the stranger asked. "I already told you, you belong to me, now."

"I don't belong to anyone!" Brennan said.

The stranger laughed, he always laughed... "Stubborn as always, hmm Tempe?"

"Don't call me Tempe!" Brennan shouted. That was a name reserved for her Brother, Russ. For her Father. Hearing it come out of the strangers mouth made her feel even more sick.

"Tempe, Tempe... have you figured out who I am, yet?" the stranger asked.

"No..." Brennan answered. "Booth is going to come for me. You know that, right? He's probably on his way here, right now. If you know what's good for you, then you'll let me go and get away before he does."

"Oh, so you think Booth, you're knight in shining armor, is going to swoop in here and rescue you? Is that what you think?" the stranger asked.

"That's exactly what I think." Brennan answered, confidently.

"Booth isn't going to find you, Temperance." the stranger said. "No one is going to find you. You see, I have been planning this for a very long time. I took the time to make sure I didn't make any mistakes. There are no finger prints, there was no DNA left at the scene... well, except from you. There are no witnesses. Booth and your co-workers at the Lab, they aren't going to find you because I left nothing for them to go on. You are mine, Temperance. The sooner you realize that, the easier this all will be for you."

Brennan swallowed hard. Suddenly, feeling less confident in the idea that Booth was going to find her. What if he couldn't? What would happen to her?

"So Temperance... you still haven't figured out who I am? I am very disappointed in you." the stranger said. "I honestly expected better from you."

"I don't recall ever meeting you." Brennan replied.

"Have I really changed that much over the years?" the stranger asked. "I can't believe you don't remember the chubby, awkward kid you met when you were 16 years old. Especially after all my family tried to do for you."

Brennan looked at the stranger standing before her carefully. She was starting to see a familiarity in him, but she still couldn't quite place it.

"STILL don't remember?" the stranger asked, becoming more and more irritated. "Maybe I gave you more credit than you deserve all these years, maybe you are still just a dumb girl who doesn't know how to wash a dish without breaking it."

That's when it hit Brennan, hit her like a ton of bricks, suddenly she knew exactly who the stranger was. He had changed a lot over the years, he had lost weight, he had changed his hair color. His eyes, though, his eyes were still the same. Tears immediately welled up in Brennan's eyes. She tried hard to fight them back, but she was quickly losing her composure.

"Jacob?" Brennan whispered. "Jacob Lawrence?"

"Finally, we're getting somewhere!" Jacob replied, with a smile. "I can't believe it took you so long to remember me. After all my family tried to do for you, to help you. Some of Mom and Dad's teaching must have paid off. You went out and made something great of yourself. Yet, you never bothered to thank them, not once, for all they did for you, Tempe..."

"You look very different." Brennan said, tearfully. "I remember your family. I remember the things they did to me. How they locked me in the trunk when I broke a dish, how your father came into my bedroom at night when your mother was at work... I remember everything else they did to me. I remember..."

"You say that like my parents did some harm to you. That is so ungrateful of you after all they did to help you. Then again, you were always a very ungrateful girl." Jacob said. "My family tried to teach you right from wrong. They warned you what would happen if you broke any dishes. You did it anyway, so who's really to blame for that? Everything that happened to you was because you disobeyed them. You were always warned, Temperance. Always."

"Why are you doing this?" Brennan asked, as tears were falling freely down her face. "What do you want from me?"

"I've told you already, Temperance. I want you." Jacob replied. "Even though you were a very ungrateful girl, I have always loved you. I was so happy when you came to join my family. At first, I thought it was because I wanted a sister but as time passed I realized the feelings I had for you were more... sexual. I tried to get your attention. I tried to be nice to you, but you just looked right passed me like I wasn't even there. I tried to impress you and you never even noticed."

"You're a sick bastard." Brennan said.

"After you left... I just couldn't stop thinking about you." Jacob said, with a smile. "After a few years went by, I decided to go looking for you... I found you. I was so proud of what you had become. I read all of your books, every single one. I became your biggest fan. We have met so many times over the years and yet, you never remembered me. So, that's when I decided that I would have to find another way to make you notice me, to make you mine. I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted you. So... I waited and watched. I learned what you do, I learned where you go, I learned who you go with. I watched you from inside of your apartment. I put bugs in your apartment, in the lining of your purse, in your shoes. I heard everything you did, everywhere you went. I was waiting for... the perfect time. You don't let your guard down often, Tempe. The other night, when your knight in shining armor broke your heart... that's when I decided it was the perfect time."

Brennan's mind was racing. Jacob was right, no one was going to find her. This had nothing to do with current cases and she had never really told anyone much about her past or her experiences in Foster Care. She had told Booth a little, but never given any names. Nothing that he could use to find her.

"You said you want me?" Brennan questioned. "What are you going to do? Keep me locked up down here forever?"

"I would hope that someday, Temperance, you will come to your senses and realize that we are meant to be together." Jacob replied. "I intend to show you just how much I want you, as long as it takes, as many times as it takes."

"I realize that you are a psychotic individual with a very demented, irrational mindset." Brennan said, straight to the point. "I will never feel anything but disgust with any person who feels it is acceptable to treat another human being this way."

"You say that now, Temperance, but mark my words... you will come to your senses." Jacob said. "Hopefully, for your sake, it is sooner rather than later. I do not want to hurt you, Temperance. I will, however, do whatever it takes to keep you here. You belong to me, now. We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way. You will be mine, forever, regardless of your choosing."

Brennan took a deep breath... "I need you Booth", she thought to herself.

To Be Continued...