A/N.. This is my first time posting anything on here, still working the kinks out. I've no idea how the whole beta thing works yet so any mistakes are mine alone. Comments and constructive criticism welcomed!!

Also- Booth and Bones aren't mine- they live in FOX world

Booth skipped the elevator and took the stairs to Brennan's apartment two at a time. He carried a large bag of Wong Fu's in his left hand and a six pack in his right, but they didn't slow him down. They had wrapped up a case earlier that day, but it had yielded little satisfaction. Filled with the normal twists, lies, and emotions, the case had ended with an abused wife and mother in jail for murder. After years of abuse, Coleen Jessop had finally seen her son beaten one too many times. Booth had seen many domestic abuse situations- too many, but where self defense was usually clear cut, this case's details muddied the waters. The abusive husband had been a decorated police officer, and while there had been many domestic disturbance calls (phoned in by concerned neighbors), they had never amounted to an official compliant or arrest. Not that he was surprised, especially when the responding officers worked the same precinct as Officer Jessop. Normally the abuse victim finally snaps and kills her abuser while protecting his or herself or the children. Coleen had chosen a different route. She'd bought a gun from the trunk of some lowlife's car, followed her husband on his nightshift, waited for his partner to make a coffee run, and unloaded her revolver into Officer Jessop's chest. Not exactly cut and dry self defense, by any stretch of the imagination. They'd been called in because it was right in D.C. and was a high profile case.

Booth and Brennan had gotten zero satisfaction locking up Coleen, punishing her and leaving her sixteen year old son shell shocked and alone. Booth's gut had been nagging at him so for the rest of the day he'd collected medical records from three different hospitals and the records of the domestic disturbance calls to the house. He'd hit the jackpot when a co worker of Coleen's revealed she had kept a journal of the injuries. Dates, times, descriptions, and even photographs of the abuse were all kept under lock and key in their office. Coleen had wanted a record in case she would one day have been able to divorce him and seek custody of their son. Coleen had never mentioned the file the entire time he'd questioned her or in her written confession. She seemed to have a need to be punished, not necessarily for murdering her husband, but for letting the abuse go on as long as it had.

Armed with the new evidence he'd been able to convince the District Attorney to agree to offering a plea deal. Therapy and a much lighter sentence assured Booth that justice was being served, and he was eager to share the good news with Bones- knowing she'd feel as he did.

He reached her floor and shifted both bags to his left hand so he could knock with his right. His hand froze in mid air and he dropped the bags to the floor, pulling his gun from it's holster.

"Bones?" The door stood ajar and through the opening Booth could see a side table upended, it's contents strewn across the floor. He pushed the door open the rest of the way with his foot and quickly scanned the room. The mirror near her door lay face down on the floor, shards of it broken and scattered across the entryway. Papers were thrown everywhere and Bones' laptop was thrown on it's side against the couch. Adrenaline shot through his body as he searched the rooms of her apartment.

"Bones! Are you here? Bones!" No answer. He lowered his gun and flipped open his cell dialing 911. He relayed his badge number, her address, and the situation. When he hung up the phone he walked back to the living room, careful not to touch anything. His eyes swept the room looking for something, anythingto tell him what'd happened there. C'mon Bones, tell me something! Where are you!?He walked to the coffee table and saw that she'd been going over the paperwork for the Jessop case. He held his hand close to the cup of tea next to the files and felt heat rising from the liquid. Whatever had happened, it'd been recent, but the knowledge did nothing to calm his screaming nerves. Something on the floor caught his eye and he knelt carefully to get a closer look. His stomach clenched and his blood ran cold as he stared at the blood speckling the shards of mirror. God please don't be her blood. He leaned closer and saw a few short brown hairs clumped around the glass. Too short for her shoulder length hair. Good girl. He'd no doubt that she wouldn't fought back, and while evidence of this asshole's pain brought a flash of pride, it quickly faded. Whatever she'd managed to do to him, or them, they'd obviously been able to overpower her enough to take her. Where?? His mind raced desperately and he didn't hear Brennan's phone ring until Angela's anxious voice came over the answering machine.

"Bren? I need you to pick up the phone." Pause, " Brennan if you don't pick it up in the next three seconds I'm calling the police and sending Booth over. Brennan!" Booth lunged at the phone to answer before she clicked off.

"What happened Angela?"

"Oh, Booth! Thank god! I got worried when she didn't call me back, sorry-" Booth cut her off quickly.

"Angela she's- she's not here and the place is a mess. Do you know what happened?" Angela sucked in a quick breath.

"It was that kid… Jessop! He was at the door and she hung up with me to talk to him. I had a weird feeling so I made her promise to call me when he left. Oh god what

if-"

"Ang I have to go." Without waiting for a response he hung up the phone and ran towards the door, his mind racing. Evan? He'd known the kid was angry, hell, devastated, but it hadn't occurred to him that the kid might do something desperately stupid. He ran down the stairs, his feet barely touching the floor. As he burst into the lobby of her building he met a pair of police officers waiting for the elevator. Apparently some of her neighbors had heard fighting and called it in as a domestic disturbance. He stopped long enough to flash his badge and give them Evan Jessop's name before running out the door to his SUV. He turned the key, stuck it in drive and pulled a U-turn out of his parking place before his mind could catch up to his actions. Drivers honked and flashed their lights angrily as they narrowly avoided colliding with him. He didn't even notice.

He knew police were on their way to the Jessop house and would reach it before him, but something was nagging at his subconscious. Evan was in trouble, he had to know that. He would go somewhere he felt safe, not to his home where he'd lived every day in fear. He certainly wouldn't go to a friend's house, can't bring a hostage as a surprise dinner guest. Where?? He knew it- somewhere he knew he had the answer. He just had to think. His thoughts whirled through his mind too quickly to even register. He jerked the car off the road and stopped, his knuckles turning white against the wheel. Images of her flashed sickeningly in front of his eyes like a slideshow. Bones tied up. Bones being hit. Bones afraid. Crying. Bleeding. Dying. Stop. This isn't helping. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to calm his pulse and steady his breathing. In though his nose, out through his mouth. Slowly. In.... Out….In….Out…. He opened his eyes and stared out the windshield, regaining his bearings. He thought back through his conversations with Evan, recalling a frightened lonely kid. Guilt twisted his gut. He'd never thought- Focus! He forced his thoughts back to Evan but the kid had never said anything about a special place or—wait. Coleen. Coleen had said something. What was it? That final night, her breaking point, she'd found Evan hiding, beaten, crying and defeated. His eyes had looked so hollow that it had given her the strength she needed to decide to end it all, no matter the cost, before Evan was lost forever. Where had he been? Where did he run when he'd needed safety and comfort?

His little league baseball field. Booth remembered thinking that Parker's t-ball team had played at that same field a couple of times. It was secluded and this late at night there'd be no one around. He felt certainty setting in as he pulled his second U-turn of the night and flicked on his siren. The field wasn't far, Booth knew he could reach it before the police- plus he didn't want to divert them in case the kid did end up going to his house. In the few minutes it took him to arrive at the baseball field he'd made a call, barking orders at the bored and easily frightened man on the other end.

As he neared the turnoff, he shut off his flashers and his headlights. Evan could easily see the car if he wasn't distracted but there was no need to announce it. Booth parked the SUV as far from the field as he could, leaving the door open and turning off the interior lights so he wouldn't spook the kid. He heard voices but he couldn't quite make out the words. He slid his open cell phone into his pocket, unholstered his gun and ran towards the sounds, keeping as low to the ground as he could. The words became clearer the closer he got to the dugouts. He froze for a split second as he heard Bones speak, relief shot through his body as she spoke calmly and evenly. She spoke too low for him to catch what she was saying but her voice was reassurance enough. He hoped she knew he was there and that he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"You don't fucking understand!" Evan's voice screeched across the field, echoing in the opposite dugout. He sounded like he was fighting tears, he sounded desperate. Desperation was not an emotion Booth wanted this kid to be having around Bones.

"Why don't you explain it to me? I'll listen, you don't need the gun. Evan. Please. Let me help you." Bones' voice was still even but he could here something tense in it as well. She hadn't liked the sound of his voice either. Booth moved around the back of the dugout and rounded the corner. Bones was sitting on a bench in the far corner of the dugout facing him. Evan was standing, facing her so that his back was to Booth. Evan's arms were at his sides and there was just enough light to make out the revolver clutched in his hand. Bones spotted him and her eyes widened slightly. He held them for a moment and nodded. She leaned forward on the bench, ready for what was coming. Booth took a breath and walked into the dugout.

"Evan." Evan spun around bringing the gun up in front of him, aiming at Booth's chest. Booth's finger twitched but he held it in place, not willing to shoot a traumatized sixteen year old unless he had to. "Evan I need you to put down the gun." Evan's hands flexed on the gun and he glanced at the ground, but he stayed where he was. "Evan-"

"No! You never listen! Any of you! You have to listen to me now." With Evan's back toward her, Bones slowly stood up. Booth wanted to yell at her to get down but he had to keep the kid talking.

"Who Evan, who doesn't listen?"

"All of you! The police! You're supposed to protect people but you only protected him!" His gun wavered as he choked back a sob, "It was so obvious but none of you ever did a damn thing to help us! And then she… and you arrested her?!" The tears disappeared suddenly as anger flashed in his eyes. "You arrested her? He hurt us everyday- everyday for years and you did nothing. She stopped it. Not you. She did. And now you want to do your job and send her to prison for doing what you couldn't. No way. Not gonna happen."

"You're right Evan, the police should've stopped your dad, years ago. It should never have gotten this bad. But Evan look at me. I didn't work with your Dad. Dr. Brennan didn't either. We're trying to help you but you have to let us. You have to put down the gun." Bones had positioned herself out of the line of fire but close enough to Even to do something if it became necessary. Booth just wanted her to be safe and get the hell away. "Look we found evidence of your dad's abuse, your mom still has to go to jail, but just for a little while, then you can be a family again."

Evan's eyes wavered, "You're lying!"

"I can prove it. I'm just gonna reach into my pocket and get my phone. Your mom's on the line, you can ask her yourself." Evan's eyes widened and filled with tears as Booth reached his hand slowly into his jacket and held the phone toward Evan. He prayed the connection was still good.

"M- Mom?" His body stilled as he strained to hear.

"Evan baby what are you doing? Put down the gun." Tears coursed down his cheeks as his gun dropped about six inches.

"Mom is he- was he telling the truth?"

"Yes sweetheart my lawyer just left. I'll be home with you- but you need to put down the gun if you want us to be a family again. You and me. Put it down." Evan's eyes closed as he dropped his hands to his side and collapsed onto the bench. Booth quickly snatched the gun as sobs racked the boy's body, making him look all the younger. He put the phone on the bench next to Evan as his mother cried and spoke soothing words to her son.

Keeping the boy in his sights he took two steps and gathered Bone's in his arms, breathing in the smell of her. He pulled back to look at her, feeling down her arms and scanning her body for any injuries.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" She shook her head and smiled softly.

"No I'm fine Booth, just a few bruises." Her face was pale, a large bruise blossomed across her cheekbone and shone painfully against her skin. He winced and his fingertips grazed her face.

"I saw blood-"

"It's his. I bashed his head into my mirror. Twice." She grinned guiltily.

"Good for you Bones." He gathered her again into a hug and kept her there- memorizing the feel of her against him, inhaling the scent of her hair, finding it hard to comprehend that she was safe.

"Booth you're shaking." She pulled back searching his face. Their eyes locked for a moment but before she could read his expression he broke away.

"Well geez Bones it's like thirty degrees out here, of course I'm shaking. C'mon, let's get this kid where he needs to be and go home." She narrowed her eyes at him but decided to let it pass. He handed her the guns and went to handcuff Evan. The boy's crying had quieted though he was hiccupping now. He said goodbye to his mother as Booth picked up his phone.

"Coleen I'm going to bring him to see you before I process him, have your lawyer meet us there. With everything that's happened I think he'll be able to plea down to a lesser charge. We'll discuss it in a few minutes." Coleen thanked him and got off the phone, waiting to hold her son.

The trio walked toward the SUV, leaving Evan's car for another day. Booth walked with one hand on Evan's cuffs, the other on the small of Bones' back- where it belonged.