A/N: Ok this is my first Bones fic. I posted it on a message board and people seemed to be interested, so I thought I would take my chance at posting it her. It's somewhat A/U and I am aiming for Booth and Bones, don't know when it will happen but I am aiming for it. If you are not a fan of original characters this would be the point to hit the back button and not continue. I am going to see what kind of feedback I get here before posting more chapters. Remember what your mother told you: If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all.

The Girl With The Secret

~1~

Hearing the sound of knuckles against his door Booth glanced at the clock. "Go away." He groaned to himself as he shoved the pillow over his head. It was 2:30 a.m. and after a horrible day at work he just wanted to sleep. He sometimes debated whether or not he was paid enough to be shot at all the time. In this case the bullet actually grazed him. It was just a small flesh wound on his shoulder, but still. He was Seeley Booth and far too good-looking for this kind of abuse. Turning over he ignored the knocking hoping it would go away. It continued and after ten minutes he realized that whoever was at the door was not going to go away unless he answered the door. They had better have a good reason to be knocking at his door at this hour. "I am coming." He growled. "You had better have a good reason…" he spoke opening the door and froze. "Mattie?" He hadn't seen Mattie in a while, not since before his brain went all screwy.

"I…" her left eye was swollen shut, and her lip was bloody and swollen as well. "I had no where else to go." A few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Come in." He spoke running his hands over his face, soaking in the reality in front of him. Mattie Swanson was the daughter of a former Ranger buddy of his. Bradley Swanson. He was a few years older than Booth and had a five-year-old daughter and a wife back home. Then one day Brad got a visit from the Army Chaplin, his wife had been killed in a hit and run; thankfully Mattie was ok.

He took some emergency leave time and headed back stateside. He had a daughter raise, he had no one else that could do it. His parents had both passed away, and Mattie's mom Debbie Williams, was estranged from her family, a drunken father and an absentee mother. Booth stayed in touch with Brad, and even offered to baby sit a few times allowing Brad to have some free time, maybe date, just take a break for a few hours.

Booth soon found himself taking Mattie to random places like the movies, mini golfing, he even braved a Backstreet Boys concert with her one time. Before he knew it, the girl was calling him Uncle B and the name just kind of stuck.

Brad wanted to make sure his little girl had everything she wanted so he stayed in the Army, and things were ok. Then 9-11 happened and soon Brad was called up. Before he left he asked Booth to promise him something, keep an eye out on his little girl, and if he didn't make it back; be there for her.

Brad wouldn't be returning, two and half years into a one-year tour Brad was killed when his Humvee hit an roadside IED. Brad was one of his men, and Booth wasn't going to turn his back on him, no matter what it was. Even though Brad was gone, he Booth would continue to watch his six, by keeping an eye out on his little girl.

Booth cupped Mattie's chin in his hand and stared at her face. "Did that jerk of a boy friend do this to you? I thought you left him? You told me you left him."

Mattie pulled her face away. "It's not that simple Uncle B. It really isn't." her eyes fell to his living room floor. "I'm sorry."

"Where is he now?"

"The apartment in Anacostia." She replied watching him get dressed. "What are you doing? You can't go over there Uncle B! I can fix this! I just – I need somewhere to crash. I didn't know where else I could go." Though she did have money for a hotel, but Mattie really didn't want to be alone, at least not tonight.

He looked right at her. "You had your chance, I should have thrown his punk ass in jail the first time, I will not sit back and let him get away with it this time. He gave you a black eye and busted your lip! There is no way I am going to let him get away with it this time." After he had pulled his jeans on, he slipped on his shoes. "You better be here when I get back." Last time he arrested Riley Mattie ended up bailing him out. No way was Booth going to allow that shit to happen again.

"Please just let me handle this. I am begging you Uncle B!" The girl cried out.

"No, because next time he could kill you! I made a promise to your father before he left for Iraq and I plan on keeping that promise." Booth had a bad feeling about Mattie's boy friend from the moment he met him, and he obviously had reason too not like him. Riley was an abusive jackass.

"Whatever!" She threw her hands up. "Do you whatever you want, you always do."

"See that's where having a badge comes in handy, I can do whatever I want." He growled back at her grabbing his jacket and slamming the door behind him.

When he returned, he felt better knowing that her boy friend was behind bars, however he wasn't happy to find out that there were drugs in the apartment.
"Matt…" he stopped seeing her sound to sleep on the couch. Finding a blanket he covered her up and placed a kiss on her cheek. "He can't hurt you anymore, you won't have to worry anymore. If he lays one more finger on you; I will kill him!"

~*~*~*~

The smell of bacon filled the apartment, and Mattie opened her eyes, well in this case eye as the other one was swollen shut; looking around she remembered where she was. Taking a few moments she gathered herself before wrapping the blanket around her and walking into the kitchen. "You're making pancakes?" She mused.

Hearing her voice he turned towards her. "If you're cold I can turn the heat up and yeah I am making pancakes. You still like chocolate chip right?"

"I'll be fine." She replied. "Oh…" she stared into the pan, "and bacon."

"You love bacon." He replied. "It's maple bacon."

"When I was 12 yes. Now I am not 12." Mattie shook her head. "You didn't have to make me breakfast Uncle B. I just needed a place to crash for the night. I can go home and eat. I have food at home you know?"

Booth pointed towards the chair. "Sit, you are going to sit down and eat the bacon and pancakes and not argue with me. Besides you and I; we have to talk." He placed a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of her, followed by a glass of milk.

"Is this skim milk?" She questioned.

"Is it what? No. I am a man I don't drink skim milk. It's real milk, Vitamin D. Is it skim milk she asks." Booth laughed it off. "I have never had skim milk in my house, ever."

"Skim milk is real milk uncle B. Just less gross." She pushed the glass to the side. "Do you know how much fat is in that glass of milk? You can get all the same benefits in skim milk without becoming a fat ass."

"Oh yeah because you clearly have to worry about your fat in take." Booth replied taking a bit of the pancake. "Wait you're not saying I am fat are you? Because I am not, I am in great shape."

Mattie pulled the blanket around her even more. "What happened to Riley?" She started to cut up her pancake into very small pieces.

"Riley's in jail where he belongs. He will be there for a while." Booth knew if he was going to ask her it was now or never. "Mattie, are you using drugs?" He locked his eyes on to hers, trying to read her body language.

"What? No! I fucking don't touch that fucking shit! Where the hell do you get off on asking me that crap?" She replied bitterly.

"We found a few baggies of heroine on Riley, plus some cocaine." He eyed Mattie. "Could you also not use that kind of language? It isn't lady like." Her body language was telling the truth, she didn't do drugs but Booth had been an FBI agent far to long to know there wasn't something else going on. There definitely was, he could sense it, but what? That was the million-dollar question.

"That's his business, I don't touch it. Never have and never will. I thought you knew me better than that." She took a single bite of the pancake.

"You aren't lying to me?" He picked up a piece of his bacon.

"NO! I am not lying to you damnit! I don't do drugs, never have, and I never will. I have enough problems that I am not gunna add drugs to the mix." Mattie shouted back. She shoved her plate to the side. "I am going home. Thanks for letting me crash here Uncle B."

"You aren't going home. You can't." Booth looked up at the girl. Her small four foot seven frame staring back at him. She was short in height but packed with muscle. Though Booth was pretty sure a good gust of wind would knock the petite girl over.

"Why the fuck not?" She stood staring right at him.

He cringed as Mattie once again used the F word. "Again, language Mattie, language, such ugly words coming out of such a beautiful girl. Your landlord, you've been kicked out because of the drugs. You can stay here I want you to stay here. Please stay here?"

"I don't want to stay here. I want to go home Uncle B. Why the hell did you have to go over there? You ruined everything! I know you made some stupid promise to my dad, but for fuck sakes I am not a little girl. I can take care of myself." Sighing Mattie fought back tears as she ran her fingers through her brunette locks.

"Oh yeah because you have been doing such a great job of that." He sat as Mattie raged on. "You're staying here and I don't want to hear anything else. I brought some of your stuff. It's down stairs in my Toyota."

"My dad has been dead for a few years now, so you don't have to do this anymore. It's not like he's going to return from the dead and punish you or something. Basically is what I am saying is you're free, your debt to my dad is paid off."

"I made a promise. Now finish your breakfast, please?" He focused on his food. "It was never a debt either. He asked me to keep an eye on you, make sure you were ok, and if he didn't return home, to be there for you. It has nothing to do with a debt."

Mattie sighed, there was no use arguing with him. She wasn't going to win. If letting him quote and quote be there for her was going to shut him up, then for now she would go along with it. "I am really not hungry, I am just going to take a shower. Can I borrow a shirt or something? Please?" Mattie's green eyes focused on him. "Maybe I'll feel better when I take a shower."

"I have a drawer filled with sweatshirts and tee shirts. Third drawer from the bottom pick whatever one you want." He studied her face for a moment. She looked so tired, so beat, most of all lost and broken.

"Thanks." She replied.

"Hey," Booth called out. "I am only doing this because I care. I have known you your whole life, well at least most of it, and I made that promise to your dad. It doesn't matter how long he has been dead; a promise is a promise. Even when you're old and gray I will still keep that promise."

"When I am old and gray you'll be dead Uncle B." Mattie retorted. "I mean you are pushing 60 as it is."

"No way, I am going to out live you." He argued. "I am a fine human specimen and will be just the same years from now. Like I said, I will out live you. And I am not pushing 60. Not even close." The confidence showed in his smile. "You'll see."

"Better hope you do, because I might put you in one of them crooked nursing homes from the talk shows if you don't."

"If it comes down to that, and that's a big if; just make sure I have some chocolate pudding cups." He smiled up at her.