'What's your real name?' I scream at Russ. 'What is MY real name?' I want answers and he is the only one who can give them to me. I see him hesitate.
'My name is Kyle, yours is Joy', he says in a whisper. Joy. Joy Keenan. That's my real name. My whole life is a lie. I look at Russ disgusted.
'You are not my brother', i hiss and slap him in the face. I'm about to run but Booth stops me.
'Temperance...', he starts. I turn around and look him straight in the eyes.
'No! I won't listen to his excuses! Thanks to him i got into foster care, thanks to him I didn't have a family! It's his fault that i got beaten every single day. It's his fault i never feel at home', my voice gets quieter with every word. So quiet that the last sentence comes out in a whisper, 'it's his fault i got raped. I'm not looking for someone to blame. The reason this all happened is standing right over there', a tear escepes from my eye. I turn an walk away. Once the door to the garage closes i let out a breath and start running. Running to somewhere. Somewhere where nobody can find me. I exit the Jeffersonian and suddenly stop. My legs simply won't start moving again. Every horrific moment in foster care comes back to me. I'm in a trance and don't hear the footsteps behind me until i feel his hand on my back. The moment he touches me, my legs give out. Booth catches me immediatly and lifts me into his arms. He carries me to his car a few metres away. After he sets me on the passengers side and sits behind the wheel he starts driving. All i do is stare ahead. Joy Keenan, Joy Keenan. Who the hell am I?
'Temperance?' Booth says and shakes my shoulder a little. I'm startled a little before i look into his eyes. All i want him to do is gather me in his arms and never let go. But why would i wait? I launch forward and bury my face into his chest. He wraps his arms around me tightly. I start to sob heavily against his chest.
'Easy, Bones. You need to breath, okay?' He whispers in my ear. His voice is so soft but full of love that i suddenly realize it. I'm already home. This man is my home.
'Thank you', i whisper. I feel him pull back a little and his hands frame my face.
'I could never betray you, Bones', he says and drops a kiss to my forehead.
'My own brother did, Booth. If he can do it, everyone can', i whisper. He shakes his head.
'Nope, not me. You are too important to me', i see doubt in his eyes for a moment. He drops his gaze and whispers, 'i love you. I will never leave you. You hear me? Never.' I nod and sigh.
'If Russ didn't abandon me, i wouldn't be so traumatized. I don't understand why he left', i whisper.
'He thought you'd be better off without him.'
'How could anyone be better off without their family?' I ask him. He shruggs. 'Family would never beat you, they wouldn't use you, right? They raped me, Booth. At 16 years old...', i drop my gaze and shake my head. The images still in my mind like it happened an hour ago. 'He used me like a... blow up doll. Ramming into me so hard... Every time i bled for days...', he places his finger on my lips. As i look into his eyes i see he horror there. He doesn't want to hear this.
'Please, Temperance. I can't do this...', he whispers. 'I don't need the images of you being...', he can't say it, 'I don't want to think of you that way.' I exhale and nod. I understand. I understand completely. It's always harder on the people that love you.
'I got pregnant...', i say bearly audible.
'Oh my...', i hear him gasp. 'What happened?'
'Five days after i found out i collapsed in school. They brought me to the hospital and it turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy. The docters rushed me surgery where they removed the pregnancy. My fallopian tube ruptured so they had to remove it', i explain. He closes his eyes for a few seconds before he opens them and gathers me in his arms. We sit there together for a long time. I calm down and relax against him. So much so, that i could've fallen asleep against his chest if he didn't move. We sit on our own side and he starts the car.
'Where are we going?' I ask him.
'My house. I don't want you to be alone with Russ', he says softly. I can hear the horror that is still present in his voice so i hold his hand. After a minute he laces his fingers through mine. We stay that way all the way to his house. We only let go because we have to get out of the car.
'Booth?' I ask as he closes the door of his appartment.
'Yeah, Bones?'
'Can I... um... can i stay? Tonight?' I ask him. Suddenly he stands infront of me and lifts my chin with his finger.
'You can stay as long as you want', he says. We stare into each others eyes and there is something i see in his eyes that i don't recognise. Then i remember something he said earlier.
'Do you really love me?' I ask shyly. He smiles his smile. The one only reserved for me.
'More than you'll ever know', he says. I just stare at him. 'You don't have to say anything. Just, please, Let me take care of you?' I hug him close and he knows his answer. We stay that way a long time. Him holding me tight and me with my eyes closed.
'You tired?' He asks suddenly. I nod against his chest. 'Come on then. Let's get to bed', he starts leading me towards his bedroom but i stop halfway.
'You won't leave me alone, right?' I hate the sound of my voice. It's the sound that would get me beaten up in foster care. Vonurable. Scared. Small.
'Of course not. I'll hold you all night, if you want me to', he sooths me.
'I want you to', i say immediatly. He smiles and i start to feel warm inside. In his bedroom i take of my jeans and put on some sweats Booth gave me. We don't bother changing in separate rooms, we trust each other and soon we'll be more than just partners. He gathers me in his arms the moment i lay down next to him. My head on his chest, my arm around his belly. I feel the muscles beneauth his skin, i can feel his ribs and then i feel his heartbeat. His heart beats steadily against my hand.
'I was wrong', i say.
'About what?'
'About never feeling at home', i confess and look up into his warm brown eyes, 'you are my home, Booth.' I can't say the three words yet. This is as close as it's gonna get tonight.
'I love you, Temperance', he says and kisses me on my forehead. ''I love you too, Booth'', i think. In this moment, my real name doesn't matter anymore, Russ doesn't matter anymore. Just for tonight... it's just me and my wonderful, sweet partner.