Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or any of its characters.
Author's Note: A short reflection on Sweets' abusive childhood and someone who loved him enough to help him heal. Rated T for adult themes.
The Love in the Scars
Lance Sweets wondered what he had done to deserve this. His body felt like it was on fire, hot torrents of raw feeling attacked his system, dancing like flames over his skin. He knew that he would never forget; that this memory would be just one more to keep locked away.
As it continued, Lance allowed himself to sink into that place within his mind that let him relinquish control and simply accept. This was where he had always gone when life was simply too much, this was where he could let go of the physical world and all of its harsh realities. Every beating made him stronger, if not in body than in spirit, and certainly in mind. It was his mind that allowed him to truly see people. He saw into their hearts, both clouded with evil and resplendent with good. He had come to understand, at such a young age, that the human mind was one of life's greatest mysteries.
The assault continued, landing on old wounds and older scars, and he briefly wondered how two such opposite experiences could feel so equally powerful.
Lance looked into the eyes of his assailant, her expression pure tenderness as she wrapped him in her embrace. For the first time in his life he melted into love rather than fear.
Her teeth worried gently at the skin of his neck, replacing the viselike grip of a hand around his throat. Her lips ghosted over his closed eyelids, healing the black eyes of his youth. Delicate hands brushed over his smooth cheeks, bringing him closer to her and helping him to forget the endless pain of being struck across the face.
She crawled behind him and watched his face in the bedroom mirror as her fingers traced his scars. Lance felt himself go tense, he didn't know if he was ready to relive this yet. He watched, wide-eyed, as her lips descended to his battered skin.
She worked meticulously, slowly, softly; telling him with every touch that he hadn't deserved the pain of his youth. He was reminded once more of why he had chosen to devote himself to the elusive study of the human mind; good can be found even in the darkest of places.