Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or anything related to the show.
Warning: Abuse.
The last person Seeley Booth had told of the abuse he had suffered at the hands of his father had been Cam. She had vowed to keep it a secret, unless it was essential to something. "He was already an alcoholic by the time that I was born," Booth explained to Temperance.
"Did he ever realize that he had a problem?" Temperance questioned. She was still reeling from the fact that Booth had been abused. She had been in denial when Cam and Sweets had told her about Booth and Jared's past.
Booth nodded. "Eventually," he explained, deliberately being vague. He didn't like to think about coming home from school on a Friday, hoping to go out and escape, only to find his mother bleeding and getting ready to be put in an ambulance and his drunk father screaming at the police officers arresting him. Alan Booth had been forced to go to rehab after that. He was still sober today.
"I guess you've been protecting Jared your entire life," Temperance murmured. She understood why Booth was so willing to get his brother out of trouble, but Jared didn't need protection from an abusive father anymore.
Booth sighed. "I had to protect him. He's my little brother. I couldn't let my Dad hurt him. Still didn't stop Dad traumatizing from traumatizing Jared, though." He could still remember the weekend that had changed Jared forever.
Temperance was really worried about her partner. "Booth, what happened that traumatized Jared?" It seemed like he was talking about a specific instance that had traumatized Jared, instead of just the constant abuse.
"I can't talk about it right now," Booth replied. He couldn't talk about it. That weekend hurt too much to think about.
"I'll be here whenever you can talk about it," Temperance promised. She just hoped that Booth would tell her more, eventually. As much as Temperance didn't want to hear it, she knew that his abusive, alcoholic father was a vital part of Booth's past that he needed to talk about.
"Thanks, Bones," Booth answered. He was glad that she was trying to help, but it still wouldn't work. He was damaged, and nothing could ever change that.
"You're welcome, Booth." Temperance had a hard time standing up, especially with the plate still in her lap and her arm in a sling. Booth took the plate off her lap, and helped her off the bench.
"How's your birthday going?" Angela asked Booth once he and Temperance came inside. The two had been outside for a long time.
"Great," Booth lied. He could see Jared at the other end of the bar, still drinking. He didn't want his brother to become an alcoholic, but it seemed like Jared was already heading down that path. Maybe he was too late to save Jared this time.
Luckily, everyone but Temperance and Cam bought the lie. "So how does it feel to be a year older?" Cam teased. She knew that getting Booth's mind off of his past was the best thing. Knowing the Booths for fifteen years was beneficial.
Booth laughed. "I still feel the same, Cam. It doesn't feel any different than yesterday." Why did everyone think that turning another year older changed things? It never did, except for his eighteenth birthday. That's when he had finally escaped his house. Sure, his father had been sober and hadn't touched him, Jared, or his mother in awhile, but he couldn't wait to leave and join the army.
"You probably should feel different," Jared angrily informed his older brother. The youngest Booth was well on his way to getting drunk, and wasn't about to let Seeley stop him. What did his brother know anyway?
"Jared," Booth warned. He was sick and tired of cleaning up his little brother's messes. He was glad to be done for good now.
Jared rolled his eyes. "Happy birthday, Seeley. I'll see you later." He went to get up and go back to his new apartment.
"You're taking a cab," Booth ordered. His brother's car was totaled, but he wasn't about to let Jared drive his rental car anywhere.
"Stop trying to control me," Jared replied angrily. Why was Seeley trying to control him? He didn't need his brother.
"You're taking a cab because you're drunk," Booth insisted. He didn't want to get into another argument with Jared tonight, especially on his birthday.
"I'll take you home," Cam decided. She also didn't want the brothers to fight, and Jared wouldn't mind being driven home.
"Sure," Jared quickly agreed. He stood up and stumbled a little bit, but followed Cam out to her car. He liked his brother's ex-girlfriend and still didn't know why they had broken up.
Everyone at the party decided not to bring up what had just occurred, and continued to have a good time. Booth stuck close to Temperance the entire time.
XXXXXXXX
The next day, Temperance showed up at Booth's house to help him. She was extremely worried about her partner, especially because of what he had revealed the previous night. "How are you, Booth?"
Booth sighed. "I'm fine, Bones. Really. You don't have to keep bugging me just because you're worried." He was afraid of revealing too much. Despite the fact that Bones came from a family of criminals, he didn't like to talk about his own past. Besides, it hurt to think about his childhood.
"Booth, I just want to help," Temperance explained. She knew that Booth was hurting, and he always got the truth out of her eventually when she was upset. He always stuck by her when she needed him.
"I know that, and I appreciate your help," Booth replied. He didn't know what he would do without Bones. She understood a lot, but she wouldn't understand this.
"Booth, just tell me one thing that happened in your past. Tell me about what traumatized Jared," Temperance insisted. She would have to bring this up with Sweets next time they had a session. Booth really needed to talk to someone.
"Sit down," Booth told her. She would probably hate him after he told her this story. His brother had started to hate him after this.
"It's okay," Temperance assured him, sitting down. Booth seemed to be panicking, which was weird. Booth never panicked.
Booth sat down next to his best friend. "My mom was away in Harrisburg, visiting her sister one weekend. I was ten. Jared was seven. It was a Friday. Dad wasn't drunk. Mom had made him promise not to, and he was listening at the moment. He told me to make dinner, so I got out hot dogs. We had just finished eating and I broke a plate. He locked both of us in the closet for seventeen hours and forgot about us." Temperance stared at him in horror.
"What did I tell you about being clumsy? I didn't want a loser for a son!" Alan Booth screamed angrily. Seven year old Jared was still sitting at the table, crying. Even though Seeley had broken the plate, the little boy was still scared.
"I'm sorry," ten year old Seeley apologized. He knew that breaking the plate wasn't a good thing. When his mom had broken a plate, her wrist had been broken.
"Sorry isn't good enough, Seeley," Alan spat. This was Jacqueline's fault. How dare she spoil the boys? It was okay, though. The boys would learn their lesson and never break a plate again.
"I didn't mean to!" the ten year old cried, becoming hysterical. What would his father do this time? At least Jared wouldn't get hurt.
"Save your excuses for your stupid mother," Alan told him. He grabbed Jared's arm roughly, eliciting a cry from the younger boy.
"What are you doing?" Seeley questioned. He didn't want Jared to get punished for something he did! That wasn't fair!
Alan rolled his eyes. "Follow me," he ordered. Seeley went faster so he could catch up with his father and brother.
"Daddy, where are we going?" Jared asked. His arm really hurt, but he knew not to say anything. Dad would tell him he was a baby.
"Shut up!" Alan screamed. He was going to drink tonight and the brats (and that stupid wife of his) weren't going to stop him. He wouldn't have to deal with Jacqueline whining and crying about how he shouldn't hurt them like this. Why did it matter? They were just two kids he never even wanted in the first place. Jacqueline had whined and cried about babies and love, so he had let her have them.
"I'm sorry!" Seeley tried, but Alan didn't listen to him. He threw his sons into the closet and locked the door. They wouldn't be in there for all that long, but it would still teach them a lesson.
Alan went into the kitchen to get the vodka that was hidden behind the cereal. He had just bought it yesterday. The boys would be fine.
"I'm scared," Jared sobbed to his older brother. Why had Daddy locked them in the closet? It was really small.
"We're going to be fine. I'll protect you," Seeley promised, hugging his brother. He would make sure that Jared was okay. He would get them out of here somehow.
Alan Booth ended up going to a bar, and got so drunk that he forgot about his sons for seventeen hours. By the time he had unlocked the door, he only cared about the fact that they tell Jacqueline.
Booth sighed. "Jared was never the same after that. Being stuck in a closet changed him. I learned how to pick locks after that, in case my dad ever did that again."
Temperance couldn't help but cry. She hugged her partner as best as she could. "I'm so sorry that happened to you and Jared."
"Don't cry," Booth whispered. Why didn't she hate him like Jared did?
"I can't help it, Booth. You shouldn't have lived like that." Temperance really hoped that Booth told Sweets about his past now. He needed to work through all his problems, even if they weren't apparent.
"Thanks for trying to help," Booth whispered. At least she was trying to do something. Booth still didn't understand why his mother had stayed with his father to this day. She had never done anything to protect herself or him and Jared.
Seeley and Jared Booth had been damaged by their father. Jared was rapidly becoming an alcoholic and getting himself into trouble, while Booth was trying to work past it. Nothing could save Booth, though. Nobody would be able to fix him. But they could try.
Temperance Brennan wasn't about to give up. She could help Booth work through his problems in his past, since it had obviously traumatized him. Booth had been okay with his past before Jared had showed up, but his brother's return had brought back memories Booth was trying his hardest to forget.
Temperance and Seeley would get through the troubles of their childhood together. They had both been hurt, but that hurt could at least go away if they stuck together.
It would be a long time before Seeley Booth finally forgave his father for the abuse and alcoholism. Temperance and Sweets helped him out a lot with that, as did Parker.
Seeley's past would never be forgotten, but he could be helped through what had happened to him.
This fic idea hit me Wednesday after the episode, and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. I'm still reeling from the fact that Booth was abused by his father.
I'm going to write another tag later in which all the Booths (and Bones) have dinner together.