Secret Uncovered

A/N Ok so I know I've a lot of stories on the go (I think it's 3 or 4 now... oh well) but I've done that before and it's ok. I'll get 'em all done for you to read and review like the lovely reviewers you are. This story came to me last night, and I HAD to get it down on paper (text document, whatever you wanna say). I've been planning it and all that stuff too so it should be good.

AND:

I'm continuing the search for a beta reader! If you have the time I would LOVE for you to check over my stories for stuff like out of character people and all that.

Disclaimer: I don't own the actual show Bones, but I do own season 1 on DVD (and hopefully this year I'll own season 2 too!) Oh and I DO own Madelyn Keenan...

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As she stepped inside the Jeffersonian Medico Legal Lab, Madelyn Keenan had never been more excited. She had known about her little sister for some time, but she had never actually had the chance to meet her.

Madelyn was Max Keenan's second daughter. She was a few years younger than her sister, and about 10 years younger than her brother.

She had only seen her father a few times since he had left to go in hiding. He had come to see her and her mother in Connecticut before he had left to go wherever he was going.

Christine Keenan had never known about Madelyn, and Max had preferred to keep it that way. Madelyn had never really known her father that well, but she did know that he was good at keeping secrets.

And Madelyn was one of those secrets.

She saw the nameplate for her sister's office and then she heard somebody clear their behind her. She turned around.

"May I help you?" a young man, about Madelyn's age asked.

"Yes, I'm looking for a Dr. Brennan?" Madelyn asked sweetly.

The young man frowned. "Why are you looking for Dr. Brennan?" he asked.

"Err..." Madelyn didn't have an explanation. "Because... I... knew... her... brother."

He was suspicious. Maddy could see it in his eyes. "Her office is just down there," he finally said.

"Thank you," Madelyn smiled and as she was about to turn she looked at him. "I didn't catch your name," she said with a smile.

"Dr. Zach Addy," he said. "Yours?"

"Madelyn," Maddy smiled. "But you can call me Maddy."

"Alright Maddy, I hope to see you around," he said and he turned and went back to work.

Madelyn walked down to the office that Dr. Addy had told her was her sisters. She gingerly knocked on the door.

"Come in," came a female voice.

Maddy took a deep breath and fixed her hair quickly. She then went into the office.

"Dr. Brennan?" she asked.

"Yes. Are you one of the students that I am interviewing to be a grad student?" Temperance asked.

"Err... no..." Maddy said, walking up to her sister's desk.

"Oh..." her sister went back to the paper work she was working on. "What do you want then?"

"I want to talk to you," Maddy said. "My name is Madelyn Keenan."

Temperance stopped dead cold and looked up at the girl. She was no older than 25. "What?"

"I said my name is Madelyn Keenan," the girl said.

"Keenan?" Temperance asked.

"Yes," Maddy said and she sat down across the table.

"What... what was your father's name?"

"Max. Max Keenan," the young woman replied.

Temperance couldn't believe this. "How old are you?"

"I'm 24," Maddy told her.

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to meet you," Madelyn looked slightly offended.

"Why would you want to meet me?" Temperance asked.

"Well... because you're my sister," Maddy said, looking rather confused.

"Is this a joke?" Temperance snapped.

"N... no... I... Dad came to see me the other day and he told me about Russ and you again and I decided that I wanted to meet you," Maddy said, looking more offended and she stood up. "But I can see that was a mistake."

"No, I have a few more questions," Temperance said, more softly this time. "Sit down... please."

Maddy cautiously sat down again.

"So you must've been... 7 when I was born... right?" Maddy asked.

"Yes," Temperance replied.

"Dad met my mom when he was on a trip to Connecticut and one led to another and they ended up with me," Maddy said.

"So that means that Dad cheated on my mother," Temperance sounded infuriated.

"I suppose so..." Madelyn said softly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. I just thought that I should introduce myself since I'm going to be going to school here and everything."

"What?" Tempe asked, a little surprised.

"Yes, I'm going to be an artist," Madelyn replied. "I love art."

"Really..." suddenly, Temperance sounded interested.

"Yes," Maddy said, her eyes glazed over a little.

"How much longer before you're done with the schooling?"

"Well its art school, so not very long," Madelyn replied. "Plus I just transferred. I've been doing work with art for four years now."

Temperance thought for a moment, "Have you ever thought about forensic artistry?"

"What's that?" Madelyn asked.

"One second," Temperance dialed Angela's number.

"Montenegro."

"Can you come down to my office please?" Temperance asked.

"Of course sweetie, what is it?" Angela asked.

"There's a girl here I want you to meet," Temperance replied and she looked over at her sister.

"Alright, I'll be right there," Angela hung up her phone and a few moments later, she was in Temperance's office. "Hey sweetie, is this the girl that you wanted me to meet?" Angela only saw the girl's dark hair from behind.

"Yes," Temperance said. "Angela Montenegro, meet Madelyn Keenan," Temperance said, looking at her best friend and then her sister.

"Madelyn... Keenan?" Angela's eyes opened wide.

"Yes, my half sister," Temperance told Angela. "Apparently my father had a secret he never told any of us."

"Oh wow..." Angela said.

"Yeah..." Tempe said, looking down at her sister.

Madelyn turned around to face Angela. "Hello," she said quietly. "I'm Madelyn."

Madelyn looked almost identical to Temperance, except her hair was darker and she had a more rounded face. Their eyes were the same, though.

"Hi, I'm Angela," Angela shook the girl's hand. "What did you need me down here for? Other than to meet your sister."

"She's an artist and she was wondering what a forensic artist does," Temperance replied, smiling a little.

"Well I think I can help with that," Angela said. "Come with me, I'll show you," Ange took Madelyn out of the room and Temperance sat down again. She picked up her phone and pulled out the number that her father had given her to call him at. It probably wouldn't work anymore though...

To her surprise, it rang and there was a familiar voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Dad?" Temperance asked.

"Temperance!" her father exclaimed. "It's so wonderful to hear from you!"

"I need to see you," Temperance said quickly. "Today."

"When?" Max asked.

"In the next hour at my apartment. I'm going home for lunch," Temperance said.

"Alright, I'll be there soon," Max hung up.

Temperance peeled off her lab coat and pulled the ponytail out of her hair. She grabbed her bag and stepped out of her office. She walked out to her sports car and climbed into it.

By the time Temperance had made it through the traffic and gotten to her apartment, her father was already there. She shook her head. "You broke into my house again?" she asked.

"Like I said last time, illegal is what I do," Max went up to his daughter and hugged her. "What did you want to talk about sweetheart?"

"It's important," Temperance said, and she went and sat down on the couch.

"What is it?" Max sat down beside her daughter.

"Did you ever cheat on mom?" Temperance asked, looking down at her feet.

"Of course not! Why would you think that?" Max looked at his daughter and took her hands. She looked down at them and then at his eyes.

"Don't lie to me, Dad," she said, pulling her hands away and standing up. "Because I met the result of your cheating!"

"What?" Max looked at her, surprised.

"Madelyn. Your other daughter? I met her."

Max looked a little astounded. "You... met her?"

Temperance nodded. "She's actually talking with Angela right now. She wants to be an artist."

"I know..." Max looked at his daughter.

"Why?" Tempe asked.

"What?"

"Why would you cheat on Mom?"

"It's not like I meant to," Max retorted.

"Oh so you cheated on her by accident?!" Temperance snapped back.

Max looked down. "I didn't want to cheat on her."

"What do you mean you didn't want to?! If you hadn't wanted to, you wouldn't have!"

"It's not like that Temperance!" Max yelled at his daughter.

She hadn't been yelled at by her father since she was little. "Don't you yell at me!" she took a deep breath. "Tell me."

"Tell you what?" Max asked.

"How did Madelyn Keenan happen?" Temperance stood taller.

Max sighed. He hadn't expected this day to ever happen.

"Dad," Tempe said to get her fathers attention. "How did Madelyn happen?"

"I was in Connecticut to work. After work I went down to a bar and had a few drinks. A few too many drinks. I hadn't been wearing my wedding ring because I didn't want to loose it," Max told his daughter.

"You weren't wearing your ring?" Temperance shook her head. "I can't believe you."

"Let me finish Temperance," Max said more softly. "I met a woman. She looked like your mother. I was drunk Temperance, understand that," Max was looking up at his daughter's dismayed face.

"And you slept with her?" she asked, appalled.

"Yes," Max said. "Nine months later I got a call while I was at work and found out that I had gotten that woman pregnant. That's why I would always go Connecticut for a couple days every year."

Temperance ran her fingers through her hair. "You... are..." she sighed. "I can't believe you. You never told Mom?"

"I couldn't tell your mother," Max told her.

"What? Why not?"

"Imagine how that would go down. We had been married for 13 years and then I walk in one day and say: "Honey? I have to go down to Connecticut and see the woman that I got pregnant the first time I went down there because I now have a third child.'"

Tempe pursed her lips a little. "You could've."

"Temperance," Max said slowly. "Please understand."

"That's all I wanted to know," she dismissed him.

"Temperance..."

"Leave."

"Please..."

"Get out or I'll call Booth," she said, staring him down.

Max got up and walked out the door. Temperance sat down again and waited for a little while. She finally looked at the clock and then went back to work.

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A/N What did everybody think? Please review! Thanks.

-S-D-