Secret Liaisons, by chibiness87
Rating: K+
Spoilers: Yup. Covering myself and saying everything up to and including 8.14 – the doll in the derby.
A/N: My take on how Brennan found out about what Booth had been up to in 8.14 and her reaction. Not beta'd. Not my most comfortable POV/tense, but the one I thinks works the best for this case.

It's the second time in a week he's hurried off the phone the moment he realizes she's within hearing distance, and it worries her. Because he doesn't do that. Not with her. Especially not now. The only thing she can think of is something is wrong. Something is seriously wrong with his health and he won't tell her. She's worried, and panicked, and its four years ago and hallucinations and brain tumors and comas and who are you and she can't, can't go through that again.

Logically, she knows there could be another reason. Maybe he's planning some sort of surprise for her. It would explain the guilty looks he keeps shooting in her direction when he thinks she isn't looking (after all, she knows how little she likes surprises). Only she is looking. She's constantly watching now, waiting, trying to see, observe what is going on with him. But she's never really been the one who can read people. Even Booth sometimes.

One day she follows him when he makes up some, quite honestly, bizarre reason why he can't make lunch. She's not proud of it but she cannot think of another way to find out what's going on. When he pulls up to the hospital, she has to sit in the no-parking zone for five minutes before the fear and tears and nausea passes enough for her to drive home.

When he gets home two nights later, late again, the third night in a row and not because of work (sometimes, having Sweets living with them is actually a bonus after all,) she's waiting for him. He looks guilty for half a second before that cool blank mask covers his face. She hates that mask. It reminds her of times when they were pretending nothing was between them. It's the face of a cool professional. So she goes on the offence. Because what else can she do? The door closes behind him and she waits until he has locked it and hung his coat before looking up from the breakfast bar and the journal she's been not-reading for the past hour.

"You're late home tonight."

"Yeah. Something came up." His tone is carefully neutral. Like he can tell where this is going. And maybe he can. But that he doesn't try to explain himself as he comes to lean against the counter just makes that annoying hum that's been a constant pain in the back of her head for the past few days becomes more of a buzz saw. But they've come a long way since being polite was the way they got through the day. So she pushes. Just a little.

"Something at work?"

She can tell the second he decides to lie to her. Because even her crap people reading skills, reading Booth skills, cannot miss that wince. "Yeah."

"Right."

It's all she says, but she can tell it's enough.

"Ok. No. Not something at work. I was at a meeting."

Once upon a time those words would have been enough for her to back off. Because once upon a time, being in a meeting meant he was close to slipping, the pull of the gamble becoming too much. It had happened a few times in their early years together. And for about a month after the case in Vegas. But that was before. And she would have known if he was struggling with it for the past few weeks. They share a life together now. A child. She would know. Of that she is certain. But the way he says it makes her pause.

Is he...

"Oh."

It is all she can come up with at that moment, but it must be enough for her doubts to be read by him.

"No. Not that kind of meeting. I was... I went to see Dr. Crawford." The way he sighs at the end makes her worry more than the sneaking and the evading for the past week has before. But the name is unfamiliar.

She is a scientist. And a genius. And it doesn't take much of either to know that Booth is going to have the odd hospital appointment and scan. Just in case. He's not been worried about those. In fact she encouraged him to go to the last one when he was convinced it was going to be a waste of time. Because now there is more than just him (not that there was ever just him), but they are more than they have ever been before, and they have a daughter. So he had had the scan, and told her the results were clean. And she had believed him. Because why would he lie to her about that? But that he has been having appointments with a doctor she doesn't know makes her pause.

"Dr. Crawford?"

"Yeah. She specializes in some genetic tumors and..."

The worry and fear of Booth's health suddenly takes a backseat. "Genet... Christine?"

Automatically her gaze finds the baby monitor, her heart racing. All this time she was worried about something being wrong with Booth, which would be painful but they could handle. But if something is wrong with their daughter and she has been kept in the dark about it she'll... she can't think. Can't breathe. She knows the panic must be written all over her face when she turned back to the man she thought she knew and demands, "Booth. Is there something wrong with our daughter?!"

She didn't know how close to tears she was until she was pressed against his chest, strong arms holding on to her tightly. She's afraid of what his response will be. But then he's pulling back from her slightly, just enough so he can catch her gaze with his. His voice is the most solemn she has ever heard it. "No, Bones. No. I promise you. There is nothing wrong with Christine, nothing. You hear me? She's fine. She's fine."

The relief she feels is so sudden, it makes her gasp. She's grateful in that moment of his strong chest being there, holding her upright. But if not Christine then…

"Parker?"

She feels him shake his head where is rests against hers. "He's fine."

Now she's confused. "So, why did you have a meeting?"

She feels him sigh against her before pulling back. Now that her anger and worry have been tamed, she's just confused. Standing more upright, he takes her hand in his and pulls her to the sofa. Waiting until they are both settled, he then pulls her into his arms. She can feel the tension in him still, and so doesn't pull away. Nestled so close to him, she more feels than hears his sigh. When, after a few minutes he brings to speak his low tone vibrates through her.

"Dr. Crawford. Alice. She's a neurologist at the hospital. I met with her after Christine was born. Wanted to make sure that nothing I went through would affect her, y'know? And she did some test and assured me that my tumor was just me. Nothing that I could have passed on to anyone."

He stops, and she wonders if he even knows he's holding her slightly tighter than he had been when they first sat down. When they have been sat in silence for a few minutes more, it is her who breaks it with another question.

"So why did you have a meeting today? Did she find something else?"

She feels him press a kiss to the top of her head, gossamer soft.

"No. Like I said. The tests came back clear. But there was this kid there. Not even 10 I don't think. And his dad… God Bones. His dad was there looking at him like he expected him to be dead in the morning. And I just. It could have been me, you know?"

"Booth…"

"No. If… Jesus. If I had passed something like that on to Christine… I mean…"

"But you didn't." Her voice is sure, strong where his is faltering. He squeezes her tighter, and she knows he is thankful for the reminder.

"No. But it got me thinking. There's a whole ward there of these kids, all suffering from neurofibromatosis. I mean, they're just kids, who are riddled with tumors. And every time the docs get rid of one another one grows back in its place. I mean. What sort of childhood do these kids even have, you know? In hospital more than they're out if it. Treatment and surgery and chemotherapy and radiotherapy… What sort of life is that?"

It is the pain in his voice which gets to her the most. And suddenly she knows why he's been sneaking around and holding quiet meetings with doctors. It's rebuilding a bridge for a baby she barely knows and sponsoring an internship so Wendel can work with her and not in some school bus mechanic shop. "You wanted to do something for them."

"Yeah."

"What did you have in mind?"

"It doesn't matter. Turns out you can't just make something happen these days. There's all sorts of legal hoops and consent issues and don't even get me started on the cost of hosting these things. I mean, you think people would give up an evening so some sick kids could have a carnival without it costing the earth but…"

"How much do you need?" Her voice is sure, direct. The passion and pain in his voice cuts her, the mere thought that Christine, their perfect daughter, could have been one of those unlucky…no. She cannot think of that. It's too painful.

"Bones. Seriously... I don't say any of this to guilt you into giving up your cash for this." The look she shoots him can only be described as dirty, and she can tell he knows he's about two seconds from seriously pissing her off. Because this is something she can do. Wants to do. Even if he doesn't take it from her directly she'll go in to the hopsital tomorrow and make an anonymous donation. Whatever it takes. Its bridges and scholarships and a whole lot more.

"Ok. Thank you. But please. You cannot tell anyone I did this."

She wants to argue. Because why wouldn't he want people to know how kind he is? But then she remembers a toast when she wasn't sure he would ever be her friend again. When his brother managed to fool her into thinking he was less than what he was; something she'll forever be ashamed of. It is the quiet man, the one in the shadows who is always there, that is the true alpha male.

So she nods. Kisses him gently, reverently.

"Ok."

End.