(AN: thanks to reviewers Christy, GirlProto, Jazmine Cullen, Astrae splendent, skogmus, Jdragonfire29, nertooold54, Rankor01, Fortheloveofbones16, adele, Southold (the threat wasn't aimed towards you, again it was for the peoples who refuse to review even when they put out the favorites and alerts), chipmunk2376, Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan, Icmen10,angeleyes46, and Ifawishofwonder (Patience's dad didn't want kids, so Brennan left him and hasn't seen him since. So, he's out of the picture. He'll have an appearance in this fanfic eventually though).

Okay, here is the chapter everyone has been waiting for, that's right, Booth will find out that Patience is Brennan's daughter… I don't think this scene is as dramatic as I wanted it to be. Actually I think everyone's really out of character in this chap, except Patience but she can't really be out of character because she's my own character…but it's time for Booth to find out the truth. Anywho, REVIEW or wait forever for the next chapter!)

I don't own Bones.

The Heart in the Friend: Part 7

"This is the last load," Patience announced, dropping two more grocery bags onto the counter.

"Thank you," Brennan replied.

As they finished putting the groceries away someone knocked on the door.

Brennan glanced at the door. "I'll be right back." She crossed her apartment to open the door. "Booth?"

He looked at her uncertainly. "Hey, Bones. Can we talk?"

"Booth, shouldn't you be home?" She fought the urge to add 'with Hannah'.

"Look, we just finished a case and it got me thinking that I've let…our friendship slip. I'm sorry." He paused. "Patience came to my office today, and she told me that I need to know who she is, and I need to fix things between you and I. So I'm going to start by asking you to tell me why you adopted Patience. We never keep secrets from each other, Bones. Why are we starting now?"

Brennan stared at him with a blank expression.

"You gonna make him stand there in the hallway, Dr. Brennan?" Patience asked.

Brennan finally stepped aside and Booth entered. He held up the bag in his hand.

"I brought takeout," he said.

"I think I will let you two talk alone," Patience said, starting to sneak away.

"Stay!" Brennan said. "I thought you said you went to the library after school."

"I might have stopped at Agent Booth's office. Dr. Brennan, I feel like it's because of me that you left everything. I want you to tell Agent Booth. You told Sully who I was and you haven't known him as long as you've known Booth!"

"Sully's back?" Booth asked.

Brennan nodded.

"Why are you too ashamed of me to tell Agent Booth?" Patience demanded.

"I'm not ashamed of you, Patience. It's what I did. The mistakes I made."

"What are you talking about, Bones?" Booth asked. "What did you do?"

Brennan finally faced him. "Patience is my daughter. I didn't adopt her, Booth. I put her up for adoption when I was nineteen. Her and Anthony." Brennan swallowed back tears before she continued. "I returned to college and once I was able to get by I looked for them again. Anthony was adopted, but Patience's records had been lost in the system and I just assumed she'd been adopted as well. Then Anthony's body showed up as a case, and you were accusing Patience of…of murdering him, and the last case..." She broke down into sobs.

Booth stepped forward to pull Brennan against him. She tried to pull away at first, but finally just let Booth hold her. Patience stood silently watching them.

"Why didn't you just tell me, Bones?" Booth gently asked.

"I didn't want anyone to know what I'd done. I thought they would spend their lives growing up with adoptive families and be fine. When I found out that Patience was still in the foster system I had to get her out. I got my rights to custody back. I didn't adopt her. I didn't have to, she's my daughter."

"I'm sorry, Bones. I'm so sorry."

"She's not a criminal, Booth. She's smart. Even being thrown from foster home to foster home she kept straight A's in school. Her lowest test grade is a ninety-four. She likes pie, and pizza. She…she reads mystery novels and listens to loud depressing music. She threatened Mark, exactly like Max would have if he'd been given the chance. She is always early to school, Dad says she's there before the doors are unlocked half the time. She can sneak past security like it's nothing. She…she-"

"Alright, Bones. I get it, she's not a criminal. I'm sorry," he glanced up at Patience.

Patience turned away, escaping into the kitchen, as Brennan continued describing her habits and likes and dislikes. After a few minutes Brennan pushed away from Booth.

"I'm sorry, Booth. You should be getting home to Hannah."

"I told her I was coming to talk to you," he replied.

"Well, you should go."

"Look, Bones, you have to come back-"

"No. I…please, just get out. I want you to go. Don't call me Bones. Don't try to talk me into coming back to the Jeffersonian. Just let me move on, Booth. I'm letting you move on."

He shook his head. "This discussion isn't over."

"I say it is. Goodbye, Booth."

"You're kicking me out?"

"Yes, this is my apartment, I have that right. Please, Booth. I need time and space away from you. I don't want to see you right now."

He started for the door but turned back, his hand on the doorknob. "Another agent is taking over communications with the FBI. I don't know who, it was going to be Perotta, but Hacker said another agent was begging for the job today. The Warren Lowe case was my last case with the Jeffersonian, no one else knows though. They need you there. You can go back to the Jeffersonian without having to deal with me, and apparently the agent replacing me is willing to take you into the field. You're good at what you do, Bones, and what you do is give victims a face, and an identity. You put their murderers behind bars, where they can't hurt anyone else, and give the victims and their families the justice they deserve. Don't stop doing that because you're mad at me, Bones." He opened the door and walked out.

Brennan waited for the door to click shut before she burst into tears. Hearing her, Patience returned from the kitchen. Brennan sank onto the couch and Patience sat beside her, putting an arm around her mother's shoulders and leaning against her.

"You're gonna have to forgive him eventually, Mom," Patience said. "It would be easier to do it now than in ten years when you get a case and have to work together becuase no other team in the world can solve it. Coming here proved that Booth is willing to try fixing your relationship, you have to meet him halfway."

(I promise the 'mom' thing was for real this time, and Patience was sober, unmedicated, undrugged, and not smoking anything. Promise. It's for real this time. And Booth and Bren's relationship isn't over so don't kill me yet. Again, I know where I'm going with this fanfic and what isn't saved on my computer is in my head. Things are going to get better soon… REVIEWS will make that sooner!)