(The Hero in the Hold)

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True to her word, Ruth had helped with the boys when she could. She worked as a clothing designer and her partner, Franny LeBlanc owned a small printing company. Hank remembered visiting Ruth before Marie had died and telling her about her brother. His daughter had cried. She loved her nephews and the thought that her brother could beat them was almost more than she could take.

Staring at his grandson's photo album, he found the picture of Ruth and Franny at their wedding. Hank and Marie had sat in the front row and watched their daughter wed the woman she loved. It wasn't a traditional marriage, but Marie had felt that love was love and that she wouldn't throw her daughter away because some people in society didn't approve. Hank had been disappointed that his son turned out to be a bigot and refused to come to the wedding, but Edwin had become a stranger to him since he had come back from Vietnam. His son spoke harshly about anything that didn't conform to his beliefs and his intolerance broke his mother's heart. Determined to be the father Ruth needed, Hank had refused to allow Edwin to control them or to abuse Ruth in anyway. "If only I had paid attention to what Edwin was doing to his boys."

Booth had awakened from his sleep feeling rested. The aroma of coffee in the air told him someone was in his apartment and he assumed it was his partner checking up on him. Entering the living room, he was surprised to see his grandfather sitting on the couch, a photo album on his lap. Appalled when he heard Hank speak, Booth knew he had to set the record straight. "What happened wasn't your fault, Pops. That's not your burden."

Startled, Hank looked up and spotted his grandson standing in the bedroom doorway. "When your mother ran away, I should have looked into that. Edwin said she was unhappy and left him, but I shouldn't have just taken his word for it. I know she was hurt when she fell down the stairs, but I assumed it was what it was, an accident."

"Come on, Pops, you had no way of knowing what was going on." Booth walked over to his recliner and sat down. "Look . . . Edwin got in a fight with Mom and he pushed her down the stairs. It wasn't an accident, but . . . We were kids, Jared and me. I helped Edwin hide what he was doing to us and what he did to Mom. Jared did what I told him to do. We were alone. Mom was gone and we had to deal with Dad. There was no one there to protect us from him . . . I was afraid to tell you about Mom and the beatings because Dad told me that he'd move and take us with him and we'd never see you again. I believed him."

"I figured it was something like that." Sad, Hank closed the album and placed it on the coffee table. "Is that why Jared stopped talking to us? After you both came to live with us, it was over month before he'd talk to us and Marie was scared that Edwin had done something to him."

Rubbing his forehead, Booth wasn't sure he wanted to have this conversation. "Jared stopped talking to everyone except me a few months after Mom ran away. He was just three when Mom ran away and he didn't understand where Mom was. I didn't understand either, but I had to protect Jared and I told him to be careful what he said to you and Grandma. Dad started hitting me and it got so bad, he . . . it got bad. Jared cried a lot and that worried Dad. When he was sober, he was afraid that Jared or me would tell you about the beatings and like I said, Dad threatened to move us if we told you he was hitting us. I was afraid that Jared would tell you or Grandma, so after a while I told him not talk to anyone but me . . . I'd just turned nine and I didn't know what to do. My life was a nightmare and Jared was stuck in the same nightmare with me."

"I understand, Seeley." He was aware that his grandson was upset, but it was time to talk about the past. "That day, when I came over to get Edwin to work on my lawn mower . . . I walked into the house and he was beating you, chocking you, threatening to kill you . . . Jared was screaming and I just . . . I just lost it. I made your father leave. I made him leave and I took you two home with me and I never regretted that decision. Marie and I knew you and your brother were in a bad way and we did the best we could. Ruth helped us and we think we undid some of the damage Edwin did, but not all of it. We knew that would take a miracle. I'm sorry that I didn't see it sooner. I'm sorry that I didn't check into why Marianne ran away."

"Stop it, Pops." Booth leaned forward his hands on his knees. "You saved my life . . . you did that and you have nothing to be sorry about. Jared and me were messed up, but you and Grandma and Aunt Ruth and Franny . . . you all saved us and don't ever forget that because Jared and I won't. We'd probably be dead if it wasn't for you, so just stop beating yourself up about the past. I've made a life for myself, Jared too. They're not perfect lives, but who has a perfect life? If someone is that lucky . . . well, I don't know him."

"Alright . . . Seeley, you can always count on me to have your back. You know that, right?"

Staring at his grandfather, Booth saw a worried old man and he knew he was the cause. "Of course, I do. I'm fine, Pops. I've got a great job, a great kid, I like my partner and we're a great team. What more can I ask for? Don't worry about me . . . Maybe worry about Jared since he's in trouble right now, but if he crashes and burns because of me, I'm going to help him. You can count on that."

"Can you tell me about your brother and what happened?" Hank had only heard some of the details from the FBI Deputy Director, but he knew that he hadn't been told everything.

Since his grandfather had a right to know, Booth leaned back against his chair and told his grandfather about the kidnapping and what Brennan had done to save him. His brother had helped come to the rescue and Booth was grateful, but he knew the Navy wasn't going to be as forgiving as he was.

Once the story was told, Hank shook his head in astonishment. "A serial killer did all that . . . okay, thanks for telling me what happened. At least I can be prepared if Jared is kicked out of the Navy, He's going to be the first Booth to get a dishonorable, but under the circumstances, I can't find fault with what he did. Not at all."

Glad his grandfather was being reasonable, Booth sighed. "I want to testify at his court martial if they force one on him, but I doubt it will matter."

"No, I imagine not." Hank stood up, picked up the album and placed it back on the shelf. "Come on, I'll make you breakfast."

It had been a long time since his grandfather had cooked him breakfast and Booth decided to let him do it. It would be like old times when he was still living with the old man. "I'm going over to Arlington Cemetery with Bones this afternoon. I want to visit a friend of mine and if I'm lucky, if his girlfriend is there, I want to talk to her about Teddy. You can come with us if you want to."

"No, I'll let you pay respect to your friend without me." Hank entered the kitchen. "I have too many friends there. I was at the cemetery last Memorial Day, so I'm sure they'll forgive me for not coming today."

"Alright." Following his grandfather into the kitchen, Booth retrieved some items from the fridge so his grandfather wouldn't have to look for them. "I miss Grandma."

His skillet on the stovetop, Hank took the bacon from his grandson. "She was the love of my life." His back towards Booth, Hank sighed. "You know she loved you and Jared so much . . . she had a big heart and . . . I miss her too."

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