Hi, the next chapter is when Booth finds out, or the one after :D Either way he will know. Please enjoy it :D

'I didn't do anything!' Sweets exclaimed hotly, staring at Booth as he held Brennan as if she was something that would break at the slightest touch.

'Look at her! How can you say you did nothing?' Booth shouted, lowering his voice as he felt her grip tighten on his shirt, trapping a little of his flesh and sending spikes of pain from the contact point.

'We were having a session, agent Booth. Sometimes people in sessions experience emotions that cause them pain or happiness.' Sweets floundered, desperately trying to explain himself.

'Well I can see that!'

'Booth, stop.' Brennan muttered, stepping out of his arms. 'I'm okay. Really.' She shook herself mentally and wiped her eyes. 'Thank you Sweets.' He nodded and she turned away, Booth reaching out a hand to grab her. 'If you want to spend the evening in hospital, Booth…' She warned. He stepped back.

'Sorry.' He told her, but she was already gone. 'Spill, Sweets.'

'I don't…' Sweets floundered a little, staring at the floor.

'What happened in here?' Booth asked him frankly.

'That would be a breach of patient/doctor confidentiality.' Sweets told him boldly, turning his back on the FBI agent.

'Sweets, she's my partner!'

'If she wants to tell you, she will.' Booth glared at him. 'But… don't pressure her.' Sweets advised him. Booth turned.

'If she wants to tell me she will. I'll still want to know even if she doesn't want to tell me.' Booth told him. Sweets just shook his head sadly.

'Don't hurt her Booth. She's not as strong as she seems.'

'What do you mean? You psychologists are all the same.'

'What about Mr. Wyatt?' Booth glared.

'Gordon… he's not a psychologist anymore Sweets.' Booth stormed out; already conscious of the time he had lost chasing Brennan by arguing with Sweets.

oOo

She was in her office. Well, if he'd thought about it, where else would she be when she was upset? She wouldn't go home, no one there to notice something was wrong. Between his office and hers, there was nowhere else. He knocked sheepishly on the door, alarmed at how distressed she looked.

'Can I come in?' He asked her quietly, already inside.

'Well you're already inside Booth.' She told him, completely expressionless.

'Oh, right… sorry.' He shrugged and stepped completely inside, closing the door behind him. 'What happened in there?' His voice had a gentle tone, and she found herself nearly in tears again. 'Temperance?' She flinched at the sound of her name.

'I don't want to talk about it.' She turned her attention back to the file lying open on her desk, one Booth didn't recognize.

'What's that?' He asked her, not prepared for her reaction. She nearly freaked out, folding it shut and placing her arms on it, strategically covering the name label.

'What's what?' She lied cautiously, a few spots of pink in her cheeks. Booth pointed to the file.

'That. We're partners Bones, partners don't lie to each other.' He looked a little put out, hurt even.

'It's just a file from a while ago…' She looked down and read the label.

Temperance Brennan vs Alexander Smith

That was his name… the man that had ruined her life, forced her into a non-consensual relationship and caused scars that ran deeper than the ones on her back; the ones that were less obvious. But he'd died before it ever reached trial. He'd stroked out and died a few weeks later in hospital. She was shaking without realizing it, and Booth was already by her side, glancing worriedly at her.

'Are you okay?' She nodded once, the scars on her back tingling a little.

'I'm fine Booth, don't worry about me.' She shook her head grimly, shoving the file into her bag and standing up, hooking her jacket off the back of the chair.

'But that's the problem Bones, I can't help but worry about you.'

'But why? Why do I matter so much to you?'

'You're my partner, Bones. Partners look out for each other.'

'I guess… but still. Don't worry about me okay? I'm fine.' But this time he wouldn't believe her, he saw the bleak look of desperation on her face and it worried him, in fact, it scared him.

'Bones… at least let me drive you home.'

'I haven't got any other way of getting home… thank you.' She shrugged her jacket on and picked up her bag, shifting it so that the file was buried under a load of other pieces of paper.

'It's a partner thing.' He flashed her a smile that made her heart almost stop beating.

'Thank you.' She pulled her jacket closed and followed him out to the car.

'Hey, it's no problem.' She smiled at him. 'And no, before you ask. You can't drive.'

'I'm a good driver!'

'You still can't drive. My car, my rules. Remember?'

oOo

'Thanks for the lift Booth, but you can go now.'

'I thought maybe…'

'Whatever. There's beer in the fridge. I'm getting changed.' She dumped her bag on the floor and headed into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Booth, curious beyond belief, glanced cautiously around before tipping her bag a little so that he could see the file name.

'Oh God.' He whispered, dropping the bag as if it was burning his hand. He walked hurriedly to the kitchen and popped the cap off of the bottle and took a long draught, trying to erase what he had seen. It didn't work. He drank again, trying to forget everything. His mind just dwelled on the name of the file. He knew who Alexander Smith was.

Convicted rapist.

Child abuser.

There was only one reason she would oppose him. And the file was dated fifteen years ago. He shuddered. Bones being hurt made his skin crawl, made him feel inadequate as a friend. Why couldn't she just tell him the truth, open up and be like a real partner to him. Because partners don't lie to each other. Booth finished the beer and tossed the bottle into the bin before uncapping another. He just wanted to get hammered and obliterate the memory of ever being interested in that file. He heard Brennan leaving her bedroom and uncapped a bottle for her.

'Thanks Booth.' She smiled her thanks, saluted him feebly with her bottle and took a long sip, the alcohol steadying her nerves. Booth regarded her carefully.

'No problem, hey, it's your beer.' She smiled.

'Booth… I wanted to tell you something…' She saw the way Booth was looking at her and immediately she knew. 'You looked…'

'At what?' She walked away and looked at her bag. It had been moved.

'You rat-bastard! How could you!'

'I… I wanted to…' She took one look at his face and ran. 'Bones wait! Please!' The door slammed and he was left alone. 'Damn it!' He muttered and kicked the table, probably busting his toes. He weighed the pros and cons of it, drank the last of his beer, and limped away to follow her; cursing himself constantly as he went.

Review for my eternal love!