A/N Just a bit of a look into what I think Booth and Brennan's feelings would be after they shared stories from their childhood. Set after the season 4 episode Mayhem on the Cross. Rating is for darker themes and self-harm.

Let me know what you think. Reviews would be awesome! :)

As always... I own nothing!

They stood inches apart, each lost in the other's painful recollection of the past. If they weren't still standing in Sweet's office, he would have pulled her into his embrace. Instead, he just stood there, staring into now glassy eyes.

"Are you ok Bones?" he asked, the worry dripping from his voice.

She nodded; placing the tissue he gave her back into his suit pocket. He felt her hang lingering, pressing against his chest. Her hand was placed against his heart, and he had never felt safer in his entire life.

"We should... you know... Gordon is waiting..." he heard her mutter.

"Oh right, of course. Let's go Sweets" he said, clapping his hand onto the younger mans back. He smiled at her as she linked arms with Sweets and practically dragged him out of the room with her.

He felt a pang in his heart when she didn't smile back.

They spent sinner sitting next to each other, his thigh resting against hers. Dinner was enjoyable, and he was glad they had brought Sweets with them. The kid looked genuinely happy, and the way he kept glancing at Brennan with a look of thankfulness gave him a sense of satisfaction about the whole situation. She had joined in the conversation when needed, but he could tell that she wasn't herself. When Gordon got up to get desert, Sweets following close behind, he placed a tentative hand on her knee.

"Bones..." he started, confused by her quiet behaviour.

She just gulped down more of her wine, quickly finishing what had remained in her glass. She showed no expression at the fact his hand was rested on her knee under the table, and was refusing to meet his gaze.

He groaned, knowing he should have never opened his mouth earlier. There was a reason why he had never brought that story up with anyone, let alone her before.

The only person that knew about it was his grandfather, and that was only because he was the one who found him. If it wasn't for him, he probably would have bled out on his bathroom floor.

She turned at his groan, studying the look of inner turmoil on his face.

"Why aren't you talking to me?" he asked, completely aware at how pathetic he sounded.

"I... I don't know what to say..." she stammered.

His brow creased in anger, worry lines appearing at the corner of his eyes. He roughly rubbed his temple with his hand.

"I knew this would happen. I shouldn't have told you that stupid story. I shouldn't have put my baggage on you like that." He said gruffly, cursing himself as he felt his eyes begin to water.

His gaze shifted as he felt her hand over his own. She lifted his hand, lacing her fingers with his.

She squeezed his hand tightly, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Just as she was about to speak, Gordon and Sweets returned, animatedly chatting about some TV show he had never heard of. The guys sat down, and he just couldn't help the grin that had made its way to his face.

He wasn't sure what he was happier about... the fact that Gordon had made his favourite type of pie for dessert, or the fact that she was still holding onto his hand under the table.

Gordon and Sweets left at nearly midnight, Sweets hugging Brennan and shaking his hand with sincere thanks. She said she would help him with the dishes, but he knew that wasn't the real reason. After doing the dishes in comfortable silence, making small talk about dinner and Gordon and Sweets, they headed his living room. She sat down on his couch, and he moved to the liquor he had stashed in the corner of the room. He grabbed an unopened bottle of scotch and two glasses before joining her.

"What we did for Sweets tonight... It was really good..." he said as he poured.

"Gordon was definitely right. Sweets latched on to us because he needed us. He's been through so much, and he needed people who had been through similar things to relate to."

"Yup, exactly." He laughed, handing her a glass. "Just like a baby duck."

She smiled at him, sipping at the scotch as he moved a little bit closer to her. He felt the heat push through his veins as his side now rested against hers.

"The way you shared like that, with Sweets and with me. It was really brave Bones." He said seriously, lightly touching her glass with his own.

"You were brave too Booth. I'm sorry if I pushed you into talking when you didn't want to." She said quietly.

He shrugged, playfully bumping her with his body.

"Had to tell someone eventually, I guess"

She nodded, turning her body so she was facing him.

"Me too...I mean it was inevitable that story would come put at some point."

He smiled, his eyes gazing into hers.

"I wouldn't want to tell anyone else Booth." She whispered.

He placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to maintain eye contact.

"Did they really lock you in there for two days?"

She nodded, her hand resting on the top of his arm.

"Over a broken dish...?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

He felt her hand grip tighter around his bicep as she nodded again.

"I was very clumsy. And they told me they would do it. I was given fair warning, I should have expected it."

"No. Don't make excuses for what they did to you Bones. What they did was wrong, really wrong. You understand that right?"

She wiped at her eyes, and muttered her agreement quietly.

He was dying to know more about her life back then, but at the same time was too scared to ask because of what she might tell him.

"Did they do anything else to you...?" he asked shakily, closing his eyes briefly to try and focus on her answer.

She gulped back the obvious lump in her throat, and he felt his blood began to boil. His heart was beating so loudly he was sure she would be able to hear it.

"They used to knock me around a bit, hit me when I did something wrong, or spoke back to them, or didn't come home on time. You know, stuff like that..." she trailed off, and if it was even possible his heart began to beat quicker. Something worse was coming, he could tell. She leant forward, her head in her hands, and he placed a comforting hand on her back.

"You can tell me anything Bones..." he said soothingly.

She shook her head vigorously, shrugging out of his touch.

"I can't Booth. It will just upset you, and I don't want to do that to you..." she whispered.

"But it's clearly upsetting you. I'll be fine, don't try and spare me. You should get it off your chest. I want you to feel better..."

She looked back over her shoulder into his deep brown eyes, and she sighed in defeat. He wouldn't leave this alone until she told him.

"Ok... Ok. But if we're really going to do this, I'm going to need another drink..."