So, I'm still working on this. Typing is just too annoying. And I still don't own anything in this story other than Kat, Jerald, the layout of McKinley, and this story line. Really wish I did though.

Brennan felt incredibly uneasy as she sat waiting to see Zack. It wasn't the atmosphere, or the prospect of seeing him; she'd visited before with Angela or Booth. The problem was that she hadn't talked to him alone since before the accident. Brennan hadn't tried to see him alone before now.

She'd decided to come today, because she needed some answers. Maybe they could have been dragged out of Kat, but she wanted to hear them from Zack. She needed him to tell her himself if he was not guilty of first-degree murder. Brennan knew she deserved at least that much.

'Good to see you Dr. Brennan.' The orderly said as he led Zack into the room. Zack himself looked puzzled by her presence, but sat anyways, and waited for the orderly to leave.

'Dr. Brennan, what are you doing here? It's the middle of a work day.'

'Sometimes, there are things that are much more important than work Zack. I came here to find the truth; did you murder Ray Porter?'

Zack shook his head slightly. 'I gave up his location to The Master, and he sent his Apprentice at the time to kill him. Then The Master killed him in favour of me. I'm nothing more than an accessory to murder, but I feel like a killer, when I reflect upon it.'

Brennan nodded understandingly. 'But you aren't one—Sweets actually knew what he was talking about.'

Zack blanched. 'He broke confidentiality?'

'He came to me, of all people, for advice on your case. Even without divulging details, your case is very distinctive. How many patients of his could possibly be locked up for murdering someone they didn't, and plead out on insanity?'

'The probability is incredibly low—maybe 0.3%. But this is bad—you've probably told Booth already, and he's out in the waiting room, waiting to arrest me, and transfer me to prison—'

Brennan shook her head. 'Booth doesn't know—he won't know until they release you. Sweets, Kat and Hodgins are all undoubtedly going to work with a lawyer to appeal you, and I know Kat received a letter from the AG's office yesterday. There's a good chance she has gotten them to cut you a deal to stay here if you are sentenced.'

Zack raised his eyes to meet hers, and Brennan saw a spark of hope in them.

'If you'd just been honest from the beginning Zack, we would have less to deal with right now. I wish you'd been able to come to me when you got into trouble. But now, we need you to be absolutely honest with us.'

Zack sighed wearily. 'Do you want to hear it all now?'

'When we're all together—with a lawyer.'

Zack sat silently for a moment, and Brennan could see that he was trying to put what he wanted to say into words. 'Dr. Brennan, there's something you should know about Kat and I. I got her pregnant before she went to Ethiopia, and she miscarried there. She didn't tell me until she came back, even though we emailed back and forth for about four years.'

Brennan could hardly believe it. There was no way Kat and Zack had been romantically involved. It was too unlike him—both of them. They had been best friends, or so had been said. As if he was reading her mind, Zack corrected her.

It was what Hodgins would call a fling—a one night stand. Neither of us was impaired in any way; we were just a little emotionally confused, is how Kat would describe it. She was leaving—'

'Do you feel it was a fling?'

Brennan's question cut him off, and left him silent for a moment. 'No.' He admitted finally. 'Kat means so much more to me than what that term implies. And even if she doesn't share my feelings, I'm grateful for the relationship I have with her; as my friend. I will settle for that.'

But Brennan couldn't. She needed to talk to Kat about this. Usually Angela would be much more insightful about matters of the heart, but this time they were dealing with a mind that was much more like Brennan's—is not as rational, at least as intelligent. They shared a similar thought process.

'Dr. Brennan, are you still proud of me?'

Zack's question was one she hadn't expected. Brennan remembered him saying that she would be proud of him, if she knew what he'd known, all those months ago. 'What is it you know Zack?'

'If I had refused to cooperate with The Master, he would have gone after all of you, one by one. Every single person I care about—he might have even found Kat. It was the most irrefutable, logical argument he could have made. I couldn't let him hurt you—the best family I have ever known.

Brennan opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She was utterly speechless. That Zack had done so much for them, and they had returned the favour by thinking he was a cold-blooded killer, made her sick at heart. How in the world could they ever make this up to him?

'You had better go, Dr. Brennan. They probably need you back at the lab.' Zack said finally, when it was clear she wasn't going to respond.

'You're probably right.' She agreed. Coming around the table, she pulled him into an awkward hug. 'I'll make an effort to visit more.' She promised. 'And I'm still proud of you Zack. I always will be.'

Leaving McKinley, Brennan felt that she had an enormous task ahead of her. She needed to have an insanely difficult discussion with Kat, and then make sure the lab, and everyone in it didn't fall apart under the strain of trying to help Zack. It was the least she could do for him; though how to do it was a bit beyond her just then.

See that review button down there? Pushing it gives me motivation to keep on typing...