Message Received Chapter 5

Pure shock flashed over his face at her new revelation, he automatically released her from his embrace to look at her face. "My God, Bones. You've got to be joking, you're not capable of killing anyone." She just stared into her glass of juice resting on the table, not sure what Booth would do. The silence was killing her, silence after what she'd said was a bad sign and she knew it. The tears were still falling over her guilt-ridden face, as she made sure not to make eye contact. "Bones, you have to tell me what happened so I can understand this. To be honest, I'm having a hard time taking this in. I just don't believe you're capable." He said with a sad sigh.

She sadly looked at him meeting his probing eyes that were full of confusion but also some unknown warmth. It made her feel worse; she knew she had betrayed his trust by keeping this from him. "I'm sorry." She croaked her voice raw from crying. "I'm sorry for what I did, but I'm sorry I never told you before. But it would be a bit awkward to slip into conversation."

"Yeah, that would. 'Hey, the weathers nice today. By the way I killed my foster father.'" he said rather sarcastically. But the way he said it showed that he wasn't angry, just disappointed and afraid. He slowly took her hand in his "Bones..."

"Okay, it was in the spring of '91, I was still 15 and in my third foster home so far. The home where I was locked in a trunk of a car for 2 days, but it wasn't quite that long because my foster brother figured it out and saved me." Her voice grew shaky as she began to tell him about the catalyst of events.

"T" he called through the house. He'd just got back from crashing at a mates, he'd gone to his room and dumped his stuff. Passing by her room made him stop; she was usually sat at her desk studying away, textbooks spread out all around her. When she wasn't in the room she made surer to always hide them away. She once told him of her first foster home, where she went to get a glass of water only to come back to find that her books where no longer there. It turned out that her foster father had come in and taken them, telling her that she studied too much when she should be doing her chores. After that she had learnt to hide anything of emotional or sentimental value; and she needed her books in order to get into the college she wanted. But there in her room sat her books, spread out in their usual fashion but no Temperance. He found himself getting worried.

"T" he exclaimed again running around the house, lucky for him his foster parents weren't home. He was probably still at work, so he figured she must of gone out.

The boy cautiously checked all the rooms in the house finding no sign of her. He then worriedly checked the closet, the one they used to shove him into when he was younger if he did anything bad, this was before Temperance came to live with them though and he hadn't seen them get violent or punish her in any way. She wasn't there though. He stood still listening and thinking of her location, when he heard banging coming from the garage. He quickly sprung into action, heading to the side door that leads to the garage. He flung it open; when he was there he began again to call her name. That is when he stopped dead with fear, the banging was coming from the trunk of thebeat-up Sedan, he ran back into the kitchen to get the car keys off the hook, shouting all the time telling her that 'it's gunna be ok'. When he opened the trunk he gasped. She was curled up, so she could fit into the confining space. She was visibly injured as bruises mottled her fair skin, mainly on her face and arms. "T" he breathed a sigh of relief. He helped her out of her prison; to his surprise she wrapped her arms around him. Pulling away from the hug, he draped his arm around her slim frame leading her into the kitchen and sitting her down, getting her a glass of water. He felt so guilty; this wouldn't have happened if he were home, his 'father' usually zoned in on him. After she had drunk her third glass of water, he started asking questions. "What happened T?" T had sort of become her nickname to him as he thought her name was too long to say, so he decided on the shortest nickname he could think of.

"Um… I was in my room studying and Mr. Rogers came home early. He started yelling at me, asking why I hadn't done my chores. Apparently the sink was full of washing up, but it wasn't there when I got home." He was watching her intently, wearing a blank expression. This occurrence wasn't unusual to him as he'd been in the system since he was nine. He was used to foster parents flipping at nothing. "So, he was yelling and threatening me so I went downstairs to do the washing up. The water was already in the bowl, so I started washing but…the water was so hot…and the soap was so slippery that I dropped a plate." She said her eyes downcast. "He was furious Ry, that was his plate, he thought I did on purpose. Then he punched me in the face, so I started telling him I didn't mean it but he wouldn't have it. He dragged me toward the garage and popped the trunk and a couple of times he punched me. I tried to fight I really did but he was so much stronger and when he stuffed me in, I could smell the strong scent of alcohol on his breath."

"God Bones." Booth said, rubbing his hands over his face.

"I really was scared that night, I knew Ryan wasn't going to be there. Before he went I assured him I would be fine, I could take care of myself. But I was totally blind sighted, it happened so fast. I was stuck in the trunk from around 4 on Friday to 3 on Sunday. I was just so sacred, it was so dark in there and I could hardly move. When I saw him open the trunk I tried to run but him gripped my arms so tightly it left marks for over a week, which I in turn had to cover up. It wasn't the first time I experience some violence in foster homes, but that time I thought I was dead, I wasn't sure if anyone would find me. Ryan though, Ryan did and I am forever grateful to him. But now he believes I betrayed him, I don't think I'll ever be able to fix it." All the time fiddling with the bandage that covered the concept of betrayal.

"I'm so sorry that happened Bones. No one should go through that."

"Yeah well. After that I became pretty jumpy and Ryan tried to stay with me at all times. We started walking home after school, so he'd be around if he ever focused on me again. It worked well for a while until that night."

"I was waiting for Ry to come out of school, right next to the clutter of trees on the left next to the main doors. But he didn't show up, and it started to get late. I didn't know what to do; I was torn with waiting in case he showed and getting home so he wouldn't be mad. So I started to walk home, and I got home to find him on the couch drinking, while watching some type of sports. When I walked in he began to shout…."

"Temperance, is that you?" The slur to his voice made her shudder, he was clearly drunk.

"Yes" She replied in the calmest voice she could manage. Making her way into the living room.

"Your late, the dinner is meant to be on by now. I get cranky if you disobey my rules."

"I'm sorry, I'll do it right away." She said running up the stair and stowing her bag under the bed so it wasn't seen.

She quickly walked downstairs and into the kitchen. She took out a chopping board, knife and vegetables and started the chop them up. She was pulled out of her train of thought when Mr. Rogers came into the kitchen; she assumed he was looking for alcohol, so she carried on her task. When she heard the fridge door slam shut with great force she turned around, only to see that he was standing directly behind her.

"Why the hell isn't there any beer in the fridge?"

"Umm…umm…."

"Umm…umm… spit it out girl. Where the hell is my beer?" when she didn't reply, frozen to the spot with fear, he carried on. "You took it didn't you. You just don't want me to be happy. You should be grateful we took you in. Even when your own parents couldn't stand the sight of you, then you go and steal from us."…. Silence… "You answer me when I'm asking you a question." He yelled as he pulled his fist back ready to strike her in the jaw, only to stop as a shocked expression passed over his face as he fell to the ground, a knife protruding from his abdomen.

Please review, I am really proud of this chapter, so let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Elly