It was well past eleven in the morning and Booth lay beside a sleeping Brennan. He had sat by her side watching her as she had fell into a restful sleep. She looked peaceful and angelic against him, she was truly at ease. The tear stains had vanished from her cheeks and all the deep etched marks of pain and burned look of hurt in her eyes had long faded and been replaced with a serene comfort and love. It warmed his heart as he felt her every movement, felt her tiny frame inhale and exhale lightly. Her petite body snuggle deep into his fitting so perfectly. It was almost a dream.
Booth felt his cell phone vibrate beside him on the bed and slid out from underneath the covers placing pillows where he had once been and piling more blankets on his beloved Bones so she would not awake to a cold empty spot. "Booth," he whispered into the phone as he tip-toed into the living room where he could talk freely in a normal tone without disturbing her. A small sigh escaped his lips as he recognized the caller as Jared. Booth knew no good would come of his brother's calling or requests. He called to say he couldn't handle Parker and Booth was to come get him immediately. Booth agreed, promising to meet him at his apartment. Booth quickly scribbled a note for Bones telling her where he was going at that he would return with clothes and his Parker's belongings that they were staying with her.
The truth was he still did not feel as though Brennan should be left alone after seeing the raw emotion. And, he did not want to miss any second with her whether he had seen her like that or not. The truth be told that had given him an excuse to stay. To get closer, to show her how much she meant. On the other hand, he could not return to his apartment he gave his word to Jared that he could stay there as long as he needed. And Jared was showing no signs of leaving, and Booth could not expose his son to his uncle's crude ways.
In addition, Booth was still furious at Jared and moments from attacking him. There was no returning to his apartment. And he couldn't if he wanted. It held so many memories of his parents and Jared and a life he hated. A life he wanted to forget, a past he had buried as Bones had tried to hers. It was reminder of that failure that anger and betrayl, as he was certain her home held some of those memories no matter how few. He was not sure he wanted to leave her alone with those memories, because he knew once his Bones was fixated on a topic she would not give up.
Silently, Booth walked back to her room and placed the note beside her on the bed so she would find it when she woke. Then swiftly, he moved to her sleeping figure. Her petite frame looked much tinier and more fragile under the thick, heavy blankets. Booth grinned at the sight because it was very misleading. His Bones was anything but fragile or petite, despite her thin body it was muscular and he knew first hand that she could pack a mean punch. Grinning he leaned over and quickly planted a light but lingering kiss on her cheek before whispering good-bye.
As he sat in his black SUV stuck in lovely DC traffic Booth could not help but think about hisBones. He loved her, he did. And seeing the pain and memories in her eyes just mere hours ago literally ripped his heart in two. He feared for well being. Deep in his heart Booth knew she would not hurt herself, but it did not stop him from worrying. It was his duty as her soul mate, her partner, and lover to protect her from any harm whether it was physical or mental. And he knew the mental anguish and pain was there bubbling under the surface from the rapes, the abandonment, the facade of life, it was all there hidden and sometimes it would arise as it had inflicting harm on herself as she relived it, and breaking Booth entirely as he imagined someone doing wrong to his Bones.
Seeley shook his head dispelling the vulgar thoughts from his mind. Because, the more he pondered the subject, the more infuriated he became. He feared if he were to linger on the topic too long he would be tempted to attack someone, anyone. Especially, Jared if he were to even mention anything about his Bones. But he doubted he would, Seeley had demanded his little brother pack him clothes for a week and have Parker ready when he got there. When Jared inquired Booth brushed him off, making it clear he was unhappy and had no intention of answering to his little brother.
Booth was finally taking the steps he never had. He was standing up to his little brother. He was drawing the line, laying down the law, and telling Jared no and when to butt out of his personal business. The concept was new to him, but it felt good almost euphoric and empowering. He knew it was a long time in the making and Jared deserved it, his own independence. But Booth did not do it for Jared, he did for himself and for Bones. He did it for privacy and out of love for Brennan. He did it to salvage his image in her eyes, to salvage his dignity and self respect, but most of all he did it because it was time to cut off the dead weight and his losses. Booth could no longer carry a constant burden and a reminder of his past that would always weigh him down, drag him down, and leave far behind where he should be. He could not risk his career, his life with Parker, his romance with Bones, or his life. Not unless he was risking it for Parker or Bones.
Parker, that was another story in itself. His son was his world as well. His son idolized him, worshipped him. And Booth had no clue why, in his opinion he had failed his son as a father. He was rarely around for his son. He had failed to make him and Rebbecca a true family and because of that Parker lost out. Booth had let Rebbecca keep their son with no argument, a decision he regretted now. Rebbecca had the best of intentions her heart was always in the right the place, but she was not fit to be a mother to his son. No way, no how. Not when she was jumping from bad relationship to worse, chasing man after man.
Every time Parker got close enough the guy left or hurt Parker. To what extent Booth did not know, the details were never disclosed to him. But he knew it was abuse, possibly rape. Booth could always count Rebbecca to chase after men, booze, and drugs. It had been that way ever since they had split up. She had not help a steady since Booth had left, and he figured whatever she did for work was probably illegal, but his lawyer told him he could not get Parker unless his son would open up to him and in court. He needed proof. Booth wanted his son to open up so he could save him, he had threatened Rebbecca but she knew Booth could do nothing without proof. But now that he had Bones and his life was going well and it was stable. He would expose her as an addict and an unfit parent if need be. He wanted to save his son, do the right thing. Make up for lost time, and all of the time he was not there. He did not want Parker to grow up and realize what was happening and go through a childhood and adolescence as he did. Getting abused, hating life, questioning faith, questioning his existence, and hating the world.
After an hour of bumper to bumper traffic and watching rather intriguing cases of road rage, Booth had made it to his apartment unscathed except for an exasperated temper. He was mad at the traffic, and the world for what it had done to Brennan. Despite his best efforts to shake the conversation from his mind he had failed miserably, the conversation had lingered and replayed time and time again. Each time it replayed it invoked a deeper feeling of anger and heartache inside of him. Booth sighed exhaling a breath he did not know he had been holding in for so long as he slammed the door shut forcefully to his SUV. He bounded up the stairs to his second floor apartment and pounded on the solid mahogany door. He could hear a thumping bass-line coming through the walls and under his breath he curse his brother. He felt the knot in his stomach tighten as he knew a mess awaited him inside of his home, but hell family usually meant dealing with messes and big ones at least when it came to Jared.
Booth opened the door and surveyed the damage to his once tidy apartment. He saw that his once sparkling clean marble counter tops were now caked with pizza from the night before and had spilt beer and empty liquor bottles and garbage strewn all about the apartment. He noticed the blankets and pillows piled on the floor where Jared had spent the night, and as he had guessed a strange girl still lay barely clothed entangled in the blankets as Jared sat beside her watching the television and with Parker. Booth shook his head in fury and betrayal. How could Jared expose his son to this, when he knew what Parker had to endure with Rebbecca? Part of Booth wanted to grab his little brother by the throat and beat sense into him, but he knew if he laid a hand on him he would not stop. He would murder his own flesh and blood in cold blood without thinking twice.
"Dad," Parker squealed in delight his blond curly haired head came bobbing into sight as he hugged Seeley. Booth squatted down his chocolate brown eyes gazing into the very same ones his son had as he held him tight. "Hey buddy, I missed you," Booth announced picking Parker up and pulling him into a death locked bear-hug. "I missed you, too dad," Parker replied hugging Booth as he struggled against his father's monstrous grip. Booth grinned as Parker began fidgeting and trying to break-free from his grip. It was funny how is seven year old son thought he could over power his "old man". "Put me down, I am not a baby," Parker complained and Booth grinned ruffling his son's hair before placing him down on solid ground again.
Booth grabbed his duffel bag that he saw Jared had neatly packed for him as he assited Parker with one of his numerous bags. Booth knew Parker had about two weeks worth of clothes, his school books(even though he was on mini-winter break), toys, games, and video games and their respective systems. "Parker why don't you stand outside the door and wait for me while I talk to your uncle?" Booth commanded his son more than requested and Parker nodded in compliance.
"Jared what the hell?" Booth yelled trying not to loose his temper. "What bro?" Jared replied leisurely as he gazed up at his brother not bothering to mute the television. "You trashed my apartment. You bring home strange girls. And worst of all you don't clean up or have her leave or at least dress when my son arrives," Booth bellowed stopping to compose himself. Thinking his rant was over Jared replied dimly: "It isn't like he hasn't seen it before."
Booth glared at his brother whose goofy grin and chuckle faded as his brother's death stare scared him. "That is not even funny. Here is a safe place for him. And you messed that up. You have the balls to leave things like this even when I tell you I am coming. I want you out of here in a week no matter what," Booth hissed his voice and eyes daring Jared to argue to the contrary or make a wise crack. "Okay," he stammered before apologizing. "And clean this place up. I want it spotless," Booth growled before turning to leave. Once his back was to his brother he felt fairly good about what he had done. He had finally stood up and no longer protected his brother, but treated him as he should have been. "Seeley?" Jared asked his voice small. "Yes," Booth replied without turning his anger still obvious. "Where are you and Parker staying?" Jared inquired his tone was actually somewhat sincere with concern. "With my girlfriend. With Bones," Booth replied closing the door behind him as he and Parker walked in silence to the SUV. He knew telling Jared about Bones like that had to have hurt, but it felt good to know his brother was hurting, aching inside.
"Dad?" Parker's small voice said lower than usual in almost a fearful tone as he fidgeted uneasily in the front seat. He had hear his father yell at his uncle and could sense his dad's anger. He was worried, scared, and confused, His chocolate orbs portrayed his mixed emotions. "Yeah buddy?" Booth said forcing a comforting grin as he sensed his son's distressed. He wanted to soothe Parker and put him at easy not worry him more. Once hisson would find out they were not staying at the apartment and instead with Bones he knew Parker would have a panic attack. Parker was not good with people he did not know, they made him uneasy.
"Where are we going to stay? I heard you yell at Uncle Jared and tell him we were not staying at the apartment. And I know you were not joking because you brought all of our stuff," Parker inquired his voice getting small and quiet like a mouse fearing Booth would scold him for listening in on an adult conversation. "Your uncle and I are not getting along, bud. That's all. We are staying at my girlfriend's place," Booth replied patting his son's head for a moment trying to comfort him as he gazed into Parker's eyes quickly before the light changed green.
"But I don't want to," he protested firmly eyeing his father with suspicion. "Why not?" Booth inquired holding in a deep sigh. "Because I don't know her. What if she is mean? What if she hurts me? What if she doesn't like me?" Parker protested as he continued down a long list of possible problems, all of which Booth had no doubt he had encountered with his mother's boyfriends. "She won't hurt you. If she does tell me. No one has the right to hurt you. Not even your mom, me, or the people we date. Okay?," Booth said seriously.
Parker nodded, his mouth opened to say something and Booth noticed but Parker quickly shut it. "Is something wrong buddy?" Booth inquired hoping he had reached out and broken the protective barrier his son had put between them. "I- yes- no. I don't know. Maybe, I don't know how to explain. Or if I should," Parker mumbled his eyes avoiding his fathers in embarrassment as he glared at the ground. "You can tell me anything me. I won't hurt you, I am your father. If you are in danger I can you help or protect you. Understand? Do you want to talk later?" Booth offered hoping he could ask Brennan for help on how to draw an answer out of Parker. To draw the truth out of him and find out if he had been abused, molested, raped, or what. She would know how to, she had to. "Yeah, I'd like that dad," Parker replied nervously hoping his father would forget to talk to him. He was already regretting admitting something had been wrong. What if Booth had found out the truth?"And you know my girlfriend, and she likes you," Booth smiled his grin widening as he recalled Bones interacting with Parker times before. "I do?" Parker questioned his eyes lighting up quizzically with intrigue.
"Yes, bud," Booth replied with a soft chuckle. "Is it Cam again?" Parker asked after thinking for a moment. "No, it is Dr. Brennan," Booth replied grinning as he thought of how he had left his Bones sleeping so soundly and peacefully. How adorable she had looked. "I don't know a Dr. Brennan," Parker replied after thinking of actual doctors he had been to. "You know my partner I work with?" Booth asked stifling a chuckle. "Bones?" he replied. "Yeah, Bones. That is Dr. Brennan. Dr. Temperance Brennan," Booth replied grinning as Parker's demeanor quickly changed. He became visibly happy. His grin mirrored his father's except it was scaled down to fit his small stature, right down to the adorable dimples. "What is she like?" Parker asked suddenly becoming more active and talkative. "She is intelligent, a genius actually. She is beautiful, gorgeous like a goddess, funny, a great sense of humor, kind, caring, nice, considerate, honest, trustworthy, and she would do anything for anyone," Booth replied without even having to consider what was so great about his Bones.
"She is the one for me. The one I want to spend my life with. The one I am going to marry," Booth told his son who merely smiled. Parker just stared at his father not expecting to get close to Bones or closer than he was. He liked Bones, and did not want to be disappointed when this relationship failed. If he had a dollar every time he was promised by his mother that somebody was the one he would be rich, but instead all he ended up with was getting close to father figures and having them walk out of his life. "But when we get there you have to be quiet, buddy. I'll hook you up with the television in the living room and you can watch whatever you want. Bones is not feeling well and is resting so I need to take of her," Booth informed his son as they arrived at her place. He explained it like this because it was the only way it seemed he could make his son understand Brennan was hurting.
Booth did not know how to talk to his son about sex at the age of seven, let alone something as gruesome and vial as rape. He would have to ask Bones for advice, because the more time he spent watching his son the more he suspected he had been. And, if anyone would know how to approach the subject it was his Bones. She was"sick" physically from the memories and needed time to herself. She needed Booth. Parker did not mind being left alone to watch television by himself, in fact it was a great idea. When he was home he was forced to watch whatever his mom or her boyfriend at the time wanted to watch if they were home and were lucky enough to have cable at the time. If they were not home and had cable they hid the remote and locked the television so he could not watch what he wished to. When he was with his dad was the only time he got to watch what he wanted to. And that was only when his uncle was not around because if Uncle Jared was around he bossed everyone including Booth around. But today Parker had witnessed his dad fight back. Things were changing.
Booth carried his and Parker's bags into her apartment and place them in the living room. Booth then showed Parker the spare bedroom where he would be staying and grabbed a pillow and blanket for Parker. Booth laid them out on the couch as he handed his son the remote for the television. He grinned as Parker curled up in a ball on the leather couch underneath the cover of the puffy blanket, his curly blond hair peeking out as it rested on the over sized pillow watching cartoons on the television. Booth kissed his son's forehead and left to check on Bones. His Bones. He figured she would be awake by now, and her hazel green eyes would would be staring at him when the door cracked open. But she was still asleep, angelically and peacefully as he had left her. He could see her she had tosses and turned and became entangled in the blankets. On her face were traces of sadness as she mumbled in her sleep "Stop. No. GO away. Help me." Booth swiftly was at her side as he realized she must be having a he cursed himself, had he not brought up the conversation she would not be suffering so.
"Bones it is okay I am here," Booth whispered soothingly her ear as he resumed the spot beside in her bed. She was not responding to his words positively instead she began to hit him her eyes remaining shut. "Save me Booth," her voice moaned in her sleepy haze and he could feel his heart break. She was in pain, she had to be. Booth violently shook her body. Bones hazel green eyes flew open to find his lips mere inches from hers as he hovered over her, concern etched upon his face. "Are you okay, love?" he implored a hand running down her sweat drenched body as her disoriented mind attempted to decipher fact from fiction. Booth could tell she was far from okay even before she answered. Her body was drenched in sweat, adrenaline was pumping through her veins, she had no idea what was going on or where she was, and she was frightened, her fight or flight instinct had kicked in and it was weighted toward fight.
"I am fine, really. Why wouldn't I be?" Brennan questioned eyeing Booth suspiciously. She really wasn't, she had dreamt of the rapes. They replayed like a slide show from the very first one at age thirteen to the last one the man her father had gotten away with murdering. But, it was just a dream she told herself. There was no way Booth knew what she had dreamt of, right? It was scientifically impossible. And he could not have read any case files about any of her rapes while she had been sleeping because she had not reported one of them. So there were no gruesome details for him to be haunted over, for him to have to think about, to get a mental image, to relive, to imagine the pain, or feel it. Just her. She wiped the beads of perspiration from her forehead and as she glared at Booth waiting for a response.
"Because I left over two hours ago to pick up Parker and you never woke up. When I came back you were twisted up in your blankets, whimpering in your sleep, you were tossing and turning, balling up, you then were yelling in your sleep, and were drowning in pool of your own sweat. When I went to touch you to wake you up you hit me. And now you are panicking, disoriented, confused, afraid, hurt," Booth replied cradling a broken Bones. "I was hardly in danger of drowning, Booth," she scoffed trying to throw him off topic. "Not the point Bones," he whispered into her ear as he clutched her shaking, quivering body. "It was just a nightmare, Booth. Really, I am fine," Bones argued unconvincingly as she tried to make herself believe that everything was fine.
"We can talk later?" Booth suggested hoping she would tell him about the dream since he felt responsible because he had opened Pandora's Box and now she was suffering because of it. After all, she had called out for him specifically in her nightmare. Bones shook her head no, firmly as she crossed her hands over chest before getting out of bed and gathering clothes for the shower. "Please Bones. You called for me in your night terror. I feel responsible. You need to open up, to vent. Trust me, I will not let you get hurt. I can not let you get hurt," Booth pleaded his chocolate eyes filled with sorrow. Brennan froze when Booth said she had screamed his name out loud. What other details had she divulged of her rape in her sleep? And what details had he overheard? Her blood ran cold. "I suppose," Bones sighed bringing a change of clothes and a towel into the bathroom before re-emerging. "I am going to shower. Care to join?" she winked and her voice was pleading Booth for closeness and not for sex, it was blatantly obvious. "Parker is in the living room," Booth replied feeling guilty to deny Brennan the company she longed for. He knew she wanted to feel his presence, wanted him to be there if the images came. Wanted to hide in his arms, burry her face in his chest under the pulsating water, he knew her.
Brennan sighed and walked into the bathroom gently closing the door behind her. Once the door was securely closed and she was left alone with nothing but herself and her thoughts she allowed the tears she had been holdingin to fall freely from her eyes as she fell to the marble floor her body leaning against the heavy, solid door. Her heart was aching, crumbling. She had relived the most horrifying moments of her life. The most recent rapes she had relived were by the man her father had murdered, the head of the FBI and Booth's boss. Bones began to allow the tears flow as she recalled how she felt a year and half ago when her father had murdered the man. It was relief, not remorse for the loss of a life. Booth's boss had been raping her for over a year and Brennan had never had the corage to tell Booth.
Every time Temperance had been violated, silently she had screamed for Booth, screaming for him to save her. Screaming for him to rescue her, to protect her, to find her. But he never did. Once or twice she had screamed for his name for him to save her during the rape and it had only made things worse. Booth's boss was sadistic and made her pay for calling out for Booth to save her. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she gathered herself off of the floor and bean to remove sweat drenched clothing and step into the shower. It was not that Bones did not want to open up to Booth, it killed her not to tell him the truth. To keep it a secret from him and to watch it crush him, his face become crest fallen and the feeling of betrayal. But, how was she suppose to divulge the truth to him?
How was she suppose to tell the man she loved she had been brutally raped for two years by his boss? How could she tell him that she was too afraid to tell him then, and how many times she had came close to telling him the truth but had chickened out? How could she tell him the brutal details? How she had been penetrated with foreign objects, beaten brutally, savagely, among other thing? How could she let Booth know about such a grotesque thing? It would break his heart, it would kill him. He would feel responsible for not having found out the truth, having caught on to where she had disappeared to on almost a daily basis. He would feel guilty for not having seen the bruises, or noticed them. Or maybe he had, but failed to link them with her changing behavior, her need to close up and invert herself more often than before, her sudden disappearances, her increased presence at the FBI headquarters when Booth had not brought her there, her appearing from Booth's boss's office for no reason, and Booth's boss visiting the Jeffersonian.
Brennan did not blame Booth for not saving her or for not uncovering the truth by putting two and two together. If she had not been so stubborn, so private, so afraid, so embarrassed, so shy, so awkward he could have been her Superman. He would have been her hero more so than he is now. He would have been her knight in shinning armour. He would have put an end to her hurting and her suffering. But her own rules for social relationships and her own stubborn nature had prevented her from getting help. She could not hold Booth responsible for her own stubborn actions and trust issues. It was her fault not his, but she could still wish he had uncovered the truth and rescued her. Couldn't she? But now she had to let him and let him know the truth, for her own sake. For her mental health, to stop the night terrors, and for his sake. To let him know she does trust him. But, then she was not ready to tell him the truth of her past. Of foster care and abandonment, and rape. Because then she did not know Booth as well, then he was still a cocky FBI agent and not quite as charming and kind. She did not take kindly to his nickname of Bones or his term of Squints. But that was then, when she was only physically no sexually attracted to him. Now it was much more. It something so deep, so heavy, so sensual, so tangible.
Brennan stepped into the shower and allowed her tired, aching body to rest under the streaming waterfall of hot pulsating water. It felt good as it engulfed her body, she closed her eyes and threw her head back in ecstacy allowing the water to fully envlope her over-stimulated body and muscles. She sighed, her body was tired and her mind exhausted. The nightmare had taken a toll on her physically and mentally. Brennan was so engulfed and relaxed she did not hear the bathroom door quietly squeak open and close. It was only after the invader had stripped and joined her in the shower did she notice his presence. It was when Booth had wrapped his arms around Bones as he stood behind her under the gushing, pulsating waterfall of hot steam.
Bones jumped, her reaction was to elbow Booth in the gut as her eyes sprang open to size up the stranger. Her tense green eyes eased when she saw him clutching his gut. "Sorry Booth. You scared me," Brennan apologized kissing his lips as he stood up, his lips landing on hers. "Its okay Bones, I should have told you I was coming in, but I did not expect Parker to be sound asleep already. I should have known you had ninja reflexes," he replied the last part was in jest as she turned around collapsing against his chest as his arms pulled her body towards his. His hands clasped in front of her breasts as he nibbled on her earlobe. "My reflexes are hardly ninja-like Booth," Brennan scolded as she swallowed a moan. "It was a joke Bones," He whispered his breath lingering in her ear as he gently kissed her ear and then begn kissing the flesh below it working to her collarbone.
Bones grinned as she felt his arousal pushing into the small of her back as she leaned further against him, her head on his shoulders as he ran a soapy wash towel over her arms. When she seemed to drift of into her own world, Booth snuck in a kiss or two from her neckline as soap his hands roamed her body eliciting a soft moan. A sly grin filled his face as he held Bones and saw the sadness and tension begin to dissipate as he massaged her shoulders and back. "How are you feeling?" Booth inquired as his fingertips gently ran circles around her naval. "Better," she whispered her breath coming in jagged gasps of delight as she swallowed the moans of guilty pleasure and heavenly sins in her throat. His devilish grin widened at her obvious euphoria as he lightly sunk his teeth into her now soap free and clean left shoulder. Bones hissed in a mix of delightful pleasure and surprise as he removed his teeth licking the droplet of sanguine liquid from her shoulder.
"Good, I was worried. I did not mean to push you and upset you further. I am sorry love. I just have a lot on my mind," he whispered sincerely into her ear, his lips so close to her and his body clinging so tightly to hers that he could feel her body shiver as his words sent chills down her spine. "Don't be sorry Booth. I just had nightmare. I was reliving the past. Something I wasn't ready for, I had not expected. Something I did not tell you and I am not sure how to," Bones replied turning around in Booth's arms so she could look him in the eyes. His forehead pressed against hers as he gently caressed her face, cupping it in his hands lovingly with a sad grin on his face. "It is okay Bones. You can tell me later. I am always here for you. I will always have an ear to lend you no matter what. Right now I know you physically need me to be here. To hold you. To comfort you," Booth replied his chocolate eyes had an air of despair in them. Brennan nodded grateful for his understanding and acceptance of her situation.
"I will talk to you. Soon, maybe today. I just can not find the right words to tell you, and if Parker over hears what I am going to divulge to you, it will not go well. But later you can tell me what has been bothering you in a little while," Bones offered as Booth began sucking on her neck working on giving her a hickey just below the neck-line of where her shirt would fall. "Okay Bones, we can talk later. But it is not an issue. Right now I am concerned about you. And when you are ready to talk let me know, do not worry about what Parker may over hear. I can get Angela to watch him or Hodgins. Or Sweets(a distinct regretfully bitter tone) because what is effecting you is worth it. And your friends will help out. We want to see you feel better Bones, to relax and open up. Like you use to," Booth explained before pecking Brennan on her cheek.
"Sure, Booth," she whispered not wanting to think about how she was going to tell him the truth about his former boss. The truth about the rapes that occurred for two years. The rapes that went on directly under Booth's nose and he failed to sniff it out. She knew the truth of another rape would kill him, not to mention that he failed to protect her. According to Booth he was the alpha male and it was his duty to protect and serve Brennan and he had failed. And he had never learned of the wrong doing under his nose and was never able to seek revenge. Bones knew all of that would hurt him, but the fact that she had never told him would hurt more. It would hit him harder, he would not understand the fear of rape victim of an abused child in an adult's body. Or would he? But she knew he would be proud that she had opened up. Happy, elated that she trusted him and chose to tell him the truth above everyone else.