✔️Romancing The Bone--- Seeley Booth ✔️

Ch. 9: Mercenary at the Matinee (Part 3) FINAL PART

Lizzie's head was swimming. This man's face was one that haunted her, even though she had interview some of the most hardened criminals. She knew why he was the one that affected her the most, but she refused to let her own past complicate her work. 

Booth was looking at her as though she might break. "Lizzie?" he asked her searching her features for any type of sign. "What's wrong?" Booth prompted again, shocking her out of her stupor. "I have interviewed that man before. He was in prison for murdering his wife and child." Her voice wavered on the word 'child' a flash of pain hitting her square in the chest. "His name was Jessie Parson." 

Booth let his eyes drag every inch of her face as he saw the depths of emotion that she was determined to keep private. He knew that there was something she was leaving out of the story, but he also knew her well enough not to push her. She would tell him when she was ready. "Okay. Then you will know where we should start." He said, matter-of-factly. He knew she wouldn't want the mushy stuff now, she would want to get to work. 

"I do." She replied grabbing her keys. "Let's go." 

Booth watched her, confusion evident on his face as she brushed past him towards the exit. "Where are we going?" he asked her, rushing to match her pace. 

"We need to talk to my mother." 

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The car ride was awkward. 

No it wasn't awkward, the car ride was down right uncomfortable. Booth was racking his brain to  try and remember if he knew that Lizzie's family were the victims of a crime, but he couldn't. That means he must not have known about it, which means that Lizzie didn't want him to know about it. 

"Lizzie..." Booth began, but before he could say anything more, she cut him off. "Booth, please." The words came out as a choked plea and she inwardly cursed for letting any emotion seep through. "This is work, not a therapy session!" She chided herself.  Clearing her throat, she turned back to Booth. 

"We are going to talk to my mother, because..." her next words clumping in her throat.

 "Because, Jessie Parson killed my sister and my niece." 

Booth couldn't make his brain compute the sentence that just fell from her mouth like a whisper. "What?" 

The question was all that Booth could muster, but when he looked over at her face, he immediately regretted asking her again. She looked like she was fighting back a lifetime's worth of tears, her hands gripping the steering wheel so hard, her knuckles turned white. Her lower lip was trembling as she took a steadying breath. 

Lizzie took a deep breath. If she was going to drag him into this, then he deserved to know all of it. No holding back now.

*!!!!! Trigger warning: Mentions an abusive relationship, and details of a murder. If you would feel more comfortable without reading this, skip to the next A.N.!!!!!!!! * 

"My sister Maggie, married him about five years ago. When she brought hi to meet us, I spoke with him and I congratulated them like any supportive sister. He didn't set off any red flags, but I am a psychiatrist for God's sake! I should have seen what he would do!!" 

Her voice was strained with unshed tears but she pushed through. Booth needed to understand what they were about to go through and she needed him to know that she couldn't be strong for this one. 

"A year after they were married, Maggie called and told me that she was pregnant. I was so excited for her! Maggie always wanted to be a mom, but when Katherine came, Jessie changed. Before the baby, he was very possessive of Maggie and her attention, but my mom and I didn't think anything of it. We thought it was cute, heh, what fools we were." She shook her head as her tears gave way to years of pent up anger at herself.