This is intended as a one shot as I don't have any idea where to take it after this but if inspiration strikes I'll write more. It came to me quickly and was written just as quickly so it isn't a properly fleshed out story or anything.
Temperance Brennan is pacing her office impatiently. Booth was supposed to her half an hour ago to pick some evidence up and she hates waiting, especially when she has a lot of other work to do. Booth finally appears, striding from across the other side of the lab. She notes that he looks a little flustered.
"Sorry Bones." He says somewhat breathlessly.
"What kept you?" she asks, standing with one hand on her hip glaring at him.
"Parker." He states. "I had to take him to the doctor."
"Oh." Brennan suddenly loses all anger at him for being late. She knows how important Parker is. "Angela has the evidence packet for you." She says. "I just need your signature and its' all yours." She starts out of her office with Booth on her heels and heads to her friends office.
"Is parker okay?" she asks as they walk. Booth looks a little surprised at her concern.
"I'm sure he's fine, the doctor just wanted to do a few tests." Booth tries to sound unconcerned but Brennan knows he's worrying. She feels like she needs to say something to reassure him but she doesn't know what would be appropriate. Instead, she just rests her hand on his arm momentarily.
Three days later Brennan arrives home after working almost none stop at the lab for two days. She is exhausted and looking forward to a long hot bath, glass of wine and a good book. Just as she puts down her bag and coat her home phone rings.
"Brennan." She answers quickly.
"Uh hey, it's me." Booth says, sounding very subdued.
"Hi." She replies, surprised to be hearing from him. His silence tells her something is up. "Booth, what's wrong?" she asks. Booth doesn't seem to be able to speak and Brennan is becoming increasing concerned. "Booth?"
"Uh, it's Parker." His voice is deep and shaky.
"What's happened?" Brennan probes.
"The doctor, he uh, he thinks Parker might have uh leukaemia." Booth manages to get out. Brennan is momentarily silenced. She regains her composure enough to get more information out of Booth.
"Where are you?" she asks. I need to go help him.
"DC general." Booth tells her. "Bones…" he trails off.
"I'm coming over." Brennan states. When she hangs up she rushes through to her bedroom and yanks off her uncomfortable work clothes. After changing into jeans and a large grey hooded sweater and sneakers, she grabs her keys her cell and stuffs some money into her pocket before hurrying out of her apartment. Her mind is racing and all she can think about is being there for her partner when he so desperately needs someone. And he called me she has an after thought. Booth called me when he needed someone.
Brennan hurries through the hospital to the paediatric ward and starts looking for Booth. After navigating several hallways she finds him slouched over in a chair, his head in his hands.
"Booth." She calls to him as she approaches. He glances up and relief washes over him knowing that someone he cares about is here with him. Brennan is quite shocked by his appearance. He looks incredibly dishevelled, his eyes are bloodshot and his complexion pale, almost listless.
"Hey Bones." He tries to sound normal but it doesn't come out that way. As Brennan stands before him she is overcome with the need to comfort him, something she has never been comfortable doing. But right now it seems right so she wraps her arms around him and pulls him into an embrace. Booth buries his head in her shoulder and closes his arms around her back. He holds her tightly, like letting go would destroy him. She finds her hand running through his hair and she softly whispers to him.
"You're going to get through this." She hears Booth sniff and she wonders if he's crying. She's never seen him do that before but if anything could bring him to that it would be his son. Booth finally draws back from her and quickly wipes his face.
"I'm sorry Bones."
"It's okay Booth." She tells him. Her hand remains on his shoulder. "Tell me what's going on." She urges as she guides him back to the chairs.
"Parkers doctor, she was concerned about the tests he had done the other day." Booth explains. "With the other symptoms Parker had she wanted him to undergo more tests."
"Nothing has been diagnosed yet?"
"No, we're waiting on some test on Parkers cell counts or something, I don't remember what they called it." Brennan sucks in a deep breath.
"Where's Rebecca?" she asks.
"In there with Parker." Booth gestures to the room opposite where they are sitting.
"How's she doing?"
"She's a mess." Booth sits up straight and sniffs. "Bones, what if he has it?" Booth asks. "What if Parker is sick?" Brennan takes a moment to think through her answer carefully. She figures hearing statistics isn't going to help.
"If Parker is sick, then the treatment options are good. Especially if it's caught early." She tells him. "And he'll have you and Rebecca to help him through it." Booth listens then hangs his head. Brennan finds her hand rubbing the back of his neck, not really caring that this is behaviour outside the scope of their relationship. She's never really been in a position to comfort Booth before and something about it seems so natural.
A few hours later Brennan is alone. Booth has gone to sit in the room with Parker and Rebecca. She doesn't know what else to do for Booth. She isn't used to being in a situation like this. As her thoughts drift to what she'll do if things turn out badly for Booth and his son, her cell rings interrupting her.
"Brennan."
"Sweetie, it's me." Angela speaks. "I called you at home and the lab, where are you?" Angela asks.
"I'm at the hospital." Brennan states. She doesn't realise how that might sound to Angela.
"Sweetie, are you alright, did something happen?"
"Sorry Angela, I'm fine." Brennan rubs her brow. "It's Booth."
"Did something happen to him?" Angela panics.
"No, it's his son, Parker." Brennan explains. "The doctors think he might be sick."
"Sick how?"
"Leukemia." Brennan states. "But Booth and Rebecca are still waiting on test results so they don't know anything yet."
"Did Booth call you?" Angela probes, wondering how Brennan came to be at the hospital.
"Yes, he seemed upset." Brennan replies.
"You must be exhausted though, you've not been home for a couple of days."
"I am but Booth needs someone and I'm here."
"Okay, well call me later." Angela hangs up leaving Brennan to return to her thoughts. The longer she sits the more she realises she's hungry and she remembers she never had any dinner. She wonders if Booth and Rebecca have eaten either and decides they've probably been too worried over Parker to eat. So rising from the hard hospital chair she heads for the hospital canteen.
A half hour later when Booth comes out of the room he doesn't see Brennan anywhere and he wonders where she's gone. It wouldn't be like her to leave without telling him, still he worries that she's left. He doesn't worry for very long though. No sooner has he sat down than Brennan appears around the corner carrying a brown bag.
"Hey, how's he doing?"
"Sleeping. He doesn't really know what's going on." Booth shrugs. "What you got there? He asks, gesturing to the bag in her arms.
"Oh, I went across the street and got some food." She sets the bag down on the sea next to Booth and takes a seat herself. "I thought you might be hungry." She says as she starts to pull containers from the bag. Booth looks reluctant as she hands him one with a burger inside but Brennan gives him a look that says 'you will eat' and he accepts the container.
"Here." She then hands him a soda and looks confused as Booth begins to smile. "What?" she asks.
"Nothing." Booth grins. "Just, well, thanks Bones." He says.
"What for?" she asks.
"For this, for being here." Brennan gets embarrassed and shyly turns away. "I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome." She says quietly.
The next few hours at the hospital pass in a blur. After eating and persuading his ex girlfriend to eat something too, Booth goes back to sit with his son. Brennan curls up as comfortably as she can on the hospital chairs and waits. She's exhausted but doesn't want to leave because she senses that Booth needs her. Maybe not me, just someone she tells herself, still unsure that he called her because he wants her and not just because there was no one else. Brennan doesn't even realise she's fallen asleep up Booth wakes her up in the morning.
"Hey Bones." He shakes her gently. She groans as she sits up, stretching her aching muscles.
"Hmm, what time is it?" she asks.
"A little after seven." He tells her.
"I need coffee." She yawns.
"Dito."
"How about I go round up some coffee and bagels or something." Brennan offers.
"That would be great." Booth smiles. Brennan notices that although his mouth forms a smile, his eyes are still filled with worry. She stretches her arms out then rises to her feet. Booth stand and watches her leaving, thinking how lucky he is to have someone so prepared to drop everything when he needs them.
As Brennan returns from the hospital canteen with fresh coffee and a food resembling bagels she spots Booth and Rebecca talking to a doctor. It looks like maybe the doctor has the results and Brennan doesn't want to interrupt so she sets the food and drinks down and takes a seat. She glances down the hall every so often and after about ten minutes Booth, Rebecca and the doctor have disappeared into Parker's room. She rises to her feet when she sees Booth emerge from the room and starts walking towards him. She can tell as she strides down the long hospital hallway towards him that whatever the doctor has said is good news because Booth now has an enormous grin plastered on his face and he looks like he can't keep still.
"Booth?" she asks as she draws closer.
"Bones!" Booth steps forward and wraps his arms around Brennan. Taken by surprise Brennan's arms stick out to the side as Booth lifts her off her feet and twirls her around. He then sets her down gently and does the unthinkable. As her feet make contact with the floor again and Brennan tries to make sense of Booth's hug, he cups her face with both hands and plants a not so short kiss directly on her lips, leaving her stunned. There, I kissed her. So she thinks it was just a celebratory kiss, I still got to touch those lips of hers and she hasn't slapped me Booth grins and finds the words to explain to Brennan what has happened.
"Parker doesn't have leukaemia. He's anaemic and will he's getting treatment for that but he's going to be fine real soon." Booth grins. Brennan stands with wide eyes and two fingers against her lips. He kissed me she thinks. Get over it Brennan, it was just a friendly my kid isn't sick, kind of kiss she tells herself.
"I'm glad to hear that Booth." Booth slips his arm around her shoulder and draws her over to the window looking into Parker's room. Brennan tries to clear her head and stop thinking about Booth kissing her but with him standing so close she is finding it hard to do anything but remember the feeling of his lips on hers. They look in on Rebecca and the doctor talking to Parker.
"Look at him." Booth smiles. "He looks better already."
"He's a strong boy, takes after his Dad." Brennan smiles. Booth squeezes her shoulder drawing her closer again.
"Bones, I don't think I could have got through last night without you." He turns and meets her eyes. "Thank you." He says softly.
Okay, okay, don't hate me. I just thought this would be a funny twist on the first kiss scenario we all love writing about. I hope you liked it!