Surprise! I wasn't planning on doing a sequel to 'Don't Cry', but I couldn't help it. I set up the end of the story so that if I decided to continue, I would have a specific idea for the sequal. Well, here it is.
This won't be nearly as long as 'Don't Cry' and these will mainly be one-three shots depending if you guys want continuations on any of the chapters.
Basically, this story follows Booth, Brennan, and the kids on vacation at the house they bought (the house they were thinking about in 'Epilogue Part II'). Each chapter(s) will take place during the summer starting with July 2021 (which is two months after 'Epilogue Part III'). I have no idea how far in the future this story will go, but we'll see.
If you have an idea of something you want to see them do on vacation, let me know. I'm open to prompts/suggestions for where you want to see this story go.
Enjoy :)
Booth pulls into the driveway of their vacation home in North Caroline and switches the SUV into park. He turns the key and looks at the sleeping duo in the backseat. He glances to his left and smiles at his partner, who is also asleep, her head resting against the car window. It's been a long drive. "Bones." He nudges her when she fails to respond to her nickname. "Bones," he repeats, raising his voice a little.
Brennan jerks, pushing away from the window. She stretches and rubs her eyes with her knuckles. She turns her head and raises an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
He smiles and unbuckles his seatbelt. "We're here…finally."
She swallows and looks out the windshield, the familiar cream-colored garage door of their beach front house comes into view. She undoes her seatbelt and pulls on the handle, soon realizing that the door is still locked.
"Sorry." He presses the unlock button on the door.
She shrugs, still dazed from her nap. She opens the door successfully this time and steps out onto the cobblestone. She opens the back passenger door and shakes Henry awake. "We're here, buddy."
Henry's eyes pop open and he looks around. He relaxes when he makes eye-contact with his mom and smiles sleepily at her.
She smiles back at him and unbuckles him from his car seat. She lifts the sleepy toddler into her arm, allowing him to flop down against her chest and shoulder.
Henry wraps his arms around her neck and his legs around her waist and nuzzles his face into the crook of her neck, closing his eyes. "Mommy, I sleepy."
She nods, stroking his hair, and walks around the back of the SUV to the trunk. She holds her son against her with one arm and opens the hatch with her free hand.
"Get the kids settled in the house, Bones. I've got the bags."
She reluctantly agrees, knowing there is no way she can carry her suitcase, Henry's suitcase, and Henry all at the same time.
"Princess, go with your mom inside the house."
Christine nods, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She yawns and brushes her messy hair out of her face.
"Is Parky coming still?" Christine asks when they reach the front door.
Brennan nods. "He and Cody are driving down tomorrow."
Christine smiles. "Good."
Brennan unlocks the door and opens it wide, motioning for her daughter to walk through it into the entryway.
Christine yawns again and passes the threshold into the familiar space. She takes a deep breath in and exhales.
Brennan leaves the door open for Booth and heads for the elevator. She presses the up arrow and steps into the cart when the door slides open a couple seconds later.
Christine follows her mom and looks around the small space. "I still think this is soooo cool." She watches the numbers change from one to four before the elevator stops with a rumble and the door squeaks open. She's the first one out and turns to the right, practically running towards the bedroom she claimed as hers the first time she saw the place before her parents even made an offer. She jumps into the bed and instantly melts into the puffy white and purple comforter. "Ah."
Brennan sticks her head in and laughs. "When your dad brings up your suitcase, get ready for bed. It's late."
"Yes, mom." Christine snuggles farther into the soft cotton and closes her eyes.
Brennan shakes her head and walks across the hall. She turns the knob and opens the door, stepping into the room that's been Henry's since he was a year-old. She flips on the light and sets the sleeping child on the bottom bunk of the tree house bed.
Henry opens his eyes and yawns. "Mommy?"
"I'm right here, Honey. Daddy's getting your suitcase and then I'll help you get into your pajamas so you can go back to sleep."
Booth knocks on the door and enters the bedroom. "I put your suitcase in our room, Bones." He sets Henry's bag on the mattress and leaves again, pulling Christine's bag with him.
Brennan unzips the small superman duffle bag and pulls out a pair of boxers and a T-shirt. She helps Henry undress and change into his pajamas, doing the most of the work because the little boy is just too tired. "All right. Let's go brush your teeth and go potty. Then it's bedtime."
"I don't gotta go, mommy."
She raises an eyebrow and looks right into his brown eyes. "Are you sure?" She nods. "I'll take your silence as a no, mister. Come on."
Henry takes her hand and they walk out of the room.
Five minutes later, Henry's tucked in and Brennan walks across the hall. She knocks on her daughter's room and then opens the door, peeking in. She smiles, seeing the ten year-old snuggled under the covers. "Goodnight, Sweetheart."
"Goodnight, mom." Christine rolls over and curls into a ball, drifting back to sleep.
Brennan shuts the door and turns to walk down the hall, only to run right into Booth. She steps back and rests her hand over her heart, catching her breath.
"Whoa, there, Bones."
She rolls her eyes. "Let's just go to bed."
Booth nods and leads the way to their bedroom, which is down a floor. He stops just before entering the room and turns to Brennan, giving her a mischievous smirk.
Despite knowing exactly what's coming, it still surprises her when he scoops her up and carries her across the threshold like he's been doing since they bought the house two years ago. "Booth!" She squirms and kicks, unable to control her laughter.
"Shhh. You'll wake the kids." He carefully drops her on the king-sized bed and leans over her, crushing her lips with his.
She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him back, hard.
He finally pulls back, the need for air too great to ignore any longer. "I'm gonna take a shower…wash off the long drive. Parker said he'd call when he and Cody got on the road. He was gonna leave around ten, so they should be here around four-ish."
She nods, her exhaustion creeping back. "Okay."
"I'll leave the door open so you can get ready for bed while I'm in the shower."
She nods again. She was about to ask if he would do just that. She stands up and walks over to the corner of the room where Booth had put their suitcases. She carries her bag over to the bed and sets it down on top of the sheets. She grabs a red tank top and black, red, and white plaid pajama shorts, before heading into the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes later, both of them are in bed and asleep.
The next morning, Brennan's in the kitchen, sitting at the L-shaped island, having a cup of coffee and enjoying a piece of toast. She looks to her right and smiles at Henry, who's making a mess while eating his apple cinnamon oatmeal. "How's your breakfast?"
Henry gives her a grin and a thumbs up. "Awesome." He picks up his sippy cup and sucks up the apple juice inside, washing down his oatmeal. "Where's daddy n Rissy?"
"Your daddy's in the shower and your sister is still sleeping." She runs her fingers through her son's hair and takes another bite of her toast.
"I go wake her." He slips from his stool and makes a quick exit to the elevator.
She watches him disappear behind the door and waves back. "Crazy boy," she mutters. I suppose that will teach Christine to wake up earlier.
Booth emerges from the elevator a minute later and wraps his arms around his wife, dropping a good morning kiss on the top of her head. He pulls back and takes the stool that his son just vacated. "Parker called. He and Cody just left her apartment."
"It wouldn't have been the same with him."
He nods. "I agree, but we can't expect him to come every summer, as much as I wish he would."
"Yes, I know, but it's still nice that he decided to join us this year after all."
"It is nice. I'm glad he did." He pauses. "You eat breakfast?"
She motions to the plate of crumbs in front of her. "I had two pieces of toast."
"How about some eggs?"
She nods, picking up the anthropology journal lying discarded to the side. She flips to the page she dog-eared and takes a sip of her coffee.
Henry comes back into the kitchen with a grumpy-looking ten year-old girl trailing behind him. "Rissy wake now."
"He jumped on me," Christine shouts, being a little overdramatic.
"Eggs, Princess?"
"Yes, please," Christine grumbles, sitting at the island counter, her comforter wrapped around her. "When's Parky gonna be here?"
Brennan gives her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Later this afternoon. He and Cody just left."
Christine snuggles into her comforter and fights back a yawn.
"How do you want your eggs?"
"Scrambled, dad."
Booth nods. "You got it, Princess."
Henry finishes his now lukewarm oatmeal and pushes the bowl away. "All done." He gets down and scurries over to the sink. He pushes his stepstool over and climbs up, setting his bowl in the sink and reaching over to turn on the faucet.
"Don't forget the soap this time," Brennan reminds the little boy.
Henry pumps some soap into his palm and scrubs his hands together, blowing at the bubbles he's creating. He giggles when one lands on his nose and then pops. He rinses his hands and dries them off before he climbs back down onto the floor and shoves the stool back into its hiding place. He throws his arms in the air and beams. "All clean."
Brennan smiles. "I see." She pauses. "Come here so I can wipe off your mouth."
"We swim now?"
Brennan cleans off her son's mouth and shakes her head. "We can go swimming after your sister and I finish our breakfast, okay, bud? You can go watch TV until we're ready."
Henry nods and takes off for the family room. He plops himself on the beanbag chair and switches on the TV.
Back in the kitchen, Booth puts a couple servings of eggs on Brennan's and Christine's plates, adding three strips of bacon to the latter's. He pours some orange juice into two glasses and sets them in front of them. He makes himself a plate and pours himself a glass of OJ before joining his girls at the counter.
Around 4:30, the front door opens and Parker and Cody walk in. "Dad? Bones? Hello?" The two young adults pad through the entryway and head straight for the kitchen.
Dakota looks out the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, while her boyfriend continues to the dining room. "Parks, I think they're outside," she calls, reaching for the hem of her thin, pale blue T-shirt. She pulls it up over her head, revealing a sparkly deep purple and aqua striped bikini top. "What do you say we go join them?" She unbuttons her jean shorts and pushes them off her hips. She steps out of them, kicking them up and catching them mid-air. She slips out of her sandals and turns to face him again.
He just stares at her, glancing up and down her bikini clad frame. He swallows, finally tearing his eyes away and meeting her questioning emerald gaze. "Yeah, sure, sounds good."
She takes a step closer to him and pulls his hands away from the hem of his T-shirt. "Allow me." She slowly pulls the shirt over his head, taking her time to run her hand up his torso. She rises up on her tippy toes and plants a kiss on his lips. She steps back and smirks. She takes his hand and tugs him towards the French doors leading onto the porch. "C'mon."
He nods, lets go of her hand, and touches her shoulder as he runs ahead of her.
"Hey!" She runs after him, in attempt to catch up to him.
Hearing laughing, Brennan turns her head and sees Parker and Dakota racing towards the water. She smiles and glances at Booth, who's in the water with Christine and Henry.
Parker comes to a sudden stop when he reaches his stepmom and smiles. "Hey, Bones. We made it."
Dakota runs right into him, falling on her butt, laughing so hard she can hardly breathe.
He turns around quickly and gasps. "Cody, are you okay?"
Dakota rolls her eyes. "Course I'm okay. It's just sand." She pushes herself up and smiles at Brennan. "Hey, Dr. B."
Brennan nods. "Hello, you two. Your dad's in the water with your sister and brother, Parker."
He nods and glances to the spot where his girlfriend had just been, except now she's not there anymore. "Cody?"
"C'mon, slowpoke!"
He turns his head towards the distant voice and spots Dakota halfway towards the water's edge. He takes off after her, ending up running ahead of her.
Dakota leaps onto his back, wrapping her legs and arms around him, and allows him to carry her the rest of the way.
Brennan sits back and laughs at their antics.
Later that night, Booth and Brennan have just finished cleaning up after dinner and are both now enjoying their evening coffee on the deck overlooking the beach.
Something catches Brennan's eyes and sets her coffee down on the railing. She pokes Booth in the shoulder a couple times to get his attention.
Booth turns his head and raises an eyebrow, jerking away before she can poke him again. "What are you doing, Bones? Stop pokin' me."
"I was trying to get your attention. It worked." She smirks. "Look…out there." She glances towards the water at the two silhouetted figures in the distance. "Is that Parker and Cody?"
He nods. "Yeah, I think so."
"What are they doing out there? I thought they were watching a movie in the theater downstairs."
He presses his finger to his lips. "Shhh." He turns his focus to his son and leans against the railing. He strains to hear their conversation, but they're just too far away. He sighs and resigns to just watching them.
"Are you spying on them?"
"Yeah."
She shrugs and leans against the railing too, hooking her arm around his waist and turning her focus to her stepson and his girlfriend. "What do you think they're saying?"
He shrugs. "I don't know. Damn, I wish I could hear them from here."
"We could get closer." She starts to move, but he stops her.
"No. They'll see us and our cover will be blown."
She nods. "Okay." She gasps, seeing Parker drop to his knee and pull something from his pocket. "Booth."
He blinks. "Is he doing what I think he's doing?"
"If you're thinking he's proposing to Cody, then I would say I believe he is doing exactly what you're think he's doing." She pauses. "Do you think she said yes?"
He sees his son leap up, pull Cody into hug, and then lean in for a kiss. "Um, yeah, I think she did."
"Well, we knew he was thinking about it." She pauses. "He's young, but you said you knew that you were going to spend the rest of your life with me the first time you saw me, so perhaps Parker knew that about Cody, as well. He is a lot like you, you know."
He nods. "C'mon, let's go inside. We can confront them later."
"Confront or congratulate?"
He laughs, pulling her away from the railing. He rests his hand on the small of her back and leads her into the house. He leans in and presses a kiss to her ear as he whispers, "Same thing, Bones."
Do you want me to continue?
