Assurance
A/N- Wow! A bunch of people added this to their story alert list, a few to their favorite story list, some reviewed and I even got a favorite author! Thanks so much for all of your support!! So here's chapter two which promises some good BB moments and some cute scenes with Brennan and the boys. Enjoy!
Disclaimer- I still don't own Bones, the characters, or the plot. I'm still wishing though…
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Outside the conference room the Jeffersonian was buzzing with the news: Brennan had gotten foster kids. The information was shared over coffee in the break room, whispered to neighboring coworkers, and left in voicemails. It spread like fire and reached the lab before the four could even arrive.
Booth and Brennan led the boys around the corner and into the lab, where Angela promptly scurried off the platform. "Sweetie!!" She hugged her friend and continued. "I'm so happy for you! Everyone heard all about it!" Brennan couldn't help but laugh.
"You can tell our case is over when the gossip spreads like wild fire." Generally Brennan hated gossip, but since it momentarily spared her the long explanation of what happened, she ignored the pet peeve. Angela giggled and turned to the boys.
"Hi there. I'm Angela Montenegro, but you can just call me Angela." The boys smiled.
"Nice to meet you." They said in unison and put out their hands. Angela shook both as they introduced themselves. Very quickly the rest of the team gathered around the boys and began to make their introductions.
"I'm Dr. Goodman. I'm the one in charge." He showed a smile of authority and shook their hands. Very quickly though, his face turned more serious. "We're all very sorry for your loss." All around the boys, people nodded. They politely thanked the team before Zack stepped forward, placing out his hand.
"I'm Zack Addy, Dr. Brennan's grad student." Zack looked up nervously at Brennan who gave him a smile of encouragement. "Nice to meet you." He finished. Sean and David smiled politely and nodded in agreement.
"Dr. Jack Hodgins." A voice called from outside the ring of people. Hodgins pushed his way through the row and walked over to introduce himself. "You can just call me Hodgins. I'm the bug and slime guy." He smiled with pride at his unofficial title. Sean couldn't help but giggle.
"Really?"
"You bet, kid! If it has to do with bugs or slime, I know it." Booth raised his eyebrows with sarcasm and Brennan rolled her eyes with a half smile.
"Cool!" Sean exclaimed.
"Cool? It's better than cool." Hodgins was getting excited. "Hey Brennan, can I take the guys for a tour of the lab? Show them around and everything?" Sean turned to her with pleading eyes.
"Please, Temperance?" Brennan couldn't turn down those eyes.
"Sure." She nodded and Hodgins clapped once with excitement. "Not too long though. We're going to go home soon." He nodded and led the boys off, rambling about the thousands of types of beetles and how they can help locate where a body or object was found.
Dr. Goodman and Zack returned to Goodman's office to finish the paperwork for Charlie Sanders, leaving Booth, Brennan, and Angela to discuss the situation.
"What happened?" Angela said as they headed towards Brennan's office. Brennan was silent for a few moments before responding.
"I don't know." She said honestly. "Sitting in the interrogation room with Sean, I just couldn't let him go back in the system. He could end up in a horrible home and maybe even get separated from David. So I decided to do something about it. I asked the representative from the Adoption and Foster Care Center if I could take them in, and after a few signatures and an interview it was official."
"Aw sweetie, that's great!" Angela cooed.
"Yeah. They can sleep in the guest bedroom and there's a great K-12 school down the road that they can attend." Brennan took a deep breath thinking of the plans for the boys.
"It looks like you've got it all figured out." Booth said. Brennan looked down at her feet.
"I don't know about that." The tone of her voice told her friend that something was wrong.
"What do you mean?" Angela questioned gently.
"I don't know if I can do this. You know? The parenting thing." Her voice was small again; Vulnerable and full of doubt. "My parents weren't exactly the best example. What if I fail the boys? What if they get into a lot of trouble or get hurt?"
Angela put her hand on Brennan's shoulder. "I don't know much about kids or raising them," She paused and smiled. "but with you as a role model they're sure to turn out great."
At that moment Zack poked his head in the door of the office asking for Angela's help with some paperwork. With an encouraging smile and hug she excused herself from the room.
Booth, who had remained silent for the whole discussion, had something else big on his mind; a secret he had kept from all of his coworkers. It was a secret that had eaten at him inside since they'd started this case. Booth had been especially determined to find this killer because of the way he could relate to the victim's mother. He had always suppressed his desire to tell Brennan his secret due to timing, but as she sat there dwelling on what a bad foster mother she could be he finally decided it was time.
"Bones, I have a confession." He began. She looked up with inquisitive eyes.
"What is it, Booth?"
He took a deep breath. "There's something I haven't told you about myself." It was now or never and she could probably benefit from his advice now. "I have a kid." Booth stated slowly.
Brennan's face squinted in confusion. "A kid?" She echoed.
Booth nodded. "His name is Parker, and he's four. His mother and I didn't get married because, well, I don't know." He paused and scratched his neck, slightly embarrassed. "I wanted to tell you guys but I guess I didn't know how you'd react." Brennan looked at him understandingly. "Well Bones?" He prompted a response.
"Okay." She said matter-of-factly. Booth looked shocked. "What? There's nothing wrong with it. It's natural for one to feel nervous about admitting something like that due to pressure from their peers or colleagues."
"Yeah, but what about my kid?" Brennan had yet to comment on the point of his confession. She shrugged.
"You have a kid." She said simply. "I'm not sure what you want me to say. I do think Parker is lucky though." Brennan smiled. "He's got a pretty cool dad."
Booth spread a grin across his face in relief. "Thanks." He was glad his secret wasn't going to cause a problem.
"But" Booth's ears perked up, dreading the catch to her previous statements. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Hello. Bones. You took two foster kids in and were just doubting your parenting abilities." She gave him a blank stare. "I'm a parent." Her stare was still blank. "I can help." He said finally and she smiled.
"Ah, so you're offering parenting advice." Booth shook his head with a grin.
"No, Bones, not advice. I'm offering you support. Any time you need it just give me a call. I can drop what I'm doing and come help." Brennan let out a breath of air in reprieve.
"Thank goodness someone knows about kids and is willing to help." Booth laughed.
"Any time you need me, Bones. Just call." They got up.
"Thanks Booth." Brennan said gratefully and hugged him.
"Any time." He assured her.
Before Booth could leave though, she stopped him. "Hey Booth?" He looked back at her. "Are you sure I can do this?" He smiled.
"I'm positive." And with that he was out the door and walking towards his office, leaving Brennan to her thoughts.
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The sun was setting over the Jeffersonian Medico-Legal lab when Brennan, Sean, and David got into the car to go home.
The boys had been thoroughly impressed by the tour that Hodgins had given them. Sean had left the lab gushing about all of the cool things they had been shown, like the Angelator and the autopsy room. Half of the ride back to Brennan's apartment was spent talking about some of the most fascinating cases the team had encountered and though the boys didn't quite understand all the details she included, they were captivated all the same.
About halfway home Brennan began talking about their new lifestyle.
"I'll call the school in the morning." She started. "Hopefully you can start on Monday." She glanced in her rearview mirror to look at Sean who had a nervous look on his face. "Is that okay?"
"Yeah." Sean said quietly. "I guess I'm just nervous. I'm always nervous before we start a new school." Brennan could understand. She had been to so many schools she could barely list them all. No matter how many times she was the 'new kid' though, she never got over her fear of the first day. Would students know she was a foster kid? What if no one wanted to talk to her, so she never got a chance to make any new friends? Would her classes be hard? Would her teachers be mean? There were so many things to be nervous about on the first day that it was completely overwhelming.
"I understand." She said simply. David, who had been suspiciously silent for most of the ride, looked up sharply.
"You understand? Look, I don't mean to talk out of place since you're being so nice, but no one really understands the foster system unless you've been in it." He said curtly, and after a moment of tense silence he added, "It's just something that's always irritated me. I'm sorry." Brennan nodded.
"I really do understand." She turned to look at David in the passenger seat. "I was a foster child until my grandfather got me out. That's why I took you boys in. I know how hard it can be. I just want to give you boys a better foster home."
David was silent for a while before apologizing.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"It's okay. It's in our nature to jump to conclusions. I try to base my opinions on logic, though." She smiled at a grinning David and returned to the topic of school. "Liberty Collegiate School is a few blocks from the apartment. Close enough to come home for lunch, but far enough that you won't run into me between classes." She paused and grinned at the boys. "Then there's no way I can embarrass you."
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Unlocking the apartment door Brennan was still briefing the boys about their new home.
"You can each have a spare key for emergencies. The neighbors across the hall, the O'Connells, are very nice. If you have any problems and can't get a hold of me on my cell phone, just talk to them." She put her handbag on the table by the door and turned on the lights as the boys brought in their garbage bags of clothes and backpacks. "Put your clothes in a pile by the laundry room. I'll wash them so they're smell free for Monday." The boys smiled. "While you take care of your clothes and shower, I'll make dinner. What do you two eat?" They shrugged.
"Usually whatever is being served." David said and Brennan nodded, sending them off for showers. They returned to a table of homemade macaroni and cheese and rolls.
After dinner and some talking, Brennan led them to their bedroom.
"You'll have to share the queen bed for tonight, but tomorrow we'll go out and get a set of bunk beds. Is that okay?" The boys nodded satisfied, and hopped into bed.
"G'night, Temperance." Sean said.
"Yeah, g'night." Echoed David.
"My room is down the hall if you need me. Goodnight, boys." Before Brennan shut the door though, she paused and looked at the brothers. Memories quickly flooded into her head and were quickly followed by tears held back by her practiced self control. Thoughts of her brother followed her all the way back into the living room and onto the couch, where she proceeded to let go of her tears.
Her moment of sadness was quickly interrupted though, by the pattering of little feet in the hall. Brennan wiped her eyes and turned around to see Sean standing in the doorway. He moved swiftly to the couch and, before Brennan could ask why, engulfed her in a large hug. She sniffled and patted his shoulder. Sean pulled away and looked into Brennan's eyes.
"Thank you, Temperance." He whispered and her tears returned.
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A/N- Yay! So I hope you all liked it because it's so much fun to write!! By the way, for anyone that's seen the season two episode "The Glowing Bones in the Old Stone House" I couldn't resist adding the part about macaroni and cheese! So as always if you have any CONSTRUCTIVE comments please review! (I really don't appreciate unnecessary bashing.)
Thanks!!
