Disclaimer: When you wish upon a star makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you. Still wishing, still have a heart's desire to own all things Bones, and yet still nothing has come to me.

Chapter 2 – The Hospital and Home

Parker was sitting on the hospital gurney in a gown that was way to big for him. He had a death grip on Booth and Bones hands. His face was tear stained and puffy from crying. He had started crying in the car and now he was quickly getting to the place where there were no more tears left.

Booth was getting antsy and she could see the vein at the back of his jaw starting to twitch, never a good sign. "Bones, did you get a hold of that doctor friend of yours. Will he be here soon? How long is this going to take? Do we have to wait to talk to the lawyer to get the TRO? I really want that right now." He was babbling, again this was not a good sign, but it was one she would rather see than the alternative right now. The one thing Parker did not need was his Father yelling.

Bones captured his eyes, making sure he heard her, before she started speaking, "Booth, I called Dr. Johnston on the way over here. He has some patients to see, and then he will be here. I called the lawyer while you were getting Parker settled; he has the TRO ready and is just waiting for the conformation he needs from Dr. Johnston." She smiled at him to let him know she understood his fear and continued to rub comforting circles in Parker's back.

Dr. Johnston entered the room saying hello to Bones and shaking hands with Booth after she introduced him. "Dr. Johnston this is my step-son Parker. Parker this is Dr. Johnston." The little boy turned his tear ravaged face up toward her, it was almost her undoing, but she stiffen her spine and resolve. She had to do this for Booth and Parker. Now they needed her to be the strong one, the one they leaned upon. Smiling down at him she ran her fingers softly through his hair, "you don't need to be afraid. He his is a friend of mine and I would not let him hurt you. He is going to examine you. First, he will look at you just like your regular doctor does. Then he will look at your back. That might hurt a bit but your Dad and I will hold your hand. You can squeeze our hands as hard as you like. Then Dr. Johnston will tell us what we need to do next. Can you do that?"

Dr. Johnston began the examination. Parker whimpered when he touch his left elbow and knee. He looked a Bones with a raised eyebrow. She continued to comfort Parker, while trying to remain attuned to Booth's needs as well. Every once in a while Booth would look at her with such pain she felt her heart would break. At his looks she tried to put every ounce of love and courage she had into each look she gave back. When Dr. Johnston tuned Parker over on to his stomach to look at his back, neither she nor Booth could hold in their deep inhale of shock. Parker had bruises covering his back in varying degrees of healing. It appeared his most recent beating had broken the skin as well. She could see Booth was beginning to relive his own childhood and she knew she needed to get him to stop and return to Parker. She reached over the gurney taking his face in her hands gently rubbing her thumb over his cheeks and silently shook her head. As usual he visibly relaxed at the touch of her hand.

Dr. Johnston helped Parker turn over as he explained what needed to be done. A very frightened Parker grabbed Booth and Bones hands as he began. Bones turned Parker's face toward her and began to explain what Dr. Johnson had said they need to do next. "Parker, Dr. Johnston needs to take what are called full body x-rays. They are pictures of all of the bones in your body. He will look to see if there is anything that needs to be fixed. Your Dad and I can not go into the room because of the x-ray machine, but we will stand right outside the door and talk to you. We will not leave you alone ok?"

A small frightened voice asked "will it hurt?"

"No you won't feel it anymore than you did when we took your picture at the zoo and that didn't hurt did it?"

"No."

"Ok are you ready?"

"Yes. Daddy, Bones hold my hands please," and they did all the way to the x-ray department.

Once Parker was in the room Booth could let some of his feelings go. He slid down the wall until he hit the floor, looking like a marionette that had collapsed from the tension. He leaned against the wall and she could see his shoulders start to tremble. Bones made a few quick calls and went to sit beside him on the floor. "Booth I called Cullen and Cam. I told them there was an emergency with Parker, do not worry I did not tell them what it was. I called the lawyer and it is getting to late to get the TRO today, since he needs the doctor reports to make it iron clad. I called Jack and we are staying there tonight and every night thereafter until Parker is safe."

He looked at her with a haunted look and just said simply "thanks Bones, why? Why didn't Rebecca protect him? He's just a little boy. He's my little boy. Why didn't my mother protect me? How can mothers not protect their children? At least yours left you to keep you safe. Didn't my mother or Rebecca love us enough? Why?"

As their tears started to mingle she whispered "I can't answer those questions Booth, I do not know. But we have Parker now. We will keep him safe. We will love him. We will teach him to love and trust again and we will never let him be hurt again. Now here he comes, put on your best charm smile and just keep the tickles coming. We have a little boy to love." They stood, whipped each other's tears away, smiled and reached to take Parker's hand. Together they all walked back to the Emergency Room to get the results.

Reaching the room again Dr. Johnston returned and his litany of Parker's injuries and pain began. He told them at some point Parker's distal radius and patella had been fractured, however they were only chip fractures and they had healed. He didn't think they would cause Parker further problems. His cervical and thoracic spinal cord appeared to be never have had any injuries. Parker's current injuries are consistent with a beating but he couldn't tell what the object was, and the bruises appeared to be in various stages of healing anywhere from eight weeks to perhaps within the last 24 to 48 hours. The cuts on his back were superficial and would only need antibiotic dressings. He asked if they had an attorney and Bones gave him the telephone and fax number. He told them he would write the report immediately and fax it over. He had the nurse dress Parker's wounds and prescribed a mild pain medication, an antibiotic and discharged him. Booth asked Bones to look at the X-rays to make sure nothing had been missed. There hadn't. They carefully dressed him, put him in the car, got his prescription filled and took him to Jack's house.

Angela and Jack met them at the door and let them in. They could see both Booth and Brennan had a haunted look, and Parker appeared to be exhausted. Jack led them into the living room and they all sat down. They noticed Parker insisted on lying with his head in Brennan's lap and his feet on Booth's legs. Booth and Brennan sat so close together you would think they were trying to fuse their bodies. Parker let out little hiccup now and then and Brennan lightly rubbed his back. Looking at them made something in Angela want to cry.

"Ok dude, you know you all are welcome to stay as long as you want with no questions asked. Dr. Brennan mentioned you needed some place safe to take Parker for awhile. I won't pry," he gently took Angela's arm in his hand and shook his head mouthing 'later'. "You can tell us when you are ready. Just tell me what you need man and you got it."

"Thanks, man" Booth replied in the most exhausted voice any of them had ever heard from him.

Bones stepped in and gave them the bare facts, "the school called us today; it seems Parker has been being abused by Brent. We took him right away to get him medical care. Booth does not have any custody rights. If Rebecca gets Metro to come and get him Booth will have no choice but to give him back to her. Rebecca and Brent know where Booth used to live and while we are not sure if they know he has moved to my apartment, we did not want to take a chance. We have to keep him safe until our attorney can get the TRO, which should be tomorrow. Jack no one can get in here and they don't even know you are our friends. I'm sorry if we presumed on your friendship. This could get messy and we don't want to get you involved. If we can just stay here tonight we can go in the morning." Suddenly the events of the day closed in on her and she just stopped.

Angela went over and sat down putting her arms tightly around her best friend. "Look honey, you and Booth are family, so is Parker. You take care of family. You just let us take care of you guy's now. First it looks like all of you need a meal, then a place to sleep. Jack I think we should put them up in the south suite. It has its own entrance, and kitchen. It will allow Parker to feel more like he is at home, even though I'm sure he will love the media room."

"Yeah, good idea. I'm going to call that security company I used right after Dr. B and I were buried alive. They are very good and can stay out of site and not scare Parker."

Booth looked up at his friends; it was hard to remember when they had all become like family. He knew they were there for his family and would help him keep them safe. Bones was right, they needed to concentrate on Parker. First they needed to get him over his injuries then over the trauma. But he was still going to use everything at his disposal to make sure Rebecca and Brent paid for what they had done. He turned to his wife as she quietly placed her hand on his cheek and warmed it. They were the center they would hold.

Angela led them to a room where they could lay a finally sleeping Parker down. Bones leaned over and kissing Booth lightly on the top of his head, whispered "stay with Parker incase he wakes up. I'll bring you something to eat." Booth lay down next to their son and she placed a blanket over them. She watched as Booths exhausted tear filled eyes slid closed and his breathing became regular. Sleep had finally taken her boys out of their immediate pain. She knew it would return when they awoke, but for now they were obvious to it.

Angela was waiting in the lounge when she returned, "Bren, this makes me so angry. Parker is a sweet kid and to think his own Mother allowed this to happen to that beautiful child. No child should go through this, but Parker is one very lucky little boy. Anyone can see you and Booth have a very strong marriage, you will get him through it."

"Yeah Ange we will. Do you have the ingredients to make mac-n-cheese?" They walked in the direction of the kitchen.

It was a few weeks later and every one had seemed to settle in. They had needed to stay with Jack and Angela longer than they had originally thought. At first the Attorney had a problem with the Judge and the TRO. He felt there was no proof that Rebecca had ever beaten Parker so he wanted Parker returned to her. Their Attorney told them since the Judge had failed to issue an order requiring Booth to return Parker, to just make sure Rebecca was unable to find Parker and bring Metro with her to pick him up. Possession was 9/10ths of the law he reminded them. They stayed with Jack and Angela.

Then there had been the temporary custody hearing. The Judge in that proceeding decided since Booth and Bones were being represented by the best (and highest paid) Attorney in the DC area, it was unfair for Rebecca to have less. For some strange reason he felt Bones and Booth should pay for her Attorney, one equal to theirs in stature and fee. So their Attorney finally found someone Rebecca would agree to, that took her another month. It was another two months before both Attorneys' could clear their calendars for a court date. They stayed with Jack and Angela.

Finally all that was arranged, they had a TRO against Rebecca, and full custody of Parker. Rebecca was allowed supervised visitation in their Attorney's office only. She had rebelled and screamed, but the Judge had told her she should have thought of that when she allowed Brent to beat her son. Booth and Bones smiled at that.

After over three months they were ready to return home and they were hit again. Caroline was the prosecutor; the squints were getting all the evidence she need to prosecute. Caroline was charging Brent with attempted murder and child endangerment and Rebecca with child endangerment. After his arrest, at his arraignment, Caroline had argued Brent posed a danger to Parker, Booth, Bones and incredibly Rebecca. He had been held without bail. At his subsequent bail hearing the Judge told Caroline she had overstated her case and ordered Brent out on $10,000 bail. Rebecca quickly came up with the money and just like that Brent was out and a danger to them again. They continued to stay with Jack and Angela.

This had become over 4,000 words and I had to break it up. So you are in for a treat. Chapter 3 will be posted also.

I tried to keep the explanation of Parker's injuries to a minimum. I do want you to understand his injuries are not visible. They were all covered by his clothing. Just another one of Booth's memories from childhood he will have to deal with.

Nyre