Title: Time to Heal
Series: Anniversary 2/?
Author: Chymom
Spoilers: Any episode of Bones may be talked about in this story.
Rating: PG-13 (nothing bad said but implied)
Word count: 1,808 words
Characters and parings: Bones, Booth, Parker, Rebecca, Sweets, and OC.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you know. Anything else though is mine.
Summary: What happens to keep Parker in the hospital? For years Booth has watched the strong woman laying in the bed. How is she still surprising him?
Beta: xoc 13
Authors Notes: Any and all honest feedback is welcome. Some of this may sound a little AU but please read on there is a reason behind it. THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO FAMILY. Sorry for the delay RL is hard to plan around sometimes.
Anniversary
End of chapter one: Fear
"What is it? Did something else happen to him that we don't know about?" The fear in her voice was apparent as was the sound of the group holding their breath. They had all seen Booth join Jack in the hallway and talk for a moment before he joined them in the waiting room. Booth hadn't looked scared or upset more than he already was but that didn't mean anything.
"Its just that when I told Parker that he had kept Dr. B safe when we couldn't he told me…" He waited a second, trying to get the words right.
"What?" Angela gently asked as she slowly rubbed shapes on his hand.
"He told me that he didn't keep mommy safe. That the men had hurt her anyway." The team took a moment to look at each other. Bones had been there for Parker a lot over the last few years and they all knew that he would need her for the next years to come. However, no one knew how close he thought of her. That one slip was all it took to make them more at ease. Yes, the last few hours may have been hurtful but the family, their family, was strong and it just got stronger. With each step there would be heartache but with each day it would lessen. Things were going to change and the family in the waiting room only hoped it would be in the way they wanted for. They weren't happy about the way it had happened but happy that it seemed to be happing.
chapter two: Time to heal
Parker awoke a few hours later to hearing his mom and dad fighting. He was going to be able to go home now and that brought new feelings. Was Bones going to be safe? Was he going to be safe? He wanted to make sure. He had just opened his eyes and was going to sit up when he heard his mom again.
"I knew that you would put my son in danger one day! I have been praying that day never came but now that it has I will not let it happen again!" His mom was pissed off. She was yelling at his dad as if they were the only two in the room. When he heard her words he shut his eyes tight, hoping that they hadn't seen him.
Bones had been woken up by this point and opened her eyes as Parker closed his. She didn't want to make things worse so she just listened and watched over Parker as they talked. Not liking what she was hearing, she had started to move when her partner answered back.
"Don't you think I know this, Rebecca? Our son saw things today that I wouldn't want anyone to see. He saw the ugly part of my job; the part that I have kept hidden as best as I could for years from him. But you know as well as I do that they didn't plan this out. Parker was in the wrong place at the wrong time. If he hadn't been there…" Booth was interrupted by his ex standing toe to toe with him now.
"If he hadn't been there, they would have gotten you another way. I know the drill, Seeley! I also know that you will not be able to put him in that spot for along time to come. He will be at school or with me for the next few months. Or until I see that he is in no more danger." Rebecca forgot that anyone else was in the room. In fact, she forgot were they were until Bones and Parker's doctor stepped into the room.
"Mama, I know this must be hard on you. But this is a hospital. I will not have you hurt my two patients in here or in any other room. Yes, things have happened and they may or may not be cause of his job but you need to cool off and think about what is the best for that boy. He needs all the love and support he can get right now!" He could see both of them looking towards their feet for a moment and say his chance to help the boy out.
"I understand that you're his dad and you're his mother, right?" He asked looking from one to the other. At their nods he went on.
"Some of his blood work came back funny. I know that he was going to be going home today but I would like to keep him a few more days to make sure what is going on with his blood, if that's alright?" He again awaited a nod from both parents.
"Okay, then. You, mama, need to take a walk to clear your head. Go for a drive. I don't care how you do it but you need to calm down." He watched as she looked towards her son on the bed. Quickly walking to him and kissing his sleeping head she walked out of the room without looking back.
"You, Seeley, need to get something to eat. You won't be doing your partner or son any good if you're in the bed beside them." At first he thought Booth was going to say something but he simply walked over, kissed his son's head and his partner's hand and left the room. Waiting a minute the doctor turned to the bed where Bones and Parker laid.
"They're both gone." He knew Bones was awake and that she heard at least what he told them.
"Thank you, doctor. What is wrong with Parker's blood work?" The staff knew from the other times that Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth had been here that when it came to loved ones they wanted it in black and white.
"You're welcome, Dr. Brennan. I didn't do anything and his blood work is fine. I know that a Dr. Sweets wanted to talk to Mr. Parker before he left and that after what he has been through that he needs the love and support of his family. If he left today, I am not sure when and if I would see him again." Brennan knew what the doctor was talking about. She feared the same thing. Unbeknownst to them both, Parker had heard it all and wanted to stay safe in Bones' arms.
"Anyway, I have others I need to check on. If you need anything, call. It might make you more comfortable if I move him to his own bed." The doctor went to move him and watched as he pulled himself closer to Bones' body.
"He's alright here." She told him as he walked out of the room. Brennan found herself lost in worries about how to help her partner not only get through this but his son as well. She didn't even notice that his son was looking at her with huge puffy eyes for a few minutes.
"Bones, are we safe?" His question was one that she had been asking herself but unlike him she knew her answer.
"Yes, Parker. We are. Your dad is here and we have agents outside the door when he's not and the men are in jail." She knew from Booth that two of the men were dead but she didn't see the need to enlighten Parker of that. Accepting her answer he settled back in her arms and flipped the TV on.
It was about half an hour later when Booth reentered the room. Seeing Bones and his son talking about something on the TV made him smile as if the last few days were just a bad dream. Then he heard the sound of the hospital around him and knew that the nightmare was just beginning.
"Daddy, look Bones says that Flipper couldn't do that. I think he can. What do you think?" The answer to what movie was answered and they spent the next hour or so talking about what was real and made up.
It wasn't until a the next day that Rebecca returned to her son's room. She had called the night before and talked with Booth and Dr. Sweets. They all came to the agreement that after Parker was released he would be going home with her. She wanted to make sure things were alright and came by daily to check up on him. Some times she stayed all day and some times an hour. It went that way for a week. Then the doctor along with Sweets felt it was safe for Parker to head home.
Both Dr. Sweets and the main doctor pulled Rebecca to the side before he was released into her care. They told her that if she had any fears or something didn't seem right to call one of them immediately. She promised she would and went to get her son.
"Bones, why can't I stay with you?" Rebecca heard him ask as she walked into the room. Hearing the question her mind jumped on an answer. 'cause your Bones is who helped your daddy put you in danger' but being the good woman and mother she was she didn't voice her answer.
"Parker, I need to heal and in order for me to do that I have to start walking again and talking to Sweets." Bones hated the idea of having to relive that night again but she couldn't do it with Parker around yet. And she knew that if she was going to get to go home she had to go through all the fear and pain again. However, that didn't mean that he had to hear it. She was seriously thinking of kicking Booth out as well for her talks but wasn't sure yet.
"I see but I still don't think it's fair!" Parker pouted as he noticed his mom had come into the room. Kissing Bones and his dad goodbye he left for the night.
That had been the hardest night for them all since this nightmare began. Parker had awoken Rebecca countless times with screaming for Bones. Booth had taken to sleeping in the other bed in the room since this was a private room anyway. He like Rebecca had been awaken but his screams came from a scared Bones for his son. It surprised him just how much of the fear and memories she had kept hidden when Parker had been in the room with them.
The days got easier but sometimes the nights were harder. It hurt Bones over and over to talk about what had happened. The first two talks she had asked Booth to leave the room which he had done unhappily but still he had done it. The next time Sweets asked that he stay. Both partners looked at him but he didn't say why.
A week after Parker went home so did Bones. She was still healing both physically and emotionally. Her body was taking longer then she liked but it wasn't like she could turn on a switch and that would heal her. Her mind was finding it hard to pull herself out of the every growing fear that something would happen and they would once again be in that room at the lab.
A month later neither Brennan nor Parker had set foot in the lab. Sweets had asked that Dr. Brennan stay out of the lab until she got an all clear from her other doctor. She of course fought with him but when Booth and her family agreed with him that was the end. She stayed at home and worked on her book. Sometimes she would talk to Angela or Jack during the day about something. Other times Booth would bring over a case file or paperwork. Since she was hurt he had been working with Cam until she was better.
Parker had been to stay with them a few weekends in the month. Tomorrow was the day that both Parker and Bones were going to the lab for the first time with Sweets as a healing time. Booth's view of Sweets had changed over the last few weeks. He still thought of him as a pest at times but he was helping his family out. How could Booth not respect him for that?
"It's time." Booth heard as Cam and the team came out into the center of the lab.
A/N: What happens when Bones and Parker are face to face in the spot that caused so much pain for them? What is going to happen now that they are there? Like most of my Parker, Bones, and Booth stories this one is writing itself so please let me know if I go to far or if something sounds off. Thanks for reading.