CHAPTER 9. Punches & Piggybacks


True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen.

- François Duc de La Rochefoucauld


Parker clung onto Brennan's neck as she charged around the apartment, letting him ride around on her back. He was screaming with laughter and wiggling his legs around in the air. Booth was taking a shower and Parker had decided he wanted Brennan to give him a piggyback tour around her apartment, even though he really knew his way around perfectly.

She couldn't stop herself from mirroring his laughter. The amount of pure joy these two amazing people had brought to her life all at once gave her a warm feeling right the way down to her toes.

When they heard a knock at the door, Brennan made her way into the hall, still carrying Parker around behind her. They couldn't stop laughing and Parker reached out and undid the catch, pulling the door open as Brennan held onto his legs to stop him from slipping down.

When she saw who was standing there Brennan frowned to herself. What was Sully doing here? She gently set Parker down on the floor and he automatically wrapped his arms around her waist, standing at her side as his shyness crept in.

"Hey, Temperance," uttered Sully smiling.

"Who's this little thing?" he asked, gesturing towards Parker.

Brennan stroked Parker's head softly. "This is Parker," she smiled, "he's my..."

She stopped herself, realising what she was about to say. He's my son. "He's Booth's son," she answered. When she said this, Sully's eyes clouded, and she could see the jealousy building up inside of him.

"Why are you here, Sully?" she snapped.

He took a step forward as if trying to gain entrance to her apartment but she stood firm, blocking him from going inside. "Wouldn't you prefer it if we spoke... privately?" he whispered, glancing at Parker.

"Parker wants to stay by me," she uttered, as Parker reached out and clutched at her hand, begging her not to leave him alone. There was something that made him uneasy about this man's presence and he needed Brennan to keep him feeling safe.

"Anything you say will have to be said in front of him, so I hope you keep it appropriate," Brennan insisted.

Sully nodded although he looked extremely annoyed at having to talk in front of the small boy. "Temperance, I know you said that you are not willing to give me another chance but I just can't accept that. I am in love with you, even after all this time, I can't let you go," Sully said.

Parker's bottom lip quivered and he tucked his head in next to her hip, frightened that Sully was going to take Brennan away. She squeezed his hand gently, assuring him that everything was going to be alright. "We have been over this. I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you again. I love Booth, Sully, it's always been Booth. I'm sorry that I let you have feelings for me when I knew I could never return them, but you aren't going to change my mind," she stated firmly.

She was breathing heavily and she glanced down at Parker who smiled up at her. She ruffled his hair gently and that's when Sully noticed the ring.

The anger that had been slowly been building up inside of him came pouring out. "I can't believe it! You're engaged? You're marrying him and didn't even have the decency to tell me?" he fumed.

"Yes, I am marrying Booth. I love him, and frankly, I didn't tell you about it because it has nothing to do with you. You were hardly going to be top of my invite list," she said, infuriated that he was shouting at her with Parker standing there.

Without warning, Sully's hand came crashing down and connected with the side of her face. She gasped and his hand hung in mid air, trying to rationalise what he had just done.

"Tempe... I'm sorry... I..." he whispered, reaching out with his other arm and trying to hug her. She was in complete shock; her hand moved up and brushed her cheek which had begun to pulsate with pain.

Parker started to sob, furious at what this man had done to Brennan. He lunged forward and kicked Sully in the shins violently, causing him to cry out in pain. Tears were rolling down Parker's cheeks uncontrollably and he screamed at Sully.

"Don't you ever touch my mommy again!" he cried, trying to pound at Sully with his clenched fists as Brennan pulled him backwards and scooped him up off the ground, cradling him into her chest.

"It's okay, sweetie," soothed Brennan as Parker clung to her neck, lovingly nuzzling the red patch on her cheek with his nose whilst still battling the river of tears that sprung from his eyes.

"I hope you're proud of yourself, Sully," she snapped, close to tears herself. Hearing Parker's screams, Booth appeared around the corner having just changed after his shower. Seeing Parker crying in Brennan's arms, he walked towards the doorway.

"What's going on?" he demanded, clenching his jaw and staring at Sully. He wrapped his arm around Brennan defensively.

"I should get going," stated Sully, but Booth realised that something wasn't right and grabbed Sully's shoulder, pulling him inside the doorway so he couldn't leave.

Parker lifted his head up from Brennan's shirt and looked at Booth.

"That man hit mommy," sobbed Parker. Brennan bit her lip, turning her head so that Booth could see her swollen cheek.

"You son of a bitch," growled Booth, not caring that Parker was present to hear it, not caring about anything in that moment except for the safety of his family. He grabbed Sully by the collar and forced him against the wall pinning him there, before reaching up with his hand and seizing his chin.

"You come near my family again and I will snap your neck without a thought, you got that pal?" Booth shouted.

Sully was panting, not daring to struggle against Booth, standing silently.

When he didn't respond Booths rage surged even more. "You got that?" he yelled, causing Sully to nod desperately. Booth released him from the wall and shoved him towards the doorway.

"Now get the hell out of here," he snapped, once more draping his arm around Brennan's middle as Sully hastily left the apartment. Once he was gone, Booth slammed the door shut and locked it behind him.

Gently lifting Parker out of Brennan's arms he kissed him on the forehead. They all walked to the sofa and sank down onto it, cuddling up together. Despite what had just happened, Brennan felt strangely touched by the situation. She realised something that she had been aware of for these past few months but had never dared to admit to herself; she finally had her own family, and she wouldn't give them up for the world.

Parker stared at Booth and smiled up at him worriedly. "I kicked him, daddy. I know you say it's naughty to kick but I had to. He was hurting mommy and I couldn't let him," Parker confessed.

Brennan took his hand and gripped it softly. "Thank you, Parker, it was very brave of you to protect me," she whispered, pressing a kiss into his palm. Her heart buzzed every time he said the word 'mommy' and it made her want to reach out and hug him.

"You know, bud, sometimes it is okay to kick people and today was one of them. When someone does something bad to somebody you love it's only natural for you to want to hurt that person. You did good bub; you were only looking after your mommy. I am very proud of you," Booth grinned. He held his fist out and with his free hand Parker reached out and knocked their knuckles together.

"Thanks, daddy," Parker smiled, blushing.

It was almost half an hour later when the pair finally managed to get Parker settled in bed. They relaxed on the sofa, their bodies tangled together as they watched one of the documentary shows that Brennan loved so much.

Booth couldn't avert his gaze from her bruised face and, realising he was staring at her, she glanced up at him and smiled.

"I'm so sorry, Temperance," he whispered, tracing the outline of the mark with his gentle finger, "I should have been there. I should have prevented this from happening to you. I hate that he touched you, I hate that he hurt you."

He leaned forward and brushed his lips over the wound. She turned her face around, capturing his lips with her own. She kissed him deeply before pulling back and smoothing her fingers over his cheek.

"It wasn't your fault, Booth; there was nothing you could have done. Besides, we have our own little warrior to look out for me now don't we?" she laughed, before smiling at him devilishly. "There is something you can do now though," she whispered.

"What?" he asked, as he ran his fingers through her hair softly.

"You can kiss me better," she grinned. He leaned forward chuckling, and pressed thousands of fluttered kisses onto her face.


This chapter is dedicated to: K. Elisabeth

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