The usual apologies would go here for being so late with an update, but hey. I think you've probably come to expect it by now (I hope)
Just a note... I now have my own blog! It's linked as my homepage in my profile if you want to check it out. I'm going to put all my various writing adventures on there... So Check it out if you get a chance...
On with the story...
Booth grinned as he watched his son climb up the ladder onto the playground they had found. It had been a good day, he had to admit, and he was sure Parker had enjoyed it too. He hadn't realised how much he missed being alone with his son. They had just made it to the playground after spending the day in the park playing baseball. Booth had called in sick to work and had been crossing his fingers ever since that nobody would die. As much as he loved being with Bones, he needed some time with watched as Parker moved through the playground, spinning, pushing and pulling various objects that were featured throughout the play equipment.
"Daddy! Come Push!" Parker yelled across the playground as he sat on the swing waiting to be pushed.
"Okay" Booth made his way over to the swing and pushed Parker a few times and then stepped back and laughed when he screamed with delight as he soared high into the sky.
"Daddy! Look!" Parker grinned
"Yeah, I can see. We better start heading home soon, Parker. It's getting cold out here" He sneaked a look at his watch and was surprised to see it was already five in the afternoon. He let Parker go for a few more minutes and then stepped in to stop the swing himself.
"Let's go, Parker. Home Time" Parker started to argue, then realising that he was in fact cold, leaped off and grabbed his dad's outstretched hand. They walked in silence in the general direction of the car for a few minutes before Parker decided to talk.
"Hey, daddy. I wasn't going to ask you because Bones answered me first but.." he paused for a moment and looked up to his dad. .."why are you so sad daddy? Don't Bones and me make you happy?"
Booth stopped in shock and looked down at his son.
"What? Why would you think that?" Booth crouched down so he was level with his son's eyes. "I'm not sad, buddy. I'm really happy. I love Bones and I love you"
Parker seemed to consider this for a moment. "Are you sure?"
Booth smiled at his son, pulled him in to his arms and lifted him up. "Would I ever lie to you?"
Parker giggled and wrapped his arms around Booth's neck. "I love you daddy"
Booth pushed down the urge to cry. "I love you too, buddy" He held on to Parker for much longer than necessary before speaking again "You're getting heavy mate. Let's go home"
Parker ran ahead and Booth let him go, stopped to take a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut in the process. All he could think of was how Parker would feel if he died and how he had served a child that pain for no reason except that he was told to. Maybe something was wrong. He could never remember feeling this horrible all the time, especially after spending a whole day with his son. He wiped angrily at his eyes and took a steadying breath before walking ahead.
Eventually everything had to improve. Right?
Brennan sighed and blinked a few times to take the blur out of her eyes. She knew she had worked for far too long and the pain in her neck only confirmed her suspicions. She looked up from the report she was writing and noticed that the lights in the main area of the lab were off and almost everyone had left. Was it really that late? She looked up to the click that was on the wall opposite her and groaned when she saw it was eleven o'clock.
Booth was gonna kill her.
She had promised a while ago to Booth that she'd never stay later than ten in the lab and only then if it was of high importance. She could just say that these reports were of high importance as she had to get all the details down straight away since she had just looked at the bones in question only this evening. She knew that excuse wouldn't survive, but she'd try. She hurriedly pushed the files shut, grabbed her coat and bag and rushed out of the lab, nodding at the security guard on the main door as she went. She stopped when she dug her phone out of her bag and realised there were no missed calls and a feeling of panic started to rise. He always called her when she stayed even the slightest bit late. Why hadn't he called?
She quickly hit one on her speed dial and waited for the call to go through and felt her panic rise when Booth didn't answer. She quickly ended the call and then tried again, while opening the car door and stuffing the key in the ignition in a hurry. Again, there was no answer on the other end of the phone and she made herself breathe before making the car start and moving the car out of the carpark and towards home.
She expected that she had broken a few road rules on the way home, but since there were only a few cars left on the road and she had at least checked the intersections despite the nearly overwhelming hysteria creeping through her, she thought people would forgive her.
She parked the car in a hurry, and ran out of the car, trying the phone one more time. She nearly jumped in surprise when Booth answered.
"Hmm?" His voice was soft, mumbled and scratchy. It took her all of two seconds to realise he had been asleep.
She growled and opened the door to their apartment.
"You frustrate me Seeley Booth" She heard a mumbled reply that reeked confusion but closed her phone and made her way into their bedroom. He had only just got off the bed when she came running in, straight into his arms.
"Whoah" he struggled to get out a reply. His arms encircled her and gripped her tighter when he heard a sob escape her lips.
"Bones. Hey, honey. What's wrong?" He tried to step back so he could see her face, but she only pushed herself into him tighter. "Okay. Okay, let's just sit down for a second" He backed around to sit on the bed and concern filtered through when she simply wrapped herself around him and sat on his lap.
"Bones. What's going on?" he didn't receive a reply, but heard her take a few shaky breaths and start to draw back, so he could see her face. He used his thumb to wipe away the streaks that were left on her face from the few tears that had escaped.
"I'm sorry. So Stupid. You weren't answering you phone and you always call me. It was late. Oh god. I'm fine. Stupid" She started to move off his lap but looked up into his eyes when he grabbed her legs and held her in place.
"I'm half asleep here, Bones. You aren't making any sense" he tried a slight smile and was relieved when she returned a half-hearted one as well.
"I was doing reports and it was really late. You usually call me when I'm not home, but you hadn't. I was just worried, that's all. Didn't realise you were sleeping when you weren't answering your phone. Everything's fine"
"Oh. Sorry. I fell asleep earlier. Parker wore me out. I'm sorry, Bones. I should have called"
"I shouldn't have made any assumptions. I'm sorry. I just... freaked out, I suppose. Isn't that what Angela would say?" Booth laughed
"Yeah, but you aren't Angela" he grinned and pulled her towards him, kissed her and groaned when she pushed him onto his back.
"I'm really tired, Bones" he mumbled and then cursed when she started to move down his body and then stopped and tumbled off him.
"Sleep tight" she giggled when she saw his shocked expression.
"Cheeky" he commented and rolled so he was on top of her "I'm sorry I didn't call, Bones"
"It's okay" she said and then continued to show him how okay it really was.
It was early when Brennan woke. Too early, she realised with a quick glance to the bedside table. She brushed her hand down Booth's chest and sighed in contentment at how comfortable she was. She was never a cuddle type person before Booth. She'd always rolled away and slept by herself, yet she didn't know a better feeling when even in unconscious Booth's arms tightened around her. She was debating on whether she should wake him up or not when she heard him talking.
"I'm sorry, so sorry"
"I think I said it was okay last night, Booth" she grinned and pushed off him and noticed that his eyes were closed.
"I had to do it. I'm sorry"
It was only then Brennan realised that Booth wasn't talking to her.
"I had to do what I was told. I'm sure your daddy loved you. Sorry"
Brennan stilled with his words and thought about what she could do. It was obviously he was having a bad dream. Were you meant to wake someone up when they were having a nightmare? This was Booth's thing, not hers.
"No! Don't do that! No!" Brennan jumped when he started yelling and tried to soothe him when his body tensed and his arms reached out to stop the invisible object of his dreams. She didn't know what you were supposed to do, but she didn't want him to be in pain. She rubbed her right hand across his bare chest and her left hand curled around his cheek.
"Booth. Wake up. It's Brennan. It's just a dream. Booth" she started to shake him more forcefully when he didn't make any movement that showed he could hear her.
"No! No! No! No!" he came out of the dream in one shocked movement and she watched as his eyes tried to recognise the surroundings and force his mind to be convinced it was all a fake reality. She pushed herself into a sitting position and gently grabbed his hand that lay limp on the bed.
"Booth. Are you okay? Do you know where you are?" he seemed to only establish he wasn't alone in that second and another to recognise Brennan and then another before he was grabbing her and pulling her into his arms.
"Bones. You're okay. Oh. You're okay"
Brennan knew that she needed to question him, but now she knew he felt scared. When she was scared, Booth hugged her and made it okay. It was time to return the favour.
"Yeah. I'm okay. You're okay. Everything's okay" she moved her hands up and down his back in an attempt to soothe him and was surprised when he relaxed into her arms.
"I didn't want to do it, Bones. I didn't want to do it" She started to ask him what he was talking about and then stopped herself. Soothe. Soothe. Soothe.
"I know you didn't. It's okay. Ssssh. Go back to sleep"
She pushed against him until he was lying down and she was next to him. She rubbed her hand down his chest again and pulled up the blankets when she felt him shiver. She knew he had surrendered to sleep a few minutes later when his body went limp.
"I love you, Booth. We're going to fix this. I promise" she curled into him more securely and let herself go under as well.
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Amelibum. x