Title: Moving on
Series: What is love? 10/11
Author: Chymom
Spoilers: Any episode of Bones maybe talked about in this story.
Rating: PG-13
Characters and parings:Booth, Bones,Parker, and Charlie.
Disclaimer: I don't own any thing you know. Anything else thought is mine.
Summary: What happens when Booth comes back? How do things work out for the team?
Beta: MMWillow13 (Thanks for the read over.)
What is love?
End of chapter nine: An ear
He didn't know that someone else had been there part of the times over the last week with him. The man hadn't wanted to upset him and stayed hidden right out of sight. The man hadn't heard the words that were said but, he did see the weight of the world come off Booth's shoulders. It was right after Booth walked away that Max made his way to the spot that he had only moments ago walked away from.
"You always were the easier one to talk to. Thanks for being there for him. I know Brennan will thank you if he ever tells her. I miss you my love." Then he turned and left heading back to his place to get ready for the next week.
Chapter ten: Moving on
By Monday Booth had found his answers. He had called Hacker and talked to him. With Bones and Charlie making the arrest for the case that had left Bones in the hospital he was ready to start his life anew. The group that had been arrested had messed up and left clues that Bones and the squints followed right to them.
Booth knew that Hannah's leaving would always be a pain in his life but, she had been right his heart was here with his family. With all his family, that now he had to show still had his heart. He wasn't lying to himself he had a long road to go but, he was ready for it. First, he had to get his partner back which is why he was now standing in the middle of the lab awaiting her arrival.
"Booth is something wrong?" Cam asked walking into the lab.
"No, I'm needed to talk to Bo…. Brennan for a moment, before I talked to Charlie. Do you know when she should be in?" The sound of the doors opening and closing could be heard as he finished talking.
"Booth?" Brennan spoke his name at seeing him in the lab.
"Brennan, can we talk for a moment?" This was new; normally he would follow her into her office and talk no matter what she was doing. Well, normal before Hannah.
"Alright." She said signaling for him to follow her into her office. He did leaving the door open and standing in front of her desk.
"Is something wrong Booth?" She asked a few minutes later after noticing he wasn't going to speak first.
"Hannah and I split last week." He knew that Parker had told her and he knew that she had helped his son come to terms with his sudden departure. He wasn't told how she helped or why just that Rebecca felt better for him having Bones in his life.
"I'm sorry to hear that Booth." He saw that she truly was. Not that he thought she wouldn't be but it was nice to know that he could still read her.
"How do you feel about being my sole partner again?" He knew it was a big step and he wasn't going to push her but he wanted her back.
"Charlie has been a big part of this team for over a year now. I'm not sure I want to change that now." She saw the look of defeat cross his face.
"However, maybe from time to time it would be good to have you back here. If Charlie is alright with this as well." Her words gave him a small bit of hope that things could be better. That he could have back what he hadn't knowingly given up.
"Thank you Dr. Brennan. I will talk to you later on then." With that he was out the door and headed back to the Hover Building.
"Charlie, can you come in here a minute?" Booth had called the other agent as soon as he got settled back into his desk.
"Sir?"
"I wanted to thank you. Over the last year you have been a great part of the Jeffersonian team. They all speak highly of you. In fact none as high as Dr. Brennan." Charlie was happy for the praise but, it sounded wired for him to hear Dr. Brennan coming out of his boss's mouth.
"Thank you sir." He turned to leave. Taking only two steps towards the door before he was spoken to.
"I wanted to thank you also for taking good care of Dr. Brennan. I know things couldn't have been easy with her and you have done it without coming to me and complaining. Thank you."
"You're welcome Sir. She's hard to handle at times but, once you know what to side step she's much easier to work with." This time the other agent waited to make sure his boss was finished.
"I also wanted to let you know that I will start to work on some of the cases with the team again. Brennan wants you to work some with them too. I will be slowly taking back the post you're doing right now." This information didn't surprise Charlie. He had known all along that when Booth got things right he would want his team back. It did hurt a little but he wasn't going to complain.
"Charlie, I have spoken with Assistant Director Hacker. If things go as planned in two months you will have a new job as head of your own team." This news took a few moments to sink in. Charlie found himself speechless. He had worked years to get to where he was. Now a year after working with a great team he was going to get his own. Then suddenly in his happiness something hit him.
"Sir. No disrespect, but unless Dr. Brennan is ready to work with you again. I will have to decline the new post." Booth smiled at how loyal this man was to his partner.
"I spoke with Brennan a little bit a go. She's okay with me slowly moving back in to my role. I didn't tell her about the new post. I'm leaving that up to you. But things could change so don't go picking out things for your new office just yet." Booth cautioned him.
"I feel the need to speak with her myself sir." The simple statement made Booth's respect for the agent run that much deeper.
"No, problem Charlie. Here's a new case for you two anyway." Booth's smile grew as the other agent took the folder and headed off to call his partner.
Over the next few days the case was solved and things were falling back into place for Booth. Charlie had talked with Brennan and was happy with his boss coming back. His friends were slowly talking to him now. It wasn't as easy as the first time he made friends with them. But he had hurt them it would take them sometime to forgive him for that. This would be his first night with Parker since Hannah's departure.
"Dad." The young man said. He was still mad about how things had gone over the last year and he wasn't going to let his dad forget it.
"Buddy, how's a milkshake and fries sound right now?" Normally the milkshake and fires was saved for Saturday lunch, not Friday dinner.
"Sure." Booth noticed that while his son tried to be mad at him the small smile was in his eyes.
That gave him more hope than anything else had so far. Later on that night after the milkshakes and fries. Parker had a question that had been bugging him of sometime.
"Dad?"
"Yes, buddy?"
"Why couldn't I call Bones, Bones?" The question while Booth knew was coming hit him hard. Taking a moment to find the right words he answered his son.
"Son, things with Brennan were changing. She was distant to me and I didn't know why at the time. I know now but at the time I thought she wanted more respect from us." Booth took a breath as he watched his son think about what he had said.
"I wanted to give her that respect. She never did like the nickname to start so we stopped calling her by it. Does that make sense?" The young man took a moment to run his father's reasons in his mind.
"I guess so but, dad she likes to be called Bones." The one thought that kept repeating in his mind was out of the mouths of babies.
"From you, son. Not from me. It will take her some time to let me call her that again if she ever does let me. I am going to be working with the team again. Things are going to be like before. Are you going to be alright with that?" Booth didn't hear the answer instead his son's flung arms around his waist answered for him.
After that moment father and son went to bed and started their own journey back. The weeks went by and Booth kept his word. He had almost slipped a few times and called her Bones instead of Brennan. However, he stopped himself before it had gotten out.
Two months later Charlie found himself as head of his own team. That worked out well since Booth was back with the Jeffersonian team full time.
Three months after Booths return his world once again changed on him. They were looking over a body when his slip happened.
"What does it look like Bones?" The area went silent. The FBI agents around them knew that the partners were still finding themselves and that Booth hadn't called her that name since they restarted working together.
"Male, mid thirties, he was shot in the leg as well as the back of his head. We need to get him to the lab." It surprised the agents that she went on as if it was nothing. So they got back to work as well. Booth was ready to apologize, but didn't get his chance until they returned to the lab.
"Brennan, I'm sorry." She was standing in her office putting her purse and things down as he followed her into her office.
"What are you sorry for?" She stopped to look at him.
"Calling you Bones. I didn't want to upset you like before." Her face told him that she had heard him but not what she felt about the slip.
"Booth, don't worry. I kind of miss the name." He smiled.
"So Bones, what happened to our guy over there?" She rolled her eyes knowing that things looked to be working out for the team. They had a long way to go but they were getting there.
Over the next few months the old partnership was coming back. The drinks after work. The late night dinners with the two of them. On the Friday night that Parker stayed with Booth the three could be found in Bones living room. They would watch TV or play games. A few times Booth and Parker had even stayed the night with her. It was on one such night that things again changed for the partners.
"Mom, dad said that I have to go to bed. Can't I stay up with you?" Parker asked as he ran into Bones bedroom running away from his dad's tickling hands.
When the partners heard what he called her they both stopped in their tracks. Booth wasn't sure what was going on. Bones had come close to his son but, he didn't want to scare her off. Bones didn't know what to think. She wouldn't mind him calling her that but it wasn't her place to let him. She started to say something when her partner beat her to it.
"Buddy what did you call Bones?" It was then the child noticed the slip.
"Mom is that alright? I know you're not really my mom cause you're not married to dad, but you could marry him then it would be alright right? Please, I want Bones to be mom, dad. Can I call you that Bones please?" The pleading broker her heart.
"I don't mind as long as it's alright with your mom and dad." Booth didn't know how he had gotten so lucky. A few months ago he had given up hope on a family with this woman, but now here they were with his son asking to call her mom. It made his heart pound out of his chest.
"Mom, what do you say to helping the tickle monster get this young man to bed?" Booth and Bones chased Parker for a few minutes until he was tucked in his bed for the night.
A/N: Things are starting to look up for Bones and Booth. Does something happen to change that? What is going to happen on Booth/Bones one year anniversary? Please read the last chapter and find out.
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