Disclaimer I know I haven't updated for a long time but it's been really hectic at collage with to mayors at the same time so I had to take a break. I hope you guys continue reading this story and reviewing because your reviews has been the reason why I'm updating again. So to not delay this any longer here is a new chapter, hope you guys like it.
Chapter 11
It must be around two a.m when I feel someone sneak in the bedroom and get into the bed with me. I open my eyes to find Parker with tears running down his cheeks looking at me with a frightened but yet, touch hopeful eyes. Before he says a word I open the sheets for him to hop in with me. He gets in really fast and I take him in my arms.
"A nightmare?" – I ask him and I feel him nod against my chest –"It's ok you are with me now, no one will hurt you again, I promise son" – And I feel him relax a little at my words.
We are lying together for a while when I notice that his breath is slower. He has finally fallen asleep and, it's then, when I allow myself to follow him knowing that tomorrow I will need all the strength possible and praying for a happy ending.
Brennan's POV
I leave his house with the biggest of the smiles in my face and butterflies swarming, as Angela says, in my stomach but there's also some worry about the trial tomorrow. We have to help him get the custody, of that I'm sure, or it will devastate both of them and, as much as it surprises me, it would affect me too.
I hail a taxi to my apartment where I collapse in the couch as soon as I enter. The day catching up wit me, but I know that I have to make a call before going to bed. I take the cordless from the small table at the side of the couch and I dial Angela and Jack's number.
"Angela"
"Hey Ange, it's me" – I greet her.
"Hello sweetie, what's up? Are you still with that hunky agent of yours?" – she asks mischievously.
"No Angela, I left him with his son I think they need each other right now"- I explain to her.
"Your right Bren but they will also need you" – She says and by her tone I assume she expects me to deny it or something but I surprise her with my answer.
"I know" – I say softly.
"Don't deny it sweetie you know I'm…wait a sec! Did you just say I know?" – She asks confused.
"Yes I did. They will need me as much as I will need them" – I answer this time a bit unsure of the truth in my words.
"Don't doubt yourself now. So did something happen?" – she asks curiosity clear in her tone.
"Angel this is not the time for worshipping I need yours and Jack's aid to help Booth with the custody" – I explain releasing how much I want to go to bed.
"Of course you can count us in! Is something wrong? Wait don't answer I'm gonna put you on speaker so Jack can hear you too ok?"- She says making me grateful for only having to say this once – "Ok sweetie you can talk now"
"Hi Jack" – I greet my friend and after receiving his hello I start explaining to them what's wrong – "Look the thing is we have to try to help them, Booth and Parker, I mean. Tomorrow is the trial and Booth had a meeting with his lawyer this afternoon and there could be some complications" – I say with a grim tone.
"What kind of complication?" – Asks Jack and by his tone I can feel his dreading to hear the answer and any other time I'll be thinking how much has meeting Booth has changed me but now is not the time for these thoughts, so I refocus myself and answer him.
"Well it seems that his lawyer told him that because of them not being married he doesn't have that much rights over Parker, and even if we can prove Rebecca's and her mother's mistreatments there's no guarantee that they will give him the custody, even more after Rebecca said that if the boy can't stay with her, it will go to the system, but never under any circumstances can he go to Booth" – I say tears rolling down my cheeks, not being able to prevent them now that everything has sinking in and saying it out loud only makes it more real.
"How can that be possible?!" – Asks a shocked and outraged Angela but in her voice you can detect she's crying too by the way is cracking and it's making me feel more in a family than ever.
"He says that it's because of his job, it's dangerous so there are no guarantees of Parker's safety and also because of Rebecca's request of not going to him" – I say sadness marring my words.
"But she doesn't have any credibility, I mean she's letting her mother hit her son, her word doesn't stand a chance. His job, yes, it could be a problem. But what I don't understand is why does she doesn't want Booth to have him?" - Asks a confused Jack.
"I'm not sure but for what I could sense talking with Booth it could be to hurt him" – Says Angela and if anyone can sense this things that is Angela.
"Yeah, I suppose that could be true. How can she do that to them? He's one of the most amazing person out there, he's caring, sweet, brave, selfless, always ready to help…and such a sweet and good kid…"- I ask confusion, sadness, anger and tears showing in my voice.
"I don't know, Bren, I can't understand it either" – Says Angela distressed too.
"What are we gonna do? We can't let them take Parker away because he will end up going either back to Rebecca or a foster home. It will kill them both" – I say and in my mind I add that it will kill me too because it's true, I finally have a family; my father is now here and living his life visiting me every couple of weeks, Russ is out too and with a family of his own, Jack and Angela are finally back together and happier than ever and Zack has been out in probation for a couple of months. Things seem to be as they are supposed to be, more than ever, now that Booth and I seem to have found way together and if they take Parker away from Booth after everything it will crush him and all of us too, but before I can think in more repercussions Jack's voice brings me back.
"We won't let them! There must be something we can do" – Jack says conviction marring his words making me feel everything will go alright – " What we will do is offer ourselves, if Booth agrees, to be Parker's 'guardians', what I mean is that in the eyes of the world, legally speaking, we will in some way be his tutors so in case anything happens to Booth we will be there to take care of Parker and, even if I don't like my fortune, in this case it will come handy because it will give some extra points with being able to nurture Parker in case of need and also connections to pull this off. But it will also help a shared custody. Someone, to Booth's agreement of course, should offer itself to share Parker's custody so it won't rely only on Booth that way his safety won't be a big issue, at least not as big. But of course he will have to agree to all of this" – He adds the last in an afterthought. I'm left speechless for a couple of minutes and I'm brought back to the present by Jack's next words – "I'm sorry, it was only an idea" – He says and I can see he feels insecure about the idea.
"No, no, Jack it's amazing, it's a great idea!" – I say and I really believe it, it can help us, and I tell Jack so – "It's simply wonderful, if Booth accepts and I think he will, he could get Parker custody, but he will have to be fast to find someone to share it with" – I say and part of me is hoping to be that someone and I accept it. I know I should feel like running because it's too fast, we have kisses for the first time only about an hour ago and I have only spent today's afternoon with Parker, but so much has happened in only one day, and I have changed so much in one day too, and I feel at ease with them, like I belong there, I feel at Home and I love it.
"Sweetie, I think both of us know who will he choose" – says Angela and I don't know why but her words reassure me, I suppose that having someone else saying it makes it more plausible – "But the thing is sweetie, what will you say if he asks you?" – she asks anxiousness showing in her words.
"I'd say yes" – I say to them without missing a beat and without a doubt in my mind that that it's exactly what I want.
"Oh Bren that's great!" – Angela says squealing, I let a small laugh escape my lips but suddenly I remember the situation we are in and all humor leaves me.
"Jack, Angela, do you recon we should meet with Booth and Parker for breakfast and discuss this with them?" – I ask them hopping to settle this with enough time before the trial.
"I think that is a great idea Dr Brennan" – Says Jack – "The dinner at 7?" – He asks.
"That's fine, I'll call Booth tomorrow morning and after breakfast we can go to the lab, like we planned on doing"
"Ok Bren. We will let you now go to sleep and don't worry everything will work itself out you will see" – Angela reassures me one last time before the three of us exchange our goodbyes and hang up.
I put the cordless in it's place before I get up from the couch where I've been sitting through all the conversation and I go to the kitchen for a glass of water all the while feeling a bit lighter and hopping that Booth agrees with Jack's idea. I take a glass from the cabinet and I fill it to the brim with the bottle of water that I take from the fridge. I take the glass and I gulp it down, I put the glass in the counter and leave it there, I start heading for the bedroom when I pass in front of the calendar that I have in my kitchen and I see something writing for tomorrow afternoon. 'Afternoon out with dad' I forgot! I have to meet Dad tomorrow afternoon, but tomorrow is the trial. I have to be there, Booth needs me and I need to be there. I'll call Dad and explain it to him maybe we can change it for another day. I get the cordless again and dial my dad's number.
"Hello?" – He asks from the other end.
"Dad? It's me Tempe" – I say.
"Oh! Hello Temperance. How are you?" – Dad asks me and I see my opportunity.
"Well, I'm fine Dad. And you?" – I ask before anything else remembering Booth's lesson in social politeness or whatever is called.
"I'm fine Tempe, looking forward seeing you tomorrow!" – He says enthusiastically making me feel guilty for asking him this but I know is the right thing and he loves Parker too so I know he will understand.
"That's why I'm calling you Dad. I'm sorry, I don't think we can meet tomorrow, something has happened" – I explain to him hoping he doesn't take it wrong.
"Is everything ok? What has happened?" – He asks and the worry in his voice makes me feel glad to have him in my life again. I explain to him everything that has happened today, he only interrupts a couple of times to ask some questions and every time the anger in his voice makes my skin crawl and recoil a bit in fear. After a half an hour or so recounting him the events he surprises me with what he says next.
"I'm glad you are there with them Tempe, helping them through this and about tomorrow, I'd like to go. Booth has done so much for us that I'll like to be there to help anyway I can, non criminal I promise, and Parker is such a great kid…Please Tempe" – He says and my respect for him grows and now I definitely know that we, all of us, are family and as family he has the right to be there.
"I'll love for you to be there Dad. And thank you for being so understanding with all this" – I say surprising myself knowing that any other day I wouldn't have cared less but if today has taught me anything that is the importance of family.
"You have nothing to thank me Tempe" – Says Dad – "Like I said Booth has done a lot for our family, his family too and Parker too. So when should we meet tomorrow?"
"How about you come for lunch to the Jeffersonian? We can go from there to eat. I don't know which time is the trial so…" – I say thinking about talking to Booth tomorrow about my Dad coming. I hope he's okay with everything that will be thrown to him in the morning.
"Ok, how about I go tomorrow around noon? That way you can talk with Booth and tell him about me coming and ask him to come too if he's free, and Parker too of course" – And I can't help but laugh a little at his words, in this few months that he's been out he's gotten to know me quite well, not as good as Booth, I think nobody can know me as good as him, but well enough to surprise me from time to time.
"Ok Dad. I'll see you tomorrow" – I say closing the conversation and looking forward going to bed.
"Ok, goodnight Tempe"
"Goodnight Dad" – I say hanging up. I get up from the couch, hang the cordless in it's place, I turn off the lights and head to the bedroom where I start shedding my clothes. I put my pjs on and go to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I get on the bed and turn off the lights.
As I lay there in my bed I start thinking about today. I can't understand how much has happened in only one day, not even 24 hours, and my life and the life of Booth and Parker has changed radically, I know that maybe theirs has changed more than mine but somehow I feel that I'm not the same person I was the night before, I feel light and happy, but what happened to Parker, the trial tomorrow and the possible outcomes it's like a dark cloud that somehow should demise all happy thoughts but it doesn't, not completely and I feel guilty for it, but I can't, not after that kiss with Booth, that amazing kiss that even now makes my toes curl with pleasure.
That amazing kiss held more emotions than all my life together, it was so intense and it felt so right…like coming home. And it's right now when I realize that Home is not the Jeffersonian, it's not my house or Booth's, home is wherever Booth and Parker are. It's beside them and taking care of them and letting them take care of me. I still don't want to get married and I'm not sure about having kids on my own, even more after what happened to Parker, but I love Parker and I wouldn't mind quite the contrary actually, now that I think about it, spend the rest of my life with the Booth boys and that scares me a little, but only because I'm not sure Booth or Parker wants the same. But for now what we have is enough, besides it's too soon to think that, and there's still the trial tomorrow but I want a future with them on it. I can only hope they want it too because now I know what it feels to be more than partners with Booth I can't go back to be only friends.
With this thoughts running through my mind I feel my eyelids drop and I finally succumb in the arms of Morpheus.
So here is the chapter hope you guys like it and it was worth the waiting, I have the next two chapters ready so I will update as soon as possible. Anyways, review and tell me what you guys think, I really makes it easier for me to write and update sooner.