Chapter Twelve:

Booth gripped the hard plastic armrests of the chairs so tightly that Cam would have sworn that it would have broken. "Booth." She spoke softly, they were friends, there was no hard feelings about the demise of their relationship, "Brennan is stubborn as anything. She certainly is not going to let this sicko win." She affirmed. "She held on for six and a half months waiting for you, she isn't going to quit now."

"Thanks Cam." Booth was grateful. He knew that she was strong. His cell phone buzzed, alerting him of an incoming call. "Hey Sully." Booth answered.

"How is Tempe?" Sully asked.

"In surgery." He replied. "How is processing the crime scene?"

"We finished about an hour ago. I'm getting ready to head over there with you. Booth, Rosa had to drop Parks off. Her mother had a heart attack and she had to leave quickly."

This was something that Booth didn't need right now. "Okay. Bring Parker." He paused. "Sully, thanks for everything."

"What are friends for?" Sully replied hanging up the call.

--

Booth continued to pace hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. A nurse had been kind enough to find a fresh pair of scrubs for him to change into, commenting that he looked like he had walked through hell, earning glares from the rest of the team. He knew he would explode if someone didn't give him information anytime soon. Booth left the restroom and made his way down the halls, stopping at the nursery glancing in seeing all the new lives that had entered the world. He made a silent promise to them that he was going to make the world safer, the same promise that he made to Parker years ago.

He continued down, stopping at the NICU, hoping that Brennan's son had made it to make it there. Booth started panicking for a moment, until they saw them wheel him in. The neonatologist gestured for him to enter; the nurse handed him a mask and a sterile gown. He was hesitant for a moment, taken back by all the incubators in the room.

"It's intimidating, but it gets better." The nurse told him, sensing his hesitation, helping him tie the back of the sterile gown.

Booth walked over to the doctor, extending his hound out to her.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth."

"Doctor Claudia Dean. You have a strong little mane here." She commented hooking up the warmer.

"He gets that from his mother." Booth whispered. "Do you know how she is doing?"

"I'll have the nurse call up to find out about her. What name would you like on the incubator?" She asked pulling out the pen.

"We haven't discussed that." He said bitterly. Booth felt a renewed anger toward Miller. There was so much that Miller had cheated her from. "Baby Boy Brennan will suffice for now."

"Agent Booth," Dr. Bean began.

"Seeley, please, you are taking care of my son." He told her.

"Call me Claudia." Her compassionate eyes met his. "There are several precautions we have to take with your son. He is going to be feed through a NG tube for the time being, in a couple of weeks we will call the NICU speech therapist to assess his suck and swallow reflex. His eyes will be taped shut until he has a chance to develop his visual abilities. You son has been placed in an oxygen rich environment. He will be on a ventilator until we can wean him from it. He had low birth weight. We are going to feed him now. Would you like to do the honors?" Booth nodded listening to the instructions. He successfully feed him without problems. Dr. Dean turned to leave, and stopped for a moment turning back to him. "Seeley don't be afraid to touch him. Let him know you are here."

She stopped to speak to the nurse, and smiled back at him. "Seeley, Ms. Brennan is out of surgery. They stopped the bleeding and was able to save her uterus. She is in recovery now and they are setting up a room for her in the ICU to monitor her brain swelling. The worst is over now. All we can do now is wait."

Booth nodded, taking in the news, turning back towards the baby. He was so small. The nurse brought over a rocking chair and Booth gratefully sat down. "Hey there Tiger. I'm your Daddy."Booth reached in the incubator and rubbed his small arm with his finger. "You are going to grow up and be strong." He assured himself.

"Like me?" Parker whispered, climbing up on Booth's lap. "The nurse told me I could come in as long as I was quiet and dressed like you." He looked up and saw Sully walking away from the NICU.

"Parker," Booth started, unsure of how to proceed, "This is Dr. Brennan's little boy."

Parker peered in. "He's tiny."

"He'll grow." Booth informed him.

"I'll protect him from the bullies." Parker told his dad.

Parker settled quietly into Booth's lap. "I missed you last night Daddy."

"I missed you too Bub." Booth sat quietly rocking him and Parker back and forth until he heard his son fall asleep. He looked one last time in the incubator. "I'll be back soon Tiger." He quietly left the NICU knowing that the baby was in good hands.

Booth deftly carried Parker down the hall, ignoring the protests of his injured arm. He entered the waiting room, knowing that he was going to be bombarded with questions the instant he entered.

"Any news?" Angela asked.

"Bones is in recovery. The baby is in the NICU. You all can see him if you like. There are tubes and wires everywhere, but Baby Brennan will be okay."

"Is that what the doctor said?" Zack asked.

"It's what I know. With Bones as his mom . . ." Booth trailed off.

"They have good fighting genes." Max finished Booth's thoughts walking in through the door. Booth had called him and Russ. They must have just made it from North Carolina. "Get some rest guys. Russ, Amy and I will take the night shift. We will call any of you if there are any changes." Booth knew when not to argue. "Thanks for finding my little girl."

--

Sully dropped Booth back at his house. Booth invited him in and made coffee when he had Parker settled down and in bed.

"What are you going to do with Parker now that Rosa is incapacitated for a little bit?"

"I'll call my mom in a few minutes and see if she can come to help me out for a couple of weeks. She and Parks get along great." Booth answered sipping his coffee.

"Do you realize we haven't sleep in 48 hours?" Sully said, adding sugar to his coffee.

"I feel it." Booth responded, getting more tired by the moment.

"Booth," Sully reached into his pocket and produced an envelope. "Temperance wrote you several letters while in captivity. I didn't read them, I just made copies of the notebook she had for you. There is also some letters for the group at the Jeffersonian. I trust you will see that the letters get in the appropriate hands."

Booth nodded, accepting the packet. "Thanks for helping me man."

Sully nodded. "You would have done the same for me."

Booth locked the door and made the call to his mom, who immediately started packing to come down and help him out. He was grateful for her. He looked in on his young son, who was out the minute his head hit the pillow. Booth turned to draw the drapes, Rosa must have left in a hurry. He stared out the window hoping that Brennan and her baby would make it through the night. Exhausted, Seeley Booth attempted to fight sleep just in case Brennan woke up and needed him. Eventually though, his exhaustion won out and he fell asleep in the arm chair, with a picture of him and his Bones on his lap.

AN: Y'all asked for more, I delivered more in my cold induced delirium. I hope that all of this made sense. Please review. Have a great night.