AN: The few sentences that are in italics in this chapter are from the book, 'The Incredible Journey'. The book is great and so is the original movie that was made in 1963. If you've only ever seen the re-make from the early nineties, 'Homeward Bound: he Incredible Journey' I definitely suggest finding the original because to me the story loses something when you give voices to the animals. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this as it is the last chapter of the story. And as a side note, does anyone actually give the birds and the bees speech anymore or is it always, "When a man and a woman love each other very much…" Just curious. Let me know what you think.
Snow fell outside in thick, fat flakes, blanketing the ground and muffling the noise from the street. Temperance shifted on the couch, trying to ease the ache that had taken up residence in her back. She'd been on forced maternity leave for a week, and wasn't happy about it. She'd fully intended to work up until she went into labor, but Dr. Tarlow and Cam both agreed that it would be best for her to take off a little time to rest before labor began.
"Bones, I'm bored," came a whining voice from the vicinity of the basement. The voice was immediately followed by the sounds of footsteps clomping up from the basement.
"I'm sure there's plenty to do Parker," she called back, turning as the grouchy eight year old joined her in the living room. He crossed his arms and sat on the couch in a huff.
"No there's not. I don't know where dad put the Wii and the stupid snow made the TV go all fuzzy." Brennan smirked at the obstinate sound in Parker's voice, but schooled her expression into something she hoped resembled empathy for his situation.
"Well how about this then. Why don't you go into the library and look for a book called, 'The Incredible Journey' and I'll read it if you want to keep me company." Parker looked skeptical, but shrugged and hopped up to do what she said anyway. Spending time with his stepmother had to be better than staring at the fuzzy television screen. It took him a couple of minutes to find the book, but when he did, he hurried back into the living room and handed it to Brennan as he sat down next to her.
"What's the book about," he asked as she carefully tucked her blanket around the both of them. Despite the fire in the fireplace, and the heater on, the room was a bit cold. That's what comes of living in old houses, she thought as she opened the book to the first page.
"It's a story about three animals who travel across the Canadian Wilderness to find their family. My dad used to read this to me and Russ when we were little and there was nothing else to do."
"Grandpa Max likes this book?" Brennan nodded and waited as Parker seemed to be contemplating something. After a moment, he nodded; his mind made up and turned back to Brennan. "I guess if Grandpa likes it then it has to be good."
"I'm glad you hold my father's opinion in such high esteem," she said and cleared her throat. Never had she thought that she would one day be repeating this tradition with anyone, but here she was, curled up on the couch and about to read one of her favorite books to her stepson. "This journey took place in a part of Canada which lies in the northwestern part of the great sprawling province of Ontario."
"Bones?"
"Yes Parker?"
"Have you ever been to Ontario?" She looked up from the book for a second and shook her head.
"No, I haven't. I have been to Montreal in Quebec though. I worked with another forensic anthropologist on a consult."
"Oh, okay." He looked at her with anticipation again, waiting for her to continue. Temperance shifted again, annoyed that the ache in her back made it hard to find a comfortable position.
"It is a vast area of deeply wooded wilderness-of endless chains of lonely lakes and rushing rivers. Thousands of miles of country roads, rough timber lanes, overgrown tracks leading to abandoned mines, and unmapped trails snake across its length and breadth…"
XxXxX
"Honey, where are you?" Max Keenan shut the kitchen door behind him as he stomped the snow off of his boots. When he didn't hear her answer, he frowned and headed off to see where she was. He paused in the doorway to the living room and smiled at the sight greeting him. Parker was curled up next to Temperance, snoring lightly as she ran her fingers through his mop of curls. His smile faltered at the grimace that appeared on her face though. "Tempe, are you okay?"
"I believe I'm experiencing labor pains," she hissed as deep pain ran in a wave from her lower back to her abdominals.
"What? How far apart are they? Why didn't you call anyone?" Max hurried to the couch as Temperance relaxed back into the couch and took a deep breath when the pain subsided.
"I wasn't sure until a few minutes ago that I was actually experiencing contractions, but they seem fairly close together. I haven't been able to time them." Her father sighed and ran a hand down his face. Her hospital wasn't far, but the snow was making driving nearly impossible.
"Okay, you wake up Parker and call Booth, and I'll go upstairs and grab your bag. We need to get you to the hospital." He didn't wait for a response as he hurried away to get her bag from the master bedroom. Even though he'd been through this with his own wife twice before, he'd never been so nervous. This was his baby that was in labor. He could still remember her in pigtails, sitting in his lap while he read to her and Russ. His chest tightened slightly, and not for the first time, he regretted leaving her alone at such a young age. Pushing the guilt back, he raced into her room to pick up the suitcase she'd packed a few weeks earlier. He raced back down the stairs, suitcase thumping behind him and rounded into the living room.
"I'm sorry, but you need to track him down and inform him that his wife is in labor." Brennan had a surly look on her face as she slowly paced the living room. Parker was still trying to wake up from his nap and looked at her, confused. "Yes, he knows what hospital to go to. Yes, thank you." She hung up the phone with a huff.
"Couldn't get a hold of Booth?" Max brought a coat over to Parker and Temperance, helping his daughter into hers as she huffed again.
"No. If he's on the firing range with the recruits then he wouldn't have his phone on him."
"I'm sure he'll get the message in time to make it to the hospital. Now let's get going before that baby decides to pop out to say hello." Parker frowned and looked back and forth from the two adults.
"Bones are you having the baby?" Brennan inhaled sharply and held her breath for a moment as she nodded. The eight year old looked at her solemnly and grabbed hold of one of her hands. "Don't worry. I've been watching the Discovery health channel and I know just what to do if you have to push." Temperance would have laughed if she didn't hurt so much.
"I'm sure you'd go a great job too Parker," Max said as he waited for his daughter to relax again. "But hopefully we won't have to rely on you to help with delivery. Now let's get to the hospital, okay?" Brennan exhaled as the contraction ended and headed out to the car with her father, pausing when she felt a trickle down her leg.
"Dad, we don't have a lot of time. My water just broke." She gritted her teeth as he helped her into the car. This was why she needed Booth. If he were here, then they could use the siren and be there that much quicker.
XxXxX
"Okay Temperance, we're just waiting on the anesthesiologist and then we can get started," Dr. Tarlow stated as Temperance was prepped for her c-section. Brennan shook her head and looked toward the door.
"No, we have to wait for Booth to get here. He has to be here when the baby is born." Dr. Tarlow sighed and looked at her patient.
"I understand your wanting him here with you, but your bag of waters has already broken and we can't risk infection by waiting. The monitors show that due to the weakened state of your uterine muscle, your child is going into distress. We can't wait."
"But he wasn't there when Parker was born. He needs to see this."
"Do you want to risk your child's life?" The doctor locked eyes with the anthropologist. After a moment Brennan shook her head and wiped at the tears gathering in her eyes. "There's a good girl. It'll only be a couple of minutes and we'll have you all prepped, okay?"
"Okay." The door to the room opened and Temperance looked up expectantly, but felt like crying as the anesthesiologist entered the room with his equipment. Booth wasn't going to make it. She would have the baby and he wouldn't be there to see it. Tears began to stream down her face as the nurses and her obstetrician helped her sit up for the epidural.
"We're going to hook you up as a contraction hits to detract from the pain of insertion okay? It's okay to be scared Temperance. Did you want your father brought in for support?" Brennan shook her head and swallowed down a sob.
"He's out there with Parker." Dr. Tarlow nodded and helped Temperance to lie back as the nurses arranged the surgical covers.
"We have a mirror up top incase you want to watch the procedure. Just think, in just a couple of minutes, you'll be able to hold your baby in your arms for the first time." Dr. Tarlow disappeared behind the green wall of material set up for the surgical procedure, but kept talking to Temperance to keep the anthropologist comfortable. "Now, you're going to feel some pressure as we make the cut. Let me know if you feel anything beyond that, okay?"
"Okay." She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath as the pressured feeling began. Brennan glanced up at the mirrors, watching as Dr. Tarlow made an incision in her lower abdomen. It was somewhat horrific and yet fascinating at the same time to see the doctor reach into the opening and pull out the baby.
"Congratulations, it's a girl," Dr. Tarlow said as the umbilical cord was cut. She quickly suctioned fluid from the lungs, and the newborn let out a lusty cry. Brennan started crying all over again. The doctor brought the baby around to show Temperance before a nurse took the little girl to get cleaned up, weighed and measured. She itched to hold the little girl in her arms, to really see her daughter for the first time, and felt her stomach drop because Booth missed the experience that he should have been a part of.
XxXxX
"…so when the bee comes to collect the nectar from the flower, it catches some of the pollen on its legs. That pollen then ends up catching in the pistil, and that lets the seeds germinate here," Max said as he pointed to different parts of the flower drawing he made. Parker looked at the drawing for a moment before looking up at Max.
"But what does that have to do with why Bones is having a baby?"
"Well, the fruit you eat, like apples or bananas, they all started out as seeds. Once the flower on the plant is pollinated it produces fruit. Plants reproduce with seeds, while animals all have eggs that babies grow from. Most creatures, including insects lay eggs and the babies hatch from them, but in other creatures, like dogs or people, those eggs need a safe place to develop, so they're carried inside of the body." The door to the waiting area swung open, and Booth skidded to a stop, out of breath.
"Max, what room is she in?" Max looked up at his son in law and shrugged. Parker turned and launched himself at his father for a hug, which Booth gave distractedly.
"I haven't heard yet. When we got here, she was taken to labor and delivery for the c-section, but until she's assigned an actual room, we won't be informed."
"Damn it." Booth blew out a breath and made his way over to the chairs Parker and Max were sitting in. "She would pick the one day I'm not at Quantico to go into labor."
"Where were you? We tried calling, but couldn't get through." Booth sat down with Parker as he looked at his father-in-law.
"I had to meet Caroline to go over the last minute details for the last case. You've met her. If I had my phone on, she'd have me on a platter. I didn't actually get the message until I was halfway home anyway. The snow is screwing with my signal." All three in the room turned as the door opened again, this time to reveal Dr. Tarlow. She took in the three worried expressions and smiled.
"Seeley, I'm glad you could make it, albeit a little late. Your wife wanted to wait, but in the best interest of both her health and the baby's, we had to proceed without you." Booth waved it off, but the look of disappointment remained on his face.
"How is Temperance? Is she okay? How's the baby?"
"Temperance is doing fine, though a little bit sore. She had a healthy baby girl, six pounds, six ounces and eighteen inches long. I'll go ahead and take you to her room, but let's get the three of you scrubbed up first. No touching the baby with dirty hands." Grins split across Booth and Max's face. She had a little girl. After a quick stop to clean up, the three followed the doctor to the room and peeked in to see Brennan sitting up in bed, holding a small bundle in her arms.
"Hey honey, look what we found," Max said as they stepped into the room. She looked up and brightened when she saw Booth there. He looked at her in awe and approached the bedside slowly. His wife was holding his daughter. Booth sat down, and Temperance turned to look at him.
"Do you want to hold her?"
"Of course I do," he said and reached down for the tiny bundle in Temperance's arms. Once he had a secure hold of the baby, he looked down at her, instantly in love with the tiny baby. "I just…wow. We have a little girl."
"Emma."
"Yeah?" Booth smiled down at his girl, his little Emma. She looked so sweet as she slept in his arms. He looked up as Parker scooted in closer to him to have a look at his baby sister. Right then, at that moment, everything was perfect. The family that mattered the most was with him, and they were finally ready to move forward together. There would be no more interruptions from the press, no more late night phone calls for a case. Instead, they had their whole futures ahead of them and they were moving there together.
AN: Well that's it for the butterfly effect series. Thanks to everyone who has followed this from the beginning. I truly appreciate the support. I do have some story ideas, but am going to try and finish off a couple of unfinished stories first…like that will really happen. Also be sure to read my other work under my other penname, upncomer. With that, thanks for reading and I hope you stick with me in the future.