Hello again! Thank you, all, once again, for your continued support of my story. I hope you still like it!
I know there are many stories out there from which to choose, and the fact that you have stuck with me through 35, now 36, chapters, means the world to me.
Disclaimer. OK, so nothing has changed since my last disclaimer, and the one before that, and the one before that…. LOL There are a couple of Agents in here who are mine, but you will figure that out, I am sure. But other than that, I don't own anything here except the story line!
"A woman?" Bones pulled her head back and looked into Booth's eyes, as he carried her cradled against his chest, her legs wrapped firmly around his hips. "Who? Who would do this?"
"I don't know, Bones, but the squints are working on it, Sweets is working on it - - we'll figure it out." He tried to assure her with words that he, himself, had trouble believing.
"You – you don't think - - You don't think Hannah would -" Bones started to say, hesitantly.
"No. She was pissed, yeah; I think she may be close to a nervous breakdown between having trouble at her job, having issues realizing that my heart wasn't hers, having to deal with living in DC, which she hates; but I don't think she would stoop this low. She was never really cruel, just pissed off most of the time. Well, I hope she wouldn't do this, anyway…" Booth felt it necessary, even though they parted on bad terms, to defend her a little. Seeley Booth, the man, didn't believe in his heart that Hannah was that vindictive, but Seeley Booth, the FBI Special Agent, mentally put her towards the top of the suspect list to be brought in for questioning.
As they exited the elevators, several pairs of eyes that were roaming the hallway stopped and turned to see them. Some were shocked to see one of the Agency's best holding his partner so intimately; others were curious to see Dr. Brennan, having heard about her kidnapping; still others were just morbidly nosy, wanting to see just how far the injuries had incapacitated the normally-strong-willed and spit-fire doctor. Brennan lowered her eyes and her face, once again against Booth's neck. "Booth, why is everyone staring? Are they – are they looking at us? I don't want people to see me like this, Booth…there are too many people here." Her panicked words were whispered, barely loud enough to float up to his ears, but he managed to catch them all. He knew that Bones was usually a very self-assured woman, ready to face any conflict head-on, but since her rescue, her self-confidence had waivered. She was very conscious of the terrible bruising on her face and at the fact that she hadn't had her hair cut to repair the hack-job that was done to her; she simply wore it pulled back slightly, in a head band. Her body stiffened in his grip and she started to become visibly upset at the slack-jawed, gaping stares being cast in their direction. Even if they weren't all focused on her, she felt like they were.
Most of the people loitering around were rookies and lower-ranked agents. Booth stilled his features, stopped mid-stride and pulled his rank. "What the hell are you all standing around looking at? Don't you have work to do? If you don't, then you're taking up precious space in this over-crowded building and maybe we need to remedy that, huh?" His voice boomed through the congested hallway and people who were previously watching the partners and their situation were suddenly scurrying to get out of the Special Agent's line of vision, hoping to escape recognition and go about their respective days.
Watching everyone scatter, Parker's eyes grew wide. "Wow, Dad…That was cool." Parker looked up at his father, admiring the way he could make people do what he wanted them to do, immediately. The hallway was suddenly empty…
Bones peeked at his profile, noting the stern look still holding his features in check as he gazed around them, ensuring that no one else was staring, causing his Partner to be uncomfortable. She placed her lips near his ear and breathed, "That was very 'cool', Booth. It was very alpha-male and I find that I am highly aroused right now, seeing you in action... Mmmm…"
He spun his face around to look at her, wide-eyed, and she rewarded him with a quick peck on the lips and then smiled gently at him. "Thank you, Booth."
He shook his head in disbelief and briskly started walking back towards his office. "Bones – don't go saying shit like that," he spoke into her hair as she lowered her face back into the crook of his neck. "It's not – it's not professional. What if someone heard you?"
She chuckled a deep, throaty giggle. "No one was going to hear me, Booth. That's why I spoke directly into your ear." She wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders and pressed her knees into his waist, just above his hips.
He took a deep breath, trying to control the desire that just washed over him at feeling his Partner pressed against his body so perfectly and hearing the words she breathed into his ear. Approaching his office door, he spoke to Charlie, "Hey, Charlie, you still have that thing you wanted to show Parker?"
Charlie looked up at the Agent, not knowing what the hell his superior was talking about. "Umm.. I, uh…" He looked frantically around at his desk. What is he talking about? Oh God, did I forget to get something for him? Was I supposed to pick something up at the store…? What thing?
Booth wanted a couple of minutes with Bones, alone, but wanted his son safe, so he unwittingly enlisted the help of his young assistant. "You know, that video game you were showing me the other day?" He knew that Charlie had recently downloaded a few new games onto his new iPhone 4S, and hoped the kid would pick up on his cues.
Ah-ha. He wants me to keep Parker occupied for a bit. Slick, Booth. "Oh, oh Yeah! Duh…! I do! Hey Parker, wanna see this? It's great!" He reached into his suit jacket and retrieved his phone as the boy approached the desk at complete ease, and totally oblivious to his Dad's motives. Charlie glanced up at Booth for the reassurance that he was doing what was expected.
"Well, have fun, Parks. We'll be back out in a few minutes. Hang out here with Charlie, huh?" Booth's eyes met Charlie's and the younger man nodded, showing Booth that he would keep an eye on Parker. The men shared a small smile before Booth schooled his expression, indicating to Charlie that he should keep his suspicion under his hat.
"Yeah, sure, Dad. Whatever. What's the new game, Charlie? Can I play it?" Parker's attention was already captivated by the idea of a new high score to conquer.
Booth quickly walked into his office and shut the door behind him, drawing the blinds and locking the deadbolt. He leaned back against the door and turned his face to meet Bones' as she smiled back at him, slyly.
He immediately captured her lips with his, quickly gaining entrance for his tongue to tango with hers. They moaned into each other's mouths, muffling their enjoyment of each other. She fisted his short hair with her wiry fingers and held his head tight, not letting him pull away. He moved both his hands to cup her ass while he supported her weight. With one perfect cheek in each palm, he squeezed, pulling her center harder to his as he thrust his hips in her direction.
She pulled her lips from his and guided her tongue down his jawline, gently nipping along the way, enjoying the roughness of his barely-there stubble. He had shaved that morning, but by mid-day, that oh-so-sexy 5 o'clock shadow that always left her hot for him, made its appearance. Now I can do this… Now I can touch this; touch him; kiss him; grind against him…Ooohhh, he tastes so good…feels so good...
Booth groaned as Bones worked her mouth over his neck and settled on his Adams apple, swirling her tongue around it and locking her lips upon it. He felt her smile against his skin, and that brought on a small smile of his own. He tried to clear his mind enough to speak, but the feelings she was evoking were fogging his brain.
"Bones – Bones…" Booth breathlessly spoke, "Bones we have to stop. We shouldn't be doing this right now. Not here… not now…we have to stop, Baby."
She started to move her mouth back up towards his strong, sensual lips. "Mm-hmm… I know," she mumbled against his deliciously masculine skin. "I know. We should be working. Or leaving. Or…whatever…But I needed to taste you, Booth." She made it to his lips and only grazed over them with a gentle nip before moving along the other side of his jawline, towards his ear. "You knew I was uncomfortable out there, in that crowded hallway. You knew that I didn't like everyone looking at me. And you stopped them from staring; you raised your metaphorical hackles and protected me, Booth." She sucked his lobe between her puckered lips and flicked it with her tongue. "I know you've always been protective of me; I know you've always defended me. But today, hmmm, that was so very sexy – so alpha – so captivatingly irresistible. I just couldn't help it… You made me want you so bad, Booth. I can't wait until I'm better; I can't wait until I can properly love you, Booth."
Booth whipped his head around and arrested her lips, plunging his tongue deep into her mouth, demanding control from her. He stumbled towards his couch, still holding her flush against him, his erection growing more painful the longer he stood. He flopped down, careful not to crush her feet behind him when his ass made contact with the cushion.
Bones bent her knees so they were resting on the couch, on either side of Booth's perfectly proportioned hips. She straddled him as she continued grinding herself against the bulge that she could feel growing inside his tight jeans. He brought his right hand up and palmed her breast, squeezing it firmly through her shirt, successfully drawing a seductive moan from deep within her chest. His left hand continued groping at her ass, rubbing, squeezing, pulling her hard against him.
"Oh my God, Bones." Booth groaned against her throat, where he had clamped his mouth when she let her head fall backwards. "So fucking hot…so fucking delicious…so fucking fuckable." He sucked hard, knowing, once again, that he was marking her. Marking that milky white skin above her collar line, where everyone will be able to see. Let them stare. Let them know that she's mine. Let them know that I am sleeping with my Partner and I am never going to stop. Those assholes who like to watch the way her ass sways when she walks by – let them figure it out: her sexy, tight, heart-shaped ass is mine; her body is mine; I'm the one making love to her every night; let their fantasies falter and crash to the ground when they figure it out – they don't have a chance in hell at ever touching her like this. No fucking way… "Mine," he growled against her porcelain smooth skin. "Mine."
"Yes, Booth. Yours."
Bones brought her hand down between their bodies and grasped his cock as it strained against the tight denim of his jeans, begging for attention and release from it's constraint. She squeezed then rubbed the length of her hand down to his balls and cupped him firmly. "Booth…" She whispered his name in that husky, breathy tone that drove Booth nearly out of his head with desire. "Booth, I want you. I want you now. Inside me – all the way – I want to feel you fill me completely and spill your seed deep inside." She wrapped her fingers around his cocky belt buckle, frantically trying to unfasten it, but her hand was shaking uncontrollably and she couldn't unhook it.
He reached down and grabbed her wrist, reality finally setting in. "Bones, we need to stop. Baby, believe me, I want this too, but we have to stop, we can't do this here." He latched his lips onto her neck one final time, sucking hard and biting gently. "We need to calm down, Bones; we need to cool off, baby." He removed his hand from her ample tit and brought it to her waist, and allowed his other hand to release her wrist and brought it to her other hip.
Bones raised her head and met his heated eyes. She had no doubt that he wanted her as much as she wanted him, right then, right there; but she knew he was right. They were supposed to have been heading downstairs to reclaim his fire arms and sign out a new truck. She reached and cupped his cheeks in her fragile hands. "Booth. I – I'm sorry... I lost control. It's just that you and I – we're – we're so good together. And you make me crazy, Booth. I've never felt this way about anyone. I just – I – I love you so much, Booth." Tears of happiness filled her cerulean blue eyes as she looked deep into her best friend's lust-darkened irises. She saw nothing but love and yearning staring back at her as he reached up and mirrored her position by placing his palms on her cheeks, gently pulling her lips to his for a slow, sensual, loving caress.
"I love you, too, Bones. So much that it sometimes scares me. These last few days, even though the circumstances that brought it on are terrible, I feel so blessed to have you in my life; to be sharing my life with you. I've wanted this for so long; wanted you for so long." He leaned in and closed the distance between them, kissing her gently again; their tongues lazily stroked each other as they just enjoyed tasting the now-familiar flavors, deepening the intimacy that they already shared. When he felt her cheeks dampen with her flowing tears, he pulled back from her lips. He placed light, loving kisses on each cheek, kissing away the emotion that was flowing from her eyes. He pulled her to his chest and held her tenderly. "Shh, it's OK. Don't cry, Bones."
"Booth, I don't want to lose you. If I lost you now, I think I would fall apart, Booth. My life, it wouldn't – it wouldn't mean the same thing as it does now if you weren't part of it. I'm just so worried that you will -" She tried desperately to control the emotions that were flooding her body, wreaking havoc with her normally logical brain, but she could not stop the crying from happening.
He understood her fears; he understood her completely. "Aww, Baby, don't cry. Bones, I am not going anywhere. I will never leave you; I couldn't, I'd be lost without you. I don't want you to worry about that – ever. I meant it when I said I've wanted this for so long – for so many years, Bones. I fell in love with you the first day I laid eyes on you, in that lecture hall. You stole my breath away and I knew, I just knew, that we were destined to be together. You didn't believe in fate, but I did. I still do, Bones. And fate tells me that this is it for us. Everything happens eventually, and this is our eventually, Bones. So, please, I want you to stop worrying about losing what we have; I'm not going anywhere…and I won't let you run anywhere ever again." He rocked her body against his, encasing her within his protective embrace.
"But, Booth… All this – all this shit – that's happening around us...What if – what if something happens to one of us? What if this other person-"
"Nuh-uh. Stop it Bones. Remember - no what if's. That's what you told Parker. Nothing is going to happen to you, me or Parks. We are going to be safe; we are going to catch this bitch, whoever she is, and we are going to lock her up for life. Bones, we are the best team the FBI has – there's a reason Cullen isn't blowing the whistle on our relationship yet. He's giving us time to find a loophole so we don't have to be separated. He wants to keep us together. He knows that, if anyone can catch this woman, it's us – even if we are her main target. I want you to stop thinking for just a little while. Just enjoy feeling for a while, okay? Just enjoy what we have together; what we're building together; and where we're going together. I'm not going to let anything happen to you; and in order to keep that promise, I can't let anything happen to myself, so we're good. Let's just enjoy being us, okay?"
He felt a tiny nod against his shoulder, where her head so often these days, found a comfortable home. "OK Booth. I know you're right. I'm just so emotional; I can't seem to control what's happening inside my brain, and inside my body. Like today, in the hall, if I was a healthy woman, I would have jumped you right there. I was so wrapped up and turned on by your actions, by that stern look in your eyes and the way your jaw locked; I thought I was going to pass out. That's never happened to me before, Booth. I am confused and I don't understand what's happening. I just know that with this new threat, I feel like I want to hide away with you and never emerge. I want to find a cave and just hibernate in your arms, against your warm body, and protect us from all the bad that's out there."
"That's what love is, Bones. When you love someone, you can't always rationalize what you're feeling. You can't always control how your body is going to react or how your brain is going to function. That's why I was always so crazy when you were dating other men. It wasn't just jealousy because you were my beautiful partner, it was my love for you manifesting itself into a defense mechanism that made me do background checks on all those guys; I sat outside your apartment building at night to make sure you got home alright. I brought you breakfast so often in the mornings because I wanted to be the one to take you to and from work, so I knew you arrived safely both places. I know it sounds kind of creepy; hell, if I questioned a suspect in a case and he admitted to doing those things, I would categorize him as a stalker. But that's not what I was trying to do. I wasn't trying to spy on you. I just wanted to make sure you were not hurt. I wanted so desperately to protect you until you had the time you needed in order to realize that you and I were meant for each other. You needed time to come to the conclusion on your own, and I wanted to give it to you."
"Thank you, Booth. I didn't know you did those things. And while it does sound kind of, well, stalker-ish, I know now that you did it with my best intentions in mind, and for that, I appreciate it." She nipped and kissed his neck gently, playfully, but wary to not get started on that again. "I love you, Booth." She laughed a little self-consciously. "I don't think I will ever get enough of saying that to you."
A wide smile spread across his face, "That's good, Bones. I'll never tire of hearing you say it. I've waited for nearly 8 years to hear those words fall from your lips, so you can say them as often as you want." He kissed her forehead as he continued to rock her slowly. "We've gotta get going. I need to collect some items to bring home, Bones; a few personal items. And some files to work on." He moved to turn, so he could place her on the couch. "Sit tight; I'll only be a few minutes while I get everything together." He moved to his chair behind his desk.
"Booth, if you're not suspended anymore, then you don't have to bring home your personal items, right? You're still working, so can't you leave it?" She was curious why he was still planning on gathering whatever he had originally planned to remove from his office.
"Well, there are a few things that I want to bring home. I'll leave most of my stuff, like you said, since I am no longer on suspension, but there are a couple things that, well, I just want to have at home." He moved to the safe, keeping his back to where his partner sat. He didn't want her to see one of the items was pulling out, but he soon realized that she wasn't really paying attention to what he was doing anyway; she had laid her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the peace and quiet for a few minutes before they left for home.
He placed his personal items into the empty briefcase at his desk-side, and then moved to the stack of files that Charlie had placed on his desk before they came down from Cullen's office. He stared quizzically at the pile, wondering when Charlie had the chance to pull the case files and get them to his desk so quickly. Determining that Cullen must have made the call to him while he was gathering his family, he placed those, too, in his case.
"Bones? Baby?" Booth stroked her cheek tenderly, hating to wake her, but he needed to. He did not want startle her in the process though. When her eyes fluttered open, he recognized a momentary flash of unrecognizing panic before she focused on him and where they were. "Hey, it's OK, it's just me." He smiled down at her as she relaxed once again. "I just wanted to let you know that I am going to go downstairs and do the paperwork for my guns and my new wheels. You stay here, and I'll come back up when I'm all done, ok?"
She nuzzled further into his couch and nodded in agreement. "Sure, Booth. I don't know why I'm so tired; we haven't done anything today. But I am exhausted." She stifled a yawn and looked at him beneath sleepy lids.
"Stress will do that to a person, babe. And you've been under a lot of it. You rest, I'll send Parker in here to keep you company."
"No, Booth, it's OK. If he's having fun with Charlie, leave him be. I'll be fine; I'll just lie here for a bit longer. Wake me when you're ready to go."
"Alright, I'll be back. Call out to Charlie if you need something, I'll leave the door cracked open." He bent and kissed her gently on the cheek, letting his lips linger for just an extra moment. "I love you, Bones. Truly." He stood and walked out of the office, not hearing her sleepy reply, "I've always loved you, Booth."
Parker was still with Charlie, playing yet another new game on Charlie's new phone. "Hey, Parks, I am going to go down and finish some paperwork. You either stay here with Charlie or sit in with Bones, but don't wake her up. If Charlie gets called away, you go into my office and wait for me."
"M'kay, dad." Parker replied, but didn't move his eyes from his game.
Charlie, however, locked eyes with Booth. "I'll keep an eye on them, Booth. Don't worry."
Booth smiled, "Thanks, man. And, uh, thanks for keeping Parker company for a bit… you know…" The strong Agent blushed as his self-appointed assistant smiled knowingly.
"Sure thing, Agent. Glad I could…uh…help you two out."
Booth shook his head slightly, in amusement at Charlie's subtleness. "Yeah, I'll be back." He strode down the hallway towards the elevators for the sixth time that day.
B/B/B/B
Booth had been gone for almost an hour when the battery life on Charlie's cell phone finally gave out, forcing Parker to relinquish it back to its owner for recharging.
"All done, there Little Booth?" Charlie smiled at the boy.
"Yeah, your battery's dead." Parker smirked, "Sorry I used it all up."
"No worries, Parker, that's why they make chargers," Charlie smiled at the young boy's guilty look. "Did you like the new games?" He wanted Booth's son to be comfortable, not feeling bad about using the phone.
"Yeah, they were both cool. Thanks for letting me play." He started to stand from his seat and move towards his dad's office. "I'm, um, going to check on Bones." He wondered if Bones was alright, since she hadn't called out to him since his Dad had been gone.
"Sure, let me know if you need anything, pal." Charlie turned his attention back to his mound of paperwork, but felt the young boy still standing close. He looked back up and saw that Parker had stopped in his tracks, his hand resting on the doorknob that would lead him into his father's office, but his eyes were staring down the hall, scrutinizing something Charlie could not see from his seated position. The young Agent stood from his desk and moved towards the boy, looking in the direction that held the boy's attention.
He saw why the boy appeared so disgruntled; standing at the end of the hall, arguing with another Agent about letting her through, was Hannah. She was not wearing a clearance badge and the Agent had stopped her, trying to ascertain why she was there. The entire floor had been alerted to Booth's situation, or at least a portion of it, warning against any visitors who hadn't received clearance passes.
Hannah moved her glance and caught sight of Parker, standing slightly behind Charlie, almost as if the young man was sheltering the boy. "Parker! Parker!" she waved to him, flashing a forced smile. "Parker, I want to talk to your dad, can you please ask him to come out here? This bozo won't let me through." She glared out the side of her eye at the man who had stopped her.
Charlie could sense the young boy tense and heard his breathing pattern increase. "Parker," Charlie spoke quietly, "you go ahead in there with Dr. Brennan. And stay put, OK? I'll find out what's going on." He patted Parker's shoulder and waited to have his eyes met by the younger, and slightly lighter, version of Booth's intimidating brown eyes.
"Charlie, I don't want to talk to her. I don't want her to upset Bones and I don't want her to upset Dad. They broke up kind of ugly, you know? But Dad's with Bones now and she's going to try to ruin it, I just know it." He moved his look back to Hannah, who stood with her hand on her hip, expecting the kid to obey her and obviously was upset that he was taking too long.
"Parker, I told you to get your father!" She called down the hallway, causing more heads to turn and other Agents to peek out of their offices.
Parker abruptly turned and marched into his Dad's office, as Charlie stalked down the hallway, intent to get this woman out of there before Booth returned to his office. Charlie was not a stupid man; he knew what was going on between the Partners, or at least he had suspected it for a while; and Parker just verified it. He liked Booth and Dr. Brennan together, they were right for each other. He never cared much for the bossy, bottle-blond who'd wormed her way into Booth's life, bringing with her a world of upheaval and angst. Not knowing exactly how much of Booth's relationship with his Partner was actually public, he knew he had to be cautious; he had no intention of ruining what they had going for them.
"Ms. Burley, is there something I can help you with?" Charlie spoke with the authority granted to him as Booth's Assistant.
"No, Charlie, you may not. I want to speak to Seeley, not you."
"Well, Ms. Burley, I am sorry, but Agent Booth is not available at this time, I will be happy to ask him to phone you, however, when he gets free."
"Bullshit, Charlie. If Parker is here, then Seeley isn't far. I'm not an idiot, you know. Now, tell this imbecile to let me through, so I can see Seeley." She rolled her eyes in the direction of the Agent blocking her entry to the bull pen area.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, I can't do that. What I can do, is give Agent Booth your message and ask him to call you. Now, you'll have to leave, Ms. Burley, your presence here is not appropriate."
Hannah huffed and turned furiously, storming off towards the lobby elevators. "Idiots! You are all idiots!" She turned her angry glare back to Charlie. "Seeley is going to want to hear what I have to say, so tell him that he better call me. If you think you can handle that long of a message, you ass." Without waiting for an acknowledgement, she turned and entered the elevator as it binged open. As the doors closed on her carriage, the neighboring one opened, revealing a smiling Agent Booth, who walked with a bounce to his step.
When he saw everyone gathered, including Charlie, he became slightly concerned, and his smiled faded, allowing his lips to draw into a tight line. "Charlie? What's going on?" Suddenly, everyone made themselves scarce, going about their business, trying to ignore the impending conversation.
"Hey, Booth. Be glad you didn't exit that elevator five seconds earlier." He shrugged his head towards his desk, inviting the Agent with him. "You had a visitor," he spoke as they made their way towards the area outside Booth's office.
Booth gave him a quizzical look, one mixed with impatience.
"Hannah Burley just made an appearance here, demanding to see you. She didn't have a clearance pass, and Mills stopped her from getting this far. She spotted Parker from a distance and called down to him, demanding he send you out of your office to speak with her." Charlie met Booth's eyes, "your boy didn't look too happy to see her, boss. I sent him in with Dr. Brennan and went to help Mills get her out of here. She begrudgingly left, but wanted you to know that she had something to tell you, something that she says you will want to hear. And she wants you to call her. She doesn't know that you weren't up here, we didn't indicate where you were."
"Bones?" Booth looked towards his closed office door.
"She probably heard some of the interaction; Hannah was pretty frigging loud. But no one's been in there, except, of course, for Parker."
"Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Everything – watching Parker and Bones and dealing with Hannah. Sorry you had to do all that."
"No worries, Booth. Glad to help." Charlie's lips curled into a bit of a smirk and he looked at Booth. "Oh, and I wanted to say – uh, well, congratulations, man. You two are good together." He indicated towards Booth's office, where he knew Dr. Brennan remained. At seeing Booth's slightly shocked and alarmed look, he continued, "Don't worry, I won't say anything to anyone. Parker didn't mean to let it slip, so don't be too hard on the kid. He was just worried when he saw Hannah, and he just, sort of, mentioned it. I didn't make a deal out of it, though. I don't even think he realizes what he said." He patted his pseudo-boss's shoulder, "but I do think you two are perfect together." He turned away, focusing, once again, on the mound of paperwork piled on his desk.
Taking a deep breath, Booth moved into his office, opening the door quietly, in case Bones was still sleeping. Upon popping his head through the opening, he found Bones, sitting partially up, leaning against the arm of the couch, holding Parker close to her, rocking the boy wordlessly. Their eyes met and Booth's heart sank into the pit of his stomach. He lowered his gaze to his son, and spoke gently, "Parks, are you OK?"
His son met his concerned eyes with red-rimmed ones of his own, "Dad, Hannah's gunna try to mess this up. She's gunna try to break you and Bones apart. She was out there yelling that she wanted to talk to you and she tried to boss me around, telling me to bring you out there to her. She's not allowed to boss me around anymore, Dad! She's not your girlfriend, anymore and she can't tell me what to do anymore. And you need to tell her that she can't come back! You need to tell her to go away and leave us alone. I don't want to lose Bones again, Dad! We just got her back!" The child buried his face back into Bones' chest, turning his tears away from his father.
Bones rubbed large circles across his back, trying to comfort him, while locking her stare on Booth, as she, too, fought back small tears. Her apprehensions and vulnerability were once again surfacing.
Booth knelt down beside his two most important people, placing one hand on Parker's back and one hand on Bones' thigh. "Parker, listen to me. Look at me, son." When Parker turned to face his father, he remained pressed against Bones, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Booth's gentle eyes held his son's, "Parker, I am not going to allow anyone to interfere with the family we've established here. You and me; me and Bones; you and Bones. The three of us make up our family unit now. No one, certainly not Hannah, can ever change that, Parks. I love you, and I love Bones, and I will not allow anything or anyone to come between us." He raised his eyes to Bones, "No one will ever take away what we have." He could tell, regardless of how often he had already confessed his love for her, Bones was still very insecure about their blossoming relationship, and the mere presence of Hannah at his work-place affected her adversely.
"Listen, I don't know what she wanted, and right now, I don't really care. What I do care about is getting you two back home. We'll order delivery for dinner…Parker, you can pick out a movie for tonight and we will just all be together." He looked back and forth between his son and his girlfriend. Girlfriend? Cullen called her my girlfriend. I'm still not sold on the term, but we'll see how it unfolds. "Are you guys ready to go home?"
Parker released his vise-grip on Bones, slid off the couch and crashed into his Dad's broad chest, nearly knocking him backwards. "Dad…thanks." His words were breathless and quiet. He didn't have anything else to say. He was just so happy that his Dad wouldn't be seduced again by the bossy blond, although he didn't fully understand the term 'seduced.' He knew that Hannah had, somehow, captivated his Dad's attention, when his attention should have been on Bones, and Parker never understood that. He never understood why Bones had made such a sudden exit from their lives after his Dad came back from the Army. And, further, he didn't understand why his Dad had let her make such an exit.
He looked up at his Dad's face, noticing that, while his Dad was holding him tight in one strong arm, his other was raised so his hand was cupping Bones' face tenderly; they stared into each other's eyes, silently communication. Parker knew there was no such thing as telepathy, but he swore that when his Dad and Bones looked at each other, they were talking, even without words. He could see that Bones and his Dad were truly in love with each other, and he now felt foolish at worrying so much and causing Bones to get upset. The minute he had walked into the office, while trying to escape from Hannah's burning line of vision, she had known something was wrong. He tried to tell her it was nothing, but, like his Dad always could, she could see through his ruse. He couldn't stop the tears from forming when he looked into her clear blue eyes and she beckoned him to her with an open arm. "Come here, Parker," she spoke gently, "tell me what's wrong." That was all it took. The flood gates opened and his tears spilled forth, revealing his fears and weaknesses. He didn't want to keep crying in front of Bones; regardless of how many times his Dad said it was OK to cry, he hated crying in front of the woman that he idolized. He couldn't stop from telling her why he was upset; the words fell from his lips as flowingly as the tears from his eyes. She had tried to sooth him, but deep down, he knew that she also felt a sense of unease at Hannah's reappearance.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled against his Dad's strong chest, where he felt so safe and protected.
Booth looked down, drawing his hand away from Bones and moving it to his son. "What are you sorry for, Parks?"
"I didn't mean to make Bones upset. I should have waited until you got here to talk to you. I shouldn't have told her why I was upset…"
"Parker, it's OK to talk to us about what upsets you. Don't apologize for that. Bones doesn't hold you responsible for how she feels, do you Bones?"
"No! No, absolutely not, Parker. In fact, I feel better knowing that you are comfortable enough to talk to me about how you feel, especially when your Dad's not here. Even if you're upset about something that you think might upset me, I want you to still talk to me, OK?"
He looked up from his perch on the floor beside the couch, where he was still leaning heavily against the wall that was his father. He nodded and wiped at his eyes, trying to dry the errant droplets that were still slowly leaking from his tear ducts. "I just want – well, I want this." He looked back and forth between his Dad and Bones. "I want you guys together and happy and not fighting and I want to be part of that, too." He locked his young eyes on Booth's, "like a real family, Dad. You know?"
Booth pulled him in for another fatherly embrace, "You are part of this, Parker. We are a family; we always have been, we just got a little…detoured, but we're back, we're together and we're moving forward." He pulled back and looked down to Parker. "Now, I want you to go get Bones' bag, ok? We're gunna head home."
Parker extracted himself from his dad's hold and as he stood, he bent over and kissed Bones on her cheek. "Thanks, Bones," he whispered softly before moving away from the couch. Booth looked at his son with pride. He was growing up so quickly, but at the same time, Parker was still a young boy in so many ways. His insecurities and innocence spoke to Booth's heart, often reminding him that his son still saw the world through rose-colored glasses; he hadn't yet hardened to the harsh realities of life, and for that, Booth was grateful. He wanted his boy to enjoy his youth for as long as possible.
Booth turned to Bones and smiled softly. "Please don't doubt how I feel about you…about us. I love you, more than anything, Bones. Now, are you ready to go?" He stroked her cheek, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as his fingers danced over her soft skin.
She simply nodded, more than ready to go back to his apartment and lay down for a while. Booth was right, I think I am just over-stressed, she thought to herself. That's probably not only causing the exhaustion, but also the emotional turmoil I experienced at the idea that Hannah wanted back into Booth's life.
Booth shouldered his own bag while Parker waited, holding onto Bones' bag. He bent over and scooped Bones into his arms, holding her in a traditional bridal style, allowing her to rest her cheek on his shoulder. "Let's go, I wanna get outta here." He moved out the door, bidding goodbye to Charlie on their way past his desk. There were a few sideways glances at the Partners as they made their way through the bull-pen, heading towards the elevators for the final time that day. Booth kept his face stern, discouraging blatant staring and questioning looks. He was glad they had the elevator to themselves as they made their way downstairs to the parking garage, where they picked up his new SUV – a Sequoia identical to the one he turned in, but this one was, without a doubt, tracking-device-free, giving him the peace of mind that they were not being tracked by some psycho-bitch.
The ride home was relatively quiet. As they approached his building, he saw that the FBI vehicles were still gathered, surrounding the liquor store below his apartment. Booth parked the SUV and turned to Bones and Parker. "OK, there's a team here, sweeping though the apartment, looking for bugs. So when we go up there, let's not talk too much, until I get the report from the lead." He locked eyes with Bones, ensuring she understood and he knew she did. However, when he turned to Parker, he saw confusion written across his young face.
"What do you mean, Dad? I haven't seen any bugs, where did you find them?"
"Not insect bugs, pal. Listening-device-bugs. Look, that letter you found at Bones' place? That was left there by someone who knew we were there. No one was supposed to know. So, just to be safe, we're making sure no one is listening to us when we talk at home. I don't want you to be scared, I just want you to be aware, so you know what's happening." He made sure he still had Parker's attention, but the boy was looking through the truck windows, wide-eyed, looking for anyone out of place. "Listen, Parks, I'm going to keep you safe, don't worry. Parker, look at me." He waited until the eleven-year-old turned back to him. "Parker, you're going to be staying home from school for a few days; you're staying with me. I already called your mom and I already called Principal Schomber. I am telling you all this because I need you to be aware, in case you see anything or anyone that you recognize that doesn't belong; or if you see anything unusual. We'll be staying together, I'll be working from home for a bit and when I'm not, I will make sure that you and Bones are still safe. Do you understand?"
Parker's features paled slightly, but he listened and comprehended what his Dad was telling him. He nodded silently and waited to be instructed about what to do next.
"OK, let's get upstairs." Booth moved from his seat and walked around to Bones' door, opening it to pull her out. "Parks, can you hand me my bag, please, and will you get Bones' bag one last time?" His son did as he was asked to do, moving to stand beside his father until they were ready to move upstairs together.
When they walked into the apartment, they were greeted by no less than five FBI Forensics teammates who were diligently combing through his apartment, and three agents overseeing the operation, 2 posted at the door and one inside. "Booth, good to see you, man." Agent Trumball held his hand out to his colleague, who he hadn't seen since the Academy, but Trumball's eyes were not on Booth...
"Hey Trumball, how the hell are ya?" Booth smiled, but was unable to shake his hands, given that his arms were full of his Bones - currently the focus of his former classmate's attention.
"Oh, sorry, dude. I wasn't thinking." Trumball shook his head at his own stupidity, realizing that Booth couldn't shake. But he was captivated by the woman resting in Booth's embrace. She was beautiful; eyes like the sea, skin alabaster white; hair the color of chestnuts. "This must be your Partner that I've heard so much about. Dr. Brennan? I'm Agent James Trumball, the agent in charge of the Sweep Team, and in charge of assigning on-scene agents to keep an eye on you all." Trumball's eyes glistened and he puffed his chest out just a bit, trying to impress her with his status. Bones thought he looked ridiculous, though, as he was still quite a bit smaller than Booth, even puffed out like a peacock.
Yeah, you heard so much about her, huh, Trumball? I guess you didn't hear enough to know to back the hell off – in your dreams, man, Booth thought to himself.
Bones didn't reply, she simply nodded at the man and laid her head back down on Booth's shoulder, nuzzling into his neck slightly.
"Yeah, this here is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan." Booth slightly turned his face, so his lips brushed against her hair, "Bones, Jim and I went through the Academy together." Trumball still didn't tear his gaze from the woman's face, he was entranced. Booth looked hard at the man standing before them, "Jim, you're making a puddle on my hard wood floors, man, knock it off. It's impolite to stare; didn't your mother teach you manners?" Booth made a joke, but his eyes were not laughing, Jim noticed as he broke his trance.
The slightly flustered Agent noticed that the doctor did not wear a wedding band. He knew that the Bureau didn't allow interpersonal relationships between partners, so he knew that Booth wasn't a threat, he assumed that Booth's over-protectiveness was simply as a result of his Partner's recent kidnapping. But, he did notice the love marks on her neck. He wondered if that was a result of her abduction or if she had someone special in her life. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Brennan, or may I call you Temperance?"
Immediately, Booth answered for her, "No, you may not. You may call her Dr. Brennan." When Jim met Booth's eyes, he was reminded of just how intimidating the man before him could be. There was a fire in his darkened eyes that Trumball recognized as a warning. Booth continued, "And this," he nodded to his boy, "is my son, Parker."
"Hello, Parker, it's nice to meet you. You can call me Jim if you want." He smiled down at the spitting image of Seeley Booth, just a younger version. But he was taken aback by the same dark eyes that he shared with his father. Parker seemed just as possessive of Booth's partner, as he stood in a protective stance just to the side, and almost in front, of Dr. Brennan.
"Hi." Parker's one word answer made it clear that he was not interested in being friendly with this man. He could innately sense that this Agent Trumball found Bones attractive. He didn't like how he was looking at her, and he picked up on his Dad's instant tension when the other man spoke to her.
Feeling a little awkward, Trumball shifted from foot to foot, as Booth started to move through his hallway, entering the main of his apartment.
Trumball followed closed behind. "We found a few things that I wanted to discuss with you, Booth. So when you have a moment, I'd like to go over them." Now I remember why I didn't much care for this guy – he's too intense. Doesn't know how to cut loose. But my God, how can he stand to be partners with her every day? She's gorgeous. I can see why he was so rabid about finding her, though. Rumor had it, he worked his little science-geeks all hours, non-stop, until they led him to the details of where to find her. Wonder who bit her neck… I'd like to bite her neck. He was so lost in his daydream, that he didn't hear the question that Booth asked. When he saw Booth's intense gaze lock on him again, he got flustered. "I – I'm sorry, Booth. What?"
"I said, is your team through with scanning in our bedroom and bathroom yet?" He made sure his statement was clear… our bedroom. "I want Bones to lie down for a while, undisturbed." Booth felt Bones smile against his neck, she knew what he was doing, he was claiming his territory and protecting what was his. If anyone had asked Temperance Brennan a year ago, how she would feel about being 'possessed,' she would have drop kicked whoever suggested it. But now that she had experienced being possessed by Seeley Booth, she relished in the feeling.
Trumball processed what he just heard. 'Their bedroom?' How can that be? They can't have a relationship, it's not permitted among partners. I'm going to have to ask around about these two. "Umm, yeah, they're done in there." He answered, somewhat distractedly.
"Good, I'll be back. Tell your men to stay out of there now, that room's off limits without good cause." He moved towards the back of his apartment, leaving Trumball standing next to Parker.
Parker looked up at the man through squinted eyes, knowing he should keep his mouth shut, but since he was a Booth, so he just couldn't help himself. He was a perfect specimen, a younger version, of the alpha-male-Booth. "Forget about it, sir. She's not the least bit interested in you. You're not her type." His tone was point blank, as the older man looked down at the little Booth.
"That's a lot of grown-up-talk from a little guy like you. What makes you think I'm interested in her?"
"Because I've been around Bones since I was four and I know how men look at her. I might be young, but I'm not stupid. In fact, Bones always tells me I have a very steep learning curve, which, she says, accounts for my intelligence. But in actuality, I just take after my Dad." He looked Jim square in the eye. "Don't stare at Bones. She doesn't like to be gawked at. Besides, if you keep looking at her like that, my Dad will kick your butt for being rude. If he doesn't shoot you first." Parker knew he was overstepping his boundary. He knew that if his Dad heard him say that, he'd be in big trouble. But, at that particular point in time, he didn't care.
"Why do you call her Bones, Parker?" Trumball tried to change the subject. "That sounds kind of rude, if you ask me."
"It's her nickname. But not one you can use. Only Dad and I can call her that. It's special." Parker looked defiant as the man's attention was turned back to the looming figure moving back into the living room from the hallway.
Booth stood at the entrance to the hallway. "If anyone needs to get back into the bedroom, you talk to me first. Do not go charging in there. My partner's resting and I do not want her bothered." He looked around and received acknowledgements from all the techs. He turned his attention back to Trumball and saw Parker standing beside him. He recognized that look on Parker's face; it was a look he often saw in the mirror. What did you do, Parker? He wondered silently, and smiled. You went all alpha-pup on Trumball, didn't you? That's my boy…
"Parks, go ahead back with Bones and watch TV, quietly. Don't bother her if she wants to sleep, but come get me if either of you needs anything."
"K, Dad." Parker locked eyes with his father then turned back to Trumball. "Well, Agent Trumball, it was sure nice talking to ya." He smiled a wide, shit-eating-grin, as he once heard his mom describe his Dad's same smile. "See ya, dad." He strolled down the hallway, with a slight swagger and his head held high, carrying Bones' bag with him as he quietly entered his Dad's sanctuary.
Booth turned back to Trumball, all seriousness had returned to his eyes. "What did your team find, Jim?"
"Here on the table, Booth, I have them out here. Your place, it was pretty much riddled with these babies… Whoever planted them did a good job."
Postscript A/N
Well, there you have it, folks. Chapter 36 is at a close. Please let me know how you like the story! My Muse feeds off reviews and when there are not too many, she starts to starve and shut down, forcing me to re-read old ones to get her jump started again… LOL
I want to thank all of you who have added me and my stories to your Alerts and Favorites; that is such an honor! And another great honor would also be if you left me a comment! hint hint