Disclaimer: I own nothing…
Summary: When Parker ends up in danger, Booth calls Brennan… A call that changes both their lives forever.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: I've finally got the next chapter for you… The lyrics here are from Five For Fighting's "The Riddle." I can't make any promises on when I'll have the next chapter… Apparently, everyone I know is pregnant, so I'm up to my ears in baby yarn and crochet hooks… Not to mention the fact that I've got a vid started that I really want to finish… But I promise I'll get it out as soon as I can.
Also, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it…
And with that said, enjoy!
The Riddle:
Wait, what's the sense in life
Come over me, Come over me
Her eyes opened slowly, and all she could see was white. For a moment, it unnerved her. And then, she felt the hand that rested in hers, and she heard his voice calling out her name. Carefully, she turned her head to face him, a tiny smile touching her lips as she looked at him. It was clear that he hadn't slept in quite some time, and it appeared as though he had been crying recently.
The moment he saw her eyes on him, he squeezed her hand, his eyes tearing up just a bit with relief. After a deep, calming breath, he smiled at her with serious eyes. "We're getting you a gun." The conviction in his voice made her laugh lightly, causing a welcome pain to course through her. At least if she was in pain, she knew she was still alive.
"I'm okay, Booth." She tried to keep her voice light, reassuring, but it didn't seem to matter to him. And she couldn't imagine she was doing a great job, as she could feel the tightness in her voice that resulted from the pain she was feeling.
"I almost lost you, Temperance." He murmured softly, tears filling his eyes as he lifted her hand to his lips; kissing her knuckles gently.
Even she was surprised when she didn't pull away from the gentle touch, and it brought a smile to his lips. She was opening up to him. Even if it was just a little bit.
"How long have I been out?" she questioned, her eyes locked on his.
"A little over a day and a half." His voice quivered almost imperceptibly, but she heard it and squeezed his hand gently, trying her best to comfort him. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, releasing a ragged breath as he pulled himself back under control. It was clear he was distraught over the whole ordeal, and her heart ached for him. "You were hurt bad. It was close to your heart. You lost a lot of blood… I thought I lost you."
His last words were whispered, and she could see the pain in his eyes. Smiling sadly, she twined her fingers with his, and squeezed once more in reassurance. "I'm right here, Booth… And I'm going to be fine. I'll be back on my feet and annoying the hell out of you in no time."
That got a chuckle and she smiled back at him as he met her eyes and held her gaze for a moment. His head tilted to the side as he watched her, and after a bit, he shook his head and sighed. "I should really get the doctor..."
She nodded slightly, letting his hand go reluctantly as he stood and moved to the door. When he got there, he paused for a moment, his back to her as he took a deep breath, then let it out, clearly contemplating whether or not to turn back to her. Instead, he stayed where he was and turned his head to the side. "Don't you ever scare me like that again," he murmured, quietly, his voice hard as steel.
She nodded her head slowly, her eyes conveying all of the feelings that were jumbled up inside her. He couldn't see her, and he wasn't trying to, she knew, but it didn't matter… He knew.
And then, in an instant, he was gone.
Here's a riddle for you
Find the Answer
There's a reason for the world
You and I...
He had stayed back while the doctor had seen to her, opting to stay outside in the waiting room, allowing her all the privacy she might need. The moment the older man left the room, however, he was right there by her side once again. She smiled warmly as she watched him. He was nervous, unsure of himself. There was something he wanted to say to her, but he seemed afraid to voice his thoughts.
After a moment, he sighed, and looked her in the eye, a tiny smile touching his lips. "There's someone who wants to see you, Temperance." He was still using her given name. He hadn't once called her Bones or Brennan or anything other than Temperance. He was worried.
She nodded, giving him a little smile, and with her permission, he made his way out of the room, only to return a few moments later, a smiling Parker in his arms. Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked at the boy. He looked so happy to see her. It was strange; in reality she was a complete stranger to the child, and yet he was completely willing to put all of his trust in her. She had seen it that night, and she could see it now. And somehow she knew it was because Booth trusted her, and Parker trusted his father without question.
It was then that the sad, tight smile she had been wearing for Booth transformed into something new entirely. Booth wasn't sure he had ever seen her smile so big, and suddenly he knew it would all be okay. A smile of his own formed on his lips as he moved toward her with Parker in his arms.
"Hey there, Parker," she greeted, the smile never leaving her face as she patted the bed beside her. "Come here."
For a moment her eyes met Booth's and she nodded a bit to reassure him when she saw the question there. After a moment of hesitation, he finally gave in and settled Parker on the bed beside her. "You be careful, okay?" he instructed. "You don't want to hurt her."
The boy nodded eagerly before turning back to Brennan and wrapping his little arms around her neck. She smiled as she hugged him back, happy that he had gotten away from the whole ordeal unscathed.
"Thank you," he mumbled as he pulled back, moving his hands to her cheeks
Suddenly, she was flashing back to that apartment and the concern she had seen in the boy's eyes, and she wanted to cry at the intensity of it all. He was so much like his father it was almost uncanny.
"You're welcome," she answered softly, a single tear slipping down her cheek as she continued to watch him.
After a moment, he gave her a little smile and made himself comfortable in her arms again. "I'm sorry you were hurt… But I'm glad you're okay. Now, daddy doesn't have to be sad anymore."
He had her hand in his now, and his eyes were focused on it as he played with her fingers. After a moment he stopped to look up at her again and then leaned in and cupped his hand over his mouth to whisper some secret in her ear.
She smiled at his words and glanced up at Booth, who was watching them closely from were he stood against the back wall, a contented smile on his face. When he caught her looking, it grew for a moment as he held her eyes.
Their moment was interrupted, however, when the door opened. An elderly woman stood there, never actually entering the room as she looked from Seeley and Temperance, her eyes finally falling on Parker. She smiled at the boy, then at Temperance, before holding out a hand for Parker.
"Time to go," she told the boy gently.
"Grandma's here. I have to go see mommy now…" Parker informed her, before giving her one final hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Brennan nodded slowly at the boy, confusion evident on her face as she watched Booth lift him from the bed and give him a hug goodbye.
"I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Dr. Brennan." Brennan gave the woman a small smile of thanks before watching them leave, Parker's hand locking with his grandmother's.
After a moment, she turned to Booth, her eyes prying. "I didn't think Rebecca made it…?"
"She came through it alive. You got there just in time. If she had taken one more blow, she wouldn't have made it out…" He took a ragged breath, and cast his eyes downward as the tears gathered there. When she felt one of those tears splash against the back of her hand, she used the other to run her fingers through his hair, gently urging him to meet her eyes once more. When he finally met her eyes, all she saw there was relief. "You saved my son. You saved his mother… Temperance, you saved my entire world…"
Suddenly, she felt like she couldn't breath, and it had nothing to do with her injury. "Do you still love her?" She had to know. She didn't know exactly what it was she felt for him herself, but she needed to know how he felt for Parker's mother.
His eyes locked with hers, and she could see how serious he was as he shook his head slowly. "No."
And in that moment, that one word changed her whole world.
There are secrets that we still have left to find
There have been mysteries from the beginning of time
There are answers we're not wise enough to see
"Okay," she breathed out, letting go of the breath she had been unaware she was holding. Suddenly, the situation was far less comfortable, and she felt the urge to find a new subject. "What about Snyder?" she questioned as she watched Booth closely; unsure of exactly how well the question would go over.
"He's dead…" he told her quietly, his eyes dropping to where his hand had once again found hers. "When I walked in, all I saw was you and Parker. And the blood… I just started shooting, and it was like I couldn't stop, you know? All I knew was that this bastard had hurt the two people in my life that I care most about, and I wanted him dead…" He paused for a moment, sighing heavily before meeting her eyes. "Makes me a terrible person, doesn't it?"
She shook her head slowly as she watched him, a few tears gathering in her eyes once more. "No… Booth, you were faced with a terrible situation. This monster was there to hurt your son. He had already murdered three children that we knew about. You reacted. You did what any parent would have done… You protected your son. That doesn't make you a terrible person… It makes you a good father."
He was silent for a moment, only to let out a small chuckle a moment later. "You know, for someone who's bad with people, you sure as hell know exactly what to say to me."
He was playing with her fingers now, much like Parker had and it made her want to laugh at the similarities between the two. Instead, she settled for a smile. It didn't hurt as much. "Yeah, well… You're not just anyone."
And then, suddenly, they were both uncomfortable again… She almost regretted saying it. Almost.
"Hey, look, Bones, I should probably go. Give someone else a chance to see you… Angela's been waiting, and Russ should be here soon."
She nodded, a tiny smile touching her lips at his use of her nickname. He was feeling better about the whole thing, and she was glad some of his worries had worn off. "Okay," she agreed, her hand still locked in his.
He returned her smile as he stood, turning to walk out. When he did, her grip on his hand tightened slightly and he turned back to her, a question in his eyes.
"Come here." She pulled him toward her, and as he leaned over her, she wrapped her arms around him.
He hugged her back and smiled before brushing a kiss across her cheek. After holding her for a moment longer, he straightened, finding her hand and giving it one final squeeze before he turned and walked out the door.
I guess we're big and I guess we're small
If you think about it man you know we got it all
Cause we're all we got on this bouncing ball
And I love you free
I love you freely
And as she watched him leave, Parker's words kept echoing in her mind.
"Daddy loves you."
Here's a riddle for you
Find the Answer
There's a reason for the world
You and I...