(The Brother in the Basement)

A/N: Anne1585 and Viiru requested this story. I hope it's what you wanted.

Note: Let's keep in mind that time on Bones is not very reliable. They did a big jump in time and aged Christine in such a way that she was about seven years old by the time season 11 aired. Hank was born on June 2015 which we know from the certificate on the wall in his bedroom. The age gap can't be helped. Just consider this story to be AU like all of my stories are.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

"Please Bones, I want to see the kids." He felt better than he had been, but that really wasn't saying a lot. He was still in pain and recovering from blood loss. His pain level was being managed and he was grateful for that, but he missed his children. "I promise I'm well enough to see them."

Brennan wasn't sure her children should see their father in the hospital. "It might be too upsetting, Booth. Hank is only five months old and Christine is seven years old. It might be upsetting for them to see their father in the hospital."

His frustration was mounting. "Bones, I'm not dying or anything. Most of the tubes are under the covers and if we time it between my meds I should be able fool them . . . I want to see them . . . please."

She had come very close to losing her husband and partner and it made her heart race just thinking about it. He was still weak and she knew that he was underplaying how badly he had been hurt just like he always did. Brennan was afraid to tax what little strength he had and she worried that seeing Booth in the hospital might be too traumatic for her children. "I think we should wait for a few more days, Booth. You're so pale and you don't hide your pain as well as you think you do. Our children are quite intelligent and they will know you are very sick."

He hated to admit it, but she was right. "Okay . . . I really miss them . . . You and those kids of ours give me strength every day. I love you and I love them so much. The thought of getting back to you guys is what kept me going. I couldn't give up. I had to go home."

"I know and we love you too." Brennan noticed her husband fighting to stay awake. "Rest, Booth. You need rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

His eye lids fluttered and finally closed and in a few moments, he was asleep. Brennan watched him sleep, his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm. While they had been searching for him, she had feared she would never see him alive and now that he was back, she found it hard to leave his side.

Oooooooooooooooooo

"Mommy!" Christine ran from the living room to the front door. "Mommy, can we go home now? Where's Daddy?"

Brennan smiled at Angela as she leaned over to hug her daughter. "I'm happy to see you Christine." Kissing her, Brennan knew that her daughter didn't understand what was really going on and the child was anxious. "I'm sorry, but your Daddy is still sick and he can't come home right now. I'm helping the nurses to take care of him and that is why I've been away so much."

Hank toddled around the corner, his arms raised. The boy started to cry and his mother knew that he was an unhappy little child. Lifting him into her arms, she kissed him and smiled. "Hank, I've missed you so much." Wiping the tears from his eyes with a tissue that Angela handed her, she tried to assure her son. "Mommy loves you so much Hank."

The boy clutched her shirt and hid his face against her chest. His weeping tore through her, but Brennan didn't know what to do about it. "It won't be long before we can go home. Just . . . just not right now."

Christine stared up at her mother with trembling lips and sniffed. "Is my Daddy gone like Uncle Sweets?"

Gasping in shock, Angela placed her hand against her throat and stared at Brennan.

Brennan carefully knelt on the floor holding her son and placed her free arm around her daughter. "No Christine. Your Daddy is just sick and in the hospital. I promise that he has not gone away like Uncle Sweets."

Afraid her mother was not telling her the truth, Christine stepped away from Brennan and shouted. "I want my Daddy! I want to see my Daddy!" Her voice was rising in hysteria and Brennan knew that her daughter was close to panic.

"Sweetheart, your father is alright."

Before she could say more, Christine shouted. "I want my Daddy! If you won't let me see him then he went away like Uncle Sweets." Crying the girl fled the room, leaving behind a bewildered Brennan and a weeping little boy.

"I don't understand. Why are they so upset? They weren't this upset yesterday." Brennan stood up and stared at her friend. "Angela, why are my children so upset?"

Feeling guilty, Angela hunched her shoulders. "We watched a video of your wedding this morning and when Christine saw Sweets she started to cry. She told me that she thinks Booth is dead and that we won't tell her . . . not in those exact words, but close enough. Of course, once Christine started crying then so did Hank . . . Maybe you should let me take them to the hospital for a visit. I don't think Christine is going to settle down until she sees her father. She thinks we're lying to her about Booth."

Conflicted, Brennan finally nodded her head. "I thought it would be traumatic to see Booth in the hospital, but now I think they're more traumatized not seeing him."

Angela patted Brennan's arm. "I think so too." She knew that protecting the children from the reality of the situation wasn't working. "I think once they see him, they'll settle down. It's the not knowing that's making them afraid and it wasn't that long ago that we lost Sweets. Christine loved her Uncle Sweets."

"Yes." Brennan walked into the living room and spied her daughter lying on the couch, weeping. "Christine . . . I have to go back to the hospital, but Aunt Angela is going to take you and Hank to see your father tonight. You don't need to cry. You'll be able to see for yourself that he is alright."

Sitting up, Christine used the bottom of her blouse to wipe the tears from her face. "Do you promise?"

"I promise."

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

The sights and sounds of the hospital were a little unnerving, but Christine was determined to see her father and if this was where he was then she would be brave and ignore the things she didn't understand. Holding Angela's free hand in a tight grip while the artist carried Hank, Christine was eager to get to her father. It had been four days since her father had disappeared and she had been afraid someone had taken him from her like they had done a year earlier. That summer had been awful and she had feared that she would never see her father again, but her Uncle Sweets had been there for her and he had made a solemn promise that she would see her father soon. He had kept his word and her father had reappeared in her life.

This time when her father had disappeared her Uncle Sweets wasn't there to make promises and she began to fear that her father had died liked her Uncle had. She was terrified that she would never see her father again. Now that she had been promised that she could see him, she began to hope that he really was alright and that he hadn't gone away after all.

Moving down a broad brightly lit hallway, the child noticed some doors were open and there were people lying in beds in these rooms. Some of them seemed very still and very quiet and that made her anxious. Was her Daddy very sick? She hoped not.

Soon they were standing in front of a wide door. Angela released the little girl's hand, knocked twice and opened it. "We're here."

As she entered the room, Christine's gaze swept the room and landed on her father lying on a bed. He looked asleep, but she was so excited to see him that any hopes from Angela that Christine would be quiet went out of the window. "Daddy!"

The girl raced across the room and at the last minute, her mother grabbed her before she could scramble onto the bed.

"Christine! You can't get into bed with your Daddy." Brennan's heart was beating wildly in her chest. It had given her a fright that her daughter had moved so fast. If the child had made it on to the bed and onto Booth, it was possible that she could have injured him. "Your Daddy is sick, Christine."

Booth opened his eyes and smiled at his daughter. "Hey Pumpkin."

Desperate to get to her father, Christine wriggled in her mother's grip. "Please Mommy."

Carefully, Brennan placed the child on the edge of the bed, bracing her from falling to the floor. "You can sit here, Christine. Please don't put any weight on your father's stomach or chest."

She knew that her mother was afraid, Christine could see it in her face. She understood that her father was sick and she needed to protect him. "Okay Mommy." Shifting on the bed, she faced her father, leaned over and patted his cheek. "I missed you Daddy."

"I missed you to, Christine." Booth was so happy to see his daughter and a squeal from the area in front of the door drew his attention towards his son, who was grasping the air with his hands. "Hey Tiger. How's my boy?"

The boy squealed once more and Angela laughed. Moving over to the bed, she placed a chair near the bed, sat down and placed the wriggling toddler's feet on her knees. This allowed the boy to stand and lean forward over the bed. "I haven't seen these two smile for the last four days."

Booth placed his hand on his son's arm. "Bones said you were coming. Thank you for bringing them." He wanted to hold his children, but he knew that was impossible. "Daddy is so happy to see his munchkins."

Christine placed her hand on Booth's thigh and beamed a happy smile. "We've missed you, Daddy." Her voice lowered and she stared at the tube attached to Booth's wrist. "I was afraid you went away like Uncle Sweets."

"Oh, Honey. I'm sorry." Booth had done the best he could to save his brother and he had failed. What made the situation worse was the fact the he had almost died too. To be taken away from his kids now would have been tragic. He thanked God, that Brennan and his friends had not given up looking for him. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I'm just a little sick. When I get better I'm going to go home and we can all be together." His son squealed and Booth laughed. "Hank, you are getting so big. I bet they can hear you outside." He ran a finger under the boy's chin. "I love you, Hank." He turned his gaze back upon his daughter. "I love you Christine."

"I love you too, Daddy." Christine was filled with relief. Her father hadn't gone away and he would be home soon. That was all she needed to know. Her father wasn't an angel in heaven and that made her so happy.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

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