(The Bond in the Boot)

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I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Sweets was consulting with Booth on his latest case when a phone call interrupted them. A little alarmed, Sweets witnessed Booth turn pale while he listened to whoever was on the other end of the call.

Finally, Booth stood up and spoke. "I'm coming. I'll be there as soon as I can." Ending his call, he grabbed his jacket from the coat tree and moved towards the door.

His alarm growing, Sweets stood up and followed him through the doorway. "What's going on? Is Dr. Brennan okay?"

Once through the bullpen, Booth ignored the elevator and made his way to the stairwell. "My grandfather just had a heart attack." Racing into the stairwell, the agent hurried down the stairs to the parking garage.

Concerned for his friend's state of mind, Sweets raced down the stairs with Booth, followed him into the parking garage and raced around the Agent to his SUV. Before Booth could get into his truck, Sweets climbed into the passenger side and slammed the door shut.

In a hurry, Booth started his truck and growled at Sweets. "Get out. I'm going to Philadelphia."

Determined to remain where he was, Sweets buckled his seatbelt and crossed his arms against his chest. "I'm going with you. You need a friend with you."

He didn't want Sweets with him, but he didn't have time to argue. Booth backed out of his parking space, drove down the ramp and hurried out onto the street narrowly missing a garbage truck.

His heart beating rapidly with fear, Sweets removed his phone from his jacket and made a call. "Charlie, Booth is on the way to Philadelphia due to a family emergency. I'm with him. Please let Assistant Deputy Director Calvin Triche know. Thank you."

Since they were heading in the opposite direction from the Jeffersonian, Sweets touched Booth's arm. "Aren't you going to get Dr. Brennan so she can go with us?"

Moving around a car moving too slowly, Booth shook his head. "Bones has an important meeting with the board of directors about some Egyptian mummy that they're trying to get for an exhibit. This meeting is really important to her. She's helping them with the proposal. I'll call her when I get to Philly."

Slowly shaking his head, Sweets sent a text message to Brennan. Booth's grandfather had a heart attack. He's on the way to Philly. I'm with him.

He waited and received a response from Brennan. Why didn't he call me? I can go with him.

Careful to make sure his answer was truthful but neutral, Sweets replied. He said you have a meeting with the board. He said it's important. He didn't want to disturb you.

Her reply was almost instant. Disturb me? Find out what hospital Hank is in.

Sweets cleared his throat. "What hospital is your grandfather in?" He had to ask twice before Booth answered.

"Methodist Hospital." Booth ran a yellow light that turned red as he raced through the intersection and a couple of horns blasted away from irritated drivers. "He's at Methodist Hospital . . . One of his friends was visiting Pops and she noticed he was having trouble breathing. She called an ambulance . . . I have his medical proxy, so they called me."

As Booth ran another yellow light, Sweets thought he'd better get Booth to calm down and use more caution before he killed them both. "You know you're going to end up being pulled over by a cop if you keep driving like this and that will just delay you more than if you drove correctly."

His jaw clenched, Booth slowed the truck down and continued at a more measured pace.

Glad that Booth was being more careful, he texted Brennan. Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia. Are you coming?

Of course. Brennan placed the phone down on the table and turned her attention to the Chairman of the Board, Jeffrey Foor who was staring at her. "My partner's grandfather has had a heart attack. He raised Booth and Booth considers Hank to be his parent. I must go. He's in Philadelphia. I will return when I can."

Foor knew that Brennan wouldn't disrupt their meeting if it was unavoidable and it was his firm belief that family came first. "Of course, Dr. Brennan. We'll reschedule this meeting when you come back." He watched Brennan pick up her phone, stand and leave the room.

Vice-Chairman Hines shook her head. "She could have finished the meeting before she left. We were almost done."

Annoyed, Harry LaBorde shook his head. "And if it was your grandfather or father? Would you feel the same way?"

Embarrassed, Cindy Hines felt her cheeks burn. "Since the meeting is now over, I have work to do." Leaving the room, she overheard Harry speak to Foor. "Let me know when Temperance gets back. I hope her boyfriend's grandfather makes it."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

She found Booth in the surgical waiting room. "Booth, how is Hank?"

Surprised to see her, Booth stood up and engulfed her in his arms. "He's in surgery. They're putting in a stent . . . He was so lucky that Mrs. Harmon was visiting when he had the attack. She saved his life."

Her arms circled her boyfriend's chest and she kissed him. "You should have brought me with you, Booth. No meeting is more important that you or Hank. As soon as Sweets let me know what was going on, I left the meeting."

"I'm sorry." Booth realized that he should have given her the option, but at the time, he really hadn't been thinking things through. He was just in a hurry to get to his grandfather. "I just know that your meeting has been scheduled for weeks and you told me it was really important that you get the ball rolling soon so you can get that mummy."

"None the less, you should have called me." Brennan stared into Booth's worried face. "Tell me what the doctor said."

Booth pointed at two chairs behind him and they sat down. "Dr. Rentz said that Pops has some blockage. He wanted my permission to operate. Pops wasn't sure he wanted it done, so I talked to him and he finally agreed to let them do it . . . He was so weak and his color . . . he just looked bad. Dr. Rentz said he's not getting proper oxygen to his heart . . . Sweets agreed with the doctor and he said that Pops needed the surgery right away."

It wasn't a very satisfying explanation, but she knew that Booth had told her all he had understood. Medicine wasn't really Booth's field of expertise, but he was smart and she knew he would have made sure it was the right thing to do before he allowed the operation to happen. She was glad that Sweets had been there to give his opinion. "It sounds like you made the right decision." Brennan glanced around the room and didn't see the young psychologist. "Where is Sweets?"

Closing his eyes, Booth leaned his head against the wall behind him. "He went to get coffee."

Satisfied for the moment, Brennan hooked her arm around Booth's arm and leaned against him. "The next time you have an emergency, you must let me know right away. Don't assume that what I am doing is more important than you are. That will never be the case."

Embarrassed, Booth opened his eyes and turned to look at his partner. "I should have called you and I will the next time . . . We're family and . . . well, I'm sorry. I just know you've been working real hard on that mummy thing."

"As long as you don't forget me the next time you are forgiven." Brennan knew that Booth would think to call her the next time he had an emergency. He kept his promises. "I will make sure you are notified if there is a family emergency that I need to take care of."

Booth nodded his head. "God I'm so worried . . . Besides you and Parker, Pops is all I have . . . I need him to be okay."

Brennan noticed that he didn't mention Jared, but that didn't surprise her. She hoped Hank would be alright. He was the father that Booth had needed when he was a child and even though Hank had been on the verge of retirement, he had taken in his grandchildren to save them from their abusive father and to keep them out of Foster Care. Hank was a good man and he was the reason that Booth was a good man. Brennan admired Hank a lot and wished that she had been blessed with a grandfather like Booth's grandfather. She didn't believe in prayer or God, but she hoped that the old man recovered. He was a delightful person to be around and her boyfriend loved him so much.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Booth was in the room when Hank woke up. The old man felt weak, but he smiled at his grandson. "Don't worry so much." His mouth was dry and felt like cotton. "Water please."

Grabbing the cup near the bed, Booth filled it with ice chips and unwrapped the spoon sitting on the table. "Pops, here's some ice chips. Open your mouth. It will help."

He knew the drill from when his wife and been in the hospital. Hank opened his mouth and accepted the chips. As he started to feel more awake he noticed Brennan and Sweets in the room with him. "Temperance, nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you awake, Hank." Brennan moved closer to the bed, leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I talked to your physician and he feels you will make a complete recovery."

Glad to hear that, Hank smiled at her. "Good. Someone has to stick around and keep my boy in line."

Booth chuckled. "That's true Pops. I can't do it without you. You have to stick around and make sure I don't screw up too much."

"That's right." Suddenly sober, Hank shook his head. "You were never a screw up Seeley. You're a good man and I'm proud of you. Don't ever forget that. I love you."

His throat tight with emotion, Booth cleared it and nodded his head. "I love you too, Pops. I always have. I always will."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

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