"He is in bed now Booth. He is a good kid. A lot like you that is for sure." I said smiling as I sat down on the couch across from my partner.
I watched him sift through his thoughts. Today was an emotionally draining day. After a few minutes he looked up at me with tears in his eyes, "Bones I could not have done this without you, you know that right?" he said softly, I nodded. "I have not talked to anyone about what happened. The only people who knew I was even in New York when it happened died when the tower collapsed."
"You were there getting a new mission weren't you." I said already knowing the answer.
"Ya we were being sent out again. The Army knew that we were not planning on reenlisting so they wanted to get us to do as much as we could before we were out. We were suppose to leave the next morning. Top secret missions as per most of what I was sent over to do."
"The Army forgot about it when the attack happened. That is why you were able to get out no questions asked. They were too busy to do anything about it."
"I never went on any missions without at least one of the five who died in the attack. I worked with several others in the Army but my partner was always one of the five. We were always the leaders on the missions. Now I am the only one still alive. I just couldn't do it anymore. Not after losing all of my partners."
"So you moved back to Philly and joined the FBI." I said, he nodded and put his head down.
"I worked my way up really fast, I was made an agent after only two months doing office work. Special Agent within a year. That is when I transferred to DC and ran into Rebecca again."
I did not know what to say, all of the painful things he has been through, all of the things he has had to do. I was surprised he could ever sleep with all the painful memories.
"Rebecca was a college girlfriend. When I moved to DC I ran into her and I don't know I just needed…" he couldn't finish what he was saying he was so upset.
"You just needed a friend but all of yours were gone so you found the closest thing." I said putting my hand on his knee and scooting over towards him. He leaned into me and buried his face in my neck. He was not crying, he was juts seeking comfort. I put my arm around him and turned my head, as I did I saw Parker sitting under the kitchen table. I smiled at him and nodded, I knew he just wanted to make sure that I would stay with his dad and I knew I couldn't leave him tonight. Not when he needed a friend. I couldn't leave my best friend when he needed me.
Parker smiled at me and went back into his room and shut the door behind him. His son was so much like him it was as if he had been cloned. I wondered if he was like his mother at all because all I saw was his father.
"Booth you need to sleep." I whispered into his ear.
"I don't know if I can." He said honestly as he lifted his head of and looked into my eyes with his deep chocolate brown eyes filled with sadness.
"We will do this together Booth." I told him squeezing his hand.
"Bones I cant ask you to stay with me every night."
"Booth you didn't ask me to do anything. We have work tomorrow and it is late." I knew that he was scared what me staying might mean. He couldn't be scared of logic though. "You are my partner correct?" I asked him.
"Yes Bones." He answered not understanding what I was getting at.
"We are friends too."
"Best friends Bones."
"You need a friend right now."
He nodded his head and looked down at this hands.
"I am here and I am your best friend."
"Ya." He said barely audible.
"Therefore I am staying here with you. You didn't ask me to. I am telling you that I am."
"I get it Bones. Thank you." He said getting up.
I followed him into his room and changed into a pair of his jogging shorts and one of his t-shirts and climbed into his bed. He changed into his flannel pants and climbed in after me. "Goodnight Booth." I said laying my head down on the pillow.
"Goodnight Bones." He said closing his eyes and putting his hand over mine and holding it tight.
I watched him as he drifted off to sleep, I could see his eyes moving back and forth and watched as his brow furrowed and relaxed over and over until finally his grip on my hand relaxed and he was asleep. I closed my eyes and went to sleep myself. Morning always comes too soon.