Dear readers, we hope you're still with us! You've been waiting way too long for this long chapter, for which we apologise. It's Elena's 16th birthday, and it's been 16 chapters. We hope you'll enjoy the final chapter!
Chapter 16
Brennan, Angela, Elena, Thomas and Jack were all buzzing like bees inside their Mighty Hut, as Booth liked to call their house, when he snuck out to get the birthday cake. In reality, the cake was already in the basement and Booth was on his way to the shelter to adopt Ripley and pick up Alex for a day out. Elena was turning 16 today and he wanted to surprise her. She had been dropping hints for weeks now, about how it would be nice if Alex could come to her birthday party and not so subtle hints about the fact that she and Thomas wanted to adopt Ripley. Booth had talked about it with Brennan and after some consideration, they had decided they would be able to grant their oldest both of her wishes.
Alex had been allowed a day off at the rehab centre. He'd had to earn it, but then, he was doing very well, so his therapists and doctors had allowed him a day without monitoring. He was waiting at his former workplace, the animal shelter, with his buddy, Ripley, at his side. He felt happy that his best animal friend would be adopted by his best human friend.
Booth parked the car and entered the shelter. When he saw Alex with Ripley waiting patiently by his side, Booth smiled. "You look good, son. How are you?"
"Getting better every day, Sir," Alex said with a small smile. "I'll be finishing school in a few months. I really feel I'll be able to make something of myself. Thanks to you and your family."
"I'm happy to hear that, Alex." Booth put his hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed it once in encouragement. "It'll be a life-long battle, but I promise you it will be worth your while. So, are you excited about going to the party?"
"First party I've had in almost a year," Alex smiled, "I sure am excited. Especially since I know my other friend will be in the best possible care." Alex patted Ripley's ribcage. "You're a good dog, now, aren't you, Ripley?"
The dog grunted softly of pure contentment and stood. He stretched his front paws, pushing his behind up in the air, his tail wiggling slightly. He stood again and did the reverse, stretching his hind legs, yawning widely. Booth watched in amusement. "Why don't both of you get into my car while I handle the paperwork?"
"Come on, Ripley," Alex said, and the dog followed suit. It warmed his heart that the dog hadn't forgotten about him. There was a blanket in the car for Ripley, and Alex sat down next to him.
Booth paid for Ripley and filled out the adoption paperwork, then returned to the car. "You probably haven't had a chance to get a gift for Elena, so I wanted to know if you would like to go into town and get her something? She'll only turn 16 once after all," Booth suggested.
"That won't be necessary. I got her something," Alex smiled.
"That's great! Home it is, then," Booth turned the car round and started driving. "I don't know if this was made clear to you, but this is a surprise. Neither Elena nor Thomas knows that they are finally getting a dog, or that it'll be Ripley. And she doesn't know you're coming today. She's been hoping for it, though."
"I'm glad. We've been writing, but I've missed Elena. She's such a loving person and there's no one like that in rehab, I can assure you. Thanks a lot for inviting me, Mister Booth. It means a lot to me."
"You earned it, kid. You've been doing all the hard work, not me. And it means a lot to Elena that you two have managed to build a good friendship. What's in the past, is in the past. Even God can't change that, but I can see that you're making smart choices now and I can only hope you will continue doing so in the future."
"I will, Sir. Actually, I'm thinking about studying Psychology so I'll be able to help other people – foster kids – so they won't have to go through what I went through."
Booth nodded in agreement. "That's admirable. I'm very happy to hear that you are making plans for your future once more, Alex." When they arrived at the house, Booth parked the car and turned to look at Alex. "Can you wait in here? I'm going to send Elena outside. Okay?"
"Should I wait next to the car with Ripley?" Alex asked. He wanted to make this moment perfect for his best friend.
"Sure, whatever you think is best," Booth shot the boy a smile. He got out of the car and went inside. "Where is my little monster?"
Elena was wearing the dress Angela had bought her for her sixteenth birthday. It was beautiful, and Angela had also managed to tame her wild curls. All in all, Elena had never before spent this much time on her appearance, but she thought it had been worth it. She only turned sixteen once, after all. She'd been having a great day with all of her family. Later that week, she'd have a sleepover party with her teammates from gymnastics. "Dad!" Elena exclaimed when she saw her father again, "Where have you been? Where's the cake?"
Playfully, Booth wrapped his arms around his daughter and spun her around. Putting her back on her two feet, he kissed her cheek and handed her the car keys, "Go see for yourself."
Elena looked down at the keys in her hand. "Dad, these are your car keys. I really hope you didn't buy me a car, because I don't have the time to get my licence. It's not a car, is it?" Elena wanted to make sure.
"They are my car keys," Booth chuckled, "And no, you are definitely not getting a car. You'll have to save up for that on your own. But go! Go and look, before the poor thing runs away. After all," he winked, "with four legs, he might just outrun even you..."
After those words, Elena was gone in a heartbeat. She ran outside and when she saw her best friend and then the dog he was holding, she yelped and flung herself at Alex. "I can't believe you're here! I'm so happy to see you!"
Now that Alex' body was healthy again, it was easy to hold her tightly in his embrace. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too, but it's so awesome you're here!" Elena was still very excited. "And you brought Ripley, too!" She squatted down in front of the dog and petted it, kissing Ripley's head.
Alex knelt down next to the dog and reached into his pocket. "I have something for you." He leaned in and softly kissed her cheek. "Happy birthday, Elena." He handed her a small wooden box with a whale in it, made out of clay. "We made it in one of the art classes. It was the first thing we ever made. So sorry if it's a bit of a mess. The assignment was to make something that would inspire us in rough moments. So," Alex opened the box and showed the content to her, "I made a Moby. Because it reminded me of you."
Elena accepted the box with her gift. "Alex, this is so wonderful. I love it! It's really special. Thank you so much." She smiled at kissed his cheek. "You won't believe it, but we can take Ripley inside. He can get startled now and not attack someone. He's been behaving really well. Thomas and I are proud of him, aren't we, Ripley?" The dog waggled its tail and Elena petted him lovingly.
"I can tell, he's much calmer." They stood and Alex embraced her. "I'm so happy to be here."
"Me, too. I'm glad you were allowed. You've been doing so well, after all. Come on, let's go inside. You must have the cake my brother made. It's delicious." Elena took Alex' hand and dragged him inside.
Alex followed, taking Ripley with him as he met the rest of Elena's family.
Elena was introducing her friend to everyone who hadn't seen him yet but had definitely heard about him. Much to Elena's delight, her family welcomed her friend heartily.
Alex was taken into the kitchen by Brennan and asked what kind of cake he preferred. He also got a drink and when they returned to the living room, Angela was patting the seat beside her, inviting Alex to sit next to her. Elena sat down next to Alex as well, in her red birthday dress. She couldn't stop smiling.
"Don't you two make a lovely couple," Angela smiled at them. "It's nice to finally meet you, Alex, I've heard a lot about you. Don't worry. It was all very good. So, how have you been doing?"
"I've been doing really well. It's hard, but it's worth it. It kind of helps that Mr Booth confided to me about his own struggles, it reminds me that there is hope and that I can't give up."
As the kids were talking to Angela in the living room and Thomas was playing with Michael Vincent, Booth went into the kitchen, where he found his Bones. "Hey, do you need a hand?"
"Here, you can take this water to Ripley," Brennan smiled at him and thrust the bowl into his hands. "Have you seen Elena's face? She hasn't stopped smiling ever since Alex arrived."
"I think those two are falling in love," Booth pointed out again as he took the water bowl and carried it outside to Ripley, who approached him quickly, wagging his tail. Booth returned to the kitchen.
"Does it worry you?" Brennan asked in continuation of their conversation. Their daughter was only fifteen years old, but Brennan knew they could trust her.
"Partly, yes. She is just fifteen. Well, sixteen since today. And he is older, but as long as they don't rush... I'm okay with it. Anyway, I've learned. I know that I can't dictate who she will love." Booth snickered. "She'd never speak to me again."
Brennan gave him a tender smile and kissed his lips. "Remember ten years ago? When Elena turned six and she had her first birthday party with the complete family?"
"Yeah," Booth hugged her. "A lot has happened in ten years. Thomas was born, we've both grown in our careers. There is one thing that hasn't changed, though."
"What is that? How attracted I am to you?" Brennan raised a playful eyebrow as she wrapped her arms around him.
"No, how happy I am with you and our family. How much I love you. And our little girl, who is not so little anymore. And our son. We're blessed."
Brennan kissed his lips. "That's true. We're very lucky."
Booth smiled tenderly at her and combed her hair behind her ear. "What do you say, should we talk to Alex and Elena about our funding plans tonight?"
Brennan nodded. "I'm feeling very good about this. I'm glad we're able to help him."
Booth kissed her quickly and walked into the living room. "Alex, Elena? Can you come to the kitchen for a minute?"
Elena gave her father a look. He wasn't going to say anything stupid, was he? He was capable of that, after all, she was hanging out with a boy. Alex got up and they followed her dad into the kitchen.
They all took a seat and Alex didn't know if he should be uncomfortable or excited.
Elena, noticing how he seemed to hold his breath, gave Alex' hand a squeeze under the table, then let go again. She frowned at her parents.
Brennan chuckled, "Elena, don't give your dad that look. This is a positive thing, don't worry."
"Your mom is right, princess. We wanted to talk to you, actually," Booth turned to Alex. "You've been doing extremely well and we are proud of you for that. You've come a long way. You haven't had it easy in your life, but you're turning it around. And we want to help you with that. Temperance and I have decided that, if you manage to remain clean, we will support you financially when you go to college. You can study whatever you want. The only condition is that you remain clean. What do you think?"
Alex was stunned and simply surprised. Eventually, he spoke up. "Sir... it's too much. I can't accept that."
Elena's facial expression changed completely. She was utterly surprised. "Are you serious? That's - Alex," she said, turning to her friend, "This is great! You must accept it," she urged him.
He turned to her and said quietly, "I can't. I'll never be able to repay it."
"You don't have to repay it, Alex," Booth pointed out gently. "You're a young man with a promising future. All we ask is that you don't throw it away. You must have ambitions. Dreams. Aspirations. We want you to realise them."
Elena looked at Alex. "You must take it, Alex. Remember the letters where we talked about our future? This is your chance. You could focus on your studies instead of working all the time and then failing."
She had a point. Alex hesitated for one more moment, then nodded. "I would like to accept your generous offer, Sir." Alex' face broke into a relieved smile as it began to sink in that he'd be able to create a future for himself.
Elena smiled at her parents, and Brennan could tell by the twinkle in her daughter's eyes that this was the best birthday present yet.
"I'm happy to hear that, son." Booth stood and handed both of them some cups and spoons so they could all have coffee and cake. He grinned. "Now that you're here, you might as well lend a hand. Yes, Elena! Even on your birthday," Booth teased.
Elena rolled her eyes in a playful manner and went back to the living room, where she started asking the guests if they wanted coffee or tea and cake with it. Alex helped out as well and soon, everyone was taken care of.
Then, Thomas stood and told everyone he had prepared a birthday piece for his sister. Elena was endeared as her little brother sat down at his keyboard, Ripley beside him, wagging his tail, and Thomas started to play. It was the sweetest melody, and Elena was impressed.
"Tadaa!" Thomas smiled at the end of it and ran over to his sister, crawling on her lap. "Did you like it?" he asked shyly as he embraced her.
"Tommy, that was the most beautiful song I've ever heard," Elena told him, her heart filled with love for her little brother. She wrapped him into a tight hug and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Mozart."
"I love you, Elena," Thomas whispered as he tightly wrapped his arms around his sister's neck.
"I love you, too, brother," Elena told him and held her brother tightly against her. "You're a really good musician. I'll try not to tease you about it anymore."
Booth watched as their children embraced. He really felt a lot of pride for both of his kids in his heart. He wrapped an arm around his Bones and spoke a few words. "Today we celebrate the 16th birthday of my little monster. My smart, athletic champion. Today, you turn 16. A big birthday in every girl's life. I just wanted to tell you how proud I am to be your dad, princess. You've gotten a few gifts already from several people, but the next gift is actually one for you and your brother, so you'll have to share." Booth walked into the hallway and returned with a dog collar, a leash and a pillow for Ripley to sleep on. "We expect both of you to take good care of Ripley."
Elena and Thomas wrapped their arms around each other in excitement and then called for Ripley to come over to the couch. Ripley gave an excited bark and jumped on Thomas' lap, trying to lick both their faces. Elena and Thomas laughed as they pushed the dog's head away, not wanting to get licked.
All the adults laughed at the dog's antics and Alex joined in, petting his dog, knowing that he would be safe with this family.
"Princess," Booth said, "your mom and I have one last gift for you. We trust you. We know that you have a good head on your shoulders and that you are capable of making good choices." He paused for a few seconds, certain that Elena, Brennan and Alex understood the deeper meaning of his words. "That's why this is yours from now on." Booth held out an envelope to her, in which was her first bank card.
Elena took the envelope and opened it, having no clue as to what could be inside. When she discovered the bank card in her name, she hugged her parents. "I won't disappoint you," she promised her family. "By the way, is this a hint that I should get a job?" she chuckled.
Booth shook his head, "No. This means that we want you to learn how to be responsible with money. We want you to be able to focus on your school, your gymnastics, your family and your friends, princess."
"Thanks, Dad, Mom, and everybody. I'm having a great birthday, and I loved all of your presents," Elena told everyone. "I love all of you."
Everyone came up to Elena to give her a hug, and Brennan suggested that someone take Ripley for a short walk.
Elena smiled and looked at Alex. "Do you feel like going for a walk with us?" Ripley gave a short bark and looked at Alex expectantly. Elena would be glad to have some time alone with her friend. They had a lot to catch up on and she felt uncomfortable with the obvious expectations of everyone in the room that they were bound to become a couple.
Alex smiled excitedly. "Of course! I missed walking Ripley. Let's go." They put the brand new collar and leash Ripley and Elena grabbed a cardigan.
Alex held up the leash. "Would you mind if I...?"
"Of course not. I'll get plenty of turns," Elena quickly replied.
They walked towards a green trail as dusk started to settle. They fell into a comfortable conversation as their steps synchronised. Ripley was running ahead and returning, circling them, making sure his pack stayed together. Elena and Alex talked about small things. The big things had been discussed in their letters, where there was never room enough for the details. At the point where the path touched the stream and the grass was worn thin, Alex stopped and reached into his pocket.
"What have you got?" Elena asked him curiously.
"It's a little puppet, a wish puppet or growth puppet to be exact. It's used in counselling," Alex told her as he handed her one puppet and held a second one in his hand. "You see," he sat down and invited her to sit down next to him, "there is a difference. These little stick figures are called wish puppets when you are burning them to honour a dream or a wish you hold dear to your heart. It's a growth puppet when you burn it to signal to the universe, or God, or yourself, that you've reached your goal. I was hoping that today, you might want to burn a wish puppet with me."
Elena turned over the puppet in her hand. It was simple and would make an excellent symbol for sending a wish into the universe. "Yes," she replied, "Let's do that. Do you know your wish?" Ripley was wagging his tail and walking from Alex to Elena and back, sniffing them and making impatient sounds. "Ripley, sit," Elena told the dog, which obliged immediately and kept his focus trained on its masters.
"Yes," Alex told her softly as he retrieved a lighter from his pocket. He twisted the lighter between his fingers as he looked up at her. "You don't have to tell your wish, but I would like to tell mine. It is my wish to survive myself." When she gave him a confused look, he added, "Doctors have told me that I will always be susceptible to addiction and that even one brush with drug use could sent me down the rabbit hole again... so that is my dream, to find the strength I need to know better. To do better." He planted the little stick figure in the ground and set it ablaze. "To surviving my own weaknesses."
Elena looked at Alex' face as the puppet burned. She could smell the smoke mixed with something else, like incense. She admired Alex' courage and determination. His dream was a profound one. What was hers? Many things she might wish for sounded silly next to Alex' wish. "I guess mine would be..." Alex' puppet had almost burned out. She needed to think of something. "...To give the best of me to help others, without losing myself." Elena held her puppet's arm to the last flames of Alex' puppet. Hers smelled different. Ripley lay down next to them and kept a suspicious eye on the small fire.
When his puppet had burnt to a crisp and there was nothing left, Alex looked at her. "That's a good dream to have," Alex smiled. He reached out for Ripley and gently stroked his fur. "Thanks for taking such good care of him for me. He looks happy and healthy." Much like he was now much happier and healthier. He was getting ready to try and stand on his own feet for once. They both watched the burning puppet until it was just ashes. "I'm sure you will find a way to achieve your goal, Elena Booth."
Elena breathed out slowly, then smiled. "And I have no doubt that you have everything you need to achieve yours." They put wet earth on top of the fire to kill the last flames.
They worked together as the sun was setting and the sky turned from a light blue to a darker shade. Alex brushed his hand over hers and when she looked up, he told her something he had been needing to tell her personally for a little while now. "Thank you. Thank you for sticking up for me, when I couldn't. For believing in me when I didn't. Your mom and dad would never have helped me the way they did without your interference. I just wanted you to know that I know you saved my life and that I will never forget that, no matter where our paths may lead us in life. I know that in a few years, you'll go to college. Focus on that, okay? Focus on your dream."
Alex' words were the nicest she'd ever heard, and Elena wrapped her arms around him. "No matter what happens, you're my best friend and I'll be there for you."
He hugged her back as he smiled sadly. He swallowed and spoke in a lighter voice, "Your dream was to be able to give to others without losing yourself, right? You can be there for me and we'll talk, but... I think it's time that each of us focussed on our own goals. How else are we going to achieve them?"
Elena listened to his words and it then it clicked. Slowly, she got out of their embrace. "You're going to college, aren't you, after you get out of the clinic? And it's not anywhere near here, is it?" she asked him, dreading the answer she already knew to be true.
"My therapist said that I should probably never return to this city. Too many triggers, memories... The risk that I'll relapse if I come back here... it's huge. I can't stay. I have to move on. But that's good too, you know? Good for both of us. She said we still have to stretch into our skin and I'm sorry, Elena, but I can't do it here, no."
They got back to their feet and Elena hugged him again. She had to stand on tip-toes, he'd become that much taller. "I understand," she said softly. She didn't dare ask him if they'd meet again, out of fear he might reply 'probably not'. She just wanted to cherish their friendship in that moment.
Alex hugged her a bit tighter to him and whispered into her ear. "We'll always have the stars, Elena. No matter where you are, when you look up into the sky at night, you'll see the stars that I'll be seeing, the same moon. I'm never going to forget you. You made a difference in my life and you gave it your very best, now, don't lose yourself over it. Make your dream come true."
She nodded against his shoulder as he whistled. Ripley approached them and Alex put the dog's leash back on. They walked home again, his arm resting around Elena's shoulders, her arm around his waist.
Back inside, they all had dinner together. The mood was festive and warm, the air filled with jokes, laughter and stories. When everyone started to get ready to leave, Alex found himself alone in the kitchen with Elena for a short moment as they cleared the table. Her father would soon be driving him back to the clinic. "Your dad is taking me back to the clinic in a bit."
"Would you like me to ride with you?" Elena asked him. They'd said their personal, private goodbye outside, and it was going to be okay, but if he wanted their time together to last a bit longer, she'd be happy to oblige.
Alex didn't hesitate. They'd already said their goodbyes, he'd made peace with the fact that they would grow apart, but he wouldn't begrudge himself that little bit of extra time with her. "Sure. That would be nice," he smiled.
Elena had had a wonderful birthday, she couldn't have wished for more. Everyone she needed to be there had come, and she felt she was entering a new phase of her life. That she'd grown and learned from her experiences. Elena said goodbye to her grandfathers, to Jack and Angela, kissed her mother who would take care of the rest of the mess, and then hugged Thomas and Michael Vincent goodnight.
Meanwhile, Booth guided Alex to the car and thanked the young man for agreeing to come to his daughter's birthday party. He saw it had meant a lot to his daughter. They made small talk about sports and other trivial suspects until Elena was ready.
During the drive, Booth remained quiet so the kids could talk about things he knew nothing about. He didn't comment when, once they exited the car in the parking lot opposite the clinic, Alex and Elena hugged each other tightly.
Alex told Elena that she could write whenever she wanted. "I'll be here if you need me. Good luck with your dream and good luck with school. I know you'll do excellent."
One of the nurses appeared at the door and with a quick wave and an encouraging nod of his head, Alex disappeared inside.
Booth had been expecting Alex and his daughter to grow closer, maybe even fall in love, and he had seemingly been right, because looked as lost as a young lady fallen head over heels in love for the first time and unable to stay close to the one her heart longed for. When she didn't immediately get in, Booth got out and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "You okay, baby girl?"
Elena held onto her father's arms as they held her, and leaned back into his chest. Along with her mother's embrace, this was the safest place on earth for her. She took a deep breath, coming to terms with the reality of her life. She knew she could have fallen in love with Alex, but she couldn't let herself because they couldn't be together. It was a pity; she'd wondered what it would be like to be in love with someone. She blew out her breath in a deep sigh and then stepped out of her father's arms. "I'm okay," she assured him with a smile. She couldn't be sad, because Alex said she'd saved his life and he'd enriched hers by showing her true friendship. Instead, Elena could only feel grateful. "This was the best birthday ever." Elena pressed a kiss to her father's cheek.
Booth remembered a conversation which seemed to have taken place a very long while ago. A conversation with his wife in which she had warned him not to tease their daughter about her feelings for the young man, at least not if he wanted to be the one she turned to when she needed someone to confide in. He kissed her cheek. "I'm happy to hear that, although, are you sure you're all right? I won't pretend to know what's going on between you two, but you know, we can handle it together. Darling," he gently cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand as he steadied her with his other arm. "If you've fallen in love, that's okay. I know I've teased you with it in the past, but... I apologise for that. The heart wants what the heart wants."
Elena chuckled as her father was obviously doing his best to be sensitive towards her adolescent feelings. "My heart wanted to fall in love with Alex, but it didn't happen because we didn't have enough time together. And there won't be, but it's nice to have got a hint of what being in love feels like," Elena told her father honestly as she looked into his familiar brown eyes. They'd always regarded her with pride and tenderness, which made her feel safe and loved.
Booth nodded and kissed her forehead. "Love will often be bittersweet," he confided to her, "but I've found that it's almost always worth it. Come on, let's stay out here for a little while," he told her as he got an idea. He popped open the trunk of the car, grabbed two blankets and sat down on the hood. When he saw his daughter's eyes widen slightly, he grinned. "It's just this once, don't tell your mom. She'll be upset that we stayed out in the cold night air, but I reckon a few minutes won't hurt." Carefully, he settled against the windshield and patted the hood, inviting her to join him.
Elena hopped onto the car next to her dad and wrapped the blanket around her. "You know I can't keep secrets from Mom, right?" she grinned as she focused her eyes on the starry night's sky.
Booth chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer into his embrace. "I know, I know," he sighed dramatically. They looked up at the stars for a long time. Booth remembered how he used to do this with his Bones, and how his daughter's energy definitely reminded him of her. "Princess?"
"Yes, my loyal servant?" Elena tried to say it in a serious voice, but failed.
Booth chuckled. "Just wanted to let you know that I'm proud of you, sweetheart."
"I know, Dad," Elena assured him, managing a truly serious tone this time. She rested her head on her father's chest. "You and Mom are still the best parents I could wish for, and we have a great life." She hugged herself to her father's chest for a moment, then sat upright. "We should go home, see if we can still help Mom and Angela with the mess we left." Elena smiled. "I'm really glad that we're close again, Dad. We've both been a bit stubborn and emotional, but I never meant to worry you."
"And I never meant to be harsh or give you the impression that I don't trust you, 'cause I do. But, it's a complicated world out there, and I want you to know what's good and bad." He winked at her. "And you've proven that you do. You're becoming a responsible, level-headed, compassionate young lady. One that I'm very proud to call my daughter." Booth and Elena got off the hood and into the car.
"Let's go home."
The end! We'd love to hear what you though of this sequel and hope you'll be reading and enjoying our other stories, too. Unfortunately, we are not writing together anymore, and we didn't finish the third part of this trilogy. If we do one day finish it, you'll be the first to know (just author-alert us!). Lastly, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing our story, it's been a lot of fun and we're honoured to have so many readers!