Second chapter
I do not own Bones. I love bones and I'm not sure what I would change, up until Pelant then I would start making serious changes. But My changes start in the 4th season, because if Bones were to have a full not a half-sister who was underage during the course of the series she would have be born no later than late July 1993, as The fugitive the movie ticket found with her mother premieres on August 6th, we're assuming she or whoever didn't go the first weekend and went a few weeks later say August 28th, (I picked that date because it's my mother's birthday) and the baby was born July 30th. She was privately adopted, and later ended up like Brennan in Foster care but unlike Brennan found a safe Haven. She like Brennan is a Genius, and was recognized at age and started going to college at age 9. And she would have graduated with a five year Master's degree program which do exist my cousin got one, at age 15. She got two, In Forensic art and Computer Forensics and Bachelor's in Psychology. Also I will be messing with Canon not seriously but character choices with be both changed and added as will the outcome of said choices, and thus the consequences of those outcomes further down the line. Some things will remain Christine and Michael Vincent with both be born, after that it's anyone's guess.
The next case was on a Monday. Man they were coming to close for comfort. They just solved the last damn case 12 hours earlier. She was cranky she needed coffee, Good Old Fashioned unaltered Black coffee. She had a Big Purple Thermos full compliments of Mimi. Mimi always made her coffee, or hot chocolate depending on if she was on a coffee ban for whatever reason.
"So how was your night?" Angela asked.
"It was fine, you want some Croissants, made fresh today from Mimi's bakery…" held out a large pink bakery box with Mimi's bakery written on it.
"Sure, I don't suppose you're sharing the coffee." She opens up a bag and hand her a large croissant and take one of her own. "This is delicious…."
"I'll get you a cup of the Jeffersonian Coffee, I'll even make a pot of if there isn't one made, but this is Mimi's Special Double Extra Smooth and rich dark cinnamon Bakery Blend, She only makes this for me when I've been extra good and been extra nice to her this is the good stuff and I won't get another Thermos of this for weeks maybe months so I'd rather not share."
"I understand sweetie, I'd love a cup, I showed you were the break room is, all the mugs are right there, and so is the coffee maker light with Cream two sugars."
She came had to make a pot she was extra nice and decided to make the same blend she had in the Thermos. She 45 minutes later with cup of coffee made to Angela's specifications. She handed it to Angela. And then poured her own coffee into the lid of the Thermos.
"This is really good coffee, Sweetie, is that what took you so long?"
"I grew up in a bakery, I know how to make coffee, and I made the same blend that's in the Thermos. I thought I'd be extra nice. It's just regular coffee, it's what Mimi does to it once she gets it. I also know how to make pretty much any kind of dessert you can imagine from scratch, and perfect breakfast pastries."
'You make these?"
"Yeah, it's not usually my job, but about once or twice a week Mimi needs help with baking the pastries, and breads early in the morning it's not a big deal just think of it like cleaning the bathroom or doing laundry just chores every kid has to do."
Angela laughs. "I guess. Does this mean once or twice a week I get pastries?"
'Mimi always makes extra. I can bring in extra for you guys it's no big deal, I used to bring a couple of dozen pastries for my study groups. At least until Dr. Brennan gets custody." She frowns.
"You're not happy about that are you?"
"No it makes sense, Mimi is pushing 70, she's already had two total knee replacements, and she has high blood pressure for which she takes medication and is and is on a low fat, low salt, no cholesterol diet, she's also even though she is my legal guardian still just a foster parent and the situation is at its core, temporary as much as we'd like to pretend otherwise after four years, Brennan is healthy and young as long she is a blood relative once she gains custody, it will be set in stone and should anything happen such as her ending up in a chronic vegetative state with little to no brain activity or for some unfathomable reason incarceration, or death all she needs is paperwork indicating who my caregivers will be and I will not end up in the hands of social Services, Mimi has no ability to provide for such possibilities, if anything should happen to her, I will go back into the system. And while one of the other houses was not horrible, they were just cold and a little too perfect, the other house was not something I want to repeat anytime soon."
"You are a lot like your sister you know that?" Angela said taking a sip of coffee.
'In what way?"
"That entire speech was classic Brennan."
"I only do it when I'm really scared about it something, My Mom did it too. She had severe social anxiety most of her life. Not the best for people who want to be surgeons but she found coping mechanisms, mostly by speaking formally, and metering her in speech she eventually grew out of it, and only needed to do it when she needed to stem a panic attack."
"Really?"
"Yeah, She was smart My Mom, She graduated Medical School when she was 22, and she adopted she was young she was risking her career, to throw a baby in the mix she must have trusted Max very much."
"Or she loved you very much." Angela said.
"Oh, She did, She loved me fiercely Angela, but I have no idea how my mother convinced anyone I was her natural child, My Mother was just south of six foot, Golden Blonde, Fair Irish Skin that would burn with even the hint of sun, piercing green eyes, and she despite her height there was never any doubt that she was a woman she had curves in all the right places. If I had managed to grow up into my teen years alongside her, I would no doubt resent all the teenage boys attention on her."
Angela laughs. "No Doubt, She sounds."
"Hot."
"Yeah."
"She worked her way through Medical School as an Underwear Model, I think Grey's anatomy used her as an example when they created Isobel Stevens character, they just changed prodigy who has kid in residency and criminal father with pregnancy in teen years and trailer park childhood, although personally I think My mother's story would have made better ratings, hot socially awkward bone cracking prodigy Murder, criminal father in jail for life asking for reconciliation, daughter left orphaned, much better than their story, I mean who cuts an LVAD wire?"
Angela laughs. "You Watch Grey's anatomy?"
"Yeah, it's kind of a guilty pleasure, it's good writing, the cast is all seriously hot even the old people, and I kind want to root for Meredith Grey, even though more than half the crap that happens to her is her damn own fault, and she doesn't need therapy she needs someone to knock some sense into her, but then so do half the characters, I like to write fan fiction where Bailey or Callie or a character from another fandom knocks some sense into one of the characters."
"You Write fan fiction?"
"Sometimes, it's a pressure valve, Being a 15 years old, in an adult world gets to you. I have an adult credentials but I'm not an adult. When In the Master's Degree program I was smarter and more knowledge then my peers, but no one wanted to work with me, My teachers loved me but they didn't want to mentor me because they knew it was unlikely I would get a job in the real world and I they knew that would come back to haunt them, I can only work 40 hours a week, you know the kind of risk Dr. Saroyan took allowing you to hire me, I'm sure she did, the defense if I testify will attempt and fail to tear me apart because of my age, foster care background, biological parents background, traumatic childhood. It's all fair game because I'm a child, they don't question Dr. Brennan's background and Traumatic childhood every time she testifies but they will question mine because I'll still technically a child."
"I don't even know what to say to that." Angela said. Bailey looked out the door.
"The remains are here. We need to get to work. Since the skull isn't even close to being reconstructed yet, do you want me to be out there with the human Dementors?"
Cam enters the room "Ms. Bailey I assume you are referring to Mr. Fisher please refrain from referring to coworkers as soul-sucking dark creatures from Harry Potter."
"So, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dungeons and Dragons and Charmed would be okay then?" Bailey quipped.
Angela snorted. "Please refrain from referring to your coworkers as dark-creatures of any kind." Cam replied but with a very large sparkle in her eyes and her lips was twicked
"I apologize Dr. Saroyan it was unprofessional of me. I will show Mr. Fisher the respect he deserves, the same respect I would expect and want others to show me."
"Thank you Ms. Bailey, now we have a remains to examine." And Examine they did.
Tuesday in the middle of case she did a little research when she was forced to go home early because of her hours, she thought it was ridiculous she could only work 40 hours in a week. Wednesday she came into work and gave her sister a stack of files.
'I don't know what I'm looking at Ms. Bailey."
"Penelope, Temperance this is very personal. One of Jonah's superiors who I discovered is the one blocking Mimi from adopting me, and attempted to block me from receiving my inheritance from my Mom and attempted to have me removed from Mimi's care when she had her angina, and might be at the hearing is the son of the man who our father killed in prison in 1966, Edward Crane Jr."
"I see." Inwardly Temperance was furious this man made a child's life in Foster care more difficult because of a grudge against their father. He obviously couldn't do anything overt, she just was thankful Angina is nothing too serious and most judges know that. She was always very angry at Max. It was irrational and she knew it was irrational but if her father had been who she originally thought Matthew Brennan, Science teacher but then her sister wouldn't exist at all. She was being irrational and she knew it. While working she showed the files her sister created to Booth, who made some calls and to her lawyer.
On Thursday they solved the case. It was a couple from the office who were to date that the office manager was going to report, and the woman was just trying to stop from reporting, she through a stapler at and accidentally hit an undiagnosed an Aneurism to rupture and killing her, they together opened up the elevator and through her down. If she hadn't been such a truly horrible human being she would still be alive, even if it was just a spur of the moment murder. Bailey thinks.
After the case Bailey goes home, Brennan goes out with Booth.
"What are you thinking Bones?"
"I'm not sure I will be what my sister needs, Booth she is happy with Ms. Callahan but I refuse to leave her in the system like Russ did to me. Miranda Callahan is a decent kind, wonderful foster mother, but her health isn't the best, she's had episodes of angina, and she has high blood pressure, that's an invitation to a heart attack booth, and she knows it. She loves my sister and has taken good care of my her for four years when she can easily just been in it for the stipend I've had Cam contact the best cardiologist Money can buy, I'm going to make sure she continues to live so she can be in Penelope's life for many years to come."
"Is it Penelope or it is Bailey?" Booth asks.
"I think at Work it should be Ms. Bailey or Bailey, when she came to talk to me about the files she mentioned that's the way she preferred it, I think Miranda calls her Penelope, but everyone else she's known since she was 11 has called her by her last name, calling her Penelope of Penny, denotes a familial relationship rather than a professional one but at work she prefers the use of her last name, it actually makes a great deal of sense."
"Booth what if she acts out, she's much more socially in tune that I was, and while I didn't act out I certainly had my rebellions against my foster families. I did get in an awful lot of fights with the other children especially those I considered bullies."
"She won't get in fight Bones she knows she has to be able to testify in front of a judge and jury, she won't do anything to endanger that."
"What about drinking, children her age often have false identification and go to clubs they are too young to get into and drink to excess."
"You deal with it if it happens Bones like any parent, everyone makes mistakes and I'm sure both you and your sister will, it's how you deal with them together that makes you who you are, Besides she doesn't seem like the type to go to a club with a fake ID Bones, she seems like the type that would use the fake ID to buy the alcohol at the store than throw a party at your house when we're out of town on case and she's maxed out on hours, charge the kids 10 bucks a head, and then clean it all up without you ever knowing."
He was joking but she was regarding him seriously. "She'll stay with Angela when we go out of town on cases, My sister I'm sure is much too intelligent and creative to throw something as plebian as a house party but I have no doubt she would do something rebellious in my absence, and I'd rather remove the temptation and have her stay with Angela."
"I was kidding about the house party Bones, she's more likely to stop cleaning, and doing laundry until the last possible second and eating really unhealthy foods in front of the television while watching movies you wouldn't approve of way too late at night, she's too responsible too do anything worse than that. You don't earn two Master's degrees at the age 15 by being irresponsible."
"She was 14 Booth when she earned them not 15, she got her degrees in June and her Birthday and July."
"But you see my point."
"Yes, Booth, I still think it best she stay with Angela. Especially since Social Services will be checking on my progress for the first few months, and her not having supervision will not look good."
"Whatever you say Bones."
The next morning at 9:15 Dr. Temperance Brennan was at the family court already waiting, Miranda Callahan, Aaron Gideon and Her sister were already there. They all had coffee, although Bailey was frowning.
Temperance was worried.
"What's wrong?"
"She wouldn't give me coffee this morning."
"You were wired when you woke up Penelope you didn't need coffee." Ms. Callahan said. "Temperance since we have 45 minutes since ten o'clock and we'll undoubtedly be called late, why don't we talk?"
"Of course?' they all sat down. "Penelope is going to draw, we've lost her concentration until we call her name, and anyway what do you want to know?"
"You got her when she was 11 what do you know about her previous foster homes?"
"One wasn't abusive just kind of cold, they liked things perfect and shiny, and she was good at pretending to be those things, very good, she was already in college, after all, they were professors, but she got appendicitis and the relationship ended."
"After she recovered from the hospital she ended up with the Davidsons, they had three girls, and two boys all between 9 and 14, the mother was in denial and father was sexually abusing the two other girls, and while he never her according to your sister, and the investigation bears that out…"
"He did sexually abuse her?"
"He was charged with sexually abusing all three girls, there were signs, no outward physical signs, but signs, he never actually raped them, but as I'm sure you know there are other kids of abuse."
"Yes."
"And before he could be tried he was killed, his penis and hands cut off while he was alive, and he was burned alive."
Temperance knew it was her father, and she couldn't bring herself to be sorry for his demise or his manner or death, she could bring herself to be sorry for Deputy Director Kirby, Pam Noonan and Gil Lapin not for this man. Then she thought back to the few times in foster she was sexually abused when she should have been protected and realized that even though he was most like a victim at some point she just couldn't see him as one he had hurt her little sister, and even though her father was wrong to kill him, she couldn't feel the least bit sorry for him foster parents were supposed to protect their charges not hurt them.
"Where there any leads?"
"None, but I am not crying over his death, Sexual predators are not worth my time to worry about protecting."
"All life is precious." Temperance said.
"Yes but some is a little more precious than others."
"What is she like?"
The older woman smiles. "She's intelligent, kind, compassionate, stubborn, she patient until someone doesn't get the point she's trying to make, she's obsessive about whatever intellectual pursuit she is pursuing at the time, she can be childish at times usually when she's tired or someone is not grasping the point she's trying to make, she's sarcastic and can be a tad disrespectful at times but a pop on the bottom will take care of that."
"You spank her?"
"I've only spanked her once, when she was 12, but I do give her plenty of swats as reminders for her to behave herself."
"What did she do when she was 12?"
"Her Behavior and attitude were building for weeks, and she was not doing what she was supposed to be doing, making my life and her own more difficult. She needed an attitude adjustment. She needed to understand that I wouldn't condone her behavior and that just because she went to school with 19 and 20 year old who don't have anyone to ride herd on them doesn't mean she got to behave like them."
"I suppose it was logical to spank her in that instance, but I'm not sure I could ever use corporal punishment on any child in my care."
"Every parent is different Temperance. I only used the flat of my hand when I spanked her, and I did it over her pajama bottoms, My own Mother used a hairbrush or a wooden spoon over my bare-bottom I couldn't do that to her I considered it excessive, and more than what was needed. I've swat her plenty of time before and since, But I've never given her another spanking it wasn't needed, she hasn't earned one in my book, she's come close, which is why on occasion I've given her a handful of swats and stuck her in a corner to remind her to behave like a child"
She won't tell her some of things that was done to her foster care. The car trunk wasn't the worst and although she bears no physical scars, and she had been beaten by some foster family with kicks and punches and hits with objects but there was one family who like her new friend's mother used to use a hairbrush and a wooden spoon but they definitely used the punishment to excess they had very High standards of what good behavior was, and it was really impossible for any kid to meet them, but there were hugs, pleasant conversation, general consideration and she knows they cared about her. It was except for the bruised Gluteus Maximus most of the time, a very pleasant place to live as far as foster homes go she was 17 at that point and had been in Foster care for almost three years she was in her senior year and she was hoping it was her last placement and she was trying to ride out the clock, and even with the bruises it nice to have someone care what you ate for lunch, and what time you came home from school, be excited when you got a good grade on a test. She hadn't had those things in years. So she stayed and didn't report them until they got a second foster child toward the end of her senior year, she saw the bruises on her 7 year old foster brother. Then she reported it. She spent the last few weeks in the system in a group home not a foster home, and she wasn't sure what happened to the boy. Then she graduated and went to Northwestern. It wasn't her own bruises that turned her against corporal punishment it was the boy's bruised backside that completely turned her off to practice, if there's one thing Temperance Brennen is good at is ignoring her own Pain, But the whole state of the boy's backside would forever haunt her as surely as every set of remains she ever identified and look of her empty childhood home on Christmas Morning after being abandoned it left her forever against corporal punishment. "Well, I think I will stick her in a corner when she behaves like a child, but I do not believe I will use corporal punishment."
"I understand Temperance." She squeezed her shoulder, and Temperance Brennan just wasn't exactly sure what Miranda understood.
Her father showed up last minute, so did Booth, and Angela, Eventually they were called in front of the judge, Edward Crane was there, Judge Murphy was presiding her Court Services officer having briefed her on Mister Crane's relationship with the child's father last night but he also showed him the times the man interfered in her life, and what he was trying to do now. It was a huge coincidence but she couldn't believe it. A man who was supposed to be protecting children targeting one. She saw Judge Winsome from Criminal Court sitting in the back as well as two DC Detectives who were here to take him in for questioning he did commit several crimes by targeting her as he had and although they could arrest him on the spot, they were going over his case files for the last 17 years with a fine tooth comb her and in Kentucky to see if he ever played fast and loose with the rules before or if seeing the child of the man who murdered his father in prison was just too much for him and he snapped, they started the proceedings. Crane began to speak.
"Are we sure we want to put this girl her sister's custody?"
Now Judge Murphy was pissed the Fuck off, She was foster kid herself granted she was adopted at three years of age and doesn't remember anything but the warm embrace of a loving supportive family but many of her siblings do remember and not all of their stories were as nice as Penelope Bailey's, and she knows there's sexual and some physical abuse in her past she's seen the file, but she hasn't been raped, or tortured she has no disfiguring scars and she was able to live her dreams, and find a loving and supportive safe haven for the last few years before being reunited with her biological family. She's worked in the system long enough to know how many Foster kids wish for that even if they'd never admit it and how many, many more are too beaten down by the system to bother.
"Mister Crane are you suggesting that we do not reunite a foster child with her older sister, a Hard-working, pillar of the community who solves crimes for the living?"
"Her father signed away his parental rights?" Crane said.
"Temperance Brennan the last time I checked was not Max Keenan and when he did that he was trying to protect himself and his children from a rogue government agent, as far as I can tell Max Keenan has not applied to reinstate his parental rights, this is between the court and Dr. Brennan, Current Mr. Gideon?"
Mr. Gideon stands. "Mr. Keenan feels he would not make a good parent for his youngest child after over 15 years on the road, or be able to connect with her the same level that his oldest daughter would since they are both employed at the Jeffersonian, he also feels that Dr. Brennan would be able to provide a much more stable home that he would. But he looks forward to being a part of her life once more, at least as much as she allows."
"Mr. Crane I see no problem with the petition to have Dr. Brennan granted custody of Penelope Bailey, Temporary Custody is granted to Dr. Temperance Brennan once the Home visits and assessments are made and completed full custody will be awarded, and in Four Months the Minor's relationship with Social Services will hopefully be ended forever."
Temperance Brennan Smiled she never worked with Jennifer Murphy but she had a solid reputation as a good family court judge. Who was innovative, beyond creative and did anything for the kids who came through her court room, even if it wasn't strictly by the book including handing down a sentence of 40 hours of Show tunes to noise ordinance violators (I Got that from Judging Amy.) and painting murals in the children's ward of the hospital to graffiti artists. While she was celebrating with her group she saw Edward Crane Jr. lead away in handcuffs.
Angela and Mimi had designed the room Penelope, it was up to date, and perfect for her. Truth was because she could only work 5 to 8 hours a day, or 40 hours a week. She was scheduled at the Jeffersonian Most Mondays through Fridays and had her weekends Free, unless she didn't work a full 40 hours that week and then she would get some weekend hours that weekend as well. They had to accommodate her schedule at least for six months and then she could work any hours she wanted provided Dr. Brennan as her legal guardian allowed her to. Brennan knows Angela didn't realize what she was asking when she asked Dr. Saroyan to hire her sister, but she knows. If even the slightest thing went wrong, before she turned 18 that would be bad enough but if happened before she turned 16 and was still a foster child, it would have been disastrous for the lab. Now as Dr. Brennan's legal responsibility, anything even as simple as a twisted ankle or something as horrible as what happened that Christmas with Valley Fever wouldn't be as much of a problem would have been a nightmare if she was under 16 and still in foster care, Dr. Saroyan was taking a very large risk on a brilliant mind who happened to be the best candidate for the job because in six months most of the day to day problems of her being in the lab would go away, and in two and half years every reason for her not to have hired her would disappear. And none of the other candidates were capable of doing the job, and these were all the candidates with the correct credentials in the DC Metropolitan area. To fill the position they were going to actively head hunt, if they had to do that knowing the Jeffersonian Board given the actual position as it wasn't one that required a doctorate or a scientific background, they would simply cut funding to the position since they feel it isn't strictly necessary on her sister's second night in her home, they had case. Brennan worked on her book with Angela's help. Last night her sister slept at Miranda's they moved her things in today, and finished around 4, and her sister hasn't left her room since everyone left. The door to the guest room opened and her sister immerged. Angela didn't think the girl could look younger if she tried. Her glasses were crooked, she was wearing Little mermaid Pajama pants, and a purple Willie Wonka T-Shirt under a Purple Zebra Stripe robe, and she was wearing light lavender bunny slippers.
"Penelope you're already in your Pajamas it's not even 6:30….." Temperance scolded.
"I'm not going anywhere Temperance if I knew Angela was still here I would have stayed dressed. Temperance, Angela are you hungry I could make a Vegetable Lasagna…."
"Penelope I am the adult you're the child, it's my responsible to provide you with food we're going to order Chinese and you can order whatever you want."
"I like Roasted Pork and Mushrooms, brown rice and spring Rolls." Penelope said.
"I also like Spring rolls, and Vegetable Lo Mein, Angela?"
"I'll have General Tso's Chicken Sweetie, and instead of a Spring roll, I'll have a Shrimp roll."
"Very Well Angela I'll go place the order….." Brennan said. "
"Temperance could you order extra white rice." Penelope asked.
"Why you ordered brown rice?'"
"Mimi and I always ate Brown rice, but ordered extra white so we could make Rice Pudding with it." Penelope said. Temperance nodded and placed the order.
"So, Penn Since we're all here why don't you tell me and your sister a bit about yourself."
"Not much to tell, really."
"No, that's not true. Do you have any friends?"
"Yes, I have friends from when I lived with my Mom, Teddy and Carrie, I have foster care friends, Jax and Bex, and I have my College friends, Brice, Callahan, Ellison, Grey, Parker, & Garcia."
"What's your favorite meal?" Angela asked.
"Well that depends on the time of day, if you're going out or staying home, the time of year…." Angela laughed.
"Just answer the question." Angela laughs.
"Oh, Well, I haven't had it in a couple of years, since my Mom died but Biscuits, redeye gravy and home fries are my favorite meal, she used to make it for me when for breakfast or sometimes in the middle of the night whenever she got off shift. She never had time to teach me the recipe."
Angela smiled. "I know how to make it sweetie, I'll teach you."
Temperance interrupted. "It's a very unhealthy meal, Angela I'm not sure I want Penelope eating it."
Penelope intervened "Everything in Moderation Temperance, I mean that's boring besides something you just need to indulge, get a little bit of comfort, did Ruth make anything you Miss?"
Temperance thought and smiled. "Yes, She made this very lean Pot Roast, with homemade mashed Potatoes, carrots that would just melt in your mouth, and Homemade Sour dough biscuits, and she always made Chocolate cream pie for dessert, because she knew I didn't like my fruit cooked."
"My favorite dish of Mimi's is Beef Stroganoff, She used to make it for me when I was sad." They stayed up late talking, but soon Midnight rolled around.
"Penelope you should go to bed." Her sister said.
