Sweets bit the skin around his thumb nail as he walked down the hall towards his office. He'd give Booth a few more hours in her office and then he'd get him to go home.
"Dr Sweets!" a voice behind him called out. He turned to find Cullen walking towards him.
"Yes sir?" the older man stopped just in front of him.
"How is Booth?" he said sullenly. Sweets looked at him.
"He's…" Sweets stopped Why lie? he thought. "…He's a mess! He's finally let it all hit him." Cullen nodded.
"We all expected this. I mean I thought it would have happened months ago… I know sure I went through it all when… when Amy passed." He turned to leave but stopped. "Tell Booth his work is covered for a few weeks." He said and left. Sweets nodded and went into his own office.
As Cullen got into his own office he locked the door and picked up his phone. He dialled and waited for an answer.
"Connors, tell me you've got an update… so still nothing on the last lead… yes I know normally we would have closed the case months ago but this isn't normal!... Connors we will find her no matter what." And with that he hung up the phone and sat down at his desk.
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------
Harlow peeked around the door. Angela and Jack were talking with their backs turned to her. She walked across the lab floor and opened the door she had seen Sweets come out of. Reaching up she grabbed the door handle and opened it. The office was dark but she stepped in anyway.
"Daddy?" she said softly. She heard him breathing. "Daddy…" she walked over to the couch.
"Harlow? Is that you?" he said sitting up.
"Daddy!" she smiled and ran over to him. he reached down and picked her up onto her lap. She immediately snuggled into him and wrapped both arms around him. "I've missed you Daddy." She said into his chest. He stroked her hair.
"I've missed you too baby." He said softly.
"Have you been in here the whole time?" she asked looking up at him.
"Yes."
"You need to shave." She said wrinkling her nose as she looked at his beard. He laughed Brennan used to make that exact same gesture.
"How did you find me? Where's Angela?" he asked.
"She's talking to Jackie." She shrugged.
"So you snuck off?" he rose an eyebrow. She just smiled. Booth hugged her to his chest again, she was more like her mother then he'd ever realised. "I'm sorry I left you alone darling. I'm so sorry." He ran his fingers through her long curly hair and sighed. His head was still throbbing, his eyes scratched his eyelids when he blinked, his limbs were stiff and his heart ached but he couldn't let it cause him to forget everything else in his life.
"It's ok Daddy" she smiled.
"I love you darling." He said and kissed the top of her head. "And I promise I'll never do this to you again. I'll never leave you again."
------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------
"Jack! Have you found her?" Angela said pulling open the utility cupboard door.
"No I cant…" he said but she cut him off.
"We cant have lost her! Where has she gone?" Angela nearly cried. Hodgins scanned the lab floor and saw Brennan's office door open slightly.
"I've found her." He said and walked across to the door. The two of them walked in and stopped short when they saw what was lying on the couch. Booth was lying down on the couch with his small daughter lying on his chest. His arms were wrapped around her and they were both sound asleep. Angela smiled and Hodgins wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They both backed out of the room.
---------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------
"What about calling her Ruth?" Booth said. He was sitting on the couch and Brennan lay with her head on his lap.
"Ruth Booth?" she looked up at him and wrinkled her nose. "I don't like the sound of that."
"Ruth Booth? Not Brennan-Booth?"
"No just Booth." she smiled up at him. he rested a hand on her swollen stomach.
"Definitely not Ruth Booth." he nodded. "No offence to your mother." She smiled.
"What about Harmony." She said.
"Too tree-hugger for my liking." He said. She laughed.
"Your turn."
"What about Harlow… Harlow Booth has a nice ring to it doesn't it?"
"Harlow was a character in my last book…" she said.
"Yes I know. I read it! I really like that name." he nodded.
"Harlow Booth…"
"Harlow Joy Booth." Booth added.
"No Harlow Celia Booth." she said grinning
"No! I won't afflict any poor child with a name any way related to mine!"
"But I like Celia." She said.
"Are you pouting Bones?"
"I was attempting to yes did I do it right?"
"You did it perfectly!" he grinned and kissed her forehead.
"So Harlow Celia Booth for a girl and William James Booth for a boy." She said writing them both down.
"Hey who said you won on the whole Joy/Celia thing!"
"How about Harlow Celia Joy Booth." she smiled…
He opened his eyes and got a fright to feel a weight on his chest. He looked down and for a second he expected to see Brennan's head lying there, but it wasn't. it was Harlow. His little Harlow Celia-Joy Booth. she was still asleep. He smiled. His daughter was perfect in every way. He sat up slowly still holding her. Time to take his darling girl home. He stood up slowly cradling her in his arms. The alcohol had totally left his system but he found that everything still hurt just as much as it had with it. Time to find a new remedy. Walking out to the car he strapped her in gently, and pulled out his cell phone.
"Hey Max I just wanted to ask a favour… would you mind coming to stay with Harlow and I for a while?... I think I'll need some support." He said. It had been more difficult to say that then he'd ever thought. "Thank you Max."
-------------------------------------- -------------------- -----------------------------------------
"Cullen…" Sam Cullen said answering his mobile. "…you what? Really? Stick with it!" he walked out of his office. "I'll be right there…"
