Booth had kept quiet for the most part as he drove the few blocks to the house. He knew it was still early so the kids should be sleeping still, but that was only in his dreams right now. He glanced over at Temperance from time to time squeezing her hand in the process. By time Booth pulled into the driveway only ten minutes had gone by, but it felt like a lifetime. Booth had parked the suv still in the state of shock that he was home again. The only problem was he wished it was on better terms.
Booth walked around to the passenger side of the suv, and opened the door for his wife. He gently grabbed her hand giving it a light squeeze as he mumbled. "Just take it slow babe." He was a little worried how she was going to react to Russ asking questions and Jaden. All he knew was that when the time came to it he would step forward to answer the questions as needed. He didn't think Jaden would be awake yet since it was early, but the three year old didn't want to sleep with both his parents not being home. When he opened the front door leading Temperance inside with a strong arm around her waist he heard crying. He realized it wasn't coming from the woman next to him which made him freeze wondering what was going on.
Jaden glared at his uncle as he curled into a ball on the couch. "No, ant ma nd addy." Russ moved a hand over his face as he lifted the now wiggling little boy into his arms. "You little man needs to go to sleep, and maybe when you wake up we can see your mommy or daddy." Jaden just stared with wide eyes not liking that answer one bit not hearing the front door opening behind him as he continued struggling in Russ's arms. "No leepy."
Temperance couldn't take it any longer as she stumbled slightly into the living room seeing the little boy struggling still. She closed her eyes for a second before moving a little further into the room. "Baby boy it's okay come here." She wasn't thinking about herself right now ignoring the pain she was in. The only thing in the world that mattered right now was the three kids that she had to take care of. She slowly lowered herself down onto the couch looking at Jaden as she rubbed his back. "Come on mommy is home you can sleep now I'm not going anywhere baby boy." She was trying to comfort her oldest child using his nickname even though the mention of baby boy made her want to vomit right now.
Booth watched this scene in front of him now as he kneeled down beside the couch moving a hand through Jaden's messy curls. "You need to be gentle with mommy right now okay Jay?." The little boy had only tilted his head as he snuggled against his mommy's side. "Leepy ith ma?" Booth could only smile now as he grabbed the throw from the top of the couch. "Yes little guy sleepy with mommy here on the couch."
A few minutes had gone by before Russ lead booth into the kitchen wanting to know what was going on. Russ had crossed his arms leaning back against the counter. "Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on? Why my baby sister was rushed to the hospital?" Booth knew these were logical questions even though he didn't realize temperance didn't tell anyone about the pregnancy besides max, and Angela. He moved a hand over his face as he mumbled. "Temperance had a miscarriage."
It was all he could say not wanting to sugar coat anything right now as he leaned against' the fridge. In the few hours that he had been home a lot of overwhelming things had taken place. The only thing that had been holding him together at the hospital was the fact that he needed to be strong. Granted right now he needed to be strong for his wife, but they weren't in the same room anymore. Booth let a few tears fall as he took a few deep breaths. "She was about five months along Russ, and I didn't even know." He just closed his eyes ignoring the look he was getting from his brother in law as he mumbled. "If I knew I wouldn't have left them."
Russ placed a hand on booths shoulder as he leaned up a little bit. "My sister knows that already and so does your children Booth." He pulled booth into a small hug knowing normally they didn't get along that well, but they needed too now for his sister's sake. He shifted back a little bit seeing temperance and his nephew relaxing on the couch. "It's okay not to always be strong okay Booth, and I'm sure that Tempe will understand that."
Booth wiped his eyes as he stood up to his full height feeling a little better that he let some of the emotions out. He pointed to the stairs as he sighed. "I'm going to see my daughter's I'll be back soon." He needed to see the twins knowing it had been nearly five months since he saw them which upset him more. He moved into the nursery seeing both the little girls still sound asleep in the cribs. He couldn't help the smile on his face as he noticed the blankets wrapped tightly around them and their pudgy arms holding the stuffed dogs he bought them. Above their beds still had each of their names written as he said out loud. "Chelsea Grace and Jamie Christine."
It felt a little surreal saying the names out loud since they probably didn't remember his voice or what he looked like. That was one of the reasons he didn't want to go serve his country knowing his little girls were to young to know why their daddy was leaving them. He walked over to Grace Crib leaning down to lightly plant a kiss on her forehead. He couldn't help the smile on his face as he mumbled. "Daddy missed you." He then moved to the other crib repeating the same process with Christine. He remembered that both twins have different personalities which he couldn't wait to see again.
At that moment Christine woke up with a start, gripping onto her stuffed dog like it was her lifeline. She tilted her head to the side as she whined being a little slower than her twin at times. He knew that temperance still blamed herself for things going wrong with the birth of the twins. He leaned down to tickle the baby girls side as he smiled. "My little peanut." Christine had only tilted her head some more as she made a face finally letting him know why she woke up with a start. He made a face now as well smelling the dirty diaper. "I think this little one is a great welcome home present."
Christine had only babbled a little bit now as she watched her father changing the diaper. She kicked her little feet at his hands wanting to make things a little hard now. She rolled onto her side resulting in the poop piling onto her leg, and stomach. He on the other hand was trying not to throw up at the smell and the poop being all over the place now.
"I can get her cleaned up if you want?" Amy whispered always being quiet compared to his brother in law. He shifted on his feet feeling like a bad father for letting this take place to begin with. He nodded his head slightly as he mumbled. "Um, I'll get her cleaned up can you just do this sheet on the changing table?" He wanted the baby to trust him again after nearly five months of being apart.
By time the mess had been cleaned up and Christine was in a new diaper a good half an hour had gone by. He kissed the top of her head a few times. "It's time to head downstairs peanut and see your Ma." He could hear Jamie and Jaden awake in the living room which meant that temperance was too. He had hoped she would be able to relax a little longer, but things never went as planned half the time. He placed Christine down on the floor beside her siblings. "Is it a new trick them rolling over on the changing table?"
Of course he was trying to make temperance laugh more than anything knowing she needed it now. He kissed the side of her face as he listened to her sweet voice knowing he could never get used to hearing it again. He shifted to lean back on the couch as he gripped her hand in his much larger one. "I meant it when I said that I'm not going anywhere anymore."
"I know and I love you for that." Temperance mumbled as she closed her eyes leaning her head onto his shoulder. He sighed kissing the top of her head against as he listened to her speak again. "Our family will get past this and I don't believe in this God of yours, but I know our son is watching us."
He wasn't expecting her to say something like that, but it was something he could get used too. The kids were just sitting on the floor beside the couch babbling happily to be together again. Russ and Amy were watching the scene in front of them now with smiles on their faces. It was a bittersweet moment that would bring the whole family together again. Granted losing a child was never a good thing to go through as a family. The question that needed to be answered was if they could move on as a family and make it through the funeral?