A.N: Sadly, I Own nothing of Bones.
CHAPTER 23- FATHER VISIT
Booth looked like He was ready to be murdered or something equally unsettling, thought Temperance, as surveying the scene in front of her. Which she wasn´t understanding at all, by the way. There, in the door, stood her father, his face with a priceless expression that seemed to mix confusion, surprise, anger and even a little amusement. His eyes kept staring at her direction as if she had just grown two heads or something, and then he would gaze at Booth as if trying to say he was the biggest alpha male, as if they were in a territorial contest. And then, there was Booth, his brown eyes looking in despair at anywhere else but her, as if trying to avoid something she couldn´t figure. He wouldn´t look at her father for much longer either, and no word was said by any of both man. So, being the practical woman she always have been, she decided to start a conversation and get rid of the awkward moment, whatever it meant. She couldn´t say for sure.
" hello, dad. What are you doing here?" She was truly surprised with Max Keenan´s presence, especially because he was at Booth´s house, of all places to be. But then again, she w as there too. The question seemed to take Max out of his reverie, and his face turned into a completely outraged expression as he squinted his eyes at the younger couple, crossing his arms in a defensive position.
" Well, Tempe, let´s see. Maybe I´m here because my baby girl is sick and no one bothered to call her old man and let him know. Does that sound good for you?" She rolled her eyes at her father´s manners, wondering why she hadn´t thought about that before. Of course her dad, being a great example of an alpha male, would react this way about her welfare. But honestly, it was only ridiculous. It wasn´t like she was still a child under his care, after all. She w as a grown woman, and she didn´t need to tell her father of every single thing that happened in her life. She was ready to retort and tell him exactly what was on her mind, but now Max was eyeing Booth suspiciously, as if it was all his fault. " Honestly, Booth. I would have expected more from you, at least. I sure as hell know that tempe would rather die than call me and say she was not well. But I was counting on you to be the responsible one here. How could you not let me know? I was worried sick when I arrived at the Jeffersonian and people just started asking me questions about my daughter´s health, and I had no a idea of what they were talking about, until that girl Angela appeared and was kind enough to explain things to me. Really, haven´t the two of you neve r heard about phones?" Booth mentally kicked himself for this slippering. How could he had forgotten about overprotective Max Keenan, the man that had actually killed people in order to keep his children fine? But the answer was actually very simple. He was just too worried about his Bones, and only her, to think about anything else than her welfare. Including calling parents, friends, and whoever he could think of right now. He had barely spoken to Parker in the last few days, for crying out loud. His own son. He was only lucky that his boy was very understanding from the moment he learnt that Bones was sick, actually telling his daddy to take good care of her. It made him think that Temperance had both Booth boys for good. Wrapped around her finger, just like Angela said. Booth looked at max apologetically, feeling truly ashamed for his fail. If it was his kid, he would go nuts if hearing about any kind of illness.
" I´m sorry, max. I really am. I know it probably doesn´t have an excuse, but the only thing I can say in my favor is that I wasn´t thinking very clearly since Bones got sick. I was just too worried about her to think at anything else than taking care of her, taking her to the doctor, making sure she eats properly and other stuff. But I should have called you, especially knowing that Bones would never do that, as you´ve just said." He wondered for a second if he was about to be killed by Max keenan. His look while he first set eyes on them was surely scary. It still looked that way as Bones´s father seemed to examine each of his words, as if analyzing if they were true. Booth realized that Bones was just rolling her eyes and sighing heavily at their behavior, and he was sure she was thinking about her misfortune about having two overprotective males in her life. Maybe three, if they counted with Russ. Yeah, suck it up, Bones. You are so going to be deeply taken care for the rest of your life, if there´s any justice in this world. I´m making sure of that. Max gazed deeply at him for the longest moment in his life, and Booth forced himself to gaze back. Of one thing he wanted his bones´s dad to be sure: He would do anything for that woman. Max finally took a deep breath, the hint of a smile actually appearing at his lips as he made his way to the couch and seated there without ceremony. Which was fine by Booth, as long as he could keep going breathing and alive.
" I guess I can understand that. God knows that a sick Tempe is a lot to handle, and I say that from personal experience. If my memory is well, and I like to think that it is, she is a quite rebellious patient. Am I right?" Max raise d his eyebrows at him, and Booth could feel relief spreadind all over his body, at the same time watching with the corner of his eyes as Bones shook her head in protest and opened her mouth to answer. But he was faster, placing a hand over her shoulder as leading her to the couch and speaking.
" tell me about it. Maybe you can knock some sense at her. She is menacing to stop her meds. And don´t even get me started with the eating subject." This time, Brennan actually let out an angry moan at his words, and max just nodded his head not looking the slightest surprised.
" yeah, typical of my girl here. What about the doctor? What did she say? Angela has explained to me, but since you were the one who was actually with her all the time, I´m guessing you have the most accurate information." This time, it was too much for Temperance to take. No way they were just going to ignore her.
" Excuse me , could the two of you stop talking about me as if I wasn´t here? Dad, you can ask anything about my health condition to myself,I´m sure I´m the best one to give you this kind of information, since it´s my body. And second, I´m not rebellious." But oh, who was she trying to kid there? Even her knew she was a very difficult person when ill. But no way she was going to admit that. Booth actually had the nerve to snort at her last comment, and Max just sneered at her, his head shaking slowly.
" Sorry, honey, but you are. Ever since you were a little girl. I´m just glad that you have someone to take care of you besides your old man. I´m very happy for you both, I want you to know that. I´ve always had a soft spot for you, Booth, even though you were the one that has put me on jail." Booth felt as he could die by any minute from now. Oh boy, is he thinking what I think he is thinking? Talk about awkward. He could crawl into a hole at the floor and hide for a good time. Bones just cocked her head to one side, her baby blue eyes questioning as she surveyed her father.
" Dad, I´m afraid I´m not following you. Maybe it´s the medication, it makes me irritatingly drowsy. Why are you happy for me and Booth?" Because really, she saw no reason for happiness. There she was, stuck at Booth´s apartment for an entire week, making him worry about her all the time and doing every single thing for her. As if she was dysfunctional. Sure, it had it´s high moments. Like sleeping at Booth´s arms every night. Like having him smiling at her the way he did. But how could her father possibly know about that? Max just shook his head in disbelief at his daughter, as if he was talking about the most obvious thing in the world.
" really, tempe, there´s no need to try to hide it. I´m not that thick. I mean, You are wearing his clothes, for God´s sake." Booth closed his eyes for a second, making a silent pray. How much more embarrassing this could get? Oh boy, max thinks I´m sleeping with his daughter. If only things were this easy. His Bones squinted her eyes as if she was in deep thought, and Booth could almost see the engines in her brain starting to work. He knew the exact moment that it struck to her, because she widened her eyes and took a brief glance at him before turning back to her father.
" Dad, are you thinking that Booth and I are in a sexual relationship?" Yep, only his Bones to be that blunt about such a delicate matter. Going directly to the point, without a single drop of same. It drove Booth crazy. Also, it made him love her even more. It was a paradox Booth was finally ready to accept in his life. Max stared at his daughter between outraged and bemused, and all Booth could think was how grateful he was for Max seemed to be taking it so lightly. For a moment, he remembered the conversation he had with the older man a while ago, when he had asked him if he was sleeping with his daughter. When he had said that he wanted it for her. A good man, a good life. He remembered how warmed he felt my that thought, that max Keenan would approve a relationship with his daughter.
" Well, aren´t you? I mean, it´s not really a big surprise. I knew from the first time that I saw the two of you together that it was meant to happen someday." Booth took a deep breath, not really believing that this conversation was happening. It seemed too much surreal. Bones huffed impatiently , her eyes rolling again.
" dad, no! Why is that everyone make this assumption about me and Booth? We are not sleeping together. We are just very good friends and partners. At least, it was all that we were before all of this happened." She was speaking so fast that she did´t even stop to hear what she was saying. But both men heard it very clearly, and while Booth´s heart jumped with happiness, Max just gave her a cat smile. Did Bones just admitted that something is indeed happening?
" Aha, so you admit that there´s more going on than friendship right now." Max´s smile was one of pure victory, and temperance suddenly realized that her dad had set her a trap.
" I…well…" She w as actually stuttering, and that alone was a thing that very rarely happened in her life. But she blamed on the fever." Argh! I hate being sick! Why can´t I just keep my mouth shut for one second?" She w as sure that she was getting better with her slipping tongue. She hadn´t spoke nonsense in a good few hours, and she had even ventured to think that maybe she was fine for good. But then, she had to ruin everything, with her big, silly, enormous tongue. Talk about embarrassing. Max just smiled even more, while Booth shrunk in his place, even though he couldn´t fight the urge to laugh a little. She was so damn cute like that.
" because of your verbal diarrhea,honey." Max´s words made Booth raise his eyes to the older man, feeling slightly surprised.
" You know about that?" But if he thought about, of course Max knew. Both Bones and Angela had told him that it was a current problem every time she got sick. Max nodded his head,an absolutely amused expression taking place at his face.
" Of course I do. She has this problem ever since she was a child. It´s kind of endearing, actually. And very useful. That´s how I´ve found out about her first big crush on this soccer player at school. Tempe was fourteen and ha d the flu, and I just pressed her until she confessed. Very rewarding. Now, what was the boy´s name, it keeps escaping my mind…" Booth turned to his Bones, surprised to see that she actually looked embarrassed, her cheeks flushed and her eyes looking down. He knew Bones didn´t like to talk about her teen years, but this was too damn good. The almighty Temperance Brennan having a crush for a soccer player.ha, who would have known?
" Dad, I would appreciate if you stopped talking about my ´s quite embarrassing, not to mention completely unfair. I was under the effect of high fever when I told you about it. It was supposed to be a secret, and you just went and told mom and Russ. And Booth, stop smiling like that. What,are you going to tell me that you never felt infatuated by anyone at that age?" Booth´s smile just grew larger as he placed a soothing arm at her knee, a movement that wasn´t left unseen by Max Keenan. Those two were so into each other, it was all he could think.
" Sure I did, Bones. But c´mon, it was a soccer player! You have a thing for jocks, after all. Very interesting. And very good to know." After all, he w as a jock in his core. And life had became just a little more interesting by knowing that his oh so intellectual girl had a thing for some muscles. He certainly could live with that. Bones seemed ready to take his head off or something equally violent, so he decided to let it go by now. Enough revelations were done for the day, and he was still trying to deal with all of them. " Ok, i´m stopping now. What you say about breakfast? Max, care to join us?" Brennan just twisted her nose in the way he was getting used to every time he brought food to the subject, and Booth asked himself when that woman was going to just cave and accept the fact that yes, she was eating, liking it or not.
" I´ll pass breakfast. I´m not really hungry." Both men sent her death glares, and Temperance felt for a second as if she was in kinder garden. Which annoyed her a lot. But then again, it was her who kept with the childish behavior, because deep down she knew that she couldn´t just go and stop eating, at least if she was planning on getting really better as soon as possible. Before her father could open his mouth to what she was sure would be a patronizing speech just like the ones she got when she was a little girl, Booth shook his head and got up, heading to the kitchen.
" Sorry honey, that´s not going to happen. You are eating. End of story. Wait here and I´ll bring us all a nice meal." Booth was sure that he was going to be punched and kicked as soon as his Bones was on her feet and normal status again by being so bossy, but he couldn´t care less. It was for her own good. She sulked and leaned against the couch, and Max´s laughter filled the room.
" You know what, Booth? You are completely forgiven. I´m liking you more and more as time passes. And way to go with staying alive after calling my Tempe "honey". I never thought that any man would survive after that, but you seem to be doing just fine."
(-----------------------------------------)
" yeah, buddy. I miss you too." Booth smiled broadly as listening to his boy´s voice on the phone, telling his daddy that yes, he was missed. He looked at Temperance, who was engrossed on the third volume of Harry Potter, because he sure as hell wouldn´t let her read her boring anthropology stuff. That week was for fun and relaxing. Not that his Bones was complaining right now. She looked just like a little girl holding the book, not even blinking as the pages flied in front of her. Now, that is something that I should be and Harry potter. Who would think of such a combination? His smile got bigger as listening to Parker´s child voice asking about his Bones welfare. He had educated his boy well. " Bones is fine, bub. Getting better every day." By listening to her name Brennan lift her head, realizing that Booth was on the phone with parker. Guilt took over her. Booth should be with his son, not babysitting her. But Booth´s smile to her was so tender and genuine that she felt disarmed and decided not to bring the subject, at least not for now. Lord knew that time was something they had plenty. She tried to go back to her rading to give Booth some privacy, but his voice kept making it´s way inside her ears. Especially because he was talking about her.
" yes, the doctor said so. Daddy wouldn´t lie to you, Parker. What? I´ll have to ask her. We´ll see. Wait for a minute." Booth´s charm smile was all over her, and she knew she couldn´t say no to whatever he was planning. He was using that damn smile to tame her , and she was starting to be sure that he knew about the exact effect that it had on her. Score to Seeley Booth. " Bones? Is that ok if parker stopped by tomorrow? He is eager to see you and make sure with his own eyes that you are going to be fine." How could she ever deny Booth such a thing? To have his son over his own house? She already felt like a weight . Plus, she really liked Parker. He was one of the few children that she felt she could connect with in some way.
" Tell parker I´ll be happy to see him." His smile was worth any doubt she might have, and she returned it with one of her own. Booth gave her a thumbs up, while nodding his head to the phone, as if parker could actually seen them.
" It´s all settled, buddy. You can come tomorrow. Give the phone to mommy so I can talk to her." He heard his boy talking for a few more minutes, his eyes still resting at Temperance, his heart warmed. Tomorrow would be just great. He would have the two people he loved most in the world joined at the same place. What else he could ask for? Little did he know that Temperance Brennan was thinking pretty much the same thing.
TBC…
You know the drill by now, right? Reviews, reviews!