Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.

Title: Home

Author: ReadingRed

Chapter Eight: Lost and Insecure

Bones' face fell. She knew that Booth had another reason for bringing the kids to the Jeffersonian like he did but she would've never guessed the truth. Rebecca hadn't seen Parker in two years. Not since shortly after Booth and Bones were married. Bones still remembered the day they found out the truth about Rebecca.

Screams can be heard coming from the backyard. A little boy's voice cuts through the afternoon air. It is July, it is hot, and Booth, Bones, and four year old Parker are in the backyard having the mother of all water gun fights. Parker has a gun nearly as big as he is. Bones has the exact same gun but it is much more proportionate to her body, Booth on the other hand had drawn the short stick. He is stuck with a small water pistol. Parker is crouching down behind the grill Booth had installed on the patio. He's waiting for Bones and Booth to come out of hiding. All the sudden his back is soaking wet. He lets out another sharp scream and turns around. His small arms pumping the super soaker as he turns blasting Bones full on with water.

"Ha ha! Gotcha!" The boy yells still pumping water tracking her with the stream as she tries to run away.

"Hey no fair, I got you first." She yells as she tries to escape the flow of water. This is the most carefree she has been in a while. She and Booth had been married just a couple months before and she and Parker had yet to find a comfortable rhythm with each other.

She had known the little boy for years because she had been his father's partner since he was two but it was different now. It was one thing for the little boy to accept and love her as his father's partner; it was another thing entirely to love her as a step-mother. Bones understood why the child's opinion of her had changed so drastically but it didn't make it any easier to deal with. They were working it out though and it was days like this that were slowing helping them get back to having the closeness they once shared. Parker had finally run out of water when Booth jumped out from behind a tree. He started to spray the little boy sending him running to Bones so he could use her as a human shield.

"Mama Bones, help me!" Parker shouted as he dodged the spray of water and sled behind her. Immediately the water stopped. Booth looked at the boy in shock and Bones froze. Parker didn't seem to understand what he just said and Booth didn't want to make him uncomfortable so he kept on playing, this time the frivolity was a little forced. Both adults too busy replaying the child's words in their heads to concentrate on the game. Parker called her mama.

The game soon ended with all three players too tired to keep going. They collapsed on the outdoor sofa in a heap. Booth on one side, Bones leaning up against him, his arm around her shoulder and Parker on her lap. Booth laid his head back closing his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the sun on his face and his family in his arms. It was a perfect day.

The moment was broken by the shrill ringing of the telephone from inside the house. No one moved for a moment, wishing they could block out the world for a while longer. Alas it was not meant to be, the phone kept ringing. Booth disentangled himself and went inside to answer the phone.

"Booth."

"oh Cherie. It's Caroline. I have some bad news." Booth's heart dropped into his stomach.

"What is it? Who died?" He asked in a panic.

"No, no one's dead. It's Rebecca. She's in a bit of trouble. Do you remember the Clawson case she's been on?" Caroline paused, waiting for his answer.

"Yeah, she mentioned it a couple times when I called to talk to Parker. Why, what about it?"

"She leaked a grand jury testimony to a paper." Caroline said without preamble. Booth was stunned. Why would she do that?

"Why would she do that? She knows how much trouble she can get into for it."

"I don't know Cherie. The media's been all over this case from the beginning. My only guess is that she thought she could get some pull with the reporter but I can't be sure. She's been arrested Booth. They're going to press charges. I don't think she can get out of this one. She's going to go to jail."

Booth and Caroline said goodbye and Booth was left to his thoughts. How do you tell a four year old his mommy's going to prison? So much for a perfect day.

That had been two years ago and the family had come a long way since then. They'd added two new members and were just about as close as any family could be, and now once again just when things where looking up the universe just had to throw them a curve ball. Rebecca had gone to prison on a sentence of two to five years and now she was out and wanting her son back. Booth didn't know what to do. Rebecca had been a good mother to Parker. Granted he didn't always approve of her choice of boyfriends, but overall she had been a good mother. The truth was Booth just didn't want to share his son. He had a real family now. Booth had gone the first four years of his sons' life seeing him only on the weekends and then nearly a full year without seeing Parker face to face at all when he was deployed. He finally had his son full time, he wasn't about to give that up now. When Rebecca was arrested she voluntarily severed her parental rights to Parker and let Booth and Bones have full custody, but Booth always had the feeling Rebecca had a backup plan, some way to get the boy back. Booth just hopes Rebecca doesn't put her plan into motion anytime soon.

"Booth, it's ok. We'll work it out. We won't lose Parker." Bones said, what she wanted to do was yell and scream and cry all at the same time. Parker was her son, even if she didn't give birth to him, he was hers. Her first child, the one who taught her how to be a mom. She couldn't lose him, not now, not ever. But she knew she couldn't be weak, she had to be strong for Booth and the girls and most importantly for Parker. If she cried Parker would get worried, she had to be brave, or at least put up a brave front so Parker won't see how worried she really was. Booth had needed to hear her say it; he needed her to tell him that they would be okay. Bones wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder, neither one saying anything more.

"How about we take the kids to the diner for breakfast? Can you take off work for a while?" Booth asked before letting Bones out of the hug. Bones nodded and they went to Angela's office to get the kids. Angela's office wasn't far from the platform, just around the corner and partway through a short hallway. It just took them a minute to walk there, if they had been paying closer attention they would've noticed that it was far too quiet. Three children plus a couple of high tech computers equals noise, lots of it, only there wasn't much noise here at all. But they didn't notice it, and they walked into Angela's office knocking unnecessarily on the door. Now they noticed something was wrong. Angela was working at her desk… alone. The children were nowhere to be seen.

"Ange?" Bones said, concern edging into her voice. "Where are the kids?"

Angela looked up from her desk. "What do you mean? I haven't seen the kids at all today. I didn't even know they were here." She quickly stood up from her seat and hurried over to the couple. "They can't have gotten far. I'll help you look." With a few parting instructions on where each person would search the three adults spilt up to find the three missing children.

Booth went to see Hodgins first knowing that if the kids weren't with Angela the only other person they'd want to be with would be Jack. He quickly found the other man and it was clear that there were no children with him. They too spilt up to cover even more ground looking for the lost kids.

Bones was going to the security station to ask for their help when she heard it, a small sniffling sound coming from behind a potted plant. She stopped in her tracks, spun to the right and bent down looking around the side of the pot. There sitting on the ground, her knees pulled up to her chest and her head on her knees was Harper.

"Oh thank goodness you're alright. Come here." Bones said. The child shook her head.

"Harper, come on, come out of there." Again the child shook her head.

"Why not?" Bones asked.

"Cause you'll hate me." Harper whispered.

"No I won't. I'll never hate you. Why would you think that?" Bones asked, sitting down on the floor by the little girl.

"Because I lost them." Bones heart stopped.

"What do you mean you lost them?" Bones asked. The little girl looked up, connecting eyes with the doctor.

"I was getting a drink from the water fountain and Parker and Ember went on ahead to go find Jack. I didn't take that long but they had got a lot ahead of me. I was running to catch up and I seen them talking to a lady. She all da sudden grabbed Parkers hand and started tuggin' on him. She kinda dragged him down the hallway to the exit, but Parker wouldn't let go of Ember. It made the lady mad. She yelled something that I couldn't hear and Parker shook his head and she yelled louder, but he kept hold of Ember. She got mad and tugged harder and pulled them out da door. Ember was starting ta cry but I didn't do nothing. I just stood there and let them be taken. It's my fault." Harper started to break down halfway through her confession. She sat on the floor crying and Bones just stopped doing anything. It was as if her mind refused to process the information she had received. Seconds later she snapped to attention, reaching out and pulling the little girl onto her lap. Bones wrapped her arms around the little girl and cradled the child's head to her shoulder.

"Shhhh, it'll be ok. We'll get Parker and Emmy back. I promise." She stroked Harpers hair as she spoke trying to calm the distraught child. Bones stood with the four year old in her arms and reached into her pocket for her cell. Fingering the buttons with one hand her other wrapped around the crying child she called Booth. It seemed to take forever for him to answer.

"Bones? Did you find them?" Booth asked, forgetting his usual greeting.

"Booth, I found Harper, meet me back at the platform." She said and hung up the phone. Bones was afraid if she heard his voice she would break down.

They hurried to the platform and when they arrived they saw Booth, Angela, and Hodgins all standing in a tight circle concern etched on each of their faces. Bones walked swiftly over to them. She kissed Harper on the forehead and handed her off to Angela who immediately took the child into her arms and continued comforting her. Hodgins took the hint that Booth and Bones needed a moment alone and went over to where Harper and Angela stood. Bones looked at Booth's face; he looked like he was in pain. She knew he wouldn't stay quiet for much longer so she started talking. She retold Harper's story to him and waiting for him to come to the same conclusion as she had. Rebecca had taken the children.