July 5th
"Thank you."
"My pleasure, Dr. Brennan. Take care of the little one. I'll see you around," Dr. Francis said, taking Brennan's release papers for both her and the baby. He was already settled in his car seat. He was wide awake, watching his mom prepare to leave the hospital.
"Bren! Angela called from the door way, "You ready to go?"
She nodded and hoisted the car seat off the bed. "Grab my bag?"
Angela picked up Brennan's duffel bag and headed out of the hospital. Jack was sitting in the car, waiting for them right outside the front door.
"Hi girls! And boy," Hodgins added as they got into the car, "How ya feelin', Bren?"
"Tired. Did you get it?"
"Yeah, I got it. How did you figure it out?"
"What did she figure out?" Angela asked, feeling out of the loop.
"She figured out that I own Cantilever."
"How did you figure it out?" Angela now wanted to know.
"I know how to do research, Angela. It's not hard to put two and two together."
"Wait, what did you get for her?" Angela asked. Jack handed over an envelope and Angela pulled out a passport.
"You got the baby a passport?" Jack and Brennan both nodded. "How?"
"Pulled some strings," Jack answered simply.
"Wait, are you doing what I think you're doing?" Angela accused, turning around in the front seat to stare down her friend.
"Angela, I've told you this before. There is no way I can possibly know what you're thinking."
"You're not even going home first, are you?"
"No, I'm not. I've asked Jack to get my passport and to pack the baby and I a bag. You brought that too, correct?"
Jack looked in the rear view mirror and smiled at her. "Of course! There are plenty of diapers and wipes in there and enough outfits for the little man to last a while, though I'm not expecting you three to be there forever."
"You three?" Angela said, her voice rising, a result of fury from having these plans hidden from her.
"I'm taking my son to meet his father," Brennan said, matter-of-factly. Angela knew by the tone of her voice there was no way she was going to change Brennan's mind.
"Well, I'm coming too. You're going to need help."
"No, Ange. I'm sorry, but we're going alone. I can take care of him on my own."
"Sweetie, I don't know if this is such a good idea…"
"I've already booked our flight. I can handle this. And it'll only be a one way trip on my own. I'll have Booth's help when we come home."
Angela heaved a deep sigh, knowing Brennan was set in her ways. They were driving to the airport and Angela watched Bren shake a rattle for her son.
"Did you tell Jared and Hank?" Angela asked. Brennan nodded.
"It'll just be the four of you at the house for a while. I'll call you when I reach Booth's hospital to let you know I've arrived. Please, Angela, don't be mad. I'm okay, the baby's okay, and I just need to know that Booth's okay."
Angela smiled sympathetically. "I know, Bren, I'm sorry. We're all just worried about you."
"I'm not!" Jack said, "I know you can handle this."
"You're not helping, Jack," Angela mumbled.
"I'm okay," Brennan assured them, "Dr. Francis wouldn't have let us leave if I wasn't. Just don't worry about us. Like I told you, I'll call you when I get there."
They pulled up to the front of the bustling airport and Brennan started to get out of the car.
"Can I at least help you get your bag checked?" Angela begged.
Brennan smiled. "Yes, Angela. I know I haven't thanked you for helping me while Booth was gone. But thank you, Ange."
Angela hugged her. "Sweetie, you don't have to thank me. I promised Booth I'd help look out for you and the little one and I don't break my promises. Now, enough dawdling. Let's get him on the plane to see his daddy!"
July 6th
It was past midnight when she reached Booth's hospital room.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry but visiting hours are over. You'll have to come back in the morning," a nurse told her as she watched Brennan pull her sleeping son from his carrier.
"Susan…darling…she's okay. You can let her in." Brennan had a feeling this charm coming from someone who wasn't her husband could only be his best friend.
Teddy ushered the nurse away who gave him a slightly disapproving look. Brennan smiled at the soldier who she had seen before only in the picture Booth had sent.
"You're Bren."
"And you're Parker."
"You can call me Teddy." He was nursing a bandaged hand.
"You helped Booth survive." It wasn't a question and Teddy didn't correct her on the survival part, even though it was really the other way around to him.
"So, I'm guessing he didn't get home in time."
"Two days short. But we managed. I don't want him to feel bad that he missed it."
"He's going to give himself hell," Teddy told her.
"I know. How is he?"
"Still out. No change from what they've told me but I'm no medical expert. You can go in there, you know."
She nodded and walked in to his room. Looking between her son and her husband, she could now definitely see the resemblance. She looked Booth over and except for the bandaged feet, he looked fine. Already knowing her limitations, she looked to Teddy who was still standing in the doorway, not wanting to intrude.
"Do you want to hold him?"
Teddy looked shocked but nodded. As she moved her son into Teddy's arms, he fused a bit. She shushed him gently and quieted down. She watched Teddy hold the baby for a minute and then moved to the end of Booth's bed. She picked up his charts and looked over his x-rays. She had recognized instantly the kind of abuse he went through, the research she had done for her thesis proving to be a little more real than before.
She moved to his side and looked at his resting form. He seemed peaceful to her but she knew he was stressing. She wanted him to wake up so desperately.
"I…uh…I think he needs a change," Teddy spoke up, his face full of disgust.
She smiled at him and took him out of Teddy's arms. He was wide awake now and was still adjusting to the rather harsh light of the German hospital room.
"I'll be back. I'm going to use the changing table in the bathroom down the hall."
Teddy watched her walk away with the baby and he turned to Booth, who, of course was still motionless in his bed.
"You gotta wake up, man. She's worried about you. She looked at those films of your feet and I could tell…she knows what happened to you. Bren loves you, man. And she needs you to wake up. "
Teddy began pacing around the small hospital room and then moved out to the hallway for a bit more room to move.
Booth began to stir. As he opened his eyes, he felt alone. He saw his friend pass his door. Booth attempted to call out but his mouth and throat were dry. He stared out the window to his room, waiting for someone to realize he was awake. As he watched nurses and doctors walk by, he waited for Teddy to walk by again. His doctor was standing at the nurses' station just outside his room. Dr. Graham was jotting down something in another file and only looked up when he was approached.
Booth recognized her instantly. He could feel the tightness in his chest, the longing for her coming to an end. Her back was to him and she was swaying back and forth with a rhythm he didn't know she had. He heard a shrill wail pierce the air but she didn't respond like the doctor did. While he jumped back from her, she moved quickly into his room where he now noticed the open diaper bag. She stooped over, reaching into the bag for a pacifier and attempting not to jostle the baby any more than necessary.
"Don't wake up your father," she whispered, "He needs his sleep so he can come home and take care of you."
"Bren," Booth finally croaked out.
She whipped her head up and turned to look at him, her ears hardly believing he spoke. She wanted to run over to him and hold him, but the baby in her arms rooted her to her spot.
"Hi," she finally said.
"Is he hungry?" Booth asked, nodding to his son.
Brennan shook her head, keeping her eyes on Booth. "Shouldn't be. I just fed him."
He nodded once. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too."
"Are you going to come over here or am I going to have to get out of bed?"
She remembered how to move and walked over to him. She leaned down and kissed him once, gently.
"I missed that too."
She smiled at him.
"I guess I didn't make it home in time, did I?" his face fell as he spoke. It killed him, knowing he wasn't there when his son was born.
She shook her head again and looked at her crying son. "Fourth of July, seven forty-two in the evening."
Booth laughed once. "Fourth of July?" She smiled widely and nodded. She placed the pacifier in his mouth, which seemed to settle him for the time being. She looked between Booth and her son for a moment and then put the baby in her husband's arms. He seemed shocked for a moment before pulling him closer.
"Corporal, I'm glad you're awake! We were starting to get worried!" Dr. Graham said as he walked in. "Oh!" the doctor said, upon seeing Booth holding his child, "What's this little guy's name?"
"Andrew Parker Booth," Brennan announced.
There was a groan from the doorway. "Please do not tell me you named your kid after me," Parker said.
"Well, then we just won't tell you that," Booth said, smiling at his buddy.
"Does this mean I have to name my kid after you?"
A/N: All done! I may do an epilogue of a welcome home scene with Angela, Jack, Hank and Jared but I am for sure writing a sequel but that won't appear right away. Not so long that you'll for get about this one, I just have to let my muse rest and my new power cord for my laptop arrive before my computer dies. Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Drop me a line of your thoughts and ideas, please!
