In the Blink of An Eye
By LizD
Winter 2011
Chapter 3
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Parker sat up front, Booth drove. Brennan slipped into the back seat. There was no talking in the car as each was lost in thoughts of the past and future, no one wanted to think about the present. Booth's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that it was a call from the FBI. He hit ignore. Brennan tapped him on the shoulder. Wordlessly he understood and handed her the phone. She would make the necessary calls. She would field the unnecessary ones. Booth's priority had to be Parker. There was so much to do, so much to consider, so much to decide. But nothing drastic would happen that day - so much already had.
They arrived at the house and Brent (aka Captain Fantastic) was there. Booth had assumed that Brent was living with Rebecca and Parker, but he wasn't. They had talked about getting married years ago, but apparently nothing came of it. Brent and Parker hugged – albeit briefly. Brent and Booth shook hands. Brennan was not introduced but they acknowledged each other. Parker claimed that he was going to his room. Brennan stepped outside to make some phone calls. Booth and Brent were left alone to talk.
"Is he … OK?" Brent asked.
"Hard to say," Booth said looking down the hall where his son had disappeared. He looked back at Brent. The man looked wrecked. "Are you?"
"No." Brent swallowed hard. There was so much spinning in his head. "I should have forced her to go to the hospital."
Booth wanted to agree with him but kept his comment to himself.
"She said it was a stupid accident … she just had a headache." He looked up at Booth, hoping for some sort of absolution even though he wouldn't accept it if it were offered. "I wasn't here last night … I just got back from a tour yesterday. I was with my son. I should have come over. I should have come over, but she told me not to. She had a headache." The man was nearly in tears.
Booth recognized a man struggling to keep it together; he had his own issues on that front. He put a brotherly hand on Brent's shoulder. "Come on, Brent. Sit down. How about a drink? I know I could use one. The sun must be over the yardarm somewhere in the world, huh?"
Brent looked out the window as if he were going to respond to the yardarm comment. Booth patted him gently and gestured toward the table. Brent sat and nodded up toward the cabinet above the refrigerator where the liquor was stored. Booth poured them both a few fingers of scotch and left the bottle out on the counter. There was no toast, there was no camaraderie; just company sharing misery. They drank.
Brent needed to talk. "Rebecca wouldn't marry me," said by way of explanation of the state of their relationship. He played with the rim of his glass.
Booth didn't know how to respond but he completely understood about being rejected by Rebecca.
"I asked – repeatedly," he went on. "I love her. Loved her," he corrected. "I love Parker, too. He and my son are good friends. I wanted us to be a family." He looked up at Booth. He wanted to clarify that he wasn't taking Booth's place in Parker's life, but he saw that he didn't need to. Booth understood. "She just didn't want to get married." He wiped at his eyes. "I was wearing her down though," he smiled. "I wasn't going to give up. She would have changed her mind … eventually she would have changed her mind."
Booth nodded wondering if all men thought all women would change their minds eventually. Booth never did; he was always wrong.
Brent took a deep breath trying to control the quiver in his voice. "She left everything to Parker. The house. The life insurance. Everything. She has a 401(k) and some investments - for Parker's college. You're to take custody of him and act as executor until he reaches twenty-five."
Booth really didn't want to talk about all the legal stuff. He knew it already. They had discussed it. He remembered agreeing to whatever Rebecca wanted because it was an absurd idea that she would die. Booth was the one who put his life in danger on a daily basis. Booth needed a will. Booth needed to make arrangements so his son would be taken care of if he died. Rebecca should have been the one to see Parker through the loss of a parent.
"There needs to be lilac at the funeral. It was her favorite flower," Brent went on. "And she wants to be cremated and her ashes spread in the ocean. I can … " He dropped off. He would offer his cruiser to do that, or take them out on his boat. "Rebecca loved the ocean."
Booth didn't know that lilac was her favorite flower, or that she wanted her ashes spread on the ocean. Brent knew her so much better. Brent would have been the one to take care of all the arrangements if they had been married. That task now fell to Sherry - the sister.
"I called her sister. She will be flying in tomorrow." Brent looked back at Booth. "She is the co-executor."
Booth nodded again. Rebecca's sister never liked Booth. She hated him. Felt that Booth abandoned Rebecca. That he didn't MAN UP and take responsibility. Over the years Rebecca tried to explain, but Sherry wouldn't listen. It didn't matter that Booth was there every weekend for his son (more if she would have allowed it), that he never missed a child support payment and even sold his house a few years back to help Rebecca buy hers for Parker to get him into a better school. There was nothing Booth could do in Sherry's mind - he was scum.
Sherry was the perfect daughter, sister, wife, mother, community member. She had married her college sweetheart. They had three kids and sensible house in Connecticut. She didn't work, she didn't have to; her husband have a very lucrative accounting agency. Her life was building a home for her husband and children. She was very involved in the community and active in the PTA, girl scouts, boy scouts, anything that the kids were into. She hosted gourmet dinner parties for her husband's clients. She organized the book club that met once a month like clockwork. She was normal. Rebecca had told Booth on more than one occasion that Sherry was just too normal. They joked that she would blow one day and God help anyone standing nearby.
"The pilot on the water heater goes out … often. There are some loose shingles on the garage roof that need to be repaired before the rain. The gardener comes on Thursdays and the trash is picked up on Tuesdays." Brent swirled the liquid in his glass before downing the rest of it. He was just talking to be talking. He couldn't allow his mind to think about his loss. "Rebecca didn't go food shopping. I can do that for you? I know what Parker likes."
"You don't have to do that," Booth assured him. "But thank you for the offer." Booth looked down the hall. "I'm going to go check on Parker," Booth said.
"Yeah," Brent looked down and back up quickly. "I really care about that kid," he said. "I want to stay a part of his life."
"Of course." Booth nodded. He had never really given Brent a chance. But he was a good guy. He wondered why Rebecca wouldn't marry him either.
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Brennan made all the calls she knew she had to make: FBI, Jared, the Jeffersonian and Hannah. FBI was fine. They'd handle it. They were good in crisis. That's who they were. The cases would be turned over to another agent; the court appearances would be handled. The people from the Jeffersonian were better than great. Angela and Hodgins were on their way over with food because: 'it's what you do, sweetie.' Cam was off to the hospital to get more information about Rebecca. Booth would want to know when the shock wore off. There might be cause for a malpractice suit (not that it would make any difference, but she knew Booth would want to know). Sweets heard somehow and called Brennan. He offered to come immediately. Brennan made him promise that if he came it would be as a friend only. Sweets agreed. Tonight was for a friend and his son, tomorrow and the coming weeks, months, years, would be for Dr. Sweets, and he would be there too. Max had called her to ask about the lunch. She stood him up. She told him what was going on. He asked if he could come. Brennan started to say that he didn't need to at least not that night, but Max reminded her how close he and Parker were. She agreed that it might be good. No one was planning on staying long and all would be back the next day and the next and the next to help in any way they could.
The call to Hannah was odd – even odd for Brennan. Brennan had called twice; once before the call to the FBI and once again before the call to the Jeffersonian. She left messages asking her to return the call as soon as she could. The third time Hannah picked up. She was about to go into a press conference and was hurried. Brennan told her what happened. Her first response was to say that she didn't know Rebecca very well as if her death (while sad and tragic) didn't mean anything. Brennan suggested that Booth might need her support at this time. To that she responded by saying that Booth and Rebecca were never married (as if that meant that her death wouldn't affect him). Brennan restated her support comment and included Parker. Hannah hedged and promised to come when press conference was over and she had posted her story. Brennan didn't know how to respond.
"I don't do death very well," Hannah explained as if that were an acceptable excuse.
Brennan didn't speak.
"Besides, you're there. You'll know what to say better than I will."
Brennan hung up. She didn't know what she would say to Booth; if she should lie or tell the truth. Maybe he wouldn't ask. His relationship with Hannah was really none of her business. She should tell the truth. It wasn't her place to protect Booth at least not from the woman he loved who presumably loved him. It occurred to her that in all the time she and Hannah had spent together, she never actually told Brennan that she was in love with Booth. Or had she? Didn't matter. He was in love with her. He said it plainly and clearly a number of times. Hannah was no consolation prize.
What an odd expression: consolation prize. Brennan never thought Hannah was any kind of prize; as if Brennan herself was a prize or Booth. This was why she didn't like, understand or choose to enter into long term relationships - were really people just prizes to be won or lost? That night she told him that she had 'gotten the signal' (whatever that really meant, Micah explained it better). She told him that she didn't want any regrets. She wasn't asking him to break up with Hannah. She wasn't asking him to betray any commitment he had made to her. She wasn't really asking him for anything. She was telling him that she realized that she wanted more in her life, more with him, and that she had realized that she missed her chance and that made her sad. Typical Booth to think he needed to fix her problem. That he needed to rescue her. That it was his responsibility to give her what she needed.
But that was all for another time - or never. Now Parker must be considered above all else and by extension, Booth.
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She was pacing in the front yard ostensibly waiting for Angela and Hodgins, but mostly she felt out of place inside. Booth came out to get his phone; he actually didn't need his phone, he needed to talk to her - not about anything specific, he just needed to hear her voice. She was reasoned, rationed; she wasn't an eleven year old boy who just lost his mother or a man who just lost the love of his life. Booth didn't need to watch what he said to her. He didn't need to support her, reassure her. She was there for him; his partner, his friend, his constant. Booth needed to be the practical one and Brennan could help with that. Yes, he loved Rebecca and would always love her, but Parker and Brent were hurting far worse than he was. He would grieve on his own time.
As Brennan made the hand off of the phone, Booth clasped the phone and her hand in his. The feel of her hand in his was exactly what he needed. It was soothing, safe, familiar. "Thanks, Bones," he said sincerely.
"Are you OK?"
"I don't think it has really registered yet. Brent is taking it hard." He pressed her hand warmly. "But I'm glad you're here."
"I'm not doing much." She launched into what she had been doing. It still didn't seem like much to her, but Booth was impressed. When she got to Hannah, she just said that Hannah would be there as soon as she could. It was a slight embellishment, but that was understandable considering the circumstances.
Booth stiffened when she mentioned Hannah's name. He hadn't thought about calling her before that moment. Brennan noticed his reaction and thought it was for another reason, so she changed the subject quickly. She asked about Parker.
"He's holding up. Not sure it has really hit him yet. He was talking about home work and cleaning his room. He's just like me; wants to keep things as normal as possible in the face of adversity."
"What will happen?"
"With Parker?" Booth cocked his head slightly. "He's with me now. Full time." Brennan had to wonder if it were really that simple. "Brent wants to remain in his life, so there will be some dinners and maybe a baseball game here who knows what else. I guess I underestimated him."
"I'm sure you haven't considered this, but how will raising your son affect you?" As soon as she said it she was sorry. He didn't need to think about that now. Whatever hurdle there was, he would clear it; that was never in doubt.
"It will be a change," he said simply. "But there's no other option. I don't want there to be." Booth hadn't had much time to think about how his life would change. There was the living arrangements and school to consider. The apartment was way too small for the three of them, and the house was Parker's. Could he and Hannah really move in to Rebecca's house? That didn't seem right but she would want Parker's life to be disrupted a little as possible. Booth didn't have a clue about Rebecca's estate and what managing that would entail. He of course would protect it for his son. Booth had, of course, been paying child support, but he really didn't know what it would cost to be a full time parent in terms of money or time.
Then of course there was Hannah to consider. Hannah and he were still feeling their way through their day to day existence. Hannah was warming to Washington and her job in the press corps, but she wasn't loving it, Booth could tell. They were still in that 'all sex' mode that came at the beginning of all Booth's relationships. Booth typically sidelined the heavy subjects with women by taking them to bed - well all except Brennan. With her, the moment a heavy subject came up, sex was off the table. Hannah didn't seem to mind sidelining anything. Hannah initially had concerns about Parker, but they seemed to have worked it out. From all he could tell they liked each other. But taking on the role of primary parent was not what Hannah had signed on for. She did like Parker, but was she ready to be a maternal influence in his life? Was Hannah ready to be part of a domestic family unit?
"Of course not," she agreed that Booth would naturally take Parker. That was not in question. Brennan wasn't thinking about Hannah, or Booth and Hannah, or Hanna and Parker. She was concerned about Booth. She was interested in how he would continue to work for the FBI and raise a son as a single parent (Hannah's job would not allow her to be much of a co-parent). "I mean your job, your work. Your hours are very erratic." The work wasn't just his. It was theirs. If he quit where did that leave Brennan professionally? Would they continue a personal relationship? How would she fit into his life, or would she? Did she want to? It was too soon to be thinking that way. "You don't have to know right now. It's just something to consider. Maybe you should take some time off."
"I could." He sat down on the steps. She sat down next to him. "I don't know Bones. I just don't know. Maybe this is a sign. Maybe it's time for me to make something other than my job a priority. I can get a job in security consulting." He laughed. "Better money, better hours. Rebecca would have loved that," he added sadly.
Brennan wanted to ask about how Hannah would fit into this domestic picture but didn't. She was still a little floored by the idea that Booth might actually quit. "Do you think Rebecca would have accepted your proposal if you had done that years ago?"
"Can't speculate about that now, Bones," he said gently. It occurred to him that he hadn't let go of her hand. He did slowly.
Just then Angela, Hodgins and Cam showed up. They hadn't timed it; it just worked out that way. True to promise there were there for less than thirty minutes. They hugged Booth. Hugged Parker. Dropped enough food to feed the Seventh Fleet. Asked several times if there was anything they could do, and promised to come back the next day. Cam took Brennan aside and updated her on what she had found out at the hospital. Rebecca had refused treatment. There was a case to be made that the EMTs should never have allowed her to refuse, but it probably wasn't worth the anguish it would cause to Parker. As they were leaving, Sweets and Max showed up with several neighbors and many of Rebecca's friends. Brent's brother came and his step-sister, several of Parker's friends and their parents and Parker's babysitter who had no idea what was going on. She didn't take the news very well but through her tears she helped as much as she could. It was an odd disjointed gathering. Most left in short order. Brennan thought about leaving with them, but Hannah still hadn't shown up.
Around ten it was time for Parker to go to bed. He wouldn't be going to school the next day. Booth assured him that. Booth walked Brent out and they stayed talking for a bit. Brennan and Maria cleaned up. She never stopped crying. Brennan walked Maria to the door. She looked toward the drive way and there was Booth and Hannah. They were in a tight embrace. Hannah's back was to her so Brennan got a shadowy look at Booth. His eyes were closed and he was holding her very tightly. It was the first time that day that Booth looked safe, protected, soothed. They looked natural together; they fit together perfectly. She was who Booth needed to get him through this crisis. Brennan felt a shock go through her body - like a nerve touched. She needed to make a hasty exit.
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A/N: Thank you all so much for your comments and alerts. It means the world. Stay tuned, the next chapter is interesting.