In the Blink of An Eye
By LizD
Winter 2011
Chapter 7
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It was early evening as Brennan pulled up to Rebecca's house. Parker had left his backpack at the lab and she promised she would drop it by. Booth's SUV wasn't there but there was a rental car in the drive way and a car that she assumed was Brent's or Maria's as she had noticed it the day before. There were lights on in the house and she saw people moving around. She decided to take it up anyway and leave before Booth arrived. She didn't want to see him again that day. Lunch confused her.
Lunch was strange. Booth smiled at her they way he used to. He talked to her through Parker; or rather Parker was the main topic of conversation. Booth encouraged Parker to "tell Bones" things, things that had happened to him in the last year and a half. Brennan hadn't been up on all that had gone on in Parker's life because of her time in Maluku and because she wasn't invited very often to spend time with him since her return. Parker would occasionally mention Hannah and Brennan felt her spine tighten. She found that odd too because spines don't tighten but that was what it felt like. By time she was ready to go she was tight from her coccyx to Atlas (C1).
It wasn't Parker who made Brennan uncomfortable, and it wasn't the mention of Hannah; it was Booth. He smiled at her. He looked at her. Like he used to. His sparkling eyes drew her in. His charmed smile seemed to say that she was important to him. Like before. It felt like old times as if nothing had happened between them in the past year or more; not Sweets' book, not Booth's request or Brennan's refusal, not their parting, not Hannah, not Brennan's revelation and certainly not Rebecca's death. The whole scene made Brennan very uncomfortable. She felt herself being lulled back to believing that all was right between them. They he loved her - even platonically. That she was important to him. That they really were the only people each could rely on in the entire world.
Brennan couldn't go through that again. A year ago she left because Booth was too important. She couldn't protect him and she couldn't live in fear of losing him. She was better at accepting that now, and realized that separation is not a cure for worry; in fact it only served to intensify it. But there were still the facts: 1) Hannah and 2) Booth loved Hannah and finally 3) Hannah was not a consolation prize. Brennan's only place in Booth's life was as a work partner and social friend. So why was he pushing this old agenda? Was he pushing it? Was Brennan reading too much into his smile? Brennan couldn't speculate, but she would keep her distance and support Booth in a crowd from then on.
She went up to the door and before she could get there it flew open. Before her stood a woman who had many of the same skeletal features like Rebecca had. She was younger than Rebecca, but it was clear that she was the sister. She was dressed for deep cleaning. Her hair was back in a pony tail. She wore yellow rubber gloves, smelled of disinfectant and was carrying a big garbage bag.
"Who are you?" the woman demanded. She scanned Brennan up and down making an assessment quickly - easy to do because she wasn't looking for anything to admire. "I would say you are one of Booth's girls but he likes blondes."
"I am Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution," Brennan explained. "Booth and I are partners."
"WOW ... Booth went for a doctor? Well you can't be very good - Booth likes them dumb."
"Booth and I are not sexual partners, we work together. And I am quite intelligent." Brennan already didn't like this woman, but that was not unusual for Brennan. She didn't like most people on first meeting - it would be more accurate to say that she typically didn't form an opinion on first meeting - but for Rebecca's sister she would make an exception. "And if your opinion that Booth seeks unintelligent women, would that not put your sister in that category?"
Sherry dropped the bag she was holding on the ground between them. "What do you want Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution? Your PARTNER is not here." A light of recognition went on in her eyes. "Oh wait a minute, I know you. You are the one that writes those graphic novels about murder."
"I don't believe that is correct. I do write and my books do involve murder but I believe that graphic novels are akin to comic books. I assure you that my writing does not include pictures."
"Thank the Lord for that." Sherry bristled. "I found several of your books in Rebecca's collection. I threw them out." She kicked the bag. "You can dig them out if you want."
"I understand that you are under a great deal of stress and are suffering greatly at the loss of your sister for which I am very sorry. I didn't know Rebecca well, but from what I did, I liked. I assume that you are bitter and angry at the world, but I do not understand why you feel the need to direct your anger toward me, a person you have never met." Sherry was about to speak but Brennan cut her off. "Further your vitriol toward Booth is ill advised if you wish to continue a relationship with your nephew."
"So you two are more than just colleagues." She folded her arms across her chest. "As for my nephew - you can tell Booth for me that I will take this to court and I have more money and better lawyers and I will win."
Brennan studied her for a moment in that way she does. Sherry became very uncomfortable under her gaze. When Brennan spoke her voice was even and calm. "Why is it you feel that you deserve to have custody of Parker? How much time have you actually spent with him? Do you know him at all?" When Parker was at the lab earlier that day, he said talked a little about his Aunt Sherry. From what Brennan could tell and using Parker's actual words, she gathered that Parker liked Sherry well enough, but he didn't really know her. "Do you know his favorite baseball team? What he likes to do with his friends? What books he reads? What his hobbies are? What his goals are?"
"How is that important in protecting him and giving him a safe and stable home?"
"Do you know what medications he is allergic to? Foods? Insects? Do you know anything about his medical history at all?" Sherry didn't respond. "I believe those are all very important in giving Parker a safe home environment. Booth is intimately aware of all these things and more. Further Booth has a relationship with his son and has since he was born. You will not interfere."
"Are you threatening me, Dr. Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution?"
"Merely stating facts as they exist," she said calmly. "If you believe you deserve and will win the custody of Parker because you have money and lawyers, let me assure you that I have more money than you do and I will make it available to Booth and Parker to hire whatever they need to stop this ridiculous, petty and spiteful mission you are on. Parker belongs with Booth and Booth with Parker."
Sherry was taken aback. She had never experienced anyone like Brennan before. There was no anger in her voice. No intimidation. She really was just stating facts as a stone cold scientist might. But Sherry was not confused. Brennan would do what she said she was going to do.
"I suggest that you find some grief counseling," Brennan went on. "I am not in typically an advocate for psychology or psychiatrists in general but I have come to believe that in times of crisis they can be very helpful for those of weak minds." She thrust Parker's bag at Sherry who had no choice but to take it. "Please see that Parker gets this."
Brennan turned on her heel and walked away. Her heart rate didn't rise until she was in her car and driving away. It was wrong to offer money to Booth without actually offering it to him first. Normally he would be too proud to accept it, but in this case he would have to and she knew that would cause a rift between them. She tried to calm herself into believing that it was a good thing, a generous gift. But how could Booth possibly accept that without feeling indebted to her. She didn't want him indebted. It would also be an issue with Hannah. It was a very generous offer, but she wondered if she was wrong to make it.
It never occurred to Brennan that the threat might be enough to get Sherry to back off. Brennan didn't play or understand poker. She was not bluffing; she didn't know how.
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Booth had decided that is would be OK for Parker to see Rebecca before she was moved to the funeral home. Booth didn't think that a sterile morgue was a proper setting, but Brennan reminded him that Parker has seen morgues on TV and had been to the lab on many occasions. The coroner would be respectful. They do family identifications all the time. Booth agreed only after he questioned the coroner about the state of the body and the appropriateness for an eleven year old. The corner told Booth that he brought his kids to the morgue when they were seven and eight. Booth called him ghoul, but set up a time for Parker to see her. Sherry, of course, would have lost her mind if Booth considered consulting her.
Parker took it better than Booth. Rebecca was on the other side of the glass behind a set of blinds. Booth stood with his hand on his son's shoulder. The blinds were lifted. She was laying on a gurney covered with a white sheet. The attendant lifted the sheet and put it back over her chest so her face could be seen.
"She looks like she is sleeping," Parker said.
Booth sucked in a huge breath to stop himself from audibly gasping. Booth knew bodies better than Parker did; there was no mistaking that she was dead. Her skin was the color of death, her lips were blue. He could see the tracheotomy marks where the doctors had tried to save her. From his height he could see that they had shaved the other side of her head to perform the craniotomy to relieve the pressure. He was grateful that that side was not to the window. His hand inadvertently squeezed Parker's shoulder.
In that moment he remembered Rebecca in life. He remembered their meeting, their courtship, how alive and happy she was. He remembered them waiting to find out if she was pregnant. He remembered wanting to marry her and spend the rest of his life with her. He remembered their bitter fights over Parker and he remembered them working it out - sometimes verbally, sometimes non-verbally (aka horizontally). He couldn't stop the hot tears from welling up in his eyes. She wasn't supposed to die. She shouldn't be gone forever. It was wrong, very, very, very wrong.
"Dad?" Parker slipped his hand into this father's. "Dad we can go."
Booth nodded to the attendant to cover her back up. He did and then slowly closed the blinds. Booth knelt down to be on the same level with Parker. Parker hadn't been crying until Booth pulled him tightly against his chest. That's when the tears came. The poor kid was trying to be strong for his father. Poor Booth was trying to be strong for his son. A show of strength at that time was just prideful. They needed to feel the loss and grieve together. Each had lost so much in life. It was important that they hang on to each other.
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Brennan was back at the lab burying herself in work. Booth had called twice but she let the call go to voice mail. It was late, close to ten when Hannah walked into her office.
"I need your help," Hannah said dropping her bag and pulling off her jacket. She clearly had just arrived from the airport. How and why Hannah thought that Brennan was her friend first and not Booth's would always be a mystery. She treated Brennan as if she were Booth's sister but her friend. She believed that sisterhood would triumph. Silly rabbit.
"Help with what?" Brennan said warily.
"Booth thinks that it's his duty to take Parker in."
"I don't believe that Booth looks at it as a duty."
"You agree with him?" Hannah was shocked.
"It's not my place to agree or disagree, but in this society it is expected that the biological parents would be the primary care givers until the offspring have reached the age of maturity sometimes beyond that date."
"This is not some tribe in the Amazon that you are studying, Temperance. This is Booth. I thought he was your friend, your partner. I assumed you would want to help him make the right decision."
"I don't believe that there is a decision to make. In the absence of choice, there is little to decide."
"You believe that assuming custody of Parker is the only option."
"Semantically, in the absence of choice there are no options."
Hannah ran her hands through her hair. "This will change his whole life. My life. Our lives. His career. I assume you will be affected by this as well."
"All those statements are true to varying degrees."
"And you are prepared for those changes."
"I am adaptable." Brennan studied her for a moment. "Are you?"
"This is not about me. Is Seeley?"
Brennan always bristled when Hannah called Booth Seeley. It felt wrong. He didn't like to be called Seeley, why would he allow her to call him that? Or maybe he did like it. Maybe it was a name he reserved for the most intimate people in his life. Did he not want Brennan to call him that because she was never that close? "I believe Booth is ready to make the changes necessary." Brennan's voice was cold and distant.
A realization came over Hannah. Did those changes include her? Was Booth considering Hannah at all? He never asked her to come to Washington, not really. It was her idea. Booth had gone home for his son. A shock of lightening hit Hannah; she was not and would never be first in his life. She was second again - second if she was lucky. Booth had been acting differently toward her for weeks, since before Christmas. Maybe she had missed something else. When she fell in love with Booth she honestly felt that he would be the one person who would always and forever put her first. It was delusional thinking. He had left her in Afghanistan with a promise to write. That was not prioritizing.
"I did not come here to be a step-mother," she asserted. "I did not give up my career and move to this narcissistic, power hungry town to be running shuttles to soccer practice and attending PTA meetings."
"I believe that this is a discussion you should have with Booth."
"Seeley and I are not married," she protested. "I did not vow for better or worse."
"I'm sorry that you see Parker as a worse scenario, but as I said this is a discussion for you and Booth."
"And you won't help me?"
"Help you?" Brennan stood up. "Help you to separate a father form his son?"
"For his own good," Hannah protested.
"There is only one reason to take a child away from his biological parent - and that is not the case here." She exhaled and tried to steady her voice. "Booth does not have a choice, but you do. You can accept the man you fell in love with as a complete person or not, but I warn you, if you lose Booth over this, you will never find his equal and you will regret it for the rest of your life."
Hannah studied her for a moment. "Spoken like a woman who knows."
Brennan looked down.
"How close are you and Seeley? Why do you have a key to his apartment? Why do you support him at all costs? Why does he treat you like you are the yardstick that all other women don't measure up to?"
"We are done talking now Hannah. I believe that anything else you want to know, you need to discuss with Booth."
Hannah threw her coat over her arm, and picked up her bags. "Tell me one thing; were you ever really my friend?"
"I was and I am. But if you force me to chose between my friendship with you and my relationship with Booth, I am with Booth - all the way. Don't doubt it for a second."
Hannah studied her for a long moment. She wondered how she had missed what was right in front of her for so long. And she called herself a reporter. Hannah turned and it a blonde POOF she was gone.
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A/N: Say BA'BYE Hannah. GO BO-NES! Go BO-NES! Poor Parker and Booth. Good? Looking Up? Next up - Booth and Hannah have a talk. And Booth and Brennan need a heart to heart too.