"The Object of My Affection" - Chapter 24
Title: Object of my Affection
Author: Shannon - shannyfish
Disclaimer: I do not own “Bones” or its characters, Fox does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Booth and Brennan must struggle with not only the Grad Students trying to take Zack’s old position, but also help get through a tragic end.
Warning: Post Season Three - “Pain in the Heart”. Would take place during Season Four, probably mid to late. Warning! Do not start reading this unless you plan on reading all…like…one hundred chapters (it might be that many…might not…). This will be an epic/saga-type fic and shall include all kinds of fun plot twists. The rating of this story will most likely fluctuate, FYI.
Chapter 24 - “Check Up”
Author’s Note: Okay kidlets, I’ve got through chapter 31 outlined, BUT if I am unable to get to at least chapter 30 before October 31st, then I’m going to have to change it around. Anyway, the Bones fanfic epic will most likely be on hiatus through the month of November. Why, you ask? Because not only do I have presentations, midterms (even though November is not the mid of term), huge papers to write, but I also have nanowrimo. What is nanowrimo? November is NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth. So, I need to write 100K words in one month. Write Bones epic fanfic for nanowrimo! I know, right? But…I’m going to try to get working on a long abandoned novel I had started in high school that is now boxed up in storage somewhere…and start it from scratch. An affiliate of nanowrimo and amazon has given everyone who won last year a code for a free proof copy of any novel written they’d like and the opportunity to sell it. So, I’ll be working on that for the month of November, but you will get new Bones episodes…yay!!! It’s like a win situation in the Bones area…yes…
*~*~*
Jeffersonian
Angela noticed that Booth was waiting outside of Brennan’s office. She approached him with a smile; he hadn’t asked any questions in a week. Though she knew that Brennan and Booth had talked and things were better she still wanted to remind him about his remaining questions. He hadn’t noticed her yet; he looked distracted, so she stopped closely to him and whispered into his ear, “You still have ten questions left.”
Booth jumped a bit and turned to her. “Angela,” he greeted after a moment.
“So? Ten questions,” she reminded. “I’ll even let you ask all ten at one time.”
“I think I’ll save them for another time,” Booth told her with a smile.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes,” Booth confirmed.
“Well, I’m glad you two are happy.” She was sincere. She was happy that Brennan seemed happy. Of course there wasn’t any post-sex bliss that she’d seen thus far, but she was hoping to see it again in the future. She patted his shoulder and then walked away. She had plans to meet Hodgins.
He watched Angela leave, but then was quickly distracted by his phone. He opened it and put it to his ear, “Booth.”
*Agent Booth, this is Carol Evans with child protective services. I just wanted to schedule an appointment with you. I just need to do a home check with Parker as ordered by Judge Santez.*
“Of course,” Booth said. “Is there any way we can do it today?” he asked, since he was going to pick up Parker later and he’d finished his paperwork that had been piling up on his desk. It was probably the best opportunity to be able to do it along with getting it over with, so he wouldn’t have to worry about it.
*I was hoping you’d say that.*
She seemed nice enough over the phone. “So, do we just meet you at the house?”
*That’s fine. I do need to meet with Parker’s teacher and look around the school, but that doesn’t require your presence. I won’t talk to Parker until I got to your residence.*
“Okay,” Booth said. It sounded fair and easy enough. He was worried, but then he wasn’t. He didn’t want to lose Parker. He’d done everything that he could in order to not only follow the judge’s orders, but also to make it a home for Parker. He thought he’d achieved that.
*Alright. I have your address. I’ll see you a little after school gets out.*
“Okay, see you there.”
*See you soon.*
Booth closed his cell and stowed it back into his pocket. He didn’t exactly feel ready for the visit, but it was a step that needed to be completed. He wasn’t sure how Parker would react, but he only had to talk to the woman. It wasn’t like Parker needed coaching, and he wouldn’t do it if he felt he did. Parker would tell the truth and he’d most likely be a nervous wreck through the whole ordeal.
“You didn’t have to wait out here,” Brennan told Booth.
Booth shrugged, “You were talking to your dad, I figured that maybe you could use some time alone to talk to him.”
“We don’t have secrets,” Brennan said.
“I know,” he responded quickly. “But privacy is still a nice thing.”
“My dad was just checking in is all,” Brennan told Booth. “He said that the girls - Russ’ girls - are starting to call him grandpa.”
“They’re really cute kids.”
“So, where are we going? When does Parker get out of school?” she asked.
“We’ve got an hour,” Booth told her.
“Do you want to stop for coffee?” she asked and then put on a bright smile and added, “They have pie, I’m sure.”
Booth smiled in response and just shook his head, “Just coffee. The case worker for the custody case called me. She’s going to Parker’s school to check on the school itself and then she’s going to be at my house right after.”
“It’s going to be fine, Booth,” she tried to assure.
“I just hope things go okay,” Booth told her. He had really started to worry. He’d gotten very used to having Parker all the time; he knew it would be unbearably hard if he had to let the Stinsons have custody of him.
Brennan frowned, “I could come along,” she offered. She could see the stress building in her partner. When he didn’t answer right away, she added, “You were there for me when I was discovering my family.”
“You’ve been there for me through Rebecca, Bones.”
“So, let me be there for you now.”
*~*~*
En Route to Booth Residence
“Why do I have to talk to her?” Parker asked.
“She has to talk to you to make sure I’ve been taking good care of you,” Booth told him.
“Of course you take care of me,” Parker said.
“It’s her job to make sure that children are kept safe. Sometimes parents do not always make the best decision for their child,” Brennan said.
“But dad’s an F.B.I. agent,” Parker said. “He catches the bad guys that would do that mean stuff to their kids.”
“I help,” Brennan said feeling like Booth was being given all the credit.
“They have to be fair,” Booth told Parker. “And it is teamwork. Bones helps to catch the bad guys.”
“Thank you,” Brennan told him quietly.
“Sure.”
“So, I just have to talk to her?” Parker asked again.
“She’ll probably want to see your room, too,” Booth told him. “She’ll tell you when we get there.”
“What if she’s mean?”
Booth sighed; Parker was going to make him even more nervous. “I talked to Ms. Evans on the phone earlier and she was very nice.”
“If she’s mean, do I still have to talk to her?”
Parker was not making this easy for him at all. He was glad that Brennan had come along for support. “If she’s that bad, then we’ll call the judge and maybe he’ll just want to talk to you or send someone else.”
“Kay…”
*~*~*
Booth Residence
It wasn’t long until Carol Evans showed up at the house. It had given Parker enough time to put his school things away and for Booth to pick up. He didn’t know how much of the house would be inspected and didn’t want any points taken off because his boxers hadn’t quite made it into the hamper and had ended up on the bathroom floor.
“Booth, she’s here,” Brennan announced. She was in the kitchen with Parker. He’d asked for a snack and so she’d gotten him some crackers and cut up some cheese for him along with giving him a glass of milk.
“Does she look scary?” Parker asked Brennan and then turned to look for himself before she could answer.
“She doesn’t look scary to me,” she told him.
“I guess not,” Parker said before turning in his chair and going back to his snack. He still had time to enjoy it.
Brennan noticed that Booth hadn’t emerged from his bedroom. He wouldn’t be at the door in time to open it for Carol Evans. So, she decided that she’d let her in. Brennan was at the door and had it open when the woman got to the front door, “Hello Ms. Evans.”
The woman smiled, “Hello there, are you Parker’s nanny?” she asked as she entered the home.
“No, I’m Doctor Temperance Brennan.”
“That’s right. Emilio told me about you, the famous best selling author. I’m afraid I don’t read crime drama. I see too much of it in my line of work.”
“Booth should be out in a moment,” Brennan told her with a smile.
“Not a problem,” Carol said and then looked to Parker. “Hello there, you must be Parker.”
Carol Evans was an average size woman in her late forties. Her hair was obviously dyed and in need of maintenance. Brennan could see the grey peeking through. Her eyes were warm and the smile that she wore shone happiness. “He’s nervous,” Brennan said quietly.
Carol smiled at Brennan and then approached Parker. “Wow, someone was nice enough to cut up cheese for you.”
“Bones did,” Parker mumbled.
“Is that what you call Doctor Brennan?”
Parker nodded, “So does my dad.”
Booth came in trying to hurry and quickly apologized, “Sorry, I was just-”
“Don’t worry, Agent Booth,” Carol told him. “I have two boys of my own. I know that messes are just part of it and that a quick appointment is hard to plan for.”
“But I understand why you have to do it,” Booth told her.
“Do you mind if Parker shows me his room?”
“Of course not,” Booth said.
When Parker didn’t move, Brennan knew that he was nervous, but Carol Evans wouldn’t leave until he cooperated. “Parker, why don’t you introduce Ms. Evans to your dinosaurs?” she suggested quietly.
“Kay,” Parker responded quietly and not too thrilled. He shoved another cracker with cheese into his mouth before he walked off in the direction of his room.
Booth and Brennan remained in the living room while Carol Evans talked with Parker. Booth anxiously paced the room while Brennan sat calmly on the couch.
“Relax, Booth,” Brennan told him. “You’re going to give yourself an aneurysm.
He stopped and plopped down next to her. “Thanks Bones.”
“For telling you to relax?”
“For being here…for being here with me through everything.”
*~*~*
Parker’s Room
“This seems like a really fun room,” Carol commented.
“Some of the stuff Bones got me when I stayed at her house when my dad was at the hospital to be with my mom,” Parker told her.
“How do you feel? Your mom died, that has to be hard,” she said.
“Sometimes I feel really sad,” Parker admitted and then grabbed his stuffed dinosaur from his bed. “Angela and Hodgins gave this to me.”
“That was very nice.”
“He’s a tyrannosaurus rex,” he informed her. “I named him Kelley. My dad thinks that it’s only a name for girls, but it’s not. It means warrior.”
“That seems like a good name choice,” Carol commented.
“Angela says that if I hug him that’ll chase away bad dreams,” he said as he hugged his dinosaur. It let out a roar and he smiled.
“I think she’s right.”
“She knows about a lot of stuff,” Parker said.
“So, how do you like living with your dad?”
Parker shrugged.
“Do you fight with him?”
“Not really. Only when he said Kelley was a girl’s name and he wasn’t mad at me,” Parker responded.
“Have you been left at school?”
“No,” Parker said. “One time I thought they forgot me, but Hodgins was just stuck behind a truck thing that was huge. He was a small car. Everyone else is always waiting outside of the school for me early.”
“And do you like your school?”
“It’s okay. I’m trying to make friends.”
“Are you doing any sports?”
“I have…maybe, if I like it…soccer. It doesn’t start yet, though. I have art class after school and Angela likes to take me to fun places.”
Carol smiled, “That’s good.”
“Am I going to have to leave my dad?” Parker asked.
“Do you want to?” she asked curiously.
“No,” he responded.
“Why would you think I’d take you away from your dad?”
Parker shrugged, “Grandma Lydia said I could go stay with her and Grandpa Murray.”
“Have you stayed with your grandparents since you saw Judge Santez?”
Nodding, Parker spoke quickly, “I went to stay at their house for a weekend, it was after the funeral. We made dinosaur cookies.”
“Do you like it there?”
“It’s okay; it’s sort of boring though. And their house smells weird.”
Carol smiled, “I wouldn’t worry too much, Parker. The judge and I have almost the same job. Do you know what it is?”
“To make sure kids are okay and people are taking good care of them,” Parker said remembering what Brennan and his dad had said earlier.
“That’s right. So, don’t worry, okay? We’re not going to do anything that is bad for you.” Carol watched him, he didn’t look convinced, but she hoped that he would be once she left and he remained home. “Why don’t we join your dad and Doctor Brennan, okay?”
“Okay,” he said quickly still hugging Kelley and then hurried out to the front room. He moved, so that he got to sit in between his dad and Brennan and waited for Ms. Evans to appear. She did after a moment.
“Parker and I had an interesting talk,” she told them. “Everything here looks just fine and Parker tells me that you’ve all been doing a wonderful job with the pick up schedule…even Hodgins, right?” she asked, the last part to Parker.
Parker nodded and sat there quietly.
She smiled, “Judge Santez will make the final permanent custody judgment, but I wouldn’t worry, Agent Booth.” Her smile continued as she continued, “Thank you for making this appointment so easy. I’ll see you at court next time,” she said as she neared the door. She noticed Agent Booth getting up to let her out, but she held up a hand. “I can let myself out, thank you though. You all have a good evening, okay?” she said.
“Thank you,” Booth told her.
She smiled a bit brighter and then let herself out.
His worry felt like it was melting away from his body as he sat there and then put his arm around Parker and Brennan and pulled them closely.
*~*~*
TBC…