"The Object of My Affection" - Chapter 42

[shannyfish]

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 42 - “Truly Thankful”

Author’s Note: Okay, FYI for readers…I have to offload all of my files onto my external drive and then I will try to reset my system manually (if it doesn’t work, that means it’s going to go in for two weeks ~_^…so painful), but I’m also applying to my school’s MFA Creative Writing Program, so I need to get all that fun stuff together… Also, my job is currently closing down, which sucks, but this is life…so we’ll see how much time I’ll have to upload quickly.

Trailer #1: h t t p : // www . mediafire . com / ?20w12iod0dd

Hopefully this all shows us, just remove the spaces : )

*~*~*

Booth Residence

Brennan was healing up nicely, at least she thought so anyways. Her doctor had downgraded her from a cast to a padded metal brace. Her leg was another story, it wasn’t quite ready to come out of the cast, Brennan was pretty sure it was because the doctor knew her job. Even though she had been very careful and had kept herself from resting as much as possible and taking it easy at the lab doing just lab work in her office, she had started to really want to be in the field with Booth. She swore that Booth was just as eager for her to return to the field as she was.

The problem of healing up quickly wasn’t Brennan’s only problem, though. Russ was right; their father had shown up on Booth’s doorstep and was currently sleeping on the couch even though Brennan had told him that he could stay at her apartment. But her father had insisted on staying where she was, and it had made Booth incredibly uncomfortable since she’d convinced him to sleep in the same bed as she slept.

“You know, I think I make Booth uncomfortable,” Max stated as he carried over two cups of coffee to the couch. He set them both down on the coffee table before sitting down next to his daughter.

Brennan noticed his smile. He seemed like he was always smiling. “You do make him uncomfortable,” Brennan responded as she reached forward and carefully picked up the coffee cup with her left hand. Being cautious, she brought it towards her and was able to hold it in her two hands for a moment before lifting it to her lips with her left hand and sipping the hot brew.

“I don’t understand why,” Max told her as he picked up his coffee and started to carefully drink it as well.

“Dad, Booth believes that you knowing that we’re sleeping in the same bed together would lead you to assume that we’re sleeping together and that he’s somehow taking advantage of me,” Brennan tried to explain as simply as possible.

“Well, I assume that you’re sleeping together if you’re sleeping in his bed…” Max said like they were talking about the weather. “You’re an attractive, intelligent woman.”

“Currently we’re not sleeping together.” It was true. Brennan’s injuries were extensive enough where if they attempted sex, there was a strong possibility that it could re-break her ribs that had seemed to be healing up nicely. Also, it would be a bit awkward with her casted leg and her braced arm.

Max looked at his daughter with concern. “Why? What’s wrong with Booth?” he asked. “Is there a problem ya know,” Max said as he motioned below his belt. “Because they make pills for that now.”

Brennan knew that if Booth had heard her father that he’d be mortified. “No, Dad,” she laughed and tried to not spill her coffee. “Booth has no problems. He is a fully functioning male.”

“You know, I’m happy for you,” Max told her after a moment of silence between them.

“I’m glad, but I don’t understand why,” Brennan said. She didn’t think it was because of her injuries…

“You and Booth…together,” Max said. “It’s about time, too. You know the moment I met you and Booth when I was undercover…”

“You weren’t exactly undercover, Dad.”

“I thought it was a pretty good term.”

“You were impersonating a priest.”

“Same thing.”

“Not exactly,” Brennan tried to correct.

“Anyways, I knew the moment I met you both. I knew Booth was good for you. That you two would be able to take care of each other… That’s why I went with Russ…why I didn’t try to convince you to come with us.” Max frowned, “I really wanted to take you with us, but I knew that it wouldn’t be good for any of us. I had never wanted to leave you like I did, Tempe.”

“I know.”

“But it’s good you have Booth.”

Brennan smiled a small smile, “Booth and I are…dating, I think is the term we’re currently using.”

“I would prefer the term engaged.”

“Marriage is an antiquated-”

Max put a finger to her lips to stop her. “Tempe, let me tell you about marriage. Your mother and I may have been criminals in the eyes of the law, but we were parents first…”

“Dad-”

“Please let me finish,” Max pleaded. Once she stopped talking, he continued. “Your mother and I loved each other dearly…and you and Russ. When you truly love someone, it’s not a crime or an antiquated ritual to want to be one with that person. That’s truly what marriage is, Sweetheart. Two people becoming one through a ceremony. Now, that doesn’t mean that you two are the same…it means that you two are two halves of one whole. You and Booth complete each other…”

“Angela’s said that before.”

“I knew there was a reason why I liked her.”

“You know that Booth will be here any minute with Parker. We’re going to all make Thanksgiving dinner together…or start to make it. Apparently it takes a whole day… I don’t quite understand,” Brennan told her father.

Max smiled, “I don’t think I’ve had a good home cooked Thanksgiving meal in decades…”

“I normally don’t celebrate the holiday,” Brennan said. She didn’t know if it should really be called a holiday. It was one that was completely based on lies along with being commercialized by card companies and retail.

“You normally don’t seem to celebrate a lot of things.”

Brennan shrugged, “It’s not something that I really worry about.”

“Well, I’m going to worry about it.”

“I don’t understand why.”

Max frowned, “Because it seems that when your mother and I left you, we left you broken. Having a family is important, Tempe. I see how you are with Parker…and Booth. You’re going to be a great mother and in a way you already are with Parker. Holidays are very important, whether they are commercialized or not. Holidays are something that gives a family time to spend together, since sometimes we get so wrapped up in our busy lives that we don’t stop and appreciate what we have.”

“I’m not Parker’s mother,” Brennan said quickly. She knew that she could never replace Rebecca and that Jared had been it abundantly clear, she was not a replacement either. Of course, that didn’t mean that she didn’t care for Parker.

“I’m not saying that,” Max argued.

“I can only ever be Bones to Parker,” Brennan told him.

Max sighed, “I bet that if you asked that boy, that he’d tell you differently. I bet he thinks of you like a mom. He’s probably thankful this Thanksgiving to have you. I know that I’m thankful that I still have you. I’m thankful that you and Booth are together.”

“We’re just dating,” Brennan quickly brushed off feeling like her father was steering the conversation in a direction in which she didn’t want to head. She leaned forward and gently placed the coffee mug on the coffee table. She started to adjust her position, so that she could get up off the couch. “Look, I think I’m going to go lie down, I promised Booth that I’d rest, so that I’d be able to stay up and help him make the dinner.”

“Okay,” Max said quietly. He sat there as his daughter slowly got to her feet and hobbled away towards Booth’s bedroom. He waited and heard the door shut and then sighed. Sometimes he wondered about his daughter, he felt the need to worry more. She had never been like any other child. It wasn’t more than ten minutes before the front door opened and Booth and Parker entered with quite a few grocery bags. “Need any help?” he offered.

“We got it,” Booth responded. “Thanks though,” he continued as he set down the bags in the kitchen. “Where’s Bones?”

*~*~*

Jeffersonian

“You know I’m not exactly the best person to talk to about these things,” Cam told Jared. She apparently as the one person that Jared thought could talk some “sense” into Seeley Booth. Sense was not what Booth needed, but for Jared to make amends with his brother, Cam knew that Jared would have to swear off alcohol and to apologize for all the damage he’d done. She wasn’t sure if she could be that truthful with the youngest Booth.

“Who else am I supposed to talk to?” Jared asked. “Aren’t you going home for Thanksgiving?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Cam told him truthfully. “Actually your brother invited me over as well as did Hodgins and Angela. I think that Booth would be up for having one big Thanksgiving dinner if Brennan wasn’t still all casted up.”

“So, let me get this straight. My brother invited you over for Thanksgiving, but he didn’t invite me? Am I the only person not seeing a problem with this?” Jared asked amazed.

Cam rolled her eyes as she finished up her paper work, “Well, I’m not the one who practically killed the two people he loves the most and then didn’t act like it was any big deal.”

“He’s still pissed about that?”

She stopped and looked at him. “Seriously, Jared? He’s going to be pissed about that for a long while…” She thought that some of it was sinking in, but she couldn’t be sure. “If you really want some honest advice, I’d say that you need to show up at the Thanksgiving festivities with a couple bottles of sparkling cider and a pumpkin pie…and then if Seeley still won’t let you in, say those two words that you don’t seem to be able to say.”

“What words?”

“Tell Seeley that you’re sorry…” Cam told him gently. “I know that it’ll be one of the hardest things that you’ve done in your life, but having no family really isn’t fantastic… I mean, even my family…even though they can drive me crazy because I’m not married yet, is better than being exiled from the ones that you have.”

Jared stared at Cam and thought about it. He really wasn’t sure what to think about what Cam had to say. “We’ll see…” Jared mumbled.

“Jared, don’t forget that Seeley’s not the person you came to Washington for,” Cam told him. “Parker’s the reason why you came…don’t you think that you should make an effort to make at least the holidays for your nephew as nice as you possibly can?”

“Parker’s a good kid.”

Cam nodded, “Parker’s a great kid, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not in need of some attention from his uncle.  He still needs help getting through his mother’s death. That’s why you’re supposed to be here.”

*~*~*

Booth Residence

Booth had to admit that the night, even though they’d ended much later than he’d planned, had been very nice. He had helped to prep and start the dinner for the next day with Brennan and her dad. Parker had even helped a bit before he had to go to bed. It was nice to feel like a family unit. It made Thanksgiving feel truly right.  Now, Booth was undressing. Somehow, he’d allow Brennan to convince him into attempting being together in all ways even though he still thought it was creepy that her father wasn’t more than a few yards away.

“You locked the door, right?” Brennan asked when she noticed the look on Booth’s face.

“Yes, but I have no doubt that your dad could kick in the door if it meant getting to you,” Booth told her.

Brennan giggled; she was striped down to just her panties and a camisole top, and was now waiting for Booth to join her in bed. He was still mostly clothed as he worried. “You do realize that my dad knows that we do adult activities behind closed doors.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s any easier to do it with your dad so close,” Booth told her.

“Then maybe we shouldn’t.”

Booth stopped and stared at her. He could have sworn that she was the one who had seduced him into agreeing to make love to her even though she was still broken and that Parker and her dad were both under the same roof as they were. “Did I miss something?”

“I wouldn’t want you to be distracted,” Brennan told him with a smile as she started to pull her camisole up slowly, being mindful of her braced arm.

Booth couldn’t help, but break out into a smile and forgot immediately what he’d been worrying about. He let his jeans drop to the floor and was pulling off his t-shirt when he heard arguing. Immediately, he reached down and pulled his jeans back up. He saw that she’d heard the arguing as well and that she’d stopped her disrobing. Of course, whoever was disturbing their evening couldn’t have better timing. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

“It sounds like my father,” Brennan told him and started to ease herself out of bed.

“Please,” Booth said as he looked directly at her. He gently helped her get her casted leg back up onto the bed. “I’ll take care of it, okay?” he told her as he turned around and retrieved his weapon from where he’d stowed it in the top dresser drawer.

“Okay,” Brennan whispered.

*~*~*

Outside of Booth’s Residence

“I don’t care what you came here to say!” Max yelled. He’d taken the argument outside in hopes that he wouldn’t disturb his daughter, Booth, or Parker. “You tried to kill my daughter!”

“You make it sound like I did it on purpose!” Jared argued. “I like your daughter, really I do…but sometimes she can really be a pain in the ass.”

Max charged Jared and pushed him against his shiny new parked vehicle on the curb. He had him by the throat, not caring at the moment if he killed Booth’s brother. “You’re lucky that you’re still breathing… I’ve killed men for not even touching Temperance before, just think what I’m thinking about doing to you!”

“Max!” Booth yelled as he hurried down the steps and towards where Brennan’s father had his brother by the throat. “C’mon! Let him go!” Booth said and tried to pry Max from Jared when he got to them.

Reluctantly, Max released Booth’s brother and sighed. “It’s not my fault, he’s the one who came here,” Max told Booth.

“I came here…to…to,” Jared stuttered trying to get the words out. He still couldn’t believe he was doing this. “I came here to apologize,” he finally got out.

“You’re…apologizing?” Booth asked skeptical. The sound of sirens and then the approaching red and blue lights caught Booth’s attention and his cursed under his breath. “Crap.” He looked to Max, “You guys got the neighbors to call it in.”

“Just tell them that you’re F.B.I.,” Max said. “And then explain that your brother is an idiot and that we’re sorry to call them out.”

“Just like that, huh?” Booth asked.

Max shrugged, “Sounds good to me.”

Booth watched as the police cars came to a stop in front of his house and the sirens turned off. There were two cars; he had a feeling that they already knew that he was F.B.I., and that that was why they’d sent two cars. They obviously knew that he had a weapon. Of course, it had been holstered since he’d realized that it was just Jared and Max, but that didn’t mean that any of this was going to be any easier.

“What seems to be the problem?” one of the officers asked as the group of officers approached with their hands on their holsters, ready to draw if needed.

“It’s a misunderstanding,” Max said first.

“And who are you, Sir?”

Max laughed, “How formal…” He turned to Booth, “He called me Sir.” He turned back to the police officers. “I’m Max Keenan.”

“Lieutenant Commander Jared Booth, United States Navy,” Jared spoke up and held up a hand.

“Special Agent Seeley Booth, F.B.I.,” Booth informed them. “Max is right, it was just a misunderstanding. Jared’s visiting and I forgot to tell Max…so he thought Jared was an intruder.”

“And what is your business here, Mr. Keenan?” the police officer asked.

“My daughter’s Doctor Temperance Brennan, the famous forensic anthropologist and novelist,” Max told them proudly. “She’s got a broken leg and arm…and Agent Booth has been kind enough to watch over her. I just came in town for Thanksgiving and Agent Booth was kind enough to let me stay on his couch while I’m visiting.”

“And you, Commander Booth?” the police asked.

“Apologizing,” Jared informed them. “I took time off to spend the holiday season with my brother and my nephew because my nephew’s mother passed away a few months ago. I messed up and realized that I was being selfish and I just came to apologize and tell my brother that. I really am sorry we scared the neighbors and you guys got called out here for just a misunderstanding.”

“You’re sure?” the lead officer asked scanning the three of them.

“We’re sure,” Booth responded.

“Try to keep it down, okay?”

“Sure.”

*~*~*

Booth’s Bedroom

“What happened?” Brennan asked immediately when Booth re-entered his room. It had taken him much longer to return than she had thought.

“Jared showed up,” Booth told her and pulled out the suitcase that had been brought over with Brennan’s things. He opened it and started to unpack the drawers he’d cleaned out for her. “I’m going to have you and your dad stay at your apartment until Jared’s gone.”

“What happened?”

Booth stopped and turned to look at her. “He apologized.”

“So? What? That means you’re kicking me out?” Brennan asked confused.

“No,” Booth said and sat on the edge of the bed. “But I don’t have space for you and your dad and Jared…” Booth moved his hand and caressed her cheek, “I’m doing this, so that I know you’ll be safe… I still don’t know if I can trust Jared…”

Brennan smiled a bit and leaned forward, their lips met and Brennan deepened the kiss. “I’m going to miss this…and my sleeping partner,” she teased lightly.

“Believe me,” Booth said, not moving far from her lips. She stared into his eyes. “As soon as Jared is gone, you’re coming right back.”

“We’ll see,” she mumbled and her eyes twinkled. She leaned in again and let her lips capture his.

Booth was starting to rethink sending Brennan to her apartment with her father. He found his hands slipping under her camisole and finding her warm skin. It felt so soft, and Booth couldn’t help himself as his hands slip up farther and ran up and down along her spine.

“Are we going to go or are you two going to make out?” Max asked as he entered the bedroom with any warning. Jared Booth was already annoying him and he’d promised not to kill him.

“Dad!” Brennan yelled and couldn’t stop Booth before he went falling off of the bed. “You should have knocked!” she scolded. Turning her attention back to Booth, she noticed he was on his back on the floor. “Are you okay?” Brennan asked concerned. She tried not to move too much because she didn’t think that it would be helpful if she fell off the bed as well and fell on top of him.

Max stared down at Booth, “Well, you’re right, Honey… Booth definitely doesn’t have any problems in that area.” He smiled at Booth and then his daughter, “Don’t take too long now, you two…” Max said before leaving the bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

*~*~*

TBC…