This takes place right at the end of Mother and Child in the Bay, from a different perspective. You'll see who in a moment.
Okay, I made a mistake. I haven't finished all the episodes yet, and I had assumed Booth and Rebecca were married. Thanks for pointing it out, but let's just say I took some creative license here. :P
Parker sat there in the booth, opposite Dr. Brennan, his blonde curls falling into his face as he eagerly pointed to his zoo shadowbox. His hair was in a desperate need for a trim, but I couldn't bring myself to take scissors to those beautiful locks. Beside me, Drew slipped his hand in mine as my ex-husband approached us with a surly look in his dark eyes.
He glared at Drew for a moment, though I knew deep down that Seeley harbored no romantic inclination toward me. Seeley had a guard-dog ingrained loyalty in him, a tendency to do anything for the ones he loved. He had loved me at one point, and so I suspect he had never really relinquished his hold. If you worked your way past Special Agent Seeley Booth's defenses, he would be your friend until the end. No small matter such as a divorce could sever that.
Refusing to give him an inch, however, I argued with him until he could be civil. Finally, reluctantly, he offered to buy us coffee. He turned on his heel and squeezed in beside Parker, lifting his boy on his lap and resting his chin among the mass of curls on Parker's head.
I watched him with our son for a moment. Seeley had been a wonderful father; I hadn't thought he had it in him. I know it killed him to be apart from Parker for the lengths of time he was, but we had both agreed that Seeley's line of work was unstable. He would never compromise Parker's safety, and thus, Seeley saw his son only sporadically.
Drew and I approached the table, and Dr. Brennan quickly stood. At this, a look of alarm flashed through Seeley's eyes. He lightly pulled Parker off his lap and quietly, but quite determinedly, stood up and grabbed Dr. Brennan's arm. She stopped, and told him that this was a family affair and that she would be in the way.
But that was hardly unusual. No, what boggled my mind was the thing Seeley did next. He took her hand and gave her an anxious look that appeared completely out of place on his normally smiling face.
"Stay," he said softly, so very softly I hardly heard him over the din of the restaurant. The look in his eyes was unforgettable. Seeley Booth had fallen head over heels for this woman. "Stay," he repeated again, in that same, quiet voice.
Dr. Brennan looked into my ex-husband's eyes with a solemn look of her own, and she nodded once. A burst of air rushed out of my Seeley's chest as he slid back next to Parker. Dr. Brennan stood a little uncomfortably by the side of the table, until Seeley grabbed her hand and pulled her next to him too.
Their side of the booth was little crowded, but neither Parker nor Seeley seemed to mind. They chattered happily, and I relaxed a little. I dropped my napkin a second later and bent my head down under the table to search for it. The sight that met my eyes caused me to pause for a moment.
There were Parker's size two shoes, bumping restlessly against the booth, his heels not reaching the floor, and there was Seeley's big frame, squeezed in between Parker and Dr. Brennan. But that wasn't that caught my eye.
No, Booth's hand was clutching Dr. Brennan's, his thumb stroking a slow pattern across the back of her hand. I raised my head and hid a smile as I turned back to the eclectic mix of people at the table.
"Stay," he had said.
He probably should have whispered "I need you."
But I think Dr. Brennan got the picture. She seemed like a smart enough woman.