Temperance sat, focused on the looming stack of reports that had occupied her attention and desk for the better part of the day. Her concentration was finally broken by the rapping of knuckles on her door. Hesitantly she lifted her eyes from the paper in front of her to see Booth enter the office, quickly crossing the room with confidence despite the fact she hadn't yet acknowledged his presence at the door, let alone granted him permission to enter.

"I have here some mail for one Doctor Temperance Brennan." He announced in what was, even for him, an overly showy manner.

Puzzlement playing across her features Brennan rose from her chair and circumnavigated her desk to stand with him.

"That's odd. Normally all of my professional correspondence reaches me through the Jeffersonian's official channels."

"Mmm, well this is much more exciting than some stuffy professor's request for a secondary opinion on some zillion year old case."

He could see in her face that she was deciding which part of his statement to correct first, he took advantage of her hesitation and pressed on.

"This is message is from a particularly special gentleman caller…"

With a smile he handed her the small white envelope he'd produced from his jacket pocket. She took it from his hand skeptically. Turning it over in her hands she noted the uneven scrawl forming the name "Tempe" across the back.

"You know Booth, your penmanship could really use some serious work."

He made a face at her.

"Just open it…" He said, amused exasperation creeping into his voice.

Taking his advice she tore back the top of the envelope and let her eyes fall across the colourful images adorning the cover of the small card. Booth backed away and let himself fall into her couch, watching her with an amused glint in his dark eyes.

She reread the card a few times and finally looked back up at him.

"What is this?"

Booth grinned. "Oh c'mon Bones… it's an invitation to Parker's birthday party."

She hesitated for a brief moment.

"…and it's for me?" There was a hint of some emotion Booth didn't quite understand buried in the question.

"That's what the envelope says…"

She bit her lip and let her gaze fall to the paper in her hand again. Birthday parties weren't necessarily an event that Temperance had a lot of experience with. Even when she had been a child it had been a rare occurrence for her to receive an invitation. Between her solitary nature and, later, the effects of moving from home to home in the foster care system she hadn't seemed to warrant most other children's consideration.

Booth felt the shift in mood, his smile faltered and he misinterpreted her silence.

"Bones," he broke the silence awkwardly. "It's just an invitation, not an order. I understand if you don't want to come…and I warned Parker that you're busy a lot, it's not going to hurt his feelings or anything….I-" He shifted in his seat, leaning closer to his partner.
"No Booth" she cut through his ramble before he could apologize. "It's just that …is this not the sort of event a child normally invites his peers to attend?"

"Actually, this is the sort of event that children invite the people they like to attend." He corrected her with a grin. "You know…their friends…the important people."

Brennan finally allowed a small smile to reach her face; she brought her eyes up to meet his.

"I qualify as one of these important people?"

Booth felt a little tug at his heart as he realized how much his son's gesture meant to her.

"Of course you do. He loves seeing you. Plus you work in a museum….with dinosaurs, you make some killer mac 'n cheese, you teach him karate…" His smile got bigger with each item he added to the list. " "You know, you're almost the coolest person he knows…" His smile now held a hint of a challenge.

Brennan raised an eyebrow. "Almost?" She couldn't help but match the playful tone of Booth's voice.

"Well, I'm still the one that arrests the bad guys."

It was her turn to make a face at him.

"There you go Bones, keep that maturity level steady and you can be important and his peer." The beginnings of a charm smile danced across his face as he brought the conversation back on track.

She sighed, regaining her serious composure. "Parker actually wants me there?"

"Yes." Booth replied emphatically.

A look of concentration pinched her features. It was true, she did have a lot to do in the immediate future; with her publisher's deadline creeping up on her, plus the current work load she had precious little time to spend on frivolities. On the other hand she recognized how fragile the feelings of a child could be, and had no intention of hurting Parker's. She looked once more from the card to Booth. Finally she replied. "Okay, I'll come." The smile intensified when Brennan let out a small laugh as she read the back of the invitation. Next to the neatly typed 'R.S.V.P.' Parker had scribbled "WitH DaDDy".

"Great Bones! I'll let him know." Booth moved swiftly to his feet and headed towards the door, charm smile firmly in place.

"Hey, Booth…" She called out to him as he reached the threshold. He turned in reply and saw a glint in her eyes. A wicked smile curved the corners of her lips. He raised his eyebrows in expectation.

"I was just wondering…" The playful challenge was back in her voice as she regarded him. "Will there be clowns?"

- - - - - - - - -

A.N.: Well there we have it, the first part of what I hope to be my first multi-chapter story... of course, that could depend on the reviews and response I get. So please, please, PLEASE take a couple seconds to leave your thoughts in a review or email. I really want to know how I'm doing. Also, while I do have an idea of where I'm taking this story I am always open to suggestions, so don't hesitate to give them!