Spoilers: Parker is the cutest kid on earth, and we don't see enough of him on Bones. Well, one of the cutest, anyway...
Disclaimer: I have money! Finally! Not much, but still. Some. Which is more than I had.
Author's Note: I'm currently having an attack of the non-plot bunnies. They're breeding like rabbits, too. Just not the good kind. I think they're actually dust-bunnies in disguise. Perfectly useless. So here's this. I love Parker, and Angela is just so fun!!
Parker ran across the lab and landed happily in Angela's arms. "Angela!" he squealed excitedly. He liked Angela. She always told him things that other people didn't. And she showed him her artwork, and played with him. Sometimes she even played 'Spies' with him. They'd sneak around the lab, ducking low (for cover) and spy on all the other Squints. Angela was the fun one.
"Hey, Sweetie!" she squealed back, shooting a smile up at Booth, who was approaching them, hands in pockets. Angela stood up, taking Parker with her, holding him on her hip. "Hey Booth."
Booth smiled in response, and looked at Parker. "What did I tell you about annoying Daddy's Squints, Buddy? They're very busy people." Parker looked guiltily at Angela, who was still holding him.
He whispered something in her ear, and she laughed energetically. She whispered something back, and they both laughed, then looked at Booth, as if suddenly remembering he was there. Booth gave Parker a warning look, and Angela chimed in. "It's okay, Booth, I have no work to do. And besides, Parker and I have some very pressing things to attend to, don't we kiddo?" Parker nodded vigorously, eyes wide with excitement.
Booth cast one last glance at them, double checking, and then left to find Brennan. Angela and Parker smiled conspiratorially at one another then walked in the opposite direction to Booth.
Booth found Brennan at her desk, shifting between the computer and some files, absorbed in her work completely. She hardly noticed Booth enter her office, but held up a hand in a half-hearted wave, her eyes never leaving the page she was reading.
Booth took a seat on her couch, waiting for her to finish. His business wasn't urgent. He made himself comfortable; judging by her expression, he could be there a while. He occupied himself by looking at things around her office. All the things he'd seen before, but never really bothered to look at. There wasn't much. He imagined it pictured in a women's magazine with a title reading 'Spartan-Chic, the New Modern'.
Along this tangent he continued, basically writing the entire article in his head; Women in the workplace today don't need any extra things to think about. From dodging sexual harassment, to how much to pay the babysitter...The Spartan look is good for not looking overtly feminine, but left alone, it can look uninviting, and cold, making people avoid it...So add a plant, perhaps a framed artwork- Booth glanced again around Brennan's office - or a skull, to liven the place up a little.
At this, Booth laughed under his breath, making sure not to disturb Brennan. His chivalry was for naught, however, as just at that moment, Brennan finished what she was doing. "Hey, Booth. What are you doing here? Isn't today your day off? I thought you had Parker today..." The confusion was evident in her expression.
Booth chuckled, motioning to what he was wearing. "It is my day off. And I do have Parker. There's one thing I don't have, though." Brennan looked at him, thinking.
"What, did you leave something here? I think there may be a stack of files somewhere here that could belong to you." She dug around in the mess that was her desk. She stopped when Booth laughed again. "What? Are you laughing at me?"
"Yes, Bones, I'm laughing at you," Booth said, acting exasperated, heaving a huge sigh. Brennan was still confused.
"What do you need then? I mean, if it's here..." The crease in her brow deepened. Booth stared directly at her, smirking slightly. God, she's cute...
"I'm looking at it," he stated simply. Brennan sat for a second, silent. Then realization hit her.
"Oh!" she almost exclaimed. "You mean me!" He wasn't sure if it was a question or a break-through.
"Yes, Bones, I mean you." He looked at her pleadingly. "Will you come with me?" Brennan looked at him for a second.
"Booth," she breathed. "I can't. I'm sorry, it's just, I have a lot of work to do, as you saw when you came in." She motioned to the massive manila-coloured-pile on her desk. At that moment, Parker leapt into the room, Angela in tow, grinning. Brennan instantly smiled at the sight of Parker. "Doctor Bones!" He ran to her, hugging her. Brennan gasped slightly, but hugged him back.
"Hi, Parker. How are you?" She didn't seem to grasp the fact that six-year-olds don't actually care about the formalities of small-talk.
He answered boredly, "I'm good." He shrugged, climbed into her lap, and started playing with her necklace. Booth walked over to the two of them, resting a haunch on Brennan's desk, leaning in, so he was about a foot away from her.
"So. What do you say? Will you come?" His eyes sparkled with his Charm Smile. He was laying it on thick. Parker stopped playing with the necklace and looked up between Booth and Brennan, stopping with his eyes locked on Brennan.
"Please?" He drew out the word as long as he could, jumping slightly in her lap. "Daddy wants you to come, and so do I!" Brennan drew a deep breath, and flicked her eyes to Booth; he was still wearing his grin, than back to Parker, who was wearing one strikingly similar. Only with fewer teeth.
She laughed quietly. "Okay, I'll come," she said, sighing melodramatically. "I am outnumbered, after all." Booth and Parker beamed, sounding a cry of triumph. Booth leaned forward and grabbed Parker and Brennan, hugging them tightly, still grinning victoriously.
Angela stood in the doorway, watching all this unfold, barely able to contain her excitement. The only thing that stopped her was knowing that if she made a noise, Booth and Brennan would be pulled back into their all-too-frustrating reality; she didn't want that to happen. Ever.
If she was surprised when Brennan said yes, she was dumbfounded when Booth hugged her and Parker. She watched them like this, smiling, but feeling as if she were interrupting a private moment. A family moment, she thought wistfully.
Because Booth's shoulder was in the way, Angela missed the shocked grin that was plastered across Brennan's face. One thing didn't go unmissed by Angela, though, and that was that Booth stayed like that for a little longer than necessary.
It looked like Booth would have stayed like that all day, except Angela heard a muffled, "Daddy, you're squishing me!" coming from between him and Brennan. Angela laughed out loud this time, but she needn't have worried. Booth and Brennan were currently too busy staring at each other to notice her laugh.
Booth broke eye contact and looked down at Parker guiltily. He couldn't stop the laugh that escaped his lips though, when Parker had said it. "Sorry, Buddy. Doctor Bones just made me happy, is all." He ruffled his son's hair lovingly.
"It's okay, Daddy. Because you're stupposed to hug the people you love, and you love Doctor Bones, don't you?" He looked curiously between Booth and Brennan, watching their reactions, waiting for a reply. Neither spoke; neither would make eye contact with him or each other. They both stared in different directions, bright red, eyes wide.
"Daddy? Doctor Bones?" Parker said worriedly after about five minutes of their dangerous silence. Brennan finally found something neutral to say.
"You know, Parker," she finally looked at Parker, and Booth's eyes snapped to her. She's gonna say it! "You can call me Temperance, if you like. Or Tempe," she amended. Booth let out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. Parker shook his head, frowning.
"No, thank you. I like 'Doctor Bones'. Because if I called you Tempe, then it wouldn't be polite. Daddy says to always use Mrs. or Mr. or Doctor, or Ms!" he said carefully, making sure to get it right in front of his dad. Booth smiled a little, ruffling Parker's hair again.
Well trained kid, Angela thought wryly. Her attention was instantly grabbed again, though, by Booth's voice. "So. We going?" he asked, staring directly into Brennan's eyes, praying that she would understand the double-meaning. By the panic in her eyes, he figured yes.
Angela looked nervously between Booth and Brennan. This question meant so much more than 'are we going'. If Brennan said no after Parker's question, something would be terribly wrong. Something would have shifted. And not in a good way; in a tectonically shifting earth-quake-killing-millions-of-people way. But if she says yes...
Booth looked at her hopefully as time seemed to slow down. He needed her to answer this, though he wouldn't put it past her to simply leave without giving any answer at all. He also didn't think he could handle it if she said no. Which she will. Stupid, Seel-
"Yeah."
Booth's cleared his throat. "Yeah? You will?" Booth asked, trying very hard not to jump up and down. Parker remained sitting between them, staring up at them hopelessly. Brennan gave Booth a small smile.
"Yes, Booth. I'm coming."
"Do...do you need a minute to get things sorted?" Booth was having a hard time speaking he was so happy and so scared. Angela looked at Brennan hopefully as she caught the double meaning in Booth's question. Her worry was short-lived, though, as Brennan answered almost immediately.
"No. Everything's...everything set," she breathed. They stared at each other for another immeasurable amount of time. Bones just...Bones...she...God, I want to kiss her! Booth's mind stuttered. Parker finally grew restless and hopped off Brennan's lap.
"Daddy, can we go now? I'm hungry!" he whined. Booth looked at Parker, suddenly remembering that he had a reason to try and contain himself from doing what he wanted to do.
"Yeah, Parker, we can go now. Doctor Bones is ready...She's ready," he repeated mostly for his own benefit. Parker grabbed Booth and Brennan's hands and stood between them, dragging them to the door. Booth grabbed Brennan's jacket on the way out, simultaneously swinging Parker up so he was carrying him. He smiled at Angela when he saw her down the hallway. She didn't think she'd ever seen him smile so...happily.
As Booth passed Angela, Parker wriggled for his father to put him down. "I have to say bye to Angela, Daddy. Wait for me downstairs!" Booth sighed, then smiled and nodded. He was perfectly safe in the lab, with or without his dad there.
"Don't be too long!" he called as he and Brennan descended the stairs. Parker didn't even acknowledge him.
He ran up to Angela and winked, earning a high-five from her. They stood, beaming at each other mischievously. Parker stood straight and gave a six-year-old rendition of a salute. "Mission accomplished, Sergeant Montenegro!" he said, putting on a deep voice like a television soldier.
Angela grinned and saluted back, casting a glance at Booth and Brennan who were currently down in the lab staring at one another wordlessly, standing slightly too close for professional purposes.
"Mission accomplished, indeed."
So, what do you think? It's my first attempt at something...Different. Reviewing is good for your health. And my ego, but we won't go there. It is a very, very scary place.