Special Agent Parker Returns
A/N: Thank you to all that read and enjoyed the original Special Agent Parker story (and apologies for taking so long to post this one...have been the slightest bit scattered as of late, but promise will do much better job with this one! This is the next in the series...with S.A. Parker on new case. Hope that enjoy! -Ana
>The door behind her closes with a soft click, and the woman gives a quiet sight of relief. The last of the well-intentioned visitors is gone and finally….finally she has the very elegant, but very small room to herself. She starts to pace the room, hands at her waist , eyes on the deep red carpet in front of her. Finding that this does nothing to settle her nerves, she gives up, settling herself on a velvet covered bench—only to find her own reflection staring back at her from the mirror on the opposite wall. She raises her hand to one flushed cheek, then runs the same hand over the fitted bodice of her dress. It is as if she is testing the veracity of the reflection, needing proof that the woman staring back at her is—her.
Brennan shakes her head in wonder, still unable to believe how she came to this point. One moment, she was a woman crying over a paper crown. The next, she was wearing Booth's ring. And now…now, she's wearing a blue dress on her wedding day…just as a tiny but determined Tempe had once declared at the family dinner table. It is a beautiful, unadorned, pale blue silk—and untraditional though it may be, it is hers…her dress. On all other matters, she had gratefully submitted to the force of nature that she used to know as Angela, but this—this was the one thing she'd refused to give up. Well almost…'obey' had been banished from the vows...there would be no veil…and she had selected her own blue dress.
But now…now that the moment was here…would that be enough? She looks down at the photograph she's been clinging to all morning…a picture of the two of them side-by-side, Parker between them with one arm resting on each of their shoulders. She couldn't help but wonder as she had all morning…..would she be enough for them?
She's still staring at the picture, the images blurred by tears…and is still asking that question…when a soft knock sounds at the door. She barely has time to wipe at her eyes, to remove the doubt from her face, before the door begins to open. She turns and finds herself staring into wide brown eyes…
"Parker…."
He pushes the door a little further, but doesn't cross the threshold into the room.
"Can I come in, Dr. Bones?"
"Of course...in fact, I was just thinking about you."
"Really?" The little boy moves into the room, carefully shutting the door behind him before slowly walking closer to her, a look of wonder on his face.
"Wow….you look like…you look really pretty, Dr. Bones."
Putting her doubts aside, she smiles, taking in the sight of the little boy in his tiny tuxedo, his curls already winning the battle against someone's misguided efforts to tame them.
"And so do you, Parker…" She pauses, noticing the questioning look on his face "Um, not pretty…I mean, you look very handsome and grown-up"
Hearing her words, his concern at being called 'pretty' vanishes. Little hands reach up to touch his bow tie as he puffs out his chest.
"That's cause I'm the bestest man. I get to hold your ring and give it to Daddy so he can give it you."
"Hmmm…well, that it is a very important task, Parker. I feel much better now, knowing that my ring is in safe hands with you."
"Yeah…I promised I wouldn't drop it or anything. …..Uncle Jared, he's really the big best man, but he said his job was to keep Daddy from fallin' on his face. I'm not big enough for that yet…"
The sight of his downcast expression doesn't sit well with her, and she quickly tries to reassure him.
"Those are both very important….."
"Mmm-hmmm. That's why Daddy said I could be the little best man" Remembering his father's words, the little boy's mind is quickly back at ease and is already moving onto to other concerns. Feeling a little more comfortable in the unfamiliar surroundings, he begins to explore the room. He seems intent on examining the bottle of perfume left behind by Angela—her 'something borrowed'—when he suddenly stops and turns to face her again.
"Dr. Bones….can I ask you somethin'?"
Past experience has taught her to expect the unexpected when he asks that question, but despite her wariness, she finds that she can't deny him.
"Sure, Parker…"
"Daddy says that after today you are gonna be Dr. Booth."
"He did? Well…he's partially correct. My new name is going to be Dr. Temperance Brennan-Booth."
"Oh….okay." He turns away, focused again on the little crystal bottle, turning it in circles on the small table.
Concerned at his somber tone, she stands and moves over to him. Kneeling down, she gently turns him to face her.
"What's wrong, Parker?"
As he looks over her shoulder, unwilling to meet her eyes, she feels the self-doubt return. She really isn't ready for….
"Weeellll…it's just that….that's a really…really long name. What if I don't 'member all of it?"
He looks down, hoping that she doesn't see how bad he feels about not wanting to call her that big name.
Briefly, she closes her eyes in relief. This…this she can handle. Lifting his chin with her finger, she stares into his worried eyes.
"Can I tell you a secret? I kinda think that's a long name too….so…what should we do about this?"
She pauses, making a show of pondering the dilemma. He leans closer to her, as if willing her to find a solution.
"I know….what if you called me…Bones? That way, both of my Booth boys can call me…"
His face brightens at her words, a smile growing across his face. "Your Booth boys?...That's me and Daddy right?"
"That's right…"
He thinks about it for a moment, then nods his head with resolve "'Kay…itsa deal….Bones."
Watching him test the sound of the 'new' name, she smiles, enjoying the sensation of having the right answer. Maybe she wasn't so bad at…
A little hand comes to rest on her shoulder, breaking her reverie.
"I almost forgot. I got a surprise for you, Bones! Even Daddy doesn't know what it is!"
Before she can stop him, he runs to open the door. Hand on the knob, he turns backs to her.
"Be right back, 'kay?"
She stands to watch him as he steps out of the doorway and reaches down to pick up something from the floor just beyond her sight. She finds herself caught up in his excitement, curious to see what he what he…
"I found 'em just for you!"
He re-enters the room, proudly holding a small bunch of flowers, all of them with roots and clumps of dirt still intact.
She is smiling inwardly, thinking that the landscaper is going to find an odd bare batch in the church gardens the next morning, when she notices that he his arm has fallen, the flowers dangling from his small hand. He's looking past her, at the bouquet of roses resting on the table in the corner.
"Oh…you already got some flowers. Those are a lot prettier than mine…they don't even have any dirt on 'em."
Walking over to him, she gently takes the slightly wilted flowers from his hand, bringing them to face, inhaling their scent.
"Yes, those are pretty…but you know something? Those flowers…those you can get anywhere in the world. But these…these flowers are better than pretty…they're beautiful."
"Really?"
"Yes….really. Because they…."
She starts to tell him they are beautiful because they came from him, but she is interrupted by the sound of his name being called from the hallway.
His eyes grow wide as the voice moves closer, calling his name a second time. Suddenly, she has a sneaking suspicion that Special Agent Parker has been up to his old antics…
"Oops, that's Gramma…. gotta go."
He's almost to the door, when he runs back to her, wrapping his little arms around her legs.
"I love you, Dr. Bo…..Bones"
At those words, she feels every bit of tension, every moment of doubt leave her, all of it replaced by something much stronger. Resting her hand along the curve of his head, she can only whisper in return.
"I love you too…."
And in a flash, he's gone from the room. She shakes her head, hand over her mouth to prevent her laughter from reaching the hallway where Parker is apologizing to his grandmother for not listening to her " 'cause he had 'mportant business".
Her merriment disappears as the strains of organ music begin to reach the room. She knows that sound means that it is almost time…
With a look of resolve on her face, she picks up the bouquet of roses…and without a moment's hesitation removes the ribbon binding the very expensive, specially selected, hot-house roses...completely unconcerned as they scatter on the floor in front of her.
Then…with great care, she places the very special, unique, hand-delivered flowers on the table. Gently, she removes the roots and brushes away the dirt, before using the ribbon to tie them together with the same careful precision that she used every day in the lab.
Taking her new bouquet in her hand, she knows that there are people sitting out in those pews that will never understand its significance, but she does. Flowers…love…family…they didn't have to be storybook perfection to be…to be right.