Next in the Inspired Series (for more on that, go to my bio). This time it's Rodney Atkins "Cleaning this Gun (Come on in Boy)." Because we all know how incredibly overprotective Booth would be of his daughter on her first date.
(shameless plug) I'll be updating Boy on the Playground and A Day with Parker soon, so check those out if you haven't gotten to yet. (/shameless plug)
Seeley Booth whistled a jovial tune as he anticipated his upcoming task. He knew what he would have to do was not going to be well received by a certain fiery tempered lady, but it had to be done. His mind replayed the words he remembered well from his own high school days – ironic since he could remember little else. When the doorbell rang he heard his wife's voice float down from upstairs.
"Seeley, could you get that?" He grinned and yelled that he would; she knew he was answering the door one way or another but needed to exert some measure of control as always. He took a deep breath and swung the door open to reveal a boy, not a day over sixteen, standing on his threshold looking half-scared and half-elated. He held a single flower, not a rose Seeley noted with approval, and he barely stammered as looked Seeley square in the eye.
"Good evening, sir," he started. "I'm Jason, here for Christie." Seeley bit back a laugh as Jason almost offered him the flower but thought twice about it. Instead, he plastered a polite smile on his face and ushered the boy into his house recalling what his girlfriends' fathers had said to him.
"Come on in, Jason. Christie's upstairs with her mother but you can have a seat." He gestured to the couch and noticed with some satisfaction that Jason was eyeing the holster hanging on the back of a chair with some trepidation. Seeley took a seat opposite the fidgeting boy and cleared his throat.
"So, Jason," he started, "Christie's told us a little bit about you. She says you're on the football and lacrosse teams?"
"Yes sir," he replied, surprised and comfortable with the topic. "I hope to make the varsity teams next year."
"That's good," Seeley smiled. The boy had confidence, and that was fine; Christie didn't need a clingy, dependant boy. "What are your favorite subjects?"
"Well, I like health class," he said, but realized just how that might sound to his potential girlfriend's father. "I…I mean it's interesting, how the body works." Seeley covered his snort of laughter with a cough and nodded at the boy's now-obvious nervousness. "I like math, too, and chemistry." Seeley nodded his approval again, happy in the knowledge that he didn't seem to want to use Christie for her brains.
"That's Christie's favorite subject as well," Seeley said, turning the topic to the one he wanted to discuss. "She's very special to her mom and me – my only daughter." His eyes bore into the boy's to drive his point home. "As a lady she deserves the utmost respect at all times, and she'll get it, you get me son?" Jason nodded his head vigorously, his eyes darting over to the holster again.
"Dad!" Christie bounded down the stairs in jeans and a form-fitting sweater. Jason leapt from the couch and smiled in relief. "Sorry Jay," she returned his smile. "Dad can be a little overprotective sometimes."
"A little?" another voice cut in, and Seeley ducked his head a little at his wife's reproachful smile.
"Can you blame me?" he said, gesturing to his beautiful daughter. She had her father's brown hair and smile, but her bright blue eyes were all her mother.
"You look very nice Christie," Jason said, offering her the daisy. Christie smiled and fingered the flower.
"Aw, thanks Jay. Come on, let's get going." Seeley walked them to the door, joined shortly by Temperance.
"You two have fun," she said.
"Not too much," Seeley interjected, ignoring the jab his wife gave him. "Oh, and be back at nine-thirty. Don't worry about waking me; I'll probably be up all night cleaning my gun. Buckle up and drive safe." He waved as Jason and Christie walked to his car. Seeley let out a breath of relief as the boy opened his daughter's door and shut it for her before moving around to his side.
"Was that necessary?" Temperance elbowed him again as she shut the door.
"Probably not," he agreed. "Would it be too overprotective of me if I followed them?"
"Yes," she laughed.
"Okay," he trailed off. "What about if I called Middleton?"
"Seeley, you are not tagging one of your agents to follow your daughter on her first date. They'll be fine, don't worry." He stared at her as if she'd grown another head before turning to look out the front window.
"Tempe, our only daughter is at this very moment out, alone, with a boy on her very first date. How can I not worry?" She smiled as she moved over next to him and stepped in front of him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Seeley, she'll be sixteen next month, she's a black belt, and has you for a father. She is more than capable of taking care of herself and making the right decisions. Besides, he seems like a nice boy. A little alpha male, but –" He leaned down and cut off her impending statement with a kiss.
"Eww!" a voice cried from the stairs, and Seeley grinned against her mouth as they deepened the kiss. "Get a room!"
"You need to get ready for bed Alex," Tempe said as she pulled away from her husband. The twelve year old was still grimacing at his parents' overly affectionate display as he turned and trudged up the stairs. She left the warmth of his arms and followed her son up the stairs, pausing only momentarily to watch Seeley return to staring out the window. Knowing he would be there for a while thinking, she got their son ready for bed and settled in his room though he would be up for another few hours watching television.
When she came back down the stairs, Seeley had moved from his window-side vigil to sitting on the couch in a contemplative silence. She sat next to him and leaned against him, offering him the comfort she knew he wouldn't seek.
"She'll be fine," she heard him whisper, more to himself than her. "But just in case…" he leaned forward and reached for his gun before grabbing his cleaning materials from under the table. Temperance shook her head and stood up, leaving him to his fatherly duties.
Okay I love this song and nearly spit out my coke when I heard the first time. It was just so Booth I had to write this. Let me know what you think. Have a safe holiday season.