I love this song and it's just perfect for a Parker/Booth thing. It's called Watchin' You by Rodney Atkins.
He is simply insufferable. He's childish and arrogant. I was right not to marry him.
Rebecca threw her phone back into her purse and gripped the steering wheel tighter. She consciously took her foot off the pedal for a second, knowing she tended to speed when she was aggravated.
"Mommy, are you mad at Daddy again?" Parker didn't look up from his coloring book in the backseat.
"What? No sweetie, I just…um nevermind."
Just because I have a dentist appointment I forgot about and couldn't get a babysitter and your father wants to give me a hard time about dropping you off at his place for a while. I just…No, Rebecca, don't do this.
She glanced back at her son in the backseat. Parker had a thoughtful look on his face as he tried to decide between a green or purple crayon. He looked so much like his father sometimes, it was one of the hardest and most endearing things about him.
"Oh. Oh, Mommy turn up the radio, this is me and Daddy's song." Parker began to bounce excitedly in the backseat so Rebecca turned the knob on the radio, she didn't recognize the song right away.
Drivin' through town just my boy and me
With a "Happy Meal" in his booster seat
Knowin' that he couldn't have the toy 'til his nuggets were gone.
Of course, the Nuggets song
Parker grinned at his mother who was looking at him in the rearview mirror. He and his Dad would sing this all the time on the way home from his Daddy's house. He liked this song.
A green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath.
His fries went a flyin', and his orange drink covered his lap
Maybe it wasn't fair of me to expect Seeley to just drop everything in his life to be my spur of the moment babysitter. I don't know that I would have done it for him.
Well, then my 4 year old said a 4 letter word
It started with "S" and I was concerned
So I said, "Son, now where'd you learn to talk like that?"
Rebecca smiled at the lyrics and shook her head. Yes, Parker certainly learned a lot of bad habits from his father, calling that poor woman 'Bones' for instance.
Parker began to bob his head from side to side as he sung the chorus out of tune and with his lisp.
I've been watching you, dad ain't that cool?
I'm your buckaroo, I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah, we're just alike, hey, ain't we dad
I want to do everything you do.
So I've been watching you.
Having just arrived at a traffic light, Rebecca stared at the radio in amazement. How was it that it was perfectly describing her son? He wasn't like other four year olds. An uncanny sense of right and wrong, extremely smart and observant, all qualities identical to his father. He didn't even complain about eating vegetables, for that very reason. He wanted to "grow up to be big and strong just like Daddy".
We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said, "Lord, please help me help my stupid self."
I really am too hard on him. He wants nothing more than to be a good father to Parker.
Just this side of bedtime later that night
Turnin' on my son's Scooby-doo nightlight.
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees.
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
Spoke to God like he was talkin' to a friend.
And I said, "Son, now where'd you learn to pray like that?"
She knew how religious Seeley was, and though she'd never admit it to him, she was glad. She'd never been a particularly religious person herself, but she could see in Parker that what Booth did meant something to him. Parker was better off because of it.
He said, I've been watching you, dad ain't that cool?
I'm your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We like fixin' things and holding momma's hand
Rebecca smiled. Ever since the first time Seeley had allowed Parker to help him in working on one of his cars she'd had to keep the toolbox out of reach. Booth dropped him off and Parker burst into the house to find his mom fiddling with the vacuum cleaner which had a clog. Then she'd gotten a call from a friend from high school. No sooner had she hung up the phone and turned around and she found Parker, tools spread out around him, her vacuum cleaner in pieces.
"I'm gonna fix it for you mommy! Daddy showed me how."
She could've rung Booth's neck for that one.
Yeah, we're just alike, hey, ain't we dad.
I want to do everything you do; so I've been watching you
She sighed. But his intentions were good. Seeley very easily could've left all of this to me, just walked away after I refused to marry him. He didn't.
Yeah, we're just alike, hey, ain't we dad.
I want to do everything you do; so I've been watching you
I've been watching you, dad ain't that cool?
I'm your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
Sure, he's made mistakes, my life hasn't exactly been a perfect one.
She looked again at Parker in the backseat, he was gathering his things, getting ready to get out of the car.
But in spite of everything Seeley is and was, I can't think of many people whom I'd rather have be Parker's role model.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
By then I'll be strong as superman
We'll be just alike, hey, won't we dad
When I can do everything you do.
She stopped in front of Booth's building, got out of the car and walked to the other side to get Parker out. Booth saw them pull up and went to meet them outside.
"Hi Rebecca." Was all he said before Parker launched himself at his father, causing a huge grin to break out on both their faces.
She nodded, Parker was already talking a mile a minute about Monkeys at the zoo and the Nugget song.
'cause I've been watchin' you.
Before he turned away she mouthed, 'thank you'. And climbed back into her car. She wasn't sure if he understood what she meant or not, but drove off fast anyway. Being around him still hurt. And she guessed that was why she was still so mean to him sometimes. She was angry at herself for giving up on what could have been, and the only appealing way she found to deal with that anger was to project it back onto the source. Specifically, Seeley Booth.
She sighed once more and looked in her rearview mirror at Booth's building receding behind her.
"He's watching you Seeley," She muttered to the empty space, "and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Just a little Rebecca introspective. I love the Booth/Parker dynamic so I tend to use it quite a lot. Hope you enjoyed it!