A/N: Hey this is the second spin off from 'settling in'. In chapter 3, Rebecca made mention of Parker telling his class about his Step Mom in an essay titled 'My Family'. Well here's that essay, hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer- I own nothing.
Parker Booth stood behind the stage in his school auditorium. He had been asked by his school principle and teacher to read an essay he wrote, titled 'My Family'. Only two other students had been chosen to read their work, for family week at the school and Parker was extremely excited.
The young boy bounced on the balls of his feet, eagerly waiting for students and their families alike to be seated. Peeking out the curtain, Parker could clearly see his own family taking up the entire first row of the center section, he smiled. Despite his excitement he knew once he got out there, he would be nervous.
Since writing the essay only four months ago, he had read it and re-read it to ensure he wouldn't make any mistakes; however Parker Booth wasn't too fond of crowds and it was a huge crowd forming out there.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, if you could please take your seats."
The remaining people standing took their places. The hall had been decorated, with paper cut outs of figures holding hands, drawings from younger students, clay models from older students and a huge array of coloured hand print cut outs covering the walls.
"Good evening, I am Principle Hallows. Firstly I'd like to thank you all for coming along this evening. Here at Hoover elementary we put a great value on family and although we understand every family is different, we come together to love and cherish our children's education, to nurture their ability to thrive, in our fast changing world. Tonight you will see a variety of song, dance, plays, speeches and acts, all involving your children. So without further ado may I introduce our first act for tonight 'Child's Play' by year 2f."
The curtain rose and the stage lit up, the crowd clapping their own welcome.
"Booth..."
Agent Seeley Booth turned to his girlfriend who was tapping his shoulder. He smiled.
"When is Parker up, can I see the programme please?"
Booth knew his son wasn't up for a while, but handed the booklet over anyway. They had been told about tonight's event three weeks ago, Parker had made invitations and handed them out to the squint squad, his immediate family and his extended family, drawing quite a crowd. Booth smiled, his son was a lucky kid in the grand scheme of things, and there were a lot of people who cared about him.
The events rolled out as the programme displayed and Brennan took Booth's hand, when the final speech of the night was called.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our next young man to take our stage is Parker Booth..."
The front row applauded loudly, making Parker blush behind the curtain and the principle smile.
"He is our first place winner of the family week essay award and his assignment has been handpicked to be read at the international youth and family care benefit, in Washington later on in the year..."
Parker's family gasped, this being the first they had heard of his achievement.
"So please put your hands together, for this fine young man."
The crowd applauded as a blonde haired boy took center stage. He smiled and waved to his family, only his Mom had heard the speech before and she had promised not to talk, about it to anyone. He raised his eyes to the crowd, trying to swallow his nerves. He looked directly in front of him, where his Dad and Step Mom sat, smiling proudly. They could tell he was nervous and Brennan was making gestures he understood meant 'take deep breaths'. Inhaling, he looked up again and smiled.
"Hi, my name is Parker Samuel Booth. I am eleven years old. My teacher asked my class to write an essay about our family. I thought, well that should be easy enough right? You would think huh...? WRONG!"
The audience laughed at Parker's gestures, his hands now resting on his hips for a moment.
"First I gotta tell you that when I wrote this, things were..."
Parker looked up to the ceiling as if searching for the right word.
"...different"
He grinned cheekily at his family and the audience, making the crowd laugh again.
"I love my family heaps. I have a Mom and a Dad... I know nothing not normal about that. I also have a Step Dad... yeah still pretty normal, right...?"
He raised his eye brows to the crowd.
"Well... hold on, coz this is going to get... car-ray-zey..."
Parker used the stage, walking around it animatedly, captivating the audience with his words.
"I live with my Mom and my Step Dad Drew. Mom is a lawyer and she's real busy, but its ok, I know she loves me, that's why she embarrasses me all the time, when she kisses my cheek in front of my friends..."
Parker grimaced making a disgusted expression.
"Drew my Step Dad is a builder, he has two other kids like me, but they live with their Mom... most of the time..."
He rolled his eyes dramatically.
"I stay with my real Dad every second week, he's a FBI Agent and is also real busy catching bad guys, but he calls me every night to check I had a good day and to say goodnight. Dad doesn't have a girlfriend..."
Parker held up his index finger.
"...yet, but I know who I'd pick and I'm pretty sure dad would pick her too."
Booth blushed as people around him chuckled.
"I'd pick Doctor Temperance Brennan. Me and Dad call her Bones, she's Dad's work partner. She works at the Jeffersonian Institute as a Foren...sic An-thro-pologist in the Medico Legal Lab..."
Parker frowned and looked to Brennan.
"Bones you gotta get an easier job to say..."
The crowd laughed as Parker panted on stage dramatically, Tempe giggled and nodded at him.
"Anyway, Bones is awesome. She helps me study science and English and maths, she's an actual genius and she helps my Dad solve murders and... she identifies soldiers that have died in war and regular people too, just by looking at their bones... that's how she got her nick name Bones, sometimes but I wish she could be my real Step Mom."
Parker winked at his Step Mom affectionately, as she rested her head on his Dad's shoulder.
"Ok... I also have seven Grandparents... I know its a lot huh... but three aren't related to me, I have Grandma and Grandpa Stinson that's Mom's Mom and Dad, I have Grandma and Grandpa Booth that's Dad's Mom and Dad but I've never met them, I have Grandma and Grandpa Embler that's Drew's Mom and Dad and I have Grandpa Max that's Bone's Dad and not really my Grandpa but he..."
Booth smiled, when had Parker started calling Max, Grandpa.
"... he is kinda and he's also my science club teacher, he's really cool and teaches me loads of stuff that I'm not allowed to do at school... or at home or... well, anywhere except the lab."
Parker pretended to dust off his hands, in demonstration that he'd gotten that out of the way, again the crowd laughed, clearly becoming charmed by the blonde haired boy.
"I also have a Great Grandpa; Pop's, he's Dad's, Dad's Dad..."
Parker counted the amount dads he had to say with his fingers.
"...and looked after my Dad when he was little, Pop's makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the world, even Bones agrees and she doesn't like cheese. I don't see Pop's that much, but I've visited him a few times with Dad and Bones in the last few months... Pop's is super funny, and likes to play jokes on people at the nursing home, but I'm not allowed to talk about it coz it's a secret."
Parker smiled down at his family again, so happy they all came.
"Ok..."
He took a deep breath.
"I got six uncles- but only two are related to me, Uncle Jared is Dad's brother and Uncle Jake is Mom's brother, Uncle Russ is Bone's brother, so he's not my real Uncle and Uncle Jack and Uncle Sweets work at the lab and Uncle Zack used to work at the lab, but he had an accident..."
Parker grimaced letting the audience know he didn't like talking about it. Booth smiled thinking about the family his son had made for himself.
"My Aunties are all nuts, especially Auntie Angela. She's not related to me but she's Bone's other best friend besides my Dad. She's an artist and is really cool. Whenever I go to the lab, we make up plans to get Dad and Bones together. Auntie Ange is Uncle Jacks wife and they're gunna have a baby soon. Auntie Cam use to be Dad's girlfriend a long time ago, but they're still friends, Auntie Cam also works at the lab with Bones, and Uncle Jack and Auntie Ange...are... you still with me here?"
He looked up at the audience, who were all intrigued by the child's family tree.
"Aunt Amy is Uncle Russ's wife, you remember him right? Bone's brother, Aunt Daisy is Uncle Sweets, fiancée they're getting married in a month and I'm gunna carry the ring, Auntie Padma is Uncle Jared's fiancée they met in India, when he chased a man that stole her bag they're getting married in three months, Auntie Beth is Drew's sister and Aunt Deb is Uncle Jakes wife... Got it?"
Parker waited as the crowd nodded in understanding.
"Good... Now you try remembering all their birthdays."
The crowd erupted into laughter and Parker waited for silence again.
"Ok I have a step brother Charlie and a step sister Stacey; my Step Dad is their real dad. I have four cousins, two are related John and Marc are twins they're my Uncle Jake and Aunt Deb's kids, Hayley and Emma are Uncle Russ and Aunt Amy's girls, but they're really second cousins, but not related I think, coz Uncle Russ is their Step Dad..."
Parker shook his head comically, as if trying to shake the confusion into place.
"Anyway I'll also have Michael when he's born, but he's still in Aunt Angela's tummy and will be out in a month, I've been waiting ages for him..."
The crowd smiled.
"So... My dad is also a soldier and went away to help with the war for a year and Bones went to Indonesia, to the jungle to help with a dig over there for a year... at the same time..."
Parker looked incredulous.
"They wrote letters to each other while they were gone and when they came back..."
Parker clicked his fingers.
"...They were together, so now Grandpa Max is my real Grandpa, Uncle Russ and Aunt Amy are really related to me, Hayley and Emma are my real cousins and Bones is my real Step Mom. Dad says there's more than one type of family and I think my family prove it. I know it's big and really, really messy but I wouldn't change it for anything... except for Dad and Bones to get married and have a baby, that would be awesome. Thanks for listening."
The crowd stood up applauding loudly, with cheers and whistles. Parker grinned as he bowed, running to the front of the stage; he was lifted off by his Dad who hugged him tightly
"That was amazing little man."
Parker looked up seeing his Step Mom, with tears in her eyes, as Aunt Ange wrapped an arm around her. Booth placed his son on the ground, watching as he ran to Bones, climbing onto her lap and receiving a crushing hug.
"Did you like it Mom?"
Brennan looked into her son's eyes.
"Oh Parker it was fantastic, I'm so proud of you Sweetheart."
A few strangers from behind them leaned forward congratulating the child on his efforts, smiling as Parker snuggled into Bones to watch the rest of the show.
The end- well what did you think? Please review