So, I have two wonderful betas...both are busy with my fics at the moment, and I, not being the most patient person in the world, went ahead and wrote yet another fic and am posting it without the use of the beta. Blame my obvious dependency on reviews. Of course, the reason I need a beta, my nonexistant mastery of grammer and spelling, still holds up, so I hope you'll forgive that, even if I won't.
Anyway, I was watching Santa in the Slush (just a little episode I'm sure nobody's watched over and over a million times), anybody else wonder what the hell happened? One minute, Booth is in his office, the next moment, Parker's standing there. WTF? Where did he come from? What happened? How the...::breathe:: So I got together with Isobella the Muse and we figured out what happened in those gaps we didn't see in the show. Enjoy!
Here's to April coming sooner than expected!
"But Mom, I don't want to go!"
"Parker Booth we are not discussing this now," Rebecca was at the end of her rope and having her son make a scene in the middle of Macy's was not exactly at the top of her Christmas list, "We are going to Vermont with Brent and that's final," she whispered through clenched teeth
"But Mom!" Parker was not taking the hint to keep his down and they were starting to get looks from some of the other store patrons.
"One more peep from you Parker and you're not going to set foot on that mountain for the entire weekend, do you hear me? I have no problem leaving you with Trevor in the ski lodge during the day."
Parker shut his mouth and glared. He didn't want to go to Vermont, but since it appeared he had no choice he really didn't want to have to spend the day with his moody teenage cousin from Boston.
Folding his little arms across his chest, Parker kicked at the floor while his mother continued perusing the rack of evening gowns, her lips pursed in a line. It wasn't until she got distracted with a saleslady that he got an idea. True to six-year-old form, he hardly gave it a moments thought, and when she turned to look at some jewelry a few feet away, he took his chance and made a mad dash for the door.
Out in the mall it was wall-to-wall people and he was momentarily overwhelmed without his mother's hand there to lead him. Everyone was rushing and pushing and he was too short to see anything but snowy boots and long black coats. The crowd parted momentarily and he ran across the way to climb up onto a wooden bench. From there he was able to see the outside doors one floor below.
"Excuse me, young man, but where is your mother?"
Parker gasped and turned around to find an old lady with a green Christmas tree sweater staring at him. She looked a little bit like his grandmother, but with white hair instead of brown and glasses. She smelled sort of weird too.
"Um…she, um…" Parker bit his lip, unsure of how to answer without lying.
"Are you lost?" The woman asked, concerned.
He immediately shook his head, no he wasn't lost, he knew exacltly where he wanted to go. But he also knew if he didn't give some sort of explanation he'd find himself with Mall security, paging his mother over the loudspeaker just like the one time at Wal Mart.
"She…just went into that store," He pointed blindly off to his right, "I…I fell down, but I can find her."
Then he jumped off the bench and pushed his way through the crowd toward the store. Stopping just short of the entrance, he turned and looked back. The old lady was no longer in sight so he turned on his heel and headed for the escalator and then out the door.
Out on the street, there were more people than inside and he was again finding his height to be a serious disadvantage. He didn't start to get upset until a person walking by, arms full of shopping bags so that they couldn't see, pushed past him almost making him into a mud puddle for a second time. He found that not only was he overwhelmed and alone, but with the wind whipping at his ears and nose, he was also getting kind of cold. He'd decided to go back inside and hopefully find his mother, when he realized that he didn't really remember which store she was in. It was then that he saw the policeman across the street.
Excitedly, he ran to the curb, but halted when the sound of both his parent's voices echoed in his ears, telling him to 'look both ways before crossing'. So he did, and then, just to be sure, he looked both ways again. There were no cars coming after the second time so he dashed across the slushy street and ran right up to the police officer, tugging on his sleeve.
"Hey little man," the policeman knelt to be at eye-level, "where are your parents?"
His chin trembled imperceptibly amd he shrugged, sticking his cold hands into the pockets of his vest, "But my dad works at the FBI, can you take me there?"
Just as he'd hoped, the policeman smiled and ruffled his hair, "Sure bud, c'mon."
Parker wiped his nose on his sleeve and took the man's proffered hand as he led him to his squad car.
"I have a son about your age," the officer said, making idle conversation as adults sometimes feel obligated to do, "his name's Dustin."
Parker shrugged and buckled himself in, not really paying attention to what was said. The policeman said something into his car radio, the same kind Parker had seen in his dad's truck. And just like when his dad used it, Parker had no idea what those words, that sounded so ordinary on their own, meant when used that strange way.
After a few minutes Parker started to feel better and he turned to the officer beside him, "Can I turn on the siren?" he asked hopefully. But, just like when he asked his dad, the policeman patiently explained that the siren was only for emergencies and this didn't quite count.
The policeman, officer Dan, held the door open for Parker when they got to the FBI headquarters. His tennis shoes squished with melted snow as they approached the big round desk in the lobby.
"Hi, can I help you?" A young woman asked. She was behind the desk and Parker couldn't quite see her, so he busied himself tracing the letters on the front while the grown-ups talked.
F-e-d-e-r-a-, he recited the letters in his head.
"Well, this young man was lost and he said his dad works here so I was wondering if you could give me some way to contact him."
a-u-o-f-I-n-v-
The woman stood and leaned far over her desk to see him and Parker smiled politely. She had long orange hair and pink lips, Parker thought she was pretty, as far as girls went anyway.
"Hi there, what's your name?"
"Parker Stanley Booth."
She nodded and smiled. She starting to look towards her computer and then stopped. Leaning back over, her eyes were a little bit squinty, like when his mother was trying to decide if he had really brushed his teeth or not, and she asked, "Do you know Agent Seeley Booth?"
At hearing his father's name Parker nodded forcefully, "Yeah, that's my dad."
The woman smiled and looked at Officer Dan, "Elevator. Sixth floor, it'll be the only office with a light on." She handed him two visitor badges.
The officer touched the brim of his hat and followed Parker to the elevator.
"Can I push the button?" He asked once they were inside.
"Sure you can, that one right there." The officer indicated the right button and, when the deed was done, knelt down to clip the badge to the zipper of the boys' brown vest.
When they got out on the sixth floor he was starting to get anxious again, noticing that it was dark outside and realizing how long it had been since he saw his parents. Officer Dan led him straight to his dad's office in the far corner. Parker was so relieved to see him, he hardly noticed tears he was fighting off as he ran across the office into his father's arms.
"Parker, buddy, what are you doing here?" Booth asked, pulling back from the hug to look at him.
"I got lost out shopping with mom so I found a police officer to bring me here like you said." He said in a small voice, omitting the part where he ran out of the shopping mall because he didn't want to go to Vermont.
Booth stood, propping Parker on his hip as he held out his hand for the policeman.
"Thanks so much for bringing him, Officer..."
"Dan Fitspatrick and it's no problem at all, glad to help." He shook Booth's hand and then looked to Parker, "It was nice to meet you Parker."
Parker nodded, clinging to his dad. "Nice to meet you," he called, when Booth prompted him to do so.
"Alright bud," Booth grunted slightly, sitting down with Parker on his lap, "Lets call your mom, okay? She's probably having an aneurysm by now." He said, dialing her number on his desk phone.
"Can I see your badge?"
Booth silently pulled his badge from his waistband and handed it to Parker as the phone started to ring.
"What's an aneurysm?" He asked, innocently. Booth glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
"It means you're worried." He mumbled as a click indicated the phone had been answered.
"Hello?" Rebecca's voice trembled a bit and Booth knew she was worried, possibly crying.
"Oh, hey Rebecca. Listen, Parker's here with me."
"What?! Is he okay?"
"He's fine Rebecca."
"Oh my God. I can't believe this." Her voice kept changing volume and Booth assumed she was shaking her head, no longer really talking to him, "I don't understand how this happened, he was right here. I was buying a dress for Vermont, this is unbelievable we have a flight at 5am. What was he…"
"Now, just listen. I will get him back to you in time tomorrow before you leave for Vermont."
"I hate Vermont." Parker added helpfully.
"No, I didn't tell him to say that." Booth defended quickly, even as Rebecca's 'did you tell him to say that?' came accusingly over the line.
"Fine." She sighed, "How the hell did he fine the FBI anyway?"
"He didn't have to find the FBI. He just went up to a cop on the street, told them he was lost and that his dad works at the FBI." Booth smiled down at his son and squeezed him, proud that he had remembered the things they practiced and that they had kept him safe. And the fact that his son's little disappearing act meant could see each other on Christmas didn't hurt any.
Rebecca sighed, no doubt pinching the bridge of her nose the way she did. "Okay, you know what, just…just keep him tonight. Have Christmas morning and bring him to Vermont tomorrow." She conceded.
Booth grinned and squeezed Parker again, trying to keep his delight from traveling across the phone line, "Okay, thanks Rebecca. Merry Christmas"
He gave the phone to Parker and got up to put away the last of the paperwork from the Christ Cringle case, leaving Parker to talk to his mother for a minute. Mostly the boy mumbled into the phone, no doubt being read the riot act for leaving her.
"Okay, love you too." Moments later he hung up and moved across the room to his dad.
Booth knelt on one knee and picked up Parker's vest, practically bouncing. "Okay, in you go." He said, helping him with his vest, "That's it. Okay, buddy, here's the deal. We get to spend Christmas day together, but then," he paused for emphasis, "I gotta take you to Vermont, understand?" He raised his eyebrows, silently indicating that he expected no complaints about the deal that had been made.
"Okay, will you miss Africa?" Parker's excitement at being able to spend Christmas with his father was momentarily contained by his worry that his father would miss his own Christmas trip.
"Africa?" Booth was quiet for a moment, looking at his son and wondering if, even if he had actually been going to Africa, a week on an arid safari could possibly hold a candle to spending Christmas day with his son. He pulled Parker to him as he decided, "No, I'd rather spend time with you."
"Do we got a tree?" Parker asked, his six-year-old mind already fully back on task, namely Christmas.
"We got two trees." He said, proffering his fist for a 'bump', a tradition he'd started with his son nearly a year ago when he'd been convincing him it was safe to ride his favorite merry-go-round.
"Two trees?" Parker bumped his fist absently, "why?"
"Why? C'mon, I'll show you." Booth grabbed his coat and ushered Parker out the door, excited to share his Christmas gift with both Bones and Parker.
Parker dozed off a few times in the car on the way to the State Penitentiary, but livened up when it came time to hot wire the tree to the car battery.
"Okay, Park, you stand here, I'll call Bones."
Parker stood and stared at the window his father had indicated, waiting for Bones to appear.
"What's wrong?"
Parker looked up, his father wore that face from when he threw up at Uncle Jared's house one time. He waited and quickly the look changed again and Booth winked down at him.
"Bones, hey, good news. Turns out I got Parker for Christmas after all." He leaned down and tickled him gently, Parker giggled, his grin personifying the Christmas magic Brennan had such a hard time believing in.
"Hey, so we figured we'd call and, uh, wish you a little, uh, Yule Tide Cheer."
Parker felt his dad's phone at his ear and said cheerfully, "Merry Christmas Bones."
"Thanks Parker." He heard her say before his dad took the phone back.
"Listen Bones, um, I gotta little something for you."
Parker, easily distracted, was no long paying attention, busying himself with catching snowflakes on his tongue.
"Go to the window and open up the blinds now."
Parker felt a tug on his sleeve and his father motioned to him with his head.
"Oh." He dutifully resumed his position in front of Booth and waited.
Then, the window opened and Parker immediately grinned, waving wildly while his dad turned on the tree. Then the window filled with faces and his grin widened, proud to have made someone else's Christmas a little bit better, just like his had been.
"Merry Christmas." He called, still waving.
"Merry Christmas Bones."
Parker paused in waving and looked up, he'd heard the words before, but somehow, when his dad was saying 'Merry Christmas' to Bones, it sounded different than when he said it to him, or to his mom, or to the checkout lady at the supermarket. He furrowed his brow thoughtfully, he'd have to ask him about it later.
He turned back to the window and grinned again, resuming waving.
A while later, Parker helped his dad pack up the tree and waved one last time to the people in the window.
"Dad, next Christmas can Bones and her family come to your house for Christmas? She can still have her own tree and stuff but then we wouldn't have to stand outside."
"Oh?" Booth flipped on the heater in the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
"Yeah. Those girls with her can even come, I promise not to whine about cooties."
"Well, Park, I…" His son had a tendency to babble when over-tired, and it loked like it was one of those times.
"And how come when you said 'Merry Christmas' you said it different than usual?"
"Different?"
"Yeah, kinda…I don't know. Kinda mushy or somethin'. And how come…"
Booth reached behind his seat and squeezed his son's knee. "How come you're asking so many questions huh?"
Parker squealed with laughter and pushed his hand away.
"You ready to go decorate our own tree?" Booth suggested, hopefully distracting his son from the current line of questioning.
"Okay." He agreed, now looking out the window.
Booth sighed in relief and smiled, shaking his head. This Christmas he was going to focus on spending the day with his son. Next Christmas…he'd leave to magic.
So, how'd we do? Everybody still pretty much in love with little Parker Booth?