Posted over at Bonesology for the Early September writing challenge.
Prompt: Season 6 ended with changes. There are new relationships all over the Bones world. Booth and Brennan are in a new kind of relationship. Hodgins and Angela are new parents. Brennan's relationship with Parker is changing. Booth's relationship with Max will be different.
Pick any one of these new situations (or any one we forgot to mention) and explore it in a one-shot. The characters must be 'in crisis' regarding their new situation. There must be an argument or conflict. There must be a happy resolution.
Authority Figure
Along with Temperance Brennan's new relationship with Seeley Booth came his son, Parker.
Parker had always loved visiting Brennan at the lab and the diner. He loved that she allowed them to use the pool in her apartment building and loved that she frequently went swimming with them. And he loved that she came over to watch movies and play games with them. He went to her for help on his homework whenever he had the chance as well.
When Booth came back from Afghanistan and was dating—well, you know the story. All of those activities ceased and confused Parker. He didn't understand why his father didn't ever take him to see Brennan anymore. If his dad and Brennan were still friends as his dad had repeatedly said they were, then how come they never hung out any more? And why did his dad always make excuses for not being able to take him to the pool?
Even after his dad broke off his relationship, it took a few weeks, but all of those seemingly lost forever cherished activities with Brennan came back.
Then, after several weeks, it seemed as if they had a secret that they weren't telling anyone, until Parker asked, with as much tact as Brennan usually had, if they were having sex.
Well, Booth only lies to his son at Christmas, and Parker was old enough that those days were over. And Brennan doesn't believe in lying to children at all.
So, they were honest with him. They told him that they were in a tentative relationship and that Brennan was pregnant.
Parker was so excited; two of his longtime wishes had come true.
His dad and Brennan were finally boyfriend and girlfriend, even if no one used those terms.
And he was finally getting a brother or a sister.
His excitement grew further when he learned that his dad and Brennan had purchased a large house, with a pool that he wouldn't have to share with other people.
He had his own room, brand new, more grown-up furniture, his own bathroom, and a lot of other really cool new things.
It was the summer, so Booth had more allotted time with Parker than during the school year.
There was one problem.
Parker didn't realize what living with a hormonal pregnant woman would be like.
He blamed it on her 'whacked out hormones', but it was actually more the fact that he'd never had to really see any other of his father's girlfriends as an authority figure.
He liked her; he really did, but sometimes he found himself doing things that he knew displeased her, on purpose, to see how far he could push the limits and see what he could get away with, and to his displeasure, it wasn't much.
.
Brennan walked into their spacious living room to see Parker tossing a football over the couch and coffee table to a friend, who was apparently, 'going long' as Parker had called it.
She'd scolded him about playing ball in the house and told him to take it outside where it was nice and warm outside, but more importantly where her breakable antiques were not.
He verbally expressed his displeasure of being told what to do, but did it anyway.
.
He'd been told numerous times not to run through the house as that was something he could also do outside in their huge backyard.
"But, Bones, it's too hot outside, and I don't really want to run, it's just faster to get from room to room. This place is huge!"
Booth would usually cut in every time he was present with, "Pal, what if you had run into Bones? It's not only bad manners, it's dangerous. Do as she tells you."
His dad always defended Brennan, which was something he admired about his dad, unless it was used against him.
.
On occasion, Brennan told Parker to turn his music down.
She'd taken a few weeks off work while she was still in an easily ambulatory stage in her pregnancy, which meant that she was home alone with Parker a lot while Booth was at work, and she either worked on making sure everything was ready for the baby's arrival or worked to stay ahead on her writing.
More than once her concentration was broken by loud obnoxious music.
Telling Parker to turn it down had become a frequently used phrase.
"Parker, your music is too loud."
"Parker! Turn your music down."
"Parker, you're going to develop tinnitus or noise-induced hearing loss!"
No matter what she said, she almost always ended up going into his room to turn it down herself.
.
Another issue was chores. Parker hated them, and he had never had to do them when he stayed with his father before.
"Parker, take out the trash."
"No."
"Parker…" She warned.
"I didn't make all of that trash."
"You made some of it."
"You made more of it, Bones. Dad, too."
"You can do as I asked, or you can wait until your father comes home, then you can tell him that you aren't going to do it. Your choice."
That always got him to take out the trash (there was no way he'd ever flat out tell his father no), but it usually came with mumbled words and rolled eyes.
.
Another chore, cleaning his room, was also a huge issue.
It was his room, why couldn't he keep it the way he wanted? It was much easier to find things with them strung out on the floor.
"Bones, can I go swimming?"
"Not until you've cleaned your room."
"But Bones…"
"Not until you've cleaned your room. It's a mess and your father told you to clean it up last night. You didn't, so now you have to do it before you do anything fun."
"No."
Parker started to open the backdoor with his swimming trunks on and a towel slung over his shoulder.
"Parker, if you open that door, I will call your father."
"Do you know why you have to throw his name around to get me to do anything? You're not my mother. Stop telling me what to do."
"Parker, I may not be your mother, but I am a parental figure in your life, you need to listen to me."
"No."
"Parker... Please just listen. Clean your room, then you can swim. It isn't that difficult."
Brennan speed-dialed Booth when Parker put up more resistance and put it on speaker while Parker wasn't paying attention, before Booth could say anything on the other end of the line, he heard his son practically yelling at his girlfriend.
"I'm tired of you telling me what to do! You're not my parent. And I hate you as dad's girlfriend. I liked you much better when you two were still just friends because you never bossed me around. I hate you, Bones."
Parker ran in the direction of his room where he started slamming things around in his room causing them to land approximately where their proper places were.
"Neatly, please." Brennan called out, choking back a sob
Even if she hadn't been pregnant, his words would have likely had the same effect.
Her request was followed by the blaring of his obnoxious music.
.
This latest riff between them had been witnessed over the phone by Booth, who had immediately hung up the phone upon hearing his son's hateful words and sent Brennan a message that he was on his way home.
There was no excuse for the way he had treated Brennan, and Booth was going to make sure that Parker knocked this shit off permanently.
Booth made his way quietly into the house, which was a moot point, he discovered, once he'd heard Parker's music.
He found his teary-eyed girlfriend in their room, ensconced by strategically placed pillows, maximizing her comfort. She quietly filled him in on the argument.
"Booth, he said he hated me."
"I know, baby. I heard. He will apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. He's just going to have to get used to you being an authority figure in his life rather than just the cool friend that you've previously been to him. Stay firm with him like you have been."
He thanked her for calling him and then kissed her passionately before telling her to stay comfortable there, and that he would be back.
Booth opened Parker's door and just stood there, looming tall with an intimidating stance that he usually checked upon leaving the Hoover.
The eleven year old had his back turned and was picking up some socks.
Booth reached his long arm over to the shelf, not far from where he stood, and shut the music off.
"Bones! Hey! I wa—" Parker turned around, shouting in anger, and shrunk down with wide eyes when he saw his father standing there.
"Dad! I'm—"
"Grounded. One week…"
What? Dad never punishes me!
Apparently that's another thing that's changed.
"But dad—"
"…No cell phone, no Wii, no xbox, no TV, no radio, no computer—it's summer so you don't even need it for homework so don't even try that excuse—and definitely no pool until I say so. Understood?"
Parker glared at Booth in shock.
"Understood?" Booth voice boomed again.
"Yes sir."
"Stand up."
"What, why?"
"Stand up and go apologize to Bones. Now! I'll be in there in a minute. We need to talk about a few things."
Booth stayed behind to think to himself as he removed certain privileged items from Parker's room.
When Booth walked out of Parker's room carrying an armful of items, Booth noticed Parker standing outside the door of the master suite.
He looked remorseful and unsure of himself.
"Have you apologized to Bones?" Booth asked.
"No, not yet." Parker looked down and mumbled, "I don't know how. Dad, I told her that I hate her. She probably hates me back now."
"That is so far from the truth, Parker. That woman in there loves you so much. She loves you as if you're her own son and the way you just treated her is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in this house."
"Okay, but dad, I'm not hers. I don't like it when she tells me what to do."
"Okay, let go of the fact that she's not your mom. Who's the kid and who's the adult?"
"I'm the kid."
"I raised you to do as you're told. And you know what? Bones is essentially your step-mother; she has just as much authority as I do. Bones and I may not be married, but this is not a temporary deal. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir."
"I will not allow you to come stay here with me and Bones if you cannot mind both of us. Especially with a baby on the way. There are rules in this house for a reason. You have to follow them and if Bones tells you to do something, you do it. No questions, no comments, no back-talking either."
"Okay."
"You know, part of this is my fault. You should have always had chores at my house, but you didn't because I wanted you to enjoy our time together. Now that the house is bigger and there are more of us here, and you'll likely spend more time here, it is important that you step up and do your share around here. Bones and I have lots of stuff to do, it will not kill you to pitch in when asked."
"Okay."
"Now go on in there and tell her you're sorry."
"She's probably mad at me."
"Maybe, but you need to fix this. You really hurt her. Now, go. I'll give you two some alone time for a while, then I'll come in."
.
"Bones?" Parker said softly as he stuck his head in the darkened room. "Bones? Psst. Are you awake?"
"Come on in, Parker. Come lay by me."
Parker stopped a few feet away from his father's side of the bed, and looked into Brennan's eyes.
"Bones, do you hate me?"
"Do you hate me?"
"No."
"I don't hate you either, Parker."
"Are you mad at me?"
"A little, but I'm more hurt than angry."
"I'm sorry."
"I know, baby. Come lay by me." Brennan shifted to make plenty of room.
Brennan pulled the thick white down comforter and sheets back for Parker to slide in next to her. He laid his head on his father's pillow and sighed heavily.
"I really don't hate you, Bones."
"I know."
"And I'm glad you're dad's girlfriend."
"You know that even though your father and I aren't married, I'm more than just your dad's girlfriend, right? Yet another reason why labels can be grossly inaccurate in description."
"I know."
"Parker, I love you so much."
"I know you do, even though I'm pretty sure that's the first time you've ever told me."
"Well, I'll have to say it more often, and make sure to remind you, then."
"Good. I love you, too, Bones. I'll make sure you hear it more, too."
"Deal," Brennan said as she leaned over and kissed his forehead and laughed a little.
"Bones!" He groaned. Just that little bit of affection was bordering a little too close to just about as much as his pre-adolescent boy mind could stand.
Booth heard Brennan laugh and decided he'd probably given them plenty of time.
"Knock, knock." Booth rapped on the partially shut door and then opened it to see his two (and a half) favorite people. "Is everything okay in here?"
"We're good," Brennan replied.
"Good."
Booth walked over to his side of the bed.
"Scootch over, Bub."
Parker let his father in behind him and Booth reached over Parker to rub his hand affectionately over Brennan's stomach.
"I was thinking while I was out there, and I think I might have a solution that Sweets would probably say would have some kind of psychological meaning and blah blah whatever."
"What kind of solution?" Brennan asked. "Parker and I just need some time to adjust to each other."
"Yeah, dad. We're cool."
"Well, what if we made Bones' status a little more legal?"
Brennan felt her heart race as she looked at him wide-eyed. Certainly, he wasn't going to propose to her in front of his son, when he knows damn well that she'd have a hell of a time saying no in front of Parker.
"Are you going to marry her and make her my real step-mother?"
"No, buddy. Bones doesn't want to get married." Booth smiled when Brennan relaxed. "You know if you ever change your mind on that one, all you have to do is say so, Bones, but I'm not going to push you into marriage. A marriage doesn't make a family. The people do. You know that."
"I do know. So, what's your idea?"
"Now, I'd have to work out some details with Rebecca, obviously, as this is something big and I'd need her blessing for it since she's the custodial parent, but what if we had papers drawn up to make you one of Parker's legal guardians."
"Booth, really?"
"Yes. I'd love it if you could legally be considered Parker's mother, but since he has a mother, you cannot legally adopt him. This would be the next best thing. You would be seen as having equal rights and responsibilities for Parker as me and Rebecca are as his parents."
Brennan didn't know what to say. Booth smiled, "We'll talk more about it later, after you've processed—"
"I love the idea, Booth, but are you sure? I've never been responsible for another human being before."
"I'm sure, Bones."
"What about Parker? Parker, are you okay with me being a legal guardian."
"Totally. I think it will feel more official."
"You won't ever be able use the 'you're not my parent' card again because it won't be true and I better not ever hear anything along the lines of 'you're not my real mother' either," Booth said ruffling his son's hair from behind him.
"I'm really am sorry, Bones."
"I know."
I'm a little nervous about this one, because Parker is somewhat of a brat. But sweet little boys don't always stay that way. New changes in his life could very well trigger such a streak.
Let me know what you think.
XOXO,
CrayonClown