This is set sometime between Headless Witch in the Woods and Man in the Cell. For those wondering about my companion piece to "A Little More You" I promise it's coming…just being a little more stubborn than I'd like. Cam doesn't appear, mainly because I was never a big fan of the whole Cam/Booth thing in the first place. Let's say she's out of town for a conference...
Booth had never been more scared in his life. He was racing to the hospital mere seconds after getting the call, leaving both his partner and his squints behind. His only clue to them was a quickly shouted, "Hospital, Parker," over his shoulder as he sprinted for his SUV. The sirens and lights were on, but he still felt like he was crawling along.
He parked illegally, but it didn't really matter. Jogging through the emergency room doors he spotted Drew instantly and rushed over.
"Where is he? Is he okay? What happened? Where's Rebecca?" he fired off questions one after another until Drew actually placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Seeley..." he said calmly, "Everything's okay now. Rebecca's in with him getting the cast put on. He was climbing a tree at school and fell out. The doctor said he had a green…something fracture –"
"Greenstick," he supplied automatically, remembering his stay in the hospital after Brennan's refrigerator had exploded.
"Yeah in his forearm, and a couple of bruised ribs. They say he'll be good as new in a few weeks." Booth sank down in the chair and put his head in his hands. When Rebecca had called, she too had been a little hysterical and had only told Booth that they were headed to the hospital for Parker. Now that he knew his son would be okay, Booth felt his adrenaline rush wearing off. Drew sat down next to him and cleared his throat.
"Look, I know this may seem…sudden to you. And, though nothing you can say will change my mind, I want to ask you something." Booth looked up at the man who had filled the space in Rebecca's life he could not. His trained eye detected nervousness and anxiety, but also a sense of expectation.
"What is it?" he answered, realizing Drew wasn't continuing on his own. Instead, the other man ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath.
"I'm going to ask Rebecca to marry me," he said quickly, but Booth understood it all the same. "Tonight, actually. We have reservations."
"Are you asking for advice? Because the only time I did it she said no so I'm probably not the guy to be asking." Booth tried levity to provide a distraction to his racing heart. He no longer had the deep feelings he'd once had for Rebecca, but he still felt for her; felt a need to protect her. Not to mention that would make this guy Parker's step-father.
"No," Drew smiled. "But Rebecca lost her father early and…" he trailed off, trying to find the words. "I guess I'm asking for your blessing, you know…as Parker's father." Booth furrowed his brow, looking at the man once again. He knew that was a difficult thing for Drew, and he took a deep breath before answering.
"You know Drew," he started, "I won't deny I have some feelings still for Rebecca – she's the mother of my child." Drew nodded, but stayed silent. "But I'm not in love with her any more. I see how she looks at you, and I can tell you that you are a lucky man. Thing is, you're also lucky enough to realize it. If she'll have you, Drew, hold on to her and don't let her go. And Parker looks up to you, too; thinks you're the coolest thing ever. I can't think of another man I'd want to have a hand in raising my son." Booth stuck out his hand and Drew clasped it in his own, holding on tightly.
"You know Seeley," Drew answered, "Parker doesn't think of me as another dad," he said. "I'm always 'his mom's friend' wherever we go. Sometimes, all he can talk about is how he has the best dad in the world. I'm honored that you would let me share in his life. It means a lot to be a part of it." They let go and sat in silence for a while, letting the awkward, emotional moment pass. Drew was saved from having to say anything by the waiting room doors opening and four very annoyed people filing in. Booth shot Drew an apologetic smile and stood to meet his squints.
"Hey guys," he started, "Look, I'm sorry I took off so quickly but –" He was cut off by Angela waving her hand and Brennan stepping forward.
"Is Parker okay?" Booth took a shuddering breath, recalling the paralyzing fear that had gripped him only moments earlier.
"Yeah," he breathed. "He will be. He fell out of a tree at school and fractured his arm. Nothing serious." But Brennan, who had gotten very good at reading her partner, heard the question behind his words.
"What kind of fracture?" she asked clinically.
"Greenstick," he replied, earning him bemused smiles from the team.
"He'll be fine, Booth. Greenstick fractures are very common among children because their bones are so pliable. He'll be fine in a few weeks; probably won't even experience a lot of pain." Brennan affirmed, and Booth felt the last of his unease slip away.
"Daddy!" Booth whirled around and grinned at the sight of his five year old son bounding toward him, his right forearm encased in a neon green cast.
"Hey, Parker," Booth said, scooping the boy up into his arms. "Hey Rebecca," he greeted his ex as she walked up behind Parker.
"Seeley, thanks for coming," she said. "The doctor gave us a prescription for the pain, but he'll probably only need it rarely. The cast has to stay on for three weeks, and his ribs will heal in a matter of days." Booth nodded, hugging his son close.
"Daddy look! The doctor let me pick any color, and I chose green! Cause you was in the army and they're green!" Booth smiled at his son before proclaiming the cast "awesome."
He turned to Brennan and her team and nodded. "Parker, do you remember Dr. Brennan?"
"Uh huh. She was at Sid's for Christmas when you was sick," he answered. "Daddy, when's Christmas?"
"A while, bub," Booth chuckled.
"Seeley," Rebecca called, and he turned back around. "Drew and I sort of already had plans. He was going to stay with Mom, but would you keep him tonight?"
"This weekend, actually," Drew piped in. "We have plans the whole weekend."
"Drew we can't expect Seeley to just –"
"I'd love to," Booth cut in immediately. "Hey Parker, did you eat lunch at school?" The boy nodded, his eyes already drooping from the exertion of the day. "Well then, how about I take the rest of the day off and we go get some ice cream, go home, and veg out in front of the TV."
"Can we watch Veggie Tales?" the boy asked sleepily.
"Sure, buddy."
"Do you need some of his things?" Rebecca asked, wondering if she needed to take Parker back to her house.
"No, I've got enough at my place. You have the prescription?" Rebecca handed him the paper. "He's all checked out?" She nodded. "Well then, I guess we're off. See you Sunday." He gave Drew a small nod of encouragement that went unnoticed by the others, and the four squints followed the encumbered agent out the door.
"How did you guys get here?" he asked, suddenly realizing he'd left rather abruptly.
"Hodgins drove," Brennan said, looking warily at her entomologist.
"And you made it here alive?" he joked, earning him a scoff from the man in question. "Hodgins, you still in that toy car?"
"It's an original Cooper," he rebutted harshly, but that just set them off into a bout of laughter.
"Bones why don't you come with me," Booth said. "I have to drop by the Bureau and let them know what's going on. I need someone to stay with Parker in the car." She looked grateful for the offer and quickly climbed into the passenger seat as Booth strapped a now-sleeping Parker into his car seat. Angela shot her a secretive smile that she studiously ignored and promised to be back at the lab shortly.
Booth drove very carefully, Brennan noted, and checked on Parker in the rearview mirror at least three times a minute. Once Cullen had been informed of the situation, Booth had been ordered not to show back up until Monday morning. Giving his boss a thanks and a promise to bring Brennan in with him for the meeting, Booth closed down his office and jogged quickly back down to his vehicle.
"I promised Parker ice cream, Bones," he said happily, "You're coming with us."
"Booth, I don't want ice cream," she protested. "I need to get back to the lab; there are several cases from limbo that need finishing."
"All work and no play, Bones," he said.
"I don't know what that means," she toned, earning her a soft chuckle.
"Alright, I'll drop you by the lab," he acquiesced. "But it's Friday. Promise me you'll leave before eight."
"Booth, there's no way I can definitively tell you how long I'll be there. Work needs to be done and…" she stopped when she noticed the grin on his face. "You did that on purpose," she pouted, making him actually laugh out loud.
"You're cute when you're flustered," he joked, and she back-handed his shoulder lightly. The rest of the drive went by in complete silence, but neither was uncomfortable. Booth often marveled at how much they could communicate without ever saying a word. He knew she would leave by eight because he asked her to. She knew he would be at home the rest of the night if she wanted to swing by after work. He didn't start making plans for dinner because he knew she would be bringing take out…and chicken nuggets for Parker. She knew he would buy her an ice cream and put it in his freezer for her later.
"Thanks, Booth," she said as he pulled up outside her lab.
"See you later, Bones," he smiled and set off for Parker's favorite ice cream shop.
Two double fudge chocolate swirls (one with sprinkles) and several hours later, Booth sat watching Parker's favorite Disney movie of all time: The Lion King. Parker loved animals and had already expressed interest in becoming an "animal doctor." Of course, he also wanted to be a policeman like his dad and had set out to find a way to mesh the two careers together.
"Daddy, this is the best part!" he squealed, waving his cast toward his father. Booth nodded and stood up to answer the doorbell, checking the time.
"Bones, it's not even seven yet!" he praised. "I'm proud of you." She smiled and walked past him, setting the bags down on the table.
"Well, you left your jacket at the lab," she said, handing it to him. "And I figured you two would be getting hungry. How's he doing?" she nodded at the blaring TV.
"Fine. He exhausted his Veggie Tales discs and started in on my very limited Disney collection."
"Daddy! Is Doctor Bones here?" he bounded in and grinned widely at Brennan. She shot Booth a glare, though there was no malice behind it. Parker wrapped his arms around Brennan's legs quickly before moving on to the table.
"Hello Parker," she laughed, and Booth could tell she was still a little uneasy. He moved past her and grabbed a few plates, dishing the food out among them. They ate as Parker described every detail of the movie, and Brennan even refrained from pointing out the many errors Disney had made about wildlife in Africa. When they were done, Booth left Brennan in his living room and bathed Parker quickly, being careful not to get the cast wet. Parker bounded out of the bathroom in his Superman pajamas waving his cast wildly.
"Dr. Bones! Daddy said you could sign my cast!" he yelled, running to the kitchen for a marker. He jumped onto the couch beside her, causing Brennan to start a little at the exuberance of the five year old. She uncapped the pen and stared at the cast, as if she were trying to find the right place.
"Where do you want me to sign?" she asked, and Parker pointed to the middle.
"There! So I can show everyone at school Monday!" She smiled and began drawing the Sharpie evenly over the rough surface. She made sure to sign "Dr. Bones" just for Parker, earning her the widest grin she'd ever seen on a human being.
"Time for bed, bub," Booth called from the hallway. Parker grabbed the marker from Brennan and ran over to his dad.
"Dad! Sign my cast!" he held out the marker proudly and Booth chuckled. He quickly scrawled "Dad" underneath Brennan's signature, shooting her an amused glance.
"Say goodnight to Bones," he said, and Parker ran back over and hugged her quickly.
"Night Bones!" he yelled, running back to his room.
"I'll be right back," Booth called after her, following his son swiftly. Brennan sat back and flipped through the channels, justifying to herself why she hadn't gone out and bought a television: there was nothing on. Settling on TLC, she sat back and watched a documentary she had seen months prior.
Having never experience tucking a child into bed before, Brennan had no personal knowledge on exactly how long the process took. But after sitting through four commercial breaks, Brennan checked the clock. Booth had been back there over thirty minutes, so she stood and traced his footsteps into the hall.
It was lined with pictures of his family, Parker, and one of all of them at the diner during Zach's doctorate celebration dinner. Cam must have snapped the picture because she was nowhere to be seen. Zach was grinning ear to ear, still in that stupid hat from Hodgins, and Booth had an open hand on the younger man's shoulder. She turned to continue, but found there was no need.
Booth was standing in his son's doorway, just watching the boy's chest rise and fall. He had his cast arm propped up on a pillow, and Brennan didn't point out that it was really unnecessary. She had seen many facets of Booth's character – tough cop, fun dad, traumatized veteran, sympathetic friend, devout Catholic, and determined protector. But this was a new side to her partner she found both anthropologically satisfying and a little scary to witness: the terrified father. The look on his face after the phone call spoke volumes, and Brennan had feared the worst. He was the strongest person she knew, both physically and mentally. But she knew if something had happened to Parker, Booth would most likely have never recovered.
Now he stood sentry over the boy as he slept, keeping a silent vigil. She knew it was more for his benefit than Parker's, and she understood it.
"Hey Bones," he whispered, and she smiled. His sniper-trained senses had not dulled.
"He's asleep," she said, just as quietly, though Booth hardly needed her astute observation skills. He shot her a smile and nodded, but she saw the fear still lying behind his eyes. He pulled the door to, but not shut in case Parker needed something, and led her back out into the living room. She paused as he knelt down and retrieved the Disney movie from the DVD player. She followed, contemplating her next move from every possible angle. He placed the case back on the shelf and turned, somewhat surprised to find her right behind him.
Taking a deep breath, she looked deep into his eyes. He opened up then, letting her see his fear, the terror that had gripped his heart for nearly an hour as he rushed to find out what had happened to his son. She placed a hand on his forearm and squeezed, earning her a confused smile. She graced him with one in return and stepped in closer.
"Hey, you're my partner," she told him. "It's a guy hug…take it." His grin widened at her words and he stepped in close, pulling her body to his. They didn't say anything for a long while; they just stood there holding each other. Booth seemed to be drawing strength from her, so she let him tighten his grip and drop his forehead to her shoulder. She reached her right arm up and cradled the back of his head, suddenly surprised to feel his tears soaking her neck.
Booth doesn't cry, she told herself. Even when he had opened up an old wound, telling her about his most horrible experiences overseas, he had turned his head and staunched his tears. She marked it as a testament to their relationship that he felt secure enough to drop his tough guy persona for her. From somewhere unbidden, words of comfort rolled off her tongue and she waited until his heart rate slowed. When his arms loosened their grip on her back, she allowed him to step back and turn, regaining some composure. She squeezed his arm once more and moved over to the couch, waiting for him to join her. After a few moments he did, offering her a small smile of thanks as he sat down.
"We're not watching this," he said instantly, and she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, because God forbid you watch anything educational!" she teased. They fought for the remote for a minute or two, but Brennan eventually let him have it. Predictably, he flipped it to some sports channel and checked box scores quickly before moving on to the movie channels.
Brennan found herself completely at ease in that moment, just sitting in his living room watching a movie with her friend. The worries of the day were forgotten, and she knew that before he went to bed tonight, Booth would get down on his knees and thank his God that nothing catastrophic had happened.
When the movie ended, she stood and stretched. "Going home," she said.
"I was gonna take Parker to the zoo tomorrow," he said, leaving the question hanging. She smiled and shook her head.
"I'll be at the lab," she said. "But if you can manage to drag me away at noon, I guess I'll go." He returned her smile as he walked her to the door.
"Oh, I think we can manage," he answered, "Thanks, Bones," he continued sincerely. She waved him off and donned her jacket. "See you tomorrow. Drive safe."
"Night, Booth." He shut the door behind her and walked to his window. He watched her enter her vehicle and drive off, safe in the knowledge that she hadn't run into trouble between his door and her car. He shut the TV off and walked back to Parker's door, peeking in on the slumbering boy. He crept over to his side, brushing one of his blonde curls away from his forehead. He gently placed a kiss on his son's forehead, pulled the covers a little tighter around him, and moved to his own bedroom. Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees next to his bed and crossed himself.
"Heavenly Father..."
So, what do you think? This popped into my head and I just jotted it down. Please review and let me know what you think.
On another note, Ty Panitz (Parker) is the most adorable little boy ever. That kid's gonna be a heartbreaker when he grows up.