It was the night before Parker was due to return to London after a short end of summer visit. He and Booth had returned from a brief back packing trip that afternoon. Hank was in bed, Christine was reading Booth a bed time story and Bones and Parker were in the utility room, finishing up laundry so the teen could pack his suitcase without setting off TSA alerts. The weather had been warm, so father and son had returned from their 3 days in the wilderness a little fragrant. Both had said they had a good time, but, Parker had been a little subdued over dinner. Brennan wasn't sure if he was just tired or if something was bothering him. She was about to go with fatigue when he asked quietly, "Bones, is Dad okay?"

She was a bit taken aback. Knowing the physical demands of their adventure, plus the fact that they had less than adequate lumbar support for sleeping, she had been carefully studied her husband's movement throughout the evening and hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. Now she wondered if she had been mistaken. "As far as I know, yes." She grew concerned, "Why? Did something happen on your trip? Was he injured in some way?"

He shook his head, "Nothing happened." He paused, somehow feeling like he was going behind his Dad's back. "It's just, well, it's been a while since I've seen him first thing in the morning, he's usually up and about before me you know? His rice krispy routine seems a lot worse than I remember."

"His rice krispy routine? I don't know what that means."

He didn't know whether to laugh or sigh at his step mother's lack of knowledge sometimes. "Snap, Crackle, Pop? It's what he called it when I was a kid."

She stared blankly at him then understanding dawned. "Oh, you mean the overnight buildup of synovial gas?"

Now it was his turn for a blank stare. Then he remembered his health class vocabulary. "Yeah. He used to joke about it when I was little. But, now I get that it's not funny. He says he's fine, but, he's in pain every morning isn't he? "

She sighed. One of their ongoing disagreements in parenting was how much truth their kids needed to know. She knew that since Jared's death Booth had been more willing to discuss his past with his eldest, and Parker was going to be sixteen in a couple of months, which was an adult in many cultures, so she decided that it was time to be completely honest with the teen. "He doesn't like to admit it, but yes, he is." Seeing the stricken expression, she tried to reassure him, "However, it's completely normal given his age and the skeletal damage he's endured over the years."

Parker had come to Bones knowing she would tell him the truth, but now he wasn't sure if had been a good idea-he'd been hoping that he'd been mistaken. "Is it gonna get worse then?"

"It is likely that his morning mobility will continue to decline, yes. As a person ages, cartilage becomes thinner, tendon hydration decreases which leads to a loss of elasticity, both of which contribute to a lose of range of motion in joints. In your fathers case, with his history of multiple fractures, there is a high likelihood of post traumatic arthritis as well." She paused, realizing that the scientific explanations did not seem to be improving Parker's mood.

"Does Dad know this?"

"Yes. He's taking steps to slow the rate of decline. He does a lot more stretching now days, less running and he's met several times with a physical therapist and a chiropractor to develop an exercise plan that strengthens the muscles and tendons that have been compromised."

"Sod it, I totally screwed up didn't I? I should have done the big trip with him instead of the writer's camp."

Now she was confused again. "Why would you say that? The writing workshop was a once in a life time opportunity Parker. Your dad was very proud of you for getting accepted and he was correct in that the Appalachian Trail will still be there next year."

"But," he hesitated, "will he still be able to do it?"

Ahh, now she understood. "Parker, the rate of decline will be unpredictable, but I am confident it will be several years before the deterioration reaches the point where he is no longer able to enjoy hiking. Christine was annoyed that she couldn't come with you, and he's already promised her a trip when she gets older. Assuming it's an activity Hank enjoys he'll be able to take him on a trip someday."

Parker looked somewhat relieved, and then not. "Several years. Then what? Can he still work at the FBI?"

"Well, not as a field agent, but there's other options for him at the FBI, or someplace else. He has friends at the CIA, Alex has said he has a standing offer at the State Department, or he could go back to being an instructor either at the FBI or with the Army. Or, he could just retire and become the PTA dad. " She smiled, "but, I don't really see him doing that."

He laughed at that mental image. He didn't see that happening either. "So, what do you think he'll end up doing?"

"It's hard to know. He likes the FBI, but opportunities for advancement will be limited since he won't take any position that requires Congressional confirmation and he's not terribly interested in relocating. But I don't think he cares too much about promotions any longer."

It pissed Parker off to know there was lasting fallout from the last Congressional hearing. He knew that Hadley's career was in ruins after spending time in a Federal Penitentiary for improper handling of classified information and that Durant would never see the outside of prison again but it seemed unfair that his dad still had that cloud over him. Dad had told him that as long as the people he loved knew the truth he didn't much care what anyone else thought, but Parker thought it sucked that anyone could have doubts about his fathers love of country. Booth often reminded him that being angry didn't change anything and he knew despite all the shit that had happened he knew his dad was happy. Trying to get rid of the frustration and tweak his stepmom at the same time, he put on his best charm smile and asked, "Yeah, but if you had to take a guess, what do you think he'll do?"

Bones rolled her eyes, like father like son. "Parker, you know I don't like to speculate, and even if I did, human behavior is a soft science, so predictions are often wrong. Plus, it's your father and over the years I've suspected that sometimes he deliberately alters his behavior just to prove me incorrect." She smiled and confessed, "It is truly exasperating at times that he refuses to be rational."

He grinned, he could totally see his dad getting a kick out of proving Bones wrong. But the rational comment puzzled him. His dad wasn't as rational as Bones, but no one was. Given that he usually understood his dad, he asked, "What do you mean?"

She ticked off examples, "He rarely complains about serious injury, but going to the dentist for a filling is a major ordeal. He can chase armed serial killers without fear and yet refuses to get into an elevator with a man dressed as a clown. "

"Well that makes sense." At her incredulous expression he shrugged, "Fillings make you drool all day, and let's face it Bones, clowns are creepy."

She shook her head and threw a T-shirt at him to fold. Booth men were hopeless.

He caught it easily, grinning at her. They handled the laundry in silence for a while and then Parker said quietly. "So, what happened to him in the army? With his feet and his back?"

Brennan sighed. Despite her comment about being unable to predict behavior she'd been expecting this question. She thought for a moment and then answered carefully, "That's his story to tell Parker. You'll have to ask him." She added gently, "I know what happened because a long time ago I read his X-rays. He doesn't discuss it much. It's difficult to hear and remembering it can't be easy. So, if he chooses not to tell you, please don't be angry with him."

He wasn't surprised with her answer. Part of why he asked Bones was over the years he'd picked up that his dad didn't want talk about his injuries. "Okay." He let out a breath, "Given what you just said, I'm not sure I want to know. Especially since you said he's okay." He looked at her for reassurance and she nodded. "But, if I do decide to ask, and he doesn't want to talk about, no worries."

"Good. Booth would be very upset if something came between you two. He loves you very much. "

"I know Bones. Thanks for talking with me."