She woke up freezing and alone. She looked around and saw the neither Parker nor Booth were there. She wrapped the blankets tight and went to her bag. Since she didn't have time to get stuff from her house, she put on Booths flannel robe.. She re put her hair in a bun and started out of the room, before realizing she didn't know where she was headed. She went down one staircase to find a huge hallway. She wandered before looking out a window. What she saw was endless green grass covered in snow. She turned when she heard something. It was a large fat orange tabby cat.
"Hey kitty" she cooed. The cat had no problem and started rubbing against her leg. She bent down and scooped him up, he was heavy, almost as much as Parker. She continued on her journey to find Booth by following the loud voices she could now hear. Down another flight of stairs, through a large living room and down the huge staircase from yesterday, she was getting closer. She walked through a set of french doors and stopped short. She was in a huge dining room, that probably sat about 20 people, and was full. All of them chatting and eating. No one seemed to notice her, and she couldn't find Booth, until the cat meowed loudly. The turned to her. She could feel her cheeks burn.
"Who are you?" A very blonde and nasally sounding woman asked.
"Uhm, is Booth here?" she asked quietly. The cat jumped from her arms then, leaving her to feel awkward. However an older man at the head seat laughed.
"Which one honey?" he joked. All the other men laughed too while the woman rolled their eyes.
"I could sure help you darling" A particulary fat older man said. She shuddered at that. The woman next to him slapped his arm though.
"No thank you" she replied.
"Not very friendly I see" the same blonde commented. "You're name was?" she prompted.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm-" she was cut short by someone coming through another door and yelling,
"Dr. Bones!" Parker yelled and ran to her. He put his arms up so she picked him up. He hugged her and she hugged him back.
"Good morning Parker" she said happily.
"Good morning" he told her back.
"Dr. Bones, that's an odd name" The older man said.
"That's not here real name silly pops" Parker laughed. He stayed put on her hip though.
"Temprence Brennan" she offered, and smiled.
"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Joe Booth. Welcome to my home" he said grandly, as he gestured around.
"It's very large" she told him. The blonde snorted. She looked pointingly at her.
"I don't believe we've met" Bones said.
"Sierra Hunter, family friend" She told her codly.
"Pleasure" She replied in a civilized manner. She adjusted Parker on her hip. He squirmed though so she placed him back on the ground.
"I'll be right back" he said and darted through another set of doors. Joe laughed at him.
"Sit, please" he offered her the chair next to him, the only one of four still empty.
"Thank you" she said.
"No problem, you hungry? We have the best bacon in the whole cirty" he bragged.
"Oh, no thanks. I'm actually vegan" she told him. His smile grew larger though.
"Vegan huh? Wow. Well then we have the best fruit salad in the city" he joked and grabbed a plate then filled it with various fruits before passing it to her. She thanked him again. He nodded.
"So, you sleep well?" A younger man asked her. He looked almost identical to Booth, but younger.
"Yes, why?" she asked confused, did something happen last night?
"Oh, it's just you're still wearing a bathrobe" he told her. She flushed. Everyone else was fully dressed.
"Are you Jared?" she asked changing the subject. He nodded.
"Yeah, this is my wife Sarah, and when you see three blonde kids acting strange, those are ours" he told her. She smiled. The fat guy spoke next.
"Benny Booth, my wife Lynn, and the three older blonde strange children are ours" His wife hit his arms again. She looked at all the others who didn't talk. They all seemed to look at her strangely. Before she could ask a very blunt question, Parker came through the doors again. This time he held a small red rose in his hands. He climbed right onto her lap. Before even saying anything though he took a piece of her fruit and ate it. He didn't like it though, so he spit it into his hand.
"Parker" she scolded. He looked up innocently at her. She shook her head and handed him a napkin.
"Sorry Dr. Bones" he said. "But fruit it yucky" All the adults laughed at him, while Bones shook her head.
"I have something for you though" he said and tried to hide it behind him. She played along.
"And what is it?" she asked.
"Close your eyes" he said. She did so and smiled as she felt him place the flower in her hands.
"Open" he said. She did so.
"Aww, I love it, thank you sweetie" she said, and then she did something that shocked even her. She hugged him and kissed his cheek. He blushed a little bit red, which again the grown ups laughed.
"Be a man buddy" A smooth familiar voice came from behind them. She looked up to see her Booth, all dressed and ready. She smiled. There were two woman behind him, one very older, probably Joe's wife, Ellie, Booth's mother, the other was probably Booth's age with fiery red hair..
"You be a man daddy" Parker stuck out his tongue and pouted.
"Yeah be a man Celia" Jared told.
"Nah I prefer Celia, Jarhead" he joked.
"Fine, I'll be the man" Parker said loudly. All the adults looked to him in interest. He sucked in a big breath and planted one one her cheek. Everyone again laughed.
"Way to go buddy" Jared said from down the table. Booth looked shocked though.
"I thought girls had cooties?" he asked.
"Dr. Bones is a woman" Parker clarified. she snorted in laughter. Jared was near crying from laughing so hard.
"I'd watch out for him man" he choked between laughs. Booth shook his head, mock worried.
"Seeley, is there something you may have neglected to tell us? Maybe something having to do with a stranger wandering in holding Jack, and kissing your son?" Joe asked.
"Oh, man I forgot" he said. The two woman behind him laughed.
"Everyone, this is my girlfriend Tempernce Brennan, Bones, this is my family" he said.
"You still hadn't told them?" she asked mortified. He guiltly shook his head, she sighed.
"More important things though, this is my mother, Ellie, and my cousin Jane, and you probably already met my dad, Joe" he asked.
"Yes, they were very hospitable, even though they didn't know me" she added harshly.
"Sorry, just add that to the list." he told her. She just grumbled.
"Seeley. long time no see darling" The blonde bimbo purred in what she probably thought was a sexy voice.
"Ah, Seirra, it's only been what? 10 years?" he asked. So he must have dated her before Beca. She had to admit he didn't have the best taste in woman.
"Nearly, like I said far to long" she told him. He slightly nodded and turned back to Bones and Parker.
"How's the city's best whatever your'e eating?" he chuckled as he said this.
"Fruit. And I bet it is, it's so good" she said. She was trying to act normal for once. It wasn't helping though that she had a killer headache, was feeling sick, and her back ached severly.
"Pops thinks he's the best grower" Parker piped up. "Sandra's pancakes are way better though" he told his great grandpa.
"Well then Parker I guess you can bake with her while we all go sledding" Papa Joe replied.
"No! No!" Parker cried. "Your fruit is the bestest in the whole world" he told him quickly.
"But didn't you just spit it out darling?" Booth's mother asked him.
"No I didn't Noni" he cried desperatly. "I just choked a little, here I'll prove it" he said and grabbed a chunk of her fruit off her plate. Before it got to his mouth though she stopped him.
"Parker Booth" she reprimanded. "Manners" she said sternly. Booth coughed to hide his laughter. Everyone else looked shocked that this newcomer was scolding the playful child. He pouted.
"Sorry" he said. However he went to put the fruit in his mouth anyway.
"Hey!" She cried. "What did we just go over?" she asked. He again pouted, but put the fruit down. His hands were covered in fruit juices. He picked up a fork that wasn't anyones and one by one ate the fruit with it. She smiled and nodded.
"Was that so hard?" she asked.
"Nope" He said and popped his P again. "Now can I go sledding since I ate the fruit and minded my manners?" he begged his great papa.
"Alright. Tell the rest of the kids, we meet in the basement garage at 12 sharp mister" he told him. Parker faux saluted him and ran through yet another set of doors. There must have been nearly seven sets. Booth took the seat next to her. His mother and cousin sat beside him too.
"He's only a child Temperence" His mother told her.
"A child needs manners" She told her.
"He's only 7" Sierra piped up. "He's not even yours" she mumbled under her breath, but she still heard her.
"He's actually 6" she told her. She was embarassed now that she realized what she had really done. At home though, she always was teaching Parker manners, the kid loved to use his hands though.
"It's fine everyone. I'm the one who asked her to start toughening up around him, she used to be such a softie" Booth defended her. By the looks on everyones face, they didn't believe it was possible she was capable for loving another or anything after that show.
"I'm going to go change, if that's alright" she told them all. "Your fruit was quite tasty" she told Joe. He nodded joyfully.
"Told you. Now you're welcome to come sledding with us, dress warm though, it's pretty frigid. We leave at 12, which is in one hour" He seemed to be the only one other then Booth and Parker who liked her.
"Thank you" she told him. Booth stood up.
"I'll help you find the place. If you found Jack, you must have gotten lost" he told her.
"The cat?" she asked.
"Yup, old Jack, nasty thing he is. Hates everyone, except Papa Joe"
"He seemed to like me well enoug" they were out of the dining room by now and on the second floor. "Though your family doesn't" she said.
"Don't say that. They're just apprehensive of my girlfriends. I guess they were a little shocked by your bluntness too" he added.
"I tried acting normal" she told him. He laughed.
"Just be yourself Bones" he reassured her." Just minimize the decomp and gore to a minimum, okay?" He aksed.. She nodded they had reached the attic room now.
"I'm going to shower" She told him.
"Need some company?" he wiggled his eyebrows. She laughed and ran to the bathroom, trying to shut the door.
It took longer then really needed to shower that morning needless too say. They went out into the room one by one encase Parker was back, but he wasn't. Since she hadn't pack much winter stuff she wore waffle knit shirt of Booth's along with a pear of thick woolen long johns, also Booths. She did have her own snow boots and pants from the SUV for crime scenes. She bundled up tight and wrapped a scarf around her head, and gloved her delicate hands.
"Ready?" He asked her.
"Let's go!" She said.