AN: I am SO sorry for the delay! I got behind in my study schedule and then I had to do my final exam (masters degree) last weekend! It was really crazy! So I apologize for taking this long, but it should be okay now. This chapter is twice as long as the three before this one, so that should be good, right? I hope you enjoy, and if you have any critics or mistakes you found, please PM me! I'm also super bored now that I have nothing to do with my life (until I get my results in a month) so I would enjoy it if you PM me so we can talk. For example, I find it extremely annoying that after 6 years of following the show and wanting to get BB together, they didn't even show it on screen! I mean,(SPOILER ALERT) a hug on bed and a phrase like "I'm pregnant, you are the father" were NOT enough for me!
Anyway, here is the chapter!
It was finally Friday. She had been getting increasingly nervous as the week progressed, but the day she would spend a whole afternoon with Parker had arrived. It was good, as she was anxious and hadn't been able to concentrate properly on her job for an abnormally long time. The day before she had decided to cut her losses and stop working at all by 4 o'clock. She chose to do some research instead. There weren't any of her typical research topics, though. This time, she was trying to figure out how to speak to children and what was appropriate to teach to a 5-year-old. She also needed to know what to feed the child during the afternoon and how long could they actually concentrate. The problem was that her research hadn't had the expected effect. It hadn't calmed her down and given her that "ready for anything" feeling she was used to. It actually had the contrary effect. What if Parker figured out that she had no idea how to treat him? What if he decided that she was too emotionally awkward to spend time with her? What if she said the wrong thing and made him cry? And, worse of all, What would Booth say if anything happened to the boy? Would his opinion of her change? Would he stop taking her to dinner, or simply spending time with her?
It was extremely complicated. She wished she had told Parker that she didn't have time, or that she wasn't able to teach him anything. But, at the same time, she was overly excited to see the boy again. She wanted to spend time with him. She wanted him to like her. She had not been so invested in getting anyone to like her in a long time, and she had forgotten how exhausting it could be. Rationally, she knew that she was behaving illogically. Most adults dealt with children without any grave issues. Besides, women were genetically and socially predisposed to be able to care for their progeny. Moreover, she had studied the way women in different societies related to their offspring as an anthropological way of securing the continuing of the species. Surely, she would be all right.
She sighed. Thinking about Parker coming wasn't solving any of her problems. She had adequately prepared herself, she was interested in having a positive outcome and she was committed to doing her best. Surely that would be enough. Overthinking the situation was not going to solve her issues with it. It was better if she went back to work.
By 3:20 pm, she received a call informing her that a Miss Rebbeca Stinson and a Mr. Parker Booth were looking for her. She told the guard to let them in, and not five minutes later, she had a 5-year-old boy fiercely hugging her legs. She kneeled on the floor so she could hold him properly.
"Dr. Bones! Dr. Bones! I missed you!" said a muffled voice in her neck. It made her body temperature increase and the heat to course all through her body. It was a decidedly good feeling.
"I missed you too, Parker. I am very happy to see you" she said while letting the boy go. "Good afternoon, Rebbeca. Will you be staying?" she added, this time talking to the woman that was standing at her door, not having put a foot inside her office.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Brennan. No, I won't be staying. I have a very busy day at work. Are you absolutely sure you want to stay with Parker for the afternoon?" The blond woman asked.
Brennan might not know how to read body language, but she was relatively sure that fidgeting and tightened shoulders meant Rebbeca was uncomfortable. Why was that?
"Yes, I find Parker to be a very enjoyable company" she smiled looking at the boy.
"Ok. If you say so. Parker, I will see you later after Daddy drops you off at home, Ok?" Said the woman kneeling in front of her son and saying goodbye to him.
"Bye, Mommy," said the boy.
After Rebbecca had left, Brennan led Parker towards her desk and told him to sit on the chair she had brought for him.
"Can I show you how I write my name? I've been practicing really hard so I can write it as fast as mummy can write hers!"
"Of course, Parker. That is why you are here. You can use the paper in front of you. Do you need me to give you a pencil or did you bring your own?" Brennan asked Parker.
"I brought everything, Dr. Bones!" he said while moving towards his backpack and taking a pencil case out of it. He showed her how to write his name and she congratulated him on being very good. Of course, the lines were irregular, the sizes of the letters didn't match each other and he hadn't followed the paper's horizontal lines, but it was readable. It clearly said Parker, so she assumed it was a good enough beginning. She corrected him a couple of times, trying to make the writing tidier, and the boy seemed to love the chance to improve. After what she deemed an acceptable attempt at his name, they proceeded to the next one.
"Which name do you want to learn next, Parker?"
"Yours, Dr. Bones! Can you teach me how to write your name? You said it was too long so you made it shorter? Can I learn that?" It was metaphorically heart-warming to see this little person being so interested and excited about such an unimportant thing about herself. He cared, it was obvious. But, why? He had merely seen her a couple of times, yet he was showing clear signs of enjoying her company. She felt touched.
"Yes, of course. I believe I used to write 'Tempe Brennan' instead of 'Temperance'. It was too long and exhausting. Here, let me write it on top of the page so you can do it underneath." She did exactly that and the 5-year-old started trying to imitate the name. Brennan thought he looked adorable. He had the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth, and he was squinting a little. He did that for a while, and he didn't stop until he was apparently satisfied with his work.
"Look, Dr. Bones! I did it!" he said after having written a passable imitation of her name.
"You certainly did, Parker! That is a really good try. Do you want to try another name? or have you tired already?" she asked kindly. It had already been 30 minutes and she had read that children didn't have such a long attention span.
"I can do one more! Amy told me how to write mummy and daddy. Can you teach me how to write 'Dr. Bones'? That way, I can write it under your figure in my drawings!" he said excitedly.
Drawings of her? Why did he care so much? He had barely seen her a few times, and they had never spent quality time together. She wrote 'Dr. Bones' in the top of the paper and allowed the boy to practice while she thought about him. He was a sweet child, attentive, intelligent and caring. He was a credit to his parents. But, none of those qualities explained why he liked her. She guessed it was better if she asked him.
"Hey Parker, Can I ask you a question?" she interrupted the boy's concentration. The boy put the pencil down next to the paper and looked at her. It was a clear sign of acceptance. He was waiting for her question, so she proceeded. "Why do you seem to like me so much?"
"Because I do" he answered smiling. 'Ok, maybe I need to be more explicit with him' she thought to herself, so she added "What I mean, Parker, is why do you like me? You haven't been with me many times"
"But you've always been nice to me, and Daddy said you are the smartest woman he knows and that you are kind and that I can trust you. And he is always happy when you are with us, he smiles a lot. And Daddy told me that if something happens and I can't get to mummy or him then I should try you. And you are pretty and you smell nice and you have a really cool job and you don't mind spending time with me and you didn't say you had to work even when grown ups always work on Fridays. And I get to see Daddy and you at dinner at the same time!"
Booth had said she was smart, kind and worthy of his child's trust? Intelligent she could understand, but she didn't believe she was kind. He was wrong with that, even if emotions were his specialty, right? Did he see something that she didn't? He wasn't usually wrong at those things. And 'he is always happy when you are with us'? Was that true? Did being with her make him feel good? She knew that being with him made her feel good, but she has already figured out that she was in love with him. She had decided not to do anything about it, though. It was too dangerous. She has too much to lose. But what if he felt the same way? It didn't matter. Their friendship was still the most important thing she had, and she simply couldn't risk to lose it. She decided she needed to address what Parker had said about her saying yes to seeing him even if it was Friday.
"Of course I don't mind spending time with you, Parker. I like you very much and I am happy to spend as much time with you as possible, and I will never be too busy for that". Yes her job might need her and she would usually spend most of her day in the lab, but just as she would leave everything to help Booth or Angela with anything that was troubling them, she would do the same with Parker.
"That is why I like you so much, Dr. Bones. Mummy works a lot and when she comes home from work she is usually tired, so she can't help me with homework and daddy is always busy with cases so I don't see him either. But when I called you the other day you said you could teach me and spend time with me even when my mummy had told me that you would be working. That was nice"
It sounded as if the boy believed that work was more important for Booth than him, and she knew that was not true. Maybe she needed to explain why he couldn't see his father more.
"Your father would do the same if he could, Parker. But, he and your mother agreed that it was better if you lived with your mother and saw your father only during some weekends. That doesn't mean that your father doesn't love you, Parker. He would spend every day with you if he could, but wouldn't you miss your mother if you did?"
The boy looked confused, had she made a mistake talking about his parents? It wasn't her place, but she had felt forced to intercede in the name of Booth. Her partner would never abandon his child, and Parker sounded as if he believed his father didn't want him much.
"But I don't see mummy much either. She is always at work and usually, she comes home after my bedtime so I don't see her. I spend most of the day with Amy and she leaves when mummy arrives. Amy puts me to bed and makes me take baths and tells me stories. Mummy doesn't because she is always working and she said that Daddy was always working too" said the boy frowning.
Brennan was frowning too. She didn't understand what Parker was telling her. She understood the importance of a job, she usually stayed at the Jeffersonian until late every day, but she also believed that parents should try to be there for their children. Working was okay, but not even putting your son to bed? And why was Rebbeca lying to Parker? He couldn't see much of his father because his mother was always canceling his weekends. She had seen it happen many times. She needed to talk to Booth about this. It wasn't her place to tell Parker what she was thinking.
"Your father loves you very much, and he wants to spend as much time with you as possible, never doubt that, Parker. Now, why don't we go find a snack? There is a machine in the break room and you need to tell me what you want, ok?"
"Ok, Dr. Bones! I'm really hungry!" he said getting excited again.
"If you are anything like your father, you probably are always hungry," said Brennan smiling at the boy.
"Not always. I'm never hungry just after eating. But I ate a long time ago!" said the boy taking Brennan's hand and leading her outside of her office. When they reached the hallway, he stopped, looked at both sides and then turned around and looked at Brennan.
"I don't know where we are going. Where is the break room?" asked Parker.
Brennan smiled. She was glad that he was smiling again. He had been sad while talking about his parents. She led the boy towards the vending machine and asked him to choose one snack. The boy picked a bag of potato chips and asked if he could have a juice box too. Brennan agreed that proper hydration was important, so she paid for the juice too.
They went back to Brennan's office and the boy told the scientist all about his little league and how his father coached it. He said it was really fun and that his father was really good. Except for one time.
"He showed the movement Jack was supposed to do, but while he was showing how to throw the ball, it slipped from his fingers and hit Connor, who was standing on the other side. It was too strong because Connor fell to the floor and then had trouble breathing for a while. But then he was okay. Connor's mummy was really mad, but Connor said that it was cool that daddy was so strong and if he could teach us how to be that good. Daddy was all red in the face, but we all started laughing about it later. It was super cool! And there was this other time that the ground was all muddy and daddy was showing us how to run and he slipped and fell with his face in the mud. He even swallowed some of it! It was really funny!" The boy was laughing while remembering and Brennan was too. He was also acting what he was telling and it was extremely amusing. She could see it in her mind. Booth, showing off his athletic abilities and, suddenly, slipping to the ground and eating mud. She could guess why she had never heard that story before. It wasn't that congruent with his tough-alpha-male-FBI-agent facade.
By the time Booth arrived to take them to dinner, both Brennan and Parker were laughing heartily on her sofa.
"Am I interrupting?" said the FBI agent smiling at the scene.
"Daddy!" said Parker in between laughs "I was telling Dr. Bones what happened to you the day it rained and I had Little League!" he continued laughing. At the reminder, and because of the influence of Parkers contagious laugh, Brennan started laughing all over again.
"Yes, Booth. Parker was telling me all about your gracefulness in the mud" She looked at her partner and saw him blush. Blushing Booth? That was something new to her.
By the time they had calmed down and reached the pizza place where they were eating that night, all of them were having fun. Booth had told Parker some stories - or more likely PG versions of them - about him and Bones on the field, Brennan had told stories about all the places she had visited and Parker had talked about his friends in school and how gross girls were with all their cooties.
The worst part of the day was when they arrived at Rebbeca's place. Parker didn't want to leave them, he didn't want his father to go, and he wanted his Dr. Bones to promise to teach him again the following week if his mother allowed it. Once Brennan and Booth were back in the car, both of them were heartbroken.
"Is it always this bad?" asked Brennan quietly while Booth was driving.
"No, not always. This time it was worse. This only happens when he has an abnormally good time with me. When we talk more than usual or when I allow him to sleep with me or give him a lot of hugs" He sighed sadly.
That answer reminded her of what Parker had told her during the afternoon.
"I wanted to talk to you about something. It is difficult and I would prefer some privacy. Would you like to come upstairs with me to my apartment?" She said.
He looked at her seriously. When he saw her expression, he nodded.
Inside Brennan's apartment, they grabbed a couple of beers and headed to the living room.
"While I was talking to Parker, he said some things about how he sees his situation with you and Rebbeca. I want to tell you what he said, and what he answered, but I need you to listen to me without interrupting, ok?" he nodded.
After retelling what had happened that afternoon, she added. "I know it is not my place to say anything about it, but I care about Parker. He feels like he is not important enough to his mother and she has blatantly lied to her son so it can be easier for her. Parker doesn't get to see you much because she cancels all the time. It is unfair that he believes that you don't care, especially because I know you, Booth. You do care. You care a lot. I believe you should talk to Parker and even to Rebbeca. She can't continue doing this. It is hurting Parker, Booth." she said seriously.
Booth looked mad. Was he mad at her for getting in the middle of something that wasn't her business?
"I can't believe she would do something like that!" he stood up and started walking around the room. "Actually, I can. She always has acted as if me seeing Parker was a favor she was doing me. But I'm his father! Even if I have no rights, I should be able to be there for my son!"
"What do you mean with 'no rights'?" asked Brennan.
"As I wasn't married to Rebbeca when Parker was born, my rights as a father are bogus," said Booth dejectedly.
"That is impossible, Booth. Isn't Parker's last name Booth? You must have been recorded as his father. And knowing you, I believe you pay alimony every month, don't you?"
"Yes, but there is no legal paper that states anything. Rebbeca told me she could simply forbid me to see him. She is a lawyer, she knows about that stuff. I can't lose my son, Bones. I can't" He said, sitting down and looking at her. She needed to help him.
"Booth, I may not be a lawyer, but I do know something about child custody. I researched it a little after Russ disappeared. If paternity was acknowledged, then you have every right to petition for visitation or even custody. Unmarried fathers aren't likely to receive full custody of the child, but they are definitely allowed to see them. I believe that if you tried to legalize whatever agreement you and Rebbeca have, it would show Parker that you really love him and want to see him more than you do now"
Booth was looking at Brennan. He couldn't stop looking at her. He took a deep breath and said "Are you sure? If I were to go to court, would the judge allow for a regular visiting schedule?"
"If that is all you want, yes. I'm sure. You are a good father, Booth. You have a great record with the FBI. You would need to show that you would be able to actually be present while Parker is with you, but you and I have a lot of contacts, Booth. We can make it happen"
"We?" asked Booth looking at Brennan as if she had lost her mind.
"Of course, Booth. I love Parker, I want him to be happy. I also care for your happiness, Booth. I know how much it hurts you to be unable to see Parker regularly. I want to help. I need to help" she said, smiling at him and lightly touching his left bicep.
"Thanks for that, Bones. I will talk to Rebbeca, but I can't take her to court. I will need a lawyer and they are expensive. I don't have that kind of money and my credit is still destroyed from when I gambled." Looking at his face was heartbreaking.
"Booth, I can pay for the court proceedings," She said and as soon as he started to protest, she added "You can see it as a loan. I will be your bank and, with me, your credit is perfect. I trust you, Booth. I know you are good for it. I would give you the money, but I know you won't allow it, so I offer you a compromise. If you want to go to court and fight for your son, I will lend the money to you."
"I don't think I could, Bones. A boy needs his mother. I did when I was his age. Parker needs Rebbeca, and I couldn't take him away from her. Living with your father is not the same, I needed my mother and she wasn't there. I needed her and she left me with my father. I won't do the same to my son, Bones. I need to convince Rebbeca to keep the schedule. That is all I can do."
"Parker is not you and you are not your father. Talk to him, Booth. He deserves to be happy, and that might not be with his mother. He thinks she doesn't care. He thinks that her job is more important than him. You might have needed your mother, but if your father had not been abusive, everything would have been different. A child needs a parent that loves him, and that puts him above everything else, someone who doesn't run away from them. Talk to Parker, find out what would really be best for him, and not what you think it's best for him because of what happened to you in the past. Parker is not you. Help your son, Booth, but do it with an open mind. What is best for him might be different from what was best for you when you were his age."
"I'll think about it, Bones. I will." He said sighing. "I need to go, it's getting late and I have a lot to think about," he said walking towards the door.
"Booth?" said Brennan when he was entering the elevator.
"Yes, Bones?"
"I meant it, Booth. I care a lot about you and Parker. If you decide to fight, I'm your bank. I once said I could be a duck when you needed your ducks in a row. Now I'm saying I can be your personal bank. I can be whatever you need, Booth." with that she closed the door and cursed in her mind 'where did that last sentence come from?' she wondered. It didn't really matter, though, she knew it was true. She would do anything so he could be happy.