Chapter Seven:

Brennan pulled the Mercedes SUV into Parker's school to pick him up early to start their extended holiday. She walked into the office to see Parker sitting there with another teacher.

Parker looked up and saw his mother walking in. "Mom!"

"Parker, what are you doing in the office?" She questioned him.

"Let me introduce myself, I am Mr. Carol. I am Ms. Crater's replacement. Parker was causing a disruption in my class today."

Brennan approached Parker, lifting him off the chair and rubbing his back. She had seen his red eyes and tear stained cheeks. She studied the man for a couple of moments. She wished that Booth was there to help her. She had gotten better with reading people, however still didn't feel very comfortable with it. There was just something about him she didn't like. Maybe because he was trying a charm smile on her, something that she had long since become immune to with her son.

"What happened?" She questioned him. There had to be a reason that Parker would act out.

"We were discussing parents and their jobs. Parker told me all about your job but wouldn't talk much about his father's. I told Parker until he could cooperate that he could go stand in the corner."

"I see." She responded. "I understand why Parker wouldn't want to talk about his father's job considering that it was his father's job that took his life. Fathers are a sensitive topic for Parker. Why would you want to talk about this anyway?"

"Their homework assignment is to go home and interview their fathers or another male figure in their life and then to draw a picture about it." He answered.

"Why can't it be their mothers?" She inquired.

"That is coming up next week."

"I will find someone suitable for Parker to interview, but next time do not be so insensitive about a five year old not wanting to talk about their deceased father!" Brennan was hot. She never prodded Parker to talk about Booth and hated it when other people did. The principal came out and gave Brennan a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry. We didn't inform Mr. Carol about Parker's situation. We will rectify this."

"See that you do." Brennan whipped around and signed Parker out of school. He was already resting peacefully on her shoulder, unaware of the adventure they were about to embark on.

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"Mom where are we going?" Parker asked again from his seat. The DVD had ran out about twenty minutes ago, leaving Parker bored, and that was never a good thing.

Angela laughed from the front seat. "I never pictured you as a mother Brennan."

"It's funny how life can change on you like that." She answered her friend. "Park, I told you it is a surprise." The rest of the squints had plowed ahead to check the accommodations and pick up the last little bit of supplies that they needed.

"But if I don't find out, I might just die!" He said in the whiny tone that Brennan had long ago learned to tune out.

"Ah the drama of a five year old." Angela smile, turning around to keep the little boy occupied with a set of crayons and a pad of paper.

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Brennan whipped the SUV onto a dirt drive, carefully following the GPS directions. Parker looked up with the change of direction. "I know this place!" He said excitedly. "There's putt putt, paddleboats, and fishing! Daddy would take me here." He craned his neck around more to see the sights.

Brennan smiled noting the excitement in her sons voice. "Jack and Zack are already here with Cam."

"Cool!" Parker started to unbuckle himself from his seat.

"Park, you know the rules. You have to wait until we are parked to start unbuckling. We will be at the cabin and camp site in a minute. I can see it now." Brennan scolded him. Logically she knew that nothing would really happen to him on a deserted road to the cabin but, then again you never know.

Parker waited obediently for the car to stop and he immediately launched himself out of the car and was running excitedly around the camp site. He ran into the cabin Booth had rented for them and immediately claimed a room as his.

Angela laughed at his exuberance. "Now I know why you didn't want to tell him."

Brennan nodded her head grabbing the last of their gear for the weekend.

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They walked into the cabin and saw that it had only two beds and a couch. Which the guys didn't mind, they were excited to try out the fancy new tent and roll out beds that they had bought. They wanted to "rough it" any way.

Angela tried to explain to them that "roughing it" was far different from two people sleeping in a weather insulated tent for six people, with a built in heater and roll out beds. It was sleeping on the ground, in a sleeping bag in a tent that could be a tarp. She laughed remembering her own times spent with her father. But then again, when comparing it to Hodgins' living situation, she guessed it could be roughing it.

The campfire was started and Brennan pulled out the hotdogs for them to roast over the open fire. She was cautiously watching her son, making sure he didn't burn himself. His hotdog caught on fire, and she walked over to him and helped him blow it out.

"Do you want my hotdog?" She asked looking at his now perfectly black hotdog.

"Nope! Daddy says this is the best way to eat it." He announced proudly. He waited for it to cool down and bit into his food. She ruffled his hair sitting next to him on the log. "Mom can we go fishing tomorrow?"

"That's the plan Bub, that's the plan." She smiled as he put his head in her lap and yawned. It was almost time for his bedtime. He fell asleep in her lap, and she excused herself from the group to put him to bed.

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They sat around the campfire, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. It was amazing, in her observation, on how so many people who were different could band together and become a family. She smiled letting herself for the first time really relax.

"Anyone up for some music?" Angela piped up, running to Brennan's car and grabbing the IPOD and the speakers.

"Sure." Brennan responded, reaching into the cooler and passing out beers to everyone. To her surprise, even Zack took one. Cam gave him a look.

"Drinking is socially acceptable around peers. One won't get me drunk." Zack responded.

Angela came back, "Whatever you say Zack." She smiled at him, helping him pop off the top, which he was trying to unscrew. She didn't want him to hurt himself. He smiled, taking a drink, coughing a little as the bubbly substance went down his throat.

The music started pumping through the speakers and Angela could barely contain herself as her favorite Nelly Furtado song came on. "Promiscuous Girl" filled the speakers. She got up, and dragged her best friend and boss to their feet. "Come on and shake your ass, you know you want to!"

Brennan swayed to the beat of the music, carefree, dancing around the fire. Her mind wondered to the first time they had all gone dancing together at on of the clubs in DC.

Brennan and Booth were starting their courtship and were keeping a secret from the squints. They had all met up at the Jeffersonian and piled into Booth's SUV to reach their destination.

The bouncer had let them cut the line considering he knew Booth from his army days, a world famous author was on his arm, and a well-known clubber was coming in. The smell of smoke immediately filled their senses as they entered the scene. People were milling around, not really dancing.

Angela was a little disappointed at the lack of movement in the club but figured it would begin to jump as soon as the right music got to pumping. She walked up to the DJ and found out he was a sub for someone else. She gave him a long list of songs to start playing. She winked at him, and the music she choose was soon playing over the speakers at the club.

Booth and Brennan smiled at her knowing that she was trying to still get them together. She pulled Brennan off her seat at the bar and brought her out to the dance floor. Booth watched as he saw a whole new side of Brennan come out, her hips were moving rhythmically to Promiscuous Girl, and he could take it. He grabbed his beer from the bar, and walked up behind her joining her in her dance.

She smiled coyly at him, knowing that she was driving him crazy. Angela left the two of them alone and found Hodgins to dance with him, pulling him away from some blonde bimbo not worthy of him. Booth tossed Hodgins a knowing smile, knowing it would only be a matter of time for those two to also admit that they were destined to be together.

The song ended and a slow song, "Brass Bed" came on. Booth pulled her close, whispering "I love you" in her ear. It was the first time he had admitted his love to her. She kissed him, and she swore somewhere she could hear Angela squeal.

Brennan smiled as the song finished, laughing hysterically as Hodgins got to close to the fire, and had caught his sweatshirt on fire. He had to stop drop and roll. Angela ran over to him, and Brennan started laughing.

"No funny Brennan." Hodgins said, laughing himself.

"Alcohol and fires don't mix." An obviously drunk Zack stated, laughing himself. He got up and stumbled a bit. Cam looked over at him.

"Get to bed Zachoroni, we have an excited kid to take fishing tomorrow." Cam told him, making sure he found his tent okay.

Brennan sat by the fire a little longer while the rest went to bed, gazing longingly into it. She felt a pair of eyes on her. "Come out, whoever you are!" She shouted into the woods. There was no answer. She laughed to her silliness, knowing it was probably an animal. She picked up the IPOD, it was hers, not Angela's. She knew because it was still playing their song, "Brass Bed." She listened to the lyrics.

The song finished with Josh Gracin crooning out "Stay with me." She sighed, and still feeling the eyes on her, she shuddered, making her way into the cabin to crawl into bed with the other Booth boy.

AN: Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I highly recommend "Brass Bed" if you haven't heard it yet. Anyway, please review. They feed the soul and rock my socks. Hope you had a good holiday season.