Chapter Nine

"Bones! Have you seen my cell phone?"

"Yes, Booth. It's on the kitchen counter.

"Oh, now I see it. Bones, have you seen that roll of quarters? I went to the bank yesterday specifically to get a roll of quarters. What'd I do with it?"

"It's on the table in the front hall."

"Thanks. Oh, Bones—"

"Stop, Booth!" Brennan exclaimed. "For the past fifteen minutes, all you've been saying is, 'Bones, have you seen this?' 'Bones, have you seen that?' I am not responsible for your misplaced belongings."

"I'm sorry, Bones. I'm just excited," Booth said. "This is the first time Parker and I are going out to do something together in weeks. He's always had a baseball game or been at a birthday party or something. I'm just really excited to finally be able to see him in person for the first time in forever."

"I understand, Booth. I can't imagine how difficult it would be for me to go weeks without seeing Christine," Brennan said. "Does Parker like the zoo?"

"You kidding me? The zoo's one of his favorite spots in the whole city," Booth said. "The penguins are his favorite, but he loves to feed the animals in the petting zoo, too. That's what the quarters are for."

"Mommy, there's a car in front of the house!" Christine signed energetically as she ran into the kitchen.

"That's Parker, Christine," Booth said. "I know it's been a little while, but you remember your big brother, right?"

"I remember everything, Daddy," Christine signed with a serious expression.

Booth laughed. "Good, because he's going to be happy to see you." The doorbell chimed just after Booth finished speaking and signing to his daughter. "Come on, Christine! Let's go get Parker!" Brennan and Booth followed Christine to the front hall and opened the door to see Parker waving goodbye to Rebecca, then spinning around the second he heard the door open.

"Dad!" Parker exclaimed with a grin on his face.

"Hey, buddy!" Booth said with a smile even wider than Parker's as he swept him into a big hug. "Long time, no see, huh?"

"Yeah. I've missed you a lot. And Bones and Christine, too," Parker said as he received a hug from Brennan. "Look what I learned to do." He turned to Christine and slowly started to sign as he spoke. "Hi, Christine. How are you today?"

"I'm good, but I miss you," Christine replied. Parker looked at his dad.

"I'm not that good yet," he said.

"You're great, Parker. That's was awesome," Booth said with a proud smile. "She says she's been missing you." Parker didn't say a word. He leaned over and gave Christine a hug. Booth and Brennan smiled broadly, thrilled to see that Parker and Christine had such a good relationship.

"So Parker, when do want to leave for the zoo?" Booth asked once his two children had separated.

"Right now!" Parker exclaimed. He and Booth said quick goodbyes to Christine and Brennan before they went out to the garage and headed off to the zoo.

"Mommy, why can't I go to the zoo with Daddy and Parker?" Christine asked Brennan once they had been left alone.

"Because you get to see Daddy every day, but Parker only gets to see him occasionally," Brennan explained.

"But I don't get to see Parker every day."

"I know, honey. I would love to go to the zoo as a whole family, too. But we have to let Daddy and Parker have some time alone together," Brennan said. "But while Daddy and Parker get to spend time together, you and I get to spend some time alone together."

"That's true," Christine conceded. "Okay, Mommy. What should we do?"

"Do you want to go to the park?" Brennan asked. Christine shook her head. "Do you want to do a puzzle together?" Christine shook her head. "Then what would you like to do?"

"I want to do something for Daddy and Parker," Christine said. "I want to surprise them."

"We can do that," Brennan said with a thoughtful nod. "Do you have any ideas?" Christine shook her head. "Well, Daddy just got that tent for his birthday from your grandpa that he hasn't been able to use yet. Do you want to set it up in the backyard and go camping tonight?"

"Yes! I've never been camping before!" Christine signed excitedly. "I want to go camping, Mommy! Let's go camping!"

"Okay, Christine, okay," Brennan said with a laugh. "First we should set up the tent, and then we can go to the grocery store together. Do you want to help me set up the tent?" Christine nodded happily. "Well, let's go get it."

Christine and Brennan spent half an hour pitching the large yellow tent Max had given Booth for his birthday a few months before. Once they were finished, Christine was the first to get inside it. She came back out after exploring it with a big smile on her face.

"It's so big!" she exclaimed. "We could fit you and me and Daddy and Parker and Grandpa and Aunt Angie and Uncle Hodgins in it!"

"I'm not sure we would be able to fit all of those people, but I think the four of us could fit quite easily," Brennan said with a smile. "What do we need to do next, Christine?"

"We need to go buy food so we can toast marshmallows and eat dinner outside," Christine replied.

"That's right. Come on, Christine. Let's go to the grocery store."

After a quick grocery run, Brennan and Christine returned home to make their final preparations. Brennan built a fire using her vast knowledge and skills while Christine watched attentively, wanting to be able to build a fire herself. After setting a box of matches outside so they could light the fire later, they brought out camping chairs, flashlights, blankets, sleeping bags, and pillows and got everything situated inside the tent. They had just sat down in the living room when Booth and Parker walked through the door.

"Daddy, Daddy!" Christine signed happily as she ran to greet her father. Booth picked her up and gave her a big hug.

"Hi, Christine," he said with a smile, happy to see how excited Christine was to see him.

"Daddy, guess what?"

"What?"

"I'll tell you if you put me down," Christine signed from Booth's arms. He laughed and put her on the floor. "Mommy and I have a surprise for you."

"Oh, do you?" Booth turned to Parker. "Apparently, she and Bones have a surprise for us."

"I like surprises," Parker said. "Bring it on, Christine."

"I'll show you! Come on, Parker!" Christine grabbed Parker's hand and dragged him towards the back door. Booth shook his head and smiled before he turned to Brennan.

"What have you two been doing all day?" he asked.

"I believe Christine would like to show you that herself," Brennan said, gently grabbing Booth's elbow and leading him out back.

"Whoa! Dad, check this out!" Parker shouted, making Booth hurry outside. He grinned when he saw the tent and strong fire.

"Wow!" he said. "Christine, did you do all this?"

"Mommy and I did it together!" Christine said. "We're all going to sleep out here together, and we got marshmallows and hot dogs for you and Parker, and tofu dogs for me and Mommy."

"Tofu dogs? You eat tofu, Christine?" Booth asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"It's better than a hot dog. Do you know what they make them out of?"

"Do you?"

Christine nodded. "Mommy told me."

"Of course she did," Booth said. "Bones, you couldn't let our kid enjoy hot dogs?"

"If she's going to eat them, she should be aware of what she's putting into her body. You and Parker should, too. They're made of—"

"Whoa, no, no, no! Stop! I'd like to enjoy my hot dog, if you don't mind," Booth said.

Brennan shrugged. "It's your body."

"Show me the tent, Christine," Parker said, pointing to the tent so she would know what he was talking about. She took his hand and led him inside the tent.

"Thanks, Bones," Booth said as he pulled Brennan close to him. "This is really awesome."

"I had a feeling you would enjoy it," Brennan said with a smile. "I'm just glad Parker and Christine are getting along so well. You didn't tell me Parker was learning sign language."

"He didn't tell me. Guess he wanted to surprise us," Booth said.

"Well, it was a wonderful surprise. I'm sure that meant the world to Christine. And to me, too," Brennan said. She gave a satisfied sigh. "I never thought I would have a family. I never thought I wanted a family. But I don't think I've ever been as happy as I have been for the last two and half years. Having Parker here makes me even happier."

"Me, too," Booth said. He and Brennan stood outside the tent for a few minutes, watching Christine and Parker's shadows. Christine was teaching Parker how to say camping terms in sign language.

"Hey, Christine, do you know how to swear yet?" Parker asked his sister.

"Parker!" Booth scolded. But nothing, not even Parker's mischief, could wipe the smiles off of Booth and Brennan's faces.