AN: Ok, so I clearly haven't died or dissapeared, and am sorry for taking waaay to long to update but.. I haven't been very inspired to write and just couldn't do it.. anyways.. thanks for all the reviews you have made and the PMs you've sent to check on me! I really appreciate it!
In this chapter, I use a form of entertainment that didn't exist at the time this story would have happened, but I'm taking slight liberties in the timeline. For more information of the place discribed, go to the AN at the end of the chapter.
I hope you like it!
Caroline had asked Booth to create a "Visitation Plan or VP" and to present it to Rebecca. The prosecutor had told him that the best outcome was to come to an agreement with his ex and show it to the Judge. He had done it, detailing weekdays, weekends, holidays, birthdays and every special date he could think about. It was so detailed, that even his partner had been impressed. He smiled. He couldn't stop the happiness that his new relationship status with the anthropologist brought forward in him.
The VP was finished and it was time to talk to Rebecca. It was good timing, because Parker was currently staying with him and he was planning to show it to her after dropping the boy off at her house. It could wait though, as his partner had decided to take them to a day of fun. It was a surprise, but he couldn't wait to find out what she had in mind. He had made her promise not to take them to anything too cultural, so he was not worried. Even if she did, though, he would sure enjoy the fact that he was giving his boy a "family day".
"Ready to go, Booth?" Bones asked him entering his room.
"Sure Bones, Did you check on Parker?"
"Yes, he is ready and is very excited" she answered smiling.
"Daddyyyyyyyyyyy hurry up! I reaaaally want to know what Dr. Bones surprise is!" He smiled at his son and followed him outside.
Bones had been driving and he took a long time to figure out they were going to the DC Armory, but there they were. While it had potential, it was probably going to be an exhibit of some kind. Well, he could enjoy the day with his little family anyway. On the entrance, though, he changed his mind about possible boredom. There were Dinosaur photographs all over the place, some real-size models and a few movies showing their history. Bones had brought them to a hands-on Dinosaur Exhibit! Parker was going to be very happy about it, and some of the activities he could see in the posters did look like fun. She had chosen right.
"Dinosaurs! Yeyyyyyyy!" Squealed Parker "Thanks Dr. Bones!"
"It does look fun, doesn't it Parker? Why don't we go check out which activities look the most appealing?" she answered the boy.
"Yes! Let's go!" He grabbed Bones hand and started dragging her towards the entrance desks. He followed them quickly.
The place had several interesting activities and Parker chose to become a Paleontologist for the day so he could touch bones like his Dr. Bones and learn all about the Dinosaurs at the same time.
They had a lot of fun cataloguing different bones, learning about them and using the "Dino Bone Scanner". Parker even tried to scan his own arm to figure out what it could say about what was inside him. The paleontologist leading the activity had to explain that the scanner was made only for dinosaur bones, and that it didn't work with humans.
They had lunch inside the Armory and then decided to go to the Cretaceous Challenge Zone and compete as a family. They had a lot of fun, and ended up exhausted. Booth included.
After having a fun-filled day, they decided to get some Pizza and eat while watching a movie. Nobody had any interest in cooking or even having to do much of anything.
Booth and his partner settled in his couch, with "Finding Nemo" playing on the TV and Parker in between them. Booth couldn't help but smile at how Parker was cuddling against Bones at his left while using his right hand to hold his father's right.
The pizza arrived and they ate quietly, watching the adventures of little Nemo. Booth had seen this movie plenty of times, but Bones was entranced by it. It was very cute. She and Parker discussed plenty of things about the movie, postulating theories about Dory, Nemo and his family.
After the movie, Parker asked if his Dr. Bones could take him to bed, and Booth had nothing against it, so his partner and son left soon enough so the tired little boy could sleep. He couldn't avoid hearing what they were talking, though, as his apartment wasn't very big.
"I had a lot of fun today, Dr. Bones! Thank you for taking me to see the Dinosaurs!" said his little boy.
"You are very welcomed, Parker. I had a lot of fun too and I was hoping you would too"
"I did! I love you Dr. Bones" answered his boy. His heart burst with happiness hearing him say that. What would Bones do?
"I love you too, Parker. Very much" she said softly.
That was when he realized he couldn't wait anymore. He had been pacing his and Bones relationship as to avoid freaking her out, or himself screwing up too bad. However, there was no need for that. He loved Bones, she loved him back and she was all in. She was telling his son she loved him, just as she had told him a couple of times. She was committed to him, had fully taken down her walls. He was being a coward and very stupid and it was time to end it. He would show her he was all in too.
Sunday was very nice too, even if it was completely different from the day before. He and Parker met Bones in the park and they agreed to hang out there. The boy taught the anthropologist the basics of Baseball and she caught on quickly enough. They spent a very enjoyable afternoon playing and having fun, especially Bones and his son, who ganged-up on him to make him lose. It was very entertaining watching them try. They even succeeded a couple of times.
After such a nice weekend, Parker was very distraught about going home, and he started crying even before they finished strapping him to his car seat. He asked to stay with his father, to not be taken home and to have them stay with him at Rebecca's. Every possibility he could think of, he asked for. But reality was difficult and Booth needed to talk to Rebbeca. They did agree that Booth and Rebecca would talk for a while and Parker could stay with Bones during that period.
Booth sighed. Rebecca was in front of him and wasn't taking his custody plans very well. Currently, she was ranting about how out of place he was for wanting to take anything to a judge, that he was lucky she even agreed to any sort of visitations right now and that he should be counting his lucky stars that she had the grace to allow him to see Parker once a month. At first, Booth started regretting his plan and thinking maybe his ex was right, seeing his son once a month was better than nothing, after all. After the woman mentioned how she could eliminate even the chance of Parker seeing him, he started thinking of ways for taking everything back and returning to normalcy. He doubted himself. He doubted his ability to be a good father for Parker. Maybe he was being selfish. maybe he should simply go.
A loud squeal from upstairs broke his train of thought.
"Dr. Bones! don't eat me.. nooooooo!" they heard, quickly followed by the pitter-patter of childish footseps.
"Then you will have to run faster! Little T-Rex" answered Bones and growled. They were playing dinosaurs! That was all it took for him to realize that he had been misled by self-doubt. His son needed him, and his Bones, and he would get them. He ascertained himself, took a deep breath and started defending his plan.
"Look, Rebecca, this can be much easier if you cooperate. Fair visitation rights are never denied as long as the father isn't addicted to drugs or alcohol, or physically abusive. As I am none of those, the Judge will grant me this plan fairly easily. If you don't agree, we will have to hire an attorney and spend time and money in getting the exact same result. It would not be convenient for neither you nor me," He stated clearly.
"Oh, don't pull this BS on me, Seeley. I know you don't have enough money to hire a child custody lawyer. You will not fight me on this. Stop lying and leave. Parker is mine and you have no legal rights to him," Answered Rebecca angrily.
"That might have been true, but it's not anymore. I have not only acquired the money needed for the lawyer, but have also reached out to a few law-enforcement friends to get some pretty good advice". He was so mad at her! She was manipulating him to drop his case. That would not be happening!
She sighed, defeated.
"Ok, I will sign the agreement" she said, while taking a pen and writing her name down on top of a dotted line which said "Rebecca Stinson, Mother of the child".
Booth smiled and felt as if a weight had been taken from his shoulders.
"Thanks, Becca" he said tenderly.
"Yeah, whatever. Now, please leave. It's late and Parker needs to wind down before he goes to bed" she said while standing up and leaving the room.
He called Bones and his son, saying that they were leaving and they arrived running around and with happy eyes and faces. He smiled again; she was so good to him.
Once Parker figured out that his Dr. Bones and Daddy were leaving, his eyes watered and started having trouble breathing.
Booth took his son into his arms, cuddled him and told him "It's ok, buddy. I will see you next Friday when you go to Bones office for some tutoring, you will tell me all about your week and the pictures you draw of the dinosaurs, and of all of us playing baseball and the plushy T-Rex you got for Show and Tell. You won't even notice and it will already be Friday. It's going to be ok, bub. I promise"
Parker was crying silently while hugging his father "I love you, Daddy" he said in a whisper.
"I love you too, buddy. More than anything else in the world" he answered equally quiet.
"Come on, Parker. Let your dad go. You need to go to bed soon anyways"
Parker looked at his mom, nodded and let go of his father.
They left and entered the SUV with their hearts broken by the little boy's tears. Booth looked towards his son's bedroom and saw him watching from the window. He told Bones about it and she rolled the window down. She mimicked sending the boy a kiss and they both saw the child smile sadly. He caught the kiss, returned it, and then waved back.
Booth started the car, waved again and started driving. By the time they turned the corner, Bones was still turned around waving at his son's window.
"Oh, god, Booth. I don't know how you do that every time. It metaphorically broke my heart," she said, with a tear running down her cheek. He gently wiped it from her face.
"Don't worry Bones; everything is going to be Ok. We will fix it, and it will stop happening" He grabbed her hand over the center console and she calmed down. They were in it together.
AN: So the Dinosaur exhibit truly exists, I foun it while googling. I have never been to the place nor the Armory, so something might be wrong with the details. If it is, I´m sorry. Anyways, the link to the event is: eventsdc NewsRoom / News / Dinosaur - Time - Trek . aspx
Love!
Em
