You are all allowed to throw things at me. I suck at updating apparently lol. This story is on the top of my things to do now though so if you like it...it should be updated pretty regularly now. Review Away! xoxo -sgh
Brennan groaned as she felt the sunlight hitting her face harshly through slits in the blinds. Turning over and sighing before pulling herself out of bed she grabbed one of Booth's sweatshirts and padded out of the bedroom. She heard voices and excited laughter coming from the kitchen and she smiled, remembering the previous evening suddenly. She turned the corner and saw the excited little boy grabbing syrup from the fridge and bringing it to the table, spotting her when he turned around and squealed loudly "Bonessss! Daddy said we had to let you sleep but I didn't want you to miss breakfast…We made pancakes!!!" His excitement was contagious and she couldn't help but squat down and hug the boy tight. Ruffling his curly hair as she stood she turned to Booth who had paused in his cooking endeavor to lean down and give her a chaste kiss. "Morning!" he greeted her cheerfully before returning to his cooking.
She returned the sentiment and grabbed strawberries from the fridge. Beckoning Parker over she asked if he would help her with the fruit and caught a thankful glance from Booth who seemed to have run out of ideas to occupy the boy. She lifted him up and set him on the counter next to the sink. Opening the plastic container she told him to run them under the tap to get all the dirt off and then place them on the paper towel she laid on the counter. He nodded and started with his job, being very thorough she noted. As he laid the fruit down she cut off the leafy tops and sliced them, placing them in a bowl. After about 5 minutes they had washed and sliced the entire container and she gave Parker a high five before setting him back on the floor.
Booth had been watching them for about a minute now and was amazed at how they worked so well together. Clapping his hands he declared "Breakfast is served guys! Lets dig in!" Brennan urged the boy to the table as she threw out the scraps from her fruit. Placing the bowl on the table next to the pile of pancakes she avoided making any health remarks when she saw the amount of syrup the boy was using. A moment later she decided he must have inherited his love for processed sugar from his father who also used a similar amount. Shaking her head with a smile she spooned some fruit atop her pancakes and began to eat.
Breakfast was filled with easygoing banter and as promised, plans for their next weekend together. After much debate it was decided that they would go to the zoo and then have a movie night with as much popcorn as they could eat. Noticing his girlfriend's silence during the meal he waited until Parker had run to wash up and get ready to go home before mentioning anything. As they carried the dishes into the kitchen he asked softly "You are going to come with us to the zoo, right Bones? If you don't like the zoo I'm sure we can go somewhere else…" He trailed off nervously and looked at her. He had a dream last night that she had left. She had decided that this was all too much, too soon…too intense for her to take. He woke in a sweat, panting and couldn't calm down until he held her. Breathing in her scent and feeling her warmth. It was irrational but her silence and detachment this morning made him wonder if the dream was predicting her behavior. He had a bad history with dreams though so the theory didn't strike him as entirely impossible.
Looking up at him she saw pure, unrestrained emotion that almost looked like fear, in his eyes. Shaking her head she started the tap and grabbed the dish soap. "I'm not coming to zoo with you and Parker…not because I'm angry or don't want to spend time with you, I actually feel quite the opposite, but because this is your first time with him as with your new 'dad powers' as Parker described it to me...It's a big deal Booth and I'm not imposing myself on you. I know you and Parker could use some alone, grown up guy bonding time as Angela would say" She paused and looked over "I'm not leaving you, I'm not scared. I'm giving you space, both of you."
Booth looked at her like she had two heads. The last thing he wanted from her was space…quite the opposite in fact. He ran through it in his mind…the time had come to unveil his grand plans. This was not how he planned it but since when had she gone by a plan? Smiling he realized he was just standing there, probably affirming her notion that he wanted her to back off. Reaching over he opened the cupboard and grabbed a small box from behind the travel coffee mugs. He walked closer and shut off the tap and handed her a towel wordlessly. Watching as she dried off her hands slowly, he began "Listen Bones. I love you. More than you know really. The thought was great but Parker…well he is going to be sad if you don't come. I think he chose the zoo so you could tell him all about the animals, so he could impress his friends and teacher. He loves you too. We both…we want you around. For awhile if you will have us" He paused and opened the box in his hand revealing two identical silver bands. At her gasp he chuckled lightly. "It's not what you think, calm down. These are promise…or commitment rings. One for me and one for you…It's kind of cheesy but I know how you feel about marriage and I wanted a way to show you…well if you don't like it we don't have to do it…" He was stopped by her fingers on his lips.
"Booth" she said simply waiting for him to continue, coherently. She watched his face patiently, urging him on with her eyes "It's ok. I'm not running."
He nodded and took a deep breath "So these rings…I had them made for us. They say 'partners', but are a reminder that we are so much more. And if you have a change of heart and decide you are open to the idea of marriage then you know I am more than willing to go that extra step with you. I…I want you in my life Temperance and Parker wants you in his." He finished and waited for her reply. When she said nothing at first he started mumbling "Yeah, I wasn't sure about the rings. Was it too fast? Or do you want something different? You name it and it's yours"
When she finally met his eyes again she was trying to restrain the tears that were threatening to fall. She answered with a smile though, "The rings…they are perfect Booth." She paused and took a deep breath "I would love to wear your ring Booth and make that promise to you. You still have a ways to go on the marriage argument though" she finished jokingly. She saw his grin and felt him slip the silver band on her finger where it fit perfectly. She took the larger ring and put it on his finger and kissed him gently.
They stood there for a moment before they heard Parker coming down the hall and proclaiming "I'm packed and ready to go dad…and bones!" he added after he turned the corner.
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Sooo. likey? don't like? feel free to give me ideas/constructive crit!