Dang!! My hits have taken a serious drop since no more alerts. This SUCKS! Powers that Be, PLEASE give us back our alerts!!!
Booth's SUV pulled into a parking lot with splitting asphalt and weeds growing in the cracks and parked directly in front of the door. The small lot was mostly deserted, there were only three other cars around.
"This is it?" Brennan asked in disbelief as she got out of the car. She glanced over the worn out building trying not to frown. It essentially looked like a storage warehouse except for the lit neon sign above the door that read, 'Putt-Putt Miniature Golf'.
The Booth men joined her at the front of the car, shielding their eyes from the early summer sun.
"Yeah, I love Putt-Putt. It's so much fun, c'mon I'll show you." Parker grabbed Brennan's arm and pulled her toward the door with surprising strength.
She glanced back at Booth feeling slightly apprehensive, she was still not sure 'motherhood' or anything like it suited her. She could manage it, yes, but she wasn't sure she was good at it. The slightly run down building she was being drug toward didn't boost her confidence much either.
"Don't worry Bones, it'll be fun. I promise." Booth strode past them and held the door open.
"If you say so." She grumbled.
Inside, the large room was lit dimly and their eyes took a moment to adjust. To the left and right were rows and rows of arcade games making random, joyous electronic noises. Some games talked, enticing potential players to try, others simply blinked different colored lights, some played music and still others made noises like ringing bells.
Brennan, who'd never been to an arcade before, listened carefully as Parker explained their routine eagerly to her while simultaneouslytrying to take in her noisy enviroment.
"These are all the games Elmo. After golf we come back inside, get some pizza, and Daddy gives me tokens to play the games. Then I use my tickets and get prizes!"
Parker pointed across the room at a glass counter filled with cheap toys kids love, bouncy balls and costume jewelry abounded. Further behind the counter were electronics and large stuffed animals.
"Parker!" A dark-haired woman came from the pizza area wiping her hands on a dish towel and smiling.
"Ms. Miller!" Parker took off across the room toward the woman.
"So, what do you think Bones?" Booth placed his hand on the small of Brennen's back to guide her further inside the building toward the other woman and Parker.
Brennan furrowed her brow thoughtfully.
"I think this establishment is designed specifically to monopolize on young brains and their euphoric triggers as to release a high amount of seratonin. The blinking lights and all the noise is meant to keep a child interested for longer periods of time, while diminishing their need for other things such as sustenance and relaxation because of the effects of adrenaline and…"
Booth laughed and shook his head.
"What?" Brennen gave him a confused look.
"Nothing Bones, just…"
"Seeley Booth, lot of nerve you have coming in here after so long away." He was interrupted by the dark-haired woman they'd been slowly approaching, as she pulled him into a hug.
"Hi Candace." He said, pulling away. "This is my friend Temperance, Bones this is Candace. I coach her son and Parker on the t-ball team."
Brennan shook the other woman's hand and watched curiously as she gave her the same scrutinizing look Rebecca had.
Then turning to Booth she said, "Good for you Seeley."
Though they were the same words, Brennen noticed she'd spoken in a much more upbeat tone than Rebecca.
Booth nodded and smiled while Brennan gave him a puzzled stare.
"Ms. Miller? Can we play golf?" Parker tugged on the woman's apron.
"Of course you can kiddo. You know where the clubs are."
Parker nodded and Booth and Brennan followed him through the large glass doors that led to the golf area out back.
Parker reached up onto the counter where dozens of small golf putters were lined up in a row. He handed one to his father and one to Brennan.
"What color ball do you want Bones?" Booth slipped his sunglasses on his face and clapped his hands.
Before she could answer Parker began waving his hands wildly and jumping up and down.
"I want blue! I want blue!"
Booth gave him a warning look.
"Please." Parker added quickly
Booth tossed him a blue golf ball and looked expectantly at Brennan.
"Can't I just have white?"
Booth wrinkled his nose. "Why?"
She shrugged.
"I like white."
Booth just shook his head, grabbed a white ball along with a green one, and started toward Parker who was already getting ready at the first hole.
"Alright, you can go first son." Booth produced a scorecard and miniature pencil from his pocket and wrote down their names.
"Watch this Elmo! I'm really good at this." Parker said proudly, carefully lining up his shot, his long blonde curls doing him absolutely no good as he struggled to peer through them.
Brennan watched Parker attentivly as he began his back-swing, and connected with the ball. It ricocheted off the tiny metal walls, rolled across the green Astroturf, and around the corner toward a tiny hole.
"Aww man!" Parker shook his head at the ball as it stopped inches from the hole.
"It's alright Parker, you'll get it next time. You wanna give it a try Bones?" Booth grinned mischievously, knowing she'd never played before.
Temperance glared at him as she walked to where Parker had been standing.
"What? Think I can't do it?"
Booth shrugged innocently, "I have no doubt you can do anything you put your mind to Bones."
He watched the genius doctor wind up for her first shot, ending up missing it entirely.
"Want some help Bones?" Booth offered as Brennan gave the ball a look that might cause it to burst into flames.
"If a child can do it so can I." She declared.
The second time, she did connect. She whacked it so hard it hit the far wall and came right back.
Brennen's face turned red and she glared at the small object. She heard Booth beside her holding back laughter and turned her glare on him.
"What's so funny?" She snapped.
He immediately sobered. "Nothing."
He leaned over, placed his ball on the ground, and hit it with ease. The green ballricocheted in much the same pattern Parker's had and ended it's journey very near the hole. Brennan frowned at his back and moved to take another shot.
Father and son excused themselves to the bathroom to avoid bursting out in laughter in front of her, after her second shot turned out much like the first.
Seven holes and dozens of strokes later, Booth studied the score card. Parker was in first, since Booth didn't think it was right to crush the spirit of a four-year-old. Booth was in second and Brennan brought up third with a score that was almost laughable.
He watched as Brennan got ready to take her turn, frustration and embarrassment evident in the rosy color of her cheeks.
Booth's heart went out to her.
"Bones...just hold on a second."
Brennan stopped and turned to him, pursing her lips as she tried not to curse at him right there. Both Booths had promised her this would be fun.
Temperance Brennen was not having fun.
Booth handed his club to Parker and walked toward his partner.
"First off," Booth took her by the shoulders and moved to stand behind her, "You're playing golf, not hockey, croquet, or shuffleboard."
He pulled her back to him and put his arms over hers, ignoring the way her body stiffened slightly and guiding her hands onto the club.
"Second," He craned his neck so his head was next to hers, resting lightly on her shoulder and talking into her hair, "it's called miniature golf for a reason. Don't hit it so hard."
They're bodies moved as one as he showed her how to swing at the ball, stopping just short of it and leaving it undisturbed.
Brennan felt his breath on her cheek and ear and tried make the pace of her heart go back to normal.
Stop acting like a schoolgirl and pay attention!
"Last," Now he was whispering, taking in her scent and relishing in the warmth of her body against his, "it's just a game Bones. Relax and have fun."
After lingering a second too long, Booth withdrew his hands from on top of hers and backed away.
"Try again." He said gently.
Brennan glanced at him and he gave her a reassuring smile.
He watched as her face took on a concentrated look, almost as intense as when she was studying her bones.
Brennan carefully took aim, swung softer than before and connected with the ball. Her face brightened little by little as the white sphere took it's desired course, banged two walls and disappeared into the hole.
She gasped.
"I did it!" She threw her hands in the air and her face split into a grin.
"Booth! I did it! I did it!" Before she knew what she was doing she was running at the man and wrapping her arms around his neck in a very un-Brennenlike display of excited affection.
Booth got over his surprise at her outburst quickly and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground.
"Yes you did Bones. You did great."
Parker watched happily a few feet away as his Elmo jumped into the arms of his dad, for the second time that he could remember, they acted like kids instead of grown ups. He didn't mind, he liked them like that.
Brennan suddenly realized she was in the arms of her partner and squirmed until he placed her on the ground. Her cheeks were bright red when Booth looked at her, smiling at her discomfort.
"Happy?"
Temperance scowled at his giddy grin.
"Isn't it time for pizza?"
Parker lit up. "Oh yeah! Pizza!" He dashed off for the door and Brennan followed, leaving Booth with a disappointed, but not altogether surprised, look on his face.
The three settled into a small booth at the back of the arcade area and Candace placed a pizza in front of them.
"Can I have some money for tokens?" Parker asked, cheese strings hanging from his chin and his mouth full of pepperoni pizza.
Booth didn't bother telling his son not to talk with his mouth full and simply dug into his wallet for a five-dollar bill. He winked at his curly haired son who returned the gesture quickly and ran away to find a game to play.
Booth laughed and looked at Brennan, who was smiling warmly in Parker's direction.
"Watcha thinkin' Bones?" He wiped his mouth with his napkin and studied her with intense brown eyes.
Brennan sipped her pop and shrugged, picking at her pizza.
"He's a great kid. That's all." She glanced at him and then away again, unsure if she should tell her partner just how attached she'd grown to his son.
Booth nodded, looking toward Parker who was whapping moles on the head with a rubber mallet and loving every minute of it.
"He's in love with you, ya' know." He added nonchalantly.
Brennan's pizza stopped halfway to her mouth. "What?"
"Yup." Booth smiled at her wide eyes full of shoc.
"In fact, he called me the other day to tell me he decided he wanted to be a scientist just like you." he shook his head, "You're actually turning my son into a squint Bones, I may never forgive you."
Brennen smiled easily. "You're welcome."
Their conversation was interrupted with the ringing of a phone.
"Booth."
"Brennen."
It was Booth's phone, Brennen set hers down and pretended not to listen to her partner as he carried on his conversation.
"Major Booth."
Booth sat up straight at the sound of the General's voice, instantly losing his appetite.
"Yeah?"
"We have another assignment for you. The information has been delivered to your apartment. Please take care of it as soon as possible."
Booth felt his blood run cold, the euphoria of having Brennan in his arms and watching Parker play faded instantly as the reality of what the General was saying hit him.
Take care of it as soon as possible. As if I were going to the grocery store for a loaf of bread, not dropping my life and heading out to kill someone.
"Understood." He replied dryly.
Booth shut his phone and stared at his plate, fully aware of Brennan's piercing gaze.
"It's time to go." He mumbled, gathering their things and rising from the booth.
Brennan watched him, frowning, as he threw away their trash and went toward Parker.
In a matter of moments he'd gone from the fun-loving, irritating Booth she knew, to the dark, brooding Booth she'd seen only a few times before.
Times she preferred not to think about.
Brennan got up from the table and walked over to Booth and Parker, getting within earshot just in time to hear the tale end of their conversation.
"But Daddy! I haven't even used all my tokens yet." Disappointed tears began collecting in the corners of the little boys' eyes.
Booth knelt in front of his son.
"I know Buddy. I'm sorry but we really have to get going. I have to get you back to your mom's."
"But…"
"I'll save your tokens for next time okay? Let's go." He stood, ending their conversation before he too started to tear up. He hated disappointing his son more than just about anything.
Grasping Parker's hand Booth headed for the door, feeling Bones behind him. He stopped at the door and waved at Candace, who gave him a half-hearted smile in return.
The car ride back to Rebecca's was quiet, both adults trapped inside their own thoughts while the child in the backseat fought off sleep.
Booth tried to concentrate on driving while a war waged inside him. He knew he had a duty toward his country, he had to follow orders, but his hatred of killing was hard to ignore.
Brennan, on the other hand, was trying to understand why her heart rate had gone up the way it did when Booth touched her along with the puzzle of why he was acting so strange all of a sudden.
Parker started snoring just as Booth pulled up in front of Rebecca's house. Wordlessly, he opened the door and went around back to retrieve his son. Brennan mimicked him, wordlessly getting out and following him to the door.
Rebecca opened it and looked Booth over for a moment. Then she nodded, moved aside and allowed him to carry the sleeping child to his bedroom. Before he rounded the corner out of her sight, Parker lift his head and wave sleepily. She smiled at him.
"Dr. Brennan?" Rebecca waited until the doctor looked at her. "Is Seeley okay?"
Brennan shifted and pushed her hands in her pockets.
"Why do you ask?"
The other woman smiled slightly. "I've known Seeley a long time Dr. Brennan, and in more ways than most people. He's different now than when he picked Parker up earlier. Is everything okay with him?"
Temperance looked back to where Booth had disappeared and bit her lower lip.
"Well Rebecca, my gut is telling me 'no', but I'm rather new at this whole 'follow your instincts' thing…so it might just be indigestion."
Rebecca gave her a strange look and turned when she heard Booth coming back down the stairs.
"Hey, Bones, could I have a minute?" He asked, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.
Brennan nodded and smiled at Rebecca before returning to the car.
Booth turned to his ex. "Thanks for letting me have him this afternoon."
"You're welcome Seeley." Rebecca studied him closely before continuing, "And take care of yourself okay?"
Booth looked stunned for a moment, and then nodded.
"I will."
There you go! If I finish my update for another fic I'm writing at a decent hour, I'll update this one again tonight.
