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Safety First

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"Okay, bub," Booth says. "Now, this is the first day I've gotten to take you to the park by yourself, so you and I have to be really careful."

"Why?" his young son asks.

"'Cause otherwise Daddy's going to get into big trouble."

"Twouble, huh?"

"That's right. So come here, please."

He does, and Booth reaches onto a nearby bench to pull off a few things. Parker stands still as he ties the padding over all of the boy's joints, as well as his head.

"It's kinda heavy, Dad," Parker's muffled voice comes through a piece of fabric.

"Yeah, but it's to protect you."

"From what?"

"Well, if you fall and hurt yourself this padding will make sure you don't get hurt."

"Like armor?"

"Exactly. Think of yourself as a knight in shining armor."

"Lisa says those don't exist."

"Well, Lisa's wrong. Now go out and have fun," he says and gently nudges his son forward. Parker looks at him dubiously before running off.

"Knight in shining armor?" a voice repeats from behind him and he turns to see his partner, her hair tied back in a pony tail and something that looks suspiciously like a salad in her hands.

"Yeah." He leans back and regards her from his twisting position, "What are you doing out here, Bones?"

"It was a beautiful day and I decided to take a walk," she says and easily slips over the fence separating them.

"From where?"

She gestures behind her and sits next to him. "Sid's."

"Ah."

She looks at Parker. "What's with all the padding?"

"Just wanted to make sure he kept safe."

"You seem to feel a need to ensure that with everyone around you," she forks what is indeed a leaf of salad and pops it in her mouth. "Even though you forgo the same precautions with yourself."

"Like when?"

"When was the last time you wore a seatbelt?"

"That's in case I need to bail out of the car in a hurry."

"Well, you would. Through the windshield."

He snorts at the same time Parker manages to fall off the monkey bars. Leaping up, he calls, "You alright?" already half-way to his son.

"I'm fine," Parker says and then attempts to roll over. "But I can't get up."

Booth laughs and pulls him up, "There you go, bub. All set."

He quickly skitters away.

"You see?" the agent says, walking back over to Brennan. "Safety first."

She raises an eyebrow as Parker falls over again, having tripped in the sandbox. "Apparently at the expense of free movement."

"Eh," he says, getting up again. "Technicalities, Bones. Technicalities."

She laughs as he walks away.

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