"Tempe," his soft voice whispered in her ear.
"Ug," she whined. "Leave me alone Russ."
"S'not Russ, Tempe. It's me, Parker Booth," he quietly explained as his small hand began patting her cheek.
Her eyes flew to his face has her hand quickly caressed his forehead and cheek.
"No fever," she murmured. "Are you okay, Parker?"
"I'm hungry," his tone matched his pleading gaze.
"Sounds like we're getting our old Parker back, huh Bones?" Booth's sleepy rumble surprised both Parker and Brennan.
"Maybe," Brennan couldn't hide the smile as she looked from Parker to Booth whose head had lolled against her shoulder.
Casting a glace at the clock, Brennan explained, "Well based on the time, Parker, I believe breakfast would be appropriate and Booth," she nudged, "You probably need to get ready for work."
Patting his knee, she hinted for Booth to move, but her hints were ignored.
"Boooones," he whined. "Let me sleep for a little while longer."
"Fine," she groaned, "but would you please let me up so I can get Parker something for breakfast?"
Shifting his weight slightly, he allowed her escape; flopping into the now vacant couch cushions.
"But," she continued as she stood, "when Cullen chews you out for being late, don't complain to me."
"La la la la," he sang, "I can't hear you."
With a shake of her head, Brennan strolled toward the kitchen and an awaiting Parker.
Parker stood before an open refrigerator door; seeing everything, but nothing at the same time. Brennan recognized that stare. It was one she had herself on many occasions in her all too quiet apartment. Gently lifting Parker from his stance, Temperance sat the little boy on the counter top next to the stove.
"There's nothing for breakfast," Parker stated with a pout. "I've already looked."
"Really?" Brennan questioned as she picked items from different cupboards. "Would you be willing to try something new?"
Parker shrugged an answer as Brennan scurried about in the kitchen.
"This is something my mom would make for me when I wasn't feeling well," she explained as she filled the kettle with water.
"But it has oats in it," Parker's nose scrunched at the words. "It can't be that good."
Temperance smiled at the family resemblance; a resemblance that reminded her of a sleepy FBI agent lying on the couch.
"Booth," she called from the kitchen.
"Whhaaattt?" Booth pouted from the couch.
Brennan remained in the kitchen refusing to answer the prolonged whine and knowing all too well eventually Booth would make an appearance.
Only a few minutes passed before the shuffling of tired, mopey feet approached the kitchen.
"Did you not hear me, Bones?" he asked half awake. "I said 'whhaaattt'."
"Yes, I heard you," she replied as she added the oats to the boiling water.
"Then what did you want?" he asked slightly irritated.
"It's not that I wanted anything," she explained. "I was just wondering if you were planning on going into work."
"Nah," his sarcasm as evident as the circles under his eyes, "I thought I'd just hang around here all day and watch cartoons."
"Well, do you want breakfast before or after cartoons," she inquired just as sarcastically.
"Shower then breakfast, I guess," he surrendered. "What is for breakfast?"
"Surprise," was her simple reply.
"Surprise with oats!" groaned Parker.
"Ewww, come on Bones it's not the 1950's here," he complained with the same scrunched up nose. "Couldn't ya find anything else?"
"How about you both give me a break, huh?" Brennan asked in a playful tone as she whipped the wooden spoon through the air.
Both Booth boys gave a mock salute and headed out of the kitchen – one to the television and the other to the shower.
Temperance finished up breakfast adding maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter to the concoction before spooning it in to three bowls. She summoned Parker to the table for breakfast, but he simply watched her eat as he stirred and poked at the so called breakfast.
"Are you not hungry?" Temperance asked as she finished the last bite of her oatmeal.
Parker answered with a shrug and, "I think I'm gonna wait on Daddy."
At Parker's statement, Booth emerged from the hallway only in his dress pants as he pulled his undershirt over his head.
"Why are you waiting on me?" he asked, tugging at the hem of his shirt.
"Breakfast," Parker answered bleakly.
"Torture together, huh?" Booth nodded in agreement as he sat down.
Brennan was standing behind her chair at the table. "It's not bad, I promise," she urged.
Booth leaned toward Parker and whispered, "This is coming from a woman who has probably eaten roaches for dinner in some country we've never heard of."
"I have actually," she clarified. "Ate roaches that is, but it was definitely in a country you've heard of."
"YUCK!" exclaimed Parker.
"I agree," nodded Booth.
"If you aren't going to eat, just say so," she huffed as she reached for Booth's bowl.
He shooed her hand away before dragging his spoon through the tan colored mixture. Raising the spoon to his lips, Booth cast a worried look in Parker's direction before reluctantly darting his tongue out to taste.
"Hey, hey, hey," Booth joyfully announced, "this isn't half bad Bones. It's actually quite good."
Gathering another heap onto his spoon, Booth nodded encouragingly toward Parker.
"You've gotta try this Parks," he insisted with a full mouth.
A wide smile crossed Brennan's lips as she watched the pair devour the contents of their bowls and ask for seconds.
"Where did you learn to make this?" Booth asked between bites.
"Her mom," Parker quickly answered. "Right, Tempe?"
Booth lowered his spoon back to the bowl, silently asking if she was alright.
"I'm fine Booth," her face felt flush from the immediate and intimate attention.
Booth nodded at her answer and focused his attention back to his breakfast.
Booth and Parker finished the rest of their oatmeal in typical father son conversation. Parker pleaded enough to convince Booth to watch one cartoon with him before leaving for work, but Booth didn't seem to mind the compromise. Brennan cleared away the mess insisting Booth's compromise with Parker must be upheld. Once the kitchen was clear, Brennan padded into the living room.
"Booth," she announced her presence, "I'm going to grab a quick shower…"
She paused when she realized that only Parker was occupying the couch.
"Where's your dad?" she questioned.
"He needed to finish getting ready for work," Parker explained while his eyes remained glued to the television screen.
Brennan sighed hoping this would not be the scenario she'd have to face, but a shower before Booth left was in order.
Leaning against the door frame, Brennan silently watched Booth's motions, his patterns, his routine and finding it warming, comforting. After several moments, Temperance straightened her posture and cleared her throat.
Snatching Booth's attention, he smiled, "Hey Bones did see you standing there. You need something?"
"A shower," she explained. "Would you mind?"
"Not at all Bones," he answered as he buttoned the cuffs on his dress shirt. "The bathroom's all yours. I just need to finish up in here if that's alright with you."
"That's fine," she answered as picked her bag up from the floor and made her way into the master bath.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter.