A/N - A little bit more Parker! A showering Booth! Brennan bathing! What more could you ask for?!

(I know I know, slinks away mumbling. I promise it's coming...eventually.)

R&R! Reviews feed my soul and Josiah loves to read them!

Chapter 26 Getting Clean

Booth ripped his clothes off and threw them into a heap in the corner mumbling to himself about timing and partnerships. Walking into the shower, he turned one on so he could stand under it and process what was happening with Bones.It can't be any harder to be together than it is to fight to preserve the darned line. If we're honest with ourselves we crossed the line a long time ago. Maybe not to the extent of me and Cam, but we crossed it. And Brennan's been in danger many times without me being the cause, so why should I use that as an excuse? He let his mind wander just a bit left of center... What would it be like to have her completely focused on me. Wow. All that pent up energy, scientific knowledge. Yeh some of that just has to be useful in bed. Bed? Whoa. Okay I've gone to fantasyland in the past and she's been there, but now we're talking about the possibility of the real thing. Scary. Scary? Ok, I can go with that, scary, but in a good way. He adjusted his thoughts to a more imminent event. I wonder what it'll be like to kiss her. Those lips against mine. And to have permission to touch her hair and tangle my fingers in it. Maybe trail a few kisse --...

"Daddy? Dr. Bones said I stink and should come join you." Parker stood outside the now steamy shower.

Ack, clear your mind Seeley. Clear it. Focus. Now.

"Parker. Um yeh come on in Bud! I'll turn the other shower on and we can both get clean." Parker quickly disrobed and moved under the second shower head giggling about the gifts.

"The box had my name on it Daddy!" He exclaimed with a grin as Booth lathered him up, then did the same with himself.

"Really Parker! That's so cool that Dr. Bones got you a Valentine's present!" I wonder what she got him. Knowing Bones I should probably worry that it's something scientific.

"There was something with your name on it too Daddy, but I don't know what it is." He squirmed as Booth rubbed shampoo into his hair. "Is everything okay Daddy? Dr. Bones seemed tired."Tired? She seemed tired. I didn't notice, I was too busy analyzing her words. Good going Seeley you're supposed to be the people person. "Well Bud she's probably a little tired after her tumble into the ravine. She hurt her ankle pretty bad, maybe she just needs to rest for a bit. What happened out there earlier anyway?"

Parker bit his lip, thinking as he stood under the shower stream and rinsed off. "Well we went to the stream and saw your roses." I wonder if she liked them.. "We saw some deer tracks on the trail and then we went down to the pond and found dog tracks. I don't think Dr. Bones liked the idea of wild dogs." After Kenton, who could blame her. Booth shuddered involuntarily at the thought of how close he had come to losing her. Moving back under the stream he rinsed off in the hot water, a minute later it turned frigid. "Gah!" Jumping back from the cold he quickly shut the shower off. I guess Bones decided to shower too, with her ankle? She probably opted for a bath. Oh crap, visual. Focus Seeley, find out how she got hurt!

Handing a towel to Parker and grabbing one for himself the Booth men quickly dried off and moved into the bedroom. "Go ahead Bud, I'm listening." Booth said as he moved to the dresser and began to throw clothes on the bed.

"Then we started walking again and heard a bird. Dr. Bones said it was a Red- um hawk." Parker pulled his Blue's Clues sweatshirt over his head and reached for his underoos and Blue's Clues sweatpants.

"A red-tailed hawk?" Booth supplied as he pulled on boxers and sweatpants.

"Yeh, that's it, a red-tailed hawk. Anyway Dr. Bones said he was warning the other bird to get out of his territory and away from his mate." Hmmm, sounds like someone I know...

"Do you remember what the other bird was?" The words partly muffled as he pulled a long sleeve t-shirt over his head.

"I think it started with an O, she was surprised he was still in the area." An O? Huh. I'll ask her later. "Anyway we were walking toward the dam and watching them. Then a second hawk joined the first one, Dr. Bones said it was probably his mate. They chased the O Bird toward the mountain. Dr. Bones was really quiet while we watched him go, and then she tripped. I tried to warn her about the rise, but it was too late, I guess she wasn't listening to me fast enough." Listening fast enough? Oh Parker you are so adorable. She was probably lost in thought...About the birds? Hmmmm. What about the birds Bones? What had you so distracted? They finished getting dressed and went out to start a fire.

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Once she had decided to take a bath Brennan tried to figure out the best way to move around. It was kind of convenient to have him carry me, although mildly irritating. But at least my ankle's a little numb from the ice and Motrin, maybe I can make it to the counter so the snow doesn't melt everywhere and then to the bedroom for clothes and bathroom to start the tub and enjoy some bubbles. Standing up she tested her injury. Not too bad. Then tried to walk. Ow ow ow. Then hop. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, everything is shaking, Booth will hear and come out in a rage that I'm moving.

As a last resort she sat on the floor and listened for the shower. Satisifed that they were still getting clean, she crawled the rest of the way to the counter, reaching up she deposited the towel in the sink, then she changed direction and crawled to her bedroom. Collecting her clothes she held her top in one hand and her pants in the other. With her bra in her mouth she finally crawled to her destination and started the water, grinning as she heard a startled scream from the other bathroom. Guess they weren't done yet. Oops. Sorry Booth! Well actually I'm not sorry about you, I just hope Parker was out already.

After setting her clothes on the bench and pulling herself up using the sink she looked around. On the other end of the bench toward the tub was a ledge, it's contents gave her butterflies. Jasmine bubble bath and shower gel, he really knows me too well. She poured two capfulls of bubble bath under the running water. He did put a lot of thought into having me come up here. We might just be able to make this work. As she sank into the water letting the bubbles cover her, she breathed a sigh of contentment. Ok Brennan, how about we ban thoughts of Seeley Booth until after our bath, deal? Deal.

Thinking over her day she had to smile at thoughts of Parker. He is just too cute! And so much fun, ready to learn. Always asking questions, not always satisfied with the answers. Thinking of their walk, her mind returned to the birds that were the cause of her current condition, remembering her thoughts from earlier. They were so free, and yet they were together. He tried on his own to ward off the intruder, but then his mate came to help him and they did it together. That's a solid partnership. Not unlike Booth and I. There goes my deal. Oh well. We're both independent, yet we solve crimes together. I couldn't do it completely on my own, I need him in the field and he couldn't read the bodies and bones like I do, he needs me in the lab and then together we go catch the criminals. Proud of her rational thinking her next thoughts came out of nowhere to blindside her. And when I'm trying to bury myself and ward off life, he comes in to show me how great it can be. How to truly enjoy the moments we have together. Now I'm getting sappy on myself. I am not sappy. What is this man doing to me? I feel like mself, but then I keep getting these thoughts that don't fit. How am I supposed to just pretend that there's nothing? As she carefully rose to dry off she recalled her words from earlier and smiling to herself she realized, she didn't have to pretend anymore.

A/N - And you know you've done the walking, hopping, crawling thing when you hurt your foot or ankle too - admit it :-)

Who loved the opening 5 words?