Booth was busily cooking when he heard the buzzer at the door. Willow was at his side in a moment.
"Do you want me to look after this?' she asked, gesturing at the cooking. Booth nodded and hurried to answer the door, Parker bouncing along at his heels. Willow stirred the spaghetti Bolognaise sauce with the spoon Booth had handed to her, making sure it wasn't sticking to the bottom. It looked like a lot, since there were only four of them but then, she considered, there was going to be two full grown men at the table and little boys liked their food as well, if her memories of Xander growing up were anything to go by.
At the door, Booth had buzzed Jared in and left Parker in charge of opening the door for his uncle. Booth thought about Jared's reaction, how his younger brother had snorted and dissolved into laughter, commenting, as Booth predicted, on how many times Seeley had lectured him on the importance of engaging in safe sex and using contraception or abstaining entirely until after marriage, and yet Seeley was the one of the brothers with two illegitimate children to two different mothers, of whom Seeley had married neither. Still, Jared had been pleased for Seeley and has expressed his enthusiasm towards meeting his niece.
Booth sighed when he heard the apartment door being opened by Parker and his joyful yell.
"Hi, Uncle Jared, guess what. I've got a big sister. We spent this morning playing at the playground together and then Daddy made us hot chocolate and it was really yummy and warm," Parker babbled as Jared crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him. He took off his jacket and scarf and folded them before putting them on the hall table. Then he scooped down and picked up Parker, who laughed as Jared gave him a bear hug.
"That's awesome, buddy, do you want to show me your sister?"
"Yeah." Parker smiled and Jared put him down. Parker led Jared through the apartment. Booth had relieved Willow of the mixing spoon, so she was setting the table.
"Willow, this is Uncle Jared. Uncle Jared, this is my big sister, Willow."
"Hi." Willow smiled. Jared grinned. When Seeley had told him that Willow looked like Carmen, he'd never expected the resemblance to be so uncanny. He remembered Carmen from when she and Seeley had been dating and had been sad when he'd learned of her death. He had accompanied Seeley to her funeral, as had Rebecca.
"Hey, just call me Jared, if you want," Jared said, offering Willow his hand to shake. Willow took it.
"Um, okay. Sorry, I'm still getting around this whole other family thing," Willow apologized. Jared nodded understandingly.
"It's okay. I can imagine it would be a little weird. So, you're from California? Which part?" he asked, changing the topic a little.
"Sunnydale, it's about two hours north of L.A.," she replied. Jared nodded.
"That's nice. I'll bet it doesn't get this cold there though."
"Nowhere near this cold," Willow admitted, tugging the sleeves of her jumper down a little so they could cover her hands, even through Booth had turned the heater on the moment that they got back from the park.
"Oh, that reminds me. Speaking of the weather, there's going to be a huge storm tonight, Seeley, I heard them talking about it on the radio on the way over," Jared told his brother, who nodded.
"Okay, Jared, thanks for the heads up. You'll be okay to get home?"
"Yes, Seeley." Jared rolled his eyes meaningfully at Willow and Parker, who both giggled.
"Why don't you two go and wash your hands? I'm just about done here." Seeley said, as he strained the water from the pasta he had coked. Willow hurried off and Parker followed at her heels. Booth glanced at his brother.
"You were right. She looks a lot like Carmen. Acts a lot like her too. Quiet and shy."
"Yeah, very smart too. When she met the squints, she was able to understand what they were saying. I even saw her having lengthy chats with Bones and Zach."
"Zach? He the one who went over to Iraq over the summer?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
"How's he coping?" Jared asked, curious about how squints were able to manage the brutality of war.
"He took a month to settle down. He was acting a little strange early on, stranger than normal for Zach, anyway, but he's been managing okay since then. I haven't really been talking to him about it though," Booth admitted, realizing that maybe he should do more for the younger squint, annoying as he may be. Booth knew that Hodgins and Angela were busy with trying to track down her husband and getting a divorce, so they were too strapped for time to try and help Zach with post-war trauma and Booth doubted Zach would go to Sweets. Brennan hadn't told him about Zach going to her for guidance, so it seemed likely that he hadn't talked to anyone. Booth resolved to deal with the situation. Zach might not be his favorite squint but he was still a member of Booth's team, and as such Booth wasn't going to let Zach keep trying to get over this on his own.
"Hey, Seeley, you with me?" Jared asked and Booth realized that he'd zoned out on his brother. He shook his head and continued serving up the pasta and sauce that he'd cooked up.
"Yeah, sorry, just got lost in my thoughts. So, what's new with you?"
Jared shrugged. "Well, I haven't discovered nay illegitimate love children recently, unlike some other people." He smiled. Booth glared at his younger brother.
"Don't go saying that in front of Willow. She's insecure enough as it is."
"Insecure?" Jared asked, concern for Willow written on his face. Booth sighed, glancing to make sure Willow and Parker weren't returning.
"I get the slight impression that Willow's adoptive parents weren't around a whole lot for her. She talks more about her friends as her family than her actual adopted family. I don't know enough to be sure and you know how slow the court system is. By the time anything would get done, Willow would be eighteen."
"She got good friends?" Jared asked. Booth nodded.
"Oh, yeah. They all care a lot about each other, they all watch out for her and their families do too. If I tried to force her away from that, she'd never forgive me."
The two men fell quiet as they heard Parker and Willow retuning and Booth and Jared quickly washed their hands before Booth carried the plates over to the table. Jared entered the kitchen, and got drinks ready, a bottle of beer each for him and Booth and a glass of soda each for Parker and Willow. Parker and Willow sat at the table and the two men joined them.
Booth couldn't help but glance around the table as they began to eat. His brother, his daughter, his son and himself, together for the first time. Booth was surrounded by his family and yet it felt as if something was missing. Sure, his pop wasn't there—he was at his nursing home on the outskirts of the city but Booth wasn't sure that it was his pop that was missing. It took him a moment to realize that it was Bones that he was missing. Over the last few years of them working together as partners, he'd come to view her as a part of his family. He supposed that all of the squints had wormed their way into his heart, his earlier concern over Zach was evidence of that, but it was Bones that had found her way to the deepest part of his heart, the part usually reserved for Parker and now Willow. Not even Jared had made it that far into Seeley's heart but Bones had and she'd completely unknowingly made herself quite comfortable there.
BtVS/BONES
Willow watched her father as she ate, the pasta and sauce being much tastier than she'd expected. He was obviously deep in thought. Parker and Jared were talking about Christmas and Parker was happily babbling away about how, on Christmas afternoon, he would get to exchange presents with them all. Because he had no children himself, Jared almost always volunteered to work on Christmas day, so his colleagues that had children didn't need to. This year was no different, but he would catch up with Booth, Parker and Willow at some point in the week following Christmas, as he normally did.
"Hey, Parker. How does going to the diner on Christmas day for dinner sound? We can invite Bones, if you want," Booth suggested randomly. Parker almost jumped up and down in his seat.
"Yes, please, Daddy. Have you met Dr. Bones?" Parker turned to ask Willow. Willow smiled and nodded.
"I went to the lab's Christmas party last night."
"The lab is so cool. They study lots of dead bodies and things and lots of bones. When I go there, Angela lets me do lots of drawings and Dr. Jack and Zach let me help do experiments. It's so much fun there and sometimes I get shown around the museum and Dr. Bones makes it really funny when she talks about the dinosaurs," Parker babbled.
Willow smiled. Parker so obviously loved going to the Jeffersonian. Maybe he would grow up to have an interest in science as well. She glanced sideways at her father, and the grin widened as he laughed at what Parker had said. Willow couldn't imagine someone like Booth, on the surface, being happy about both his children going on to become squints, although deep down he would be very proud of them both.
Of course, it might not be an issue. For one, people changed. When she was six years old, she was convinced that she was going to become America's first female president; when Xander had been six, he was certain he was going to grow up to become either a fire-fighter or an astronaut. Who knew what sort of person Parker would grow up to become. Secondly, Willow knew that the moment she found out about Buffy's calling and what really happened when something went bump in the night, her life span had been shortened. She'd already almost died a few times and there was always going to be a chance that she wouldn't make it through high school. As scary as that thought was, Willow knew it was a possibility and she'd spent the last eleven months mentally preparing herself for her own untimely death.
Jared Booth smiled as he listened to Parker chatter about the lab. He had to agree with the younger boy, it was a pretty cool place. He could see from her facial expression that Willow agreed. Jared had no doubt that Willow was as clever as Seeley had said she was, he could see it in her eyes, the same intelligence that had burned in the eyes of Carmen and in the eyes of people like Cam and Brennan and the rest of Seeley's squints. As Jared watched his nephew and niece interact with one another, he considered what his brother had said to him and began to pay close attention to Willow's body language, trying to see any trace of the insecurity that Booth had pointed out. He could see it, the little nervous glances towards Booth, searching for his approval, the way her smile was forced as if she didn't know how to act in a family situation, the way that when the meal was over she leapt up and began to clear the table without even asking, trying to do anything that would help her earn the elder Booth's love and affection.
"Kid, you've already got it without even trying," Jared found himself saying to himself quietly as he began to help dry the dishes while Booth washed. Parker helped dry the dishes off while Willow cleared and wiped down the table before taking over the washing for Booth so he could put things away. With everyone contributing, it didn't take very long at all. Since it was still early, they headed for the living room and Booth let Parker choose a movie. Jared sat down in one of the armchairs, letting Booth and the two kids have the couch. It was a good thing the couch was long, so they all fitted comfortably. Parker snuggled close to Booth and Jared was willing to bet that by the end of the movie Parker would either be asleep or very close to it.
Willow sat at the other end of the couch, content to simply be near her father, brother and uncle as they all watched the movie. It was, naturally, a cartoon but it was one that she'd seen before with Xander, so it didn't require much thought on her behalf, which was a good thing, but being able to sit down and relax after being on edge about so many things, from Buffy's confrontation with the Master, to her feelings for Xander, to school, to finding about being adopted, to getting in touch with Booth and worrying about meeting him, his friends, and their family, combined with the excitement of the last few days, had made her weary and she watched the movie through half-lidded eyes, even through it was still comparatively early and she was used to late nights.
As the movie progressed Seeley felt Parker relax against him, settling down after a very long and exciting day. After what Rebecca had said that morning about Parker not sleeping much the night before, Booth wasn't surprised when he glanced down at his son and saw how close to falling asleep the young boy actually was. Willow, at the other end of the couch, was looking tired too and Jared looked simply relaxed, the stress of the long working week seeming to slide from his younger brother's face and tense shoulders.
When the movie finished, Parker sleepily said his goodnights before going to brush his teeth and going to bed. Booth put on a game of football and Willow soon followed her brother to bed, being unable to keep her eyes open any longer. Not long afterwards Jared headed home and Seeley headed off to bed himself.
BtVS/BONES
Parker Booth awoke with a start, lying in his bedroom, the only light coming from the street outside. He wondered for a moment what had woken him until he heard the rumble of thunder rolling through the air loudly. Parker tensed. He hated storms, the thunder and the lightning, the howling wind through the city buildings and the pelting rain. As he lay in his bed he could hear the wind, and the constant drumming of rain upon his bedroom window. He whimpered and clutched his teddy bear close to his chest. The next flash of lightning was followed immediately by the clap of thunder. Parker sat up in bed and pulled at his covers, sliding out. He shivered as his pajama-clad body was exposed to the night air and he cuddled his teddy close.
Parker knew that he was growing up to be a big boy and big boys weren't scared of storms, just like daddies. Parker also knew that his daddy wanted him to be a big boy, even though he was scared of storms. Parker remembered the times before when there had been a storm when he was staying with his daddy when he would go and crawl into bed with his daddy and his daddy would look after him. Parker didn't need looking after any more. But maybe Willow needed someone to look after her. She was a girl after all, even though she was so big. Big girls could be scared of storms… Couldn't they? Parker was sure they could be (But mommies couldn't be). Brothers looked after their sisters, even when they were bigger. Nodding his head and whimpering again when there was another blast of thunder, Parker clutched his teddy close and slid off his bed, padding across the floor to his ajar bedroom door, which he pulled open in order to let himself out. He pushed the door back ajar again once he was through and crept down the hallway to Willow's bedroom. He paused before pushing the door open and creeping in.
Willow was sound asleep, her red hair spread out on her pillow. Parker cautiously approached his big sister.
"Willow?" he asked quietly. She didn't respond, so he tried again a little louder.
"Willow?" He poked her. Willow stirred.
"Hmm, what?" She blinked at him sleepily a few times before she woke up a little.
"Parker, are you okay?"
Parker nodded, although he flinched when thunder rumbled through the air again, as the wind continued to howl outside like it was a wolf trying to get in and eat him.
"Can I sleep in here with you? I don't want you to get scared by the storm," Parker said, cuddling his teddy.
"I'm not scared, Parker… but you can come up if you want." Willow wriggled over and Parker smiled when he climbed in beside her. Willow hesitated before she carefully wrapped an arm around Parker, giving him a hug. Parker snuggled into the embrace and cuddled into Willow's chest. Willow smiled to herself, looking down at her little brother before she gave him a gentle little kiss on the top of his head and laid her head back down and drifting back into oblivion.
BtVS/BONES
Booth woke with a start as he heard the thunder rumbling through the night air. He glanced at his alarm clock and groaned. It was only four o'clock in the morning. Booth waited for the sound of Parker's footsteps entering his room, the little boy was a good sleeper except when it was storming. Then he had to sleep with Booth. It had always been that way, when he was staying with Booth anyway.
Booth frowned when, ten minutes later, his son had failed to appear. Deciding that he should go and check on Parker to make sure he wasn't completely terrified, Booth slid out from the covers and pulled on a jumper over the t-shirt and sweats he was already wearing.
He crossed to the door of his bedroom and let himself out, walking down the hall to Parker's bedroom. The door was ajar, just like Parker always had it, and Booth smiled before he quietly pushed it open, poking his head into the room. He shook his head at the mass that surrounded his son's bag, before looking at the bed. Booth felt his heart clench uncomfortably.
Parker wasn't there…
Booth quickly looked over the room, just in case Parker had hidden from the storm, but he couldn't find him anywhere. Next he left the room and checked the bathroom, but Parker wasn't there either. Booth scoured his apartment; still being quiet as he could, because he guessed Willow was still asleep and he didn't really want to disturb her… she was a sixteen-year-old, after all.
After searching his entire apartment, and still coming up with nothing, Booth was getting very worried. Taking a breath, Booth approached the door of his guest bedroom. He noticed that the door was ajar and smiled, knowing that the doorknob squeaked when it was turned. He instead pushed the door open and poked his head into the room. For the second time in less than an hour, Booth felt his heart clench.
Willow was sound asleep under the covers, her arm draped over Parker as the younger boy lay cuddled into her side, their heads almost touching as they shared the pillow, even though it was a double bed. Booth smiled and ducked into the living room, picking up his camera before he headed back to Willow's room and snapping a picture of the pair. He glanced at the image on the screen and his grin deepened before he looked at the real life pair slumbering on the bed.
"Sweet dreams, guys," he whispered before he pulled the door so it was ajar and headed back to bed.
