CHAPTER 37. Deals & Marshmallows
Love is not blind - it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less.
- Rabbi J. Gordon
Brennan folded her arms across her chest and scowled. "Bones, no matter how many times you pout at me like that, there is no getting out of it," Booth sighed.
"Booth, I do not want to go with you to your friend's barbeque," Brennan fumed.
"I don't see why not, Bones…" Booth grumbled. Brennan cut over him as usual.
"We've been over this. Your friend Sam is going to be there, and he'll probably bring that horrible boy. There is no way I'm letting him anywhere near to our family. I made a promise to Parker," Brennan protested.
"Bones, it's the Independence Day barbeque I go to every year. We went last year, I'm pretty sure we could just avoid Joe," Booth smiled, running his fingers up and down her arms.
Brennan raised an eyebrow sceptically. Booth groaned. "Temperance, does this have anything to do with the fact that my parents are going to be there? They love you!" he whispered, kissing her forehead softly.
"No it doesn't! Although, I'm still sticking to my knives about the fact that your mother hates me," Brennan complained.
"It's guns, Bones. And my mom doesn't hate you. In fact, she told me I'd done well in finding you, and she's very fussy when it comes to her little boy's women," he grinned.
Brennan feigned a hurt face. "How many women have you taken home to meet your parents?" she pouted.
He wrapped his arms around her midriff and smiled. "Only you and Rebecca, Bones," he grinned, kissing her jaw and moving up to suck on her earlobe, "you because I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, and Rebecca because… well let's just say she was packing."
"Why was she carrying a weapon?" Brennan frowned. "I met your parents a month after we became partners," Brennan said, frowning even more deeply, "you knew then that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me?"
"Pretty much, yup. And I meant Rebecca was pregnant," Booth laughed, shaking his head.
"Well, why didn't you just say that?" she sighed. "Did your mother really say that she liked me?" Brennan asked, her face lighting up with hope.
"Yes, she really did. And when she met Rebecca she instantly disliked her, so I think we can safely say she's a pretty good judge of character," he chuckled, pressing a tender kiss onto her lips.
"This still doesn't clear up the Parker issue," Brennan stated, raising her eyebrow.
"Well, I'm sure Parker will be too distracted with his Grandpa Harry to even notice Joe, and don't forget that Joe's parents will be there this time," Booth assured her, teasing her neck with his tongue, eliciting shallow moans from her throat.
Brennan nodded; weak under the spell of his touch. "Okay, but you're going to be the one to tell Parker," she insisted, tilting her neck to give him better access.
"Fine," he laughed, mentally noting that he would have to phone Larry later and tell him they were going.
The next day, Booth stood outside of Parker's door, banging on it with his fist.
"Come on out, Parker," he called, trying not to sound angry with his son.
"No way!" shouted Parker, sitting down on the chair he was using to barricade the door shut, indignantly.
"Come on, buddy. It won't be that bad, I promise. Grandpa Harry and Grandma Delia will be there and I know they're desperate to see you," Booth said, testing the doorknob once more.
"I don't care," screamed Parker, "I'm not going."
Brennan exited the nursery with Violet in her arms, joining Booth outside the door. Violet scrunched up Brennan's shirt with her fingers, before sucking them into her mouth. Brennan pulled them out and tapped her nose gently.
"Don't do that, sweetheart. Your fingers are all germy," Brennan smiled, kissing Violet's eyelids.
"How's it going?" Brennan whispered to Booth, torn between both party's sides of the argument.
"Not well. He's used a chair to stop us from getting in," Booth sighed, "he still refuses to go."
Brennan decided to give it a go. "Parker, sweetie, it's mommy. What can we do to get you to come out?" she asked calmly.
"You have to say that we aren't going," Parker mumbled. She thought she could hear him weeping on the other side of the door.
"But, sweetie, your grandpa is going to be so disappointed if you don't go," she said quietly, just loud enough for him to hear through the door.
"I know, but…" he began, but he couldn't continue as he dissolved into a hot flurry of sobs.
"It's going to be okay, Park," she whispered, "just open the door a little bit. I'm not going to make you come out, just let me come inside, please?"
Parker was silent for a few moments but then there was a rustling at the other side of the door. Brennan handed Violet to Booth softly, and waited for a gap to appear between the door and the doorframe.
Brennan placed a lingering kiss onto Booth's cheek before slipping through the door.
The second she was inside, the door was slammed shut and Booth had to laugh to himself as he rocked Violet.
Temperance Booth, the woman who claimed to be terrible with children, somehow understood how to reach out to Parker in a way that even Booth couldn't.
Once inside, Brennan's suspicions were confirmed as she saw Parker's tearstained face.
He sat on the end of his bed and Brennan joined him. "Booth," Brennan called, "two hot chocolates with marshmallows, please, pronto."
"Pronto," Booth chuckled, "where did you learn that word, Bones?"
"From Parker," Brennan laughed, looking at him as she said it. Parker couldn't disguise the smile creeping onto his face.
Parker crawled into Brennan's lap and buried his nose into her fragrant locks, soothed by the familiar aroma.
"Mommy, you promised me I wouldn't have to see Joe ever again," Parker sniffed, "I hate him, and he's going to be there."
"I know, Parker, I don't like him either. It's going to take everything in me not to go up to him and give him a good telling off, but this barbeque is important to daddy," Brennan sighed.
"You know, Park, sometimes we have to do things we'd rather not do, to make the people we love happy," she explained, kissing his nose softly.
"Like you do for daddy?" asked Parker, frowning knowingly.
"Exactly," she smiled, stroking his cheek.
Booth knocked at the door, armed with the drinks and Parker leaped down, opening the door just wide enough for Booth to slide the two mugs across the floor, through the gap.
"Thank you, Booth," Brennan whispered, pressing her lips through the gap, met by Booth's.
"No problem, Tempe," he replied happily.
Parker ran back over and jumped into Brennan's arms.
"Mommy, if I come, will you do something for me?" Parker smiled.
"What do you have in mind?" she laughed, tickling him.
"Will you wear your superhero outfit?" Parker begged, sticking out his bottom lip and clasping his hands together.
Brennan laughed. "You want me to wear my Wonder Woman costume, to the barbeque?" she chuckled in disbelief.
He nodded shyly and she sighed. "And if I wear it, you'll go?" she asked.
He nodded his head again and laughed.
"Okay, drink up your hot chocolate then, Park. I'd better go and get changed," she laughed, winking at him before sliding out of the door.
This chapter is dedicated to: Juniper375
Muffins for everyone. :D
A review would be scorching.