Chapter 36
Limping down the hall she was caught by surprise when Booth came up behind her and lifted her into his arms. "Booth!" She exclaimed as a giggle escaped her. "This is getting ridiculous."
"Get used to it Bones, it only gets better," he replied smiling as Parker spotted them and immediately grinned while jumping up and down chanting.
"Are we snowed in? Are we snowed in?"
"Yes, Parker, we are officially snowed in," Booth said as he placed Brennan down onto the couch whispering, "So we have one more night up here before we head home, think you can handle it?"
In response, she sent a glare in his direction as he hurriedly moved away to the kitchen, then she spoke to Parker. "Hey Parker, I didn't fully get to enjoy my smore, could you make me another one?" He grabbed another set of marshmellows from the bag and stabbed them onto his stick moving back toward the fire.
Lou rose from his spot on the floor and moved through the kitchen, "I'm gonna get moving, lots of things to do back at my place. Seely, let me know if you need anything else before you leave. Dr. Brennan it was nice to meet you, you'll have to come up another time when the weather is better and join us for dinner. Parker, you be good. I'll see you all later, stay warm." Closing the door behind him he made his way out to the tractor, leaving the trio to enjoy their day. His partner, hmmm, seems to me that it's more than just work. I haven't seen Seely that happy about not going to work in a while, she must be good for him.
Booth returned from the kitchen bringing Brennan a glass of water and two Motrin, setting them on the coffee table he sat on the floor with Parker
"So we have another night up here to enjoy the snow huh?" Brennan asked. Booth shrugged grinning over at her, "Seems like it, what shall we ever do to pass the time?"
"Daddy, Daddy, can we make a snowman?? Please!!"
"Sure Bud, we'll do snowmen this afternoon." He turned to Brennan quirking an eyebrow, "But for now, how about we see if Dr. Bones has anymore fun activities for us to do?"
Biting her bottom lip, Brennan tried to think of what remained in her 'bag of tricks'. "Hmmm, can you bring my bag in from my room Booth? I'll see what else I've got in there." Booth rose to do as she asked as Parker came over to the table with slightly burned marshmellows. Brennan broke the chocolate and graham crackers, smiling mischieviously she asked, "Parker how many smores have you had today?"
Parker's chocolate covered face lit up,"Five Dr. Bones! I could eat them all day! I love smores!"
"Yeh Buddy, well I think that's your last one for this trip," Booth said as he placed Brennan's bag beside her on the couch and sat down on the other side watching her nibble her smore. I wonder if she nibbles other things...Does she leave marks? He laughed to himself, I highly doubt she'd like it if I left marks on her, she'd say I was marking her as property. But then again, she's changed her mind on other things, maybe she wouldn't mind a few decreet love bites...Ok Seely, we've got to find something else to occupy our thoughts here. This is not going in a good direction for underage company. Brennan caught his eye as she licked around the edges of her smore and smirked. Oh God help me. He licked his lips. Slow, we need to take this slow. This is just the beginning of what will hopefully last the rest of our lives. No need to rush, just take it easy, we have all the time in the world. Ok, I need a distraction. "Parker, let's go get you washed up while Dr. Bones finds a fun new activity in her bag..."
As Booth and Parker headed to wash up, Brennan chuckled to herself in amazement. How is it that I never noticed his glances before? I'm sure he hasn't just started looking at me like he wants to kiss me senseless. What is this all about? He's a good catholic and yet he looks like he just wants to - what's the saying Angela uses? jump me, wait no - jump my bones.. Then his face changes and he's the picture of restraint. Well I guess we'll have to leave that for a later discussion when Parker isn't here. This weekend has been such a wonderful escape I must remember to get Ange a present for encouraging me to come. Crap, here they come, gotta find something to do...
Parker jumped up on the couch and looked at her expectantly, "What are we gonna play Dr. Bones?"
"Hmmm Parker, do like puzzles?" At his nod, she continued as Booth joined them. "Well I have a 3-D Pyramid puzzle that we can build together. And it has a bunch of extra pieces that get put together and placed inside the Pyramid to form a minature exhibit. What do you think?"
"Does it have a mummy?"
Brennan pulled out the box to read through the contents, frowning. "It has the canopic jars that I told you about yesterday, and it has the decorated sarcophagus which would have contained the mummy. So no actual mummy. We could make our own mummy if you want when we're done though..." She giggled. "Or maybe we could just cover your dad in toilet paper and pretend." And take pictures.
Parker giggled as well and eyed Booth, as the suggested 'mummy' voiced protest, "Now Bones, how is that a good idea, wouldn't it make more sense to make Parker the mummy so he would know how it feels?"
"Booth, don't be silly I can't teach him the proper order and technique unless he's helping me wrap someone else," she stated innocently.
"Wait you're going to actually go through the order and technique for mummification? Oh no, not on me you're not." Although it would get her to touch me and it would all be part of the game to Parker...That might not be so bad...However that would just start trouble that would be left unfinished till later. "Nope, not happening. That's a bad idea. How about we put the puzzle together, by the time we're done, it should be time for lunch. Then we can go out and play in the snow."
Brennan looked momentarily disappointed, but Parker agreed instantly hearing only two words, play & snow. Phew.
"Do we have enough room on the coffee table? Do you think should we move to the floor or the kitchen?" Booth inquired.
Brennan checked the box for measurements, "Let's move to the floor, that way if we don't get it done in time, we can still use the table for lunch."
Parker took the box and spread the pieces while Brennan and Booth moved down to the floor.
"Dr. Bones? Does a 3-D puzzle work just like a regular puzzle?"
"I'm not sure what you mean Parker. How does a regular puzzle work?"
"Well at my mom's house when we do a puzzle, we take all the edge pieces out first and put them together."
That's right, Booth doesn't always have Parker, most of the time he's with his mom. What if we wind up by ourselves without Parker next time, how will that be? Will we miss the distraction? What happens when we go home? How is this ever going to work? Get a grip Brennan, it's Booth, you're alone with him all the time anyway, why does it need to be any different? I'm sure you'll find some way of occupying yourself with Booth the next time you come up here. She glanced up at Booth who was watching her intently, wondering about the emotions flitting across her face. He is so tender and caring. Why am I even worrying about this? I just need to enjoy this time. And what was it Booth said last night? Oh yes, 'I know we both are wary of the outcome. But I think as long as we communicate and trust each other we'll transition just fine into this new phase.' He's right let it go and talk about it later. Now what was Parker's question again.
"I'm sorry Parker, I got lost in thought there for a minute." She smiled, "I think taking the edges out and putting them together first is a great idea." In answer to Booth's now quizzical stare she simply mouthed, later, which he acknowledged with a nod, all the while pulling edge pieces from the pile in front of them.