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We will hear more from Booth soon, honest, but first we need to get Brennan and Parker's relationship established...

If you're self-catering there's shopping to manage...

Brennan had been looking forward to this meeting all morning. Not only was it a chance to discuss a matter that interested her professionally, but it was also a chance to chat to other adults, rather than a four-year-old child. Even so, she found it hard to concentrate. Her thoughts, instead, were out in the lab, wondering what Parker was doing, whether Angela was coping okay. She was relieved when the meeting was finally over and she could leave. Dr. Goodman raised an eyebrow as she shot out of the door, but she flashed him an apologetic smile and he shook his head in amusement.

When she reached Angela's office she was startled to find her friend on her own, working on a facial reconstruction from a skull. "Where's Parker?" she demanded.

Angela looked up and smiled at her. "Don't panic, Sweetie. Hodgins and Zack took him for some lunch. They'll be back soon."

Brennan sank into the nearest chair, with a sigh of relief. "Was he good?"

"He was a little angel," Angela reassured her. "Well, nearly." She gave a deprecating grin. "He's a bit of a handful, I'll admit, but nothing unusual for a four year old. I remember my nephew; he was so hard to keep up with at that age. Parker's fine."

Brennan took the opportunity to phone the hospital to enquire after Booth, and what she heard made her frown. She explained the news to Angela. "Booth's had more surgery, but he's had a bad reaction to the anaesthetic. He's going to be fine, but he's feeling really rough this afternoon, and he's asked that we don't visit."

"Poor Booth," said Angela, looking sympathetic. She produced some sandwiches, which Brennan munched on thankfully while running round trying to sort out the many problems that had cropped up in her absence that morning.

A short while later, they heard laughter in the lab, and Brennan saw Hodgins and Zack walking back in. Parker was a few steps ahead of them, and Zack had to jump forward to stop the boy from walking through the security system onto the raised lab floor. She stood up wearily and walked down to them, stifling a yawn. "Hi Parker, have you been good?"

Parker nodded happily. "Zack got me two burgers, and he let me share his ice cream."

Brennan frowned at the two men. "You really should be making sure he has a healthy diet," she said disapprovingly.

Hodgins grinned back. "We thought we'd just follow the example you set," he said.

"Talking of which..." Brennan held out her hand to Parker. "Come on, we've got to go shopping."

"Can we go see Daddy?"

Brennan crouched down beside him. What could she say? That his daddy was feeling so ill he didn't want to see him? That she was desperate to go and sit by him and help him feel better, but she had to look after his son instead? That it was eating her up inside that she couldn't be with her friend when he needed her?

"Daddy's not feeling very well this afternoon, and he wants to sleep. We'll go and see him tomorrow. But now we've got to get those fruity stones or whatever it is you like."

Parker pouted, and she could see his eyes fill with tears. She looked up at Angela helplessly, but it was Zack who came to the rescue. "Come on, little guy," he said cheerfully, lifting Parker up onto his shoulders. "I'll give you a ride to the car."

Brennan shot him a grateful look. "Do you want to take him down, Zack?" she requested. "I'll just grab my things and be with you."

He nodded. "No problem, Dr. Brennan," he responded. "I like looking after Parker. He reminds me of my younger brother."

Brennan watched the pair go. "It's not fair, Ange," she said. "Everyone else is much better with Parker than I am. I feel so helpless. I could help Booth more by keeping him company."

"I'm sure Booth is content knowing that you're taking care of his son," Angela reassured her. "And you and Parker will be just fine, I know it. After all, you have something very important in common." At Brennan's questioning look she smiled. "You both care very deeply for Booth."

Brennan shook her head in mock despair at her friend's comment, and headed out of the lab to catch up with Zack and Parker. But as she went, she pondered what Angela had said. She had been viewing Parker as a necessary nuisance, something to be put up with to keep Booth happy. She was suddenly seeing him in a new light, as a small person who was deeply unhappy because someone he loved was hurt. She vowed to be nicer to him.

That vow was tested severely over the next hour as they wandered through the aisles of the supermarket. Parker first tried his hardest to get her to let him push the cart. Once she had narrowly averted the fall of a stack of cans, she insisted on taking over. First he threatened to burst into tears, then started shouting at her angrily. Brennan did her best to ignore him, her eyes searching the shelves for the shopping they needed. A shop assistant shouted irritably after them as Parker threw a packet of cereal on the floor when she tried to ask him if it was what he wanted. Brennan bit her lip and tried desperately to avoid shouting at the boy. "He's Booth's son, and he's missing his father," she repeated to herself, bending to pick up the box. She was startled when a woman of about fifty came close up to her and placed her hand on Brennan's arm.

"You're doing a grand job, love," the woman said.

"I'm sorry?" Brennan was startled by her words. She replaced the box on the shelf, and looked anxiously round for Parker.

"It's so easy to give into them and spoil them," the woman confided. "I remember how hard it was with my children. Good for you, not giving in to his yelling. He'll learn."

"Thank you." Brennan found herself fighting back tears at the kind words of a stranger. Was she really that tired and on edge? Parker came and stood between her and the woman, as if to protect her. He reached up and grabbed Brennan's hand.

"Dr. Bones is looking after me," he told the woman. "My daddy's in hospital."

"Oh, I see." The woman nodded in understanding. "Then in that case, you need to take good care of her, don't you?" She smiled at Brennan. "Good luck," she said with a smile.

Brennan smiled back, feeling slightly better. She held Parker's hand tightly and turned to him. "Tell you what," she suggested. "Why don't you tell me what you think we should buy?"

Parker nodded. He pointed to the cereal high on the shelf. "That's Fruity Pebbles," he explained. "And that's Coco Puffs. Can we have them too? Daddy likes them."

Brennan reached them down and put them in the cart. Parker ran on, leading her through the aisles to the cookies. "And Daddy likes these, too. Can we have these?"

Brennan allowed him to choose a selection of cookies to place in the cart. "We need something for dinner too," she reminded him. "What do you want?"

"McDonalds!" he answered excitedly.

"Uh uh, no way. You've had McDonalds twice today already. I couldn't look your father in the eye if I let you eat it for dinner as well. What else? I could cook some pasta with chicken, if you like."

He scowled. "I don't like pasta. Want a burger."

Brennan managed to persuade him to agree to fish fingers and they duly located some in the freezer cabinet. Parker looked at the candy display as they passed it, but took one look at the expression on Brennan's face and closed his mouth again before asking. She stifled a smile at this small victory and joined the queue at the checkout.

The junk food and snacks they had purchased came to more than Brennan had been expecting, but she dismissed it as a necessary expense, and they headed back to Booth's place to put the shopping away. Parker looked at his bike, sitting near the door. "When can I ride my bike?" he asked.

"I think your daddy wants to help you learn to ride it," Brennan hedged.

"But I can ride it with the training wheels, can't I? At the park?"

Brennan smiled. "Okay, that sounds reasonable." And the pair headed out of the door with the bike. After all, if she couldn't get any writing done, Brennan figured that at the very least she could throw herself into the job at hand, and keep Parker occupied. That way neither of them had so much time to worry about Booth.

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