A/N: Hey, kids. Sorry about the wait and the shortness of the proceeding chapter, but I'm kinda writing this story backwards (bad habit) so I have most of the second half done and am trying to catch up. New episode on Wednesday! w00t! -tc

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"So what was the phone call about?" Brennan asked.

Booth sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "New case. Nothing for you guys, but they want me in right away."

"Parker was right," she murmured, then shook her head at his questioning look. "What about your son?"

"See, that's the thing," he replied. "I obviously can't take him with me, and this is probably my only full week with him. Damnit!" He kicked the corner of a table violently and grimaced as the pain shot up his leg.

"Can't you just tell them no? Didn't you ask for vacation time or something before you agreed to take him?"

He checked to make sure Parker was still out of earshot. "Serial killer. Targeting children."

And maybe it was months of experience, maybe the unspoken bond that had grown between them, or maybe just the hardened look on Booth's face, but Temperance understood. She put a hand on his shoulder. "So what are you going to do? Bring him back to his mom's until this blows over?"

He shrugged helplessly, then an inspired grin took over his face and had her stepping back, both hands raised. "No. Oh, no. Booth, I meant what I said before. I've got my book, and the project, and what am I supposed to do with a child all day, and would you please stop making that face at me?"

"I don't know what that means," he teased, widening his eyes even more innocently.

"That look, the one you're always giving me when you're trying to get me to do something I don't want to do. Which, by the way, is most of the time."

"Come on, Bones – Temperance – I know you're great with kids. I saw you with Shawn Cook, remember? You're the only one who could get him to open up about what happened to his brother. And look how great you are with Parker already! You don't even have to do anything with him. He's got his DS, he can just sit on the couch in your office while you do whatever crucial, brilliant, emotionally fulfilling activities you had planned for today."

When her gaze didn't waver, he leaned a bit closer and whispered suggestively. "I'm not asking you to give him a little brother or sister. Just keep him out of trouble for a few hours. Okay?"

It worked. "Fine, whatever. But you owe me. I want that gun, Booth!"

He just grinned. "Are you asking me to give up my firstborn in exchange for a firearms license? Because, per FBI policy, I'm not really authorized to negotiate with terrorists." Before she could change her mind, he placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "Thanks, Bones. Let me go tell Parker, and I'll leave you the spare key to my apartment so you can bring him by after work. Oh, and ah, he's allergic to peanuts, just FYI. Also he doesn't really like to go into the men's room alone, so if you could maybe send Zack or Hodgins... okay, maybe Zack... well, I'm sure everything will be just fine. Hey, there's my big guy!"

And Temperance was left frustrated and speechless, as usual. She watched father and son deep in conversation and smiled as they exchanged goodbyes, Parker whining his way into two extra hugs and a lollipop from Booth's pocket before the FBI agent managed to get out of the building.

"Parker," said Brennan to herself, "if you're even half as difficult to keep out of trouble as your father, this could be a very long afternoon."

She sighed and decided she'd better start by finding out what the heck a DS was.