Chapter 4: Family Matter

"Tempe?"

"Hmm?"

"Where are we going?"

"We're going out for lunch, Parker."

"Oh." Parker seemed content with her answer but he had one question nagging him. "Tempe?"

"Hmm?"

"Do I have to eat broccoli? I don't like broccoli."

Angela stifled a laugh from the driver's seat. A glance at Brennan beside her in the passenger seat told her that Brennan was as well. Glancing in the rearview mirror back at Parker in his car seat, Angela said, "No, you don't have to eat any broccoli, Parker."

"Cool," was all he said before turning his head to look at the passing scenery.

Booth and Cam were called out into the field when a body was found near an amusement park. Booth to persuade Cullen to pass the case to some other agent, but his superior refused. He knew that it was one of Booth's rare time with Parker, but his other agents weren't as skilled as Booth. Because the body was found near a public place, the press was already all over the story. He needed an experienced agent and Booth was it.

With no one to watch Parker, he left his son with the squints. He knew that he could trust him with them. It also gave Tempe time alone with Parker. So with his mind at ease, he left with Cam.

Since Booth and Cam were out on a new case, they didn't have a body to work on yet so the squints all decided to go out for lunch. The women and Parker were going in one car while Hodgins and Zack went in another. The arrangement was made when they realized that with Parker along with his car seat wouldn't fit in Hodgins's Mini-Cooper. His car could barely hold two passengers so holding five was out of the question. Angela, Brennan, and Parker went in Angela's car with the guys following behind them.

"Tempe?"

"Yes, Parker?"

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"What do you want it to be?"

"A girl 'cause Daddy already has me and I'm a boy. I want Daddy to have a boy and a girl!"

Brennan smiled weakly at the boy. She didn't feel like talking about it but she supposed that with Parker, it was inevitable since he was so interested in the topic. Angela reached over and gave Brennan's hand a squeeze in reassurance. She squeezed back her thanks.

Several moments went by before Parker began talking again. "Tempe?"

"What, Parker?"

"Can I call you Mommy?"

Both women in the front seats froze. Angela had to correct the car onto the right side of the road after swerving it onto the opposing lanes. Behind them, Hodgins honked his confusion and agitation.

"Why, sweetie?" Angela asked, looking at Parker through the rearview mirror.

"'Cause she's nice and fun and pretty and smart. Can I, Tempe?"

Ange tried to think of a plausible excuse. "Honey, you already have a mommy."

"So? My friend Laura has two mommies and two daddies."

"Parker, I don't think I'm going to be your mommy," Tempe said quietly.

"Why? Do you hate me?"

"No! Of course not…it's just…to be someone's mommy, you need to be their daddy's girlfriend first." Tempe just spoke the first excuse she could think of. Angela turned her head to look at her. Brennan gave a slight shrug.

"Oh." A pause. "Why aren't you Daddy's girlfriend, Tempe?"

Silence and tension were thick throughout the confined space of the car.

"Tempe?"

"Because…because your Daddy already has a girlfriend."

"Who?"

"Cam."

"I don't like her."

"Why not?" Angela asked.

"'Cause she's mean and ugly and stinky."

"Stinky?" Ange repeated with her eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. She put smelly water on her that stinks," he said, scrunching up his face to show his dislike.

"How do you know?"

"'Cause Daddy 'duced me to her when I was little."

Angela glanced back over at Brennan. "'Duced?" she asked her friend.

Tempe smiled. "He means introduced." Ange nodded her understanding.

"Do you like her?" No one answered.

"Who are you asking, sweetie?" Ange finally asked.

"Both of you."

Tempe answered faintly, "She's okay."

Angela whipped her head towards Brennan. "Did you just say that she's okay?" she asked incredulously. "Are you sick?" She reached over to place her hand on Brennan's forehead. Tempe swatted it away.

"I'm fine."

"If you said that Cam is okay, you are not fine. I mean, she stole Booth from you!"

"She stole Daddy from Tempe?" Parker interjected.

Angela ignored him. "Everybody knows that she tricked Booth into sleeping with her. From the first moment she walked into the lab, she was flirting with him. You saw it. I saw it. Even socially handicapped Zack saw it! Damn it, Brennan, show some emotion! The woman stole your man!"

"Angela!"

She quieted down, but she was still fuming. She can't believe that Brennan would say something like that. If it was her, she would've…well, what she would've done would get her a life sentence.

"Tempe?" Parker asked quietly.

"What, Parker?" Tempe answered, careful to keep her exasperation out of her voice. She rubbed her forehead from all of the questions and tension.

"Did Cam really steal Daddy from you?"

Brennan didn't know how to answer him. Unfortunately, Angela did it for her. "Yes, she did. She made Tempe cry and now she's your Daddy's girlfriend."

Angela knew that wasn't true, that Booth was still intent on getting Brennan back but Cam might as well be. With the way things are going, Cam would have successfully replaced Brennan in every aspect by the end of the year. Angela added under her breath, "Pretty soon, she'll be your Mommy too."

"What?"

"Nothing, honey."

Parker seemed to digest this information before asking, "Tempe, were you Daddy's girlfriend before Cam?"

This time Brennan answered. "Yes."

"Do you still love him?" Stillness reigned. "Tempe?"

"I don't know," she answered at last.

The women could hear Parker muttering under his breath, "I don't like her." They left him alone with his thoughts.

After several moments, Parker spoke again. "Tempe?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I still call you Mommy?"

Angela saved Brennan from answering. "Don't you think you'll get confused, Parker?"

"Huh?"

"I said, don't you think that you'll get confused? I mean, you already have a Mommy."

"I won't get confused. I'll call Tempe Mommy Tempe. Can I, Tempe?"

"Whatever you want, Parker," Brennan answered.

"How 'bout Mama T?" Angela joked. "It's different."

They all laughed which helped relieve some of the tension.

"I don't know," Parker, said thoughtfully when he was done laughing. "I need to think about it," he said, scratching his head as a part of his thinking process. The women laughed again.

With Parker finally done with his questioning, the car was quiet. The car stopped at a red light, so Angela reached over to turn on the radio. The light changed and the car began moving again. Just as she was crossing the intersection, Angela reached down to change the station. Then the next thing she heard was a loud CRASH before feeling the car spin out of control. Then darkness took over.

Hodgins and Zack saw everything. The two were arguing in the car behind them about which species of beetles were faster when a crash in front of them captured their attention.

They watched speechlessly as another car rammed Angela's. It hit the passenger side of the car, mostly right frontal, causing the Ange's car to spin around like a top. They sat motionless for a minute before getting out of the car, towards the accident.

Hodgins threw Zack his cell phone, ordering the boy to call the ambulance first, then Booth. He needed to know what happened.

Hodgins ran up to the driver's side, peered down, into the window, and saw that Angela suffered a head wound, probably made from the flying pieces of metal and glass. A glance at the backseat told him that Parker was in a similar state. It was a good thing that Parker was in his car seat, in the middle of the back seat bench, or else he would've suffered more serious wounds. Then he looked over the console towards the passenger's side and felt his stomach tighten.

Brennan didn't have as much luck as the other two. The accident had occurred on her side of the car, making her more vulnerable. The twisted metal that used to be that door crushed her legs and her right arm. Hodgins could tell that she probably suffered several broken ribs. The entire right side of her face was bloody with numerous deep gashes. All three passengers were unconscious.

He stood up and looked towards Zack who was still on the phone, looking frantic. He looked towards the car that caused accident and felt his blood surge. What kind of person drives like that? he thought. It was a red light, for God's sake! And where is the damn ambulance?

As soon as his mind formed the thought, he heard the wailing sound of the ambulance. Hodgins looked back at the car and swallowed thickly. He hoped that their wounds weren't too serious.

"Booth," he answered his cell phone. He listened for a minute, his eyes growing wide with each passing second. "What?"

Cam walked up to the agent. Her preliminary examination was done. As she came closer, she heard clips of Booth's side of the conversation.

"Calm down, Zack. Where are they being taken to?" His voice was calm but his anger was rising. He needed information and he needed them now. He can't stand the ramblings of the assistant any longer.

"I'll be there," Booth said, hanging up the phone. He spun around to find Cam approaching. "We need to go," Booth said to her, before running in the direction where his car was parked.

"Booth? What's wrong?" Cam asked as she tried to keep up with his long strides.

"There's been an accident," was his terse answer before opening the car door and climbing into it. Cam knew better than to ask him what happened when he was in a state like this.

Booth drove fast and dangerously. His knuckles were white as they gripped the steering wheel. His jaw was clenched. His face showed a combination of anger and worry rolled into one.

When they reached the hospital, he had barely finished parking the SUV before leaping from the vehicle and running towards the building. Cam followed close behind. His keys were still in the ignition.

Running towards the emergency wing of the hospital, Booth's heart was pounding in his chest. Both his son and the woman he loves were in the ER. Who knows what kind of pain they're in. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. He was going to kill the son of a bitch that put them in that position.

As he neared the ER, he saw Hodgins, Zack, Angela, and Parker. Angela and Parker were both sporting bandages on their heads along with several cuts and bruises. All four faces were ashen, probably still shaken from the accident. The sight of his son made him relaxed a bit. Then he tensed up again when he realized that Temperance wasn't among them.

As he approached, Booth saw that a short, balding man was among them. He was wearing a lab coat so he assumed that he was a doctor. He was slowly shaking his head, his face grim. Whatever he told the group almost made Angela faint had it not been for Hodgins who supported her. The two collapsed onto hard plastic chairs placed along the walls. Hodgins then proceeded to hug her to him as she cried wracking sobs. Zack and Parker looked on uncomfortably.

Then Parker bent walked up to the doctor and tugged on his lab coat. The doc bent down to the boy's level, looking at him in the eye. Parker was asking him something that made the doctor's face turn pale. He slowly shook his head and Booth saw him mouthed "I'm sorry" to Parker before straightening up and walking away. A bile of fear rose in Booth's throat.

"Parker!" he yelled when he was close enough. The boy turned his head towards the sound. His eyes widen when he realized that it was his father.

"Daddy!" Booth barely had time to brace himself before he was almost barreled down by his son's hug. He picked his son up, holding him tightly against his chest. Parker placed his arms around Booth's neck, his face turned into his father's neck. Father and son stayed like that for a moment before the two, along with Cam, made their way towards the others.

Angela looked up with a tear-streaked face when she heard him approaching. "Booth," she whispered hoarsely. Her throat was dry from crying and from the assault of emotions she felt.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know. We were crossing an intersection when it happened. It was our light. I reached down to change the radio station and the next thing I know…" her voice trailed off huskily.

Hodgins tried to change the topic. "Anyone called Russ yet?" They all shook their heads.

"I'll do it," Zack volunteered. He walked away from the group, glad to be away from the thick anxiety that shrouded over all of them.

The group stayed silent. No one wants to talk about Temperance. Booth was afraid to know the truth about her and the others' nerves were wracked from having learned the extent of her injuries.

Parker raised his head and looked over Booth's shoulder. It was then that he first noticed Cam. He slowly sat up in Booth's arms.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?" Booth answered a bit distractedly. His mind was still on Temperance.

"Why is Cam here?"

Parker's question brought Booth out of his trance. "We were working together so she came with me." Then he regarded his son closely with narrowing eyes. "Is there something wrong, Parker?"

"I don't want her here," he stated simply. The other squints' eyes grew wide. Cam was speechless.

"Parker! Be nice," Booth admonished. The boy wriggled in his father's arms, a sign that he wants to be put down.

Once he was standing, he planted his hands on his hips and assumed a stance that looked almost identical to a certain forensic anthropologist's when she gets angry.

"No! I don't want her here! Make her leave!"

"Parker, apologize to Cam," Booth said quietly. When the boy stayed quiet, he tried another approach. "What did she do that makes you don't want her here?"

The boy's bottom lip began to quiver, his eyes brimming with tears. "I don't like her."

"Parker…"

"I don't like her! I don't want her to be your girlfriend! I want Tempe to be!" the boy yelled. He captured the attention of several doctors and nurses.

Booth stared soundlessly at his child. He looked over at Angela, who looked away guiltily.

"Angela…" Booth said. "What did you say to him?"

She wouldn't meet his gaze. She kept her eyes on her clasped hands resting on her lap as she answered, "Nothing. He was curious."

"What exactly did you say to him?"

She took a deep breath before replying. "He asked Bren if she was your girlfriend. I answered for her. I said yes."

Parker butted in. "Before Cam, Tempe was happy. Now all do is Tempe cry." He pointed at Cam. "And it's all her fault!"

"Park—" Booth began.

"No! I don't want her here! I don't like her! She made Tempe cry. She stole you from Tempe. I don't like her!"

Booth tried to calm down his agitated son. "Pa—"

"I don't like her! She killed my sister!" he screamed. "And now Tempe won't wake up!" He pointed to Cam. "I hate her!"

Author's Note: Well, how'd you like the chapter? I know that Mommy Tempe wasn't original, but I decided that Parker was going to be a crucial part of the story so I needed something for him to call her by. It was either that or Mama T, as Angela suggested. Voice your opinion on which one. Anyways, I know you guys didn't expect the accident. Those that suspected Brennan's pregnancy didn't expect the curveball, did you? Just wait. This was only the beginning. The next chapter is when the fun really begins...(for me at least)