A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews. These next few chapters will be about Brennan getting ready for Christmas. We'll check in with Booth soon.
The toy store was filled with a cacophony of sound, jarring Brennan's well ordered mind as she stepped inside. Children of all ages and their parents filled every aisle, laughing and talking as they looked over the large selection of colorful objects on display while loud Christmas music blared from speakers in the ceiling.
She took a deep breath, willing herself to focus on the task at hand. Her gaze was soon drawn to a large shiny sled positioned just inside the store's entrance. Its body was made from a sturdy hardwood, and she could easily imagine how much fun Booth and Parker would have running it down a snow covered hill on a sunny winter's day. She ran her fingers over the runners, appreciating the fine honed steel. Perhaps this would be a good Christmas gift...a gift that both Parker and Booth would enjoy.
She soon gave up the idea, however, realizing that most likely Booth already had a sled stashed somewhere at his apartment. As much as he loved being outdoors, it would be only natural for him to be prepared for the intermittent snowfalls that occurred during the unpredictable DC winters.
It's also very large...perhaps not a good choice for Parker to keep in Booth's home. I need to find something smaller...something he can easily store at Booth's...something both of them can enjoy.
Nudging her way through the packed aisles, she considered several options, but nothing seemed quite right for a boy Parker's age, especially as smart as he was. He needed something both fun and challenging...something slyly educational...something he could do with his hands that would require very little in the way of extra materials.
She giggled at the thought of something educational being hidden in a child's game or toy. Maybe both of the Booth men can learn something from it...if I can figure out what 'it' should be…but I won't tell them they're supposed to be learning something.
She paused as she looked at a display of the newest video games, knowing that Parker enjoyed them, but she soon passed it by. She wanted something more tangible...something that would engage both his mind and his fine motor skills...something he would learn from...something father and son could enjoy together...something that produced a finished product that the boy could be proud of...something that showed he had accomplished something besides moving to the next level of a game.
She stopped in front of another glowing display, intrigued with what she saw. "Snap Circuits...make your own electronic devices...hmm." Selecting a box, she turned it over and read the details. "For 'ages 8 and up', so it's appropriate for Parker. No soldering...make your own voice recorder...build your own electronic circuits." Smiling happily, she nodded. "This sounds like it'll be fun...for both of them."
In her mind's eye she could see Booth and Parker bent over their projects as they worked together, with several small pieces spread out all over the kitchen table. "Yes, I think this will do quite nicely."
Pleased with her choice, she also picked out a book on astronomy and a volume on identifying rocks and minerals, along with a board game. She was tempted to get a set of Legos as well, but she soon changed her mind when she remembered the slew of curse words Booth had let loose when he stepped on one of the tiny blocks with his bare foot.
That had been a long time ago...in the pre-Hannah era. They'd been at his apartment eating Thai food one evening, looking over a case file after a long day in the field, and he'd gotten up to find the television remote…and he landed squarely on the prongs of a neglected plastic object that lay hidden in the carpet pile, like a predator waiting for its prey, to hear him tell it. He'd danced around the living room like a hulking bear, cursing the man who'd invented those tiny torture devices...and then they both laughed and laughed at the silliness of it all...
She could remember every detail of that event as if it was yesterday, but it had actually been almost a year ago...before she'd left for Maluku and Booth had gone to Afghanistan. It seemed as if that evening had been part of another lifetime...a lifetime she sorely missed. It had been a perfectly ordinary day in an ordinary existence that no longer belonged to her...
"Can I help you, ma'am?"
The sales clerk's voice suddenly roused Brennan from her reverie. "Oh...yes. I'm sorry." She put her selections on the counter. "I'll take these...oh, and some double A batteries as well."
After paying for her purchases, she left the noise of the toy store for the relative quiet of the shopping mall's wide corridors. Exhaling slowly, she was reminded about why she normally did her shopping online. The crowded shop had almost overloaded her senses.
Finding a vacant bench, she sat down for a few minutes to check her phone. There were the usual messages from her dad and from Angela, but then she saw a number that made her heart skip a beat.
She selected the recording and listened intently.
Hey, Bones, it's me, Booth. Listen, me and Parker are gonna go see my Pops this weekend, so I left McCarthy in charge of major crimes in case anything comes up. No big deal...I don't think anything will happen, but you know...just in case. Anyway, I'll be back Monday afternoon, okay?
So, um...maybe...maybe we can get together sometime over the holidays, if you want. I'd really like to see you. Well...um...gotta go. Bye.
She listened to the message a second time, and then deleted it. As much as she might like to see Booth, she wasn't sure if she was willing to become vulnerable to his charms again. It would definitely be easier to maintain a strictly professional relationship…
...except for the fact that no matter how hard she tried, their relationship never stayed at the 'strictly professional' level. There always seemed to be extraneous emotions involved...emotions she'd rather not feel right now...and while she might enjoy having company over the holidays, in the long run it would probably be better to avoid Booth all together.
Satisfied that she'd the right choice, she gathered her packages and belongings, ready to go home, when her phone rang. She rolled her eyes when she saw who was calling.
"Hello, Dad…"
A/N: thanks for reading. If you have time to leave a review, I'd appreciate it. Laura.
