A/N: Hi there! This chapter is the first chapter of a probably 4 or 5 chaptered bit of this story. There won't be a lot happening in terms of shocking revelations and moving forward, but I am hoping it is enjoyable fluff for all of you :). However, that doesn't mean there won't be some references to some future important moments XD. I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you Kareneb for reviewing the previous chapter!

"Hi, sorry to interrupt." Booth softly said as he and Parker walked in after only a very short knock. Caroline had told him where to find Lilly; somewhere in one of the private offices in the Justice Department Library.

"Oh, hi Booth. Hi Parker, great to see you again."

"I am kind of in a hurry and a prickly situation. We've caught a case in Pittsburgh and Rebecca is out of town until at least Friday. I think Bones and I'll be back tomorrow evening, so I was wondering if I could ask you a huge favor. Normally I would ask Angela to watch Parker for a few hours, but this is going to take a little longer and... Well... you know."

Lilly noticed the pressure Booth felt. Which was logical, of course. Dr. Brennan would probably be antsy to get on the road and taking a ten-year-old on a murder case was probably a bad idea. Angela wasn't really an option when Booth was more than ready to drink her blood. "Sure, if Parker is okay with staying with me, that would be okay." Lilly looked at Parker.

Parker nodded. "I am, you're cool."

"Great, I owe you", Booth said. "Here is the key to my apartment. Parker's school starts at 8.30 until 16.00. Here are a hundred bucks..."

Interrupting Booth, Lilly looked at the money. "You're seriously trying to pay me?"

"No, it's for food; groceries, dining out or taking cabs or other expenses", Booth emphasized, knowing that Lilly was as annoying as Bones with having others pay her way.

Lilly remembered that grocery day for Booth was tomorrow, so he would probably only have some leftovers in the fridge. "Ah", she blushed. "I am sure Parker and I can manage, food and all," Lilly reassured Booth.

"Yeah, you're right." Booth put the money under Lilly's phone. "I should go, Bones is probably already waiting for me." Booth turned to Parker to give him a kiss and a hug. "Be good for Lilly and I'll see you tomorrow evening. I love you."

Parker nodded. "Okay, dad. I love you too."

Booth walked to the door. "Thanks again, I'll call both of you later."

Lilly nodded. "Good luck."

Booth waved quickly and then left.

Lilly looked at Parker. He looked okay with the ordeal, but she knew that it sucked when a parent had to leave while you had counted on one on one time. "You can put your backpack down and take off your jacket if you want."

Parker followed her suggestion.

He seems a little uneasy. I would probably feel weird too if my dad would leave me with some woman I barely know. "You want a drink?"

He nodded. "Yes, please."

"Come on, let's grab one." Lilly got up behind her desk and closed her files.

Parker looked at his bag.

"Don't worry, I have a key for this room, so your stuff is safe here."

"Okay."

After crossing the library on the way to the small kitchen Lilly smiled gently. "So, I am guessing that your dad came to pick you up and all he had time for today was to tell you he had to leave town, right?"

Parker nodded. "Yes, dad was definitely in a rush. He only gets like that when he's really worried about his work. We were going to a movie tonight, but he straight up forgot that."

"Oh, I am sorry", Lilly said. "I am sure he'll realize that too in a few hours and be bumped out too. If you want, we could go to the movies, but I would totally understand if you rather watch the movie you planned to go to with your dad."

Parker shrugged. "I don't know."

Thankfully they arrived at the kitchen. "So which drink do you want? Soda? A coke?" Lilly grabbed Parker the soda he wanted and got a drink for herself as well. She grabbed a few cookies as well and held one out for Parker, which he accepted. "I know it sucks that your dad has to work for the next two days, but we can try to make it as much fun as possible okay?" They started to walk back to the room.

Parker nodded.

"Do you have any homework?"

"Yes, I have to turn it in tomorrow."

"Is it in your backpack?"

Parker nodded.

"Cool, if you'd like to work on it now, I can finish up what I was doing and then we can get out of here in about an hour. Sounds good?"

Again, Parker nodded.

"Oh, you should also think about what you want to eat for dinner."

They got to work. Parker diligently worked on his homework, every once in awhile, struggling to find the right answers. Lilly managed to get through her file quicker than expected. Stacking up the files she looked at Parker. "How are you doing?"

"I finished everything I understood, but there are a few exercises I don't understand."

"Would you like to see if we can figure them out together?"

"Yes, please."

Lilly smiled as she pulled out the chair next to Parker. "Oh, math I see."

"Yes, I really hate math. It's not like I am ever going to use this."

Lilly smirked. "I know what you mean. I used to feel the same way about history. Why should I care that cavemen didn't know what a farm was?"

Parker smiled.

Soon they finished Parker's homework. "Wonderful, now let's get out of here. I only need to pick up something from the printer and give it to Caroline and then we're good to go."

Parker nodded.

Crossing the building and fulfilling that task, they finally walked out of the office.

"Where is your car?" Parker asked.

"Oh, I don't have a car, so we are taking the subway."

"Oh cool!" Parker said. "Dad hates the subway; he says he doesn't fit into the chairs."

Lilly chuckled. "Yeah, that does sound like Booth a lot. What about your mom? Does she ever take the subway?"

"Not that often. She usually likes driving better too, because the subway gets really busy at the station near our house."

"Well, then this is going to be fun. Though, since it is a traffic hour, the subway is going to be really busy now too. So, stay close to me, okay."

Parker nodded. "That is what my nanny used to say."

Lilly smiled. "I used to be a nanny so I guess those habits are hard to shake. Have you already decided on dinner?"

"I would like pizza."

"Nice. I love pizza", Lilly said. "Would you like to have homemade pizza? I think I have all the ingredients at home, well depending on the pizza you would like."

"Homemade is okay. I usually have the one with a lot of meat. I forgot the name."

Lilly bit her tongue to prevent her from laughing. Like father, like son. "Cool, that way I can pack a bag before we head over to your dad's place. I am starving", her stomach rumbling.

"Me too.

"Do you want to make your own pizza or do you rather watch some TV?"

"Make my own pizza."

Lilly took out the ingredients and started making the dough, letting Parker try with half of the mixture.

"Why didn't you want dad to give you money?"

"You mean at work?"

"Yes, and when you gave me a lot of money. Having more money is always better than having less right? "

"I guess, but it isn't solely about the money."

"What is it about then?"

Lilly smiled. "Maybe it was about nothing but pride. It is about being able to take care of yourself. I am definitely not the biggest feminist on earth but I do value financial independence. Do you know anything about feminism?"

Parker nodded. "That is something about woman's rights."

"That is part of it yes. It is also about equality and pulling your own weight. At least, that is how it is for me. See your dad is kind of old fashioned, he's always very chivalrous. Like opening doors, offering coats when it gets cold, pulling out the seat. Some people will call that romantic gestures, but I think it is just good manners that women can do to. So I don't mind any of that."

Parker pulled up his nose.

Lilly grinned. "You're finding women being able to be chivalrous weird, aren't you?"

Parker nodded.

Lilly continued. "These examples are pretty harmless. They are just nice gestures that tell you that someone has manners and probably likes you. Women can do similar things. It probably won't be pulling back the chair but there are infinite ways of being helpful and kind to someone else.

What I don't think is harmless is the practice that men pay for most of the things for women. Over 50 years ago this, maybe, made some sense. Women had fewer work options and especially after marriage they weren't allowed to work anymore. A lot of women now take advantage of this 'tradition' but at the same time say that they are independent modern women. I think it is unfair if a man has to pay for women most of the time. Either in or out of a romantic relationship. I am not sure if your dad ever thinks about it as hard as I have, maybe he's just doing what he was raised to do. Chivalry is part of the idea of gentlemanliness. I just find it unfair if a man has to pay for everything."

"But what if dad just wants to do that?"

Lilly shrugged. "I'd feel weird to accept it because I would think it was unfair."

"I don't understand", Parker said.

Lilly smiled. "And that is okay. But maybe this will help; try to imagine this. You go to the movies with one of your friends and they expect you to pay for everything. The ticket, the drinks, the popcorn and they don't pay anything. If your friends with someone that isn't a big deal because probably your friend will do the same for you next time. But if your friend wants you to pay every time and he or she never gets you anything. Does that sound fair to you?"

Parker shook his head. "No, they sound like they only want free things."

"Exactly! That is precisely my point here."

In the time it took to bake the pizza's Lilly had packed an overnight bag. "Do you think your dad has enough food in the fridge to make breakfast and pack your lunch?"

Parker thought about it. "There were still a couple of eggs left, some milk. I did get the last banana today, daddy complained that he really needed to go to the store."

"In that case, let's raid my fridge then and bring that to your dad's. I'll make sure I'll go grocery shopping tomorrow in my lunch break. If you want to, you can pick out a movie from my unwatched stack. It's right beside the TV. I know it isn't exactly the same as going to the movies but it will at least make for a nice evening, right? Do watch the rating, I don't want to anger your dad."

As Lilly brought her stuff for the next two days to her front door, Parker walked up to her, holding up two DVDs. "Why do you even have kids' movies?"

Lilly smiled. "Because being a grown-up doesn't mean that animation movies stop being fun. So which ones did you pick?"

"The Smurfs and Despicable me. There was an action film that looked really cool, but it was PG13."

"Oh, you mean Knight and Day?"

Parker nodded.

"I haven't seen that one myself, so I don't know how 'adult' that one is, but I am sure that The Smurfs and Despicable me are going to be fun to watch. I do think we only have time for one movie tonight though, but if we can't watch it tomorrow either you can lend the other movie and watch it with your dad sometime."

"Cool, thank you," Parker said content.

"Is that a phone?" Lilly asked as she tried to get the door of Booth's apartment unlocked while holding onto one of her bags.

"Yes, that is the really old black phone on the table."

"That thing actually works?"

Parker nodded. "My dad once showed me how to dial a number with it, it is really weird, but also kind of fun to do."

As the door swung open the phone stopped ringing. "I bet. I wonder if star 69 would work on that thing." Within seconds, Lilly's phone started buzzing. "I guess that is your dad then."

Parker looked at her, his eyes filled with surprise. "Why do you think that?"

"Because otherwise, it would be a really weird coincidence that a hardly ever used landline in your dad's apartment gets called a minute before my smartphone." Lilly took out her phone and showed Parker the caller ID before answering. "Hello, Booth."

"Hi, I just tried to call to the apartment, you aren't there?"

"No, we are now."

"Why didn't you answer, then? Or don't you know how to answer a Bakelite phone?" There was a chuckle in Booth's voice trying to cover his relief that they were doing fine.

"I know you consider me young, but I am perfectly able to answer an ancient phone, mister Dinosaur. Parker and I just walked in, so we were too late to pick up."

"Fair enough. Why did you only get in now? Did something happen?"

"Nothing bad. Parker and I went to my apartment to get my stuff for tomorrow. We had pizza at my place and that's why we only just got in. Would you like to speak to Parker?"

"I would, but I have a few more instructions for you first." Booth told Lilly about Parker's bedtime, starting time of school, football practice tomorrow afternoon and Parker's usual breakfast and lunch preferences.

The conversation ended quickly, but Lilly had heard Parker laugh wholeheartedly. She was happy he had started to become the fun little guy again that she had met the first time around in her apartment. It was always difficult with working parents; Lilly knew that first handed from her childhood, but for Parker, it was worsened by the fact that his parents weren't living together. That Booth and Rebecca were separated made it that much harder for Parker to have quality time with his dad.

A/N: Thank you for reading! I'd appreciate it if you'd leave a review :).