Thank you for reading and reviewing! Here's the next chapter.

"Parker?" Booth said, sitting down on the couch beside his son, who was lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. "Can I ask what happened back there?"

"Nothing happened."

"I beg to differ," Booth said. "You were mean to Dominic. Why did you do that?"

"He broke my favorite figurine from Grandma!"

"Keep your voice down," Booth ordered. "Look, I know he broke something special of yours, but he didn't do it on purpose. Parker, you do realize that Dominic has cerebral palsy, right? He has a little more difficulty than you and I. His hands aren't as strong as ours."

"I know it was an accident," Parker mumbled.

"Then why did you get so mean?" Booth asked. He had heard what his son had shouted at Dominic before he got there. It hadn't been nice.

"It just slipped out," Parker replied. "Dad, he's the laughingstock at school. All the other kids say mean things about them."

"So that means you have to too, right? If they all robbed a store, would you do it too?" Booth challenged, raising his brow. Parker cringed.

"Well, no," he started.

"Then why is it okay to be mean to another kid?"

"I don't know."

"Dominic is not a 'freak,'" Booth corrected, using Parker's word and glaring at his son. "He is a human being just like us. He was unfortunate enough to get a disease that limits him. That doesn't make him any different, just more challenged, and let me tell you, Dominic is a tough cookie. I have seen him in physio therapy. He is not one to break easily. That doesn't mean that your words don't hurt him." Parker hung his head.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Parker whispered.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Booth said. He gestured to Dominic's room. Parker sighed, getting up. Booth watched him go, and he hoped that his son had learned a valuable lesson.

Dominic

He was lying on his bed trying not to cry. Parker's term of "freak" wasn't a new one. He'd heard that lots. He had also been called a retard, cane boy, crybaby, and other much worse things. He didn't like to think about them. He felt bad that Booth had witnessed his own son using the words of the bullies from school. He hoped Parker wouldn't get into too much trouble. He knew Parker was just trying to stay on neutral ground and not get beat up himself.

"Hey," Parker said from the doorway. Dominic turned his head to look at him.

"Hi."

"I'm sorry I called you a freak," Parker apologized. He stood there, looking awkward.

"It's all right," Dominic said. "I know you're stuck knowing what to think of me."

"That's the thing," Parker interrupted. "I don't think anything. You're another kid."

"Another kid with canes. I'm a target. It's okay," Dominic assured him.

"No, it's not," Parker argued. "I know better. I should be defending you, not joining in with the others. I'm just..."

"Scared," Dominic finished.

"Yea," Parker nodded.

"They'll beat you up too," Dominic said matter-of-factly.

"Uh huh," Parker agreed. "But a part of me doesn't care."

"That's nice of you," Dominic smiled. Parker laughed a little.

"I'm sorry we didn't get off to a good start," Parker said. "It's just weird, my Dad being a foster parent. I didn't know how to take it all. Can we be friends?"

"You...you want to?" Dominic asked, incredulous. He couldn't believe it. Parker Booth wanted to be his friend. He didn't really have friends.

"I want to," Parker confirmed. "I should have from the beginning."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you are now," Dominic beamed. He saw Booth slip away from the door. He was sure the man had a huge grin on his face.

The Next Day-Booth

Booth couldn't help but smile to himself as he cooked breakfast the next morning. The boys had been giggling and playing some kind of card game until he had to tell them to go to bed. It was Wednesday, which meant Nora had guitar lessons after school. Booth had been surprised to learn she even played. She seemed more like a drum person with all that pent up aggression. As he was thinking this, Nora appeared from her room and scuffed over to the table, sitting with a heavy thud. She looked a little teary.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she shook her head.

"You know, I am a pretty good listener," Booth went on.

"It's nothing, okay? God. Leave me alone," Nora snapped.

"Be nice," Dominic said, joining her. He struggled onto the chair. Booth watched as he closed his eyes for a moment to get his bearings. He wished he could make sitting on a chair easier for the boy. Parker was the last to arrive.

"Cool! Pancakes," he grinned.

"Yup," Booth grinned back. "With chocolate chips." Nora abruptly got up then and ran to her room. Dominic swallowed hard.

"What's up with her?" Parker asked.

"Did I say something wrong?" Booth asked Dominic.

"No. It's just...Mom made chocolate chip pancakes as a special treat for us," he answered sadly. Booth's heart sank.

"I'm sorry, buddy," he apologized.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know."

"Should I go talk to her?"

"Have you ever been trapped in a cage with a wolverine?" Dominic asked.

"Erm...no," Booth said slowly.

"I advise against it," Dominic said solemnly.

"Wolverine," Parker chuckled.

"It was what Uncle Russ called her," Dominic shared. Booth bit back laughter. It was a very fitting description of Nora at times. He went against Dominic's advice and went to Nora's room after serving them their pancakes.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Whatever."

He pushed the door open. She was lying on her bed face down. He could tell she had been crying.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know about the pancakes."

"How could you? We never told you."

"I know."

"Look, I don't need your sympathy," Nora said, lifting her head up to glare at him.

"I just want you to know that I'm here for you. I know this is hard for you and you miss your Mom. I really am trying to find her, Nora. I promise."

Nora didn't respond. She simply put her head back down into her arms. Booth twisted his mouth, looking at her. He had no idea how to break through to this kid. Maybe he'd get Cam to take her out for dinner or something. Maybe she needed a woman to help her feel better.

"It's time for school," Booth said after a while. She only nodded in reply. Booth got up after a few minutes and left. It was time to get the other two ready for school too.

Later-Nora

"Why are you so mean to Booth?"

Nora knew Cam was waiting for a response. The two were at an ice cream parlor where Cam had decided to take her after her guitar lessons. Booth had obviously called her in, and Nora knew why. He wasn't equipped to handle her himself. Nora didn't know how to answer Cam's question because she honestly didn't know why she was so mean to him.

"Nora?" Cam prompted.

"I'm just angry," Nora finally replied.

"You wanted to be with your uncle," Cam nodded.

"Yea. I don't know Booth at all. He tries so hard, and I just don't want to..." Nora stopped suddenly. She didn't want to say it out loud. That would make it real.

"You don't want to get close to him or have a connection because you'll lose him," Cam finished for her. Nora looked up at her, surprised.

"How did you...?"

"I know you, Nora. You secretly wish you had a father, and you refuse to get close to any other man your mother knows or you meet because you fear they will be ripped away from you like Jamie was."

"He was nothing," Nora said quickly. The smallest memory she had of Dominic's father was stuck in her mind. She had been two going on three when he had been around, and she had really liked him. He treated her like his own child even after Dominic was born. Then suddenly, he was gone. Dead. Nora had never wanted to feel that way again, so having no father was the better solution. When Booth had poked around about Dominic's father, she hadn't been completely truthful. She didn't want to talk about him because it hurt too much.

"You loved Jamie like he was your dad," Cam said softly. "I know you did."

"Jamie is dead, so it doesn't matter anymore," Nora said stiffly.

"In your heart, you wish you had a father," Cam went on.

"No. I don't."

"Nora..."

"Stop! Cam, I don't need a dad. I just need my mom," Nora whimpered. Cam went joined her on her bench seat and pulled her in close. Nora started to cry then. Cam rocked her until Nora had stopped. Despite Nora saying she didn't want a father, Cam knew she really did. She wished she could tell Nora about Booth, but she knew now was not the time.

Booth

He was reading Brennan's file from Sweets, and he was learning a lot about her father. He and her mother had abandoned her and Russ when she was fifteen, and she had been in the foster care system herself. He felt sad for her then, especially after reading that her mother's remains had been found years later. That meant her father was still alive somewhere. Booth pondered this. Could the people after her father be involved in this? He wondered how hard it would be to find Max Keenan and ask him some questions.

Elsewhere

Daisy's head hurt incredibly. She kept regulating her breathing so as not to have a panic attack. She squeezed her fists tight. She hated leaving without Brennan, but she couldn't get to her. She still was in shock that she had even gotten away. It was mostly a mistake on her captors' part. They had briefly released her from her bonds, and she had taken her shot. They misjudged how fast she could run. She shivered now. She had stowed away on a ship, and it was cold. She had no idea where it was going, but it was better than where she had been. Once they arrived at their destination, she would get help. She didn't really trust the people on this boat. The woman who had helped her aboard didn't speak English, but she had taken sympathy upon Daisy and hid her away. She had looked frightened doing it, though. Daisy didn't want to get her in trouble. She figured the others wouldn't be so nice. She hunkered down, trying not to cry.

"I'll come back, Dr. Brennan," she whispered fiercely in the darkness. "I will come back to save you."

...

The man listened on the phone as he was told about the situation. The one girl had gotten away. He nodded to himself. That could be taken care of. He knew where she was going. Then he heard the words:

"Do you want us to kill the doctor?"

"No," he said sharply. "She stays alive until I get down there." He hung up abruptly. People could be so crude sometimes, and stupid. He wanted to kill her himself. Temperance Brennan was not going to interfere with his life any more. Not on his watch.