Mario and Go-Karts

"Whatimeisit?" she stretched.

"10:30."

"Have you been driving all this time?"

"Yeah. We're almost there." Sort of. Not really.

"Mmph. Pull off."

"Why?"

"You haven't slept well in weeks. You didn't even shave this morning. I'm driving and you're sleeping and it's impractical to do it later because I don't know how to get to your parents' house."

"Bones-,"

"Booth. You know I'm right." He reached a hand up and rubbed his chin. She was right. How had that happened? He'd have to shave before they got to his parents'.

"Next exit we'll get some food and coffee and you can drive." He promised. "Parker should wake up soon."

"Booth – how do I talk to him?"

"Same way you talked to the kids at the dance studio. Except without the 'Darwinian pressures' stuff. They liked you."

"Until they thought I was a child molester."

"I cannot think of a reason why you would want to check the curve of my son's lumbar-thing." She opened her mouth to correct him. "I don't care. Just – I think you learned your lesson."

"Okay."

"Good." They drove in silence for a while. At the next exit, they found a diner. They ate and Booth shaved and then they hit the road again, and this time Booth dozed in the passenger seat. He woke at 2:43 to Parker and Bones having an animated talk. He listened for a second. Parker was explaining Mario to Bones, who was acting very normal. Besides the fact that, you know, she had no idea what Mario was.

"Daddy, you're awake!"

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Daddy, Tempe doesn't have a TV! And she doesn't know what Mario is! OR Nintendo, or Luigi, or Yoshi, or Princess Peach, or anything! And she's never been in go-karts!"

"Well, you can show her the Mario Go-Karts at Grandma and Grandpa's."

"Sure. That sounds interesting." She sounded genuine and excited.

"I am the master of the go-karts." He said.

"We'll see about that." She smiled. "Parker's been giving me lots of tips."

"Oh has he, now?" He turned back to tickle the five–year-old, who giggled and squirmed. Tempe laughed.

"You're just an oversized kid." She accused.

"Yup." He agreed. The car trip was fun. When Booth drove again, Bones moved back to sit with Parker, who showed her his Gameboy and coached her through several disastrous races. Then he popped in another game and started teaching her about that. Booth looked in the rear-view mirror to see their heads bent together as they whispered conspiratorially.

"What are you two planning?"

"Nothing." They both said, grinning.

"Well, it doesn't matter. I am the champion of the world. You cannot defeat me." he said. Parker giggled. The trip was the best eleven hour car trip he could remember.

AN: