A/N: Ahhh!!! Sorry this took so long! Life got in the way! Thanks to all those who reviewed and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Two: Hold Me When I'm Scared

Booth sat back from his desk and rubbed his face tiredly. He'd taken two sleeping pills around midnight after dozing several times and waking up each and every time with his heart pounding in his chest and a cold sweat gathered on his skin.

Booth stood to stretch and immediately winced, his hand brushing over the bruise that had formed where the bullet grazed him. He glanced down at his desk where at least a months worth of paperwork taunted him. Since he was confined to desk duty for the time being, he had no more excuses to avoid it, a fact he found unimaginably irritating.

As he yawned he knew he was still way behind in the sleeping department and decided to take a break from the mundane paperwork to go in search of some much needed caffeine.

Booth pushed open the door to the break room where florescent lights flickered audibly and the floor was sticky with spilled coffee.

He slowly poured himself a cup of the bitter liquid, his movements slow and methodical.

Travis looked up from his muffin, Booth was at the counter fixing a cup of coffee, and he didn't seem to have seen him.

"Careful thar Seeley-boy." He almost smiled when Booth jumped and closed his eyes to sigh.

"And why would I need to do that, Ferguson."

Uh-oh, he must be on edge, he's using my last name.

"That coffee's so strong it stands up by itself, lad."

Booth almost smiled and sipped the foul liquid appreciatively.

"Yeah. That's pretty bad," He winced, "but it's the only way I'm going to make it through the day." Booth made an invisible toast and smiled sarcastically before sitting down at a plastic table across from his friend.

Travis crossed his arms and leaned on the table, taking a closer look at Booth.

"Still not sleeping well, eh?"

Booth gulped down the rest of the coffee, shaking his head. "Nah, but the doc gave me some magic pills that had me out like a light last night, so it's fine."

Travis narrowed his eyes. "You sure that's a good idea Seeley?"

Booth raised his eyebrow.

"Any word yet on when I can get my apartment back?" He asked, sidestepping a question he didn't feel the need to answer.

Travis sighed and leaned back. He shook his head. "I've got the forensics teams moving as fast as possible, but they're being especially thorough because of your rank in the bureau and your past with colorful characters who have far too much opportunity to get their paws on firearms. I'm afraid we'll be putting you out a bit longer." He gave Booth an apologetic smile and got up.

"Speaking of which, I should go check on the progress."

Booth nodded and Travis left just as his cell phone chimed in his pocket.

"Booth."

"Seeley? I need you down at Parker's school NOW."

"Rebecca? Why what's wrong?" Booth's mouth went dry at the anxiety in her voice. "Is Parker okay?"

He was already up and moving toward the elevator as he spoke, he could hear what sounded like Parker screaming in the background.

"I don't know…The teacher said he was working fine all morning and then all of a sudden he just started screaming…I don't know what happened except that they called me, but I can't do anything Seeley, he keeps asking for you."

Booth ran out to his SUV, keys in hand, his mind blank of all but one thought.

Get to Parker

"I'm on my way."

---

Booth jogged down the quiet elementary school hallway, searching for the kindergarten room. Passed dozens of colorful paintings of 'Summer Vacation' and lined papers full of stories etched out in childlike scrawl, he saw it.

Booth threw open the door to Ms. Carson's Kindergarten class, eyes scanning for his son. He spotted him in the corner next to the bright red cubbyholes. Sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest, face red with exertion as he fought back every hand that reached for him. Rebecca, the principal, Ms. Harris, and Ms. Carson were all gathered around him, attempting to cope the frightened child out of the corner.

"Parker, please calm down baby."

"No! I want Daddy. Go away!" He shut his eyes, shook his blonde curls from side to side and clasped his hands over his ears. As Booth got closer he could see Parker was shaking from head to toe. He dropped to his knees beside the women.

"Parker?"

The little boy opened his eyes and burst into tears, leaping into his father's arms.

"Daddy, Daddy." He cried over and over, burying his head in Booth's chest, incapable of verbalizing his relief any more than that one word.

Booth clutched his son to his chest and whispered to him reassuringly, as only a father can. He could feel Parker's heart pounding and his own heart raced as he tried to think of what had happened to put his son in this condition.

"Where are the other kids?" He asked suddenly.

"One of the other teachers took them outside, he was frightening them." Ms. Harris said gently.

Booth shot her a look. "My guess is they scared him first." Then, turning his glare on the teacher he continued. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure." Ms. Carson ran a hand through her blonde hair nervously. "We had just finished finger painting and were getting out snacks before naptime. I think one of the boys blew air into his paper bag and popped it and he just..."

Parker gripped his suit jacket as she spoke and Booth kissed his hair.

"I was afraid the bullets was coming back." Parker mumbled into his shirt, and Booth closed his eyes.

Oh God, Parker.

He took hold of Parker's shoulders and pulled him back so he could look at him.

"Parker, buddy, that's not going to happen, you understand? You're okay, the kid was just playing a trick." He said seriously, searching his big brown eyes for understanding and only finding fear.

"It wasn't funny." The boy's bottom lip trembled. "Daddy is Dr. Bones okay? Did they put her blood back? Can I see her?"

Booth was speechless for a moment. Stunned not only by the question but the look in his son's eyes. A look of panic lay there that he couldn't ignore, a look no five-year-old should be capable of expressing. He realized Parker hadn't seen Brennan since that night at the hospital when they weren't sure whether she'd live or die. And, while he had a hard time coming to grips with the fact that he couldn't take away that fear, he could at least do one thing to ease Parker's mind.

"Yeah, she's going to be fine Bud," He said quietly, "I'll take you to her."

Parker nodded, still clutching Booth's arms for all he was worth. Booth stood, Parker straddling his hip and the women followed suit.

"I'm going to take him to Bones' place." He told Rebecca, who only nodded.

"Have him home by bedtime." Her forehead was deeply wrinkled with worry; she'd never seen Parker like that. She didn't know whether she was grateful to Seeley for calming him down, or furious because he was the reason behind Parker's meltdown.

Booth nodded and headed for the door.

"We should get some ice-cream for Dr. Bones, Daddy. I think that would make her feel better." Parker's small voice was swallowed up by the emptiness of the hallway. Booth just kissed his forehead and held him close.

---

Parker held his paper bag full with the ice cream tub tightly while he and Booth waited for Brennan to answer her door.

Booth stood behind Parker with one hand on his shoulder, he'd found that physical contact with his son was a necessity of late. He'd just come too close to losing him.

"Be patient Buddy, she still has some trouble moving around." Booth said, noticing Parker was starting to fidget. The boy stopped and nodded his head solemnly, his young ears catching the note of worry in his father's voice at mention of Bones' injuries.

"Booth I told you I'm…" Brennan swung open the door and stopped mid sentence. Parker smiled up at her.

"Hi Dr. Bones." He said brightly, he held up the bag for her. "We brought you ice-cream to help you feel better."

Brennan smiled hesitantly. "Thanks Parker." She glanced at Booth. "Shouldn't you be in school?" She widened the door so they could come in and Parker made himself at home at the dining room table to wait to be served his ice cream. He'd grown quite accustomed to Brennan's house ever since his Daddy and her had begun dating.

"Booth?" Brennan moved to stand in front of him as he shut the door and started inside. "Don't think that you're fooling me. I know you're just using Parker as an excuse to see me." She smiled, mostly teasing, but stopped when Booth didn't return it. Instead he shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight.

"Booth?"

He looked up at her, not a hint of amusement in his dark eyes.

"He had some kind of panic attack at school." He said quietly, Parker having found an interesting 'rock thing' on Brennan's table with which to amuse himself. "A kid popped a bag and it sounded like a gunshot…they couldn't get him to calm down."

Brennan's eyes were wide and she looked over at Parker. "Why did he finally?"

"I came and talked to him. He insisted on seeing you."

Booth watched her eyes soften as she half-smiled at his son. She wore gray sweat pants and one of Booth's oversized shirts to cover her bulky bandages. In bare feet and her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail with no make-up, it took all Booth's self control not to press her against the wall and kiss her breath away right then. But he couldn't. He bit the inside of his cheek to bring himself back under control, he just couldn't risk her getting hurt again.

"He possesses the same alpha male protective instinct that his father does." Brennan said, turning her gaze back on Booth. She gasped at the dark shade of brown in his eyes, the color his eyes turned just before he kissed her and she was almost salivating just at the thought of it. But then they lightened and she had to fight from letting her shoulders slump in disappointment.

What is wrong with him?

Frustrated, she pursed her lips, turned and walked briskly back to the kitchen to get bowls for the ice cream, needing to busy herself with something in order to keep from shouting at Booth. Without thinking she reached up into the cabinet, and before she had a chance to think about it the sudden stretch on her stitches and sore stomach muscles caused her to cry out in pain.

"Bones!" Booth was at her side in an instant. Taking her by the waist, he guided her back to the table.

"Sit. Are you okay?" He knelt in front of her, face flooded with concern. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before nodding.

"Yeah Booth. I'm fine." She smiled weakly, "Really. I'm fine, sorry. The, um, bowls are in the middle cupboard above the microwave."

Booth furrowed his brows and stood, pushing her hair behind her ear and kissing her forehead. "Don't scare me like that okay?" He whispered in her ear.

She nodded and opened her eyes. "Sorry."

Booth left to retrieve the bowls and Brennan turned to Parker across the table. He'd stopped playing with her Mayan Burial Stone and was staring at her in wide-eyed worry.

"D-Dr. Bones? Are…you gonna die?" He asked quietly, his chin trembling once again, eyes glassy.

She immediately shook her head, her chest squeezing with guilt at having worried the small boy.

"Oh Parker, c'mere." She fought back tears as he climbed off his chair and came to stand in front of her. "Parker, I promise you I'm going to be fine, alright? I'm just a little sore, nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" He asked in a small voice. Brennan was overwhelmed by the boy's concern for her. She'd grown rather close to him in the past few months of dating Booth, closer than she ever expected to be with any child. She'd found herself exhibiting classic maternal displays toward him and found that both highly disturbing, and satisfying. To see now, that Parker had been growing as attached to her as she had to him, was something that filled her with such joy she could hardly think of what to say next.

But she did.

"C'mon, get up here." She sniffed and blinked back the waterworks as Parker carefully got up on her lap. She winced slightly, but hugged him to her, smiling into his hair.

"I'm very sure Parker. Very sure."

Booth stood in the doorway and sighed, smiling. Parker had just climbed onto Brennan's lap and she was hugging him, the sight was just too perfect for words. But even as he reveled in the love washing through him as he watched these two people embrace, he knew that their close bond was forged out of fear and worry. And that made him tingle with a black cold that raced through his veins and brought him into a calm that he knew too well.

He tightened his grip on the spoons in his right hand and pursed his lips, if the opportunity arose, he was going to make whoever did this pay.