A/N: I've been so busy with college that I haven't been able to watch the new Bones until just recently-so here's me trying to catch up on these oneshots that I was GOING to do for each episode. This one's for S7e10. I know 11 came out today, but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. You can expect an update for that one within the week if all goes according to plan.

Beauty in the Breakdown


Lance was surprised to hear that Parker was doing better than everyone had assumed with Christine and Brennan and their entire situation.

Booth was still as reluctant as ever to share any information with him, and Lance had yet to figure out how informed Parker had been before he'd met his sister at the airport for the first time. And, Lance figured, he'd probably never find out. Parker had since come and gone, returning to his mother's, and Booth had steadfastly refused to allow him any private time with Parker while he had been here.

He'd been a little put off at that. If anyone was able to relate to how Parker was feeling at the arrival of a sibling and a new family, Lance thought it would be him. At least, Lance thought that this stab of pain in his chest at the sight of Brennan and Booth and Christine together had something to do with the fact that he was slowly being cut out from their daily lives.

It was Brennan who came to him the day after she and Booth had spoken to Parker. She watched him enter his office with a small smile. Christine was resting in her arms, her eyes half-lidded as she observed her mother's necklace sleepily.

"Doctor Brennan," Lance hid his surprise easily.

"Doctor Sweets," Brennan responded as she shifted Christine carefully and stood from the chair she'd been waiting in. He waved her back down, and she sat, turning to face him when he leaned against his desk in front of her. Sitting in that big chair behind his desk with her and Christine on the other side made this impromptu meeting too formal for his tastes, and he liked to think that Brennan hadn't intended that formalities be followed when she chose to show up that afternoon.

Lance resisted the urge to pluck Christine from Brennan's arms; from what Booth had mentioned in passing once or twice, Brennan was extremely protective of Christine, and he doubted it would go over well if he didn't ask first.

"Can I help you with anything?" He found himself asking instead.

Brennan shook her head, and then after an awkward pause must have realized that it was her who'd come to wait for him in his office, not the other way around.

"I don't believe we need your help," Brennan responded, glancing down at Christine as she said so, "Booth didn't want to come down here to tell you himself, but." She paused again, shifting Christine once more, and Lance couldn't help but hold out his arms for the child. To Lance's delight, Brennan handed her over carefully, looking on fondly when Christine gurgled happily at him."Parker is doing well—better than we expected—with Christine. He hasn't displayed any symptoms of sibling rivalry or general unease around her aside from what Booth and I misinterpreted from his previous behavior."

"Oh?" This was the first Lance was hearing of a misinterpretation.

"Yes, I'm afraid we jumped to conclusions about Parker's secretive behavior. He was sneaking around and stealing photographs from around the house to make a mobile for Christine," Brennan explained. "I shouldn't have assumed that Parker was going to dislike Christine right from the start like that. It was unjust, even if anthropologically speaking, the evidence was on our side."

"You would have had no way of discerning the truth unless you spoke to him about his behavior, though. And you did, right?" Christine let out a cheery screech as if in response. Lance grinned down at the infant in his arms, letting one of her tiny hands wrap around his finger.

"Yes, of course. Parker seems to be growing appropriately attached to his sister—he's accepted her as a family member."

"That's wonderful to hear, Doctor Brennan." Sweets couldn't meet her eyes, instead he looked at the girl in his arms, wondering just how something so little could impact all their lives in such a huge way.

It was probably for the best that Parker wasn't showing any signs of discomfort adjusting to this new familial lifestyle. Lance was more than jealous and uncomfortable enough for the both of them. He was still trying to work through his own jumbled mess of thoughts and feelings at the moment to try and help a boy as young as Parker anyway.

Christine squeezed Lance's finger, sending him a wink when he looked into her bright eyes.