School + Drivers Ed 3 nights a week for 3 hours is not good to maintaining good grades or finding time to write. But here's the next chapter.

Sighing, Brennan entered her apartment with her shopping bags and let them ink to the floor at she kicked her shoes off. Glancing at the clock, it was 6:03. Arranging with Cam for some time off had taken her longer than expected. She could only hope that Cam was tactful enough to avoid mentioning her leave of absence to Booth or else her plans would unravel at the seams.

Hastily, she picked up her phone and ordered pizza to be delivered to Booth's apartment. As angry as she could get at him sometimes, she would never break a promise involving his little boy.

Leaving her bags on the floor, she grabbed her laptop and settled down on the couch, phone in hand.

"Hi, this is Temperance Brennan. I'd like to speak to Deputy Director Hacker please…. Yes, I'll wait." She only had to wait a few moments before Andrew picked up on the other end. "Hello Andrew."

"Temperance, what can I do for you?" She smiled.

"Well, I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"I'll do what I can."

"Well, I was wondering..."

"So Bud, what did you and Uncle Jared do today?"

Parker jumped onto the couch next to his father. "We went to the park, then I met Padme and then he took be to see a baseball game!"

"Really, so who won?"

"We did!" His stomach growled and he giggled. "I'm hungry daddy."

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to order pizza then."

"Yay!" Parker shouted, jumping up, wobbling, but managing not to fall off the couch.

Picking up his phone, Booth was about to dial when someone knocked on his door. Phone still in hand, Booth peered through the peephole to see… the pizza delivery boy. Well, that was odd. He hadn't even called yet.

"Um, I didn't order any pizza," he said, leaving out the 'yet part'.

"I know. Some chick called earlier this evening and ordered. Said to bring it here and tell you it was from Bones, whatever that means." He held the pizza out to Booth.

"Ok, just let me get my wallet." Placing the pizza on the table, he turned to pay the teenager.

"It's been paid for. Enjoy your evening."

The pizza guy left, thankfully, freeing Booth from having to come up with an answer. Kicking the door closed, he brought the pizza into the kitchen, Parker excitedly jumping behind him.

"Woah, are you magic Daddy? I mean, you were about to order pizza and then POOF, it was here!"

"Nope." He ruffled Parker's hair. "Bones sent it to us."

"But, she's still coming right?"

"I don't know buddy. She only sent one pizza, so I don't think she's coming for dinner. So, let's eat this pizza, you can have your bath, and if she still isn't here, we'll call her. Ok?"

"Yeah! She can't miss movie night!"

"That's right, she can't." And with that, they dug into the pizza."

The cursor blinked on a webpage. Two tickets, she needed two tickets, but even one would tip Booth off. He couldn't know. If he knew, he would stop her. She didn't want to leave, she needed to.

Her phone was still clutched in her hand from her previous call. Dialing emergency contact 2, she waited for the other end to pick up.

"Director Shepard," came the voice on the other end.

"Jenny, I need your help, please."

"Tempe is that you?"

"Yes."

"Are you ok?"

"No… Yes…" She signed. "Physically I'm ok, but emotionally… I need to get away Jenny. I can't buy the tickets myself or Booth will stop me."

"So, you're running away."

"No! I just need to think."

"And you can't think at home?"

"No. I see him every day. If I took some time off, he'd come by and make sure I'm ok, that I'm eating. Please Jenny, I'll pay you back for the tickets."

"Tickets as in plural? Why can't you buy your own to come back?"

"Because both of them are for leaving."

"Tempe…" In her office, Jenny bit the inside of her cheek. She wanted to help, she really did, but what on earth was that girl planning?

"Please Jenny." She was desperate; the emotion was thick and raw in her voice.

"Fine, but tell me exactly what you plan to do."

"Ok…"

Parker was in the bathroom and Booth was getting pajamas for him when someone knocked on the door.

"Daddy!" Parker ran into his room dressed in a towel. "Get the door! It's Dr. Bones!"

"Oh, and how do you know?"

"Because she promised she'd be here."

"Ok bud, you get dressed and I'll get the door, Ok?" Parker nodded vigorously, his still damn locks getting Booth's arm wet. "And dry your hair."

"Go already Daddy!"

"Yes, Sir." Booth gave Parker a less that serious salute and went to answer the door.

Brennan's hands shook slightly the entire time she was packing. What would Booth think? More importantly, what would he do? She needed this. She needed time to sort through all the confusing emotions overwhelming her mind.

Temperance Brennan wasn't a person who normally wasted her time pondering all the 'what ifs' of the world, but Booth was another matter. If she woke up one day and realized she didn't love him, she'd destroy him. She didn't even know if she did love him. Other than her parents and Russ, she'd never loved anyone and for obvious reasons. Her walls kept them all out.

Locking her apartment door behind her, she moved on autopilot, submerged in her own thoughts as she made her way to her car. Key in the ignition, the car started she focused more on the road than the emotions tumbling in the back of her mind.

Hesitating only briefly after arriving in front of Booth's door, she raised her hand and knocked. She was doing this for Parker, or so she told herself. She wouldn't let him down. No child deserved that when it could be prevented.

A small smile graced her lips as she heard father and son talking inside. The sound of the deadbolt being unlocked made her heart flutter and beat up a notch. Why was she so nervous? This was Booth. He knew her and she knew him. They watched each others backs; they didn't turn around and stab them.

The thought made her sick. Was that what she was doing? Was stabbing Booth in the back a metaphor for leaving unannounced?

The door opened to his smiling face. "Bones, I'm glad you came."

"Why wouldn't I?" Because you're leaving tomorrow, a voice taunted at the back of you head. Because you're abandoning him before he can abandon you. I'm not. Yes you are. That's why you're not telling him that you're leaving. That's why you had Jenny buy the tickets. Shut up!

Fingers snapping in front of her face brought her back to reality. "What?"

"Are you going to come in or stand out there all night?"

"Oh." Brushing past Booth, she entered the apartment and placed her purse and keys on a small table in the entry hallway.

"Dr. Bones, Dr. Bones! Thank you sooo much for the pizza. You must be like magic. I got here just as Daddy was going to order."

She knelled down to looked Parker in the eyes. "I knew I was going to be late, so I thought I'd sent you a pizza as an apology."

"You aren't late Dr. Bones. The movie hasn't started yet!" Grabbing her hand, he pulled her to the couch and promptly sat down in her lap.

Booth smiled at the sight.

Thursday is drawing near =D … OMC I saw a preview… T.T I am not liking the girlfriend. Booth going out and getting that serious is like OOC.

I'm putting my virtual money down that both Booth and Brennan will show up by the coffee cart after a full year had passed since they left =D

And my horribly seemingly endless drivers ed classes end Tuesday. So, more time to write (after studying because my grades took a bit of a hit the first 3 weeks of school).

There's going to be either 2 or 3 more chapters and then I'm going to break it off and make a sequel starting with Brennan at wherever she's going. Hopefully for that one I'll be able to keep my multi-track on course.