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CHAPTER 3
Still sitting on the bench, Booth was able to watch Parker do his flip off the end of the long trampoline in the back of the gym. After Parker had finished Booth couldn't help but notice the children jumping on the in-ground trampolines right in front of him.
He noticed they were able to jump higher on the yellow trampoline compared to the black trampoline. The yellow one must have more springs in it or something, he thought to himself. Smiles of pure joy radiated from the kids as they jumped and flipped. Booth had never been on a trampoline before, and wondered what it might be like? When he was Parkers age it wasn't typical to have a trampoline in the back yard like it was today. It was torture being so close to that much fun yet not being allowed to enjoy it. Hoping to distract himself from his current thoughts he tried to find Parker. Finding him standing in line to take another turn for the long trampoline didn't help.
His thoughts and vision traveled back to the now vacant yellow trampoline. After less than a minute of watching the empty trampoline, his temptation grew too great. Booth looked around to make sure no staff were watching before putting his plan into action. Seeing that the coast was clear, he ran the short distance from the bench to the trampoline launching himself onto it. He immediately realized the running start had been a huge mistake because as soon as blue and brown striped socks make contact with the yellow surface of the trampoline his knees buckled resulting in a total loss of body control. "Crap," was all that escaped his lips as he went flying through the air. He remembered thinking 'this can't be good' as he saw his feet fly up in the air in front of him before descending back downward hitting the tramp with a thud, flat on his back. "That's not going to be good for the back," he grunted to himself in slight discomfort.
The next thing he saw invading his line of sight were the faces of Parker and Bones.
"That was cool," Parker blurted out in excitement.
"Booth, are you alright?" Brennan asked with concern in her voice. She waited until Booth confirmed that he was indeed unscathed before letting the laughter she had been trying to hold in escape.
Booth looked at her in disbelief, "You're laughing at me? I go flying fifteen feet into the air like superman, practically landing on my head, and you're laughing at me?"
"Booth, you did not go flying fifteen feet into the air, it was more like two, and the superman reference is incorrect. Obviously, superman would not have landed on his head," she continued to laugh.
"Yeah, Daddy, Dr. Bones is right. You looked more like that guy that always crash lands when he flies around." Parker pinched up his face in thought, "What's that show we watched last week?"
"The Greatest American Hero," Booth reluctantly answered with a sigh.
"I don't know who that is?" Brennan was barely able to get out before falling into laughter again.
"Bones?" asked half in disbelief and half in embarrassment.
"Sorry Booth, if you had seen the expression on your face and the contorted way your body had flown through the air… I can't wait to tell Angela about this!" She said a little too excitedly for Booths' taste.
"Aaah, c'mon Bones, you wouldn't do that would you?" He pleaded.
"Of course I would," she stated matter of factually.
Booth rolled his eyes as he moved to sit up thinking he was never going to live this one down.
He slowly righted himself making his way to his feet and off the tramp straightening out his disheveled clothing in the process. Unfortunately his little flight had not been missed. He was about half way back to the bench when he was stopped by a familiar voice.
"Excuse me, Sir."
Booth winced a little before turning around to face the girl calling him Sir. He hated being called Sir more than being called Seeley. He played it nonchalantly, "Is there something I can do for you?" He flashed his charming smile with all its glory. It couldn't hurt, he thought to himself.
"Sir this is the second time I've had to talk to you about staying off the equipment. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to sit on the bench for the remainder of open gym."
He held both hands up surrendering, "Okay, sorry, I've learned my lesson, it won't happen again," he said feeling like a child being scolded by their teacher.
Back in Sweets office…
Booth was brought back to the present when he heard Bones say to Sweets, "I've known Booth to occasionally bend the rules, but this was a blatant disregard for the rules."
"Blatent… disregard… for the rules? Really Bones?" He asked.
"You heard me."
"I didn't know parents couldn't get on the trampolines?" He defended.
"You were standing right next to me when they explained the rules." She looked away from Booth before mumbling through a half closed mouth, "I managed to hear them."
"I guess I didn't hear that part," he clarified, still maintaining his innocence.
"Booth," she hit him on the arm again, "I saw you look around to make sure none of the staff were watching before running onto the trampoline."
He shrugged his shoulders at her while displaying his most charming smile. It might have not worked with the crabby coach at the gym, but it almost always worked with Bones.
Brennan rolled her eyes then sighed, "Why do I even bother." Then a thought hit her, she placed a hand on his arm, "Oh, by the way, how is your back feeling?"
Booth tilted his body from side to side testing his back, "It's good, just a little soar." He leaned in closer to her to whisper out the side of his mouth, "Do you think maybe you could do that thing you did before, again?"
After taking a second to decipher his question she answered, "Sure, Booth," She started to rise from her chair, "I could do it right now."
"No," Booth protested an octave higher than his normal voice.
"Why not? It will only take a minute. I'm sure Sweets wouldn't mind halting our session for a minute, correct?" She gave Sweets a questioning look.
Sweets had a huge smile on his face. He was enjoying the agent's discomfort. He would love to witness what was putting him on edge. "No, not at all. Go ahead, don't let me be the one to stop you."
Booth held up his hand warding her off, "No, really, Bones, I'm fine, it can wait. Maybe later… in your office," he stuttered.
She began to ease herself back into the chair, "As you wish Booth."
"Yes, I wish," he quickly added
Sweets, breaking the awkward silence that had suddenly enveloped the room asked, "So Dr. Brennan is there anything new you can tell me you learned about your partner as a result of this experience"?
"Other than a total disregard for the rules and obvious lack of coordination?" She asked light-heartedly.
"Hey, my coordination is just fine," Booth defended and then added, "At least where it counts that is."
Sweets continued, "Yes, Dr. Brennan, besides that. Did you learn anything else?"
"Well, he lies, but I already knew that, I just didn't realize how prevalent it was."
Booth pinched his fingers together as he responded, "Little white lies, maybe."
"That's what you tell me, but I'm beginning to think you are lying about that as well."
"Bones?" He protested in disbelief.
"Sorry Booth, but Sweets said this is a truth zone. Is this still correct," she asked looking toward Sweets for conformation.
"Absolutely," he reiterated.
"See, I follow the rules and tell the truth," she mumbled the next part, "unlike someone else in this room."
"Okay, remember when I talked about you being family," Booth teased.
"Yes," she replied.
"I take it back."
"Hey, you can't take that back. Can he take that back," she asked Sweets.
Sweets opened his mouth to say something but stopped. "Dr. Brennan, could you give me a specific example of his lying?"
"He constantly lied to the staff and myself about not knowing the rules. Actually, it was his lying that caused us to be kicked out."
This revelation surprised Sweets, "You were kicked out? What happened to cause that?"
Too be continued…
