Okay, sorry I haven't updated in a week. I haven't been in a writing mood recently, unfortunately. I'm going on vacation shortly, but I'll try to have another one up before I leave.

"Okay, Sweetie, what happened?" said a frowning-with-arms-crossed Angela from her computer screen. She winced in response and attempted to change the subject.

"Nothing, Ange. I'm fine. Why are you even talking to me? Aren't you supposed to avoid all contact while on your honeymoon?" She used her friend's words from some time ago back on her. And she got the result she wanted. Suddenly it was Ange's turn to look guilty.

"Hodgins is getting me some breakfast. We have a computer here... and I wanted to check in on you. And look what I find!"

She knew it couldn't look very good, for Ange to be gone for only a week and this to already have happened. She was going to make her friend feel like she could never leave, if she kept this up.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she defended herself.

"Uh huh. Whatever you say, Bren," her friend responded quickly, raising an eyebrow challengingly. "Seriously, where's Booth? He must be going crazy. And where was he for..." she gestured her hands towards her, "That?"

She reached up self-consciously to touch the bandage across her forehead with her uninjured arm. Angela scowled, and she sighed and decided she'd better explain before Hodgins returned and found his wife in the middle of an internet chat.

"I was with Booth when it happened. We were going to arrest a suspect and he tried to get away. It got into a fight, and he turned all the lights on so we couldn't see. I fell against a rack of knives."

"A rack... of knives?" Ange asked in disbelief. "Are you serious? Well, of course you're serious... but, Bren... I mean... are you sure you're okay? Just how injured are you?"

"Gash to my forehead, one cut across my chest, and apparently the murder weapon was stabbed in my arm," she quickly rattled off in a clinical tone, "But it's not really that bad."

"Angie?" Hodgins voice reached her faintly. Ange spun around, grimacing.

"Uh oh," she murmured. And then Hodgins appeared by the doorway in the background. First he was frowning in confusion, then his eyebrows flew up in surprise.

"What are you doing?" he asked, coming closer. "Dr. B?" He bent over next to Ange to give her a quick kiss, then turned his attention back to the screen. "What happened to you?" he asked, apparently more concerned about that then the fact that her face was on the computer to begin with.

"Long story," she answered hurriedly, "Listen, Ange, I'm grateful you're concerned enough to check in on me, but I'm really okay. Everything here is going fine. I'll see you both when you get back... so enjoy yourselves and stop worrying about me." She gave Hodgins a smile, waved quickly to Ange, and then cut off the connection.

"Was that Angela?" Booth's voice came from the entrance to her office. He was holding two steaming cups of coffee, and staring at her computer, which was now on the default Jeffersonian screen.

"Yeah... Thanks," she added, taking the cup once it was offered to her. She sipped the warm and soothing drink gratefully.

"Um... isn't she, you know, on her honeymoon?"

She just nodded tiredly in response, leaning back in her chair and taking a few more sips.

He chuckled softly, which earned him a hurt glance. "Sorry," he responded hastily. "It's just so typical of her. And I can just imagine what she thought when she saw you." At this he grimaced slightly. "Did you explain to her? Please tell me you did, or she might just pack up and come home immediately."

"Yes, I explained," she said irritably. Today wasn't off to the greatest start, and she was annoyed that the first time she'd seen her best friend in a while had been upsetting rather than enjoyable.

He nodded and averted his eyes. She took another drink from the coffee and focused her gaze on the corner bookshelf. Things weren't exactly... perfect between them currently. He didn't want her out on cases with him while she recovered, and she'd started a large fight over it the first day she'd gotten out of the hospital. It was reasonable, yes, that with bandages on her head and her arm she shouldn't be running around... but the way he acted was as if he didn't want her out in the field at all for longer than it took to get these darn things off. And that was what irritated her beyond anything else. How many times were they going to go through this? With him being overprotective, promising not to do it again, and going back to it the second one thing went wrong and he decided to change his mind? They weren't going to be able to keep going on like this if it was just going to be a continuous cycle. She wouldn't let this happen.

He was currently sleeping in her spare bedroom, even though she hadn't asked him to, and neither of them had mentioned it. Both of them were pretty much attempting to just let it pass, she realized. That was something else she couldn't let happen. Problems had to be addressed, or they'd get worse. She knew that.

And Parker's visit to the apartment had been cancelled, seeing as she'd gotten released from the hospital on Sunday, and Booth had spent practically all of his time there with her. She was pretty sure Rebecca had been displeased at this... another thing that the two of them hadn't discussed. She could tell he was upset over not only not having time with his son... but mostly because he was almost certainly worried about getting another time to have him for a weekend. Rebecca wasn't usually incredibly difficult about these things... but recently she knew that the situation there had been adding stress to Booth that he definitely didn't need to deal with on top of everything else.

It wasn't going to be able to last much longer, and as much as she didn't want to be the one to break the lengthy silence... she knew she had to, for him. She couldn't do the same thing she always did, and try to move on and pretend that she didn't care unless it was brought up. She cared too much to be able to do that.

He'd brought her coffee today, and he'd started a conversation upon his arrival, so that was a start. It was very clearly a peace offering of sorts, even though she knew he would have done it probably anyways. He was always concerned she wasn't consuming enough food and liquid.

She breathed out a soft sigh, and immediately felt his eyes shift to her for a brief moment. Then they flicked away again. Her head turned towards him, and his gaze met hers this time, holding it. She bit her lip, and then started.

"Booth... about this past week..." He stayed silent, which was uncharacteristic of him. Usually he dove straight in and took control of the conversation, telling her his side and trying to resolve it quickly. She was almost grateful he didn't, though. It would have felt wrong, letting him do so when she felt that he was already bearing most of it. She should be the one to take the weight off of him this time. And... she knew he was so overprotective because he cared. She could see that, and she could accept it. For the most part. It was something they would have to... compromise on.

She sighed and started up again, "I know that you naturally... want to protect me." He nodded silently, his expression unreadable. "And... I can understand that. I can... respect that." His eyebrows raised slightly, but other than that he gave no signs of response. "And I'm sorry that I... was so upset with you over it. It's who you are... and you wouldn't be you if you didn't act like such a..." She smirked slightly, "Alpha-male," she said the term with a slightly teasing tone to it, and was relieved to see a smile spread across his face immediately. He chuckled softly, too, and she felt herself relax. But she wasn't finished, not yet. "And I'm very sorry you missed your weekend with Parker," she added in a softer voice.

"We," he said, surprising her. "We missed our weekend with Parker. It's we, Bones, not me." She smiled tentatively, and he grinned back. "Thanks," he added. "I appreciate that. And we'll have Parker over another time, if that's okay with you."

She nodded quickly, "Of course it is, Booth. I told you before, I'd love to have your son over. I know how much you enjoy spending time with him, and it would be most convenient for him to come to where you are currently staying. I'm not going to get in the way. And... Parker is a good kid."

"Who likes you," he added, raising an eyebrow and pointing at her to emphasize the point. "And," he stressed the word, "Has been asking about you."

"He has?" she asked, this time her eyebrows shooting up. She hadn't known that.

"Uh-huh," he responded with a serious nod. "I called to explain to him why I couldn't see him this weekend, and he was more upset over whether or not you were okay then about the fact that he wasn't going to get to see us. And he wanted to come visit you in the hospital, too, but Rebecca told me they were busy." The last part was added bitterly.

She frowned. "You know, you should let me talk to her. We've spoken before. I'll explain to her so she can rationally understand the reasoning behind why there should be no trouble at all in having Parker spend a weekend with you."

"Us." Booth corrected again. "And you don't need to do that. I've spoken to her, and I'll call again later, that way I can circumvent any plans she intends to make for this weekend."

"Good idea," she agreed with a quick nod. "So... um, what should we... do this weekend?"

He beamed at her, clearly pleased with the new topic of discussion. "Well, Bones, what do you think we should do? What sounds fun?"

"Booth, you know that I have no idea of appropriate activities for a group of people that involves an eight year old."

She frowned at him as she saw that his excitement had vanished the moment she'd finished speaking. She'd been saying it slightly teasingly, since it was something he should have already guessed at... and probably did... so she was beyond confused about why he'd suddenly look almost upset.

Then he grabbed a chair and pulled it up so he was almost invading her personal space. He leaned forward so that he actually was, and she tilted her head away a little, bewildered at the serious light in his eyes.

"Bones," he sighed, sadness clear in his tone.

"What?" she asked, shaking her head and frowning harder.

"Family," he said as way of a response. "Bones, it's not 'group of people involving an eight year old.' It's a family. You mean that you don't know any family activities."

She stared at him for a long moment, finding it hard to breathe with his face right in front of hers... and because her throat had suddenly tightened as well.

"Booth..." she started to protest, barely able to get the word out.

"Hey, listen to me, okay, Bones?" She bit her lip and turned her head away. A touch to her chin turned her head back to him, and suddenly she was flashing back to a scene from a long time ago. Apparently that was the intent, because what he said next sent a flash of recognition through her, and a faint shiver went through her. "There's more than one kind of family."

"You've said that before," she said, unable to voice any of her other thoughts. The obvious was the safest way to go.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, Bones. Back then... back then we were a family, too. You, me, Angela, Hodgins, Zach, and Cam. Even Russ and your dad. All of us together. And now you have more than one family. You've got the squints, Bones, and you've got me. We are a family."

She didn't want to say what immediately came to mind, that they weren't a family by any of the markers of society, truly, because a family was what she'd lost... her mother, father, brother, and herself, living together and doing things together... related by DNA and connected by something... that she couldn't even remember anymore.

But she couldn't say that, because did she even want that? She'd told him many times she didn't want to get married. She didn't. And they'd only been dating for a few months... if she went by the markers of normal relationships, and considered him in a time frame, then she could say they were not. She'd dated men for several months before, and she had never considered them to be a... family. No.

This wasn't some guy, though. This... this was Booth. Booth who'd been there for her for years, who had apparently always loved her for who she was, who didn't want anything more of her than she already was to him, and who was the one person who wouldn't leave her.

So instead of arguing, instead of making reasons and using rationality and logic to tell him why what he'd said did not fit in with the reasonable connotations... she nodded. She accepted what they were. Because they were a family. They always had been... but now they were more. Now there was another layer.

His smile reappeared, and he pressed his lips to hers warmly. When he pulled away he pressed his forehead up against hers and his hand was resting on top of hers on the edge of her desk.

"So... what are some... family activities?" she asked.

"Well... what did you do with your parents?" he asked gently. She knew he was giving her the option to not answer at all, with how he'd asked, but she decided to anyways.

She shrugged. "We went to the park sometimes... I remember this one occasion... we had a picnic." Her mind flashed back to that one, with them all laughing and joking, and her and Russ rolling around in the grass fighting over the last watermelon slice. She'd won, she remembered...

"That sounds nice," he answered calmly. "Do you think... you'd like to go on a picnic with me and Parker?"

He said it hesitantly, clearly not sure if that was a welcome idea or not, so she was quick to reassure him. "Of course. Would Parker enjoy that sort of thing?"

"Ha, you bet he would," Booth said with a short laugh. "I'll bring a football and he can show you some of the moves I've been teaching him. He'll love that."

They'd separated a bit, so she had some personal space back again, and she tilted her head to the side now, "Why?" she asked curiously.

"Because he's a kid and he... well, face it, Bones, he pretty much idolizes you. So, do me a favor, and be supportive and impressed with him, 'kay? It'll mean a lot to him."

She nodded, understanding it a bit better. But why did Booth's son want to impress her? And how on earth did he idolize her? She decided to voice the questions, to which Booth chuckled again.

"You know when your dad showed him all those cool science experiments?" She nodded. "Yeah, well he was amazed with all of it, and he thinks you're a genius. Which, you know, you are, so it's not like he's exaggerating or anything... but he just looks up to you. You know, like little kids do. Thank goodness he's into sports, or I'd say he was bound to be a squint."

"Hm," she murmured thoughtfully. There was a moment of silence between them. "Hey, Booth?" He looked at her again. "What exactly would be so horrible about your son being a squint?" she asked, a mock-indignant tone to her voice. He laughed out loud.

"I was waiting for you to nail me on that one!" He exclaimed. "Took you longer than I thought it would, too!"

Now she was laughing along with him.

Eventually she spoke up again, "What do you think he'd be then, if he was to do something so horrible as become a scientist?"

Booth turned his head and stared thoughtfully into space. "Well, I can't seem him doing Angela's job... he's not into drawing stuff, although he's pretty creative with arts and crafts in school. And he hasn't really been around... you know, dead bodies... so I'm not sure about if he'd even want to work around here... It'd probably be, as much as I hate to admit it, Hodgins' job. He loves those bugs." He shivered slightly. "I don't have issues with most bugs, you know, but the way Hodgins just looks at them, and talks to them... it makes me really hope Parker becomes a professional football player."

"What about an FBI Agent?" she inquired, wondering why he hadn't mentioned that.

But he gave her a serious look, and the smile on her face faded away. "I love me job, Bones, you know that. But... it's a dangerous job, and you know that as well as I do. I wouldn't want my son to do this anymore than I'd want to see him go into the army like I did."

"I think I get that," she said with a nod, "You want to protect your son. But... what if he wants to follow you and do what you do?"

He sighed, "I just hope that he doesn't, Bones. It's a great and honorable job, yes. I wouldn't trade my choice to become an agent for anything. Mostly because I'd never have met you of course," he said, grinning briefly at her, "But also because I care a lot about what I do... about putting the bad people away. And... if Parker did go into law enforcement, I'd be proud of him. As proud as a father can be of his son. But I'd have to worry, too."

"You're a good father," she murmured to him. His eyes met hers again, and shone brightly.

"Thanks, Bones," he responded softly. Their eyes stayed connected for a long time, neither of them speaking, both lost in thought.

"Dr. Brennan," a voice interrupted them. She jumped, and saw that Booth had as well. Cam stood in the doorway of her office, glancing back and forth between them. "Sorry, did I interrupt..?"

"No, no, it's fine, you just startled us. I didn't realize I'd left the door open. What is it, Cam?" she asked.

"Right," the coroner said, "So, Nigel's just finished with the latest skeleton from Limbo, and I was thinking he might, you know... need some feedback from you." She stared back at the woman in the door with a slight crease of confusion between her eyes. "He could use some comments from his teacher, some support," she rephrased.

"Oh," she said with realization. "I'll... go look over his findings."

"Thanks," Cam told her, "Oh, and I think he's getting close to finishing his doctorate as well. Perhaps you could... offer some advice or something to reassure him?"

"I can do that," she assured her. She had been rather neglecting her grad-student for the past few days, she realized guiltily. It was probably the reason that Cam was stimulating this now, so that it didn't continue. "Will you be accepting him to work here once he has received his doctorate?" she asked as she stood up. Booth followed suit, replacing the chair where he'd found it.

"If you'd like me to, then of course I will. He works well with the team... he was lots to offer... and he's been much less annoying once he fully settled in," she added the last as almost an afterthought, a bemused smile spreading across her face. Booth chuckled at that, most likely agreeing with the assessment.

"Well, let's go cheer on your assistant then, shall we?" Booth said, a grin planted firmly across his face as he guided her towards the door. Cam shook her head at them in amusement, and then followed as they made their way up to the platform.