Thank you as always! I'm absolutely exhausted today so please forgive any mistakes. :P On we go…

"Dad, is Bones having a baby?"

Booth stared at his son in stunned silence for a solid five seconds before his brain started functioning again. "What… What makes you say that?" he finally asked. Parker shrugged and continued washing his plate nonchalantly.

"Last time I came over you guys were watching TV after I went to bed. I got up to get a drink and I saw you rubbing her stomach. Then Bones did it just now. Plus she's a lot fatter than the last time I saw her."

"Hey, don't say things like that," Booth scolded gently. "Park… it looks like we need to have a talk. Come on, we'll go find Bones and talk about this together, okay?" Parker nodded and followed his father to the living room. They found Brennan sitting on the couch with her laptop. "Bones? Parker has something he'd like to ask us." Brennan looked up from her task and took in the serious look on Booth's face. She saved her document and closed her laptop, placing it on the coffee table in front of her. Booth took a seat next to her while Parker sat in the armchair facing them.

"Are you guys having a baby?" Parker asked when everyone was settled. Brennan looked to Booth and he gave her an encouraging nod.

"Yes, Parker," she confirmed. Parker bit his lower lip and considered the news.

"Are you okay with that?" Booth asked nervously, taking the hand Brennan was offering him. Parker was silent for a few more seconds before he nodded slowly.

"Yeah," he said, forcing a smile. "That's really cool. I'm gonna go play videogames now, okay?" Parker got up and started walking toward his room. Booth left Brennan's side and put a firm hand on his son's shoulder.

"Parker, are you sure you're okay?" Parker started to respond, but hesitated. He stole a glance in Brennan's direction and leaned in to whisper to his dad.

"Can we talk? Just me and you?" Booth nodded and followed Parker to his room.

"What's up?" Booth said as he sat on Parker's bed. Parker shifted his weight nervously and Booth didn't miss his concerned expression. "Hey, you can say anything to me, okay?" he promised. "It won't hurt my feelings. I want to know what you think about all this. It's a pretty big change."

"I do think it's cool," Parker promised. "I mean I'll get to have a little brother or sister. I think that's awesome. But…"

"What?" Booth encouraged.

"Well… you live with Bones. That means the baby will get to live with you every day." Booth nodded in understanding. "Is it gonna be different when the baby comes? Because then you'll have an all the time kid and I'm just your sometimes kid."

"Hey, come here." Booth extended a hand that Parker took. He pulled his son close and looked him in the eyes. "You are not my 'sometimes kid.' You're always my kid. No matter where you are, okay?" Parker nodded. "And yeah, it'll be a little different because the baby will live here," he admitted. "But I will not love this baby more than you. I'll love you both exactly the same. You'll both be my 'all the time' kids, alright?" Parker smiled genuinely and wrapped Booth in a tight hug.

"Dad?" Parker began when they let go. "I wish I could live here all the time. Then I could be with you and Bones and my little brother or sister every day. Then we could be a real family."

"Park, we are a real family. I'd love to have you here all the time, you know that. But that's not how it works. I know it's tough sometimes, but I love you, your mom loves you, and Bones and Brent love you. Your little brother or sister is gonna love you too. That's a whole lot of people who care about you, right?"

"I guess," Parker agreed reluctantly.

"Your mom and I have tried to give you the best life we can, but we aren't together. And I know sometimes that means going through some things that are hard, but we all love you. And that's all that matters. As long as someone loves you, you have a real family. Okay?"

"I just miss you sometimes," Parker admitted quietly. Booth's heart broke for his little boy and he put a tender hand on his shoulder. "And now you're gonna have another kid so when I'm here it won't just be you and me anymore. We'll have to take them places too."

"I promise that even after the baby comes, we'll go do something every time you stay here. Just you and me." Parker's eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across his face.

"Really? Every weekend just like always?"

"Just like always," Booth promised emphatically. Parker pulled his father into another enthusiastic hug. Parker seemed to consider something for a second, then spoke.

"I'm glad you're having a baby with Bones," he said earnestly. "She smiles a lot now. I think you and the baby make her happy." Booth grinned.

"You make her happy too, Kiddo," he whispered to Parker as if it were a secret. "Come on, let's go watch a movie."

"Can I pick it?"

"Sure." Father and son walked back out to the living room. Parker went to pick out a DVD while Brennan approached Booth with worry etched on her face. "He's fine. He's happy," Booth assured her and watched her visibly relax. "He was just a little worried about being replaced. I think he's okay now. I hope he is."

"I'm sure he is," Brennan said definitively. "You're very good at talking to people, especially him. I'm confident that you were able to ease his irrational fears of being loved any less." Booth's heart swelled with love for the woman standing in front of him.

"You know, Bones, sometimes I still can't believe all of this is real," he told her, his voice thick with emotion. "That we live here together and we're having our Little Bones. If this is a dream, don't wake me up." Brennan rolled her eyes.

"Booth, even I know that was a line."

"Doesn't mean it's not true."

"You are a sentimental fool." Brennan smiled and turned to help Parker.

"But you love it, Baby!" Booth called after her.

"Don't call me Baby!"

I'm a little nervous about how this chapter turned out. Let me know what you thought, honestly!