You guys blew me away with all those reviews and alerts! I'm so glad you like it. I hope this chapter is just as good! There's not any present BB action. I wanted the first two chapters to focus on Parker's relationship with each of them. Don't worry though, there will be plenty next chapter ;) Please give me your feedback! Thanks again!
His sniper senses stirred when the bed dipped slightly. Booth cracked one eye open just enough to see a mess of bed head fall onto the pillow next to his own. He lifted his head to see the digital clock on the nightstand. Bright red numbers told him that it was almost 7 a.m. The father sighed. Parker was right on time. The five year old had an uncanny ability of robbing him of his last ten minutes of sleep every weekday morning.
Parker rolled over to face him. His own eyes were still closed. Booth, despite the lack of sleep, couldn't be happier to simply lay and watch his child rest. It was just one of the infinite rewards he now received, having Parker full time. Sometimes, he couldn't even remember how it felt before…
No, he couldn't think about that. The morning was too precious to taint with angry and disgusted thoughts of his ex. Booth refocused on Parker. Just Parker. He was the center of his life now. Not that he hadn't been from the day he was born, but their relationship had drastically changed from the time when he was just a weekend dad.
When Parker unconsciously shifted closer to him, Booth let all the intense feelings fall away. It was too early for those so he brought his attention back to the little things like the his suits that were in need of a dry cleaning, like the brand new bag of hazelnut coffee in the kitchen, like the sleepy smile Bones gave him when he finally arrived home last night.
Booth stopped himself before those thoughts progressed. It was definitely too early for that. He had to concentrate on the little things, the easy things. His scheduled time at the firing range today, his clean socks in the drawer. His son who had his thumb nestled between his lips.
The father sighed. He had to get Parker past that stage. The boy would be six in less than two months. Booth didn't care how many statistics Brennan threw at him about normal development. Booth men didn't suck their thumbs.
Forgetting about that battle, he looked back at the clock. 7:04, time for a new day.
"Parker, it's time to get up." His voice was still heavy with sleep. The boy grunted stubbornly and buried his head further into the pillows. "Come on, bub." He put an arm around Parker and used the tone muscles in his abdomen to bring them both into a sitting position.
"I'm sleepy." His son wined, covering his eyes with his hands to block the morning light.
Booth chuckled. "I bet you are. I heard a bad dream kept you up last night." Bones had recounted the story to him before she'd gone home. The two had learned early on that communication between them was essential if they were both going to spend a lengthy amount of time taking care of Parker; they go by the word of a five year old on anything. "Are you okay, buddy?"
Parker nodded. "Bones made it better."
Half an hour later, the Booth men were sitting at the breakfast table, already groomed and dressed for the day. The father read over the sports section of the newspaper while Parker munched happily on a bowl of cocoa puffs. He had begged for the meal and finally won the battle when he argued that Brennan didn't let him eat sugary cereal when she had him in the mornings, so he was long overdue for the morning treat.
"Do you have everything ready for school?" Booth asked while folding the paper. His hockey team had won their game last night so the day was starting off on a good foot.
"Yup." Parker answered before finishing his breakfast by drinking the last bit of chocolate milk from the bottom of his bowl. When he set it down, a light brown mustache coated the top of his lip. "Can you carry my project to my class?"
Booth smirked and looked at the large poster board and diorama sitting by the door. He had asked Hodgins to help Parker do something simple, maybe the classic baking soda and vinegar volcano, but in return, he found himself the proud guardian of a miniature, portable ecosystem. He'd been helping his son tend to it for weeks. Truthfully, he would have carried the thing across the Sahara just to be rid of it. "Of course I can." He replied and then leaned over to wipe away Parker's milk mustache with a napkin. "Let's get moving."
Parker hopped off his chair and swung his Spiderman backpack over his shoulders. Before either of them took another step, he halted everything, "Daddy, wait!"
"What's wrong?"
"Am I going with Bones after school?" He questioned.
"Yeah, bub, why?" Parker didn't answer. He just scurried back into his room. "Parker, you're going to be late. What are you doing?"
The boy ran back out holding a plastic card. "I forgot my badge." He informed his father in an obvious tone.
Booth laughed. A few weeks ago, Brennan had managed to get him a Jeffersonian I.D. badge. It wasn't real of course but looked the part. Angela had fashioned it on her super computer, going as far as to put Parker's picture on it. "Good thing you remembered. You would have had to stand outside all day." The father joked before grabbing his son's project and nudging him out of the door.
SIX MONTHS EARLIER
Brennan's eyes widened as they passed over each line. Was this some kind of joke Booth would have to explain to her later? Her mouth parted as it dawned on her. Rebecca had abandoned Parker. She'd taken off on him without any warning. The sweetest, funniest, smartest little boy she'd ever met had just lost his mother. "She really left?" Her question came out in a whisper fearing that Parker would wake up and overhear.
Booth nodded despondently. "I must have read that letter 50 times before I could even get the feeling back in my legs. I tried to call her but it went straight to voicemail. Her stuff is gone. All of Parker's things were waiting in suitcases and boxes." He explained, still in shock.
"Did Parker say anything?"
"No, he fell asleep in the car on the way over. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't even tell him she was leaving, probably left that for me to do." His voice started to grumble with anger. He was silent for a moment as the rage began to bubble. "I cannot believe she did this!" Booth talked into his hands. He lifted his head to meet his partner's sympathetic eyes. "What the hell was she thinking, taking off like that? What if something had happened to me at work? He would have been left all alone! He might as well be alone now if I'm all he has."
Brennan did her best to hide her shock when the word left his lips. "Why would you say that?" She knew better than anyone that it was never better to be alone.
"I can't raise him by myself, Bones. I work all the time. I can't afford a nanny to be around at all hours of the night when I'm off working a case. My apartment is hardly good enough for having him over for weekend visits, let alone living there permanently." The rambling spewed from his mouth.
"Booth, calm down." Brennan tried to stop him from cutting himself down.
"Calm down? Bones, my son's mother just abandoned him!" He hissed as loud as possible.
"I know. I'm sorry for you both but it could be worse." She spoke from experience.
Booth sighed and settled back into the chair. He didn't need to ask how it could be worse. She'd lost both her parents and brother in one quick swoop. At least Parker had someone, even if it was only him. "I can't do this." Vulnerability radiated through his voice. Suddenly, he felt like he reverted to himself six years ago when he first found out he was going to be a father.
"Yes, you can." She assured with overwhelming confidence.
"How do you know?" Booth questioned, despite him knowing that asking Bones why she knew anything was a waste of time unless he wanted the 'I had a doctorate and several degrees' speech.
"It's an anthropological drive to take care of our young." The look on his face told her that he didn't appreciate her explanation. "Besides that, you have to, Booth. Taking care of him is your only option. You can't fail at that." He wouldn't let himself. She wouldn't let him.
He was silent for a moment, but the look in his brown eyes told her that his brain was working full speed. "There's so much I have to do. I have to fix up my place; the plumbing's been a nightmare lately. I'm going to have to put some stuff in storage to make room for all of his. I have to talk to Cullen about hours." He groaned at the thought. "And then find some way to explain all of this to him."
"You'll figure it out." She told him, trying to console the situation to the best of her ability. "I'll help you, Booth, with anything I can."
"Bones, I'm not rolling in the dough like you are but I have enough to take care of my son."
Her face contorted with confusion; it was a look he'd grown to adore. "I don't know what that means."
Booth chuckled. It wasn't normal how much he loved those words. "Dough means money, Bones."
"Oh." She said, thankful that he never seemed too busy or too amused by her lack of knowledge to explain a pop culture reference or common expression. "I didn't mean money specifically, although if you needed it, I would offer. I meant if you ever needed someone to look after him." She didn't know where this eagerness to help Booth originated, but she could feel that it was strong and useless to fight.
His eyebrows arched. "You're offering to take care of him? I thought you didn't like kids?"
Her lips pursed. Brennan hated it when she was misinterpreted. "I never said I didn't like kids. I like them just fine, especially Parker. I'm just not the best with them." She admitted and suddenly realized she was giving him enough reason to not allow her to take care of the boy. "Actually, I'm probably not the best person to leave him with."
"Oh come on, Bones. You're great with kids." He retorted, thinking back to how she'd consoled several children during cases. "I'd be completely comfortable leaving Parker with you if the offer still stands." Booth knew Parker loved Bones. The three of them had spent some time together previously, a few tours of the Jeffersonian and lunches at the diner; the little boy was just enamored by her job and intellect. The father remembered a comment his son made in regard to the genius. "I know why she's your best friend, Daddy."
"Anytime." She replied.
Booth gave her his most charming smile. Something he'd lately been reserving for Bones only. He didn't know when the exact moment in their partnership it happened, but Temperance Brennan had taken hold of a very large portion of his heart. "Thank you." He paused before leaning back in the chair. "I guess I should just be thankful she didn't want to take him with her."
She gave him a small nod. "That's true. I believe that way of thinking is commonly referred to as looking at the glass half full." Booth chuckled. She finally got one right.
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P.S. The next update will be early next week. I have prom this weekend and there's still a million things I have to do. Wish me luck when I bust out those Brennan style dance moves!