A/N: It's Kimmy, again. I know we have some 'splainin to do but regardless, thank you for your undying loyalty and interest in our story. It amazes us to know that people care that much about the world we have created. The last couple of months have been hard: School stuff, family stuff, work stuff. Too many real-world things to handle for two teenage girls. Plus, everyone can agree that the show itself hasn't been very inspiring until very recently. So basically, we apologize that we have been less than present in the past months but we really hope that you enjoy this chapter. It's been a work in progress now for awhile and we've put a lot of hard work and late nights into it. Unfortunately, we cannot promise that we will be as active as we have been in the past until school ends for the both of us but we will do our best to not leave you for countless months without a new chapter!
Again, thank you for caring about our story and sticking with us even though the world doesn't seem to want us to write this story. This chapter is a little different than what we've written before, but we know you'll enjoy it.
:)
The moment the words tumbled out of Brennan's mouth, Angela's eyes practically glazed over. The women were lounging in one of the multiple living areas of the Hodgins' mansion nursing mugs of tea on a blustery Saturday afternoon. Brennan had called that morning asking if she and Parker could come over because she needed some 'girl talk'. Merely hearing Brennan use the phrase 'girl talk' surprised Angela which meant she was definitely not prepared for what that girl talk was intended for.
"You're what?" She stuttered out, obviously trying to prevent her jaw from falling to her feet.
"I'm moving in with Booth and Parker. Well, technically, we are going to sell both our previous housing arrangements and purchase a new…"
Angela slowly leaned over and placed her hand over Brennan's mouth, successfully stifling her explanations. She took a deep breath in and her eyes fluttered open and closed.
"You mean to tell me that it takes you years, years of painfully obvious flirting and relentless harassment from me, to actually admit you have feelings for Booth and now you're up and selling your apartment and moving in with him so that you can give the boy that you have emotionally adopted as your son a solid home after being in a legitimate relationship for only a couple of weeks?"
Brennan, muffled from the hand that was still covering her mouth, was surprised. "While your explanation was accurate your tone sounded displeased. Based upon your previous statements I anticipated you being almost euphoric…"
Angela smiled for the first time since she broke the news and laughed out loud. "Oh, Sweetie…I am! Don't get me wrong. I've been waiting for you guys to play house for years now. I'm just not used to you telling me that I was right."
As she finished, Brennan's brow furrowed. "I don't recall saying anything about right or wrong."
"Believe me, Bren. I know you, and that is as close to you conceding that I was right about love that I'll ever get."
Brennan knew that Angela was right but she would never admit to her own belligerence so she merely shifted her weight in her place on the couch. "I have no idea what you're talking about…"
"Sure you don't…" Angela replied, smiling to herself in the victorious feeling that she finally let herself embrace fully.
The women talked and laughed, slowly allowing the conversation to flow away from Brennan's revelation. Angela decided that talking about the decision to move in together was a big enough step for her best friend; she didn't need to push her any further. God knows, with Angela's luck that would have broken Brennan's resolve and she had already begun picking out housewarming gifts in her mind so that was something she definitely did not want to be responsible for.
Once she had sipped down the last drop of her tea, Angela stood from her seat revealing an indent in the extremely plush, and knowing Hodgins, expensive couch. She leaned over and checked the contents of her friend's mug. Seeing that it was almost empty as well, Angela leaned over to loop her empty pointer finger through the handle.
"Want another?"
Brennan stood up to follow her into the kitchen. "Here, let me…"
CRASH
All of a sudden, the fact that Parker had been brought along was so clear that it almost smacked them in the face.
Brennan and Angela ran towards the noise instantaneously, the sound of the tea mugs in Angela's grip tapping one another mirroring the sound of their footsteps on the hardwood floor almost exactly. As their steps became silent, when the hardwood of the hallway turned into the carpet of the den, Brennan focused her eyes not on the small, remorseful looking boy in front of her but the obviously destroyed Xbox console that sat in pieces in front of his feet.
"PARKER MATTHEW BOOTH."
"I didn't mean it Mommy! I know you said not to play with it, but before he left Dr. Jack made sure my game was in and everything but it got all fuzzy and whenever it got weird before he would just go up and press the big green button. So…when it got fuzzy now I tried to press the button but its kinda high up and I got on my tiptoes and I fell and I knocked it over." Parker was stuttering and both Brennan and Angela could see his bottom lip begin to quiver in anticipation of tears.
Angela smiled. "It's okay, honey. Dr. Jack could afford thousands of…"
Brennan broke from her position next to Angela and walked towards Parker, grabbing his hand. "That's not the point, Angela."
Seeing the seriousness in her friends expression and the redness flooding her face, Angela sobered. "Seriously, Sweetie. It's okay. He didn't mean to break it. Accidents happen."
"Thanks, Angela, but we're going to head home." Brennan pulled Parker by his hand, passing Angela without making direct eye contact.
"Why do we have to leave? Angela said Dr. Jack can buy another one!" Parker protested, dragging his feet.
"That is not the point, Parker. You disobeyed me so we are going home." She directed her son towards the coat rack in the main foyer but before she was completely out of sight she heard an amused voice.
"Boy, does someone sound like a Mom…"
Brennan turned her head and stared at her best friend, who was now chuckling rather loudly. She shot her the dirtiest look that she could manage before stressing a "Goodbye Angela" as she pushed an arm through the sleeve of her jacket and turned back towards her son.
Angela watched as Brennan, despite her frustrations, still helped Parker zip his jacket up and tie his shoes. She smiled as she watched her friend be instinctively nurturing…And boy does she look like one too.
"I specifically told you not to touch the game without Dr. Jack present." Brennan reminded the six year old pouting in the backseat of her smart car. She stole glances of him in the rear view mirror at every stop light and yield sign. He hadn't uncrossed his arms since he brashly insisted that he buckle himself in.
"There wasn't anything good on tv! I like playing the xbox more." Parker threw back, defending his actions.
"I'm sure Dr. Jack likes to play his xbox too, but he can't now can he?" Brennan replied. Parker huffed and dramatically threw his head back. He stared out of the window appearing apathetic to the situation. The mother clenched her hands tighter on the steering wheel bracing herself for Parker's reaction to her next few words. "I don't think that it would be fair for you to get to play any of your video games until Dr. Jack can play his."
The boy immediately snapped back to attention. "What?" He gasped.
"Your video games are going in the closet until we can find the time to go out and buy Dr. Jack a new xbox." She sternly informed, driving her car onto the on-ramp in the direction of her apartment.
"But that's not fair! Daddy is supposed to show me how to get to the next level of Lego Batman tonight!" He argued.
"I think it is fair. " Unfortunately, she came face to face with a long train of traffic. The car pulled to stop and she turned slightly in her seat to look at her son. "Parker, you broke a rule, so you're going to be punished."
She hoped her logical reasoning would help him understand. She expected him apologize and accept the consequences. That's what he had always done in the past. He was a good boy.
Nothing however could have prepared her for the words he then spat in her direction.
"I hate you!"
The rest of the car ride was silent.
The moment the car pulled to a halt outside of Booth's apartment building, Parker began to squirm in his seat. He attempted to unbuckle himself but failed so he started to pull at the door handle instead.
"Calm down, mister. It's locked, you aren't getting anywhere. Just because you are upset does not give you the right to be disrespectful and rushed." She freed herself from her own seat belt and opened the car door roughly, flicking the unlock button as she proceeded to slam it shut. Her frustration sped up her stride and helped her circle the car to Parker's door in less than ten paces.
As she opened the door and reached to unbuckle her son from his seat, Brennan softened her features and looked sympathetically at the boy. "Parker. I know you're sad but I had to give a consequence. That is the way parents teach their children how to behave..."
"I don't care. I want Daddy. He's not this mean." Parker humphed, knowing that crossing his arms would only further prevent him from getting out of the car seat he was currently trapped in.
Brennan felt defeated. She knew she was correct in her reaction to Parker's behavior but she could hardly bear to hear such harsh things coming from his tiny mouth let alone cause them. He usually snuck a kiss to her forehead or cheek when she retrieved him from the backseat after a car ride, but this time she only received face full of curls because his head was turned from her.
The urge to continue lecturing Parker on the validity of her actions still nagged at Brennan as she sighed and lifted him from his unbuckled seat onto the ground. Yet as she watched him run desperately towards the entrance of the building, all she could do was chase him.
She knew she would only make this worse without Booth.
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Parker yelled repeatedly as he burst through the door of the apartment and ran in the direction of the living room, where his father was sitting on the couch and watching television.
Booth had heard the cries and turned to find the boy who voiced them, but he did not expect the sudden pain in his abdomen as his six year old son appeared out of nowhere and flung himself into his lap.
"Ooof. Hey buddy, what's with the yelling?" Booth inquired, tapping his nose on the forehead of the child whose face buried itself into his FBI t-shirt. He hadn't heard the front door shut but he did hear softer footsteps approaching him from behind.
Booth turned to see Brennan haphazardly throwing her keys back into her purse. Her force surprised him. Then as he moved his focus from her hands to her face he saw the grief in her eyes. Then he knew something was up.
Moving his hand to press his son's body further into his own, he softly asked "Okay, Bones, what am I missing here?"
Instead of answering his question, Brennan simply moved to prop herself on the side of an armchair. "Ask your son, not me."
Booth lowered into an even deeper level of concern. He scratched Parker's back to get his attention but the face remained firmly planted in his chest. Booth breathed in deeply, he wasn't playing this game.
"Park, look at me." He spoke sternly. Parker recognized the seriousness in his tone and rolled his head so that just enough of his face was uncovered that he could see and speak.
"Don't let Mommy take away my games forever. Tell her she can't." He mumbled into Booth's chest, staring with only one visible eye..
"First off, it is very difficult to tell Mommy that she can't do something if she wants to do it and secondly, Mommy wouldn't take away your games forever anyway."
"Yes, she would." Parker stated pointedly without hesitation.
Booth was confused. "Why would she do that?"
Then the words finally began to tumble out of Parker's mouth.
"Because I broke Dr. Jack's Xbox so Mommy said I she had to punish me and that's not fair because it was an accident and I just want to get to the new level of Batman like you promised and we can't because Mommy is being mean and I just..."
Brennan knew exactly what was going to come next and she knew exactly why he wasn't going to say it in front of Booth. Nevertheless, the boy's father needed to know.
"You just hate me, right Parker?"
Booth's head snapped in Brennan's direction. "Bones. Did he say that he hated you?"
She didn't answer. She simply looked down at her hands resting on her jean clad thighs. Booth could tell by her discomfort that that was exactly what was said.
"Parker, did you tell Bones that you hated her?" The portion of the child's face that had separated from it's fathers chest attempted to return its completely burrowed position but was stopped by Booth's hand holding it in place. "Now, Parker."
"Yes, Daddy, but she was being mean..." Booth couldn't even let him finish that statement.
"That doesn't matter, Parker. No one ever deserves to be told that they are hated. Especially by someone who they love very much. I know that breaking Dr. Jack's Xbox was a mistake but sometimes we need to have consequences for mistakes so we learn to be careful and not make it again. Bones wasn't trying to be mean, buddy, she was trying to teach you to be careful with things that do not belong to you. I know you were angry and upset but Bones has been there for us all along, even when she didn't have to be, and the last thing she deserves is to hear that the things that she does for us aren't appreciated. Now, I want you to go to your room for a little while and think about how you must have made Bones feel by telling her that you hated her. Once you've calmed down a little you are welcome to come back in here."
Once he finished his little speech, Booth looked at the expression on his son's face. He could already see the remorse creeping into his tired eyes. Everything was going to be okay. With that confidence, Booth nodded his head in the direction of Parker's room and the little boy climbed off of his lap and began to walk away. Yet before he got far enough out of earshot, Booth called back to him.
"We love you, kiddo. No matter what you do or say or feel. You could never make us stop loving you."
And with that sentiment, Parker exited the living room with the first smile that he had worn in hours.
Booth took a deep breath and let all the air release from his lungs before he stood up from the couch. He took two slow steps towards Brennan who was still leaning against the side of his treasured lazyboy. Without words, he brought his hands to her forearms and comfortingly rubbed before dragging them down to intertwine their hands.
"He doesn't hate you." He calmly voiced.
Brennan's head bobbed once. "I know."
Booth's reared back slightly, put off by the surety of her words. "O-okay." He was sure he'd have to explain this part of parenting to her.
"I will admit that hearing Parker say…" She closed her eyes for a moment. "…those words upset me, but I understand that children often say things they don't mean when they're overcome with emotion. After we went to the circus he said he wanted to be an acrobat, but I assume that was because of combination of cotton candy and a rush of serotonin." Her eyes narrowed when she took in his shocked expression. "What?"
"It's just…normally I have to explain these things." Booth honestly said, feeling a bit foolish when he spoke it out loud. "I should have known you'd catch onto this parenting thing fast." He dropped one of her hands and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You do with everything else."
"I am learning quite fast." The corner of Brennan's mouth turned up. "But I like that you don't mind explaining things to help me be a better mother."
"You're the best mother." He insisted, dropping light a kiss on her lips.
The moment their mouths parted, her eyebrow crinkled. "There's no way to gather enough information to accurately make that statement. You're biased."
He let out a small groan. "Just accept the compliment, Bones."
Before she could say another word, he threw his body weight to the side and they collapsed onto the easy chair. Brennan landed in his lap. Booth pulled her legs up so they'd lay perpendicular to his own stretched out in front of him. When both of their laughs settled, she rested her open palm against the side of his face. His afternoon stubble scraped against her smooth skin. "I very much enjoy seeing you be paternal."
Booth raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah?" She bit her lip and nodded. "Well in that case…" He reached for her feet and pulled her flats off. "…take these off in the house young lady." He growled before attacking her neck with his mouth.
Brennan giggled – he loved that he could make her do that now – and leaned into his embrace. Booth controlled himself though. They couldn't get too intense on the living room chair in broad daylight. After a few more nips to the sensitive spot behind her ear, he pulled back. "How did Angela take the news?"
"After the initial shock, she was very excited." Brennan recalled. "We didn't talk for very long before the incident with Parker."
"Well, I'm sure she'll insist on helping decorate. She'll probably want to paint everything which is fine but don't let her go crazy okay? I really don't want anything too eccentric. No red bathrooms okay?" He looked at her for approval, but instead found her gazing at him. He knew that the look on her face meant that her mind was somewhere else. "What?"
"What you said to Parker made me feel very special. Thank you." She admitted quietly.
"I'll always defend you, Bones, even if I'm talking to a six year old." He kissed her cheek. "Always have, always will."
"So will I." She assured. They kissed for a few minutes before she pulled back. "You don't think a red bathroom would be aesthetically pleasing?"
They bantered back and forth for the next thirty minutes about every decision they'd have to make about their future house. They stuck to the fun stuff such as how many plants were too many and if they'd actually insist on shoes being taken off by the door. Their conversation was put on hold though when Parker's voice sounded. "Daddy?" He called.
"Yes?" Booth's loud voice asked back.
"Can I come out now?"
Booth glanced at Brennan. She nodded. "Yeah, bud!"
Parker's small feet carried him from his bedroom to the living room. He was carrying his stuffed puppy in one hand while the other was preoccupied by playing with the hem of his pajama shirt.
His feet shuffled halfway to the chair that Booth and Brennan were currently cuddled in before he stopped. "Can I talk to you, Mommy?"
"Sure, baby." Brennan kissed Booth quickly on the lips before she stood up in order to let him stand up from the chair. Booth rose and looked between the woman in front of him and his son, who was waiting nervously in the middle of the living room. He knew the two of them couldn't stay upset with each other for long. Plus, Parker was his son. If anyone could charm Temperance Brennan out of frustration, it would be a Booth.
He smiled as he walked away from the two in the direction of the kitchen. "I'm going to go get us all some ice cream, I'll be back."
"Booth, it is way too close to bed time for ice cream." Brennan .
"Nope, Bones. We definitely need ice cream. No arguments." Then Booth disappeared into the kitchen before Brennan could further disagree.
With the absence of Booth, both Brennan and Parker turned and looked at one another with apologetic eyes. They remained silent, though, until Brennan sat back down on the easy chair and patted the tops of her thighs as a beckoning to her small son. "Come here and sit with me?"
Parker continued his shuffle to the easy chair and handed Brennan his teddy bear so he could climb into her lap easily. As soon as he settled himself in her lap and pulled his stuffed animal into his chest, Parker rested his head against her shoulder and looked up into her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Mommy." Parker apologized, unconsciously rubbing the fur of his bear. "I didn't mean it when I said I hate you. I love you, Mommy, and I was just really angry because it was an accident and I didn't mean to break Dr. Jack's game. I know you weren't trying to be mean though. So I am very sorry because I love you too much to hate you ever." As he finished his apology, he buried his face into Brennan's shoulder and rubbed his nose against the fabric of her shirt.
Brennan chuckled at the child's apology and used her right hand to move his face back out of hiding. "I accept your apology, Parker. I am sorry about the way that I reacted as well. I could have still taught you the importance of respecting other people's while still understanding your intentions in the matter and the probability of an accident like that..."
In the midst of her apology, Brennan noticed a hint of confusion beneath the drowsy haze in Parker's eyes. She breathed deeply and started over, trying to think about what would make the small boy feel better.
"I mean, I am sorry too, baby. Everyone has bad days where we feel angry or sad or upset. I know your Daddy and I have had a lot of days like this. Then, sometimes when we are upset, we say and do things that we don't mean, especially to the people we love the most and sometimes we can hurt them. The good thing is though, that no matter how angry you get and what you do to those people, they will always love you."
Parker leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Brennan's forehead. Smiling, he said "I'll always love you too, Mommy."
Three Weeks Earlier
It was past midnight before Booth felt even a rustle coming from the far left side of the bed where Brennan had silently rolled herself into hours before. Yet when his drowsy state finally did recognize some life from her it sounded more like a mumble than a rustle.
"Huh?" He murmured into his pillow, half convinced he had made the noise up.
"I said I was sorry, Booth." That time he definitely heard her, followed by a big enough bed-squeal to indicate significant movement. He flipped his own body so that he was facing her side of the bed instead of the wall and was immediately met by a piercing yet apologetic gaze.
He chuckled and started to inch his body towards hers. "Why would you need to apologize? I get called an insufferable, chauvinistic pig all the time. It doesn't even faze me anymore."
Despite her furrowing eyebrows, Brennan began to move closer to Booth as well. "There is no need to be facetious, Booth. In retrospect, I can recognize that I overreacted earlier today."
"Oh, really?" Booth replied, once again allowing a smile to creep onto his face as he crossed enough space to cup Brennan's cheek in his hand.
Brennan sighed, obviously ignoring his tone. "Yes, really. After analyzing the situation, I realize that due to the supposed danger of the situation and the current state of our relationship, you were probably merely intending to protect me from harm opposed to underestimating my capabilities."
"Imagine that."
Brennan leaned in a pressed a soft, yet firm kiss on her partner's lips. "I still love you, Booth and I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise."
"I had no doubts that you still loved me, Bones." Booth could sense her skepticism but kissed her again before he continued. "Sometimes when a person is really upset they say things that they don't mean. In reality, those words are fueled by the anger and the people they are said to understand that. I won't say that it didn't hurt, because it did sting a little, but there wasn't a single moment where I thought you'd stopped loving me."
A gorgeous smile appeared on Brennan's face. "Really?"
"Of course. That's the way love works, Bones. It takes a whole lot more than a couple half-hearted insults to squander love. It is one of the most enduring things in the world." Booth breathed deeply and pulled Brennan as tightly to his chest as he could. "Plus, I never would have thought so beforehand but you're a cuddler. You wouldn't miss out on a night in Seeley Booth's arms."
"I suppose that is an accurate statement." Brennan laughed as relief flooded her.
There was silence for awhile, as the couple enjoyed the feel of one another's arms around them. Booth had almost lulled to sleep before he heard Brennan murmur again.
"I'll always love you, Booth."
Hi everyone, Kelsey here. I'm not going to talk long because Kimmy basically covered everything, but I wanted to reiterate how happy we are that some of you haven't forgotten about this fic. We're sorry life got busy, but what can you do? We'll try to write more. Hopefully show will inspire us, but I can promise that by the time summer comes around we will do nothing but write. Please don't give up on this fic. Leave your thoughts if you can!