Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, or the song.

Story: In My Heart

Author: ReadingRed

Chapter Four: He Had a Dad

Parker Booth was swinging on the swing set after school. He was watching the parking lot waiting for his mother to come pick him up. It was already 3:00 and Mama Bones was never late, Parker was getting worried. He swung back and forth letting his feet drag on the ground, his shoes were getting scuffed but he was too worried to care. What if she got into a car wreck, or maybe she got kidnapped again. Parker thought to himself, in the twenty minutes since school let out many different possibilities had floated through his mind. Most of them weren't good. They started out with her being caught up with work, Parker knew that his mother loved her job and it wasn't unusual for her to spend hours working on a skeleton not noticing the time. Then he thought traffic might be bad, that led to running out of gas and then to her getting into a car crash. All of his thoughts led to his father.

If his father was here he would remind Mama Bones to take a break from work. He would tell her to leave a little early to beat the afternoon traffic. Parker's dad would fill up the car with gas so she wouldn't run out. Maybe he would drive her around that way she wouldn't get into a car crash. Parker's dad had been gone for a long time. He could barely even remember what it felt like to give him a hug, or how much he liked it when his dad would toss him up in the air only to catch him seconds later. Parker had a dad who was big and strong but now he was far away. It was like Parker turned around one day and the man was gone. His daddy had taught him so much, he had coached his little league team, and taught him to never hit girls, even when they were asking for it. Parker's daddy had told him to take care of his mama. It was up to Parker to take care of her until his daddy came home.

I had a dad
He was big and strong
I turned around
I found my daddy gone
He was the one
Made me what I am today
It's up to me now
My daddy has gone away...

It was now 3:10 and Parker was even more worried. He walked over to the after school monitor and asked if he could use her cell phone to call his mama. She said yes and handed him her phone. Parker dialed the number his mama had told him to memorize and put the phone up to his ear. It was ringing and that gave him hope.

"mama?" Parker said when she answered the phone.

"Parker! I'm on my way. I'm so sorry I am late. Are you ok?" The words tumbled out of the phone in a rush.

"Yeah Mama I'm ok. Where are you? You're late, why didn't you get here on time?" Now that he knew she was ok Parker was a little mad. No kid wanted to be the last one left at school, all his friends had left a long time ago.

"I'm so sorry baby, I'm almost there. I had to pick something up before I came and got you and it took longer than I expected it to." Parker could hear the sincerity in her voice and he instantly forgave her. He could never hold a grudge for long.

"it's ok Mama just hurry up and get here please." Parker heard a beep from the cell phone and looked at the screen. It said someone was trying to call in. "Mama I gotta go ok? Someone is trying to call this lady's phone."

"Ok Parks, just gather up your stuff and go to the office, since I'm late I'll have to go in and sign you out. I'll be there in just a minute."

"Bye Mama"

"Bye Parker." He ended the call and handed the phone to the monitor before running back to the playground to pick up his backpack where he had left it. The school was not a large one, it had only two levels and being a private school it was very safe. To get on the grounds a person has to have special access passes. Parker loved it, it made him feel like he was an agent like his dad used to be. The office was close to the main entrance and it did not take Parker very long to get there from the playground. He opened the door to the office and after saying hi to the secretary sat down in one of the plush sofas by the door. He was only in there a minute or two before his mother walked into the room. He saw her glance around the office space before her eyes landed on him. Parker jumped up from his place on the sofa and ran across the room and into his mother's arms. Even after hearing her voice on the phone, he wasn't convinced she was ok. His mama pulled him up into her arms and walked with him on her hip to the desk at the center of the room to sign the boy out.

They had just said goodbye to the secretary when Parker felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head and got the surprise of his life.

"Daddy!"

Well I spoke to the mountain
I listened to the sea
They both told me that the fountain
Was the best that you could be

Yes I said I had
I had a dad
I said I had
I had a dad