Title: A Time to Grow
Author: Megan Faye
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.
NOTE: Sorry I didn't get this up last night. I'm 11 weeks pregnant, and needed sleep.
Parker set his backpack down on the desk in Brennan's office. He usually loved the lab, but school had been rough that day. He couldn't concentrate. His mind kept wandering to his first days with Brennan. He called her 'Bones,' once, on the first day, and she started crying again. It was his father's pet-name for her. She was going to raise him, and Dr. Brennan was too formal, so she asked him to call her Temperance. It still felt strange, but he was getting used to strange these days.
Last night, he asked her why his dad was in one country, when he was supposed to be in another one. No one could tell her that, so she'd never told Parker. He wasn't supposed to be where he was, and that was why he was gone.
And the next day at school was hard.
Another afternoon at the lab was like a break for Parker. The tutor he had was out for the week, piano class was closed due to minor flooding in the school's music building, and he was going to fall behind in music. At least in the lab, he could get the help with his homework most of the time. The squints and Max were always happy to help. But Brennan had an important case, so he asked Chase to come over to the lab after Lacrosse practice. Michelle happily chauffered the kid from the school to the lab for Brennan. Any chance to drive Cam's new car was pay-dirt to Michelle.
"Booth? Hey, BOOTH!" Chase called into the office, and hour and a half after Parker sat at the desk. Brennan dropped the bone she was studying, and went completely white.
"Over here, Chase."
"Good evening, Dr. Brennan. Are you all right? You seem to be feeling ill," Chase said, concerned.
"Chase, you startled her. She called my dad Booth, and isn't used to hearing it yelled into her office when my dad isn't in trouble for some reason."
"Ah. Yes. My apologies. After Lacrosse, I'm somewhat hyper and loud. My parents are putting forth an attempt to have me change activies to golf. Harrison Chase. Everyone just calls me Chase." The boy stretched his hand out to shake Brennan's.
"Accepted. Pleasure to meet you, Chase." She took his hand gently. He nodded and headed over to the desk Brennan had brought in for Parker. Brennan had anticipated someone helping Parker occasionally and had an extra chair placed there as well as one that raised up for Parker.
"What subject have you started on?"
"I've finished with science, literature, history, art, and continued the project for drama. All that is left is geometry. I'm not having as much trouble keeping up as I did at first, but its still hard." The older boy nodded and pulled out a claculator that matched Parker's and a note book to assist.
"Its a shame you've already done sciene. I truly enjoy that subject."
"As does everyone else in this lab. It is somewhat easier when I'm surrounded by my Squint Squad." Chase laughed.
"Where exactly did your father come up with that title?"
"Apparently," Brennan said from her desk. "He believed we squint at things when we study them, while in reality we furrow our brow as we study, as a human habit. I prefer 'Squints' to 'Furrowers,' so I failed to correct Agent Booth."
"Ah."
"Halloween is being celebrated here on Saturday afternoon. If the two of you decide against trick-or-treating-"
"We're against!" they said together, rather excitedly.
"Wonderful. I'll e-mail your parents. Now, I'll let the two of you work. And as soon as you're done, I insist that the two of you make use of these," she said pulling a pair of laser tag guns and two shirts from a drawer. "Hodgins and Wendall made them for you. Its more lightweight than the vests at the tag place we went to last weekend. There are sensors throughout. Running is expected, and properly hydrating every 15 minutes is required."
"Oh wow! Thanks Temperance!" Parker squeaked. He was attempting to remain calm, but Brennan could see the excitement.
"Thank you, Dr. Brennan! Perhaps we should start, so we can finish in time to destroy one another with red lights."
Laughter could be heard throughout the lab. Brennan was ducked behind a chair in Hodgin's cubical, carefully, and was completely silent. She poked up long enough to take a few shots at Cam and Michelle before ducking back down. She saw her father out of the corner of her eye, with Parker about to take aim at Angela. Just as he did, Chase jumped out, rolled and shot Parker in the chest with the toy gun. Parker grabbed his chest and put on a dramatic fake death.
"He was just a boy!" Max yelled. Parker laughed and the game continued. Max left the safety of the cubical and took 5 shots at chase as he dashed for cover. Parker followed, and dove into a small hiding spot.
"Excuse me?" a woman called out. Lasers aimed at her but, as there were no sensors on her, nothing happened. "What in the-"
"Hello, Mother!" Chase called from above. He;d made it to the deck above the lab very quickly. He left to dash down.
"Dr. Brennan, is my child playing with a toy weapon?"
"Cease fire!" she called, hands up. Everyone stayed hidden but no one took a shot. "Yes; its part of an experiment."
"We don't believe in guns in our household."
"Believing in guns or not, they will not cease to exsist. Your son was having a fun afternoon with Parker, and a series of the finest minds in the country."
"And laser guns make an intellectual mind?"
"He wants to be a forensic pathologist one day, and if he wants to work at the Jeffersonian, he is reqired to have excellent hand-eye coordination, the ability to protect himself, using whatever he can, be it a gun, lacrosse stick, martial arts, or he won't be allowed in the field. The ability to play, to have fun, blow off steam, and relax wnough to enjoy an evening of toy guns is exretemly important." Mrs. Chase looked rather annoyed.
"He is not to play with guns. Guns are not toys."
"Oh, these are."
"Are you always so literal?"
"Often."
"My son is not to play with guns while in your care."
"Mother, I'm not an infant." Chase had taken off the sensor shirt, and gathered his things. "I understand the difference between an actual gun and play things. I'd never pick up an actual gun without proper training, and proper reason. I'm not Addison." Fury and sadness flashed in the woman's eyes. "I won't play with toy weapons, if you wish, but I fail to see the logic in it."
"As long as there are no weapons, toy or otherwise, you may continue your friendship with Parker. When you are old enough for JROTC, we'll reopen the discussion." Chase nodded. "Halloween here should be extremely entertaining. Have you decided on a coustume?"
"It is a Science Fictione-themed party. I'd like to go as a Star Fleet academy student. Dr. Brennan was able to locate a shop that hasn't sold out, and has ordered Parker's." Mrs. Chase nodded. "She asked them to hold one in my size, as there were only three left, in case you were okay with everything." The woman nodded.
"Thank you, Dr. Brennan. I do apologise for my initial attitude. My older son, Addison, was involved in an accident with the handgun we owned, and is now forced to be left-handed. I don't want the idea that gun-play is acceptable to be at all ingrained in my sons' heads."
"It won't happen again. It there anything else I should know about? Allergies, video game restrictions, or movie ratings?"
"He doesn't eat prok, but its by choice, no guns extends into games, and movies should be PG to PG13. Harry Potter is acceptable, Star Trek, in all forms is as well, as if I could stop the boy with that one, and Star Wars is not acceptable. Are there any restrictions for Parker, should they spend time in our home?" Brennan shook her head.
"He's able to make his own choices, and within your perameters, I'm certain he'll make reasonable choices for himself. I trust that they won't break your rules, thus resulting in forbidden gun play, nightmares, or bomb-building." Parker laughed from his hiding spot.
"How many people are playing this?" Everyone slowly stood and left their hiding place. Along with Cam, Michelle, Max, Angela, Hodgins, Wendall, Brennan and Parker were several other interns, lab techs, assistants and the current FBI agents that gave Clark Edison the creeps. In all there were about 35 people playing. "An interesting way to make use of a lab."
"We tried a water ballon fight, but Dr. Brennan does not fair well, being pregnant," Hodgins called. "By the way, you kid is awesome. He helped me in the lab with my bugs."
"Bugs?"
"We pulled blood from a flea to collect DNA to find out who killed the person on that table up there." Mrs. Chase went slightly gray. "I didn't touch anything dead other than the flea, and it is actually over 20 years old."
"That's nice, son. We should go."
"Bye Parker," Chase called as he followed his mother out. As soon as she was out of the lab, the game picked back up.
"Look out, Max!" Parker yelled, and took the 'bullet' for the man, who shot Hodgins on the chest. "Ow," Parker whined. "My knee"
"Cease fire!" Max called. "Parker?"
"My knee!" he cried. He held the wounded knee, crying hard.
"Tempe, we have an injury!" Max called. Hodgins ran over and lifted the boy up. "Give me the keys, I'll pull the car around," he said to his daughter. Brennan handed the keys over, hands shaking.
"Parker, you'll be okay, sweetie," Angela soothed. They put him on the table on the platform and Cam cut away the uniform pants. His knee was swelling quickly.
"There's more than likely multiply fractures. Hodgins, you are on ice duty. Angela, you are on Brennan duty. Keep her calm. Michelle, go call Georgetown and let them know what is going on, and that we'll need an ambulance. I'm not comfortable moving him in the car." Everyone dashed off in their own direction. Angela had Brennan sit down, before the ansiety attack had her black out.
"Temperance," he called, still crying in pain. "I'm scared." Brennan went into Mommy-mode.
"Sweetie," Brennan said, hovering. "Look at my. I know it hurts, but it will be okay. This is temporary pain, and will go away soon, just hold my hand, and focus on that. Take deep breaths, and try to remain calm." Parker nodded. "You're doing very well, Parker. Why don't you tell me about your dad? What would he have done if you'd fractured a limb in his care?"
"I don't know," Parker cried.
"Focus," Brennan said. Parker took deep breaths and closed his eyes.
"He would have gotten scared. He would take care of me, like you are, and he would call my mom. She would yell at him, and we'd get ice cream after they fixed me."
"Good job. What kind of ice cream?" she asked, keeping his mind off the pain.
"He like chocolate, but I really like vanilla bean, with butterscotch."
"That's my favorite, too. Any other toppings?" Parker nodded, eyes still closed. He yelped and started crying again when the ice was put on his knee. "What toppings?"
"Its cold! Get it off!"
"The ambulance will be here in 4 minutes," Michelle called from Brennan's office.
"It needs to be there. Give it just a minute and it won't be as bad." Brennan climbed onto the table with the boy, and carefully arranged him to rest his upper body in her arms. He hugged close to her and cried. "I like peanuts on top of my ice cream, and occasionally, fresh raspberries." Parker shook his head.
"No raspberries."
"How about blueberries?" Parker nodded. Parker jumped slightly. "Hey, did you feel that?" He nodded. "That was the baby kicking. I've never felt it strong enough to be completely certain it wasn't gas." Parker snorted a laugh through the tears.
"It hurts so bad, Temperance," he wimpered.
"Your dad hurt his back once. They gave him vicodin. It was so funny to hear him speak, because the vicodin made him high." Cam remembered his bad back and laughed to herself. "He was not as brave as you're being right now."
"He wasn't?"
"No. He was a big baby, if you ask me. Wouldn't see the dentist or the doctor when he needed to, because he was afraid of them."
"Dad was afraid of doctors?" The baby kicked again.
"Did you feel that? The baby likes your voice." Just as she spoke, paramedics entered the lab with Max leading the way. "We were playing laser tag, and he fell," she explained.
"He's you son?"
"Foster son. I'm his legal guardian."
"We'll have to call the social worker involved in the case."
"What? Why? It was an accident! No one hurt him, and no one here would ever hurt him!" Max argued.
"Dad, its okay. Let them do their job. Its good that they look into that. I wish they had when I was in foster care." Guilt hit Max and he felt tears in his eyes. Someone had hurt his baby girl.
Morning sickness bites. Cravings for Arby's is awesome, when the place is actually open. Going on food run! WOOT! Ejoy the story!