Sometimes this site drives me nuts! For some reason the last of my tweaking didn't save - so apologies for the sloppy editing! Hope this works.
A/N: To the inestimable cathmarchr … thanks, sweetie (she hates when I gush!)
Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my soul, and I even lend that out on occasion, but only if you ask nice. Anything that even looks familiar in this story probably belongs to someone else (except the actual story - that's all mine, Mine, MINE [*maniacal laughter*]!)
Chapter Six: There's Got to be a Morning After.
Booth came to slowly, the sounds of someone moving around near the bed edging into his consciousness. He had a strong feeling of being watched and he felt a gentle breath against his cheek. One eye drifted open.
His son was leaning on the mattress, his head tilted to one side while he studied his father's face.
"Hey, Dad."
"Hey, Parks." Booth smiled sleepily at his son, his head still half buried in the pillow. "What's up, buddy?"
"You been having a party?" Parker held out his hand, his little fist full of square plastic packets. "I found eight. Is it like a treasure hunt?"
"Huh?" Slowly Booth's brain started to function like the highly trained investigator he was. "Parker, what are you doing here?" A low snuffle from the other side of the bed brought the whole of last night back into sharp focus. Booth glanced at the bedside clock; a little after six am. That was when he panicked; Parker was in his bedroom collecting condom packets and Bones was in his bed utterly and deliciously naked. He felt his brain cells short out one by one at the thought of trying to explain the situation to his son.
Parker, on the other hand, didn't see anything that needed explaining. "Mom brought me; she's in the living room having a cow." In other circumstances his exaggerated eye roll might have earned him a curt reminder from his father not to be disrespectful, but Booth was too flabbergasted to worry about his progeny's manners right now. "Gramma's sick and Mom wants me to stay with you while I get over my flu."
Booth closed his eyes, preferring the view on the backs of his eyelids to the shape the morning looked like it was taking. Of course Rebecca's here too, how else would Parker have gotten here? He scrunched his face up even further until his lips were pulled back into a comical grimace. Could the morning get any more uncomfortable? Brennan shifted drowsily, rolling onto her side until the smooth curves of her body warmed his back. Her hand slid over his hip and he almost jumped six inches when her fingers slid south, her nails scratching idly through his pubic hair. He sat up abruptly, trying to subtly shift her hand away without either his son or Brennan being aware of it. The movement only brought her more fully awake and she made a small grumble of protest.
"Booth?"
"Hi, Dr Bones." Parker's smile doubled, dimples at the ready.
Brennan peered myopically over Booth's shoulder, returning the little boy's grin. "Hi, Parker."
Booth froze, completely unprepared for his son and his … partner coming face-to-face in these circumstances. He had no idea how to handle it. Before he could marshal his thoughts into anything resembling order, another voice added to the clusterfuck in his head.
"Seeley, are you up yet? Can I come in?" Rebecca was at the door, rattling the door knob.
She paused when she heard his horrified "No!" and pulled her hand away from the knob hastily. Seeley was a modest man, but considering she'd seen everything he had on offer she hadn't expected him to be so coy. A speculative look crossed her face as another thought occurred to her and she leaned in a little closer to the gap of the half open door and unashamedly eavesdropped for more information.
Booth forced himself to relax, continuing on more reasonably, if a little loudly. "I mean - wait a minute, I'll be out in a minute." He turned to Parker, the smile fixed on his face. "How about you get the coffee going like I showed you, hey, buddy? Just press the button on the machine; it's all set up to go."
"Okay Dad. See ya, Dr Bones." A flash of dimples again and the little boy was gone. They could hear him talking excitedly to his mother, their voices fading as they headed towards the kitchen.
Brennan yawned widely and looked around the room with curiosity. She hadn't really taken in a great deal of her surroundings last night. She was unsurprised to see everything set out with military precision, but several pieces of colored fabric poking out of the wardrobe door as well as one or two of the drawers, hinted at chaos quickly covered up. It was so Booth, she decided; all neat and tidy on the outside, a kaleidoscope lurking under the surface. She grinned, pleased at the analogy. "What's going on Booth?"
He was frantically pulling on a pair of track pants, hopping on one leg as his foot caught in the stretchy fabric. "I don't know. Parker said something about Rebecca's mom being sick." He glanced over at her, catching the edge of her smile. His heart melted at her mussed hair, the smudges of makeup around her eyes that somehow looked incredibly sexy, her creamy shoulders against the Spartan white of his sheets. His heart thumped high in his chest and he took a deep breath. "Good morning." He leant towards her, a grin spreading across his face. God, she was beautiful.
"Good morning." She replied. Her hand reached up to cup his cheek in a gesture that was already wonderfully familiar. From the other room Rebecca's slightly strident "Seeley?" made them both grimace. Booth turned his head and kissed her palm. Brennan ran her thumb across his lips gently. "Go fix your life, Booth."
"Don't go anywhere, okay? Just stay here."
She smiled back at him. He hesitated a moment, frowning at her.
Brennan made a little gesture towards the door with her chin. "Go, Booth. Rebecca's waiting."
As the door closed behind him, Brennan slipped out of the bed.
~o0o~
"Seeley, I'm so sorry to do this to you." Rebecca was wringing her hands together, her face painted with apology. "And for just letting myself in with the spare key like this, but you must not have heard me knocking."
"What's up, Rebecca?" Awareness of how close he was to getting caught lent his voice a whiney tone that he tried to lose, knowing it mostly stemmed from embarrassment. He knew the fact that there was someone in his bed shouldn't matter, but it did. Who it was mattered more than anything. He and Brennan had barely had time to get used to this new way of being; the prospect of having to talk it through with anyone else was inconceivable just now. He covered his discomfiture by slipping a tee shirt over his head.
Rebecca apparently didn't pick up on his tactic, instead glancing over at their son who was preoccupied watching the coffee percolate into the pot with an intensity that only an eight year old could give to the task. She still lowered her voice, not wanting to alarm him. "It's Mom, she's got bacterial pneumonia. She's been admitted to hospital."
Booth paused, the tee shirt rucked up under his arms. "Oh god, that sounds bad."
Rebecca nodded, pasting a shaky smile on her face. "They're pretty sure she'll be okay; she's finally getting the treatment she needs. But I need to be there in case … and my dad's like a sleepwalker. He'd been trying to care for her at home, not wanting to make a fuss, and everything escalated so quickly." Rebecca was obviously worried, despite her smile. She placed a hand on his arm and went on in a rush of words. "I know it's last minute, but can you take Parker for a couple of days? He's still getting over that stomach flu and I don't want to risk him getting infected if I take him with me, even though it's not that high a risk. The poor baby's just so run down." She looked anxiously at the little boy who was now trying to jump up and down in time with the staccato hissing of the coffee maker. Rebecca went on, "I should be back by Thursday, or Friday at the latest. My sister will be there by then and things'll settle down."
"Calm down, Becca, of course I will." While he didn't hesitate to say yes, Booth was running through how he'd juggle having Parker with him if a case came up. It didn't matter; he'd cope somehow, after all it was only a couple of days. The thought of having his son around buoyed him up, regardless of the circumstances.
"Thanks, Seeley. Everything that he'll need is in his backpack; he's got plenty of clothes here after all." Rebecca was already heading for the door. "I've already told his school I was keeping him home for another day or two. Keep an eye on his temperature, will you? He's still not really well. And don't give him anything spicy or you'll regret it." She raised her voice slightly and called out to Parker, who ran over and gave his mother a quick hug of farewell before skipping back to the kitchen, looking the picture of health. "Okay. I've got to get to the airport." She gave Booth a quick peck on the cheek, and he hugged her back automatically. She stopped then, turning to look at him somberly. "I'm sorry."
"Rebecca, you don't need to apologize for asking me to look after my own son." He scoffed, trying to lighten the mood.
"That's not what I'm sorry about." She looked past him towards the bedroom. "Give my best to Dr Brennan."
"What? No. Wait, how did you -" She was out the door and gone in a matter of moments, but not before he'd seen her quick teasing smile and she'd seen the color flood his face.
~o0o~
Booth poked his head into the bedroom, two mugs of coffee held in front of him. He did a double take at the empty bed. Brennan had disappeared again. How did she do that? Just for a moment he thought she'd gone from the apartment, before common sense kicked in and he realized he might have actually noticed something as obvious as her leaving.
"Temperance?" Booth called her name softly, half of him still not expecting an answer but she came out of the bathroom almost immediately, a small grin curving her lips. She'd had a shower and her hair was wet, the water dripping from the ends and leaving a trail of dampness on his dress shirt that she'd donned as a cover up. The tails of his shirt skimmed her thighs, and he noticed a few threads hanging loose at the bottom couple of buttons where they'd torn them off in their haste. Just the sight of those threads brought the frantic need of their coming together to the front of his brain again and he found himself speechless, swallowing down on the desire that rebounded almost immediately.
Brennan took the coffee from him silently, returning his look. The muffled sounds of early morning cartoons on the television in the other room filled the stillness between them.
"Good morning again."
Booth was wary despite the fact that the words were warmly said on a smile. Brennan's way of rationalizing everything meant he was never quite sure what take she'd give any situation and this one was outside the box. His greatest fear was that she'd look at him like he was one of Hodgins' bugs and say something like 'Thanks but no thanks' or 'So long, sucker'. She wouldn't say it like that of course, she'd couch it in anthropological mumbo jumbo, but the meaning would be the same. He choked back a sigh. She wasn't expecting happy ever after, she'd made that plain. Damn but he'd prove her wrong about that, no matter how long it took. He felt tension meander through the muscles of his back.
But she surprised him, putting her coffee cup down on the bedside table before reaching up to whisper a kiss against his lips, adding depth to the caress when his arm found its own way around her waist. Relief coursed through him and he responded willingly, tightening his grip on her with one arm while trying to keep his coffee from spilling, but he'd underestimated her enthusiasm. She wound herself around him sinuously, her left heel adroitly massaging his right calf, only pulling away when he made a short grunt of protest as he felt the sting of hot coffee on the back of his hand.
He put the cup down next to hers and circled his arms back around her shoulders, pulling her close. "I could get used to this." He nuzzled her neck, enjoying the scent of his shampoo in her hair.
"I'm finding the prospect of repeating the experience from last night very attractive." Brennan smiled wryly and ran her finger teasingly along the inside of the elastic waist of his pants, laughing when his physical response to her light touch was immediately obvious. She looked up at him from under her lashes, "I don't have to be at the lab for another hour or so. We've got time -"
Her words brought him reluctantly back to the present, and he leant his forehead against hers regretfully.
"I have Parker for the next couple of days. He's out in the living room watching TV."
"Oh."
"Yes, oh. Rebecca asked me to take him – her mom's sick."
"Ah." Brennan frowned, looking put out. "But what if we get a case?"
Booth sat on the side of the bed and took a long slurp from his coffee, pulling face when he realized he'd picked up the wrong cup. He passed the cup over to Brennan who sipped it with an appreciative sigh. "I'll think of something, Bones, it'll be fine."
"What do you have going on at work today?" Brennan drained her coffee and sat down next to Booth, sorting unhurriedly through the pile of clothes they'd discarded last night. She laid her skirt and blouse on the bed and spent a few moments smoothing the creases out. Booth watched her hands move deftly at her task and his heart skipped a beat when it hit him again how much things had changed between them in the last twenty four hours. He couldn't believe how easy and comfortable things were between them right now.
"Same old same old. I've got a pile of paperwork yay high." He'd waved his hand around vaguely. Suddenly he frowned, dismay clouding his face. "And a meeting with Hacker and Caroline at eleven to review the cases that are coming up in court." He tapped his forehead lightly with the heel of his palm. "Caroline needs to work out a timetable for the next couple of months. Damn, I forgot about that. Do you think maybe Angela would take Parker for a couple of hours?"
"I'm sure she would be glad to help you out except she's not in for most of today." Brennan straightened the pleat in his trousers and folded them carefully. "She's giving a presentation about some software she's developing, trying to get some more funding for further R and D. It doesn't sound like you'll have much time to keep your son constructively occupied." Brennan pulled the pile of underwear onto her lap next and separated them out, holding up her panties towards him, her eyebrows raised in accusation. They were ruined; one of the seams had been ripped completely open. A cheesy grin crossed Booth's face and she leant in to kiss it away.
"Why can't I go with Dr Bones?" They both swung around to the door in guilty surprise. Parker stood there, his face flushed with excitement. Booth grabbed the silky lavender scrap and stuffed it hastily into the pocket of his track pants, color suffusing his face. So far Parker had been amazingly accepting of Brennan's presence in his dad's bedroom, but he didn't need anything that might start an avalanche of questions right now. Parker tended to think things through for himself, before choosing his time and place to ask the hard questions. Unfortunately he usually chose the most embarrassing moment to ask them. Booth shifted his weight subtly in an attempt to put a bit of space between Brennan and himself while his son continued, his voice edging on petulant. "I want to go with Dr Bones. There's heaps of cool stuff at her work!" Parker's little crush on Brennan was showing and his father tried to dampen his enthusiasm without hurting his feelings.
"Hang on there, bud, you can't just invite yourself along like that. Bones has got lots of important stuff to do and she needs to concentrate on that." Parker looked crestfallen and Brennan glanced quickly between father and son.
She frowned slightly and hesitated. "Why don't I take him with me? The workload is really light at the lab and there are lots of exhibits at the Jeffersonian that are quite educational with plenty of visual and auditory stimulation. I could keep him entertained." Her tone was tentative, unsure of his reaction.
Booth was surprised by her proposal; he wasn't convinced that Brennan really knew how difficult it was at times to keep his son occupied. "I don't know, Bones, your idea of 'entertained' might not be the same as an eight year old's." Besides, he added silently to himself, we're way too new for you to take on mommy duties – you might just decide to cut and run!
"Hey! I was eight once too, you know." Brennan's tone was indignant. "How hard can it be? I'm registered as a foster parent after all, if you're concerned that I may not be equal to the task. I'm a very responsible person."
"Bones, of course I know you're responsible. I trust you with my son. That's not the issue, I just don't think you were ever eight eight." He said dryly, grinning at her to take any sting out of the words. "Don't go teaching him about the mating habits of bonobos, okay?"
"Pygmy chimpanzees' mating habits are actually quite fascinating, but I'll take your advice on board." She arched an eyebrow and angled her head toward the rumpled sheets of his bed. "Any other species' mating habits I should avoid discussing?"
She had him by the balls there. Fortunately, Parker didn't seem to be following that particular conversational thread.
"Please, Dad? I really wanna go to the museum." The little boy strung out the entreaty and Booth found one pair of soulful warm brown eyes and one pair of clear cool blue gray eyes turned on him expectantly. He was a bit taken aback; Brennan seemed almost to want this as much as his son did.
"That's settled then." Brennan said brusquely, not waiting for his answer. She stood up and held out her hand. "C'mon, Parker. Have you had breakfast yet?" Booth watched, bemused, as they walked away together, hand in hand, Parker gabbling nineteen to the dozen and Brennan chuckling indulgently.
Booth blinked, his mouth hanging open in astonishment. "Well I'll be damned."
~o0o~
"Hey Baby Booth! What are you doing here?" Angela's welcome was warm but she was obviously distracted, shuffling papers and frantically emptying the contents of her desk drawer to try and find the thumb drive that her presentation was stored on. She managed a quick look over his shoulder, expecting to see the broad-shouldered figure of his father. When she spotted Brennan her expression shifted. "Hey sweetie. How are you?" Angela glanced into the hall again and then frowned. Where's Booth?
Brennan harrumphed a little self consciously. "Parker's spending the day with me. I'm looking after him while Booth's tied up with work. As a favor." At Angela's incredulous smile, she added hastily. "It's a partner thing." Brennan's voice was edged with defiance, as if she expected Angela to challenge the veracity of her statement. She made no mention of the change in her relationship with Booth, and Brennan almost convinced herself it was because she didn't want to sidetrack Angela on her big day. Almost, but not quite. She filed that one away for later and avoided looking directly at her friend; Angela would know something was up the minute she looked her in the eyes. And in truth Angela was stunned that Brennan was going to look after Parker for the whole day, but then a smile crept over her face. She kind of liked the idea of Brennan playing mommy. She only wished she had more time to analyze what was going on.
Brennan edged away, pulling Parker gently after her. She almost bumped into Hodgins as he stood in the hallway near the door of Angela's office but she didn't speak to him, instead nodding awkwardly to him and continuing on her way.
Hodgins came into Angela's office, looking bemused. "Did I just hear correctly? Dr Brennan's going to babysit Parker?" He started to laugh. "Oh, that poor kid."
"Zip it, Jack." Angela cut him off, annoyed that he'd put into words the exact same thing that she herself had been thinking.
~o0o~
Booth found his attention drifting as Assistant Director Hacker asked Caroline yet another numnuts question about court procedure. The look on Brennan's face when she offered to take Parker popped into his head and he found himself contemplating the mixture of tentative appeal and uncertainty that he didn't often see on her face. After their "no strings" conversation the offer had been totally unexpected, and all the sweeter for it. Suddenly he smiled to himself, remembering several other expressions he'd never seen on her face until last night. His smile broadened. That is until the expectant silence surrounding him and the thin-lipped look of impatience on Caroline's face made him realize he'd been asked a direct question and he had absolutely no idea what it was.
"Cher," Caroline's dulcet tones overrode his desperate mental scramble for something appropriate to say that might save him. "whatever her name is, she ain't here in this room, so can we get back to the business at hand? I got a life outside this place too, y'know, but you don't see me going around all doey-eyed and cooyon all the time. Pay attention, Agent Booth."
~o0o~
"Dr Bones?"
"Mm-hmm?" Brennan looked up from the file she'd been working on. She realised with a start that Parker had been unusually quiet for the past half hour or so. Even the static-laden sound effects from his trusty Nintendo had ceased.
"I don't feel so good."
They'd spent a large part of the morning exploring the more prosaic exhibits in the Jeffersonian. Parker had been wild to see the baseball relics and Brennan had reluctantly agreed. She'd been surprised to find a huge section dedicated to a women's baseball league that had been formed during the war years and she'd spent some time taking it all in. She even found herself memorizing some of the facts and figures to astound her partner with when he least expected it, not that she acknowledged the reason for her studious behaviour on a conscious level.
When Parker pulled her towards the interactive science display she'd been more comfortable; here she felt she could really contribute something to the child's education.
Parker was a bright child and enthusiastic about the subject, but even his eyes glazed over when she tried to explain how a gas chromatographer worked; apparently analytical chemistry wasn't included on the curriculum at elementary school. But it only took one or two "Booth Looks" from Parker to realize she was pitching her conversation way above the boy's head. When she allowed herself to just relax and enjoy Parker's excitement, she realized she was genuinely having a good time. It wasn't until she heard the echo of her father's voice in her own as she was explaining how thunder and lightning worked that she was hit full force with a reminder of the rich environment she'd spent her early years in, something she often sublimated. It pleased her that she was giving something back to Booth by doing the same for his son, even in a small way.
When Booth sent a text message letting her know the meeting with Hacker and Caroline was going on longer than he'd expected, they were both disappointed. Even the promise that he'd catch up with them later at the lab and take them out for pie didn't put the smile back on Parker's face right away. Instead they'd sat on the front steps of the Jeffersonian, Brennan watching Parker eat the two chili dogs he'd insisted on, sauce on his chin and the sun in their eyes. It made Brennan happy to see that cheeky grin surface again.
Now, hearing the plaintive note in Parker's voice, she closed her laptop and considered the little boy in a more clinical manner. He was looking flushed and his hair clung damply to his forehead. The high energy from the morning had disappeared. Maybe those chili dogs for lunch hadn't been such a great idea after all. He'd pulled himself into the corner of the sofa in her office and his eyes were drooping sleepily. Brennan went over to him, concerned.
"Are you going to be sick?" she asked hastily, looking around wildly for a suitable receptacle, just in case.
"I dunno, I don't think so, but I feel kind of weird." Brennan tentatively placed the back of her hand against his forehead, feeling a little foolish. It was hardly a scientific method of measuring temperature, but she remembered her mother doing the same thing many times. She relaxed slightly; he was quite cool to the touch so there appeared to be no reason for anxiety in that quarter, but he looked miserable. She was about to call Cam for a consult when Parker let out a huge noxious burp and suddenly grinned happily. Apparently the crisis was over. Brennan felt her unease drain away and they exchanged weary smiles.
Despite finding the little boy's company not only enjoyable but unexpectedly interesting, she'd actually found the morning to be exhausting. She'd been on overland treks that had been less enervating. When Parker yawned extravagantly Brennan found herself trying to stifle a yawn of her own.
She missed the sideways look the young boy gave her. "Mom cuddles me when I'm sick." He paused for effect. "So does Dad." Another quick sideways glance. Even Brennan was able to work out what Parker was hinting at. She settled herself next to him on the sofa, put an arm around his shoulders and pulled the throw from the back of the sofa over them both. Parker gave a little sigh and burrowed further under her shoulder.
"Why does my dad call you Bones? That's not really your name is it?"
Brennan smiled despite herself. "No it's not my name, but it's like a nickname Booth - er - your dad made up because I work with bones. Your dad thinks bones are dry and boring, but they can speak to you."
"You mean they're alive?" Parker's eyes were the size of saucers as he glanced around her office apprehensively. He slipped his hand into hers.
Brennan gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze and laughed at the question so innocently put. "No, not actually animate. I mean if you know what to look for you can find out all about what the person - or animal - was like when they were alive by looking at their bones."
The tension left his little body and he snuggled more deeply into her side. He was still trying to work out the name thing. "So why doesn't he call you Dr Brennan like everyone else?"
Brennan considered the question for a few moments. "I don't really know."
"I think it's because my dad really likes you. Really, really likes you." He looked up at her but didn't understand why she was frowning. "I really, really like you too."
Brennan felt a rush of warmth that she couldn't immediately identify. She tucked the feeling away for further examination later, along with her motivation for offering to help with Parker. But that had been just a partner thing. Hadn't it? She shook her head as if to clear her mind but the action didn't dispel the vague feeling of being off balance. Today had left her with a lot to think about.
"Dr Bones, can I call you Bones like my dad does? It's really important."
"Sure. But why is it so important?"
"Cos then you'd know how much I like you, too."
~o0o~
Booth sprinted the last fifty yards to the lab, checking his watch as he ran. Just shy of three o'clock – he was two hours later than he'd told Brennan. He cursed softly under his breath. If he wanted this burgeoning relationship to go the distance he worried the chances of success would decrease exponentially in direct correlation to the length of time she babysat his son. He almost tripped when he realized he was starting to think squinty, before guilt pushed that concern out of his mind. She'd said she was light on work, but Booth knew all too well how frustrated she'd be at being taken away from her precious bones for such a long time. She was a total workaholic. He grimaced wryly; it was one of the many things they had in common. Apart from that, Brennan's experience with children was limited, and as much as he loved his son, the kid was eight years old. That said it all, really. And there was that other thing he needed to discuss with her. He chewed on the inside of his lip, distracted.
"Hey, Booth!" It was Hodgins, no doubt ready with some smartass quip. Booth could see the amused gleam in his eye from here. He'd probably felt the edge of Brennan's temper during the morning and thought some sort of payback would be justified. Booth ignored him and slid the last few feet to the door of Brennan's office, an apology already formed on his lips. What he saw brought him up short. Brennan was stretched out on her office sofa, work forgotten, Parker cradled in her arms. Both of them were oblivious to the sounds of people going about their daily tasks nearby, and were deeply asleep.
For the second time that day Booth blinked, his mouth hanging open in astonishment. "Well I'll be damned."
Maybe that conversation about the fact that they'd never actually got around to using any of those condoms last night could wait.
More to come, and it would be amazing to hear what you think. Reviews make the world go around. Thanks guys!