A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

Chapter 6: The Plot Thickens

"Parker I don't believe that is the proper proscribed uniform for a federal agent." Brennan told her son when she caught sight of the way he was dressed.

Parker was in utility pants and military boots and an olive drab t-shirt. He had his badge hanging around his neck. "Mom we're getting ready to head out to a crime scene I much rather be wearing this than my suit." He told her. They had stopped a gas station to fuel up before they headed out to what they hoped was their primary crime scene.

"But still it isn't what you're supposed to be wearing." Brennan reasoned with him.

"Mom it is a uniform so if by some fluke a senior FBI guy wanders out here I will tell him that. I much rather brave the elements in my utilities. I'm not just going to sit back and watch. You need to bear in mind that dad asked Wendell to come out here too I will be helping him." Parker replied.

"I forget that you know what you're doing because you helped me out on several of my digs when you were in high school. You have to forgive me if I'm having a hard time with my baby being a man." Brennan informed him it was so unlike her to be emotional like that.

"I'll always be your baby mom, I'm just a more grown up version of the kid you and dad raised." Parker laid it on thick and topped it off with a Booth charm smile.

"Parker you do realize that we are just going to search the grounds and we're not leading an invasion right?" Booth asked his son when he saw what he had changed into.

"Funny dad, really that is very funny. These are my working under less than ideal condition clothes. Like I told mom if one of the directors come out here you can tell them that at least I'm in a uniform." Parker replied with a shrug.

"Parker where is your gun?" Booth asked him.

Parker looked at his dad like he was crazy. "Seeley Booth I do believe you're going blind in your old age. It's strapped right to my leg." He said pointing to the holster that he had fastened to his thigh.

"Booth I think that Parker is correct you may need glasses." Brennan said talking to her husband in a concerned voice.

Booth shook his head at his own denseness. "Bones don't worry about me, Parker and I just spent too many hours pouring over all those documents and reports today it has my brain in sleeper mode. I'm glad to be out of the office right now."

Parker took pity on his dad because he knew how his mother could be when she got concerned about something she wouldn't just let it drop. "Come on mom we should get in the car. We need to get a move on." Booth sent his son a silent thank you with his eyes.

"So do you think that we will find another body?" Brennan asked her son as they got into the SUV.

Parker had to fight the urge to laugh at Brennan she was just like a kid when it came to dead bodies. "I think so mom, if my hunch is right which nine times out of ten they are. I have a feeling that we are going to find another body."

"Parker you do realize that your hunches can't be quantified so there is no way to measure them right?" Brennan asked his son.

Parker shook his head and chuckled on some things his mom never changed. "I know that mom I was just thinking out loud." He replied he really had to try not to laugh at his mother sometimes.

He was thankful when Booth got in the car and got behind the wheel. "I just got off the phone with Hodgins and Wendell they'll about a half an hour behind us. They had to get all their toys together you know how they are."

"Dad let's just get out there and see what's going on. The evidence has kept for forever I know but I would really like to take a look around." Parker suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea to me Bub." Booth said putting the car in gear. They drove in relative silence.

Parker was staring out the side window just watching the landscape go past him. He didn't really need to pay attention once you saw one pine tree in Virginia you had pretty much seen them all. His thoughts were places that they shouldn't be at this moment. He should have been focused on the case years of practice had taught him how to compartmentalize. But the feelings that he had coming to the surface after all this times were just as hard to compartmentalize now as they had been nine years ago. He couldn't help but be brought back to the first time he had asked Belle out.

"Alright, Hammer you remember what to say?" a seventeen year old Parker was kneeling on the ground in front of his little brother Hank. Parker was in his football uniform it was after the game and they were all out by their cars.

Seven-year-old Hank Booth looked up at his big brother and nodded his head. "I remember Bub I won't let you down I swear." He was excited that he was being allowed to help his brother out. He hero-worshiped Parker and he was happy for any time he could spend with his brother.

"Alright then I think you're ready Hammer. Here take this." Parker said handing his brother a single rose. "I know you can do this Hammer. Now she is right over there." He gave his brother a smile and pointed in the direction that he wanted him to go.

Hank nodded his head again and walked off. As he walked Parker could see his little lips moving practicing what he was supposed to say. Parker couldn't help but grin from ear to ear when he saw Belle smile at Hank. He knew that he had made that right choice in getting him to approach her instead of Seeley who would have acted like a little ham. And Lance really would have messed it up he was nothing more than a mini version of their mom.

As Parker watched the interaction between his little brother and the girl that he liked he inched closer to where they were standing so he could hear what was going on he was waiting for his cue to join the conversation.

From what he could hear Hank was playing his part to the max. "Now I know that I'm just a little bit too young for you but maybe you would like to go out with my brother sometimes." He said holding his index finger and thumb inches apart to demonstrate their age difference and Belle laughed.

Parker had to keep himself from chuckling because this was his cue. He walked up behind Hank and put his hands on his shoulders. "There you are Hammer I've been looking all over for you mom and dad wouldn't be very happy with me if I lost you. I hope you're not making a nuisance of yourself." He mock lectured him. He didn't miss the smile that was on Belle's face.

"Hi, Parker, is this your little brother?" Belle asked him.

"Hi, Claire, yeah this is one of my three little brothers. They are a real joy be glad you only met this one." Parker replied feeling his heart thumping in his chest rapidly.

Belle tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear and smiled at him. "I thought you told me the other day that you weren't going to call me Claire anymore?"

Parker tapped his finger to his temple like he was remembering something. "That's right I forgot that to me your name is Belle now." this was going better than he could have hoped for.

Belle laughed at him lightly. "I like that a lot better than Claire. But let me tell you something Parker you're going to have to watch out for your little brother here. He came up to me, told me his name was Hank, gave me a flower and recited a poem, and then he asked me on a date. He is going to be very popular with the girls when he grows up."

Parker looked down at Hank. "Hammer is that true?" he asked.

"Yes it's true." Hank replied with a big toothless grin.

"Belle I think I caught the end of your conversation and you never answered his question." Parker smirked.

"I didn't, did I? But I think I forgot the question." Belle said coyly.

"Belle would you like to go out with me?" Parker asked he was proud of himself for not stuttering.

Belle gave him a big smile that showed all her white teeth. "I would love to go out with you Parker. How about tomorrow night?"

Parker had to fight the urge to whoop for joy. "Tomorrow night sounds great. I'll pick you up at seven."

"Ok, I'll see you then." Belle replied grinning like mad. Then she bent down so she was eye level with Hank and she kissed him on the cheek.

Parker was brought back to reality by his dad. "Park we're here." Booth told him.

Parker looked up to see a fairly nice cabin sitting no more than a few yards away from the river. There was a dock out back and an old boat tied up to it. "I guess we should take a look around inside until Uncle Jack and Wendell get here." he suggested getting out of the car.

"That sounds like a good plan." Brennan said knowing Booth wouldn't throw him a bone. She walked up to the front door and was about to open it when Booth stopped her.

Booth put his hand on his wife's wrist. "Not so fast Bones the gun goes first you know that." Parker went to step in front of his mother but he stopped him. "My gun goes first rookie not yours." He corrected him.

Parker backed up. "I'll just go around back and see if there is another way in or out of here." he said resigned to the fact that his father didn't trust him yet.

"I think that would be a great idea." Booth said as he watched his son walk away. "Ok, Bones when we get in here stay close."

"Booth this isn't my first crime scene thank you very much." Brennan grumbled but she allowed him to lead the way.

Booth opened the door there were no lights on inside the cabin but there was enough daylight getting through the door that they could see the mess the inside was left in. There were old newspapers scattered around and there were dirty dishes strewn about as well. "I have to say this looks just like Lance's room." He quipped.

"Please Booth this is clean when compared to our youngest child's room." Brennan replied.

"Well I sure hope our first born knows what he's talking about because so far I'm not seeing anything worthwhile." Booth said he had pulled out a flashlight and was scanning the beam around. He was about to say something else when he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. He heard the cocking of a gun he turned to see that a young man had a gun aimed at his wife.

"Who the hell are you people and what the fuck are you doing here?" the young man demanded of them. He didn't have the time to say anything else before he felt the barrel of a gun pressed up against the base of his skull.

"If you don't want me to blow your brains out the of front of your head I strongly suggest that you lower your gun the fuck away from my mom." Parker said through gritted teeth and the man lowered his gun. "Good now drop it and kick it across the room." He ordered when the man had done that Parker issued another set of orders. "Get down on your knees, cross your ankles, and put your hands behind your back." As soon as he complied Parker had him handcuffed face down on the ground.

"Parker that wasn't necessary I could have handled that." Brennan told him but she knew that he got his alpha male tendencies from his father.

Booth moved over to the man that Parker had on the ground. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Steve Ford just tell him not to shoot me." Steve answered Booth.

"Parker put the gun away before you hurt someone." Booth told him even though he knew damn well that Parker knew what he was doing with a gun.

"Sure thing." Parker said holstering his gun.

"Ok, son do you want to tell me what you're doing here?" Booth asked the young man that was face down.

"This is my mother's cabin she let's me stay here free of rent." Steve replied any sense of bravery he had left him when Parker made him kick his gun across the room.

Parke flipped on a light and took his first really good look at Steve. He had shoulder length greasy hair and grubby looking clothes on, not to mention it looked like he had been without the benefit of a dentist for a long time. "I'm sure your mother didn't give you permission to cook meth in here though." He said.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Steve disputed.

Parker stood him up and then he jabbed his thumb into his kidneys. "They never do so I'm guessing all that stuff I saw out back isn't yours and you're not the one who uses it to make meth." When he finished his sentence he jabbed harder when he saw that he wasn't going to get an answer.

Steve yelped out in pain. "You're right I do use the barn out back to cook meth but I haven't in a long time because I haven't had all the ingredients." He admitted.

Parker looked him in the eyes and saw that his pupils were dilated there was no question in his mind that he was tweaking out right now. "Dad I called in the closest available unit they should be here any minute now." he said turning away from Steve.

Booth was in awe of his son he was starting to think that maybe it was wrong of him to look at Parker and see a little boy. "Parker you know that thing you did with your thumb could land you in trouble right?" he asked he couldn't admit to him just yet that he thought he had done a good job.

"It won't though because A) it doesn't leave a mark, and B) he is clearly tweaked out of his mind right now I had to do it to make him focus on the conversation. Which brings us to C) he won't remember any of this in a little while anyway." Parker spoke in a hushed tone.

"Dr. B, Agent Booth are you guys in here? Because there are some dudes that look like they're from the secret part of the government out here." Hodgins called into the cabin.

"We're back in the study." Brennan called out to her colleague.

Parker grabbed Steve by the cuffs. "Come on your ride's here." he told him.

Booth couldn't help but chuckle. "You go deal with your backup and I'll deal with your uncle." He offered.

Parker smiled. "That sounds like a plan." He replied.

Booth and Eli were sitting in the living room of her house. They were just sitting on the couch basically doing nothing and that was fine by them.

"Listen to that." Eli said referring to the silence.

Booth strained his ears like he was trying to hear something and then he smiled. That smile made Eli's heart flutter in her chest. "I don't hear anything."

Eli smiled back. "Exactly my point Mr. Hodgins. There are no annoying little brothers around right now to be a general pain in my ass and there are no sisters around to drive us nuts with their Aunt Angela like behavior."

"I really like the last part of that sentence a lot." Booth said leaning in closer to her. Come on you can do this Booth. You've played sold out crowds all the time but you can't just kiss Gizmo you've known her your whole life. He thought to himself.

Eli looked at Booth expectantly. Come on Hodgins don't make me be the one to make the first move. Actually I wouldn't mind making the first move as long as you like me the same way I like you. "I really liked the first part of that sentence. I love those boys but I want to kill them sometimes. So I'm glad to be rid of them for a little while."

She spoke too soon because at that moment there was a knock on the door. Damn it Booth you're timing is terrible. Booth berated himself mentally.

"One of the stooges otherwise known as my little brothers probably forgot their keys I'll get it." Eli said getting up and walking to the door.

"They have been known to do that." Booth agreed with her somewhat lamely because he didn't know what else to say.

Eli opened the door with a scowl on her face but the look quickly turned to one of amusement when she saw who was at the door and the trouble he was having. "It looks like you could use some help there Uncle Lance."

Lance Sweets was holding his three-year-old daughter in his arms and she wasn't making it easy for him. "Eli I could use a whole lot of help. And that is why I'm here to ask you a favor."

"What kind of favor Uncle Lance?" Eli asked eyeing him warily.

"Well you see Julie was watching Dalton, and Wendell's other two brats for Sarah. Then Julie got called into the hospital and left me with the four brats and Dalton. Now your parents need me to consult on a case for them and I have no one to watch the kids so I was hoping you would do it." Sweets said hopefully.

"I don't know Uncle Lance, Booth and I were enjoying the peace and quiet." Eli told him playfully.

"I pay very well." Sweets said sounding desperate.

"I don't need the money Uncle Lance." Booth called from the couch.

Eli took the little girl out of Sweets' arms. "Come on in Uncle Lance and tell Dalt and the other three terrors to get in here too." She relented.

Sweets kissed her wetly in the center of the forehead. "Thank you Gizmo you have just saved my life. I really didn't want to be in trouble with Julie and Sarah."

"Uncle Lance I highly doubt that my mom would have gotten mad at you. You could have left them with me I am capable of watching them." Dalton said walking into the house. He was the spitting imagine of Wendell there was nothing about him that looked like Daisy. He looked so much like his dad in fact that when he was born Daisy insisted that his name be Wendell Jr. Wendell let her do it but he called him by his middle name and that is what stuck.

"Dalt, you're twelve buddy you can take care of yourself but I don't think you're quite old enough to watch the four terrors alone yet. It is a big job for me and Gizmo." Booth told the younger boy gently.

Booth wasn't kidding either at that moment he was mobbed by three little tornadoes two boys and a girl. He and Eli shared a look that said 'So much for peace and quiet.'

"Bones I seriously hope that you're not going to dig up this whole yard. I hate to break it to you but that could take awhile." Booth said whining just a little.

"Of course I'm not going to dig up the whole yard Booth I am merely going to use sonar to see what is under the ground." Brennan informed him.

" I don't know how you're going to find anything with all the meth making equipment." Parker replied.

"Oh ye of little faith. Your mom and dad could find a body under any conditions it just makes it more fun for them if it's hard to find." Jack said cuffing him lightly on the side of his head.

"Uncle Jack I'm not going to stand here and deny that my parents are good at what they do that would just be a lie. There could be God alone knows how much evidence out here and it will take us days to sift through it all." Parker replied.

"Parker you and I will find the evidence that we need if it's here." Wendell assured him.

"Damn right Wendell. We have a couple of problems right now. Among the most important is we need to find what's left of that money that is what's going to hold this puzzle together." Parker said thoughtfully.

"I agree you guys search for that money and we'll look for the body." Booth ordered.

"You've got it Booth." Wendell said.

"And while you're doing that I will be scouring the place for bugs, slime, and dirt." Hodgins chimed in as if they all didn't know what he was going to be doing.

Parker and Wendell started out searching the old storage shed that was on the property. There was barely any room in there for the stuff that was stored there much less Parker and Wendell.

" I didn't think it was possible to accumulate this much junk." Parker said picking up a rusted axe that looked well past its prime.

"Right so if I were a criminal and I was going to hide the rest of my stash where would I put it?" Wendell asked rhetorically.

"Well I'll tell you this much I surely wouldn't put it anywhere in here. There is really no place to hide money." Parker said taking a look around this was one of the least likely places that it would be.

"No there isn't any place to hide anything. But there is no telling where that money is in this amount of time." Wendell replied.

"Then consider yourself lucky that I have a hunch Wendell." Parker replied giving him a grin.

Booth and Brennan were walking around the grounds using sonar imaging to see what was under the ground. They had yet to hit on anything but empty ground.

"Bones I'm starting to think that letting Parker play out this hunch of his wasn't such a great idea." Booth said.

"Booth neither of us came up with anything that made anymore sense than this. At worst we have just wasted time its not like this case hasn't been sitting around for the better part of sixty years. At best we'll find what we're looking for." Brennan replied.

"Bones you would let him get away with murder." Booth told his wife.

"Well that would all depend on the circumstances." Brennan replied every now and then Booth would throw out some things that she still didn't understand.

"Bones it means that you let him get away with a lot." Booth explained to her chuckling.

"It's very hard not to sometimes all he has to do is smile that smile of his at me and I find it hard to stay mad at him. I'm his mother Booth it's my job to baby him." Brennan replied.

"I know that Bones. Believe me I know that." Booth said but she didn't hear him she was too lost in her thoughts.

A fifteen-year-old Parker was lying on his bed tossing a football up into the air and catching it. He was so far in a zone that he didn't notice anyone else was in the room with him until he felt the pressure of another body on the bed next to him.

"Parker do you care to tell me what's wrong?" Brennan asked sitting on the bed next to her son.

"No offense but you're going to have to forgive me if I don't want to talk about it." Parker replied never once turning his attention away from his ball.

"Parker you can get away with snapping at me every once in a while but I won't have you snapping at Hank he loves you." Brennan told him sternly.

Parker's face fell. "I'm so sorry I wouldn't snap at that little guy for anything in the world. I'm just not in the best mood right now."

"I noticed that you barely touched your dinner and you Booth men love to eat. Now tell me does this mood you're in have anything to do with why your coach called me this afternoon?" Brennan asked.

"I really don't want to talk about it." Parker said again.

"Parker why did I have to hear from your coach that you're having a mother-son lunch on Wednesday?" Brennan asked.

"Because I knew that you would be busy with work and you wouldn't have time to come." Parker replied.

"Parker you know that I will make time this is important to you." Brennan reasoned with him.

"It's not that important Bones. It's just a stupid lunch for the baseball team." Parker sighed.

"What's really wrong with you Parker?" Brennan asked him.

"It's just that coach says that he wants pictures of us with our mothers from the time we were born up until now. I don't have those God knows I love you like a mother, but you're not my real mom Bones. You shouldn't have to be bothered with me." Parker explained.

Brennan took Parker's football away from him and forced him to sit up and meet her blue eyes with his brown eyes. "Parker Joseph Booth I want you to listen to me you're mine in every way that counts and I love you. Nothing that is important to you bothers me. I don't feel any differently about you than I do about the four children that I gave birth to. Don't say that I'm not your real mom because I am. I think that this is just the sadness that comes over you every spring because this is the time of year that Rebecca started to pull away from you."

Parker didn't want to but he started crying and Brennan put her arms around him. "I'm sorry mom I really don't feel like you're not my real mom because you are. I just get a little sad this time of year I hate like hell that I'm like this but I can't help it."

"It'll all be ok Bub I promise that I'll never leave you like she did. I'll be here for you any time you need me." Brennan promised him.

"Whoa, Bones back up just a minute." Booth said breaking her out of her thoughts.

Brennan shook her head knocking all the cobwebs out. "I'm sorry Booth what did you say?" she asked.

Booth stared down at the imaging screen. "Well I was about to tell you to back up because I saw a body but I'm seeing another one right now. Let's move it up some."

Brennan moved the machine another five feet and two more bodies showed up on the screen. Her face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Booth, I think our case just got a lot more complicated. And I'm happy to say I'm going to have to conduct a dig."

Lance Booth padded down the stairs early the next morning wiping sleep out of his eyes. He looked out the side doors and saw a man who looked like he was practicing dance moves in the back yard without a shirt on.

"Dad there is some weirdo in the back yard practicing ballet." Lance called out.

Booth was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of him. He had only gotten two hours of sleep and he wasn't in the mood to hear his son yelling. "First of all keep your voice down Lance. That's Parker out there he isn't dancing he's doing Tai Chi he says it helps him focus." He explained to his youngest son.

"Well it looks like he's dancing to me." Lance replied running his hand through his brown hair.

"Use your brain sometimes Squint everyone knows that a lot of those military guys do Tai Chi to keep their bodies sharp." Seeley Jr. said walking up behind his little brother scaring the hell out of him in the process.

"Shut up Seeley I didn't know. And I do use my brain it's just still sleeping right now." Lance shot back.

"Spare me this morning children I had to watch the tiny tornadoes last night and I'm still recovering from that." Eli said making her way into the room.

Brennan came into the room dressed for work with a smile on her face. "This is an unusual but pleasant surprise. Most of my children are up before I leave for work. Where is Henry?" she asked.

"Hammer is outside with Parker you know he won't let him out of his sight for a while." Booth chuckled. He loved that his boys were that close. Parker was a great older brother he never complained at all when Hank insisted on hanging around him.

"Booth, Parker should probably come in we have to get to work soon so we can examine those bodies." Brennan pointed out to him.

"There is no need for me to tell him that here he comes now." Booth replied as he gestured to their two sons walking in the house.

Parker came into the house with his middle brother in a headlock. "What did you learn today Hammer?" he asked in a conversational voice.

"How to find my center and stay focused." Hank replied dutifully.

"Good tomorrow we'll focus on some of the harder stuff." Parker said releasing his grip on him.

"Ok, Bub I'll be looking forward to it." Hank said giving him a big grin.

"Parker," Brennan said gently.

"I know mom I'm getting in the shower right now and I'll be ready to go in about ten minutes." Parker replied knowing that she was going to tell him to get ready.

"Parker you can take longer than that if you need to." Brennan told him.

"I don't need any longer than that mom I'm a marine I know how to get ready in a hurry." Parker said kissing her cheek. Little did he know he was about to get action and a whole lot of it.

Jack Hodgins was sitting in his study when his head of security walked in.

"Dr. Hodgins I dug up that information you wanted on Dave Peterson." The man said.

"Mike I don't know how many times I have to tell you to call me Jack. But what have you got for me?" Hodgins asked he hoped that Parker wasn't in any serious danger.

Mike consulted the piece of paper he had in his head. "He works for a company called Brock's Detective Agency. And his most recent employer is Rebecca Jamison. I don't know if that means anything to you."

Hodgins could feel the anger rising from the pit of his stomach but he didn't let it overtake him yet. He didn't know for sure that this was Parker's mother. "What did you find on his employer?" he asked as calmly as he could manage.

"She has some serious money because that is one of the most prestigious detective agencies in DC. She's married to Brent Jamison and they have three kids together all of them in their teens. And she has another child in his twenties from a previous relationship. She is having Parker followed I'm sure you already knew that though and that's why you had me look into it." Mike answered him.

"Did you get a maiden name?" Hodgins asked barely keeping his anger in check.

"Stinson," Mike replied. He had no clue the storm of rage he had just unleashed for his employer.

There was no other name that could make Hodgins that angry. He slammed his fist down on his desk. "Damn it the fuckin nerve of that woman she abandoned him and now she wants to cause his trouble. I swear sometimes I wish Booth would have just let me hire a hit man like I wanted to." He raged. But he felt a pang of sorrow because he was going to have to tell Parker who wasn't going to take this well at all.

"Is there anything that I can do sir?" Mike asked.

"No Mike I'm sorry I shouldn't have lost my temper like that." Hodgins sighed. "How long have you worked for me now?" he asked.

"Ten years sir." Mike answered.

"Then you don't know why I'm so upset. It's just that that thing that is having Parker followed is his biological mother. She abandoned him when he was eight. So it's a little bit of a sore subject for me." Hodgins explained.

"I really like Parker so if you want me to I'm perfectly capable of executing a hit on her. I don't want anyone causing him trouble." Mike offered.

"No let's hold off on that Mike. Booth would go through the roof if he knew I let you kill her." Hodgins replied as much as he hated to. But he would get answers about what was going on one way or the other.

Angela was in her office working on the age progression for George Swanson she had just finished it when Parker walked in.

"Good morning Agent Studly." Angela said cheerfully.

"Good morning Aunt Ange." Parker replied giving her a Booth charm smile.

"What do you want Baby Booth? You only give me that smile when you want something." Angela asked him.

"I was hoping that you had that age progression on Swanson done." Parker said still smiling at her.

"You're in luck then I just finished it." Angela said pointing to the image.

Parker looked at it and something clicked in his brain. "I know where I've seen that face before Aunt Ange. I've got to talk to my dad on this one this just might be the break we're looking for."

To Be Continued...

A/N: Hey guys sorry it took me so long to update my muse left me high and dry on this story but I've got all those issues worked out now. I know I'm evil I don't update for like a month and then I leave you with a cliff hanger but I promise it will be worth the wait. Until next time please review.