Although I'd love to own Bones I don't so boo hoo. On the other hand the Flyers won again today so it's a wash I think?
A special thanks to gawilliams for his suggestion for this story and his continued support. I hope you know how much I appreciate the time you take to review what I write.
Also for those of you have be kind enough to review this ongoing little bit of this and that I am eternally grateful. You can see your readership by the stats, but you can feel your readers in their reviews. So thank you again!!
Ch 14 The Glory of Cheese
It was her usual time to call Hank whenever she was in her office. If she called later he knew they had a case, but she always made sure to call him every week. It was funny how attached she had become to him. In many ways she was more attached, more comfortable, with him that her own father. Of course one of the reasons might be her father had abandoned her leading to her entrnace into the Foster System when she was 15 and then had killed the Deputy Director of the FBI. Yes there were extenuating circumstances; still Hank had never done those things. When Booth needed help Hank had taken care of him. Anyway for whatever reason she called him every Friday and they talked. "Hello Hank how are you this week?"
"I'm fine darling how are you doing? How's that pigheaded Grandson of mine?"
Brennan laughed "Just as pigheaded as usual." In the beginning Hank had to explain to her what he meant by pigheaded but now they agreed Booth was pigheaded about their relationship. They spent a little while talking about mundane things when she asked her question. "Hank I have a favor to ask of you. Please say no if you feel it is not something you can do, I am over…"
"Darlin' just ask."
"I want to teach Parker how to make your famous grilled cheese sandwiches, and my mac-n-cheese too. Then I thought we could invite Booth over for the dinner we prepared for him. I think Booth would like my spending time with Parker but at the same time upset about not getting the recipes. Maybe it will make him a little less pigheaded. So what do you think?"
"Temperance I think that's a brilliant idea. Shrimp will be in a full snit at Parker getting those recipes and him not getting them. Have you got a piece of paper?"
She began to enter the recipe in her computer. After talking to Hank she called Rebecca. "Good afternoon Rebecca this is Temperance Brennan. I have a request of you."
"Good after noon to you too. Is something wrong with Seeley?"
"No why would you think that?"
"Sorry it's just that you never call me at work, and since Parker is there at his science club meeting I assumed it must be something to do with Seeley."
"Well it is about Booth, but he is not injured or sick if that is your concern. I was wondering if I might borrow Parker tomorrow. I would like to teach him to make some of his Father's favorite foods and then we might all have dinner together." Temperance waited for the woman's reply.
Rebecca was no fool, she knew Seeley and Dr. Brennan belonged together if they ever got their collective heads out of their asses, but did she want to let her use Parker? "Dr. Brennan…"
"Please Rebecca call me Temperance or Tempe if you prefer."
"Temperance, are you trying to use Parker as a way to get to Seeley?" She didn't think so but she had to ask.
"No! I hadn't even thought about it. I just thought Booth might enjoy a dinner cooked by his son. These recipes are family ones and those who are giving them to Parker are giving them to him with the promise he will not share them with anyone, including his Father. One of them is his Pops grilled cheese."
Wow thought Rebecca she had managed to get the old man to give up his precious recipe. She wanted Parker to have that experience, besides she knew Seeley would be beside himself at not knowing the recipe himself when Parker did. "That will be fine Temperance. He has a hockey game at 10:00 and Seeley coaches the team. I am assuming this will be a secret. So why don't you come over here and pick him up at 1:00 we should be back by then. If not I will call you."
Now to plan her day. She had never been alone with a child before, well that was not entirely true she had been alone with Andy but he was much younger so had made little designs on her time.
The next day she was at Parker's house at exactly 1:00pm. In his usual exuberance he came bounding out the door, "are we really going to cook for my Daddy Dr. Bones?"
"She smiled at him "yes Parker we are, tell your Mother good bye and let's go. Thank you Rebecca. Booth will bring him back by 10:00 tomorrow night is that ok?"
"Yes Temperance that will be just fine."
Once in the car Parker was full of questions which he asked at what Brennan was sure 100 miles per hour. She told Parker first they need to go to the store to purchase all the ingredients. She had many of them at home, but she wanted Parker to have the full experience.
After shopping they went home to begin the best part, the cooking part. "Parker the first thing you need to do is look at the recipe to see what you need and how long it will take you to make it. The mac-n-cheese takes only 35 minutes to bake, but it can take up to an hour to prepare. So since your Dad is coming at 7:00 what time do we need to put it in the oven to make sure it is hot when we eat?"
That's an easy on Dr. Bones 6:25. Does Daddy know I will be here?"
"No he doesn't Parker and there is one more part to this cooking. These are secret family recipes. That means you can't tell anyone how they are made or what is in them, not even your Mother or Father agreed?"
Parker stuck out his little finger "pinky swear Dr. Bones."
She remembered this one and solemnly shook pinkies with the child. Putting a large apron on him they began. They looked at her recipe and she told him what each item was and how it would be used. This recipe called for squash and she knew she couldn't get away with that so she told Parker it was Pumpkin. It wasn't a lie really, what you got in a can was usually squash masquerading as pumpkin any way. The recipe called for:
Cooking spray
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
2 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon olive oil
Around six they began to get the mac-n-cheese ready. The directions read:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted.
"Hey Dr. Bones," Parker said as he realized one of the ingredients "this is squash that's a vegetable, you put a vegetable in our mac-n-cheese? Yuck!"
"Parker vegetables are good for you, you know your Father has that some look on his face when I tell him that too. This is really pumpkin, just like you get in the pie your Daddy gets you at Thanksgiving. You liked that right?" At his enthused nod she went on. "Well it give the mac-n-cheese its creaminess and you like that too right?"
"Yeah I like pumpkin, but putting it in mac-n-cheese just seems wrong. It's supposed to be cheese see its mac and CHEESE not mac and pumpkin."
His pouting face was so much like Booth's she wanted to burst out laughing but knew this was not the time to do it. "You will see the pumpkin is what elevates it to greatness. It is what makes your Daddy always want to eat mine over anyone else's. Just remember this is the secret ingredient so not telling."
Parker looked at her "Ok." But he still did not look convinced.
"Parker here is the food processor you will need to feed each of these cheeses into it to be grated." She handed him the pieces of cheddar and jack she had cut into smaller pieces and he fed them into the machine.
Once the squash and milk mixture was almost simmering she showed him how to mix in the shredded chesses, the Ricotta cheese (which Parker had never seen and was quite sure she was fooling him again), the salt, pepper and dry mustard. Parker took the oil and oiled the baking dish. Once everything in the sauce was mixed together they poured it over the macaroni and poured all of that into the baking dish. She then showed Parker how to combine the rest of the oil, parmesan cheese and bread crumbs into a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture over the top. They placed the dish in the oven at exactly 6:25 and then Parker helped her clean up the kitchen before they went on to the next item on their meal plan.
"Isn't it too early to make the cheese sandwiches, won't they get cold?"
"No Parker we aren't going to cook them until your Father gets here, but we have to get everything ready. So I am going to cut up some parsley, scallions and chives and you are going to mix them into the butter."
Parker watched intensely as she chopped "Dr. Bones those look like weeds, are we putting weeds in the butter?"
"No these are herbs and make the butter taste very good. This is the recipe is the one I got from Pops. He wanted me to teach you this one too. Remember this one is also a secret."
"Dr. Bones what happens if I forget what to put in. These are very hard to make you know."
"Yes I know and you have done a very good job. I have kept the recipes in my computer in a special file no one else can get into. They are safe.
Now for 4 sandwiches we need:
4 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons each chopped parsley, scallions and chives
4 slices of cheddar cheese
8 slices of bread
"When it's time to make the sandwiches all you will need to do is spread the butter on 4 slices of the bread; top each with sliced cheddarcheese and bread-and-butter pickles. Then cover it all up with 4 more bread slices. Spread plain butter on the outside of the sandwiches then we will fry them in a skillet until they are golden on both sides. Then we will spread the remaining herb butter on the warm sandwiches." Just then they heard a knock at the door, "that will be your Father, let me check the door first." After Howard Epps she was always careful about the door. "If it is your Father I will let you open the door for our first surprise."
Going to the door and looking out she saw it was Booth so she indicated to Parker for him to open the door. "Hey Daddy surprise." He screamed as he jumped into Booth's arms. Booth staggered back full of flying child as much as surprise at seeing him here with Bones.
Walking in and setting the boy down "Bones what is Parker doing here. Is something wrong? You could have called I was available by phone, why didn't you cal…
"Booth calm down, nothing is wrong. Parker and I have a surprise for you is all. Parker?"
"Daddy Dr. Bones came and got me today after hockey and we made you dinner. It was a surprise so I couldn't tell you at the game. She taught me how to make her mac-n-cheese and Pops' grilled cheese. Come on Daddy dinner is ready."
As they walked to the table a still bewildered Booth leaned over to Bones and asked "you let him help you with dinner?"
"No Booth I taught him how to cook the dinner. That is quite different."
Booth was still a little shocked as he sat down to eat. However soon they were relaxed and enjoying their dinner immensely. Several times Booth tried to get Parker to give him the recopies, but Parker remain steadfast and would not give them to him. All too soon dinner was over and it was time for Booth to take Parker home. Before he left Booth cornered Bones in the kitchen, "thanks for today Bones. You don't know how much it means to me to see the two people I love the most…"
Suddenly both of them drew in a breath, there it was the word was out there and could not be taken back. It had no qualifiers just the plain truth.
"Booth is that true?" Bones asked as she looked into his uncertain eyes. "Do you love me, just me, am I one of your two people with no qualifiers?"
He took a deep breath, "yes its true I LOVE YOU in every way there is to love a woman and he emphasized his words with a searing kiss.
"Euwww" they heard, "that's gross."
"Someday son you will find out just how ungross it is." She smiled at him with an upturned eyebrow.
"Daddy I'm tired can we please go home?"
"Yeah Bud we can, say good bye to Bones and don't forget your thank you's."
"Good night Dr. Bones and thank you."
"Yeah Bones thank you, and after I get Parker home I'll be back to thank you properly my love."
B&B&P&B&B&P&B&B&P
I hope you liked this one with Parker. The story line was suggested by gwilliams and I thank him for his support and comments which are always welcome.
Both of the recipes come from the Food Network. The ingredients list and directions are written here as they appear on line.
Don't forget to drop a line in the little green box at the bottom, I hate to beg, oh never mind I am begging.
Nyre
