Thank you to everyone for the reviews and alerts. I'm glad this story has been well received so far. I hope you like this chapter :)

Once again thank you to MaudlinMuse for being my sounding board :)

Chapter 2

It was a week later and the newly formed family had moved into Bones apartment. It was bigger than Booth's and there hadn't been time to find anywhere new. Bones had two bedrooms which meant that for now...Booth was delegated to the couch.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

Lance had woken early and laid there in the semi dark, clutching his new comforter to his chin. There had to be a way to make Agent Booth see that he would be fine here by himself. He really didn't want to do the school thing. He was perfectly capable of educating himself at home. There was nothing more he could gain by being at school with a lot of rules and a bunch of kids.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

Booth opened one eye to find the gangly twelve year old staring at him from behind the couch. After much deliberation Lance had decided to go with just standing his ground...telling it how it was. Sure Agent Booth had set him up with new school clothes and Dr Brennan had got him a bunch of supplies...but he hadn't asked for them...he'd told them he didn't want to go to school.

"Hey there Lance...ready for breakfast?" Booth asked as he swung his legs off the couch."Bones up?"

"Went for a run I think...she's not in her room."

"Oh ok." Booth pulled on sweat pants and threw the blanket on the couch behind him. "How about some pancakes then..." Lance grinned, he was hungry.

"Yeah..." he said. "I'm starving."

"Ok." Booth said happily as he gathered things out of the fridge and the pantry. "Nothing like starting off the day with a good breakfast...First day of school...excited?"

"Yeah...about that..." Lance said suddenly finding the counter top fascinating. "I don't think I'll go today." Booth chuckled.

"Funny." He really didn't think it was that witty. The kid had a sense of humour like Bones.

"No I don't want to go today..." Booth put his hands on the counter and leaned in towards Lance who was sitting opposite him.

"You're going." he said. His face was smiling but his voice held a tone that told Lance in no uncertain terms that he was deadly serious. What could Lance do?

"I don't wanna! I have a pain." he lied suddenly clutching himself around the middle with one hand and his head with the other. Booth rolled his eyes and kept on mixing.

"Better make up your mind which it is... your tummy or your head that hurts...I'd go with the head myself...you just said you were starving." Lance dropped the arm that was round his middle discretely and leant his head on the counter.

"It IS my head." he said.

"Never mind...you'll feel better when you eat."

Just at that point Bones came in and wiped her face with a towel.

"What's wrong? You don't feel well Lance?" she asked the boy that was still sprawled all over the counter.

"He's fine Bones. Don't fuss." Booth said as he poured more rounds of batter into the skillet. Bones felt Lance forehead...

"He is a little warm." Booth rolled his eyes.

"He is NOT warm...he's faking." Booth said as he set down the first plate of pancakes in front of the patient. He plopped the syrup down next to the plate. "Eat." Lance sat up slowly and turned his sad dog eyes on Bones.

"He's being really mean." He said sadly. But his eyes were bright and Bones didn't miss the twinkle of delight that sparkled in them when they fixed on his breakfast. Bones tried to conceal a smile as she glanced at Booth.

"See...doesn't want to go to school." he said.

"I'm still here... I can hear you." he said through a mouthful of pancakes.

"I thought you were feeling ill Lance." Bones said.

"Have to keep up my strength." he said as he shovelled in yet another huge mouthful. "But I think I might have to go lay down after this."

"Uhhuh...no. You'll get ready for school."

"See mean..." Lance said.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

When Bones had showered and dressed for work she walked down the hallway and past Lance's room. He was sitting dressed with his back pack on his lap as he'd been asked to but he looked very despondent.

"You ok?" She asked from the doorway. Lance nodded.

"Do I have to go?" he asked sadly. Bones pursed her lips while she looked for the right words.

"Booth thinks it's vital that you associate with your peers...he calls it 'taking in the school experience'." she said.

"I have taken in the school experience and I didn't like it...at all...it sucked...big time..." Bones sighed. She too had found the school experience a little ...sucky.

"Booth thinks that you're too young to stay by yourself."

"I've been by myself for ages..." Lance whined. "I'm not a little kid." Bones pursed her lips. He had a point. He'd been home schooling himself...he was obviously capable and there was good and bad points for going to school. There would certainly be less distractions at home.

"Time to go people." Booth said from the doorway. He blanched at the look on Bones' face. He knew that look. She was deciding something...who knew what but he did know was they needed to leave. "Chop chop Bones...it's school time, work time...come on there Lance let's go."

"I'll clean while your gone..." Lance tried.

"Nice try." Booth said now physically dragging the child from the bed. Bones said nothing but stood and walked back to her room.

"Bones?" Booth called as he towed Lance through the doorway.
"Coming." she called back.

"I need to go to the bathroom." Lance said as he tried to tug out of Booth's firm grip.

"Fine... make it snappy." Booth said with a clap of his hands.

"Bones!" Booth yelled a few minutes later as he tapped on the wall impatiently. Bones and Lance appeared at the same time and followed a relieved Booth towards the door.

Bones turned briefly and caught Lance's eye. She quietly placed her front door key on the counter where he'd see it.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

"Now... you remember where your class is from yesterday when you met the Principal?"

"Yesssss." Lance said with a bored expression.

"You don't want one of us to come in with you?" Lance rolled his eyes.

"God no."

"Ok...less of the attitude." Booth said. Geez the kid was makin him crazy this morning. Lance rolled his eyes again.

"Sorry!" he said. "I should learn to take your torture with a better humour."

"School is NOT torture...you're just not used to it is all... we're gonna get you signed up for some sports and you can have your little friends over on the weekend sometimes. Lance thought he was going to start hyperventilating. The last time he'd had a 'little friend...' hey wait...he'd never had a 'little friend' and he didn't play sports. He turned the key over in his pocket gratefully. Thank heaven Bones had understood.

"So you'll get the bus and go straight to Mrs Johnson's apartment right?" Booth asked.

"Yes Agent Booth." he said smartly.

"Don't talk to strangers." Booth went on.

"Come onnnn." The curly headed boy whined. "I get it...I'm NOT a baby."

"Hey...attitude." Booth said. "Most importantly..." Lance winced...he didn't think he could take anymore. "Have a good day." Booth leaned across to tussle his hair.

"Ok ...I'm outta here."

"Bones aren't you gonna say goodbye?" Booth asked. When he didn't get a reaction he spoke louder. "Bones!"

Luckily he was looking at Lance and didn't see Bones worrying her bottom lip. He was a very capable and independent child, she was telling herself. Her mind was so full of analogies of tribes and their practices for young adults that she didn't hear Booth calling her.

"Earth to Bones." he said prodding her. "Gonna kiss your baby goodbye?" Bones looked taken aback and Lance jumped out of the car.

"Bye." he called giving Bones a special smile as he headed for the gate. He stood at the gate waving until they were out of sight.

"Isn't that nice Bones he waited so he could wave us off." he said with a smile. "I think he likes us." Bones gave a nervous laugh.

"Yes...he looked happy." she said.

"Well first day of school Bones. Every kid's excited on the first day of school."

Even though they could no longer see Lance, Bones looked back.

Lance WAS happy. He was around the corner and halfway home to Bones' apartment in a flash.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

As they turned into the office Booth turned to Bones. "You're quiet." he said. Bones smiled.

"Hmm." she said.

"Worried about Lance maybe?"

"Lance will be fine. He's not a baby and he's very independent." she said repeating the thoughts that had been spinning around in her head since Lance had left the car.

"I know right? School'll be a breeze." Booth said believing they were on the same page.

"I have some paperwork." Bones said as she jumped out of the car.

"Diner later?" he asked.

"Yes...that would be nice." she said.

"Ok then...the diner it is. I'll call."

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

Lance let himself into the apartment and dropped his backpack on the couch. He was hungry so he opened the fridge to get himself a snack, and then remembered that his backpack already housed a lunch bag full of sandwiches and treats and fruit. He rummaged around and pulled out all the yummy stuff and stuck the sandwiches and fruit in the fridge for later when he got desperate. He should do some work but what the hell...they had cable, a little bit of television wouldn't hurt. He plopped onto the couch and switched on the television with the remote and started flicking.

At three o'clock, he suddenly realised the time and ran around madly getting rid of the mess. He shoved most of it into his back pack and straightened the make shift bed on the couch before realising it had been messier than that... he tussled it all up again and put his bag on his back before heading off to Mrs Johnson's apartment.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

Bones and Booth couldn't get the apartment to pick up Lance quick enough. Both for different reasons. Booth was anxious to hear about his school day and his friends and Bones was just really hoping he was there and in one piece.

He was and quite content on his fourth homemade donut in a row. The old lady was glad of the young man's company and was enjoying cooking him a few treats while listening to his ramblings and funny stories about his adoptive parents and their life together. He even talked about Booth and Bones...she could tell there were the seeds of a family being planted there but there was still aways to go. It was odd she thought, that his birth parents were never mentioned.

Lance jumped at the knock on the door, guilt suddenly flooding through him as Agent Booth's smiling face came towards him.

"So! How was it?" he asked. "Make some friends?" Lance looked at Mrs Johnson and her plate of donuts and her friendly face and her listening ears.

"I made one." he said truthfully.

Bones breathed out heavily. He was fine. She'd been right, he WAS old enough and he was happy...and THAT was a VERY big plate of donuts.

"That is a VERY big plate of donuts." She said to Mrs Johnson. Booth's face suddenly lost it's gleam of happiness as he saw their very convenient babysitter about to become their hurt and disgruntled neighbour.

"Bones." he hissed. He tried to motion for her to stop behind Mrs Johnson's back, but it was obviously too late. Her thoughts had already formed in her mind and were on the way out of her mouth.

"Yes, young Lance LOVED them." Mrs Johnson said with an open grin. "He had four." She wiped her plump hands on her apron and picked up the plate and offered it to Bones.

"I don't eat sweets...specially FRIED sweets...those are very bad for you...and bad for Lance." she said. Mrs Johnson's face fell. "Too much fat and sugar will eventually result in you becoming morbidly obese..."

"Bones knows lots of...stuff..." Booth said with a smile to the stunned woman. "She's a health NUT." he said facing Bones. "But I LOVE sweets...fried sweets, baked sweets any kind of sweets. I'd love one." He popped a donut in his mouth and grabbed Bones by the arm. "Can I take another for later?" he asked with his most charming smile.

"Booth?" Bones protested but it was too late she'd been marched out of the apartment quick smart.

"Come on Lance..." he yelled as an after thought.

"What are you doing Booth?" Bones asked as she found herself being propelled up the hallway.

"Bones...we need her. She's nice and she was being nice to Lance...he needs some nice."

"She can be nice Booth and still feed him healthy food."

"You can't tell people what to eat Bones."

"Well...technically we can...tell her what to feed Lance."

"Yes and technically we can have a twelve year old with no one to sit with him in the afternoon." Booth said quietly.

"Oh...I see your point." she said.

They entered the apartment and Lance went straight to his room. Mostly to avoid the questions from agent Booth who after changing his clothes went to the kitchen to get something out for dinner.

"Hey Lance!" he yelled. "Your lunch is in the fridge! Did you forget it?" Lance went cold.

"Um...no...I..." Booth was in the doorway of his room now leaning on the doorway.

"No I saw you put it in your backpack."

"Um yeah I did and then I took the sandwiches and the fruit out...cos..."

"You just wanted to eat the good stuff?"

"Um yeah." Lance said. "How'd ya know."

"I have Parker remember... I told you about him."

"Oh yeah."

"He's tried that too. You need to eat the healthy stuff too or you won't get any 'good' stuff ok?"

"Ok."

"Good." Booth went back to making his pasta and Lance threw himself back onto the bed.

"Man that was close." he said with a sigh.

TBC