I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to review and to leave alerts. They mean the world to me . I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Especially you Jamie :)

Thanks as always to Maudlin Muse :)

Chapter 6

Parker wandered back out to the kitchen where Bones and Booth were chatting.

"Hey Bud." Booth said. Then he frowned. "Did you just come from the bedroom?" Parker bit his lip.

"Kinda." he said.

"Did I tell you to give Lance a minute?" Booth asked gently.

"I wanted to see if he was ok..." he said without looking Booth in the eye. Booth lifted his chin and looked him squarely in the face.

"I told you not to." he said. "If Daddy tells you something you have to listen...ok bud?" Parker nodded seriously.

"Sorry Daddy." he said. Parker's heart was racing...was this it...? Was his Daddy gonna spank him like he had Lance? Bones was watching with curiosity to see how Booth would handle this too. Relief washed over Parker as Booth ruffled his hair and sent him back to the television with a pat on the behind.

"Don't let it happen again." he said with a smile. When he turned around Bones was staring at him.

"What?" he said a little sheepishly.

"I don't understand..." she said blankly.

"What don't you understand Bones?" Booth said as he tossed the salad.

"I don't understand the parental dynamics here." she said.

"Now I don't understand."

"Well apparently ONE of the duties of a parent is to teach the child...or children.." she said pointedly. "The difference between right and wrong, obedience. You said that children need consequences when they do something wrong."

"That's right Bones."

"Did you tell Parker NOT to go in to Lance?"

"Ye..s." Booth said. He had the terrible feeling amongst all this talking he was about to get caught up in a net.
"Unless I missed something...you missed the consequences part of your discussion with Parker." Booth thought back to what'd just happened.

"Ok..it may have seemed that way..." he said.

"No Booth..." Bones said clearly. "It was that way." Bones put down the dish towel in her hand."I'm just going to check on Lance." she said. Bones was left with his salad...and his thoughts.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

Bones knocked on Lance's door and then walked in.

"Hi Lance." she said. She sat on the edge of his bed. "Are you ok?"

"I'll live." he said with a small smile. "Really." Bones nodded.

"You know...you slapping Parker like that...seemed a little out of character for you." Lance shrugged.

"He's annoying." Lance said.

"Oh?" Bones narrowed her eyes. She knew there was more to this story.

"Doesn't matter..." he said sadly.

"It matters to me." Bones said. "I'm a good listener if you want to tell me what happened."

"It was nothin."

"Maybe...why don't you tell me and then I can tell you if it's nothing or not." Lance chewed his bottom lip.

"He just said some dumb stuff and it made me mad." Bones nodded and waited.

"Okayyy." she said when nothing else was said.

"He wanted my bed. He said that he'd stayed here before and that this was his bed." Lance hadn't meant to blurt that out but it felt good now that he'd said it.

"I see." Bones said. "Is that all?" Lance's eyes filled with tears and Bones awkwardly patted his back.

"Just some stuff about Agent Booth bein his Dad and not mine...But it's the truth...he's not."

"No he's not. Not biologically, but caring about someone is not about sperm and blood types. Lance started to giggle at her easy use of the word. Booth would have choked if he heard. Oblivious, Bones kept on with her explanation. "Sometimes we realise that a person that means the most to us isn't related at all."

"Like you and Booth?" he asked curiously. Bones faltered.

"Yes...kind of like that."

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

Booth had come looking for Bones and overheard a little of what was being said, so he stood outside hoping to hear more. He couldn't believe his ears. It wasn't that he thought that Lance was lying, he was sure he had told the truth as he saw it... but he must have misunderstood. Parker would never be that mean...

"Sperm Bones? Really?" he thought.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

By the time Bones had returned to check if the dinner ws ready, Booth was waiting for her.

"I kind of heard some of that." he said.

"Good."

"I don't want Lance to feel bad...Bones I find it hard to believe that Parker could be that mean." he said.

"You think Lance was lying?" She asked with a scoff.

"No...no I'm not saying that, I'm sure HE thinks he's telling the truth, I just think that maybe he misunderstood what Parker said."

"What do you think Parker said?" Booth racked his brain but the answer to that question was hard to come up with.

"Maybe he said...I've stayed here before and I slept in that bed'." He mimicked in a child like voice.

"Ahh...that's not logical Booth. I don't think that Lance would hit Parker if he was being as nice as that."

"Hmmmpf." Booth huffed.

"Either way, he defied you and you did nothing."

"Well I wouldn't say I did nothing Bones. I told him not to do it again." Bones smiled smugly.

"Ok." she said.

"What ok Bones?"

"Nothing...just ok."

"He promised he wouldn't do it again Bones." he defended, although the words sounded empty even to him.

"Uhhuh."

"What uhhuh?" Bones sat down next to him so that he would still hear her when she lowered her voice to avoid Parker overhearing.

"Parker is your natural child Booth, I suppose it is perfectly natural for you to lean in his direction when ever there is an issue between the boys." she said carefully. In actual fact she felt a BIG lean toward Lance just at that moment...she'd been in his position and it wasn't a happy memory.

"No, NO Bones!" Booth said as he grasped both her shoulders and pulled her close. He really needed her to see that it wasn't like that...he loved Lance. He wasn't playing favourites. "There's no leaning here Bones...no leaning at all."

"Then why would you not be as stern with Parker as you were with Lance?"

"I honestly didn't realise I hadn't been..." Booth said quietly. "It's complicated Bones."

"I think I just may get it if you explain it to me."

"I know that Bones but first I have to explain it to myself."

"Oh. Well why don't you explain it out loud and I'll listen." she said with a straight face. Booth ignored her poor attempt at lightening the situation.

"Bones Parker is just a baby." Bones giggled and then realised he wasn't joking.

"Booth...Parker is far from being a baby." she said with a frown.

"Well he's younger." Booth said.

"He's quite intelligent..."

"He is isn't he?" Booth said proudly but missing the point entirely.

"Yes..."

"Bones...I have him for such a short time..I guess my biggest fear is that he'll go back to his Mom and hate me...and he won't want to see me anymore. I don't want his only memories of me to be ones where I'm the bad guy." Bones chuckled.

"Now that's just silly." she said. "For the most part Parker is a good little boy..."

"Yeah, he is..."

"So presumably he does get some kind of discipline from somewhere. Rebecca must punish him...obviously she wouldn't want to risk Parker hating her..and he clearly doesn't."

"Yeah...you're right." Booth said. "I'll try to make things more even. I don't want Lance to feel things aren't the same."

"Good." Bones said, satisfied that she'd made her point. Booth was sure too that there wouldn't be anymore trouble from Parker, he'd always been such a sweet boy.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

When Bones called him for dinner, Lance dragged himself up and headed for the table.

"Hey." Booth said giving Lance a one armed hug. "You hungry?"

"Yep." Lance answered as he took his place at the table. He found that sitting wasn't actually that bad.

Bones placed all the food proudly on the table.

"Eat." she said with a smile. Booth helped the boys load up their plates with the lasagne and frowned at each of them as they tilted their heads to peer at the insides.

"What's the green stuff?" Lance asked.

"That would be spinach and zucchini." Bones said enthusiastically. "They are both... very nutritious."

"Um...I didn't get any meat in mine Bones..." Parker said. "Just this black stuff." Booth tried to hide a smile as he urged the boys to just eat. He placed a few slices of garlic bread onto each plate.

"Bones went to a lot of trouble to prepare this for us boys. It would be polite to just eat it." He spoke nicely but the last few words were said with enough emphasis that they knew they had to do just that...eat it.

Lance frowned and poked his with his fork as he tried to separate the pasta from the stuff he didn't want.

"Don't kids need to eat meat?" Parker asked.

"Well technically Parker, Kids do need iron which you can get from meat, but you can also get iron from other sources...like spinach."

"I like the meat kind of lasagne though." Parker said.

"Ok Parker...duly noted... but tonight we have this." Booth said. "Just try it will ya?" Parker was far from convinced and took a bite out of his garlic bread.

Lance had poked around for a few minutes but eventually hunger got the better of him. He forked a piece and popped it onto the tip of his tongue making sure not to close his lips until he'd tasted it. He nodded and swallowed. "It's actually really good." he said with a triumphant smile. "Really, try some Parker." Parker was so happy that Lance had finally forgiven him enough to speak a whole sentence, that he did as Lance had done and popped it on the end of his tongue.

"It is good." he said with surprise.

"See I told you." Bones said with a smile a mile wide.

"Yes you did Bones." Booth said. Yet again she'd come up with the goods.

"So boys, we were thinking...tomorrow...bowling?" Booth said as they cleared the table. Parker's eyes lit up.

"Yay!" he squealed. "All of us even Bones?"

"Yes Parker even me." She was pleased that Parker wanted her to come. Lance however wasn't quite as enthusiastic. He succeeded in hiding it well though.

"Where's the bowling lanes at?" he kind of squeaked.

"At the rooftop at the mall." Booth asked. He had no idea why that would matter...probably just making conversation, he mused. Lance smiled big.

"Bowling sounds good." he said. "Um...what time are we going?"

"I booked the lane for five o'clock."

"Perfect." Lance said. He could NOT believe his luck. All he'd have to do would be to say he had to go to the bathroom or something and then sneak off. He'd leave a note or something so they wouldn't worry.

"See..." Booth said with a mega watt grin aimed at Bones. "Just one big happy family." Bones smiled back.

"Yes." she said.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

The next day the boys managed to able to get on fairly well. Neither wanted to risk the bowling trip being cancelled. Parker watched cartoons while Lance stayed in his room trying to figure out how he was going to pay for the movie. He turned his Mom's debit card over in his hand. If only it still worked...but Booth and Bones had transferred the money into some sort of account he couldn't touch...he had some of his allowance but he didn't think it would be enough. He rifled through his jacket pocket and pulled out the piece of paper he'd written the details on of where to meet the others. Grim lipped, he got out his piggy bank and tipped the contents onto the the bed. He put the dollar notes into a pile next to the scrap of paper and then counted up the change..$8.53. He blew out a frustrated breath. He didn't even know how much the movies would cost. Maybe he couldn't go after all.

"Whatcha doin?" Parker asked suddenly bursting through the door. Lance rolled his eyes. That's all he needed.

"Counting my money." he said.

"Why?"

"Cos we're goin out."

"You don't need money...Daddy will pay."

"Ok." Lance said not really sure what to say. Before he realised what was happening, Lance grabbed up the scrunched up paper off the bed. "Give me that!" Lance hissed.

"What is it?" Parker said twisting around so he could read what it said. "Ooooh Harry Potter...is it a party?"

"No... now give it back."

"No way...this says 5:30." Parker said with confusion. "We're going bowling at 5:00." Suddenly it dawned on him. "You were gonna go to the moviesss."

"No I wasn't." Lance lied.

"Were so! Why would you be countin your money and why were you askin Dad where the bowling lanes were?" Parker said his golden curls swirling as he excitedly put two and two together. Lance huffed in defeat.

"Well it doesn't matter anyway, os I can't go."

"Why not?" Parker asked.

"Well for ONE...the PEST of the century knows about it and would be only too pleased to see me busted. And for TWO I don't have enough money."

"Oh...I wouldn't you know...tell." Parker said peering at Lance through his hair.

"I bet." Lance said with a scoff.

"No really. I wouldn't..." Parker said slowly. "Not if you took me with you." Lance choked.

"As if!" he said.

"Awww come on Lance...I love Harry Potter and I ain't never been with just kids before."

"No...Booth'd skin me alive...especially if I took you. Sides...there's the money problem."

"I have money." Parker said. He could see that Lance didn't believe him. "I got money from my gran."

"How much?" Lance asked. "If it was his own money and he got to go as well...Lance thought to himself.

"Not sure. I have to count it again" he said. "I'll go get it. I hid it." Before Lance could answer he slipped out of the room.

When the door closed behind him he leaned against it while he tried to think.

Booth and Bones' voices could be heard clearly from the living room talkin animatedly about the show that was on. Parker wiped his brow nervously and tip toed up the hallway and into Bones room. After first checking that no one was coming, he opened up her closet and found his Daddy's suit coat. He ran back and had another peak to check if the coast was clear with the coat under his arm. Safe for the moment, he stuck his hand deeply into the pocket and retrieved the wallet he knew would be hiding in there. After opening it with shaking hands he quickly took out most of the paper money inside and then shoved it and the jacket back where he found it. He shut the door as quickly and quietly as he could and then escaped like he had a pack of guard dogs at his heels.

Parker's heart pounded as he locked the bathroom door and took a seat on the edge of the bath. He slowly counted out the notes and smiled. He felt a little bad for doing what he did but it wasn't really stealing...when he got his birthday money from his gran he'd put it back.

BONESBONESBONESBONESBONES

Lance looked up when the door opened again to a triumphantly beaming Parker.

"See...?" he said. "I told you I had money. $34.00."

"Wow." Lance said. "You really do have money."

Parker didn't try to hide his pleasure at Lance's obvious admiration. "So...can we go?"

"I dunno Parker. Lance would have already been in trouble for sneaking off and going by himself...but for taking Parker? "

"You HAVE to take me." Parker whined. "Please...if you don't take me I'll tell..."

"Don't be such a brat."

"I'm not a brat...I just wanna go with you...please...?" Lance rolled his eyes and shook his head. This was SUCH a bad idea.

"Yu have to listen to me." Lance said.

"I will."

"I'm the one in charge."

"Yep."

"Ok then I guess."

Booth stuck his head through the door.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Parker bounced off the bed.

"Yep I sure am..."

"As I'll ever be." Lance said with wide eyes.

TBC