A/N Hi there! Yes, I know, it's been AGES since I posted a Rambling. I found this, already written but unedited, so I cleaned up the spelling and punctuation and thought I'd go ahead and post it for anyone who might still be following this story and/or me!

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything, much to my dismay. I sure do miss B&B, though.

"Hey Dad?" Parker came into the living room of the small apartment after putting his laundry away and placing the folded towels into the linen closet in Booth's ensuite bathroom. It was a typical Saturday morning where the Booth boys did chores and his dad had been very cryptic about their afternoon plans. All the boy had been told was that they would have company for lunch and that Parker was expected to dust the living room after he finished with his clothes. Parker felt like something was different about his father, but couldn't put his finger on anything specific, but there was definitely something...

"Yeah, Parks?" Booth popped his head out from the refrigerator, tossing a plastic baggie of unknown contents straight into the garbage, not even trying to remember what food had been wrapped in there before being forgotten in the bottom drawer.

The boy's forehead was wrinkled as he looked at his father. "Umm…" Suddenly worried that his dad would think he was being too nosy, Parker changed his mind, no longer willing to get his hopes up. "I put the laundry away. Can I put my DVD in while I work in the living room?"

Booth eyed his boy, instantly suspicious of the query. The agent knew Parker was smart and intuitive, and if the investigator didn't know better, he'd think that the kid had somehow figured out his secret. Booth was anxious for his partner to join them that afternoon, so they could share their news with him together.

Nodding, Booth dried his hands on a towel and closed the colorful Frigidaire door. "Yeah, sure, Parks." He studied the fidgety actions if the ten-year-old. "You're talkin' about the nature show that Bones bought for you?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded. "You said you brought it home with you from the lab, right?"

"Sure did." He saw something flash in his son's eyes… a look of curiosity mixed with hope. Maybe some anticipation, but not for the DVD; it was deeper than a TV show. "It's in the front pocket of my briefcase... In my bedroom." He watched the blonde curls bounce as Parker trotted down the hallway and he wondered how he had figured out that something had changed… and the older Booth speculated whether or not the youth had actually figured out the facts.

Booth turned back to the sink, and, after several minutes, when he still didn't hear the telltale sounds of Parker setting up the DVD player, he decided to check on his inquisitive son. Walking down the hall, he stopped quietly at his bedroom door and watched the boy's actions.

The DVD sat on the bedspread, so he had obviously located it, but Parker was, instead, standing up at the head of the king-sized bed, looking intently at the dark green pillow cases that matched the sheets. When the ten-year-old bent over and pressed his face against the pillow, Booth decided it was time to interrupt the child's investigation. Clearing his throat, Booth entered, biting back a grin when Parker jumped with a tiny yelp.

"What's up, Bub?" Booth knew he was going to have to spill the beans well before Brennan arrived.

Parker stood straight, his arms falling to his sides as he looked at Booth with guilt written all over his face. Unable to swallow his worries, the child started with, what he imagined, would be the worst case scenario.

"Hannah didn't come back, did she?"

His eyebrows rising towards his hairline, Booth started to cough. That was not what he was expecting.

Before Booth could formulate a response, Parker plowed on. "Please tell me you didn't take her back, Dad! Please!"

Sitting on the edge of the neatly-made bed, Booth motioned Parker to sit down. "Why would you think that, Pal? And why the look of disgust?"

His light brown eyes pleaded with Booth's. "Because Dad, she didn't make you happy before! Why would you take her back?"

Booth could see his son becoming visibly upset and he wanted to calm his nerves. Patting his thin thigh, Booth shook his head. "No, Parks. Hannah did not come back. And for the record, you're right… she didn't make us happy, so we wouldn't invite her back into our lives." He referred to them collectively, hoping to make Parker realize that his happiness was just as important.

Looking guilty, the younger Booth felt like he'd invaded his father's privacy, but he needed to know…. he had to mentally prepare himself so he knew how to act later that day when the mystery guest showed up at the apartment.

"But…" He took a deep breath and launched, needing to get everything out before he lost control of his emotions. "There's an extra toothbrush on your sink... and a pink puppy dog bathrobe hanging in the bathroom…" He raised an eyebrow expectantly, but didn't receive a confirmation fast enough. Continuing, he stood quickly and pointed to the pillow on the side of Booth's bed that was typically vacant. "And I can see long hairs on the pillow, even though there's not many, I can still see them. And it smells different from our laundry detergent!"

Booth nodded, biting back a proud grin. His kid was brilliant… he'd be a great investigator someday if he wanted to be…

Inhaling slowly, the agent glanced at the pillow in question. "And you're concerned that these were signs that Hannah came back…"

The child shrugged with a tiny pout. "Well, she moved in before… I didn't know if she did again…"

"You don't need to worry about that, son." He ruffled those blonde curls and met the worried gaze looking up at him. Licking his lips, he spoke again. "Yes, there's an extra toothbrush, and a robe, and stray hairs here and there…. And if you had opened the drawer next to the sink, you would have found some makeup and a large hairbrush…"

"You have a new girlfriend and she moved in already?" Parker was shocked… He was outraged. "You said that you wouldn't let anyone else move in, Dad! You said that there was only person you'd ever consider living with, but it would never happen because she didn't feel the same way! You were talking about Bones, dad. I know it! You might not have ever said it, and I know you think I'm not smart cause I'm just a kid, but I know things." He thrust his thumb into his own chest in emphasis. "I know you love Bones! And instead, now you're living with someone, and you're gunna to be sad again."

Booth was shocked at the accusatory rant. Even more so, he was flabbergasted to see his son's reaction to the mere idea that he may have moved on without waiting for Brennan

"Parker," Booth grabbed Parker's biceps gently to stop him from storming away. "Calm down, son." Looking into the pleading eyes of his only child, Booth brushed the curls from his boy's forehead, noticing how he was struggling to hold back tears of frustration. "Parker, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to calm yourself and show some respect. And don't ever think that I don't know how smart you are..." Sensing that he was about to retort, Booth held up a single finger, standing and walking his mini-me into the bathroom. "Open that drawer," he pointed to one of the handles.

Slowly, Parker tugged open the drawer in question. Peering inside, he saw exactly what his dad said he would … some makeup and a brush. Raising his eyes, he looked at his father in wordless question.

"Look again. Closer."

Parker shifted closer and looked down, afraid to touch anything, but trying to see as much as possible. Using just his index finger, he pushed eye-shadow and blush aside, revealing nail clippers and tweezers, cotton balls and Q-tips. Just as he was about to give up, he spotted the item his dad was trying to show him. No longer shy about reaching into the small drawer, he lifted up a pair of earrings. Earrings that he had been seeing all his young life... With a slack jaw and an increasing heart beat, he exhaled, tearing his eyes away from the jewelry just long enough to look at his dads contented expression before looking back at his finding.

"Is everything ok?"

The voice startled him and he spun around in place, letting a gasp escape.

"Bones!" Parker lunged towards her, wrapping his small arms around her thighs and pressing his cheek against her abdomen.

Brennan's hands flew down to Parker's shoulders, holding him close as she raised her eyes to Booth, finding him smiling at her. "Booth, you said you'd wait until I got here so we could tell him together."

Booth shrugged, stepped forward and leaned over his son, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "He's too smart for his own good…" he winked. "Parks knew something was up, and he wondered if Hannah had come back…"

Brennan dropped her eyes to the smaller version of her partner, as he remained in place against her body. Squatting down, she met Parker eye-to-eye and was instantly concerned when she saw tears. "Why are you crying, Parker? Does this arrangement upset you? Would you rather see your father with Hannah again?"

"Uh-uh, no way," Parker assured her. "I was hoping it was your stuff! I could smell your perfume in the bedroom, and I knew it was yours because it smelled like you always smell, but dad always said you didn't like him the way he liked you. So I got scared that he was with someone who was going to make him sad again. But, I remembered that time when you picked me up from school and I was laying in your bed waiting for Dad to come pick me up, and I could smell your pillow. And it smelled like you..." He smiled through his tears and hugged her, burying his nose into her hair.

Welcoming the embrace, Brennan returned it heartily, swaying him gently. Looking up at her partner from where she remained squatting, she felt a flood of emotions washing over her entire body. When she saw Booth's lips curl up slightly, she smiled as well and pulled back from Parker, cupping his tender face in her palms. "So, does this mean that you approve?"

Parker nodded enthusiastically, looking up at Booth as his cheeks blossomed with embarassment. "Sorry I was snooping, dad…"

Booth shook his head, bending over and scooping up his small-framed son. "You're forgiven," he winked and kissed Parker's cheek, extending his hand to help Brennan stand up to her full height, so he could kiss her cheek as well. "Sorry I couldn't keep the secret any longer, Bones… He was freaking out. I had to guide him in the right direction to try to calm him."

Parker rolled his eyes and huffed. "I wasn't freaking out…" He wiggled to get down, running to the bed and grabbing his DVD before trotting from the room with a chuckle before calling over his shoulder. "Dad's overreacting, Bones… He's very dramatic!" He slid to a stop in the living room. "Let's watch my nature show!"

Laughing at his son's own dramatics, he pulled Brennan in for a full hug, nuzzling against her neck. "Welcome home, Bones… I guess he's ok with us being together…"

Having worried all morning about how Parker would handle the change in her relationship with his father, Brennan found herself laughing. She tugged his hands to lead him from the room, feeling warm and happy. And finally feeling like she belonged to a real family.

Postscript A/N

So, there we have the big reveal to Parker. Maybe I was a little mean in not letting Booth just come out and tell him, but I imagine he would have wanted Brennan with him when Parker finally found out that they were in a relationship.

Thanks for coming back and reading, I know it's been forever! As I continue to find complete or near-complete pieces in my folders, I'll edit and post!

peace & love, my friends,

~jazzy