Title: Of Peanut Butter and Jelly

Author: Splishy Splash, Ihave207Bones

Spoilers: none

Pairing: B/B

Summary: Booth seems to be second best to his partner in his sons eyes when it comes to a certain snack making expertise.

Booth stood over the counter listening contently as his son chatted away animatedly while he prepared the young boy's normal peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple, chips and cookie lunch.

". . . and then she told me about the dinosaurs, even though she said she didn't know much about them, but I told her that she is the smartest person in the whole wide world." The boy explained in play-by-play as he munched on his cereal, absolutely enthralled by his time he spent with Temperance Brennan.

"Is that so?" He asked with a smile as he placed some chips into a small bag before reaching for the whole wheat bread that his partner had convinced him it was better for Parkers development and who was he to argue with the smartest woman in the whole wide world.

"Yup, she also said that the dinosaurs died because of a huge ice rock that fell from outer space and crashed into the earth and that everything got really, really cold." He said taking a sip from his cup before continuing with his story. "But what I don't understand is that in Sunday school they said that Noah didn't have room for them on the Ark because they weren't very nice to the other animals and God said that there had to be two of every kind and none could get eaten." Booth inwardly groaned and he imagined her response.

"And what did Bones say?" He asked turning to the cupboard to grab the peanut butter. Her voice echoed through his head as she would explain that there was no physical way to fit two of every animal on a boat and survive for forty days and nights which would cause evolution anomolies because of the weakness in muscles and being cramped into a small space for so long.

"She said that it could've happened, but no one knows for sure. I know Bones is the smartest person in the world, but why doesn't she know what happened to them?" He asked his dad, with a look of concentration.

Booth turned to the fridge and pulled out the jelly, setting it on the counter and debating his next words. "Because they lived a very long time ago and Bones isn't old enough to have met them." He smiled at his comeback.

"Well if dinosaurs lived a really, really long time ago, maybe Grandma Booth would know." Parker said in his seven year old logic.

Booth let out a laugh as he started to spread the peanut butter onto the bread slowly. "Don't let her hear you say that." He said.

He moved to open the jelly jar when Parker stood on his stool and placed a small, sticky hand on top of his. "You aren't doing it right." He said he said with a frown and he sat back down.

"I've been making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a very long time, I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing Bud." He said with a smile as he opened the lid and stuck the knife inside the dark purple gel.

"Nu-uh Dad," Parker said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and folded his arms in a pout. "You are doing it all wrong."

Booth scoffed, eyes wide in surprise. "There is no wrong way to make a sandwich, all you have to do is put the bread down, then the jelly on one side and peanut butter on the other. It's simple."

"That's not how Bones does it." He said with a whine.

"Alright wise guy, show me how Bones does it." He shrugged, pulling the stool around and setting the boy on it. He was almost amused that he was knocked to second place by his partner as he watched the boy dip into the peanut butter and spread it on both sides. "That's a bunch of peanut butter, buddy."

The boy sent him a small glare before reaching for the jelly and putting it on one side of the bread, spreading it thinly and all over the counter. "See that is how you make it." He placed the pieces together and stood proudly over his work of art. "That's how Bones makes it."

"What makes Bones the expert in making sandwiches?" The father asked, cutting the sandwich in half and placing them into a bag before wiping up the sticky mess.

Parker shot him a look that he was clearly showed that he was missing something. "Because she is the smartest person in the whole wide world, Dad." He turned to the sink and washed off his hands without being coached before turning and placing his hands on his hips in a very Brennan-like manner.

"How can I forget?" Booth asked stuffing the rest of his lunch into his lunch box and began to wonder what exactly had happened between his son and his partner when he had asked her to pick him up from school and the time he was able to pick him up from her apartment. "Go finish getting ready for school." He gave him a small shove into the direction of his bedroom.

Putting the knife in the sink, he finished wiping down the mess that his son had created when a tap on the door caught his attention. He padded barefoot to the door and opened it slowly to see a small smile on the face of his partner. "Well good morning, Bones. To what do I owe this great pleasure?" He asked, moving away from the door to allow her to come inside.

She was completely dress in tight black pants and a long sky blue shirt with a matching bulky necklace, unlike his black slacks and undershirt. "Parker left his backpack at my apartment and I thought he might need it."

"Thanks Bones." Booth said, stepping aside to allow her into the apartment and she brushed by him leaving a faint trail of vanilla and a smell that was distinctly hers. Small footsteps ran across the apartment and launched themselves into the arms of the anthropologist, causing her to stumble slightly and to be caught by her partner. "Be careful Parker." He scolded.

The boy ignored him as he cried her name excitedly. "Bones! I'm so glad that you're here."

"Thanks Parker, I just came over to drop off your backpack," She said, but he pulled back and frowned. ". . . . And to see you of course."

His frown turned into his father's patented charmed smile as he began talking a million words a minute and she listened to every word, until Booth intervened. "Give her a second to breathe, bud." He said picking the boy off of her. He sent her an apologetic smile which she returned brightly. "Go finish getting ready for school."

The boy nodded and ran back down the hall. "He sure has a lot of energy in the morning." Brennan commented, standing awkwardly in front of Booth.

"This is nothing compared to Christmas time." He said with a smile and watched in the direction of his son. "I don't know what you two did last night, but you are all he has talked about all morning."

She flushed. "It wasn't much, we worked on his homework and I made him a . . ." She started to explain, but he interrupted her.

"A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he corrected my sandwich making skills this morning because it's 'not how Bones does it.'" Booth said with a smile. "So I guess you like peanut butter?"

"I do, but it also has its health benefits because it's high in protein." She said modestly. "I am sure you can make a decent sandwich. . ."

Parker came running down the hallway with his jacket in his small hand. "I'm finished daddy." He answered proudly sitting on the couch and pulling the woman to sit next to him. "You're not ready yet." Booth looked down and realized that he wasn't finished and muttered a curse under his breath, turning on his heels he walked down the hallway to his room and pushed the door by.

"Can I go to the museum with you, Bones?" Parker asked, leaning into her arm.

"Sure, we've got a lot of neat things for you to see." Brennan said.

"Alright, let's go!" He said jumping to his feet and pulling on her hand for her to get to her feet.

She shifted so that she sat on the edge of the couch and he stood against the coffee table. "You have school today Parker, maybe the next weekend you stay with your father." She said softly, he folded his arms in a pout and looked to the floor and Brennan suddenly felt guilty.

"But I really want to go with you." He said, not making eye contact.

Brennan placed her hands on both of his arms. "You have to go to school and get really smart like your dad so you can grow up to be whatever you want to be." She said, pulling his chin to look her in the eyes. "I will make you a promise the next time you are with your dad I will take you to the museum."

"Okay." He answered slowly. "I still don't want to go to school today."

"Why not?" Brennan asked with a brow raised.

"Because I have art today and this girl named Rachel is in my art class and she wants to be my girlfriend and I don't want her to be my girlfriend." He said disdain fully and taking his seat next to Brennan and she chuckled slightly.

"Why don't you want her to be her girlfriend?" Brennan asked, running her fingers through her hair.

He huffed and folded his arms. "Because girls are gross." He answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm a girl." Brennan said with a smile, she remembered when she was in his shoes and the opposite sex was gross and awkward, but it didn't last long.

"But you're pretty and all grown up and you can't be my girlfriend." He said as he started to pout again as his candid answer caught her off guard. She searched his face for a hint of a joke and it revealed none, she thought her words carefully.

"Why couldn't I be you're girlfriend?" She asked with a soft smile.

"Because you are daddy's girlfriend, aren't you?" He asked nobly.

Brennan's face fell in surprise as she processed his words. It was then Booth came out of his bedroom fully dressed in his black slacks and white button down, to hear his son's words as they left his mouth and he inwardly groaned, his son had the discretion of a billboard. He stopped to see how she would handle the question as she squared her shoulders and sat up straighter.

"Your dad and I are just friends. . ." she said softly and Parker interrupted, obviously they needed to work on manners.

"But you love daddy, don't you?" Parker questioned with a raised brow. "I know he loves you, he told me." The father listened and his hand met his forehead as he groaned audibly this time. She sat still and processed his question and he bit his lip.

Booth took a step to intervene, but stopped when he heard her answer. "I guess I do love him, in every sense of the word." Parker frowned and looked down into his lap. "That doesn't mean that I can't love you too."

"But if you love daddy. . ." Parker tried to explain, Brennan grabbed his chin to look her in the eye. "You can't be my girlfriend. . . ."

She chuckled at his worries, "That's not how it works, Parker." She sighed trying to find an answer that a seven year old boy would understand. "Do you love your dad?" She asked gaining a nod from the boy. "And do you love your mom?" The boy nodded again. "It's the same thing Parker, I love your dad as much as I love you."

"So you love us a lot?" He asked with a smile breaking through his frown. He stood up and rested his smaller forehead on hers.

"I love you both a whole bunch." Brennan said brushing her nose against his.

Booth sighed a proud sigh for his partner, that she was able to successfully simplify her conversation about her feelings with his son. His steps were lighter as he walked into the sitting room causing Brennan to jump up in surprise. "Come on Buddy, we got to get you to school before you're late." He said, grabbing his keys from the coffee table.

Brennan stood nervously, hoping that he hadn't just heard her conversation with his son. "I should get going." She said with her voice was raised in pitch and she passed him to head towards the door.

He followed and placed a hand on the handle to stop her while the other hand went around her smaller hand, his voice went into a whisper. "Please don't run from this." He asked, he knew that her feelings terrified her and it was the last thing she needed to be freaked out by him.

She closed her eyes as a wave of fear swept through her and she took a deep breath, turning away from Booth. After a long moment she opened her eyes. "I won't."

"Promise me that you won't run when I bring this up later?" He asked in a smooth tone, almost begging her to turn around.

Another deep breath escaped her lips before she answered. "I'll try." She whispered, she let off a shiver as she could smell his after shave. Her acceptance of her feelings made her notice his close proximity as his body heat radiated through her and it made a flush creep up her face.

"Are you going to kiss her goodbye or what? We are going to be late, daddy." Asked Parker bluntly with his backpack on his small back and his arms folded, looking annoyed. Booth and Brennan shot him a matching look of surprise, both mouths slightly agape. "I mean, isn't that what grownups do when they love each other? Kiss each other goodbye?"

Brennan flushed a deeper color as Booth reached for her wrist and turned her around to face him. His hands cupped her cheeks as his lips settled on top of hers in a very soft and chaste kiss, leaving Brennan wanting more. But as soon as it started it ended, due to the presence of the boy. "Yes Parker, that's what grownups do when they love each other." He said smiling his bright charm smile. "Now say good bye to Bones so she can get to work and you can get to school."

The boy ran up and wrapped his arms around her legs. "Goodbye Bones." He said excitedly, as the door flung open and the boy wandered down the hallway.

"Do you want to meet for lunch?" Booth asked with a smile, he brushed her fallen fringe off of her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.

"Of course." She said with a smile, they always met for lunch.

He smiled at her response before he stepped closer. "I know someone who supposedly makes the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the whole world." He said teasingly

"Oh yeah?" She asked with a brow raised, it surprised Booth that she reciprocated the flirting with a smile on her face.

"It's what I hear I'm not sure though, I haven't tried it before."He said, leaning in to steal another kiss when a whine from the hallway forced him to stop and turn to the child with a guilty smile.

"Daddy!" He complained loudly and stomped his foot impatiently.

He quickly pressed his lips to hers and she smiled into the kiss as the door shut behind them. "I'm coming Parker." He said with a grin as the pair walked down the hallway towards the entrance. Her hand slyly slipped into his as they reached the stairwell and gave it a squeeze, signaling that she would be ready to talk.