A/N: What Booth learns in this chapter, I must say, I learned the hard way as well with my oldest niece.
Warning: This chapter has NOT been beta'ed.
Italics equals flashback in this chapter…
Oh, one last thing, in the flashback, Parker is between 12 and 15 months. Just a toddler.
Sometimes our greatest lessons come when we think we already know it all.
-WolfMyjic-
Seeley Booth sat on a bench in the park watching his son, Parker climb to the top of the sliding board and then slide down. Over and over the little boy waited in line to make his way to the top for the two second rush you get going down. Booth smiled as he watched the boy--enjoying the simple pleasures of being a father. He squinted his eyes against the sun as Parker darted away from the slide with three other boys and ran toward the swings. The sudden appearance of a shadow falling across him caused him to look to his left and smile again. "Bones," he said. "What are you doing here?" He moved Parker's backpack from the bench, creating room for his partner to sit.
"I was just in the neighborhood," she told him with a grin as she sat.
"In the neighborhood, huh?" he questioned. "How come that just doesn't sound right coming from you."
"Okay, maybe I brought myself to the neighborhood."
"Just to see me?" he teased. "Why, Bones, I didn't know you cared." Brennan swatted his arms before turning her eyes out to the playground, and quickly finding Parker. "So, what can I do for ya?"
"Will, you see, it's about my latest novel," she began.
"Ah, what are we up to this time?" he asked. "Tracking down a serial killer that targets young girls are throw them into ant piles? Or maybe, we're carrying on a secret love affair?"
"Booth," Brennan almost whined. "I've told you, my characters are…"
"Not based on real people," he finished with a smile.
"Right," she agreed, her eyes going from him to his son and then back. "I was wondering if you could, um, help me with something."
"Need to try out a certain position…"
"Booth!" she interrupted, causing him to laugh.
"Sorry."
Brennan licked her lips and looked back out to the children. "I have this new character in this novel that is about to become a father," she started. "I really don't know where the idea came from," she said, almost to herself. "I don't write children, really, but he just kinda created himself and his story…"
"Bones," Booth broke in. "What can I help you with?"
"I need to know that most profound thing you've learned since becoming a father," she told him, turning to look at him.
"The most profound thing," he repeated, his eyes locking onto his son and his mind wandering back in time. "Umm…"
Booth knocked on Rebecca's front door and waited for it to open. As he waited, he wiped his palms across his thighs and sighed. He was about to knock a second time when he heard the lock click and the door slowly open. "Seeley," Rebecca said with a smile. "Come on in." Booth followed her in and closed the door behind him. "Parker is in the bathroom," she informed him.
"Bathroom?"
"Remember, we're potty training him."
"Right."
"And he's off the bottle now."
"He's using a sippy cup," Booth said. "I remember."
"Good." Rebecca left the living room and returned a few minutes later with Parker in her arms.
"Hey, bub," Booth said, earning him a smile from his son.
"Daddy!" The toddler reached for his father, and Rebecca let him go into Booth's arms.
"I'll just go get his bag for the weekend."
Booth sat on the floor watching Parker run a blue crayon back and forth on a page in the notebook Rebecca had packed. "Boat," the little boy said proudly when he was done.
"And a mighty good boat, bub," Booth informed him. The child smiled, flipped to a clean page and began the same scribble with the same blue crayon.
After a few minutes of drawing, Parker reached over and picked up his sippy cup, tipping it up and the looking at it funny. "Drink," he said, holding out the cup.
Booth took the cup and shook it. "You drunk it all," he stated. "Guess we'll have to give you something else. Come on." Both father and son stood and made their way into the kitchen. Booth opened the refrigerator and searched for the container of juice only to realize that he had forgot to pick any up. And I'm out of milk, he thought. "You and me, bub," he said. "Are going to have to go to the store." With a sigh, Booth pulled out a two-litter bottle of soda and brought it to the counter. He carefully poured a little into the cup, enough to satisfy the boy's thirst, then screwed the cap on and handed it down to Parker. "What do you say?"
"Tank you," the boy said, before putting the spout in his mouth and tipping the cup up. Parker took three large draws before lowering it and smacking his lips together. Booth smiled, picked up the bottle of soda and made his way back to the refrigerator to put it up.
"All set," Booth said, closing the refrigerator door and turning back to Parker. "Ready to go to the store?"
"Yay," the boy cheered, throwing his hands into the air. The sippy sup came lose, flew across the room and landed on the floor with a loud thump. Parker began to giggle uncontrollably, as the soda from the sippy cup began to spray out the spout, causing Booth to let out a yelp of surprise. He quickly reached down, picked up the exploding cup and darted to the sink. Spill proof my foot, he cursed.
"Guess even daddies can learn things," he said, turning to his still giggling son. "Like…"
"Never put soda in a sippy cup," Booth finally answered. He threw Brennan a smile, as Parker came running up to them.
"Hey, Doctor Brennan," Parker said, before searching his bag for a juice bottle.
"Hello, Parker," she answered before looking at Booth. "That's the most profound thing you've learned?"
Booth shrugged. "Not something you think about until you're wearing soda," he said.
"Guess not," Brennan agreed softly, as they watched Parker run off again to continue playing.
TBC...