Hank at Play

Ms. Gobelson watched with fascination as Hank Booth laboriously toted a huge armful of wooden blocks from the shelf to his play area. She had worked at the Jeffersonian Day Care for nearly two decades, and thus had supervised Parker occasionally, seen Christine grow from little sprite to rising kindergartener, and now Hank was in her three-year old class. The Booth children were all normally polite, nearly always considerate of others, and intelligently curious. Their mother's forensic occupation bothered none of them in the least; and were fascinated by her skeletons. But there the similarities stopped.

Parker had been four when Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan had begun working together, were quarantined at the Jeffersonian Lab over Christmas, and Zack Addy's robot was the 'best present ever!' He was ten when Christine came to be one tragic, emotion-filled night. Ms. Gobelson knew he stoutly maintained his daddy and Dr. Bones should get together because he'd confide as much to her after attending the Jeffersonian Young Scientist Program and waited on his mom or dad to pick him up. She'd always had a way with children and seemed a trustworthy soul to hear their deepest secrets and desires. (She'd learned long ago that kids are often perceptive judges of character.) He was an exuberant outgoing child with his father's kind spirit.

Christine was quieter, a mix of her parents' personalities. She was fiercely loyal to her playmates, but a stickler for the truth when someone swiped her favorite toy. She had a prodigious memory and could readily recite the technical names for bones, although her pronunciation included a slight lisp. She had been ready for kindergarten by age 4, and it was fortunate that the Jeffersonian's flexible preschool program could accommodate gifted intellects, or the little girl would have been bored indeed. The day care staff frequently chuckled in their break room over her comments, because she had no filter when it came to revealing what happened at home as the family prepared for their day.

Hank was a sturdy little boy who thought he could do anything. More than once, the day care staff had dismantled his stack of footstools before he could climb to reach a toy. He made full use of every playground structure the facility owned and Booth once ruefully observed that his youngest son might become a fighter pilot like his absent grandfather, for Hank loved to be 'UP, Daddy!' more than anything else. He loved building with Legos, everything from skyscrapers and trucks to highly imaginative buildings.

The most entertaining use he had found for Legos was pretending the tiny block people included in each set were skeletons like his mommy worked on. He would lay one out on a play table, and study it intently. While he was too young to have been fully informed about what his mother's examination of bones entailed, he strove mightily to imitate her as best he could. He held a toy magnifying glass in one hand and peered through it. As best he could understand it, her work was a cross between the game Operation! he played with Christine and the pediatric check-ups he had with Dr. Sageev, so he mimicked those actions as he perceived them.

Of course, these pastimes were a source of delight to the charmed day care staff, and Ms. Gobelson recounted them during a parent-teacher conference with Booth and Brennan.

"Good grief, he's only three and a half," Booth exclaimed.

Brennan said nothing but a fond smile played across her face. "He's going to be a scientist, Booth," she remarked.

"Heck, no, my son is not going to be up to his elbows in goo and gore like you and Cam and Hodgins!"

Ms. Gobelson listened to the pair bicker, as she had during past conferences about their offspring.

"Aw, Bones, I'd hoped Hank would go into law enforcement like me. Chrissy is already turning into a squint, and Parker can still spout those tongue-twisting bone names like an encyclopedia all these years later!"

"Booth, our younger son can pursue multiple careers as he matures. Christine loves sports as much as she loves middle school science. Parker is a successful musician, a talented writer, and an IT wizard. I don't usually like to employ such fantastical words, but his skill at setting my laptop right is hard to describe any other way."

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, I've taught each of your children and their interests are as varied and changeable as fall leaves. I think Hank and Christine will both become highly successful adults, no matter what careers they select. The upbringing and enrichment you are providing for them will prepare them to excel at whatever they enjoy."

"Ms. Gobelson, you are a big part of the reason our kids are so well-adjusted and happy. The secure stimulative environment here at the Jeff's daycare lets all these little guys thrive and explore to their heart's content," Booth told her.

"I fully agree. You deserve a huge amount of the credit for our well-adjusted children," Brennan spoke up. "Booth's and my jobs demand our complete focus to achieve our objectives and keep each other safe, and knowing our children are well cared-for allows us to do just that. We can't thank you enough."

"Your little ones, like so many more, are what makes my life worthwhile. My grandkids are too old and impatient to satisfy my need for cuddling them. These children are happy to share hugs all day long. I wouldn't want any other job, I can assure you. It's a mutually beneficial situation for me and for them. Hank is doing well, and it will sadden me when he moves on to the four-year old group next year. I've enjoyed each of your children more than I can say. Thank you for entrusting them to the Jeffersonian, just as we trust you to catch the bad guys!"

A/N: With this chapter, I've managed to complete the Summer Bonesology Challenge, although two weeks late. I appreciate all the thoughtfully detailed reviews I've received on these stories. I've responded to most; if I missed yours, I apologize. Please know that I read and relish the feedback in each one. I wish a large convention could be held to allow Fan Fiction readers and writers to meet and converse in person! It's still months until the Bones series resumes for its final (sob!) truncated season, but we must enjoy what Fox grants us. Silly network, they don't realize the treasure they've had in this wonderful show, IMO.