Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

A/N so I have to set the scene for the return of Tessa and the action that is to follow. This is a bit of a filler but will hopefully set the scene.

Thank you so much for reviews! If this chapter gets a similar response I will make sure to continue and this time a bit quicker!

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Booth, Brennan and Parker stayed in the make shift den for a few minutes. Parker snored lightly and Brennan tried to pick the right words to salve Booth's conscience. There was no way he could have known how Tessa would behave and yet Brennan was certain that he would blame himself for the events that had befallen his son that day. Brennan's heart broke for him and it was only with his child nestled in her arms that she began to fully understand the clear justification he had for being a man led by his heart.

Parker stirred slightly and Booth saw it as a prime opportunity to wake him up properly this time. It was time to take him home, get him some dinner and try and erase some of the obvious fear he felt. Booth stroked Parker's hair and shook him softly by the shoulders.

"Come on buddy," he implored, "It's time to wake up now. Come on sleepy head."

Brennan shifted in her position loosening her hold on Parker and pivoting him so Booth could wake him. Booth smiled in appreciation at her move and Parker opened his eyes slowly.

"There you are little man." Booth said looking deep in his son's eyes. "Are you ready to go home yet?"

"Do I have to?" Parker responded shuffling himself back towards Brennan.

"Well Bon..." Booth was cut off by a look from Brennan, "Tempe," he corrected himself, "has a lot of work to do today and we should leave her in peace so she can get on with it."

"Do you want me to go?" Parker asked turning to face Brennan. All the colour began to drain from Brennan's face as she searched for an answer that would neither offend Parker nor encourage him to stay longer than Booth wanted them to. Parker grew tired of waiting for her response and turned back to his father.

"Daddy why doesn't Tempe want me to stay?"

Booth was equally flummoxed as to what to say to his son and was relieved when Brennan managed to find her voice.

"Parker, I really do want you to stay but as your daddy said I have an awful lot of work to do. I wouldn't do it if I had a choice but I have to."

Booth raised an eyebrow to indicate the fact that he felt Brennan most certainly would and does choose to work even when she doesn't have to. But, as he looked at the exchange between his son and his partner he realised that she was telling the truth, to his surprise, he became aware that she would choose spending time with his son over work and this thought warmed his heart.

Parker, much like his father, continued his interrogation oblivious to the effect his relationship with Tempe had had upon his father's understanding of her.

"Do you have to work to catch the bad guys like daddy?" Parker questioned, eyes wide.

"Well I have to do a different type of work but what I do helps your daddy catch the bad guys. We are a team." Brennan explained, now adept at communicating on Parker's level.

"Can I be on your team?" Parker asked, wanting desperately to be involved and be the hero just like how Tempe described his dad.

"Of course you can." Brennan soothed, stroking his blond hair and earning an approving look from Booth.

"How can I help then? What job can I have?" Parker queried, now on his knees raring to go.

"Well sweetie I think there is a very special job that needs doing and you are the perfect person for the job."

"What job?" Parker questioned, rediscovering his juice box and beginning to sip from it again.

Brennan gestured to Parker indicating that she wanted to whisper in his ear and he moved forward, cocking his head on one side to oblige her. Booth watched their exchange half intrigued half perturbed Brennan's eyes fixed on his own displaying her own sense of amusement as she whispered in Parker's ear.

"Well Parker I think that even though he is a hero your daddy needs someone to look after him and you would be the perfect man for the job. He needs someone to make sure he goes to the park today to get some exercise, and to make sure he eats good food to make him strong so he can catch the bad guys, he also needs to go to bed early so he can be wide awake and full of energy to chase the bad guys. You think you can make sure he does all of these things?"

Parker simply nodded as he pulled away from Brennan and turned to face his Dad. Booth lay still remaining somewhat unnerved not knowing exactly what Brennan had said to his son. It was not that he didn't trust her it was simply that he wasn't entirely sure if he fancied Brennan and Parker ganging up on him in anyway. He was fairly certain the two of them would make a formidable team.

"Come on Daddy." Parker nagged, grabbing his father's hand and starting to drag him out of the den, "we've got to go to the park."

"The Park?" Booth questioned, his voice addressing Parker his eyes meeting Brennan's searching for an answer as he was certain she had something to do with Parker's want to go to the park.

"Yes daddy the Park to get some essercise."

"Exercise Parker?" Booth both corrected and questioned.

"You need you essercise Daddy." Parker continued, pulling harder at Booth's arm.

"I do?" Booth queried, raising his eyebrow in a way that did little to hide either his confusion or amusement.

"Yes Daddy." Parker emphasised placing his hands on his hips, in a way Booth realised mimicked Brennan. "You need essercise so you can be quick enough to catch the bad guys."

"Is that right?" Booth smiled, catching Brennan's eye "and it's your job to help me get that exercise I take it."

"uhuh." Parker responded fixating again on his juice box. "Can we go yet?" Parker asked sulkily now well and truly awake and ready to go train to catch bad guys with his dad.

"Ok come on then." Booth said exiting the den and taking Parker's hand. Brennan followed closely behind standing up straight and stretching the tension out of her back.

"Not well rested after a rest in the den?" Booth asked, amusement written across his face.

"No Booth it wasn't exactly comfortable but I've experienced far worse."

Booth nodded in understanding before giving in to the impatient pulling Parker was beginning "Right we better be off, leave you in peace to do your thing." Booth said softly, "And um…you know…thanks for looking after Parker you're a hero."

"No Daddy." Parker interrupted, "You're the hero."

Booth turned confused to look at his son who stood close to him looking up adoringly.

"Why to you say that bub?" Booth questioned genuinely not understanding where Parker's comment has come from.

"Tempe told me."

"Tempe told you what?"

"That you catch the bad guys, that you're a hero." Parker answered honestly.

"She did did she?" Booth smiled turning back to a now rather crimson Brennan "A hero huh?"

"Don't let it go to your head Booth. Don't you have somewhere to go?"

"I guess we are going to the park." Booth answered heading towards the door. "Thanks Bones." Booth shouted over his shoulder as they exited her office a smile spread across his face from ear to ear in the knowledge of how she described him to his son. His thought process was only interrupted by Parker's voice.

"Daddy why do you call Tempe Bones?"

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Brennan watched them leave and was returning to her desk when she realised she was still smiling. Snap out of it she thought to herself. The chances of getting to spend time with Parker again were very slim and as such she almost instinctively began to guard herself from attaching to him. Brennan reached her desk and stared at the now half demolished den in the middle of her office. She began to dismantle it and retrieved Parker's picture, which she propped up on her desk, not displayed, she thought, just placed safely within her sight. She made a mental note to give Booth the picture next time she saw him which she realised with some sadness was not likely to be soon as now he really was on vacation.

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The phone rang for almost a minute before Hodgins was able to get an answer.

"'lo" the tired voice on the end of the line responded

"You are never going to guess what."

"Hodgins?" Angela queried, shifting up in bed and wiping sleep from her eyes. "I am not working during my vacation. If Brennan has asked you to phone and sweeten me up give up now because it isn't going to work. Do you know what time it is here?" Angela questioned looking at her watch. Upon realising it was actually gone 10 in the morning Angela continued "Ok it's not that early, go on fire away then what do you want?"

"You are never going to guess what Brennan has done now." Hodgins teased, eyes scanning the lab to check there was no danger of Brennan creeping up on him.

"Is she ok?" Angela snapped, all sense of tiredness zapped away in an instant. "What happened?"

"She's ok Ange, don't worry, it's Tessa that isn't."

"Huh? What… what has Tessa got to do with anything? Jack stop being so cryptic and tell me what is going on or so help me god I…"

Hodgins needed to hear no more threats; he had Angela's interest "Well Brennan broke Tessa's nose, well at least that's what it looked like from where I was standing."

"She what?" Angela shrieked, before clamping her hand over her mouth to stop herself laughing. "Why would she do that? Were they fighting over Booth?"

"Well a Booth not Booth Booth."

"Not Booth Booth." Angela repeated internally groaning at how hard it was to get information out of Hodgins. "Look take it from the top Hodgins."

"Well Tessa stormed in to the lab with Parker…"

"Parker in the lab what was she…" Angela interrupted before being cut of herself.

"Are you going to let me tell the story or would you like to interrupt some more?" Hodgins teased knowing how over excited Angela was at this point.

"No, no carry on I'll be quiet. Fire away!" Angela urged.

"Well apparently she was fed up with babysitting, she threw a fit and was pulling Parker around, bruised his wrists and shouted like a madwoman at him."

"Oh my god" Angela sighed before placing her hand back over her mouth so not to interrupt again.

"Well after a bit of negotiating Brennan insisted that Tessa let go of Parker as he was balling his eyes out and she had begun to shake him. Brennan told her to let him go and Tessa rather unwisely asked 'or what'" At this Angela groaned knowing exactly what her best friend had done next "That's right baby" Hodgins affirmed "So Brennan punched her in the nose and marched off with Parker."

"How did Booth take it?" Angela questioned in a muffled voice, her hand still half covering her mouth.

"Well last thing I saw Booth, Brennan and Parker were all cosied up in a make shift den in her office!"

"They were?" Angela questioned in disbelief "Booth didn't flip and Brennan didn't lecture?"

"I have no idea Ange, all I know is that they are playing hide out in her office."

"mmm hide out?" Angela drawled, her insinuation obvious.

"Well Parker is in there so I'm guessing nothing is going on."

"Physically that's true but intellectually we both know where their minds will be leading them."

"But you've forgotten one thing."

"What?"

"We are talking about Brennan and Booth."

"True." Angela smiled, Hodgins was right. "I guess I might phone Bren, check in and see if I get any hot gossip or at least try and point her in the right direction. You have to be my eyes and ears Jack let me know of any developments."

"I will do Ange."

"Thanks so much Jack, you are a star byeee" Angela chirped ready to get her plan in action leaving Hodgins grinning at the receiver.

"What are you grinning at?" Zach asked innocently walking up alongside Hodgins.

"Nothing." Hodgins snapped, his face returning to a scowl as he stalked off in another direction.

"What is it with everyone today?" Zach questioned out loud.

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