Beautiful Boy Chapter 36/?
Paring: Booth/Brennan/Parker/Introducing New Major Character Laura in later chapters
Rating: M - WARNING: There is mention of child abuse and mental health issues
Genre: Romance/Family/Angst
Summary: Please Read Summary: Parker has been returned after being abducted and months of sexual abuse. Booth and Brennan deal with his issues while learning to deal with their burgeoning relationship and a family they thought they’d never have. There will be issues of resolving child abuse trauma and mental health for all..
Chapter 36
Two hours later Parker was happily singing along with the radio in the SUV. Once again they had covered why they had to take the SUV instead of her sporty little car. They had bit of an argument over what station to listen to but Booth had given in and allowed his son to listen to local top hits station.
"I wanna hold em' like they do in Texas Plays
Fold em' let em' hit me raise it baby stay with me (I love it)
Lovegame and intuition play the cards with Spades to start
And after he's been hooked I'll play the one that's on his heart." Parker sang to the Lady GaGa song.
"There is something wrong with a gambling addict’s son singing about poker." Booth laughed and then made a face. "Actually what the song is REALLY about is even more disturbing."
“It sounds like it's about poker, if it isn't then what is it about Booth?"
"Maybe it's just me but I think it has a sexual component to me." Booth said with a shrug. "But I don't know...not exactly my kind of music. No Idea how it is his."
"Well I am totally lost. It isn't Cat Power either” she laughed. “Maybe we had better look up the lyrics when we get home. Then make him some appropriate CD’s to listen to in the car.”
"Good thinking." Booth said and was then happy when a much more calming song came on the radio.
Parker was content with this song as well but after a minute began fidgeting in his seat. He had his gameboy so he didn't appear to be bored but did not seem comfortable either.
She turned around to ask him "What is it Parks? Need something?"
"No...I'm okay," Parker said even though his voice sounded a bit funny.
Booth glanced back in the rearview mirror but didn't say anything since Bones was already dealing with it.
"Parker you don't sound ok. Are you sure there isn't something Daddy or I can do for you?"
Parker shook his head and gave Bones a slight smile. "Nut uh" he replied before looking down at his game again but was still wiggling.
Still at a loss she looked at Booth "Booth?" she asked quietly?
"He has to go to the bathroom but of course does not want to go. Being in a car seat makes it difficult." Booth said after watching Parker for a second and remembering these actions from when parker was a pre-schooler.
"So what do we do" she whispered?
"I don't know about you but I think I need to stretch my legs." Booth said changing lanes so he could take the next exit. He was saying this to Bones, hoping she would play along.
"Yeah I need to stretch my legs, how about you Parker, want to get out of your car seat for a bit?"
Parker looked up and nodded, "Yeah my butt is tired of sitting." he said and giggled.
Booth laughed too as he pulled into a gas station that had a bit of room where they could roam around.
She got out of the car and helped Parker out of his car seat. "I'll be right back boy's, I need the ladies room. Booth would you get me a coke?"
"Sure, Parker and I will get beverages." Booth said as he took hold of Parker's hand and headed into the mini mart.
Parker stood in front of the beverage cooler trying to figure out what he wanted at the same time still trying to hold it since it was still habit. "Daddy can I have a coke too?" he asked as he shifted feet. Normally he wasn't allowed caffeine but he thought he would ask.
"Okay," Booth said as he tried not to pay attention to his son's shifting feet and grabbed the three of them cokes.
She was leaning against the car as they came out of the mini mart with the cokes. Parker's dancing was becoming more insistent now that she knew what to look for. When they got to the car she said quickly "Parks come here a minute." She took his hand and walked him to the end of the car. "Need to go to the bathroom right?"
me: I think we should at least get them out of the house one way or another.
So your idea is a great one.
Parker looked at Bones and then quickly looked away. "Don't know what you're talkin about." he then opened his soda and took a drink trying to act like nothing was wrong.
"Look Parker it's obvious you are uncomfortable. So you have a choice you can either go to the bathroom with your Father now or we can all wait and then have to change your pull up. Which would you like?" She decided this no bathroom thing was getting a little out-of-hand and would talk to Colin about it tomorrow.
Parker glared at his mom. He didn't like the way she was stating those choices. "I don't gotta do nothin."
Booth didn't understand Parker's severe aversion to the bathroom, but he also didn't think the way Bones was dealing with it was work. "Bones..."
"What Booth, what were you going to say?" For some reason she felt he was turning away from her in just that one word. Choosing sides, Parker's.
"I wasn't really going to say anything." Booth said since he really hadn't had anything in mind then to just get her to stop. He then looked at Parker. "Parker are we going to finish this trip?"
"Fuck both of you." Parker said before running off to hide behind a trash can that was only a few feet away. He was mad at his parents but also couldn't hold it anymore and wanted to hide it.
She sighed and walked over to Parker and knelt down."I'm sorry Parker." She rubbed her eyes trying to stop the headache that was trying to make an appearance. "Can we please all just get into the car and go on? I would really like to have a nice dinner and maybe walk around the town a little. Wouldn’t it be nice to see something other than our apartment?"
"I have to poop." Parker said looking at her with a blush to his cheeks. "Go away for a sec?"
"Ok Parker, just come over to the car when you’re done" she said softly. Thinking to herself how until then there were men she had hated, but few of them were individuals. Jonathan was no longer in that category, he was now someone she hated intensely. Hated to the point where she was beginning to see why her father had acted as he had to protect her and Russ. That was disturbing too. Right now, right this very minute, if she had seen Jonathan she knew she could have killed him and hidden his body in a way no one would ever find him for what he had done to her son. For what he was putting her family through.
"I'm sorry," Booth said when Bones joined him at the car. He kept his eye on Parker since he could easily see him from where they were.
She leaned against him and sighed. "Booth, have you ever wanted to kill someone, needed to kill them for yourself not because you were ordered to?"
Booth turned so he was looking at her and nodded his head. "I want nothing more than to find, torture and kill the man that did this to my son." he said glancing at Parker again noticing a pained expression on his face.
"Me too, and I want to torture him in the most inhuman way possible, and believe me I know some awfully inhuman ways. We can't of course, as you said once we don't have the right to take the law into our own hands or we are no better than they are. But at times like these I wish I had the courage to tell my Father the truth about what was going on. However I know if I do he will find Jonathan and kill him even if he goes to jail for it. I don’t think I could live with that even for Parker."
"I just keep thinking if I did it and went to jail I would lose Parker anyway." Booth said with a sigh and then glanced at his watch. "For the way he was dancing I would think he would be done now."
"I was doing some research and it suggested sometimes young boys who have been repeatedly raped develop IBS" at his questioning look she translated "Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It's a disease where the bowel fluctuates between constipation and diarrhea. He could be experiencing some constipation now. Why don't you check on him? I think it would be less embarrassing for him if it were you that did it."
"Right," Booth said trying to not start crying even though he sure felt like it. He couldn't believe that there was probably one more thing wrong with his boy. He walked over to Parker just as the boy was standing up. "Hey bud...everything okay?"
Parker nodded, "Yeah...I'm ready to go now." he said before walking awkwardly towards Bones at the car.
Booth stood in his spot a bit shocked before walking as well shaking his head.
"Parker...why don't you and I take a few minutes back here." He said nodding to the back of the SUV where he could lay Parker out easier. He really wanted to take him to the bathroom but knew that was not possible.
Parker looked like he was going to refuse at first but ended up turning and going where he was supposed to. "Can I have my soda after?" he asked as he climbed inside and laid on his back as if it was no big deal that he was in the same position he had been as a toddler.
"Sure bud," Booth said as he went about getting Parker's jeans undone. "I think your Mommy is going to kill me for letting you have caffeine." he teased knowing Bones could hear him.
"Not today Booth, nothing is going to spoil today, He can have the caffeine and the sugar, one day won't hurt him" she said off-handedly.
Parker smiled big and giggled. "Thanks Mom!" he said trying not to bounce with excitement as his dad cleaned him up. "Come on Daddy aren't you done yet?" he semi whined.
Booth rolled his eyes, "You take after me Bud...this is going to take a second." he laughed.
She smiled as she slid back into her seat and listened to them talking behind her. Suddenly everything seemed possible, the sun brighter, the air lighter. "Booth" she called back "are we having fun yet?"
"You can ask me that again when I'm not cleaning up shit." Booth said teasingly so she would know he was having fun.
Parker's eyes went wide. "Daddy! bad word!" he giggled.
"Actually Parker, in the context your Father is using it, shit it is not a bad word just as it is not wrong to say ass when talking about a donkey."
"What does an ass gotta do with a donkey?" Parker asked curiously as he hopped out of the back and let his dad pull his jeans back up.
"Ass is the name given to a donkey. The male is a Jack and the female is a Jenny" she replied."
Parker giggled and bounded to his door, climbing into the car. "So does that mean I can call Dr. Hoggins an ass?" he said thinking of the family friend's first name being Jack.
That had Booth busting up laughing as he got into the driver’s seat. "Okay Parker THAT was good."
"I hadn't thought about it in that way before but I would suggest that you not do so. It might hurt his feelings. Besides you know his last name is Hodgins not donkey" she smiled at him. Listening to Booth’s reaction she felt she had better stop him too "and Booth I had better not hear you calling him that either are we clear? It might interfere with your other desires."
"I don't need this reason to call him an ass." Booth chuckled as he pulled out of the gas station and back onto the highway. "But she's right Parker; you don't need to call him that.
"Mom...how come you don't go to the lab anymore?"
She turned so she could face him as she answered "because you and your Father need me at home and so that is where I prefer to be" she replied frankly. “When things are more stable and your Father can return to work and you to school I'll go back to the lab," she added.
Parker thought about that and pouted a little, "You aren't going to work cuz I'm living with you now?"
"No that is not it at all, right now you need both your Father and I at home to help you get better. At first I stayed home because I had to breastfeed you every 2 hours." She smiled softly at the memory of his total dependence on her. "Now you don't nurse as often but you still nurse some and I want to make sure you can nurse whenever you want to. Remember our deal? I promised you I would always be there for you whenever you felt you needed to nurse no matter what the reason. You promise to tell me whenever you need me right?'
"Uh huh," Parker said with a smile. "Thanks."
Booth began to feel a bit of jealousy creep up, but tried not to let it show on his face.
She looked over at Booth and noticed a strange look on his face, "Booth are you ok?" she asked laying her hand on his thigh and squeezing. She had begun to notice sometimes when she talked to Parker about his breastfeeding Booth got very quiet. It concerned her and she was going to ask him about it later.
"Of course." He said taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. He didn't understand why he seemed to get so down in the dumps so easily lately.
"Well ok if your sure..." she let her voice trail off. "Booth how much longer?"
Booth glanced at the GPS that said how much longer they had. "About forty-five minutes."
"Ok great cause I'm starving." Turning to Parker she asked him "what do you want to eat Parker?"
"A cheese burger, hot dog and french fries." Parker exclaimed as he bounced happily in his seat.
"Buddy I think that is a bit much." Booth chuckled.
"I'm not sure I want a hot dog, but that cheese burger and fries sounds good, oh and I want a chocolate shake too" she smiled as she and Parker continued to discuss what they wanted to eat.
Nyre & TinyTeffers
Prologue, Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4, Chapter 5 , Chapter 6 , Chapter 7, Chapter 8 , Chapter 9 , Chapter 10 , Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, , Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34, Chapter 35,