"To Protect & Nurture"

By Marjee

Warnings: There some minor language in here, but nothing too bad.

Summary: Booth must make a decision about what is truly important. Companion piece to "Quality Time," though it's not necessary to read that one before this.

Brennan's POV:

"Look, I'll only be a minute, alright? You can handle him for that long."

"But Booth, I …" Suddenly Parker is in front of me, and I feel Booth removing his hands. Instinctively, I open my arms and grab him, and right away Parker starts to squirm. I sit down and hold him firmly against me.

"Just a minute. Promise." With a final tousle of Parker's hair and one of his trademark grins for both of us, he jogs down the hall.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" I whisper into Parker's ear. His response is to burst into laughter. "Yeah, that's what I think, too.

Booth's POV:

"Just a minute. Promise," I say to Brennan's wary and disbelieving face. I ruffle Parker's head and get the heck out of dodge. I'm afraid that if I stand in front of her one more minute, I'll give something away. She has an uncanny ability to make me spill. But I can't tell her about this. She would probably insist on going in there with me, and that would be disastrous.

I finally reach the door I've been looking for. I open it and inside there's a man, one the type who goes by Smith or Jones and probably can't even remember his real name.

"Agent Booth, please come in," the man says smoothly. Entirely too smoothly, if you ask me. "Take a seat."

"Thanks." The walls are that nasty, institutional blue grey that I have spent a good portion of my life surrounded by. These walls bother me more than usual, however. They seem even nastier and greyer than usual. "Excuse me sir, but nobody told what this meeting was about exactly." Not that I don't know already.

"Well, Agent Booth, our great country needs your help." Oh shit. "Since we have started this War on Terror, we need all the men we can find. And very few have the skills and experiences that you do." Thank God.

"So you want me to come back?" My stomach begins to knot.

"We need snipers, Agent Booth," he says rationally.

I start to feel my mind begin to split in two. The ancient adage of duty to my country drums in my head, while flashes of the old horrors run before my eyes. My heart rate quickens and my breathing becomes shallow. I start to feel dizzy and disoriented. The man just sits there waiting, staring at me. That is starting to piss me off.

"Look, do you have any idea of what I went through? How screwed up all that left me?" The rage builds at the idea of going through all that again.

"I can say that I know exactly, Agent Booth."

"Like hell."

"I've researched you. I know every kill and every nightmare. But we still need you."

"You make me sound like a science fair project," I say, falling back into humor out of shock. I see a flash of kissing Parker goodbye.

"Of course not, Agent. You matter very much to us."

"I'll bet." Visions of my family and friends are interspersed with those a dearth and violence.

"Well, Agent Booth?" One final flash of Temperance at Arlington, reaching across to touch me with that look of trust and understanding on her face. And that sinches it.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I can help you," I hear myself say. "I can't go back. And the work I'm doing here is important." I guess it's the truth. If even the thought of sniping can turn me into this big of a mess, I don't want to know what I would actually do if I was in that position. Besides, I know I'm doing good where I am. Bringing justice to the dead with Brennan is the most fulfilling thing I've ever done.

The man looks at me consideringly. "Think about it."

"I will. But my answer won't change." Already I can feel my insides returning to normal.

"Good afternoon, Agent Booth." I nod and rise. When I touch the door handle I look back at the man.

"I won't be seeing you."

As I come back into the lobby, I see Brennan lifting Parker over her head and kissing him. She wearing one of her rare smiles, the ones she saves for when she's really happy. It immediately makes me feel better. If she can smile like that, everything has to be alright. I watch her do it again, and then I walk over and pick him up. She jumps up. When she realizes it's me, she gives me a good frown. I try to hold in a laugh. She's so cute when she's annoyed.

"Did you have fun with Auntie Bones, kiddo?" I ask, looking at Brennan to see her reaction.

"Yes!" my son answer, still giggling from there game. I move him to get more comfortable and absently kiss him. I lean over Brennan and catch a whiff of her perfume. It's something light and exotic that I can't identify.

"And did Auntie Bones have fun with you?" I semi-whisper into her ear. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her eyelashes flutter slightly and a blush rise in her checks. I lean back and smile. Almost defiantly, she touches Parker's cheek and kisses him.

"Yes," she whispers as she looks up at me.

As we turn to leave, she asks what the meeting was about. "Nothing much," I say. And it wasn't really. Impulsively I throw my arm around her shoulders. She looks up at me with a questioning look on her face. I smile back and pull Parker closer. A large breath escapes me. A feeling of content washes over me. Somehow, being sandwiched in between Brennan and my son makes everything else make sense. This really is where I need to be.

A/N: Okay, for those of you who haven't read "Quality Time," please go and read it. It takes place at the same time. Just don't expect it to be anything like this. This story was way more serious than anything else I've written, which should tell you something about me. Thanks for reading and please review!