Purpose

Temperance Brennan had finally dozed off against Seeley Booth's chest when Christine gave a wail and started crying again. She rolled over and heard Booth murmur "Stay in bed. I'll get her." He didn't move, and moments later she could hear the steady rhythm of his breath as he was fast asleep. Brennan smiled in the darkness. Booth was a heavy sleeper, and it took long minutes of persuasion, coaxing, and sometimes bribery, to wake him up every morning.

The crying continued.

"That's okay, I'll do it." No answer of course.

Brennan kissed Booth's forehead and got up. She padded down the hall to her daughter's room, turned on the light, picked up the screaming baby, and sat down in the rocking chair. Her body was still sore from the birth, which was only five days ago, only it seemed like much more.

Parenting could be such a toll. She hadn't slept a full night in weeks, since even before the birth it was hard to find a comfortable sleeping position with her swollen belly. She couldn't work (maternity leave and all that, although Brennan felt perfectly capable of leaning over human remains), and hadn't been to the lab since the baby was born. The boredom was driving her crazy. Booth had tried to help her with that, distracting her with books and movies and Thai food, but it still meant staying home with her feet up. Being useless. Brennan hated being useless. Of course, Booth had said that she wasn't useless at all, she was just "Taking some time off work for your other job, parenting, and spending time with your family", but she didn't buy it. Her job was solving murders and reassembling skulls, and she was doing neither. Therefore, useless.

And yet it was worth every minute. Christine opened her eyes and looked at her mother. Her mother looked at her. Still awed that she had made this perfect little child.

Brennan must have fallen asleep while Christine was nursing, because the next thing she knew, Booth was stirring her awake.

"Hey Bones, come back to bed." He whispered. Christine was asleep in her arms, and she didn't dare move, afraid to wake her.

"In a minute." Booth crouched down next to the chair.

"Look at her" He murmured. Christine's eyes fluttered under her eyelids, amidst a dream. She waved her tiny fist and sighed.

"She's a fighter like her mommy" Booth said.

"And mommy needs her sleep, because she has work tomorrow, right?" Brennan looked at him in confusion.

"Work? I'm on maternity leave, Booth. Cam said I can only return to the lab in three months. She insisted on it."

"Well, I saw that you were bored outa your mind, so I might have persuaded Cam to let you come to the lab for a few hours tomorrow. I don't like it, but I know it's important for you, How wonderful am I?" Booth gave her his cocky grin. It had the same affect even though he was scruffy and half asleep. Brennan grinned back.

"Very." She said.

"But did Cam really say it was okay for me to come to the lab with Christine?"

"With Christine? No, she'll stay here with me. Angela will pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Can't Christine come with me?" She asked hopefully. Although the idea of getting back to work, even for a few hours, was great, she couldn't imagine leaving her daughter's side for so long.

"Bones, the lab is no place for a five-day old baby." Booth said.

"Well, then perhaps going back to the lab so soon is not such a good idea." Brennan said rather regretfully. "After all, I am her mother. It's important for me to be with her, right Booth?"

Booth smiled. This was what he had hoped would happen. He know that Bones' urge to go back to work was great, but he imagined that Brennan would be rather doubtful at leaving her.

"Right. Now, let's get back to bed, huh?"

"Alright, I'm coming." Brennan said. She got up- with the help of Booth's hand supporting her elbow- and walked over to the crib. Before she put Christine down she sniffed the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her new-born baby. Who knew this would be the best smell in the world? Definitely better than the smell of decaying human flesh, which was probably what she would have got if she were to go to the lab tomorrow. Probably best to stay home for now.

Brennan put Christine in her crib and looked down at her. Booth put his arm around her, and she leaned into him. For him, the best smell in the world was the smell of his partner's hair. She always had excellent taste in shampoo, and he had always thought so. Now all he had to do was roll over in bed and take a whiff. No more secret peeks at her, no more waiting for her to move close enough so he could catch the scent. Those days of chasing each-other round and round were over. They had caught each-other. Agent Booth, he thought to himself, you're becoming quite poetic. Maybe that's what he'd say in his vows after Bones would finally propose.