Booth answered the door and opened his arms.
"Pops!" A boy, with legs and arms too long for his body launched himself into Booth.
Booth wrapped him up in a huge hug and kissed the top of his head.
"Let me look at you! You've grown!" he said as the boy stepped back and stood up to his full height.
"I'm as tall as mum now!" he said proudly puffing up his young man's chest. Booth smiled.
"I can see that!" he said ruffling the boys head.
Brandon Seeley Armstrong was fourteen years old. He was destined to be tall like his grandfather. He had his mother's curly light brown hair and her vivid cornflower blue eyes. His smile was all Booth.
"Hey, get out the way!" a high pitched voice came from behind Brandon. He was pushed roughly to the side as a girl with long light blonde hair and deep set dimples either side of a wide full mouth, stepped before her grandfather. She was very much like her father, except her eyes. She had her grandfather's eyes. Dark velvety brown that changed with the light.
"There's my girl" Booth said grinning as he wrapped her up in a big bear hug. He lifted her off the ground and rocked from side to side, dropping her to her feet as he groaned. "You're getting too big for this" he said holding her at arm's length to look at her.
Erin Leah Armstrong was thirteen years old. She was tall and well proportioned. Booth shook his head noting her girlish body had disappeared over the winter, and a young woman was standing before him. It had been nine months since he had seen his grandchildren and he couldn't get over how big they had grown.
Christine walked up the front path and smiled widely at her father. "Hi Dad. Thank you so much for having them" she said as she hugged and kissed her father on the cheek. "Phil and I really appreciate it." she added. She and her husband were going to Europe for their sixteenth anniversary. He had surprised her with the two month trip.
Truth be told Booth had not really liked Phil when he had first met him. He had been brash and cocky. A lot like Booth had been, his wife had pointed out to him when their only child, Christine had finally brought him home to meet them.
In fact, Booth had not really been a fan of any of Christine's boyfriends. He had a stock standard routine when she eventually did bring any boys home. He would take them for a little walk. Down to the basement. He would sit them in a chair, facing a display rack of guns, awards, and other military and FBI paraphernalia. He would sit on the desk opposite them, casually swinging one leg, his arms folded across his chest, staring.
Most would start to perspire after the first three minutes of him staring. Then they would start to lick their lips and swallow, their mouths drying. Their faces would grow red, or white, depending on their fear level. Few looked him squarely in the eye. He would then stand up and circle their chair, stopping to the side of them, his hand landing heavily on their shoulder. He would lean down and place his mouth close to their ear. "You touch her and it will be the last time you use your hands" was one of his favourite lines.
Christine never dated any boy for more than a few months, thanks to her father's heavy handed, FBI style interrogations. She had gone through a period of not bringing any boys home to meet her parents during her late teens. It wasn't until she met Phil that she changed her mind and brought him over for dinner one night. They hadn't been in the door longer than five minutes when Booth asked Phil if he would come for a little walk with him.
Christine had stepped in and demanded he stop. They had stood, facing each other squarely. Christine's eyes were boring into him. Suddenly, for the first time ever, he backed down. "OK. We'll talk at the dinner table" he had said nodding at Phil.
Phil of course had been warned about Booth. He knew that he was ex military. Had served as a sniper, been deployed in Afghanistan and also been a special agent with the FBI. She had told him about her past boyfriends experiences with her father. He knew that Booth was fiercely protective of his only daughter. But Phil also knew that he had met the girl he was going to marry. And nothing, not even a tough, belligerent father was going to get in the way of that.
Phillip Armstrong had met Christine while in his final year at college. She was studying nursing and he was about to complete his degree in architectural design. He remembered seeing her walking down the stairs. Her hair was caught loosely to one side, golden brown curls bouncing against her shoulder. She looked up and he was lost in two eyes the colour of the sky on a summers day. She suddenly laughed, her smile was wide, showing her perfectly straight white teeth. She and her friend stepped off the bottom step and turned to walk the opposite way he was heading.
Instead of going to his class, he was mesmerised and followed the two girls out into the courtyard. They walked down the large wide concrete steps that lead down to the student car park. She stood talking to her friend, who got into a car and reversed out of the park, her hand waving as the car disappeared. She stood for a moment then turned and walked towards him.
He stood perfectly still as she approached. She was looking at the ground, but just as she got near him she looked up and smiled at him. He remembered stammering something like "Hey". She walked about five or six steps past him and then stopped and turned around. She looked at him and smiled again. "Hey yourself" she said.
That had been it. They had been inseparable from that moment. It was never in doubt to any of their friends. They were meant to be. They dated through their last year of college and got married one year later. Phil got a job working for a prestigious architectural firm on the other side of the country, which had devastated Booth and Brennan. But they realised that this was what happened when your children grew up and started living their lives. Christine was working as a nurse in a children's hospital. And they were happy. Two years later along had come Brandon. And to everybody's surprise fourteen months later Erin joined their family. Booth had not been happy. He accused Phil of turning his daughter into a baby making machine. But within moments of holding his grandchildren, he had fallen madly in love with them and looking into Christine's eyes, he realised that his daughter was truly happy. Just like he and Bones had been for the last 40 years.
Booth grinned at his baby girl. She may be a thirty nine year old woman, but she was always going to be his little girl. He looked past her and lifted a hand in salute to Phil who was sitting in the car waiting for his wife.
"Where's Mom?" Christine asked looking past her father into the house.
Booth shook his head "Oh she had to run to the store to grab some essentials or something. I hope that means icecream and cookies. She's going to be so mad she missed you. We thought you were coming earlier?" he asked.
Christine shrugged, "Sorry Dad. I was having a discussion with the kids about their behaviour, and you know Erin, she has an answer for everything. And I have to tell you. She's. Developing." she said softly so that Erin didn't hear her.
Booth's face screwed up "Stop. Right there." his hands held up in front of him. "I don't think I'm the right person" Christine slapped at his hands, "Dad, don't be ridiculous. I need to tell you because Mom isn't here. She's had her first period. And there's a strong chance that she may have one while they are here."
"Christine" Booth's voice was strained, his mouth downturned on the corners. "Please"
"Shut up Dad. I've packed her some"
Booth covered his ears "No. That's enough. I get it. You don't have to say it. That's my baby granddaughter you're talking about!" he cried. Christine stared at him incredulously, then burst out laughing. She remembered him being squeamish the first time she had a period. Her mother was not home and she had to go to him. He had nearly passed out.
"OK. But, remember to tell Mom." she nodded at him, pointing at him to make sure he understood. "It's important Dad. I don't want her to feel weird or ashamed or embarrassed" she added seriously.
Booth's head tipped to the side, his forehead creased heavily, his eyes screwed up. He sighed loudly "Fine. Can we just not talk about that. Stuff. Any more, please. I promise I'll tell your mother the minute she gets back. Now I wish I'd made her wait." he mumbled.
Phil tooted the car horn and pointed to his watch. Christine waved and turned back to her father, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting her lips against his cheek. "Thanks Dad. Don't let them bamboozle you. I've put the number of our hotel in this bag. But I'm sure you won't need it. Give Mom our love and thank her for me." she turned and looked at the car as Phil tooted the horn again. "We're gonna miss our flight if I don't go right now. Love you!" she called as she ran down the path to the car, stopping to wave one last time before getting into the passenger seat.
Booth lifted a hand and waved as they drove off down the street. He stood for a moment, then looked down at the bag that held Erin's girly things. He shuddered and carried it inside and dropped it by the coat rack.
The kids were upstairs arguing about which room they were going to stay in. Brennan had been insistent that they couldn't stay in the same room any more. Booth didn't understand why.
They'd always shared a room he had pointed out. Brennan had to sit him down and give him the talk about the differences between boys and girls. He had argued that they were his grandchildren. And they were siblings. Brennan had won once she started talking about bodily functions. Booth was still struggling with the idea that his babies were not babies any more.
Booth stood at the bottom of the stairs listening to the argument escalating upstairs. He could feel a headache starting. He thought his sweet, cute grandchildren were coming to stay. He wasn't prepared for pubescent teenagers.
"I hope Bones hurries up and gets home."