Booth threw his glass at the wall of his office. It shattered, leaving tiny shards of glass stuck to the paint as what was left of his scotch left golden trails as it dripped it's way down the wall to settle in a small puddle on the floor. The broken pieces of glass sprayed out in a semi circle away from the wall.
Christine stood just inside the doorway, her arms folded across her chest, her legs apart, her back straight, her eyes flashing. She was, in her stance, the image of her father.
"I'm twenty two Dad, not twelve" she yelled then muttered not that you can tell the difference under her breath.
"I heard that" he yelled back. Their eyes were locked. His dark, almost black with frustration, hers bright blue, sparkling with tears of defiance that she would not allow to fall.
"Good!" she replied, her chin jutting forwards. Her hair falling over her shoulder, dark and wavy like her mothers.
"Look, I know how old you are. But, you're my baby girl." Booth said, throwing his hands in the air, as he walked around the desk towards her. He held his hands out to her, but she backed away.
"No Dad. No "daddy" hugs are going to change my mind. Dad, I love him."
Booth stopped in his tracks and threw his head back and laughed, a high pitched, almost maniacal cackle. "Love? You don't know what you're talking about Christine. You're twenty two. He's"
"I know exactly how old he is. And that doesn't make any difference to me. I. Love. James." She said, her hands resting on her hips, index fingers now tucked into the waist of her jeans. Her face wearing that stubborn, defiant look that her mother got when she was angry at him.
There was no denying it, Christine was the very best and worst of them both. She had his strength of conviction and self assurance. Her mother's intelligence and way of questioning everything. She had his temper and her mother's stubbornness, which combined with her own naturally confident nature, made for a very complex woman, of whom he was extremely proud. He just couldn't accept, or understand the news she had just given him.
"No. NO Christine!" he yelled, his hands covering his hears, in a juvenile gesture. "I just cannot allow it. I won't!" he said, dropping his hands helplessly to his sides. "I can't Christine. You're going to ruin your life."
Christine rolled her eyes and swept past him and threw herself down into his chair behind his desk, lifting and dropping her feet loudly onto his desk. "Dad, you're grasping now. Really. You're just being dramatic. How is being with a man I love, and who loves me, going to ruin my life? You got together with Mom, right? You loved each other. You were considered an odd match. Am I not correct?" she asked him, her head cocked slightly to one side, exactly as her mother would do.
"Your mother is never going to agree to this" Booth, pulled out his last card.
Christine laughed "Oh Daddy" she pulled her feet off the desk, stood up and came to him, wrapping her arms around his broad body, squeezing him tightly. "Mom understands. She knows that you cannot fight it when it's real. She couldn't fight it. You know that. Even though she tried, you two were meant to be. Just like me and James". Her face was pressed against his chest. She could feel his heart beating against her cheek.
Booth dropped his head and rested his chin on the top of her head. She was not quite as tall as her mother, athletic and strong. She had graduated college and was working as an intern at the FBI. She had been accepted into the Honors program after finishing top of her class majoring in Criminal Justice/Criminology. Booth and Brennan had been at her graduation when she gave her speech.
Christine was an eloquent, if sometimes opinionated girl, who spoke her mind and never left any doubt that she knew exactly what she was talking about.
She had a large circle of friends, both male and female. She was loved by her teachers and lecturers, and held in high regard by the Dean of her school. Booth remembered when he had been contacted personally and congratulated for raising such a wonderful girl after she had started up a successful charity raising money to help young people who were struggling to stay in school due to financial burdens.
Booth breathed out heavily and pushed Christine away from him so he could look into her eyes.
She stared straight at him. Her eyes clear and her face showing her determination, clear and strong, and, he sighed, exactly like her mother.
He shook his head. "He's almost fifty years old Christine. FIFTY! It's not right. It's. It's." he stared at his daughter, his forehead furrowed, his lips clamped together.
"It's right for me Dad. James is right for me. And yes, he's twenty four years older than me. That makes him forty six. Not fifty. I'm well aware. But Dad, I feel like I've known him forever"
"YES! Exactly. He's like your Uncle. He's too old for you!" Booth walked in a circle "There's got to be some law against this" he muttered. "It's incestuous!" he stopped and threw his hands in the air.
"It's not. I understand what you are saying Daddy. But knowing James. Watching him work along side you all these years. Learn from you. Taking over from you, when you were promoted to Deputy Director. I know what type of man he is. And the boys I met in college, they just didn't measure up. They're stupid and childish and all they ever wanted to do was get into my pants from the moment they knew my name. They weren't ever interested in getting to know me. "
Booth stared at her.
"It's true Dad. Boys my age, they're just interested in their next sexual conquest. James and I know each other, we get each other, despite our age difference. And just for the record, he wasn't the one who instigated all of this. It was me. He fought me on it too, I expect you'll be happy to hear. But of course, I wasn't going to let his fear of what you and Mom would say get in the way. So I kind of eased him into the idea of dating me, and when we realised that we really wanted to be together, we didn't just jump into bed"
Booth pressed his hands against his ears "No more! Christine. I don't want to hear any more."
"Oh Dad. You're funny." She said pulling his hands from his head. "Really Dad, you have to understand. James and I are meant to be together. He's intelligent and strong and brave. He's funny and sweet and romantic. He treats me like a queen. Like I'm the only woman in world. Nothing is too much. He's my soul mate. And don't worry about the age difference. The sex is"
"Good God Christine! Enough! You're like your mother when it comes to talking about sex! " Booth roared and grabbed at the phone as it started ringing.
"What?" he yelled into it. He glanced up at Christine who was laughing loudly as she settled herself into the chair on the other side of his desk, her feet once again landing on the polished timber of it.
"Bones! Yeah" he looked at her pointedly "she's here now. Yes she told me. Look Bones, you can't possibly be on board with this?" Booth turned his back to Christine and hissed into the phone "Bones, how did this happen without us knowing?" Then he yelled "What do you mean, you knew. How long have you known? a while? what does that mean? I don't believe it. I would have known. No. I know. I know. Yes, thank you for pointing that out, I know I've been busy and under a lot of pressure with my retirement looming, but Bones?" Booth turned and glanced at Christine who was tapping away on her phone.
"Bones, he's too old for her" Booth said into the phone. "Fine. Fine. Yes, fine Bones. No. No please, not tonight. Fine, they're coming for dinner tonight. Yes. I'll stop and grab a couple of bottles on the way home. I might grab a dozen. I'm going to need them. OK. See you later Bones. Yes. I'll be nice" Booth hung up the phone and breathed out heavily.
Christine looked up from her phone "James is looking forward to dinner" she said as she stood up. She walked around the desk and leaned in and dropped a kiss on his cheek. "See you tonight Dad" she said, then turned and lightly skipped out of his office.
Booth dropped heavily back into his chair. One hand holding his forehead.
She's in love with an FBI agent. Not any agent. Damned Special Agent James Aubrey. And they're having sex. And I think I'm having an aneurism.
Booth sat opposite James Aubrey and his daughter. He and Christine were leaning into each other . They were smiling too much he decided. He looked at Brennan. She was smiling too much as well.
Brennan passed a dish of mashed potato to Aubrey. "It's been too long since you came to dinner James." she said. Aubrey took the bowl and grinned at her, "Well, you know, work has had me pretty busy lately. My boss is a real task master, you know." Brennan, Aubrey and Christine all laughed out loud. He set the bowl down in front of Christine and scooped some onto her place, smiling at her as he did so.
"Thank you honey" Christine whispered as she picked up her glass and drained it. James picked up his full glass and smiled across it at her.
"Let me top that up Aubrey" Booth stood up quickly and grabbed the bottle of wine that was sitting in front of him and poured a quarter of an inch of wine into James' glass. He didn't really need any more wine, but Booth had decided that their faces were a little too close for comfort. His comfort. "Cheers" he said forcing a grin.
James smiled and raised his glass first to Booth, then to Brennan. "Thank you Booth. Temperance. I appreciate the invitation." he said.
"Dad?" Christine said, raising her eyebrows and waving her empty glass at him.
"You've had enough" Booth said, barely glancing at her. He was too concerned with where Aubrey's left hand had disappeared to under the table. Christine's giggle answered his question. He sat down, landing hard on the chair, feeling a little ill.
Booth set down the wine bottle and rubbed at his forehead, his face crumpled. "Can someone just tell me, when all this" he waved his free hand in the direction of his daughter and Aubrey "happened? And please. PLEASE don't tell me it's been going on for years because, frankly, I may just pull out my gun and shoot you right here Aubrey".
Christine stopped her giggling and frowned at her father. "Really Dad! Don't even joke about that. " she glanced at Aubrey and batted her eyelashes at him "He's just being a drama queen." Then looked pointedly at her father.
"All this" she said, mimicking her father's hand gesture "started up officially about six months ago. I told Mom about three months ago. Prior to that, you know quite well where I was" she said, her blue eyes like chips of flint.
Booth withered under that stare. Her mothers stare. She was right. He did know where she had been. Her mother and he had decided to send her to a boarding school when she turned twelve. One that provided an alternative learning environment for children with high IQ's. After that, she had been accepted at no less than eight colleges, making Booth have to admit that Bones was right in sending her away. She had finished top of her class every year while at high school and college.
"I hadn't seen James since I was a little girl, except for maybe the odd time here or there when I visited you at work during summer break. We actually met properly during my last year of college. You sent him to pick me up at the airport. Remember? Well, we got to chatting on the drive home and realised that we actually had a lot in common. I asked James to go out to dinner. He turned me down." Christine said, smiling.
James added "the first five times."
He looked at Booth. " I knew you wouldn't approve Booth. But, she was persistent. And truthfully, I really liked her. And you must know, when you talk to Christine, you forget her age. It's just not relevant. And, yes. I fell in love with her, but didn't tell her until after she graduated college and came home. "
Christine linked her arm through James's and smiled at her father. "We only started dating after I graduated. But we both knew. I knew."
Booth looked up at the ceiling, remembering when he knew. Like father, like daughter
Brennan was smiling. No, she was positively beaming, at Aubrey. What is it about him? Why are women. My women. So enamoured by him? he wondered, screwing up his nose taking in Aubrey's still boyishly youthful face and physique . He suddenly stood up.
"Aubrey. Outside. We're need to talk" he said turning and heading for the patio doors without looking back.
James smiled at Christine, raising his eyebrows. He grabbed his glass and whispered "I think I might need this" dropping a kiss onto her cheek. He followed Booth out onto the patio.
Christine smiled at her mother who was watching him follow Booth out into the dark. "Turn on the outdoor lights Booth" she called out. The outdoor lights suddenly lit up the back yard and she smiled to herself as she watched the two men strolling across the lawn.
"So you're really happy, aren't you darling?" Brennan asked her daughter, reaching out and grabbing her hand.
Christine blushed a little, much to her surprise and nodded. "I really am Mom. I know that James is probably not the ideal that you and Daddy had dreamed about for me. But" she hesitated, looking at her empty glass, then at her mother, her eyes sparkling. "He's the one Mom. I know it. In here" she pointed to her temple. "and most of all, in here" she lay her hand over her heart. "He's a good man. He treats me well. He is like Dad I suppose. But that's not why I love him." she said as she picked up the wine bottle and half filled her glass.
Brennan tilted her head and smiled at her daughter, acknowledging the glow of her skin, the brightness of her eyes, the blush on her cheek. She nodded "I know. The heart wants what the feelings your brain thinks are in your heart tells you it wants. Although I've never understood how what is essentially a large muscle has any bearing on how one's thought process works" .
Christine stared at her mother, the corner of her mouth twitching. Her dad and she would often have to smother their amusement at her mother's inability to get common sayings right. She either really didn't get it, or she did it just to make them laugh. But they had never been able to work it out.
"Mom?" Christine asked gingerly.
"yes honey?" Brennan replied as she stood and began clearing the table.
"James asked me to marry him" she said quietly.
Brennan stopped what she was doing, just for a split second, then continued stacking plates. She nodded, her mouth curling into a smile. "Really? And you accepted I expect." she said.
Christine walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around her mother, her hands linking, laying her head against Brennans back. "I really love him Mom. And he really loves me." She whispered. Brennan put the plates down on the table and lay her hands over her daughters.
"I'm not surprised. You're a very smart, beautiful woman. He'd be a fool not to have noticed, considering he's known you all your life. Are you sure you're not just infatuated Christine? I mean, I know about that. I had a huge infatuation with a college professor of mine. He was about fifteen years older than I was. We had quite the steamy love affair. The sex was truly amazing. Very athletic considering his age."
Christine pulled away from her mother "uh, Mom? I'd rather not hear about that." she said, shuddering a little at the thought of her mother entangled with anyone other than her father.
"You're very much like your father when it comes to talking about sex, aren't you?" Brennan said, frowning at her daughter. "Very well. I won't make that comparison. Do you think James will broach that subject with your father while they are walking?" she asked. "The proposal, not the sex, of course" she added, smiling.
Christine shrugged. "I would prefer he told Dad while they are in here. You know. So we can intervene if things get. Awkward." She said, looking out the window, trying to see where her father and James were. "He won't do. Anything. Will he?" she asked warily.
"To James? Oh sweetheart. Don't worry. Your father just wants to talk to him. I'm sure, if James loves you as you say he does. He will make your Dad understand that his intentions are truly honourable. And if your Dad does do anything. He will have me to deal with." Brennan added, joining her and staring out into the back yard through the window.
Booth took long strides, evenly measured, across the lawn he had mown on the weekend. It was flat and even, and Booth walked confidently across it, not worried about any uneven patches. James followed him, trying to match his stride. He was slightly taller than Booth, not by much, but he walked with a much shorter step, unlike Booth's long legged determined ones.
"So Christine has it in her head that you two are" Booth swallowed down hard "a thing" he finished.
James smiled in the dark "Actually Sir" he started to speak.
"WOAH! No. Don't call me Sir. You never call me Sir when we're not at work. The only reason you would call me Sir when you're here socially, would mean you want to say something stupid. Something you really don't want to say to me." Booth was talking as fast as he could, trying to stop Aubrey from getting a word in.
"You know, the first time you ever saw Christine, she was lying on our couch, asleep, and I remember you said something like, "I gotta get me one of those". Well I never in my wildest dreams thought you meant, exactly her." Booth shook his head, remembering.
James nodded, pushing out his bottom lip, carefully weighing what he was going to say next. It was true, he had known Christine since she was around four years old. He understood how that would seem weird to people. And especially make her father uncomfortable.
"Well Sir. Err, Booth. I want to ask you. Respectfully."
Booth rolled his eyes and screwed up his face. I really don't want to hear this.
James took a deep breath "I'm in love with Christine and I'm asking you if you will give us your blessing for us to marry"
Booth remembered turning and staring at James, who was holding out his hand to him, then everything went black.
Booth suddenly became aware of people talking about him through a fog.
"I swear, all I said was I'm in love with you and I asked him for his blessing"
"Did he say yes?"
"No. He. Err. He sort of passed out before he got to say anything"
"Don't worry you two. I'll talk to him. He'll give his blessing, if that's what you require. Although, you do realise Booth is not a priest. He can't actually bless you."
[laughter]
"He looks pale. Almost pasty. Mom is that normal?"
"He'll be fine. It's the shock I expect. The blood flow to his brain that was temporarily interrupted, will restore shortly. I don't think he ever thought you would get married. Let alone to someone so much older than you Christine. Not that I'm inferring that you are too old James."
"Quite alright Temperance. I do understand my age is a concern to Booth. But we just don't feel that way."
Booth opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment to allow his eyes to focus. He rolled his head to the side and saw the three of them sitting together. Bones was sitting in the chair, and Christine and James were perched on the arms of it. All just sitting there. Staring at him.
"Are you done talking about me?" he said, swinging his legs off the couch and sitting up. He looked around "How did I get here?" he added.
"James and I carried you in" Christine said matter of factly. "You could really do with losing a few pounds Dad" she said grinning.
"Chris!" Aubrey said, but Booth could hear the laughter bubbling under the surface.
"Well that's just great. Thank you Christine." Booth said. He rubbed at his head. "Now, Aubrey, I'm trying to remember the last thing you said to me"
Aubrey cleared his throat, but Booth held up a hand. "No. Just let me finish. So. I thought you said that you wanted to marry Christine. My twenty two year old, beautiful daughter, Christine. Am I correct?" he asked, staring down Aubrey.
James stood up and grabbed Christine's hand, pulling her to her feet.
"That's exactly what I said. And I asked for your blessing. Although, I must tell you. Technically we don't need your permission." he said, his voice quavering just slightly.
Aubrey respected Booth immensely. He had worked with him for years, been mentored by him. The last thing he wanted was to make an enemy of him or worse, lose his respect as a work colleague.
"That's right Dad. I'm twenty two. An adult. I only asked James to ask you as a courtesy. To include you. I've already told Mom we're getting married. I just." Christine crossed the room and knelt down in front of him, her hands on his knees.
In that moment Booth saw only his sweet little Christine. Four years old, staring up at him. Her eyes, so innocent and blue. She used to think he was the greatest man in the world. He was her hero.
"I just want you to be happy for me Daddy. I want you to walk me down the aisle and be happy that I'm marrying someone just like you. Someone who loves me. Cares about me. Is willing to do everything in his power to protect me. Just be happy for me. Please?" she finished, her voice cracking slightly.
Booth covered her hands with his. They seemed so small, still. He looked up at her face and saw it. Right there. She really was in love with. Him. Oh why did she have to choose Aubrey. Why couldn't she have chosen a squint from the lab. Or an accountant. Or even a cop. He sighed and he felt his mouth curl. He couldn't hold back the smile.
He cupped his daughters face "I am happy for you baby. I guess, the heart wants what the heart wants, right?" he said.
"That's exactly what I said earlier!" Brennan said standing up. "I think we need a bottle of champagne Booth. This is a moment to celebrate!" she said, heading towards the kitchen. "I have a bottle I've been keeping for a special occasion. There cannot be anything more special than hearing your daughter is engaged to be married? Right?" she called out.
"It's going to be a long engagement I expect?" Booth asked as he grabbed four champagne flutes from the sideboard.
"Actually. Um. We set the date already." Christine said quietly.
Booth's head swivelled and looked at her.
"We're getting married on October 14" she said.
Booth frowned, "Right. So October 14 in two years time?" he asked.
Christine laughed. "No silly. This October 14"
Booth's mouth dropped open "But that's in three months time! You can't. We can't. You can't arrange a wedding in three months!"
"Booth, we arranged a wedding in three weeks. I'm fairly certain that between Christine and myself, and with Aunt Angela's help, we can get a wedding organised in three months without too much trouble. Is it going to be a church wedding?" she suddenly asked Christine.
Christine looked at James and smiled. "Actually, no."
"Wait. No. Christine, you are my only daughter. I always dreamed of walking you down the aisle. In our church. I want you to be married before God!" Booth said, trying not to slam the glasses down on the table. He fumbled as one tipped over and landed on it's side.
"Sorry Dad, but it's not going to be in a church. James is not particularly religious, and, well, to be honest, I think that the wedding that you and Mom had was just so beautiful. I want something like you had. Under the open sky, sun shining, flowers, friends, family. Parker said he will be here come hell or high water. "
Booth stood staring. It was pretty obvious that he was outnumbered on this. James was standing quietly to the side, watching Christine. Booth could see how much he loved his daughter. His mouth had the slightest smile. But it was his eyes that told Booth how much Aubrey adored his little girl. He knew in that instant, that James Aubrey was the only man good enough for his little girl. The only man he would trust with her life.
"Whatever you want baby" he said finally. "Where's that champagne Bones?"
Booth sat in his living room and stared around. There were lengths of fabric and flowers and ribbon thingys dumped over every possible surface. He just wanted to watch the Flyers game on his big TV this afternoon.
"Bones, are you sure you ladies can't do" Booth pointed around the room "This stuff, somewhere else?" he asked as Angela flicked a length of fabric in front of him.
"Oh honey, just look at the sheen on this." Angela cooed, as her hand stroked the palest of apple green satin.
Christine was holding another length of fabric, running it through her hands, staring thoughtfully at the third piece being held up by her mother. All different shades of what they informed Booth were, citrus colours. "They're all just so gorgeous!" Christine commented, looking from one to the other.
Booth sighed "Is this for dresses or something?" he asked. Not that he really wanted to know, but he knew if he didn't say something, Bones, or Christine, or heaven forbid Angela would accuse him of having no interest in his daughters upcoming nuptials, and that, would be a fate worse than death.
"Heavens no! This is for the swathes hanging from the marquee ceiling!" Angela said, her face screwed up with disbelief that Booth couldn't tell the difference between dress fabric and decorative fabric.
"Uh. Oh. Right. Swathes. Of course. Well, I'll leave you girls to your. Swathe selections" he said as he picked his way through the fabric ocean covering the floor. "I'll just watch the game in the bedroom" he added. He may as well have announced the second coming because nobody actually even appeared to notice that he had spoken, let alone leave the room. He shrugged and headed down the hallway, closed the bedroom door behind him and settled himself on the bed to watch his beloved Flyers.
The big day arrived way sooner than Booth would have liked. He could have sworn there were still supposed to be weeks left. Yet here he was. Bones buttoning his vest and tying his tie for him. Parker had arrived yesterday with his partner and their son. It had been great catching up with him last night. Sure, they drank a little too much, but it's not every day your son comes to visit and your daughter gets married.
Booth caught himself at that thought. Married. His baby girl was getting married. He suddenly felt ill.
"I just need to sit for a minute Bones" he said suddenly, dropping onto the bed.
Brennan stood staring at him for a moment, then sat beside him, one hand resting on his thigh, the other one fiddling with the sash on her mother of the bride dress.
"I know this is a bitter sweet moment for you Booth. But she's all grown up. She's leaving the nest, as people would say. But, she's my baby too. And we have to let her go. We let her go to boarding school. We let her go to college. And now we are letting her go to her life. We're not losing her Booth. I know that's what you're thinking. But we're not. And she's not moving away like Parker. She's going to be living less than twenty minutes away. We will see her all the time. And don't forget, her husband works for you. "
"Not for much longer." Booth muttered. He was retiring officially at the end of the month.
"We did a great job raising her to be strong and independent and wise" Brennan said proudly.
Booth looked at her and smiled, their eyes locking "yeah we did"
Brennan leaned against his shoulder, then stood up and twirled in front of him.
"Well, you still haven't told me what you think of my dress?" she asked him.
She looked beautiful. She always looked beautiful. It never mattered what she wore.
"It's beautiful. You look beautiful" he said standing up and wrapping her up in his arms, dropping his head to cover her mouth with his. His kiss was passionate and deep, and he still made her feel just as she had when she had kissed him that very first time. She pulled away and fussed with her hair.
"Well. I. That was. We. We need to get going." She stammered. The blush on her face not going unnoticed by Booth.
He grinned and straightened his vest , then grabbed his jacket, draping it over one arm, offering his other to his wife. "MiLady" he said.
Brennan smiled and took his arm.
There was a soft humming in the air as people chatted and reminisced. Rows of chairs filled with family and friends. All the people important to Christine and James. The Groom stood, nervously shuffling on the spot, his hands suddenly sweaty. He wiped them on the back of his trousers and grinned at someone in the crowd. Suddenly, the music swelled and every stood up and turned.
James stared at the vision at the end of the red carpet rolled out for her. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life. He'd waited all his life for this woman he realised. And here she was, ready to spend the rest of her life with him.
Booth looked down at his baby girl, and whispered "Are you ready?"
Christine glanced up, her eyes glistening. Not with tears. But with sheer joy. "Let's do this" she whispered back.