AN: This has been sitting around for a while, but I finally dusted it off and finished it. Just a cute little Booth family moment. Total fluff. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.
Small feet padded almost silently down the short hallway that led from the little bedroom at the end of the hall to the master bedroom near the top of the stairs.
Coming to a stop outside the closed door of the master bedroom, Christine Booth tilted her head, staring at the barrier. She knew her parents were still sleeping, but she was hungry. Besides, the sun was out and the birdies were singing which meant it was time to be up.
Still she hesitated, she knew the closed door meant her mommy and daddy were sleeping, but they never told her that she couldn't come in when it was closed, only that she knock first. Raising her small hand, Christine knocked as loudly as she could on the door.
She waited for a minute, listening hard for a sign that her knocking had been heard. It was quiet however, with no sound of movement from behind the door and so after another minute had passed, Christine knocked again louder hoping her parents would hear this time.
Pressing her ear to the cool wood surface, Christine listened hard again for any sign that she had been heard. Silence greeted her once more however, and so deciding that a more direct approach was needed; after all her knocking hadn't received any answer, Christine stood on her tip-toes and reached for the doorknob, turning it until a soft click sounded and the door swung inward.
Light was filtering in through the thin curtains hung in the windows across the room from the large bed where her parents slept, making it easier for Christine to see by. Peeking her head around the partially open door, Christine could see that her parents were in fact still sleeping.
Stepping into the room, Christine made her way around to the side of the bed where her Daddy slept, his back turned to her as he slept. His snores were soft and gentle as he breathed, and Christine couldn't help but smile at the funny noises he made. Still the more important matters of food were at hand so Christine reached out and poked Booth in the back where the blanket had slipped down, exposing his bare back.
"Daddy, it's light outside and the birdies are singing. And I'm hungry," Christine called as she continued to poke at her father.
"Daddy!" Christine called impatiently when, after several seconds she had still received no response to her poking and calling. Still it seemed, her father slept on. Huffing, Christine decided that maybe she needed to be on the bed to wake him up.
Quickly, she padded to the foot of the bed where it was easier to climb up and quickly scrambled onto the bed. Crawling carefully to her father's side, Christine settled on her knees beside him, preparing to try once more to wake him.
Leaning close near his ear, Christine drew in a breath, ready to loudly tell her father to wake up when she suddenly found herself wrapped in one of her Daddy's strong arms and drawn on top of him as he rolled over.
"Daddy!" she squealed in delight as Booth's deft fingers tickled her belly and under her arms. Christine's laughter filled the room, and at the sound of it Brennan stirred, rolling over and opening her eyes.
A sleepy sort of smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she took in the sight of her daughter and husband laughing as Booth tickled Christine's belly.
Christine wriggled and squirmed as she laughed, trying to avoid her Daddy's tickling fingers. After a few minutes Booth relented and drew Christine down to him and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"So, what are you doing up so early? Were there more monsters in the closet that I need to scare away again?" Booth asked, drawing his knees up and settling Christine against them, holding her steady with his hands.
Christine smiled hugely as she shook her head in the negative, her blonde curls bouncing. "Nope, no monsters Daddy, you scared all them away really good. And it's not early! The sun is out and birdies are singing. So that means it's time to be awake. And I'm hungry. Can you make pancakes for breakfast, Daddy?"
Booth laughed and pretended to ponder the question, causing Christine to get impatient, "Daddy!" she cried indigently.
Laughing again, Booth turned his head to look at his wife who was sitting with her head propped in her hand. "I don't know. Do I want to make pancakes this morning, Bones?"
Christine watched as her mother's brows furrowed in confused thought before she answered. "Booth, how would I know what you want and don't want to make for breakfast? If you want to make pancakes then that's fine with me, I don't understand why you need ask me."
His smile crinkling his eyes and his laughter rumbling low in his chest, Booth shook his head before turning to press a kiss against his wife's lips. Unfortunately he forgot that Christine was sitting on his lap and with a shrieking laugh, she tumbled onto the mattress between her parents, getting slightly squished but not caring in the least.
Her surprised parents broke apart and looked down at their daughter with identical looks of shock before dissolving into laughter themselves.
Christine for her part thought her parents' laughter very funny and giggled louder and harder. After a few minutes their laughter died and it was quiet in the room as the three lay snuggled in bed together.
It was Christine who broke the silence. "That was fun, but I'm still hungry. Can we have pancakes now?"
Chuckling quietly, Booth nodded, throwing the covers off him as he swung his legs out of bed. "Of course we can Angel. You want to help Daddy make the batter?"
Excitement lit Christine's face as this prospect and she nodded eagerly. "Yes!" she yelled, scrambling to get out from beneath the covers as well.
"Careful, Christine, don't fall now," Brennan cautioned as she watched her daughter finally get out from under the bed covers and scramble to the end of the bed.
"Don't worry Mommy, I got this," Christine said as she slipped off the end of the bed and onto the floor where she stood impatiently waiting for her Daddy to come back from the bathroom so they could make pancakes.
When Booth emerged from the bathroom, pulling on a Flyers t-shirt, Christine ran up to him, grabbing his hand. "Come on Daddy! I'm starving!"
"Okay, okay we're going," Booth said to the excited 3 year old. Turning to Brennan who was just sitting up in bed, he asked "You coming, Bones?"
A yawn escaping, Brennan nodded, "Yes, I'll be down in a minute. You two go ahead."
"Okay," Booth said, walking over to give Brennan a proper good morning kiss. Their lips had barely touched when Christine's voice interrupted them.
"Eww! Mommy! Daddy! That's yucky!"
Booth and Brennan broke apart laughing.
Winking at Brennan Booth turned to Christine and said, "Yucky huh? I'll show you yucky!"
Christine shrieked and ran out of the bedroom and into the hall, her father hot on her heels. A minute later Brennan heard the sound of Christine's shrieking laughter and Booth's triumphant yell as he caught her and carried her down the stairs.
Laughing to herself, Brennan slipped from bed and padded to the bathroom, eager to join her family as soon as possible.
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