Title: Restorative
Author: Caera1996
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Not mine.
W/C: 1,605
Note / Summary: One-shot within TBoPE series. This is the result of just_jane_doe's request: "Len being the one taking care of all the girls (babysitting for Sam and his wife and having Jo, too) by himself (a sleepover or whatnot) - with Jim coming in late (catching Len with bows or ribbons... face paint, etc) and then joining in the fun before bed!" - I hope you like it!

"Okay, girls…you be good for Leonard. I want a good report on Sunday, got it?" Aurelan said. "Give me a kiss."

"Okay, I got it!"

"We will!"

Sam handed Leonard a pink overnight bag. "This is Janie's, and this," he continued, handing him a purple bag, "is Kim's." He looked over to where the girls were gathered around Aurelan, giving kisses and promises. "Thank you for doing this, Len. I really appreciate it."

"Oh, no problem Sam. With the number of times you've taken Jo…"

"Yeah, but when we have Jo, it's like we're actually down a child, not plus one…she's so quiet and does such a good job of keeping Janie busy. But these two…" he said fondly, gesturing to his girls, now showering attention on the cat who'd come out to see what all the ruckus was. "There's no missing the fact they're around."

Leonard chuckled. "They're good girls, and they're good for Jo. I'm always happy to have them here. You two have a good weekend, and we'll see you Sunday afternoon." Leonard said when Aurelan came over to them.

"Thank you so much Leonard. I sent the hotel information to your email, and of course we have our cells, if you need us," Aurelan said.

"We'll be fine. You all get going – enjoy yourselves!" Leonard said as he walked them out the front door, closing it behind them.

"Bye Mom, bye Dad!" Janie called.

"See you later!" Kimmie added.

Leaving the girls, he deposited their overnight bags in the guestroom, then stepped out of the way as they ran past him to Joanna's room, giggling and slamming the door behind them.

"Hey! No running or slamming doors!" Leonard called, without any real vehemence.

"Sorry Daddy!" Joanna called back, without any real sincerity.

Shaking his head, but happy to let them entertain themselves for a while, Leonard made his way back to the kitchen. Dinner tonight was going to be interactive, with everyone making their own little personal pizza, starting with the dough, and that required a bit of set up.

While he was putting out premeasured bowls of ingredients for the girls to mix together, the phone rang. Glancing at the number, he smiled to himself.

"Hey Darlin'," he answered. "On your way?"

"Not yet," Jim answered with a sigh. "I'm buried here…it's gonna be a while longer. I'm sorry, Bones," Jim said, sounding genuinely contrite, and more than a little bit stressed.

"That's okay, Jim, don't worry about it," Leonard said quickly. The position with the county had turned out to be a somewhat sink or swim situation, and Jim was swimming, but he was struggling a little, and Leonard didn't want to add to it. This was an adjustment period, and it was going to take some time, and if that meant Jim had to spend some extra time and keep some late hours, well…Leonard was a doctor. It wasn't as if he didn't completely understand that. "We'll be here when you get here. You do what you need to do."

On the other end of the line, Jim sighed. "It just never ends, Bones."

Leonard leaned against the counter, crossing his ankles. He knew how Jim was feeling. Overwhelmed. Like he couldn't cut it. Like maybe he made a mistake. Leonard was no stranger to those doubts. "Sometimes that's the way it is, Jim. All you can do is one thing at a time, one foot in front of the other. You're still learning the ropes…it will get easier. And until then, you take the time you need, and know that I'll be here when you get home."

In the county office that was his home base when he wasn't visiting different schools in his designated area, Jim leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, the sound of Bones' warm voice and the reassurance of the unfailing faith in his ability giving him that push he needed to get back to it so he could wrap it up.

"I love you, Bones. I'll be home as soon as I can. Save some of the fun for me," he said.

Leonard snorted. "Jim, we've got them for the whole weekend. You can have as much of the funas you want."

Jim chuckled, and they said goodbye, each turning back to their tasks at hand.

"Okay girls! Wash your hands and come make your pizzas!" Leonard called. A few moments later, he heard doors opening and closing, and then Joanna led the Kirks into the kitchen.

"Daddy, where's Uncle Jim?" Joanna asked. "He's supposed to show us his super-special pizza."

"He's still at work, but he'll be home as soon as he can. We'll set aside his ingredients so that he can make a pizza when he gets here, okay?"

"Okay," Jo said.

"Is this one mine?" Janie asked, pointing to one of the three set ups Leonard laid out on the kitchen table.

"It can be," Leonard said. The girls took their seats, and he walked them through how to make their own dough, then the pizzas…and if he was the one to start the fight with the left-over flour, well…who would ever believe a few kids? His word against theirs.

After dinner and dessert was eaten and (mostly) cleaned up, Leonard walked the girls to the neighborhood park, happy to let them run around and burn off some energy. He took part in some of their games, and then rested on a bench to just enjoy the very temperate night and watch his daughter, and the girls he'd come to think of as his nieces. As they played, he wondered how Jim was doing. It was already almost 7:30. Taking out his phone, he hesitated, torn between wanting to call him and not wanting to interrupt. Before he could make a decision, Jo was running toward him, then clambering up on the bench beside him.

"Hi Daddy! Did Uncle Jim call?"

"Hi Baby," he replied, giving her a kiss. "I was just checking what time it is."

"It's getting pretty dark," Jo said seriously.

"You're right…let's head home. Go tell Janie and Kim," he said. Jo ran to do that, and shortly after they headed back, discussing which movie to watch.

"Will you watch with us, Len?" Janie asked, holding his hand with easy familiarity.

"Sure," Leonard said.

"I brought some facepaints," Kimmie said. "Can I paint the kids' faces for them?"

"Yeah!"

"I want a butterfly!"

"Uh, well, maybe that's a better thing to do tomorrow, otherwise you'd have to wash it off before you go to bed," Leonard said, amused at Kimmie's separation of herself from "the kids". She'd discovered a talent for art, and she loved to paint faces, often doing fanciful designs that the younger girls loved.

"Oh, yeah," she said. "Good point Len."

"Thanks," Leonard said dryly, throwing her an amused glance.

"Can I paint you?"

No, thank you was on the tip of his tongue, but then he gave it a second thought and shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

With a sigh of relief, Jim parked and turned off the car. He leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a headache gathering behind his eyes and tightening the muscles of his neck. It was nearly nine at night, and he was exhausted. He hadn't eaten, but he wasn't even hungry. All he wanted to do was sack out, put something mindless on he could listen to, and close his eyes.

But, they had guests this weekend, and Leonard had been alone with them all night. Not that Jim had any doubt of about Leonard's ability to care for them, or anything like that. He just wasn't as…patient. And Janie and Kimmie were very different from Jo. Sighing again, weary, but knowing there was probably nothing he could do about it for at least an hour, he gathered himself and left the quiet of the car.

Letting himself in the front door, he registered that the giggling he'd heard initially quieted, and all he could hear was the soundtrack to one of Jo's movies. Curious, he headed down the short entrance hallway to the family room, and stopped in his tracks, speechless.

"Hi Jim!" Leonard said brightly. "How do I look?"

An incredulous smile spread over his face, and he laughed, coming fully into the family room and taking stock of everything that was set up all around them.

"Uh – I'm…really not sure how to answer that question, Bones," Jim said slowly. The girls laughed and Bones just winked. Jim settled down on the floor next to them.

"What've you done to him?" he asked the girls teasingly.

"We're making him pretty!" Janie said, snapping one of Jo's barrettes into his hair, to join the six others dotting his head. Kimmie had used her facepaints to reallypaint Bones' face – blue on his eyelids up to his eyebrows, and exaggerated red smile surrounding his mouth, green outlining his eyes…and whatever Janie and Jo were doing to his hair.

Seeing Bones like that, passively sitting crosslegged on the floor against the couch with his eyes closed, letting the girls do what they wanted – just going with it – gave Jim a second wind. This is exactlywhat he needed…a reminder of what he always had waiting for him at home – fun and the love of family – and he felt like he got some of himself back from the stress of the day.

Settling down beside Bones, Jim took off his shirt and tossed it away. He didn't care if the undershirt got some color. "I'm next!"