(A/N): So, I know I have other fics to update and exams to study for, but I confess, I found myself fascinated by the idea of Brennan's mother being alive, though at the same time, I found it a little tricky as I didn't want to disregard the case where they found her remains. I think I've found a happy medium in here, and I wanted to explore it, so here we go! Oh, for those still reading After The Storm Blows Through, I plan to have the next chapter up by this weekend.

I know I have exams, so be happy that you guys have the fruit of my procrastination hehe. The only good thing is, I guess, that I don't have to write out essays like everyone else. I have problems with my hand so I get a computer and extra time, which is a godsend for me at the moment. I can type pretty well, just not write, so things take a little longer , but ah well.

So, warnings and stuff; I can't think of any off the top of my head, but I will throw one for language and Brennan's foster care past in there just to cover my bases. Anything else I'll warn you in a specific chapter for.

So, this is set season 9, a couple months after B and B's wedding and yes, is AU, obviously. Uh, I can't really think of what else to say, so read on and let me know what you think! I know the title sucks, but I honestly couldn't think of a better one. It is a song by Meatloaf, and whilst the lyrics don't really fit, the title did a little, I guess. I'll explain it better in another chapter's author's note, I swear. This one is already far too long haha. Enjoy!

Heaven Can Wait

Chapter 1

"Christine! Time to go!" Dr Temperance Brennan-Booth called out from the kitchen before offering her father, Max Keenan, a small yet grateful smile. "Thanks for offering to look after her today Dad. Booth and I shouldn't be too long. Sweets just wants to talk to us about a profile of the killer and then we should be going back to the crime scene, or so I believe."

"Oh, don't worry about it, sweetheart. I love spending time with my granddaughter." Max assured her as Brennan handed him a small Peppa Pig lunchbox, her two, almost three, year old's latest craze. Christine would sit in front of the television for hours watching the programme, whilst also making a good attempt at reading any books she also had on the animated pig. Booth had teased Brennan, stating that she was just upset that there were no pigs named Jasper on the show.

"What about Emma and Haley?"

"They're great, but they're older. I can't teach them as much as I can this little one, Tempe." Max grinned mischievously, taking the lunchbox from his daughter and kissing her gently on the cheek. "Is Booth already in the office?"

"Yes. Sweets called an hour ago asking to meet us both. Booth went in straight away whilst I called you to ask you to take Christine for the day." Brennan looked up again to the hallway, her voice growing louder once more. "Christine!"

The little blonde two year old girl bounced down the hallway into the open plan living room and kitchen in a black and white polka dot dress, thick pink leggings and sturdy black boots that Booth called her 'tough girl boots', a small pink backpack in hand. "Done mommy! Gran'pa!" She yelled, dropping her bag and jumping up into Max's outstretched arms. "I with you today?"

"You sure are baby girl!" max replied enthusiastically. "Your mom has to get to work, so how about we go to the park all morning and then the mall this afternoon?"

"Yay! Can we mommy? Pwease?" Christine turned her baby blue eyes onto her mother, offering her a pleading expression. Brennan sighed but nodded her assent, causing her daughter to squeal happily and almost dive from her grandfather's arms to hug Brennan tightly in thanks. Brennan smiled, gently stroking her daughter's back as she shot Max a warning look, silently telling him to look after her baby girl, a message the man received loud and clear. As dangerous as it had always been to cross his daughter, it had been kicked up a gear ever since the anthropologist had become a mother.

"If we're not back before you then use your key to let yourselves in." Brennan told him as she packed up her own bag in record time, something both she and her husband had honed since their daughter had come along, never having much time before the little girl wanted their attention on her once again. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she pressed a kiss to her daughter's cheek and hugged her dad briefly. "I love you Christine."

"Love ya mommy."

"Love you Tempe."

"Love you dad."

…

Max could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle as though someone was watching him. Glancing down at his granddaughter, who was playing obliviously in the sand pit with a couple of other toddlers, he stood carefully, making sure that Christine was obscured behind his legs, scanning his environment with a trained eye. A slender form near the park gates caught his attention and took his breath away. He could have sworn he saw his wife. His Ruth. It couldn't be true, obviously, as he knew his daughter had identified her remains herself, but still, he knew what he saw. Gritting his jaw and turning carefully so that Christine was still protected by his form, he knelt in the sand and dusted her hands off. "Come on baby girl, let's get you to your mom and dad."

Christine clapped her hands as he spoke of her parents, allowing Max to pick her up and curl her into his chest, the man wary of allowing her head above his shoulder as he walked steadily from the park in the opposite direction of the woman he'd seen. If he had been alone then he may have gotten closer or even confronted the woman, but he wasn't about to risk his granddaughter like that. Not only would his daughter and her husband kill him for it, but he would never forgive himself for it either.

Exiting the park and bypassing getting in his car after grabbing Christine's backpack and lunchbox, he checked his surroundings once again before running to the nearest bus stop and jumping on a bus that had just pulled in, fortunately taking a route that Max knew would take him past the FBI building, where his daughter and son-in-law should be all day.

He allowed Christine to sit upright on his lap once the bus had set off again, the little girl pointing at things out of the window, stating the things she knew matter-of-factly and looking at Max curiously for those that she didn't, silently asking him to provide her with the answers to that which she didn't know.

Eventually, the bus reached the stop outside the Hoover Building and Max got off with Christine and her things, nodding to the bus driver in thanks before turning and striding confidently into the building, ignoring a couple of gasps of people that recognised him from the trial years earlier. He approached the front desk but before he got there, he was stopped by a tall man he'd seen at the wedding. "Sir? I am Deputy Director Cullen." Sam Cullen introduced himself casually before waving to the two year old seated firmly in Max's arms. "Hey Christine."

Christine babbled happily and waved back at the suited deputy director. "I know, I saw you at the wedding. I'm Temperance's father, Max Keenan. I just need to see Tempe and Booth."

"Of course, Mr Keenan." Cullen waved off a concerned security guard and signed the visitor in at the front desk, writing his own name next to the box asking who escorted the visitor through the building and 'B&B' in the box asking whom the visitor was there to see. "I believe Temperance and Booth are in a meeting with Dr Sweets, but they should be finishing up soon."

"Thanks. Oh, yeah, call me Max. Never did like being called Mr Keenan. Only really got called that when I was arrested you see." Max smirked as Cullen let out a surprised laugh at the ex-bank robber's candidness and humour as the two men and the toddler embarked the elevator, Cullen pressing the button for the fourth floor.

"Call me Sam then. Can I hold Chrissy?" Cullen asked with outstretched hands. Max looked torn for a second or two before nodding and handing over his granddaughter to Cullen, who grinned at the child as Christine immediately placed a tiny hand on Cullen's cheek and began pulling at his face, thinking it pliable. Max grinned at Cullen's expression, that which wasn't being manipulated by the toddler anyway.

The elevator doors opened and the occupants disembarked, walking into the bullpen, which immediately fell silent at the sight of Cullen, even if he was carrying their boss' daughter, their boss' criminal father-in-law following behind with an amused expression.

Cullen rapped on the closed door of Seeley Booth's office sharply, waiting until the man himself opened the door with a ready retort on his lips that died the instant he saw his boss, his father-in-law and his daughter stood in the doorway waiting for him. "Sir, Max, Christine, uh, what's going on?" He opened the door wider for them to enter, revealing Sweets and Brennan sat in armchairs on the other side of Booth's desk to Booth's chair, looking up curiously at the three newcomers.

Christine immediately smiled widely on seeing her parents, though Booth and Brennan instead threw curious and worried looks to the two men that had accompanied their toddler. Max sighed, handing Booth Christine's bags. "I brought her because I felt someone watching me in the park." He shrugged at their concerned expressions. "They never saw her, I made sure of that. As soon as I felt someone watching me, I grabbed her and got away from the park, grabbing a bus here so that my car couldn't be identified and followed." Max shifted on his feet slightly as Booth took Christine from Cullen, holding the little girl close to him. "The thing is though, I could've sworn the person watching me was the spitting image of what my Ruth would've looked like now."

…

Angela Montenegro-Hodgins smiled sweetly at the security guard at the front desk of the medico-legal lab, who was called Toby. She had just come back from getting her lunch and seeing her son, Michael Vincent, holding a white paper bag filled with lunch for her husband, who hadn't looked up from his bugs long enough to speak, let alone eat. "Angela!"

She glanced back to Toby, who looked torn and worried at his desk. Sighing, she turned around and moved up to his work station. "What's up Toby?"

"Uh, this woman," He gestured to someone sat behind Angela's back, "wants to see Dr Brennan, like right now, even though Dr Brennan isn't even here today. She told me her name was Ruth, Ruth Keenan."

Angela span around and dropped Hodgins' lunch in shock as she faced a woman who looked exactly like her best friend only twenty years or so older. Taking a quick glance at all the positions on the woman's face where tissue markers would be placed on a skull, she felt her jaw drop in shock and fumbled through her coat pocket for her cell phone. Hitting her third speed dial, she waited for her best friend to pick up the phone. "Bren, it's Ange. You need to get down to the lab. Your mom is here."

To Be Continued