A/N: The time has finally come: Sunsetdreamer is finally starting to cash in her hoard of JennyPoints. The first fic she requested (because she has several) was based on a snippet in my notes file. Because I am practicing for my next round of December snippets, I thought it would be fun to give her one scene a month for a year in the form of Christine Brennan's fourth year. (Also, forgive the timeline errors. It's not my fault that the Bones universe has a seemingly one year gestational period for their expectant mothers) Enjoy!
OOOOO
January 2017
Booth loved his daughter. She was smart, beautiful, rambunctious and a constant source of delight in his life.
But he was having a hard time remembering any of that right now.
"But whhhhy?!" Christine whined, doing her best to be as ingratiating as possible.
"Because I said so." He said without a second thought. Oh lord, he was becoming a walking cliché. "Did you hear that? You just turned me into that dad." He mumbled to his daughter.
"'Because' is not a reason!" She accused.
"And what's your logical reasoning behind wanting ice cream before dinner?" Booth asked as he looked in the rearview mirror. She thought about it for about two seconds before blurting out her response.
"Mommy told me I could!" The air in the car went completely still as Christine waited in anticipation of whether or not her father would buy it. Booth sat in shock of the blatant lie his daughter had just told him. He immediately pulled the SUV over and spun around in his seat. His daughter had her arms folded defensively across her chest but was quickly realizing that she had stepped over the line.
"Christine Angela Booth, did you just lie to me?" He asked, his voice reflecting a quiet but incredulous disbelief. The four year old's eyes widened as she tried to break eye contact with her father. "Answer me." He demanded, not letting her escape his gaze.
Finally, she decided that being locked in a car seat was probably the wrong time and place to escape a lecture.
"Yes." She mumbled. "But only a little one!" She defended as Booth sighed.
"When we get home, you are going to sit on your bed and think about why telling a lie is wrong." He said as he started the car. "And no ice cream this week."
"No!" Christine started crying. "Daddy! No! I didn't mean to!" Booth felt his heart twist in his chest at the pathetic sobs but he knew from experience that the tough love was necessary. Christine pouted all the way home and well into her 10 minute time out, which, for someone who had inherited his restlessness, probably seemed like an eternity in solitary. However, when he went in to talk to her again, she was sitting on her bed and her tears had stopped.
"Hey." Booth said as he sat down at the edge of her bed. "Are you ready to talk?" Christine just nodded minutely. It was an action he had seen a thousand times from her mother and it made him smile. "Come here." He said as he opened his arms and pulled her next to him. "Do you know why what you did was wrong?" He asked. Christine nodded.
"Lying is bad."
"And did you learn your lesson?" Booth asked. Christine nodded again. "So you're not going to lie to me again?" He clarified.
"No." She shook her head.
"Alright. Then you can come out and help me make dinner before Mom gets home." He said as he gave her a tight hug.
"Can we have ice cream for dessert?" She asked hopefully, her tiny arms still around his neck.
"Not a chance." Booth said as he stood up. Christine sighed exasperatedly as her forehead fell against his shoulder with a dramatic thud. "I know, I know. Meanest Dad ever." He agreed as he carried her towards the kitchen.
OOOOO
February 2017
"Shhh. We have to be quiet." Booth whispered as he carried the tray into their bedroom.
"I thought we were going to wake her up." Christine said and Brennan couldn't hide the smirk as she opened her eyes.
"Wake who up?" Brennan asked.
"You're awake!" Christine said with a happy grin. "We brought you breakfast, Mommy. Look!" Brennan smiled as Booth set the tray down beside her on the bed. "And Daddy got you flowers and pancakes and juice and I made you a Valentine!" Christine said proudly as she held up a pink piece of construction paper that had been haphazardly cut and doused in glitter.
"Thank you! It is beautiful." Brennan said as she admired the card.
"Watch the glitter around the food." Booth warned as he held up his hands to show her the remnants of glitter on his own hands.
"What a wonderful Valentine's Day surprise." Brennan said as she set the Valentine down on her night stand. "Thank you." She said as she grabbed her daughter and hugged her. "And thank you." She smiled at her partner as he leaned down to kiss her.
"Happy Valentine's Day Massacre, Bones." He grinned. Brennan chuckled at the memory.
"Happy Valentine's Day Massacre, Booth." She replied.
OOOOO
March 2017
When Booth and Brennan got home from work, Brennan finished saying goodbye to her father and Booth went upstairs to check on Christine. He tried to be quiet as he peaked in, but she wasn't quite asleep yet.
"Daddy?" The tiny voice croaked curiously from her bed.
"Hey little girl." He said as he crept in and closed the door behind him. "I just came in to kiss you goodnight." He said as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "Did you have a fun day off today with Grandpa?" She nodded. "Good. And did you say your prayers?"
"Uh-huh. I prayed for a baby."
"A baby?" Booth choked out. "What kind of baby?"
"Like Julia has. It talks when you hug it." Booth sighed heavily in relief.
"Oh, like a toy." He said, finally understanding what it was that she actually wanted.
"Yeah." Christine said, as if his confusion was completely unfounded. She had her mother's black and white brain. "Where's Mommy?"
"She's downstairs saying goodbye to Grandpa." Booth said as he brushed her blonde hair out of her face. "She'll be up in a minute." Christine rubbed her eye and yawned. "You just close your eyes. I'll go get her." He said as he gave her a kiss. "Sleep well, munchkin. I love you." He stood up
"Love you, Daddy." She said sweetly and Booth felt his heart swell. "Mommy!" Christine smiled and Booth turned around.
"Hello." Brennan smiled at the exuberant greeting. "You're supposed to be sleeping." She said with a knowing look towards Booth.
"I almost am. See?" She argued, looking down at her pajamas.
"I see." Brennan smirked. "Lay down, I'll tuck you back in." Christine got comfortable as Brennan pulled the blanket back over her. "Goodnight." Brennan said as she kissed her forehead.
"You forgot 'Sleep well'. That's what Daddy always says."
"Oh. I suppose you're right about that. Sleep well." Brennan added as Booth chuckled behind her from the hallway. "I love you." She said as she stood up.
"Love you." She said. "Wait, Mommy?" Christine asked.
"Yes?"
"I prayed to God for a baby. But since he is invisible, and probably doesn't have ears, will you buy me one?"
"Buy you a baby?" Brennan asked with a glance towards the hallway where she was sure Booth was still listening in.
"Yes, a talking one, like Julia has." She said seriously.
"Go to sleep and I promise that your father and I will consider it." Brennan said as she shut the door behind her before smiling at her daughter's request. "Did you hear that?" Brennan asked Booth.
"Oh, I heard." Booth said. "And let me guess, you're going to give her what she wants, if only for her commentary on God's invisible ears." Booth said as he wrapped an arm around Brennan's shoulder.
"You know me so well." She grinned as they walked down the hall.
OOOOO
April 2017
"Five years old." Booth said once more as he looked at his daughter sleeping peacefully on the couch, unconscious from a deadly combo of sugar rush and birthday excitement. "Can you believe it?"
"No." Brennan said. "Although logically, I know that five years have passed. It seems like that time has gone by fairly quickly."
"Don't blink or she'll be moving away to college." He sighed and looked at Brennan.
"Don't say that." She said. "Not even as a joke."
"Do you know what I was thinking about today?" Brennan gave him her attention. "My brain tumor." She furrowed her eyebrows, surprised by his statement. "I was thinking about what might have happened if I hadn't...if you had gone through with all of this alone."
"Booth…"
"Do you think she would have come then? Or do you think it would have turned out differently? Another kid, another personality…"
"I know that I couldn't have done this without you." Brennan interrupted. "I never want to do this without you." She informed him.
"You'll never have to." Booth promised as he kissed her on the forehead. Brennan sighed.
"Irrationally, hearing you say that makes me feel better." She said. "But realistically, I know that you have no way of knowing what the future…"
"Take the sentiment, Bones." Booth requested, his eyes already closed and too tired to have reality seep into the conversation. She closed her mouth and let the conversation die on her lips. "Thank you." He murmured. Brennan nodded before turning to look at Christine once more.
"No, Booth. Thank you." She whispered before laying her head down on his shoulder.
OOOOO
May 2017
"What about this one?" Brennan asked as she handed her tablet to Booth.
"Oh, very nice. I like the pool." He said.
"Can I see?" Christine asked, her mouth full of Cheerios. "Yeah, let's go there." She nodded.
"Well, honey, you are staying with Uncle Jack and Aunt Angela, remember?" Booth reminded her, before sending a nervous glance towards Brennan. "This is a special trip just for Mom and Dad."
"Why?" Christine asked, suspicious of anything that didn't involve her.
"Because it's our anniversary. We have been a couple for six years now." Brennan explained.
"Michael is turning six." Christine commented, putting the two events together.
"Yes he is." Brennan grinned, remembering the night well. "The day he was born was the day we found out that we were going to have you." She informed her daughter with a kiss to the top of her head.
"Really?" She said.
"Really." Booth smiled as he remembered the night well. "So we are going on this vacation to celebrate and you get to stay with Michael for his birthday."
"Will you bring me back a present?" Christine asked, knowing that they always did when one or both of them were away.
"That depends. Are you going to be good while we are away?"
"I am always good!" Christine assured him. "Aunt Ange tells you that every time!"
"Hmm, we'll have to wait and see." Booth teased. "This might be the time you break your angelic streak."
"Nu-uh! It won't." She said stubbornly.
"Go get your things or you're going to be late to preschool." Brennan interrupted. Christine hopped out of her chair and rant to get her backpack. Booth stood up from the table and wrapped his arms around his partner.
"Best six years ever." He whispered before kissing her sweetly.
"I concur." She smiled.
"Eww. Stop it!" Christine cried from the hallway. "Kissing is gross!"
"Yes. Yes it is. Terribly gross and you're never going to do it." Booth reminded his daughter as he grabbed the car keys off the counter.
OOOOO
June 2017
"Come on, Stapes! It's cold but a lot of fun!" Parker encouraged from his spot under the new sprinkler.
"Stap-eeees!" Christine yelled her correction. "Mommy says!"
"It's a nickname, it's not supposed to be correct. You call me Parks, right? So you're Stapes." He maintained, refusing to use the anatomically correct pronunciation. He was 16 after all, and he wasn't going to be corrected by a five year old. "You really aren't going to come out here?" He asked again. She shook her head firmly.
"Maybe we should have asked her if she wanted a sprinkler before we bought her one." Brennan mused from the kitchen window. "You assured me that children love them." She said as she turned and looked at her partner pointedly.
"She will. She just doesn't know it yet." Booth said as he opened the back door, preparing to prove his point.
"Wow! You got the new sprinkler going, huh?" He noticed a little too loudly as he stepped out onto the patio. "Great! Sprinklers are the best. Right, Parker?" He said as he took off his shirt. Parker nodded. Booth caught the slight look of interest in his daughter's eyes but pretended to ignore her. "Crank it up, Parks. We want the wild mode." Booth smiled as the water began to whip around wildly, showering them with water. Parker giggled as Booth tried to push him towards the sprinkler.
Suddenly feeling left out, Christine examined the scene with mounting interest. When she couldn't stand it any longer, she stomped out halfway toward the sprinkler, but still far enough to keep herself safely dry.
"Hey! It's my toy!" She reminded them.
"So come play!" Booth grinned and held out his arms for her to join them. Despite her annoyance at their fun, she still looked unsure about joining in so Booth closed the distance and picked her up. Parker turned the sprinkler back down to low as Booth stood and held his free hand out to the water. "See? Fun." He promised. Christine held her tiny toes out towards the water and giggled as they got wet.
"I'll race you through the water, Stapes." Parker said as he ran through to their side of the shower. Christine nodded, her competitive nature shining through. Booth set her down and off she went, splashing with her brother. When Booth turned around, Brennan was watching from the patio with a smile. He made his way over to her.
"You're wet." She commented with a smirk.
"And you're not." He said, realizing the disparity. Her fearful look of recognition came too late as Booth was already scooping her up and lifting her over his shoulder.
"Booth!" She cried in mock outrage from behind him. "I'm not dressed for this!"
"Parker, let 'er rip." He commanded as he carried her over towards the water. Christine laughed in glee at the sheer outlandishness of someone as serious as her mother being held upside down over a sprinkler. Brennan shrieked as the cold water quickly doused her body. When Booth was satisfied that she was just as wet as he was, he slid her carefully down his chest so that they were eye to eye again but he kept her pressed tightly against him, relishing in her wet clothes rubbing against the bare skin of his chest. The breath caught in his lungs as the sudden but palpable tension of desire flooded both of them.
"Mommy! You're all wet!" Christine giggled.
"Yes, I am." She agreed, never taking her eyes off Booth. He caught the slight lift of her eyebrow and cleared his throat almost immediately. Brennan headed for the house without another word.
"Hey Parks, watch your sister for a bit while Bones and I go change our clothes." Booth instructed.
"Sure. Come on, kid. I'll show you how to use the sprinkler to make a water slide." He said as he picked up the sprinkler and carried it over to her swing set.
Booth headed into the house and immediately went straight back to their bedroom, knowing that is where Brennan would be waiting. Sure enough, as soon as he stepped over the threshold, she was in his arms, pulling him back into their bathroom. The bathroom door slammed behind them as Booth immediately started stripping the wet clothes off of her.
"Mmm, this is a fun surprise." Booth mentioned between kisses.
"I'm ovulating and you're being a good dad. My hormones are running wild for you right now." She informed him.
"Oh yeah?" He smirked as he finished his task, surprised that her clinical assessment could still turn him on like none other.
"If not for the kids," Brennan said "I would have taken you right then and there in the backyard." She was deliberately trying to rev his engines and it was working. He shoved her up against the bathroom door with a groan of approval and she eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Shit." Booth muttered under his breath as he realized just how wet she really was. Brennan arched against him, encouraging him to get down to business.
"I want you, hard and fast." She demanded. Booth was all too happy to fill that order. He rocked into her in one long, slow stroke, stretching her out and filling her completely before picking up his pace and giving her what she really wanted. She let out a hum of approval and he sped up.
"Oh yes..." She moaned, relishing in him. "Just like that." She encouraged, meeting him thrust for thrust. Her entire body was vibrating with need as he pounded into her. She shattered quickly and pushed him over the edge after her. He flipped them around and slid to the floor. She rested her head in the crook of his neck as she caught her breath.
"You." He panted. "Are something else."
"I'm never boring." She repeated his favorite line back to him.
"Never." He agreed with a smile and a kiss to the top of her head.
OOOOO
July 2017
The sounds of Christine wailing found their way into the house as Brennan leapt up from her computer and made her way to her office door.
"Ow!" Christine cried from the kitchen and Brennan hurried to see what all the commotion was about.
"What happened?" She asked. Booth set her down on the counter and turned around.
"She fell off her bike." He explained.
"Mommy, he let go of it!" Christine whimpered, turning on him the instant she saw her sympathetic mother. Booth rolled his eyes and went off in search of the band-aids. Brennan went to work looking for broken bones and cataloging injuries.
"Nothing's broken." She informed her daughter as she brushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed her tear-stained face.
"Except her pride." Booth muttered as he returned. Brennan fought a smile as she took the antiseptic from him.
OOOOO
August 2017
"Daddy!" The cry broke through the dark and sent Booth lurching up in bed. When he looked down, his gun was in his hand. He set it down, not wanting to scare his daughter anymore than she already was and took off down the hall.
"Christine? What's wrong?" Booth asked, his voice thick with sleep. She cried as he sat down and scooped her up into his arms. "Hey, it's okay, you're safe now." He told her as he held her tight. "Nothing can get you. Daddy's here." She buried her face in his neck.
"I saw them." She cried. "The monsters."
"What monsters?" Booth asked.
"The bad ones."
"It was just a dream." He soothed her mess of tangled hair. "It wasn't real." When she stopped crying, he picked her up and carried her downstairs. He brought her into the kitchen and got her a glass of milk. He sat at the table and watched her begin to drink it.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked and she shook her head and took another sip of her milk. Booth nodded, understanding where she was coming from. "Hey, Mom's asleep. Do you want some Oreos?" He asked, leaning over conspiratorially. She looked at him like it was a trick question before smiling and nodding. Booth headed for the cupboard, grabbed the Oreos and poured himself a glass of milk before returning to the table. He slid the package towards her. She reached in hesitantly and took one. He did the same, dunked it in his milk and munched on it. "It's fine. This will be our little secret." He winked at his daughter. She grinned and dunked her cookie in her own milk, copying him. He watched her smile and was hit with a rush of bittersweet emotions. He knew in the moment that this was one of those landmark memories he would look back on someday. He also knew there would come a time when he wouldn't be able to fix her problems with a glass of milk and some forbidden cookies. But for now, it was enough.
OOOOO
September 2017
"Be good for your teacher. Pay attention and learn a lot." Brennan instructed as she smoothed her daughter's hair and straightened her shirt from underneath her backpack.
"And don't forget to have some fun." Booth added with a wink. Christine nodded.
"I will. Bye!" Christine said as she headed for her new classroom without a second glance. Booth, who had experience in this department, wrapped an arm around Brennan's shoulders and kissed her temple.
"She's going to be fine." He promised.
"I know." Brennan said, although her voice faltered in the delivery. "It's just… what if the other kids tease her, or her teacher is incompetent or…"
"She is smart and adventurous and full of happiness, just like you want her to be. She is ready. We gotta let her grow up, just a little." Booth said as he turned his partner around and started heading for the car.
"I'd very much prefer if she didn't." Brennan said as she longingly looked back at the school.
OOOOO
October 2017
Booth adjusted his hat in the hall mirror as he waited for his girls to make their appearance in their costumes. Angela's annual Halloween party had become a two-party system: one for the kids and the other for the adults and Booth was taking this year's theme: favorite movie characters, to a whole new level in his 1920's gangster suit.
"Daddy!"
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to come down now."
"Okay." He said with a smile.
"Are you watching?" Christine asked from the top of the steps.
"Yes." Booth promised. She started coming down the steps carefully, dressed in her costume. "Wow." He said. "Look at that!"
"I am a princess fairy." She revealed, as if he couldn't tell by her pink dress, wings, and tiara.
"You are the most beautiful princess fairy I have ever seen." Booth promised as he picked her up.
"Mommy let me wear glitter nail polish and lip stick! See?" She said as she touched her lip carefully and held out a glossy finger for her father to examine.
"Lucky girl." He chuckled. "Where is Mommy now?" He asked.
"She is putting on her hat." She smiled.
"Her hat?" Booth wracked his brain for what movie character wore hats but there were far too many to make an executive decision. "I can't wait to see it." He said honestly. He had been told by several sources that he would appreciate it.
"Daddy, do the man's voice again." Christine requested as she smoothed a hand over his tie.
"What, this voice?" He asked, using his Tony voice on the small child, who immediately burst into a fit of giggles that her father's voice had changed. "Something funny?" He asked and she lost it all over again. "You should hear your mom's accents, she can do 'em too." He told her.
"I am quite excellent." Brennan said as she came down the steps.
"Whoa." Booth's accent fell away as he took in his partner's costume.
"You like it?" She asked as she held out her arms.
"The Mummy, right?" He said, placing the costume.
"Yes!" She said, proud of him for recognizing it. "Zita Johann as Helen. Very good." She smiled as she went to find her purse. Booth took in the outfit from the back and prayed to God that the headdress would be distracting. The rest of her outfit was pretty much well-positioned silk and skin.
"Mommy, you look really pretty. What is on your eyes?" Christine asked as she clamored towards her face.
"Eye shadow." Brennan said, her attention still on the purse in front of her.
"Can I have some?"
"No." She said as she turned to look at her daughter. "You look quite beautiful without it." She assured her. "I like your costume as well." She informed Booth as she ran her bangled hand down his shoulder. "It is quite alluring." He scoffed at her.
"I think you won the use of that adjective tonight." He informed her before leaning in closer. "Do you have any idea how hard it is going to be to keep my hands off of you tonight?" He whispered in her ear. She smirked.
"Keep using that undercover voice and you won't have to." She answered saucily. Booth raised his eyebrow as Christine interrupted their little moment in the kitchen.
"Come on you guys! You're so slow!" She said as she tugged on her father's jacket.
"We're coming, Christine. Please be patient." Brennan requested as they made their way to the door. "Just wait until she gets some sugar in her system."
"We'll just wait to pick her up until the party has ended and she has already had her meltdown." Booth said as he helped his girls into their coats.
OOOOO
November 2017
"Mom…Mom…Mom…Mom…"
"What?!" Brennan finally looked down to see why her daughter was tugging on her apron.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm making macaroni and cheese for Thanksgiving." She replied as she went back to work.
"Can I help?" She asked. Brennan thought about it for a second.
"You can watch and learn." She compromised before lifting her up on the counter. "Do you know which ingredients are in macaroni and cheese?" She asked.
"Cheese!" Christine said. "And noodles."
"That's right, but your father likes it when we add some secret ingredients." Brennan smiled. "Can you hand me that bottle?" She asked. "This is nutmeg. It's my secret. You can't tell anyone." Christine nodded seriously. "We want to sprinkle just a little bit in the bowl, like this. It's called a pinch because you pinch your fingers like this." Brennan mimed. She poured some nutmeg into her palm and sprinkled a pinch in. "Do you want to try?" She asked. Christine nodded and pinched some nutmeg between her fingers and dumped it into the bowl.
"Like that?"
"Perfect." Brennan beamed as she wiped her daughter's hand on a towel. They both turned their attention to the back door as Booth arrived home from hockey practice.
"Daddy!" Christine smiled as Brennan set her down on the floor again. She went running over to him.
"Hey munchkin, what's up?" He said as he set his gear down.
"I made macaroni!" She said proudly. Brennan scoffed at her precocious daughter.
"I made macaroni. She added the secret ingredient." Brennan corrected as she kissed him hello. "How was practice?"
"Good."
"Did you get a goal?" Christine asked.
"I was on defense, so no, not today." Booth smiled. "She already knows more about hockey than you do, Bones." He chuckled.
"I think we are all okay with that situation." She deadpanned as she went back to preparing her dish.
"We should get you a pair of skates and you could come out and skate with me." Booth said. "You're getting old enough now."
"Really?!" Christine said. "Do I get a blue shirt too?"
"Ha! A little jersey! I bet we could try and find one." Booth said, growing more proud of his daughter with every question.
"And then I will skate really fast and smash people into walls! Like this!" Christine said as she ran as fast as she could and bounced a shoulder off the nearest wall. Brennan set her spoon down and turned around to look at Booth.
"We'll work on it." He promised.
OOOOO
December 2017
"I don't want to go to sleep!" Christine whined, even as she yawned. "I am going to miss Santa."
"Santa only comes when you're sleeping. Everybody knows that." Booth said as he tucked her in. "If you stay awake all night long, he'll never get here."
"But when I saw him at the mall, I didn't get to ask him how his reindeer fly if they have no wings!" She explained. "He only asked for my list and then that was it!" This great injustice had been bothering her for days.
"Magic." Booth said simply. "Santa has lots of magic. It is how he flies to every house in one night. Magic makes time slow down for him."
"Daddy…magic isn't in real life. It's just in stories." She said.
"Well, that's how it works. Now go to sleep." He said as he turned on her nightlight and turned off her light. "Merry Christmas. Good night. Sleep well." He said definitively as he closed the door behind him.
"Magic?" Brennan said as Booth slipped out into the hallway. "Really?"
"Don't start with me, Scrooge. Not on Christmas Eve." He said, undeterred in his beliefs. "Magic exists."
"Does it now?" Brennan replied.
"Mmhm." Booth said as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. "Do you want me to prove it to you?" He asked.
"Prove that magic exists?" She arched an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah." He confirmed. "I bet I could make you feel a fire where one doesn't physically exist." He whispered.
"Really?" She smiled, playing along.
"Mmhm…and that fire would burn so hot, you would get chills…" He murmured as his lips found her ear lobe and his finger tips brushed up and down her spine. "And then, all of your clothes would magically disappear." He smirked against her skin.
"If you want to gather evidence to credit your hypothesis, it's going to require multiple experiments." She said, turning on her scientific charm to balance out his ridiculous behavior.
"God, I love it when you get squinty." He said breathlessly as she started backing up towards their bedroom. With mutual giggles, they slammed the door behind them as they both went to work proving to each other that they were the ones who were right.