My very first Bonesology Hiatus Challenge... I hope you enjoy. :)
As I push little Lance's stroller through Hanover Park, he babbles nonsensical things, bringing a smile to my face. He's getting so big, is my baby boy, and I don't think it will be too much longer before he utters his first word. He seems to get closer and closer every day, but the competitive side of me has to admit that I would love him to get there already, to speak before all of his friends at daycare. Not that I'm pressuring him, of course, I'll love him whatever… it's just that both Lance and I are extremely intelligent – brilliant, as Dr. Brennan would say – and it's logical that our little prodigy be more advanced than his peers. Speaking of Dr. Brennan, as Lance and I meander through the swarms of overexcited children enjoying the nice weather, the sun beating down on their backs, I spot her, Booth, Christine and the new baby already sitting on the bench where we'd agreed to meet. I take my steps double-speed, slightly humiliated that even with two children they managed to arrive earlier than me. I still get flustered when I let Dr. Brennan down even though we're good friends now (having become significantly closer since Lance's death), but I plaster on what I hope is a relaxed, happy expression as I reach the family of four.
"Daisy!" Brennan exclaims, looking up from their newborn in his stroller. She stands and wraps her arms around me in a warm hug, which I eagerly reciprocate. My heart still skips a beat when she hugs me sometimes; the fact that the anthropologist I'd long admired likes me personally and respects my professional opinion will always feel a little surreal. "How are you?"
"We're both doing well," I reply, speaking for my son. "But what about you? How's the new baby?"
"He's great, isn't he, Booth?" She glances over her shoulder at her husband and I inwardly gush at the sweet smiles they share. I love how in love they are. It's so wonderful to see two people who are quite clearly soulmates get to live their lives together, especially after their journey to get to this point had been so long and arduous.
"He really is. I would get up, but-." He gestures to his daughter in his lap. Christine shows no intention of moving. "This little monster has me stuck."
"Don't worry about it, Agent Booth," I reassure him, then kneel in front of their five year old. "Hi there, Christine. How are you?"
She peeks up at me and swiftly diverts her gaze. The mini-Booth has been uncertain around me ever since Lance died. I know it's because she never saw me without him present and she learnt of his death the day the three of us were supposed to go to the park together. Lance would say I remind her of feelings she's too young to understand and deal with, but still. I find it quite upsetting. She gets along perfectly fine with Dr. Brennan's other interns. I often see pictures of her with Arastoo or Wendell posted online, big smiles on their faces. I know I shouldn't care; she is only five years old after all, yet I do. Immensely so. She's half of Dr. Brennan, right? So it still counts as my mentor disapproving of me and that fact alone causes pain to shoot through my body.
"Christine, sweetheart, say hello," Booth murmurs encouragingly. "You remember Daisy, right? Say hi to Daisy."
"Hi," their daughter says begrudgingly, her voice almost a whisper.
I smile at her gleefully. "I like your top, Christine. It's very pretty."
"Thank you."
"She's just shy," Booth explains, cuddling her close and peppering kisses to her crown. "Do you wanna meet our little guy?"
My lips curl up into an even bigger smile. Of course I do. This is the moment I've been waiting for since I found out Dr. Brennan had given birth. I don't even know his name yet; they wanted to keep it secret until our schedules finally aligned and I could meet the youngest Booth. Calm down, Daisy. Be normal, I tell myself. "Yes," I respond eventually, trying my hardest to keep my tone even.
I watch, entranced, as my mentor gently lifts the slumbering baby boy out of his stroller and cradles him protectively. I squeeze myself onto the bench next to Booth and accept the precious cargo. My grin broadens as he yawns and snuggles into my arms, reminding me of my own son just a few months earlier. "He's adorable," I declare, cooing at his sweet little face. "Will I ever know his name?"
Booth and Brennan exchange meaningful looks and the former lightly strokes his son's cheeks. "Hank Booth," he says softly.
Brennan's correction arrives immediately. "Henry Booth – Hank for short."
I giggle as Booth playfully narrows his eyes at his wife. "Is the distinction important, Bones?"
"Yes. It's always important to be accurate," she chastises and I nod my agreement.
"Dr. Brennan is right."
"She's always right," he mutters under his breath. His eyes still twinkle when he looks at her though, so I figure he can't be that annoyed. It's the truth that the anthropologist is correct about most, if not all things. Although I am a little in love with her, so I might be bias.
"You two make very beautiful children," I comment, pulling their attention away from each other and to Christine and Hank.
"We strongly agree."
"We certainly do." Beside me, Booth bounces Christine up and down on his lap. "Want to go and play, Princess?"
"Yeah!" Her energy suddenly revitalised, she hops off her father's knee and races toward the large slide in the children's playground. Booth jumps up too, kissing Brennan chastely before he leaves.
"Sorry about that," Brennan says to me, her voice distracted as she stares intently at her husband as her follows their daughter.
"About what?"
"Booth and I kissing in front of you." Her cheeks pink. "We don't normally do that."
I wave her off nonchalantly. "Engaging in PDA is normal, Dr. B, especially after you just had a baby. It shows how much you love each other."
"We do love each other a significant amount," she muses, her eyes focused on something – or, more appropriately, some people – in the distance. I let my gaze follow hers and find Christine perched at the top of the slide, Booth waiting for her, arms outstretched, at the bottom. She pushes herself off, sliding gaily towards her father, who catches her and lifts her high into the air. The little girl is beaming and I can imagine her excited squeals to do it again as the FBI agent lowers her to the floor and she scrambles up the ladder. I feel Dr. Brennan's eyes on me so I refocus on her. She hesitates before she apologises for a second time.
"OK, now I'm really confused," I confess. "Why do you keep saying you're sorry?"
"You can't publically show your affection for Sweets even though you have a baby together" – she nods at my sleeping child in his stroller – "because he is no longer with us."
"It's fine, Dr. Brennan. I like seeing you and Agent Booth kiss. Wait. No – that sounds creepy. I'm not some voyeuristic perv, I just enjoy witnessing the two of you together because… you're, uh, cute," I finish lamely.
She arches an eyebrow. "Cute?"
"Sweet, adorable, precious-."
"I am aware what cute means, Miss Wick."
"Right, of course you do. I'm just saying-." I falter, considering how to put my emotions into words. "I'm envious that your baby's father is still around – I wish my Lancelot could be with me from the moment I wake up to the moment my head hits the pillow – and, yes, I'm envious of how much you and Booth love each other because I want that too. Everybody wants that. But I also don't want you or Booth to feel guilty in any way. You're happy. You should be allowed to show that without worrying about my reaction."
"I am very impressed, Daisy. You seem to have matured a lot."
"I think motherhood does that to you though, don't you? Being responsible for a tiny little person kind of puts things in perspective."
"I believe you are correct," Brennan says, more than a hint of pride in her smile. She nods at baby Hank, still tucked up in my arms. "Can I take him?"
"Of course." I carefully pass him over to her and she cradles him like an absolute pro.
My eyes flick between father and daughter, now playing on the swing set, both laughing exuberantly, and mother and son cuddling on the park bench. They all look so content, I think to myself, like one of those perfect, ridiculously photogenic families you seen in commercials.
I know how long it took for them to have this life though and wonder if I myself am on a similar rollercoaster ride right now. The universe is throwing everything it can at me, but one day, I'll be happy too. As I observe the loving looks Booth and Brennan give each other for the rest of the afternoon, I have to believe my happy ending – like theirs – will be worth the wait.
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