Chapter 2

Pops had gone to bed, while Max and Christine played one more round of Monopoly. After many game of dominoes, the pair had needed a change. He sat on the couch, while she knelt on the floor on the opposite side of the coffee table. Their money was stacked along the edge of the board, and Christine was winning at the moment. Owning both Board Walk and Park Place always gave one an edge in Monopoly.

Hearing an engine accelerate, Christine jumped up and ran to the window. She was happy to see her dad's truck pull into the driveway. " Oompa, Daddy's home." Most other children would have opened the door to greet their father, but Christine had been taught from an early age to let her parents check it first for security.

The key turned in the lock, and Booth peered around the front door. "Where's my girl?" and opened his arms to pick up her up as Christine charged at him.

"Hey, Max, I see she's beating you again. Once she learned Kids' Monopoly, she got bored really quickly. She's like her mother, very steep learning curve!"

"Honey, can you go get Daddy a bottle of water from the fridge, please?"

"How's your search coming?" Max asked, once Christine left the room.

"Slow, annoyingly slow," Booth groaned in response. "Ange is finding some helpful information, but the encryption is so complex, each level takes longer to crack than the previous ones. Bones and I wanted to be sure one of us was home to tell Christine goodnight. We sure appreciate your staying over this week to help Pops watch her."

Christine returned carrying two bottles of Aqua Fina. "I thought Oompa might be thirsty too."

"Thank you, Munchkin, you're very thoughtful," Max told her.

"Alright, Monkey, it's time for bed. I'm glad you're in your jammies, so we can read your new Magic Tree House books. Go brush your teeth, and I'll be up in a minute," Booth said.

After cleaning her teeth, Christine spit out the minty foam, rinsed her brush and the sink, and ran to her room. She climbed in bed, and reached for her book. Her dad seemed pre-occupied, although she would have just told you he had something on his mind. Both her parents were worried about something. She knew they tried to conceal their work concerns from her, but she was a perceptive child who picked up on moods and feeling like her father did.

Booth appeared at the bedroom door, and settled his lanky frame alongside her on the bed. He read her two new Jack and Annie adventures, and one old one before placing the books on her bedside table. "Time for dreams, little girl," he told her. Christine carefully arranged her stuffed animals in a row on either side of her, so that the covers would meet all their 'chins' perfectly. Booth watched this nightly ritual with a smile on his face, knowing that this part of his child came from her organized analytical mother. Christine looked up at Booth as he leaned over to kiss her good night.

"Daddy, why are you and Mommy 'thinky' right now?"

Her father hid his surprise with a kiss on her forehead. "Honey, Mommy and I are working on a mystery, kinda like Jack and Annie do, or the Boxcar Children. It's complicated, like putting together one of Max's really big jigsaw puzzles. It's going to take us awhile to find all the pieces we need to solve it. Seems like your brain just keeps thinking about a problem like this, even when we're not at work. Nothing for you to worry about, Sweetie."

"Okay, Daddy, but if you need to get your mind off it, I can read to you anytime you want, or play a game."

"I appreciate that, Kiddo, and Mommy does too. Now, time for sleep, my princess. We both love you to the moon and back."

"Me too, Daddy."

He sat on the side of the bed and held her hand, as they said night prayers together, then stood up and kissed her again.

"Me too, Daddy."

"God bless, sleep tight, the angels guard you til the morning light."

Leaving her room, he made sure the door was partly ajar and sighed to himself.

Back downstairs, he told Max, "That child doesn't miss anything. She's realized Bones and I are preoccupied with this Pelant mess. She'd make a great spy herself, the way she picks up on things."

A/N: My children could tell in an instant when I was upset, no matter my efforts to hide my feelings. Kids are really amazing. I'm devoid of a convoluted plot at the moment, so this little story will just be, for now. If I don't get an inspiration, I'll mark it as complete.