A/N: Finally! Days later, another chapter! Sorry about that, I have been so busy. So the song used in this is Aikendrum by Raffi, who in my opinion is the best children's singer in the world! (And he's Canadian!) I have sooo many people to thank its ridiculous, the response for the first chapter overwhelmed me! So thank you to all the people who reviewed the last chapter and I apologize for not being able to get back to you personally. Anyway I hope you enjoy!
She woke to the smell of bacon frying and she smiled, knowing that Booth was in the kitchen cooking up something delicious for breakfast. Glancing over at the clock, she shot up and scrambled out of bed immediately. It was nine o'clock and she was late for work. Hastily grabbing her clothes, she ran into the bathroom and shut the door.
She was ready in five minutes and she grabbed her shoes and slipped them on as she ran out of the bedroom and straight into Booth.
"I'm late." She gasped, trying to manoeuver her way around him.
"It's okay. I called Angela and said you wouldn't be in." he replied.
"What?" she exclaimed. "I have work to do and…"
"Zach said he would take care of it." He replied. "You deserve a long weekend. Please." He placed a kiss on her forehead for good measure.
"Spend the whole weekend with you?" she asked, trying not to let her eyes betray the fear she felt in her heart.
"Why don't we just start with breakfast first okay?" he said, sensing her nervousness.
She nodded and followed him in to the kitchen where Chris was happily digging into a plate of pancakes.
"Hi Tempe!" Chris said, waving her syrup-covered fingers.
"Hi Chris." She replied, sitting down opposite her. She watched the little girl eat and tried to ignore the panic and fear swirling inside her. She didn't have the first idea how to take care of a child.
"Here you go." Booth said, placing a plate of pancakes in front of her.
She smiled gamely and picking up her fork and knife, she began to eat all the while watching Booth and Chris tell jokes and make silly faces at each other. She didn't think that something as small as breakfast would make her feel so left out.
"Right, Tempe?" Chris asked.
"Sorry what?" she replied.
"You're coming to the park with us, right Tempe?" Chris repeated.
"Sure." She said, her answer slipping out of her mouth before she even had time to process the question.
"Yeah!" Chris shouted, slipping down off her chair. "Come on Daddy!"
"Hold your horses there, sticky fingers." Booth replied. "Come here." He grabbed a cloth and quickly wiped her hands and face. "Go pick out an outfit, I'll be there in a sec."
She gave a shout and ran down the hall to her bedroom.
"Is this okay?" he asked, reaching over and squeezing her hand.
She nodded.
"Okay then." He replied. "Do you mind helping Chris while I take a shower?"
She froze. "Well….I…"
"It's okay. "It's not rocket science, she just sometimes needs help with her buttons." He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "I'll be ten minutes." He headed for the shower, leaving her alone in the kitchen.
She was feeling overwhelmed already and they were only going to the park. Pushing herself away from the table, she headed down the hall to Chris' room, noting the boxes in the hall that were yet to be unpacked. She opened Chris' door and stifled a laugh.
There was Chris, lying on the ground struggling to get some pants on.
"Need some help?" she asked, coming into the room. She noticed that only a few things were unpacked in the bedroom, mostly clothes and some toys.
"Yes Tempe." Chris replied.
She walked over and helped the little girl into her jeans, carefully doing up all of the buttons.
"What shirt are you wearing?" she asked.
"This one!" Chris said, holding it up. It was a pink, glittery t-shirt with the words FBI written across the front. As she helped Chris into the t-shirt, she couldn't stop staring at her. It was hard for her to imagine that she created this bouncy, giggly girl in front of her. Her and Booth together.
"Tempe, will you do my hair?" Chris asked.
"Sure." She replied tentatively, following Chris into the bathroom. She had no idea how to do anyone's hair and she panicked slightly at the basketful of bows and ribbons sitting on the sink. Watching Chris drag over her stool and stand on it, she reached for the hairbrush and started brushing her hair slowly.
"Can I have pigtails?" Chris asked.
She nodded and continued to brush her hair, gently working its way through the knots.
"Are you going to decorate your room soon?" she asked Chris.
"Nope." Chris replied, shaking her head. "I'm waiting."
"For what?" she asked, reaching over and grabbing a couple of elastics.
"For our house!" Chris said excitingly, jumping up and down and causing the hairbrush to fall out of her hands.
She reached down and picked it up. "House?" she asked.
"Daddy said we are going to live in a big house and I am going to have my own room and we'll have a backyard with swings!" Chris exclaimed.
Her heart pounded as she heard this. Was he waiting to ask her? Did she really want to do this?
Chris for her part was getting bored and was shifting back and forth on the stool.
"Tempeeeee…."
"Oh sorry." She replied, continuing to brush Chris' hair. She reached for the elastic and attempted to create a pigtail. After five minutes, it wasn't working and she was growing frustrated. She had a doctorate for god's sake! How could she not do this?
Finally she created two pretty, albeit a little crooked pigtails.
"Ribbons!" Chris said, snatching two pink ribbons from the basket. She tied a ribbon into a bow around each pigtail.
"Is that okay?" she asked, feeling nervous.
Chris nodded. "Thanks Tempe!"
"Are you two almost done in there?" Booth's voice came from the other side of the door.
"Yes Daddy!" Chris said, flinging the door open. "Let's go to the park now." She took off running to the front door.
"Cute pigtails Bones." He said, smiling at her.
"Thanks." She replied shyly.
Ten minutes later, they got everything they needed and after a brief stop at her apartment so she could change, they were at the park.
"Let's go on the swings Daddy!" Chris said, pulling him over.
"Sure." Booth replied.
She watched as he got her settled into the swing and starting pushing her.
"Come on." He said, gesturing to the empty swing beside Chris. "I will give you a push too!"
"Well…I… okay." She replied, sitting down on the swing. She had loved the swings when she was a little girl. She felt his hand on her back and he gave her a push, launching her into the air. Soon she was swinging along with Chris, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.
"There was a man lived in the moon, in the moon, in the moon. There was a man lived in the moon and his name was Aikendrum!" Chris belted out, causing both adults to laugh.
"And his hair was made of spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti. His hair was
made of spaghetti and his name was Aikendrum." She continued, oblivious to Booth and Brennan's laughter.
"Sing Daddy and Tempe!" Chris said, pausing in her song.
Booth began to sing along. "And his eyes were made of meatballs, meatballs, meatballs. His eyes were made of meatballs and his name was Aikendrum."
As they finished the song, once again she got the distinct feeling of being left out. It wasn't Booths fault but she couldn't help but feel a little sad at all of the things she didn't know.
"Come on." Booth said. "Why don't you go play on the slide for a bit?"
"Okay." Chris said, scrambling out of the swing and over to the slides.
"You okay?" he asked, reaching for her hand.
She nodded. "I'm fine, why?"
"You just had a sad look on your face, that is all." He replied as they walked over to the slide area.
"It's nothing." She said, giving him a smile.
"Listen, Temperance…" he started. "Tomorrow I have an appointment with a realtor to look at a house." He paused, searching her face for a reaction. "I started looking before and I know it's a big thing but I promised Chris a swingset and…"
"I know, she told me." She interrupted. "Listen Booth, this is a big step, I'm not ready for this."
"I understand." He replied, squeezing her hand. "But maybe you could watch her while I'm there."
"By myself?" she said nervously. "I don't know…"
"You could call Angela." Booth suggested. "Go shopping or something. Chris is in need of some new clothes."
"Oh I see what you are doing." She replied with a smile. "You don't want to go shopping for her!"
"Caught me." He said, grinning back. "Shopping for a four year old girl is not my favourite pastime."
"Okay." She said. If she had Angela there, then she knew she would be fine.
He pulled her close and kissed her softly on the lips and they headed off to the slide to watch their daughter play.