AN: Aw come on guys, only one person hedged a guess as to who I am. I want to know what you think. Honestly. I'll give you another hint. I've introduced Chaos theory into a series of stories I'm writing. Let me know who you think I am. With that, I just want to say sorry if this chapter puts anyone in a diabetic coma, but this is supposed to be a fluffy story. And also thanks to K. Elisabeth for input and for the idea of the nickname. You rock.

"Thank you for showing up so quickly Dr. Brennan," Teresa Miller said as she indicated a seat across from her. Brennan sat down as the social worker pulled up a file on her computer.

"You said it was an emergency on the phone."

"Yes. Earlier today, an infant was safely relinquished to a hospital in Maryland. Since you've had some experience fostering an infant, I feel that you'd be an ideal candidate with which to place the child."

"How old is the infant?" Teresa looked over the information in her computer.

"Three days old." Brennan looked somewhat hesitant to take care of a child that young. Wanting to adopt a five year old was one thing, but fostering a newborn? She didn't know the first thing about taking care of a child that young.

"What makes me more suitable for a newborn as opposed to an older child?"

"Dr. Brennan, I know it can sometimes be difficult to accept a decision like the one made about Norah, but you've got to remember that she needs as stable an environment as possible. You however have fostered an infant before and understand what the needs of a baby are. We don't have anywhere to place this child until after the first of the year, so I'm hoping you'll agree to foster."

"And what happens after the first of the year? Will the child be placed elsewhere?"

"This baby was relinquished to a safe haven. So long as the parent doesn't show up to reclaim the child in the next three days, then she'll be up for adoption. If you feel that you still want to adopt a child at that time, then you'd be the first consideration since you would already be caring for the child." Brennan shifted in her seat and glanced out through the glass door of Teresa's office. Booth and her father sat there, waiting for her and chatting with each other. They would both be there to help her, she knew, but what if the child were reclaimed?

From outside the door, Booth looked up and caught her eye. His gaze was so warm and understanding. If the child were reclaimed then he would be there to pick up the pieces. If not, then he'd be there to help her raise a baby. She had someone to turn to when she had questions. Slowly she turned back to Teresa Miller and smiled.

"What do I have to do?"

"I knew I could count on you Dr. Brennan. I just have some papers for you to sign and I'll give you a list of items you'll need for the child. Someone will be by this evening to drop off the baby, and if you have any questions, please give me a call."

XxXxX

"What do you think is going on in there," Max asked when he noticed the shift in body language displayed by Temperance. Booth watched her and smiled as she stood and shook hands with the social worker.

"I think she just got some good news," Booth smiled at her as she came out of the office. "So, what's the word?"

"I'm going to foster a newborn." She grinned and bounced a bit on the balls of her feet. Max looked slightly stunned, but Booth's smile widened into a full blown grin.

"So you're gonna be a momma after all?"

"She gave me this list of supplies I'll need along with some information on caring for a newborn." Brennan waved the list at Booth, who snatched it away from her to look it over. "The baby will be dropped off at my apartment in a couple of hours, but I'm not sure what's open at this hour."

"That's what Wal-Mart's for Bones. They're open twenty four hours. Come on; let's go get you some gear." Booth slung his arm around her and gave her a half hug as he looked over the list. They would need most of the items here, except for the crib. That just had to be rebuilt.

"Honey, that's great! A baby?" Max finally responded to the news. Brennan practically beamed as they headed from the building and out to Booth's SUV. "Do you have any experience around them?"

"You should have seen her when she fostered a child during one of our cases Max. She's a natural," Booth said, obviously proud of his partner. He winked at her as they drove away and to the nearest Wal-Mart. Booth knew that Temperance generally wouldn't shop at one. It had something to do with commercialization and out competing smaller local business, but there wasn't anything else open at ten o'clock at night. Plus it would allow her to do the shopping herself as opposed to sending out an intern like she'd done with Andy.

A grin spread over the agent's face at that thought. Heck, shopping for baby stuff was half the fun when he and Rebecca were expecting Parker. Of course he'd never admit that to anyone. It just wasn't right for a man to enjoy shopping. He shook himself out of his thoughts and parked when they arrived at the superstore and led Brennan inside with Max in tow.

"Okay, let's grab a cart and get to it," he said as Brennan looked over the list of essentials with a frown on her face. She glanced at Booth and pointed to the list.

"What's a sleep sack?" Booth smiled and led her to the baby department as Max hung back, looking at things at his own pace.

"It's a type of sleepwear that looks like a sack. Oh and word to the wise…you want to get baby gowns rather than footies. It makes changing diapers that much easier." Brennan looked at him, confused. She was way in over her head and had no idea what a footie was. With a sigh she looked over the huge selection of items for little girls.

"See, this is why I tasked out shopping for Andy. I have no idea what to get." Booth bumped her shoulder with his own.

"See? That's why you have me here. Now come on, we have a lot of stuff to get." They began the process of filling the cart with all manner of items. Several times Booth had to stifle a laugh as Brennan debated the merits of one brand over another, and rolled his eyes when she finally settled on organic soy formula. His argument that the baby wouldn't know the difference only earned him another lecture on the benefit of organic products on human health.

When they finally had all of their shopping done, Booth and Brennan met back up with Max, who seemed to have done some shopping of his own. Booth eyed the bag that the ex-con had, but didn't say anything as they loaded up everything into the SUV. No one spoke on the return trip to Brennan's apartment, and once they got there began to set up everything for the baby.

"Bones, would you stop it," Booth said as he rebuilt the crib. Temperance stopped her reflexive straightening and turned to look at him.

"I just want to make sure that everything's perfect."

"It's fine. This kid is going to be spoiled, okay? You did good." She smiled at him and sat down next to him as he screwed together the sides of the white crib. She began to fiddle with one of the new baby blankets still waiting to be washed as Booth work.

"You don't think that she'll be reclaimed do you?" Booth glanced at Brennan and noticed the smile was gone from her features.

"When babies are turned into safe havens, it's because their parent or guardian can't take care of them, or for whatever reason doesn't want them. Very rarely are they reclaimed by the parent."

"How could someone just give up their child? I understand if the parent dies or if the child is removed because of unsafe circumstances…"

"Bones, these babies are turned over so that they have a chance at a good life. A lot of times the people who relinquish their infants are teenage girls who hid their pregnancies, or women who can't support another child on their own. They're giving these children the opportunity to have a good life with someone like you." He set down the screwdriver and pulled Brennan into his lap. He sought out her lips and kissed her, offering her just a bit of comfort and reassurance. She melted into his embrace until there was a knock on the front door.

"They're here," she said and bounded off of his lap, racing for the front door. Booth got up off of the floor and followed her into the other room just as she was opening the door. Teresa stood there with a baby carrier in hand.

"Good evening Dr. Brennan. Were you able to pick up the items needed?"

"Yes, we just got back not long ago." Temperance moved to the side to allow Teresa in the apartment. The anthropologist looked like an eager puppy, barely holding back her interest in the tiny bundle inside of the carrier.

"I'm glad to hear that. We just need to go over a few more details and then she's all yours." The social worker set the carrier on the floor next to the couch as she sat down. Booth and Max watched from the hallway as Temperance clenched her hands shut, trying not to reach for the baby.

"I don't think I've ever seen her this excited," Max whispered. Booth just smiled warmly as he took in the scene.

"You should have seen her with Andy, the baby she fostered for a short time. I was coming out of this trailer and there's Bones over by the truck blowing raspberries onto his belly." He shook his head thinking back to how attached the baby boy was to Temperance. "She'll do good."

He and Max turned their attention back as Teresa took the baby from the carrier and handed her to Brennan before taking a tour of the apartment. As the social worker moved about the apartment to make sure that everything was in order, Booth and Max joined Brennan by the couch. She was looking at the tiny bundle in her arms with a measure of awe.

"I didn't expect her to be so small. I mean logically I know that a newborn would have to be small enough to pass through the birth canal, but she's so little." The baby yawned and snuggled down into Brennan's arms, eliciting a smile from the anthropologist.

"So what are you going to call her," Booth asked as he looked down at the little girl. She had a shock of black hair that stood straight up from her head in all directions and her little ears stuck straight out to the sides. His heart was lost instantly.

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it."

"How about Carol?" Brennan wrinkled up her nose at the suggestion.

"Why on earth would you pick that name?"

"Well think about it Bones, you have your own little Christmas Carol."

"Booth…"

"Okay fine, then she can be Carol of the Bones." Max snorted and Brennan rolled her eyes before snuggling the little girl closer to her. Teresa came back to the living room and smiled at the three as they admired the little girl.

"Everything looks to be in order. I'll give you a call on Christmas Eve in regards to her status with you." At Brennan's worried look, she patted her arm gently. "Don't worry; I'm sure that everything will go fine. Until then."

"Thank you so much Teresa."

"My pleasure Dr. Brennan." Max showed the social worker to the door as Brennan sat on the couch with Booth.

"Seriously Bones, you need to call her something." Brennan glanced up at Booth just as the baby started to fuss.

"I'm not going to just call her something in order to satisfy your curiosity. I want to see what she's like first and find something that suits her." Brennan brought the little baby to her shoulder and patted her back a bit awkwardly. The baby fussed a bit more and Booth held out his hands for her. Brennan hesitated for just a moment and relinquished the baby.

"Shh, sweetheart, it's okay. Momma Bones is going to make you a yummy bottle of formula so you can eat. Yes she is." Booth glanced at Brennan as she made a grumpy face at him.

"You just did that so I'd have to make the bottle." Booth grinned a bit as he rubbed soothing circles on the baby's back.

"I'm not the one who needs practice." He looked back at the baby. "No, I'm not." The baby blinked up at him as he continued to coo. Brennan shook her head and headed to the kitchen to make a bottle.

"You know Booth, it's kind of refreshing to see the way that you defy socially constructed gender roles when it comes to child rearing." Both Max and Booth looked at her, confusion etched on their faces.

"What?"

"I mean generally males have very little to do with the rearing of children and the role falls upon females to provide care and comfort." She fumbled with the can of formula as she grabbed a bottle. Booth snorted and looked back at the baby.

"You tell your momma Bones that single fathers do what they have to do. You tell her, yes." Temperance sighed in annoyance and finished with the formula as she headed back to the living room. As she approached, Booth made room for her on the couch so she could sit, while Max perched by the edge of a counter as he watched the scene play out. It warmed his heart to see his daughter so happy.

As Brennan sat down, Booth very gently handed the baby over to her. "Okay Bones, feeding this little one isn't like feeding Andy. You want to cradle her you're your body and maintain eye contact while you feed her." He watched as Brennan adjusted her grip on the baby and began to feed her with the bottle.

"Look at that honey, you're a natural," Max said, watching as she couldn't keep her eyes off of the little girl. Merry Christmas baby, he thought, praying that nothing would happen to ruin the happy scene before him.