"Oh Brennan, she's so good!" Angela cooed as she cuddled the sleeping Christine. Brennan and Booth stood in the office of Booth & Bray Investigations, proud parents. Wendell was watching Angela holding the baby and visions of a family started flashing through his mind. He shook his head what are you thinking man? You've only been dating for six months! "She's getting so big!" Wendell said.

Booth grinned "She's got her father's appetite!" he laughed. Brennan wrapped her arms around Booths waist "Well her father's appetite might need to lessen somewhat or her mother's arms may not be able to wrap around him any more!" she said squeezing him tightly.

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Booth exclaimed patting his tummy. He admitted he had put on a bit of weight recently, but not that much. Working in the investigation business was not exactly physical. He and Wendell spent a fair bit of time sitting in their non-descript vehicle watching people. And of course when you are spending so much time sitting in a car waiting for things to happen, you get hungry.

"I'm joking babe. I like having a bit of meat to grab hold of" Brennan giggled grabbing him and squeezing his sides.

"I seem to remember someone once telling me and Angie to get a room!" Wendell laughed. Angela stood up and held Christine out to Wendell. "Here honey, hold her. She smells so good!" Wendells eyes popped open. He took a step backwards, but Angela followed pushing the baby against his chest "She's gorgeous Wen. Just give her a cuddle" she said.

Wendell's hands just managed to wrap around the baby as Angela let go. He stood awkwardly at first the baby held out from his body.

"She's not gonna break man. Hold her against you!" Booth said, laughing as Wendell gingerly pulled the baby closer to him and settle her more comfortably in his arms. Christine stirred slightly, but then settled back into her blissful sleeping state.

"I've got food!" Angela said as she walked into the back room which served as a kitchen, storage room, filing room, change room. She came back into the office carrying a tray of sandwiches, pickles and cheese. She put it on the desk and ran back into the kitchen for a moment, reappearing with a bottle of soda and some glasses.

"No champagne?" Brennan asked, a smirk on her face. She knew Angela's appreciation for bubbly. Angela stopped and tilted her head "Well, actually"

"Hey! No booze during office hours!" Booth said laughing. They sat and ate and drank and talked while Christine slept soundly in Wendell's arms.

He was quite liking the feel of that little warm body. She had a very sweet face he decided. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad have a baby with Angie. Especially if he had her eyes. He loved her eyes.


Angela sat down hard. The doctor in the chair opposite her sighed audibly. "I don't know what else to tell you Ms Montenegro. The delivery was going well, all according to plan. She delivered the child, then began to haemorrhage. We tried everything, but it happened so fast. We believe she suffered a rupture of the uterine wall when the placenta pulled away resulting in massive blood loss. I'm terribly sorry for your loss." he finished off, watching the face of the woman in front of him crumple.

He took a deep breath. "I believe you are noted as Doctor Brennan's next of kin? I will give you the name of a funeral home to help you with the funeral arrangements." he said gently.

"But. What. About. Christine?" she said between sobs.

The doctor referred to the case notes. "We have some paperwork here. What about her father? Seeley Booth? What are the chances of his recovery at this point?" he asked. That set Angela off crying even harder. He stood up and walked to his door and summonsed a nurse.

An hour later Angela was sitting back in the office, the young nurse holding her hand as she talked to the doctor. "I will take Christine home. There's nobody else. I was going to be her Godmother. We. Brennan and I, were best friends." Angela said firmly.

The doctor hesitated. "That's not usually what we would agree to" he said, knowing that Family Services would normally be brought in. But he knew Temperance Brennan quite well. She had talked to him about the possibility of complications and what she wanted to happen afterwards, if anything happened. He had a letter in the file that he handed over to Angela "Doctor Brennan asked me to give this to you" he said.

Angela turned the letter over in her hands, her fingers tracing her name handwritten on the front in Brennan's neat handwriting.

She opened it and pulled out a sheet of beautiful note paper. It was Brennan's favourite. Pearl grey with a deep blue pattern in the corners.

Dearest Angela

If you are reading this letter, then things have not gone quite according to my meticulous planning.

I shall be deceased.

In this worst case scenario I have a huge personal favour to ask you. I want you to take Christine and raise her until Booth wakes up and is well enough to take over the care of our daughter. I know this is a big thing to ask you. But I know that you are the only person that I would want to care for my little girl.

Contact Caroline. She has some documents for you to sign making you Christine's legal guardian. There won't be any problems with Family Services. It is all under the control of Caroline. She will look after all the legal stuff because I know that you don't understand it.

Angela smiled and a small laugh escaped her. Temperance's assumption that she didn't understand red tape made her laugh. She shook her head and continued reading.

Angela you have always been there for me. Even when I have not been the most kindest of people. I am quite aware of my inability to understand or accept other's failings and I know that I have been quite harsh in my judgement of some. Even you Angela. I'm sorry for that. But know this. I have loved you like my very own sister, and you will always been in my heart, whether I am here with you or dead and cremated.

I love you and I thankyou for taking on this task. Tell Christine I love her every day, will you? And show her photo's of me so she knows who I was. And please. This is most important. I need you to take her to the hospital every day and let her get to know her father. He needs to feel her, hear her, so that he will recognise her when he wakes up. I know this is a lot to ask. But I also know that you understand how important this is to me. I love Booth very much. And I am just sorry that I am not there to be a family with him and Christine.

Your friend

Brennan

Angela sat, nodding and staring at the letter for a moment, then looked up at the doctor, her eyes shining with unfallen tears.

"Take me to Christine. She needs to go meet her daddy"