*Finally-back on track! Poor Christine didn't even have a name the last time I posted on this story. Hope you remember it!
There, it's done Brennan decided, carefully smoothing down the front of her dress. She fussed with the earrings one last time, making make sure they were dangling properly; meticulously examining every aspect of her appearance, until a final look in the mirror confirmed that everything which was within her power to control had been attended to. The results were fairly encouraging, if she was going to honest.
The fact that Temperance Brennan was happy and full of confidence on this day would have dumbfounded the person whose sad image stared back listlessly at her a few weeks ago. Gone were the exhausted eyes, the limp strands of hair and the frumpy sweats, replaced by a radical shift in perspective, a stylish new haircut that framed her face in loose waves and the little black dress that Booth seemed so taken by when she took him to the Egyptian Exhibit Gala. The dress had two main virtues; it fit nicely despite a some remaining post-pregnancy weight, and it showcased her not inconsiderable upper body assets, maybe now more than ever. There was almost no possibility that Booth would be anything but pleased, and that was in fact one of the main goals of the evening. Assuming things went as planned, she looked forward to reenacting the elaborate seduction scene that she'd been scripting in her head over the last couple of days, down to the systematic unbuttoning of Booth's black shirt.
She noted with pride that even though she and Booth were slightly out of practice in the full-on sex department these days, she never asked Angela for editorial input anymore when she wrote love scenes for her novels; hadn't done it in quite a long time. But just in case those specific literary skills were in danger of becoming rusty, she was going to make sure they'd be getting a work-out tonight.
The doorbell rang just as she was lifting Christine up from the crib to go downstairs and she teetered precariously on her heels racing to get it, with a very energetic child squirming in her arms. So walking in high heels, along with other things, needed practice too.
She opened the door to find Max, looking dangerously out of breath as he placed a hand on the frame to steady himself.
"Hi honey, I'm so sorry I'm late; there was an accident on the way here and I was stuck in a huge traffic jam. It went on for miles-it's probably on the news. I know I'm on a tight leash with you when it comes to keeping promises, and I even left my place extra-early. And I tried calling, I swear, but it just went into voicemail. Here; I'll go look on the phone and prove it to you…wow" he interjected taking a step back.
"Tempe, you look fabulous. Remind me again, were you guys going somewhere special tonight?"
"You can't be late when it comes to Christine, dad" she chided gently. "I was probably in the shower. It doesn't matter," she said with a forgiving smile. Her dad had tried hard to make things right between them since returning to her life, and with the birth of her child, those efforts had been redoubled. She supposed she could try to be a little more lenient with him in return.
"And no; just a quiet evening in" she replied casually.
Max gave her a cagey smile.
"Hmmm…Booth's gonna get lucky tonight, huh? Does he know what's coming?"
"Dad!" she objected warmly, "it's just a nice celebratory dinner-it was Booth's first full week back at work after his suspension. And I'm going back to the Jeffersonian soon, so I won't be having much time to make complicated meals in the near future. And" she added softly, "you're partly right; we haven't had any time by ourselves since Christine was born. I would like to discuss some things with him without constant interruptions and distractions."
"Uh huh, dressed like that. You think that dress isn't going to distract him? Yup-just what I thought. You know, if you were still a minor I'd make you go back into your room and change. But I see-I guess that's your story and you're not budging. Well, as an over-protective father who'd rather not picture his daughter making hot moves on any guy, even the one she's living with, I'd say that reason works for me."
His cynical mood dissipated and he looked at her with misty eyes, reaching for her hand. It took him a second to get a hold of his emotions.
"You've done so well, honey" he said in a quivering voice. "I'm so proud of you. Look at you, Tempe-a great guy who loves you, a home, a family…" There were so many things he wanted to tell her; how guilty he still felt about what he and her mother had been forced to do in the course of protecting her life, how afraid he was when he met her again that the harm they had unwittingly caused could never be undone. He remembered the hard, brittle girl from some years back, the one who seemed to have such a difficult time adjusting to changes, the one who couldn't trust she had enough to make anyone happy for long. The one who simply couldn't trust.
Max was on the verge of tears as he took in his beautiful, accomplished daughter and the sweet baby in her arms, surrounded now by all the hallmarks of a fulfilling-and fulfilled-life. All those things he was terrified she wouldn't get to have, the happiness she'd been robbed of...
He stopped himself when he saw her eyes beginning to water too; he wasn't going to ruin her mood or her make-up.
"Hey, where's my other gorgeous girl?" he broke off, waiving his fingers at Christine and giving her a wide smile. Christine gurgled happily, always thrilled to accept any attention that was directed towards her, especially by her doting grandfather.
"We're gonna have a fun time tonight, aren't we, sweetheart? And no more tardies, I swear" he said semi-seriously to her mother, putting up both hands in the air. "You got her car seat?"
He took the baby, readying himself for a quick exit.
"Yes, but I would like to go over some safety precautions again with you before you take her."
"Oh boy…it couldn't be that easy for us, could it sweetpea?" he asked, playfully shaking Christine's hand. "Here we go."
"And dad?"
"Yeees, honey?"
"Thanks...for everything."