A Playmate from Padme

A/N: One of the 'Guest' readers, who I can't thank directly, requested the Booth-Brennan family's actual visit as the next challenge chapter, so here you go. I hope it's what you envisioned.

Padme was up early Sunday morning. Once she had a pot of coffee brewing, she ladled the chilled vegetable and chicken Murgh Kari into two crock pots to heat gradually. Tasting it, she smiled to herself. The flavors had melded perfectly.

While Jared headed to church for Mass, she straightened the tiny apartment meticulously. Although her brother in law had only rented the place, he'd lived there for such a long time, that she felt almost like she would be showing it to a former owner when Booth and Tempe came later in the day.

She rechecked her menu, and started shredding the arugula and spinach for her salad. The sour spicy dressing she prepared contained lemon juice and poppy seeds; not the bacon which many Westerners preferred. Born in Virginia, Padme occasionally ate ham or bacon, loved pork curry, but her grandmother had taught her to cook, and most native-born Indians avoided pork.

She added bean sprouts, water chestnuts, cranberries, mushrooms, sliced hard boiled eggs, celery seed, chopped walnuts, golden raisins, and tart apples. She pulled her yeast rolls from their hiding place in the lower cabinet and whipped unsalted butter with cinnamon and a bit of honey.

As she gave the two pots of curry a stir, knowing that Tempe was a vegetarian, Padme felt confident the dinner menu would particularly please her.
Her wedding to Jared in India had been a simple but joyous affair, and her family there had bestowed the couple with cash, since shipping physical gifts would have been prohibitive.

She had inherited her great-grandmother's Jaipur blue pottery dinnerware and laid her table with the delicately decorated set. Most Indian cuisine was eaten with your hands, so she and Jared had chosen a simple stainless flatware set. Knowing Christine had recently seen Frozen, Padme had a surprise for her; an Elsa plate, Anna mug, Olaf fork and spoon set in a size perfect for her little hands.

Once Tempe's favorite tea was brewing and all was ready, the frenetic hostess headed to the shower to unwind. Jared returned home with the gladiolas she'd requested, and the couple sat down to await their guests' arrival at 2 pm.

It wasn't long before they heard a rumbly engine cease, the solid thud of heavy doors swinging shut, and an excited high pitched voice outside their door. "Uncle Jared, Auntie Padme, we're here, we're here!"

Christine was overjoyed to see her aunt, who always kept a treasure trove of art supplies and craft ideas to delight her. She jumped into Jared's arms for a hug almost as good as her daddy's, then ran to the kitchen to find the dinner napkins. Placing them on the table had become her special job to help Padme.

Brennan and Booth followed their daughter into the apartment's compact living room. Booth shook hands with his brother and glanced around his old familiar space, now furnished with different things.

"I can't believe this place was open when you needed it! You guys have really fixed it up nicely. Mind if I try out your recliner, Bro?"

Brennan stood back, quietly observing the group. A soft smile spread across her face, and her eyes met Padme's, but she didn't say anything.

"Can I help with dinner in any way?" she asked. "The Murgh Kari smells delicious!"

"Nope, I think with Christine putting the napkins around, we're all ready to eat. I hope you're hungry."

"Famished!" declared Booth, pulling out a chair for his daughter and lifting her into place. Padme had placed a thick dictionary on the seat to boost Christine high enough to reach the table. He then seated Brennan, and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Jared carried in the salad, and grinned at Padme as she placed a napkin covered basket on the gleaming mahogany table, "I knew you baked those rolls of yours. I could smell them yesterday, but I decided to behave myself, and not gobble them all before Seeley had a chance to enjoy at least one."

Once Christine had said a simple grace, Padme urged everyone to 'dig in' and no conversation was heard as they all got busy eating.

"This vegetable curry is just excellent," Brennan sighed with satisfaction, and the tea is perfect, Padme."

Booth gave his sister-in-law his warmest charm smile, matched by the one Jared was sporting.

"Gosh, this tastes great! You've outdone yourself! I love Indian cusine!"

Jared leaned over and kissed his talented wife. "Except for Tempe's macaroni and cheese, you're the best cook around, honey!"

An hour later, with the main course cleared away and strawberry shortcake dished up, Jared stood up and moved behind Padme's chair, his hands on her shoulders, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear.

Brennan chuckled knowingly, and Booth stared at her, "What?" he asked.

Jared spoke first. "We have some news we want to share, although I think Tempe may have already guessed. You're very hard to fool, you know that, my dear?" he asked his sister-in-law.

"What?" Booth demanded again.

Padme spoke softly, "Christine is going to have a little cousin to play with next spring, around St. Patrick's Day, I think."

"You're gonna have a baby?" the little girl asked.

"Yup, Chrissy-cakes, we sure are!" her proud uncle declared.

Booth smiled broadly at his brother. "Congratulations! I just wish Pops was still here," he said.

Jared grinned back. "Oh, I think he knows. He and Grams are busting' their buttons up there about now!"

Brennan smirked wryly, but held her tongue. "Who knows, the old guy might just have pulled it off! Maybe I'm wrong about an afterlife!" she thought to herself.