"Hey Bones, wakey wakey. We've got to get you to work." Brennan sat up, bleary eyed and gave Booth her best death glare. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and glanced at the clock.
"Booth, I've only been asleep for two hours. Why do I have to get up?" Booth smiled down at her before flopping on the bed at her side. He pulled her to him, despite her best attempts to fend him off and hide under the covers.
"Because you need to fill out some paperwork for family leave so you have time to bond with that little angel in the other room." He kissed her on the lips, rolling over her slightly when she wrapped her arms around him to deepen it.
"Honey, where did you put the…oh." Max paused in the open doorway of Brennan's room and averted his eyes. Booth pulled away from Brennan and got off the bed.
"I just came in to wake her up," Booth mumbled, feeling for some reason like a teenager being caught by his parents.
"I can see that. I was just wondering where you put the baby wipes. Peanut needs changing and I didn't want to wake you up."
"Peanut?" Brennan rolled her eyes as she pulled back the covers and got out of bed. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"You need the sleep. Trust me; I remember what it was like with a new baby in the house. Besides, there's nothing that either Booth or I can't handle."
The party made their way out of the room and toward the family room with Brennan making a pit stop for baby wipes. The baby was in an automated swing, staring up at the mobile hanging above her head.
"Hey there sweetheart," Brennan murmured and picked up the little girl. She fussed until she was cleaned up and powdered, and then snuggled into Brennan's arms. Booth made his way into the kitchen to fetch Temperance a cup of coffee and a bagel while Max set about getting the stroller and car seat ready.
"Bones, you really need to figure out a name for her. Terms of endearment aside, she'll get confused if we don't have something to call her." He set her cup down on the coffee table and took the baby from her so she could drink the beverage.
"Carol is definitely out. I don't like the name."
"Well then what about Holly?" Brennan hmmed for a moment and shook her head.
"No, it doesn't sound right, and what's with the holiday name picking? First you want Carol, and now Holly?"
"Tis the season." Brennan rolled her eyes and took another sip of the coffee. Max brought over everything and checked the diaper bag for all of the supplies Temperance would need.
"What about Joy," he suggested.
"Dad, I'm not giving her my birth name. I'll think of something."
"Okay honey. Why don't you go get ready and we'll take care of the baby. Booth can go to the lab with you and I can get to work." Brennan frowned for a moment.
"You have to go to work today?"
"Of course I do. Santa doesn't get a day off after all." Max smiled at her and took the coffee cup when she was done drinking.
"You're sure you're okay with her?" Booth looked up at her and nodded.
"Yes. Now go get dressed." He made a shooing motion and watched her as she headed down the hall and to her bedroom. Once she shut the door behind her, Max turned his attention on Booth and the baby.
"You don't think anyone will try to take Peanut away do you?" Booth looked at the ex-con and shook his head.
"I think everything will be fine. Teresa's a good woman. If there's a dispute, she's not going to take this little one from Bones if she feels this is the best environment for her."
"How exactly do you know Teresa?"
"Bones and I had a case a few years ago where a little boy was found dead. His mother fostered two other children, and when it looked like one of them was guilty of killing the little boy they were taken from her. Temperance promised the boys that they'd be able to stay together and that their foster mother Margaret would get them back."
"That's a tall order to fill."
"Yeah, it was. I went to Teresa because she'd dealt with the FBI previously and she was able to make it happen. I didn't have to do it, but I didn't want to make a liar out of Bones." Max looked at Booth for a long moment, watching the way he interacted with the baby in his arms.
"How long exactly have you been in love with my daughter?"
"What?"
"Look Booth, I know I have a long way to go before I could be considered father of the year, but that doesn't mean I don't care about my daughter. I've seen the way you look at her, how you protect her. I just want to know how long you've felt this way about her." The two men looked at each other as Booth slowly rocked the baby in his arms.
"I'm not sure. There was no moment when I realized that she meant the world to me. It just sort of crept up on me," he shrugged. Max pursed his lips and nodded at the answer. It was about as good an answer as he could get really.
"Okay, I can accept that." Max clapped the younger man on the shoulder being careful to avoid the baby. He stood and pulled over the stroller and car seat combination. As he detached the seat from the stroller, Booth carefully turned the little girl so that she was in his lap and facing him.
"This is a car seat. I know you rode over here in one last night, but this one is special. It's a top of the line travel combination that came with a car seat, stroller, play pen and travel sleeper, oh-oh-oh." At the sound of a snort, Booth turned to see Brennan leaning against the doorway with a smirk on her face. Even though he could tell she was exhausted, and simply threw on her sweater and jeans, she still looked gorgeous to him.
"Okay Tim the toolman Taylor, just don't try to add anything to it." Booth laughed as he strapped in the baby.
"Bones, the big difference between me and the toolman is that I really do know what I'm doing. Now grab her diaper bag and let's get this show on the road.
XxXxX
Max sat in his gold throne, preparing to read a Christmas story to a group of children when he heard a familiar voice calling out "Santa". He looked up and grinned at the little girl running toward him.
"Why Norah Grace, what are you doing here?" He got up from his seat and moved a stanchion aside so the little girl could reach him. She threw her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I wanted to say thank you." Max glanced from the little girl up to the man and woman standing behind her. The woman smiled down at the little girl before holding out her hand to Max. He stood and shook it, curious still as to what was going on.
"She insisted on coming to thank you for granting her Christmas wish. I'm Karen Owens, her adoptive mom."
"Ah Karen, it's nice to meet you. I had wondered what happened to Norah." Karen's husband ushered Norah away from Karen and Max to stand with his son while the two adults talked.
"We were here at the museum the other day and overheard her say that she wanted a family for Christmas. My husband Thomas and I discussed it along with our son Ryan and decided that we just couldn't allow her to not get what she wanted for Christmas."
"Well it's nice to know that Norah ended up with good people. My own daughter was interested in adopting Norah as well, but obviously you were chosen for her parents." Karen looked thoughtful for a moment and then turned her attention back onto Max.
"Is your daughter named Temperance? Norah keeps talking about a 'Miss Temperance'."
"Yeah, that would be her. She works here at the museum."
"Oh, would it be a problem for us to meet her? Norah was so sure that she was going to end up with her, but she's still glad to have us I think. She's such a smart little thing."
"I don't think it would be a problem. I know my daughter would want to know that Norah will be well taken care of. I have about half an hour before I start my story. I can take you to the forensics wing to meet her if you'd like."
"Are you sure that wouldn't be a problem? We wouldn't want to impose." Max smiled and indicated the way to the lab.
"Really, it's not a problem at all. If you all follow me, I can show you back there."
XxXxX
"Oh Bren, she's adorable," Angela cooed as she looked at the infant. The baby stared up at her, blinking. "So what's her name?"
"I think I'm going to call her Christine." Booth snorted and Brennan turned on him with a frown. "What?"
"You've thrown a fit about all of the holiday themed names and you're naming her Christine?"
"I'm giving her my mother's name."
"Yeah, and the name means 'Christ-like'. You can't get much more Christmassy than that."
"Ha ha very funny Booth." Temperance reached down and unfastened Christine from the stroller to pick her up. Angela immediately reached out to take the baby as the doors to the lab slid open.
"Hey honey, there's someone here to see you," Max called out to her. Temperance turned in time to see Norah running across the lab toward her.
"Miss Temperance!" Brennan knelt in time to catch the little girl. She gave the little girl a hug and pulled back to look at her.
"I hear you have a family now." The little girl nodded and pointed to her adoptive family.
"I got a mommy, daddy and brother in one day, can you believe that? It's the best." Brennan smiled as the family approached her. She could see the surprise and enthusiasm in Karen's face and realized immediately that the woman was a fan.
"That's wonderful." Brennan stood when the others finally joined them and held out her hand. "You must be the lucky parents."
"I'm Karen. Wow, I didn't realize when she was talking about a Miss Temperance that she meant you. This is amazing."
"Well as long as Norah's in a good home, then I'm happy for her. I know what it's like to be in her place."
"Oh, you were adopted?" Brennan shook her head and smiled down at Norah for a moment.
"No. I was in the system for a little while, so I know how important a good home is to a child."
"You really care a lot for Norah, don't you?" Karen glanced at the little girl, who was holding onto Brennan's hand and swinging it enthusiastically.
"Yes, I do."
"Well I'd be honored if you'd come visit her when you want. I'm sure she'd appreciate it too." Brennan smiled and glanced again at Norah.
"I'd like that. Thank you."
"Of course. Now, I hate to leave, but we only had time to stop by. Norah wanted to see Santa and you, but we have some other errands to run." Karen dug into her purse and pulled out a business card. "Just give me a call whenever you want to see her."
"I will," Brennan said before kneeling again to face Norah. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Okay Miss Temperance." The little girl threw her arms around Brennan's neck and gave her a hug before leaving with her new family. Temperance watched them leave and felt Booth place a hand on her shoulder and squeeze gently.
"You gonna be okay," he asked when she turned to him.
"I'm fine. It's nice to know that she's with a good family." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, Angela's run off with Christine."
"So you're sticking with that huh?"
"What, you don't like the name?"
"I didn't say that. As a matter of fact, I think it suits her." Brennan smirked.
"It's better than Carol at any rate."
"Yeah, yeah. Say what you will, but I still think that Carol of the Bones was totally appropriate." Booth grinned as Temperance as she rolled her eyes and went off in search of her best friend. Nope, things couldn't get much better than this, he thought with a smile.