It was December 7th eighteen days before Christmas, Brennan was sitting on the couch catching a few seconds doze; sleep these latest few nights had been hard to come by. Cam and Booth convinced her to take the two weeks before the baby's arrival off to rest; she resisted them on the outside, inside she was grateful, but they'd never know it.

The plan for today was to send Booth to work and Katie to preschool and have Angela come over with some of Katie's Santa gifts and help her decorate the house; Brennan normally waited a week or so later to decorate. But considering her due date was the 15th it was now or never. Brennan opened her eyes when she felt Booth walk in holding Katie's hand.

"Bones, you sure you're okay being by yourself? I can take Katie to school and come back."

"I'm fine Booth; I have 8 days before the baby will be here."

"Bones, babies come early you know."

"Not mine, we talked it over and came to an understanding, the baby isn't going to appear before the 15th. Angela will be here in a half hour anyway, I'll be fine. Don't forget to get the mistletoe."

Booth laughed, only Bones would have a discussion with the baby regarding its arrival "I won't see you tonight we'll put up the tree."

"See you later." Brennan reached up to give Booth a kiss, and then waited for him to lift Katie up to give her a hug.

Booth and Katie left and Brennan situated herself on the couch and picked up her book. Half way though chapter 10 she felt something that wasn't normal baby movement, her hand went to her stomach while she called Booth.

"Booth."

"Booth I think you need to come home, the baby is not waiting."

Okay I'll be there in 10. Do you think you can wait that long?"

"Yeah. Just hurry."

"I am. Love you. "

"Love you too, Booth I don't want to talk, but I don't want to hang up."

"That's fine." The rest of the drive Booth tried to keep Brennan calm while beating himself up because he didn't come home after he dropped Katie off.

Booth got to the house and flew in the door; he found Brennan where he'd left her 20 minutes ago, with her eyes closed and pain on her face, "Bones I'm here." His voice was soft and barely a whisper as he picked up her hand.

"it's about time! Help me up so we can go!"

Booth grabbed Brennan's coat and pulled it on her quickly then he scooped her up and headed for the door, Brennan didn't complain. Angela met them coming up the stairs, "OH Sweetie!"

"Ange, can you get Katie? Her suitcase…"

"Bren, just go have the baby, I can get Katie and get her packed before I get Madelyn I've done this before."

"Her new pajama…."
"Booth, get her out of here, before she packs Katie's bag herself."

"Don't forget her bear."

"Brennan relax, I can handle it."

Booth grinned as he shut Brennan's door, "Thanks Ange. I'll call you when we know anything."

"BOOTH HURRY UP!!!!!!!!!!!"

Angela smiled as Booth ran to the driver's side. Then she headed inside to get Katie packed and put some of the decorations up.

They made it to the hospital in record time, Brennan never letting go of Booth's hand. After all the rushing around the ended up waiting all morning, afternoon and most of the night before Abigail

Grace decided to make her entrance in to the world. That was two hours ago now an exhausted, but happy Brennan sat holding her daughter unaware Booth was watching from the doorway, he couldn't get the smile off his face this was one of the happiest days of his life he was happy when Parker was born but this time it was different . Booth walked over to the bed, Brennan looked up, "Hey."

"Hey Bones, how are you two doing?"

"Good. I'm more tired than I've ever been in my life, but I don't really care! Abby is almost asleep."

Booth looked over the blankets just as Abby's eyes closed all the way and smiled.

"This wasn't the kind of day I had planned, I wanted to spend the afternoon with Katie decorating and then put up the tree with you and order Thai like every year."

Booth smiled, "We can still put up the tree and order Thai whenever you feel up to it when we get home. Angela and Katie only put up half the decorations, Katie didn't want to do it without you."

"How is she?"

"When I called Angela she said Katie was good, a little mad neither of us were home, but after dinner she and Madelyn climbed on Hodgins to watch some Disney movie, she doesn't have the heart to wake anybody up."

"That's good. How do you think Katie will react to Abby?"

"She'll like her, she might act out for a while, but she'll get used to it. We just have to be patient with her, maybe give her some extra attention for a while."

"Did you call Dad?"

"Yeah, he said congratulations, and that he'd see us at home. Cam said to enjoy your time off."

"Hum."

"Bones, go to sleep, you're barely awake now."

"Take Abby."

Booth stood up and took Abby from Brennan; she snuggled into Booth's arms and continued sleeping. Brennan fell asleep watching Booth watch Abby sleep.

The next morning

Angela brought Katie over to meet Abby, that didn't start out well. Booth met them in the lobby to take Katie to Brennan's room.

"Hi Daddy."

"Hi Katie, are you ready to go meet your sister and see Mommy?"

"I just want to see Mommy."

"You don't want to see Abby?"

"No."

"Abby wants to see you."

"I don't care."

"Well let's go see Mommy."

Booth carried Katie down to Brennan's room, "Hi Katie, come see Abby."

"I don't want to."

"Booth put Abby in her crib and gives us a few minutes."

Booth nodded and picked up Abby and placed her in the crib. He picked up Katie and sat her next to Brennan, kissing them both and leaving.

"Katie, why don't you want to see your sister?"

"I don't like her."

Why?"

"Now you and Daddy won't do things with me anymore. We won't have Christmas either!"

"Katie your Dad and I will still do things with you, just not as often and we might bring Abby along sometimes, okay?"

'Okay." Katie snuggled into Brennan a little; Brennan kissed the top of her head, "Why won't we have Christmas? It's weeks away."

"Because the tree's not decorated, Santa won't come if the tree's not decorated, Mommy." the sadness in Katie's voice broke Brennan heart.

"Katie, we'll have Christmas as soon as I start feeling better we'll decorate the tree."

"Promise?"

"Yes." Brennan pulled Katie into a hug.

Booth stuck his head in the door, "can I come in?"

"Yes Booth. Katie how about we say hi to Abby now?"

"I guess."

Booth smiled and put Abby in Brennan's arms.

"She's little, Mommy."

"She is, but she'll grow, just like you did."

"I was that little?"

"Yeah, I'll show you the pictures when I get home."

"Okay."

"so Katydid what do you think of your sister?'

"She's okay I guess."

They visited a little longer then Angela took Katie home promising to drop her off at the house with Max to wait on them to come home the next afternoon.

The next afternoon Brennan and Booth arrived home, Brennan handed Abby to Max collapsing on the couch.

"Honey, she's beautiful."

"T hanks Dad. I wish Mom was here to see this, to see the girls, meet Booth, all of it."

"I know honey, but she knows."

"I hope so."

"She came home with you?"

"Yes Katie, come here."

Katie climbed up next to Brennan sitting as close to her as she could; Brennan put both arms around her. That night after a Max prepared dinner Abby got really fussy, Brennan was trying to calm her down, when Katie stalked off to her room. Brennan looked at Max who put a hand on her shoulder, "She'll come around baby girl, Russ wasn't too happy we brought home either."

"What did you do?"

"Every night for the first few weeks, after you settled down for the night after dinner your mom would disappear into Russ' room until he went to bed. I don't know what she did in there, but after a while she didn't have to do it every night, just every once in a while. He warmed up to you a few days later."

"I'll try it."

After Abby went down for a while, Brennan went to Katie's room and found her on the bed with a stack of books,"Katie what are you doing?"

"Reading."

Brennan held in a smile, Katie couldn't read yet.

"Do you want me to read to you?"

"You have Abby."

"She's asleep right now."

"Oh if you want too."

"Go put your pajamas on and I'll read until you fall asleep."

"Okay."

An hour and 3 books later Katie was asleep, Brennan was tucking her in when Booth came in holding Abby, "everything okay?"

"Yeah, we talked between books; I think she'll be okay."

"Good night Daddy, Abby." Came from Katie sleepily as she squeezed her eyes shut

"Goodnight sweetheart."Booth gave Brennan Abby and leaned down to give Katie a kiss.