[DISCLAIMER] I don't own Bones.

21st December

The Fieldtrip in the Jeffersonian

"Now, this is cool," the tourguide says as they reach the Ancient Egyptian exhibit. He watches as the young eyes light up with delight, with the exception of one brown haired girl who looks bored. He makes his way over to her, kneels down in front of her and asks, "what's up? Do you not think mummy's are cool?"

"I've seen it before."

He furrows his brow, she seems a little young to have been taken around the Jeffersonian museum and actually absorbed the information. "You have?"

"My mommy works here," she explains.

"Really? In which department?"

"The Medic- medico-legal lab. She's real smart."

"Everybody that works here is real smart." Even under-paid and under-appreciated tourguides who have to do this job to pay their way through their biochemistry degree, he thinks bitterly.

"Not as smart as my mommy," she says knowingly. "She knows every bone in the human body. That's why my daddy calls her Bones."

"Wow, that is impressive."

"Can we visit her?"

"I don't know-. What's your name?"

"Christine. Christine Booth, daughter of Temperance Brennan."

"You're Temperance Brennan's daughter?" He replies, shocked. No wonder she knows all the exhibits off by heart. She's probably a genius, just like her mother.

"That's what I said. Are you stupid?" She asks candidly and he sputters, not knowing how to respond. Her teacher comes over at that point, places her hand on Christine's shoulder and says,

"Come on, sweetheart, let's go look at the cool mummy's."

"I've seen them before. I want to see my mommy." She stamps her foot on the floor, a determined expression crossing her face.

"I'm not sure we're allo-."

"No, no," he interrupts swiftly. He straightens his jacket, the thought of meeting the Temperance Brennan overruling everything he's been taught about not entering the lab. "I'm sure it will be fine. Come on, kids! Let's go see some really neat stuff!"

He leads them to the lab and is floored by the expansive space, the high-tech machines and all the people rushing around in labcoats. One hurries over to him and says they're not supposed to tour here, especially now they have a body coming in, but then Brennan leaves her office and every rule is forgotten.

Christine spots her first and runs over to her mother, a huge smile on her face as she is lifted into her arms.

"Christine, sweetheart, you're not supposed to be here!"

She pouts. "But I wanted to see you."

Her adorably eager face knocks down Brennan's walls and she carries her five year old over to the group, watching astutely as the tour guide nervously fixes his jacket.

"I can give you a tour of the lab, if you'd like," she says to the teacher and all the kids, including Christine, cheer excitedly.

"Dr. Brennan, there's remains coming in-."

"They can wait. Come on, I'll show you the Angelatron first!"

The five year olds "ooh" and "ahh" as she shows them around the lab. She questions them on basic scientific knowledge like the planets in space and how gravity was discovered. Christine, obviously, knows every answer and Brennan is immensely proud when she sees her daughter's hand shoot up each time. She shows them a skeleton and, along with Christine, teaches them her anatomically-accurate bone song, pleased when they all start to pick it up. As they're walking through the lab, they pass a set of remains that are being brought up to the platform, Booth following behind them.

His eyebrows lift as he sees Brennan with a trail of Christine's classmates behind her.

"Daddy!" Christine exclaims, charging forward to hug him. She's dressed in a tiny blue lab coat Brennan had given out to all the children, her hair in plaits Brennan had done this morning with a wide smile on her face. "I'm a doctor, too! Like mommy!"

"Wow!" He grins. "You having a good fieldtrip, monkey?"

"Yeah! We saw all the dinosaurs and mommy showed us around the lab!"

"Christine?" Her teacher's voice calls from behind her. "We have to go back to school now."

"Can't she stay here?" Booth asks, fiddling with her plaits. "We're with her and it's not like she has any other lessons, right?"

"Pllleeeaaasssseeee," Christine pleads with her teacher.

"Ok, fine," she agrees. "I guess it is more logical for her to stay."

"Great, thanks," Booth says, lifting her onto his hip and walking up to the platform, Brennan swiping them in.

"I hope you had a nice tour, kids!" Brennan tells them, waving goodbye as the line of children are guided out of the lab.

Booth distracts his daughter in the corner while his wife and team, bar Hodgins, who's still in hospital, examine the remains. He jots down the details Brennan calls over to him, but makes sure Christine's back is turned the entire time, not wanting to traumatise her.

When the initial analysis is complete, Cam dismisses them, saying they can begin properly the next morning. Brennan doesn't even put up a fight and grabs her belongings before they make their way to the Jeffersonian's daycare, animated by the prospect of a quiet evening in with her family.

A bit of a lighter chapter today before we're back to an angsty chapter tomorrow of Hodgins dealing with his diagnosis. What do you think? Let me know in the reviews!