He was aware immediately of clandestine movement in the doorway. His hand was at the drawer of the bedside table a fraction of a second before he recognized the small figure standing in the shadows, her bare feet poking out beneath green pajamas.
A twist of his head confirmed Brennan sleeping undisturbed. Booth lifted one finger to his lips then beckoned Christine in with a wave of his hand. As she ran across the room, he turned on his side and patted the space he'd created. The little girl tucked herself into the warm curve of her father's body and closed her eyes.
"I love you, Daddy." The quiet whisper came on a jaw splitting yawn.
He pressed a smiling kiss into the strawberry-scented hair beneath his chin. "I love you, too, baby."
He had just started to drop back into sleep when he sensed another child approaching. This time, he was expecting it.
One more glance over at Brennan, one more silent shhhhhhhh, come on, while he moved his legs a few inches to the left. "Put your head down there," he instructed quietly, "and try not to kick your sister."
Zach was asleep before Booth managed to get the sheet arranged to cover all three of them.
.
.
Brennan stirred when the first pale rays of light filtered into the room. She stretched . . . then paused as she registered the difference in the sound of breathing in the hushed room.
Lifting up on one elbow she looked across the bed at the tangle of small arms and legs crowded into the space beside Booth.
He woke with her movement and followed her gaze over the sprawled bodies of their sleeping children. When he caught her eye, he smiled ruefully.
"Okay, so Shark Week wasn't such a good idea."
.
.
I woke up this morning beneath a pile of grandchildren. Okay, technically there were only two of them but they're 5 and 2 and I'm pretty sure they grow extra arms and legs while they sleep.
Thanks for reading!