CHAPTER 36. Baskets & Strollers
Love is the greatest refreshment in life.
- Pablo Picasso
It was a beautiful, still day and Parker had begged Brennan to take him for a picnic.
Prisoner to those chocolate eyes, Brennan had agreed; persuading Angela and Hodgins to come along, seeing as Booth had a meeting with Cullen.
Angela pushed the stroller along while Brennan held Parker's hand, chatting away to Hodgins about the wildlife that could be found in the vicinity.
The stroller had a reversible handle and Angela currently had it snapped into the forward position, so that she could walk with Violet facing her.
Angela was three months along now, and her own bump was just beginning to show.
They settled on a shady spot next to the pavilion, laying out a big, red rug and opening up the picnic basket.
Angela parked the stroller and lifted Violet out, tickling her softly before handing her to Brennan.
"Hello, princess," Brennan grinned, kissing Violet's little nose and propping her up next to her. Brennan ran her fingers through her daughter's short brown curls and sighed. How could she have ever dismissed the idea of having a baby?
"Hey, mommy," chirped Parker happily, "remember when I came here with you for the very first time?"
She tickled him under the chin lightly and he writhed under her touch.
"Yes, how could I forget?" she smiled.
"That's the day daddy told you he loved you, didn't he?" Parker beamed.
Brennan nodded contentedly, recalling the events of that wonderful day.
"You know, Parker, if it wasn't for you, your daddy might not have told me," she whispered.
"Then I might not have married him, and Violet wouldn't be here," she added, kissing his forehead. Parker beamed proudly.
"Daddy would have told you anyway," Parker said, "he told me you were the prettiest girl he'd ever seen."
Brennan blushed and Angela let one of those infamous 'aww' sounds escape from her lips.
Violet started to crawl away and Brennan went to go after her, but Hodgins leaped to his feet, spurred on by the girl talk he could see coming.
"I'll follow her," he smiled, staying a few steps behind her as she crawled along, making sure there were no sharp objects in her path.
She turned at the corner of the pavilion, slipping around the side of it as Hodgins ran after her as fast as he could.
Violet started crying as she crashed into someone's legs, and Hodgins immediately scooped her up.
"Steady on there, you little rascal," he soothed, bouncing her up and down until her wailing stopped. His face broke out into an awkward smile as he saw the culprit of the collision.
"Sully… hi, man," Hodgins whispered, not knowing quite what to say and apparently not able to form a coherent sentence.
"Hey! Oh god, sorry about your little one. I didn't know you had a baby, she's gorgeous," Sully cooed, pinching her cheek gently. Violet did not take kindly to this stranger's contact however, and she released a high pitched scream.
"She isn't mine," Hodgins tried to explain, whilst rubbing Violet's cheek softly and attempting to calm her.
Brennan came running around the corner, immediately responding to her daughter's cries.
She was relieved to see that Violet had not met some horrible fate, and was safe in Hodgins' arms.
Brennan held her arms out to Violet, who immediately stretched forward, as Brennan lifted her up.
"What's wrong, princess?" she smiled, tickling Violet's tummy.
Violet's violent screams had stopped as soon as her mother's arms had encased her and she now broke out into contented laughter, chewing on Brennan's collar and gurgling happily.
Looking up to ask Hodgins why Violet was crying, Brennan came face to face with a bewildered looking Sully.
She gasped and tightened her grip on Violet, resting her chin on Violet's head protectively.
"Tempe, she's yours?" Sully asked, almost rendered completely speechless.
Brennan frowned. "Yes, she's mine. Don't act so surprised, you knew I was pregnant," she stated, popping Violet's pacifier into her mouth.
Hodgins shifted uncomfortably, unsure whether to go back to Angela and Parker or to wait for Brennan.
"Yeah, I know. I just thought, you know…" whispered Sully, running his hand over the back of his neck and shrugging.
"Thought what?" demanded Brennan.
"I just thought you might… well, might have ended it," he said quietly, not daring to meet her gaze.
Her eyes were now blazing with anger; it was a good job Sully didn't look at her, he might have been set alight by the furnace that had been ignited within her.
"You thought that I would abort mine and Booth's baby?" she spat, her eyes flaring open.
He sunk his hands into his pockets and sighed, unsure of how to respond without annoying her even further.
"I guess I just never had you pegged as the maternal type," he admitted.
"You didn't think I'd make a good mother?" she screeched. He didn't respond which made her even angrier.
"Well, you're right; I'm not a good mother. I'm a great mother," she shouted, kissing Violet's head tenderly to make sure that she wasn't frightened from the yelling.
Brennan's eyes filled with tears, but there was no way she was going to let them fall. Violet was making cute little sucking noises with her pacifier, and Brennan rubbed her back softly.
"How could you ever think that I could get rid of something so… so precious?" she hissed, one bold tear sneaking down her cheek and dropping onto Violet's head of curls.
"Maybe I would have if it had been yours," she snapped bitterly, stroking Violet's soft locks, "but I would never get rid of something I made with the man I love."
Hodgins had never felt more out of place in all his life and he wasn't exactly sure where he was supposed to look, so he chose the safest option; looking at the floor.
Suddenly, he felt Violet being pressed into his arms as Brennan stepped forward, slapping Sully across the face as solidly as she could; which on account of her martial arts training, was pretty hard.
She lifted Violet back into her arms and glared at Sully, before turning her back on him and walking away for the very last time.
This chapter is dedicated to: bb-4ever
S'mores for everyone. :D
A review would be charming.