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After Bones and Christine were settled back into the bed, a knock disturbed the early morning quiet of their small home. Booth wiped his hands on the towel slung over his shoulder and opened the door to find Angela, Hodgins, and the nurse mid-wife. As soon as the door was opened, Angela came barreling in, stopping only to place a quick congratulatory kiss on his cheek.
"They're in the bedroom Angela." He didn't even try to stop her and just gave a shrug and a grin as Hodgins grabbed him in a big bro hug. The nurse mid-wife quietly closed the door greeted Booth with a shrug.
"Congrats man. I can't wait to see her." Hodgins stepped back and glanced between the nurse and Booth and smiled sheepishly. "But, I'll wait until she's finished checking on them." The nurse extended her hand to Booth who shook it heartily.
"Sergeant Major, congratulations are in order I hear." Booth shook his head as he motioned Hodgins and the nurse towards the sofa in the living room.
"How did you guys get here?" The temperature had risen but there was still a layer of ice. Hodgins laughed as Booth pulled out his cell phone and showed the pair the pictures he had taken earlier in the morning.
"Did you think I would be able to keep Angie away from that beautiful creature? I had a jeep delivered to the hotel." The nurse took the phone and flipped through the pictures and congratulated Booth again.
"She's beautiful and has Temperance's eyes. Your CO called the hospital this morning and I got a ride with Sergeant Barnes. He's waiting for you outside and asked me to tell you that you are expected to as soon as your family receives the all clear. It's all hands on deck for ice storm clean up." Booth grimaced as she pointed her thumb towards the window. "Looks like you could use a little clean up here as well." Booth hadn't had a second thought about his SUV which was now wrecked under a heavy tree limb. He would get a couple of guys from the post to help him out later with it. Right then, his only priorities were his wife and Christine. His CO had called a few minutes before to let him know that he had to go in as soon as Bones and Christine were given the all clear. All he had to do was change.
"Thanks for coming Rachel. I appreciate it. I didn't want to take them out in this mess." Rachel Caudill had been a nurse mid-wife for nearly fifteen years, was married to a Lt. Colonel and was employed at the military hospital. She had been seeing Temperance regularly since the beginning and didn't consider it a hardship to visit her favorite author and Sergeant Major in their home. She had been more than happy to hitchhike with the Sergeant.
"Not a problem Sergeant Major. Now, take me to your wife and baby daughter."
Angela quietly stepped into the bedroom to find Bones' just smiling at the baby cradled in her arms. She took her cell phone out of her pocket and snapped a couple of quick pictures. Bones looked up when she heard the noise and motioned for her best friend to enter the room. Angela walked to the bed as quick as she could and sat down gently, not wanting to disturb the sleeping beauty. Bones moved the baby for Angela to see and took her finger and gave the baby cheekbone a tender stroke.
"She's beautiful Bren. Oh my God. I can't believe that she's finally here, and I missed it. Leave it to you guys." Angela sighed and Bones shifted her position in the bed.
"Do you want to hold your Goddaughter?" Angela gave her head a vigorous nod and held out her arms. Bones eased the baby into the crook of her arm, holding the tiny head steady. Angela studied the little face and the tiny hands and fingers. When she looked up at Bones, her eyes were brimming with unshed tears.
"This is incredible. She looks exactly like you and Booth." Bones gave a small chuckle.
"Yes, she does. She has my eyes and Booth's chin and cheeks." Bones' eyes never left the small bundle of joy. "You do know that a human child will resemble its father more during the first year of its life." Angela nodded her head. She had heard it before when Bones had been baby Andy's caregiver.
"Yes, so I've heard." Angela replied wryly. She moved her eyes from the baby to Bones.
"So tell me, what was it like?" Bones considered her answer. Truthfully, it all was a blur. Once she had held her daughter for the first time, she had already forgotten the rest.
"It was extraordinary, and beautiful...a lot more painful than I had imagined." Bones gave Angela a pointed look. "But, it was also special and private." Bones smile was wistful as she thought of yet another thing in their lives that was just between her and Booth. The tears that Angela had been fighting began to trickle down her cheeks as Brennan described the birth in a way that only she could, she watched as her metaphorical sister's expression became softer. "I don't think that it could have been more perfect." Bones winced a little as she shifted her position on the bed.
"I'm so proud of you, and Booth. I always knew that you would produce gorgeous babies, and now I have proof. Will you please tell me her name now?" A knock on the door frame interrupted their conversation before Bones replied. Angela turned to see the nurse mid-wife and Booth standing in the doorway.
"Rachel needs to check things out, and I need to get ready for work." Angela gave him a sharp look. "Hey, my CO called and it's all hands on deck for the ice storm clean up today. I'm glad that you're here to stay with them." Bones gave him an understanding nod. When the Army called, it was always duty first and family second.
"We'll be fine Booth and we will all be here when you return this evening." Rachel studied the couple as they spoke and had another, more private conversation with their eyes. She had met very few couples who were so connected that they could have a complete non-verbal conversation. The Booths were not only fascinating as a couple, but as individuals. She cleared her throat, hating to break up the moment. She needed to get her examination of the new mother and child out of the way so that she could return to base with the Sergeant and Sergeant Major. "Rachel. I'm so glad that you could come." Rachel moved towards the bed and motioned to the baby.
"May I?" She asked with an inclination of her head. Bones nodded and lifted the baby to her waiting arms. "She is beautiful and just perfect isn't she?" The nurse cooed at the baby taking the small hand in her grasp. Booth grabbed his uniform out of the closet and motioned for Angela to follow him from the room, leaving the nurse and Bones some privacy.
"Sweetie, I'm going to go and let your nurse do her thing." Angela said as she rose from the bed giving Bones' hand a tight squeeze. "Come on Studly, strut yourself into the bathroom and put on that sexy uniform." Bones laughed as a blush rose on Booth's cheeks. He gave her a playful glare and left the room.
"So, it looks like you got the home delivery you wanted after all. Any after effects? Excessive bleeding?" The nurse asked as she removed Christine from the bundle of blankets. Bones shook her head, watching the nurse with protective interest.
"Just a little sore, but otherwise okay, nothing unusual from bearing a child." The nurse gave her a satisfied nod, trusting Temperance to know if she was experiencing abnormal symptoms.
"Good, you know what to look for and if anything unusual occurs, or you begin to bleed to heavily, call me and we will decide what to do." Bones gave a nod.
"Of course, so what about Christine?" Bones asked with an unfamiliar anxiety in her tone. Rachel, who had inspected every inch of the baby as well as measured and weighed her, turned her smile to the new mother.
"She's perfect, this one. In fact, she is seven pounds, ten ounces and twenty-one inches long." Relief was evident in Bones' face. "So, Christine?" Bones blushed, not realizing that she had revealed the baby's name to the nurse before she had told Angela.
"Yes, after my mother. We haven't told Angela yet, please don't say anything to her." The nurse smirked with understanding.
"No worries Temperance. Now, I'm afraid that I have to return to the base. You take care of this little angel." Rachel placed the swaddled Christine in Bones' waiting arms as Booth stepped back into the room dressed in his ACU's.
"Thank you and we will." Bones assured the nurse who quietly left the room to give the new parents some privacy. Booth's grin couldn't have been any larger as he smiled at the mother of his newest child.
"Time to go babe. Let Angela and Hodgins help you okay?" Booth moved to the bed and kissed Bones on the lips before placing a small peck on his daughter's cheek.
"I will." Bones said and Booth gave a snort. "I promise." She assured him with a brilliant smile. Satisfied that his wife would let Angela and Hodigns take care of her, he folded his hat between his hands.
"I'll be home as soon as I can, alright?" Bones rolled her eyes and smirked.
"I know you will. Go Booth. Christine and I are fine. I love you." Booth kissed her one last time and rose from the bed.
"I love you too baby. Oh, when do you want to tell Angela the baby's name?" Bones thought for a second.
"Tell her on your way out so that she doesn't wake Christine." Bones placed the baby back into the bassinet and placed her hand on Christine's tummy. Booth face lit up with pleasure.
"You got it babe." Bones laughed and waved him out of the room. Thirty seconds later, Bones heard a loud squeal and footsteps in the hall. Christine Angela Booth's Godmother was ecstatic.
"Bren." Angela said in an exaggerated whisper, not wanting to disturb the sleeping baby, but wanting to convey her level of excitement. "I love you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me." Bones laughed softly.
"Angela, you have no idea how much you mean to me. Will you watch her for me while I take a shower?" Bones had only been able to do a quick clean up with the power off, but since the lights had flickered on just before their guests had arrived, she was looking forward to a long, hot shower. Angela nodded and scooped the baby into her arms.
"Yes, I'm just going to take her to see Jack. He felt weird about coming into your bedroom. Just don't overdo it okay, and yell if you need me." Bones winced as she slowly rose from the bed, her body was impossibly sore, but she felt better than she had in weeks.
"I promised Booth that I would let you help me so I will call out if I find that I am in need." Angela kissed the baby's forehead and carried the bundle to the living room to meet her Uncle Jack.