A/N: Thanks Goldy!
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"I thought it wouldn't be long." Brennan accused as she opened the door.
"Don't yell at me," Booth said over the crying of Piper. "I didn't think it would take long." He pushed his way in past Brennan and dropped an overnight bag on the ground. "How long has she been screaming?"
"Almost an hour," Brennan responded. "Angela helped me get her here, and then she just started crying." Booth walked over to where Piper laid screaming in her infant seat, and picked the child up. He mimicked the pose from earlier and began to hum. Slowly, Piper's cries began to stop. "How do you do that?" Booth gave a short laugh.
"Lots of experience," he said. "I think the problem is that she's getting hungry." As he paced with the baby, Brennan watched the scene in front of her with amusement. As he paced, Booth had shrugged off his suit jacket and tossed it across the back of one of her dining table chairs. Then he expertly loosened his tie and pulled it over his head. A flick of his wrist, and it landed on his jacket. "What are you smiling at?" he asked turning to face her.
"You," she answered simply.
"Last time I looked in the mirror," he started. "I didn't see anything funny."
"If only you could see yourself," she said. "In half a suit, wearing a shoulder holster, and pacing with a baby."
"Yeah, I guess that would look a bit weird," he answered. "Why don't you order us some takeout, and I'll go give Piper a bath."
"I thought you said the baby was hungry?"
"Piper," Booth corrected. "And she is, but if we give her a bath first, then we can put her to bed after she eats." Brennan nodded her understanding.
"Um, Booth, where is… Piper going to sleep?" Booth stopped his pacing and closed his eyes.
"I forgot about that," he said. "Call Angela, have her go buy a play pen. That should be fine for a few nights."
"Got it."
Booth walked into the living room holding a freshly washed baby wrapped in a towel. "Angela is on her way," Brennan said. "And so is the food."
"Good. You want to find one of the sleeper gowns we bought?" Brennan stood from the chair she was in, and began searching through one of the bags. Booth laid Piper on the couch, and by the time Brennan found the outfit, he had the baby in a clean diaper. "Here," he said, once Piper was dressed. "You hold Piper, while I get the bottle."
"Why don't I get the bottle, and you hold the child."
"Why are you so afraid of her?" Booth asked, as he stood watching Brennan read the instructions on the back of the formula.
"I'm not afraid," Brennan said. "It's just that every time I hold her, she screams."
"That's because she can smell your fear."
"She's a baby, not an animal, Booth."
"Anthropologically speaking," he began, "Aren't we all animals?"
"Don't use my words against me," Brennan said.
"I'm serious. Babies look for security. They can sense it. When they sense that the person holding them is afraid, it makes them scared, and they cry."
"You can't believe that," Brennan said, holding out the finished bottle.
"Can you explain it any other way?" Booth asked.
"Just feed the baby," Brennan told him.
"Nope, you need to get comfortable with Piper. You're gonna feed her. Now go sit down."
"But Booth," she began to protest.
"No buts, now sit." Brennan gave a huff, but walked into the living room and sat down in one of her chairs. "Now put a pillow under the arm you want to hold Piper with."
"I think I can handle holding a baby."
"Just do it," Booth said. "You'll thank me for it later." Brennan did as she was told and Booth laid Piper in her arms. "The pillow helps to keep her at the right angle without taking too much out of your arm." Brennan looked down at the child and swallowed. Why did I let Booth talk me into this, she questioned. She brought the bottle to Piper's lips and the child latched on. "See, not so bad." Booth took a few steps back so that he could take in the picture before him.
"That's Angela," Brennan said, moving to get up, after a knock came to the door.
"You keep feeding Piper," Booth told her. "I'll get the door."
"Oh, how sweet," Angela squealed when Booth opened the door and her eyes fell on Brennan and Piper.
"Did you get the playpen?" Brennan asked, cutting off any more squeals.
"Yeah, it's down in my trunk," Angela said, holding out her keys to Booth. "If some hunky, strong FBI agent wants to go get it." Booth offered the artist a smile before taking the keys. He stripped off his holster, placed it by his suit jacket and then left the apartment.
"Why do you do that?" Brennan asked. Angela sat down on the couch before answering.
"Do what?"
"You know what. Stroke his ego."
"Men like it," Angela said with a shrug. "Makes them feel important."
"But Booth doesn't need his ego to be any bigger."
"Men are insecure," Angela said. "No matter how big they pretend their egos are, they need a woman to tell them that they are important. They'll never admit it, of course, but next time Booth won't do some thing you want him to do, try giving him a compliment. See if he won't snap to it." Angela finished off with a 'that's right' nod, as the front door opened and Booth walked in. The two women watched him carry the playpen box through the living room.
"Where are you going to set it up at?" Brennan asked. Booth stopped just before he disappeared around the corner.
"Your room," he said. "That way we don't disturb her." Brennan was about to protest, but Booth was already out of sight.
Forty minutes later, Piper was asleep, Angela was gone and Booth and Brennan sat on the floor eating pizza and playing cards. "What's the name of this game again?" Brennan asked, as she placed a two on top of an Ace, and then a three, four and five.
"Spike," he answered, pulling a six, the last card, from his 'stack' and placing it on Brennan's five. "Should of blocked me," he told her. Booth sat back with a smile and finished his pizza. "Play again?"
"How did you win so fast?"
"Just luck of the draw," he said. "I've seen this game take over an hour to play." Brennan reached for another slice of pizza.
"Deal them out again," she said. "You're going down." Booth laughed at the seriousness of her threat as he gathered up the cards.
"Care to put a little wager on it, then?"
"Like what?" She asked as she eyed him suspiciously.
"Oh, nothing big," he said. "Let's say whoever wins this next round gets the shower first." Brennan raised an eyebrow at him.
"You're on." When Booth's face split into a wide smile, Brennan got the feeling she was really about to see how the game was played.
"But this is it," Booth said. "We both have to get up in the morning." He let his sentence trail off and brought worried eyes up to meet Brennan's. "I've got court in the morning."
"And I have some meeting that I can't get out of," Brennan told him. "I've tried."
"So, um, what are we gonna do about Piper?" They both threw a glance at Brennan's closed bedroom door.
"I can't take her with me," Brennan said. "Somehow I don't see Cam taking too well to that." Booth sat back and scratched at his chin.
"I've got an idea," he said, pulling out his cell phone. Brennan watched him dial a number and then wait. "Sarah?" he asked after a few seconds. "Hi, yeah, it's Seeley." Brennan wondered who Sarah was but kept her mouth shut. "Listen, I have a favor to ask." Booth laughed. "No, nothing like that. Would you mind adding another mouth to your flock of munchkins tomorrow?" Again, Brennan watched Booth listen. "No, not Parker. A little girl named Piper. About four months old." Pause. "No, I'm not hiding anything from you. Yes, I'll explain when I drop her off. It'll be before eight, is that okay? Good, see you then. Bye." He snapped the phone shut with a smile. "Taken care of."
"Who was that?" Brennan asked, suddenly fearful that he wanted to leave Piper with an ex-girlfriend.
"The wife of a buddy of mine," he answered. "In fact, she's the one that made that Mafia shirt I wear. Sarah and Brian have four kids, three still too young for school."
"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave Piper with her?" Booth raised an eyebrow at her.
"Sure, why not? Sarah's a good woman. I can't think of any safer place for Sweet Pea to stay tomorrow. Since we both have things we can't get out of." Brennan still looked worried.
"I don't know, Booth, what if Child Services calls? Or comes by?"
"Then we tell them that Piper is in a safe place," Booth said. "Besides, I'll pick her up as soon as I get out of court. Don't worry, Bones, she'll be fine."
"I'm not worried," Brennan lied. "It's just that we're…I'm responsible for her until CSS gets her."
"She'll be fine, Bones. Trust me on this."
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'Spike' is a really fun game that I learned from my husband's family. We all play it. And Satah is my bestest friend and Brian is her real life hubby (but they don't have kids).
Fluffy enough for ya? And don't say more BB...cause it's coming...sooner or later. :insert evil laugh:
