Booth's eyes slowly blinked open in the pale morning light. He grinned as he rolled over and put his arm around his wife. "Mornin', Bones…"

"Hmmm...what time is it?" She moaned softly as she leaned back against her husband's broad chest.

"Six. Sleep well?"

"When I actually was able to sleep...someone kept trying to wake me up every few hours so I could entertain him." She giggled as his fingers started to skim across her abdomen. "It's my vacation. Shouldn't I be able to sleep late if I want? What do you want to do today?"

Booth nuzzled his wife's neck as he sighed happily. "I think you know…"

"I mean after we get out of bed." Brennan turned to face Booth and propped her head up on her arm. "Maybe we should go to the beach. The air temperature is supposed to be pleasant and there is very little chance of precipitation for today."

"Yeah, maybe. We can drive a couple of miles over to Ocean City and let the kids play in the water for a couple of hours and then we can check out the boardwalk. Their boardwalk is supposed to be one of the best in the country." Booth pushed a strand of hair behind Brennan's ear. "They've got a carousel and a Ferris wheel. I bet the kids would like to check those things out."

"I've made reservations for Christine and Hank to participate in a Pirate Adventure in Rehoboth Beach tomorrow, and maybe later this week we can go over to Assateague and Chincoteague. Christine really likes that book Misty of Chincoteague, about the feral horses that live there. I don't know if we'll actually get to see any of the horses, but it's part of the National Seashore system, so we should probably take the opportunity to visit there." Brennan chuckled as Booth pulled her close and kissed her. "Perhaps the children will be tired this evening and they'll go to bed early…"

"That's what I thought, too. Playing in the sun and water all day is bound to make them sleepy." Booth nibbled at Brennan's ear. "Hopefully, chasing them around won't wear me out as well…"

"I certainly hope not." Brennan ran her finger down her husband's bare chest. "However, we should consider using our time wisely this morning…."

"An excellent idea, Bones. C'mere…"

Oooooooooo

At seven AM two small pairs of feet came running into their bedroom. "Mama, I hungry.", Hank announced.

"So what else is new?" Booth sat up in bed, grinning at his children. "Let me guess...you guys want breakfast, right?"

"Yes, Daddy! We want pancakes!" Christine pulled on her father's arm to drag him out of bed. "Please? We're hungry!"

"Okay, let's go see if your mom brought stuff to make pancakes." Pulling on a tee shirt, he followed his noisy offspring into the kitchen. "Yep, here we go...pancake mix, and here's a skillet. Christine, you see if you can find some plates. Whoa, Tiger…" Catching Hank by his pajama top, Booth brought his son to the table. "You can't go outside unless someone's with you, okay? You don't know how to swim very well, and you might fall into the water. After breakfast we'll go outside for a few minutes, okay? Hey, guess what? We're gonna go swim at the beach today!"

"Twim at bea!" Hank bounced up and down in his chair. "Twim, Daddy!"

"That's right. We're gonna swim. Christine, go ask your mother if she wants breakfast...oh, there you are." Booth grinned at his wife's tousled hair, remembering how it managed to get that way. "Here you go, Bones. A couple of pancakes for you…"

"Thank you. After breakfast we'll need to get our bathing suits on and find our towels. Christine, I know your bathing suit is at home, so we'll stop at a store and get you one so you can swim, too."

Okay, Mommy." Christine took a big bite of her pancakes. "Can I get a keenie?"

"No way." Booth shook his head as he stabbed his pancakes. "No daughter of mine is wearing a bikini. You can get a regular one piece bathing suit."

"I think you're overreacting, Booth. After all, my bathing suit is a modified bikini…" Brennan grinned at her husband's glare. "Don't worry. I'm sure we can find a bathing suit suitable for Christine."

"Good, and while you're at it, maybe a cover up for you, right?" Booth winked at his wife. "I don't want to cause a panic on the beach when all the guys see how hot my wife is…"

Christine rolled her eyes at her silly father. "Of course Mommy is gonna be hot, Daddy. It's summertime."

"Right." Eating his last bite of pancakes, Booth got up and took his plate over to the sink. "Okay, let's get this cleaned up so we can go. I hate coming home to a sink full of dirty dishes."

Oooooooooo

When the family finally got to the beach, it took several minutes to get umbrellas, towels, beach chairs, toys, and everything else ready before they could finally get into the water. Hank and Christine were slathered head to toe in sunscreen, and tried to wait patiently for it to dry before they ran to the water's edge. The children squealed happily as the water lapped at their toes, trying to outrun the waves as they came to shore. Booth followed closely behind, allowing his kids to feel independent, but within arm's reach if they should fall. After about twenty minutes of being at the water's edge, Christine felt brave enough to wade into the waves.

"Hold my hand, Daddy." She got a firm grip on her father's hand as he balanced Hank on his hip, and they slowly walked into the water until it was about waist deep on Christine. She stood quietly for a few minutes, seemingly amazed by the motion of the water around her. "I can feel the sand moving around my feet! It's all squishy!"

"I know. It's kind of fun, isn't it? Oh, look...there goes a little fish…" Booth pointed as a small slender shape went racing by.

"Is that a shark, Daddy?" Christine gave him a wide eyed stare. "I don't like sharks…"

"Nah, it wasn't big enough to be a shark. Probably a mullet. Don't fret, Sweetheart." Booth decided to change the subject. "Hey, maybe while we're here at the beach house we can go out in a boat and see some dolphins. I know your mommy would like that."

"Daddy...want down." Hank was trying to squirm free from his father's grasp. "Twim…"

"Just a minute there, Tiger…" Walking back to shore, Booth set Hank down in the shallow water. "Here we go...wave to Mommy…" Hank turned around to wave to Brennan, who was ensconced under a large beach umbrella. A whitecap came rushing in, knocking the little boy down before his father could catch him. Snatching the child out of the water, Booth pulled him close. "Are you okay, Hank?"

Hank sputtered and then laughed gleefully. "Twim, Daddy! Wanna twim."

"Okay. Let's sit here in the water and watch Chrissy, and we can swim." Booth and Hank splashed in the water as it came to shore as Christine played in the gentle waves.

"Booth, I think it's time for Christine and Hank to put more sunscreen on." Brennan held up a bottle for him to see. "You need some as well…"

"Geez, you know I hate that stuff, Bones. It's sticky and it smells like pina colada crap." Booth cringed as he brought Hank and Christine to see their mother. "I don't really think I need it, anyway. I always tan…"

"Unfortunately, the thinning of the Earth's ozone layer is such that even people who normally tan can experience overexposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation." Smirking at her husband, she slowly applied sunscreen to her chest, arching her eyebrow suggestively as she spoke. "I would be so disappointed if our evening's activities were cut short because you were sunburned…"

Booth got the message. "Yeah, okay. Hand over the sunscreen…"

Oooooooooo

After taking a break for lunch, Hank and Christine wanted to swim so more. "Come on, Mommy...come in the water."

Brennan resisted at first, but after much pleading, she finally gave in. "Oh, alright. Let me make sure I've applied adequate sunscreen." Holding Christine's hand, she tiptoed into the water. "The water is much colder than I anticipated!", she giggled. Brennan and Christine bobbed up and down in the waves as the water came rushing to shore. Booth hoisted Hank up on his shoulders, and the family played together in the water, enjoying the afternoon and each other's company. Hank and Christine built sand castles and collected shells that had washed up on the beach. The children squealed and laughed as they chased the shorebirds that ran along the water's edge.

Booth took a nap under the umbrella as his wife kept an eye on Hank and Christine. Brennan glanced at her husband as he slept, noticing how peaceful he looked. He had been under so much stress since his brother's death and his own severe injury, and now it seemed he was finally able to relax. She smiled as she gazed out at the ocean, glad that she had agreed to a family vacation at the beach. Being away from work had helped both of them heal from their recent trauma. It was just what they'd needed.

A few more hours passed idly by, and the family decided pack up the car so they could check out the Ocean City boardwalk. Putting Hank in his stroller, the family purchased some ice cream before window shopping as they strolled along, enjoying the sights and sounds of the various vendors along the way. They ducked into an arcade, where Booth won prizes for Christine and Hank at the shooting gallery. They all rode the carousel and the Ferris wheel before heading back to the car for the short trip home.

They grilled some hot dogs for dinner, including vegetarian ones for Brennan, and sat on the veranda as the dusk crept in around them. Fireflies danced across the night sky, much to the delight of Hank and Christine. Constellations began to appear in the darkness, and Brennan pointed them out to her children, hoping to pass on the love of astronomy that she'd received from her father.

"Too bad we didn't bring a telescope.", Booth commented. "I bet we could see a lot stars and planets as dark as it is out here."

"Maybe we can bring one next time we come to the ocean." Brennan grinned at Booth's surprise. "You were right. So far our vacation has been very relaxing, and I think we should make it a tradition."

"Good to know." Booth nodded toward the two drowsy children. "See? I told you they'd be worn out. Let's get them to bed."

Christine and Hank were tucked safely in bed as Brennan joined Booth back on the veranda. A cool breeze washed across them as they enjoyed a nightcap.

"I had a wonderful day today, Booth. It was quite enjoyable."

"Yeah, me, too. You know, I think the best part of the deal is that no one knows who we are. I mean, I know you're a famous author, but it seems like it was just us by ourselves out there today...just our little family, and we could have fun together on our own. I guess it sounds selfish, but I'm glad we're here alone, without our friends…at least for a week or two."

"No, I don't think you're being selfish. No one has called us away from our children for anything they thought was more important. We don't have to go to work on some terrible case, and we have many fewer responsibilities here. We can just be us for a change. It's a wonderful thing to be able to relax like this, and I'm enjoying it tremendously. I'm glad you suggested it."

"So you're actually saying I was right?" Booth grinned at his wife. "See, the bad part about it being just us is that no one's gonna believe you said I was right."

"I guess it'll be your word against mine, Booth." Brennan giggled at his annoyance. "By the way, we've made plans for this evening, didn't we? For just the two of us?"

He took his wife's hand and smiled. "We did. Let's adjourn to our bedroom for this evening. We'll need to rest so we can go play pirates tomorrow."

Brennan chuckled as she followed him to their bedroom. "Who said anything about rest, Booth?"