This chapter doesn't have a flashback, as I'm thinking I'm nearing the end of the flashbacks. I really just want to get to the storyline and focus on that a little more.
Anyway, this chapter has a lot of Brennan/Amelia.
Fingers and Toes
Disclaimer; I do not own or associate with Fox, Bones or Hart Hanson. Any copyright infringements I do make are not on purpose and I do apologise in advance.
Before anyone could realise, the morning had rolled into the afternoon and the sun which was now beaming through the clouds had melted the light drift of snow from the paths and trees around Jefferson Memorial Park. Amelia's giggles and shrieks echoed through the wind as Booth's bellowed laugh hung around after the innocence of his child's. Brennan had chosen against following the other three for a walk around the lake and stayed behind to set up the picnic lunch that Booth had grabbed from the Black Toyota Sequoia previous to setting out on the stroll.
Having laid the picnic blanket out in the sun, in a nice clear area, which overlooked the lake, Brennan flipped open the bamboo picnic basket and her senses instantly picked up of the freshness of the food prepared. Quickly casting her eyes out towards the lake, she took in the sight before dipping her head back into the basket. Pulling out a punnet of strawberries, Brennan quickly noticed her favourite organic produces label on the front and a basking smile rolled onto her facial features without such warning. After setting the rest of the food out onto the blanket, along with the bottle of cordial (for the kids) and two bottles of water for her and Booth, Brennan couldn't help but pop open the plastic punnet and take a strawberry. The sweetness of the berry melted in her mouth as she ate the way towards the green leaf in no time. Out of curiosity to see if another one was just as sweet and delicious, she popped another into her mouth, as she watched over the lake and into the distance where she could see Booth, Parker and Amelia.
"Is it lunch time?" Parker's voice rang through her ears as she saw the blonde headed boy, sit down on the blanket furthest from her and closest to the mini quiches and drinks.
Booth sat Amelia in between himself and Brennan and watched on in awe as the mother and daughter reconnected, both sharing the same adoration as Brennan helped clean Amelia's hand up from what she'd said were the 'ducks fault', but by the looks of it, Brennan guessed she's fallen over in the muddy reeds trying to get closer to the ducks.
Quizzically looking around, Booth raised an eyebrow and frowned. "Where'd the strawberries go? I'm sure I packed them."
Snapping her head up, Brennan watched as Booth double checked the items of food spread out in front and checked it once more, "Oops." Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan put on her best innocent voice with a soft pout of her lips.
Shaking his head, Booth tried to contain a laugh as he picked up a piece of cheese and kabana and dropped them into his mouth simultaneously.
They ate and laughed. They ate and talked. And to anyone else, they were just any other family, lazing in the winter Sun.
After the food was diminished and Booth and Parker left, since Booth had promised to take Parker out for a kick of the football, Brennan was left alone with Amelia. The soft curls of her daughter's hair, rubbed against her tee-shirt as the girl's eyes fluttered in and out of sleep. Rubbing soft patterns across Amelia's back, Brennan took pleasure in the alone time.
"Mummy," The sleepiness in Amelia's voice startled Brennan, along with the foreign word which had passed through the little girl's lips. Tilting Amelia's head back a little; Brennan pressed a kiss to her temple and brushed a curl away from her eyes, as big blues orbs stared into the similarity of her own blue orbs.
Searching for the right words, Brennan ummed and ahhed, but somehow managed to whispered, "Yes, sweetheart?"
"Mummy," Amelia repeated as she wriggled out of Brennan's grasp and stood. Brennan watched on intently as Amelia went to grab for Brennan's nose, but missed and firmed her delicate fingertips onto Brennan's lips. Nipping lightly, Brennan looked on as Amelia drew her hand back hurriedly in the midst of her giggles, as slowly drawing her fingers back to Brennan's lips. Temperance went to nip at her daughter's fingers, but again Amelia drew her hand back in a hurry, giggled and returned to fingers to Brennan's mouth.
The game of cat and mouse lasted a while until Amelia planted her whole hand across Brennan's coral pink lips. Leaning in, Amelia removed her right hand and replaced her palm with her own set of slightly parted lips. Listening to the suction of saliva and lip contact, Brennan couldn't help the brimming smile which casted across her face after Amelia drew back with a resounding 'mwah'.
Glancing at her watch, Brennan noticed it was nearing 5:00pm and they'd promised the nurses she would be back in their care by no later than 5:30pm. Looking out into the horizon, she had to squint her eyes with the glare of evening sunset before noticing two figures come over the hill. Dropping eyes from Booth and Parker's dark shadows, Brennan tilted her head back down to Amelia who had spread herself across Brennan's lap, her eyes nearing closed as her deep breaths neared sleep.
Savoring the moment, Brennan soon knew she wasn't alone again. Lifting her head slowly, she smiled towards Booth who returned the faint turn up of the lips and grabbed the picnic basket, passing it over to Parker to carry before bending down to carefully pick Amelia up off Brennan.
"No," Even her words startled herself, but the single word Brennan spoke was of authority, even if it was in a mere whisper.
Backing off slowly, Booth raised his hands in the air as his 'almost' famous charm smile spread further across his lips with a chuckle escaping his vocal cords.
Parker walked ahead of Brennan, Booth and Amelia swinging the basket, and sometimes getting a disapproving look from other people passing by. When Parker's eyes were firmly fixed back on the path in front, Booth threaded his fingers between Brennan's spare hand and in that single moment, they shared another of their infamous 'looks'. A look of adoration. Like the single kiss they shared on the park bench in the morning, the look that could only result in love.
"She called me mummy," She didn't speak the words directly to Booth, but they lingered in the air and it seemed to warm her heart once she had said them. Cautiously gazing across to Booth, Brennan bit her lip as she waited for his reaction.
"Did you like it?" He spoke as casually as it could come. The laid back attitude of Booth seemed to relax Brennan from the tension building behind her exterior. The guilt for giving up Amelia and the guilt for pushing Booth away.
When she didn't answer for quite a while, Booth's heart dropped.
And when she continued to not say anything for the car ride back to the Hospital, Booth started to give up on all hope. Quickly signing Brennan back into the Hospital, he made sure she was settled in her room, and was about to leave when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. Slowly turning around, he swallowed… and swallowed hard.
"Yes," It only took one word and their lips were crashed back together. They both felt intoxicated with each other, as if each other were the ignition to the fire. Although the kiss was passionate, it was also filled with want, need and desperation of never being left out to dry again.
Only breaking when they were gasping for air, Booth tilted his head against her forehead, a smile brimming on both their lips. They stood there for a moment, until a loud cough rang through both their ears.
"Are you and Bones boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Parker asked as he stood in the doorway of the Hospital room. His eyebrow raised and the same smile in which he carried from his father spreading across his own set of lips.
Booth shrugged and stepped away from Brennan, glancing over his shoulder as he saw her cheeks became a pink hue, before turning back to Parker, ignoring the question from his son, "How about McDonald's for tea?"
Brennan raised a fingertip to her lips when she saw Booth guide Parker out of the room and hoisting Amelia up on his hip and the last words she could make out clearly from Booth and Parker's conversation was, "Drop it Parker. Do you want a happy meal or not?"