UPDATE!
Snapshot: August 14, 2012
Brennan was an absolute mess. Her hairdresser has messed up the haircut she spent months picking out, her dress was too tight, and her feet were too swollen to fit inside her shoes. And, to top it all off, Angela still wasn't there to do her make up. Brennan had called her half a dozen times in the last half hour but she wasn't answering her phone and Brennan was starting to panic.
In fact, the only thing keeping her completely sane was the baby girl sitting on her bed, playing with a stuffed puppy her grandfather had gotten for her. Brennan smiled at Cristina, who was oblivious to everything other than the dog in her arms that she kept making barking noises for.
Brennan grinned. How she wished she could be that calm right now.
Brennan's heart jumped as her front door opened and she heard Cam and Angela's voices in the living room. "Sweetie?" Angela called. "We're here." Brennan breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"I'm in my bedroom." She called back, plopping down into her bed, next to her daughter, who immediately moved towards her, and rested her head on her chest.
"Mmm…" she said. Brennan recognized this as an attempt to say some childish form of Mother, so she encouraged it.
"Mama." she helped. "Say, Mama. Or even Ma."
"Mmm…" Cristina said.
Brennan sighed. Booth had told her to give the baby time and she would be talking before they knew it but as soon as any sound left the tiny lips, Brennan couldn't suppress the urge to help. After all, she had been able to speak herself when she was just under six months, but she was a very advanced baby, according to Max.
Cam and Angela entered the bedroom, finding Brennan laying down in her dress, next to Cristina, clad only in a diaper and socks, head rested on her mother's chest. They both awed as soon as they saw the sweet picture but then grimaced when Brennan sat up and they could see the horrible haircut the hairdresser had given her and Brennan's miserable expression.
"Oh, Sweetie." Angela sighed, sympathetically, putting down her own dress on the side of the bed and running her hands through Brennan's ruined hair. "What did they do to you?"
Brennan shook her head. "I don't know. We had everything mapped out perfectly, but she cut it too short and tried to fix it, but…." Brennan trailed off, shrugging.
Cam eyed her hair, then snapped her fingers. "I know how to fix it!" she exclaimed, reaching into her bag and pulling out a jewel-encrusted barrette. "My cousin was a hairdresser and I spent a few summers working there when my parents were too cheap to give me any money. She taught me that any hairdo or bad weave can be fixed by a simple accessory, and this matches your eyes perfectly." She pulled Brennan up. "Come here." She pulled her up and sat her down at the vanity table, while Angela worked on getting Cristina prepared.
Quickly, Cam removed all of the bobby pins from Brennan's shoulder-length hair and got to work arranging it in a way that brought out her best features, then added the barrette to the top, allowing two very neat, wavy strands to fall down in front of her face, beautifully. Cam smiled at her work. "So, what do you think?" she asked.
Brennan smiled. "It's beautiful. Thank you, Cam."
Angela smiled over at her best friend's reflection. "That looks wonderful, Sweetie, and you finally have something borrowed! Are you wearing the something old?"
Brennan nodded. "My mother's ring."
"Something new?"
"These diamond earrings." Brennan pointed to the new earrings Booth had gotten her for their anniversary. She hadn't worn them until today.
"And something blue?"
"The garter is blue, as is my sash."
Angela nodded, then her eyes narrowed at the back of Brennan's dress. "Sweetie, why is your dress unzipped?"
Brennan's face fell. "I'm bloating." she said, almost on a whimper, and my feet are swelling. I got my period this morning and the medicine I take only reduces cramps."
Angela nodded and pulled something out of her bag. "Here." she said, walking forward with a water bottle and a couple of pills. "This will bring down the bloating but I don't know what to do about the feet."
"I do." Cam said, pulling her up once more and sitting her down on the bed. She pulled up the chair from the vanity and sat down, then pulled one of Brennan's feet into her lap.
"What are you doing?" Brennan asked.
"Giving you a foot massage. There are certain pressure points in your feet that can bring down swelling." At Brennan's confused look, Cam added, "My roommate worked as a manicurist in this Nail Salon. She gave massages that I would kill for. And she taught me how to do it. Trust me, it feels so good, it's like an orgasm for your feet."
Brennan and Angela chuckled, and Brennan moaned as Cam got to work on her feet. It felt amazing and Brennan completely understood the connection Cam made to an orgasm. Her fingers worked meticulously on Brennan's feet as Angela kneeled behind her, inching the zipper up her back slowly as the bloating began to dissipate.
Soon the zip was all the way up and Angela was able to tie the sash in a neat bow behind her back, smiling at her work, and Cam finished the massage, before slipping on Brennan's shoes, smiling in triumph as they fit perfectly.
Brennan's smile could light up a large room as she looked herself over in the full-length mirror on the wall next to her closet.
She looked gorgeous. Cam's work on her hair made it look much longer than it actually was and it looked better than she planned it would. The clip matched her eyes and her sash perfectly and the halter top of her dress beautifully showed off her shoulders and the deep v-neck of her dress showed off her breasts in a way that wasn't at all trashy or provocative, but artful and classic.
Brennan felt her eyes welling up with tears. Today was the day she was going to be officially part of a real family. By law, anyway. Because she knew that there was more than one type of family. The two women, who she sometimes could honestly think of as sisters, behind her were evidence of all the love that family could provide. They were willing to waste their own dressing time in order to get her ready for this day, as important as it was, and now they were tripping all over each other, trying to get themselves ready in time.
And her baby girl, one of the most important people in life was looking over at her, adoringly, holding on to her stuffed puppy, that rested just below her chin. She was dressed in her own little white dress, her hair tied up into pigtails with tiny blue ribbons. Her feet were incased in soft-looking blue socks and white mary-janes. Brennan smiled at her and made a funny face, making Cristina giggled.
"Mama!" she exclaimed, and everything seemed to pause. Angela and Cam were just zipping up each other's dresses when they heard the little girl speak, and Brennan's eyes widened as did her smile, as she turned and walked slowly over to her baby, picking her up and bringing their eyes to the same level. "What did you just say?" she asked.
Cristina smiled. "Mama!" she exclaimed, proudly. "Ma! Ma!"
Brennan smiled and showered the little girl's face with kisses. "That's right!" she said. "That's right, Crissy! You got it right!" Cristina giggled and pushed at her mother's chest, feeling very ticklish. Brennan chuckled and hugged the baby to her, kissing her forehead.
Angela and Cam let out another awe and went back to getting dressed.
When they were both completely dressed, Angela had Brennan sit down and went to work on her make up while Cam brought Cristina, who would be a flower girl, down to meet with Daisy, who would be carrying her as Sweets would be carrying Michael, the ring bearer.
When she returned, she was once again in awe of Brennan's beauty. Angela had done Brennan up all pretty, with smoky blue eye shadow and pink lipstick and blue eyeliner that brought out her eyes. And she had added a blush for the 'blushing bride' look.
She looked more breathtaking than before and cam couldn't suppress the urge to take a picture, her and Angela getting in it with her.
When they had all gotten their make up and shoes on, they made their way downstairs, after getting the okay that Booth was now standing at the end of the makeshift aisle in the backyard of their house.
Max met the ladies in the sitting room, all dressed up in a white tux, with a deep blue tie. He whistled when he saw Brennan. "Aww, Sweetheart, you look so beautiful. Just like your mother."
Brennan chuckled, softly. "That sounds very cliché, but thank you, Dad. You look very handsome, as well."
"You ready?" he asked, motioning towards the kitchen, that would lead to the backyard, that would lead straight down the aisle.
Brennan nodded and followed her dad into the kitchen, where the entire wedding party was, except for Booth and Hodgins, who were standing down at the end of the aisle, facing Caroline, who would marry them.
Brennan looked around and laughed as she caught sight of Daisy holding Cristina in her arms. The child was reaching up and pulling at the younger woman's hair, causing her to cry out in pain and the baby to giggle.
Brennan walked over to them and pulled Cristina into her own arms, kissing her forehead and whispering into her ear. "Be good." The baby hugged her tight and whimpered when she had to let go. Brennan placed one more kiss on her forehead before going back to her father, and listening as the wedding planner told them how to line up.
Daisy and Sweets, holding Michael and Cristina, were to be first, Daisy helping throw the flowers. Then Angela behind them, by herself, as Maid of Honor. Then Padme and Jared, who had both greeted Brennan earlier, then Wendell and Cam. And then Russ and Max on either side of Brennan, because they were both giving her away to Booth. Hayley and Emma would be holding the train of Brennan's dress, and would go sit with their mother when they got down the aisle.
Brennan took a deep breath. Everything was set. Now, all she had to do was walk down the aisle without collapsing or turning around.
She loved Booth dearly and would never leave him, but marriage scared the hell out of her. She knew the archaic ritual was originally instituted as a ceremony in which a male takes ownership of a female. She didn't want to be anybody's property. But, then again, her and Booth had agreed that they're be each other's property from now own. She'd been okay with that. Because as long as she was his property and he was hers, the world was right.
She took a deep breath and concentrated on the things that she knew could calm her. The soothing baby blue color of the bouquet in her hands, the names of all the bones in her hands, so familiar now that they were ingrained into her mind, and the baby, making cooing noises from over Daisy's shoulders.
Brennan looked up and locked eyes with her daughter, who was smiling at her with that devastatingly charming smile that she inherited from her father. Brennan smiled back as she felt herself relax and was ready when the planner announced that they were going to start walking.
Daisy and Sweets lead the way and the rest of the party followed, while Brennan stayed back, waiting for the music to begin, then her heart leapt as she heard the wedding march begin and was propelled forward by her father and brother.
Brennan took deep breath after deep breath as she looked down the aisle and locked eyes with the most important man in her life.
When she got to the point of no return, she turned to kiss Russ and Max on the cheek and her father lifted her short veil (only worn at Booth's desperate request) and handed her over to Booth, who grasped her hand as if letting go would cause her to float away from him.
Brennan smiled adoringly at him and handed her bouquet to Angela, before turning back to her soon-to-be husband, who still held her hand like his life depended on it.
They smiled at each other momentarily, before turning to Caroline who, though she acted very tough and unaffected, had tears in her eyes. "Dearly beloved," she began, her voice steady, "we are gathered her today-" she didn't get any further, though, as Cristina began to whimper, and push away from Daisy.
"Mama." she whined. Booth's eyes widened as he took in his baby girl's first words.
"Did she just-?" Brennan nodded and took Cristina out of Daisy's arms and cuddled her against her own chest. Cristina immediately relaxed against her and quieted down. Booth reached out and stroked her head, before turning to Caroline with a wide smile and nodding.
"As I was saying," Caroline said, an amused smirk on her face despite the annoyed tone to her voice. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two lovers in Holy Matrimony…"
She continued on with the whole speech, but all Booth and Brennan could focus on were each other and the infant in Brennan's arms, now snoozing on her shoulder, thumb pressed firmly in her mouth. They could hear a few 'awws' from the crowd and a few pictures snapping but their eyes didn't leave each other, even when they each received their respective rings and slipped them onto each other's fingers.
When their vows were complete and their rings on, binding them as husband and wife, Carolina pronounced them and Booth pulled her into him, kissing her deeply and shutting out all the noise around them, and just focusing on her lips.
When they pulled back, they saw that Cristina had been awoken and was now looking up at them, confusion written all over her face. "Mama?" she asked, sleepily. "Dih." she made the D sound and Booth grinned, realizing that she was getting closer to saying his name as well. He took her into his own arms and kissed all over his face, before noticing the photographer and pulling Brennan in.
He put Cristina between them so that her cheeks were level with their lips and they both kissed her, shutting their eyes tight, as she smiled adorably for the camera.
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