New snapshot just before bed. A lot of reviews last chapter came with the name Parker, so I decided to have a bit of a Booth family reunion dinner-thingy. Enjoy!
Snapshot: September 23, 2012
Brennan was at work making dinner when Booth came up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck. "Hey, Bones. Watcha makin'?" he asked, much in the style of his young son, who was expected for dinner at any moment, as was Jared and Padme, who was now a Booth and two months pregnant with their first child.
It was Hank Booth's eighty-first birthday and Brennan had decided that she would make him a special birthday dinner and invited all the Booths to join them in celebration.
Booth still had to go and pick up the guest of honor.
Brennan chuckled at his light kisses and caresses, and leaned into him. "I've told you about a dozen times already." she said. "I'm making meatloaf, mac and cheese, and baked potatoes. Why do you insist on asking over and over again?"
Booth grinned against her neck. "So I have an excuse to come in here over and over again."
Brennan rolled her eyes and shrugged him off. "Well, you should be heading over to the Retirement Home to pick up your grandfather. Dinner's almost ready and Parker, Jared, and Padme will be here soon." She turned around, her eyes widening when she realized that someone was missing. "Where's Cristina?" she asked.
"Still taking her nap. She was really tired, Bones." Booth said, grinning.
Brennan nodded, smiling as well. "Recently, Cristina had been crawling up a storm, almost faster than either Booth or Brennan could walk, and she'd been making moves to stand on her own as well, though that didn't go over very well as she kept on falling every time she left go of the hard surface she was leaning on. Booth had been crawling around with her and trying to help her keep her balance, but she'd worked herself into a grumpy state and had to be put down for her nap earlier than usual. It wasn't surprising that she wasn't up yet.
"You should still go now." Brennan said. "If you want to make it back in time for dinner to still be hot when you get here."
Booth nodded. "Yeah, okay. Just say hello to Parker and give him a big kiss from me when he gets here." He kissed her cheek and made his way to the door, stepping on a number of toys and exclaiming a few choice words that had to be muffled under his hands.
Brennan chuckled aloud, before telling him to watch his language in a very motherly fashion.
"Sorry!" Booth called, before exiting the apartment and heading for his Grandfather's house.
Brennan grinned to herself as she stirred the mac and cheese once before lowering the heat slightly and setting the top on the pot, she checked on the meatloaf and potatoes, still half an hour from being finished and then made her way upstairs, to her daughter's nursery.
When she opened the door to the nursery, the first thing Brennan noticed was that Cristina's puppy, which she'd begun to call 'Popo' was flung over the side of the crib, and the baby was absently reaching for him in her sleep, whimpering slightly.
Brennan stepped up to the crib and picked up the dog, dangerously close to slipping onto the floor, placing it gently in her daughter's arms. Cristina immediately tightened her arms around the animal and smiled softly in her sleep, rolling onto her side so that her short hair fell in her face.
Brennan smiled at the picture she presented, curled up underneath her favorite purple blankie, her puppy nestled under her chin, and a soft smile, so much like her father's, gracing her features. Brennan reached out and ran a finger down her cheek, smiling as the baby pressed into her mother's touch.
After a few seconds of just stroking her cheek, Brennan noticed the flutter in Cristina's lashes as her eyes began to open, so clear and bright blue even under to soft glow of a simple nightlight.
"Hey." Brennan whispered, gently, knowing that sudden loud noises seemed to upset small children when they were sleeping or just waking up.
Cristina blinked up at her for a few moments, before reaching up her arms and murmuring, "Mama."
Brennan smiled and reached down to pick her up, kissing her forehead and cradling her against her chest. Cristina kept hold of Popo and shoved it towards her mother's lips. Brennan chuckled and kissed the puppy's head as well, making Cristina giggle.
Brennan kissed her cheek again and noticed Cristina begin to suck her thumb. "Are you hungry?" she asked.
Cristina nodded. It still surprised Brennan how well her comprehension skills were at this age. She moved over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle, readying it for the little girl.
Lately, she'd been trying to wean Cristina off her breasts, and though it was hard for both of them to stick to, she had remained strong and had kept her on the bottle for the last two weeks.
Even still, Cristina let out a very Boothy groan when presented with the bottle, but took it, anyway, holding it herself as Brennan walked back downstairs and deposited her in her playpen, where Cristina lay back, drinking from her bottle and hugging Popo to her side, while her mother went about setting the table for their guests.
After about ten minutes, Brennan was turning off the stove, and oven, leaving all the food to cool down, when there was a knock at the door.
She walked over, picking Cristina up on her way and opened the door to a mass of curly blonde hair hitting her chest. Brennan laughed and ran her hand through the hair, leaning down for a hug. "Hi, Parker." she said. "You've gotten much taller since the last time I saw you. Perhaps another inch?" she asked, unsure.
Parker smiled up at her. "Yeah! Isn't it cool? Dr. Goldman says I'm going through a growth spurt! Maybe I'll be as tall as Dad by next month!"
Brennan smiled at his still boyish excitement, even at his current age of twelve years, where most pre-adolescents began to act more mature. But, then again, her husband was in his early forties and didn't act as mature as he should have most days.
Behind Parker, Rebecca stood awkwardly. Brennan welcomed her with a smile. "Hello, Rebecca." she greeted. "How are you?"
Rebecca smiled, a bit easier this time. "Good. How are you? And how's the baby?" she smiled down at Cristina, who was snuggled against Brennan's chest, still sucking on her bottle. "Hi, Cristina." she cooed. Cristina smiled shyly and shoved her head in her mother's chest.
Both women laughed. "She's not usually this shy." Brennan said, apologetically.
"I bet." Rebecca said. "She is a Booth, after all. She's just playing coy, like Parker used to when he was a baby." She ruffled her son's hair, but he was too distracted making funny faces at Cristina to pay any attention.
"Can I hold her, Bones?" he asked.
Brennan nodded. "Of course. Just be careful. She can get pretty fussy when she's not familiar with someone." She deposited the baby into Parker's arms, instructing him on how to hold her, and was surprised at how easily she sunk into his embrace, cooing into his shoulder. Brennan smiled and placed a dish rag on his shoulder so that there wouldn't be any accidents. She usually needed burping after feeding or she'd spit up. Brennan had a feeling that she might not burp her on time.
Parker smiled at his sister and moved deeper into the house, calling goodbye to his mother as he walked into the living room, cooing to his sister.
Rebecca smiled. "She's very cute." she commented.
Brennan beamed. She had been told many times how beautiful and adorable Cristina was and a sort of motherly pride had spread over her that made her slightly smug. But, moreso, proud.
"Thank you." she said. "I'm sure Parker was a very attractive baby, as well."
Rebecca laughed and nodded. "Oh yeah. He was a little cutie with those dimples like his father and his outgoing attitude. He had all his Daycare teachers practically swooning."
Brennan nodded, not quite understanding what she meant, but not voicing that thought. "That sounds plausible."
There was an awkward silence, before Rebecca's phone rang. "Oh, excuse me!" she said, taking her phone out of her pocket and looking it over. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be at a meeting right now. Tell Seeley I'll pick up Parker on Sunday at noon."
Brennan nodded. "Of course." she said. "Goodbye." she waved to Rebecca, and smiled as she saw a couple more faces coming up the walkway as Rebecca went down it.
"Hey, Tempe!" Jared called, as he and Padme got closer.
Brennan waved. "Hello, Jared. Hello, Padme."
Padme smiled and leaned in to kiss her sister-in-law on the cheek. "Nice to see you again, Temperance." she greeted. "So sorry we couldn't make it to the wedding, but my father's-"
"Funeral." Brennan interjected. "I know. And I'm very sorry for the loss, Padme. That must be very hard."
Padme nodded. "Yes, but we're doing fine. He's up in Heaven now, safe and sound, and free of sickness. That's all that matters."
Brennan bit her tongue before saying anything offensive, and just nodded. "Come on in." she said, stepping aside for them.
Jared kissed her cheek as he stepped inside, pulling Padme by the hand. "Where's my niece?" he called into the house. "There she is!" he said from the living room. Padme turned slightly and gave Brennan a look, before disappearing into the living room herself.
Brennan laughed and was just about to close the door, when she heard a loud, booming voice. "Hey! I was told that this here party was for me!"
Brennan grinned widely as she turned to the door. "Hank!" she greeted, leaning in to kiss the much older man and throw her arms around him in a hug that he gratefully returned.
"Hello, Temperance." Hank greeted. "And fer the last time, it's Pops to you now! Call me Hank one more time and I'll throw you over a bridge."
Brennan chuckled and kissed his cheek again, before pulling back. She looked over his shoulder. "Where's Booth?" she asked.
Suddenly, Booth appeared in the doorway, a bouquet of Daisies in his hand. "Your Prince Charming is right here, Baby." he said, waggling his eyebrows as he grabbed Brennan and dipped her, kissing her neck while simultaneously whispering in her ear. "This is for Pops' birthday." He leaned down and kissed her passionately, making her moan slightly and wrap her arms tightly around her neck.
When they came back up for air, they righted themselves and Booth turned to Pops with a smile. Pops grinned. "That's how you kissed her in front of all those people, Shrimp?" he asked, talking about their wedding, which he sadly had to miss because his heart had been acting up again.
Booth nodded, grinning wider. Pops grinned. "Good work, boy. Now kiss her like that every day and you're marriage should last as long as mine did." Booth and Brennan smiled shyly at each other. They already did kiss like that, at least a dozen times a day. "Now!" Hank said, snapping them from their thoughts. "Where are my great-grandchildren? I wanna see my Parker and I wanna see my Cristina sometime before my death."
Booth sighed, and led Hank into the living room, where he could hear Cristina's excited giggles.
Brennan closed the door and followed them.
When she entered the living room after them, they were all gathered around Pops, on the couch, with Cristina on his lap, tickling her. Parker was sitting on the floor at his feet, giggling along with his baby sister. Booth was on his side, smiling at Cristina's wriggling body, while Padme was on the other, Jared next to her, his arm around her shoulder, smiling along with everybody else.
Brennan smiled at the picture they created. All happy faces, Hank's being by far the happiest she'd ever seen him, and Booth's face the picture definition of fatherly pride, as he eyed his little girl in his grandfather's lap, giggling up a storm.
Brennan couldn't take it and ran over to the wall unit to grab her camera, snapping half a dozen pictures at as many different angles, making a mental note to send them all to be developed right away, before putting down the camera and announcing that dinner was ready.
The disappointed looks on all faces, except Cristina's, was enough to persuade her to take just one more photo.
REVIEWS MAKE CRISTINA JOY BRENNAN BOOTH GIGGLE MANIACALLY!