I've decided to write a third part of this story. It just seemed fair to me that Bones, too, could have some time with her daughter. I hope you enjoy this update as much as I did writing it.
Thanks to all the readers for the incredible response to my stories. I'm touched.
A/N: I do not own Bones. just writing for the pleasure of it.
OB
part 3
"Hi mummy."
"Hi Krissy." welcomed Brennan seeing her now ten year old daughter sweeping into her office.
She really was a little tornado and each time Brennan saw her rush into the Jeffersonian she couldn't help but think that she looked more and more like her brother. Parker too possessed the same enthusiasm, the same eagerness to learn new things, to experiment with the squints and with her father. Both were so playful. They were unbeatable at playing jokes together, especially to her. Russell too was the playful type, he liked jokes and was ever so ready to have a good laugh. It was something Brennan had lacked as a child. She had always been awkward and socially inadequate until...
Booth.
He had stormed into her life like a hurricane, turning her and her beliefs upside down. He had shown her that the heart was so much more than a pump and that feelings were not to be kept into a box. She had learned to let them all out, tentatively at first, making so many mistakes. Like a child. She had opened up to him, because she trusted him and because, no matter how hard she had denied that to herself, she loved him. And through him she had finally opened up to the world.
Kristine was at ease with everyone. Awkwardness was simply absent from her DNA. She was a pleasure to listen to and a pure joy to be with.
"So how was your morning in the park?" resumed Brennan waking up from her reverie.
"Awesome! There were so many children there mum. You'd have loved being there too!" the girl said earnestly. We made a huge snowman... and..." - she giggled recalling.
"And?" prompted her mother.
"We started some sort of contest... you know? Like "let's see who is going to make the best snowman of the day". So as Dad rolled the snow to make the body I ran around looking for a stick and some stones for its face. It wasn't easy with all that snow but I made it. I found this incredible stick, all bent, it really looked like a crooked nose. We had such a good laugh..." and she chuckled again at the thought. - "Want to see it?" She asked brightening up.
"Of course I do." replied Brennan forgetting all about the paper she'd been working on and turning to her daughter.
The child took out her cell phone and searched for the picture she had taken just an hour before.
"There" she said showing it proudly to her mum.
Brennan's lips automatically curled upwards at seeing the strange look on the snowman's face. Indeed it looked funny with its unique nose. Brennan recognized Booth's colorful scarf around its neck. "Perfect." - she stated - "You two did a great job!"
"Yeah and guess what? We won the contest and dad bought a delicious hot chocolate to every kid. Isn't that nice, mummy?"
"It is and … really … sweet." She said looking over toward the door where she spotted Booth approaching them.
"So have you seen it Bones?" he asked smiling and leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her lips.
"I have. What a great team you two make. Should I be jealous?" she teased.
"That's funny mum" - intervened Kristine - "how can you be jealous of me? Dad is head over heels with you, everyone knows that, right daddy?"
Brennan looked at her daughter in amazement. For a moment she thought of actually hearing Angela say the same words... but that had been ages before...
"I'm totally nuts about her." he said winking at his daughter. They both laughed and hugged Bones at the same time.
"OK, I get it. You two have something in mind... what is it?" Brennan inquired suspiciously.
"Nothing. Really Bones." but the two simply couldn't stop giving each other some playful smiles.
"Come on Kris..." - said Booth dragging his child away from his partner – "let's give mummy some time to finish her work. Ange and Jack are waiting for you on the platform."
"Wow, must be a huge surprise. Will you come too mummy, when you're done here?"
"Certainly my love." Brennan replied kissing her daughter on the forehead.
The child kissed her back and gave her a smile and Brennan felt her heart skip a beat. How could she melt like that at a simple kiss?
B&B
Brennan leaned on the railing overlooking the platform at the Jeffersonian. She had always considered that place as her home, the safest place in the world, the one where all her fears could easily disappear while she plunged in her element and felt at peace with the world.
Until Vincen't death.
Looking down at the little girl laughing with Angela and Jack she thought that somehow that tragedy had taken place to show her a bigger plan in her destiny, the one she had denied for so many years since she did not believe in God nor in fate. But no matter how absurd that event still appeared to her death had been followed by life and Vincent's death had brought about Kristine's conception. And though her rational mind could not admit it the greatest miracle of her life was down there.
She felt her eyes fill and tears started to fall silently down her cheeks.
"I know... she makes your heart melt..." Booth said circling her shoulders with his left arm while he gently dried her eyes with his right hand.
Brennan turned and saw his glistening eyes and placed a soft kiss on his lips to find the reassuring warmth of his mouth. She slipped into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder as both of them kept eye contact with their daughter.
"I will never understand... not the way you do..." she whispered softly into his ear.
"You will Temperance... in time."
She slid closer to his strong body and felt him come to life for her. How could that be possible? – thought Brennan clinging tight to his back as if her life depended on it – monogamy had always seemed ludicrous to her yet she had wished to be with no other man but him for such a long time...
"Oh Temperance we cannot possibly make out like two teenagers here... right in front of them..."
He had always been the more reserved of the two, some things just belonged to a very private place where he was finally able to show her how much he still loved her and ever will.
"Just hold me." she murmured soaking his shirt with her tears.
Booth pulled her closer to his body and stood as still as he could be.
"Two can really become one even like this Booth."
"Temperance Brennan... you are my miracle..." he whispered into her hair.
The trio on the platform stopped laughing and screaming and forgot all about the beetle race they were engaged in.
"Look at them." said Angela leaning on her husband's ear.
"Yeah, they are so cute when they do that."
"Parker says he used to make fun of them all the time when they hugged like this. But that was way before I was born. Have they always been like that Auntie Ange?"
"Yes, sweetheart. In fact I have never ever seen two people more in love with each other than your parents Kris."
"I wonder how that is... I mean..." - the girl went on blushing a little – "being so totally in love..."
"Uh I sense trouble in paradise my little Krissy... I wouldn't like to be in your poor first boyfriend's shoes... never in the world!" he said laughing.
Angela giggled.
Kristine looked at them with query eyes.
"Sweety your dad is going to freak out for sure... you know? His beautiful smart little princess going out with a guy? Wow a massive stroke indeed." stated Angela looking up at her friends still glued to each other and joining in her husband's laughter.
"Then I'll have to turn to mummy and to you for advice Ange?" the child quizzed.
"Most definitely my love, this is a girls' matter. Better leave the guys out of advising, especially dads."
"Hey honey your Cleopatra has won the race!" Angela yelled raising the kid's arm.
"Damn it" - exclaimed Hodgins – "my Mark Antony is taking a nap!"
"Yeah, while my Julius Ceasar just went the other way! Chuckled an amused Angela.
"Now who's gonna pay for pie and ice cream?" asked Jack looking up at his friends who were now kissing.
"I know." said the girl gently taking her beetle to put it back into its jar.
And the three of them simply burst out laughing.
B&B
"Come here with me, Kristine." proposed Brennan who was now sitting comfortably in front of the fireplace. Booth and Parker had their usual weekly father & son hockey match to watch in the man cave so the two of them could yell and boo freely.
The child snuggled into her mother's arms but couldn't manage to keep still.
"What's bothering you my love?" Brennan inquired.
The child gave her a puzzled look.
"Can you read my mind mummy?" asked the girl a little worried about her mum's amazing abilities.
"Of course not."
"And … are you happy?"
"I am … most definitely." she answered truthfully and paused giving her daughter enough time to let her feelings out.
"And... will you still be even if I upset you?"
"How can you possibly upset me sweetheart?" Brennan hurried to reply seeing her daughter's eyes well up. "It must be something real big honey. Come on, don't hold back." she invited recalling all the times Booth had done that with her, pushing her to pour all her heart out to him until she felt relieved.
"I've been thinking about my future mum... you know with Junior High School coming up?"
Brennan nodded and let her child go on without interrupting her.
"You also know I enjoy going to the Jeffersonian a lot, don't you?"
"I do."
"The point is, mum, I... enjoy the things you do there, with bones and skeletons... - she raised her head to look at her mother straight in the eyes – … but I like live creatures best mum." the girl confessed concerned.
Brennan smiled warm-heartedly and hugged her daughter tight. "I've always known that Kristine, since you were so small you couldn't even stand up you were fascinated by life. An insect, a cat or a dog it made no difference. Any live creature would simply do. One day, when you were three, you came home from a walk holding a wounded butterfly in your little hands."
"I have a vague memory of that mum." said the child.
"And when it died a few days later your father told you it had flown to Heaven to meet the other wounded butterflies and that it would heal there and fly happily..."
"Oh yes..." Kristine exclaimed reliving the scene in her mind. "and I was so sad I cried..."
"I have something we kept for you. Wait here." said Brennan going into her study.
Brennan was back in a few minutes holding a small box in her hands.
"Open it!" she suggested.
The girl took the box and lifted its lid and her mouth opened wide in amazement. There, neatly placed on the bottom, was the poor butterfly she had saved in the park.
"Oh mummy. I love you. Both of you." her daughter said as tears poured down her cheeks.
"I know and we love you too so very much. Do not worry about your life Kristine, as long as you put all your brain and all your heart in what you do... you can never go wrong, my child. Now... how about going downstairs to see if our boys are still alive?" she joked making her little girl's sad face bright up immediately.
"Oh mummy you are so cool!"
A/N: so how did you like that? should I write another chapter? thanks for reading and reviewing.