Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.
Title: Home
Author: ReadingRed
Chapter Seven: Surrounded
It had been two weeks since Booth and Bones had brought Harper and Ember home and the honeymoon period had long worn off. The first few days had been peaceful with both the girls and Parker on their best behaviors. That had lasted until Harper and Parker both wanted to play with the same toy, a Superman action figure, and neither of them could be persuaded to wait their turn, needless to say it didn't end well. Parker grabbed a leg and Harper an arm, and well it turns out Superman isn't quite as invincible as was previously thought. It had been about a week since then and the kids were really acting like a family now, going from fighting like cats and dogs one minute to hugging the next. Booth was planning on taking the three kids to the Jeffersonian to surprise their mom if he could ever get them out of bed. He went first to Parkers room and flipped the light switch, sending light throughout the Superman themed room. He walked over to his son's bed not bothering to quiet his footsteps, after all he was in the room to wake the boy up. He bent slightly over the bed, reaching down to shake the child's shoulder.
"Parks wake up. We're gonna go see mama at work, bub." Booth said, still slightly shaking the boys shoulder. When that didn't work he left the room for plan b. considering that the girls shared half Brennan's DNA it was no surprise that they were both morning people. In fact Booth was a little surprised that they weren't already up and out of bed. For the first week they lived with Booth and Bones they had showed up at the door of the master bedroom at four o clock in the morning every morning to wake both Bones and Booth up. Sweets had said that it was their way of testing the waters; he said the girls wanted to see how they would react. Booth and Bones didn't get mad but they both made it clear that the girls had to stay in their room until at least five thirty.
Today when he opened the door to their room he saw two sleeping children. Harper and Ember lay in the same bed, their blond hair splayed out together on the pillow. The girls looked so much like Tempe, mini Brennan's the both of them, Booth felt his heart expand at the sight of them like it did every time he looked at them. Harper was inquisitive, continually asking questions, and a very fast thinker. Nothing stumped her for long. Ember on the other hand was a watcher. She would sit and observe her surroundings taking everything in before she would do anything, assessing all her options before making a decision. Brennan already had the girls on the list to go to Parker's private school and Ember was only two. Parker was happy that next year Harper would join him at Woodbury, and Harper was excited too, although being Bones' daughter it wasn't surprising that she would be excited to learn. Booth knelt down by the head of the bed. He had found through years of experience with Parker that this was the safest place to be when trying to wake up a sleeping child. Well out of the way of flinging arms and flailing legs.
"Harps, Emmy. Girls wake up, we're gonna go see Bones." Neither one moved. "You can help me wake up your brother." That got them moving. Harper shot up and Ember opened her eyes. Harper was scrambling out of bed before Ember had even sat up. She paused on her way out the door to turn and give Booth and hug and a kiss.
"Hi Papa B." she said in her quiet calm voice, it was another trait she shared with her mother. No matter how excited she was her voice stayed calm. Booth grinned down at her and placed a kiss on the top of her head.
"Hey Goldilocks. Did you have good dreams?" It had become a ritual for them to ask this in the mornings. Usually all the kids had interesting dreams to report. Booth was just glad for the interaction, he was already preparing for the teenage years when his girls would think he was the most annoying father in the world and would not want to talk to him. Harper was about to answer his question about her dreams when Ember jumped off the bed and slammed into Booth's chest.
"Omf. Hello to you little one. How about you. Did you sleep well?" He grinned at the little girl.
"Mmhhm." Ember nodded, tucking her head into the crook of Booths neck. If only his colleagues at the FBI could see him now. They wouldn't believe it, Booth knelling on the hardwood floor smiling with a little girl in each arm. He stood keeping Ember in his arms and letting Harper stand. He went to the closet and picked out a change of clothes for the younger girl and pushed a stool over closer to the closet so Harper could pick out her own. She wouldn't let anyone do it for her and Booth and Bones were happy to let her be independent. Soon enough both girls had been changed out of their pajamas and into day clothes. Harper had dressed herself in blue jeans embroidered with small butterflies and a t-shirt Hodgins had given her that says Entomologist In Training. Booth had changed Ember into a black short sleeved shirt that proclaimed "Authors Rock" this one a gift from Angela, and a pair of boot cut blue jeans. Both girls wore Converse slip-ons. Ember wore a pink pair and Harper wore navy blue. With both the girls dressed and ready Booth thought it about time Parker was up.
"You two want to wake up your brother now?" Harper nodded yes so energetically he thought her head might just pop off. Ember on the other hand was content to stay in Booth's arms for a while longer.
"Ok, you go wake him up, tell him that we're gonna go see mama Bones at work so to get dressed before breakfast." Harper nodded again and raced off. Booth and Ember walked a little slower to the kitchen. Booth sat Ember in her booster chair at the table and started breakfast. Soon enough Harper came running down the hall, Parker tight on her heels, both of them giggling loudly. Booth looked Parker over, the boy had dressed himself in blue jeans and a gray and red striped t shirt, like his sisters he too had on Converse slip-ons only his were red. Harper ran to Booth throwing her arms around his waist.
"Papa!" She squealed still laughing. Booth pretended not to hear her and went on fixing breakfast. Parker was panting softly a few feet away, most likely trying to decide what revenge he should take on his sister for waking him up early on a weekend. Opting for the leave-it-for-now-and-make-her-spend-all-day-waiting-for-it-to-come form of revenge Parker went and sat down next to Ember at the table. Harper loosened her hold on Booth's waist and backed up a pace letting him go on making the breakfast. At Booth's insistence she went and sat at the table, choosing the farthest chair from Parker. Booth brought them their food, scrambled eggs and toast.
"Hurry up and eat kiddos. The sooner you're done the sooner we can go see your mama." Booth said as he placed Embers plate down in front of her and took a seat opposite Parker. The kids dug in and soon they were done and the family all piled into Booth's SUV on their way to the Jeffersonian.
Booth told the kids to keep quiet as they entered the Jeffersonian so they could surprise their mom. All the kids agreed that it was a good idea. Booth taught them how to sneak like a spy, which basically meant tiptoeing and pausing at every corner to glace around the edge before walking around it. The kids slowly snuck around the Jeffersonian climbing up the stairs of the platform only pausing for Booth to swipe his id card so they could pass the sensor without setting off the alarm. After he did that the three children forgot about trying to stay quiet, ran over to Bones, and pounced. Parker wrapped his arms around her waist. Harper did and the same on her other side. Ember walked right up to Bones and demanded that Brennan pick her up. Bones happily complied with the little girls demands reaching over the heads of her older children to pick up the toddler. She was smiling when she asked what they were doing there so early.
"We came to see you mama Bones" Parker said with a grin. "Daddy said we should be quiet so you wouldn't catch us sneaking up on you. Did we surprise you?" Booth knew she must have heard them coming a long time ago but he also knew she would humor the children. Booth looked at his family. Bones surrounded by little kids was an image that at one point in time he never thought he would see. He cherished the little moments like this.
"You did. I think you three will make superb FBI agents." Bones said.
"No mama! Not FBI, we're gonna be spies. Right Parks?" Harper said with a look to Parker.
"Yup spys." He said with a nod.
"Oh even better." Said Bones. She gently let Ember down on her feet. "Why don't you three go see Hodgins and Angela." The kids let out a whoop and raced off.
"Parker, watch your sisters. Hold Embers hand so she doesn't get lost." Bones yelled after the trio. Parker did as he was told backtracking a few paces to grab hold of Embers small hand before the three rounded the corner towards Angela's office. Bones turned to Booth with a concerned look on her face.
"OK as glad as I am to see you four, what's the real reason you're here?" Bones said, stepping closer to her husband. She placed her hands on his hips and looked up at his face.
"Caroline called. She said Rebecca's out and that she heard through the lawyer grapevine that Rebecca's coming here. She wants Parker."