Brennan walks through the front door at exactly four o'clock. She sets her things down on the table and makes her way into the living room. The house seems oddly quiet. She walks farther in the room and peers over the top of the couch. She smiles at the sleeping twosome occupying it and then heads into the kitchen. As she stands at the counter, she can't help but look back into the living room. She loads the dishwasher and starts the cycle. She tidies up the kitchen a little and then disappears upstairs. She's ready to get out of her professional wear and into something more comfortable.
Christine stirs a couple minutes later. "Daddy," she whines softly, shaking him awake.
Booth opens his eyes slowly and sighs. "What's wrong, princess?"
She scrunches up her face and jumps off the couch. She looks around frantically and covers her mouth when she burps. Her eyes widen and she runs towards the hall bathroom. She trips on the corner of the rug and falls forward.
He gets off the couch quickly and grabs the garbage can that's by the coffee table. He follows her and helps her sit up.
She clutches the trashcan and lowers her head, continuing to vomit into it. Tears stream down her face and she starts to cough.
He rubs her back. "Breathe, baby. It's okay. Shhh."
She lifts her head, sniffles, and then swallows, contorting her lips in disgust.
"You're okay, princess." He kisses her on the top of her head.
"I want mommy," she repeats for what seems like the 100th time since she was picked up from Jenna's house earlier.
"C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up." He takes the trashcan from her grasp and sets it to the side.
Brennan walks down the steps dressed in sweatpants and one of Booth's FBI shirts. She blinks and scrunches up her nose at the stench of vomit. "What happened?"
He looks up and sighs. "When'd you get home?"
"About ten minutes ago. You and Christine were asleep on the couch."
Christine, hearing her mother's voice and her name, turns her hand and attempts to smile, only managing to purse her lips into a line. "Mommy," she says weakly.
"Hi, Honey." Brennan walks over to them and scoops her daughter up. She presses a soft kiss to her forehead and rubs her back. She looks at Booth and sighs. "I'll give her a cool bath."
He nods. "I'll clean up the hallway."
Brennan carries Christine upstairs and into the bathroom.
He stands up and heads towards the closet. He grabs what he needs and sets out to scrub the vomit out of the rug.
Brennan is kneeling outside the bathtub, while Christine sits in the cool water. "Tilt your head back for me, Honey." She hovers over her daughter's hair with the showerhead and works her fingers through her locks as the water washes out the conditioner.
"Mommy, my ankle hurts."
Brennan nods. "I know, Sweetheart. I'll take a look at it and wrap it up for you after we're done with your bath," she says softly, brushing her hand against her daughter's warm, flushed cheek. "Does your tummy feel any better?"
Christine shakes her head.
Brennan grabs the trashcan, dumps out its contents onto the floor, and hands it to Christine. "Use this if you feel like you're going to vomit, okay?"
Christine nods.
Brennan washes out the rest of the conditioner and lowers the showerhead.
Christine slumps her shoulder and lowers her head over the trashcan. She parts her lips and coughs out a little bit of vomit. She wipes her mouth off with her hand and closes her eyes.
Brennan rubs circles into her daughter's back and sighs. She reaches for the towel and waits for Christine to lift her head out of the trashcan. She takes the can from her and sets it down outside the tub. She pushes herself up and bends over, helping the six year-old stand up.
Christine screeches out in pain as she puts weight on her right ankle, tears overflowing again.
Brennan wraps the towel around the child and lifts her out of the tub. "Lean into me so I can dry you off," she says as she lowers her to the floor. Once her daughter's dry, she rubs in some baby powder and then dresses her in a solid purple tank top and her dancing purple elephant pajama pants. She hoists her daughter up onto the counter and combs through her damp waves. She re-braids it and then lifts her right leg, pressing her fingers against the already swollen and bruised skin lightly.
"Ow!"
Brennan grabs an ace bandage from the first-aid kit in the linen closet across from the toilet and wraps Christine's ankle.
Booth sticks his head into the bathroom and smiles. "Hey. Everything okay in here?"
Brennan nods. "Yes." She pauses. "Her temperature is 102.3. Is that higher or lower than it was the last time you checked?"
He sighs. "Higher. It was 101.1 around 2:30."
"When was her last dose of medicine?"
He looks at his watch. "About an hour ago."
"Alright." Brennan lifts Christine off the counter and carries her past Booth. "I'm just going to put her in bed."
He hands his daughter a small water bottle filled with diluted electrolyte juice. "Drink this, princess. It'll keep you hydrated."
Christine takes the juice and rests her head on her mother's shoulder.
He grabs the trashcan and follows the two of them into Christine's bedroom. He stands back, watching Brennan tuck the little girl in and give her a soft kiss on her cheek. He sets the trashcan beside the bed and kisses her, as well. "Try to sleep, okay? You'll feel better." He pauses. "If you feel like you're gonna be sick, the bucket is right here. Your mom or I will be up in a little while to check on you."
Christine rubs her eyes and yawns.
"Feel better, Sweetheart."
"Yeah, what your mom said." He smiles and presses another kiss to her cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too, daddy," Christine whispers, her voice a little hoarse.
"I'll be right back. I'm going to get you an icepack for your ankle." Brennan leaves the room and returns a couple minutes later. She pops the disposable icepack and shakes it. She lifts her daughter's comforter, places the pack on her ankle, then smoothes down the covers again.
"Try to sleep," Booth repeats and then the two adults walk over to the door. They stand in the doorway, watching Christine close her eyes. It's not until they're sure she's asleep that they head into the hallway and shut the door, leaving it open just a crack.
"Where's Parker? He's not in his room."
"He went to the arcade. He'll be home later. He and a couple of his buddies are getting pizza afterwards."
"Oh, okay." Brennan pauses. "You should take a shower. You smell like vomit and you've got a little bit of it right here, and here, and here," she says, pointing to the stains on his shirt.
"That's where I was headed."
"I'll see you downstairs then, and you can fill me in on everything that happened since the last time you called."
He nods. "Okay." He gives her a light kiss on the lips, and while he heads for their bedroom, she heads in the opposite direction, down the steps, and into the living room.
Later that night, Booth's sitting on the couch, watching Cinderella with Christine, who's curled up into his side and wrapped up in her blanket.
Brennan walks into the living room and sits down on the other side of Christine. She places a hand on her daughter's arm and smiles. "How are you feeling, Honey?"
Christine lifts her head and sniffles. "Better, mommy." She pauses. "Wanna watch the movie with me and daddy?" She points to the TV and smiles, hopefully.
Brennan nods. "Sure if you want me to."
"I want you to." Christine looks at Booth. "That's okay, right, daddy? Mommy can watch the movie with us, can't she?"
Booth nods. "Yeah." He smiles at Brennan. "It's more of a mom and daughter movie, anyway."
Christine scoots closer to Brennan and smiles at her. "Mommy?"
Brennan nods. "Yes, Sweetheart?"
"Is daddy your prince charming?"
He turns his head and arches an eyebrow, waiting for her answer.
"No."
His face falls.
"Prince Charming is a fictional character. He doesn't exist outside of the magical world of Disney," Brennan explains. "However, if Prince Charming did exist, there'd be no comparison."
"So you'd pick daddy over Prince Charming?"
Brennan nods and looks at Booth, smiling. "Without a second thought."
Christine nods. "So daddy's better than Prince Charming?"
Brennan nods. "Without a doubt."
"I think so too, mommy." Christine smiles and turns her focus back to the TV.
Booth keeps his eyes on his partner, one corner of his mouth curving upwards into a grin, the other corner following slowly behind.
Brennan blinks, neither her gaze nor her smile wavering.