Booth stared at Ruth as she dipped her hands in paint and rubbed them on the wall.
"You really think this is a good idea?" He asked Angela and Brennan as they stood in Ruth's nursery, each covered in paint.
"I read that allowing children to expel their own creativity helps develop their frontal lobe." Brennan stated as Angela knelt down and placed more blue paint on a plate in front of Ruth.
"We've had to stop her from eating it like 7 times, Bones."
"It's not toxic, Booth." Brennan shrugged and Angela chuckled.
"I swear, you two are an old married couple. You already have the kid, just get the matching rings already." She mumbled and Booth felt his cheeks heat up.
"Don't get Booth started on marriage, it's an archaic institution." Brennan began to ramble, which only caused Angela to sigh heavily.
"Honey, just let me fantasize about you two writhing all over each other."
"Angela! Not in front of the kid!" Booth gritted out, which only made Angela laugh.
"I have one who is talking about the archaic nature of marriage and the other who is more prudish than my Texan grandmother. Yea, Ruthie, you're going to be in for a wild ride as a teenager."
-BB-
Brennan zipped up her Jeffersonian coveralls and Cam walked up beside her.
"So we have a bit of an issue." Cam murmured as she walked next to Brennan, who furrowed her brow.
"Is my work subpar? I know there were some spelling issues on my report after the Gravedigger issue, but those were resolved before submitting them to evidence." Brennan replied and Cam sighed.
"No, no, but we are dealing with a handful of cases with the FAA and not the FBI and since we don't have Booth to be our buffer, I think we should let me take the lead in speaking with the investigators." Cam said to her forensic anthropologist, who thought over her words for a moment before nodding.
"I believe that is a smart decision. I'm going to review the remains and report my findings to you." She then wandered away. Cam sighed in relief at the lack of flack she received from Brennan and Zack and walked over to the investigators.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Saroyan, my team is currently looking over the remains, and you are?" A tall, blonde man in an FAA windbreaker and sunglasses smiled at Cam, causing her knees to buckle.
"Hi, Agent Michael Gerard, we believe the victims of the plane crash were Russian diplomats, but we can't be certain. How soon can you identify the remains?" He pulled his sunglasses off and revealed a set of beautiful blue-green eyes.
"Uh, let me talk to Dr. Brennan and Dr. Addy. Do you know if the flight logs were properly kept?"
"Well that's the thing-"
"Dr. Saroyan?" Brennan approached, her hair now pulled back in a low bun and her latex gloves on.
"Dr. Brennan!" Cam exclaimed, causing Brennan to bristle. "This is Agent Gerard." Brennan nodded at the agent, who smiled and winked at Brennan.
"Dr. Saroyan, we've counted 10 different sets of remains, all heavily charred. A pilot and co-pilot, we believe two flight attendants, and the rest would be passengers."
"Our records show only four passengers." Agent Gerard interjected, but Brennan didn't acknowledge the new agent.
"Well then, we have our work cut out for us." Cam murmured. "We'll have everything transported to the lab. I will let you know ahead of time, we are in close contact with the FBI, so don't be surprised if Agent Seeley Booth stops by from time to time during this investigation."
"That cannot happen." Agent Gerard stated causing Brennan and Cam to stop and look at him. "This is highly confidential material. I will talk to my superiors and Dr. Goodman at the Jeffersonian, all FBI clearances will cease until this case is resolved."
"Uhm, but -" Brennan began stuttering, but Gerard turned and left. "Cam, Booth needs his credentials to pick up Ruth, he's going to-"
"Everything will be fine, Dr. Brennan." Cam stated, as she pushed Brennan toward the plane crash. "I hope." she mumbled to herself.
-BB-
Booth walked into the Jeffersonian on his way to the daycare facility and scanned his card except it blinked red. Furrowing his brow, he scanned it again. It blinked red again. "What the fuck?" He mumbled. He scanned it a third time and a loud alarm went off. "WHAT?!" Security personnel came running and approached him.
"Can I please ask why you are attempting to use an unauthorized identification card to access this building, sir?"
"Unauthorized? I just used it yesterday, Gary, you know me? It's Agent Booth from the FBI, we do fantasy football together, also bad choices this weekend by the way." Booth replied and Gary looked at him with a confused expression.
"Agent Booth, huh, your card is no longer accessible to the medico-lab."
"WHY?!" Booth screamed and in the distance he heard Cam's heels running toward the door.
"Gary, I got this!"
"Seeley! Keep it down!" She muttered and walked out the doors of the lab.
"Cam, I have to pick up Ruth, Peggy is going to grill me for being late."
"Dr. Brennan already picked her up because we had to deactivate your card earlier today due to a case with the FAA."
"The FAA, I'm sorry when did the FAA take precedence over the FBI? They handle flight logs, I put serial killers in prison."
"Well, right now, you're the one with a deactivated card to the lab, and Agent Gerard has a card." Cam retorted causing Booth to fume.
"I want to file a report."
"We don't do that, Seeley."
"This is OUTRAGEOUS! How am I supposed to pick up Ruth from daycare?"
"Dr. Brennan said she will pick her up and drop her off at your place or at your office."
"I want to speak with the manager."
"Seeley, first of all, I am the manager, and second, just stop."
"Can I at least speak with this Gerard guy?"
"No, please leave so we can finish this case and get your card reinstated?" Cam asked and Booth stood there for a moment. "Well?" She asked and he craned his neck trying to see if he could see Brennan or this Gerard guy. "Seeley?"
"I'm thinking."
"I'm going back into the lab."
"Wait! Cam! No!" But Cam had already left him far behind and he was stuck outside the lab with no credentials.
-BB-
"Dr. Brennan, if I could ask you a few questions before you leave about this report." Agent Gerard said walking into her office. He was surprised to find Ruth Brennan stacking blocks near the coffee table where Brennan was packing up her messenger bag.
"What about the report, Agent Gerard?" Brennan asked, as she continued to put various folders in her bag.
"Uhm, well the two unidentified victims are female, likely late teens, early twenties, caucasian, but you noted something called osteogenesis imperfecta in one of the victims, what is that and why is that necessary?"
"It is more commonly known as brittle bone disease and it can help us identify her if she was treating for it through doctors in the area where she originated. We are looking at the particulates from her enamel that have survived the fire to see if we can trace it to a certain area of the world." She rattled off and started to collect Ruth's things.
"Ah, okay." He cleared his throat. "I didn't realize you are married."
"I'm not." Brennan finally looked up at the agent and then from him to Ruth. "Ah, the assumption that because I have a child, it must be with a spouse, no. My FBI partner, Agent Booth, is her father."
"Oh, I thought the FBI had strict protocol against romantic relationships between partners." He inquired and Brennan sighed in frustration.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I am not technically a member of the FBI so I do not fall within their rules. But even if I did, we are not romantically involved." She then gathered up Ruth's diaper bag. "Are there any questions pertinent to the case?"
"No, no, my apologies. I will see you tomorrow, Temperance." Agent Gerard smiled, but was met with a glare.
"It's Dr. Brennan." She then picked up Ruth and walked out of her office.
-BB-
Brennan waited for Booth to arrive at her apartment. Due to the FAA investigation, the only time she and Ruth saw Booth was after work for her nighttime routine. She was bothered by Agent Gerard's constant questions and grinning. She just wanted the case over and Agent Gerard gone so that things went back to normal.
"Hey, Bones. Sorry I'm late, traffic is nuts." Booth said, letting himself in and walking over to Ruth, who was already dressed in her Flyers pajamas that Booth bought. "Aww I missed bathtime?" He asked as he picked her up and she rested her little head on his shoulder.
"Yea, I had to get her cleaned up right after work. Angela bought her a paint kit." Brennan laughed. "I will send you the pictures once Agent Gerard sends them to me."
"Agent Gerard?"
"Yea, he's constantly at the lab, I guess the secrecy of these passengers is really serious, but the facial reconstructions are done so Angela was keeping Ruth occupied while I worked on the remains and Agent Gerard decided to take pictures of the mess they made. He's nice enough, I guess, but Ruth hates when he tries to pick her up. She's hit that stage where she only trusts a handful of people. Today, Dr. Goodman tried to hand her over to Agent Gerard and she screamed until Goodman just gave up."
"Good job, Ruthie!" Booth rumbled and Brennan smacked his arm.
"Don't encourage that behavior. You're just upset that you're not allowed in the lab."
"Damn, right."
"Damn, baba" Ruth's little voice cut in and Booth groaned.
"Booth!"
-BB-
It took another 2 days for the lab to confirm the remains of the two victims of the plane crash and for Booth's credentials to be reinstated. Agent Gerard was standing in the lab collecting the last of the evidence bags when Booth strode in.
"Ahhhh, it feels good to be back." Booth stated as he walked across the threshold. "Did you guys remodel the place while I was gone?" He joked with the security guards, who rolled their eyes and shook their heads. "Angela, did you get a haircut?"
"Yea, yea, Studly, it's been too long, I saw you yesterday at Bren's stop acting like we never see each other outside of work." Angela chuckled and Booth put on his best charm smile.
"Agent Booth?" Gerard stopped his collection from the examination tables and walked off the platform, extending his hand. "Agent Michael Gerard, FAA. Dr. Brennan mentioned she works closely with you, maybe a little too closely considering the kid in her office." He joked and Booth's smile turned into a scowl and his grip on Gerard's hand tightened.
"Alright, listen here. I will only tolerate you because the Jeffersonian has to work with the FAA on various cases and for some reason the FAA thinks you're a good enough agent to be employed with them. But, Dr. Temperance Brennan is an incredibly smart, beautiful, and amazing woman, what she saw in me is beyond me. Hey, we had a kid and that kid is everything. I hear one word, I repeat one singular word of disrespect out of your mouth about the mother of my child or about my child and I will make sure your life is a living hell. Do you understand me?" Agent Gerard blinked. "Nod your head there, Agent, do you understand?" Booth growled and Gerard nodded vigorously. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pick up my daughter from daycare." As he walked away, he smacked Gerard on the back.
"Oof, you pissed off the wrong dad there, bud." Hodgins mumbled as he continued to bag up evidence and stow it away for Gerard, who remained stock still.
-BB-
"Dr. Sweets, do you think it's strange that Ruth has grown so attached to you?" Brennan asked as they sat in their monthly meeting with Ruth present. She was sitting on Sweets' lap watching her parents do a trust exercise where they leaned on each others' palms.
"Well she's 18 months, and at this age, she grows attachments to various people. She's incredibly attached to you and Agent Booth."
"She loves Parker." Booth interjected, as he tried to avoid playing the trust exercise.
"Park." Ruth chimed in.
"Yes, Parker." Booth replied.
"She feels comfortable with everyone at the lab, but especially Dr. Goodman, Hodgins, and Angela." Brennan stated.
"Why not Dr. Saroyan and Dr. Addy?" Sweet posed and Booth raised a brow.
"Have you met Zack? She can probably sense that he's a geeky, weirdo squint."
"No, Zack is amazing with children, he comes from a large family." Brennan replied. "But he and Ruth just tend to not like to spend time together." She shrugged. "Dr. Saroyan is rather new to the lab and has been helpful, but also does not spend a lot of time around Ruth."
"Cam has never been a baby-person, if you catch my drift." Booth responded and Brennan furrowed her brow.
"Well Ruth is a toddler at this stage."
"Eh. she's still a baby."
Ruth walked over to Booth and handed him one of Sweets' hats that he used for role playing exercises. "Thank you, baby girl."
"On." Ruth said, while standing in front of him. Her big blue eyes were too much for Booth to deny and he slowly put the hat on his head.
"This is something I actually wanted to speak with you two about. How often do you two say no to Ruth?" Sweets asked and Booth looked at the doctor with the pinky frilly hat on his head.
"I don't think it's a problem, she's not a spoiled brat, if that's what you're implying." Booth bristled, but Brennan looked at him and chuckled.
"Booth, you give her everything she asks for and then some. I try to say no to her if there are things she doesn't need. Like when she asks for sugar close to bedtime. Booth is a bit more lenient, but I just believed that was due to him being denied time with her for the first year of her life." Brennan spoke in her matter-of-fact tone and Booth sighed.
"Bones, c'mon, I'm not that bad."
"Baba, cheerios?" Ruth asked. As if to prove a point, Booth crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Bones and then Sweets, before looking at Ruth.
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but no cheerios right now."
"Baba, cheerios, now." The toddler stomped her foot and Booth looked at her with a surprised response.
"See, this is a perfect example of her believing that she can overpower your decisionmaking skills, Agent Booth."
"Ruth." Brennan spoke and the little girl looked at her mother. "No cheerios." She in a balanced tone and did not raise her voice. The little girl gave a small huff and looked at her father with one final sad glance before going back to her blocks on the floor.
"See? Now she's sad. Can't we just give her the cheerios?" Booth looked at Brennan, who could only roll her eyes.
Author's Note: I wanted to have a bit of a fluffier chapter after the last one, hope you enjoyed it!