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Brennan smiled to herself as she walked out of the costume shop. Halloween was quickly approaching and not just any Halloween. This year would be the first Halloween with her daughter and Booth as a family. If she were honest, it would be one of the first holidays she would be celebrating with her family after years of not having that. She got in the car and thought at how much her life had changed and how different her outlooks on things like this were now. Worlds apart from who she used to be she surmised.
In a way, she had always liked Halloween, granted, she never really celebrated it, not in the way she would be this year. She thought it was very frivolous and unhealthy to encourage such overindulgence of sweets in young children. However, the concept of dressing up and adopting the persona of whoever she was dressing up as appealed to her. And secretly loving the superhero antics, she had dressed up as Wonder Woman each year and loved it. The bravery, strength, confidence that came with the costume as well as the chance to pretend she was greater than herself for a day was captivating.
She knew for a fact that Booth also loved it and she would never forget the way he looked at her when he first saw her in it that year.
There was also a certain fondness she had about the memory of that year. The case itself was rough, only barely making in time to save the girl, being surrounded in a room full of snakes, accidently shooting Booth in the leg and then him having to shoot the psycho paramedic dead. He had spent the night brushing it off, but she knew how much it pained him to have to do so.
None of them keen on having to explain to their friends and everyone else who would be there why they looked as rough as they did. Neither wanting to rehash the night’s events so soon either, they ended the night at the diner opting to forgo the annual Jeffersonian Halloween party.
Wonder Woman and Clark Kent on a bad date.
The diner was pretty empty when they walked in, most people out at staff Halloween parties. They grabbed a spot at their usual table and stayed until the early hours of the morning, talking and laughing together over coffee, pie and cheesecake. It was the most stress-free she had felt in a while. The past year had been so much emotionally, mentally and physically with the whole Gormogon-cannibal mess and then everything with her father and Russ that simply spending time with Booth at the diner had made her feel so much better. Lighter than she’d felt in a while.
Last Halloween, she had been around four months pregnant and was not looking forward to being in a costume all day. The thought of squeezing into her costume instead of the comfortable loser fitting dresses she had been wearing more often made her grimace and her already tender growing breasts ache. Booth had tried to coax her into trying it on, but she wasn’t having it and very adamantly refused.
She spent the day shifting between Limbo and her office couch. With no active cases, she could catch up with some of the identifications that needed to be made and since she was still feeling slightly lightheaded and nauseous throughout her days, she found it necessary to take short quick breaks resting. Angela had stopped by her office during one of her breaks with Michael and they spent some time talking. Brennan mostly nodding her head, giving slight answers. Her attention was taken up by the bouncing baby boy in her lap and she relished in being able to coddle her godson/nephew. The new mom in her eager to tend to the baby.
She also couldn’t help but giggle at the family costumes Angela had chosen for them. She had decided to go as Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz’, Hodgins gladly being the scarecrow and Michael Vincent dressed up as a cute lion. A cowardly lion according to Angela but Brennan thought he looked more adorable than cowardly. Call it hormones, but she teared up, completely enamored with his little mane hoodie and paw print footie onesie and when he flipped over in her arms and stuck his little paw in his mouth, Brennan had completely lost it giggling. As her and Michael’s giggles filled the room, Angela couldn’t help but join in.
She had never seen Brennan so relaxed around children and she knew it was due to her being pregnant and the years of emotional growth she had but it still awed Angela. Her best friend was maturing in a way she never thought she would witness but had always hoped she would. She wanted the world for Brennan, the universe knew the woman deserved an unconditional love and now that she had been able to find in their makeshift family and an even deeper love with Booth and their baby, Angela was thrilled.
Angela took a picture of the moment and sent it to Booth with the text: she’s gonna be a really good mom. To which he replied with thank you for this and yes, yes, she will.
Before she left work that evening, at Angela’s request, Brennan took a picture of Angela, Hodgins and Michael for them. The little family looked adorable together and Brennan was glad she could capture the moment for them. She also couldn’t help but wonder if that would be her and Booth the following year with their baby. Brennan had gotten home, home being her apartment that week, feeling a little bit more on the vulnerable side. Her thoughts rushing her at all angles.
She had known she had loved Booth for a while, years if she was being honest with herself, but had only recently admitted it out loud to herself and to him. Brennan had admitted she loved him and accepted she would never get to act on it all in one night. Hurt and pained by her own fears and regrets she never thought she would find herself a couple of months after that rainy night confession engaged in an intimate relationship with him. Not to mention, pregnant with their first child.
Argh, she thought. Her hormones were all over the place, her mind taking her from one thing to the next as she made dinner for them. It made it impossibly hard for her to compartmentalize and sort through them. During dinner, she rubbed her hand over her rounding belly multiple times. Booth had noticed and asked her several times if she was okay.
She was fine.
He knew better. But he also knew better than to push her.
She would talk to him when she was ready.
As they were in bed going to sleep, she couldn’t hold it back anymore.
“Booth?” she whispered.
“Yeah Bones?”
“I’m not fine.”
“Bones, what’s wrong? Is it the baby?”
“No. The baby is fine. It’s…I… I find that I’m a little bit emotional and my mind… my thoughts are making it hard for me to go to sleep.”
She closed her eyes taking a breath and felt the bed shift, Booth drawing her closer. He grabbed her hand and held in his and waited. He didn’t say anything or push her. Instead, he offered her the support she needed, and he waited for her. Subconsciously, it was intentional on his part. A promise to never push her more than she could handle again. To instead be there for her and let her understand that he wouldn’t leave. She could take her time and he would be there.
“I was at the lab today, in my office resting for a little when Angela came in with Michael. They were dressed as a girl from Kansas and a lion. Hodgins was the scarecrow. Apparently, it’s from this great children’s story.” Booth nodded knowing exactly what she was talking about and made a mental note to rent the DVD that weekend so they could watch it together.
“I spent most of the time coddling Michael and holding him, which I must say I found enjoyable. He’s such a giggling and easy-going baby at least during the day because Ange says it’s different story at night.” She chuckled, Booth smiling at her rubbing his thumb over the back of her palm.
“I couldn’t help but think about that being us in a few months and then I started thinking about how quickly time has changed. Everything’s changing Booth.”
“Are you okay with that Bones?”
“I have to admit that I am scared Booth, but I am learning to trust you…trust us that we’ll be okay. I meant what I said that night we made love for the first time Booth. I am ready to lose the last bit of my imperviousness and I am continuing to improve. It just… it feels scary sometimes especially because we can’t know for certain that we’ll be okay.”
“Bones, we’ll be more than okay. We’ll be great. I love you, Bones. I always have and this, this is going to be great. We’ll be great. Look at me and believe me when I say, we’re going to get this right. We’ve taken so long to get here, nothing can or will stop us.”
Brennan nodded and rested her head back and without thinking blurted out, “I’m getting bigger. Not as big as I will be but I’m getting bigger. Which is why I didn’t want to wear the costume today; it just… I wouldn’t have looked good and would be uncomfortable.”
“Bones. Do you not think you look beautiful?”
“I’m carrying your child Booth, it’s natural to confuse that with attraction.”
“Bones… go put on your costume.” Booth disentangled himself from Brennan and sat up. Brennan stared at him incredulously for a minute. He looked at her matching her stare raising his eyebrows.
“Booth, are you serious?” He nodded. “Yes, I am. Please Bones. Just do it.”
Relenting, Brennan got up and walked into her closet. She sighed and reached to the back to pull down the costume from the hanger. She had no idea what Booth hoped to accomplish with this. It was already late at night and all Brennan could think about was going to sleep. She walked out, costume in hand, and into the en-suite to change. She slipped out of her nightgown and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her stomach had been getting bigger, not a lot but her small baby bump was now visible. Her breasts had gotten a whole size larger, and her hips were beginning to widen to prepare her body for delivering the baby. She eyed the costume that sat on the vanity.
It might and just might go up past her hips, but she would not be able to zip it up. Not at all. Booth called out to see if she was okay and she responded with a dismissed uh-huh. She took the costume off the hanger and began to put it on. She was right, it went up past her hips since it was a body suit and even fit snuggly across her stomach, but it would not close at all. Her larger breasts keeping it back. She huffed and walked into the bedroom.
“Booth I don’t know what you expected to accomplish with this. It got up past my hips and my stomach but that’s all. It won’t zip… my breasts are too big.” Brennan sighed dejectedly.
Booth couldn’t help but stare at her. The woman in front of him was beautiful. Okay, so maybe he could admit to being biased but he had never known Temperance Brennan to be anything but beautiful. Here she was, four months pregnant, her hair up in a bun, wisps of it falling around her face, no make-up on, bare feet and holding up the front of her costume. The Wonder Woman costume no less.
He thought back to the first time he had seen her in this costume. She was slimmer then, her make-up done perfectly, hair teased and pinned back from her face with the headband. Her boots on, costume fitting on her body snuggly. Even back then, it had been tight around her breasts propping them up. It had taken him two tries at reciting the saints in alphabetical order to try and prevent any visible reactions to her.
Now, he didn’t have to hold it back. He could show her just how much he appreciated the way she looked and how much he loved her. And damn, did she look beautiful.
“Baby, c’mere.” She walked in front of him. He placed his hands on her sides after lowering her hand that was holding up her costume. He took a minute to look at her baby bump and teared up. He never thought he would see the day Bones was pregnant much less with his child. After his tumor mishap, she hadn’t breached the subject again and he figured she had changed her mind. And then with them going to opposite ends of the world, the chaos and brokenness that became their partnership when they got back. His failed attempt to move on with Hannah. Booth had resigned to accepting that all they would ever be is partners. Friends at best.
But fate had a funny way of intervening and he had been given the biggest second chance of his life when she walked through his bedroom door crying that night. He never imagined their first time being starting with so much grief and comfort, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
It was imperfectly them.
Finding comfort in the arms of each other, whispers of love and devotion and the inexplicable moment of awe when they became one at last. Tears being shed again not because of hurt but rather at the joy of recognizing the gravity of their moment. A moment which could be defined as a night, or maybe even a morning of love and passion that had blessed them with this little miracle baby. Their miracle baby. His child. His child with Brennan. Brennan being the mother of his second child. It was an immense emotional revelation.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, at one in the morning, he could think of no better place to be.
He pulled her closer to him. Leaning forward he placed a reverent kiss on her belly and looked up at her. He could see that she was trying to quell the emotions away. Her own eyes tearing up looking at him. He smiled, kissed her belly again and whispered so softly, “Thank you. Bones, I can’t even… thank you.”
“Baby, you may be feeling insecure about the way you look, and I know you might think I shine you on when I tell how beautiful you really are. But right now, your body is preparing more and more each day to provide a safe place for our baby. Call it alpha-male or some other anthropological mumbo jumbo Bones but you’ve never been more beautiful to me. And guess what?”
“What?” Brennan whispered back, a small tear escaping her eyes.
“Next year, we get to have Halloween with our little baby. As a family. Next year, it won’t only be Ange, Hodgins and Michael. It’ll be us too. And if it’s a girl, maybe she’ll be a mini Wonder Woman or a mini Clark Kent if he’s a boy. But I can tell you that we’ll be the cutest family ever. We’ll be together and I can’t thank you enough for giving me that to look forward to.”
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The next year had come and like Booth promised, they were a little family together and could celebrate/dress up together. Brennan had put a foot down to the trick or treating this year; Christine was too young to actively remember/engage in it and she didn’t want Booth to have an unnecessary stack of candy he could munch on in the middle of the night. Instead, they would be going over to Hodgins’ to spend some time at an at-home Halloween party. Cam, Sweets and Daisy would be stopping by with some of the other squints after they made their rounds at the Jeffersonian Halloween party.
Brennan pulled into the driveway noticing Booth’s SUV was already there. She felt a wave of excitement rush through her. At the beginning of the month, Booth had asked if she wanted them to go as a super-hero family, Christine and her doing a little mommy and me moment with matching costumes.
Brennan told him no. Not because she didn’t like the idea but realistically speaking, her breasts were still a size or two bigger and after giving birth, she had put on some weight. It truly wasn’t because of her self-consciousness she was saying no. It was more the memory of how adorable Ange and her family had looked last year; she also really wanted to do something different. She and Booth had started a new life together and she wanted what they did to reflect that.
She and Angela had spent some searching for family affair costumes. Angela had decided on the Flintstones for her and Hodgins – Betty and Barney with Michael being bam-bam.
“It’s the perfect costume for him considering the amount of noise he makes when he’s crawling about and manages to get into the bottom cabinet in the kitchen.” She had told Brennan.
Brennan took a little longer deciding, wanting their first family Halloween costume to be meaningful to them. On one of her afternoon’s off, while she was sitting in the living room watching ‘The Little Mermaid’ movies with Christine – something that surprisingly kept her attention, her little face glued to the screen, she got it. Booth had come home that evening and found her multitasking nursing Christine and scrolling on her laptop.
“You good there, Bones?”
“Oh Booth! I found the perfect costumes for us!” she beckoned him over and he took one look at her screen and kissed her on the head knowing exactly why she was choosing it.
“It’s perfect, Bones.”
She had gone ahead and ordered the costumes a little earlier than she was originally planning to accommodate any tailoring that might have needed to be made so they fit better, and she was glad she did. It wasn’t much but the hems on her and Christine’s dresses needed to be lifted and the cuff on Booth’s tunic needed to be expanded along with the epaulettes to fit the wide expanse of his shoulders, the cuffs just a little bit so it wouldn’t fit him as tightly.
She picked up the garment bags and walked into the house. She could hear Booth’s voice floating from upstairs partnered with Christine’s giggles. Smiling to herself, she dropped her messenger bag in the living room and walked up the stairs with the garment bags.
“Booth, I’m home!”
“In Christine’s room, Bones.” He called out.
She met them in there and found Christine already bathed, propped up on her changing table with a fluffy towel wrapped around her.
“You gave her a bath already?” she was surprised.
“Yeah, I came home earlier to let Max go home and decided why not. I just finished a couple minutes before you walked in.” He turned to her giving her a smile and kiss as she walked by.
“Do you want to go ahead and get ready; I can dress her.”
“Nah, I got it. You go ahead Bones.”
“Are you sure?”
Nodding his head, Booth reached for the smallest bag out of the three of them and grinned. He couldn’t wait to see his little girl in her first Halloween costume.
It didn’t take long for Brennan to shower off and begin styling her hair so by the time Booth came back in the room, a little bouncing princess in his arms, all she had to do was put on her dress. He passed Christine into her arms and she sat on the bed in her bathrobe deciding to wait until Booth was finished to put on her dress. She propped up the pillows so Christine could lean against them and placed her favorite plushies in front of her.
Brennan couldn’t help but feel wholly content in this moment. Here she was, a Mom, in a fully committed intimate relationship with her partner getting ready to go to a Halloween party at her best friend’s home and spend some time with them. Laughing, drinking, eating, and simply enjoying life together. It was so much more than she thought she would get. Way more. Memories of Halloween when she was a little girl were too blurred for her to remember. But here, right now, these were memories she was bound to remember and the part she found new and exciting and a little bit scary was that she was looking forward to creating new ones every year.
Booth came out moments later, his tunic and sash on. He was closing the cuff links at his wrist while adjusting his epaulettes and he still on had on just his boxers. She laughed when she realized that he had on the most garish pair of socks she’d ever seen him wear. Deep blue with tridents and crabs pattered over it. Booth caught her staring and gave her a look that said, “What’d you expect?” They switched roles when he finished adjusting his costume.
Booth keeping an eye on Christine as he finished getting ready and Brennan walking back into the bathroom to finish her makeup and get her dress on. She came out and Booth was floored.
Her lavender and purple dress was cinched in at her waist and flared out ballgown style. The off the shoulder boat neck accenting her clavicle and neck. The long sleeves puffed and cuffed at her wrists. She had on a light make up look with dark red lips, her hair swept up in an updo, wisps of the curls hanging down, framing her face. The aqua pearl earrings in her ears and simple chocker necklace with a matching aqua pendant in the middle already fastened.
“Booth, can you help me zip this up please? I’ll wait until we’re leaving to put on the crown since I still have to go down and finish putting Christine’s bag together.”
Booth walked over to where she was and swept her up in his arms. Her surprised look making him smile. He kissed her slowly, passionately translating everything he couldn’t articulate into kissing her. While she was dressed as a queen for tonight, she would always be his queen. His better half, the woman who made him strive to be a better man, father, the woman who made him feel no less than royalty every day they were together.
When they pulled apart, she looked at him and couldn’t help the thought that crossed her mind, “My king.” He looked regal in his white tunic, gold buttons and epaulettes. White sash now tucked into the navy-blue trousers, his boots on, hair gelled back. Christine took that moment to squeal and both parents turned to look at her.
She was looking at them, smile on her face hands outstretched. Her little pink dress was like Brennan’s except instead of a boat neck, she had little puff sleeves and a straight neckline. Her blush pink dress had a darker pink shawl that wrapped over the skirt giving it a little more volume. Her little hair brushed back with a pink headband on, a little bow accenting one side.
They looked like quite the little royal family.
Before leaving, Brennan brought out the new yellow Flounder plushie she had purchased for Christine and put in her lap when they buckled her in her car seat.
The night was everything they could have hoped for.
No murder, death or morbid conversations which was ironic considering it was Halloween, half of the world choosing this day as the time to relish in the macabre of life. Instead, they talked about things in random. Hodgins showing Booth some of the new parts he had gotten to begin fixing his new vintage car. Brennan and Angela sitting in the living room sipping wine, their kids on the playmats on the floor having a time. At one point, they had a mini movie marathon, the Flintstones movie for Michael-Vincent and The Little Mermaid II movie for Christine. By the time the other squints rolled around, it had become a full-on celebration, music now filling the background noise.
Angela had been starting to get into photography so, she had a photobooth set up in a corner of the living room. Lighting, props, backdrops, the whole nine yards. Brennan and Booth got some pictures: them as a couple, with Christine, individually and each of them with their daughter. Brennan smiled and teared up as she stood by watching Booth take his picture with Christine. In his costume, he looked so much more like an Alpha-male, big and strong but the tender way he was holding their daughter and cooing to her, smiles on both their faces, made Brennan’s heart skip a beat.
She looked around at her family. They were laughing, joshing around, simply enjoying life.
A year ago, she was certain things were rapidly changing, two years ago, she didn’t ever let the thought of this moment cross her mind. As her daughter was placed back in her arms, she looked up at the man who had come into her life, swept her off her feet and challenged her truths.
The man who had somehow managed to intercept the walls she had placed around herself.
The man who had been her home for the better half of the decade.
The man who had given her back the one thing she desperately wanted, a family.
The man who made her feel like she was so much more than she perceived.
The man who gave his undying love to her and now her daughter as well every day.
Temperance Brennan was certain that in this moment, Halloween has just become her favorite time of year. They stayed a little later than they were planning, curious to see Sweets do karaoke but after the third song, slightly off-key due to his increasing inebriated nature, Booth thought it was time to call it a night. Brennan and Angela said their goodbyes, both agreeing to schedule a play date soon.
The drive home had been quiet, Christine sleeping peacefully in the back. Brennan turned her head to check on her daughter giggling at the sight before her. Christine had been holding on to her plushie that it now rested between her head and the side of the car seat, her little hand still gripping its tail, the other resting over it. Booth turned to look at Brennan, silently questioning if Christine had gone to sleep, Brennan nodded her response. He took one hand off the steering wheel and held on to hers, resting them across the center consol.
“Do you want me to put her to bed Bones so you can get changed off?”
“It’s okay Booth. I’ll do it. I find I want to spend a little more time with her even though she’s sleeping.”
“Sure. She looked so cute in her costume tonight, like a real princess. Not to mention you. My God Bones, you look amazing. Like seriously, I couldn’t stop staring at you tonight.”
Brennan ducked her head at his compliment and blushed.
“As did I with you Booth. I have to say, you look very regal and handsome in your costume.”
“Thanks Bones. You did a great job with costumes this year. I can’t wait to see what next year brings.”
Brennan nodded and held his hand a little tighter. The promise of another year with him, living and experiencing his love, being with her family making her insides flutter. Brennan and Booth got home just a little before midnight, both now feeling exhausted and ready for bed. As she said she would, Brennan unbuckled Christine and took her upstairs to get her ready for bed but as she was carefully taking off her dress, Christine’s eyes opened.
“Hey sweetheart. I’m sorry I woke you up.” Brennan cooed.
Christine squealed and began shifting around on the changing table. She was at that stage where she was beginning to discover her love for moving around. Brennan quickly changed her diaper and put on her little footie jammies. She couldn’t help but think about the movie that had inspired their costumes tonight. In a whim, she picked up Christine, Brennan still in her costume, and cradled her singing softly. The song being one she also secretly loved.
She was so invested in her baby and singing to her, she didn’t notice Booth come by and stop at the door looking at them. Brennan found herself tearing up especially as she sang the lyrics, “My hope for you for always is that your heart will hold part of me”.
Years of abandonment and rejection had settled the belief that no one would want to be involved with her, that she had nothing good to offer. While she never fully voiced her thoughts to Booth, she was afraid that there would come a day Christine would reject her or she wouldn’t be able to relate to her enough, her social awkwardness stifling her abilities to connect with her child. But holding her daughter in her arms, remembering the tender way Booth had kissed her stomach last year to a time when she never saw it as possible for her to be here, Brennan knew that no matter what her daughter would hold a part of her.
Her daughter would always be a part of her. The part of her that she never thought she would have, that reinforced the difference between sea and shore. Worlds apart from who she was to who she was now. She sang again, Christine’s eyes drooping even more, “You are my world, my darling. What a wonderful world I see.” Christine was that part of her that bridged her worlds. Gave her the motivation to work, to be a scientist, what she did was important, and Christine should know that but when she came home, she could let the walls down and be a loving mother. Devoted to her child, to be as carefree with playing with her, of growing with her. Christine made it so she could belong to both.
Though everything had changed and would continue to change, she would be okay. They would all be. Booth and Brennan. Worlds apart at who they were fundamentally. But held together, sea and shore, so beautifully by the now sleeping child in her arms.