“Mommy!”

Temperance Brennan groaned as she rolled over so her face was now in her pillow. She hadn’t gotten to sleep till around 1 in the morning and it was, according to her alarm clock on her night stand, only 8:34am.

When she didn’t hear anything else, she hoped that, that was it. But she should have known better.

Two seconds later she heard little feet padding against the floor between their rooms and then after hearing the click of her bedroom door open, (after several attempts) she heard little feet running the distance from the door to her bed.

It was then after Temperance knew where the cause of all the noise was that she looked up from her pillow, and her eyes met the beautiful little girl’s eyes that now stood beside her bed (the little girls face barely coming into view from the height of the bed compared to how small she was).

Brennan turned over to her side and propped herself up on her arm to look directly down at the smiling little girl.

Brennan was now sporting her own smile. “Good Morning Emma Bee.” She said to the little girl.

Emma replied in a very soft cheerful voice. “Good Morning Mommy.” Her smile grew wider on her face

“May I ask why you are so smiley today Emma?”

“Cause mommy…”

“Because.” Brennan corrected her with a sweet voice that she had reserved just for her

“Because Mommy,” Emma continued “You’re supposed to be at work by now, right?”

“That is correct.” Bren jokingly answered her.

“And cause you not at work wight now means you’re staying home wit me today!” The little girl’s words got messed up in all of her excitement, but Brennan didn’t bother to correct her being that the little girl was obviously very happy at what realization she came to. Emma began jumping up and down and her curls jumped with her.

Brennan had to laugh at her daughter’s response, she was irresistibly adorable. “Yes Emma, I’m not going into work today.” Brennan reached down to the girl and lifted her up the way to sit on the bed before her.

Now Emma wrapped her small arms and hands around her mother’s neck and gave her a proper ‘good morning’ welcome, kissing her on the cheek as well.

When she pulled back Emma sat cross legged in her mother’s lap, beaming with joy.

Temperance felt bad that she couldn’t do this routine with her every single day, though she always tried her best to.

“So, Emma Bee what would you like to do today?”

Emma smiled first at her mom and then looked down at the bed thinking hard on the subject before making the decision. Her nose crinkled up just as Brennan’s did when she thought very hard, and Bren had to smile at that. Then after 30 seconds of thinking the little girl looked up clearly happy with what she had decided.

“Can we go to the zoo?!”

“Well…hmm I think that, that would be a great idea Emma Bee.” Brennan grinned “But before we do that we have to get some food into that cute little tummy I love so much” she said tickling her daughters stomach as she said it causing Emma to squirm and giggle under her mother’s hands.

I swear that is my favorite sound in the world Brennan thought in reference to Emma’s giggles.

Brennan then lifted Emma in her arms and scooted off of the queen size bed. Holding her at the waste they headed to the kitchen area leaving in a trail of giggles.

--

Over at Booths house he was already up. Dressed in a pair of jeans that hung low on his waist and a t-shirt that complemented his arm muscles, he quickly searched for the marine green jacket that he loved so much.

He was in a hurry. This was his weekend with Parker and after all the stress with his partner during the week and their conversation yesterday, spending time with Parker would really cheer him up.

Maybe we’ll go to the zoo today. Booth thought

Finally finding his jacket he pulled it on and headed out the front door.

After driving for a while he pulled out his phone and called Rebecca to let her know that he was on his way. Hanging up his cell Booth decided that he would stop by the grocery store after he had picked up Parker.

If he was going to have him over for the weekend, he would need to buy some real food other than the take-out that now sat in his fridge. Then if Parker was up to it they would head to the zoo and hopefully that would take his mind off of Bones.

--

Temperance sat Emma on the kitchen counter as she turned to look in the cupboards for Emma’s cereal. Frowning when she saw that the box was empty she turned to look at the little girl.

“Sorry, Emma Bee,” she addressed her using her nickname “where all out of honey nut cheerios.”

“dat’s ok Mommy, can I pweez have a waffle?” She said in an adorable voice, trying to help solve the problem.

Brennan walked over to the other side of the kitchen to the fridge and looked to see if there were any waffles, and sighed when she saw there were none. This went on for the next couple of minutes, with Emma suggesting a food item and Brennan sadly not finding anything.

Finally she gave up and looked at her daughter who looked suddenly very worried.

“Mommy, what are we gonna to eat?” she actually looked very sad believing that she would go hungry.

Temperance again couldn’t help but grin at her innocence, but spoke quickly to reassure her daughter, because the expression on her face of sadness could break her heart.

“Don’t you worry Emma, we just haven’t been grocery shopping in a while. How about we go get changed out of our pajamas and head to the store, then we’ll have plenty to eat. I promise you.”

The 4 year old must have been happy with her mother’s solution because her expression quickly changed as she broke out into a wide grin.

“Yeah, good idea Mommy!” she said adoringly

Temperance laughed at her reaction. The biggest problem for her at the moment is no cereal for her breakfast. Why couldn’t life be that simple?

Even though Brennan solved much more complicated problems everyday at her job, she never felt the same satisfaction as she did whenever she helped her daughter to realize something. That was another thing Temperance had to get used to once she had Emma. Before Emma she had such a hard time relating to other people, and she still did have a bit trouble with people. But whenever she was with Emma she seemed to always do, say, and act the correct way, and the thing that surprised her the most was that it came so naturally.

Emma opened her arms signaling that she wanted Brennan to help her off the counter.

After Brennan placed her on the floor of the kitchen the little girl proceeded to pull on her hand until Temperance started to move along with her daughter to their rooms.

Within 30 minutes both Temperance and Emma were washed and ready to go.

Emma was wearing a jean skirt, a dark blue long sleeved shirt that brought out her eyes, and little black shoes. Temperance had decided not to put her hair in pigtails today and so the little girls hair hung freely over her shoulders and down her back (though she had become expert on doing Emma’s hair with help from Angela.)

Brennan was wearing blue jeans that hugged her form perfectly, and she was also wearing a long sleeved blue shirt though hers lighter than Emma’s.

Grabbing their jacket and Emma’s car seat from out of the closet closest to the front door, Brennan helped her into her jacket.

After making sure that Emma’s coat was zipped up, (since it was said to be chilly that morning) Emma slipped her hand into Brennan’s and they left the apartment for the grocery store.

--

It was 9:35am by time Seeley and Parker had arrived at the food store. As they walked through the aisles Booth failed to notice the amount of attention he was getting from various woman, who were eying him intently with lust. He was more occupied with talking with his son and putting back only half of the sugary snacks he placed into the shopping cart.

“Dad please, please can we get these?” Parker asked bobbling up and down in his very familiar ‘I really want this’ way.

Booth just gave in after a few minutes of debating with Parker over him not needing any more sugary foods.

Regardless Booth couldn’t lie to himself. He loved those Oreo’s too.

“Ok Parks, you win…but that’s the very last thing alright?” Booth said making sure Parker took him seriously

“Yeah Dad, the very last thing I promise.” Parker replied happily at his triumph as he dropped the cookies into the cart.

They continued down the aisle talking

“So, Parks what do you want to do today with your old man?”

“Dad, you’re not old.” Parker said seriously

“I know that Parks it’s just a figure of…never mind.” Booth stopped, with his correcting Parker feeling too much like when he corrected Brennan. “But anyway what do you want to do?”

“Uh…I don’t know dad.”

Booth was about to give his suggestion of going to the zoo, knowing Parker would be very excited and agree to the plan, but then he heard a very familiar voice coming from the next aisle over. He would know that voice anywhere it was his partner’s voice. And was she laughing?

Who would be with her to make her laugh like that? The only time he had ever heard her laugh like that was when she was with him. Then it hit him. She must have spent the night with that date of hers last night and now they were here together.

Parker was looking at the different boxes of cereals, not paying attention to his father, and Booth was about ready to go over to the next aisle and interrupt whatever it was that was going on with his partner and her date. But he was too late and Brennan was already making her way over to the aisle that Booth and Parker were in. But what came next was far from what he had ever expected to see.

--

Brennan got out of the front seat of her car in the parking lot walked to the back to open the door for Emma and reached in to help her with the car seat buckle.

“No Mommy, let me do it.” Emma said as she fumbled with the belt buckle in her little hands. Brennan just tried to hold in a chuckle at how much that had reminded her of herself.

After a minute of trying Emma finally gave up, her weaker hands not being able to push the button hard enough, frowning slightly she looked up to her mother, her eyes asking for help.

Without word Temperance leaned in and in 2 seconds Emma was released. She smiled up at her, “Thank you Mommy.” She said sweetly

Brennan lifted her out of the car and kissed her on the forehead before placing her on the ground.

“You’re welcome Emma Bee, and don’t worry you’ll get it soon.” She reassured her. They walked through the parking lot hand in hand, Brennan only picking up Emma when they crossed the road between the parking lot and the store entrance.

As what usually happened, as soon as they walked into the store someone spotted them and Temperance heard a faint ‘Isn’t she the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen?’ Restraining herself from telling the young woman who made the comment that her child was not a ‘thing’ Temperance instead grabbed a cart and continued on into an aisle.

First they walked to the healthy food aisle where Temperance got all of her foods that she loved. As she placed a box of sugarless cereal in the cart she saw Emma make a face.

“And exactly what is that face supposed to mean?” she inquired of the girl, knowing full well why she had made the face.

“Mommy why don’t you just eat my kind of cereal?” she asked confused as if she couldn’t understand why anyone would eat the tasteless cereal.

“Because Emma Been this cereal is good for you.” Brennan answered tapping her finger on the tip of her little nose.

“Well it doesn’t taste wike its good for u.” she said in her innocent voice, mispronouncing the words a bit.

“Well it is.” She countered smiling at her daughters words.

“Well I think I pweefur my howey nut cheerios and lucky charms.”

Brennan then had to laugh at her daughter’s conclusion, and gently poked her in the stomach making her giggle preciously.

“Ok Bee, let’s go find your preferred cereal.”

Emma bounced happily, her hair moving with her. They both continued hand and hand strolling over to the next aisle.

As they entered the new aisle Temperance failed to notice the pair of eyes staring in utter shock at her and her daughter. In fact she didn’t really notice anyone that was around her but Emma.

Once Temperance had spotted the cereal they were looking for she lifted Emma to her waist and allowed her to get the box off of the shelf. Placing her back on the ground Emma hugged the box to her chest since she couldn’t hold it very well in her small hands. Temperance moved further down the row in search of now the lucky charms that she hated Emma eating because of all the sugar in it, but couldn’t bring herself to take away the little girls favorite cereal.

Emma walked to their cart and successfully was able to push the box in over the edge of the cart and returned to Brennan’s side. This time Brennan grabbed the larger box of Lucky Charms off the very top shelf. Emma holding her arms open for the box Brennan handed it to her, knowing that it was too big for her to hold alone.

Emma took the box, and just as Brennan had expected she struggled carrying it over to the cart. After she had dropped it for the second time Temperance took the box up off the floor for her and kissing her on the cheek she walked to the cart with the cereal and placed it inside.

It was then Emma felt someone watching her and she looked up the aisle straight into the eyes of a big man looking directly at her in shock. She suddenly felt the need to hide and quickly ran with her little legs to the safest places she knew.

Suddenly Brennan felt little hands clinging to her legs. She looked down to see Emma hiding behind her shyly, with her face leaning out slightly looking at something. Temperance followed her daughter’s gaze to see what had caused her to react this way. Once she found who was at the end of Emma’s gaze she wished she had someone she could hide behind as well.

So much for keeping her a secret Brennan thought as her eyes met his for the first time that day.

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