Hello everyone!

Well, it is September, and as SleeplessinAtlanta mentioned in her most recent story, she and I are attempting a pre-premiere post-a-thon, with posts each day from yesterday (her) to the premiere!

This little short one shot is dedicated to the lovely beloved Bones pal brainysmrfs who is awesome, and whom I adore. She also loves Sweets, so this little snippet is in her honor. No smut, just some family timez.

-b&b-

Booth sighed heavily as he sank into the couch, the small tumbler of scotch resting between his thumb and index finger. "Finally, Friday night," he closed his eyes for a second before opening them again, turning only his neck to see Brennan sitting next to him with Christine.

The little girl deliberately fell forward from her mother, reaching toward Booth with both arms. He smiled and pulled her onto his lap, keeping his arm around her teeny waist as she patted his face and talked to him in happy jibberish.

He groaned when there was a knock at the door. "Bones, you expecting company?"

"No," she replied and dusted off her pants. "But I'll get the door."

Booth rubbed his nose against Christine's belly, and Brennan could hear their daughter laughing when she opened the door.

"Oh," she blinked in surprise. "Sweets. Hello." She motioned him inside, and he nodded. It was somewhat of an awkward exchange, considering up until a few weeks prior, he'd had his own key and didn't need to ring the doorbell. But this was the first time he'd been to their home since he'd officially moved out.

"Hey Sweets," Booth nodded from the couch. "Did you forget something?"

Sweets just stood there for a moment, looking around. "No, no…I have all of my things."

Booth and Brennan shared a glance when he didn't say anything else.

"Is there something wrong?" Brennan finally asked.

Sweets met her eyes and flushed a bit. "No…everything's fine. I just…"

"Ah," Booth laughed. "He misses us, Bones."

Sweets rolled his eyes, but immediately moved to pick up Christine from Booth's lap. "I missed this little one," he smiled when Christine came right to him. He sat down immediately, and Brennan shared another look with Booth as she took her place beside him on the couch. "Christine likes her Uncle Lance, doesn't she?" he cooed.

"It does make sense that you would miss us, Sweets," Brennan pointed out. "After all, while we aren't technically related, we do have elements of a family unit."

"It's true," Booth agreed and grabbed his drink again, placing his other hand against Brennan's back. She leaned back against him, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You're basically like a little brother."

"Booth's obviously," Brennan added, and he flinched.

"What? Why mine?"

Brennan's eyebrows rose. "First of all, you spend quite a lot of time together, and you seek one another out for advice, and good-natured ribbing."

"No, no way," Booth scoffed. "Please, if anything, he's YOUR brother. No one in my family would ever just spout out everything we know all the time."

"If by that you mean the utilization of superior intellect, then I suppose you're correct."

Booth grinned at her slightly cool tone. "Of course I am."

Her eyes narrowed. "Then again, Sweets does have your ability to adapt in most social situations," Brennan added. "Therefore, he is more likely to be your sibling than mine."

"He likes classical music."

"He has the same color eyes as you."

"He likes karaoke"

"He likes the upstairs bathtub."

Booth's eyes grew darker . "Okay, Bones, how about this. He always has to be right. THAT'S what makes him the most like you."

"Interesting. I disagree. He's always prone to offering up solutions based on emotion or inner vibes and nonsense, and that makes him like you!"

Sweets cleared his throat and they both stopped to look at him. A flush crossed Brennan's features and Booth leaned forward. "Um, sorry about that, Sweets," he nodded.

Sweets just smiled and looked back and forth between the two of them. "You're fighting over me. That's all I've ever wanted."

Both Brennan and Booth recoiled slightly.

"Fighting?" she repeated.

"Please, I don't think so." Booth agreed.

They shared an amused look. "You're way off, Sweets. That was merely a discussion," Brennan reiterated.

"Exactly," Booth pointed and then stood up. "A discussion."

Sweets held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine."

Booth turned to back into the kitchen. "I'm gonna order Chinese. Bones, do you want the usual?"

"Yes, please," she answered and then picked up her daughter, tossing her a bit in the air and making her laugh. "And be sure to get what Sweets his usual as well."

"Already on it," Booth called from the kitchen.

Brennan eyed Sweets for a moment. "You are staying for dinner, correct?"

Sweets just smiled and leaned back in the chair. "Sure."

-b&b-