The Second Sunday of May

A/N: A one shot for Mother's Day 2012! Takes place in Season 7, between episodes 12 and 13 ("The Suit on the Set" and "The Past in the Present"). No foreshadowing of Pelant. Just a fluffy little fic about their first Mother's Day as a family.

It didn't occur to me until the day after "The Past in the Present" was broadcast that this was a first Mother's Day for Emily and Bones. I was a little surprised that there weren't any fics about it and after chatting with a couple of fan fic friends, the idea for this one was born.

Thanks to MJ and Natty for ideas and encouragement in getting this written. Thanks to WolfGirl1331 and Some1tookmyname for read throughs and beta-ing.

Booth felt himself pulled up to consciousness, he was lying on his back with his left arm crooked over his head and his right hand resting on his chest. Through his closed lids he sensed the light making its way into the room through the drawn bedroom curtains. He could feel a slight breeze through the open window, scented from the flowering fruit trees in the backyard. He heard the even breathing of the woman lying next to him. His ears strained to hear the baby monitor and he sensed that their child was still asleep as well. A sense of peace washed over him as his awareness of the morning deepened. He breathed deeply and squeezed his eyes shut to stop the tears of gratitude that he felt forming there. Once again he found himself caught off guard at the sense of ease and comfort that had eluded him for so long.

He rolled onto his side and slid his eyes open to the sight of the woman he loved. She was on her side as well, curled into the light blanket, her head snuggled deep into her pillow. The arm beneath her was curled up and her cheek rested in her palm. Her other arm curled around the blanket, pulling it over her shoulder, her fist tucked under her chin. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail held with one of the soft hair ties that he frequently found in odd places around their home. Loose tendrils teased her cheeks.

He couldn't help but let out a soft sigh as he watched her sleep. Leaning towards her he inhaled her essence and softly placed a kiss on her forehead. He quietly slipped from their bed, not wanting to leave the warmth and the woman who dozed on so peacefully. He knew that their daughter would soon be letting her presence be known and on this, the second Sunday of May, he wanted to be sure that this woman had the opportunity for a little longer rest.

Pulling on a T-shirt and a pair of soft knitted pajama bottoms, he slid his feet into the slippers at the foot of the bed. He quietly padded down the hall to their daughter's room. Their daughter! There wasn't a day that went by that he wasn't amazed by how far he and Bones had come. He was grateful, every day for this life and a smile crossed his face as he realized, once again, that he truly was blessed.

Turning down the volume on the baby monitor so that he wouldn't disturb Brennan in the other room, he scooped his daughter up from her crib and cradled her in one arm, while his other hand patted her bottom to see if she would need changing before he took her downstairs.

"How is my beautiful princess this morning?" Booth cooed at his daughter. Looking at her small face, he grinned as one of her fists made a swipe at his chin. He held her close and breathed in the scent of baby shampoo. "Do you want to help me make Mommy some breakfast?" Christine stared back at him with a gurgle on her lips. "This is Mommy's first Mother's Day. We have a tradition to start and I'm going to need your help!"

Picking up her blanket and her favorite toy, he moved down the stairs and toward the kitchen whispering nonsensical words to the bundle in his arms, glad that Bones was still asleep and out of earshot. He slipped Christine into her bouncie, and moving to the counter, pushed the button on the coffee maker, grateful that Bones had helped him get into the habit of getting everything set up the night before, so he only had to push a button to get it started. Reaching past the coffeemaker, he set the temperature on the convection oven. Continuing a steady chatter with Christine and her coos and gurgles of response he filled her in on his plan for the morning.

"We're going to keep it really simple this year, aren't we? Yes we are! I got some of those scones that Mommy likes and we're going to pop those into the oven to bake. Yes, I know you want some too, but you're just too little to get any of these yet. Next year you can have some, I promise. Yes, I do! You know your Daddy wouldn't lie to you, don't you? I know you do!"

With the scones in the oven, Booth got a tray down from the cupboard over the refrigerator, and a vase from the window sill. He pulled a couple of napkins from the drawer, the pretty flowered ones that Daisy had given them as a house warming gift. Opening one of them, he spread it on the tray and placed the vase in the corner, added a small plate in the middle and a coffee cup along side.

Grabbing a pair of pruning shears from the shelf in the mudroom, Booth stepped out onto the back deck and clipped off a couple of flowers from the snowball bush growing next to the deck. He looked over the back yard and the work left to do to make it presentable for having friends and family over this summer. He reminded himself that the yard is a work in progress that does not need to be finished all at once. They were still trying to figure out what they wanted back here and how they would use it. He could see where the landscaper had marked a pathway to the patio in the other corner of the yard.

The pallet of bricks that had been delivered the week before they left for California stood over near where he planned to build the barbecue. Booth made a mental note to talk with Bones about a few changes he wanted to make to their original plan of building one similar to the one he had built for Gordon-Gordon. He thought ahead to having friends over, and knew that he would want something a little larger than the one he had built for Gordon-Gordon. Breathing in deeply, Booth took a look around the yard and then looked up into the morning sky. Closing his eyes, he whispered a prayer of thanksgiving for his life and the gifts he'd been given.

The oven timer dinged as Booth stepped back inside with the flowers. Hot pad in hand, he retrieved the scones and slipped them onto the cooling rack then he put water in the vase and got everything set on the tray. All the while keeping up a running commentary with Christine.

"Daddy's real quickly going to get Mommy's present from the closet. You didn't tell her what we got her did you?" Hearing himself holding a conversation with his infant daughter he laughed, thinking that if anyone walked in on him now they would think he might be a few tacos short of a combo plate. Shaking his head he knew that anyone who knew him well would understand his conversation with Christine.

He got the gift box he had hidden in the hall closet near his gun safe. He had figured that would be a good hiding place, and he hoped that Bones wouldn't have found it. He and Parker had picked Christine up early from day care a couple of weeks previously and had met Angela at a shop owned by a friend of hers. He smiled thinking that this gift would be perfect for Bones; one that would set a tradition for them.

"Ok, punkin'. Daddy's going to take you up to see Mommy. Then I'll come back down and get her breakfast and her present. You keep her occupied for a little while. Can you do that for me? Don't tell her what we got her, though." Booth scrunched his nose up and made a face at his daughter. "You don't want to ruin the surprise! No you don't." Reaching out he tickled her and laughed at her shriek of laughter. "Ok, little one. Let's go see your Mommy."

Christine, with eyes wide, followed Booth as he moved around the room. She gurgled back at him in what he assumed was confirmation that she was up to the task at hand and would safely guard their surprise.

Picking her up out of her bouncie, he held her close as he made his way back up the stairs. Pushing the door to the bedroom open with his shoulder, Booth glanced over to the bed where Bones was just rolling over and stretching. "I think she's ready to visit with her Mamma for a little while, Bones. Are you awake? Anything I can get you?"

Scooting up to lean back against the headboard Brennan smiled at Booth and reached for her daughter. "All set. Are you going to sit with us?"

Placing the baby in her arms, Booth leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Let me just go out and get the paper and then I'll bring coffee up for us and I'll sit with you for awhile."

Padding out to the driveway to get the newspaper, Booth glanced around the neighborhood and waved to the family across the street as they piled into the car. Returning to the house with the paper, he stepped into the kitchen and picked up the tray. He knew it was foolish, but this was Bones' first Mother's Day and he wanted it to be special for her. He made a few adjustments to the positioning of the flower and the gift, and headed upstairs.

Entering the room, his breath caught at the sight of the woman sitting up in bed nursing their daughter. "You are so beautiful Bones. Just so beautiful." He smiled.

Glancing up, she smiled at the man in the doorway. "Thank you, Booth. I love you, too."

Placing the tray next to her, he reached over and brushed a hand across the down covering his daughter's head. Leaning forward, he gave Brennan a kiss. "Happy first Mother's Day, Bones."

Looking up at Booth she smiled. "Thank you, Booth. This was very thoughtful of you." She seemed tentative in her response, and he looked at her quizzically.

"Are you okay, Bones? Are you having trouble with Mother's Day?"

"Actually, Booth, Mother's Day is a highly traditional practice of honoring Motherhood that is rooted in antiquity with rites typically having strong symbolic and spiritual overtones; although early societies tended to celebrate Goddesses and symbols rather than actual mothers. The personal, human touch to Mother's Day is a relatively new phenom -, Booth?" She looked at him shaking his head at her.

"Bones, You are squinticizing again! I do know a little bit about the history of Mother's day! For instance, I know that most people think that Anna Jarvis was the founder of Mother's Day in the United States in the early 1900's, but it was actually started here by Julia Ward Howe following the Civil War. But that's not what I was asking about, Bones. You seem a little tentative about today. Are you okay? Is it about your Mom?"

"I will admit that I had some trepidation approaching the day this year. After Mom and Dad left, I didn't do anything for Mother's Day. You know that the exploitation and commercialization around many holidays bothers me, Booth. But around Mother's Day, it's been particularly difficult for me." Reaching over to touch his arm, she looked into his eyes. "How did you handle it, Booth? After your Mom died? Was it difficult for you?"

Looking down at her, Booth shook his head in wonderment at the changes he'd witnessed in this amazing woman. "Well, y'know. It did bother me. But, I'm a guy. Guys can't let anyone know when stuff like that bothers them, Bones. And Jared and I had Grams for awhile. So, that lessened the blow a little, I guess. Then after Grams passed, it was just a little bit before I went into the service. I just buried myself in my work and volunteered to work so other guys could have the day or weekend with their families. Then when Parker was born, I thought . . . but Rebecca - well, you know."

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. Then looking up at her, he smiled. "Enough of that. This is the first year where I'm really part of a family. And it's our family, Bones. Your daughter and I intend to make it a good first Mother's Day for all of us! I baked some of those scones that you like and here's your coffee, and then there's a little something that Parker and Christine and I picked out for you." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips.

Giving him a skeptical look, Brennan smiled. "Christine helped pick this out, Booth? She's much too young to be -"

Laughing, Booth kissed her again as he handed her the gift box. "Okay, so Parker helped a little more than Christine. Just go along with it, Bones. It's a Daddy thing. I get to do Daddy things with my little girl. She helped. Take my word for it."

Arching her eyebrows at Booth, she opened the box. She looked up at him and smiled. "It's beautiful, Booth. It's a little more delicate than -"

Taking the necklace out of the box, Booth reached to fasten it around her neck. "It's delicate now, Bones, but just you wait. In no time at all we will have added to the charms that are on here now. You've taught me about the traditions and the history of tribes around the world. This necklace will be a tradition for our tribe. It will be an on-going history of our family, you'll see. Right now, there are just these two charms, the baby bootie, of course, is for Christine. And even though Parker couldn't be here today, he picked out the microscope. He said that it represents him because of all the help you've given him with science. But we will add charms as we go along."

"I think Christine did a great job at picking this out, 'cause now I'll always know one gift that I'll be able to get you!" He leaned forward and kissed her lightly. "I love you, Bones."

Brennan reached up to cup his cheek. "It's a lovely gift, Booth. Thank you, to you and Christine. I love you, too."

"Happy Mother's Day, Bones!"

I have a charm bracelet that some friends gave me several years ago for one of those "milestone" birthdays. They each gave me a charm that they felt best represented themselves. More charms have been added, and because it catches on stuff when I wear it as a bracelet, I sometimes attach it to a gold necklace and wear it that way.

Since Brennan does not wear bracelets, but almost always wears necklaces, I thought a charm necklace would be and ideal gift for Booth, Parker, and Christine to give her for Mother's Day. Charms can be added for special occasions from Booth, Christine, and Parker, and each of them would always know of at least one gift they could give. It will be their on-going family history, much like my bracelet is for me. I know who gave me each and every charm and can tell a story about each of them, as well.

If you would like to be particularly charming, I would love it if you would press that pretty blue button and leave a review! ;-)