This is a series loosely based on some of the events in my earlier story, 'Interview with the Future', which was written in the form of a magazine article with Christine Booth as an adult. Thanks to the fantastic reviews I received and the encouragement of other writers, particularly Penandra, I decided to write a series of one-shots charting Christine's upbringing from her childhood to adulthood. I'm writing this mainly with humor in mind, but there may be a little angst here and there for good measure. Reviews are very much appreciated and always replied to if they're signed.

Six-year-old Christine Angela Booth stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, nervously fiddling with the hem of the skirt which her mother had helped her pick outthe day before. She was due to start at Sheridan School the following day, her parents finally having reached a compromise on a private school whose philosophy emphasized emotional and psychological development alongside a rigorous academic curriculum. Although excited by the prospect of learning new things and the chance to make new friends, Christine couldn't help the waves of anxiety which washed over her whenever she thought about what tomorrow might bring.

With a sigh she turned back to the task she had abandoned earlier, which involved sorting through the sizeable assortment of new stationary and other necessary school equipment which had been purchased specifically for the start of the new term. She was just trying to decide whether she wanted to take the purple or the blue notebook with her on her first day, when she heard the sound of the doorbell ringing. Christine listened to her mother's footsteps as Temperance Brennan walked down the hallway to greet her guest.

Assuming that the visitor would not have come to see her, Christine turned back to her stationary choices. She was so absorbed with her task that she didn't hear the knock on her door, only looking up when she heard a familiar voice.

"Getting ready for your first day of school, honey?"

A wide grin spread across Christine's face as she dropped the notebook she held in her hands and spun around.

"Grandpa!"

A corresponding grin lit up Max Keenan's face as he scooped up his granddaughter into a fierce hug. Christine had always felt a close bond with her only living grandparent. His boyish and impudent personality was very appealing to her, and she loved spending time with him.

Max released her and walked over to her bed, surveying the stationary pile with amusement.

"Well, looks like you and your parents have been busy. Clear out the local Barnes & Noble did you?"

Christine laughed at her grandfather's exaggerated statement, "Don't be silly, Grandpa, we didn't buy that much stuff! Mommy said that I need to be 'adequately prepared to begin my studies', so she wanted to make sure that I'll have everything I need."

Max chuckled and shook his head, "Yep, that sounds like your Mom alright! Now, what do you say you take a break from all this and come and hang out with your old Grandpa for awhile?"

"Okay, sure!" Christine took the hand that Max offered her and followed him out into the living area.

"Dad?" Brennan called through from the kitchen, "can I get you a drink or something?"

"Eh, a coffee thanks, honey." Max replied.

Christine seated herself on the couch, her fingers straying once again to the hem of her skirt, her earlier anxiety now returning. Max crossed the room and sat down next to her, gently nudging her arm to attract her attention.

"Hey, what's wrong, honey?"

Christine stared at her feet and shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to give voice to her fears. However, Max seemed to instinctively know what the problem was.

"Are you nervous about your first day of school tomorrow?"

Christine relaxed slightly, relieved not to have had to admit to her feelings herself.

"Yeah, a little."

Max took her smaller hands in his larger ones and smiled at her.

"Well, that's okay, and you know what? You're gonna do great there. Think of all the new people you're gonna get to meet, and all the things you'll learn. And hey!" he grinned excitedly, "don't they have fancy labs in that place? Think of the neat experiments you'll get to do! Trust me, it'll be great!"

As usual, Max's enthusiasm for science was infectious, and Christine felt some of her anxiety lifting. However, she still harbored some lingering doubts.

"But, Grandpa, what if the people there don't like me? What if they're mean to me?"

Max smiled reassuringly, "Aw, honey, I'm sure that won't happen, the other kids will love you. But, if there are any meanies on the playground, you know what you do?"

"Go and tell a teacher?" Christine answered, remembering a recent conversation she'd had with her parents about what she should do if she had any problems at school.

Max hesitated slightly, "Well, sure, that too. But what I was gonna say was you should stand your ground, show 'em you're not scared, don't let them think they've got the upper hand. And if things really get ugly you can always - "

"Dad, no!" Brennan yelled from the doorway, having returned with Max's coffee and heard the end of his conversation with Christine.

Max stood and turned to address his daughter, "What's the matter, honey?"

"That is not how Booth and I wish Christine to respond in a situation like that!" Brennan replied irately. "How many times do we have to ask you not to impart those kinds of values to her? We do not want her to react violently should she find herself in any difficulty. She's not you!"

Max held up his hands and rolled his eyes, while Brennan turned to her daughter.

"Christine, if you have a problem at school, you should go and inform one of your teachers, or another adult, just like we talked about."

"Oh come on, Tempe!" Max said, exasperated. "Let the girl have some guts and show 'em what she's made of!"

Brennan sighed, "It is not cowardly to ask for the help of an adult, Dad. Booth and I want Christine to know that."

Max scoffed, "Oh, sure, the former Army sniper FBI Special Agent guy wants his daughter to be a sissy!"

"Dad!" Brennan was becoming increasingly annoyed with her father.

Christine spoke up, "What's a sissy?"

Max smiled down at her, "Certainly nothing you're going to be, honey."

Brennan was about to respond, when Seeley Booth chose that moment to enter the house, having returned home from work.

"Ah, there's the man himself!" Max addressed Booth, "Been tattling on some bad guys have you?"

"Huh?" Booth replied, somewhat confused as to what he had just walked in on.

Christine turned to her father, "Daddy, what's a sissy?"

"What?" Booth was now even more confused.

Brennan turned to Booth, "My father was just explaining to our daughter how she ought to cope with unkind children at school by intimidating and insulting them."

"Aw, come on, Max!" Booth said, more than a little irritated with Max's 'advice' to his daughter.

Max held up his hands, "Now, I never said anything about insulting anyone," he looked to Christine, "did I honey?"

"What's a sissy?" Christine ignored Max's question, still intent on getting an answer to her own.

Max was insistent, "I swear, Booth, I'm being misquoted here!"

"Ha!" Booth snorted, "Sure, because you would never encourage violence, would you?"

Max was about to reply, when Christine stomped her foot impatiently and demanded attention.

"I want to know what a sissy is!"

Before either Booth or Brennan could respond, Max knelt down beside her and replied, "A sissy is someone who's scared of standing up for themselves. You know, like a wimpy ass kid."

"Dad!" Brennan yelled.

Booth chimed in, "Max, ease up on the language there."

Christine turned a worried glance to her father, "But I don't wanna be a sissy!"

Brennan sighed, "It's want to Christine, and you are not going to be a sissy, is she, Dad?"

Max shrugged and stood up straight again, "Well, not if you let her stand up for herself."

Booth turned on Max, now just as exasperated as Brennan, "So, you think we should send her to school with a .44 Magnum? It's D.C. Max, not The Bronx!"

Christine's interest was piqued again, "What's a .44 Magnum?"

"Crap," Booth muttered.

"Booth!" Brennan yelled.

"Hee hee," Christine laughed, "Daddy, you said a bad word!"

Max smirked, "Yes, he did, didn't he, Christine? Naughty Daddy!"

Christine turned to look at her grandfather, "You said one too, Grandpa."

Max looked sheepish, "Ah, you noticed that, did you?"

"Yes," Christine replied proudly, "I'm very smart you know!"

Max smiled and patted her shoulder, "That you are, honey."

Brennan frowned, "Christine, you shouldn't boast about your abilities like that."

Christine turned indignantly to her mother, "I wasn't, Mommy! I was just stating a fact, like you do."

Booth laughed, "She's got you there, Bones!"

"You're not helping, Booth!" Brennan scowled at him.

Max chuckled at the exchange. Brennan turned on her father.

"And neither are you, Dad!"

Christine was still disgruntled by her mother's comment, "You said I was smart, Mommy!"

Brennan sighed, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on, "You are, Christine."

"Then why can't I tell people that?" Christine asked, following what appeared to her to be a reasonable line of logic, just as her mother had taught her to do.

"Because it's rude," Brennan replied.

Christine's nose wrinkled in confusion, "It's rude to tell the truth?"

Brennan hesitated, "Well, no, I mean, in this instance ..." She was distracted from her attempted explanation by the muffled laughter coming from Booth and her father.

Angrily she turned to them, "Would you two stop behaving like children!"

Booth made an effort to control himself, but was still chuckling when he replied, "Sorry, Bones. It's just, it's like you've cloned yourself there!"

Brennan looked mildly confused, "That's absurd, Booth, you were present when I conceived Christine. Or don't you remember?"

A lustful spark ignited in Booth's eyes as he replied salaciously, "Oh, I remember!"

Max spoke up, "Hey, hey, sensitive ears here!"

Booth glanced apologetically at his daughter, "Sorry, Christine."

"I meant me!" Max replied.

"Oh," Booth responded.

Always eager to understand what was going on around her, Christine asked, "Sorry for what, Daddy?"

"Nevermind." Brennan jumped in before her father could make yet another inappropriate comment.

Christine sighed. Naturally intellectually curious, she was always a little annoyed when her parents refused to enlighten her about certain things.

Booth decided to step in before things got any more out of hand.

"Come here, Stapes," he said as he held out his hand to his daughter.

Responding to the nickname the squints had given to her as a baby, Christine smiled slightly and accepted her father's hand and allowed him to lead her to the couch.

Booth turned to her, "Okay, here's the deal. If you do have any problems with the other kids at school, you can try and talk to them yourself first. But, if that doesn't work, then you go and speak to your teacher, or tell us when you get home, deal?"

Christine looked at Max, "Grandpa, would I still be a sissy if I did that?"

Max opened his mouth to reply, but not before receiving a stern glance from Brennan and a reproachful glare from Booth. Max sighed in defeat, and smiled at his granddaughter.

"Nah, honey, that wouldn't make you a sissy. You do what your Dad says."

Christine smiled and nodded, "Okay, thanks Grandpa!"

Looks of relief crossed Booth and Brennan's faces, while Christine jumped up and grabbed Max's hand, tugging him in the direction of her bedroom.

"Come on, Grandpa! You can help me decide what stationary to take tomorrow."

Max grinned and let himself be pulled along, "Sounds good, honey! And, while we're at it, maybe we can have a chat about what you do if some kid tries to cut in front of you in the cafeteria line."

An exasperated Brennan hurried after them, closely followed by an aggravated Booth, "Dad, for the last time, no!" "Max, for God's sake!"

Christine laughed as Max chuckled and nudged her arm playfully. She always loved it when he came round and teased her parents.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this. I'll be posting the next chapter soon, when Christine will be about eight years old. Parker will be involved in this one, as we learn how Booth and Brennan have managed to combine science and religion in raising Christine. Please leave a review, it's the only way I know if I'm doing a good job or not. Thank you.