(After The Change in the Game)

This is a Bones Secret Santa Fanfic.

I don't own Bones.

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Once more he was standing outside of Booth's office door and found it rather ironic that he was hanging out in the Hoover so much lately. "Booth, can I come in?"

Unable to avoid the man, Booth nodded his head and closed the file he was looking at. "Yeah." Tired and the bruise on his hip bothering him, he carefully shifted on his chair and faced his partner's father.

Not certain about Booth's mood, Max entered the office and sat down on the chair in front of the Agent's desk. "How's your butt?"

His eyes now large, Booth shook his head and hissed. "Are you crazy? Don't talk about stuff like that in public. What's the matter with you?"

Amused, Max schooled his face, so that he didn't irritate the younger man any further. "Okay, sorry . . . That hockey game really seemed to help me out with Tempe last night."

"I'm glad it helped you out." Booth muttered and exhaled deeply. Determined to get rid of Max, Booth spoke up. "Good. Nice seeing you. Close the door on your way out."

"No wait." Max held his hand up to stall his departure. "I need more help. I don't think my relationship with Tempe is fixed. I mean I need your help."

His irritation growing, Booth leaned back against his chair with his arms crossed against his chest and ignored the stab of pain in his right hip. "I told you I'm not getting involved with your problem. I've told you that and I mean it. I am not going to get Bones mad at me helping you."

Slowly, Max nodded his head. "Yeah, okay . . . do have a plan or maybe some more advice?"

He considered it and decided he did have some advice. "Look Max, this is not going to be fixed overnight. She was abandoned by you and your wife and she was on her own for over fifteen years. She has me now and that helps, but there isn't some magic spell that is going to repair your relationship with Bones . . . you need to arrange to meet with her for lunch once in a while. Call her once in a while so she knows you're around . . . I don't know . . . offer to do something for her if she looks like she needs help with something. Just don't disappear because that just pisses her off and for God's sake don't break into her apartment anymore. That's a big one. Just let time heal this. You have be patient."

"Is Tempe pregnant?" Max stared intently at Booth and waited.

Booth debated how to answer the question and decided to be honest. "Yeah, she is, but you can't mention it to her yet. We've only told a few people and she's not ready to let the world know right now. She's a famous author and the minute the press finds out and her fans find out, it's going to be a little crazy. Thank God she's not famous like movie stars, but it's bad enough that a few million people want to know her business which means they also want to know my business."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Max was a little hurt. "I mean I am her father even if she is angry with me most of the time."

Booth shrugged his shoulders. "It's what she wants. She came up with a list of people to tell and we followed the list . . . she's kind of into lists, so anyway you didn't get told because I guess she doesn't trust you enough."

And that really did hurt. "Yeah, I guess. I'd like to be more to her than just a passing acquaintance. I love her and . . ." Max stopped and rubbed his eyes. Once his emotions were under control he lowered his hand. "Okay, I'll do what you said. I'll call her a couple of times a week and I'll see if she'll meet me for lunch once in a while. I hope we're in a better place before the baby is born."

"I hope so too." Booth shifted on his chair and turned it to face his PC. "I'm busy, Max. Close the door on the way out."

Unable to stay any longer, Max stood up and walked over to the door. "Thank you for not helping me." After he left the office, he closed the door and moved towards the elevator.

His hip causing him some pain, Booth opened a bottle of Advil and took three tablets. Smartass!

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Over the next several weeks, Max followed Booth's plan. He called his daughter three times a week to talk to her and to remind her that he was in town and that he hadn't disappeared. Max also talked her into going to lunch with him once a week. When they met, he always had stories to tell her about Russ and the girls or about family moments when Brennan was very young. He didn't push her and he was careful not to remind her about the bad times. Determined, Max wanted to make his daughter see that he was in her life and she could count on him. Slowly he noticed a change between them and she seemed to thaw towards him.

Booth was careful too. He didn't talk about Max unless Brennan brought him up and he reminded her that he was on her side. Someone had to be.

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Brennan was three months pregnant when she finally mentioned to Booth that they should tell her father. "I have been eating lunch with him once a week for several weeks now. I won't be able to hide it from him much longer since my breast size is increasing rather noticeably let alone the increase in my girth."

He knew his girlfriend was a very confident independent woman, but even she needed reassurances sometime. Moving across the bedroom, Booth placed his arms around her from behind and rested his hands on her stomach. "You're absolutely beautiful, Bones."

"I know." Brennan placed her hands over his hands and looked at him in the mirror above the dresser. "I was just making a statement."

Booth smiled and kissed her neck. "Max is going to be happy to hear that he's going to be a grandfather. I mean I know he has Russ' step-kids, but this one, our little one is going to be from you and well . . ." Booth pulled her around and kissed her on the lips. "I love you, Bones. You make me happy every day, every single day."

Her lips lingering near his lips, Brennan smiled. "And I love you too, Booth." Her lips met his lips and they kissed once more.

A phone ringing, they broke their kiss and with a quick check they determined it was Brennan's phone. "Yes. I will be in shortly." The call ended and Brennan sighed. "I have a package from Peru waiting for me. I have to go."

"Okay." Booth slipped his phone in his jacket pocket. "Do you want me to go to lunch with you today, so you won't be alone with Max when you tell him about the baby?"

Pulling her jacket on, Brennan shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary. I'll see you this evening unless we get a case first." Brennan watched Booth leave the bedroom and after he was gone she turned to face the mirror once more and shook her head.

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Max was waiting for her at their usual table at the Royal Diner. Happy to see her, Max smiled and handed her a daisy. "Hey Baby, I'm glad you could meet me for lunch."

Brennan hated to be called Baby, but getting her father to stop would take too much effort and would be a complete waste of her time. "Thank you for the flower."

"Oh, you're welcome Honey." Max stared momentarily at his daughter's breasts and realized that her pregnancy was moving along pretty well. "How's Booth?"

Brennan placed her purse on the table near the window and the flower on top of it. "He's fine." After she ordered grilled vegetables over Pilaf with a glass of ice water, Brennan turned to look at her father. "I'm pregnant Dad."

Startled that she was willint to tell him, Max almost chocked on the sip of tea he'd placed in his mouth. Spluttering a little, he swallowed and blushed. "That's . . . that's great Honey. I mean congratulations."

"Thank you." Brennan smiled at her father and reached a hand across the table to cover his hand. "Booth and I are very happy."

Even though he had known she was pregnant, Max still felt emotional. His daughter was letting him into her life, even if it was just a little bit. "I wish your mother was here . . . Of course she might not have wanted your baby to call her grandma . . . maybe Nana or something like that. She would have loved being a grandmother just like she loved being a mother. She loved you kids so much."

Feeling a little emotional, Brennan squeezed his hand. "I miss her, Dad . . . Booth and I visit her gravesite sometimes and we bring flowers . . . of course I don't believe in an afterlife or heaven, but Booth does. He's a good man, Dad. I love him."

Max felt a tear slip from his lashes and he brushed it away. "I'm so happy you found him, Tempe. You deserved a family and now you have one."

"You're part of my family, Dad." Brennan hesitated, but needed to say her piece. "I have a hard time trusting that you won't leave me again, but Booth thinks you won't and I hope you do stay. My baby would benefit from having someone from your generation in her life . . . Our family is small, Booth only has his grandfather, his brother he barely sees and a son who is now in England. As for me, I have you and Russ . . . Our baby . . . Booth and I would like you to be in our baby's life."

"Oh, Tempe, I want that too." Max knew he had a long way to go to make his daughter accept that he was in her life permanently, but he had time and he would prove it to her. "I love you Tempe and I'm going to be here for you from now on. You can count on me. Booth and the baby can count on me too."

Brennan smiled and removed her hand from his, pulling it back across the table. "Thanks Dad. Thank you for staying."

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Okay, this story is complete. I hope you liked it. Merry Christmas.