This is a story of one-shots and scenes around the beautiful and highly anticipated season seven of Bones. And I'm breaking a personal rule: I won't avoid spoilers. So, SPOILER WARNING.

This chapter is for lovely Clare (smfc1877) who squealed with me about the latest spoilers & promos and because of this conversation we had:

Me, "She doesn't wear earrings in bed :)"

Clare, "Pretty sure Booth makes sure that isn't all she doesn't wear ;)"

A FAMILY BUSINESS

I. Earrings

She didn't wear earrings in bed.

He knew that after six months of seeing her in various beds, and most of the time, Booth made sure that this wasn't all she didn't wear.

But... mundane details like this... every once in a while they caused his throat to tighten, his chest to swell, his stomach to flutter.

She didn't wear earrings in bed. Of course, how could she? Her favorite style was way too fancy and dangly anyways to be comfortable to sleep upon. It shouldn't leave him all mushy and awestruck, but then again, her naked earlobes went along with her face bare of make-up and sometimes her body bare of everything.

Right now she wore something purlpe-ish, typing on her laptop while lying in bed beside him. His bed. To be exact, on the right side of his bed. Her side.

Outstretching his hand, he brushed the soft flesh of her earlobe with one finger. There was barely enough space for a caress. Her lips curved up in response to his touch, but, other than that, Brennan's focus stayed on the laptop screen. Fishing for his cell on the bedside table, Booth opened the camera app and captured the moment. The click finally caused her head to turn around.

"Booth, I already promised you not to show the photo to Angela."

Ever since she had taken that picture of him, preparing breakfast for her, well, before getting dressed, he had been very busy collecting compromising pictures of her should that special shot ever show up at the Jeffersonian. This one was different, though, and he regarded the photo of her with a loving smile.

"Nah, this one's just because."

"Because of what?"

Reaching for her laptop, he removed it from her belly and put it down next to the bed along with his phone.

"Because you look great in my bed. And you're not wearing earrings."

Her hand came up, tugging at her earlobe, while a puzzled expression washed over her face.

"I never wear them in bed."

He swallowed hard.

"I know."

The banality of the topic stood in contradiction to the almost reverent look on his face, and Brennan frowned. Did she miss something? His warm palm on her belly had replaced the laptop, and she tried to guess if this was a sexual approach or just a simple touch of intimacy. Did he even touch her or was the caress meant for their daughter? Sometimes it was still hard, this love and romance thing, and she who had always felt safe in science and facts had found herself in a reality where everything seemed to be soft and intuitive.

To say that she had been apprehensive would be the understatement of the year, but one week after she had found out about the baby, Booth had taken her to the ice rink where they had skated the night away after his concussion.

"Why are you bringing me here? I'm not sure if I should skate. The risk of falling and harming-"

"God, no, Bones. No way you're setting as much as a toe onto the ice."

"I'm not sure if I understand this."

"Remember the night we've been skating right here? You were wearing that cute hat with the bobble."

"I remember."

"Remember what I told you?"

"You said that you would never let me fall."

"Did you trust me?"

"Well, you actually did let me fall. But... I trusted you."

"Do you still trust me that I would never let you fall? Be always there?"

"Yes. This is a metaphor, right?"

His chuckle had caressed her skin and the ice.

"I made it extra-tangible just for you."

And just like that... she had been less scared. The ground was unfamiliar, but he was there to walk with her. She could understand that, even more, she could feel it to be true. Nonetheless, most of the time "subtle" was still lost on her.

His fingers were still tracing the swelling of her midsection, and he rested comfortably on his side. With her laptop taken away from her, there was nothing to do but surrendering to the moment.

"Do you want sex?"

"Bones," he whined.

"I'm just asking to be clear because if you want sex, it would be appropriate for me to touch you as well. If you just want to feel the baby, I should lie still."

He groaned and buried his face in her shoulder.

"Maybe you hadn't made up your mind, yet?" she tried.

"Holy Mother... Bones, you can touch me whenever, wherever you want, and you know that. And, yes, with you, I'm always in the mood for sex. You know that as well."

A wicked smile appeared on her face. Oh, yes, she did know that. She had collected a lot of evidence over the past months. In his apartment or hers. In his car. And once in her office, even though that particular memory still made her blush.

Lifting her hand, she run her fingers through his dark hair. It never failed to surprise her how soft it was.

"Right now, I'm just lying here with you. It's wonderful to feel our baby growing inside of you, and it's plain great to have you here in my bed. My team just won the game, it's Friday and I'm happy to be with you. What about you?"

"Well, obviously I'm lying here with you as well, and even though my writing was repeatedly interrupted by you yelling at the TV, I find that I'm quite happy myself."

A grin bloomed on his face, and his hand cupped her nape to tug her down to his lips. He tasted just like he always tasted at the end of the day; warm, familiar and a minty trace of toothpaste in his kiss.

There were goodnight kisses, good morning kisses, see you later kisses. Kisses of heat and passion and softer ones which spoke of tender affection and belonging. Some kisses were placed on her growing belly as well. All those kisses were part of her life now, had been for six months, and Brennan found it quite hard to imagine a time when she had seen him every day without kissing him.

His other arm came around her back, and he pulled her closer to his body. Hugging her had changed over the past months. Only half a year ago, she had been snug and tight against him, snuggling into his arms like a perfect fit. Now there was quite an impressive bump to work around, and he was constantly afraid of crushing her or the baby, bubble-wrapped or not.

He loved her new curves, though, her heaviness. Booth was sure that there was an anthropological reason for that as well, but he would rather bite off his tongue than mentioning it because sometimes the highly evolved Temperance Brennan was just like any other woman, and pointing out a few extra-pounds could be a very bad idea.

Breaking the kiss, he traced the line of her jaw with his lips, and she sighed contently in his arms.

"Maybe you do want sex after all," she murmured.

"Maybe I just wanna silence you?"

"I have to be quiet, then?"

He chuckled, and his teeth nipped her earlobe.

"Be as loud and talk as much as you want. But no words from the blacklist."

"I still think that list is unfair."

"I still think that words like 'intercourse' or 'penetration' shouldn't be used in bed. Or against walls," he hurried to add.

"But the words you suggested aren't that appealing."

Leaving her neck, he looked at her with a bemused smirk.

"You know what? I take it back. Be as loud as you want, but don't talk."

Bending down, he kissed her pouting mouth, and his lips grazed the frown on her forehead.

"I'm not sure if I should be offended."

His hands dove under her purple shirt, skimming incredibly soft skin.

"Sorry, Bones. And guess what?"

He had found the globe of her breast, squeezing gently, and she arched into his touch with a soft moan.

"I am in the mood for intercourse," he breathed.

"I cannot wait to remove your clothes and couple with you. My penis fits perfectly info your vagina."

His husky voice sent pleasant shivers down her spine, but somehow the words were wrong. She cursed inwardly, realizing that he had proven his point.

"Make love to me," she whispered. "I want to feel you inside of me."

"Ha!"

"'Ha' as long as you want to, but don't stop."

Lifting her head, she kissed his cocky grin away, and soon his hands on her started moving again. He knew her body so well. Granted, after six months this wasn't unexpected, but somehow he had known how to touch her right from the start. His lips on her breasts, his head between her legs, his body joined with hers – it had simply felt right... from the very first time on. There had never been as much as a second of awkwardness between them, and it seemed as if physical intimacy really had been the next logical step, the one thing their relationship had lacked so far.

A swirl of his thumb brought her back to reality, and she gasped. At this stage of her pregnancy, her breasts were ultra-sensitive, and even the softest touch sent electricity-like sparks through her whole body. He always seemed to know when it was too much, though, and soon his teasing thumb was replaced by his warm palm, simply cupping her. His mouth was back at her neck, licking the tender skin.

Her own hands found the hem of his well-worn gray shirt, tugging at the fabric until he left her body long enough to pull it over his head. It was forgotten before it hit the floor. His bronze skin looked even darker under her white hands, and she admired his strong muscles, his perfect structure. Her gaze wandered lower, and she couldn't suppress a smile at the sight of the new curve of his tummy.

"You've gained weight."

"Thank you, Bones, you look great as well."

Her fingers tickled over his midsection which was softer than usual.

"It's fairly common that men gain weight along with their pregnant mates."

"Well, popcorn for breakfast doesn't help, either. Blame it on your weird cravings."

"I'm sorry that my pregnancy cravings messed with your usually very healthy eating habits."

He ogled her suspiciously.

"Temperance Brennan, did you just use sarcasm?"

She beamed.

"I believe I did."

"I'm torn between feeling insulted or proud."

She distracted him with a peck on his shoulder, followed by a trail of gentle bits to his neck.

"Hmm..."

From earlier explorations, Booth already knew that her purple shirt was a wrap thingy and that he could open it with one simple tug at the strings. He loved it. It was almost as magical as microwaves.

"Abracadabra," he murmured, and one moment later the garment fell apart, revealing her naked torso.

She didn't wear a bra, and he sighed at the sight of her so perfect in front of him. Her breasts were... extraordinary. He had noticed them long ago – hell, he was a man – and finally he was allowed to touch and look at them. He had seen them growing in the past months, had been there when the rosy pink of her areolas had turned to a darker shade. He loved them. They were hers, and they were his.

Lowering his head, he nuzzled the soft flesh with his lips, gently and carefully.

"I love your breasts," he confessed, even though it was kind of obvious.

"I love... oh... I love you... ah... loving my breasts."

His lips wandered lower, leaving a trail of wet kisses behind on the way to her belly. He paused when he reached the hem of her wide sweatpants – an old pair of his own – placing a kiss on the firm skin covering their daughter.

"Hi baby."

Her hands flew to his head, raking through his hair, and he rubbed his stubbly cheek against her belly.

"Beautiful, Bones, you're so beautiful."

"You have to believe that since you're the one who impregnated," she caught his wrinkled nose and hurried to choose another word, "who is the baby's father."

"No, I believe that because I'm a man and not blind. And nice save, Baby."

"I don't know... oh!"

He had finally abandoned her belly, and his hand cupped her mound through the fabric of the pants, rubbing slowly but steadily.

"You're saying?"

She didn't say that much anymore, but her throaty hums were encouragement enough, and he hooked his thumbs into the waistband, pulling pants and panties down her legs. Then she was naked, only her arms were still caught in the sleeves of her purple wrap shirt.

Lifting his hand, he grazed the inside of her creamy white thighs with his fingernails, and she shuddered, as her legs opened on their own volition.

Six months of kissing him paled compared to six months of having sex with him...

"Booth..."

"Hmm?"

"I... I love you."

Lowering his lips, he kissed her thigh, breathing her all in.

"I know, Bones."

She had gotten better at saying it, but even before the words had left her lips for the first time – in his car after examining the victim of a particularly grave case of domestic abuse; her voice shaken but steady, his heart suddenly bright despite the darkness of the case – he had just known it. He had found the truth in the way she took care of him, in her arms around him at night, in her wholehearted surrender when he was making love to her.

"I love you, too. With everything I have."

He had always been good at saying it, had been brave enough to tell her long before she had found the courage to verbalize it. And she could feel it. Brennan couldn't explain it rationally, but whenever Booth was there, something inside of her gravitated towards him. He was warmth, safety, peace of mind. He was home.

"I know, Booth."

Shifting his head a few inches, he kissed her intimately, his lips grazing her hot flesh, his tongue tasting her wetness. Salty, female, her. She gasped and squirmed above him, her hands still anchored in his hair. His mouth closed around her sensitive bud, sucking gently, as two of his fingers dipped into her core. Her gasp turned into a cry, and he hummed against her flesh, creating vibrations that fluttered through her whole body.

"Yes! More..."

His fingers moved in and out of her in a steady rhythm, stroking her with just the right amount of pressure, and all the while he was licking and sucking her, reveling in her breathless moans, her throaty pleas. Pleasuring her gave him a ridiculous kick, and he just loved that he was able to reduce his brilliant partner to an incoherent bundle of desire.

He had been hard the second she had been unwrapped in front of him, and now his cock was twitching in anticipation, almost painfully swollen. As much as he wanted to lick and suck her all night long, right now he needed her in a very selfish way, and Booth released her with a last kiss, one more stroke.

She moaned in protest, feeling achingly empty without his caresses, but one heartbeat later he was next to her, kissing her hard, and she found herself on his lips. Hands were fighting with clothes, garments were kicked away, and then they were pressed to each other hot and naked from head to toe. Well, almost pressed.

"Turn around, Babe."

Obeying without hesitation, Brennan moved in his arms until she was on her side and he could wrap himself around her from behind. One hand splayed on her belly, he found her breast with his other one, squeezing it while his hot breath whispered over her nape.

She could feel his hardness pressed against her buttocks, and she wriggled slightly to create even more friction. He groaned close to her ear, and the hand on her belly slipped lower until it disappeared between her legs anew, rubbing her swollen clit with one callous fingertip.

Moaning, she tried to get her hand between their bodies, but in their current position and with her limited flexibility, she could hardly touch anything but his thigh.

"I wanna touch you as well," she protested, but his claim on her body only increased.

"Sorry... this is me being selfish. God, I need you."

"Yes, please. Take me."

She lifted her leg in invitation, and he shifted until the tip of his arousal made contact with her entrance. Warm, wet, inviting.

With the knowledge of six months of doing this and seven years of dreaming about it, Booth tilted his pelvis to join them. And he was home. His groan mingled with hers in the otherwise quiet room, and, with one hand pressed to the juncture of her thighs, he thrust into her from behind. His head fell onto the pillow, her ponytail tickling his nose, and she was just so snug, so absolutely perfect around him.

Brennan felt... precious. This position reduced her to a kind of sexual submission which was quite unlike her, but she couldn't deny the overwhelming feeling of safety that came along with being taken by him like this. He couldn't hit her particularly strongly or deeply, but Booth the lover emanated a natural power she hadn't known before. The anthropologist in her knew that this was the alpha male claiming his mate, but the woman in her... oh, the woman in her couldn't help but respond to his gentle kind of strength with quivering thighs and a rush of wetness.

"You okay, Bones?" he rasped, and she nodded wildly, trying to meet his thrusts.

"Yes. Take me... make me yours."

He moved faster now, and his teeth sunk into her shoulder, marking her white skin.

"You are... mine."

Her hand found his between her legs, clasping it, and he rocked into her with his very own mix of dominance and tenderness, stroking her until her insides hummed and vibrated in response, stroking her even beyond humming and vibrating.

He could feel the moment she lost it, he always did, and she clenched around him in her very own way of claiming what was hers.

"Yes, come for me," he demanded, and she cried softly, as she trembled and fell in the safest embrace she had ever received.

Somehow he found the strength to rock her through her climax without coming with her, and when her contractions subsided, her fingers linked with his, and her throaty voice called out to him.

"Follow me."

Two words which summed up who he was, and he couldn't think straight anymore. His balls tightened, once, twice, and with one last powerful stroke, he came inside of her, and if he hadn't held her so tightly, he might have fallen.

She could feel his orgasm, his release, his warmth, and a languid smile played around her lips. Temperance Brennan would never admit it, but she loved it when he came inside of her. She had been sexually active for over a decade, but not once before Booth had the orgasm of her partner added to her own satisfaction. With him, it did. It was probably archaic and not very 21st-century-woman-like, but, still... she liked it.

He was softening inside of her, slipping out of her, and part of her mourned the loss. It didn't last long, though, because he turned her around in his arms, and his lips met hers with that kind of tenderness which can only be found in the aftermath of passion.

"Hi," he greeted her, and she smiled at him.

"Hi yourself."

Blue eyes, hazelnut hair, rosy cheeks. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, celebrated the absence of earrings one more time.

"You're so beautiful. And no matter what kind of squinty remark you have in store, you just are."

She blushed slightly.

"Well, thanks, then."

"Sleepy?"

"Hmm-hm."

He dropped a kiss onto her head.

"I'll be right back."

Snuggling back into the pillows, Brennan watched him walking around gloriously naked, and the idea of taking another picture crossed her mind. Just because he was beautiful, as well, not to have more blackmailing material, of course. Yawning, she decided that she was too lazy, though. Plus, she was fairly certain that there would be more opportunities to see his naked body.

Because... among all the things he had given her, there was one treasure she had never thought she'd possess one day.

Faith to believe in the future.

To be continued...

So, how badly do you wish you could skip October?