Pieces of a Family Trip
A Bones Fanfic
By Amanda
Sequel to Falling to Pieces, Picking up the Pieces,
Putting the Pieces Back Together, Bits and Pieces,
Pieces of My Heart, All the Little Pieces,
The Date, Pieces of a Case, and Pieces of a Week
Spoilers for all four seasons (I think), but most are vague.
No copyright infringement intended. I only own the story line.
Since it has been so long since I last posted this series, I'm starting out this one with a recap of the first nine stories in the series. If you have read them recently, or don't think you need a refreasher course, feel free to skip ahead to the new part (chapter 2)
*~BONES~*
Previously in the "Pieces" series …
… As she hit the delete button undoing the past five hours worth of writing, Dr. Temperance Brennan heard a noise coming from the bed of Seeley Booth. When she recognized distinguishable words fall from his lips she could barely control the overwhelming urge to yell out or cry or something. Instead, she walked as calmly as she could the four steps to his side and examined him. Needing to assure him, as much as herself, that he was ok she resorted to facts. "The surgery was successful. You had a bad reaction to the anesthesia. You have been in a coma for four days."
"Who are you?" he asked and her heart broke. He didn't remember her? How could he not remember her after everything they had been through together; with everything they meant to one another.
"You – you don't remember me?" she asked trying desperately to keep her voice from breaking. At the shake of his head, she put on the bravest face she could muster and even managed a small smile to try and reassure him. "That's ok. Don't worry about that right now. It is not uncommon to experience amnesia after brain surgery."
*~BONES~*
A short time later the doctor stepped out of the room closing the door behind him. "Dr. King, aside from the amnesia, how is he doing?"
Dr. King took a moment to study the woman in front of him for a moment before answering. She was definitely an amazing woman. She had spent the past four and a half days in the hospital and he knew from the nursing staff that she had hardly slept or eaten in that time, and yet she was still stunning. He thought her eyes looked a little puffy and red around the edges, but those were the only outward signs of her distress. Her voice, while soft, was steady as steel and she had her shoulders squared ready to accept and deal with the worst case scenario. "At the moment I can't tell you much. I do not believe that it will be permanent, but it is hard to say at this point. We will know more later in the week."
Sitting in his room later, an idea occurred to the scientist. "Booth, how old is your son?"
"Parker? He is turning … 3. Why?" Booth asked trying to figure out where she was going with this.
"Well, that settles it. You are missing the last 5 years."
"How do you know?"
"Because Parker is now 8 going on 9" was the definitive answer.
*~BONES~*
Poking her head in the room after Parker's departure and seeing the sad look on Booth's face, Brennan had an idea. "Hey Booth, I'm going to get us some pudding. Vanilla right? I'll be right back."
"Thanks Bones" he called after her.
"You're welcome" she said. She was half way down the hall before what he had called her registered. Turning on her heal and walking quickly back to the room she asked "What did you just call me?"
Shocked by her reaction Booth hesitantly answered, "Bones?"
"Did Parker tell you about that?" she demanded trying desperately not to get her hopes up only to have them crash down again.
"No. It just came out. I honestly don't know where it came from."
He watched as the most beautiful smile he had ever seen, or at least that he remembered, broke out across her face. Light seemed to shine from her eyes as she made her way to him and engulfed him in a hug. "Don't fight it, don't question it, just let it come back to you. You are going to be fine!" she declared.
"How do you know?"
"Because you called me Bones" she answered like it was the most blatantly obvious fact on the earth.
*~BONES~*
A short while later Booth requested that she tell him some more stories.
"Where should I start?" Bones asked. Four years was a lot of time to catch up on and so many things had happened in that time for the two of them. But resorting to logic and reason, she decided to start at the beginning of their partnership. For several hours they just sat in his room while she told him about the life he couldn't remember and she could never forget. It felt odd to talk about these things that he was so much a part of while he was unable to contribute anything.
He didn't mention the flashes he recalled, or possibly only constructed, as he heard the stories. He just absorbed them and relished in the small clips or still images that he was able to retrieve. Occasionally he would hear bits of conversations about victims and motives and weapons and bone structure and sports injuries. Usually these came with disjointed pictures of faces that he assumed went with the voice, but most of the time he couldn't place a name to the face. Eventually he decided that for the sake of his sanity, he needed to coordinate names with faces and he got an idea.
*~BONES~*
Bones was awoken when the doctor came in to examine Booth about an hour and a half after Booth had drifted off. She waited quietly as he assessed the printouts monitoring Booth's brain waves. When he had finished, she got up and followed him from the room so as not to bother the sleeping agent. "How does it look doctor?" she asked closing the door.
"So far everything seems to be on track. He's had some elevated brain waves for the past few hours. The kind of activity that the machines recorded are usually associated with memories and remembering" he informed her having come to realize that she wanted the scientific explanations behind his predictions and diagnosis.
"He didn't mention anything about remembering anything though."
"That is not uncommon for amnesia patients. They often don't recall what we would consider full memories. They tend to experience the memories in bits and pieces with large gaps in between. Sometimes the patient is not sure what is real or what their mind has made up to fill the gaps. From what I have heard about agent Booth from you and your friends, I would assume that he is preferring to err on the side of caution and not tell you about the things he remembers in case they are not true. It's as much to protect you from disappointment as himself."
"That does sound like something he would do. He is always trying to protect everybody" Brennan acknowledged nodding her head a couple of times. "How do I get him to tell me?" she asked already trying to form a plan of action in her mind.
*~BONES~*
Later that night Booth awoke to find Bones curled awkwardly in the same uncomfortable chair she had occupied for the past five days. He took a moment to reflect on the fact that she had not left his side any longer than absolutely necessary since this whole thing began. It was hard to imagine that kind of connection and loyalty, but he was grateful for it. She shifted trying in vain to get comfortable. He shifted to the farthest part of the bed before softly calling out to her. She stirred but didn't wake so he tried again. This time she opened her eyes a fraction before asking agitatedly "What Booth?"
"You looked uncomfortable in the chair. Why don't you come lay up here with me?" he offered.
"Booth I can't do that. The bed is hardly big enough for you, let alone the both of us" she protested practically, though the thought of a bed, even a shared one, was very appealing.
"Aw, come on Bones. I made room. And I won't sleep if you insist on staying in that chair" he protested with his special smile.
She was quiet for a while just looking at him, making a list of pros and cons in her head. Finally she made up her mind and rose from the chair. In a few short steps she slipped into the bed and under the sheets he was holding up. He dropped the sheets over her and laid his arm over her hip pulling her closer to a more comfortable position for both of them. Just before he drifted back to sleep he heard her whisper her thanks.
*~BONES~*
Booth awoke with the morning sun and after some time, he took stock of his surroundings and was mildly surprised to find the woman who occupied his thoughts also occupied his arms. Somehow it felt anything but wrong or unnatural to wake like this. In fact, as far as he knew, which granted still had a lot of holes, he had never been this content in his life. Realization came quickly, if unexpectedly, that he was in love with this woman who had been described as his partner and friend. He could feel it in his gut and could not for the life of him figure out why he had never acted on the feelings he was experiencing.
As he felt her stir and begin to wake, he made a decision. When he was out of the hospital and had regained at least most of his memory, he was going to sit her down and present two arguments for why they should be together. The first would appeal to the ultra rational and logical side that she prided herself on; the second to the emotional side she attempted to hide from the world.
The first conscious thought that passed through Brennan's mind was that she was more comfortable and better rested than she had been in days. The second was that she was laying in Booth's hospital bed wrapped securely in his arms. A smile came unbidden to her lips and she refused to dwell too long on why that was. Instead she turned in his embrace and searched out his warm chocolate brown eyes. When she found them not only open but watching her intently she whispered an almost shy, "Morning Booth."
*~BONES~*
The rest of the day passed by quickly with the squints visiting for about an hour and Brennan filling Booth in on more of their history. When night came Booth once again offered to share the bed with Bones when she started nodding off in the chair. Looking at his almost pleading face and remembering how well she had slept after moving to the bed the previous night she consented.
The next morning the two sat in bed talking about plans for the rest of the day until a nurse came into the room with Booth's discharge papers. Once they were signed, Bones handed him the bag she had packed the previous day and sent him into the bathroom to clean up some and change. Half an hour later they were situated in his SUV driving to his apartment.
When they arrived at the apartment building, Brennan retrieved both her and Booth's bags from the trunk and lead the way to his apartment. Reaching the door, she fished out her keys and quickly found the right one to work the lock. By the time Booth had taken off his coat, she had already made herself at home, having removed her jacket and shoes and put the bags down in his room for the time being. He marveled that he could possibly have forgotten her when she was so at home in his space and looked so right there.
Booth only had one spare room, Parker's, and the bed there was not really large enough for her to sleep on and he refused to allow her to sleep on the couch, so for the third night in a row the two partners shared a bed. Despite the obvious excess of room available in the king size bed over the hospital bed, the two slept right next to each other as they had the previous two nights. This night, however, their routine was changed when they shared a brief, tired kiss before drifting off to sleep.
*~BONES~*
When Booth awoke the next morning, he was momentarily disappointed to find the bed empty. The disappointment was short lived however, when the smell of coffee and bacon reached his nose. Now smiling, he got out of bed and walked out to the kitchen to find Bones standing at the stove, his stove, making bacon and eggs. Deciding to take a big chance, Booth stealthily made his way across the room and wrapped his arms around her waist.
At first Brennan stiffened, but as she realized who it was and remembered the kiss from the night before, she relaxed into his body and smiled back at him over her shoulder. "Good morning Booth. How are you feeling?"
"Right about now I feel great" he joked momentarily tightening his grip on her.
She laughed before pushing him away and instructing him to get them some plates. He reluctantly agreed and within five minutes the two were sitting at the table with breakfast and coffee.
Around 10:30 she pulled the SUV into Booth's regular spot outside the Jeffersonian and led the way to the Medico-Legal lab being careful to discretely keep an eye on her partner. As he walked through the automatic door for the lab, his mind was flooded with a swarm of memories spanning years and all jumbled together. He almost took a physical step back from the onslaught. Noticing this, Bones laid a gentle hand on his arm and led him quickly to her office before setting him down on her couch and closing the door. She silently sat next to him and waited for him to sort out what was going on in her mind.
Almost an hour later the partners were heading out of the building and to the diner for lunch. Booth had talked with Angela, Hodgins and Cam while Bones had examined whatever bone anomaly Clark had found and helped him explain the probable origins of them.
For the most part, the two ate silently. Occasionally she would snag a fry from his plate or he would sneak a crouton from her salad. They didn't need to talk. They were both content to dwell in their own thoughts secure in mere fact that the other was there. The familiarity of the silence was comforting to both after the events of the past week and they reveled in it. Eventually though, the food finished and the check came. The argument over who would pay was the first time in almost twenty minutes that either of them had spoken. It too was comfortable in its familiarity though, so neither minded dragging it out longer than absolutely necessary. It was moments like these that assured the two that everything was not lost or broken beyond repair. There was still a way to put the pieces back together and everything would be ok.
*~BONES~*
'Hiya Sweets. What's up?" Booth asked as he threw the door to the office open.
Sweets jumped a little at the entrance, but recovered well and motioned for the partners to take their usual seats as he moved around to his leather chair. "How are you feeling today Booth?"
"Just dandy thanks" was the smart reply.
"Booth, behave. He just wants to help" Brennan hissed from her place next to him.
Sweets watched on with amusement and awe as Booth turned to Brennan and the two held a silent conversation. Looking at them in this moment, one would never be able to tell that less than a week before, he had woken up and not had any idea who she was. It only proved to the young psychologist that the bond these two had was stronger than any he had ever seen. Even when common sense would suggest that the two should be uncomfortable or reserved with each other, something in their subconscious told them to trust and rely on the other. Finally Brennan seemed to win the silent debate and they once again returned their attention to the doctor before them.
"So, Bones says you think you know how to help me."
Sometime later Booth resurfaced from his thoughts just in time to hear Sweets and Bones making plans for the next session. "Don't I get a say?" he asked.
"No. Until the doctor clears you, you have very little say in anything because I will be driving you around" she told him matter of factly.
Resigning himself to that fact, Booth simply rolled his eyes and sat back again. Sometimes it felt like they were married, not just partners.
*~BONES~*
Back in his office Brennan heard a quiet "How on earth could I have ever forgotten you?"
She was taken aback. That was not what she had been expecting. Before she could formulate an answer though, he had crossed the small space between them and dropped a quick, gentle kiss to her lips. It happened so fast that she almost thought she had imagined it. Pulling back a little he said, "Come on Bones, let's go home." Placing a hand at the small of her back he led her through the building, neither commenting on the kiss or the reference to 'home'. Internally however, that's all either thought about.
They returned 'home' fifteen minutes after they had left the Hoover building and fell into a routine that had been set in the short time they had stayed together since he was released from the hospital. He went to relax in the living room, as per her orders, while she went to the kitchen to find something to eat. The domesticated routine did not go unnoticed by either partner, but like the kiss earlier neither commented on it.
Deciding to simply order in Brennan asked Booth where he would like to order from. There was no need to ask what he wanted, if anything they were creatures of habit. On the paper menu notes had been written in the margins noting the dishes that Booth, Parker, and Brennan liked. She noted that all of the menus had similar makings. Seeing her name in the midst of his and his son's caused the same warm feeling she had felt at the mention of 'home' to flow through her. Laughing at her insanity, she picked up the phone and quickly placed their order before returning to the couch.
"I think we should probably talk about it Bones." Booth said suddenly.
"It is ok if you regret it" she quickly interrupted. "I know that you are overwhelmed and confused right now and I don't blame you. I am sure that it is natural to …" she trailed off looking at her lap, hoping that he wasn't going to say it was all a mistake, but afraid he was.
"Oh Bones" he whispered pulling her into a strong embrace. "Of course I don't regret it and it has absolutely nothing to do with me being confused."
Bones smiled into his neck feeling twenty pounds lighter. She hadn't even realized that her heart had literally been weighed down with her uncertainty and fear. It wasn't a declaration of eternal love, it wasn't a promise that everything would be perfect, but for now it was enough. "Good" was the only thing she could think to say.
*~BONES~*
Waking up the next morning, Brennan couldn't stop her mind from working. Even now she wasn't entirely sure what it was that had prompted him to kiss her. She was still not entirely sure that he would not decide to take it back once he regained all of his memories. Maybe at the moment he didn't remember about the line and why he felt it was so important. Maybe he didn't remember all of the differences and difficulties between them.
Those thoughts firmly in mind she made a decision. When he woke up, they would have a serious talk about the kiss and what it meant. When they had tried that last night they hadn't gotten any farther than him saying he didn't regret it. Still, not regretting something and wanting to continue something were not necessarily the same thing. Before she got too carried away in the things she was feeling, she had to tell him about everything. She had make sure that he knew all about the line and the differences. He had to know what he was getting into. If this was going to work, he had to know everything about both of them and their lives. Bones shivered involuntarily before pulling away from Booth's warm body to make some coffee. She was sure they would both need it this morning. Besides, she needed to get some distance from him so she could organize her thoughts. As much as she didn't want to, she would have to tell him every reason they should not be together and every reason that they weren't already and every reason that they wouldn't work. Then she would have to sit back and hope that he recognized what she was doing and that she wanted this more than anything.
"We need to talk and I need you to listen to me, not just argue. This is important" was the first thing he heard that morning as he poured his coffee.
"Ok" Booth replied hesitantly, "What do we need to talk about?"
"Us" was the simple answer. Booth blanched a little at the detached tone she used and the suddenness of the conversation. So far they had shared only one kiss and she already wanted to have the conversation. Then again, this was Bones and he was sure that she had never done anything in the normal way in her life.
"What about us Bones?" he asked cautiously.
Finally she looked up and Booth could see the myriad of emotions swirling in their blue depths. So despite the early hour and his reluctance, Booth decided that he would take this conversation as seriously as she seemed to want to make it.
"There are some … some things that you need to know before we start anything. I don't know what all you remember right now, but there are some things you have to know before you decide if you want to have a relationship with me or just leave it as it is." Brennan's blue eyes bored into his brown ones trying to convey the truth she knew was inherent in that simple declaration.
"Ok, why don't you tell me then?"
Brennan took a deep breath and looked needlessly down at the pad of paper. She had memorized the list at least an hour ago, but it gave her something to focus on other than him. She figured she'd start with the simplest point first. "To start with, you told me that there is a line that some people can't cross. A line that coworkers shouldn't cross. I don't really know all of your reasonings, but you were very adamant about the -" she stopped abruptly when she noticed him trying to hide a smile behind his coffee cup. "Is this funny to you?" she demanded.
"No Bones, I promise you it's not funny. I was just thinking that I have regretted saying anything about that damn line since it came out of my mouth. That was just a reaction I had to what happened to Cam. I thought that it would have been easier to deal with her being hurt if we had never dated. I was afraid that if something happened to you I wouldn't be able to handle it." After a beat of two of silence he continued, "So … we work together."
"Yes we work together. Do you really think we would be able to keep our personal and professional lives separate? Because we would have to, to a certain extent. And what if us having a romantic relationship meant we couldn't be partners Booth? What we do, solving murders, it's important. And you once told me that if you take one of us, any of us away, …" she trailed off not wanting to get sidetracked with memories of the Gravedigger.
"You and Hodgins are in that hole forever," Booth whispered. The memories were still painful for him and he tried not to think about any of the times Bones' life had been in danger because of her, their, job.
Brennan's head shot up as he finished her thought. Apparently more of his memory was back than she knew. If he remembered that conversation, she dreaded to know what else had surfaced. In a way she had hoped that some of the horrible things they had been through never had to be remembered. She was curious as to what else he remembered, but now was not the time. "Exactly. We are the center Booth, 'and the center must hold'. Is it really worth it to risk that for a romantic relationship?" she asked herself as much as Booth. She continued on, however not giving him time to respond. "And if we were to start dating, what would happen in the field the next time someone has a gun? It would be too dangerous for either of us to be distracted by our concern for each other in the field. If we lose focus, one of us could die."
This time he took a moment to gather his thoughts and prepare a rational argument to plead his case. He only had one chance of convincing her, and he had to make it count. "Bones, you can't honestly tell me that you don't have feelings for me and I can't say I don't care about you. I have for a long time now. And we have been in too many situations where one or both of us could have been hurt or killed." Here he paused gauging her reaction. Seeing that she was at the very least accepting the logic behind what he had already said, he continued. "If the feelings I have for you were going to compromise us in the field, they would have already. And I think that the way we feel about each other makes us a better, stronger, more dedicated team. All of us, even the squints. We're a family Bones and we look out for each other. If we didn't love each other the way we do, we would have given up on finding you and Hodgins, or not found you when Kenton took you. Or you all wouldn't have found me on the ship. We are better because we care about each other."
Bones was shocked. She had never really thought about it like that, but he made a good point. The feelings they all had for each member of the team is what kept them all together and made them so good. If it wasn't for that connection, she, Hodgins, and Booth would probably be dead, Angela would have left a long time ago, and Zach, well Zach probably wouldn't have gotten the chances he did. Wiping a tear that had formed in the corner of her eye thinking about what might have been, Bones sighed. "Fine" she conceded, "but what if we break up? What happens to us and the team then?" she countered.
"There's an easy solution to that problem" he answered. At her curious gaze he continued, "We just never break up."
"Booth, it is impossible to say that nothing will ever happen to us that will break us apart. It is completely illogical to expect to live happily ever after."
"Who said anything about 'happily'?" he inserted, but she continued on as if she hadn't heard.
"But I have never had a really committed relationship. I don't know if I can" she continued secretly overjoyed that he seemed to remember enough about the two of them to effectively overrule all of the problems she could come up with.
"So you have commitment issues? We have been together for four years now and you haven't felt the need to run yet. And I haven't left yet. I'm not going to. You can't get rid of me."
For a long moment, they simply stared at each other from across the table in utter silence. She was waiting for any flicker of doubt to cross his face or another reason this couldn't work to occur to her. He was waiting for her to see the truth behind what he had just said. He would never leave her as long as he had any say in it. It was still too early to say 'I love you' but he hoped that he had managed to convince her to give them a chance.
Finally a brilliant smile broke out across her face and he was reminded of the picture in her parent's file. She looked unbelievably happy, and this time he was the reason. The next thing he knew, she was next to him with her arms wrapped around his neck and her lips not quite touching his. "You can't get rid of me either" she whispered just before she brought her lips to his for a real kiss.
*~BONES~*
"Listen, the reason I called was to tell you that Haley decided she doesn't want a party this year."
"She doesn't want a party?" Brennan asked a little disappointed.
"No, she wants to go to this theme park instead. Amy, the girls, and I would love it if you came though. You could even bring Booth and his son. Dad already said he'd come. I figured we could make it like a family thing. What do you say?"
"I would like to go Russ, but I need to know when first" she laughed.
"Right, we're going on the Saturday after next."
"Well, I will be there but I don't know about Booth and Parker, I'd have to ask and see if Rebecca will let Booth have Parker for the day."
"What about me and Parker Bones?" Booth asked as he walked into the room.
"Hold on a minute Russ" she said into the phone before holding it away from her to talk to Booth. "Russ has invited us all to go to an amusement park with them for Haley's birthday in a couple of weeks."
"Does he know already?" Booth asked a little surprised.
"Know about what?" Bones asked back trying to figure her partner out.
"You know about" he gestured between the two of them to get his point across.
"Oh! No, I haven't said anything yet. Why? Should I not tell anyone?"
"Bones can we have this conversation later? Maybe when your brother's not waiting on the other end of the phone?"
Brennan looked to the phone in her hand almost as if she had forgotten it was there. "Right, so do you want to come with us or not?" she asked to get back on topic.
"I would love to. I'm not so sure about Parker though. I mean he would probably love to go, but it depends on whether Rebecca will let me take him."
"Russ" Brennan said returning her attention to the phone, "Booth and I will come but we'll have to get back to you about Parker." After she hung up she turned once more to Booth. "So am I not supposed to tell anyone that we are dating?"
"I don't know. Do we really want to actually tell everyone or just let them figure it out for themselves? We can keep it a secret for a while. You know if we tell everyone, especially Angela, no one will leave us alone about it. Or we could just say to heck with it and make an announcement."
"I think," she started, "we should wait for a little while and see how it goes. Angela wants to do some kind of welcome home dinner party thing for you and we can tell them then if they haven't already figured it out" she suggested.
"That sounds perfect" he agreed punctuating the point with a kiss.
*~BONES~*
At the lab later that day, he was broken out of his thoughts by a voice off to his left. "Booth, sweetie, when would be a good time to throw you a surprise party?" Angela asked.
"You are asking me when a good time to throw me a surprise party? Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? It can't be a surprise party if I know about it."
"Fine" Angela laughed, "so it won't be a surprise party. When would be a good time for your non-surprise party then?"
"This weekend. That way when you get hammered you don't have to worry about work the next morning."
"I resent that remark. I would never" at a disbelieving look from him she adjusted her statement, "ok, I would, but I have no intention of getting wasted. The weekend is great though. That gives me four days to plan!"
"Ang, there is no need to plan anything. We can all just meet up at the diner or the Founding Fathers bar."
She gave him a look that clearly told him she thought he was crazy, but didn't say anything about it. "So how's the memory coming along?" she asked instead.
"Yeah Seeley, is it getting any better?" Cam added as she drew close enough to join in.
"As a matter of fact it is. It's a slow process, but all the little pieces are starting to fall into place. It's just a matter of time" Booth answered honestly.
"So are you two like dating now?" Angela asked Bren a while later while bouncing on the balls of her feet, barely able to contain her excitement.
"Yes we are and you can go tell the rumor and collect on the bets if you want" sounded from the corner of the room. Both women turned surprised to hear him answer since they thought he was still asleep.
"Booth! How long have you been awake?" Brennan exclaimed.
"Long enough, Bones. You look happy Angela" he commented.
"Oh Sweeties, you have no idea how long I have waited for this! You just made my week!" she exclaimed hugging Brennan tightly. "No, my year!" she amended rushing over to hug the now standing Booth.
They both simply laughed as she practically ran out of the room with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. As Bones started gathering her things to leave, they could hear "Hodgins, you'll never guess what Bren and Booth just told me!" resounding down the hall.
"So much for waiting to see how things work themselves out" Brennan said with a resigned sigh.
*~BONES~*
"Hey, we haven't had a proper dinner date yet. How about you go home and put on a nice dress and we go out?" Booth suggested later that night when they were alone in his apartment.
"That sounds like a very good idea. See you in about an hour and a half?"
"It's a date" he deadpanned before walking her to the door and kissing her goodbye.
"It's just dinner!" Brennan chastised herself as she stood wrapped in her robe in front of her closet. "With Booth as your first real date" a voice in the back of her head taunted. She had never worried this much about what she would wear for anything, let alone a simple dinner date.
Then again, there was nothing simple about this date. This was, hopefully, her last first date. This thought stopped her dead in her tracks. Did she really want to spend the rest of her life with him? Booth drove her crazy, they argued constantly, he insisted on displaying alpha male tendencies, he was always butting into her personal life. He could almost always make her laugh, he understood her and her issues, he accepted her as she was, he was patient when she didn't understand, simply hearing his voice sent shivers of joy through her. If she were honest with herself, which she tried always to be (except when it came to her feelings for Booth), he was her … something. 'Soul mate' was too cheesy and unscientific, 'meant to be' was too much like believing in fate, 'other half' made her sound dependant on him, 'perfect fit' was closer.
The more she thought about it, only one word seemed right for what they were 'partners'. She knew that they had always told everyone that they were "just partners" but that's what they were in the most all-encompassing sense of the word, in and out of work. They worked together as equals and always took the other's opinions and ideas into account regardless how different they were from their own. She laughed aloud as she realized that neither had ever lied to anyone about their relationship. They were and always had been 'partners'. Until now they had simply ignored the non-professional aspects of that partnership.
Across town, Booth was showered and cleanly shaven looking through his closet for the perfect suit. After tossing aside the fourth shirt in a row he burst out laughing. "Oh my God! I'm turning into a girl!" he exclaimed to the empty room. He was an attractive man and had never had trouble impressing women. He had never been one to really think about what he was going to wear. At work he wore a black suit and white shirt with the first fun tie he came across. When he dressed casually he had a good array of nicely fitting tees and jeans. For dates anything in his closet would suffice, usually. But here he was standing in front of his closet with his nicest suit trying to find the perfect suit, shirt, tie combo.
Before long he emerged from the room with his hair gelled meticulously, and his suit jacket hanging from his hand. Checking the time again and seeing that he had plenty of time, he pocketed his keys, wallet, and phone and left in search of the nearest flower shop.
Reaching the shop, Booth began searching it for the perfect flowers to get her. Normally roses were the flower of choice for someone you liked enough to be willing pay the higher price, and although he was more than willing to pay it, Temperance Brennan was not a normal girl. So he moved on. Finally in the back corner of the shop he saw a group of daffodils. A faint memory tugged at his conscious, something to do with daisies and Jupiter. "Perfect" he muttered as he made his way to them. Although the memory was faint, the implication was clear enough, Bones loved daffodils. Smiling, he picked out a dozen and moved off to pay for them. His purchase secured in a bag, he began the walk back to his apartment to await Bones' arrival.
*~BONES~*
Suddenly he was startled by a knock at the door. Walking quickly over, he took a deep calming breath and wiped his hands down his pant legs. Taking one more deep breath, he opened the door with his classic charm smile in place. When he saw her, however, the smile that replaced it was one of genuine surprise and delight. She was always beautiful, even when she was knee deep in mud and remains, but now she was absolutely gorgeous. He stood in the doorway speechless and unable to move.
As the door opened, Brennan looked up to meet Booth's eyes. He looked exceptionally good in that suit and the shirt made his eyes sparkle, or maybe it was just her. After a couple beats of silence in which he was practically frozen she couldn't help but laugh. "Booth? Are you alright?" she asked through her laughter. When he didn't answer, she got an idea. Shifting closer to him, she leaned up on her tip-toes, braced her hands on his shoulders, and kissed him soundly.
Booth was shocked out of his stupor when Brennan suddenly kissed him. He quickly regained his senses and joined in the kiss. Pulling away a long moment later a smile once again graced his attractive face. "Well, if that's the response I get for being speechless, I oughta do it more often" he quipped stepping aside to allow her into the room.
… "Booth, what are you –" but she cut off when he turned around holding a beautiful bouquet of daffodils. "My favorite" she said breathlessly.
"I know" was the simple reply.
"But how did you –"
"I walked to the flower shop a couple of blocks up. And when I saw them I just knew. By the way, is 'Jupiter' still your password?"
*~BONES~*
The car was quiet as she ignored the smug tone of his last comment and focused on parking. When she turned her attention to the building across the parking lot her breath caught in her throat. The place was small but beautiful. The building itself was white with large bay windows. The view through the sheer curtains was of pure elegance. Most of the tables that she could see were only large enough for two. Each was laid with elegant tablecloths and lit with candles whose light shimmered off the crystal and silver and china that lay on the tables. Around the building was a beautiful garden that shone in the night with twinkle lights strewn among the shrubs and trees. The entire place had an air of slightly understated elegance. There was nothing flashy or gaudy to attract attention. No gold ornamentation or rich colors meant to establish an atmosphere of luxury.
By the time that she regained her faculties, Booth had already come around and opened her door. He simply stood and watched the astonishment wash across her face with a blinding smile on his own. He was glad that he had remembered his old army buddy in all his excitement. Simply the look on her face made it worth it.
Turning to face the man standing patiently beside her she struggled to find words for the various thoughts rushing through her head. Finally she settled on "Booth, how did you ever find this place?"
"The owner is an old friend of mine. Now are you coming or are you going to sit out here all night?" he asked, the humor back in its rich tones.
In answer she stepped from the vehicle and took his offered arm as she locked the doors.
As the meal progressed conversation once again flowed easily and while they talked about the squints they managed to keep the topic of work itself at bay. Brennan filled in the gaps in his memory about what had happened between Angela and Hodgins as best she could. She informed him of the major changes in Cam's life recently, namely the fact that she had taken in Michelle. She also filled in the details about Zach's incarceration and the interns that were on rotation until she could pick one to replace him. In addition she confessed that she wasn't sure she wanted to pick one. The way things were now, she couldn't get too attached to any of them like she had with Zach. He tried to point out that getting close and building a relationship with her interns wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but she was still more than a little dubious after losing Zach. Besides, this way they all got the experience working for law enforcement and with her she reasoned.
Before they knew it, they had finished the main course and a waiter had taken their dessert order. Glancing around, a smile lit Booth's face as an idea suddenly claimed him. Standing, he quickly made his way around the table and held his hand out to his dining companion. "Would you like to dance Ms. Brennan?" he asked with false pompousness.
"Why I would love to Mr. Booth" she played along giving him a coy smile and extending her hand to his.
With that, Booth led Bones out onto the small, un-crowded dance floor. As they reached the floor a new song started. Booth took Bones into his arms and they began to slowly sway to the music.
*~BONES~*
The drive back to his apartment was uneventful and quiet since Bones had fallen asleep practically before he had shut her door. Looking over at his sleeping girlfriend Booth smiled he couldn't believe how lucky he was. It had been far simpler to convince Bones to give him a chance than he had anticipated and so far, everything was going great. Granted they had just started dating, but it felt like they had been together forever and they already knew the kind of things from each other's past that would usually scare someone off. They worked together, so they already understood the pressure and precedence that sometimes came with the job. They were aware of their differing viewpoints and had worked through them, to an extent (usually by agreeing to disagree). He knew about her past in the foster system and her parents' and brother's criminal pasts. She knew about his difficult childhood, some of the horrors of when he was a Ranger, and his gambling problem. She knew and loved his kid and Parker loved her. They had already been through so much, both personally and professionally, that he was confident they could get through anything.
*~BONES~*
Booth woke up the next morning to the shrill ring of a phone. Blindly groping at the bedside table, he found the offending object and answered "Booth."
On the other side of town, Perotta looked at her phone questioningly. She had been sure she had dialed Dr. Brennan's number. "Um, I'm sorry, I thought I called Dr. Brennan's cell" she stammered.
Hearing this, Booth finally opened his eyes and blearily looked at the phone in his hand. It was in fact Bones'. "You did. Just a minute" he said into the phone before turning to the woman sleeping next to him. "Bones, phone's for you." Her only acknowledgement was to wave a hand at him in annoyance. "Bones, I think it's important."
"Fine, who is it?" she asked turning over and yawning widely. In response he simply handed her the phone. His memory still wasn't up to par and although the voice was familiar, he couldn't place it half asleep. Taking the phone, Brennan blinked rapidly several times trying to wake herself. "Brennan" she said into the phone.
"Sorry to wake you Dr. Brennan, but some remains were found in a construction site and we need you to help make an ID" Perotta relayed a little uncomfortable with the situation. So they were sleeping together now? There went any prayer of a chance she thought she might have had at getting Booth. And this was not really the way she would have preferred to learn that particular piece of information.
"What's the address Agent Perotta? I'll be there as soon as possible." After receiving the address, Bones hung up and sighed. She really didn't feel like working right now, and especially without Booth. When she tried to get out of the bed, she found that a strong arm was keeping her from doing so. "Booth, you have to let go. I have to go to work."
"Fine!" he announced releasing his grip. "Call me later?"
*~BONES~*
Ang's demeanor changed abruptly and a brilliant smile replaced the small frown of moments before. "So spill!" she exclaimed.
"Spill what?" Bren asked deciding to play dumb.
"Don't pull that with me, you know exactly what I'm talking about! You have to tell me all about last night."
"What happened last night?" Cam asked poking her head into the room.
When Bren didn't answer right away, Angela blurted out, "Bren and Booth went on a real date! Isn't that great! I mean it only took them four years and …" she trailed off doing a quick mental count. 'Senator's aid, 'valley fever Christmas', Mala Muerte gang shooting, Kenton shooting at Bren and bombing Booth and kidnapping Bren, New Orleans voodoo, Sweet Pete in Vegas, Bren and Hodgins buried by Gravedigger, Howard Epps, Booth being kidnapped and tortured, the psychotic paramedic, taxi explosion, Pam, the Gravedigger again, the black knight, resonance chamber, Booth's tumor and coma and amnesia' "no less than 20 near death experiences. Wow, you guys really need to be more careful" she scolded Brennan.
"So you went on a date, huh? Where to?" Cam asked managing to hide the small twinge of jealousy from her voice.
Brennan blushed slightly at all of the attention, but decided that answering would be the quickest way to get this over with. "We went to this really nice restaurant owned by his friend Marcos. We ate, we talked, we danced, we went home, end of story" she said decisively.
"Awww. You danced? Was it a slow dance? Where did you dance? Is he any good? And how was the food?" gushed Ang.
"Yes, yes, at the restaurant, yes but I already knew that from Aurora, and fantastic" was the concise response.
"Come on Bren, you have to give us more than that! I want all the juicy details!"
*~BONES~*
As Bones walked into her office, Booth put his phone on speaker. She wanted to be annoyed at Booth for the distraction of Parker's stories, after all she had work to do and listening to Parker was not making it easy. Then again, she loved Parker and the stories really were funny, and it was really touching that Booth wanted to include her in the conversation with his son, it was almost like she had a real family again. Not that Russ, Amy, and the girls weren't family because she really did love them all; and she had been steadily rebuilding her relationship with her father, but it wasn't the same as it had been once. It felt good to be included in Booth's family. She was broken from her reverie by the resounding tones of Booth's laugh.
When he had composed himself and assured his son that he was not in fact making fun of him, he broached the subject that had prompted this conversation in the first place. "Hey Bub, your mom told you that we are switching weekends right?"
"Yeah, she said I have to stay here this weekend" Parker affirmed slightly downtrodden.
"Did she tell you why?" Booth ventured.
"Nope."
"Parker, how would you like to go on a trip with your dad, me, and my family?" Bones asked.
"Dr. Bones! I didn't know you were there! Where would we go?" Parker asked, suddenly much happier.
"Well, my niece's birthday is next week, and she invited all three of us to go with her family to Kings Island to celebrate."
"Kings Island! That is so cool! When?" the little boy cheered.
"Next weekend, Bub. I'm gonna pick you up Friday and we'll all drive up there, then we're going to the park Saturday. So what do you say? Are you gonna come?" Booth asked with a wink and his charm smile in Bones' direction.
"Yeah!" Parker said enthusiastically.
*~BONES~*
The rest of the week passed quickly and routinely. Booth spent his mornings at the lab with Bones and the Squint Squad, ate lunch (usually at the diner) with Bones, and then had a session with Sweets before heading home for the day with some kind of assignment from Sweets meant to stimulate memories. Bones would get home about 7 and they would make dinner together and talk, watch some TV, and go to bed.
By the time Friday rolled around, there were multiple reasons for celebration. It had been a difficult case to solve, but they had eventually managed to isolate the weapon and find the murderer. The tension between Perotta and Brennan was still palpable, but it was lessening as the blonde woman came to terms with the new development in Booth and Brennan's relationship
When Brennan returned to what she was fast beginning to think of as home (Booth's apartment), she was surprised not to find Booth right away. Venturing back into the bedroom, she found him just finishing buttoning his royal blue shirt. "Honey, I'm home" she called from the doorway teasingly.
"I can see that" he responded walking towards her. After a brief kiss, he started steering her towards the bathroom. "Now hurry up and get in the shower. How would it look for the guest of honor to be late to his own party?"
"Booth, stop pushing! I am perfectly capable of finding my own way to the bathroom" she complained swatting at his hands. As she dressed, she contemplated how different this relationship was from any she had ever had before. She and Booth had been dating for two weeks and had been sleeping together a little longer than that, but so far they hadn't had sex and neither seemed to be in a big hurry to get there. The relationship was not without passion, but it was about so much more than that. If she really took the time to think about why they hadn't crossed that line yet, she could only conclude that it was because every relationship that either had ever been in had been mostly about the physical. She knew for a fact that that was what her relationships had been about. She had never really allowed herself to get too emotionally attached before to keep herself from getting hurt. This time, she wanted the emotional attachment. This time she was willing to risk feeling the pain she had felt at fifteen all over again. Booth had said that they would just never break up, that they could spend the rest of their lives together, and he had sounded so sure. He had made it sound reasonable and effortless – no, not effortless (neither was naive enough to believe there would be no problems) – not effortless but obvious and she trusted him implicitly.
"I got you a present. Don't look so surprised" he mock scolded as he led her to the nearest mirror so she could see the necklace he bought for herself.
She had to admit that Booth had excellent taste when it came to jewelry. The necklace he had picked was beautiful in its simplicity. Hanging from a delicate gold chain was an oval locket with a dolphin carved into the front. "Booth, it's beautiful" she breathed.
"Open it" he whispered back in her ear.
When she did so, tears sprung to her eyes and her breath caught in her throat. It was perfect! "My family" she whispered as a smile made its way across her face and a wayward tear fell. She wiped at it embarrassedly. On the one side of her new locket was a picture from many, many years ago that featured her parents, Russ, and herself at a park all smiling brilliantly. On the other side was a picture of Booth, Parker, and herself taken about six months before at the lab. Turning from the mirror, she hugged Booth fiercely before letting go suddenly. "We have a party to get to" she announced as she made her way to the door.
What seemed like minutes later, but was actually over three hours and several drinks later, Sweets said his goodbyes and made his way home to Daisy. Cam was the next to go, stating that it was already midnight and she needed to "get home and check on Michelle." The two couples remained for about an hour longer before Brennan complained about practically falling asleep on her feet and Booth was having difficulties hiding his yawns. "Ang, we're gonna go" Brennan informed her friend through a yawn of her own.
"But, it's still early Bren and its Booth's party" she complained.
"Sorry Ang, but we really need to go, besides, I think the party's been over for a while now."
"Fine, be an old married couple!" Ang complained. "Hodgins will stay and dance with me."
Laughing, Booth led Brennan towards the door. He had heard Angela's comment about them being like a married couple and his heart had leapt into his throat. It was no secret that he was in love with her and he was long past lying to himself about wanting to spend the rest of his life with the woman he was currently steering through the dwindling crowd. Her silence in the face of their friend's joke bothered him a little though. He was just starting to get seriously worried when she smiled slightly and took hold of the locket he had given her. He still didn't know what she was thinking, or if she would ever consent to marry him, but he did know one thing with absolute certainty. Bones was his family now, she had been for a long time and she always would be, married or not.
Brennan, meanwhile, was having a minor mental breakdown. When Ang had referred to her and Booth as a 'married couple', she had actually felt butterflies in her stomach. The fact that the thought of it didn't scare her scared her. She was Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist, novelist, foster kid, commitment-phobic. The thought of being married to anyone should have made her start running for the nearest door. But instead of running away, she felt herself leaning, quite literally at the moment, towards that possibility with Booth. Without even thinking about it, she reached up a hand to hold her new locket as a sweet smile lit upon her lips. She didn't know when or how or why, but somewhere along the way, even before the most recent change in their relationship, Booth had become her family.
*~BONES~*
When she woke, she was once again wrapped in Booth's arms. She was an independent woman and didn't need a man close by for her to feel secure and safe. Then again, as she had realized the previous night, nothing about her relationship with Booth could be categorized as 'normal'. Whatever the reason, when she was with him, she could do the typical girly things and be a … softer version of herself without feeling at a loss. He never made her feel less competent or strong or independent even when he was being the alpha male and taking charge of the situation.
Opening his eyes, Booth took in the sight before him – Brennan lounging in his bed, wearing his shirt, completely absorbed in her writing – he could definitely get used to this. He noticed that her forehead creased as she hit a mental wall with the writing and her hands stopped their steady flow over the keyboard. Without removing her eyes from the screen, she reached for her coffee as she read over what she had written trying to find a new route, a way to fix it. As she moved to replace the cup on the nightstand, he reached out and took hold of the cup, removing it from her hand and bringing it to his lips.
"I'll see you in half an hour Ang. Are we meeting somewhere or are you picking me up?" Booth heard from his place on the couch.
"I'll come get you. Besides, it'll give me a chance to see your little love nest" Angela teased before hanging up.
Half an hour later, precisely, there was an excited wrap on the door of Booth's apartment. Moments later, Brennan answered the door and Booth could hear her trying to hurry their friend out. Angela's voice drifted through to him. "Booth, you have a nice place. It's a lot 'homier' than I pictured."
"Uhuh, and how exactly did you picture my apartment?"
"More 'bachelor pad' less 'Mr. Mom'" she said with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders.
Booth and Brennan could only laugh at how ridiculous Angela could be some times. "So, now that you've analyzed Booth's apartment, are you ready to go? I thought you wanted to shop" Brennan spoke out to try and get back on track.
"Just a minute. I still need to look around a little closer" Angela complained.
Deciding that the quickest way to get Angela going would be to control her explorations, Brennan offered a tour. "There's really not much to see. You saw the entry hall and living room. Then there's the kitchen, Parker's room, the bathroom, and Booth's room" she explained as she ushered the curly headed artist passed the rooms allowing her to briefly poke her head in each.
The urgency with which Bren was trying to get her out of the apartment piqued her interest, especially since Booth didn't seem to particularly mind. She knew the rush was not inspired by Bren's desire to get to the mall. Regardless, Angela played along with Brennan's rush and only briefly looked into the rooms as they passed by. With her artist's eye for details, however, she was still able to catch several things to store for later contemplation. The entire place was tidy – not something she would expect of a man's place – but despite her earlier teasing, she could tell that Booth had been responsible for the decoration. She was also able to pick up several small signs that Bren was already making herself at home here. Her keys lay on the entrance table next to Booths, her favorite coffee mug had found a place on the kitchen counter, the jacket she had worn to work Friday was hanging from one of the kitchen chairs, her toiletries were not in the guest bathroom – implying that they resided in the en suite with Booth's – and the brief glimpse she had gotten of his room revealed some of her clothes in the closet, a shared bed, her computer resting on a bedside table, and their dirty clothes intermingled in the hamper. She hadn't realized how spot on her teasing jab at the bar had been until now, and she marveled at how comfortable both of them seemed with this new situation. Generally speaking, Bren was not the type to give up her space, yet she had for all intents and purposes moved in with Booth. Heck he was even letting her drive his precious car.
*~BONES~*
"Sorry Sweetie, but you know that I have to live vicariously through you. So have you?" Angela asked unfazed.
"No" Bren said quietly, almost embarrassed – not that it was anything to be embarrassed about. "No, we haven't had sex yet."
"What? Why?" Angela asked shocked. "You have been sharing a bed since –"
"How did you –"
"I saw the bed Sweetie. It's kind of obvious. But back to the point. You have been sharing a bed for what? Two weeks? And you have been dating at least that long. So why haven't you? You usually don't wait longer than a week to have sex with a guy. So why are you waiting with Booth?"
"Like I said, it's different with Booth. Every relationship I have ever had has been based primarily on sex. Not that that's a bad thing. But with Booth … I don't know Ang. I don't think I could stand it if it didn't work out, so we are taking our time. Does that make any sense?"
*~BONES~*
"Yes. Dr. King said that I was fit to return to duty. My memory is almost back to what it was before the surgery, and all of the damage to my memory is retroactive. He doesn't see any reason why it should affect my work. Physically I'm fine."
Cullen could see that Dr. Brennan wanted to contribute, probably by filling in all the boring scientific details, but she held her tongue after sharing a look with Booth. He never would have thought that Brennan could be controlled or reined in by anyone, especially after that second case – the first she worked out in the field. Now, at least, Booth was able to keep her from making the type of mistakes she had then.
"Good, I'm glad to hear it. You are back to work then. That'll be all," he dismissed. The partners rose from their seats and walked to the door, Booth's hand in its customary place at her back. "And please don't go getting shot or anything anytime soon" Cullen called after them as they reached the door.
Booth was sitting at his desk immersed in his own paperwork a short time later when there was a knock on the door. "Can I come in Seeley?"
"Sure Cam, what's up?" Cam took a seat across form Booth but didn't say anything, she couldn't even really look him in the eye. "Come on, Camile, you can talk to me. What's wrong?"
"This thing with Brennan, are you sure?"
"Where is this coming from Cam?" he asked hesitantly, just bordering on defensive.
"It's just that … you've been under a lot of stress lately and I know that she was there for you while you were still lost trying to remember … and are you sure?" she asked again. "It's not just some kind of post traumatic thing is it?" she asked, and he could almost hear a hint of hope in her voice. "I mean … just over two weeks ago she was asking you to father her child and have nothing to do with it, and now … well, now it's like you skipped the whole early dating step and jumped straight to living together and taking family vacations."
Booth was stunned for a minute, still trying to figure out where Cam was coming from. Shaking his head, he decided it didn't really matter why she was questioning him, the answer was the same regardless. "Yes Cam I am sure about this. I love her and it's not just a reaction to the amnesia or tumor or anything else. I've been in love with her for a long time now, and was just too … scared of scaring her off to do anything about it. It's the real thing Camille" he said solemnly.
*~BONES~*
Friday afternoon Cam cleared her throat from the door. "So, Dr. Brennan, I assume you are getting ready to leave?"
"Yes, we should get going. It's a long drive" she responded slightly embarrassed to be caught kissing Booth by her boss and his former lover. Yes, she thought, some aspects about their relationship were going to take a while to iron out. At the moment, things like this were still just a little awkward. "If you need me, I'm taking my phone and laptop with me."
"Go and have fun, don't worry about work for once" Cam admonished walking away from the couple.
*~BONES~*
Author's Note: Thank you for reading, please continue to the second chapter to read the newest installment of this story.