Story: Family Portrait

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to FOX and by now I bet everyone has thought of this plot, too, but whatever.

Spoilers: JUDAS ON A FREAKING POLE

Pairing: BoothxBrennan. thank you captain states the obvious, always a pleasure to have you aboard…

Chapters: One shot!!!!!

Summary: It was a work in progress that the newly christened Dr. Addy almost destroyed, but with the help of the artist, their family portrait was finally completed.

Chapter 1: Family Portrait

Note: I SWEAR I'm going to finish 'Cage' before the year is done. Well, I really hope I can. I'm quite busy, even though I'm finally on Winter Break.

What would have happened if Zach had been tackled to the ground before knocking on the stupid window?? Silly Zach…

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"I'm the kind of person who just wasn't meant to be in a family." Brennan turned her head out to the street, her eyes pained as she watched fathers and mothers with their children looking in windows of toy shops. It hurt Booth to see her like this; nobody deserved such loneliness.

"Bones, there's more than one type of family." Booth's finger found her chin and he turned her face towards his. She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but nothing came out. Booth's hand moved to rest on her cheek, his fingers brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as he slowly leaned forwards.

"Zach, go get Dr. Brennan," Cam told the new doctor. "She's missing the celebration." The scene outside the diner bothered Cam. Lately, Booth had been less than enthusiastic about meeting her outside of work and he no longer reacted to the little things she did like fix the lapels of his coat. Sure, she had always been battling the oblivious Brennan for his attention, but before, they were pretty evenly matched. Then things changed. Booth suddenly wanted to spend all of his time with Brennan; he even stood her up at the diner once to spend the evening with the anthropologist back at the lab doing paperwork. That had been the turning point. He always called if something came up, but that night, she just sat at their table sipping on water for an hour before giving up and leaving.

"Alright, Dr. Saroyan." Zach readjusted the ridiculous ski hat Hodgins had given him and made his way towards the window to alert Dr. Brennan that their food had arrived at the table. Angela looked up as Zach left and all it took was one look to Cam's face and another to Zach's destination to send her into survival mode. Leaping from the table, Angela hurried after Zach and skidded to a halt in beside him just as he reached the window. As he lifted his fist to interrupt Angela's dream which was occurring outside, she grabbed his arms and propelled him back towards the table.

"Don't you dare, Zach," Angela warned, not caring that her boss was glaring at her now. "There have been a lot of changes today and not all of them good. Give Brennan a few moments with Booth, okay?"

"I don't quite follow, Angela." Zach responded.

"Look, Zach, Brennan…" Angela hesitated for a moment, looking for the right words. "Brennan needs this right now." Angela motioned towards Booth who was currently whispering something to her. "She'll be back in soon, Dr. Addy." The last part was said with a grin. Zach smiled back and nodded, sitting down at his spot. Hodgins stretched his neck out to see around Angela and laughed at her when he saw what she had been trying to protect.

"Booth, I—" Brennan started, "I don't know what you mean." She diverted her gaze from his, but Booth didn't speak until her sapphire eyes had once again found their way to his face.

"A family doesn't always mean the people you are linked to by blood, Bones. The squints are your family, too." Booth pointed out. Brennan took her lower lip between her teeth for a second.

"Are you my family, Booth?" she ventured. Booth let a small smile grace his features.

"Always, Bones." His face became serious again. "And I'm not going to leave you like your father and brother did."

"They didn't really have a choice, though, did they?" Booth shook his head.

"To me, that doesn't matter. Your father is an honorable man in his world and don't think for a second that he and Russ don't love you, but that doesn't change the fact that you had to suffer for fifteen years not knowing why your life had suddenly become unpredictable and lonely." His breath brushed over her face, bringing a subtle warmth to her cold cheeks. "A family should be there to provide stability, and that's why you have your team. You know they aren't going anywhere anytime soon; you will always be able to count on them." Booth held her gaze a moment longer, a battle of mind and heart raging in his eyes.

Booth's hand finally slipped from her face and he took a step back, turning to leave. He didn't want to pull her into something she wasn't ready for, even if it hurt him to force himself to drive away and leave her with the squints.

Brennan watched him walk back down the street, her heart pushing her after him. And for once in her life, there was no doubt and there was no fight between her heart and her head about what to do.

He felt a smooth hand take his wrist and an arm reached around him to grasp the front of his coat. Booth turned in her hold, noticing that she didn't let go once they were facing each other.

"And you, Booth? What about you?"

"What about me, Bones?"

"Will you be there to provide stability? Are you going to be around for a long time? Will I always be able to rely on you?" The questions flew from her mouth in a jumbled mess. Booth studied her face for a minute before turning his hand upwards and taking a hold of hers. They were breaking all the rules and crossing every line and every boundary they had set out in the past few years of working together; it felt good.

"We're best friends, Bones," Booth told her with the assurance she needed to hear. "I could never leave you." Brennan's lips curved up a bit at the edges and she slowly raised her head to his. Their lips met, and in that instant, every fear, doubt, and worry evaporated from Brennan's being and she wrapped her arms around Booth's neck, holding him in a tight embrace as her head fell on his shoulder. Booth's hold on her small frame tightened in return and he gently kissed her hair.

"What now, Booth?" She whispered.

"Change is the essence of life, Temperance. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become…"

Angela turned her head from the window, the image of the pair embracing down the street forever imprinted in her mind.

"True love cannot be found where it truly does not exist, nor can it be hidden where it truly does." A voice interrupted her thoughts and Angela spun around to find herself face to face with Hodgins.

"Who said that?" She asked him. He shrugged in response.

"I don't know, but it thought you might like it for the situation." He grinned. Angela rolled her eyes, but she smiled, too.

"Actually, Jack, I already had something in mind." She started walking back to the table, entomologist in tow.

"And what would that be?"

"You will never know true happiness until you have truly loved, and you will never understand what pain really is until you have lost it."

"That's beautiful, Angela. Who wrote that?"

"I did…" Angela replied, smiling at him.

"We should go back to the diner, now. Everyone's waiting." Brennan pulled back a bit, but her arms remained around Booth's shoulders and his around her waist.

"You go." Booth nodded towards the diner with his head. "I need to finish up some things."

"You should come, too, Booth."

"No, right now you need to be with your team. This is Zach's victory."

"Alright. I'll see you later, then?" Brennan asked, stepping away slightly. Booth smiled and nodded. Brennan smiled back and began to walk back towards the diner, but a hand on her wrist stopped her and she felt herself being pulled back into the arms of her FBI agent. Booth kissed her firmly on the lips before sending her back to the diner, lightheaded yet happy. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe, just maybe, she could have a family.

As Brennan reentered the diner, the jumbled pieces of an old puzzle fell into place. She had people, as Booth had told her before. And those people were her family, and no matter how dysfunctional they may be, the group painted a perfect portrait of loyalties and maybe even love. But now, Brennan thought, she had one more person to add to that family; she had Booth.

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Kind of a so-so piece. Most of my creative juices were sapped during Creative Writing this year for school, which is why I haven't really been writing here… sad day. Mmkay, so review, my pretties!! Reviews make me happy and happiness makes me want to write!! And there's that one story just waiting to be finished…

-Ash, as always