Disclaimer: I own a TV and a computer and some furniture. I don't even own my own car, so there's no way I own Bones.
A/N: This is my first fanfic. I've been reading them for awhile trying to think of what to write myself and this idea came to me while waiting for my food at Pizza Hut. Apparently hunger is a good creative tool. Please, let me know what you think. I have ideas for several chapters after this, so let me know if it's worth continuing. Thanks for reading!
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Dr. Temperance Brennan heard familiar footsteps walking towards her office. She glanced down at the clock on her computer and realized it was already six o'clock. That was late. When the person who belonged to those footsteps finally made it to her office she said "You're late," while shutting down her computer and packing a few case folders into her bag.
"Sorry, Bones," Special Agent Seeley Booth replied. "My mother called. And you know how she can be. It took me awhile to get her off the phone." He pulled her coat off the hook and held it open for her as she approached. She turned off her office light, shut the door and the two left for the parking garage.
"And how is your mother? I haven't spoken to her lately," Brennan asked. She had been worried when she and Booth had first announced their relationship that Anne Booth would hate her. First, for the fact that by the time she and Seeley had announced that they were together, Brennan was already three months pregnant. Second, for the fact that they had been together romantically almost a year before they actually announced it. And finally for the fact that Brennan made it perfectly clear to Anne that while she welcomed a life-long relationship with Seeley and had no intentions of ever leaving him or their child, she would never actually marry the man. "It has nothing to do with Seeley and everything to do with the fact that marriage is an archaic ritual that truly serves no purpose in modern society than to fulfill social norms," she had told Anne and thankfully Anne had left it at that. Or so she thought.
"Well, she's harping on the marriage thing again," Booth said absently.
"Again?" Brennan repeated after him. She stopped walking and said, "I didn't realize she'd ever harped on it. I know she asked when she first found out about us, but she hasn't said anything since." When Booth remained silent, she added, "At least not to me."
"Well, she tends to bring it up… Occasionally," he said slowly, as if choosing his words carefully.
"How often is 'occasionally?'" Brennan asked, not sure if she should be annoyed that he kept this from her or thankful that she hasn't had to worry about it precisely because choose to keep it from her.
"Well, typically around Christmas, my birthday—because I'm not getting any younger, her birthday—because she's not getting any younger, Parker, Chris and Dani's birthdays—I guess because they aren't getting any younger either, and whenever Jared breaks up with another girlfriend—because that means, once again, I'm her only hope. So, 'occasionally,'" he said finishing off with a grin.
"Seeley Booth, that's six definite times per year and at least three to five other times, depending on how long it takes Jared to get bored with whatever woman he happens to be with. That's potentially once a month. I don't think that qualifies as occasionally," she said, leaning towards being annoyed about the whole situation.
"Well, don't worry about it. I always tell her that you haven't changed your mind and we argue about it for awhile longer and then we get off the phone and I wait a month for another call. No big deal."
"Of course it's a big deal. Your own mother is harassing you, trying to get you married. And you didn't bother to tell the woman who's at the center of this controversy," she argued, definitely getting annoyed.
"What? You want to help deal with this?" Booth questioned her.
"Yes," she responded quickly, not even noticing the glint in his eyes.
"Then marry me," he stated, then waited for her response.
She just stood there for a second with her brow furrowed and her mouth hanging open. "No. Just because your mother wants us to get married doesn't mean I want us to get married," she almost yelled.
"Well, you said you wanted to help. Marry me and we won't have to deal with my mother harassing us about getting married anymore," he gave her his best charm smile. He knew she didn't want to get married, but he felt that it never hurt to ask and had taken to asking periodically just to see if she would ever change her mind.
"No. I haven't changed my mind. And frankly, she's never harassed me about anything, so there's not much incentive in it for me to marry you," she gave him her answer in her best "logical scientist" voice.
Booth smiled down at her and said, "There's plenty of incentives for you to marry me. That's just not one of them."
"Oh really?" she questioned skeptically.
"Sure. But we can discuss that later. Right now, we need to pick up the kids and get dinner. I'm starving."