Risking Our Hearts Is Why We're Alive.
A/N: Just a little one shot. Basically this story is set about 3 years from when Booth and Brennan have the baby and decide to get married.
The Wedding Of The One True Pairing.
It is the big day of their lives and both Booth and Brennan couldn't be more nervous. Thankfully, fate, as Booth calls it, was on their side and they did not have any overlapping cases that would conflict with their wedding date. Brennan just called it a coincidence, but after years with this man, she couldn't help but wonder. Booth and Brennan hadn't seen each other for almost 24 hours – but hey, who's counting? – and they were now in separate rooms in the small cottage they booked right by their outdoor wedding venue. Brennan is sitting in front of the full length mirror with her hair and make up done and her dress hanging on the chair behind her when her maid of honour comes rushing through the door.
"Brennan! What are you doing? You're getting married in half an hour. You gotta get dressed."
"Would you have seen me here when you met me?"
"Are you having second thoughts?"
"No! No! Nothing like that. I'm just contemplating some things."
"Well, to answer you truthfully, no I wouldn't have. But, Bren, once I saw you and Booth together and how you worked, I knew that he was going to be the man that pulled you out of your shell and let the light shine on the true Temperance Brennan."
"I guess you're right. I just… I couldn't imagine being here with anyone else."
"Yeah, I know, sweetie. Just hurry up and get ready, huh? You got a studly fiancé waiting out there to marry you."
Angela passes Brennan her dress and pats her into the change room.
Over the other side of the cottage, Booth is sitting in his suit with his "nephew" and daughter running around while he reads over what he is going to say to Brennan when they're up there. His best man and brother comes in with a glass of scotch for each of them.
"Uncle Jared!", the three year old Charlotte squeaks as she hugs her uncle around the legs. "Don't I look pretty?"
"Very pretty, Charlotte. Why don't you go play with Michael? I gotta talk to your Daddy."
"Okay!"
"Hey, man."
"Hey. Something to calm your nerves?"
"Shouldn't you not be drinking?"
"It's a special occasion. Plus, I know how to control myself now. been sober for 6 years now. And it's your wedding. How many times does your older brother get married?"
"True."
"You nervous?"
"A little", Booth confesses as he takes a sip of the scotch. "But I'm not having second thoughts. Bones is an amazing woman. She's an amazing mum. I love her. I'd do almost anything for her."
"Yep. I can see that too. I'm happy for you, Seel."
"Thanks, Jare."
"15 minutes to go. You ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be."
Booth grabs his daughter and nephew and walks out to the small, secluded outdoor wedding he and Brennan agreed on. She agreed to be married by his old childhood pastor, but didn't want to get married in a church. Hell, he'd marry Bones in the depths of hell if it meant he was marrying her. As the bridesmaids and groomsmen get ready, Booth stands in front of the small group of their friends, family and some close co-workers. Soon, the music starts, and Booth watches as his daughter throws the daffodil petals as she walks with his ring-bearing nephew, both being led by his eldest son, and the bridesmaids follow soon after. Jared and Angela first and then Russ and Cam after. Booth's palms begin to sweat as he sees Brennan and her father round the corner for the final stretch. Booth cannot contain his smile as he sees the love of his life and the mother of his daughter heading towards him in her white strapless gown she wore. Max wordlessly kisses her on the cheek and shakes Booth's hand as he goes to sit next to Russ' now wife, Amy.
"Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to join two very unique people in marriage. It has not been a very common road travelled for Seeley and Temperance, as I am sure you all know. When Seeley came to me to ask of he would be the pastor at his wedding, I was pleased. And when he told me about the unique woman he was marrying, he told me about their history. He told me about how, despite the fact they knew they had something special, they were both afraid of acting upon it, in fear of losing the most sacred and important bond they had created with anyone else. I could see by his eyes that this woman meant a lot to him and was indeed unique. Standing here now, I can honestly say, I have probably never seen any two more unique or fitting people for one another. Never in my many years have I seen two people more suited for each other. In their unique tradition, Seeley and Temperance have both decided to speak their own written vows to one another."
Brennan swallows as she takes a deep breath and begins her vows.
"Booth, there are many things you taught me over the years, but the one thing I think made the biggest impact on me was getting me to believe in love and taking chances. You taught me that not everything adds up perfectly and that sometimes, things are imperfectly perfect. You pulled down my walls in this process and I guess you could say that you saw something in me and you just kept chipping away. I believe now that sometimes while it is tempting to play it safe, the more we are willing to risk, the more alive we are. In the end, what we regret the most are the chances we never took. I will never have any regrets anymore, Booth, because I took every chance when it came to us. I took the chance of letting you in and look where we are now. Look at what we have now. You gave me the life I never thought I would get and now I get to spend the rest of it with you. And that is all I could have truly ever asked for. I love you."
The young Hodgins passes Booth's ring to Brennan and she slips it on Booth's finger, bringing it to her lips in the process.
"Bones, you have always meant the world to me. For as long as I've known you, I've always wanted to know more about you. There was just something about you that intrigued me and I just had to know more. As it turns out, the more I found out about you, the harder it became to leave you. I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you all those years ago. Despite all of our differences and the contradictions of our lives, beliefs and work, we still work. I sometimes feel like we are two pieces of a puzzle that tried to fit together with other puzzle pieces but failed because deep down, we knew that we had already come across that piece that we fit together with perfectly. Sometimes, I feel like you know me better than I know myself, Bones. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I had a lot of demons and regrets when I met you, but as soon as I met you, all that was just swept away. I had a clean slate for once in my life and I knew I had to build on that so I could be the man I know you deserved. There are so many things I could say to you that could prove my love to you and so many ways to say it, but all of those things wouldn't begin to describe just how much you mean to me and how much I love you. So I'll just say it plainly and simply. I love you, Temperance Brennan. And I cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives together."
Booth is handed Brennan's ring and slips it on her finger as he brings both her hands up to his face for a lingering kiss to both hands.
"With these rings and words of love exchanged, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."
Booth and Brennan lean into kiss each other, when Booth all of a sudden dips her and kisses her deeper than ever before. Their guests cheer and applaud as the happy couple take the hands of their children and walk up the aisle to begin their new life as a family.