Hang on to him

Summary: What if Zack wouldn't have interrupted Bones and Booth? No, I don't mean him not showing up at the window – I mean... well, read it... A variation and little extention of the last scene of "Judas on a pole".

Disclaimer: I don't own "Bones". I'm writing just for fun and for all the BB-Shippers out there. Anyway, after seeing "Judas on a pole" I simply had to wrote something. So, here it is.

Rating: K+

A/n: This is my first "Bones"-fiction and the first one in English. I'm German and usually write in German, but since I've began to watch several TV-Shows in English... well... far developed recognition vocabulary but... I hope my English isn't that bad... And I hope you like the story. There are many, many more in my mind:-)

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"He's your dad. And he loves you."

Temperance remaind silent. Love... what could she answer? If it only were that easy... with love. And if only Booth wasn't looking at her like this. It got her the creeps... Why had he to look at her like that? Why did the tiny little word love that to her?

"You know," she started in a trembling voice. "I'm just... I'm just one of there people who doesn't get to be in a family. That's..."

She was about to turn away as he brought his right hand's forefinger at her chin, lifting her face and leading her view back to him.

"Listen, Bones, hey... there's more than one kind of family..."

A shiver went down her spine. The same gesture as in the hospital in New Orleans... She sighted silently... Of course he was right. Zack, Angela and Hodgins had become her family. Booth had become family too. Yeah... she knew. But still... Perhaps this kind of family wasn't no longer enough. Perhaps she was at a point of inflection. And maybe...
Family... No, Booth wasn't the same family to her as Zack, Angela and Hogdings. He was different... He was... What? She didnt' know it anymore at this very moment. He was her friend? ... partner? ...confidant? He was... more? More than family... He was... It hit her. Yes, he was more.
And her view was suddenly locked to his. Everything around faded away. In the corner of her eyes Temperance believed to hear Zack knocking at the window and see him waving them in, but she didn't react to it. Neither did Booth. They were simply caught by and to each other – eyes, moves, anything... Yeah, same gesture... but much more chemistry... the chemistry...

"Everyone's got two families," Booth gently continued, "there's the one you're born into. And the one you choose..."

Family... choose... his voice echoed in her mind. She deepend in his glance and surprisedly she remembered something Angela said.

I think he likes you. God, if I were you, I'd buy a ticket on that ride...
...followed by another statement of her best friend.
Booth is a big, strong, hot guy who wants to save your life. I mean, you actually have a knight in shining FBI standard-issue body armor...

...then, what Detective Harding had said in New Orleans came to her mind.

A guy flies down from D.C. You're more than sort of...

Oh dear... They were right... And she'd been so blind... had decided to be so blind... And now? Kiss him?... to much thoughts... to much thinking...
Yet other memorys came up. Aurora... Vegas... Christmas in the lab... and especially the past few days...
Harding was right.
Angela was right.
And her father? What had he seen to ask Booth taking care of her? ...and to tell her...

Listen to me, if you find somebody that you can trust – then hang on to him. Remember that.

Temperance couldn't deny it or ignore it any longer. Here she was. Standing in front of him. Nearly in physical contact to him... Hopelessly caught by his eyes... His fingers still touching her chin, ready to kiss her, hesitating cause of... yeah, why exactly?... Oh, right... he made half the way, waiting for her to join him – or walk away. But what to do? Join or...

There it recurred to her. This wasn't his first attempt to meet her half way. In the lab after the beauty queen case, eating doughnuts, talking about the paper work... yeah, there hat been a resembling moment. A moment both of them had letting pass by and sneaked out by ordering Thai food. But now... no, there was no withdrawal any more, now there was only surrender to their feelings...

Yes, for a second, in the corner if her eyes, Brennan could see Zack showing up at the windows of the diner, heard him knocking, saw him waving Booth and herself in.
She ignored it. Booth ignored it.
And she met him halfway in a soft and tender kiss. She layed her hands on Booth's chest... his right hand was at her chin, then sliding along her neck, pulling her closer... and his free hand wrapping around her waist...

Zack stood speachless at the window facing that scene... suddenly accompanied by Angela seeming overjoyed and Hodings, also speachless.

They were just kissing along.
Temperance didn't know for how long. Booth neither...
But as they finally parted Angela was yet standing inside in front of the window, grinning at them and giving them a "I-knew-you-would-end-up-together-oh-I'm-soooooooooo-happy"-look.

Still feeling Booth's left hand at her waist, Brennan smiled. And she knew it now. Though she couldn't forgive him what he had did to her and what kind of man he was – at this moment she appreciated what her father had said to her. Somebody that you can trust...

There had been no if. Max must have know about Booth. Well, of course he had – obviously he had always watched over his daughter.

"Hang on to him..." she repeated whispering her fathers words.

"What?" Booth asked tenderly shoving a strain of hair behind her left ear.

"I just remembered something my dad told me before he and Russ escaped."

"What did he say?"

"If I find someone I can trust, he wanted me to hang on to him."

Booth smiled. "If?"

Yes, this was her point of inflection. Now she was ready. Ready for whatever was about to come. Anyway – it was also a point of no return. But it was alright. Now she had everything she wanted. And needed.

She smiled back teasingly. "I guess he didn't wanted to rush me... But he knows you and I'm sure he's been knowing for a long time that there's no more if." Or perhaps never was since I met you, she added in her mind.

"So... you will hang on to me?"

"You really have to ask after the latest events?" Her smile spreaded. "I intend to do much more."

"Hm, well, just wanted to be sure. You can be very confusing and capricious." He grinned.

She just looked at him.

"What?" He asked, about to lose the way.

She smiled again. And kissed him.

A knocking at the window made them part this time. Angela waved them to finally come in and celebrate, nodding to Zack and Hodgins who were again sitting at the counter.

Booth laughed. "Well, Zack got the job, right?"

"Come in and congratulate him."

"Naw, they're your squints, not my squints."

She grabbed his arm and pushed him to the entrance. "No, Booth, we are all of us your squints... Do me a favor and pat Zack on the shoulder with an open hand."

"What? Why?" he replied in confusion. "Does that mean something?" He tried playfully to reach her waist and tickle her as they walked trough the door.

She laughed and grabbed his arm again as they approached the counter. "Family. We're your family."

As she returnd Angelas contented look, she remembered another conversation with her best friend.
We make our lives out of chaos and hope. And love. Someday you'll meet somebody. But she'd answered I don't need anything more than I have now.
How wrong she'd been... And how happy she was now.

"Told you," Angela said in a soft voice as if she'd read her mind.

Temperance smiled and looked at Booth pating on Zack's shoulder with the open hand.