Forensic Anthropologist Tested, Federal Prosecutor Approved

AN: Here is my Bones Secret Santa Fic 2013 for SleeplessinAtlanta. I believe it has been a year since I have written and posted anything, which may explain how hard it was for me to get this done. Thanks for reading my comeback piece! Hope you all, and especially SleeplessinAtlanta, enjoy it! Happy Holidays!

PS: Thanks to the wonderful JMHaughey for not only reading this story over, but for keeping my head up for the last month or so. XO

Prompt: Characters I wish for: Booth, Brennan, Caroline

Please include: puckishness, teasing

Booth weaved his way through the bullpen of the major crimes unit. He had just picked up a mid-morning cup of coffee and was going to settle in for some paperwork before Brennan picked him up for lunch.

The more complex cases the duo solved, the more paperwork Booth seemed to have piled on his desk. It wasn't his favorite part of the job, but there were times that a calm day behind the desk was exactly what he needed. Especially after the living nightmare of the Pelant mess. It had been over a year of terror and anger and sadness and with this final pile of paperwork, it would all be behind them.

Besides, nothing, not even a boring day at work, could bring Booth down from the cloud he was living on now that he and his Bones were finally, truly, engaged.

Booth was down to the dregs in his coffee again and could see a section of his desk when he heard someone walk into his office. Assuming it was Brennan, he looked up with a goofy grin on his face. But, instead of being met by the wry smile and sparkling blue eyes of his fiancee, he was greeted by his favorite federal prosecutor.

Without any preamble, Caroline was in interrogation mode and got straight to the point. "Alright, Cher, give it to me."

"What?" Booth was scrambling, trying to figure out what file on which case he had forgotten to pass on to the justice department.

Caroline huffed and put her hands on her hips, "I want to know how it happened! How did you convince your fine doctor lady to tie herself to you?"

Booth smiled a little. He had assumed Cam would be on him this morning for information, just as he was sure that Angela had attacked Brennan as she arrived at the lab. But he wasn't ready to give up anything just yet, after all, what's theirs, is theirs. "Caroline, you can't really care."

"Uh uh, Cher. I want details. I am indulging my puckish side and you two are my favorite subjects." Booth could see that Caroline was not having it. She had always taken a special interest in his relationship with Brennan, although most of their friends had.

"What do you mean, details? We know you and everyone saw what was going on at the lab!" He wasn't exactly happy when Angela had texted Brennan the night before, but a life with Brennan came with their crazy FBI/lab family too.

"I may have seen what we think was the moment we have all been waiting for, but Computer Genius Barbie couldn't get the sound! Now, Cher, I have not been watching you two dance around each other like trained bears all these years to not know who said what!"

With a sigh, Booth knew it would be easier to just tell the woman what she wanted to know. Then maybe he could get some paperwork done, the more he completed the more he could extend his lunch. "Alright, I told her why I had called off the previous engagement, you know, Pelant threatening to kill innocent people and all of that. Then I said, 'If I ask you to marry me, will you say yes?' And she said, 'If I say yes, will we get married?' And then I said, 'yes'." Booth couldn't help but smile at the memory.

Caroline, however, was not amused. "And…" she said impatiently.

"And, what? That's what happened. Then we kissed, which I am sure all you nosy people saw, and then we called the FBI and eventually went home."

Caroline collapsed back into the chair. Speechlessly she stared at Booth until he started squirming. "What do you want me to say?"

Quietly, which just added to the rage in her voice, Caroline slowly enunciated, "After all this time. After all we have been through. That's it?!"

"No, that's not it, we're getting married! She said yes!"

Just then Brennan herself walked into Booth's office, a little early for their lunch date. As she rounded the corner to Booth's office, she had heard him talking to someone. When she saw Caroline sitting in the chair and the door open, she decided to walk right in. If it was about some case, Caroline would probably need to speak with her anyway. When she heard Booth's statement, however, she chuckled a little and said, "I did say yes, we are getting married. I thought Caroline already knew that."

Booth was both happy to see his Bones and happy that now Caroline's death stare was directed at someone else.

"Cherie, you cannot honestly tell me that you said yes to what this man called a proposal," she said gesturing not so kindly towards Booth.

"While it may not have been a proposal in the traditional sense, and surely was not as satisfying as my proposal to him was months ago, I have accepted and we will be married. Isn't that the desired outcome of a successful proposal?"

While Caroline was busy thinking of a way to refute the scientist in a language she would understand, Booth shot up from his chair, "What?!"

Both women turned towards him. Booth stood there with his hands on his hips, shocked, and staring at his betrothed. Caroline retreated back to her chair and settled in for the show.

"What do you mean it wasn't a proposal, I asked, you said yes!"

"Booth, you asked me if I would say yes if you asked. You never truly asked me."

"The question was implied!"

"Oh, well if that is the case, I am sorry I missed the implication. It's fine, we are getting married and that is all that matters. Are we going to lunch?" Brennan had quickly moved on to another topic, leaving the rest of the room in the dust.

"No! No! It's not fine! You didn't know I asked you! How is that fine!"

Caroline saw her chance and went for it, "well, you could always ask her again right now…"

Booth shot an annoyed glare at her but when he turned back to a nodding Bones, he was beat. Suddenly he had a bit of stage fright too. What was he supposed to say?

Better start simply. "Alright. Bones, will you marry me?"

Brennan answering "of course" and Caroline's "what, no love or romance?" drowned each other out. Brennan finally said, "She does have a point, Booth."

Love, he could add that. "OK, Bones, I have loved you for years, and will love you for as many more years as you will let me. Will you marry me?"

Brennan was starting to get tears in her eyes, but Caroline was not satisfied. "You can't even get down on one knee or take her hand? C'mon Booth, I thought you had done this before?"

With a dramatic sigh, Booth knelt in front of her. He looked up into her eyes and saw their past, their future, and every hole in his heart was filled with love. He took her hand, kissed it, and with another deep breath he said, "Temperance, my Bones, I love you. I love waking up with you, I love going to sleep with you. I love work and home and the diner, and everywhere in between. We share a beautiful daughter, and a wonderful home. We share our hearts, but I want the world to know that you are mine and I am yours. Will you marry me?"

Both women in the room now had tears running down their cheeks. Brennan could do nothing but simply nod. She pulled up her man and gave him a kiss that poured out all of the emotion she could not express.

Caroline sat there, taking in the scene, as was most of the bullpen now, and said, "Now that's a proposal!"

Finally the two lovebirds broke apart. Grinning wildly, they both turned to their favorite federal prosecutor. "Well, Caroline, does that count?"

"Well, it took you a few tries, but I think that one will do," she said as she quickly hid any signs of emotion she may have shown with her gruff manner.

"Thanks," he grinned.

Grabbing her bag, Caroline stood up, "now, you two said you were going to lunch, where are we going?"

"Well," Brennan started, "Booth and I were using lunch as a euphem - "

"Bones!" Booth quieted her quickly, "We were probably just going to stop at the diner. Are you inviting yourself Caroline?"

"Perfect. We can pick up something quick and then we can go ring shopping. Don't think I didn't notice the lack of sparkle on the girl's hand, Cher."

"Ring shopping? But I don't - " Brennan started, but was once again interrupted.

"Shush, every girl wants a ring. Let's go." Caroline stalked out of the office and Booth and Brennan just shrugged and followed.

That night, after ring shopping over lunch and an afternoon of boring work, after picking up Christine and making dinner, after bath time and story time, it was time for bed. Brennan was reading, waiting for Booth to be done in the bathroom. She was thinking back over the day when she saw the bathroom light go off and felt the bed dip. She closed the book and smiled as Booth kissed her on the cheek.

"Booth I want you to know that I never needed any of that."

"Any of what?"

Settling into his side, Brennan took his hand and continued, "I don't need the flowery words, I know how you feel about me."

"I know you love me too, Bones."

"I am happy that we made a compromise with Caroline. I really do not need a ring, Booth. Picking out our wedding bands was a much better idea."

"As long as you are sure. You deserve any ring or necklace or Mayan thing-a-ma-bob that you want. Just let me know."

"While I do not think the Mayan's ever made anything called a thing-a-ma-bob, I appreciate the gesture. You have already given me our home and Christine and you."

"You really are a romantic," Booth murmured against her jawline as his kisses started to move from her cheek to her ear and down her neck. Brennan tilted her head so that her neck as exposed as he began tugging at the collar of her nightshirt.

Booth was impatient after being denied alone time with his future wife at lunch and quickly pinned her beneath him. Brennan giggled at the sudden movement, but started grabbing at his clothes as shirts were tossed in various directions and pants and boxers kicked to the bottom of the bed.

Once they were both exposed to the other, the frantic kisses and grabbing hands slowed. Booth had the woman he adored, the woman he loved with his whole self, beneath him and he was going to cherish her. Moving in for a deep kiss, he let his hands began to wander down her body. When she broke the kiss with a moan, Booth began to follow his hands with his mouth. He catalogued all of her curves, but also all of the scars. From the old scar on her arm to the still healing scars from her recent shooting; he was reminded of the times he almost lost her and was even more grateful that soon she would be his wife.

Brennan could feel his mood becoming maudlin and decided to take control. She pushed against him and pinned him to the mattress. With a grin as she sat astride his hips, she too began memorizing his body, as she had done many times before. She had seen him naked many times, but the sight of him beneath her made her pulse beat faster and released all of those pleasant chemicals in her brain. Slowly moving down his body, she nipped and kissed his muscles until she made her way to his lower abdomen.

Booth loved what was sure to happen next, but pulled her up against him. With just a look, they knew what the other wanted. He rolled so that they were both on their side facing each other and brought her leg up over his hip. Guiding himself into her, they both sighed as they started their rhythm.

It wasn't the most adventurous place, it wasn't a hurried pace, it wasn't a new and exciting position. But they were entwined around each other. They were able to look the other in the eye. They could whisper sweet nothings and even laugh and smile. And they rode out the soft rolling orgasms until exhaustion took over.

Sated, they settled into their usual sleeping positions. Booth wrapped his arms around Brennan and took a deep breath, taking in the comforting smell of her hair. "I'm glad you didn't need more, Bones."

With her eyes drooped in sleep, she grabbed his arm tighter around herself, "Why would I need more, Booth?"

"I know the first proposal wasn't perfect. The one in the office wasn't even right." There were many ways he had planned to propose over the years, the middle of his office and in an abandoned warehouse were not near the top of his list.

Sometimes she did not understand why he was so hard on himself. "I don't need anything to be perfect, Booth. Nothing is perfect."

"I love that you don't need me to be perfect." This woman was the first one who truly knew and loved him.

"I just need you to be you, Booth. What's our's is our's, Caroline or Angela, or anyone else doesn't need to understand it."

With a final kiss, Booth allowed himself to drift off. Just as he was on the edge of sleep he heard her voice again, "Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"My proposal wasn't perfect either," she conceded.

"No, but I said yes, and someone told me that was the point," he said with one last squeeze.

"Well, yes. Plus, I gave you beef jerky," she murmured as she snuggled in.

With a sigh, Booth, too, gave in to sleep. No matter who proposed or how it happened, it was going to be an interesting life.