Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, nor it's characters, I just like to borrow them sometimes. :)
A/N: Just in case you were wondering, this story takes place some time after Blackout in the Blizzard, but does not take include the finale, particularly the bombshell we got at the end. :)
Thanks to everyone who commented and favourited this story! It truly makes my day!
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Part 2
Brennan took a moment to smooth her dress down as she waited for Hank in the lobby of his retirement residence. She was wearing a one strap violet chiffon dress that had a fluttery asymmetric hem with small purple flower detailing on the one strap and sporadically along the bodice of the dress. She also wore a cream-coloured bolero to cover her shoulders. Her hair was twisted up in a neat and smooth updo, a cream-coloured lily tucked into her hair and her bangs were side-swept.
She had touched base with Booth before she had left that morning to find out if there was anything she specifically needed to know about the itinerary for Hank. He asked her to bring him to the church a little early so that he could meet with them beforehand, so here she was an hour early, doing just that.
She smiled as she saw the eldest Booth approaching. The nurses had made sure that Hank's suit had been pressed and ready, and he was looking quite dapper in his dark grey suit.
Grinning widely at the sight of his date, Hank Booth stretched his arms out as he walked towards her.
"Temperance! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" he remarked as he gave her a tight hug.
Brennan grinned herself as she returned his embrace willingly.
"Hi Hank. It's good to see you again!"
He pulled back and gave her a once-over. "My, my…I'm going to be the luckiest dog at this shindig, with a girl like you on my arm! Where's Shrimp?"
Brennan laughed at the compliment from the elder Booth. It seemed that every Booth man carried Booth charm.
"Booth is at the church helping Jared get ready. I'm here to take you to the church," she gently reminded him.
"Oh, right…well, let's get going then! I need to meet with my grandsons before Jared walks down that aisle."
Brennan guided the Hank towards her car, and once they were settled she embarked on the 30 minute drive to the church.
"Do you mind if I put some music on?" she asked Hank as they shared an amicable silence.
"No, go right ahead, dear," Hank replied, settling back into his seat.
Brennan put some soft jazz music on, and Hank remarked how much he loved Louis Armstrong.
"Yes, his efforts to break outside the tonal confinements are quite striking," Brennan commented before noticing that Hank didn't understand what she meant.
"He's quite expressive and elaborate in his solos," she clarified. Seeing the light of understanding in his eyes, she smiled at herself for being able to translate.
They chatted for a little while about their preferences in music. Brennan learned that Hank tended to like the classics, but was also partial to some classic rock as well.
"Do you know which song Jared and Padme have chosen for their first dance? I understand it is an important selection that is meant to reflect their mutual feelings for each other."
Hank thought for a moment but came up with a blank. "Nope, I don't think Red or Shrimp mentioned it, so I guess we'll find out later on."
"Red?" Brennan enquired, "I'm assuming that's what you call Jared? Like how you call Booth 'Shrimp'?"
Hank grinned as she pointed out her grandsons' nicknames. "Yeah, I call Seeley 'Shrimp' because he went from a shrimp to a giant in one summer. It's kind of an ironic name. I call Jared 'Red' partly because it's short for Jared and partly because his ears go red when he gets embarrassed. It's the funniest thing!"
Brennan shared in his chuckle over the image of Jared and his red ears. She'd have to remember to keep an eye out for them during the day.
"So Temperance, let me ask you a question, since I know you'll give me a straight answer. What do you think of Padme, Jared's fiancée? You've met her, right?"
Brennan took a moment to consider Hank's question in order to give him an appropriate answer that he would understand.
"Well, in my opinion, she seems like a lovely young woman who has captured your grandson's heart in a way that he is completely enamoured. She strikes me as the type of woman who is forgiving of faults and is unyielding in her support of him, but she is also not afraid to state her opinion and hold her ground. I think that Jared has made an excellent choice and that she complements him very well."
Hank smiled at the description she provided, especially since it seemed to describe the woman beside him just as easily as his soon to be granddaughter-in-law.
"Good. I like her too. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I think she'll keep Jared in line in a good way. The Lord knows Seeley has tried to keep him on the right path, but it's always lead to arrogant head-butting. Maybe a prettier face and a softer hand will do the trick," Hank grinned as he winked at Brennan over his observations.
Brennan smiled as she pulled into the church parking lot. There were several cars already present, but they were still early. She could see Jared standing by the doors.
"There's Jared. Hank you said you wanted to meet with him before the ceremony?" Brennan asked.
"Yes, there is something I need to share with him. Shall I escort you to your seat?"
Brennan laughed at the traditional offer as they walked up to the waiting groom.
"I think I'll manage on my own…Hi Jared."
"Hey Tempe! Pops!" Jared leaned in to give Brennan a kiss on the cheek before he embraced his grandfather in a bear hug, slapping each other on the back.
"Thanks for driving him over."
"Not a problem. I think I will go sit down while you tend to your traditional pre-ceremonial duties."
Jared and Pops exchanged a smile as she turned towards the church doors. Another member of the wedding party greeted her at the door and offered her a program and his arm as he escorted her down the aisle to her seat.
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Brennan glanced back down at her watch for the 4th time in as many minutes. She had been sitting in the church for the last half hour. The ceremony was scheduled to begin in the next five minutes, but there was still no sign of Hank. Concerned that he might have gotten disoriented on getting back to his seat, she decided to try and find him.
As the patrons in the church quietly murmured amongst themselves, Brennan quickly walked up the aisle to the back corridor to attempt to find the room where the groom and his party were in. Walking down the hall, she came across a door marked "meeting room" and knocked on the door.
The door opened partially, revealing a woman of Indian decent. She was wearing what looked to be a bridesmaid dress, and there was laughter coming from the background.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me, I was looking for the groom's chamber," Brennan stated as she caught a glimpse of Padme in the background.
The door widened as Padme recognized Brennan and came closer to the door.
"Temperance! I'm so glad you were able to come. Sorry about my sister's discretion. Jared came by earlier trying to sneak a peek at me so we're being careful about prying eyes at the door," she grinned widely.
Brennan took in the bride's attire. She was wearing a classic A-line wedding dress with sequin detailing along the edges and on the bodice, with a red ribbon tied around her waist, which Brennan surmised was credence to her Indian cultural tradition of wearing red bridal attire. She then remembered a reminder from Angela to acknowledge the bride's appearance.
"Padme, you look beautiful!"
Glancing down at herself, the bride blushed and smiled, clearly happy.
"Thank you! That colour looks lovely on you Temperance."
Brennan smiled with the returned compliment. She then cleared her throat, returning to the business at hand.
"Thank you. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I know the ceremony is about to commence and I was looking for the groom's chamber so that I could escort Hank back to the pews."
Padme's sister then spoke up.
"I believe their room is at the end of the hall. Make sure to tell them not to be late," she stated with a smile.
Brennan nodded in acknowledgement and thanked them for their help, then walked to the end of the hall and knocked on the door, hearing deeper toned voices behind it.
When no one answered after several seconds, she knocked again. Just as she was about to knock for the third time, the door was suddenly pulled open to reveal one Seeley Booth on the other side.
"Bones!" he exclaimed in surprise at the site of his partner. He glanced her over, taking in her appearance, his breath catching in appreciation. She looked stunning.
"You look great!" he stated as he gestured for her to come in, not being able to stop himself from checking her out again as she walked past him. He ignored the bemused expressions on his family's face as he turned back to the circle of Booth men that had gathered in the centre of the room.
"We were just about to say a quick prayer for Jared, dear. Would you like to join us?" Pops offered.
Before Brennan had a chance to answer, Booth jumped in. "Pops, Bones doesn't really do the whole prayer thing, but I think she's here to take you back to your seat." He paused for a second to look back at her. "We'll only be a moment."
Brennan nodded and quietly stood away from the Booth men as the formed a circle together, and then Pops spoke.
"Dear heavenly Father, we pray that you bless Jared as he embarks on this special journey into a united life with his bride Padme. May you always watch over them and guide them through the ups and downs of a single life shared, as it requires strength, patience, hope, and most importantly a love that outlasts any disagreement or anger."
Booth glanced at his partner as his grandfather's words struck a chord in their familiar mention of a single life shared. He noted that she seemed to sense the importance of their meaning as well, as her eyes instantaneously met his and time momentarily stood still.
"Finally, may you bless them with some children, since I'm not getting any younger and I'd like some more great-grandkids! Amen!"
Their moment ended as quickly as it began when the prayer ended.
As Hank made his final declaration, his eyes twinkled as the rest of them laughed, three generations of Booth men – Hank, Booth and Jared, and Parker, plus the gentleman who had escorted Brennan to her seat, strung together with their hands held in reverence. They broke apart and patted Jared on the back before straightening their ties one more time in preparation for their walk to the front of the church. Booth walked Hank over to where Brennan was standing, where then Hank crooked his arm as an offer for Brennan to take it.
As they walked through the door, he called back to his grandson, "You know, other than Jared, I think I may have the most beautiful date in this here church! You're missing out Shrimp!" and he and Brennan laughed as they walked back to their seats.
-o-o-o-o-o-
As the ceremony began, Brennan took in her surroundings. The church was a fair size, with one central aisle adorned with white flowers as aisle markers. The ceiling was high, with tall arched windows giving the church a light and airy feel. Given Jared's religious background as a Catholic, the couple had opted to do a traditional Catholic ceremony. Hank had informed her that Padme's parents were of mixed religious backgrounds, her mother being Catholic but her father was Hindu. They had chosen to have their daughters baptized and they had raised them with both religious influences, which Brennan thought was particularly interesting. Given her knowledge of both religions, she was fascinated as to how the seemingly disparate faiths must have been taught to Padme and her sister. She gave some thought to her own views on religion to those of Booth's. They had recently been able to find some common ground between them on the subject of faith and beliefs. It was a welcome compromise.
The priest presiding over the ceremony was a jovial fellow who preached about the importance of love and faithfulness. His sermon touched upon the traditional biblical passage that is usually read at wedding ceremonies regarding love's ability to be patient and kind, and the words resonated with Brennan despite their source. Her new-found acceptance of her feelings for Booth had opened her eyes to see and understand what love was about, and she found that this particular passage reflected their partnership well and was something she could draw comfort from.
She watched her partner throughout the ceremony. For the most-part he remained stoic and solemn. She wondered about what he was thinking of at this moment, wondered if this was hard for him, given that he had not so long ago proposed to a woman hoping for a lifetime commitment with her. The memory of Hannah and what she represented still pained Brennan, knowing that had Hannah said yes, she might have never had another chance with Booth. As painful as the rebuff was for Booth, Brennan was thankful. Since his "partners only" ultimatum and especially since their talk after being trapped in the elevator, things had improved between the two of them, but their interactions were still awkward. There was so much that had been left unspoken, and though she was anxious to move forward with him, she knew they needed to give each other time to heal.
With all of her internal musings, the ceremony passed fairly quickly, and before she knew it they were announcing the newly married couple as Mr. and Mrs. Booth. She stood up happily as the couple kissed, taking a few pictures and clapping along with the rest of the guests. As the wedding procession walked back down the aisle, her eyes met Booth's and held as he walked past and they shared a smile before he directed his attention back to the back of the church. Her heart fluttered momentarily, an old familiar feeling that was reawakening after having been sublimated for a year. More and more she was giving in to her heart and letting herself just feel. Her imperviousness was all but gone and she was ready.
She followed Hank out of the church, taking his offered arm as they went outside to congratulate the newly married couple.
"That was a wonderful ceremony, wasn't it?" Hank beamed as they strolled out of the church.
"Yes, it was. Padme looked lovely, and Jared was quite handsome. You must be very proud," Brennan replied, as they crossed the threshold.
His response was interrupted as he bee-lined it straight for his new granddaughter-in-law and gave her a big hug and kiss. Everyone laughed as he heartily congratulated the newly married couple. Booth invited him to join them in the receiving line, while Brennan chose to line up with the rest of the guests and give her congratulations in due course.
When her turn came up, she greeted Padme's parents accordingly, gave Padme a hug and shook Jared's hand. Her lips quirked in amusement as she came up to Booth and offered her hand in congratulations, the formality of a handshake funny to both of them. He grasped her hand warmly and grinned at their private joke.
"Bones!" Parker exclaimed, grabbing onto her waist in a hug as she broke contact with Booth's hand.
"What did you think about the ceremony, Bones?"
"Hi Parker! You duties as a ring bearer were expertly performed."
She smiled down at the boy as he beamed back at her. "Thanks! It was no big deal, really. Piece of cake," he nodded nonchalantly, clearly happy at her praise.
"You're staying for the whole day, right?" Parker asked as she gave another hug to Hank.
She looked back down at Parker. "Yes, I am accompanying Pops." "Hank, I am just going to wait over there until you have completed your greeting ritual," she spoke as she tried to extract herself from the line building up behind her.
He nodded and patted her shoulder as she moved aside up the steps of the church.
Brennan enjoyed the sunshine while she observed all of the guests as they passed through the receiving line. The majority of guests appeared to be related to Padme in some way. She wondered how many were actually present for the Booth side of the family.
There was a photographer milling around, taking pictures of people as they greeted the happy couple.
Eventually the line turned into a cluster of lingering guests as people left to prepare for the reception.
Suddenly, Brennan felt a tap on her shoulder. "Hey Bones."
She jumped slightly. It was Booth.
"Booth! Umm…is Hank ready to go?" She fidgeted slightly with the strap on her purse.
"Almost…we just have some family pictures we want to take and then he's all yours," he smirked. "We're taking them on the church steps."
"Okay, I'll just wait on the grounds then," she smiled tentatively as she moved down the stairs before Booth could say anything else.
She watched as Padme's family gathered around Padme and Jared as the photographer took pictures. After several different poses, they stepped down and the Booth men stepped in – Jared and Padme flanked by Seeley, Parker, and Hank. Brennan smiled at the sight.
After a few photos, Hank suddenly raised his arms, trying to get the photographer's attention.
"Excuse me…seeing as I brought a guest to this wedding, I think it's only fair that she be in some of the photos. Temperance, can you come up here?"
Brennan stood there like a deer caught in headlights. She was speechless.
"I…umm…"
Clearing his throat, Booth suddenly spoke up, "Yeah Bones, come on up here," waving her over.
"N...no…I'm not family," she shook her head, blushing in embarrassment.
Seeing her discomfort and hesitation, Booth stepped down to talk to her.
"Come on Bones, come take a picture with us." He looked at her earnestly, giving her his signature puppy-dog eyes. She almost gave in.
"Booth…I'm not part of your family, I shouldn't be included."
He gave her a long look, his face opening up and softening before he whispered softly, "You're family to me. Please?"
How could she possibly say no to that? she thought begrudgingly as she climbed the steps and joined the group next to Hank.
The photographer stepped back and looked at the order – Parker, Booth, Jared, Padme, Brennan, and Hank. The formation wasn't balanced. Just as the photographer was about to speak, Hank piped up one more time.
"Excuse me, sir, I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but I think with the two lovely ladies side by side the picture won't look right. Maybe Temperance should move to the other side in between my grandsons?"
The photographer agreed, nodding, and motioned for Brennan to move over to the other side next to Booth. Hank smiled knowingly to himself as the photographer adjusted them and took the final Booth family pictures.
Once the photographer called them off, Booth pulled Brennan aside.
"Hey, listen, we've still got a few more pictures to take with the wedding party, so we're going to be a while. Would you mind taking Pops for the time being? I think the wait is going to be tiring for him."
"Sure Booth. I can take him over to the hotel to drop off his things, and then we'll head over to the reception area."
"Oh!" he stated as he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a key card. "Here's Pops' room key." Their fingers brushed gently as she took the card, sending a thrill up her arm.
She smiled reassuringly, and he couldn't help but think yet again how beautiful she was and how lucky he was to still have her in his life.
"I'll go get the car," she told him as she turned toward the parking lot.
He stood and watched her has Hank approached him from behind.
"You know, Shrimp, you're never going to get anywhere until you start listening to that heart of yours." He patted his grandson on the shoulder as they watched Brennan.
"Yeah, well, I did that once and it scared her off."
Hank thought on that for a moment, then replied, "Is she worth a second chance?"
"Definitely," Booth nodded.
"Then you'll just have to have faith and try again," he whispered reassuringly as his ride pulled up beside them.