Okay, since this is an AU piece, I feel the need to explain that Booth and Brennan might be slightly out of character. Since I don't write for the show, I can't possibly write them the way that Hart Hanson and Stephan Nathan can. So, as a result, the will be OOC. If them being 100% in character is important to you, you won't find it here unfortunately.
That being said, I want to sincerely thank everyone for the story alerts and the reviews. They are truly what every writer lives for. Thanks again and remember, all reviews are appreciated.
Walking into the lab a few days later, Booth smiled at Bones and told her, "We have a case."
She looked at him and then looked at the time on her watch and asked, "Do you have time to go out in the field?"
Booth gave her a look and asked, "Why wouldn't I?"
She stared at him and said, "Well, you have your children waiting for you and it's getting late and.."
Booth smiled and said, "Parker and Julie will be fine. They are at the daycare center in the Hoover building. They run the daycare center twenty four hours a day. Trust me Bones, they will be fine."
She sighed and told him, "I told you not to call me Bones. I find it very condescending when you call me that. I never liked nicknames when I was younger and I find that I like them even less now that I'm a grown adult."
Booth looked at her and smiled, "Okay. I'll think about it. Nope. No can do. Sorry Bones, but I just can't seem to call you Doctor Brennan or Temperance. Bones fits you much better."
She sighed and said, "I can't believe you are raising children."
"Yeah, I am and it's a miracle that they lived as long as they have. Right?"
She looked at him and said, "I didn't say that Booth."
"You didn't have to. The tone of your voice said it all. Come on. We have a case to solve so that I can get home to my children. That way you can't accuse me of ignoring them."
He turned and walked out of her office before she could say anything else. He'd heard it a thousand times and a thousand different ways. No one had a problem when a single mother raised her kids alone. However, when it was a single father, no one thought that he could do it.
He sighed when she climbed into the SUV and said, "I'm sorry Booth. I didn't mean to insult you and that's apparently what I did. Sometimes I don't say or do the right things and I'm sorry."
Booth held up his hand and said, "Let's just concentrate on the case okay Temperance?"
She nodded and somehow the sound of him saying her given name seemed to depress her. Even though it was what she wanted. What she'd asked for. She finally said, "I'm sorry Booth. I didn't mean to offend you."
Booth simply looked straight ahead and gripped the steering wheel harder. So hard, that his knuckles were turning white. He finally nodded and said, "Apology accepted Bones. Let's just do our job so I can get back to my children. Okay?"
She nodded and they headed to the crime scene. After collecting the evidence, they headed back to the lab so that Booth could drop off Bones. They saw Zach and he said, ""You're working late tonight Agent Booth."
Booth shot him a look and turned to head out of the lab. He looked at Bones and said, "He seems to be in a rather bad mood tonight. Was it something that I said?"
Angela shook her head and said, "It's late and he's away from his children Zach. Being a single parent of one child is hard enough. Being a single parent of two children is something I don't want to imagine."
Listening to her friends talking, Bones wondered if she'd been too hard on Booth. She sighed and decided to go and get some work done. She stayed at the lab until nearly three in the morning. This was typical for her.
They solved the case in near record time. The victim was killed because of simple jealousy. Booth headed to Sid's Friday evening grabbed takeout before heading home to the kids. Sid smiled at him and said, "Any big plans for this weekend?"
Booth smiled and said, "I'm taking Parker and Julie to the zoo and then maybe to the Jeffersonian."
Sid smiled and said, "Good plans my friend. I put some extra chicken nuggets in there for the kiddos. I also have some extra crispy duck for you. As well as some pork fried rice."
Booth nodded, "Thanks Sid. You are a good man."
Booth turned to leave and was surprised to see Angela, Zach, Hodgins and Bones walking up behind him. Angela smiled and said, "Care to join us?"
Booth held up the takeout bags and said, "Can't. I've got a date."
Angela smiled and said, "Have fun."
Bones sat down and asked her, "He has a date? What is he going to do with his children?"
Angela smiled at how clueless her friend was. She smiled and said, "He has a date with his children Sweetie. I think it's adorable."
Angela watched as her best friend sat down at their normal table and she could see the wheels turning in her best friends head. She excused herself and said, "I'll be back in a few minutes."
Brennan walked out to the parking lot just in time to see Booth's SUV pulling away from the restaurant. She wondered why she was so intrigued by this man. She should be running far away from him. He was dangerous to her state of mind. So, she went back into the restaurant and ate dinner.
Her mind was constantly on Booth. This was ridiculous. She didn't even like the man. He was condescending and arrogant. She sighed and and despite not wanting to, she headed towards Booth's apartment. She had some paperwork to complete and she knew that he probably did also. So, she would use that as an excuse to see him again.
She pulled up to his house and walked to the front door. She heard the sound of something crashing on the other side of the door. She wondered if something was wrong inside. She knocked again and the door was opened quickly and before she could say anything to Booth, he took off in the direction of one of the children.
Bones saw his son heading towards the kitchen. He had, something that looked like fried rice in his hair. Before he could run past her, she grabbed him automatically and said, "Not so fast little man."
Parker squealed loudly and said, "No Bones! Don't let daddy catch me."
She laughed and walked towards the sound of the other occupants in the house. He found Booth standing in the middle of the kitchen trying to catch Julie. She had what looked like noodles on her head and Bones couldn't help laughing at the sight that greeted her in the kitchen. It looked like a tornado had hit the room.
She smiled and asked Booth, "Is it always like this?"
Booth growled, "What are you doing here Bones?"
"Apparently I've walked in on a minor tornado."
Booth laughed and said, "Not a tornado. Twin hurricanes named Parker and Julie."
The kids cheered at this and Booth laughed and was finally able to catch Julie and he motioned with his head and said, "Bathroom is this way Bones."
The kids groaned and said, "No Bones! Don't help daddy!"
"It looks like daddy could use a little bit of help tonight."
Booth smiled and said, "You don't have to. I have to warn you, these two can get you very wet."
Parker shook his head and said, "We won't get her wet. Will we Jules?"
Julie was suddenly showing her shy side. She only shook her head and whispered softly, "No."
They finally got to the bathroom and Booth stripped down his daughter's clothing and he turned to do the same to Parker. He smiled when he saw that Bones was helping him. She smiled and said something to Parker that he couldn't hear. Booth watched his son smile and then he climbed into the bathtub.
The bath that night went by quickly and true to their word, Parker and Julie didn't splash her one time. Booth watched as his normally hyperactive children climbed out of the bathtub and let them dry them off without incident. Then, they ran to their bedrooms and grabbed their pajamas. Both of them asked Bones to help them get dressed. She looked at Booth and he nodded slowly. She helped Julie first and then she dressed Parker. Booth was nearly speechless when his children brushed their teeth and ran to get into bed without so much as a single complaint.
He looked at her and asked, "Who are these two aliens and what did they do to with my children?"
Bones laughed and said, "They are very well behaved Booth. You seem to be doing a very good job with them. I'm sorry for insulting you earlier. I was wrong."
Booth laughed and said, "How hard was that for you to say?"
"Terribly difficult."
He laughed and motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen and asked, "Would you like a beer?"
"Please."
They sat down at the breakfast bar and Bones found that she wanted to ask him a hundred questions about their mother. He swallowed a sip of beer and said, "I can see your big brain working. What do you want to ask me?"
She laughed and looked down the hall that led to the children's bedrooms. She smiled and asked a very simple question, "What happened to their mother?"
Booth smiled and said softly, "She died the day that they were born and Julie barely lived. It was touch and go for months. Parker got to come home within a week. Julie didn't come home until she was nearly four months old. The doctor's call her my miracle baby."
Bones wanted to tell him that there was no such thing as miracles. That everything that happened in their lives were simply chance encounters, but something stopped her. Somehow, she seemed to sense that he wouldn't appreciate the sentiment. She sensed that he believed in miracles. So, she smiled and said, "I can see where you would think that."
Booth smiled and stated simply, "You obviously don't believe in miracles."
She smiled at him and said, "How could you tell?"
"Simple. Anyone else would tell me that they believed in miracles. You said that you can see where I would think that. It's okay Bones."
She looked at this man and wondered how he could know her this well. He had only been working with her for a month at this point and she wondered what other surprises he had in store for her. What she didn't know was the way that Booth and his children would weave their way into her life and make it impossible for her to imagine her life without them...
