Title: What About Love

Author: Megan Faye

Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.

Notes: I'm still visiting family in Lousiana, missing my husband. Last night I stayed up late, after my parents went to bed, and my brothers and sister went either home or to bed as well. I wasn't sick so far the last day and a half! I'm 12 weeks (finally) and the myth has proven to be true! 12 weeks and suddenly, I feel human again. :)

Sweets had been waiting for the three weeks since Booth's return for one of them to break and call him in. They were bound to, and it would hard for them. The longer they took, the worse it would be.

For Brennan, it was extreme to extreme. Not only was Booth gone, they weren't certain if he was dead or alive, and the evidence pointed to dead. She had a routine with the kids, had developed a comfortable compromise with Parker on her life and his in one house-hold, and Joseph was not forgotten about in anything they did.

For Booth, he came home to a child who he'd hardly recognise, a partner who had changed so much by admitting love for the first time in her life, a new baby he'd not had a choice in the creation of, and his collection of things he'd gathered over his life, his memories, and keep-sakes were all donated; given away.

Parker was only now starting to really act like himself again. He'd recently started watching football again, and Star Trek was taking a back seat to being in the park with friends. He was opting to not go to the lab more than he used to.

"Dr. Brennan, you are happy he's back," Sweets said, watching her pace her office.

"I'm very happy. He's alive, and he's here. I love him."

"I don't for a moment doubt that. What I do doubt is that you let him into your heart to keep the boys. You let him in because you wanted him there. Now you are scared, and finding a way to push him away before he can leave again."

"That is completely ridiculous."

"Can you honestly tell me that you aren't in-love with him?"

"No. I can't tell you that."

"Can you honestly tell me that you want him in your life, for the rest of your life." Brennan glared at him. "You were abandoned. Your dad and brother took off again 16 years later. Then they went to prison. Following that Angela and Hodgins paired off, Zach betrayed you, Booth forced you to confront your feelings; and don't tell me he didn't. My office had a perfect veiw of him kissing you and you running away. Then he left. You are scared."

"I fear nothing-"

"You fear nothing physical. You're strong, self-aware, carry a big gun, and could probably throw me. You fear the emotional pain of loss," he said softly. "Of being left behind."

"Booth wouldn't leave me. He has two children, and both are legally mine-"

"Think about that. You said, not ten minutes ago, that you pulled him too close, so he wouldn't leave and take the boys. Now you defend that he wouldn't leave you because of the boys. You are hiding behind the kids, and using them to justify your feelings for Agent Booth." She stopped, dropped onto the couch and rubbed her forehead.

"Ok," she said. "I can agree that what you've said is plausible. How should I proceed? If we are going to raise two children together, I want the four of us to be happy. I want the boys to feel secure, Booth to feel satisfied that we're in a productive and loving relationship, and I want to feel secure that I will have a family when I return from work every night."

"I would recommend that you proceed slowly, with caution, but not so much that you stop all together. You should try talking to him, express to him, in a way he will understand that you love him, you aren't stopping the relationship, but you are taking things slowly, so that you get it right, so to speak. Not just for the children involved, but for the two of you, as well. You need time to adjust to the new set of boundaries, or lack-there-of, and the new relationship. You've been partners for a very long time, but this isn't a case to solve. Logic and reasoning alone will not make this work. Instinct, trust, compromise, and even standing your ground on a few important issues will help make this work."

"I believe I am in uncharted territory."

Parker stared at the ceiling of his room. It had become a past time when Brennan was working in the living room on the computer, and he couldn't sleep. Booth was watching soccer on TV, and not even cheering at goals. It worried Parker, but he was too tired and too sore to find out why. He glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight. Brennan was in the lab, and Joseph was with her.

At five minutes after midnight, there was a slight knock on Parker's door.

"I'm awake," he said, switching on the 'space lights.' Recently, he and Chase had built a few star ship models, and rigged them to fly across his ceiling.

"Hey, that's cool," Booth said, watching the ships fly.

"Dad," Parker said, looking over as his dad sat on the bed. "You love her."

"Very much."

"Good," Parker said, looking back up. "She's scared, I think. Her parents just left her. She's always scared that I'm going to leave, too."

"It really hurt her when Max took off."

"I ran away at Christmas." Booth frowned. "She ruined it. She didn't want to open any gifts, and didn't eat much of dinner. When I gave her the Christmas gift I'd gotten her, she locked herself in her room and cried." Booth nodded. Brennan told him about that. "When she picked me up, she said that when I wanted to go to church, all I had to do was ask Jared, and when I wanted meat, she'd make it for me. All I had to do was ask, and not run away. Then she grounded me. No Star Trek for a month. I missed a marathon, and a convention."

"She's pretty good at finding solutions to problems. Sorry about the convention."

"We went to the next one after my time was up. It was bigger, and in Las Vegas. They opened a new Star Trek experience, and had all the actors that are still alive there for a ribbon cutting. It was much, much cooler event. She even likes Star Trek now." Booth laughed softly. "Dad, you won't go back, will you?"

"Never. The Army broke their word to me. I wasn't supposed to be where I was, and I was not supposed to be in combat. It isn't what we agreed to, and because of it, I was almost killed, and you thought that I was." Parker scoffed. "It was less than a week when they called me into combat. Next thing I know, I'm in a hospital, horrible headache, and all I can say is your name." He ran his fingers over the long, angry scars on the back of his head. At least they were covered by hair. "Parker, what me and Bones did, in the field, it wasn't anything like the lab work you see."

"I know, you caught the people who killed the people in the lab."

"Well, there's a lot more to it. We were in situations that could have gotten us killed, Son. I've saved her life, more times than I can count, and she's saved mine, just as many times. In the begining, when we were still get used to having partners, I almost lost her. If we had been 3 seconds later than we were, she'd be gone." Parker swallowed hard, and felt fear rising up. "I'm telling you this for a reason, not to scare you."

"I assumed."

"You like the lab. You're just as smart as she is, and just as strong as I am. Any job you want can be yours. So if you want that lab, 10 years down the road, you should know what it takes to really be there. Clark Edison, Daisy, Fisher; they won't make it because they can't handle the harsh side of the lab. I couldn't take them into the field the way I take Bones there. I could possibly take Wendall, but he's mainly a squint from a tough neighborhood."

"He's tough. Tougher than you credit him with. As are Daisy and Fisher."

"Parker, do you want to be a Squint? If that's where your heart is, I'll be just as proud as if you played quarterback in the NFL." Parker thought about it.

"I'd like to be a bug and slime guy, like Hodgins. Only without the conspiracy theories, and scruffy hair." Booth laughed and rested an arm across Parker's shoulder. "If you guys get married, what's my last name going to be? Brennan or Booth?"

"We're way ahead of ourselves here, Parker."

"If you're alive, is she still my mom, or am I automatically a Booth again?"

"I don't know about your last name, but Bones is your mom now. She adopted you. She loves you. She's always here for you. Temperance is never going to leave you. Okay?" Parker nodded and snuggled into his father's side, like he had when he was very young. "Get some rest, buddy. I'm going to go to bed soon, too."

Brennan slipped out of the nursery silently. Joseph had been awake the last 5 hours, and only grumpy for the car ride home. A clean diaper, a nice long feed, and his mother singing softly to him was all he needed to fall into a deep sleep.

"Hey," Booth said from the couch. She smiled and tip-toed over.

"Can we talk about earlier?"

"Yeah. Sorry about your phone."

"Angela came in and was able to pull video and pictures from it, to move to the computer. I can replace the phone. The pictures being gone is what truly upset me." Booth looked up at her guiltily, in the same manner as Parker when he spilled on the couch. It was the same look he used to give her when he said too much to Sweets before shipping out. The look that she couldn't stay angry at if she tried.

"Can I see them?"

"Tomorrow; they're on the computer in the lab." Booth nudged her to turn, and he rubbed her shoulders. She moaned softly, closed her eyes and let her head fall back. He gently brushed her hair from her neck, and let his fingertips run over her bare skin.

"You are very tense, Temperance."

"Sweets stopped by my office and we talked."

"Now I'm tense. What psycho-babble did he spew forth?"

"He suggested we take things slowly. Not just for me, but for us, both of us, and for the boys. We owe it to ourselves to take it slow, honor each other, and do this right. He said, many times in the last year, that you are my greatest love. Earlier he suggested that I was attempting to push you away before you had the chance to leave, and hurt me," she whispered. Strong arms wrapped around her from behind.

"My instinct is to settle into a life with you, to give ourselves, and our children the normal life we've both wanted as children ourselves. I would never hurt you, and you would never hurt me. Taking things too slow could hurt them more, by letting them think we don't love each other. I will take this as slowly as you need to, but not because Sweets said to. Only if you think it is for the best." Brennan turned in his arms, and pinned him to the couch.

"I've made a decision, and that is to open my heart and allow myself to love you, whatever that means. I think we should continue this in our bedroom." Booth leaned up and kissed her, grinding into her. She whimpered with pleasure. Brennen climbed off of him and padded into her bedroom, Booth not too far behind.

Booth kissed her, gently. It was passion-filled, searing, but at the same time, not rough. He tangled fingers into her hair and she tilted her head up. He fidgeted with the buttons of her blouse while she removed her belt and slacks. Soon, she stood before him, in a plain black bra and panties set. It wasn't the normal lace that she wore, but because of the nursing baby, it would be a while before sexy underwear was back in the picture. He unhooked her bra and pushed her toward the bed as she tugged at his boxers, freeing him. Her panties joined the pile of clothes just before he scooted her back onto the bed.

"You are incredible," he whispered in her ear as he slid into her. She arched to meet him. "Temperance," he moaned. She was hot and wet around him. It felt like her body had been made for him, and his for her. She was unable to speak as he picked up speed. He was dizzy with pleasure, and the little noises coming from her lips made the experience that much better. Earlier that day, they'd rushed; they were in a hurry to feed a hunger, even after they'd gone into the bedroom. Now, he took his time, finding what she liked and what she didn't.

"Booth!" she gasped, pulling him back as deep as she could.

"Was that good?" he asked, pulling back and thrusting into her hard. She nodded, pulling him back again. He teased her for a moment before going in hard again. As she got closer to her climax, he felt his building quickly. "I love you," he moaned as she cried out softly tightening around him, and spasming hard. He followed her directly, eliciting a second orgams from her.

He rested on the bed, and pulled her to his chest. Booth let his fingers run over her back gently as he kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, too, Seeley," she murmured, and closed her eyes.

Brennan opened her eyes to a knock on the bedroom door several hours later. Joseph hadn't woken up yet, which was good, but it was still very early.

"Parker?"

"Can I com in?" he asked.

"NO!" Booth gasped. "I mean, dammit."

"I'll be out in 10 minutes," Brennan said, blushing.

"Hey Dad?" Parker called into the room.

"What?"

"I have two things to say. One: GROSS!" Brennan laughed. "And two: Its about damn time!"

Heh, even the kid knows they're supposed to be together.