**

**

When Brennan finally managed to get Angela to release her grip from the hug, she just stood back and looked at her friend. Her eyes eventually trailed around the platform to take in Hodgins and Cam who were all smiling at her. She smiled back.

No one knew where to start with the questions. There was so much that everyone wanted to know, but where to begin?

Brennan eventually broke the silence.

"Where's Payton?"

"She's asleep in your office. Wendell is watching her. Last time we checked, they were both sound asleep."

Brennan looked surprised.

"I still have an office here? I would have thought you had filled my position by now. We have been gone almost two years." Booth snickered behind her. She ignored him.

"You know we could never replace you Doctor Brennan. We tried to muddle through as best we could while you were off. I'm pretty sure you actually still have some vacation time accrued." Booth laughed again at Cam's response. This time he was awarded with a mock angry glare from his partner.

"Whenever you feel ready to return, we are ready for you." Cam smiled this time, letting the forensic anthropologist she was, in fact, happy to see her back. "So, what happened today? Is everything okay? Sully was here earlier looking for you guys, he said you all got separated?"

Booth and Bones looked at each other. She walked over to lean on the table next to him, and he leaned down and kissed the baby in her arms.

"Hey buddy! Did you miss us today?" He looked around to see everyone nodding. He had very neatly changed the subject "He's kind of a momma's boy. He pretty much just cries when she's not around."

This time Hodgins laughed.

"That's pretty much what he did all day. We did our best, Payton settled right in with us, but little Rio there..."

Brennan smiled and kissed her son on the forehead. She handed him over to Booth, and all the Squints finally saw the little boy smile. It was good to see.

"I'm just going to check on Payton, make sure she's okay." She left the platform, and walked the familiar route to her office.

Booth continued to lean on the table with his son in his arms. He sighed and reminded everyone just how exhausted he looked.

Angela went over to him and touched his arm.

"Is everything okay? Is the Crew taken care of? Are you guys really home to stay?"

"I think so. We have three of them in custody, and the other two didn't make it. Cullen called me a few minutes ago." He looked almost sad, but he said nothing else.

Everyone turned towards the door of the lab when they heard it open and the voices of two men echoed through the nearly empty lab. Sully and Deputy Director Cullen came through the door and saw the people gathered on the platform and headed in that direction. Cam met them at the bottom of the stairs. She had heard the alarm go off enough that day.

"Agent Booth! We were concerned. Sully told us he saw the car with you and Doctor Brennan go into that ravine, and then we couldn't find you!" Cullen reached his hand out to shake, and Booth shifted the baby in his arms to reach out to his boss.

"Yeah, we made it out. Caught a ride with a couple of strangers back into D.C., and came right back here."

Everyone wanted to hear more, but the man stopped there.

"I'll have a report written for you as soon as I can."

"Don't worry about that Agent Booth. Take your time settling back in okay? Take a week, and we'll get you settled back in with the FBI. Go be with your family." Cullen smiled at the man and he turned to Sully, who had been staring at the baby in Booth's arms, apparently lost in thought.

"Agent Sullivan?" Sully focused back on the man who was speaking, "I am going to go book our friends who are waiting outside with Mr. Murphy."

Booth laughed, but the action only made him look more tired. The dark circles under his eyes seemed to grow deeper.

"You left them alone with Murphy?" For the first time that he could remember, Booth saw his Boss with an evil grin.

"Yes, I did. I should probably go stop him before he kills them though. I told him to try not to leave any obvious marks." Cullen turned and left down the stairs.

Booth turned to Sully as the distinguished FBI man made his exit from the lab.

"Thanks for everything Sully. We owe you."

"It was no problem Booth. I would do anything for you guys." His face remained still at first, but then a smile crept onto it. Everyone thought it seemed a little forced, but the two men shook hands and after that Booth patted his shoulder with an open hand.

"Sorry about your boat. We'll get you a new one if you want."

"No worries man. I think it's time for a new adventure anyway. The boat had more than a few miles on it."

The Squints all looked at each other. There were definitely some blanks that needed to be filled in. If Booth and Brennan were back to stay, there would be plenty of time to catch up. Booth looked ready to fall over.

The attention of everyone once again went to the main door of the lab as it opened, and the tall, blonde, well-tanned Navy Seal walked through it. He looked up to the platform and his pace quickened. Booth handed Rio off to Angela and rushed down the stairs to greet his friend.

Murphy grabbed Booth in a huge guy hug and practically lifted him off the floor he was so happy to see him.

Angela laughed out loud in surprise. She went to Hodgins' side and spoke quietly to him,

"Did Booth really just hug another man? He's come a long way in two years with expressing his feelings don't you think?" The two of them laughed at her comment. Rio started to cry in her arms, and she bounced him gently to try to calm him, in what had already become a natural reaction for her.

Cam tossed Booth her card over the railing so he could let Murphy and himself up the stairs. Murphy kept his arm around Booth's shoulders and said something to him quietly in his ear as they walked up the stairs. Booth smiled. Whatever was said, the FBI Agent seemed a lot more relaxed.

Murphy noticed Rio in Angela's arms and took him from the woman. He bounced the baby high into the air, and to everyone's, except Booth, surprise, the little boy stopped crying, and actually giggled. The baby obviously knew this man well.

"What's the matter buddy? Did you miss me?" Murphy smiled to Booth as he kissed the baby on the head.

"He missed his parents today. Did he really cry a lot?" Booth's question was directed at Angela, and she nodded in response.

"We were all worried about you guys. I think he picked up on that. He seems very intuitive." Angela tweaked the chin of the little boy who had been her charge all day. She was convinced she was ready for one of her own.

"Thank you Angela. We really appreciate you taking care of them on such short notice. We knew we could trust you." Booth reached to give Angela a hug. She accepted it with tears in her eyes. Happy tears, to see her friends were safe.

Booth addressed everyone,

"Thank you all. We owe you all so much."

A common 'you're welcome' was murmured by everyone and the sound of card being swiped distracted everyone from the near-emotional moment.

Brennan walked up the stairs with a very smiley Payton in her arms. She had noticed her father and struggled to get down from her mother's arms. The little girl ran to Booth and he picked her up with a huge smile.

"Hey mini-me! How are you? I missed you so much." The little girl put her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Bones smiled warmly at them.

"You should have seen her in there, it was so cute...she was awake and just holding Wendell's hand...He's still sound asleep. I think she likes him!"

"Home?" Payton lifted her head to ask her father.

"Yeah, baby. Let's go home." He looked at Bones and she nodded in agreement. He noticed how tired she looked.

"Booth, where do we go?"

"Your place or mine?" He smiled a smile that no one had seen before. It looked like a smile of true contentment. She smiled back to him.

"I guess my place would be better. It had quite a lot more room for the kids, and a spare room for Murphy."

The two seemed to be digressing into their own conversation, and Murphy, who had seen this happen a hundred times, decided to remind them that they were not alone anymore.

"If it's okay with you guys, I think I'll find a hotel room for the night, and let you guys have some time to yourselves. I think you need it." Murphy smiled at the two, and handed Rio back to his mother. "I've been a fifth wheel long enough. That is...if you two can stay out of trouble for one night."

The partners looked at each other. Their loving expressions were mirrored by each other. Everyone noticed.

Sully spoke up then. He had been watching the interaction between the family in silence, but now he had a suggestion. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two sets of keys. He tossed one to Booth and one to Murphy. Both men caught the tossed objects with ease and laughed at each other.

"Those are the keys to your apartment Booth, and those are the keys to Tempe's place. Cullen had me keep an eye on them while you were gone. Everything should be fine and ready to go for you guys. I thought Murphy could stay in your old apartment. Might as well...it's sat empty long enough."

After placing Rio carefully in his carrier, Brennan went to Sully to give him a hug.

"Thank you so much. We owe you everything." Her eyes expressed her true thanks to the man who had been responsible for keeping them safe for the last two years.

"You're welcome Tempe. I'm glad you're back. Welcome home."

Booth carried his nearly-sleeping daughter closer to the top of the stairs in a motion to leave, and turned back suddenly to the Squints.

"Uh, can we borrow someone's car? Ours is somewhere in a ditch."

Cam agreed to lend then her car and Booth promised to have it back to her the next day. Angela gathered up everything they had bought earlier that day to take care of the kids and offered to help Brennan tote everything to the car.

The family made a quick exit, leaving the other's stunned at what had transpired. They were back, and full of mystery.

Murphy turned to the Squints left on the platform.

"Does anyone know how to get to Booth's place?"

Sully volunteered to drop him off.

The two men made their departure and left the Squints to gossip amongst themselves as to what had gone down that day. Their questions would need to be answered by the people involved, but there would be time enough for that.

**

Booth and Bones didn't say much on the way back to her apartment. She drove, while he held their daughter carefully on his lap, underneath the seatbelt. Rio was belted in the backseat in his carrier. Booth's knee was bothering him, from their accident earlier that evening, and he knew that he would have trouble driving Cam's car, which was a manual transmission. Bones didn't argue, only took the keys from him with a smile.

They carried their kids up the stairs, his limping seemed to get worse, and finally, they opened the front door and went in to the one place she had called home for so many years.

"It seems strange here. I've been gone so long..." She set Rio down on the living room floor and looked around. "It's not even remotely child proofed... we have nothing for the kids here."

"We'll go tomorrow and get set up, we'll figure out something for tonight. I think I need to sit before I fall down." He kissed her gently on the lips and headed for the couch.

He set Payton down on the floor and she immediately went to one of the statues on a shelf and picked it up. He jumped up after her and grabbed it from her hand and set it up on a higher shelf with a smile. Brennan watched with amusement.

"I told you Booth, we left so quickly from the hospital the first time that I had no time to pick up any baby supplies..."

"No kidding Bones. We have some adjustments to make here, that's for sure."

She offered to go get the supplies from the car that Angela had given them and he told her to be careful. The fears of the last years had been deeply imbedded in his subconscious and they had not departed even though they were home, and apparently safe.

She had only been gone about a minute when he heard a quiet knocking on the door. He picked up Payton, to keep her from picking up another strange non-child oriented object and went to the door. He opened it without looking through the peep-hole, assuming it was Bones, and she had forgotten her key.

He was surprised to see a man standing there, and even more surprised when the man lunged at him. He jumped back quickly, but Max still caught him with a huge hug.

"You guys are back!! I wanted to see my grandkids before you all went to sleep. I hope you don't mind me dropping by, Angela told me you had come here!"

"No... We're back! Come on in...Bones just went down to the car to get some stuff. She'll be right back."

Max took Payton from his arms and looked her over carefully. She looked at him with the same appraising stare, and when he smiled broadly at her, she returned the smile. The bond was made. He kept her in his arms as he went to look closer at the sleeping baby boy. He awed out loud and Booth smiled. Max turned back to him.

"So, when are you going to marry my daughter? Make an honest woman of her..."

Booth was at a loss for words for a few seconds, and then he smiled at the man.

"Well Max. I've asked her three times now, and she has said yes every time, but I don't want to pressure her. It's something that we'll do when she feels ready. Not before."

"Well, maybe if I pressured her that would help..."

His words were cut off by the sound of the key in the door and Bones came through carrying the bags she had gone to get. Booth met her and relieved her of her burden as she noticed her Father crouched over her son, with her daughter in his arms.

"DAD!" She went to him quickly and gave him a huge hug, squishing Payton to his chest.

They just held each other for awhile without speaking. He spoke first,

"Your kids are beautiful Tempe, nicely done. The boy looks so much like you did when you were a baby."

"Thank you Dad. They are beautiful, and Payton is so smart. She's way ahead of where the books say she should be in terms of vocabulary and physical markers. You really have to watch what you say in front of her. She repeats everything." She looked proudly at her daughter as the little girl continued to stare at Max.

"What's his name? I don't even know my Grandson's name you guys were gone so long."

She snorted.

"You were gone for fifteen years; we were only gone for two, with a brief stop back in DC when Payton was born..."

"I know Sweetheart, like Father like daughter right!" He looked from Payton to Booth and smiled at them both.

"His name is Rio." Booth answered the question.

Max seemed surprised,

"How did you two come up with that name? It seems different..."

"We'll tell you all our stories in a few minutes, let us get the kids settled and we'll fill you in." Booth picked up Rio from the carrier and took him with a fresh set of clothes and a diaper to the bedroom. Temperance followed him with Payton and the same supplies.

Max sat on the chair in the living room and relished in the feelings of joy that his family was back in town. He had truly missed his daughter and had some insight into their relationship after he had been gone so long. He would make up for that now. He wasn't going anywhere, and he hoped that they weren't either.

Booth came back into the living room first and sat down on the couch with a bottle for his son. As he fed the baby, he and Max talked about a few of the things that had happened over the past two years. Especially the last eighteen months since Payton had been born.

Booth was in the middle of a story when Bones came back into the room and sat down next to her partner. She leaned her head on his shoulder, as Payton made her escape from her mother's arms to approach Max.

He picked her up and made her giggle with kisses and tickles and when he looked back over to the couch, the two of them sitting there had already fallen asleep. He picked up Rio and put him in the carrier, thinking that would be safe place for him to sleep for the night. He covered the couple with blanket and smiled at how peaceful they looked together. Payton seemed quite awake and he settled in to entertain her until she fell asleep. Her parents were obviously exhausted.

Bones woke up at some point, and took a minute to remember where she was. She felt the familiar presence of Booth beside her and remembered that they were home. She heard something familiar from across the room, and she gently opened one eye to see where the sounds were coming from.

Max was sitting on the chair with Payton in his arms. He was singing to try to get her to fall asleep. The words seemed familiar to Temperance and she smiled at the memory.

"...and I've been drinking now...Just a little too much

And I don't know how I can get in touch with you...

Now, there's only one thing for me to do... that's to

To get home to you..."

Temperance couldn't remember the last time she had felt so safe, and warm and loved. She felt Booth take her hand under the blanket and she heard the last words of Max's song before she fell back asleep.

"Oh yes, I'll keep on trying

I'm tired of crying

I got to find a way...

To get home to you"

She heard her daughter's little voice as she drifted back to sleep,

"Again Grandpa!"

When she and Booth awoke in the morning, they heard sounds from the kitchen. Booth went to see what was going on as Bones took their son out of his temporary bed with a smile. It hadn't been a dream. They were really home.

Max came back into the living room and smiled at his daughter and her son. He set a cup of coffee for her on the table.

"Okay Tempe... time to tell the story of his name..."

She smiled at him and gestured for him to sit down.

"Well, we were in the waters off of Northern Brazil, when we received a call from the FBI. They needed us to find a scientist who had been missing in the Amazon. Apparently a family member had died and they needed to find him, and we were not that far away, so they asked us for our help. I was almost nine months pregnant and....."

**

**

TBC...

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*clap-clap-clap* A special shout out to 'Poco' and their beautiful song..'keep on trying'!!