[A/N: Those of you reading are phenomenally patient, extremely observant (to the point of pointing out perfectly the things I forgot about or didn't keep consistent), and extraordinarily generous with your time and your reviews. I am very grateful for your input and for the time you spend here. Not sure if this is headed where I planned for it to go, but I'm thrilled to be writing again and enjoying working through this story idea. Thanks for being along for the ride. Please let me know what you think about this chapter.
This goes without saying, but I don't own Bones or its characters. However, I do so enjoy watching the show and pondering the characters minds greater than mine created.]
Chapter 5 – Keep Your Problems and Your Failures To Yourself
Until you have a son of your own . . . you will never know the joy, the love beyond feeling that resonates in the heart of a father as he looks upon his son. You will never know the sense of honor that makes a man want to be more than he is and to pass something good and hopeful into the hands of his son. And you will never know the heartbreak of the fathers who are haunted by the personal demons that keep them from being the men they want their sons to be. ~Kent Nerburn~
"Out with it," Hank barked at his grandson.
"What?" Booth replied in that somewhat squeaky voice he used to pretend that he wasn't lying. Instead of making eye contact with the older man, he continued to stare at the remnants of his hamburger as if they might offer him some sight or words of wisdom.
"Stop beating around the bush. Something's eating at you, and you're stalling. Don't you think I recognize a 'Seeley Stall' when I see one?"
"Who me? Stall?" Booth joked lamely as he realized his grandfather had seen straight through him.
"You made an art of evading difficult conversations, Shrimp. If the Internet had been around when you were a kid, you could have had a web site giving kids advice on ways to postpone telling their parents and other grownups about stuff."
"Nah…. Not me. I'm still not a big fan of the Internet," Booth replied.
"Stop trying to change the subject, kid." Booth squirmed in his seat and, for a few minutes, felt as if he were back in school. No point trying to avoid the conversation now—he knew that Pops wasn't going to let this slide.
"Fine… It's just… Parker's a great kid, you know?" Booth began hesitantly.
His grandfather frowned at him impatiently, "You're preaching to the choir, Seeley."
"Yeah. Well, he is… he's fantastic. It's just… Well… lately….," Booth stammered, still not convinced he was ready to talk about this.
"He's being a pain in the ass? Testing you… and Temperance?" his grandfather filled in the blanks for him.
Booth dropped his French fry and stared at his grandfather as if he'd reached inside his head and emptied it out. "Yeah. I mean, I get that finding out that I dumped Hannah right after pushing him so hard to like her and then being told that I'm already with Bones would be tough. Add the baby that's coming and he's bound to be feeling insecure and worried about what else will change. So I've cut him some slack, but he's out of control, and lately—he's not acting like he cares very much if I'm mad at him."
When his grandfather just looked at him, Booth continued, "I mean… I can make grown men who are dangerous criminals cry, but my kid isn't scared of me at all anymore."
"What did he do?" Hank inquired.
"Well, he smarted off to Bones the other day… yelled at her that she wasn't his mom and really was disrespectful. Made it worse by getting in my face about it, too."
"And you punished him for it?"
"Well, like I said, I tried cutting him some slack and just talking to him, but that didn't work. And when I grounded him, he pulled such an attitude. I mean… who does he think he is talking to Bones and me like that?"
"That's tough. You've gotta get his attention before he gets out of control. You know, I heard a story about this one kid that had been very much on the straight and narrow… who up and got a job and lied to his parents about it. And even after they found out about it, he kept sneaking around to work it anyway. He was about Parker's age, I think."
Booth eyed his grandfather carefully and then frowned at him hard. He knew his grandfather was just trying to give him a new perspective, but he was too wound up to let that help, "I needed that job, Pops. That job saved my life."
"Yeah, but you shouldn't have lied about it."
"Well, we're talking about Parks right now. That's not all he did. What really makes me crazy is the way he's been acting about this girl. He's way too young to be that much into any girl. I mean… he's what… 12½ ? And suddenly he's Casanova? I know the kid is cute and that he's going to have the Booth charm and the way with the ladies," he said winking at the elder Booth who'd nodded more than once at passing ladies as they'd eaten their meal and been rewarded with warm smiles from all of them—even those half his age.
"Like I said, it's great that he's good with the ladies. It's just… this sexting thing has got to stop. I work for the FBI. I could get into legal trouble… lose my job."
"What the hell is sexting?"
"Texting inappropriate stuff… and pictures."
"Parker did that?"
"Yeah. Well, sort of… the kid version of it, anyway—not the real stuff. He wasn't listening to me the other day, so I grabbed his phone and found a whole string of messages that weren't what I'd approve of. So I took his phone away."
Hank commiserated with Seeley a few more minutes. Then he demanded that Booth finish the story he'd stopped telling. He watched as his grandson's expression darkened and his face became taut with stress.
"When I took his phone away, he got up in my face. Then he asked me if I was afraid he was going to sleep around and get a girl pregnant," Booth said in a low voice as he fiddled with the edge of his napkin. "And then he said that he might be a bastard but that he knew better than to have one."
"Seeley," his grandfather started.
Booth held up one hand a bit to stall his grandfather so that he could just spit the rest of what was bugging him out, "I suppose I deserve it. But I hated feeling like he thought I had done the wrong thing. I asked him where he heard that word, and he said that a kid at school yelled it at another kid during a fight. He doesn't get that it's just slang… inappropriate slang. He looked it up and read the dictionary definition put two and two together. I… I know nothing's really changed, but I hate to have him think less of himself or of me because of it."
"He'll be fine. He's a good kid. He'll come around. Just give him some time and space."
"But the way he looked at me, Pops. I… I disappointed him."
"When he stops to think about everything else… the way you love him… all the things you've taught him… the way he can count on you… really count on you."
"I've set a terrible example. I should have… I should have made Rebecca marry me… for Parker…."
"Marrying that girl would have been a mistake. You'd have ended up divorced in under a year. You'd have ended up hating each other. Parker's just pushing you away the way all teenagers do."
"Easy for you to say… You and Grandma were together forever. And Mom and Dad… well, they stayed together even when they shouldn't. I… It must look to him like I took the easy, selfish way out. It wasn't my choice or what I wanted, but it looks like that to my kid… and it might to the baby one day."
"You have a big heart, kid. And super swimmers. Deadly combination."
"Pops, I'm really not in the mood for you to tease me."
"You're taking this too hard, son. Parker would try to hit some other nerve if he hadn't found this one. He's testing you… testing your love for him to make sure you'll love him even though he's pulling away. Besides, you're not the only one to have a kid out of wedlock, Seeley."
"But I'm the only one of us… the only Booth."
"No, you're not."
"What?!"
"You heard me."
"You… you had other kids?"
"No, not me. I was too afraid that your grandmother would kill me in my sleep if I looked at another woman too long. Not that I was tempted. I only had eyes for her."
"Who? Mom and Dad were married before I was born… before I was conceived."
Hank shifted uncomfortably in his seat. This was just one more secret he had never intended to share with his grandson. But Seeley was hurting… He still couldn't stand to watch the kid suffer… he'd done more of that than any kid should have far too young. Hank sighed as he chose his words carefully… maybe this would help.
Seeley looked at his grandfather. He waited… hating how much he feared what his grandfather might say next.
"You weren't your parents' first child, son."
HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH….
Three months into Ronnie's service in the military, Jenny and Gabby had gotten used to hearing from him several times a week. So after three weeks with no letters from Ronnie, Jenny had been at her wits' end. She'd worried aloud so much about it that she and Joe had eventually argued about it.
Jenny felt bad about the argument. She knew that part of her still felt guilty for kissing Ronnie before he left… and that a larger part of her felt even more guilty about the fact that she hadn't wanted to stop. She loved Joe. She really did. She couldn't remember not loving Joe. What she felt for Ronnie was different, but she knew that she loved him, too. She missed him so much. She still ached with worry for him and wanted more than anything to know that he was safe.
Jenny also felt guilty when she felt a bit of relief when she heard people downtown talking about the fact that Ronnie's dad was sick. Now that the news was public, she knew that he was more ill than he'd been when Ronnie left. While she couldn't wish the man any harm—he was like an uncle to her—she'd known him her whole life, she couldn't help feeling like his illness meant that Ronnie might come back home to her… home to all of them sooner. Ignoring the pang in her chest and the uncomfortably warm twinge in her stomach when she thought about Ronnie again, Jenny tried to focus on filling out paperwork to request a dorm room to share with Gabby when they moved over to Bryn Mawr College in the fall.
As she filled out the forms, she made a point of reminding herself to call Joe and make plans for a date with him that night. She knew she wasn't being fair to him these days—she had to work things out with him. She only had a few more months here in town with him, and she needed them to be on good footing when she went to college.
HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH….
Joe grinned and then whistled as he swept up and then mopped at his uncle's barber shop the following day. He smiled… remembering last night's date with Jenny had kept him in a good mood all day. It had been a great night. She'd been there… into him and only him in a way she hadn't been in a long time. Things had been perfect—the way they should always be between them. He'd been annoyed with Jenny's preoccupation with Ronnie's letters and his time away, and the fact that something like that could throw them off had made him start worrying that they'd have trouble when she moved away to go to school. He knew they wouldn't be far away and that the brief distance shouldn't matter, but he couldn't help feeling a bit insecure about the fact that she'd be a college girl and he… wouldn't be a college guy.
Joe hadn't been able to follow through on his intention to go to college. Penn State was where he'd hoped to play football. He still wanted to play so much that he had a hard time applying to go to school anywhere that had a team. So, for the last few years, he'd been working. He'd started learning how to cut hair from his uncle and helped out around the shop, too. He did yard work for several people and managed the town boys who had paper routes. He knew that these jobs weren't what he wanted to do forever, but he was making money and paying his way—not just mooching off his parents. He was saving up for things… he needed to get into school and buy a ring for Jenny and save up for a house for them, too. It was a small start, but he'd started. And his working had gotten his dad off his back about school. He kept promising that he'd go soon—maybe with Jenny. That news had led his dad to back off and give him more space to figure out what he was going to do with his life. That was what he needed—time to make his own plans.
The ringing of the phone at the shop pulled Joe out of his thoughts. He crossed the empty shop to answer it and pulled up sharply when he heard who was calling.
HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH….
Joe held Jenny as she cried. She was confused and hurt. And he was the one who had to help explain this to her. He cursed Ronnie again internally for being such a pain in the ass. The guy was a constant source of drama and friction for Jenny and him. Thank God he hadn't died over there. He'd never have been able to compete with the ghost of the guy—not in a million years.
"I… Why won't he let me visit? I don't get it."
"He got hurt pretty bad, Jen… He needs some time to heal… get out of that wheelchair."
"But, he's my friend… we're best friends. I can be there for him. Tell him, Joe. I was there for you, remember? I can help… I… I need to help him. I…."
"Not yet, sweetie. Give him some time. He just needs some time."
"But why is he shutting me out, Joe. And why did he call you? You don't even like him. I just don't get it."
"He knew you'd listen to me. And… well… it's a guy thing. We guys don't like you girls to see us when we're not full strength and whole. It's a pride thing. And maybe… maybe he knew I'd understand… after what I'd been through."
She looked up at him through her tears, and he fell for her all over again. Jenny was so damned beautiful. And he hurt whenever she hurt. He pulled her close, "Shhh… it'll be okay, baby," he cooed as he held her tightly.
HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH….
Joe took advantage of the fact that Jenny wasn't visiting her injured friend and used the chance to distract her and keep her focused on them. The extra time and focus was good for them—they became even closer. He was more attentive, and she smiled more and seemed so much happier when they were together. Their connection always bolstered Joe's spirits. He felt like a big sissy for being so needy—for wanted so much for Jenny to be happy with him, but the truth was the truth. He just wasn't going to tell anyone but her about that.
With the way they were growing even closer, Joe and Jenny had reached a tenuous point in their relationship—closer than ever and still in love. Both had grown up religious and had been told to save intimacy for marriage. Joe believed the concept was noble, but he had a harder and harder time following what he'd been taught. The pull of his body toward Jenny's grew stronger and stronger the more time she spent in his arms. He knew she felt it, too. Their makeout sessions had gradually gotten more and more intense. Keeping themselves from going too far was becoming a bigger and bigger challenge. He loved her, and for her he would wait, but he knew she was struggling with desire, too. Every time he told her how much he loved her, he saw it there—she wanted him the way he wanted her. Although his motives were pure and loving, every poem he penned weakened her resolve a bit more. He swore he wouldn't pressure her and he hadn't; he couldn't. His love for her was too real… too consuming. And seeing the way she looked at him told him that hers for him was the real thing, too. They'd just have to manage their hormones in the short-term because he was in this for the long haul.
Six months later…
Of course Ronnie had caved and allowed Jenny to visit him eventually. They'd talked on the phone during his therapy-until he finally allowed her to visit. He'd made great progress in his therapy and now knew that he would get out of the wheelchair before much longer. Jenny had been thrilled to have time with her friend—she and Gabby were leaving for college in a few weeks, and she needed to know that Ronnie was okay before she left.
Joe struggled to deal with the fact that Jenny was spending so much of their remaining time with Ronnie, but he swallowed back his jealousy. He needed his time with Jenny to be special… perfect. He could grumble about the time spent with soldier-boy later.
Before any of them were ready for it, the time came for the girls to go off to school. On Sunday afternoon, Jenny's parents helped the girls load up the car for the trip and then hosted a small party for the girls before they left for Bryn Mawr. Joe and his parents were there, and Ronnie and his parents had been invited but hadn't shown up. A few other close friends had come by.
Jenny and Joe had been inseparable for the entire last week. Even in front of their parents, the pair had been in close contact physically… they held hands as the made their way around the small group that day. That, or Joe had his arm around her… or his hand around her waist… memorizing the feel of her. More than once, they'd snuck out back to neck and hold one another tightly. Joe felt like he'd stop breathing when she left. 'Til then he was determined to breathe nothing but her air… her essence. She whispered to him of plans for them to visit… that she'd be home again soon… telling him that she loved him. He kissed away her tears and promised her that nothing could ever come between them.
It was as if this milestone gave them permission to be more themselves… less formal and appropriate in the way they interacted in front of their parents than they usually were. Joe had seen his father and Jenny's raise an eyebrow more than once observing how closely he was holding his girlfriend, but he didn't care. His parents had been married by this time. He was going to marry Jenny. He didn't care if he was being inappropriate—he was just holding his girl.
They were talking with one of the neighbors when Jenny glanced outside and abruptly left Joe's side. Surprised by her rude departure from an ongoing conversation, he apologized, excused himself and left to follow her. As he rounded the corner and walked out onto the front porch, he stopped and stared. On the front lawn, Ronnie stood strong and tall, leaning only on a cane for support. He watched as Jenny and Gabby took turns embracing him. He noticed the wince of pain the young man tried to camouflage. He also saw the smile and the look he sent Jenny—the one she seemed oblivious to. He watched as the trio crossed the room and made their way slowly onto the porch. After Ronnie was settled in the front porch swing, Jenny rushed over to him and kissed him full on the lips in front of everyone. Pleased but surprised, he shot her a look of surprise. "I'm just so glad he's here, Joe. And look… he's walking… he's really going to be okay."
"Yeah, baby. Looks like it," he whispered as he watched her smile happily at where Ronnie and Gabby were sitting. Turning her chin toward him, he smiled down at her, "You have such a big heart, Jenny. I love you for it… and for so many other reasons." He leaned down and kissed her… intensely, but chastely since they were surrounded by parents and neighbors.
HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH….
That night, Joe sat alone in his room trying to deal with the huge gaping hole in his life. Jenny was gone. He was planning to drive over on Saturday, but Saturday seemed ages away. He knew that he could leave now and be on the campus in half an hour, but he also knew that he had to give Jenny her space. He had to let her go be a college student… she deserved to have that time that was special… that was hers. This was temporary, but the hole in his gut told him that this could change everything. They lived in different worlds now. It felt more like a long-distance relationship than it really was. So he had to be tough and face this challenge like a man. He didn't have to like it, but he had to stay away to give her time and space to move in and fit in and experience college.
It stung that he hadn't been brave enough to do what Jenny had. He hadn't been able to pick a place and go there. He'd gotten into schools but something had always stopped him from going. He knew now that he should think hard about it. There were other schools nearby where he could enroll—even places close enough to commute to school. He'd have to get serious about making a decision now—or Jenny would finish school before he did. And that would just slow them down on his plans to marry her and start their grown up lives together.
A knock on his door surprised him. Joe cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter before calling out that his door was open. His father walked in and asked how he was doing.
"I'm fine, Dad," Joe lied.
"Bet you're missing Jenny, huh, son?"
Not quite able to meet his dad's eyes, he looked away and nodded.
Hank crossed the room and put a hand on his son's shoulder to offer encouragement. Then he handed him the envelope Jenny had given to him earlier that afternoon.
"She loves you, son. And she's not too far away."
"Thanks, Dad," Joe croaked as he held onto the envelope tightly.
"Your mom and I are here for you, son. If you need to talk... if you need anything."
Joe smiled and nodded at his dad. The elder Booth smirked back at him, rumpled his hair, and left him alone with his letter.
HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH….
Four months later….
Although Joe and Jenny had seen each other often, there was a strain on them now that she was in school. She was out experiencing a whole new world Joe hadn't entered yet, and even though he told himself that he shouldn't, part of him resented the way she was blossoming into a bold new young woman while he was stagnating at home where nothing had changed. He chastised himself because he knew his situation was his own fault. But he felt it—a distance that hadn't been between them before.
He was feeling that distance even more acutely today. He'd come over to the school on this Saturday has he had so many times before, but Jenny had spent more time away at study sessions than she had before. She had exams coming up, and he knew she needed to study. He just wished it wasn't limiting their scarce time together. He tried not to sulk, but he was bored. There was nothing for him to do there on campus except tell himself that he was a failure for not going to a campus of his own to study.
They bickered a bit when Jenny finally met up with him. She felt guilty for leaving him alone so much, and he knew he was in a terrible mood and shouldn't take it out on her. She didn't understand why he was so anxious. This was a tired old fight and they'd had it too many times before. Because he was the only one who know what a huge secret he was hiding from her, they fought and Jenny cried. Then Joe just couldn't take it anymore. Her tears were his undoing. "I'm sorry, baby," he whispered as he reached out folded her into his arms. "You haven't done anything wrong. It's just me. I'm… distracted."
"Talk to me, Joe. I hate it when things are like this. What's wrong? Why are you distracted?"
He looked at her and was struck by how much he loved her. He also feared what her reaction might be—he knew it wouldn't be good. But he knew he was running out of time to talk to her.
"I… I'm moving in January… right after Christmas."
She stared at him—shocked and unable to respond.
"Don't be mad at me, Jenny. I mean… I know you will be… but I… I've gotta do this."
"Do what? Move away? Leave me?"
"Not leave you… Just be away for a while."
"Did you decide on a school, Joe? Why all the mystery? What's going on?"
He turned to her and took her hand. Then he told her his secret—the one he hadn't told anyone else. He was surprised when she slapped him hard and then leapt out of the car and ran away.
He followed.
"Jenny, please… please just talk to me."
"No!"
"Jen… Baby…."
"Drive me back to my room, Joe. I'm not talking to you about this."
"But Jen…."
"Drive me home or I'm walking," she said darkly.
So he did.
HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH….
Joe was sweeping up at his uncle's shop again. He'd bowed out after the family holiday meal. He couldn't bear his mother's tears or the tension that had been in his house since he'd told his parents about joining up weeks ago. He couldn't stand the tears in his sister's eyes whenever she looked at him. None of the guys could hang out since it was Christmas. He needed time alone to think. So he went to the shop to have some peace and quiet. He needed to be alone and clear his head. He also needed to do something physical.
Knowing that Jenny had been home for 2 days and that she hadn't come to see him was killing him. He'd known she'd be mad, but he hadn't expected her to freeze him out—screen his calls, stop writing letters, refuse his visits. He had not heard from her once since he'd told her he'd enlisted. He'd gotten so desperate that he visited Ronnie and asked him to talk to her… begged him to reason with her. Ronnie had promised to talk to her, and he seemed to mean it. But despite the painful experience of asking his nemesis for help, Joe had heard nothing. It was as if he were already dead to her—when he might actually die without holding her again. That thought was simply unbearable.
He was lost in the ache of missing her and trying to talk himself out of rushing across town and breaking her door in and begging her to forgive him. He almost didn't hear the knock on the window of the shop. But when he did, his heart stopped.
After swallowing hard, he crossed the shop and unlocked the door, barely able to lock it back as she rushed into his arms. She kissed him hard, and he responded in kind… afraid his heart would explode from the shock and from the pure joy of holding her again after so long.
When she pulled back, tears were streaming. "I hate you, Joe. I hate you for doing this… putting yourself in danger… making me worry… doing something that might put an end to us."
"Please don't hate me, Jen… I love you so much," he whispered before pulling her in for another kiss."
"How… how am I supposed to go to class… to study… to wait for word from you… I can't breathe when I think about it, Joe. Why? Why did you do this to us… to me?"
He turned away and ran a hand through his hair. "I need to do something. Become a man. I'm in limbo here. College… it's not for me, Jen. I can't be there with you, and I don't want to be anywhere else. By the time I'm finished, you'll be finishing school. I can come back and we'll be together…."
"What if something happens to you? What if you get hurt like Ronnie did? What if… what if you die over there?"
"I won't… I promise. I'll stay safe. I'll come back to you Jenny. Nobody can keep me away from you. Nothing will keep us apart. Tell me you still love me. Tell me that, and no soldier or bullet or anything will threaten me. I'll come back for you… for us."
"You can't promise that," she whispered as she ran her fingertips over his beautiful cheek bones.
"I promise you I'll come back. I swear. I love you so much, Jenny. Missing you has been so hard. But if I know that I have you to come home to, nothing will stop me. I swear."
She looked up at him and realized that he did feel that he had to do this. Her fear was still strong, but her anger melted away. She loved him so much. "I love you, Joe. Please promise me you'll come back. I'll be here.. waiting… only for you."
Wordlessly, they gave themselves to one another. Without speaking about what they were doing, the pair made their way to the back room where Joe's uncle's storeroom. There was a small bed back there—Joe's uncle sometimes slept at the shop when he was in the doghouse with his wife—which was often.
It was small and sparse and not the intensely romantic scene Joe had envisioned for the first time they gave themselves to one another physically, but everything else about that night… that moment… that connection… had been perfect. As he held her tightly in his arms, Joe realized once again that he was the luckiest man on the planet.
He turned Jenny's face toward his and looked at her with all the love and affection he could muster. "I… I love you so much, Jenny. I promise I'll come back for you."
She smiled up at him and kissed him lightly. He pulled back and poured his heart out to her, "Marry me, Jenny… When I get back… Promise me that you'll marry me and that we can be together like this forever. I'll get down on one knee and ask you the right way when I get back. Marry me, baby, it's all I want… you're all that I want."
"Of course I'll marry you, Joe. I've been in love with you forever."
He kissed her, and passion flared anew… binding the lovers together even more tightly.
HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH….
"I had a sister? How… why didn't anyone ever say anything?" Booth asked, still stunned by his grandfather's announcement.
"What was the point, Shrimp? Telling you would have only made you sad."
"But a sister… I had the right to know."
"She wasn't full term and didn't survive the delivery, son. Your mother was always ashamed of getting pregnant before being married. We didn't help much. It was a different time. These things just weren't acceptable. Jenny's parents made her quit school and sent her to stay with relatives in California. Your father… she didn't tell him the news. It was only when she got the high blood pressure and got sick that I called your father and told him. He went AWOL… got in big trouble for that later… he flew to California and stayed with her a week… He married her out there… without any of us around. And then she lost the baby. She was depressed about the baby, and he was arrested by the MPs and hauled back overseas. It was a dark time for everyone, son. Too much pain… too much heartbreak."
"Dad went AWOL to come home for her… for the baby?" Seeley asked nonplussed.
"Just like you did for Parker, son. Your dad loved your mom… and your sister Rosie… and you and Jared, too."
"Rosie… I… I just can't believe nobody ever said anything… Mom… when did it happen?"
"What?"
"My sister… when did she die?"
"July 4th… it was July 4th that year."
"She never wanted to go out and see the fireworks. That one year we all went, she cried. I just thought she was really patriotic…."
"Seeley, I didn't tell you this to upset you. I… I mean, I know it has, but I really just wanted you to stop beating yourself up. Everyone makes mistakes, and you… you've always been responsible… done the right thing."
"Thanks… Thanks, Pops. I… I'm glad you told me."
HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH…HHH….
The slam of the front door caused Temperance to wake up abruptly. "Booth?" she called out, instinctively concerned about him.
He was there at her side, kissing her, falling into their bed and pulling her over to him without words.
A few minutes later, she pulled back, smirking at him and eyeing him carefully at the same time, "I find that I rather enjoy being woken this way," she flirted.
"I know what else you enjoy," he husked, attacking her neck as if to devour her.
"Booth… are you… is everything all right?"
"Yeah. I just… I'll talk to you about it later, okay? Now I just feel like showing the woman I love how crazy I am about her and how I never want to take her love and the family we're making for granted… not for a second," he declared before she rejoined their lips together.
Later, after they'd promised their love and forged their bodies together blissfully, Booth held her and told her what Hank had told him that night. She held him and listened intently, reassuring him that she loved him despite his history—all of it.