AN: A nice long chapter for the fine folks out there, since you were so patient with me over the weekend. The song is by Yoko Ono.

Chapter 7 Surprise, Surprise

Friday morning brought a new case to the Jeffersonian, one which Temperance reluctantly passed to Zack under the guise of preparing him for more solo work. Locking herself away in her office with the excuse of writing her new book, one that had yet to be started, Temperance was soon immersed in wedding plans. A very long conversation with the florist was most successful as Temperance settled on classic white roses.

An email from Sharon, who was receiving the RSVPs, confirmed that several of Tempe's colleagues were planning on attending as well as Seeley's family, as expected. Sharon was certain they would have a final count by Sunday, which she would communicate to the bed and breakfast and caterer personally. Temperance was amazed at how much could be accomplished in a single week.

A ringing phone interrupted Temperance as she poured over various reports requiring her review and signature. Resigned, she picked up the receiver, her tone curt.

"Brennan."

"Bren! We're back, Sweetie!"

"Ange?"

"Of course it's me, who else was gone for six weeks?"

"But you're not due back until next Thursday. According to Jack's vacation request-

"Actually," the artist interrupted, "Jack decided to head home early. He claims the specimens he collected need preservation but really, we just missed you guys too much."

"Where are you now?" Temperance inquired, the reports forgotten.

"At the dock. Jack's arranging for a ride to the lab and the boat will be unloaded and cleaned up by tomorrow."

"That's great; I'll call Booth and we'll all do dinner tonight."

"Sure thing, Bren. Oh, the car's here; see you in a few!"

"A few what? Ange? Angela!" Temperance frowned as she realized her best friend had already hung up. Fear gripped the scientist as she realized one of her first thoughts was the excitement she had to see Davey again, to hold and examine him for herself. She quickly dialed Booth and he agreed to come to the lab as soon as he finished up some calls. But the agent couldn't help but tease his Bones.

"Does this mean we can get married, maybe, tomorrow?"

"Booth! I'm going to need all of next week to plan this wedding."

"I told you I can help; whatever you need."

"I need you not to say a word until we can tell everyone at dinner tonight. Promise?"

"Oh, fine, and Tempe?"

"Yes, Booth." She rolled her eyes at his reluctance to make the big announcement.

"No one needs to know we're not having sex. Or that we plan on getting pregnant really soon. Let's just keep that between us." Now Temperance smiled at Booth's kind intentions to protect her from the questions, not to mention his own embarrassment.

"I agree. See you soon."

As Temperance waited eagerly for her friends' arrival, Anthropologist Brennan was back. She was sure that Jack would agree to come back to work on Monday once he heard about the wedding and honeymoon plans. This would give Jack three days to catch up with the visiting entomologist before the temporary worker returned to Montreal. Plenty of time, Temperance thought with a smile. Angela could return at any time since the forensic artist hired in her absence planned to stay on as a fellow until the summer's end.

Temperance stood, arms crossed and gaze steady, on the platform contemplating how many tasks she could now accomplish with Angela back a week early but, for the second time that morning, she was interrupted by a shrill ringing.

She looked up to find Zack disabling the alarm with a swipe of his key card, glaring at a sheepish looking Jack.

"Sorry," the entomologist met Temperance's eye, "we left our security passes here."

Angela appeared behind her husband holding Davey and grinning.

"Back for two seconds and already causing trouble, huh?"

"Davey!" Temperance's shout surprised everyone, herself included, as she fell from the platform to take the baby from a shocked Angela. Wonder danced in her eyes as Temperance held the boy close, gently rubbing the dewy hair that swirled on his head and grasped his tiny hand, all the while cooing in his ear. The others looked on, unsure what had prompted her actions.

"Gee, Bren, I missed you too." Angela's finally broke the silence, her voice weighted with sarcasm. Temperance spared her a dirty look.

"You haven't gained four pounds and in inch of hair, Angela. You look the same, my godson though, he's getting big!"

"Actually…" Jack inserted, poking Angela's side teasingly. She managed a laugh while swatting his hand away. Booth arrived a few minutes later to find the old squints mingling with the new and all playing pass the baby.

"Hey, welcome home guys!" Booth greeted the weary travelers who were recounting their trip to the others.

"Booth, maybe you can help us out here. Explain what happened to Bren while we were gone." Jack watched the agent carefully for signs of a cover-up. Temperance ignored them both as she played fishy face with Davey.

"I think she's pregnant." Angela mused, noting her best friend's tired, slightly disheveled appearance.

"She's not pregnant, Ange-" Booth began.

"See, I told you so. Not as if I am not the expert on what is or is not going on with my body!" Temperance triumphed before reluctantly passing Davey to Booth.

"Hey, big boy," Booth smiled back at a toothless, but adorable, Davey and cradled the baby in his strong arms.

"Hate to break up the party so soon but Bones, we've got to pick up Parker… for… you know…" Temperance was torn, as she wanted to help Parker pick out a tux but didn't want to leave Davey. And there was so much to discuss with Jack.

"Well, it's kind of a guy thing Booth. Can I meet you afterwards for dinner?"

"Sure," Booth kissed her cheek as Temperance reached for the baby again.

"Oh and if you go by the house, bring those files from my office."

"Okay, I'm off." Booth turned to leave but was interrupted by Angela blocking his path.

"Wait a minute! You bought a house? And already moved in?" Booth and Temperance both nodded.

"And you didn't tell me! Well, I want to see it, let's go Booth."

"I don't know Ange, it's a mess right now with everything going on and-"

"Oh please, I'll just check out Parker's room. You still want that mural right? I'll sketch while you guys do your guy thing and then we'll all meet up for dinner. Davey will be fine here with Jack and I promise not to snoop around." Booth glanced at his fiancée who shrugged, noncommittal. She was content as long as Davey was nearby; the child provided an endless source of observational data.

Several hours later after the trials and tribulations of tux shopping with a seven year old, Booth returned to the house to pick up Angela for dinner. He found her in Parker's room lying on the floor and staring at the ceiling, crying.

"Ange? What's wrong?" She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sat up, quickly grabbing her sketchpad.

"I'm fine; let's go to dinner."

"Angela, just tell me what's going on before I go federal on your ass." He grinned to soften the threat and Angela found her eyes filling with fresh tears.

"Oh, Booth I'm just so happy for you guys. You've got this great house and Parker and I just wish Bren would make up her mind about the wedding already. I feel responsible since so much has revolved around me and Jack and Davey lately. I just want you guys to be happy but I feel like Yoko breaking up the band."

"Angela, we are happy. Don't feel responsible for a thing. You don't do guilt well." He smiled at the artist who offered a small grin. "Besides, don't you dare tell Bones I told you this but… we set a date." Booth was wary of making this announcement just as they were leaving the house, knowing all the neighbors would hear within moments.

"OH MY GOD, SWEETIE! That's awesome, that's perfect, oh I hope nothing's going on that day, oh screw it, I'll cancel anything that comes up. My best friend's getting married! When, Booth? When are you getting married?"

"Maybe I should let Bones fill you in on all the details." Booth stalled as he guided the overjoyed Angela to his car. "I just now told Parker when we picked out his tux."

Angela jumped in the front seat and turned to Parker before Booth could stop her.

"Parker, honey, when are your daddy and Dr. Bones getting married?" her voice dripped with syrupy sweetness as Booth entered the driver's side just in time to overhear the question.

"Saturday," Parker answered, not taking his eyes away from his video game.

"Angela…" Booth warned, turning on the car and backing out of the driveway.

"SATURDAY! You're getting married tomorrow? When did you think you were going to tell us? It's a good thing we came home early or we would have missed the entire thing! You're incredible, Booth. Incredibly stupid!"

"Angela stop," Booth commanded his voice leaving no room for argument. "We are getting married a week from tomorrow and planned it that way so you could be involved. And I would appreciate it if you supported Bones in this. She's been killing herself getting all the arrangements made and wants this to happen in eight days so with or without her best girl friend, I will make this happen in eight days if it kills me too."

The rest of the ride to the diner was quiet. Parker was engrossed in his video game, Angela pouted about the wedding and Booth tried to relax and focus on making the wedding a success. Eight more days, he reminded himself.

Meanwhile at the lab….

Temperance had reluctantly returned Davey to his proud father and begun to gather the ever-increasing amount of wedding related work from her office to take home. She was rushing out to meet the men when she crashed into Zack. Their papers flew up and out, coating the floor in a layer of reports, official findings, catering quotes and sample vows. As Zack stammered his apologies and attempted to gather the papers he was suddenly aware of what Brennan had been carrying.

"Booth has an appointment to rent a tux tomorrow? What for, the man owns a dozen suits already." Jack's ears were attuned to the possibility of a conspiracy, especially with Dr. Brennan's odd behavior as of late.

"Nothing, it's nothing." Temperance struggled to gather the papers before Zack came across anything else and started making connections. Well, this is Zack, she thought with a grin, he wouldn't know what all this means, but Jack sure will!

She'd just collected the final sheet and let out a silent sigh of relief when she stood, shoving the papers haphazardly into her shoulder bag. Jack leaned against the railing, holding Davey and a single sheet of paper. His face was an odd combination of a smirk, knowing grin and a bit of confusion. It was, as he'd once claimed, as if he'd stuck a fork in the toaster. His hair sure attested to that theory.

"I Temperance, take you Seeley to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold-"

"Jack!" Temperance was shocked at his audacity.

"You're finally getting married?" Jack asked directly. Zack's head popped up, watching Temperance, all systems on red alert.

"Yes," Temperance hissed, striding over to the entomologist and snatching the paper from his hand while trying to keep from startling Davey, "and what if I am?"

"Then I can finally collect on my bet with Zack. Hand it over, Zackaroni." Temperance gaped at the pair.

"You bet on my wedding?"

"Yes, Dr. Brennan. Dr. Hodgins made the assertion that the engagement was for show and you'd be engaged for at least another year before wedding plans began. I bet that you'd follow through with the original intent of the engagement within two years. Hodgins seems to think he's won because he also bet you'd elope."

"We are not eloping," Temperance clarified for the pair, watching money change hands with a frown.

"I still have a chance to win back my cash," Jack offered, watching Temperance carefully. "Am I the best man? I bet Zack I'd be the best man."

Temperance had never been so confused in her life. She loathed the fact Jack thought her engagement was a ruse but was impressed that he wanted to be best man. She was thankful for Zack's vote of confidence and felt guilty for leaving him out of the ceremony. Something had to be done.

"Well you can settle that bet tomorrow. Let's go to dinner Jack, and both of you meet us at the tux shop on 6th Avenue tomorrow at eleven." The men nodded, content to be spared the inevitable lecture for the moment and the three colleagues, plus one tiny squint-in-training, left the Jeffersonian for the weekend.

END Chapter

AN: A HUGE thanks to friendsidol5 for chatting with me Monday night while I finished this chapter. I work faster when I've got several things bouncing around in my empty head. And to KatieBeth for her amazing, quick, accurate beta work!

BN: Another amazing chapter by… the one and only, KRAZE! So, to show how much you love her and her incredible installments, review! And for all you people that didn't know, Eric Cole is a hockey player on the Carolina Hurricanes (who kick ass, by the way). My daddy's a BIG hockey fan. So I'm gonna cut my beta note short as I have to make plans for tonight (today's Friday… just so you know) because I'm being dragged out to the Harry Potter book release and after the last time (where I was left alone by my Harry Potter obsessed family and left to talk to a lonely clown—I hate clowns) I'm refusing to go unless I have a friend with me. If only I had come up with this ingenious thought before the clown incident. Happy reading (and reviewing… cough, cough)!