Monday...

Doctor Brennan sat behind her desk at the Medico-Legal lab of the Jeffersonian. She had only been at work for about an hour and already Max had called her three times to ask if she was okay or to ask her something about the kids. She smiled to herself. It was time to look for a nanny. She had asked Murphy last night if he would be interested, but he said he had already been offered a job. He refused to tell her where though. He had been very secretive about it. She had wished him well. She would miss him. He had become part of her family over the last few years and there were few people that she trusted more.

Jared had spent the night with them, but he had been gone in the morning to who knows where. He had left a note saying he would be in touch.

Her attention was drawn from her thoughts to the door of the office where Angela and Hodgins were about to knock. She stood up to give them both a hug. Angela beamed, so did her husband. They had finally gone through with their wedding in Vegas and they both looked so happy.

Angela went on to tell Brennan all about her amazing weekend and she listened with interest. Hodgins excused himself, he had some tests to run on something and eventually Angela said that she also needed to return to work. Before she left the office, she asked,

"Sweetie, how was your weekend? Everything okay with you guys?"

"Everything is perfect. You know same old, same old." Her words were mysterious, but slightly sad, and Angela let it go as another personality trait she had picked up from Booth over the past years. Brennan made no effort to elaborate.

"Good to have you back. Want to do lunch later? We can start planning your wedding!"

"Sounds good." Temperance smiled and went back to the attention of her laptop. She told Angela nothing of her weekend. She didn't want to kill her best friend's buzz.

She was on the phone with her publisher, who wanted to set up a book signing now that she was back in town to promote the book she had written while she was on 'vacation', when Booth walked into her office and smiled at her. She smiled back and flashed a 'just a minute' gesture at him. He sat on the chair across from her and put his feet up on the desk and revealed his brightly striped socks to her. She smiled at them. It felt so good to be back. Everything was falling back into place. He scanned her face as she spoke on the phone. She seemed fine, but he still worried about her. She didn't seem to be letting the events of the weekend hold her back. Same old Bones.

She hung up the phone and got up and went around the desk to kiss him on the cheek. She fixed his tie and kissed him again. He flushed just a little bit and she smiled. She had forgotten how good he looked in a suit. He stood up and went to the coat rack where she had hung her jacket upon arrival earlier that morning and pulled it off of the hook where it rested.

"So Bones... do you want the good news or the bad news?" He stood close to her and smiled charmingly at her.

"Ah...good news."

"Okay, the good news is that we have a body." She looked surprised.

"How is that good news Booth?"

"Because that gives us a chance to break in our new partner. New kid...Cullen asked us to show him the ropes."

"I still don't see how that's good news..."

"Because I think you'll like our new partner."

"I doubt it... although I guess I did like you eventually." She grinned at him with a knowing look in her eyes.

"Thanks Bones, I liked you too eventually." He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close and kissed her very slowly and tenderly. She broke away from his lips, but he kissed her neck instead.

"So what's the bad news?"

"I can't remember right now... something about a body..." He replied between kisses. He didn't notice her sneak her hand into his jacket pocket and quietly pull his keys out. She slipped them into her own pocket without missing a beat.

They were interrupted by a voice coming from the doorway.

"If you guys are almost done, can we go catch some bad guys?" They both looked at Murphy, who was wearing a very nice suit and smiling broadly. Bones looked shocked.

"He's our new partner? Wow... I do like him already!" Booth held her coat open for her, but she just grabbed it out of his hands and headed for the door.

Murphy waited for Booth and then the two of them walked out together.

"Thanks Buddy, it takes me four years to get her to admit she likes me, and you have her hooked in seconds. Well, now at least you get to see us in action!" Booth clapped the shoulder of his friend. Bones was waiting for them to catch up.

"Oooh. Sexy. I can't wait."

"Murphy please, we've decided to remain professional while we are in the field." Bones looked slightly annoyed at his comment, but her eyes betrayed some humour.

"I was just kidding Bones. Your office is obviously not considered the 'field'. That's my first lesson." Murphy laughed at her as he wrote something on the little note pad he pulled from his pocket and she turned and kept walking towards the door, but she turned back towards him before she went through it.

"You are not going to stop calling me that are you?"

"Nope." She rolled her eyes and left the lab.

Murphy and Booth both laughed and bumped fists as Booth opened the door.

"I told you I would get her to let me call her that..."

"Yes you did. After you partner..." Booth held the door and made a sweeping gesture at Murphy.

"Thanks partner!"

They followed after their female counterpart and Booth looked at Murphy carefully.

"Nice suit."

"Thanks. I found it in your closet." Murphy laughed as he fixed his tie.

*

As they approached Booth's newly commissioned vehicle, he noticed Bones standing there with a sparkle in her eye. He wondered what she knew that he didn't.

"I'm driving!" She flashed the keys in front of him.

"Shotgun!" Murphy called.

"No way man, I get the front seat... how did you get those?"

"I'll never tell! And Murphy called shotgun....those are the rules Booth."

"How do you even know the rules for shotgun?" He grudgingly got in the backseat and noticed Bones and Murphy bump fists across the centre console.

"I do have an older brother Booth. We may have travelled in car together before." She smiled at him through the rear view mirror as she started the vehicle.

Booth sat quietly in the backseat. He held on tightly to the armrest as she peeled out of the parking lot. He swore they were on two tires as they turned the first corner. It was going to be a long trip. His phone rang in his pocket and he noticed the number was coming from their place.

"Booth." He answered.

The two in the front seats listened as he spoke to Max. They only heard his side of the conversation as they went towards the crime scene that awaited their expertise.

"Max! You have to watch her! She might seem like a teenager sometimes, but she's still just a toddler... don't worry about it... Bones will clean it up when we get home. It's okay... She won't be that mad at you...Yes, I'm sure. Okay, talk to you later." He clicked the phone shut and met her eyes in the rear view mirror again.

"What happened? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Max said he turned his back for just a second, and Payton got into the cupboard and opened all the pudding and proceeded to finger paint the kitchen with chocolate." She laughed from the front seat.

"She is so completely your daughter! And why do I have to clean it up? Just because I am the female in this relationship, it should not be automatically assumed that all domestic chores should be my responsiblity..."

"Because you bought it and put it where she could get to it. Yeah, she's my daughter when she's painted the kitchen with chocolate...when is she your daughter?"

"Trust me Booth, that little girl is all you! I bought the pudding for you...that should count for something. It's technically yours; you should have to clean it!"

The argument paused...

Everyone in the car laughed. Murphy turned a little bit in his seat so he was facing Booth in the back.

"Are you guys always like this at work?"

The partners nodded with smiles.

"This is going to be fun!" Murphy turned back around to face the front.

Bones met Booth's eyes in the mirror again and he winked at her.

Everything was back to normal. Such as it ever was.

***

**

*

The End...

Of the Gravedigger Case...

*

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N:

From me,

I just want to explain quickly here, this story was originally going be quite a bit longer with lots of drama, and evil cliffies, and the development and history of Murphy,and so much more... but summer plans have been bumped and I felt I should at least finish the gravedigger business before I go. There are a few sub-plots and flashbacks that I ignored, to complete the story as best I could so as not to leave you (and I heart you all. I really do) all hanging for too long. Sorry if I missed anything. I really plan to come back to this story eventually, but the summer beckons, as does the cottage...so...

Thank you Thank you Thank You Thank YOU, to everyone who read this story. Even if you hated it, thank you for reading!!!!

It was a blast I've had writing it.

Dang-it... there's been a Star Wars marathon in my house all weekend and everyone is talking like Yoda. Now I'm writing like that. Sweet.

P.S. While I was writing the scene where Brennan shoots Sully, the scene from 'Return of the Jedi' where Princess Leia was choking Jabba the Hutt was playing, and a strange crossover came to mind. Picture Brennan in that Bikini Costume, choking Sully the Hutt to the point where his 'death rattle' was heard. Tell me that's not a little funny... (If you have never seen the movie, I apologize...that probably wasn't funny at all!)

The oldman is still giggling occasionally. Whatta sport. XO

Anyway, sorry this is the longest Author's note I've ever left, so, I'll wrap it up

Thank you again. I really mean that.

Tapping out here.

*