AN: Here's some fluffy filler to warm your hearts. Happy Bonesday to everyone! Please comment, my muse is a greedy little thing.

Chapter 10

May 26, 1934

It was Saturday and Booth was on his way to pick up Bones at her apartment. For a month now, they'd been spending Saturdays together, they'd take Parker and sometimes Brennan's nieces somewhere fun. It was the only way Booth trusted himself around her and still be able to take care of her.

Booth pulled up to Brennan's apartment building, right in front of where she and her nieces were waiting for him on the sidewalk.

"Hello girls! Ready to go to the beach?" It had been an oddly hot week in DC for this time of year

"Yes!" Hayley and Emma were jumping up and down in excitement as Booth opened the car door for them. They scrambled in and greeted Parker, while Booth turned to face their aunt.

"Why do you insist on opening doors for us? I fully expect such archaic customs to die out by the time they reach adulthood and then where will they be? They'll expect men to open the door for them and no one will."

"It's called chivalry Bones and it's not about to die." he replied as he smugly opened the car door for her.

Brennan glared at Booth as she stood rooted to her spot on the sidewalk.

"C'mon Bones, you don't want to keep the kids waiting do you?"

"Just shut the door and get into the driver's seat and we won't have to keep them waiting, Booth."

They faced off for a little while longer, but the kids soon began to complain.

"Dad! Just let Bones open her own door! I want to go to the beach!"

"Aunt Tempe, can we go now?"

Booth huffed in defeat and left Brennan's door open as he went over to the driver's side. Brennan slid in and closed her door herself and they were finally on their way to Maryland.

Once they arrived at North Beach, the boys and girls went their separate ways to change into their bathing suits. Booth and Parker quickly changed into their tank tops and bathing shorts. Parker went running off towards the water before Booth could stop him.

"Ow! Dad it's cold!"

Booth watched his son shiver from the shoreline, "That's what happens when you just high-tail it instead of waiting for your old man."

"I'm getting out." Parker said as he started walking back to the beach.

"Nope, sorry bud. You might as well stay in there and get used to it." Parker stopped in his tracks and looked miserable.

"Well, come in with me Dad."

Booth chuckled, "Nope! I'm gonna wait until it's warmer."

"Dad!"

"Booth!"

Booth turned around when he heard Brennan call out to him. She was holding on to Hayley and Emma's hands as she walked towards him. He took in her form and instantly thought that going to the beach had been a bad idea. She was wearing a blue suit that brought out the color of her eyes. Booth's eyes were drawn to her chest by stripes spanning it's width, he quickly looked away. Too bad he looked down. The skirt hugged her hips tightly and ended right at the top of her thighs, Her legs seemed to go on forever. She strode past him as she watched Parker in the water, he turned around slowly and saw that except for two little straps her entire back was exposed. Oh god, he loved her back.

"Is Parker going to be okay out there?" She said looking over her shoulder at him.

Booth cleared his throat, "Um, yeah. I'm gonna go in right now." Hopefully, the cold water will keep my thoughts to myself, he thought, and he quickly joined Parker in the Atlantic.

"How's the water?" she called out to him.

"Um, maybe you and the girls should make a sand castle for a while. It might be too cold for you ladies."

"Yes, yes. Aunt Tempe! I want to make a sand castle!" shouted Emma. Hayley had already started looking for shells for the castle. Temperance was offended that Booth thought she couldn't handle the cold, but she wasn't about to disappoint her nieces. So she helped start the sand castle, but when she began to describe which architectural features would support the castle best, the girls basically dismissed her. So she headed over to the water and where Booth and Parker were horsing around. It was cold, but nothing she couldn't handle, until the water reached her stomach and she flinched.

"Yeah, told you it was cold, Bones!" Booth taunted from his spot deep in the water, with Parker sitting on his shoulders.

"It's not that cold!"

"Uh huh. Look, just dive right in, you'll get used to it sooner."

"No, it's better for your body to grow accustomed to the cold at intervals"

"Whatever you say, Bones!" He shouted as he went back to playing with Parker.

Brennan watched them as she slowly worked her way into the water. She took her eyes off them for a second and suddenly they were nowhere in sight. She looked back towards shore and saw Parker with Hayley and Emma, so where was Booth? Suddenly, she felt two strong arms lift her up and dunk her in the water so it covered her entire body. The cold water robbed her of her breath and she rose up sputtering.

"Booth!"

Booth laughed at her expression, getting her angry like this always made him laugh. He turned away from her intending to go back to shore, but she jumped up on his back and started pummeling him, so he stopped and gently disengaged her legs from around his waist. She plopped back into the water and came back up sputtering once again, but by the time she'd collected herself he was on the shore chasing Hayley and Emma to try and get them in the water. Parker was trying to ward them off from the one tower of his castle he'd managed to erect in his short time out of the water. It was impossible not to, Brennan had to laugh at the sight. She ran out of the water and helped Booth wrangle the girls and when Booth held both of the girls high up in the air giggling, she set her sights on Parker. Booth had to stop and watch and see if she would be able to catch him. But catch him she did, and she held him squirming in her arms. Booth and Brennan shared a smirk as they dumped their cargo into the ocean.

The beach soon began to fill up, so after lunch they decided to take a walk and explore the beach. The girls were picking up shells while Parker insisted on picking up every slimy piece of seaweed and anything else that looked gross to tease them with.

Booth and Brennan were walking side by side when she got this mischievous look in her eyes. She eyed Booth up and down trying to decide where he was most ticklish. Booth looked over at her and became just a little afraid.

"Bones..."

But before he could do anything she reached out and poked him in the ribs where his suit top was open.

"Bones! Did you just poke me?"

She did again in a slightly different spot. "Bones!" Booth couldn't control himself, he started laughing. "Bones! That tickles!"

She smiled in triumph and Booth knew he was in trouble. She began tickling him in the exact same spot, Booth tried to run away but ended up running towards the waves.

"Go, Aunt Tempe!" Emma yelled, while Hayley was bent over laughing.

"Dad! Are you gonna let a girl tickle you to death?'

Booth was helpless, Brennan had him right where she wanted him and as she was tickling she hooked her leg behind his knee and sent him laughing into the water. Booth came back up and started chasing Brennan back to shore.

"Bones!" he practically growled her name. She had just reached the beach when all of a sudden she collapsed. This time Booth yelled her name out in worry, he ran as fast as he could to where she lay in the sand. He came down hard on his knees and took her head in his hands. He slapped her lightly, not wanting to hurt her, but she didn't come to. He put his fingers checking for a pulse and when he didn't feel one, he lay his head on her chest listening for her heartbeat.

Parker had seen Brennan collapse and grabbed Hayley's bucket and ran to the water with it dumping out the shells as he went. He filled it with seawater and ran to his father, he didn't even wait to make a complete stop, he just dumped the water on Brennan's face, catching his father in the process.

She came to sputtering. "What.. what happened?" Booth lifted his head before she could notice where it had been.

"You fainted, Bones." Booth told her as he pushed back her wet tangled hair from her face. "Why'd you faint?"

"I don't know, Booth." Brennan said half in frustration, as if she could diagnose herself, honestly.

"We're taking you to the hospital." Booth said as he lifted her in his arms and set off back the way they'd come. The kids running after him, trying to keep up with his long strides.

"Booth! Put me down!" Brennan began kicking and squirming, the feel of Booth's chest pressed against her side was disconcerting.

"Are you alright, Aunt Tempe?" questioned her frightened nieces.

"I'm fine. If only Booth would put me down!"

"No arguments, Bones. You just fainted!"

"I'm fine, Booth! I probably fainted because of the heat. Now put me down!"

Booth sighed as he gave in, she was probably right. "Fine! But you're gonna sit down under a tree until I tell you you can get up."

She scoffed at his orders but agreed anyway. The girls and Parker ran back to get the shells that had been discarded while Booth stood guard over her. Only when the kids were back and it was clear that they were bored of waiting, did Booth let Brennan get up. They made their way back to the dressing rooms, with Booth holding onto her arm the entire way. Booth would have followed her into the dressing room in case she fainted again, if it weren't so utterly inappropriate.

When Brennan came out of the dressing room she was surprised to see Booth there already back in his suit. They were soon on their way to DC, but instead of heading straight back, Booth stopped at a restaurant. He insisted on paying and on watching her eat ever last bite of roast beef and mashed potatoes. They reached home without another fainting spell and Booth was somewhat convinced that Temperance wasn't suffering from some dread disease.