A/N: Once again I have to thank my patient and wonderful Betas 'Terri1' and "Nyre The Black Rose" without their help I'm not sure this story would be finished.
Many thanks to everyone who added this story as a favorite, alert or has read it! I can't reach out to you individually to thank you but I know your there and it makes all the difference.
Added a review note to the end... only change
Chapter 10 – Memories and Daydreams
Booth quietly looked at the worn photograph. Tempe's eyes sparkled, her head had nestled into the crook of his neck, her back pressed into his chest, both smiling into the camera. It was photographic evidence of their love. Looking at it one last time, he placed the letter and photograph back into the well worn envelope and put it back in his wallet, metaphorically keeping her close.
He then took his jacket and made a pillow of it and moved to lie down on the shaded blanket, hoping to calm his breaking heart.
He willed the frequently visited memory back to the forefront, as though it was a treasure. He anticipated visiting those moments and sighed as his eyes fluttered closed.
Tempe had just finished packing up the remains of their picnic and went to lie down next to him in the shade of the magnolia tree. Spring had warmed the soil and the bright sunshine had beckoned them to the park that lovely Sunday afternoon.
Booth had wrapped a protective arm about her and pulled the reluctant Tempe into his embrace. Her giggle brought a smile to his lips. Leaning forward he kissed her, nibbling on her lips. She tipped her head exposing more of her creamy neck, unconsciously asking him to move his lips to her neck. Booth, always willing to oblige, rained butterfly kisses along her magnificent jaw, trailing them up to her equally sensitive ear. Moaning, Tempe's hands had been equally busy. She had slipped her hands under his favorite Foreigner T-shirt. He felt the soft sensitive hands roaming his back vying to dip under the waist band of his jeans. Knowing she was never inhibited in showing her desire, he leaned forward and kissed her passionately on the lips, drinking from her a taste that was uniquely hers. He pulled away kissing her nose playfully, then added in a teasing laugh, "Tempe, I don't think I'm ready to be ogled by the people of Rock Creek Park." Playfully Tempe pulled his T-shirt over his head, placing a wandering hand on his chest and asked archly, "Who said they'd be watching you, Agent Booth?"
Pulling her close as they laid back down, he kissed the top of her head, sighing in the contentment of the moment.
Pulling herself into a sitting position, she looked into Seeley's chocolate brown eyes, her eyes a bit anxious. Reading the signs well Booth pulled himself into a semi-reclining position and asked, "What is it, Tempe?"
Ducking her head, she played with the loops of his waist band, taking a deep breath. She raised them and asked, "What would you do if I told you I was pregnant?"
Never expecting that, Booth sucked in a sharp breath. His mind whirled. Should he jump for joy, following his heart, or should he play it cautious? Knowing he was dealing an emotionally fragile Temperance Brennan, he chose caution.
"I'd be thrilled, Tempe. I've known you wanted a child for a long time even if you haven't mentioned it for a while." He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her fingertips softly. "But I'd like to know how you feel about it."
She raised her eyes to his, her smile radiant. "I feel grateful somehow.," She paused, then added, "It's no secret I wanted your child, but I wasn't sure how you'd feel." Her voice still held a bit of anxiety but not as much as before.
He pulled her into his embrace then gently guided her onto the blanket. His chest pillowed her cheek and he murmured, "Tempe, I love you and nothing in this world would make me happier than you having our child." He kissed the top of her head then added, "I hope that answers your question."
He could feel the smile on her face, even though he couldn't see it. She giggled. "I'm going to be a mother, Seeley! Can you believe it?"
"You're going to be a wonderful mother, Tempe. I know it." He snuggled her close to his chest then asked, "other than having a healthy baby, what do you want? A girl or a boy?"
"I find myself ambivalent about the sex; either would be wonderful. You?" she asked.
"Well if I had my way," he leaned forwarding to kiss her lips, then moved his way along her beautiful jaw back to her ear and whispered, "I want a little girl. Someone who would look to me for guidance, protection, and unconditional love. Don't get me wrong; Parker means everything to me, but I really think I'd like a little girl." He leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose. "And I'd like her to look just like you."
Giggling, she pulled Seeley's lips to her own, murmuring against them, "Well, Agent Booth, you certainly have proven yourself virile." She laughed, adding, "You know the first night we made love, right after the Kennedy case?" She smirked. "By my calculations, that's when the deed was done."
"Wow, I guess I do have world class swimmers," he retorted with a chuckle. He thought back and wondered, "We used condoms that night and every night since."
"Well you know condoms aren't foolproof." Leaning over his lips, she whispered, "And as an anthropologist, I definitely noticed how possessively you took what I gave, marking me as your own so to speak. Who'd have thought you would have succeeded as well as you did," she quipped, kisses trailing along his jaw.
He pulled her close and leaned back on the magnolia tree, both enjoying the quiet of the afternoon. They watched as children played, the sounds of nature balanced perfectly with their laughter. Seeley could feel Tempe's mind churning out thoughts. He chuckled lightly kissing the top of her head. "Bones, that brain of yours is disturbing a perfectly peaceful afternoon," he commented with a laugh.
Shifting slightly Tempe angled her face to his. "How do you do that?"
He kissed her lips lightly. "I know you, and that genius brain of your never rests for long."
Tempe raised herself on her elbow as her other hand rested lightly on his chest, her fingers unconsciously trailing along his abdomen. "I've been thinking that anthropologically children who have a committed family environment flourish when supported by two parents," she started.
Seeley's thoughts jumped ahead and he smiled thinking she was going to ask him to move in with her.
Tempe continued, dropping her bombshell as though she was ordering lunch at the diner. "So I think we should get married."
He sat up quickly. Had he heard correctly? "Tempe, you don't believe in marriage. What made you change your mind?"
She raised her eyes to Booth's, letting him see the truth in them. "Though it's true I still don't believe in marriage, it's equally true I love you. I believe in you and the baby we'll have." She paused, suddenly anxious for his answer.
It took all of a millisecond to pull her into his chest. He hugged her close as a quiet chuckle escaped. "And here I thought I'd be years trying to convince you." He pulled away and looked deeply into her eyes. "Yes, Yes, Yes!" He leaned forward capturing her lips, tasting them, his tongue dueling for dominance in his desire for her to feel the moment as he did. Breathlessly they pulled away from each other, eyes shining with happiness.
Kissing her lips one last time, he laughed. "Wait till Angela hears. She's gonna break glass with her squeals."
Tempe tipped her head and kissed his lips lightly, then suddenly anxious pulled away and asked, "Booth, is the FBI going to break up our partnership? We're no longer just dating—we're getting married and having a baby."
"Well, in a few months, you'll be restricted to lab work anyway, so their concerns will be minimized. And we'll have time after the baby to convince them to keep the best crime-solving team in DC together." He leaned forward, kissing her lips once again.
"Then if it's okay with you I'd like to wait a few months before announcing anything, that way we can keep working cases together," she asked, imploring him to understand her need to stay in the field.
He stood and extended his hand, pulling her into his embrace. "Okay, but just until your first trimester is over. After that I'm not taking any chances with my unborn son or daughter." He kissed her lips then, smacking her butt playfully, added, "Okay woman,. It's time to go. Parker has a game at 4 and I'm coaching."
Helping Seeley pick up the blanket, they folded it together. She added with a giggle, "I really do enjoy watching you coach Parker. It's fun to watch all the mothers pant over you and then I get to claim you at the end of the game." She paused, adding a smirk, "I find it quite satisfying."
Booth laughed. "Tempe, that's "drool over you." And who is the alpha female here?"
Nodding sharply, Tempe answered, "I am Booth. I never denied it. You, on the other hand, think of it as an insult. I find myself very possessive of you," she added with a laugh.
Having packed everything up, Booth took the picnic basket with one hand and wrapped an arm around her waist. He gently guided her along the path back to his SUV.
Booth's eyes remained closed, his mind shifted to another precious memory.
Booth had walked into Bones's office at the lab and closed the door quietly, just observing the woman he loved and the mother of his unborn child. His fingers played with a jeweler's box in his pocket. It had been three days since they had decided to wed and it had taken him two to find the right ring.
Using his sniper training, he quietly made his way to the back of Tempe's chair and kissed her neck. He murmurred softly, "How's my baby mama?"
She had jumped slightly when she had felt his lips against the nape of her neck but then closed her eyes enjoying the feel of them against her flesh. She murmured, "Booth, what kind of expression is that?"
Standing, she laughed into his eyes. "I'm having a baby but I'm not a baby mama, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't call me that."
Tugging her to the couch, he sat and pulled her down with him. She was still laughing. "I have work to do. We can't be necking in the middle of the day!" She added seriously, "We agreed to be professional at work."
Glancing at his watch, Booth was thankful to note it was nearly lunch time and quipped, "Well we didn't say anything about when we're at lunch!" He leaned in kissing her lips hungrily. Pulling back slightly, Tempe nodded. Kissing his lips lightly in return she asked, "My place or yours?"
He kissed her lips warmly one last time. Booth pulled back and reached into his pocket. "Tempe, I know Sunday was huge for us, but I wanted you to have a symbol of my undying devotion." Snapping the lid open where a beautiful channel cut ring embedded with sapphires and diamonds gleamed, he asked, "I love you. Will you marry me, Tempe?"
Tempe's hand moved to gently touch his face, her eyes mesmerizing as they sparkled with unshed tears. She whispered, "Yes, Seeley. I love you too and would love to be your wife and share the rest of my life with you." She raised her hand as Seeley slipped the ring onto her finger.
He added with a grin, "And don't worry your gloves will slip right over the ring, so you don't have to worry about contaminating any evidence."
Tempe marveled at the ring, raising her lips to his as she murmured, "You do think of everything, Agent Booth."
Booth sat up slowly and watched how the children played in the park and the lovers hid under the shade of the trees, never feeling more alone in his life. He stood, gathered his blanket and jacket, and made his way back to his SUV.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it, for me it was a labor of love.
I am a little disappointed with so many people actively tracking this story, I feel as though my review total should be higher. It's an observation, remember no one gets paid here to entertain, our payment actually comes in the form of reviews, so please consider leaving one, it would mean a great deal to me.
To those of you who review, my undying gratitude… Feedback definitely equals excitement and continuance of stories… without it …. It's difficult to remain motivated. So thank you!
Note to "Confused an anonymous reviewer" unfortunately I couldn't respond to your review, but I thought I should explain. When Tempe (Bones) and Seeley (Booth), talk to each other outside the office, it's a conscious act, it's as though they're mentally separating themselves from their work (my interpretation of course). Whenever Booth tried to reach out to Temperance on a sincere personal level (Limbo ep for example) he'd switch to her given name. Sorry you won't be continuing because a large shift in plot line is coming up shortly.
TravelingSue