Wow...over 10,000 hits. I'm dumbstruck...Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. I have a new pet now, so he's taking a bit of my attention at the moment. Of course, he's a bearded dragon, so the attention he needs is minimal. He's just too cute not to look at scampering about in his terrarium. Anyway...on with the story.

It was late as Seeley carried a sleeping Alan into his apartment. The boy's suit had been rumpled and his hair was in disarray, but Seeley thought he was an angel. He laid the boy in Parker's down-turned bed, making a note to convert his currently unused guest room for Alan. He pulled the jacket and tie off (though the tie was just one tug from gone anyway), then his shoes. He debated on whether or not to put the boy into pajamas and decided to compromise. He quickly unbuttoned and slipped the white dress shirt off, leaving the boy in relatively comfortable slacks. They would definitely have to be dry cleaned before the next wear, but he didn't really want to risk waking him up.

A soft knock on his front door pulled him from his thoughts, and he smoothed Alan's hair back quickly before pulling the door to behind him. He opened it, fully expecting to see his partner on the other side. Instead, a soft grandmotherly smile and fresh plate of cookies greeted him.

"Why Ms. Rose," Seeley smiled. "What are you doing here?" He took the plate from her and stepped back so she could come in out of the chill. She shrugged off her jacket and handed it to him as if she'd been doing it forever.

"Well, I guess I just got so excited about baking cookies with Alan I got a little carried away. Where is the little lad?" His smile softened into a sad one and he motioned to the hallway.

"Sleeping. He had a full day. Sit down, I'll get you a drink and tell you." He poured them each a glass of milk as she unwrapped the cookies. He munched one thoughtfully and tried to figure out the best place to start. After a moment, he took a deep breath.

"Christmas Eve, I was out for some last minute shopping," he started. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, but he pressed on. "I was in line, waiting my turn, when the boy in front of me steps up to the counter. He wanted to purchase a pair of shoes for his mother, who was very ill. He didn't quite have enough money to cover the shoes, so I stepped in." He saw her open her mouth to smile and praise him, but he held up a gentle hand to stall her. "As he was leaving the store, every cent he had saved and scrapped to buy these shoes he put into the Salvation Army bucket. It took me a few minutes, but I followed him…to an alleyway." He saw pride and recognition in her eyes, along with something he could only identify as pity.

"He was kneeling over her, showing her the new shoes he had gotten for her. But it was too late…"

"Oh no…" he heard her whisper, and he could only nod.

"The coroner said it was chronic influenza. She had been sick for a long time, and out in the elements with no medicine…" he trailed off, allowing her to fill the blanks. "I couldn't just leave him out there. So I brought him here. He was timid at first, but as soon as he began to trust me he's opened up so much. And…I can't really describe it Rose. He's probably the most generous, giving person I've ever met, and he's only ten."

"So today?" she asked quietly.

"The funeral was this afternoon, then we had dinner at a friend's house."

"That poor boy…" she shook her head, staring at the forgotten cookies. "What's going to happen to him?"

"Social Services says there's a good chance he'll get to stay here, but they're worried about my income. I'm an FBI agent, and we're not exactly on the Fortune 500 list." She smiled a little at his attempt at a joke, but she could see the pain hidden carefully behind his humor. She reached over and laid a fragile hand on his forearm.

"My Albert had a saying he used to repeat over and over again when we hit rough patches. There were times I got so sick of hearing it; I just wanted to bop him with a rolling pin some days. But no matter the hard times, no matter how hopeless things seemed, he'd always sit me down, take my hands in his, and say, 'It just wouldn't be a picnic without the ants.'" Seeley gave her a genuine smile at that and shut his eyes for a moment. "Things will turn out for the best. You'll see." She squeezed his arm once then let go as she stood up. "It's getting late, and you should probably be getting some sleep. Why don't you send Alan over tomorrow for a while? Go out and do something for yourself." He stood with her and nodded, recognizing the command in her voice.

"Yes ma'am," he joked. "Should I walk you to your door?"

"Mercy no," she waved him off as she pulled her coat on. "But you might watch, just to make sure." She shot him a wink, knowing he would have done it anyway. "Goodnight Seeley."

"Goodnight, Ms. Rose." She walked across the parking lot and waved at him as she opened her door and went inside. He stood out in the crisp night air for a moment longer before shutting and locking the door. He wrapped the cookies up and cleaned a little before retreating to his room.

Sometime in the night, he heard a shuffling outside his door. Waking immediately, he lay completely still as someone entered his room and padded softly to his side of the bed. A small hand rested on his shoulder and shook gently.

"Seeley?" he heard Alan's voice heavy with sleep but still laced with fear.

"Whazzit?" Apparently his vocal cords did not feel like cooperating at – he checked his bedside clock – three fourteen in the morning. Alan shifted his weight from side to side, and Seeley could see the boy biting his bottom lip in the moonlight that streamed through the blinds.

"I had a bad dream," the boy finally whispered. Suddenly, Seeley was thankful years of parenting experience had told him to wear boxers and a tank top to bed. Wordlessly, he lifted the covers and Alan scrambled into the safety of his guardian's embrace.

"Everything's gonna be okay buddy, you'll see," he whispered in the dark.

"But what if I don't get to stay here? What if the people I stay with aren't as nice to me?"

"Alan, it doesn't matter where you go, I'll always be here for you if you need me. And I promise I would not let you go with people who weren't absolutely perfect for you." He tightened his hold on the boy and wondered if he were trying to reassure himself as well. "Besides, John says there's a good chance you'll be staying with me, at least right now." He didn't want to give the boy too much hope; there was still one major obstacle in their path.

"But I don't want to go away!" He heard the tears in the boy's voice and he caressed the youth's face tenderly.

"And I don't want you to. But if that happens– and I stress if – you'll be okay. You are the toughest, bravest boy I've ever met. Now go back to sleep."

"But I don't want to sleep," he punctuated his sentence with a wide yawn and Seeley chuckled.

"Don't worry. No bad dreams here." He settled back down with Alan tucked into his side and he soon felt the boy's breathing even out. He laid awake for another hour, his mind reeling with different scenarios. To his dismay, every one ended the same: Alan waving goodbye in the back of a stranger's car. He just hoped he hadn't suddenly developed a gift for premonitions.

A shrill noise broke through his slumber and he grumbled something about inconvenient alarms. Then he realized he hadn't set an alarm and that the noise was actually coming from his cell phone. Fumbling over the still-sleeping youth on his arm, he checked the ID. Trust Bones to call him early.

"Hello?" he made no attempt to hide the sleep in his voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry Booth, I didn't mean to wake you. John said he tried to call you and got no answer, so he called Alice."

"And she told you and you called me. I got it," he rubbed a hand over his face and carefully extracted his arm from underneath Alan. "Just a second, Bones." He made sure the boy didn't wake before tiptoeing out into the living room. "Okay, what did you need?"

"John said something about papers, and I'm not really sure what he meant. He needed to talk to you. But he's on his way over here; he and Alice are going out to lunch."

"What time is it?" he asked, suddenly aware of the bright sun beaming through the windows.

"Eleven-thirty," she told him. "You must have been tired." Her voice had softened and he took a moment to feel warm at being the target of her comfort.

"I was, yeah," he laughed. "Look, I told Rose that Alan could visit, so I'll see if she can watch him. We'll go to lunch and I'll get the files from you." A beat passed then he gasped. "Bones, you're not at the lab!"

"Yes, well Alice threatened me if I went to work while she was in town."

"How did she threaten you? For future reference…" he joked, and she rewarded him with a light laugh.

"Don't even think about it Booth. Besides, I'm fairly certain you can't punish me like she can."

"I'll bet she knows all sorts of juicy details about your youth," he said suggestively, and from her scoff he was certain she'd slap him on the arm if she were standing next to him.

"You make it sound like I was some sort of salacious teenager, Booth."

"So you were a perfect angel, then?" he baited. But she didn't bite.

"I expect you in half an hour, or I'm going to lunch alone." And she hung up. He stared at the phone for half a second, wondering for the umpteenth time about what went on in his partner's head. Of course, he mused, he could probably devote the rest of his natural life to studying her and he still wouldn't be able to discover all the wonderful things about her.

Shaking his head clear of those thoughts – for they were dangerous ones indeed – he walked back into his room and set about waking the boy in bed. Alan had managed to burrow himself completely under the covers since his guardian's departure, so Seeley scooped the lump up, blankets and all. Alan let out a yell, flailing about in a panic. Seeley immediately dropped him back to the bed and quickly scrambled to clear the obscuring blankets.

"You alright?" he asked as Alan's panicked eyes registered where he was and he calmed down.

"Yeah, just scared me is all." Seeley gave him a moment to catch his breath before speaking.

"Go get dressed. You'll be going over to Ms. Rose's while I run some errands." Grinning broadly, Alan leapt from the bed and raced out the door, leaving Seeley to straighten out the bedclothes.

Ten minutes later they were standing on Rose's front porch trying to look at charming as possible.

"Now remember, the smile is all about the timing…" Seeley was saying quietly as Rose opened the door. But Alan seemed to forget the entire lesson as he reached forward and wrapped his arms around the woman, grinning broadly.

"Ms. Rose!"

"Well hello you two! Come in, come in," she pulled the boy in beside her and motioned for Seeley, but he smiled and shook his head.

"Actually, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind watching him for a bit."

"Of course, Seeley, I told you yesterday. Now you run along and don't come back for three hours."

"But –"

"Three, young man," her voice firmed up and he quickly ducked his head.

"Yes ma'am," he teased. "Alan, behave."

"Oh go on now," she shooed him away and shut the door as Alan waved goodbye. Seeley chuckled all the way to the car, wondering what she was planning to do for three hours with a rambunctious ten year old.

He arrived at Temperance's house with scant minutes to spare, and she had a disapproving look on her face as she opened the door.

"You're late," she told him.

"I am not!" he declared, showing her his watch as he crossed the threshold. "You said half an hour…I have two minutes and…sixteen seconds to spare." She pursed her lips but didn't say anything as her stomach rumbled loudly. He clicked his tongue at her and shook his head. "Geez Bones, did you forget your Wheaties this morning?" But his teasing was cut short by his own stomach answering hers, and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her.

"You're buying," she called over her shoulder as she moved back to her room to get her shoes.

"Then I'm picking," he returned, thinking about taking her to the juiciest hamburger joint he could find. His eyes fell on a set of files on the table by the door and he moved over to them.

"Those are for you," she said, coming up behind him. He turned to face her and stopped short – she had an odd expression on her face. On anyone else it would have been apprehensive anticipation, but he knew for a fact that she never did anything she wasn't completely sure about, and she was almost never anxious about something. Curious, he reached over for the file and sifted through it.

John had been thorough in his background checks, and he was surprised to find Brennan's just underneath his. But as he flipped, he saw one for Hodgins, Angela, Zach, Rebecca…pretty much anyone who could possibly have extended access to Alan. Before he reached the last section, the newest paperwork, she laid a hand on his arm.

"Look, I know you like to go with your gut and do the right thing all the time. That's what makes you a good agent and a wonderful person." His eyes shot to hers, ready to take in every lovely word from her mouth. It wasn't often she delved into these kinds of talks, and even more rarely did she initiate them. "I just want to make sure you know exactly what you're doing; that taking this boy in is the best thing for not just him but you as well. John's right…your income –" He snapped the folder shut as her words sank in. She was trying to rationalize him into giving the boy up?

"Are you serious?" he cut her off. "After paying for his mother's funeral, after seeing how much happier he's become over the last week, you want to just throw that away? Because of math? You know very well exactly how much extra income I have; you know I can do this. And you're telling me now that it's a bad idea?"

He was really confused at her actions, but he was more angry. She opened her mouth to argue, but he didn't let her. "No, don't give me any empirical data bull, Temperance. Partners are supposed to support each other. Friends are supposed to support each other."

He took a breath, but wasn't done yet as he launched in again. "And how could you, of all people, want to put that boy into the system! What the hell is wrong with you?" His tirade seemed to be finished, but his anger seemed, not to beat her down, but fuel her fire. And, he thought rather paradoxically, it was one of the things he loved about her.

"How dare you," she shot back, her tone low and cold. He actually took an involuntary step back at the transformation of his partner. "How dare you assume my intentions are anything but supportive. From day one, Booth, since you brought that boy home I have been nothing but helpful. And if you'd let me talk, maybe you would have known…" but she trailed off, leaving him to wonder about her thoughts. "You know what," she told him, yanking the door open, "I'm going to lunch."

And she stormed out, leaving him standing dumbstruck. Bones never walked away from an argument. Granted, this one was probably a little more volatile than their usual banter, but she had never retreated so hastily.

What surprised him the most, however, was the look in her eyes as she did so. She was angry, he could see that clearly. Her blue eyes lit with a fury he'd only ever seen on one other woman, and he wouldn't dare talk back to his mother when she got like that. But it was different with Temperance – it always had been. That's what made them so good. No, the look she had given him as she slammed the door was best described as disappointed. Suddenly a weight crushed down upon him as he realized he hadn't given her a chance to explain what she meant. So often she said something that meant something completely different than how she said it. How often had he corrected her use of common idioms? How often did he have to explain certain phrases because she just didn't understand their context?

Folder in hand, he sank down onto the couch and leaned his head back. He tried to close his eyes, but her disappointed, pained look swam in his vision. So he settled for staring blankly at the ceiling, wondering how in the world he was going to fix this. Absently, he flipped the folder open and thumbed through the latest paperwork. He saw the Inability to Locate Father form, filled out with John's signature. His lip curled inadvertently at the Report of Expected Guardian(s) Income, and his eyes tried to skim the form. But his eyes couldn't get past the large Approved seal that had been imprinted on the form just above a legislative signature. Had he realized it was so easy…but his eyes continued down the paper and saw his information, followed by a note in red ink. Red ink is never good, his mind supplied from his school days.

Potential guardian Seeley Booth income not valid for adoption of a minor. Request either supplemental information or recommend removal of minor.

See, he mocked himself. But his brow furrowed, wondering how he had gotten approved if…

His brain trailed off mid-thought as he flipped the page.

"Oh no…"

Alrighty, it's been a while since I've written a cliff-hanger, so there you go. I know I promised B/B in this chapter...but I don't think I said it was going to be fluffy...(ducks incoming fruit) Okay! Okay! I know I'm evil, but I promise it's worth it. We're nearing the end, so I just wanted to take the time thank everyone who has read and reviewed. I adore hearing from all of you, and I do try to reciprocate. And if I don't, just bop me on the head and demand a review from me. Chances are that'll work...