A/N: This chapter ties directly to Identity, another of my fics. Identity is Bren's POV, this is Booth's. Enjoy- Gum

From this Day Forward

Seeley Booth stood at the front of the church. He knew he was probably grinning like a fool, but he didn't care. Today, in just a few short minutes, he would marry Dr. Temperance Brennan, the woman of his dreams. He pulled at the bow tie around his neck, wishing that it wasn't quite so tight.

Beside him were his best man, Jack Hodgins, and his brother, Jared. It only seemed right for Booth to ask Hodgins to be his best man; even if he hadn't really gotten married that first time. Booth had laughed when the two had eloped as soon as Angela's divorce papers were dry. The bug man hadn't disappointed either. Today's slight headache spoke to last night's bachelor party success, complete with Hodgins' lab-distilled alcohol. Jared had been a bit put off when Booth had chosen the bug man over his only brother, but by the end of the night the three men had bonded in the way that only men can.

Where is she?

Booth glanced at his watch, shaking his wrist a bit to ease the stress. It wasn't that he was nervous, he was just- anxious. For four years he and Bones had been dancing around each other, their relationship picking up momentum like a rock down a hill. For at least two of those years he had had to restrain himself from pushing their relationship too fast. Now here he was, in a church, on his wedding day, with Bones as his bride.

Jared had given him a hard time about calling his fiancé Bones. Booth had tried to explain, but in the end failed miserably. He'd started calling her that from day one; it just fit. She worked with bones all day after all and was a whiz at reading them. It didn't hurt that he got a little rise out of her when he used the nickname, either. She was cute when she got angry at him. Booth wasn't sure exactly when it stopped being a nickname and became instead a term of endearment. He couldn't imagine calling her Brennan or Tempe; even Temperance was only reserved for times that she was truly upset. No, she was Bones, his Bones.

Where IS she?

He checked his watch again. He wasn't sure when the service was supposed to start, but everybody was already here so he hoped it would be soon. Since they had been so cautious for so long, Booth found that his honor bound him to wait until their wedding night to make love to her. She had been hurt at first, and then touched when she realized that he was waiting because he cared for her so much. God knew-Booth had confessed enough times- that he had messed up so many times with so many women. He wanted to do right by Bones from the very beginning. She deserved no less.

Music blared, jarring Booth from his reverie and jerking his head to the door of the sanctuary.

Cam came first, followed by a very pregnant Angela, who winked at Hodgins as she took her place on the stage. Russ' stepdaughters came next, sprinkling flowers down the aisle, and Parker, carefully trying to balance the ring on the pillow, tried to keep up with them. The girls sat with their mom and Russ on the front row, while Parker stood proudly beside his dad.

Finally, the music changed into a wedding march, the crowd rose to their feet, and Brennan appeared in the doorway. Booth's first thought was that she looked stunningly beautiful, her white dress hugging her body in all of the right places and falling to the floor in a whirl of satin and lace. His second was that she looked lost, almost as if she was unsure of what to do next. She held Max's arm in a death grip, though Booth doubted that she registered the older man's presence at all she was so drawn in on herself.

She took a step forward.

Thatta girl, Bones, he urged her with his eyes even though she wasn't looking at him at all, don't get overwhelmed. I'm right here.

An eternity, then another step.

A look of sadness and pain flashed across her face for a brief second, and Booth wondered which pain she was reliving. Her parents' abandonment? Russ' ? Finding her mother's bones after so many years? She had so many hurts, and he wanted to soothe them each away so that she never hurt again.

Another step.

Was that a smirk he saw? What was she smirking about? He still didn't think that she had seen him yet. It was a good sign though. A sign that she would not let the hurts from her past devour her. She was such a strong woman that way.

Two more steps.

She lifted her head up and was so close he could touch her now.

"Who gives this woman today?" the priest asked.

"I do," Max replied and let go of her hand.

Booth could tell that Bones was still lost in whatever thought she had had all of the way down the aisle, especially when she didn't move to stand beside him. Time to take action.

"Hey Bones," he said softly so as not to startle her, "You ok?"

"Yes," she nodded, looking him in the eye as if seeing him for the first time, "I am. Let's get this road on the show."

He grinned down at her, catching her elbow in his arm, "That's 'show on the road', Bones, but I couldn't agree more!"

They managed to get through the rest of the ceremony without a hitch. Booth spoke his vows with the utmost sincerity, knowing that he would uphold them for as long as it was within his power to do so. He loved her so much.

Compared to the eternity that he had felt had passed waiting for her to come down the aisle, the rest of the service was a blur and before he knew it they were at the door greeting their guests. There were handshakes, slaps on the back, jokes from those who had won their respective work pools, and a host of hearty congratulations. When everyone but the wedding party had left, they began posing for pictures. Booth was sure that the photographer would've gone on shooting them for hours, but he could see the annoyance in his new wife's eyes and quietly told the man that they were done.

Next came the reception. The cake stood towering in one corner, a pile of gifts in the other. As the bride and groom entered, the DJ played 'Hot Blooded', causing the bride to blush- and slap her husband's arm hard. He pantomimed the song for her, complete with high leg kick and she shook her head, but laughed along with everyone else. Their first dance was to 'From this Moment'; the father-daughter dance to 'Keep on Tryin'. Booth refrained from shoving the cake in her mouth, then was stunned when she did not, smearing his face with icing and eliciting a laugh from their guests.

As the afternoon wore on, they separated and went to meet and greet all of the people who had come to wish them well. An hour later Booth and Bones' eyes met across the room and he knew it was time for them to leave. He gathered up his new wife, showed her how to throw her flowers to the eager crowd of single girls, and they left.

"Well hello, Mrs. Booth," he grinned.

They had decided to go to her apartment for their first night, and then catch the early flight out to Jamaica in the morning.

"Hello, Mr. Booth," she returned.

They sank onto her couch simultaneously. Within seconds Booth had removed his jacket and tie, and had started to unbutton his shirt too.

"Are we going to have intercourse right here?"

Her bluntness surprised him, until he saw the teasing gleam in her eyes.

"I hate suits," he grumbled, "They're uncomfortable and make me feel like a stuffed monkey."

"While I do not know what that means," Bones said with a grin, "I do think that you looked very handsome in you 'monkey suit' today."

Booth kicked off his shoes revealing the yellow and black striped socks beneath them and kissed his wife.

"You didn't look so bad yourself, you know," he kissed her again, "I think every guy there today wishes he were me tonight."

"Except my father and Russ," Brennan corrected, "I doubt their thoughts strayed in that direction."

Booth threw back his head and laughed at the thought, "Yeah, Bones, except for them."

"Booth, would you help me unfasten the back of my dress? It's very uncomfortable."

"Sure Bones, scoot over here," he patted the couch cushion and set to work on the buttons, "No wonder you needed help, these things are almost impossible!"

"I wouldn't know," Bones shrugged her shoulders, "Angela fastened them for me."

"Yeah well, be glad she did, because this is no easy task," he grunted, finally releasing the last of the clasps.

She stood up and the dress fell off revealing a silky white shift that cut off around her knees.

"Bones!" Booth's voice took on a husky, excited quality, "Now that is hot!"

She twirled around, modeling it for him, "You think? Ange picked it out, of course."

He stood up and halted her twirl, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her deeply. She groaned, and pulled back long enough to take his shirt off over his head. Arms intertwined and tongues battled for dominance as the two let loose on each other. His hands moved up and down, alternating between cupping her face and tracing her curves. Hers stroked his back and ran through his hair.

His pants fell next, her deft fingers making quick work of the fastenings. He stepped out of them, scooped his bride up into his arms, whisked her back to the bedroom, and set her on the bed as if she were made of fine china.

"Oh!" Bones said, remembering something suddenly and reaching over to an object that lay on her nightstand, "Angela said we might need this as well."

Booth laughed when he saw it, but obligingly left the bedroom, opened the front door to her apartment and hung it on the doorknob.

Then he went back to his Bones, to his wife, to their new life together; leaving the "Do Not Disturb" sign to stand guard over them.