TEMPERANCE'S POV:
"You okay?" Booth asked as we pulled up outside my house "Any side effects?"
I shook my head… "Not yet."
He smiled at me weakly and entwined his hand with mine… "I'm sorry."
"You need to stop apologising." I informed him "We were both at fault."
"I can't help feeling the more responsible of us both." he admitted "I'm the guy. I had the protection and I…"
"We," I interjected, cutting him off mid-sentence "got caught up in the moment, and we handled the situation together, like adults."
He smiled at me warmly and pulled me closer to him, pressing his lips to mine… "God, I love you."
"I love you too. I should be heading inside." I informed him as I unbuckled my seatbelt "I'll see you tomorrow?"
He nodded his head… "And you can let me know when I'm coming over for dinner."
"You're still up for that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him
"Sure." he replied "Look, there's probably never going to be a "good" time for me to meet your folks, so we may as well just get it out of the way and get on with our relationship."
"You might not want to date me anymore once you've been for dinner." I admitted
"I can safely say I will." he informed me
"You don't know that for sure, Booth." I replied
"Actually, I do. Whatever your parents have to say, they can say it. Their feelings aren't going to change my feelings for you, that I can promise you." he assured me
"But if it does, then just know I'm okay with that." I informed him
"I know you," he replied "and I know you won't be okay with that, which is why I'm telling you now and I'll keep telling you until you believe it, that nothing they say is going to change the way I feel about you, about us."
I smiled at him warmly and slanted my lips over his own as I leant forward once again, sighing contentedly before pulling away reluctantly as he moved to deepen the kiss…
"I need to get inside." I informed him
He nodded his head and pulled away from me. Leaning forwards to press my lips to his once more, I climbed out of the car and made my way up the driveway and into the house…
"You two seem happy…" Mom admitted as I shut the front door behind me
"You were watching us?" I inquired as I kicked my shoes off and set them on the rack
"I was intrigued. Your father and I have never met the boy. He's handsome." she replied
I smiled at her warmly… "Yeah, he is. He's amazing. He's kind, he's caring, he's generous and he's loyal, and like you said, he's handsome too."
"So, did you mention dinner one night next week?" she questioned
I nodded my head… "Any day's okay for him."
"How about mid-week then?" she suggested "He can join us for taco night."
"That sounds lovely." I replied "Do you mind if I head upstairs? I'm not feeling too good…"
"You do look a little pale, actually," she informed me "what's the matter?"
"I think I ate a dodgy burger at the diner." I admitted "Plenty of fluids and a good night's rest and I'll be fine."
"Are you sure that's what it is?" she asked
"What else would it be?" I inquired
She shrugged her shoulders… "I'll be up to check in on you soon."
"Okay." I replied
SEELEY'S POV:
"There you are!" Mom proclaimed as I made my way into the house
"Everything okay?" I asked as I shut the front door behind me
"Fine," she replied "but I didn't even get the chance to see you when you came back earlier because you dashed out again so soon. Where did you get to?"
"I went to have lunch with Temperance." I informed her "Are you sure everything's okay, Mom?"
She swallowed a lump in her throat… "You better sit down, sweetheart."
"He's been in touch, hasn't he?" I inquired "Dad?"
She nodded her head… "He wants us to go back."
"Screw that!" I replied
"Seeley Booth!" she proclaimed
"You can't honestly be considering it?" I questioned "Oh my God, you are, aren't you?"
"I love him." she informed him "I'd do anything for him."
"Just like he'd do anything for you?" I asked "Mom, being in love is…"
"Don't lecture me about love when you know nothing about it yourself." she replied
"Actually, I do know about love, because I'm in love with Temperance." I informed her
"You've only known her for a few weeks, love." she sighed, burying her head in her hands
"It doesn't matter how long I've known her. What I do know is that I'm in love with her, so whatever you're about to say, you can forget it." I replied
"We're moving back to New York, Seeley." she informed me
"No!" I proclaimed
"Don't you raise your voice to me!" she replied
"I will when you're talking like a crazy person." I informed her "Mom, he hit you! He hit me! How could you want to go back to him?"
"What's going on through here?" Auntie Anne asked as she made her way through
"Mom's considering moving back to New York." I replied
"Not considering. It's happening." she informed me
"Marianne," Auntie Anne sighed "you can't. What he did to you…"
She shook her head… "I don't have to listen to this."
"And I don't have to come with you." I informed her
"What?" Mom questioned as she began to ascend the stairs
"Am I okay to stay here, Auntie Anne?" I inquired
"Of course." she replied
"Seeley…" Mom began
I shook my head… "I'm not giving up school, or Temperance for that matter, for a matter of months before we move back here again. You can go, but I'm staying here. Maybe then without me there to protect you, you'll see what a monster he really is."
TEMPERANCE'S POV:
"Hey." I greeted Booth as I answered his call, rubbing at my eyes as I came to, my phone ringing having woken me
"Hey, sorry, did I wake you?" he asked
"Yeah, but it's fine," I replied "are you okay?"
"Not really." he admitted, sighing heavily as he spoke
"Why?" I questioned as I sat up "What's the matter?"
"Mom's going back to New York." he informed me
"What?" I inquired "What about…?"
"I'm staying," he assured me "Auntie Anne has already said I can. I just needed to talk to you, to hear your voice."
I smiled warmly at his words… "Are you sure you're doing the right thing? Letting her go back to him?"
"It's like I said to her, maybe if she's on her own with him she'll see what a monster he really is." he informed me
"Booth, as much as I want you to stay; are you going to be able to live with the guilt if he really hurts her this time around?" I asked
"No," he replied "but I can't go back. I won't. As far as I'm concerned, he's dead to me."
"Booth…" I whispered
"I mean it," he informed me "he is. He's dead to me. But Mom, I'm scared for her, and she won't listen to me."
"Then you have to let her come to the realisation of what he really is on her own." I replied "And she will, but it'll just take time."
"And what if in that time like you said, he really hurts her?" he questioned
"Then I'm afraid you have to let it happen." I admitted "You can't always be there to protect her, no matter how much you want to be, and if you're adamant you're not going back with her, it's your only option, but ultimately, it's your choice. What's your heart telling you to do?"
"My heart?" he asked "I thought you'd be all about what my head is telling me…"
"The things you do to me, Seeley Booth. I'm thinking irrationally for once." I replied
"I need to go with her." he admitted
"Okay." I whispered, pursing my lips together as I felt the tears begin to sting the backs of my eyes
"I'm sorry, Temperance," he informed me "really I am. But she's my Mom, I have to protect her."
"I know." I replied, swallowing a lump in my throat "I know. I love you for caring so much."
"I love you too." he admitted "I'd better go, tell Mom and Auntie Anne I've changed my mind."
"Yeah, yeah you had." I informed him "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow." he mirrored
Uh-oh, could this be their "first hurdle to get over", do you think? And if so, will they be able to?