A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews last chapter! Reading them makes my day Okay, one chapter and an epilogue after this!
Within an hour, Ryan was suspended from his position, and within a week, he was fired. He was replaced with a middle aged woman named Tracy. Tracy saw Bones through her next four weeks at the rehab facility, while Booth and Bones experimented with their relationship within the boundaries of a not so private setting. Both partners reveled in the moments of closeness they were able to enjoy when neither visitors nor clinicians were present. Booth became accustomed to spending most of his evenings and nights with Bones. On occasion, Bones allowed Booth to sleep in the small twin bed with her.
One such evening, Bones lay in Booth's arms. Her head rested beside his on the pillow when she noticed Booth's face took on a pensive expression.
"Bones, I wanted to ask you something."
"Okay, go ahead and ask."
"I have Parker this weekend," Booth said before pausing.
"That's not a question," Bones pointed out.
Booth laughed nervously, suddenly feeling like a junior high boy asking a girl to a dance.
"I was hoping, well, I would like to tell Parker that we are together."
"Oh, of course. I think he will be pleased."
Booth chuckled, "Yeah, he'll be over the moon. Parker loves you."
Bones blushed, recalling her conversation with Parker a few weeks ago.
"It's true," Booth reiterated, running his hand along her ruddy cheek.
"I know. Parker believed that we were formerly a couple and broke up prior to leaving D.C. in the spring."
Booth wasn't surprised at this. Parker had often asked about Bones when he was with Hannah. Booth was sure that Parker's reticence, or rather downright unwillingness, to meet Hannah had everything to do with Bones and little to do with fear that Hannah would take time away from his father.
"He asked about you a lot when I was with Hannah. He missed you. I missed you."
"I was always there," Bones replied.
Booth smiled slightly, "I know. It was just hard to be with you and date Hannah. I-I was trying to move on, and it was working until I got home."
"I'm sorry," Bones said, not knowing what other response to offer.
"Oh, baby," Booth said bringing his hands up to frame her face, "Don't be sorry!"
"Don't c-."
"I know, don't you call you 'baby'," Booth said with a chuckle, "Reminds me of when we first met and you yelled at me for calling you Bones."
"I won't grow fond of being called baby, if that's what you're implying."
Booth feigned a pout.
"I like that you call me Bones," she said shyly, "No one else ever gave me a nickname."
"Max and Russ call you 'Tempe', and Angela calls you 'Bren'," Booth pointed out.
"Yes, but those are both derived from my actual name. You're the only person to give me a moniker unrelated to my name. It makes me feel…special."
Booth pressed his lips to hers, "Oh, Bones, you are special, and what we have as friends, partners, and eventually lovers, is very special."
"It is," Bones agreed, "and I would love to share it with Parker."
Saturday…
"Hi, Bones!"
"Hi, Parker. How are you?"
"I'm great! Only four more days of school before Christmas break!" Parker said excitedly.
Parker's smile quickly turned to a frown, "Will you have to spend Christmas in here?"
"Most likely."
"That stinks!" Parker proclaimed.
"Yes, I suppose it does," Bones said.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure Bones has a nice Christmas, bub," Booth interjected.
Parker smiled, seeming reassured. Bones glanced over at Booth, who gave her a nod.
"Parker, there's something that your dad and I wanted to tell you."
Before Bones continued, a saddened Parker asked, "Are you going to have to live here now? Like how Pops lives in the nursing home?"
Surprised by the question, Bones didn't answer immediately, so Booth answered for her.
"No, Bones doesn't have to live here. She just needs a little more time to get better."
"Oh, good. She already looks way better than the last time."
"Parker!" Booth chided his son.
"No, he's right, Booth. You know I am a proponent of telling the truth."
Booth shook his head, "Anyway, Parker, we wanted to tell you that we - Bones and I - are dating," Booth said with pride, as he put his arm around Bones.
"Really? Cool!" Park asserted, "Does that mean that we can use Bones' pool whenever we want?"
"You are already welcome to use my pool whenever you like, Parker. Though, I suspect that your father and I will be spending more time together, which will result in you and me spending more time together," Brennan said with a smile.
"I'd like that," Parker said with a smile.
"We'll still have guy time, too, Bub," Booth reassured his son.
Parker nodded in his father's direction.
"I have to use the bathroom," Parker said shimmying off the chair and running towards the bathroom.
Booth smiled broadly at Bones, "I told you he'd be happy."
"I didn't dispute that," Bones reminded him.
Booth leaned in, positioning his lips millimeters from Brennan's, "I'm happy too."
"Me too, Booth," Bones said before Booth closed the gap between their lips with a passionate kiss.
Christmas Eve Day
"Where is Bo – Temperance?" Booth asked a nurse after finding her room vacant.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Booth. She was taken to physical therapy early because of the holiday."
"Oh, okay. I guess I'll just wait for her."
"You could join her," she suggested and watched Booth's face brighten, "take the elevator to the third floor. Make a left, and it's the first door on the right."
"Thanks!" Booth said with a wave as he walked briskly towards the elevator.
When Booth reached his destination, he peered into the therapy room. Booth had never been in the therapy room during Bones' sessions. He knew she felt unnecessarily ashamed that she needed to put in a heroic effort to things others did without thinking. So, he watched from the doorway as Bones gripped the parallel bars and walked several feet.
"You're doing great, Temperance," Tracy said enthusiastically, "After the holiday, I think you'll be ready to try a walker."
Bones smiled, "I was informed previously that when I was proficient in walking with assistance, I could be released. I'm eager to go home."
"That's understandable. It seems reasonable that you would be able to go home once you were more mobile," Tracy said before quickly glancing back in Booth's direction, "I think we have an audience."
Bones turned her head to see to whom Tracy was referring. Distracted, Bones unintentionally released her grip on one of the parallel bars and tumbled to her feet.
"Bones!" Booth shouted running towards her, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine Booth," Bones replied as she reached for the bar and slowly pulled herself up.
"What are you doing here?" she asked grumpily.
"I came to visit. The nurse told me you were in therapy. I'm sorry; I should have just waited in your room."
"No, it's okay," Bones said, her countenance softening to a smile.
"We were just about done here, Mr. Booth. If you want, you can take Temperance back to her room."
"As long as she's done, I don't want her therapy cut short on my behalf."
"No, we're done. Have a nice holiday."
"You too," Booth and Bones said in unison.
Booth helped Bones into a wheelchair and wheeled her through the doorway and towards the elevator.
"You didn't tell me how close you were getting to walking with a walker," Booth remarked.
Bones shrugged, "A thirty-four year old woman walking isn't a remarkable event."
Booth halted the wheelchair a few feet from the elevator and positioned himself in front of Bones. He squatted, so they were face to face.
"It is when someone has been through what you've been through. It has still been less than two months since the accident."
Bones nodded, "I suppose."
"I don't suppose, I know," Booth said pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Okay, let's get back to the room."
After a short walk, they were back in Brennan's room. Bones no longer needed to be carried from the wheelchair to the bed. Instead, Booth offered her his shoulder, and Bones wrapped her arms around him, pulling herself to a standing position. With Booth's assistance, Bones walked to the bed and sat down.
Booth sat down beside her, "I'm sorry that I won't get to spend much of Christmas day with you."
"I understand. Parker shouldn't spend Christmas here," Bones said shaking her head.
"I know, but I always imagined that if we were together, I would make sure every Christmas was perfect. I know that you don't have the happiest memories from Christmas in the past. I want to make sure every Christmas you have from now on will be special. Christmas in here isn't a very good start," said a saddened Booth.
"I think we'll spend plenty of Christmases together, Booth," Bones said, squeezing his hand.
"You think so?" Booth said his face alight with happiness.
"Yes, I do," Bones said definitively.