A Boy from Philly

Part XXV

They lay in the darkness, eyes open, ears open. The only sound was of their escaping breaths. Side by side with their center hands interlocked, they spoke little and their eyes never closed despite the fact that exhaustion had crept in.

Booth stroked her hand with his thumb in gentle circles.

Finally, Brennan turned her head. Through the night, she could see the familiar silhouette of her partner's face. His nose, his forehead, his chin--features that had become second-hand. "Are you OK?" She whispered.

"Yeah." Seconds passed. "I'm going to stay behind tomorrow and do a bunch of paperwork. Arrange details with the funeral home. I'll be at the lab tomorrow afternoon."

"And then what?"

"We get back to our routine," he replied softly, so as to not wake Anne in the next room.

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, Booth, but our routine isn't going to be the same again."

A soft laugh let her know that he agreed. "Did you tell Angela?"

"Mm-mm. No. I figure that I'll just tell her when we get back to DC." She turned onto her side. "What about Cullen? I would suggest that we keep it from him, but simple reasoning suggests that once one person finds out, everyone will. And I have a feeling Cullen wouldn't like finding out through the vineyard."

"Grape vine," he said, turning onto his stomach and kissing her hand. "I think we should give it a few days, though."

"To see if our relationship can withstand job pressures?"

He kissed her neck. "Because we can. And it's kind of hot."

Brennan is not a giggler. She hasn't giggled a day in her life. And if anybody ever says she has, they're deaf. Or crazy. But she laughed in a way that was as close to giggling as it was humanly possible for her.

He covered her mouth, "Shhh, Bones. My mom's in the next room. I'm not supposed to have girls over. Especially on school nights."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "You've gotta be--"

Her words were cut off with a sensuous kiss. He liked being able to do that.

She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I want you to know that I love you, Bones. All of you. The doctor, the daughter, the sister, the friend, the partner."

"Why...?"

He knew what she was asking. "It's important that you know that it isn't going to change... the way I feel about you. It isn't about chemicals or hormones, Bones. It's about me loving everything there is to love about you."

"Everything?" Their lips met once again. It was long enough for Brennan to come up with a question. "What about... morning breath?"

He grinned and answered sarcastically, "Oh it turns me on, baby. You have no idea." He kissed her neck in that spot he knew drove her crazy.

Then a little more seriously, "What about how we disagree?"

"Hot." He kissed her again, sliding his hands under her top and pulling it over her head.

"In that case, don't call me baby. It sounds so juvenile."

"Keep it up, Bones, it's only gonna get you laid," he replied defensively.

"I don't like your cocky belt buckle. The joke is old now and the buckle with the eagle on it is more congruent with a professional workspace. Besides, I find it to be very distracting."

Booth pulled back sharply. "I like my belt buckle! It's my escape valve."

"Well escape somehow else, Booth. Just leave the cheap buckle at home."

Booth shook his head and disappeared beneath the blankets. He resufaced shortly. "That buckle was a gift."

"From whom?"

Booth grinned. "An ex girlfriend."

"It's going in the trash the moment we get back; you know that, don't you?"

Booth gritted his teeth. "Now you've gone too far. I don't tell you how to dress, do I?"

"With those socks and ties, I don't think I'd listen to your advice, anyway."

He kissed her with passion and yearning, pulling her closer for a deeper kiss, letting his hands touch her body and run through her silky hair. "I like my ties."

She wrapped her legs around his waist. "And the socks?"

"They're classic."

"They subtract from the serious atmosphere in which we work," she stated flatly.

"They add humor where there's nothing but death and decay. The socks stay, Bones." He kissed her again. "You know... the chunky necklaces aren't that professional, either."

Brennan glared at him, then tightened her thighs tightly around Booth and flipped him so that his back was on the mattress. "They're a trademark."

"A cute trademark." Booth smiled and drew her near to him with one hand, and pulled the blanket over them with the other.

Needless to say, the mattress did finally get a few miles put on it that night.

--

Booth smiled and looked over at Brennan. She was dead-to-the-world asleep and laying on her back.

Booth woke her with a kiss. As soon as her eyes began to flicker open, he muttered, "Good morning, Mrs. Booth."

She scowled at him and pushed him off the bed in such a swift motion that Booth didn't have a chance to catch himself. He fell off the mattress, hitting his face on the corner of the nightstand on his way down.

Brennan gasped and scrambled to the edge of the bed, "Booth! Are you OK?"

He curled onto his side, groaning, "Ow... Bones, what the hell!?" He clutched his eye with one hand.

And Brennan found it hilarious. She began to laugh uncontrollably until tears glistened in her eyes and her cheeks began to ache.

Minutes later, the two emerged from the bedroom to a grinning Jared. "Woah-ho-ho! Seeley! What happened to you!?"

Booth only blinked at his brother.

Jared leaned closer. "It was Tempe, wasn't it? Dang, you two need to slow down or you'll kill each other. I knew she was a take-charge kinda gal... but damn!"

"Jared, just shut up."

"I really didn't take you for the S&M type, but--"

"I will shoot you, Jared and not think twice."

Jared began to laugh.

Anne came out of the bathroom and looked at her sons. Her eyes went to Seeley and her mouth dropped slightly. "What happened?"

"Ah, nothing."

"Tempe beats him, Mom," Jared explained with a straight face.

'We don't joke about that in this house, Jared. How about pancakes for breakfast?"

"That would be lovely, but I have to get to the lab before noon," Brennan replied, pulling her suitcase out of the bedroom.

"You're not going to skip breakfast, are you? I'll fix you some toast. You can't run on nothing, hun."

Brennan looked to Booth for help, but Booth only shrugged. "She's a mom, Bones."

"Uh..." Jared reached for Tanya's hand and brought her to his side. "Speaking of moms, I guess we should say something formally. You know, since Dad's passed. We just didn't want to say anything until after. Tanya's pregnant."

Everyone just looked at the couple without a stitch of the surprise they'd expected.

Jared turned to Booth, "Did you tell everyone, Seeley?"

Booth shook his head."They figured it out on their own."

"Your ilia have shifted," Brennan said to Tanya. "It's easy to spot when you know the signs to look for. What are you... twelve weeks?"

"Thirteen," Tanya replied. "You know, you aren't half bad, Tempe. Can you read palms, too?" The question was a tad sarcastic and rhetorical.

"Palm reading isn't a valid science," Brennan replied.

Tanya laughed.

"Well, I'm happy for you two," Anne said, kissing Tanya on the cheek. "I knew it, too. But it's because you've got the glow, sweetheart. You two will be great parents." She leaned close to Jared, he bent a little for her to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mom. But there's more...We're...."

"We're married," Tanya said.

Now the shock and surprise that they had expected was on every face but the new bride and groom.

"When?" Anne asked, finally regaining her voice again.

"We got married last week, but then Dad got worse, so we didn't want to say anything yet."

"Sweetie," Anne said with a mixture of sadness and sympathy in her voice. "You should have let us know."

"We just... the night we found out we were going to be parents, we went out on a crazy whim. That's kind of why we showed up late. We were in Atlantic City. I'm sorry we didn't say anything."

Anne smiled, "Well, I think it's romantic. Congratulations."

Booth grinned, putting aside his shock and hugged his brother, "Congratulations, Jared." Then he turned to Tanya, "Welcome to the family, Tanya." He kissed her cheek, "Watch out for this one, he's shifty."

Brennan hugged Tanya. "Congratulations," she whispered in her ear. Then to Jared, "Congratulations, Jar Head."

Jared hugged her back, then grinned and said, "Thanks, Aunt Tempe."

Brennan glared at him, then hit him in the shoulder.

He grabbed his arm tightly, "Dammit, Tempe, your bony fingers hurt like hell!"

She smiled proudly. "Serves you right."

"Wow, what a morning." Anne wiped a tear from her eye. "Here I was thinking I was down one family member, but instead I'm up by two," she laughed and went into the kitchen.

"I should be going soon." Brennan grabbed her suitcase and walked toward the door.

"What about your toast, hun?"

"I'll just grab something on the way."

Anne came back into the living room and gave Brennan a tight hug. While she was holding her, she said in her ear, "You are always welcome in this family, Tempe. It's been a pleasure."

"Thank you for having me."

Anne released the hug. "I'll see you at the memorial?"

She nodded in return.

"Well, I'm glad."

"Bones, let me help you out." Booth reached for Brennan's suitcase and they headed out the door.

From the window, Anne could see Booth and Brennan saying their good-byes to one another. She shook her head, "My boys..." and smiled to herself, content in the fact that her sons were happy.

Booth put Brennan's suitcase in the Toyota and closed the door.

"I'll see you this evening, Bones."

She nodded. "OK. I'll see you later, Booth."

"Have a safe drive."

Neither moved. The conversation was being unconsciously drawn out by both. Going back to their real lives was an inevitability and facing certain truths was imminent. The moment she drove down the road was the moment life began. It was the moment that they would have to face careers, mysteries, murders, work, partnerships, bosses, and where their relationship would be headed eventually. Where ever that was. As exciting as it was, it was also nerve racking. That knowledge was passed between them in tacit looks andgentle touches.

He leaned close and kissed her. Their lips parted and they kissed for several seconds. "I love you, Bones."

"And... I love you. I should... get going."

She opened the door and began to get back inside, but he held her hand and pulled her back outside. If this was going to be the last kiss before she left, it was going to count. And he made it count.

Jared laughed and said to his mother, "You might get grandchildren outta Dr. Brennan after all."

Anne closed the curtains and turned to Jared, "You're lucky your brother hasn't shot you yet."

"O... K...." Brennan whispered between kisses and against his lips. Then she smiled, "Booth... stop..."

He kissed her neck and lips once again, then let her go. "Fine."

She got back inside of the Toyota. Before closing the door, she said, "I'll call you when I get in DC."

He smiled a sexy smile and put his hand on the door. "I'll be waiting." He closed the door and stood in the driveway, watching her pull out onto the main road and disappear around the corner.

"Diamond ring, wear it on your hand. It's gonna tell the world that I'm your only man--"

"Brennan," she answered, keeping her eyes on the road and making a mental note to change her ring tone back.

"I still love you."

She smiled to herself. She almost looked upset, but in truth she felt relieved. Despite all of the walls that have been built around her heart, making her seem like a woman of steel, unaffected by fear, love, and every other shade of emotion, she was still a woman. Still a human. And a part of her worried about the second her wheels hit the main road and she found herself 'disappearing' down the road, leaving behind a man who had just declared his love for her. And she saw every bad scenario that could occur out of that situation, every fear that could be relived and personified. That one call made all of the difference in the world. "I... I still love you, too."

Thanks everyone! =) I didn't have Booth say he loved Brennan in return in the previous chapter b/c that would've been too sugary-sweet for that moment, but here's a little fluff for your patience. ;)