A.N : Bones. Still not mine…sad sigh.

CHAPTER 25- DEMONS

Temperance stared at the empty spot on the sofa where Booth was Just a minute ago, feeling truly confused by his odd behaviour. To be fair , she could understand if he was mad or surprised by her revelation about the oath to Parker, but she honestly couldn´t figure out why he had just left without saying a word. It wasn´t like Booth at all. He never got away from a harsh situation, no matter how difficult it was. He wasn´t a man to avoid a confrontation. It was one of the things she liked the most about him, in fact, the thing they were most alike in her opinion; the pursuit for the true. She heard the bedroom door closing with a bang, and sighed deeply.At least I know where he is. It could be worse, I guess. He could just have left the apartment. She considered for a moment what she should do, but it was already pretty obvious on her head. She needed to talk to him, the same way she knew he would do if the situation was opposite. Brennan got up quickly and walked with decision to the bedroom, ears alert to the smallest sound. There was none. She took a deep breath before knocking lightly on the door and opening it.

Booth sat on the bed, his posture completely upright, and she could see every single muscle of his body contracting in pure tension. His jaw was clenched and his forehead in a deep furrow, as his dark eyes watched the wall firmly, as if he could see something there. Bones approached slowly and gingerly, seating besides him, noticing that no reaction came. She placed a careful hand on his forearm, and Booth stirred, his head turning a little to face her.

" Booth…what´s this all about? What did I do?" She truly didn´t know. She had just answered his question, because he got worried thinking that something was wrong with Parker. She felt a little awkward by giving away their small secret, but Booth had told her in the park the she would have to tell him what was it. Plus, Brennan knew that she would not be able to hide something like this from Booth, specially if she wanted to help him . He gave her a sad and agitated look, his brown eyes darker than the usual as he accepted her light caress on his arm.

" You did nothing wrong, Bones.I did." Yeah, good one, Seeley. You screwed big time. You should protect your son, not otherwise. I can´t believe that Parker had to ask Bones for that. He still couldn´t quite believe this. How on earth did Parker know about his damn nightmares? He had always been so careful. He just slipped one time, when he was awakened by his boy after one particular nasty dream, finding Parker bending over him in his bedroom. But he always thought he had handled the situation well, carrying his boy back to his own bed and watching him fall asleep in security. He had told Parker not to worry about that in the next morning, and also to not go to his room in the middle of the night. And as his boy never talked about it again, he just assumed that he had forgotten this whole thing. Until now. Temperance now got closer, her face squinting his, like she was trying to read it.

" Booth, what on earth could you have done wrong? This is absolutely impossible." He has to smile at her sureness, although it was a sad laughter. But his Bone s made it look so simple.

" Sure I did, Bones. Apparently, I let parker get involved into something he shouldn´t at all. How in hell could he know about my…nightmares? I must have done something wrong for him to find out. And if he made you swear to take care of me, it´s because he´s worried and scared. Jeez, what a great father I am. Traumatizing my own son with the shit of my past." Temperance was taken aback by the deep anger in his voice,as well as with his language. Booth never sweared. This bothers him more than I thought. How in heaven could I never realized that?

" Booth…you are a great father." She spoke resolutely, one of her hands resting on his face in order to make him look at her." You really are. You didn´t traumatize Parker, he is just fine. Yes, he is concerned about you, but that ´s because he loves you,ok? You know love, the feeling that you keep trying to explain to me. You just need to remember that children are overly sensible about everything. Parker figured out about your problem by himself, it was not something you did or say. He says he woke up one night with you…screaming. So, he realized you must have bad dreams, as he says. Also, sometimes he wakes up when you´re having then. He remains in bed because apparently you told him so, but he can hear. And then, you go to his room to watch him sleep. He´s a very curious and smart boy, Booth. He just did the math." Brennan watched as Booth stared at her wide eyed at her explanation, to close them immediately, letting out a moan.

" he is awake when I go to his room? Damn. I had no a idea." He looked at his wife, realizing she was about to tell him that it was ok, and just shook his head." It´s not ok, Bones. My son shouldn´t go through this. Can you imagine how it must look to a six years old boy to have a screaming father in the middle of the night? To hear me crying like I was some kind of nut job? It must have scared the hell out of him. All because I have a fu… a messed life. A messed past." He looked at her in some kind of despair, guilt consuming him already. Why in hell when I think thing s are finally good something like this has to happen? But the woman in front of him wasn´t used to loose any kind of fight, he realized, as she just tightened her grasp.

" Booth, stop it. Stop saying so many stupid things. You didn´t harm Parker in any matter. It may come as a surprise for you, but children do worry about their parents. He just wants you to be fine. He doens´t even know what your dreams are about. He thinks that they are just like the one he has, with monsters hiding in the closet or under the bed. Do you want to know what he asked me? He just asked for me to comfort you like you and Rebecca do to him. That´s all. No further implications. He´s too young to read between the lines and understand that it´s more complicated. Do not torture yourself." Brennan actually couldn´t believe that she was the one giving the advices. It was usually otherwise, Booth teaching her how to deal with things and do the right thing around people. But that´s what husbands and wives did, right? They took care of each other. She may not be good on this, but she sure as hell would try her best. She owned this to Booth. She noticed the exact moment her words started to sink in, for his muscles relaxed all of a sudden, and he gave her an insecure look.

" Monsters hiding in the closet,huh? Parker actually doesn´t know how close he got. Except they are way worse. And real. True demons, I guess." He closed his eyes as she caressed his face gently, and his own hands moved to her features. He felt safe.

" Do you want to talk about it?" She was sweet and careful, and Booth knew how hard it must be to her, to be the one giving comfort when she wasn´t used with that at all. But hell, she was doing a great job so far.

" Not really. Not now, at least. Someday. It´s just…too hard. Remembering and talking about any of this. The war. The people I shot. My childhood. I just…I need time,ok?" He touched her forehead with his, feeling her warm breath, her skin. It was soothing. She stared at him firmly, while a small smile spread over her lips.

" Ok. Just know that I will be here when you need or want to talk. I´m not going anywhere. And…" She gave him the sweetest smile he´ve ever seen, the one she only saved to very special occasions. " I will protect you. Just as parker has asked me to. I´ll hold you and make everything ok. That is a promise." He smiled back, amazed by her ability out of nowhere. He never knew his Bones could be so great regarding comfort.

" Thank you. And for the record, I think I will like this holding thing very much. I think I´ll forget all the bed things in no time, if you know what I mean." He gave her a lopsided grin, and she rolled her eyes.

" You can´t be serious, can you? And you say that Angela has a dirty mind." She got up slowly and started taking things of her bag. " I´m taking a shower now." He watched her with awe, still amazed by how caring she could be, when she rested on the door step, a wicked smile all over her face. " Are you coming?" She didn´t have to say another word. Booth jolted of the bed quickly, only happy to follow her lead.

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" Booth, come on! Drive a little faster, will you? I have to be early at the Jeffersonian." He watched with the corner of his eyes as she pouted while looking at her watch. " that´s why I should be driving. Really, it´s only fair. It´s a small distance from your place to mine, and then you could see the good driver I am." She pouted more, realizing that she would arrive at the institute at least ten minutes later than what she had planned. They were driving to her apartment, so Brennan could pick her own car, since they were going to be working apart on that day, unless a case suddenly appeared. Booth had insisted that he could leave her at the Jeffersonian and then pick her up in the end of the day, but his Bones was vehement. She had her car, and didn´t need this kind of dependence.

" Yeah, nice try, Bones. You still didn´t have your little talk about men and cars with Angela,so…my car, my wheel. At least until I decide you are ready." He set his eyes on the road, but could sense she was rolling her eyes in pure annoyance.

They finally reached her building, and Temperance unbelted her seat, a superior smile over her lips.Now I can drive on my own, without the alpha male trying to interfere. She was about to open the door and get out of the car, when a strong hand stopped her from doing so. Booth gazed firmly at her, before approaching his mouth, his breath fresh, and she could smell the mint of his toothbrush. She was happy to take the cue, kissing him back, asking herself how she had already gotten so used with such a gesture. A week ago, if someone told her she would be kissing Seeley Booth every morning,or day, for that matter, she would seriously worry by that person´s mental condition. It was a very good lesson about how life give you the most amazing and unexpected surprises. She was the first to pull back, and if she was honest with herself, she would admit that she already missed his touch. So, when he gave her the charm smile and spoke, she found herself answering back with a smile of her own.

" So…lunch together? Unless I see you before that, you never know when a case will pop up." She nodded and finally stepped out of the vehicle, watching him maneuver and disappear on the corner while she walked to her own car. Life was the most strangest thing, she thought.

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Temperance entered the Jeffersonian with every intention of going directly to " the limbo", as Ange liked to call it, and start to work with remains identifications. But her idea was suddenly cut by two decided arms that pulled her to her own office. Brennan looked between outraged and annoyed at her best friend, which was staring at her with a cat smile all over her face.

" Good morning, sweetey. You really didn´t think that you would get away from me with nothing, did you? I gave you a rest yesterday with the just married thing and all, but today…no way, honey. Spill. Now. C´mon, let´s seat on your very nice sofa and then you can give me all the dirty details." Angela pulled her friend to the couch, while Brennan made a feeble attempt to escape.

" Ange, I really should be working with the remains on limbo. There are so many still without identifications, and…" but Angela Montenegro was a force of nature When she wanted something.

" And as I´ve told you so many times before, sweetey…they´ve been like that for more than fifty years , it´s not like one day more will make some difference. You´re just trying to escape from me. I know you, remember?" Like hell I´m gonna just take off whitout Bren giving me something about her married life. I´ve expected for this for too long to be deprived of such joy. Brennan eyes her firned suspiciously, actually afraid of that conversation. She herself was still in somewhat a shock about the whole marriage thing. She wasn´t sure if she was ready to talk about it. But then, the smiling and cocky face of Booth this morning, telling her that she could not drive his car yet, came to her mind, and Temperance knew then she was defeated. She needed to talk to Angela.

" Fine. But I have a question for you too, then. What do you want to know?" She braced herself for Ange´s answer, and her best friend curled on the couch.

" Well, sweetey…as much as I really, really want to know about the nasty details, my good consciousness still talks outloud. So, first of all…how are things, really? How are you holding up with this whole new life?" Brennan bit her bottom lip, considering Angela´s question, and remembering once more how blessed she was for having Ange in her life. Her best friend could seem crazy and say things she did not understand or agreed with, but still, she couldn´t have a better friend than Angela Montenegro. Except for Booth, of course. But it was different.

" I´m fine, I guess. It´s just…so strange , Ange. All of this. It still seems surreal in so many ways. Sometimes I think that I might be dreaming and I´ll wake anytime soon. I mean… this is so different than what I had planned to my life. I´ve never wanted to be a wife, never, ever. And now, all of a sudden, I´m not only a wife,Booth´s wife of all people, but I´m also a stepmom. Can you imagine that? I keep thinking that I´m bound to mess everything, because that´s oftenly what happens in my relationships. I keep thinking that I will end up hurting Booth and parker, because I´m simply completely inept to this task." She decided that, since Angela was asking, the best way was to tell the pure true. Maybe Ange could give some of her crazy and working advices. Her best friend listened carefully, a small smile playing on her lips.

" You know what, Bren? I´m not worried at all that you´ll mess things up. Just the fact that you care enough to not want to make any kind of harm gives me this certain. I would be worried if you had just shrugged and told me something like yeah,sure, wathever. That would be a problem. But you are actually worried about your boys, and that´s great. Sweetey, I know it must be scary, specially for you. But hey, who is the one with the frightening learning curve here? You´ll do great. I think that you are already doing great so far. Booth doesn´t seem to be complaining at all. He looked so happy yesterday, sweetey." Angela was being a hundred per cent honest. She had never seen Seeley Booth so happy since they have met. She just needed to make Brennan see that. See how right they were for each other. Because she also realized that her friend looked amazingly full of joy. Like she was shining. And she just knew agent stud had everything to do with that.

" You think so? That Booth is happy, I mean." Temperance didn´t know why that statement was suddenly so important for her, but her heart skip one beat by hearing that she might be the reason of Booth´s happiness. It was soothing and breathtaking at the same way.

" I´m sure of it. What about Parker? How did he get the news?" Angela watched Brennan´s face lit up by the mention of the boy´s name, and stared at her friend with awe. It was the same look that Booth had in his face when Parker was mentionated.

" He was great, Ange. He´s such a wanderful boy. I hope I don´t do anything wrong regarding him. He deserves the best. Can you believe he asked me if he could call me mommy?" While part of her still felt scared by it, another one felt her chest warm by the sound of that child calling her a mom. She couldn´t quite explain it. Angela let out a small squeak.

" Bren, this is so sweet! He´s totally accepting you!" She felt overjoyed by her friend. Finally, Bren seemed to be finding what was right for her. She may had not realized yet, but that was it. Angela just could see it, cristal like water.

" I suppose. By the way, Booth and I will be decorating my guest room for him. Can I count with your help?" Angela´s smile got bigger if it was even possible.

"v You don´t even have to ask, sweetey. Parker will have the coolest room ever." She realized that Brennan seemed ready to say something, but hesitated on the last moment. " What, Bren? You can tell me anything. I´m not here to judge." Brennan toyed with her hair for a while, seeming to be picking the right words.

" It´s just… surreal. It´s great so far, Ange. But I really don´t know if I can do this. I´ve never had someone relying on me that way before. It´s just…disturbing, having someone with such expectations about you. I know that you will say that I´ve lived with a man before, but this is completely different. I wasn´t married. There were no great expectations, no sacred oaths as the ones me and Booth made to each other. All these promises. What if I´m not able to keep them?" Angela gave her friend a genuine smile, holding her hand and squeezing it lightly.

" sweetey…just the fact that you are worried about this promises tells me that, if you´re not able to keep them, it will not be from lack of trying. It´s all we all can do. Try our best and see what happens. Have a little faith, will you? And just try to enjoy this new life. You may find out that it could be just what the doctor had ordered." Angela felt Brennan squeeze her hand back, knowing that it was her way to say thank you. She sighed and gave a devious smile, her mind now free to go to pleasant,naughty places. " Now, how about you tell me something about agent hot stuff on the biblical way? Like, his nickname on the corporation, life that "peanuts" thing of Sully. Ooh, I wonder what stud has…and what about the marks you said he had left in you yesterday? I´ve been dying to hear all about it!"

TBC…

Ok, this was a light chapter, with a lot of fluff and friendship…pleasant to write, and I hope pleasant to read. But just to you know, things wont be this great always for Booth and Brennan, it would be way surreal. Any marriage is difficult at some point, even if you had dated that person for years, got engaged, planned the wedding…you still have rough paths now and then. Imagine to just jump into a marriage like Booth and Brennan did! So… a little hash times are bound to happen…couples fight, people!

Anyway, tell me what you think of the story so far. Look at this cute review bottom…isn´t it hypnotic.