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Three doctorate degrees. Countless anthropology books. A successful series of fiction books. Temperance Brennan could say that she had done and seen it all. However, nothing in her past could possibly compare to now. Sitting in this hospital bed looking down at her newborn daughter she felt as if her heart was filled with such incredible joy.
She had been terrified about giving birth at their home. She'd tried to tell herself that other women had given birth in far less comfortable places. However, she wasn't any other woman. She was Temperance Booth. Formerly Temperance Brennan-Booth. Wife and adoptive mother. She would always love Julie and Parker, but laying here looking at her baby girl was something that she would remember for the rest of her life.
If Booth had asked her, she would have admitted that she had been scared. Scared for herself and scared for their daughter. Scared for all of the changes that her birth were going to bring. To all of their lives.
She had just finished feeding Molly when the door to her room opened. She smiled and looked at her husband as he walked into the room. She was getting ready to get up and put Molly back into her bassinet, but Booth stopped her and said, "Let me."
She nodded and handed her to Booth. Before he put her down, she saw Booth kiss the top of her head and whispered, "I love you Molly Rose. Your brother and sister are anxious to see you. As well as all of your Aunts and Uncles."
Bones smiled at her husband's words. A few years ago, she would have disputed his words. Would have told him that she had no one. Now however, she realized that sometimes a family wasn't something that you were born into. Sometimes it was what you made for yourself. She wondered if that wasn't the best kind of family. The family that you picked for yourself.
She had loved Booth for such a long time now and looking at him holding their newborn daughter made those feelings even stronger. She felt her heart swell with love. It was so wonderful watching him standing there holding their baby girl. When Booth walked back over and sat next to her, she whispered, "I love you. Thank you Booth."
Booth looked down at his wife and whispered, "I love you Bones. And I should be thanking you."
He looked over at the little girl sleeping in the bassinet and he leaned down and kissed her softly. This was so different from when the twins were born. Back then, he'd been so filled with grief over the loss of Rebecca, that he had missed the feeling of joy that their birth should have brought.
He sat down next to her and held her hand. They watched Molly sleeping for the longest time. Then, Bones looked at Booth and asked, "Is it bad that I want my mom here? I know that I said I didn't, but..."
Her voice drifted off and Booth leaned in closer and whispered, "No. It makes you normal."
She sighed and whispered, "They probably changed their mind. I haven't been the best person to be around lately. I just kept remembering how much they hurt me back then. I don't want them to hurt me again Booth. Me, Molly or Parker and Julie. Because they would be their grandparents too. I don't want them hurt Booth."
Booth smiled at her and said, "I don't think they want to hurt you or our children. I think we should give them a chance to be a part of your life. At least a small part of it anyway."
She looked at him and asked, "How? I can't see myself just letting them in suddenly. I need to know that I can trust them Booth. How can I trust them when they abandoned me all those years ago? How can I forget it Booth, much less forgive them?"
Booth took her hand and whispered, "I think that if you give them just a small chance, you will be able to let them in. A little bit at a time. They seem to want to be a part of your life again."
Booth watched as she chewed on her bottom lip. He could almost hear her thinking. He finally heard her whisper softly, "I guess I could call them. Does the fact that I want them in my life again now make me a bad mother to Julie and Parker? I didn't feel this way when..."
Booth shook his head and whispered, "It makes you normal Bones. Julie and Parker know that you love them, but Molly is part of you and part of me. She's part of your future and part of your past."
He watched as Bones scrunched up her face and said, "I'm not sure I like the way that sounds. It makes them seem less important somehow."
"Never. I know that you love them. Just like you love Molly. Do you feel like you love them any less now that Molly is here?"
Shaking her head she whispered, "No. Never. I love them just as much now."
Booth nodded and stood up and whispered, "I have a surprise for you."
She looked at him and he smiled and held up one finger and walked over to the door to the room. He took a deep breath and said, "Come on in."
She thought that she was dreaming. She thought that she was seeing things. However, she knew that it wasn't a dream. She watched as Max and Christine walked into the room and she saw that Booth was turning to leave. She looked at him and said, "Stay Booth."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded and told him softly, "I'm positive. I need you here."
It was true. She wanted them here, but she wasn't sure that she was strong enough to tell them everything that she was feeling. She wasn't sure that she could even find the words to tell them what she was feeling or what she wanted. So, she looked at Booth and nodded towards the bassinet and said, "I'd like for you to meet your newest granddaughter."
Booth walked over and picked up the tiny infant. He walked over to his wife and placed their baby in her arms. Then, he slipped beside her and put his arm on her shoulder. Then she looked at him and he nodded and mouthed, "You can do it Bones."
She smiled at him and then looked at her parents and said, "This is Molly Rose. Molly these are your... grandparents."
Christine looked at Bones and said, "She looks just like you when you were a baby. Doesn't she Max?"
Max nodded and said, "She's the spitting image of you."
Bones smiled and said, "I see a lot of Booth in her. Especially her nose."
Booth whispered, "She looks just like you Bones."
Max looked at the couple and asked, "Why do you call her Bones? Instead of her name?"
"It's a long story. She hated the name at first."
"I didn't hate it exactly. I just never had anyone call me by a nickname before. Even when I was little. I was always Temperance. Plus, Bones wasn't exactly flattering."
Booth looked at his wife and whispered, "You were always Bones to me and you always will be."
She looked up at her husband and whispered, "I love you."
For the moment, they were the only two people in the world. Her parents didn't exist. The outside world didn't exist. It was just them and their daughter. The spell was broken when they heard Max clear his throat.
Bones looked over at her father and said, "I want you both back in my life again. I'm just not sure that I can trust either of you not to hurt me or the children. Because if you are going to be back in my life then you need to accept Julie and Parker. I won't have you excluding them. They are just as much your grandchildren as Molly is."
Max and Christine looked at each other and then they nodded. It was then that Bones noticed a bag that they were holding. She looked at them an asked, "What did you bring?"
Booth coughed and said softly, "Bones..."
She looked at him and asked, "What? The bag is obviously for me. Or maybe for Molly."
Booth shook his head, "She's not subtle at all."
"So we've noticed. This is just a little something that we picked up for the baby. When Booth called us and told us that she was here... Well, we wanted to come. Even if you didn't want us here. We decided that we would try."
Bones was quiet for a few minutes. Then she finally said, "Okay."
She held out her hand and Max handed her the bag. She took out the tiny stuffed animal that was sitting inside and whispered, "I had one like this."
She held it up for Booth to look at. It was a tiny frog. Booth had to admit that it was cute. Then she took out a tiny t-shirt and a pair of matching socks. Booth had to admit that they were adorable. After a few minutes, Booth saw her look up and then she asked her mom, "Would you like to hold her?"
Christine looked at her daughter and then at Booth. She saw him nod softly and she stepped forward and held out her hands. Bones smiled and said, "Now make sure that you support her head with your hand and..."
Her mother smiled. She knew how to hold babies. She'd had two of her own, but decided to humor her daughter. She looked down at her granddaughter in her arms and she thought back to when Temperance was born. She'd been a seasoned mother at that point. Her son Russ had been nearly three at that point.
Temperance was such a good baby. She barely ever cried and her big blue eyes seemed to take everything in. Just like this little baby girl in her arms right now.
Max walked over to her and looked down at the tiny baby in his wife's arms. He whispered to her softly, "She looks just like Temperance did."
Christine nodded and finally handed her back to her daughter. She told her, "We need to go. I'll see you at your house."
Booth and Bones nodded. Then they watched as her parents walked out of the room. She watched her parents leave and she felt a bit empty. She didn't understand why. She supposed that she should have been happy to see them again. Happy that she wanted to be in her life again. However, she just felt odd and a bit off.
She looked at Booth and said, "I feel like something's still missing Booth. Like I'm expecting more. Like I'm still missing something. Even though they are back in my life it still feels like I don't know them."
Booth looks at her and whispered, "You don't really know them. They've been out of your life for so many years. How can you know anything about them? It's going to take awhile to get to know them again. Just give yourself time sweetheart. You'll get there."
"You think so? I want this so badly Booth. Maybe it's a mistake. I feel like letting them into our lives is a mistake. That they are only going to hurt me. Hurt us."
Booth nodded and kissed her softly. Then he whispered, "Just be cautious Bones. Take it one step at a time."
She nodded and kissed him softly. Then she whispered, "I love you Booth. Despite what happens with them I'm so incredibly lucky to have you in my life. You've given me everything that I could ever want. A family. A wonderful husband and a wonderful life. And now you've given me a beautiful daughter. I don't think I can ever repay you for everything that you've given me."
He looked at her and leaned down. Then, he kissed her softly and whispered against her lips, "I love you and there's nothing more that you can give me. Our beautiful daughter is more than enough for me Bones. Our family is perfect. Maybe one day we can add another baby to our family."
She looked at him and laughed, "I'm still getting over the memory of all the pain from her birth. I can't even think about having another baby yet. Give it awhile."
He leaned down and kissed her again. Right then, their life was close to perfect. He leaned down and kissed her once again. He whispered softly, "I love you and..."
Before he could say anything else, Booth heard the sound of the door opening again. Then he heard the sound of Julie and Parker laughing and he couldn't help but smile. Angela and Hodgins were trying to keep them quiet, but it was a losing battle. Their older children wanted to see their new sister. Julie climbed up in the bed and kissed her mom on the cheek. Then she asked, "Where's my new sister?"
Bones smiled and pointed to the bassinet beside her bed. She nodded at Booth and he picked up Molly and laid her down in her mother's arms. Julie looked at her new little sister and said, "She's pretty mommy."
Bones smiled and said, "She's very pretty. She takes after you sweetie."
Julie smiled and snuggled into her mother's side. Parker looked at the baby and said, "She's pretty small."
Booth laughed, "you were smaller than she is when you were born."
Parker seemed to ponder this and then he smiled and said, "I guess she's pretty cute. I wish she was a boy though."
Booth laughed and hugged his son. Then he watched as he climbed onto the bed with his mother and sisters. Watching them, Booth knew that his life was absolutely perfect. He loved his wife and children. He caught her eye and whispered, "Love you."
She nodded and whispered it back to him. Then she rested her head on the pillows and closed her eyes just before she fell asleep. Booth smiled and took the baby back from her and placed her in the bassinet. He kissed her and went and sat down in the chair next to the window. Looking out at the city, he smiled and watched the sun set.
He heard his phone vibrate and got a message from a friend. He looked at it and saw that he had a voicemail. He looked at Hodgins and said, "I'm going downstairs. I'll be right back."
When he got downstairs and listened to his voicemail, the words that he heard froze him in place. It had to be a mistake. It had to be someone playing a joke on him. He looked at the phone and wondered if he could pretend the message. A message that threatened to take him far away from his family. He sighed and looked back out onto the city and wondered if there was any way out of this mess. The Army wanted him back. Wanted him back for another tour of duty. A tour that was scheduled to last for over a year.
Booth wondered if there was any way out of this. If there was, he wasn't sure what it was. He just hoped that he could get out of leaving the people that he loved behind...