A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Okay fluff and well attempted smut like asked for :) Please let me know what you think. Reviews are very much appreciated and are always encouraging. Enjoy!
Parker and Bones were looking at him from their open coffins, their bodies covered in blood
"Booth, you broke you're promise. You said no one would hurt me. You betrayed me Booth."
"Why didn't you save me Daddy?"
Booth woke with a start. His heart was beating erratically and his breathing was heavy.
"Booth?" Brennan asked groggily rolling over to face him. Booth closed his eyes and tried steady his breathing.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." He whispered.
"You had a nightmare." Brennan stated.
"Yeah."
"What was it about?" She asked now fully awake.
"I wasn't able to protect you and Parker." He got choked up replaying the dream in his head. "You were both dead and asking me why I hadn't done anything to save you." His voice was barely above a whisper. Brennan felt her own heart aching. She knew that it was his worst fear not being able to protect her or his son. She loathed Heather Taffet for making him doubt his abilities to be the protector. Everyone had been able to move past the Heather Taffet debacle since her death, but Booth was still carrying it around on his shoulders everyday.
"I know you will always protect us Booth, to the best of your abilities." She said in an attempt to comfort him. He gave her a watery smile. Brennan sat up straighter and kissed him fully on the mouth.
She had meant it to be a kiss of comfort. But she quickly found herself getting lost in the kiss, especially when he wrapped his arms around her waist, the tips of his fingers finding their way under her top. Brennan groaned softly as he lowered her back onto the bed, his large body covering hers. He moved away from her mouth and began kissing down her neck, spending extra time in that sweet spot at the base of her neck. Brennan moaned sensuously.
Suddenly Booth's phone rang.
"Don't answer it." Brennan said breathlessly.
"It's Parker's ring." Booth said against her lips, as he attempted to disentangle himself from Brennan.
"Bones I need to answer him." He said a little more forcefully. Brennan pulled away and let him get up to answer his phone.
"Hey, Buddy what's up?" Booth asked trying to keep his voice normal. He did not need his eleven year old to know what he had been doing.
"Dad." Parker sounded scared.
"Parker what's wrong? Are you okay? What happened?" Booth began to panic. Brennan got out of bed and began to find clothes to wear as Booth one-handedly tried to put on his jeans while he listened to Parker.
"I don't know. I just, I wanted to talk to you." Booth's heart was still racing but the adrenaline was slowly decreasing.
"What's wrong bud? Booth paused and waited for Parker to continue.
"I had another nightmare." Parker whispered.
"Was it the same one as the last time?" Booth asked softly.
"Yes."
"I'm gonna come get you okay? We'll talk everything over." Booth said gently. Parker nodded his head, and then realized that his father couldn't see him.
"Okay."
{}
Paul was nervous. Tonight was the night he was going to propose to Cam. He was extremely grateful that the whole grave-digger debacle had finished a couple weeks previously and therefore would not ruin the moment.
"Are you okay?" Cam asked him, stepping into the room.
"Of course." He replied and leaned in for a kiss.
"Are you sure?" She asked once they had pulled apart.
"Yep. Happy Birthday by the way." He said cheekily. Cam rolled her eyes good naturedly.
"Thank you."
{}
"I thought we were going to the diner." Parker said as he sat in his father's car.
"We will, later. I wanted us to talk first. At home." Booth replied, carefully maneuvering the car into the parking garage under Brennan's and now his building.
"I don't really feel like talking Dad, can't we just go get milkshakes." Booth pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car, but he made no attempt to get out.
"Listen Bud, having nightmares at eleven doesn't make you a wimp."
"Yes it does. No one else has nightmares anymore." Parker whined angrily, folding his arms over his chest.
"How do you know that?" Booth asked.
"They're eleven; eleven year olds don't have nightmares. It's like I'm still a little kid."
"Parker, listen to me." Booth turned to fully face his son. "Nightmares come no matter how old you are. I still get nightmares sometimes. Does that make me a wimp?"
"No." Parker said, his father was the strongest, bravest person he knew.
"Do you really still get nightmares?" He asked his dad after a brief silence.
"Yeah I do." Booth replied sincerely.
"But you're not afraid of anything." Parker said. Booth looked at his son affectionately, he loved that Parker thought that he like some type of superhero.
"There are lots of things that I'm scared of Parker." Booth admitted. "I'm scared that something bad is going to happen to you or to Bones. And sometimes I have nightmares that you guys get hurt."
"I have nightmares that you get hurt." Parker said, blinking as he realized tears were invading his eyes.
"My job is dangerous, and there is a possibility that I could get hurt. But I try to stay safe, so that I can protect you and Bones." Parker nodded. "And you know that you can tell me about any of your nightmares Bud. I don't care what time it is, you can call me whenever you want." Parker nodded again.
"Thanks Dad." Booth leaned over and gave his son a hug, kissing the top of his head before pulling back.
"Why are you smiling?" Booth asked, smiling himself.
"I think this was one of the conversations that was supposed to wait till I have hair under my arms." Parker said with a laugh. Booth laughed and ruffled Parker's hair.
"Let's go get those milkshakes."
{}
"You ready?" Booth asked walking up to Paul. Everyone was at Paul and Cam's house celebrating Cam's birthday. She had actually been surprised when she had walked through the door and her friends had been standing on the other side waiting. She had expected to have a birthday dinner with Paul.
"Yep. Don't think I've ever been so prepared." Paul replied. Booth smiled at him and clapped him on the back.
"Good luck." Paul nodded. He moved over to the sound system and switched the CD so that it was playing I'll Be by Edwin Mc Cain. It was secretly Cam's favorite song. He moved and pulled Cam into a slow dance. She blushed and smiled embarrassed (his favorite smile). All the couples in the room found their way into their partner's arms and danced slowly to the music. As the song came to an end, everyone made a circle around Cam and Paul; they knew what was coming. The last notes of the song faded out. Paul pulled away from Cam.
"You look so beautiful embarrassed." He said softly with a grin. Cam couldn't help but continue smiling. Paul got down on one knee.
"Camille Saroyan. Will you marry me?" There was a moment's silence as Cam looked at him in shock.
"Yes." She was grinning like a fool but nothing could wipe the smile off her face. "Yes." She repeated. Paul quickly put the ring on her finger then got up and pulled her into a kiss. The squints and Booth threw their home-made confetti over the happy couple. Cam broke away from Paul and each of her friends came up to her to give her a hug.
"Congratulations Camille." Booth said giving her a tight squeeze.
"Thank you Seeley."
"Ooo I can't believe you're engaged." Angela squealed excitedly.
{}
"Hi Lancelot." Daisy walked up to Sweets who was sitting by himself on the porch.
"Hi Daisy." He responded.
"Are you okay?" She asked. She knew he wasn't. They had both thought that once she had returned from Muluku that everything would be okay but it had been hard and they still weren't back together yet a year later. Neither knew what had happened. But both knew they wanted their old relationship back.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Sweets said with a fake smile.
"Don't lie to me Lance." Daisy said seriously. She rarely adopted a completely serious tone. Usually opting for exuberance. "I minored in Psychology remember."
"I remember."
"Do you want to tell me what you're thinking about?" She asked him. Sweets gave her another smile, genuine this time.
"I was just thinking about us, and how before Muluku how everything was going so great." He said somewhat despondently.
"We were the ones who were engaged." Daisy said sadly. Sweets simply nodded.
"I miss you Daisy."
"I miss my Lancelot." Daisy confessed.
"Really?"
"Yes, of course. Did you think I wouldn't miss you?" She asked. They were both wondering why it had taken them such a long time to have this conversation. Maybe they were too scared that they couldn't get back what they had lost and didn't want to hope. Maybe they just hadn't been ready before.
"I don't know. You had no problems leaving." Sweets said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his tone.
"Just because I left doesn't mean I didn't miss you. I asked you if you were going to wait for me and you said no." Daisy said angrily.
"I wasn't thinking straight. I was sad and angry that you were leaving."
"Are you thinking straight now?" She asked him seriously. Sweets looked at her.
"Yes."
"Do you know what you want?" She asked, her usual playfulness creeping back into her tone and she smiled.
"You. It's always been you Daisy." Sweets confessed. She let out one of her famous Daisy squeals and clapped excitedly.
"I was hoping you'd say that!" She said with a giant smile.
{}
"Booth." Brennan said hesitantly. They were back at home relaxing in front of the television before going to bed.
"Yeah Bones?" Booth asked turning his attention to her; there was nothing interesting on the TV anyway.
"Do you still think about getting married?" She asked curiously. Cam's engagement had given her a lot to think about. On certain issues, Booth was a very traditional man. Marriage was one of those topics. She on the other hand, saw no reason to enter into such an antiquated ritual. Booth exhaled.
"Yeah I still think about it." He confessed.
"So you still want to get married?" She questioned slowly, not sure if she wanted the answer since she already knew what it was going to be.
"I do." Booth said. He swallowed. "But I know you don't." Brennan stayed silent.
"I'm okay with that Bones."
"Really?" She asked skeptically.
"I have you. As long as I have you I'll be good." He threw her a charm smile which she couldn't help but return.
"I don't need to be married to be happy Bones. I just need you and Parker." Booth said tenderly.
"But you wouldn't object to getting married.
"No, I wouldn't."
"Why did you change your mind?" She asked a couple minutes later. She was certain that this was one issue that he would not budge on, she knew she wouldn't.
"I didn't change my mind. I'm just compromising."
"Sometimes you have to settle for the second best situation." Brennan repeated Avalon's words softly. Booth nodded his head wisely.
They went back to watching the TV but neither of them was following what was going on. Both were thinking about their relationship and marriage.
"I love you." Brennan said as they climbed into bed together. Booth smiled affectionately at her and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
"I know Bones. I love you too." He kissed her again. His hand ghosted up her leg before settling on her hip. His other hand was tangled in her hair. Brennan felt her body reacting instantly to his touch and let out a soft moan as his lips met the sensitive spot at the base of her neck. He had moved from her hair to her shoulder, slowly moving the strap of the tank top down. Booth wanted to make it very clear that even if they never got married, as long as he had her in his arms every night and she loved him, he would be happy. He was going to spend all night proving to her that he loved her no matter what.
