Chapter 28 Happiness
"Good morning, Booth, I presume you recognize the strong significance of this day which is dawning before us," Brennan stated softly, nuzzling her husband who slept beside her.
"Wha…Huh?" Booth mumbled groggily. "Bones, what on earth are you talking about?"
"I assume you know what today is?" she inquired, arching an eyebrow and smirking at him a bit.
"It's too early in the morning for your anthropological mumbo-jumbo, Bones. Did I forget something yesterday? Do we have a meeting with Cullen today?"
"No, silly, this has nothing to do with the lab or the FBI. Since you are the more romantically-inclined person in our conjugal relationship, I postulated that you could guess the answer to my question very easily. But perhaps I over-estimated the importance you assign to observing the milestones in your life," Brennan sighed dramatically.
"Come on, Bones, I don't have the foggiest idea what you are referring to. It's 5:45 am. I'm not even sure what the date is, or what my name is, for that matter since we stayed at the Founding Fathers so late last night watching the semi-final hockey match with Wendell and Andie, and then the Flyers had the temerity to lose in the last 30 seconds! Throw me a bone here, Temperance, I don't have a clue what you're talking about…"
"So you can use the word 'temerity' correctly in a sentence at 5:46 am, but you still don't recall what momentous event today commemorates? Alas, I'm devastated!" Brennan swept her hand across her eyes in a movie-star-worthy gesture.
"Bones, I think we've been watching too many Bogey and Bacall reruns, you're getting a little over the top there for Wanda or Roxy; either one!" Booth smiled at his wife. "Of course I know what today is, it's our wedding anniversary! I was just ribbing you a little. And you are so a romantic. I am not any more romantic than you are. You just come up with very unique and wonderful expressions for our romance."
"Well, Booth, thank goodness, you had me worried there for a moment. I have a surprise for you, and possibly Christine if you think her accompanying us would be appropriate."
"Chrissy coming along to celebrate our anniversary? Booth asked incredulously.
"Her ballet class has been practicing for their recital, and the song to which they are performing is very appealing. She seems to be quite enthralled with dancing. I thought she might enjoy seeing the actual Broadway rendition of the routine she and her class mates will be recreating at their recital," Brennan ventured. "But if you don't think she should come, I can make other arrangements for her to stay with Max or Angela for the afternoon."
"What is this mysterious performance you keep going on about, Bones?"
"There is a traveling dance company from New York presenting The King and I at the Kennedy Center this weekend. Christine's age group at the ballet studio is learning a routine to 'Happy Talk,' and I thought we could take her to see the musical, then drop her off to spend the night with the Hodgins' or Dad and have the evening and overnight to ourselves for the purpose of celebrating our anniversary in an adult and private way." Brennan said hopefully.
Gee, Bones, that's an excellent idea. You just took the really long way around to get to the point….like all the way around the Horn of Africa!" Booth teased her gently. "I think Christine would enjoy The King and I and I would definitely be happy to have a sleep-over with you afterwards! I can think of all sorts of ways to do 'Happy Talk' with you all night long!"
"My mom and dad sometimes put a Columbia Philharmonic Orchestra record of 'Shall We Dance?' on our phonograph and then waltzed around our living room. The musical score and lyrics for The King and I were some of Rogers' and Hammerstein's most lively compositions. Mom used to sing 'Getting to Know You' while she cooked dinner. Max would sing, 'Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?' to tease her, because he'd claim she was a women's libber. Mom would act like it just infuriated her, even though they both knew it was all a pretense. And they'd end up hugging one another and smooching in the middle of our kitchen," Brennan remembered fondly, a far-away look in her blue-grey eyes. "We really had a pretty happy life together before McVicar showed up and broke our fam…." She choked on the rest of her words.
Booth had been listening intently, tears glistening in his eyes. "Hey, your parents were a lot happier together for a lot longer than mine were. I only remember them happy when I was very young. Max and Christine gave you a very happy childhood until their past caught up with them and put you all in such danger. I know it caused you severe grief and lasting trauma, but they made very hard choices for what seemed like good reasons to them at the time to protect you and Russ. They were in a real jam and had to move very quickly. The end results were horrific, but they tried to shield you as best they could." He reached across the bed to pull her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
Brennan relaxed into his strong embrace and wiped at her damp cheeks. "I know they tried, Booth. I'm very grateful that we've been able to keep Christine safe, and that she was too little to remember when I left with her for that awful summer. We've given her happiness so far and hopefully, her life will continue to be a fulfilling one. I'm so happy being your wife and her mother, and a mom to Parker. My life is so much different than I used to imagine, and so much better with you than I could have ever envisioned."
"It took us about a decade too long, Bones, but thank God, we finally arrived at the same point emotionally at the same time. Your love and trust in me have made me the happiest man alive, and I don't care if you believe in Fate or not, but I do! The first time I saw you in that lecture hall, I was caught, hook line and sinker, and I've never looked back or been sorry. I've loved every day with you. I'm so happy you came back to me and we finally stopped Pelant. I have been so grateful that you are always by my side. Even before we were together like we are now. I love being your partner, your friend, your lover, your husband. I would have taken any relationship you were comfortable having with me. But I am so, so glad that now we are together as partners in every facet of life, for always in every sense of the word. I love you more than I can ever make you understand, Dr. Temperance Brennan." And with that, he kissed her soundly on the lips.
Brennan gazed at him, her eyes shining with happiness. "Seeley Booth, I love you too, more than I ever thought possible. We've proved Plato correct, we have become one instead of two, and broken every law of physics that ever existed. You told me that love was more than a chemical sensation, and then you proved it to me every day with your bravery, your devotion to your family, and your constancy. I don't believe in luck, and yet, I feel I am the luckiest woman alive."
oooooooooooooooo
Several minutes passed, with only their breathing and their communing thoughts to break the silence.
Then Booth pulled back to grin at her. "Oh, by the way, I remembered this while you were talking about your parents. Our relatives apparently have the same musical preferences. Pops' and Grams' favorite song was 'Hello, Young Lovers.' I think they saw The King and I on a trip to New York once. They used to dance in the living room, too. Jared and I used to chuckle at them, but they were actually pretty good at 'cutting the rug' as Pops called it. Is that a coincidence or what? Who'd a' thought our families would've both liked that musical so much?"
"Of course, we'll take Christine! Heck, we've got to, it's in her DNA!" Booth declared.
"Booth, music and songs aren't coded into your DNA…"
"Oh no? I betcha there's a happy gene, a singing gene and a dancing gene in there someplace!"
"No, Booth, there are genetic tendencies for better or lesser physical coordination and wider or narrow vocal ranges and calmer or more excitable personalities in different people, but there's no such thing as a happy gene," Brennan objected. "But you are ribbing me again, Booth. You know, like Eve being made from Adam's rib in the biblical myth…. And, yes, you've made me so very happy."
"The Bible isn't a myth, Bones, any more than Jesus is a zombie! But I love you anyway, so very much!"
oooooooooooooooooooo
"Oh my gosh, Bones! It's 7:15! If we don't get a move on, we're going to be so late to work, they'll make us work this Saturday as retribution!"
