A/N: You guys continue to shock the life out of me with your comments and alerts. Thank you so much for sticking with this story! I'd hug you all if I could!

Sophia...Thank you for always managing to make me feel confident enough to post these chapters!

Trust the Unexpected

Brennan looked around the small apartment she'd set up for her father while she waited on him to complete his inspection. She had reminded him that she'd be returning to Texas and her place would be empty soon, but he wanted to stay in DC for a while and didn't want to have to move again when she returned. The location she'd found for him was close enough to hers that getting back and forth wouldn't be a problem, but far enough away to afford them a sense of privacy.

Max shuffled out of the kitchenette into the living room where she stood. "Looks good, honey. I like it."

"I'm glad. You should sit and rest now. I'll make us something to eat later." She waited for him to comply with her suggestion.

He grinned at her. "Just don't go making any of that rabbit food stuff, K?"

She scowled slightly. "I'll make the dinner your physician recommended."

Max mirrored her expression, "You know you don't have to follow all the rules. I thought I taught you better than that."

Brennan hesitated as she decided on whether or not to have that discussion, but decided against it. He'd just had a heart attack and she didn't want to do anything that might cause a setback to his health.

"Just sit down, Dad," she said as she sat on the couch. She picked up the television remote and began flicking through the stations.

B&B&B&B&B

Brennan looked over at her father at the end of the old movie they'd been watching. She was frankly surprised at the situation. She would never have guessed they would be sitting like this, laughing together and watching tv...just sharing their lives again. So many things had changed. She was only here now because Booth had prodded her all that time ago. She owed so many things in her life to him.

Thoughts of Booth caused her to look at her watch. "I need to get going."

"Why? C'mon. The Mummy is coming on next. It's your favorite!" Max whined.

She shook her head. "I have to call Booth."

"So call him here. Then we can watch the movie."

"Our conversations are sometimes quite long," she said as an explanation. "I'll see you tomorrow. Don't stay up too late. Your physician said you needed plenty of rest."

Max narrowed his eyes as he listened to her. "Tempe, what's going on between you and Booth?"

She hesitated long enough that he knew whatever she was about to say wouldn't be the whole truth. "He's still recovering from his heatstroke. I'm merely assisting in that process. I've told you this before."

He smiled, knowing there was nothing 'merely' about those two. "Tempe, you were never good at lying. It's one of the things I've always loved about you. Although the talent can be quite handy sometimes."

She rolled her eyes and looked down at her watch. "I really have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, okay. Goodnight. Drive carefully, honey."

She smiled as she walked to the door. "Goodnight."

Brennan had avoided talking to her father about Booth other than superficially for days. The more he pressed, the more she resisted. How could he possibly help with the worries she'd been having? He couldn't.

They had developed a routine and she spent most of her day with him. Making sure he ate properly. Making sure he took his medications at the prescribed times. Making sure he didn't push himself too hard. She knew full well, he could handle all of his care on his own now, but it gave her a sense of satisfaction to be able to be there for him. They'd grown quite close in the days they'd had together.

The end of yet another movie scrolled on the screen in front of them. She stood up, reaching to clean up the remnants of the game they'd played earlier. "It's time for your medication."

"Oh, uh, it's in the bedroom. I moved it earlier. Didn't like seeing it every time I walked into the kitchen. Top drawer," he said, waving his hand in the general direction of his room.

She nodded as she picked up the Scrabble box and walked over to set it on top of the Monopoly game they'd played the day before. She smiled as she thought about their antics over the last few days. Arguing over words and consulting the dictionary earlier. Using cut throat tactics to gain the most properties the night before. Neither had let the other slide in any of the games they'd played. It was nice.

She walked into the bedroom and over to the dresser. What she saw took her breath away. Where had he been keeping the picture? How had she not noticed it before? She picked it up, running her fingers across the surface. Across the the smiling faces of her mother and father. They looked so happy. They had been happy.

Memories of a life lived long ago flooded her mind. Until they had disappeared from her life, she'd lead what she thought was a typical suburban existence. She had envied the love her parents shared and had always hoped she'd one day have that same kind of relationship. Was she close to getting it now? She studied their eyes, the way they were gazing at each other. She knew that they shared an unspoken communication just like she and Booth did. This picture showed all the love she knew they had for each other. The love he obviously still felt.

She gently placed the frame back down before grabbing the medication from the top drawer and walking out to her father. She doled out the proper quantities of each and then placed the bottles on the coffee table. Turning to face him, she watched as he downed the pills with one swig of his drink.

"Dad? Were you and Mom happy?"

Max realized the time had finally come for his daughter to spill the beans. He'd been able to tell something had been bothering her since she'd arrived home. He'd pressed just enough to let her know he was willing to talk with her, but not enough that she'd close down. Now he was about to find out what had been on her mind. He knew he had to tread carefully. "She made me happier than I've ever been. I'd like to think I did the same for her."

Brennan nodded, still remembering the past. All the smiles and laughter. The hugs and kisses she'd witnessed. "You seemed very compatible."

Max had nothing but time and was content to wait for her to continue when she was ready.

"When did you know she was the person you wanted to spend your life with?"

"Well, I had an inkling at the beginning. Just one of those times where you recognize that there was the possibility of something special. But if I'm honest, it wasn't until later. About six months in."

He could tell he'd piqued her interest. "We had a fight." He laughed at the memory. "It was more than a fight. Your mother...she was a spitfire when she wanted to be. You kids didn't get to see that side of her, but what a woman she was!"

Max glanced away and chuckled as he paused, then looked back at her. "It was Thanksgiving and we were visiting her parents. Your grandmother really knew how to do Thanksgiving right! She had the best spread in town." He smiled at the memory. "You remember how we used to put the Christmas tree up Thanksgiving night every year?"

Brennan nodded, wondering where he was going with this story. Listening to him talk about a life she missed, one that she'd wished she'd been able to continue, was hard. She was happy with who she was now and knew that her circumstances contributed greatly to that. But sometimes she couldn't resist wondering what their lives would have been like had they not been ripped apart.

Max smiled again, "Well, we did that because your grandparents always did it. We kept that tradition and put the tree up that night every year until..." He stopped mid-sentence. That wasn't the point of what he was trying to tell his daughter, so he moved on. "We had some time between dinner and the tree, so your mom and I decided to go see a movie. Afterward, we went for a drive..." he winked, "my suggestion."

Brennan laughed at the twinkle in his eye and grin on his face. She watched his eyes lose focus as he went back into his memories. "We had parked on this road out of town just to look up at the night sky. The stars were so bright that night. One of the most beautiful night skies I've ever seen." He rushed to clarify. "We didn't do anything. I was a different man than I am now. I treated your mother with respect."

Brennan chuckled at his defensive statement and he grinned. "Anyway, when we got back in the car, it wouldn't start. I got under the hood to fiddle with the wires and your mother got out to hold the flashlight. The longer it took me, the angrier she got. Told me I'd done it on purpose and that her parents were never going to believe we had car trouble. Boy there were fireworks. Both of us standing on the side of the road yelling at each other. That's when I knew."

Brennan frowned. "That doesn't make sense. You knew because you had a fight?"

Max laughed. "No, it wasn't because we had a fight. It's what we were fighting about."

Brennan was more confused than ever. "Dad..."

"You see, honey, she loved her parents. She respected them enough to follow the rules even though she was an adult who could do her own thing. I knew then that if we ever had kids, she'd be just as fiercely protective of them. I knew that we saw eye to eye on what family meant."

She considered his statement. "What if you hadn't seen eye to eye on things?"

Max looked at her seriously. "You and Booth don't have to see eye to eye on everything, Tempe."

Brennan jerked her head back, "What? I wasn't referring to Booth. I was talking about you and Mom."

"You think I don't see what's going on? You think I don't notice how you look at your watch every few minutes when the evening rolls around? You think I'm not listening when you talk about Booth all the time? You don't realize just how often he pops up when you're talking. I can see how you feel about him and I know damn well how he feels about you."

Brennan lost her concentration and couldn't hide her stress any more. "How could you possibly know that? You can't," she said, flustered.

Max smiled. "It's written all over your faces. It's in everything you say and everything you do. And that man loves you just as much as you love him, Tempe."

Having listened to him talk about her mother and happier times had taken an emotional toll on her. The sudden, unexpected turn their conversation took was enough to bring tears to her eyes and cause a tightness in her chest. "He did tell me he loves me," she said quietly, pausing to blink away the moisture. "And I told him too," she whispered.

She waited for him to respond, but he didn't. "You don't have anything to say?"

"I'm waiting for you to tell me what you're worried about."

She looked down at her lap and fiddled with her fingers. "What if he changes his mind? What if I change my mind? What if things don't work out? He's become far more important to me than I realized. It was going to Maluku that allowed me to gain perspective. Allowed me realize...that the only definition I can find to describe my feelings is love."

"Love is a risk, Tempe. You never know for sure if things will work out. You gotta think of what you'll miss out on if you don't take that risk though. You can't know what's going to happen 20 or 30 years down the road, but you gotta think about what you're missing out on if you don't take a chance. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But the trip is worth taking, honey."

She continued to look down at her fingers, finding it ironic that her father had expressed almost the same words Booth once had but with an entirely different connotation. Why did the men in her life insist on thinking so far into the future? It was precisely that uncertainty that had her so worried. But doing what her father suggested, what Booth had suggested? Taking that chance? It was terrifying. "Angela told me not to worry. Not to think about it. But...I can't do that."

Max chuckled. "I like Angela and I'm glad you have a friend like her, but she's wrong. You have every right to worry. But don't you see? That's a good thing."

"How can that possibly be a good thing, Dad?"

"People who don't worry a little, don't care as much. If you're worried, it means you care. It means you're going to put effort into making things work out. And every relationship takes work. Every single one. And the way that man of yours has danced around you the last few years, I know he'll make the effort too."

She looked up at him, tears still fresh in her eyes. "But we were fighting when we expressed our feelings. I'm not sure he still feels the same way."

Max smiled. "You know what happened after your mom and I had that fight?" She shook her head and he continued. "We went back to her parents house and we helped put up the tree. We had a great night."

Her brow wrinkled in confusion. "I don't see how that's relevant."

"Life went on, Tempe. We had a fight, but it wasn't the end. Life goes on. There will be good times and bad times. The bad ones don't mean you give up. They don't mean it's not worth it. You have to fight for the important things and you can't give up."

"Booth is important to me," she said quietly.

"Then don't give up. Talk to him. Tell him how you feel."

"We said we'd talk after he read all the letters."

Max furrowed his brow, "What letters?"

"I wrote him letters while I was in Maluku. I explained some of the revelations I had regarding our relationship."

"And he didn't get to read them because of his heatstroke," he stated, already knowing the answer. "So why hasn't he read them by now?"

"I only gave the last of them to him before I left to come here. There wasn't time for him to finish them. I'm sure he's read them, but every night I wait for him to say something and he doesn't."

Max smiled, reaching over to pat her knee. "There are some things that men have to do in person, honey. It's a guy thing. If you two are talking for hours every night, he hasn't changed his mind. Take it from me. He's waiting until you get back there."

She studied her father, hoping he was right, worried he was wrong. "You think so?"

He winked at her. "Oh, I know so."

Brennan looked down for a moment, realizing she'd been wrong to think he couldn't help her. "You were far better at this than Angela was." She looked up at her father, thankful for the man he'd become in her life.

Max had worried he'd never get to have a conversation like this with her. He choked up knowing that she thought his advice was better than her best friend's. He was at a loss for words. He watched her smile, knowing it was for him and his chest swelled with pride.

"Thank you, Dad."

"I love you, Tempe," he said with the heartfelt emotions that were welling inside him.

She hesitated a moment. "I love you too."

He smacked his hands together. "Now, what are you waiting for? Get back to Texas! I can take care of myself." He placed his hand over his heart. "I even promise to follow all the doctor's rules."

She laughed, thankful that he'd lightened the moment. "It's Friday night. I have some things to take care of tomorrow and Angela is coming over for a girls' night before I leave on Sunday. I have no intention of changing my plans."

"You can have a girls' night any time. You need to fly back to that man and have that talk."

She shook her head, laughing. "You're incorrigible! I'm flying back on Sunday."

He grinned. "Fine. You still need to get on outta here. You haven't looked at your watch."

At his statement, she did just that. "Oh. Yes. I need to go. You'll be okay? Don't worry about putting anything away. I'll come by tomorrow and do that."

He laughed. "Go, already. I'm fine!"

Brennan leaned over and hugged her father. "Thanks, Dad."

Max squeezed his daughter in return, memorizing every second of the night. When she pulled back, he waved his arms at her. "Now go. You can't keep him waiting all night long!"

Booth locked the wheels of his chair as he came to a stop in front of the headstones he'd visited all those nights ago. Once again he looked over the names of the people who were buried in front of him. So much had happened since then.

His thoughts turned to Fish. To the man who'd driven him here in the first place. He still regretted the decisions he'd made. He didn't think he would ever be able to let go of that. He knew he couldn't change anything. He knew he couldn't go back and undo his actions. He hadn't wanted any of the soldiers he'd worked with to sacrifice their lives but he'd also known it was unlikely that every one of them would survive. That it was Fish who hadn't made it home was a weight on his soul.

Booth knew that one day he'd be in front of another grave like this. Fish probably wouldn't be buried anywhere near Parker, but they'd still be together at Arlington. The pain of that knowledge rested in his chest. The thought that their mother had lost both her sons to war. Life didn't seem fair sometimes. He had faith that God's plan was in place even though he had no idea what it was. Why had both boys had to die? He wasn't sure he'd ever have the answer to that question.

He unlocked the brakes and turned his chair around, searching out the spot where Bones had stood. Right there in front of him. It was funny how time had given him perspective. He'd lamented the fact they'd been fighting. Now, it didn't seem as important. Her words were what mattered. She loved him. He couldn't help but laugh into the silence surrounding him now. She'd really said it. He felt like yelling it to the world but still couldn't manage to believe it was true. He had to keep reading her letters over and over to convince himself. He wheeled to where she'd been standing and felt closer to her. It didn't matter that she wasn't here. He felt her.

He closed his eyes, remembering how they'd fought. Remembering the care she'd taken when she'd bandaged his hands. The quiet conversation about Fish afterward. The way he'd wanted to kiss her and almost had.

She'd come back from Maluku to stay with him. She'd walked away from it all and brought the most precious gift in the world with her.

He couldn't wait to see her again. It wouldn't be long now. He'd made as much progress as he could in the time she'd been gone and he was anxious to share it with her.

But the thing he was most looking forward to was finally getting to talk with her. He was worried he'd do something to screw it up. He was worried he'd scare her again. There was so much at stake. He'd rather have her as a friend and partner than lose her forever. Sometimes though, the risks were worth it. Sometimes the uncertainty of one thing was better than the promise of another. And this time...he had hope they'd get that different outcome he'd asked for before.

He looked down at his watch. He had just enough time to make it back to the house before her call. He looked over his shoulder, saying a mental goodbye to the family resting there. He hoped the living members knew how special their loved ones were even they'd never know the impact they'd had on him.

He turned back around and began the slow trek back to the house...back to Bones.