A/N: Thanks to Princess Isabella Flynn and lomna for their kind reviews!

Chapter 37: Growing Older and Older Still

The Lost Tooth

Nicky runs over to her, the light in his eyes shining. "Mommy, Mommy!" he yells crushing her in an exuberant hug. He holds up what he wanted to show her. It closer resembled a small white pearl than what it actually was. "Now the tooth fairy can come" he said happily. Angela looked at him suspiciously. "Money!" he whoops in a duh tone. Angela smiles and catches his face in her hands. She turns his face upward and he smiles at her. Angela spots the gap and laughs when Nicholas wiggles his tongue in the empty space. "Catching up to Katie are you?" she teases pressing a kiss to his brown curls. "Haha, she's still five teeth ahead of me. She never lets me forget it either" he grumbles. "She six months older than you Nico" she soothes him. "Go show Daddy" Ange says softly tousling his silky hair. He looks up and gives her that crooked grin his tongue poking through the gap. That grin melted her heart every single time, and just as quickly he was gone. Ange could hear him, "Daddy!" he shouted.

She could picture Jack swinging him up into his arms and exclaiming loudly, proudly, being the Dad he never had. Angela turned the corner and entered the kitchen seeing the exact scene she had imagined. Jack hugged her crushing Nicky between them. "His first lost tooth" Jack declared proudly. He then leaned over and kissed her. I married the perfect man Angela thought. Of course she had thought this various times over the course of their marriage, and then Jack would get mad and snap that rubber band around his wrist, or bring handfuls of creepy, crawlies into their bedroom, or go on and on about bodily slime over breakfast, reminding her that he was only the perfect man for her.

Kate

Jump ahead 2 years, the twins are thirteen, Katie and Nicky are eight. It's a typical summer day. Katie is there demanding that at eight and a half years old she shouldn't be called Katie anymore. "It's a baby name" she declared staring at Nicky and daring him to disagree. "It's your name dummy" Nicholas answers not concerned at all. "I could be Kate instead" she tells him. Nicky rolls his eyes at her, "That's stupid. You're Katie" he retorts. Angela walks by and frowns "Language Nicholas" she reprimands. "Sorry, Mom" he replies. "You don't still call your mom, mommy" Katie told him. "You're Katie" he insisted stubbornly. Katie shoved him away hard and ran to their tree house in tears. "What did you do now?" Olivia said used to meditating their bickering. Addison climbed the rope ladder; she took care of Katie, Liv of Nicky. "She wanted your approval. You're her best friend" Olivia explained.

Minutes later the children were all running in for lunch on the deck. They ate in silence until Nicky said "Pass the ketchup Kate". "Please" Jack reminded him. "Pleeeaaase" Nicky said exaggerating each syllable. Angela looked her over carefully, wavy brown hair up in a ponytail, bright blue eyes, a smattering of freckles, and a scraped knee. At eight she was all arms and legs, athletic and tough, Kate fit her for now Angela decided. Kate handed the bottle over willingly "Thanks Nick" she said trying it out. Almost immediately she scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out, "Thanks Nicky". That still fit him for now.

Prom Night

Fast forward another five years. The twins are old enough to drive, to be legal adults. It's the late afternoon before their senior prom. Their nails and hair are already done. Both girls are fairly popular and have dates. Addison is going with Christopher. He's an all-American boy, blond hair kept fairly short, blue eyes, captain of the football team, going to an Ivy League school. He's kind, respectful, and can show her a good time which is all A really cares about. Olivia is going with Hunter. Tall, dark, and handsome is what Addison teasingly calls him. Hunter has dark brown hair, and brown eyes. He's a lacrosse player and captain of the soccer team. Hunter loves to debate and can handle what Liv throws at him, he keeps up with her just fine.

Olivia steps out in a long red dress with a low back and a moderate neckline. Her brown hair cascades down her back in loose ringlets and she looks every bit a princess. Addison follows in a navy blue number. It has a slit up the leg and a thin halter strap top. Her auburn hair is twisted into a complicated updo showing off her pale flawless skin. Angela gets up to admire both girls and stands between them. "How do they look?" she calls out to Nicholas as he walks by outside their door. He peeks in reluctantly "Like the fourth of July" he grumbles acting just like the teenager he's become. "I'm going to hang out with Kate" he calls out and showing a rare bit of kindness to his sisters adds "They look great" before running down the stairs. Angela looks down at her own white top and sighs "Boys will be boys" she tells them.

Jack knocks and enters covering his eyes "Everybody decent?" he asks hopefully. Angela makes her way over to him and kisses him deeply she pulls away just as quickly "Men on the other hand" she says in a suggestive tone. "Oh, ew!" the twins shouted tossing pillows playfully at their parents. "Do I even want to know?" Jack teases them. "My beautiful girls" Jack praises "I just gave your dates the dad talk". "Daddy!" Addison whines hugging him tightly. "Not as bad as the talk Grandpa gave you, right?" Olivia asks hopefully. "Nothing could ever compare to that" Jack teases kissing Liv's cheek.

That night Angela and Jack lay in bed. She was listening to the chirping of crickets from outside their bedroom window. Angela could hear wind whistling and rattling the branches of their oak tree. She could hear laughter through the vents that led to the family room where Nicky and Kate were watching a movie. And over the hum of Jack's snoring Angela finally heard the noise she was listening for the sound of a car's motor. "Jack" she hissed elbowing him in the side. "What? What?" he said bolting awake. "The twins are home" Angela said creeping out of bed to their window. Jack moved towards her and looked out "Spying on the girls" he admonished her as he followed her line of sight. "Shhhh" Angela said watching the girls kiss their dates good night. When the front door creaked open, Angela pulled back with a satisfied smile and a single tear running down her cheek. Slightly alarmed Jack pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back "I thought I wouldn't get this moment. That I would miss this memory" she murmured softly snuggling against him.

Their door opened slowly "The coast is clear" they heard Liv's voice ring out. The twins were always hesitant after walking in on them that one time. Well, a couple more times than that Angela amended the statement in her head. The twins walked over to the bed and turned perplexed. "Mom? Dad?" Olivia questioned looking at them huddled together on the floor by the window. The parents rose to their feet and walked over. "We're going in the basement. The guys will leave by midnight, Lauren, Jenna, and Cheyenne are staying the night. Is everything okay?" A checked. Angela pulled her over to the bed and began to undo the complicated twists and braids "Just fine" she replied finishing and kissing her. "Love you" Angela and Jack said together. "Bonne nuit" Angela said giving a quick swat to Olivia's behind, shooing them out the door. The twins thudded down the stairs "Fais des beaux rêves" they yelled loudly.

Angela and Jack climbed back in bed. Jack fell back to sleep quickly but Angela was still not sleepy. Ange put the TV on mute and watched the silent pictures. She listened instead to the twins tell Kate and their brother good night. She heard the boys cars leave right on time, as she watched the people on TV talk without sound. And when their house finally was quiet and all she could hear was the soft rumble of Jack's snores, Angela fell asleep as well.

The Dating Game

His eyes were deep brown and sparkling as he entered the house. Nicky shook the man of the house's hand and sat down in what they had jokingly called the "interrogation chair". The man was uniquely qualified to interrogate, he was with the FBI. At the same time, he was Nicky's godfather and had known him since infancy. But this was an unusual situation that made Booth disregard the love and treat him as any other potential boyfriend for his baby girl. Booth still saw her as the little three-year-old with light brown pigtails, sucking her thumb and carrying a soft teddy bear with her everywhere. That same bear still sat upon her rose colored bed propped up on her pillows. Booth had questioned him for a few minutes before hearing steps bound down the stairs. Nicky in took a sharp breath and Booth's head turned towards him. Nicky was staring at Kate as she walked down the stairs. Kate had on dark skinny jeans, a white peasant top, and her wavy brown hair was down to her mid back. "Katie" the forbidden name escaped Nicky's lips in a whisper only Booth could hear. Kate jumped off the bottom step and laughed. "Be nice Daddy" she gently reprimanded kissing his cheek. Booth looked at the happiness shining in her china blue eyes and began to leave. "Have fun, be back by curfew" he said his eyes drilling into Nicky's "Not too much fun". He then clapped his hand against Nicky's shoulder. "Daddy!" Kate said pushing him into their kitchen "Come on!" Booth hugged her once more and reminded her "Love you, Lovebug" before joining Brennan who called out "Bye Nicky" calmly.

They had a fun time eating pizza and watching the action movie. According to Kate it was the perfect date with training wheels, what they did in a group every Friday, just in case. Always the gentleman, Nicky walked her to the door where he was sure Booth was watching from a window with his sniper eyes. Kate was oblivious to what he considered an obvious fact. She leaned in and whispered "I had a wonderful time Nicholas" in a sensual and grownup voice. She pressed a kiss against his neck and felt his pulse quicken. "Me too Katie" he said sweetly nestling his face into her soft hair. She rolled her eyes in acceptance of the nickname, "It was always you, wasn't it?" she whispered sitting on the cement step. "Yep" he replied surely sitting beside her and wrapping his jacket around her shoulders. Katie flipped the collar up and took in the scent that always made her feel content. Katie leaned her head up against his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her. "Since before I can remember, it was always you" Nicholas replied silencing her logic with their first kiss. It was long, sweet, passionate, and perfect. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting" Katie said in her lovable tones. Nicholas crushed her in a hug that took her breath away and was so swift it gave it back in the same moment. "I love you" they said at the same time, completely in sync.

The door behind them opened ruining the moment. "Nicky, Kate" Booth said in a voice that meant business "Curfew, now". They sprang up and Katie handed him back his jacket. "Two minutes" Booth warned closing the door to let them say good night. Nicholas shrugged into the jacket and stood there awkwardly. "He means two minutes. He's probably timing us" Katie said at the same time Nicky said "It smells like you, the jacket I mean". They had meant to break the silence and laughed nervously. "What do I smell like?" Katie flirted. "Daffodils, sweet peas and lilacs" he replied honestly. Katie leaned in and kissed him again. "Fresh cut grass, ivory soap, and a hint of Old Spice" she said standing in the open door way. "It's your Grandfather's cologne" she continued with I've known you forever confidence, leaning around the door. "See you later Nicholas" she chimed closing the door with a wave.

Nicky drove home with a smile and was pounced upon for details by his mother who was relieved he was in one piece after talking with Booth. "I was on the phone with Brennan the whole time" she reassured him. "Thanks Mom" Nicholas said kissing her cheek. "Hey, I'm not done with you yet" she said snagging his sleeve as he headed upstairs. She called the twins and put them on speaker. They triple teamed him but he was still on a high from his date, instead of feeling annoyed Nicholas simply felt loved.

Katie entered the living room and sat on the couch in between her parents. "Daddy came out to bug us" the light in her eyes dancing even as she whined to her mother. Brennan looked up at him and they talked with their eyes. "Fine Bones" he said aloud pouting. Brennan smiled smugly proud of winning their bickering. "Good night Daddy, love you" Katie said kissing his cheek. "Night Lovebug" he said "Love you too. You had a good time?" Booth asked his daughter always his first priority. "The best Dad" she said replaying it in her mind. Booth could tell he was losing her to Nicholas, but somehow that prospect wasn't quite as scary as it first seemed. He made her happy, and that's all Booth really wanted for her, so he simply nodded. Brennan allowed herself to be tugged upstairs and into Katie's bedroom. They sat on her bed and gossiped. The inevitable wedding wasn't a surprise to any of the people involved that night.

A/N: What did you think?