YAY! Fanfic is back! I think I might've gotten the shakes if it wasn't back soon. In celebration, here is the 80th chappie of this saga(including the Wonderful World ones) and it's almost 9 pgs long, single spaced. Plus, there's one coming tomorrow too. Thanks to all who have reviewed. I really love getting your feedback!
Gum
After a physically draining morning at the lab and an emotionally draining afternoon at the Hoover with Sweets, the Booths were more than happy to pick up Sadie, exchange cars with the FBI so that Temperance would have hers again, and go home. They realized once they got there, however, that their grocery inventory was running dangerously low. It was decided that they would stop by Temperance's apartment and collect her eco-friendly shopping bags before heading to the farmer's market.
"We could always go tomorrow," Seeley offered as they drove to the market.
"No," she shook her head, "I have some paperwork that needs to be done tomorrow morning and Angela is taking Sadie, Cam, and I out to various stores tomorrow in order to procure everything we need for her wedding. I believe we are also going to Cam's apartment for a bachelorette party. Angela is staying there tomorrow night."
"Huh," Seeley smiled, "I'da thought you girls would go club-hopping or something."
"We did that the last time," Temperance informed him, "And besides, Sadie will be with us so it would be highly inappropriate."
"Hodgins is having a few guys come over to the mansion," Seeley informed her, pulling into the crowded parking lot, "Nothing wild, but I'm not sure what time I'll be home."
"The wedding begins at ten and we need to arrive at least an hour earlier than that, so you should take that into consideration," she smiled.
They retrieved Sadie from the backseat and set her in her stroller.
"I'm sure that'll be real high on the priority list, Bones," he grinned, opening the door as she pushed the stroller through.
"Well," she tilted her head, "Without a wedding there would be no cause for celebration and as the last wedding did not go as planned it would behoove you all to disperse at a reasonable hour."
"Oh come on, Bones," he smiled as they made their way from stand to stand, "You can't tell me that you aren't looking forward to a wild night out with your friends."
"I am," she said, "And I am planning on taking Sadie's playpen with me in case the hour grows later than her bedtime, however, I am not planning on being there past ten o'clock. I will need to be up by at least seven on Saturday morning in order to insure that there is enough time to get Sadie prepared."
"Joys of parenthood," Seeley quipped, "I'll leave by ten too so you won't get left in the lurch, okay?"
She wasn't entirely sure what the idiom meant, but she was too tired to ask so she simply interpreted it as best she could using contextual clues and nodded.
"Temperance!" a booming voice greeted her as they approached the next stand.
Before she had time to react, Hiram Zimmerman had enfolded her in his large arms, his face beaming with pleasure at the sight of her.
"Have you been working on a case all this time?" the older man inquired.
"Yes," she nodded, returning his smile, "In fact the case that we were assigned to just after we last were here is still active, though we have only recently returned to the city."
"And you've brought someone back with you, I see?" Mr. Zimmerman motioned to Seeley and Sadie.
"Good to see you again, sir," Seeley smiled as his hand was swallowed by Mr. Zimmerman's larger one.
"Same here," Zimmerman replied, "And I see you've gone and made our girl an honest woman!"
Seeley reddened slightly and nodded.
"Max told me all about the wedding," the poultry farmer grinned before turning to face the stroller, "Is this young lady here the Miss Sadie that Grandpa Max has been raving about?"
Sadie beamed up at the big man and flapped her arms in delight, though Temperance hardly believed she was following the conversation. Mr. Zimmerman ruffled Sadie's hair and moved back behind his counter to fill their order. When everything was ready, they paid him and waved, promising to come back again soon.
They purchased the last few items that they needed. The stroller proved to be quite an asset as it kept Sadie from becoming lost in the crowd and gave the adults a place to hang the groceries so that their arms did not grow weary. By the time they'd finished, it was nearly six o'clock and they decided to get dinner from one of the soup stands and desserts from Mrs. Field's pastry stand.
Temperance smiled as they ate, recalling that at each of the stands they had visited, her friends had greeted them warmly and accepted her new family situation without question. They had all been happy for her and she had felt an odd thrill of pride introducing her husband and their new daughter. Sadie had reveled in all of the attention, though by the time they were finishing the soup, Temperance noted that the little girl's energy was beginning to wane.
Without speaking, she got Seeley's attention and gestured that it was time for them to leave. Quickly they disposed of their garbage and began making their way to the exit. The crowd was thinning and they made it into the SUV and out of the parking lot with no delays. She chose to sit in the back with Sadie and keep the little girl entertained and awake until they got home.
Forty-five minutes later they were home, Sadie was fast asleep in her crib, the groceries had been put away, and she and Seeley were upstairs in their bedroom.
"I'm pooped," Seeley announced, flopping on the bed and grabbing a book off of his nightstand.
"While I have never seen the connection between feces and fatigue," she looked up from her laptop to acknowledge him, "I must admit I am somnolent as well."
"Your late night vocab skills never cease to amaze me, Bones," he grinned, "So whatcha doing over there anyway?"
"Working on my latest book," she informed him, "The manuscript is due to my editor in four months and I have found it best not to put things off until the last minute."
"So you're writing a new book and I'm reading an old one?" he held up a worn copy of Red Tape, White Bones.
"It would appear so," she frowned, "Don't you find it disturbing reading that book given the actual murders that took place after its release?"
He shrugged, "I don't really think about that too often, honestly. It's my favorite, though."
"Why?" she asked, "Because it was dedicated to you?"
"That never hurt," he shot her a cocky grin, "But, nah, I just have always liked the story a lot."
"I could get you a new copy if you'd like," she offered, pointing at the binding, which was beginning to come loose.
"Thanks, Bones," he smiled softly, reaching over to gently tuck a strand of errant hair behind her ear, "But I'm fine with this one. Besides, it's signed by the author."
They shared a laugh, each remembering how he had barged into her office and demanded an autograph the day he'd received his advance copy. She'd protested and they'd bickered back and forth about it throughout that entire day until she'd finally relented. She hadn't understood the request then and she wasn't sure she understood it now, but it was touching to see how much he cherished it even though years had passed.
Lapsing into a companionable silence, she went back to writing and he to reading. An hour later Seeley announced that he was ready to sleep. She powered down her laptop while he made his nightly inspection of the house and they turned off the lights. She smiled as he pulled her into his warm embrace to sleep.
The alarm went off at seven the next morning, prompting dual groans from the bed's occupants.
"Do you have to go into the lab this morning or did you bring home your work?" Seeley asked groggily.
"I brought it home so Sadie wouldn't have to go to daycare," she told him, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, "Will you be needed at the Hoover?"
"Yeah," he grimaced, sitting up fully and stretching carefully, "We have to attend the annual 'You Too Can Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Workplace' seminar- though I can skip out early because I'm on half days."
"I can't recall going to anything like that at the Jeffersonian," she mused, then appraised him with her eyes, "Do you feel your ribs are healing properly still?"
"Yup," he smiled, flexing his bare pectoral muscles in demonstration, "I mean, I still wouldn't be all that much use in a fight, but it doesn't hurt to breathe or walk anymore. My next appointment's Monday and I'm going to ask the doc if I can start running again," he frowned and patted his abdomen, "I'm starting to feel flabby from all this sitting around."
"Rest is an important part in the recuperation process," she reminded him, "Though I can't see any reason that the doctor would recommend against running- for limited periods of time, of course. Would you mind if Sadie and I accompanied you?"
"Running?" he asked, surprised, "Sure, I'll be setting a slow pace to start out."
"That would be wisest," she shrugged, "Though once you are fully healed I'm certain it wouldn't be a problem keeping up with you- as long as we purchase a jogging stroller for Sadie."
"You run, Bones?" he asked, following her into Sadie's room, "Why did I not know that?"
"I do," she smiled, "It's not something I've gotten to do as often as I like to as of late, but it is an activity I enjoy. Taking care of my body is very important to me, Seeley."
"Mmm," Seeley agreed, running his eyes up and down the length of her body, "It's very important to me too, Temperance."
"Booth!" she squealed as he pulled her to him and began tracing the curves of her hips with his palms and began pelting her face with small kisses, "We have an audience you know?"
Sadie attached herself to Seeley's leg in response, though it did little to halt his advances.
"That's alright," he murmured in her ear, "She'll always know that her parents love each other."
"Fine," she smiled, tapping his nose with her forefinger, "Though do not complain to me when she begins French kissing you again."
He made a pouting face, planted one last, quick kiss on her lips, and swooped Sadie up into his arms and kissing her on the cheek. Sadie grinned with delight and wrapped her arms tightly around her next.
"Love lu, Dada!" she shrieked into Seeley's ear.
"I love you too, kiddo," he said, shaking his head and rubbing his ear, "Though I'm gonna need hearing aids by the time I turn fifty."
"Is it still odd to you?" Temperance asked as they sat down to eat a quick breakfast before he had to leave, "Knowing that Sadie will soon be our child in the eyes of the law? That we are her parents?"
"A little," he admitted, "I had nine months to get used to the fact that Parker was coming, so it's different that way," he stroked Sadie's downy hair as she munched away at a handful of cereal, "But it feels right- you know? Like she was meant to be part of our family."
"Though I do not believe in the concepts of fate and destiny, I would agree with you," she nodded, "The love and affection that I feel toward her cannot be quantified, though it is as strong as my love for you."
"You're a good mom," he told her with a tender smile, "You two are perfect for each other."
"Do you realize," she asked, "That by the time my manuscript is due Sadie will be two years old?"
"Really?" he asked as they cleared the breakfast dishes.
"She was eighteen months old when she came into our care," she pointed out, "That was two months ago, so in four more months she will be two years old."
"Do we even know when her birthday is?" he asked, as if considering it for the first time.
She nodded, "Angela took the liberty of looking up all of the children's birth certificates. Maddie's birthday is July twenty-eighth, Joey's is May twenty-sixth, and Sadie's is March twenty-seventh."
"Good to know," he smiled, "Kinda funny that all of their birthdays are at the end of the month."
"Not really," she shook her head, "If a woman has a standard twenty-eight day menstrual cycle that stays consistent throughout her life, she will conceive at the same time of the month every time, and therefore give birth around the same time of the month with each pregnancy- presuming she carries to term, of course."
"Learn something new every day with you, Bones," Seeley grinned, releasing Sadie from her highchair, "Though let's not make a habit of talking about- um- girl cycles right after breakfast, okay?"
"They're a perfectly normal bodily function," she frowned, "And certainly you've noticed-"
"Yup," he nodded, cutting her off with a kiss, "I've noticed when you have, and am very thankful that you stock up on your own- er- accessories. There are waaay too many kinds of those things for me to know what to get."
"My father had to purchase them for me the first time I started," she smiled fondly at the amusing memory.
"TMI, Bones," his voice took on a warning tone.
"But there was an ice storm-"
"Temperance."
She put her hands on her hips, "You know, one day you might have to do the same for our daughter if the same set of circumstances should arise?"
"They won't," he assured her, putting on his coat.
"You can't be sure of that," she told him.
"Global Warming, Bones," he bent down to give Sadie one last hug, "It's going to work in my favor."
She shook her head, but allowed him a hug and a kiss as he turned to leave.
"See ya around noon," he called as he jogged out to the SUV, waving.
She nodded and she and Sadie waved back as he pulled out of the driveway and drove down the street. Shivering in the cool November air, she hurried Sadie back inside and shut the door.
"Dada bye-bye?" Sadie asked as they moved into the living room.
"Yes," Temperance nodded, "Your daddy had to leave but he will be back shortly."
"Sortly," Sadie giggled.
They sat on the carpet and played with Sadie's toys for a while together. When Sadie seemed engrossed enough in her play, Temperance pulled out her paperwork and began working on it. Sadie soon lost interest in her toys and was automatically drawn to the stack of paper. Temperance told her no firmly, and gave her a crayon and some blank paper as an alternative. Sadie happily took the crayon and began coloring on her paper, so Temperance turned back to her work.
Fifteen pages later, she looked up and was horrified to find Sadie scribbling away on a nearby wall. She immediately ran over and took the crayon from Sadie, scolding the little girl for coloring on the wall instead of the paper. Sadie began wailing, reaching for the crayon and jumping up and down in protest when Temperance would not return it to her. After five minutes of trying to reason with Sadie as to why her mother was not allowing her to have the crayon back, Sadie was still protesting and Temperance decided it was time for the little girl's morning nap.
She heard her cell phone ringing as she shut the nursery door, muting the screams that were coming from within and she raced to get it.
"Brennan," she answered, slightly out of breath.
"Thought you were changing that name of yours, Sweetie?" Angela's voice replied on the other end.
"Habit," she muttered in her defense, "Though I'm glad you called as a situation has arisen here that requires your artistic expertise."
"Booth wants a nude portrait done of you?" Angela guessed, though Temperance doubted her friend was being sincere.
"No," she shook her head, "Sadie defaced one of the walls with a crayon and I am unsure how to clean it, though I wish to do so before Seeley arrives home at noon."
Angela laughed, "Sweetie, please tell me you didn't give it to her and then left her unsupervised?"
"That would be a lie if I told you that," she sighed, "I was finishing some paperwork of my own and did not think to supervise her once she started coloring on her own paper."
"Crayons aren't really for kids that small," Angela commented.
"I realize that now," she thought of Seeley's compliment that she was a good mother and felt like that was the furthest thing from the truth at this point.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it," Angela switched from teasing to soothing in an instant, "Just go to the store, pick up a Magic Eraser, and scrub it off."
"I doubt that magic would have any true effect on the wall as there is no evidence for its factual existence," she said skeptically.
"It's a sponge with chemicals on it," Angela explained, "It'll take the crayon right off and if you don't scrub too hard it shouldn't hurt the paint either."
"Oh," she said, understanding, "Thank you, though I suppose I will have to wait until Seeley comes home to get it. Sadie was extremely displeased that I would not return the crayon to her and as it is close to the time she normally naps I put her in her crib," she paused, listen for the screams and hearing nothing, "I believe she has finally calmed herself and it would not be wise for me to disrupt her again."
"Well," Angela said, "I was calling to let you know I decided to play hooky today from work so I'm out and about already if you want me to grab you one and swing by before the big guy gets home."
"That would be very helpful if it would not inconvenience you too much," she answered, relief filling her for the first time since she looked up and saw what had been done to the wall.
"That's what friends are for, Bren," the artist said, easily, "I'll be there in about fifteen minutes or so."
Temperance nodded and they said their goodbyes and hung up. As there was nothing to do in the meantime, she picked up her paperwork and started working on it again. She finished the last one just as a knock sounded at the front door.
"Thank you very much," she smiled as her friend breezed in through the door.
"I'm sure you'll do the same for me when Junior here comes along," Angela smiled, patting her slightly swollen abdomen, "Now, take me to the scene of the crime."
"It's not that I wish to hide this from Seeley," Temperance explained as they entered the living room, "However, he was teasing me yesterday about how clean I like to have my environment, so it would be a bit embarrassing to have him come home to this."
"Not to mention you left the baby alone with a crayon," Angela pointed out wryly.
"She'll be two in a matter of months," Temperance said, knowing she sounded defensive, "That's hardly an infant."
"True," Angela nodded, "But I'd still put the crayons in storage for a little longer- or just keep a close eye on her."
"Obviously."
Angela showed her how to properly wet the sponge and apply the cleaning solution and to her amazement it did exactly what the artist had promised. By the time they had finished, no trace of the crayon remained on the wall and the paint was still intact.
"Now, there are two of those so keep them handy," Angela instructed as they put the sponges in the kitchen, well beyond Sadie's reach.
Temperance nodded and the two settled down on the barstools for a cup of coffee- Angela insisted that she hadn't had coffee in weeks and a little caffeine never hurt anyone.
"Seeley told me that I am a good mother," Temperance confessed, "But incidences like this make me unsure of that. When it first happened I blamed Sadie, however if I had been watching her properly it would not have happened."
"You don't know that," Angela placed a hand on hers, "And you are a good mom."
Temperance frowned, uncertain, and sipped at her coffee.
"Sweetie, look at me," Angela commanded, "You rescued that little girl and her brother and sister from a horrible life and have given them each a safe place to grow up. They know that you love them very much and that you're doing your best. Doesn't mean you'll get it right a hundred percent of the time," she smiled ruefully, "I remember the first time my dad took me to an art museum- I think I was five or something- and we saw one of Pollack's paintings on display. It fascinated me so much that I decided to recreate it on my bedroom wall when we got home. Yeah, Dad wasn't too thrilled about that, especially since I tracked paint all over the hardwood floor too."
"I can imagine not," Temperance smiled, the tension easing from her shoulders at the amusing anecdote.
"Nope. Point is, my painting on my wall didn't make my dad a bad person, or me a bad kid for that matter, it just made us, well, human. And Bren," Angela smiled kindly at her, "Even geniuses are allowed to be human- especially when it comes to their kids."
At that, Angela stood to leave and they embraced.
"You're a good friend," Temperance told her.
"Like I said, you'll have plenty of opportunities to pay me back," she shrugged, "Anyway, I've got a few more errands to run, then Jack and I are grabbing lunch together. The limo will come and pick you girls up around one for our shopping spree."
"Is a limousine truly necessary?" Temperance asked.
"Girl, we are going shopping," Angela stressed, "By the time we're done, we'll be lucky if there'll be room for us in the car! And don't even start to pull that 'I have a kid' stuff on me. You just bring whatever you need for her and when we're done with our girl night tonight we'll take you home."
"I was hoping not to stay out too late."
"We'll have you home by ten, Cinderella," Angela teased.
They shared a smiled and said their goodbyes.
As she turned back to the kitchen to wash out the coffee mugs she realized how much she had truly missed Angela's companionship over the last several months. While Seeley was her deepest confidant, Angela was the one who buoyed her spirits and helped her keep a sound perspective on things. The more she thought about it, the more she was very much looking forward to spending the afternoon and evening celebrating their friendship and the upcoming nuptials.