Later that day, after everyone had opened their presents, Lauren found herself alone in the big room with Parker. He moved to sit beside her on the loveseat, and she smiled.
He pulled her hand in his, and lightly tapped her fingers. "I meant what I said last night."
"Hmmm?"
"I don't want you to leave. Please don't move to Illinois." He told her.
"Oh…"
"You could just go to school here… Georgetown."
"That's too expensive."
"Yeah, but I'm going to be teaching there some."
"Your employees aren't going to get a discount." She laughed.
"No…" he looked at their hands, "but my wife would."
Oh…
"You have a wife?" she teased.
"What? No, Skills…oh" he smiled when she laughed.
She stopped laughing when he pulled a velvet box from his pocket.
He pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger.
She gasped. "You just had that laying around?"
"No." He smiled. "Dad gave it to me yesterday. He bought it a long time ago, to give to my mom, before he met Bones, but…she said no."
"So…"
"So, no one has worn it, which seems like a shame, because…it's very pretty."
"Yes…"
"So, Nurse Lauren Hutchens…will you marry me?"
"Yes. Dr. Parker Stinson…I will."
He kissed her. "I love you, by the way."
"Yes, I figured that out." She smiled against his lips.
"Oh yeah, and how's that?"
"Well, you looked at me, like your parents look at each other."
"Is that right?" He grinned.
She smiled. "Yes…"
"Well…" he looked up at her, waiting.
"I love you, too."
He kissed her again. "I know."
"How could you possibly know?"
"Because you blush, and you've got the hots for me." He grinned.
She laughed. "That's not the same thing." She slapped his arm.
He pulled her into a hug. "For you, it is."
She kissed him. "You guys can come in now." She called.
The door burst open and everyone came over to hug them.
