Sorry this took so long, some personal issues have kept me distracted but then I remembered how good writing this feels and how good I feel when I read my reviews…so…BACK TO WORK!!!!

Chapter 49

At 6 pm Temperance was sitting at her computer with a smile on her face. During the day she had been distracted because she wanted to get Seeley a present but didn't know what. Finally, she'd remembered something he'd mentioned in a previous conversation and she'd spent her lunch hour (and the hour after it was over) searching for the perfect one. She had called Vivian, who had been ecstatic, and she was more than happy to pick it up and hide it.

She was still grinning when she felt someone watching her. Looking up at her doorway, she smiled.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

I'm just about done here, just need to send this new chapter to my editor."

"Do I get to read this one?"

"When it comes out."

"Booones."

She laughed and winced. His eyes immediately widened in concern.

"You OK?"

"Yea…knot in my neck."

"I can help with that."

"Yea?"

"Sure thing."

He came around behind her and pressed his thumbs into the base of her neck. She groaned softly.

"Tense, Bones?"

"Maybe a bit…this is helping though."

"Glad to hear it."

He worked the knot out of her shoulders and she let her head fall back in comfort. She saw him smiling down at her.

"Better?"

"Much."

He bent down towards her and kissed her upside down. When they pulled apart, he was grinning.

"What?"

"Always wanted to try that after seeing Spiderman."

"That guy with the spider powers? Why?"

"You know who Spiderman is?"

"I had a brother, Seeley."

"Oh…right. Well, in that movie he kisses the girl while he's hanging upside down. Just wanted to know what it would be like."

"I see…and?"

"Very, very nice."

"Happy to help."

"You ready yet?"

Without looking away from his face she clicked 'send.' She reached up and tugged him down for another kiss.

"Mmm…you're right. That is nice."

"Told you."


"This was a good idea, you two. I can't remember the last time we all got together when a case wasn't involved."

"All Vivi's idea, Ange."

"I knew I liked her."

"Not as much as Zach."

The four of them turned to the youngest member of the team but he appeared to have not heard Hodgins comment. He was staring down the hall, lost in thought.

"Zach?"

He didn't even blink.

Seeley searched the look in Zach's eyes and for a split second the younger man's gaze flickered to his…and he knew.

"You three go ahead in, keep Vivi from going to far overboard…not that she already hasn't I'd bet."

Temperance looked at him curiously but he just nodded in assurance. She went inside, leaving the two men alone.

"She told you…didn't she?"

Zach looked at him again and held the gaze. There was afire in the young man's eyes that Seeley had never seen before. He nodded slowly.

"You weren't there…she had to suffer alone for so long…"

He could hear the barely restrained rage in Zach's voice.

"She never told me how bad it really was Zach…"

"That's no excuse. You had to have seen. We can all see how much you two care about each other so if that's the case then you had to have seen. It would've been impossible to miss. It was killing her."

"Zach-"

"You were supposed to keep her safe. You were supposed to be there when she needed you. You were supposed to do something other than leaving her to that."

In any other situation Seeley would've lost his temper by now. But he hadn't because he knew that an argument wasn't necessary.

"I know."

Zach looked at him as if he'd expected him to deny it.

"Zach, I know I should've been there…protected her. It's torn me up thinking that there was more I could've done and didn't. I love my sister, Zach, and if I could do anything…anything at all…to change what she's been through…I would."

"So do I…"

"You 'do' what?"

"I…love her too."

Seeley was about to say 'you barely know each other,' or something like it but looking at Zach he knew it was true.

"You tell her then."

"I should?"

"Yea. Now come on. Before she thinks I'm giving you a 'father-with-a-shotgun' lecture."


"There you two are! What took you so long?"

Vivian looked suspicious to say the least. Seeley put a hand on Zach's shoulder and smiled at her.

"Bonding over a shared attachment, sis."

"OK…"

"What's for dinner? I'm starved."

She grinned and nodded at the living room. Both turned and felt their jaws drops. There was food on just about every flat surface in his living room.

"Vivi…what…is all that?"

"Well, on either side of the couch are coconut shrimp and spinach puffs. Pork dumplings up on the mantle. Shish kebabs on the coffee table…beef and chicken. Oh! And lobster rolls and crab cakes are on the coffee table too."

"Vivi!"

"What? I needed to cook, Seeley. Now get inside, I'm almost ready with the other thing. Zach, come give me a hand?"

She winked at him before hurrying into the kitchen, Zach behind her.

Seeley shook his head and went to stand beside Temperance.


"You OK?"

She looked up at Zach from her 'project' and smiled softly.

"Yea…I'm good."

"You sure?"

"No…not really…but you being there to listen helped a lot."

She got up and moved over to the refrigerator to pull out the bottle of wine she'd found in her brother's pantry. He was probably saving it for a special occasion. 'Doesn't get much more special than this bro.'

"I love you."

She froze at the counter, her back to him. She was glad she'd put the bottle down.

"You…what?"

"I…love you."

She turned slowly, her eyes wide and fear plain in them.

"Zach…"

"I don't expect you to say it back…I really don't. I just…thought you should know."

"But…"

"No…I said it and it's OK…nothing's changed. I'm pretty sure I loved you from that first day so…all that's changed are the words really. I wanted to say it at least once…I won't say it again unless you ask me to. OK?"

She knew she was gaping like a fish but she had no idea what to say. So she just nodded.

"Are you two coming out here any time soon!?!"

"We'll be right there!"

He smiled and took the bottle of wine off the counter. He held his hand out to her and she hesitantly took it. She picked up a stack of papers from the table as they entered the living room. She regained the use of her voice as she saw everyone talking and eating happily. It was time for her surprise.

"OK…Zach, Angela, and Jack. I need the three of you to sit on the couch. Tempe, Seeley, I need you guys on the loveseat."

There was a chorus of 'umm…sure' and 'OK…'s' but they were all seated quickly, Temperance and Seeley fighting to not smile.

She pulled out three envelopes and handed them to the three on the couch.

"Don't open them till I tell you."

She went and perched on the armrest beside her brother, a smile on her face.

"OK…go."

Hodgins and Zach looked at the enveloped warily and opened them slowly but Angela (of course) dove right in. Vivian knew what Angela would see and she started counting off in her head. '1…2…3…-'

"Oh my God…"

Angela's eyes were the size of dinner plates. She looked at what was in her hand and up at Tempe and Seeley then back down…then up at Vivian…and back down again.

"Oh my God. OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD, ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?"

Hodgins and Zach were looking confused and a little frightened at Angela.

"What's going on?"

"THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED!! OH MY GOD, THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED!!!"

"WHAT!?!"

"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED?!?!"

Seeley looked at Temperance and smiled. She grinned back and pulled her ring from her pocket and slid it onto her finger.

"OH MY GOD!!!"

Angela through herself off the couch and onto the couple. She was crying and laughing at the same time as she hugged them.

"You…you two are…getting married? I thought you didn't believe in marriage!"

"It's my 'charm' smile…impossible to resist."


The others had left and Seeley, Temperance and Vivian were cleaning up. After the last dish was in the dishwasher he flopped onto the couch. Temperance dropped down next to him and Vivian was sprawled out on the loveseat.

"What do my girls wanna do tonight?"

Vivian sat her head up and looked at Temperance. They had already discussed this.

"Well…actually, bro…I'm taking Tempe's car back to her place and I'm gonna stay there for the night. Give you two a night alone."

"You're OK with that?"

"Of course. You two need to celebrate without the threat of your teenaged sister walking in like that again."

"But first…I have a present for you."

"What?"

Vivian grinned and left the apartment.

"I want you to get it now because Vivian's going to take it with her tonight and bring it back tomorrow."

Vivian came back with a large box in her arms and a broad grin on her face. She put the box down on the coffee table and sat down once more to watch.

"Bones…what is this?"

"Something you mentioned you wanted."

He smiled up at her and leaned forward to open the box. The two women shared a smile over his head.

He opened the flap and looked in. For the second time that day he found his jaw dropping open. He looked up at Temperance with shock-filled eyes.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

A grin lit up his face and he reached into the box and pulled out the squirming form of a golden retriever puppy. The puppy was small enough to fit in the palm of his large hand and nestled into his chest. He scratched it behind the ears and it snuggled into him before curling up into a ball for sleep.

"She's a girl."

"She's beautiful. This isn't fair, Bones. You can't keep surrounding me with such gorgeous girls. Everyone else is bound to be jealous."

They all laughed and the puppy shifted before cuddling closer to Seeley.

"Have you named her yet?"

"Vivian actually came up with something and I like it."

"Oh, yea? What is it?"

She reached over and stroked the puppy's head, smiling at her.

"Well…I figured since you call Tempe, 'Bones,' that maybe you had a theme going…so I suggested Tibia…Tibby as a nickname."

Seeley laughed and looked at Temperance before looking down at the puppy.

"Perfect."

A/N: I really couldn't help myself…I know this chapter is long but I just couldn't stop. I plan on getting two dogs when I get older and I plan on naming them Tibia and Femur…lol…I love it, hope you all do to!