Author's Note: Okay...so I'm a terrible person! Turns out I fibbed just a wee-bit last time when I promised thatthis chapter was coming a week ago. Ooops! Soowry :oP From this point on...I pinky swear it...the chapters should be coming quicker. There are only a couple left in this fic...and then we're off to see the wizard! Or the next story in this series...I haven't decided yet :oP Hope you guys like...and as always, I shamelessly beg for your feedback :o)

Chapter 6

11:50 PM

"Well here we are in Times Square once again…and yes we're getting ready to bid farewell to yet another year. That's right, to all you folks watching at home, the countdown to 2006 is almost upon us…so get ready to gather your loved ones and start pouring that champagne as we prepare to wave goodbye to 2005 and ring in 2006!"

The announcer's voice rang through the room as Temperance sat nestled into the warmth of Booth's side watching the television.

Following their discussion in Booth's bedroom, they'd passed the time with Parker playing games, talking, and eventually wrestling with the child to get him ready for bed. For the last hour they'd sat here, perched in front of the television as Parker played with his toys on the floor in front of them.

And now, as she leant comfortably against her partner, Temperance relaxed into the simplicity of the moment and reflected on times past. It had been years...over a decade in fact…since she'd settled in to enjoy the time honored tradition of toasting to the New Year.

And as strange as the idea of spending New Year's Eve getting her butt kicked in Operation, being relentlessly tickle tortured, and feasting on Booth's delicious home made spaghetti, might have initially seemed to her…she couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere else.

For her, the truth of the matter was startlingly simple…with every passing moment she spent with Booth and Parker, she fell infinitely more in love with them…and the idea of having a family of her own.

And while she sensed that he knew her growing sentiments, Temperance longed to give Booth the words she knew he was waiting to hear.

Three tiny, simple, little words…

Out of context they meant nothing…but when strung together they would be the three most important words she'd ever utter.

And it was perhaps that knowledge, more than anything that kept her from speaking them.

"Ten 'til!" Booth announced matter-of-factly, arm extended as he consulted his wrist watch. "I told you he wouldn't make it," the proud clever little grin he sent her was almost enough to make her want to twist his arm in a torturing manner.

Wisely deciding instead to squelch her competitiveness in favor of a playful quirk of her brow, Temperance leaned her weight over the sofa to fully indicate her point.

"Hey…he's not out yet! See…" nodding over toward Parker's figure sprawled out on the carpet in front of them; they watch as the boy's eyelids drooped with heaviness, all the while he persisted in his haphazard attempts to push his toy car across the rug.

"Uh huh," Booth huffed good-naturedly, "…you're right Bones. He's gonna outlast us all."

Shoving her partner teasingly, Temperance winced at him momentarily before willingly being pulled back into her place at his side. The warmth of his breath as it brushed passed her ear, and the accompanying humming she felt as his chest vibrated beneath her when he spoke, once again reminded her of their closeness.

It was a thought that immediately drew her into contentedness.

"To be honest," she heard him mumble, "I'm surprised he lasted this long. Bedtime was hours ago."

"Yeah, especially after the fight he put up when you were trying to get him ready for bed," she observed.

In fact, Parker had been so insistent that he was not going to bed until after the 'big ball dropped' that he'd interpreted Booth's attempt to bathe him and get him dressed as a reneging on their agreement. Booth however remained convinced that the high-jinx he'd pulled were meant more for her benefit.

"That was interesting. Usually he's excited for his bath," Booth explained quietly.

"Well, in any case…I would have thought he would have fallen asleep by now," she mentioned conversationally.

"You…?" Booth starts in response before twisting slightly against her to gain a better view of her face, "Hold up a second there Bones! If you thought he'd already be asleep…why did you bet me that he'd last until midnight?"

Grinning conspiratorially she didn't let on that there was any flaw in his logic. Because what he'd obviously failed to consider were the terms of their wager. When after Booth successfully managed to dress Parker in his pajamas they'd bantered over how long he'd last before falling asleep…Booth had bet an intimate dinner between just the two of them that Parker would fall asleep before midnight. And while Temperance had staged a fairly convincing argument to the contrary, she'd merely wagered driving rights on their next case together that he wouldn't knock out until after they'd watched the ball drop.

Cleverly smiling in his direction, she watched quietly as Booth considered her with skepticism. Clearly he was still missing the point…

"Booth…I don't know what you're…"

Upon her retaliation, Booth's instincts kicked in. "Wait a minute…" leaning down into her, his voice dropped a whole octave.

I love it when he does that…

"Were you trying to lose our bet Bones?"

She quirks an incredulous brow at his accusation, even though it's fairly obvious to them both that that's precisely what she'd done.

"Now why would I do that Booth?"

"Uh huh…" he considered her with a knowing grin. "You know Temperance…"

The husky tone of his voice as he leaned ever closer into her sent a pulsating wave of tremors up her spine. If she hadn't already been sitting down, and carefully trapped against him, Temperance suspected she would have been knocked off of her feet by the sound of it.

"…If a romantic dinner…just the two of us, out together was what you wanted…all you had to do was say something."

"Well, I uh…" swallowing down to coat her drying mouth she neither closed the distance between them nor pulled away from his intrusion. "I didn't want to seem…you know…presumptuous. I guess I thought there was some reason you hadn't already asked."

"I see…" he smiled holding his distance, "…so you just patiently waited until the opportunity presented itself when you could wager a bet where the stakes were me taking you out on a date?"

"Yeah…why? Is that not the preferred method?" she attempted at casual. The result was a sudden slight break in the tension between them as he chuckled and she reciprocated.

"Temperance…" he whispered again, his lips were just a fraction of the distance they were a moment ago. "You never have any trouble speaking your mind, or even putting me in my place when we're working a case. Why is it so hard for you to do the same when we're not knee deep in skeletons?"

"It's not that it's hard Booth…it's just that I'm…I'm a little out of practice I guess."

As he nodded his understanding, the intensity in his eyes as he fixed her in his sights never wavered. "It's just me Temperance. There's no reason to be nervous."

"I know. I'm not."

"So…" he prompted. "Would you like to go to dinner with me?"

She nodded silently. He smiled teasingly.

"And…is there anything else you'd like now that we're on the subject?"

Swallowing down her anxiousness she clarified quietly, "You mean right now?"

Nodding quietly he waited somewhat patiently as he stayed suspended in position beside her.

"Yeah…I want you to shut up and kiss me already," then reaching for him she pulled him more completely against her and reveled in the sensation of his kiss as she ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

Indulging in the overwhelming intoxication that his lips provided, she drank of their warmth completely before they parted for air.

"See? That wasn't so bad now was it Bones?" His expressive brown eyes seemed to sparkle in the dim light that held them.

In answer to his question she merely shook her head and smiled coyly, content to let him do all the talking for the time being.

"And about our little bet…?" he queried.

Turning her head toward the floor she smiled at the picture that little Parker made sprawled amidst his toys, apparently unaware of their conversation as he dozed peacefully.

"I concede," she answered lightly, "…looks like you win."

"Uh huh. And it looks like you're gonna be seeing a whole 'lot of the passenger seat!" he grinned.

He's way too excited about that part…

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled half-heartedly as he returned them to their earlier comfortable arrangement on the sofa. Sitting upright, Temperance felt him adjust against her as he reached for the remote and raised the volume on the television slightly. The camera seemed to be trained once again on their host of sorts.

"Okay everybody. This is it! It's time to raise those champagne glasses and pull that special someone close!" Her smile grew as she felt Booth tight his hold around her slightly.

This was definitely getting more exciting…

They listened as he shouted into the microphone, "I've got to say…the energy here in Times Square is absolutely electrifying. Just take a look at the hoards of people out here in the streets. Thousands, upon thousands of people crammed in together as we get ready to welcome 2006." They watched quietly as the camera panned through different angles above the ground, and through the crowd of partying couples lining the streets. "Just another few seconds now…" they watched as the clock timer on the bottom of the screen began counting down the final sixty seconds.

Temperance could feel the excitement stirring within her. She wasn't sure how or why…but suddenly she was energized by the prospect of starting anew. The camera panned back and forth between the crowd, the announcer, and the tower as the ball continued its gradual descent; with every passing second she could feel her anticipation growing. And somehow in her dizzying excitement between the frenzy on screen and the sensation of Booth's embrace, Temperance realized that something was missing.

Forty-five seconds…

"Parker…" she called softly. With a hand on her partner's thigh, she pushed herself away from the comforting warmth of his body momentarily as she crawled across the carpet toward the little boy.

"Parker…sweetheart…wake up. It's time. The 'big ball' is coming down." She nudged him softly, and Parker's eyes slowly opened as he heard her.

"Tempe…"

Booth quietly watched their interaction with a tender smile as his son struggled toward wakefulness.

"Don't you want to watch the New Year with me and Daddy?" her voice soothed.

"Uh huh…" he spoke groggily as he lifted himself up enough to wrap his arms around her and nestled himself against her. Gathering the child securely around her, she padded back toward the sofa and climbed back up to her seat beside Booth.

Still reveling in the sight of his son so carefully tucked into her warmth, Booth encircled her again as his arm nuzzled her beside him. As he pulled them both closer, the voice of the announcer grew seemingly louder.

"Here we go! Ten! Nine! Eight!" the countdown commenced and Booth softly began counting with the rest of Times Square. Looking down at Temperance he smiled at the sight before him.

It was a beautiful sight indeed.

"Seven, six, five," she echoed gently and returned his tender smile. She loved him for giving her this moment.

"Four…three…two…one…" they counted together as the brilliantly lit ball reached its target, though neither one of them was watching.

"Happy New Year!" the man screamed into the microphone, as the music of Auld Lang Syne wafted through the speakers and filled the silence between them.

"Happy New Year Bones," he whispered as he lowered toward her and kissed her tenderly.

"Happy New Year," she gently returned against his lips.

As they eased away from one another slowly, the quiet voice that broke through to them this time came from the child nestled comfortably between them.

"Happy New Year Daddy…Happy New Year Tempe…"

Chapter 7 coming tomorrow :o) ...