(In the Future)

A/N: Remember, these stories are not being told in a particular order. I just write them as I think of them.

I really don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

It was going to be a long day, but there were obligations that had to be fulfilled and he couldn't fail in his mission. Memorial Day and Veterans Day were special days in the Booth and Brennan household and the day began early in the morning at Arlington National Cemetery and ended in Philadelphia.

Brennan hurried into the bedroom to hurry her husband along. "We're ready Booth. The picnic basket and the cooler are in the trunk and everyone is heading to your SUV. Parker is driving down from New York and will meet with us at Arlington as planned."

"Good." Booth finished knotting his tie and slipped on his jacket. "You made the hotel reservations in Phillie?"

"Of course." Brennan grabbed her jacket and purse. "I made a reservation for Parker and Dene too."

After he grabbed his wallet, truck keys and FBI identification, Booth was finally ready to go. "Alright, time waits for no man."

"No, it doesn't." Brennan knew that this was going to be a sad day for her husband, but she was there to support him and she knew he would be alright at the end of the day. He always was.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Hank being the youngest member of their family, leaned over James Rawlings' grave site and placed a KIA flag into the ground next to the small American flag that was flapping in the gentle breeze. Once that was done, he moved back to where his father was standing and grabbed his hand. "Thank you for letting me put the flag in, Dad."

His hand firmly clasping his youngest child's hand, Booth looked down at the ten year old boy and smiled. "You're welcome, Hank." Booth turned and looked at his oldest child. "Parker, do you want to open up the cooler and the basket and pass around the sandwiches and Cokes?"

With the help of his wife Dene, Parker handed everyone in the family a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich and a can of Coke. "Okay, everyone is ready Dad."

"This is for you, James . . . Hank Booth, my grandfather and your friend promised you that every year we'd come for a visit and eat a peanut butter sandwich and drink a Coke just for you and here we are. You know Pops died eleven years ago, so we're here in his place. Thank you for your service, James. Without men like you we'd be in a hell of a fix." Booth ate his sandwich and drank his drink, his eyes on James' gravestone the entire time.

Once they were done, Christine gathered the empty plastic bags that the sandwiches had been stored in and the empty cans and placed them in the picnic basket. "We're done, Dad." She didn't want to push her father, but after she'd seen her mother glance at her watch for the third time, she knew that someone needed to get the family on their way to Philadelphia. "Parker and I can carry the cooler and the basket back to the truck."

Brennan placed her hand on Booth's arm and smiled. "The weather cooperated this year, thankfully. Last year's visit was very soggy . . . I think we can go now, Booth."

With a final glance at James' gravestone, Booth released his son's hand then turned. "Okay everyone. We're on the way to Philadelphia. We're probably going to stop for lunch outside of Philadelphia. Bones will call you Parker when we see a place we want to stop at."

"Got it Dad." Parker picked up the cooler, nodded his head at his wife and started to walk back to the parking lot. "This is the family you married into, Babe. We have our traditions and I plan to take over when Dad can't do it anymore."

"I would expect nothing less, Parker." Dene loved her husband and his family. They were generous and they never forgot their loved ones, even when they were gone.

Oooooooooooooo

The gravestones were neat and clean. The lawn in the cemetery was freshly mown and small American flags were planted on top of any grave site that contained a veteran. Booth stood in front of Jared's gravestone, crossed himself and prayed. Once the prayer was done, he spoke to his late brother. "Believe it or not, I talked to Padme last week. She called me to let me know that she's getting remarried. She and her fiancé are getting married next spring sometime. I wished her good luck . . . She never really did forgive me for not saving you, but she's kept in touch anyway . . . family obligations I guess. I visited Dad's grave before we came over here. Just wanted you to know that . . . You were a pain in the ass, Jared, but I miss you."

He felt the palm of Brennan's hand on his back and he appreciated her calming touch. "I'll come and see you next year." Moving over the grave site of his grandmother, Booth repeated the ritual sign of the cross and sent her a small prayer. "It's been another year, grandma and I managed not to get shot or hurt." He chuckled. It had been a few years since he'd stopped going into the fields for investigations, but he still wanted to assure his grandmother that he was okay. "As you can see, everyone is here. Parker is still working at the publishing company in New York. It looks like he might get a promotion and he might be going back to England, but that's not confirmed yet . . . Christine had an adventurous year this year . . . "

"Dad!" Christine crossed her arms against her breasts. "Great-Grandma, don't listen to Dad. I'm fine." She felt her cheeks blush, but she felt that she had to defend herself, even if she did technically steal her father's car and she got caught drinking wine.

Amused, Parker poked her in the side. "Sure you are kid."

Brennan turned and placed her index finger against her closed lips, trying to silence the children.

Ignoring his family, Booth continued talking to his grandmother. "Hank is playing hockey this year and he's pretty good and his grades are pretty good too . . . Bones published another book and it hit the New York Times Best Sellers List in the third week, pretty awesome right? Oh and she didn't kill Andy off like she threatened to do last year." He felt her punch him softly in his back and he laughed.

One more visit to make, Booth moved over to his grandfather's grave site, once more repeated the sign of the cross and said another prayer. "I visited James' and Dad's grave site this morning. We ate our peanut butter sandwiches with grape jelly this year . . . thought you'd like to know that . . . It didn't rain like last year, so we don't look like drowned rats this year . . . I miss you, Pops. Sometimes the kids will do something and I'll think I need to call you and tell you about it, but then I remember I can't . . . You were always there for me Pops, always and . . . and . . ." He couldn't continue. His throat was tight and he felt tears running down his cheeks.

Brennan placed her arm around her husband's waist and waited for him to finish mourning. Once he wiped his cheeks with his handkerchief, he placed his arm around Brennan's shoulders. "They really do take care of the gravestones here." Calmer, Booth turned and faced his children. "Thanks for coming with Bones and me, I appreciate it . . . Hank do you want to place your flowers in the vases now?"

Moving over to his great-grandfather's vase sitting next to the stone, he separated out some of the flowers and placed them in the vase. "Thank you for your service, Pops." Next, he placed some flowers in his great-grandmother's vase. "Thank you for taking care of my Dad when he needed it." Hank knew that his father had been raised by his grandfather and his grandmother. She had died a year after his father and uncle had moved in, but he loved her for her kindness. Last, he placed the last of the flowers in his uncle's vase. "Thank you for your service, Uncle Jared." The flowers now delivered the boy saluted his uncle's grave stone then turned to face his family. "I like the mums this year, Mom. They're pretty."

Pleased, Brennan motioned for her son to come to her. Once he was in front of her, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You did a very good job of distributing the flowers this year."

"Thanks Mom." Glancing around, Hank noticed that the sun was starting to set. "It's getting dark."

Their visit over, Booth motioned for everyone to move towards their vehicles. "Okay, time to go. We'll meet at the hotel, Parker . . . Dene." As everyone left the grave sites, Booth clasped Brennan's hand as they walked side by side. "We have a great little family, Bones. Thanks for giving me such great kids and being such a great step-mother towards Parker. I couldn't do everything that I do without you."

Watching Hank hanging on to Parker's hand as they walked to the parking lot, Brennan smiled. "I never counted on having a family, Booth. You gave me that. We make a great team."

"We do, Bones. We really do."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.

If you are curious why they visited James Rawlings' grave at Arlington Cemetery, you can read my story 'Memories' to find out.