A/N - This was harder to write then I thought it would be but once I got started I needed to get to the end before I stopped writing. I hope you all find this as good as the last two...Enjoy and reveiw...

Chapter Three – Being With You

He always enjoyed hanging out with Temperance. She was often stiff and focused at work, but here, outside of work she was relaxed and even happy. And she was getting on very well with Hunter, which is what he wanted. Temperance was a huge part of his life, as was Hunter, if they got on then he would be fine. He watched as they talked about movies and music, happy to see Hunter happy after such a hard week. After Victoria's announcement over Booth being Hunter's father, her health had gone drastically down hill, and within two weeks, Booth had been forced to move into the house with Hunter and Bobby, trying to keep Hunter in school and doing her homework. She didn't make it easy though and Booth found himself pushing her harder then he had wanted too, trying to get her approval on everything. But this dinner with Temperance was by far the best idea he had ever had. When dinner was over, the dishes done and Hunter sent upstairs to bed, Booth handed Temperance a glass of red wine and settled himself next to her on the sofa.

"Hunter's a sweet girl."

Booth smiled.

"You saw her on a good night. Often she's like the devil incarnate."

Temperance smiled back.

"Yeah, well she's thirteen, what more can you expect?"

"You can't have been like that when you were thirteen surely."

Temperance shook her head and Booth could almost see her running through her memories.

"I was worse. I was smoking, ditching school and being a right little brat to my parents. Oh and I wore black all the time. I hated everyone and everything."

Booth laughed as he imagined a little Temperance in nothing but black, sulking in the corner.

"You sound like a handful."

"I was."

"But you grew out of it obviously."

"Just after my parents disappeared, before Russ left me I got over that initial anger and was just beginning to enjoy being a nerd who loved books and science."

"I hope Hunter bounces back just as quickly as you did."

Temperance shook her head, her voice soft, and her eyes on the flames dancing in the fireplace.

"You never get over your parents dying Booth. She'll heal but the scar, hurt and anger will properly always be there. She misses out on all the things that her girlfriends get to do with their mothers."

"Are you still angry about your parents?"

"Yes. I hate them for leaving Russ and me, for allowing me to end up in foster care. But Hunter is lucky."

"Why?"

"She has you."

Booth felt the warm glow of pride he usually associated with comments about Parker, felt the slight flush from the compliment. If Temperance, a wise, intelligent and ferociously truthful woman, thinks that he could do it, then he could. Temperance drained the last of the wine from her glass, before standing and putting on her coat.

"I had better go."

"Are you ok to drive? Do you want me to call you a cab?"

Temperance punched him lightly in the arm as she opened the front door.

"I'll be fine worry wart. Thank you for dinner."

"Not a problem."

And here was the awkward part that seems to always arrive at the end of their time together. They weren't on a date despite the fact it felt like one but they were hardly just friends anymore. There was something more growing there, and neither of them seemed to know what it was. Booth took the chance and leaned forward slightly, pressing his lips to the soft skin of her cheek, allowing himself to linger a moment, inhaling the smell of her apple shampoo.

"Night Bones."

She smiled softly at him before slipping out the door. He stayed in the doorway, waiting till she had driven around the corner before finally closing it.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

Hunter was sitting quietly on the steps, Bobby beside her.

"No she's not."

"Then why did you kiss her?"

At thirteen, Hunter seemed to have a knack of knowing when someone was lying to her and Booth could tell that she knew that something was going on between himself and Temperance.

"I was saying good night."

Hunter nodded in a way that made him feel like a fool before frowning at him.

"Why did you stop loving Mom?"

Booth, staling for time, approached the stairs and sat on the one below Hunter's.

"People change and we just didn't change together, that's all. It happens sometimes."

Hunter fixed her big eyes on him.

"Is that why my dad stopped loving me? Because I changed?"

Hunter was far from the perfect child and Booth would often find himself driven to despair by the way she acted but he had still fallen in love with her. She was intelligent and quick, far from what he had ever expected. She was far more then he had expected. He struggled to understand how anyone could just up and leave her after thirteen years of knowing her. He wouldn't leave her and he had only known her for a couple of months.

"I don't know what happened with him Hunter, but he doesn't deserve to have you think about him ok? You need to focus on your mom and your school work and nothing else."

Hunter nodded, her dark hair falling in front of her face, making her look even younger. Booth gave her knee a quick squeeze before giving her a smile.

"You should be in bed, it's school tomorrow."

Hunter gave him a smile back before turning and heading to her room. Booth went back into the living room, poured himself another red wine and removed the file he had stored on the coffee table. It was all the paperwork he had to complete to legally adopt Hunter as well as to inherit all of the money that Victoria had saved for her daughter's future. She had opened six different accounts and in total it was almost two million dollars, more then enough to make sure that Hunter would always be looked after financially. There was a college account, health account, living expenses, clothing account, travel account for her when she was twenty-one and a general account. Her insurance company was paying all of her medical costs so that left Booth's responsible for the money. He felt uncomfortable doing all of this before Victoria had died, but the lawyers had insisted that it was better to be quick about these things or Paul could come and lay claim to some of it, which Booth didn't need. It was a lot of money but Hunter was going to need it. He had already decided to send her to some sort of counselling when Victoria passed on, to help her cope with how her life was going to change. He also wanted to go away for a little bit; somewhere sunny with her to give her a break from all of the pity that comes with losing someone you love, especially when you are so young. There was also the deed to the house that he had to sort out as well, find out whether Hunter wanted to live here even when her mom died or if she wanted to go somewhere else. There was so much to do and not much time at all to do it in. Sighing, Booth set to the task of writing his name and date of birth over and over again.

Feeling a little lost when he had first started staying here, Booth had installed a little tradition that was just his and Hunter's. On Saturday's they would go and get a couple of DVD's and watch them until quite late Sunday morning before finally going to bed. It was a fun way to spend time together that didn't feel surrounded by pressure and Booth discovered an interesting thing about Hunter. She was obsessed about movies. She could tell you some fact about almost every movie, the rating that most critics had given it, who directed it, wrote it and starred in it and what she herself and thought of it. She especially loved anything by Alfred Hitchcock. He had picked up a remake of the Psycho one Saturday and she had just rolled her eyes at him before picking up the originally.

"First lesson Seeley: Always go for the original over the remake."

He had smiled and continued to browse. They had also discovered a shared love of comedies and action, both deciding that Jim Carrey and Steven Segal had one these respective king titles. Hunter also loved the horrors that Booth found disturbing, the manic dolls and killer stalkers made her laugh and point out the things that made no scenes.

"The blood's too bright!"

"You don't scream like that!"

"Who would run down a dead end alley when a killer is after them?"

"Surely a head doesn't come off that easily? It would take a little more work then that."

"The dead body just breathed! Complete and utter crap!"

Booth was too busy trying not to cry out every time there was a flash of a knife or a masked mad man to comment at her yells. He had only seen her truly terrified when they had decided to get out Jaws one weekend. He had seen it in the movie theatre when he was younger, remembering how brave he felt as he snuck in, planning on having a hell of a good time. Ten minutes in and he was ready to never go to the beach again, to never set foot on a boat. For a movie made in the 1970's, it was terrifying. He had watched her out of the corner of his eye as she had jumped when the shark lunged out of the water, watched her body go stiff when that terrible music started. Only when the credits began to roll did she relax and flash Booth a wide smile.

"That was awesome! I hardly ever get scared like that!"

Booth loved the tentative bond that they were forming, loved the feeling that he got when he was around her, enjoyed finally being able to be her father.

They were watching a shared favourite of their's 'Ace Venture: Pet Detective' when the phone call came. Booth had answered, one eye on the TV as he said hello.

"Is this Seeley Booth?"

"Yes."

"My name is Maria and I'm a nurse here at Chance clinic. I needed to call you and tell you that Victoria Redman has gone down hill rather rapidly."

Booth didn't say anything, just placed the phone gently back in its cradle. Hunter had turned to movie off and gave Booth a sad look.

"It's mom isn't it?"

Booth nodded and watched as Hunter pushed herself out of her seat and ran up the stairs, reappearing a second later with a backpack and Bobby by her side.

"We're ready"

"We can't take Bobby in the hospital."

Hunter narrowed her eyes at him.

"Mom found Bobby on the side of the road when he was just three weeks old. He had almost no hair and could fit into the palm of her hand. She nursed him night and day until he was strong. Bobby has a right to say good bye as well."

Hunter was standing in the familiar pose that was clearly her mother's, the stubbornness rolling off her in waves. Booth nodded and they went out to his truck and drove to the hospital. Ever since she had been admitted, Booth had taken Hunter to see her mother almost everyday after school, especially at night, when he knew that Victoria was the most lonely. She was looking fine when they were here on Friday morning before school, but now her body had shrunk, her skin a horrible shade of yellow and her breathing was gaspy and jutted. Hunter had lead the way into the room, the one and only nurse at the desk giving them a smile, ignoring the other four legged visitor. Hunter had also ignored the machines that were dotted around her mother's bed, slipping her body beneath all the wires to lay at her mother's side, Bobby leaping up and taking the other, his head resting on Victoria's hip, next to her hand.

"Hey baby. I missed you."

Victoria kissed the top pf Hunter's head, her hand stroking her daughter's hair.

"I missed you too mom. Is it true?"

"I'm dying honey. It won't be long now."

Hunter nodded against her mother's side. Booth could feel tears burning behind his eyes as he fished a few dollars out of his pocket.

"Hunter, do you want to go and get a soda? I want to speak to your mom for a sec."

Hunter nodded and slipped off the bed, glancing at her mom.

"Do you want anything mom?"

"You know what honey? I would love a coke."

Hunter smiled and walked out of the room, leaving Booth a space to sit on the bed next to Victoria.

"I got the papers back today Victoria. I've officially adopted Hunter."

Victoria smiled and Booth could see a little of the light go back into her eyes.

"Good. Did you take care of all of the paperwork for the bank as well?"

"Yup. Paul will not get a cent. All of it will go to Hunter, just like you wanted."

Victoria smiled again, her hand coming to rest on Booth's. It felt frail and Booth could see the veins and feel the bones tracing beneath the thin skin.

"Thank you Booth. For everything. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"At least you told me. I would have hated for her to end up in foster care."

"Me too. I want something so much better for her. She could go so far."

Booth pushed some hair off Victoria's face.

"And she will, I promise. She's like you, stubborn as hell. She insisted that we bring Bobby in with us."

Bobby whined at the sound of his name, moving a little closer to Victoria, who buried her hand into his thick soft fur.

"I'm glad you did. I told Hunter I wanted him here with her for this. He's her best friend and mine."

Booth laid a quick kiss on the back of her hand, keeping it clasped gently in his, letting the memories of their rime together wash over him. Like the time her parents had caught them skinny dipping in their pool, or when he proposed after they both had to have their stomachs pumped thanks to some seriously bad seafood. She may have broken his heart, but they were happy together at one time and that's what he wanted to hold onto. Hunter came back into the room, three sodas and a bowl full of water in her hands.

"Sally said that Bobby needed water as well. She also said that she's coming in to adjust your meds soon."

She handed Booth a coke before placing her own on the table beside her mother's bed. She cracked the final can open, popping in a straw before offering it to her mother.

"Booth, can you give me a hand to sit up?"

Booth helped her adjust the pillows before she sipped on the coke with a happy sigh.

"That is really good. They haven't let me have any of that while I've been in here."

Hunter took her place next to her mom again and Booth slipped quietly out of the room, in search of a nurse. He found one behind the desk and realised it was the same one that Hunter must have talked too.

"Hey Sally. Can I talk to you for a second about Victoria Redman?"

"Sure. You're Seeley Booth right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Because Miss Redman specified that you were allowed full access to her medical records if required. What do you need to know?"

"How long has she got?"

"Judging by how she's going, it's only a matter of hours."

Booth nodded again and gave Sally a small smile before returning to the room. He leant down and gave Victoria a quick kiss on the cheek, his mouth close to her ear.

"I'll always love you Victoria. And I promise to look after the both of them forever."

"I love you too Seeley. And I know you will."

Victoria and Booth exchanged a smile before he left the room again, settling himself on a chair outside of the room, to allow mother and daughter some precious moments together. He saw Hunter reach into her backpack and pull out a tattered looking book and begin to read out loud, her voice carrying on the still hospital air. Booth recognised the beginning of the last chapter of Jane Eyre, Victoria's favourite book, pausing to sip at her coke, offering her mother a drink as well. Booth felt comforted by the fact that he had finally said goodbye and that he didn't lie to her. Some part of his heart will always belong to her but the passion that he had always associated to their relationship was long gone, and he did love her, just not in the way he once did. She was his first love and always will be.

The machines started bleeping a few hours later and Booth rushed into the room to find Hunter slowly switching them off, tears falling down her cheeks. She took her place back on the bed and clutched at her mother as sobs over took her, Bobby crying softly beside her. Victoria was dead, Hunter had lost her mother and Booth didn't know what to do with himself. So he let the tears fall from his own eyes, taking a seat at the end of the bed, his hand resting lightly on Hunter's leg.