I'm so glad you guys like the story so much, but the updates may take a little longer from now on, since this is where i am a up to date in writing the story, so it may be a little less fre quent like every few days, ok keep reading to see what happens next, and thanks so much for your great feedback :)

Brennan didn't usually acknowledge summers. The seasons didn't change in the cool serenity of the air conditioned lab. It was a like a perfect paradise of temperature controlled bliss.

She didn't know what people meant when they said that DC turned into the 7th circle of he11 during those final weeks of August. Why they would walk around with giant sunglasses perched upon their heads, and a light sheen of sweat coating their bodies.

When she left the lab at night, the sun would always be down, leaving the city in a dusky haze, a light breeze sweeping the city. That was the only DC summer she knew.

Now she knew.

She didn't know how hot it was, but it literally felt like a million degrees. She let out a frustrated sigh, as she fanned her face with her hand. The air was so damp and suffocating that she felt like she couldn't breath. Even if it wasn't raining yet, she felt like she had been completely drenched, and she could tell the sky was brewing with thoughts of precipitation, because of the dark stormy blue color the clouds were.

She leaned back against Booth, whose arms were wrapped lightly around her waist, his fingers were cool against her burning skin, and she smiled as he lightly kissed the top of her head.

"Booth…."

"Are you whining Bones, that's not like you."

"I'm not whining…it's just, why are we here? Its so god damned hot."

"We are here because its something you do Bones, listen to outdoor concerts in the summer. Plus, we can't all live in a temperature controlled museum all the time."

Brennan shut her eyes, hoping maybe if she imagined she was in the Artic somewhere, then she would really be teleported there. No luck. She did smile though, listening to the band playing on the raised stage over looking the park.

There were about a hundred couples sprawled out over the lawn, some with little kids who were squirming around looking for something more interesting to do, others alone, looking a lot more content with each other, then Brennan was feeling in the intense humid heat.

"Hey, I don't live at the lab. I live in my apartment."

She emphasized the word live twice, just so Booth would get the point. She didn't like the implication that she didn't have a life outside of the lab, and it was obvious that was what he was getting at. She had a life.

She had him.

"I know you live in your apartment Babe, all though I prefer when you stay with me."

She smiled, leaning up to kiss him softly. He had adopted a new nickname for her in the few brief months that they were together. At first she had objected, saying that he was objectifying her, but she learned to like it.

"Me too."

They sat for a while, watching the band play quietly as the clouds brewed over head. They were perched on top of the hill, so they had a clear view of all of the couples lying on the lawn below them. It was nice to be away from the crowds, just be able to listen to the music and be together, without being smushed together making it even hotter then it already was.

The band slowed their pace as it became later in the concert, and Booth suddenly grabbed Brennan's hand, pulling her up to stand next to him.

She looked up at him confused.

"What are you doing?"

"Do you want to dance with me Bones?"

She smiled, "There's no dance floor."

"Just go with it Bones, stop being so logical."

She scoffed, but he could see she was smiling.

"Fine, but I'm not a very good dancer."

He grinned at her, sliding his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him, while she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her face into his chest, enjoying being close to him.

They didn't dance so much as just move slowly to the music, entwined in each other. Booth nostrils were immediately filled with her smell, the lavender shampoo she used, mixed with the Coppertone SPF 45 that she had coated herself with. The sun block made him think of summer.

This had been their summer. The first summer they had been together, and he wasn't going to deny that it could have possibly been the best summer of his life. Just he and Bones and Parker. Or Parker sometimes.

The second side of her was the one that he loved even more than he knew. The side that would lie in bed with him for hours, and kiss him to wake him up. The side that hugged Parker, and brought him milkshakes and pancakes when he wanted them. The side that he could drag out to the real world, even with her protests and logical arguments.

He thought he had loved her before, but he hadn't even known her.

He knew her now, because it had been their summer. He didn't want it to end, and he certainly didn't want to forget it.

Tilting her chin so her eyes were staring up at him, he leaned down letting his lips brush her softly.

"Bones, I--,"

He was stopped by the sudden clap of thunder that seemed to split the world apart, quickly followed by bright flashes of lighting lighting up the dark sky. Shrieks from the concert goers were heard, as people scattered, the rain following predictably after the lighting.

It was soft at first, and then it was pounding down on their faces, soaking their clothes and their skin. It was warm summer rain, warm like the air around it. Brennan slipped out of his grasp, smiling, her dark hair plastered across her wet bare shoulders, the rain soaking her luminescent skin.

"We're going to get wet Booth."

He smiled, pulling her close to him, whispering huskily in her ear. "We already are."

She smiled as he slid his hands around her waist, pulling her lips roughly to him, the rain pounding down hard on their faces, as he closed his eyes, tasting her only her lips, and the warm rain that was pooling on them quickly.

His fingers drew circles on the soft skin of her back, her wet tank top clinging temptingly to her skin. She pulled away, smiling, looking up at the turbulent sky, catching the water with her tongue.

He slid his hands around her waist, pulling her lips roughly to him, the rain pounding down hard on their faces, as he closed his eyes, tasting her only her lips, and the warm rain that was pooling on them quickly.

His fingers drew circles on the soft skin of her back, her wet t-shirt clinging temptingly to her skin. She pulled away, smiling, looking up at the turbulent sky, catching the water with her tongue.

He couldn't help but notice the comparison between her dark eyes, and the stormy clouds above. There was always something brewing in her eyes, just like the rain brewed in the clouds before finally finding its release.

Drawing her close to him, his lips found hers again.

There was nothing like kissing in the rain.

March 27, 2011

It was a sad day when you felt like your 3 year old twins were acting more mature then you were. Brennan wanted to slap herself around the head.

She stared gloomily into her giant chocolate milkshake, and then across the table where Booth was chatting to the twins amicably. He appeared to be saying something hilarious because both Sam and Chloe were giggling hysterically, and she could see that their milkshakes were almost spurting out their noses, something that would not be very pretty to watch.

Booth caught her eyes, and he smiled. She smiled weakly back at him, wishing that she hadn't agreed to do this. It was too hard. She didn't know what to say to him, how to act.

After everything that they had been through. Everything that they had had, it made her physically sick to pretend like she didn't care. Like she didn't remember every second that they had been together. How she had felt being with him. Like she was finally free.

Most of all, it hurt the most to pretend like it hadn't been like a bullet to the heart when he left. To act like her heart hadn't broken when he left.

It was still broken.

She hated putting on a façade, and bringing Chloe and Sam, meant she had to. She wasn't going to put them in the same room with her, when she was so angry at Booth. So completely and irreversibly broken by him.

Parker turned his attention from the giant cheeseburger he was in the process of devouring, and onto Brennan.

"How's your milkshake Dr. Bones?"

She grinned, taking a sip. She couldn't be mad at Parker. He hadn't left her on purpose. He had been 5. He didn't have a choice.

Booth had a choice. He didn't choose you.

The thought was painful, but she knew it was true. That was why it was so hard to let him back in. He hadn't chosen her; he had turned his back on her, like everyone had. Like he promised not to.

"Its good Parker thanks."

Parker took a bite of his hamburger, and mumbled something that Brennan couldn't understand.

She laughed lightly. "What did you say?"

Parker swallowed and smiled at her. She wanted to look away; he looked so much like Booth it hurt.

"I said, that I'm glad you still like chocolate milkshakes Dr. Bones…I was afraid that you would be different."

"Sweetie, just because you were gone doesn't mean that I changed."

Chloe and Sam were now diligently coloring in the mazes on their kids menus, after listening to Booth tell them a joke about dinosaurs. They had long since finished their chicken dinosaurs, and Booth had had a fun time talking to them.

They were so much like Brennan, it was hard to believe. Chloe especially, she was just as single-minded, opinionated, and bossy as her mom.

Now that they had drawn their attention back to their coloring books, Booth couldn't help but catch the snippet of Brennan and Parker's conversation.

Parker looked down anxiously and then back at Brennan, his brown eyes huge.

"But Dr. Bones, things have changed. You have your own kids."

"That doesn't mean that you're not important to me Parker. I promise."

"But you and Daddy…you're not his person anymore."

"I don't know what that means."

"You're angry at Daddy."

Brennan looked over at Booth, who seemed to be listening to she and Parker's conversation. She had forgotten that they weren't exactly far away from each other, and now she didn't know what to say.

"Parker, I…"

"Why? Why do you have to be angry at him! Why can't things just go back the way they were!?"

Brennan could see that Parker was angry with her. She didn't want that. She hadn't even thought that her anger with Booth could be visible to Parker. He was 9 years old now, not 4.

It wasn't her fault. Booth was the one who had left. She didn't deserve for Parker to be angry at her. Why couldn't anyone ever be angry at Booth? They were always telling her to forgive him. To let it go. She couldn't let it go.

"Its not that easy Parker. People have to move on."

Brennan hated herself at that moment for being so logical. To a 9 year old, it probably just sounded like she was lying. He looked up at her, his eyes welling with tears.

Brennan had never felt worse. She looked over at Booth, who was looking, his brown eyes conveying the exact same emotion that his son's were. Hurt.

Why is everyone looking at me like that? I didn't leave. I didn't abandon them. They left me.

"I don't want them to. Why can't you just love him still? Please?"

Brennan didn't know how to respond. She was about to open her mouth, when Sam saved her. He tugged on her shirt anxiously, and she turned to look at him, temporarily forgetting about the Booth boys staring at her expectantly from across the table.

"Mommy!"

"What Sammy?"

"Chloe feels sick."

Brennan leaned over to see Chloe, looking paler then she usually did, a pained look on her pretty little face. Brennan ran a hand over Chloe's forehead. She felt warm. That was just what she needed, one of them getting the flu. It would be days before Sam got sick, and then only probably a matter of hours before she contracted whatever they had.

"Chlo, sweetie, do you feel alright?"

"My tummy hurwts mommy."

Brennan bit her lip, she felt like if there really was a god, that he had just saved her from a very ugly confrontation, which she was definitely not ready for.

Booth was looking quite concerned on the other side of the table. She hated him for that. That he was clicking so well with Sam and Chloe. Of course he would. He was their father. It was an anthropological inevitability.

"We should go."

"Yeah I understand, Bones, she doesn't look good."

Brennan managed to smile, as she stood up, pulling 20 dollars out of her back pocket, and simultaneously lifting Chloe out of her chair, holding the little girl tightly in her arms.

"I'm sorry Booth, for leaving like this."

"Its fine Bones don't worry about it. And don't worry about paying."

She dropped the money on the table, "No, I'll pay half," She couldn't stop the last words from tumbling out of her mouth. "Like we used to."

He smiled, "Ok."

Brennan reached down ruffling Parker's hair, "Bye Parker. Listen come and see me at the lab? We could get pancakes?"

Parker nodded, smiling weakly at the young scientist.

Brennan grabbed Sam's hand, as he skipped quickly behind them.

"Bye Boof!"

Booth grinned at Sam, waving. "By Sam, I hope you feel better Chloe."

The little girl didn't respond, as she was already asleep on her mom's shoulder, her dark hair covering half her face like Brennan's always did, no matter how many times she pushed it behind her ears.

Brennan smiled quickly at Booth before she turned, opening the door, letting the sound of the pouring rain fill the diner.

Booth stood up, decided that he needed to say something to Brennan.

"Daddy, where are you going?"

"I'll be right back buddy; I just have to say something to Bones."

Parker nodded, sitting back down in his chair, sipping his milkshake.

Booth opened the door, catching Brennan right before she stepped out from under the awning into the rain.

He grabbed her arm, and she whirled around, confusion plain on her face, as she was still holding Chloe who was fast asleep, Sam leaning against her side in exhaustion.

"What are you doing Booth?"

"Listen Bones, I just wanted to say, thank you for doing this. For meeting with me. I know how hard it is for you. It means a lot to Parker. It means a lot to me."

I did it for you Booth. Because I can't say no to you.

She looked out into the rain; her eyes clear as glass as he could tell she was thinking. She turned back to him, biting her lip softly.

"You don't know, but you're welcome Booth. It's for Parker."

Booth could see right through her lie, but he didn't call her on it. If that's what she wanted he would let her get away with it.

"So I'll see you at work."

She nodded. "See you at work."

Booth watched as she ran to her car through the rain, Sam trailing quickly behind her, while Chloe slept in her arms. It had been so unimaginable that she could have had kids, but now almost 4 years later, it seemed like anything could happen.

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