Endings and Beginnings

Tempe was painfully aware that the weekend was coming to an end and she hated the thought. So did Seeley, but neither revealed their reluctance to get back to the 'real world' to the other. The next day was full of goodbyes. Lilah and Mark had a late flight, and Lucy and Greg lived only an hour and a half away, Jared and Alice an hour past that, so Tempe and Booth and Parker were the first to leave. He parted from his cousins reluctantly, and Tempe hugged everyone and exchanged email and phone numbers and Lucy did her best to elicit a promise of a Christmastime visit.

"If I can." Tempe answered non-comittally.

"We'd like to see you again." Tom said.

"Maybe you two will be next?" Lisa suggested, looking at Alice's ring. Seeley just smiled and hugged her.

"Bye, Mom."

The car was quiet until they stopped for lunch.

"Tempe, can you come over next weekend?" Parker asked quietly.

"Uh-," she looked at his dad for permission. He misinterpreted it.

"You're with your mom next weekend, buddy, remember? Cause I got you twice as long this time."

"Oh, right. Well, what about the one after that?" his eyes pleaded with Tempe.

"Dr. Brennan's really busy, bud." Seeley tried again.

"I'm never too busy for my go-kart buddy." Tempe smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Yea!" he cheered. "Can I go play now?" he indicated the plastic structure with the M displayed prominently. They both nodded.

"You sure?" he asked when Parker was gone. She nodded.

"If that's okay with you, I mean. I don't want to intrude – I know you don't get that much time with him…" she trailed off uncomfortably.

"You're always welcome with us." He covered her hand with his and squeezed gently. She blushed and looked for Parker.

"It would be impossible not to love him." She said.

"Yeah." He agreed, but he wasn't looking at the play structure.

The quiet in the car was more comfortable after lunch and less melancholy, interrupted intermittently by conversation. They dropped Tempe off first, and she opened the side door to give Parker a hug goodbye before meeting Booth at the trunk. She didn't even bother refusing his help, and he didn't try to stop her from taking a bag.

"Sit tight, okay, buddy?" he called to Parker, who agreed. He clicked the power lock before following Tempe upstairs.

"Thanks." She said as he put down her bags in the living room.

"You'll have to get a TV now. For the football." He said. Suddenly talking to his friend and partner was awkward and forced.

"Yeah." She forced a chuckle and agreed.

"I left Parker in the car." He said, looking for a quick exit. "Thanks again. For doing this." He sidled out the door, inching away.

"I think I should be thanking you, Seeley." She said, fiddling with the doorknob.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, yeah. But – um – Angela, she would probably get the wrong idea from this, so,"

"Yeah, right, we, uh, keep it a secret."

"Right."

"Okay."

"See ya." He smiled and took a step backwards.

"Bye." She said, and impulsively took a step forward to kiss him on the cheek. Face burning, she shut the door quickly and leaned against it to listen to his slow footsteps down the hall.

A/N: So you got your kiss (sort of). One more chapter to go.