WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY TIME

CHAPTER 6

Cadence slipped into her nephew's tent to see just what she expected Seeley with his son, and Temperance Brennan. They seemed to have fallen asleep in there when Parker was too scared to stay alone, at least tonight he would have his cousins. Seeley had his arm protectively wrapped around his son and his "partner".

Cadence knelt by her brother and began to shake him awake. She as usual was the first one awake on these camping trips, up before the crack of dawn. "Seel!" She whispered as she shook him a little harder.

His eyes darted open with alert, once he realized it was his sister he calmed down, "What?" he asked a little cranky.

Her head turned slightly in Temperance's direction, "If mom finds you like this you won't hear the end of it, come on." She tugged on his arm.

"Always looking out for us, aren't you little sister. Shouldn't it be the other way around?" He asked her with a smile as they left the tent and closed it back up.

"She was asking about you two last night." Cadence said casually.

"What?"

"She asked me if you had talked to me about her. And she was talking about the way you two look at each, imagine if she had caught you two asleep together." She teased him sitting down on one of the logs around the extinguished fire from last night. She leaned over to the container, which held their food and pulled out a box of cereal and poured some into a paper bowl, then handed the box to her brother.

"You two really need to stop reading into things." He told her shortly.

"You're going to start lying to me? Of all people Seel!" Cadence looked into his eyes.

He didn't want to lie to his sister; they had always had a warm relationship and a very honest and open one at that. Whenever she had a problem she called him. And he did the same. There was really no explanation for it; they were eleven years apart in age, so they only spent a short amount of their childhood together.

"It's nothing, we're just partners." Which was the truth, there was nothing going on between them. Why couldn't anyone believe they were just friends?

"I see the way you look at her," She put a small handful of cereal in her mouth, "And I know that look."

"Can't you just drop this?" He asked her.

"Absolutely not!" She looked at him seriously, "You are my family! And all I want is for you to be happy and to stop thinking so damn much. Why are you so afraid to take a risk with her?"

"Because she's too good for me." He blurted out, just like he always did with his sister. Somehow she could extrapolate information from him that he never intended to tell anyone.

"What?" her voice got slightly louder, "No offense but that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard!" She touch his arm encouraging him to look at her, "You are one of the most amazing men I have ever met, and not just because you're my brother, but because you have a heart of gold. You are always there for the people you love. You go above and beyond every time. And you always put others before yourself." Her eyes ere soft, "Please tell me you understand me?"

"You don't know her, she's so much better than I can ever be."

"She's smarter you mean?"

"She's a genius."

"And yes you're just stupid." She said sarcastically, "Seel you have a different type of intelligence, not everyone can be book smart. If they were how would criminals get locked up." She squeezed his shoulder, "Don't do this to yourself."

"Why are we even talking about this?" He asked her finishing up his cereal, "She is not attracted to me whatsoever, trust me she has no boundaries she would've said something."

"I'm telling you this as a woman, they way she looks at you is not the way you look at a friend." The sincerity in her voice was obvious.

"Come on let's forget about this, and enjoy this weekend."

"Seel, can I ask you one last thing?"

He got up and held his hand out to help her up, "Go ahead."

"You're afraid she's going to be another Rebecca aren't you?"

The silence between them seemed to go on for hours, he didn't know how to answer this, and he couldn't believe how well she knew him, "Yes." He answered simply.

Cadence nodded, "Rejection is a way of life Seeley, but I can tell you this someone who is just partners with someone doesn't put her job on the line to make sure you're rescued from the gravedigger, someone who is just partners doesn't call your brother to steal a body from the FBI. " She finished with a bright smile.

Seeley leaned down and pulled his sister into a hug, "You're the best you know that?"

"Pretty much." She said hugging him back, "Just promise me one thing, you'll consider everything I told you and for once in your life put yourself first before you find yourself living in regret."

Seeley kissed the top of her head, "I can promise you that."

"You love her…" His sister teased in a singsong voice. Seeley jabbed her in the ribs causing her to let out a squeal of laughter.

"Good morning dears" Julie said approaching her children and kissing their cheeks, "Up bright and early I see"

"You know me," Cadence said.

"Ah yes my little insomniac." Julie said pouring herself some cereal. "Why don't you guys round up the troops?"

Seeley and Cadence smiled widely at each other each reaching for their whistles. They were going to have one startling wake up call.

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A/N: Hey guys I had a super busy week and will have another busy one coming up so I don't know how long it's going to take me to update. But here's a brother/sister moment while you guys wait.

Thanks for all the feedback I really appreciate it! Keep it coming!