A/N: We are now on the last chapter. It's a little rushed I think...so we'll blame Branwyn for that.

"What are you doin'?" Robin asked from the screen door. Tempe looked up from her laptop and over her shoulder.

"Working on my next novel," she answered with a smile. Robin pushed open the door and stepped out onto the porch.

"I haven't read your last one yet," Robin told the doctor as she took a seat on the steps. "The one you dedicated to Seeley."

Tempe closed the top on her laptop and sat it aside. "You'll get to it, I'm sure." Robin nodded and then looked down at her clasped hands. "You okay, Robin?" Tempe watched as the young girl's tongue darted out to wet her lips.

"It's just," Robin began. "I was just wondering."

"What is it, Robin?"

"Are you and Seeley gonna get married?" Robin asked in a hurry. When Tempe didn't answer, Robin looked up and saw the slightly shocked face of Tempe. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't."

"No, it's okay. Seeley and I have a very… unique relationship."

"What does that mean?" Tempe sucked in a deep breath and then slowly let it out.

"It means that it's taken us a long time to get to where we are, and I don't think either one of us have thought about marriage."

"Oh."

"But that doesn't mean that we won't." Tempe offered the girl a smile that she returned.

"So this is where you ran off too," Seeley said, coming out onto the porch. He dropped a kiss on Tempe's mouth and then sat down beside her on the swing. "So what are you two ladies talking about?"

"Just…girl talk," Tempe answered with a smile. Seeley looked from Tempe to Robin and then back.

"Somehow I don't think you're telling me everything."

XxXxX

"I like her," Colleen said as she pulled a sheet of cookies from the oven. Seeley sat at the kitchen table watching his mother.

"But."

"But, why but?"

"I know you Mom," Seeley said. "I can hear a 'but' in your voice." Colleen placed a second baking sheet in the oven and then turned to face her son.

"It's just that she's a little." Colleen fell silence. "I like her."

"She's just not what you were excepting," Seeley offered.

"Now Seeley, don't go putting words in my mouth."

"It's okay, Mom. I understand that Tempe can be a little…much. It's takes a while to warm up to her. She's had a hard life."

"I know, Seeley, and like I said. I like her. She's just not like anybody else you've dated."

"No, she's not. That's why we work so well."

"Are you thinking about marriage?" Seeley looked at his mom for a long silent moment.

"Possibly," he finally said. Seeley popped the last part of his cookie in his mouth, stood and left the kitchen.

XxXxX

"Ah, Tempe, didn't know you liked this kind of music." Tempe looked up as Bill Booth took a seat in a large back leather recliner. When she came into the living room looking for Seeley she had spotted the record player. After checking to see if it was plugged in, she searched the rack of records next to it. A smile touched her face when her eyes fell onto a spine labeled 'Little Jimmy Dickens'.

"My grandfather use to play this music," she answer. "I'm sorry, I should have asked first."

"Nonsense. You're welcome to anything. After all, not everyday Seeley brings home a pretty young thing." Tempe felt heat begin to creep into her cheeks.

"I'm sure Seeley's brought girls home before."

"Oh, yes, from time to time. But not since he got out of college. Not even Rebecca. Didn't meet her until after Parker was born."

"Really?" Bill nodded yes. "I didn't know that."

"You're very special to my son, Tempe. Every time he comes home he talks about you. It's Bones this and Bones that. Image our faces when he come home talking about some woman named 'Bones'." Tempe laughed.

"I can image. I hated that name when he started calling me that."

"But you understand that it's a term of endearment, don't' you?"

"I do now."

"Good. I've never seen Seeley look at anybody the way he looks at you. I mean that. You're very special to him, Tempe. Don't let my stubborn son run you off."

XxXxX

"Robin is a great girl," Tempe said turning from the bedroom window to face Seeley.

"Yeah, she's really grounded," Seeley said from the bed where he lay, arms crossed behind his head. "A lot like you. She knows what she wants."

"That true," Tempe answered, walking over to the bed and sitting down. She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "Did you have a nice talk with your mother?"

"It wasn't too bad."

"What did you talk about?"

"What did you and my father talk about?" Tempe pinched her lips together slightly and then kissed him again.

"Guess we'll just keep it to ourselves."

"Guess so," Seeley agreed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down to him.

"We should get some sleep."

"We should," Seeley repeated before capturing her lips.

XxXxX

"It's been great having you down," Colleen said as Seeley sat down his bag at the bottom of the front steps.

"It's been fun. Sorry we can't stay longer, but work calls."

"We understand," Bill said.

"You will come back, want'cha, Tempe?" Robin asked.

"Of course," Tempe answered, giving the girl a hug.

"You be good, Cupcake," Seeley told Robin giving her a hug of his own.

"I will."

"Come back anytime," Bill told Tempe hugging her.

"You take care of her, Son."

"I will."

"Please be careful," Colleen said, giving her son a hug.

"I'm always careful."

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Tempe."

"You too, Colleen." Everybody said their goodbyes as the cab pulled into the yard. Seeley loaded their bags, guided Tempe into the waiting car and then gave a finally wave to his family.

XxXxX

"I just wait to take a look at the remains," Tempe said as her and Seeley made their way through the halls of the Jeffersonian.

"It wasn't going to get up a walk away, Bones," Seeley complained.

"You didn't have to come," Tempe pointed out.

"Yes, I did." He smiled over at her as they entered the Medico-Labs.

"It won't take but a minute," Tempe said, heading to her office to retrieve her lab coat.

"Brennan, you're back," Angela called out from across the lab.

"Angela," Tempe said, almost saying her name like a curse. "I didn't think you would still be here."

"Knew that Booth would want a face," she started and then stopped. "You and Booth…arrived at the same time?" Tempe and Seeley exchanged worried looks.

"Umm, yeah. He gave me a ride." Angela moved closed to the couple, her eyes narrowed.

"And Lover Boy was fine with that?" Again Tempe glanced over at Seeley and then smiled.

"I think Lover Boy was just fine with it," Tempe said. A smile spread over Seeley's face as he moved forward.

"I was perfectly fine with it." Angela looked from Tempe to Seeley and then back.

"You and you?" she questioned. "For?"

"A few months?"

"Months? And I didn't know?" Angela rushed forward and wrapped Tempe in a bear hug. "Oh, this is so great! All this time you and Booth have been together and yet…. cleverly disguised as co-workers."

Remember, one more one shot to go.