All of a sudden it's the summertime.

Things change so quickly and I don't know why.

And it's all right now, it's all right. It's all right now, it's all right.

And you can stay here as long as you like.

It's kind of nice to have you by my side.

June had always been his favorite month when he was a kid. The weather was finally hot enough to go swimming and play baseball and ride his bike. He loved summer in general, but June was the first month where it really felt like summer. And even as he got older, and no longer had his summers off, June remained to be his favorite month.

Currently the month was living up to his expectations. He was at the pool with his three favorite people: Parker, Bones, and Katie. Brennan sat next to him, covering Katie in sunscreen. Parker was busy continuously jumping off of the diving board.

"I wish everyday was like this," Booth yawned, stretching his arms over his head.

"We'll be sure to retire somewhere warm," Brennan smiled. "Like L.A."

"First of all, Los Angeles? Really? And secondly, we're retiring together now?"

"Yes, really. It's warm and I could turn my books into movies. And we're partners, Booth. We don't work well with others, so I find that it is very logical for us to retire at the same time. "

"You're insane."

"Rude."

"Dad! Bones! Watch this!"

Booth turned his head to find his son bouncing on the high dive. "Whoa buddy, be careful! Landing wrong from that thing could really hurt. No belly flops or back flops!"

"Relax Dad, I'm not seven anymore. I'm not stupid either. Cannonball!"

Parker jumped off, tucking his knees into his chest and creating a giant splash.

"He favors that one jump over all of the others. Always has," Brennan mused.

"Well look at you," Booth started. "Memorizing my son's jumping preferences."

"What, you haven't noticed?"

"No, I – never mind. I just think it's sweet, that's all."

Parker ran over to them, dripping wet. "Did you guys see that? That lady over there said my splash was so big, I got her towel wet!"

"Did you apologize?" Booth asked.

"No. She didn't seem upset by it. She looked amazed."

"Parker –"

"Yes, we saw it," Brennan cut him off.

"Cool. Hey, do you want me to take Katie over to the kiddie pool for a little bit? We haven't had a lot of brother/sister bonding yet."

"Sure, that'd be great, Parker. Thank you."

She handed Katie over to him and watched as he took her over to the shallow little pool.

"Keep an eye on her, Parks!" Booth called after him.

"Don't worry, Dad! Sheesh, it's not like I'm going to let her drown."

"Booth, maybe should be a little easier on him. He's being a good big brother. And he's starting middle school in the fall. He's growing up and becoming a good man just like his father."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I still look at him and see him being Katie's age."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It means I still see him as a kid, my little boy…not my little man."

"They grow up fast, don't they?"

"So fast. Just you wait, in no time at all Katie will be talking about boys."

"Please, don't rush these things."

Booth laughed turning to check on his kids again. Katie was sitting in the kiddie pool, splashing Parker's ankles as he laughed.

"He's always wanted siblings," Booth stated.

"Well, I'm glad we could provide him with one, even if it wasn't under the best circumstances."

"That's for sure."

They fell back into silence as Brennan picked up her magazine and began reading. Booth had to laugh. Most women he knew would be reading In Style or some other garbage poolside. Not his Bones. Nope, she was reading The American Journal of Physical Anthropology. It amused him since he never thought that he'd be the kind to fall in love with the "brainy type." But love her, he did, brains and all.

"Interesting," she muttered.

"What is?"

"They seemed to have found this new technique to determine where the person lived based off the minerals in their bones."

"I'm sure it's very complicated and confusing."

"Actually, it's quite simple. You just –"

"No, no that's okay. I'm doing just fine without the squint talk explanation."

"Are you sure? It's fascinating."

"I wouldn't understand it."

"Suit yourself."

She resumed reading, allowing Booth to drift off for a little bit as the sun warmed his skin. In no time at all, he felt something wet land on his lap. He opened his eyes and found Katie staring at him.

"Where did you come from?" he asked, slightly startled.

Parker waved at him and then jumped back into the big pool.

"Here, I can take her," Brennan told him reaching for her. "Go play with your son."

Booth smiled, handed Katie over, and jumped into the pool after Parker. Brennan smiled, watching as they tried to dunk each other.

"Boys will be boys," she told Katie.

The child giggled in response just as Brennan's cell phone went off.

"Dr. Brennan," she answered.

"Hey, no work!" Booth called to her. "It's Saturday!"

Brennan waved him off focusing on the call. Parker took the opportunity of his dad focusing on Brennan to tackle him into the water.

"Hi, yes this is Dr. Berryman of Middle Tennessee State University."

"Oh Dr. Berryman, hello. It's been a while since I've heard from you. How are things?"

"Fine, fine. How about yourself? I heard about what happened to your friends. My condolences."

"Yes, thank you. It took some adjusting, but things are pretty good now here as well. So what can I help you with?"

"I have a dig opportunity I think you'll be interested in. A possible new descendant of Paranthropus robustus."

"I'm intrigued. Where at?"

"Egypt."

"But Paranthropus robustus was discovered in Southern Africa!"

"I know! That's what makes this so exciting! Even if it isn't a descendant, it adds to our theories of mobility if they were able to travel that far."

"I'm definitely interested. When is it?"

"We leave in August and we'll be there for about five months, probably."

"Oh that sounds –"

"Mama," Katie said, pulling on Brennan's towel and dragging her back to reality.

"Dr. Brennan?"

"It sounds great, but I have a 20-month-old daughter now. I can't just leave her for five months."

"Think about your career, Dr. Brennan. I heard about Maluku and what a let down that was. This…this is another opportunity to get published."

"I don't –"

"I don't need an answer yet. Just promise me you'll think about and I'll call back in July."

"All right, fine. I'll think about it. Thank you."

She hung up the phone and stared down at Katie in her lap. She couldn't really leave her for five months could she? And she couldn't leave Booth…look at what happened the last time they parted ways for so long.

"Everything okay, Bones?" Booth asked, pushing himself out of the pool and heading for his towel.

"Yes, fine."

"Who was on the phone?"

"Just an old colleague of mine."

"Ah, I see. Just calling to catch up?"

"Basically."

"Dada," Katie smiled, reaching for Booth.

"Come here, Katie girl," he said, taking her from Brennan.

She picked up her anthropology journal again, attempting to read. Only now she couldn't, because with each article she looked at, all she could think about was Egypt.

"Come on, I have an idea," Booth told her, once both of the kids were asleep.

"Booth, it's past midnight. I just want to sleep," Brennan complained.

"No, no come on. You'll like it."

He led Brennan out into the backyard and over to a blanket that he had strategically placed away from the tree cover.

"The stars are really bright tonight," he whispered, taking her hand and leading her over to the blanket.

She lay down next to him and gazed up at the sky.

"You're right. They are."

They remained in silence for a few minutes, as Booth rubbed small circles into her hand with his thumb.

"What are you thinking about?" Brennan asked eventually.

"If you were going to die tomorrow, what would you want to do?"

"Where did that come from?"

"You asked me what I was thinking about, and that's it."

"I – I don't know. I'd want to spend it with you."

"Me too."

"Booth…"

"I – sorry. I guess I just have a lot on my mind right now. Spending the day with you three, it just got me thinking about how bad it would suck to get in a car accident or something."

Brennan rolled over and propped herself up on his chest.

"Hey, now neither of us can see the stars," Booth said with mock protest.

She leaned forward and kissed his nose, letting her hair tickle his chin.

"No, but really, if you knew that you were going to die tomorrow, how would you want to spend your last hours?" Booth asked.

"In bed with you."

"I'm serious."

"So am I!"

"Brennan," he sighed.

"What? What's so wrong with that? I love sex with you and if we only had a few hours left together could you think of a better way to spend it?"

"That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

Booth didn't answer, instead adjusting his head so he could see the stars around Brennan's head.

"Is your tumor back and you're not telling me? Because if it is I swear Booth I –"

"No, no nothing like that."

"Then talk to me."

"Why do you trust me?" Booth asked, softly.

"What?" Brennan asked, cocking her head to the side. She was taken aback by the question; it really had come out of nowhere and had little to nothing to do with dying.

"Well it's just…it seems like ever since your family left, you've only ever trusted two people…Angela and me. And I mean, you used to hate me. You hated it when I called you Bones, and now you get upset if I don't. So just…why do you trust me?"

"I just do."

"Ah come on, Bones, you don't go around telling just anybody your secrets."

"You're not just anybody."

Booth remained silent, but he continued to hold her gaze.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked him.

"I…I don't know."

"I just…I've trusted you since the beginning. At Cleo Eller's funeral, I told you that my parents disappeared when I was 15. And I don't know why I told you that, I just don't tell people that. But you're different and that's really the only way I can think to describe it. Where is all of this coming from, Booth?"

"When you were giving Katie her bath, I dozed off. Parker really wore me out at the pool today. I know it was just a dream, but it felt so incredibly real."

"What happened in this dream?"

"You died."

Brennan cupped his face with her hands.

"And I know I'm being ridiculous and probably sound like a whiney teenage girl, but it physically hurts…the thought of losing you."

"There's nothing ridiculous about it. The number of times I've had that dream about you. You're getting shot, or drowning on that boat, or getting blown up in Afghanistan. After everything we've been through together…I'm here, Booth. I'll always be here."

She leaned down to kiss him. His hands tangled into her hair, keeping her there.

"Umm Dad?"

Startled, Booth and Brennan pulled apart and turned their heads in Parker's direction.

"Parks! How long have you been standing there?" Booth asked, untangling himself from Brennan.

"Long enough."

"Ahem, well, what I can I help you with?"

"Katie started crying and I don't know what to do to help her."

"I'll get her," Brennan said, pushing herself up off the ground and heading into the house.

"You love Bones, don't you?" Parker asked when Brennan was out of earshot.

"Yeah, buddy I do."

"Are you going to marry her?"

"See now that's a tricky question. Because I want to…I would love to, but Bones she…she doesn't believe in marriage."

"How does that work?" Parker asked coming to sit next to his dad on the blanket.

"It's complicated. But basically she doesn't see a reason for it."

"That's dumb."

"Parker," Booth scolded.

"Well it is. If two people love each other they should be able to stand before everybody and make a commitment to each other."

"When did you get so wise?" Booth asked as he nudged him with his shoulder. "Look I know what Bones and I have is unconventional, but it works for us. We're happy."

"Well as long you're happy. You've been unhappy for so long, and I hate seeing you that way."

"Did I look unhappy today?"

"No."

"Well then, I'm touched by your concern, but you don't need to be. This is the good life buddy," Booth said, ruffling his son's hair. "Hey look a firefly. First one I've seen all year. I remember you used to love catching those things."

"Ha yeah I did. I bet Katie will love it too someday."

"I bet she will," Booth yawned. "It's late. Let's go to bed."

He led Parker back into the house, told him goodnight again, and found Brennan brushing her teeth in their bathroom. He grabbed his own toothbrush, loaded it with toothpaste, and began brushing next to her.

"Well this is domestic," Brennan commented, spitting out the toothpaste in her mouth.

"And so very romantic," Booth said, spitting as well. "Look, we're combining our spit."

"Very mature," she laughed before taking a drink of water.

"What did Katie want?"

"A new diaper," Brennan responded, putting up her hair to wash her face.

"Oh well how nice of you to give her one."

"I try. You and Parker were out there for a while. Did you have a good talk?"

"Yeah. Smart kid, that one. Wanted to know when we were getting married."

Brennan stopped rubbing the soap onto her face and locked eyes with him in the mirror. "What did you tell him?"

"The truth. That you don't believe in marriage."

Brennan nodded and resumed washing her face. "Was he upset by this?"

"Sort of. He didn't get it. But I told him that we're happy and that's all that matters."

"Good Dad," she said, patting him on the head as she walked into their bedroom. "Did you bring in that blanket from outside? It's supposed to rain tonight."

"Yeah I did."

Booth crawled into bed next to her, watching as she put lotion on her hands.

"Lavender?" he asked, sniffing the air.

"Correct."

"We really have become a domestic couple, haven't we?"

"Who would have thought?"

"Angela," Booth stated.

Brennan burst out laughing. "You know, I bet you're right. If anyone could have predicted that we'd get here, it would be her."

"One of the things that saddens me the most about her being gone is the fact that she's missing all of this. She wanted us together from day one and now here we are."

"Well, the next time someone asks us why we're together, we have two options. We can either say that it was our dying friend's last request or that we're doing this to honor her memory."

It was Booth's turn to burst out laughing. "That's twisted…I love it. And you."

He gave her a quick kiss before turning off the lamp.

"I love you too. Good night."

"Good night, Bones."

AN: Yay for totally random fluffy chapters! Ahem. Only three chapters left after this one, and one more twist to be thrown your way. Reviews warm my heart. Also. I'll be out of town all of next week so I probably won't update again until the 4th or the 5th.