Well, the Angst Train has officially ended people. Thanks again for all your support and, if I liv through this cold/flu/demons-playing-inmy-lungs-and-brain thing...there will be more fics to come, so see you soon!

---A Year and a Half Later---

April stood and held her champagne glass full of sparkling grape juice high as she scanned the restaurant full of people. Her heart was nearly beating out of her chest, she was not a public speaker by any stretch of the imagination. But this was an important day, and she had important things to say.

"I know it's traditional for only the Bridesmaid and the Best Man to give a speech, but since just about everything having to do with this wedding has been untraditional, I hope you won't mind if I say a word or two."

Untraditional indeed. The bride wore red, 'the color of passion' she said. So to match the bridesmaids wore black evening gowns with red sashes, the groomsmen's' wore red on red shirts and ties, while the groom wore white on red.

The bride refused to be married in a church, insisting her groom would have to settle for God's "creation" instead of God's "house" but kept her opinions on the absurdity of God having either 'creation' or a 'house' to herself, much to the delight of the groom. The attendance at the small gathering had been small, and now the brides' family, grooms' family and all their close friends were gathered into their favorite, untraditional restaurant, where no one knew what they were going to eat until the owner brought it to them.

A few nods and smiles encouraged her to continue so April turned to her left, where the bride and groom sat.

"Well, all of you look up here and you see a daughter, a son. A loving father, a brilliant doctor, a brother, a little sister, a good friend, an anthropologist, a federal agent, a war veteran, the best investigative team in the country." April glanced around quickly as she spoke. Booth's family sat at a table nearby, the squints were seated to her right. Russ and Max stood near the wall beer in hand, smiling warmly.

She took a deep breath and continued slowly. "I look at them and I see all that, but I also see two people, who give freely, who love wholly and who never give up, on anything…or, anyone." Tears gathered in her eyes, but she continued without a single waver in her voice. "I see the one woman in the world who could ever stand toe to toe with my unbelievably stubborn Uncle Seeley and his Charm Smile. And I see the only man in the world who would ever stand a chance in convincing the equally stubborn Dr. Brennan to participate in this archaic institution of marriage." A few polite chuckles floated on the Jasmine scented air and the pair in question sported identical tiny eye-rolls.

"So please, join me in raising our glasses to congratulate two people we all love, Doctor Mrs. Temperance Brennan-Booth and Special Agent Mister Seeley Booth-Brennan." She ended with a smile and laughed when everyone erupted in cheers and glasses clinked all over the room.

---

Well if he isn't just the cutest thing ever in that blue tux.

---

"C'mon, one dance." April stuck out her bottom lip, executing a perfect, you-can-deny-me-nothing pout. Reluctantly, the man in question rose from his chair, all the while being poked and prodded by Angela and Hodgins.

"You have to promise not to let Booth shoot me." He said, in all seriousness.

"I promise Zach. He doesn't even have his gun on him…I checked." April said brightly, grasping Zach's hand and pulling him out onto the dance floor.

"But I don't know this dance." Zach complained, even as April arranged his hands appropriately, his left in her right, his right on her hip.

"Merengue Zach, it's easy, look," April began swishing her hips from side to side exaggeratedly, trying to show him the step, "all in the hips."

"That's what I'm afraid of." But he made an effort anyway, and once he stopped glancing around trying to locate Booth, he actually was quite good.

"Wow, I didn't know you had such great rhythm Dr. Addy."

Zach nodded. "It's really just a simple mathematical calculation in order to establish the pattern of the beat."

April threw her head back and laughed only a little bit louder than necessary. "Oh stop that." She smiled, slapping him in faux flirtation.

Zach eye'd her. "Have you been drinking the punch? Because I think Hodgins may have managed to get some pure alcohol in here and…"

"No Zach." April said through her teeth, a smile plastered on her face and holding his hands as she spun herself in his arms. "I'm trying to make someone jealous."

Zach frowned. "Who?"

"Her." Zach followed April's pointed gaze to a girl in a green dress with dark hair and eyes, staring at them from the other side of the dance floor.

"Who is she?"

Again April laughed and Zach waited until she was finished. "Her name is Gina and she thinks you're totally hot."

Zach's eyes widened. "Her?" He asked in almost disbelief. She was well-structured indeed.

"Uh-huh. But she's too shy to come over here and talk to you, so I figured I'd give her a little motivation."

"Are you sure she's not…" Zach was interrupted as a slender finger tapped April on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, could I cut in?"

April looked at Gina and then back at Zach. "Well, I don't know Zach and I were having such a good time and…"

Zach took his que as if motivated by a normal social awareness. "And I'm sure we'll get the opportunity to dance again sometime." Then, extending his hand to Gina, he smiled. "May I?"

April crossed her arms and watched them walk away with a satisfied grin on her face. A soft instrumental song began and her grin widened as Zach awkwardly stood there for a moment before Gina drew her arms up around his neck, pulling herself closer than the song actually required. Zack threw her an I'm-in-over-my-head look and April merely grinned, excitedly giving him the thumbs-up and a wink.

"Pleased with yourself?"

April nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice that was suddenly in her ear.

"Yes, actually. Zach needs a girl. You and Hodgins got one, shouldn't he?"

Booth glanced over at Zach and then back at April. "I suppose, though Bones would not be happy to hear you talking about women as if they were livestock." He teased and April rolled her eyes.

"Shall we?" He asked, extending his hand. April grinned and allowed him to lead her out onto the dance floor.

Booth smiled as he watched Russ lead his sister out onto the dance floor for a dance, the look she wore as she did so was enough to melt his heart.

"She is beautiful tonight, isn't she?" April asked, following Booth's rather obvious stare.

He nodded. "Gorgeous. I told her so, but she doesn't believe me."

"Well, just keep telling her that, she'll get it eventually."

"I hope so."

Booth began humming softly and playfully spun the girl in his arms just to see her smile.

"That was a beautiful speech you gave Bug."

April rolled her eyes. "Thank you, but Seeley, it's been over ten years, you think you could drop the Bug thing?"

He calmly shook his head. "Not a chance."

April heaved a dramatic sigh, but smile remained firmly on her lips.

"So what's on your mind?"

"What are you talking about?" April frowned up at her uncle, doing her best not to let the nervous show on her face.

Booth only raised his eyebrows. "April I've known you since you were born, you don't think I can tell when you've got something serious on that mind of yours? That's why I asked you to dance, it was the only way I could get you alone to talk."

"Aw, and here I thought it was because you were jealous of Zach." She said with a smile, twirling away from him and in again in her black pumps.

"Well, that too." He winked at her, "Now seriously, what's up?"

April sighed. "No Seeley. Tonight is about you and Seeley. You and Tempe. I'll talk to you when you get back from Jamaica."

This caught Booth's attention and he looked down into April's decidedly more serious face.

"No, I think you better tell me now April."

"Smile Seeley." April said through her teeth and fake smile. "We're at your wedding remember."

Well, he couldn't quite muster a smile, but he did manage for less concerned/somber.

April sighed and diverted her eyes. "The other day when Tommy and I went out, after he got back you know?"

Booth nodded, he remembered of course. Tommy Hopkins had just graduated from the Military Academy and showed up on Booth's doorstep in full formal attire, hat and all.

"Well he asked me something, and I answered him and I don't you to freak out, okay?" She asked, looking up at him with those huge, deep green eyes. Booth had to strain to hear her between the music and the people in the room, and the fact that April was back to her self-conscious muttering instead of self-confident teasing she'd been using before didn't help much.

"I'll try not to…what did he ask?" He narrowed his eyes slightly in suspicion, but was conscious of trying not to frown, though he couldn't have been more anxious about what she was about to say.

April's need for several deep breaths before speaking did not bode well for him.

"He, um, he asked me what I'm doing for the rest of my life." She felt Booth go rigid and took advantage of the moment to pull him off the dance floor to a spot a bit more quiet where she could talk easier.

"What did you say?" Booth forced his voice to remain calm, not wanting to scare her off before she had told him everything?

"I-I told him that I didn't know…but that I wanted him to be a part of it."

Booth closed his eyes, suppressing a sigh and raised his hand to his face, but April caught it, her eyes searching his frantically.

"Booth I know we're young. We know we have a lot going right now, with Tommy starting college and me graduating. We haven't set a date or anything, you know? It's just…it's there. Neither of us can imagine our lives without each other. To be honest it scares the shit out of me, the thought of him not being there. I love him, Seeley. I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

Booth clenched his jaw, but his stance softened a bit as he met the desperation in April's eyes. "April, you don't know what you want to do next month, next week for that matter. What makes you think he's what you want for the rest of your life?" He said quietly, wishing to reason with her more than argue.

"Because, Seeley, we've been through everything together. He's my best friend, he's a part of me. Besides he's good for me, you said so yourself." Taking a step close, April touched his arm and waited for him to meet her eyes once more. "Please, Seeley I want you to be okay with this. I need you to be." She whispered urgently.

Booth opened his mouth, but she answered his question before he could get it out.

"Because…" She paused, breathing, "Because, you are the closest thing I've had to a father…since my actual father. I love you Seeley and I would love for you to…walk me down the aisle, when the day comes."

The vulnerability and hope that emanated from her eyes like a spotlight to his soul would have made it impossible for him to deny her anything in that moment. And, incidentally, the shock of her request also choked him up with unexpected tears and all he could do was reach out and pull her close.

"I'd be honored, April." He whispered, voice thick with emotion as he crushed the small girl to him.

April smiled and then laughed with relief, hugging him back with all her strength.

Suddenly cheers and whoops broke out all over the room and Booth and April looked up to find that Brennan had just, undoubtedly begrudgingly, tossed the bouquet and was now searching for her new husband.

Booth looked back down at April.

"Go." She said immediately, "I'll see you when you get back."

Booth smiled, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "I love you."

"Me too." She said quickly, and just as quickly, he was off, pushing through the crowd to take the hand of the new Mrs. Brennan-Booth.

April stood near the corner and waved, laughing when Booth leaned in to whisper something in Brennan's ear, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Then he grinned, pointing to the corner and Brennan stared at April, a mixture of shock, horror and delight on her face as April proudly pointed to her newly ornamented left hand.

'Why?' Brennan mouthed to her, ignoring for the moment, her bridal party who was trying to push her out the door.

April smiled and pressed her hands to her heart, shrugging, as if to say she really had no choice in the matter. Brennan nodded knowingly and waved, her wedding present from Booth, her own set of keys to the SUV, securely clamped between her fingers.

Along with everyone else, April waved as the car sped off, wondering what Booth would do if he found out she'd promised to let Tommy stay over for the weekend. She decided it was a good idea he would be in another country, safer for everyone that way.

---

I never saw this coming. I mean, who ever thought the screwed up little kid with no family and a thing for the color black, would one day grow up to be that girl. The one with the amazing boyfriend and people, quirky, eccentric, loyal, caring people all around her who love her? A girl who's father loved her and who, in a way, never really left her.

And who in their right mind would have ever thought that girl would be me? I laugh just thinking about it.

Ain't life grand?

---

THE END