Due to exhaustion and the want of writing a new story, there will be no chapters between last one and the epilogue. Sorry guys... I do have four stories lined up (two one shots and a full lenght and one thats still in question) that are ready to be written now though...so they'll probably be up sometime this week? Hopefully.

Enjoy this epilouge! SORRY ABOUT THE WAIT! I had to edit some things which I couldnt do this morning because of work.

Epilogue – Four Months Later

Temperance smiled tiredly down at the small toddler that was placed in her arms, then up at Booth, who hovered over her anxiously. She grinned at him, and he grinned back at her, his smile seemingly stretching from ear to ear as his heart swelled with pride. He gently pushed a stray strand of sweat soaked hair out of Temperance's face.

"Would you like to hold your daughter, Booth?" Temperance asked, shifting the baby girl in her arms.

"Of course," Booth said, reaching down to carefully cradle the young girl in his arms. As he looked down at her, making a cooing sound and rocking gently, Temperance looked up, admiring the pair, and amazing herself at the feeling. Her thoughts carried her back to a few months ago, and the events following when she had showed up on Booth's doorstep.

She had stayed over his house that weekend, during which they had the time to reconnect and push through the tough times that had been initiated during the month when she had disappeared. They sat and talked, or watched TV and read, or just sat silently. During some of the times, when he thought she wouldn't see him, Brennan would catch Booth smiling at her with a warm glow of pride and happiness stretched across his face. It was the same look that was there whenever she let him feel the baby kicking, or just resting his hand on her stomach in general, or when they talked about the future.

It was also the same one that had been on his face the first night, when she slept in his room. He had held her in a tight embrace, pressing himself against her and letting her hair drift in front of his nose as his hand lay on her abdomen. It was almost as if he was afraid that if he let her go she would disappear again. She had placed her hand over his and squeezed his fingers lightly, and she had felt him relax then.

It was those moments that she felt her heart flutter, and she knew that she had done the right thing. One of the most difficult times throughout the months had been announcing to their friends the nature of their relationship.

"Are you ready?" Booth asked as the car came to a stop in front of the Jeffersonian.

She looked at him with a nervous smile. "I guess," she said.

He grinned his trademark smile at her and got out of the car, moving around to the other side to open the door and help her out. She glared at him in protest pertaining to his "alpha-male-ness" but had let him help her nonetheless. They walked up to the doors of the Jeffersonian together, where, as they stepped through and she drew closer to him unconsciously, he slipped his arm around her waist and drew her close.

She looked up at him with a confused look and when he smiled down at her comfortingly, bending his head for a second to place a kiss on her forehead and she tentatively brought her arm up to rest on his back.

They had walked like that to center of the Jeffersonian, where the three "squints" were at work. Zach, turning around to examine a skeleton, was the first to see them.

"Dr. Brennan," he said, his voice flat from shock. "You're…back."

Hodgins spun around in his chair to look for himself. When he saw how they were standing, a grin broke out across his face, "With Booth nonetheless," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Angela's head snapped up, and she let out a squeal of excitement. "Does this mean that you told him?" she asked, looking at their embrace.

"Told him what?" Zach asked, clueless.

Temperance looked at them all and said shyly as a blush rose to her cheeks, "We have an announcement to make."

Booth took over for her. "Bones and I," he said, looking down at her, his gaze overflowing with love, "Are having a baby."

Angela looked to Temperance for confirmation, and Brennan nodded. Angela grinned and trotted down the steps, throwing her arms first around her friend, then Booth, who's eyes widened in surprise as he awkwardly patted her back. Before he knew it, Bones was being taken away from him as Angela lead her off chattering about shopping and names and the like, leaving him with the squints…

Just then, a bright flash filled the room. Temperance, snapped out of the memory, looked up startled, only to see Hodgins with a camera in his hands, grinning, Angela standing beside him and Zach standing right behind them with Russ at his side.

"Was that really necessary," Booth asked, looking up from his daughter with a glare and Hodgins just shrugged. Angela rolled her eyes and walked over to Booth.

"May I?" she asked, holding her hands out. Reluctantly Booth shifted the baby to Angela. "She's gorgeous, Bren," Angela said, grinning down at the child, then up to her best friend.

Hodgins looked at Angela with a twitch of a smile, and murmured softly, "I guess you'll be wanting one now." He shook his head slightly, a smile on his face, and turned to Booth, clamping a hand on the man's shoulder, "Congratulations, man," he said, and Booth nodded.

Angela turned around to where Zach was standing right behind her, looking at the baby over her shoulder. "Do you want to hold her?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I'd drop her," he said, holding his hands up.

"Go on, Zach," Temperance said from the bed, smiling gently, "I trust you."

At the praise from his mentor, Zach warily took the baby girl in his arms. He smiled contently at the young girl, and then looked up at the others in triumph – he hadn't dropped her. He held her for a few more moments before he passed her on to Russ.

Taking the child, Russ asked, "Does she have a name, Tempe?"

Temperance looked up to Booth and then back to her brother. "Ruth Joy," she said. The others in the room nodded in solemn approval, each one of them knowing the significance of both names.

Booth cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "Can we have a moment?" he asked, and the others nodded. Russ moved to his sister's bedside to hand back their daughter. Another flash filled the room momentarily.

"Angela!" Temperance exclaimed, identifying the culprit.

Angela shrugged with a smile. "I just never thought I'd see the day when Temperance Brennan would be holding her own daughter," she said.

"Thanks, Ange," Temperance said sarcastically, but Angela only shrugged and let Hodgins guide her out of the room.

Russ stayed behind for a second to kiss his sister on the forehead. "I knew you'd change your mind," he said softly, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently. "Congratulations, Tempe."

"Thanks, Russ," she said, smiling at her brother as he, too, left her to be alone with her child's father.

Booth coughed again, and held out a box to Temperance. "I, uh, I got this for you," he said. Temperance waved her hands from underneath of the child's sleeping mass, and cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, right," he said, stepping forward to remove their daughter from her arms and place her in the small bed nearby, where he stared down at her for a moment, basking in her presence before turning to Temperance and handing her the box.

Temperance opened it slowly, fearing what was inside. Her suspicions were both confirmed and disproved as she saw the object. It was a silver ring, one that showed two hands encircling a diamond heart which held a crown on the top of it. "It's…gorgeous," she said softly.

Booth sat on the corner of the bed, taking Temperance's hand in his own. "I know how you feel about marriage," he said, looking her in the eye as he took the ring from her. "And I want you to know that this ring isn't about that, it's about our friendship, our loyalty, and our love. And it's a promise, Bones, that I'll always be there for you," he watched as her eyes clouded over as he slipped the ring, crown facing out, onto the first finger of her left hand.

She smiled a watery smile at him, and he leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on her lips, before moving to sit next to her, letting her head rest against his chest. "Booth," she murmured softly.

"Hmmn?"

"Will you marry me?" she asked, looking up into his chocolate eyes. She saw the shock radiate from out of them. He placed his arms on her shoulders so that he could move her and see her fully.

"I thought you thought marriage was pointless," he said softly.

"You seem to have a way of changing my mind," she said, grinning. She looked down as a blush rose to her cheeks. "Which is one of the reasons I love you," she said, saying the words to him for the first time.

"You do?" he asked softly.

"I do," she replied, meeting his gaze. "So will you?"

Booth chuckled softly, "Of course I will, Bones," he said, pulling her into a kiss. When they pulled away, he placed his forehead against hers. "You surprise me, you know," he murmured, "Which is one of the reasons why I love you."

Temperance smiled at him and went to kiss him again, but was interrupted by a squall from beside the bed. Booth laughed and moved to pick up Ruth, "And of course, I love you too," he said to the baby girl, rocking her gently as he moved to regain his position next to his now fiancée. Temperance placed her head on his shoulder and gazed down at her daughter, and the three of them made the perfect picture of a perfect family.

XxX

Awww look at how sappy the ending was. Sorry about that. The ring that I was describing was a claddagah. It's an Irish ring. I own one myself, but that was given to me by family. The hands mean friendship, the heart love, the crown loyalty. Worn on the right hand, crown towards the heart means heart is unoccupied, worn on the right hand crown facing out means love is being considered and worn on the left hand crown facing out it means heart is occupied/you're in love. Normally they're emeralds for the stone, but they can be other ones too.

Next story: that's not a one shot - Booth goes to Iraq and leaves behind for Bones two things - a puppy and a surprising new turn in her life. When he comes back, how will she take his return, and how will he react to the new developments in his life? Booth x Brennan fluff/romance. without too much angst...but a lotta fluff XD)

I'M GOING TO MISS YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Thanks for reading this story, I hope you enjoyed it!! I look forward to hearing your opinions about the final installment.

Ponies: I wish I could go horseback riding...haha. Glad you liked the chapter! And silly television :P Well maybe it's just rerun season? And as for the story...hmmn, no I've never considered it. I dont really know how I'd make that work though...but I'll keep it in mind! You should write it XD Anyway, glad you like my story so much, thanks for reading and reveiwing, as always

IheartBooth: Thanks I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for read/reviewing.

Jen: Haha, well now is now for me but not now for you. Hope you liked it despite the not updating nowness. Thanks for read/reviewing.