Chapter 7

Later, Brennan was sitting up in the hospital bed, her hand clasped tightly in Booth's. He had not left her side since finding her in the kennel, staying with her throughout the ambulance ride and then remaining by her side in the hospital as they had treated her injuries. When the doctor had suggested a rape kit, his grip on her hand had tightened, and she saw his jaw working fiercely in frustration. Brennan had initially wanted to refuse the test, claiming that she knew she was not raped, but she realized that she actually could not be completely sure of that fact. She had been unconscious for awhile, and anything could have happened during that period. And so she consented to the test which fortunately came up negative. Brennan inquired about the baby, and the doctor assured her that the baby was fine, offering to complete an ultrasound later if it would ease their fears. Booth and Brennan agreed to his suggestion, and he made a note in his chart before leaving. Once all the nurses had also left, Booth sunk into a chair beside her, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. "God, Bones, you really need to stop getting yourself kidnapped like that," he remarked. "I'm not sure how many more scares like that I can take." He squeezed her hand lightly and kissed it again.

"I'm okay, Booth," she reminded him.

"I know. I just think about how it could've ended. . ."

"Did you ever figure out the identity of my captor?"

"Neil Kinsley," Booth told her. "Father left when he was a baby, raised by a single mother who happened to be a state senator."

"A powerful woman."

"Yes. Seems he had mommy issues."

"Did you question him?"

"He's dead." Booth's eyes fell to their clasped hands.

"You killed him." He nodded.

"I had to, Bones, he had a knife. He was going to hurt you."

"You did the right thing, Booth." It was her turn to squeeze his hand now.

"I know, Bones. People like that shouldn't be out on the streets. But that doesn't make it any easier." His eyes met hers, and he held her gaze for a few moments until their concentration was broken by a voice behind them.

"There are some people here who want to see you," Angela announced.

"Mom!" Kristen shouted, running forward, Parker following close behind.

"We missed you, Dr. Bones," Parker added. They both climbed onto the bed.

"Careful, Bones is hurt. You need to be gentle," Booth reminded them. Obediently, they stilled beside her. Kristen reached out her arms cautiously.

"Can I hug you?" she questioned.

"Of course." Brennan opened her arms, wrapping them lightly around Kristen's body as the small girl returned the hug. Parker hugged her next before both kids settled on the bed next to her, already eagerly explaining what had happened that day. As Brennan listened to them, Booth looked back at Angela who held Noah's carrier, the baby's bag slung over her shoulder.

"Thanks, Angela," Booth told her, smiling at their friend. Standing, he reached out and took both the carrier and bag from her. Seeing that Noah was awake, Booth set the carrier on the ground and took the baby from it, raising Noah over his head, eliciting a gurgle from the infant as he pressed a raspberry to his stomach.

"Cam, Hodgins, and Sweets are all out there," Angela told them. "They're all eager to see you if you're up to it." Brennan looked over at her friend.

"It would be nice to see them," she said. Angela smiled.

"I'll go get them." As Angela left, Booth took his seat beside Brennan's bed again, still cradling Noah in one arm as he entangled the fingers of his other hand with Brennan's. Kristen and Parker were still talking excitedly, and he listened to their chatter as he ran his finger over Brennan's hand.

The door opened again, and Cam, Hodgins, Angela, and Sweets poured in, all exclaiming over how glad they were to have Brennan back safe and sound. The noise eventually died down, and Cam spoke up. "So, I think you have some good news for all of us," Cam remarked, looking pointedly between the two partners.

Brennan looked at Booth curiously. "They found out," he said simply, not particularly keen on explaining exactly how they found out, for it dredged up too many unpleasant memories for him.

"Oh. Well, I suppose I will be needing some time off in about five months," Brennan told Cam. Angela let out a muted squeal from the back of the room.

"I'm sorry, I'm completely lost here," Sweets said, confusion etched onto his face.

"Dr. B and Booth are having a baby," Hodgins explained.

"Really?" Sweets turned back to the two partners who both nodded. Booth wore a smile so wide that it split his face in half; Brennan's smile was smaller, but Sweets could clearly see the happiness in her eyes. "Well, this is certainly a new development. We'll have to talk about how this will affect your partnership."

"We're already raising three kids together, Sweets. A fourth won't change anything."

"Of course it will. This is your baby, your flesh and blood. It's-"

"Well, that'll give us something to talk about in our next session," Booth interrupted.

"So the baby's okay, right?" Angela inquired.

"The doctor assures us it's fine. They're going to do an ultrasound later to be sure."

"How far along?" Cam queried.

"Three months."

"Three months? Wow."

"Oh, that kid is going to be so adorable!" Angela exclaimed. As the group continued to talk about the baby, Booth turned to Brennan, and their eyes met. His hand squeezed hers, and his eyes twinkled brightly. Brennan tilted her head slightly to the right, and she looked so beautiful in that moment despite the bruises and bandages on her face that Booth could not help himself. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to hers, letting the emotions from the past day loose as he kissed her.

The room fell silent around them as all eyes suddenly focused on the two partners. Of the people in the room, only Angela, Parker, and Kristen had seen them kiss, for they always kept it professional at work. When Booth pulled away and noticed that all the attention in the room was on them, the back of his ears burned slightly. "What?" he asked, trying to hide his discomfort.

"Nothing, Dude," Hodgins said. "I guess it's just weird to see you kissing Dr. B."

"But that was pretty hot," Sweets added. Booth glared at him, and he cleared his throat nervously. "I mean, it's interesting to see this other aspect of your relationship. It's not something I'm often privy to."

"And for good reason," Booth said. A nurse walked into the room at that moment and glanced at the multitude of people in the small space.

"I'm looking for a Temperance Brennan to go to Imaging," she announced.

"That was quick," Brennan whispered to Booth as she held her arm out for the nurse to check the name band that circled it. Booth shrugged.

"We'll leave you two alone to see your baby," Angela announced. "And I'll take these three off your hands for a little while. Come on, Parker, Kristen." The kids complained a bit but still clambered out of the bed and over to Angela. She took Noah from Booth, and Cam grabbed the carrier and bag as they all filed out of the room, leaving Brennan and Booth alone with the nurse.

An hour later, Booth joined the others in the waiting room holding a black and white picture. He appeared to be in a daze. Angela stood as he approached, her eyebrows raised in question. "Spill," she instructed. "How is he or she?"

"They're fine," Booth answered, emphasizing the first word. His eyes looked to be glazed over, not focusing on anyone in the room.

"They?" Cam asked. "As in more than one?"

Booth nodded. "Twins." Cam's jaw hit the ground, and Hodgins and Sweets appeared to be in a similar state. Angela let out an ear-piercing squeal as she threw her arms around Booth who was still too shocked to do anything other than stand still, staring straight ahead.

"How did Bren take it?" Angela questioned.

"Same way as she takes everything. She started estimating how many diapers we would have to buy and discussing the probability that they would be identical versus fraternal." He shook his head.

"How are you taking it?" Sweets questioned.

"Honestly, I'm still in shock. I mean, I was ready for one baby. Don't get me wrong; I'm thrilled that we're having two. I just can't help but think that this is all happening so quickly. I mean, two babies are a lot of work."

"But you have all us to help," Angela reminded him.

"I know, Angela. And I'm grateful for that."

"So you have a picture?" Angela inquired.

"Oh, yeah, here." Booth held out the picture, pointing out the features of the two babies that the technician had earlier shown him. As he spoke, a smile settled over his face. These were his babies. Part of him and part of Brennan. He could not imagine anything better.

The next week passed quickly for the partners. Brennan spent a night in the hospital for observation before being discharged. Booth had shared the good news about the babies with Kristen and Parker who both took it surprisingly well. They both already knew she was pregnant, and it took them a short time to grasp that she would be having two babies, but when they finally realized this, they were both fine with it. Booth let out a sigh of relief; he knew that jealousy would likely rear its ugly head later, but he was content to deal with that problem when it occurred.

The Saturday after Brennan was released from the hospital, Booth decided that it was time to put up Christmas decorations. They had been so busy over the past couple weeks that he had not even had a chance to pull the boxes out of storage. And so after his workout Saturday morning, he made pancakes for breakfast before taking Parker and Kristen with him to retrieve the boxes of decorations from the small storage locker that he rented. Brennan stayed behind to watch Noah and spent the time tidying the apartment, picking up the toys that were strewn everywhere.

A knock at the door caused her to look up from her dusting, and she set the rag aside as she went to answer it. "Dad?" she questioned as she opened the door to find her father standing in her hallway, a smile on his face. Her father had been helping Russ and Amy fix up a new house for themselves for the past three months, so she had not seen him in some time.

"Hi, Sweetheart," he greeted. The smile slipped from his face as he took in her appearance. Although she had started to heal, she still sported two impressive black eyes along with a number of cuts and bruises that were visible despite the jeans and sweater that she wore. "What happened?" he inquired, his voice suddenly harsh. "Who did this to you?" He cupped her chin in his hand, turning her head to the side so that he could see her injuries. "I swear, if this is some guy you're dating, I'm going to make sure that he never comes near you again."

"It's not someone I'm dating, Dad," Brennan told him. "I was kidnapped."

"What? Who?"

"He's dead now, Dad. Booth shot him."

"Of course he did." Max studied her face for a few seconds more before releasing her chin. "Why didn't you call me? I could've helped."

"Booth had it under control, Dad."

"Obviously not." Max looked pointedly at her injuries.

"Look, Dad, even you couldn't have stopped this from happening."

"It was especially hard since I never got the chance to try."

"What are you doing here, Dad?"

"It's nice to see you, too, Tempe. Russ and Amy have moved in now, so I thought I'd come back to see my favorite daughter, maybe celebrate Christmas with her."

"You didn't want to celebrate with Russ?"

"We celebrated early. Besides, he has Amy and the girls."

"I have people to celebrate with, too, Dad."

"Do you have anything to eat? I'm starving."

"There are leftover pancakes from breakfast." She led him into the kitchen and pulled out the extra pancakes from the fridge, placing a few on the plate.

"Tempe?" Max asked from behind her. She turned to find him staring at one of Noah's bottles in the dish drainer. "I know a lot can change in three months, but that seems a little fast."

Brennan set the plate of pancakes aside and turned to her father. "Come on, Dad, there's someone you should meet." They walked together to her spare bedroom where she found Noah awake in his crib, his fist shoved in his mouth. His head was turned toward the doorway, and he studied the adults curiously. "This is Noah," Brennan introduced, lifting the baby out of the crib. "I'm fostering him and his older sister Kristen who's eight."

"Wow. And you never thought to call and tell me this?"

Brennan shrugged. "It was my decision, not yours."

"So where is his sister? Kristen, right?"

"Yes. She's with Booth and his son Parker. They're getting Christmas decorations." Max nodded, still processing all the information she had given him. "There's something else, Dad," Brennan continued, thinking she might as well come clean. "I'm pregnant. Three months along. Twins."

To say Max was surprised would be an understatement. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open as he stared at his daughter, trying to figure out if she was pulling his leg. But no, she did not kid. She was nearly always serious, and he knew this instance was no exception. "So, who do I have to beat up?" he finally queried.

"What?"

"I'm just wondering who got you pregnant so I'll know who to beat up."

"Why would you beat him up?"

"Because he got my baby pregnant."

"If you're going to beat him up, I'm not going to tell you who the father is."

"It's Booth, isn't it?"

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you. You were dead set against having a child. Booth is the only person who could ever change your mind."

"He didn't change my mind. I changed my own mind."

"Because you love him." Brennan looked at her father in surprise, and he simply smiled. "I've seen the way you look at him, Sweetheart. Trust me, I've known for awhile. And I know he loves you, too, which is why I'm not going to beat him up. I don't think anyone will ever be good enough for you, but if I had to choose someone, he would be my first choice. I'm happy for you."

"Hey, Bones, we're back!" Booth's voice called from the living room. Brennan and Max both left the bedroom and found him standing in front of her couch, a tall rectangular box beside him. Parker and Kristen stood behind him, both grasping one handle of a smaller box. "Oh, hi, Max," Booth greeted when he saw the older man. His eyes flicked to Brennan's, and she nodded, indicating that she had told her father everything. He turned back to Max who approached him.

"Congratulations, Booth. I trust that you'll take good care of her and my grandchildren," Max said, taking Booth's hand.

"Of course."

"You're a good man, Booth, and I appreciate everything you've done for my daughter. But just remember what I do to people who hurt her."

"I could never hurt her."

Max offered him a genuine smile. "I know. Now, Temperance tells me that you have some Christmas decorations."

"Yeah, there are more boxes in the car."

"Well, I'll help you bring them up then." With that, the two men left the room, talking and laughing with one another. Parker and Kristen trailed behind, leaving Brennan in the middle of the room holding Noah, wondering what had just happened.

Twenty minutes later, the floor of Brennan's living room had been covered in boxes. Booth pulled his knife from his pocket, cutting the tape which held the tree's box together. Instructing the kids to find the ornaments, he began to wrestle the tree together with help from Max. Brennan placed Noah in his bouncer and approached Parker and Kristen who were trying to retrieve a box from the top of a stack.

Once Booth and Max had the tree together, he left the older man trying to untangle the lights as he approached Brennan's stereo system. He had added his CD's to her collection a few weeks before when he had moved in, and he searched them now before pulling out the desired disk. Placing it in the CD player, he waited for a few seconds before the strains of "Let it Snow" began to echo around the room. He smiled at Brennan before rejoining Max who had managed to free about half of the string. Parker and Kristen were bouncing with excitement, eager to hang the lights so that they could begin decorating the tree. Booth chuckled at them and sent them to hang stockings while they waited. They had bought three new stockings the week before, one for Noah, one for Kristen, and one for Brennan which appropriately read Temperance on the top with "Bones" stitched underneath it by Angela.

As Max finished the lights, Chance ran out of Booth and Brennan's bedroom where he had taken to sleeping over the past few nights. His tripped over the string of lights which lay across the floor, his gangly puppy legs flying as he struggled to right himself. Unfortunately, his struggle was in vain, and he ended up sprawled out across the living room floor. Booth laughed loudly as he made his way unsteadily to his feet. "I should probably take him out," Booth decided, grabbing his leash.

"That was Chance," Brennan explained to her father who was staring at her curiously. "Kristen found him, and when we took her and Noah in, we took him, too."

"Three kids, two adults, and a dog in this apartment? That must be crowded."

"It is. Booth's fixing up a house though."

"Maybe I could help. I know a fair amount about fixing houses."

"You can ask Booth."

They spent an enjoyable morning decorating the tree. There was a short debate about who would place the star on top which was quickly resolved when Booth lifted both Kristen and Parker and allowed them to place it together. As he set them on the floor, he felt a twinge of pain in his back and winced slightly. Brennan, of course, noticed immediately. "Are you okay, Booth? You didn't throw out your back again, did you?" she questioned.

"No, I'm fine. It just hurts a little." To prove his point, he straightened, ignoring the stab of pain from the action. She looked doubtful, but she let it go.

After a quick lunch of sandwiches, Max declared that he had something he wanted to show the kids, and he shooed Booth and Brennan out of the kitchen. Booth was reluctant to leave, unsure of what Max had planned, but Parker and Kristen seemed excited, so he decided to let Max have his fun, reasoning that if he was just in the next room, they could not get into too much trouble. Booth and Brennan set to work putting up the few remaining decorations before starting to repack the boxes with all the packaging that the decorations had come in. Christmas music still played softly in the background, and as the song changed, Brennan began to sing along.

"City sidewalks, busy sidewalks/ Dressed in holiday style," she sang. "In the air/ There's a feeling/ of Christmas." Her voice was strong, and she slid smoothly from one pitch to the next. Booth looked at her in surprise, not because she could sing well; he knew that already. Rather, he was surprised that she knew the song; he knew that Brennan did not often celebrate Christmas.

"I didn't know you knew 'Silver Bells,' Bones," Booth remarked.

"It was my mom's favorite Christmas carol," Brennan explained before continuing the song. This time, Booth joined in, his deep voice combining with hers. Though he was not a great singer, the soothing cadence of his voice made his singing pleasant nevertheless. "Children laughing/ People passing/ Meeting smile after smile/ And on ever street corner you'll hear. . ."

They smiled at each other as they began the chorus, the repacking now forgotten. "Silver bells, silver bells/ It's Christmas time in the city/ Ring-a-ling, hear them sing/ Soon it will be Christmas day." Booth stood, offering a hand to Brennan who surprisingly took it and used it to pull herself up. Instead of letting go, however, he grasped her fingers tighter, pulling her to him as he wrapped his other arm around her. "Strings of street lights/ Even stop lights/ Blink a bright red and green/ As the shoppers/ Rush home with their treasures."

He spun her out, and she giggled—actually giggled—before spinning back to him, resting her head against his chest. Booth loved seeing her this carefree, loved the moments when she "put her heart into overdrive." Sure, he loved Dr. Brennan the world-renowned forensic anthropologist, but he also loved Tempe, the mother, daughter, and lover. "Hear the snow crunch/ See the kids bunch/ This is Santa's big scene/ And above all this bustle/ You'll hear," they continued, now revolving slowly around the living room floor, their bodies pressed tightly together. As the chorus started for the second time, Booth stepped back, accidentally treading on a piece of the plastic that had been wrapped around the tree. It slid from under him, and he lost his footing, falling unceremoniously onto the pile of boxes behind him. Since his arms were still wrapped around Brennan, she, too, toppled forward, and they landed in a heap, both laughing heartily.

They remained where they were as the song finished, and Booth brought his hands up to frame Brennan's face, pushing her hair back with the side of his hands. "I love you," he told her, his voice soft and gentle.

"I love you, too," she responded, leaning forward. Their lips met slowly at first though they soon began to press more insistently together as passion overcame the two partners. Booth rolled them over, shoving boxes aside as he lowered Brennan to the ground, keeping his lips pressed firmly to hers.

A loud cough broke them apart, and they turned to see Max watching them with a bemused expression on his face. Booth's face crimsoned, and he pushed himself quickly to his feet, offering a hand to Brennan who refused. "How long have you been standing there?" Booth queried.

"Long enough," Max replied enigmatically. "Parker and Kristen want to show you something." He smiled at them again before turning and leading them into the kitchen.

Max stayed for the rest of the afternoon, joining them for ice skating, an activity Parker and Kristen had been looking forward to all week. They had left Noah and Chance with Mrs. Mitchell before heading to the rink. Brennan discovered that her father was actually fairly adept at skating, and he took Kristen around the ice, helping her learn how to keep her footing as Parker skated around them like a pro. Booth remained with Brennan, his gloved hand in hers as they skated slowly to allow her to accustom herself to skating. She had been a few times before as a kid and once with Booth, but she was still not completely comfortable on the ice, and Booth was happy to give her time to adjust.

After skating, they returned home for dinner and then curled up in the living room to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman with hot chocolate and popcorn (evidently, it was a tradition that Parker and Booth had started a couple years before, and they were happy to share it with the others). Once the kids were all in bed, Booth and Brennan returned to the living room where Max stood, his eyes scanning the pictures that Brennan had displayed in the room. A number of them showed her with Booth, most of those taken by Angela, though some also showed other members of the lab, and there were even a few of Parker, Kristen, and Noah. When he heard the partners enter the room again, Max turned to them. "I guess I should get going, find a hotel in the area," he remarked.

"You can stay here if you want, Dad," Brennan offered.

"This house is too crowded as it is without adding another person," Max said.

"It's really no problem, Max," Booth assured him. "The couch pulls out."

Max considered for a moment. "Well, if you're sure, I've got a suitcase in the car. I'll just go get that." As he left, Booth wrapped an arm around Brennan's shoulders, pulling her tight against his side.

"We still have some shopping to do," he reminded her. She groaned and buried her face in his shoulder, reveling in his comforting warmth. He smiled. "I was thinking we can ask your dad to watch the kids tomorrow after church, and you and I can finish up Christmas shopping."

"My father's a felon. You really want him watching your son?"

"Whatever he may have done, your father is a good man at heart. He was doing what he thought was right. I watched him with the kids today, and it's pretty obvious he considers them family. And you know how far he'll go to protect his family."

"Okay. We can ask him." She let her eyes slide shut, burrowing closer to him, and he laughed.

"Tired?" he questioned. She mumbled into his shoulder. Using the arm around her shoulder, he turned her so that she was standing in front of him, facing him, and he wrapped both his arms around her, pulling her against his body. He had noticed early on in their relationship how much more relaxed she became when tired and how she was often much more accepting of intimacy. In this instance, she tucked her head against his chest, her arms wrapping around his solid body as she leaned her weight onto him. He pressed a kiss into her hair as they stood there, neither willing to move. The front door of the apartment opened, and Max entered with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He raised his eyebrows when he saw the two partners.

"She tired?" Max inquired. Booth nodded, one of his hands coming up to play with the ends of her hair. Max watched them fondly. "She used to do that when she was little, too. She was a smart kid, always babbling on about the latest thing she had learned. Honestly, sometimes listening to her, you would swear she was a college graduate and not a little girl. One of the few times when she acted like the kid she was was when she was tired. She would always do just that—curl up against her mother or I. There was more than once when she fell asleep standing up."

"I think she's about there now," Booth said softly, his second hand moving to rub slow circles on her lower back. He kissed her hair again before lifting her carefully into his arms, carrying her to their bedroom. She stirred slightly but remained in her light doze as he placed her in the bed and removed her shoes, socks, and jeans, letting her sleep in her long-sleeved t-shirt and underwear. Pulling the sheet and blanket up to her chin, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Max was waiting for him in the living room when he returned. "After Christine died, I found Temperance again and kept tabs on her, made sure that no one would hurt her," Max admitted as Booth sat beside him. "I'd check on her every couple months or so, make sure she was still doing okay. I watched her go through a lot of relationships in that time. None of them lasted very long; she was too independent, never let anyone in. I guess that was mostly my fault."

He stopped speaking for a moment, and Booth felt compelled to offer, "Do you want a beer or something?" Max shook his head.

"No, thank you. Anyway, it didn't take me long to realize that she never really trusted anyone. Except for Angela, she had no close friends, no significant relationship. Until she met you. I've watched you two closely, Booth, and I know you're the first person Temperance has ever truly trusted. You're the first person she's opened her heart to."

"I know. And I'm forever grateful for that."

"That also means that you're the only person who can really hurt her, Booth."

"I know that, too. But I promise, I'm not going to do that."

Max sighed. "About three years ago, I stopped checking on her so often," he informed the agent. "I knew it wasn't necessary anymore. Someone else was watching her back. Someone she trusted a hell of a lot more than me." Max turned to look at him, his eyes meeting the younger man's eyes. "I hate having to share my baby girl, but I know that's part of growing up. And if I have to share her with someone, you're at the top of my list." He held out a hand. "Welcome to the family, Booth." Booth hesitated before taking his hand.

"You know we're not getting married, right?"

"I know that you aren't right now. But Temperance already changed her mind about having children because of you. I have no doubt that she'll eventually come around to the concept of marriage, too. Give it time, Booth."

Booth smiled slightly. "Everything happens eventually."