Booth leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh. Not even a full twenty-four hours ago had Bones made her announcement. Her life changing announcement. She was pregnant. With his baby. His heart leapt in ecstasy. He was going to be a father again. He was going to be the father of her baby. Like it was supposed to go all along, really.

"Shrimp!"

Booth turned, waving a hand in greeting to his grandfather, who was closely shadowed by Jared. He'd called a boys night in order to tell them the news. Jared was once again going to be an uncle, and Hank, once again, a great-grandfather.

"Pops," Booth clasped his grandfather's shoulder, "Jare," he gave his brother a one-armed hug.

There was a soft bit of silence as drinks were ordered all around.

Jared looked slightly troubled. Booth picked up on it instantly. He asked about it just as quickly.

"Why the long face, Jared?"

"Padma wants a baby," he revealed.

"People are generally happy about babies," Pops said wisely.

"But I won't be a good father. I'm a total screw-up," Jared explained.

"You're not a total screw-up," Booth said in his big brother way. "You definitely got Padma right."

"That was luck." Jared was quick to assure his brother.

"No such thing," Pops said. "Look, Jared, no one is ever ready to be a Dad. And no guy ever goes into a pregnancy thinking, I'm going to do everything right. Mistakes will be made, but it won't make the kid any worse off if you learn from those mistakes." Pops paused, contemplative. "Now that I think about it, those mistakes are probably why people have two kids."

Booth and Jared looked at each other, sizing the other up. Jared was the youngest, but from all view points, Booth was probably the better off, though each had their share of troubles.

"I mean," Pops was quick to correct himself, after seeing the looks his grandchildren exchanged, "you can't make all the mistakes at once, and to get all the learning in that you need, you have to have two test subjects."

That roused a chuckle from Booth and a wry smile from Jared.

"Do you want a baby?" Booth asked.

"I want what makes her happy." Jared answered, promptly. "If it's what's best for her," he tacked on as an afterthought.

"Doesn't answer his question." Pops commented.

"I don't know. I never saw myself with kids."

"Never saw yourself with a wife either," Booth recalled.

Jared's lips slammed shut as he thought about this. "It doesn't matter, I guess. She's not pregnant yet, and we've got more than enough time to hash it out before we decide anything."

"Don't argue – she'll win!" Booth and Hank exclaimed together.

Hank chuckled. "I've got one of you trained right," he muttered, more to himself than the brothers.

"Anyway, this night, was called by Seeley," Jared was quick to brush off the attention. "Big brother, is there something you want to tell us?" His eyebrows rose. Maybe, Jared thought, he finally did the deed with Temperance. That would be enough of an announcement to call a boys night.

"Do you guys remember when I got Rebecca pregnant?" Booth asked, deciding to play this one by ear. The last time he'd unintentionally gotten a woman pregnant, a small corner of hell had exploded.

"Yes." Hank recalled, a suspicious look in his eye. "I do."

Jared was more vocal with his remembrance. "Yup. You showed up at Pops' drunk, holding a ring box and started sobbing about how the mother of your child refused to marry you. When asked about the child, you just kept crying and saying how the world was unfair, you didn't mean it. The next time I heard about you, Pops had to drag you out of a casino so you didn't miss the birth of the brat you called Parker."

"Parker's not a brat," Booth growled.

"Oh, I know." Jared grinned. "But 'brat' is another word for 'kid'."

"Why are you asking about Rebecca's pregnancy?" Pops steered the conversation back on course.

Before Booth could answer, a look of horror appeared in the old man's eye.

"Seeley Booth! Do not tell me you got that woman pregnant again!"

Jared's eyes widened at the forceful tone of Pops voice. As far as he knew, Pops had nothing against Rebecca, and even Jared could see she was good to Parker.

"No, Pops! I haven't slept with Rebecca in a few years!"

Pops groaned, but relaxed. That was, until Booth added under his breath, "Well, she's not the one who's pregnant."

"Did you get that blonde hussy pregnant?" He demanded.

"Hannah was not a hussy." Booth defended the woman. "And I haven't seen her since she turned down my proposal."

"Proposal." Pops slapped a hand to his cheek. "Seeley, you can't go proposing to every woman you see. Neither can you stick your thing in anything that moves and make a baby."

Jared held back a snicker. His older brother, Special Agent Seeley Booth, was once again the fifteen year old getting berated for almost having sex in his truck. The almost coming in when Pops caught him. Of course, Jared held back the snicker because Pops would probably spank him – just like Jared was spanked all those years ago for snickering.

"Pops." Booth protested.

"Do not 'Pops' me." Hank snapped. He knew his grandson was responsible, and that he would take care of his responsibility. That wasn't what Hank was worried about. He was also welcoming to the thought of another great-grandchild. He adored Parker. No, what had Hank Booth fired up was the fact that Seeley kept making mistakes. Mistakes like this might just cost him the woman he was meant to be with. And Hank knew who that woman was. "What poor girl did you knock up?"

"Bones," Booth threw back with force. "Temperance Brennan is having my baby."

Hank was stunned. Jared's fingers lost their grip on his beer bottle, and it crashed to the floor. Around the table, the bar noise went on as usual. At the table, two men – one old, one young – stared incredulously at the man whose age was in the middle.

"Congratulations." Jared managed.

Hank leaned back in his chair. He crossed his fingers over his stomach. He studied his eldest grandson. He sat there for a long time, just looking. Finally, he stirred. After a short sigh, he finally said, "Yes, I did something right." This, was to himself.

To Seeley he said, "Congratulations, my boy, now call up that lovely woman of yours so I can congratulate her too."

I do not own Bones. Hope the reactions seemed appropriate.

~TLL~