The lower you fall, the higher you'll fly.
~ Chuck Palahniuk

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Love is Strong

Charlotte stood in the kitchen, watching the catering crew set up in the dining room. She jumped when Clayton came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, honey. I thought you heard me." He kissed her temple as she leaned into him.

"It's ok, I'm just…" She placed her hands on top of his, both sets resting on her stomach, "I know that this is the right thing to do but I'm a little anxious. We haven't seen any of them since Lou's funeral and I still…"

"You feel guilty, which you shouldn't but I understand." He kissed the top of her head, "It'll be fine. Besides, I really want to meet these people, the ones who saved me and thank them."

Charlotte spun around and rested her head on his chest, "I know." She pulled back and looked up at him as he delicately kissed her. Since he had returned home, he found himself torn between constantly needing to touch her and knowing that she needed her space – it was a difficult balance that he worried he never got quite right. "I'm gonna go upstairs and get ready for this shindig."

Clayton watched his wife exit the room, on the outside it appeared that she had put that tortuous week behind her in the last six weeks but he knew that just below the surface, she was still a ball of nerves and trying to come to terms with the nightmare they had lived through.

B&B

"So, did you watch that Oprah interview with Charlotte I recorded for you?" Brennan asked Booth as he turned into Clay and Charlie's driveway.

He put the car in park and turned to regard his wife closely. "Nooo…why? Did you watch it?"

"Of course I did. I like Oprah, she's very involved in community charities and her school in Africa is an amazing achievement." Brennan gathered her bag and moved to open her door.

"And the fact that she picked one of your books for her book club didn't hurt, either."

Brennan grinned conspiratorially. "Maybe. But it was a very good interview with Charlotte. They talked quite a bit about you and I."

Sighing, Booth exited the car and walked around the front to join Brennan, taking her arm to lead her to the front door. "I figured they would, the press loves that crap."

"What, that she is your ex-girlfriend, and that her husband and your wife were abducted together?"

Pausing before ringing the doorbell, Booth turned and took Brennan's hands in his. "Look, it's like I told you when all those journalists called. I am done with this story. Putting aside the fact that I would never want anything to happen to Charlie or her husband, you were kidnapped, Bones. You. My wife. The woman my whole world is built around. And if I think about this whole thing anymore than I absolutely have to, the possibilities will drive me insane. I'm going to be grateful forever that you and Clay were found safe and sound, but I am choosing not to dwell on the specifics any longer. So, no. I didn't watch the Oprah interview, and I probably never will. I just want to…"

"Move on and live your life."

"Exactly." Booth pulled Brennan into an impromptu embrace. "I love you, Bones. And I just want to spend the rest of my life doing that, nothing else. Alright?"

Nodding into his chest, Brennan agreed. "Alright. I love you too, Booth. Let's go get this over with, so we can go home and I can show you just how much."

Booth pulled back and grinned at her. "Oh, that is so happening, Bones. Count on it."

B&B

Once everyone was settled at the table in the Woods' formal dining room, Clayton cleared his throat and stood. All eyes turned to the Congressman and the room fell silent. He glanced down at Charlotte and winked before he began, "If you've turned your TV on in the last six weeks I'm sure you've heard how grateful I am to all of you but I wanted to invite you here to tell you all in person. What happened to me, what happened to each and every one of us really, could have destroyed everything." He paused for a moment and his gaze fell on Booth and Brennan, "But you are an amazing group of people and somehow, because of all of you this whole ordeal actually…It actually made everything a little stronger and truer."

He reached down and grasped Charlotte's hand, "Charlie and I will never forget what you did for us." He raised his wine glass, "Thank you. Cheers."

The group echoed him and clinked their glasses together. Booth reached across the table with his glass and touched Charlotte's water filled one, "What a difference five years makes, huh?"

She shook her head and smiled, "You can say that again."

Clayton sat down at the head of the table and took note of the warm eyes and easy smiles of the group, they were a family, a tightly knit unit and they had let him and Charlie in. He rested his hand on her thigh under the table as the caterers began serving dinner. His life had been lacking so much when he met her and now…And now he more than he ever knew was possible. He squeezed her thigh and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek, "Love you…," he whispered before he pulled away.

B&B

Sweets stood at his place at the table and placed a hand on Penelope's shoulder, giving her a smile and a nod. At her returned smile, he addressed the gathering.

"Everyone! Hey…" He waited a moment for everyone to quiet down, and when that seemed unlikely, he looked to the woman next to him for help. With a grin, Pen placed two fingers in her mouth and blew, emitting a whistle loud enough to cause Angela to clap her hands over her ears and Booth to scowl in Pen's direction.

Clay chuckled. "Maybe we should bring you over to the Capitol when Congress is in session, Penelope. You would quiet that bunch of blowhards down faster than my pathetic gavel ever does."

Pen blushed prettily as everyone settled in and looked to Sweets, waiting for his announcement.

Clearing his throat nervously, Sweets looked around the table at his friends…his family, really. "Pen and I have some good news….well, great news, really. We're having a baby!"

To Sweets utter surprise, the first person to jump up and grab him in a hug was Brennan. He was even more shocked when she pulled back from the embrace and there were tears in her eyes.

"I'm just so happy for you both, Sweets." Brennan smiled. She turned to her husband with a laugh. "Our baby duck is all grown up now, Booth!"

Sweets stared at Brennan and Booth, confused. "Baby duck? What are you talking about?"

Booth jumped up and slapped him on the back, a little too hard for his taste. "Don't worry about it, kid. Just a nickname. Hey, Pen! Congratulations!" He swept Penelope up into a huge bear hug. "You're going to be a wonderful mom!"

Laughing, Penelope patted Booth's back. "Thanks, Booth. Now please, put me down. You're squishing me."

Booth immediately dropped Pen to her feet, moving back so Cam, Angela and Hodgins could all get to her to offer their congratulations.

After giving everyone a few minutes to celebrate, and after receiving a sweet hug from Charlie and a slightly awkward handshake from Clay, Sweets pulled everyone's attention back to him.

"Everyone? I, um…I do have another announcement to make!" Sweets looked to Pen for encouragement, and then cleared his throat. "As of January, I will no longer be working for the FBI. I am opening my own private practice."

The room once again exploded in exclamations, most of them heartfelt, sincere and happy. Sweets avoided eye contact with Booth for a bit, dreading the older man's reaction. In fact, Booth's thoughts on the move meant almost as much to Sweets as Penelope's had, and he was still understandably reticent about discussing it with the man who he had come to view as an older brother of sorts. Finally, Sweets turned towards Booth, surprised to find the agent standing directly behind him, an enigmatic smile on his face.

"So, you're abandoning us, huh Sweets?" He clapped the young doctor on the shoulder with affection.

"Uh…yeah." Sweets sucked in a breath and found his courage. "Yes, I am Booth. I think it's time. I want to help more people on a even more personal level, and this is the best way for me to do that."

Booth kept his hand on Sweets shoulder for a moment more, looking him directly in the eye. Then, a larger, more expressive smile crossed his face and he pulled the younger man into a quick hug. "Good for you, Sweets. Really. It's going to suck not having the best damn profiler I ever met at my beck and call anymore, but I think it's great that you're moving on to something better for you. And your family."

A relieved smile crossed Sweets features, and he felt Pen's hand slide into his. "Thanks, Booth. I appreciate your support."

"You'll always have that, kid. Always."

B&B

Charlotte stood in the doorway watching Brennan speak to the caterer. Another woman invading your kitchen during a dinner party would rankle most, but Charlie knew Brennan was only talking to the woman about her vegetarian dishes, especially the one Seeley had seemed to like so much. With a grin and the thought that only Temperance Brennan would hassle the caterer for a recipe at someone else's party, Charlie entered the kitchen.

"Bren, you're giving me a complex. Is our company not enough for you out there?"

Brennan turned and gave Charlie that oddly disconcerting stare she donned when she didn't understand some social nicety, her brow furrowing. "Oh. I'm sorry, Charlotte. I didn't mean to be rude, but Booth enjoys my vegan fare so rarely, I thought…"

"No, no…it's really okay, Bren. I understand. I thought Seeley was going to inhale that Seitan, he loved it so much. Get the recipe, if you can. I was only kidding with you." Charlie nodded at the caterer, who handed Brennan a card with the recipe printed on it.

Thanking the caterer with a smile, Brennan then moved to the counter, where she had left her wine glass. Picking it up, she turned and leaned back, smiling at Charlie. "I don't think I've felt this comfortable at someone else's home since Jack and Angela moved to the smaller house. I realize it's odd, due to the fact that I was kidnapped from the back yard, but…"

"Have I ever told you how very sorry I am that happened to you?" Charlie interrupted suddenly, twisting her hands together nervously. "I know you don't blame me, but this whole thing still makes me feel responsible, and I am so sorry that you got caught up in all of this." Charlie hugged herself tightly and turned away from Brennan's penetrative stare. She waited for the onslaught of denial and recriminations on misplaced guilt, surprised beyond measure when Brennan said the one thing she never imagined.

"Alright. I forgive you, Charlotte."

Wheeling back around, Charlie stared at Brennan for a full minute before she found her voice. "Really? You're not going to tell me how none of this was my fault, that I couldn't have known what Tucker was thinking or planning, and that simply living my life doesn't make me to blame for how some crazy person chose to interpret that life?"

Quirking an eyebrow, Brennan smiled. "You, quite obviously, don't need me to tell you any of that. But I can see that you need some sort of…absolution for your very human feelings of responsibility over this entire episode. And if, with my forgiveness, I can give you that….well, then you have it. I forgive you."

Charlie nodded, wiping her cheeks free of tears. "I once told Seeley that if I was sexually attracted to women, I would most definitely hit on you. I haven't changed that opinion one bit since then."

"Hmm. I can only imagine…what kind of images that brought to mind…for Booth, knowing him." Brennan tried to contain her amusement, but it was escaping in small bursts. "I…he…oh, my." Bending at the waist, she allowed herself to give in to the laughter, delighted when Charlie joined her as they both released the last tiny barrier between them, and bonded as real friends.

B&B

"So, Gus…how's things going with Cam?" Hodgins settled himself next to the larger man, kicking back on the sofa and crossing his ankle over the opposite knee, looking completely comfortable.

Gus gave the bug man a sideways glance, ignoring the amused look from Booth as the other man walked out of the room with Clay. "Things with Camille are just fine, thanks Jack. How's things with Angela?"

Hodgins snorted. "Touché, my friend. I got it." He sat up, leaned forward, and turned his head as the smile dropped off his face. "But here's the thing. Cam? She's my boss…but she is also my family. Our family." Jack waved a hand towards the other side of the room, where Angela, Sweets and Penelope were chatting with the woman in question. "And even though you seem like a good man, I still feel the need to make sure that Cam is in good hands. You understand?"

Gus grinned, and then slapped Hodgins on the leg, causing him to hide his wince. "Jack, I would be worried if you didn't check up on me. No one knows better than I do how close your team is, so your worries are baseless. I adore Camille, and she is in very good hands."

"Yes, I am. So quit picking on him, Hodgins." Cam sat down on the arm of the sofa, next to Gus. She leaned down and kissed him quickly, then smiled at Jack. "But, thank you anyway."

Hodgins returned Cam's smile. "Anytime, boss." Standing, he pointed at his wife. "Now, it's time to go rescue Pen from Angie. She's been grilling her about the baby since their announcement." They watched in amusement as he crossed the room and hugged Angela from behind, effectively stopping the arm waving speech she was giving to a wide-eyed Penelope.

Cam laughed. "Poor Penelope. Between Brennan offering to help her set up a birth plan that includes a water birth and Angela already planning the baby shower, that girl hasn't had a moment to herself since dinner."

"Water birth?" Gus actually paled at the thought. "Sounds delightful."

"Your tone says otherwise, Agent Blanc." She chucked him under the chin. "Not into the hippie culture-approach to delivering babies?"

Shaking his head, Gus grunted. "I am sorry, Camille. But no. There is a reason every hospital has a maternity ward, it was meant to be used."

"Agreed. Even if I wanted a baby, which I don't, I certainly wouldn't be giving birth in the bathroom."

Gus took a moment to take in her expression. "You're sure, right? Not something you're going to change your mind about? Not wanting a baby, I mean."

Cam slid off the arm of the sofa and settled herself in his lap, arms around his neck. With a soft kiss, she reassured him. "I have never wanted a baby of my own. That has never been an issue for me, and that will never change. I have Michelle, and my family procreates enough for me to have a little time with a baby now and then to satisfy any lingering maternal feelings I might have. It's not in my plans for the future. Ever." She narrowed her eyes for a moment. "What about you?"

"Nope. I am perfectly content without ever having children. It's not something I've ever needed, actually. Just..not me." He smiled. "You were worried a little, weren't you, Camille?"

"Mmm. Maybe a little. But I'm glad we've gotten that settled." She kissed him briefly. "Very glad."

"Oh, believe me…so am I." He replied, as he moved in to lengthen the kiss.

B&B

Clay had asked Booth to join him out on the deck because there were things that he felt he needed to say to the man who saved his life but as they stood together, smoking cigars and looking in on the activity taking place in the kitchen, he realized that nothing needed to be said after all.

Booth finally broke the awkward silence, "I know that we're all trying to get past what happened but I am curious about one thing."

Clay looked over at him, "The journals?"

"Yeah, Cam and Gus gathered up everything but them and I was wondering what happened to them."

"The night I came home from the hospital, I woke up around dawn and I found Charlie at the dining room table staring at the wall."

"She read 'em?"

Clay shook his head, "She only read one entry and that was enough. It was about her parents. Uh, she and I had gone out to California, where they were buried, before we got married and he followed us."

Booth looked at him curiously, thinking to himself that that wasn't quite enough to push Charlotte over the edge. Clay picked up on the other man's question and continued.

"It was more than that he followed us out there, it was…He researched their lives, he knew a lot about them and then he mentioned that he had been there before. Apparently a few times when she was out of the country and he didn't follow her and instead of following me or you," Clay paused and sighed, "he would go out to Berkeley and sniff around. She's not real open about her parents and that was for her than anything else that was in those journals."

Booth nodded, for all the months he spent with Charlotte, all she ever told him was that they died in a car accident when she was in college. "What did you do with the journals?"

"I threw them in that fire pit," he gestured to the center of the backyard, "and burned them."

"I would have done the same thing."

After a few minutes of quiet, Clay looked over at Booth, "I have to ask, do you trust that Sweets kid?"

Booth nodded, "I really do. Why?"

"Charlotte needs someone to talk to about all of this and," he sighed, "if she went to a new therapist, she would have to tell this whole sordid story to be able to make any headway."

"And Sweets already knows everything. That lessens the chances of the story getting out there."

Clay nodded, "That is exactly my thinking and she seems to like him – she's had nothing but good things to say about him, about all of you really."

Booth rubbed his chin in deep thought, "You really think she'll talk to him?"

"I do. She's not as stubborn as she used to be, she's…"

"She's changed a lot, I see that. But I have to say, it's all for the better."

Clay smiled, "I hope so."

B&B

"You know, you see him on TV and stuff and you think, 'that's a handsome man' but in person…"

"He looks like a cross between Superman and a Disney prince." Angela mused, finishing Penelope's sentence as they watched Clayton and Booth chat on the deck.

Penelope lightly backhanded Angela on the arm, "I know, right?"

Angela nodded, "Can you imagine how beautiful that little Woodsling is gonna be?"

"So beautiful, unless," Penelope paused when Charlotte entered the room, "they end up with a little red headed boy."

Wincing, Angela shook her head, "I hadn't thought about that…Yikes."

"Double yikes."

B&B

"Can I ask the million dollar question?" Booth asked as he exhaled a ring of smoke.

Clay rolled his eyes, "Yes, I will be running for president."

"Really?"

"When I first got home, those first few weeks, I thought that maybe it wasn't the right thing to do. I thought it would be easier if Charlie and I moved back to Philly, I could teach law, she could write. Besides, I don't want to be elected president of the United States because of something terrible that happened to me."

"What changed your mind?"

"Charlotte." He shook his head once and exhaled deeply, "When I told her all of this, she told me that he had ruined the last four years of her life, years she had previously considered to be the best she'd had, and she be damned if she let him ruin her future."

Booth smiled, a crooked, knowing smile, "She's right."

"I know she's right." They both turned and looked into the kitchen where Brennan and Charlotte were sharing a very animated conversation. "They make us better, don't they?"

"They really do."

B&B

Angela let Hodgins move her away from Sweets and Penelope and pull her into his embrace.

"You're feeling awfully affectionate tonight. Anything I should know?"

"Nah, I just wanted to hold my wife in my arms and be thankful for a few minutes." He leaned forward and nipped lightly at her ear, causing her to gasp. "Have a problem with that?"

Angela turned in Jack's arms and locked eyes with him, letting ever ounce of love and affection she felt for him shine through her expressive features. "I never have a problem with you sharing your love. You're a very passionate man, Jack Hodgins…I would be crazy to every turn down your advances."

He gave her a slightly saucy grin in return. "You'd better quit looking at me like that or we're going to have to go find a closet so I can show you just how passionate I really am." He wiggled his eyebrows to complete the blatant innuendo.

Angela leaned forward and captured his lips softly, more softly than the conversation called for. "Promise me something…promise me that you will never, ever change, Jack."

Hodgins returned the kiss, and then pulled Angela closer into his embrace, breathing in her scent and her love. "If it means I can do this, hold you in my arms for the rest of my life? That, my love, is one promise I most certainly can keep. Count on it."

B&B

Clay sat down next to Brennan on the love seat in the family room, giving her a small, friendly smile. "How is your wrist feeling, Bren?" He nodded at the hand in question.

"Much better, thank you Clayton. It was a simple perilunate dislocation, and as such healed rather quickly." Brennan turned to regard him closely. "And how are you feeling? You seem to be moving more comfortably than you were a few weeks ago."

"Much, thanks. The physical therapy was really helpful, and sleeping in my own bed doesn't hurt, either. In fact, just being home…it's the best medicine I could ever have."

"I understand that, very much so. The first time I was kidnapped was only for a few hours, but after I got home from the hospital, my apartment seemed very comforting. The familiar seems to bring a calm to that situation that almost nothing else can." Clay watched, charmed, as Brennan took on an enigmatic smile and a faraway look in her eyes. "This time, however…I didn't feel really safe until I had Alexandra and Booth with me, together. You will see very soon what a difference a child makes in your life. You and Charlotte are most definitely a family, but adding this new baby…I can't quantify the feeling of completeness Alexandra brings to me…to us. Our house is really, truly a home now."

Clay reached over and took Brennan's hand gently. Having shared such a harrowing situation as being kidnapped, he naturally felt a little closer to her than the others gathered. "Thank you, Temperance. Truly. And I can honestly say I am so looking forward to being a daddy. It's…" He glanced at Charlie, who was standing by the fireplace and speaking in hushed tones with Booth. "It's everything I've ever wanted, for a very long time."

Nodding, Brennan followed his glance, taking in their respective spouses chatting. "I understand exactly how you feel. He…they…are everything I ever wanted. Even if it took me a very long time to realize it."

B&B

"So, Red…how are you feeling?" Booth leaned against the fireplace, inwardly glad to see that Charlie's eyes were clear and her skin seemed to be glowing with health and happiness.

"Honestly, Seeley? Better than I have in a very long time. I'm actually content."

"That's good to know. I'm genuinely happy for you, Charlie. You deserve that and so much more."

Charlie leaned sideways and bumped his side with her shoulder. "So do you, you know." She moved her head to gesture at Clay and Brennan, who seemed to be engaged in some sort of friendly debate. "We both got pretty lucky, huh?"

"We really did." Booth smiled and reached to touch her shoulder lightly. "So, are you excited about the baby?"

Charlie nodded happily. "Definitely. I know that Clay wants a boy, but I don't care. As long as the baby is healthy, that's all that matters."

"Babies are a wonderful thing, you'll see." She watched as Booth's eye went back to rest on his wife, a sweet, loving smile on his face. "It will bring you and Clay closer together, too."

"I can see that." Charlie grinned. "So, are you and Bren going to have any more kids? Or just Alex?"

Thinking back on the surprising conversation Brennan had initiated the night before, Booth nodded. "That's funny that you ask now. Bones and I talked about it yesterday, and yeah…we want to try and have one more."

The grin that broke across his face made Charlie chuckle. "Seeley, you are such a goofy dad. I love that about you, you know. Your kids are so lucky to have you."

The smile on Booth's face took on a more tender expression as he looked at Charlie intently. "You should know, your child is so incredibly lucky to have you, too. You, Charlotte Townsend Woods, are going to be an amazing mother."

Charlie blinked back the unexpected tears at Booth's heartfelt comment. "Thank you, Seeley." She glanced around the room at everyone, taking in the unusual pairings and the companionship and caring and friendship love and trust that was flowing all around them, and then turned and pulled Booth into a quick, happy hug. "I can't imagine feeling luckier or more blessed than I do right at this moment."

The End!

(Epilogue to follow...)