Chapter 10 – Daddy Drama
"So what are your intentions with my daughter?"
Booth laughed and almost spit the orange juice he'd been drinking out on the table. "Excuse me…?"
He'd met Max to get his insight on a gambling ring that was part of a case he and Bones were working on. She'd decided to go straight to the lab. She was seven months now, and it was getting harder for her to run around as much as she used to. He had strict orders to bring an egg and cheese sandwich, hash browns and pancakes to her office as soon as he could.
"You heard what I said… what are your intentions?" Max repeated.
"Come on… Don't you think it's a little late for you to be having this kind of discussion with me?"
"Granted. But I do need to have it. Are you planning on marrying her or what?" Max leaned back in his chair, and took a sip of his coffee. He gave Booth his "I want an answer" stare.
"Ok, Max. I'll entertain you. I want to marry her, but you know your daughter. She's not the jump at marriage type. If you know what I mean…" Booth grabbed a piece of bacon and stuffed it into his mouth. Max had slowly been building his "father" status back with Bones. It had taken a little over three years, but she now cared about what he had to say, and wanted his approval. Booth on the other hand still had a slight grudge against him for taking his daughter through all that he had. He couldn't make himself trust him completely no matter how hard he tried.
"Oh please… Spare me the defeatist attitude. I knew you wanted her when I first met you. That's why I was trying hard not to hurt you," He paused and smiled. "I didn't like you, but I was almost certain that you wouldn't let anyone hurt her. That I could respect. You waited a long time to get her. Now, you have her and you don't want to close with the brass ring? You're kidding me, right?"
"Quiet as it's kept, Max. Your daughter isn't that easy to tie down. I know she loves me. I know she doesn't want to be without me. She's having my kid. But I'm fairly certain, she will not want to be locked down in the 'institution of marriage'." Booth made air quotes and leaned back in his chair.
"She always sits in logical land, right? Make a logical, rational argument for it." Max didn't want to tell him, but he loved that his daughter had finally stopped getting in her own way and opened her heart to Booth. He liked his character, his sense of fairness. And he knew that he would jump in front of a bullet for Temperance. That was enough for him.
"Right… , only there is no rational, logical reason for us to get married. It doesn't really change anything. We're living together. We're committed to each other. We're starting a family. It's just a legal binding contract that has more to do with property and rights than anything else. At least that's what she'll say. I, on the other hand, just want the world to know she's mine. Simple as that."
"Well, tell her that."
"Oh sure, that will go over well. Do you even know your daughter? She really doesn't do well with anything that even hints at possession. Even in the most well meaning kind of way."
"Yeah, I know who she is and worse, I also know the part her mother and I played in it." Max said, as a wave of sadness visibly hit him. "And… I know what you have done to reverse that pain, show her she's worthy of love that won't go away. Make no mistake about it. She's understands now. She has a hard time naming it, but deep down she feels the tie. Trust me. She'll come around. It's just the last piece of the puzzle she has to put together."