A/N: Hey there. There's a poll on my profile I'm using as a test. I'll change it to a new one but really none of the things listed have happened exactly in my story so I'll be using the responses/knowledge for the sequel.

Speaking of sequel I put it up with an author's note so those who have been following this regularly can add/alert/favorite so they can pick right up when I start posting.

Thanks so much!

34CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

It had taken forever to get Parker to fall asleep in his own bed (at least the one at Booth's apartment). Which was completely understandable. Booth knew all too well after being kidnaped by the Gravedigger how difficult sleep was after such a dangerous and traumatic circumstance, let alone for a child. He could see many sessions with Doctor Sweets in the future for his son. As he stood in the kitchen of his apartment by the counter stirring the contents of a bowl he couldn't help but wonder if Krys felt a similar way.

Perhaps he should have paid more attention to her, even though he had his hands full with Parker at the hospital. Either way he kind of felt like he had shoved her off back into the wild without even checking in with her. In a way this was all his fault. He had brought her to the Jeffersonian, he hadn't picked up the phone when she called, and he didn't find her quickly enough. At least she wasn't alone, last he had heard via text message from Sweets he had gotten her to her family's car and she had been driven off. After responding with a simple texted 'alright' Booth found himself receiving texts from the boy wonder psychologist every five minutes. Apparently with Krys gone back upstate he had next to nothing to do. Boy did that kid have it bad.

Laughing tiredly to himself he shook his head sticking two metal spoons into each of the bowls on the wooden tray that he was preparing which resulted in a call from his living room.

"Why are you laughing?" Came Doctor Brennan's voice from the living room followed by the sound of a body rustling against the couch as she moved to stand.

"No reason." Agent Booth quickly covered as he moved to reach for the wooden tray. "Don't get up Bones." He called out as he picked it up and turned around just in time to see Temperance Brennan standing in the kitchen doorway. "I told you not to get up, Bones." He sighed tiredly a bit let down that he didn't get to show her how chivalrous he could be and that she insisted on not being still and accepting his gentlemen gestures.

"Well, it sounded like you could use some help." She shrugged her slender shoulders which were draped in an emerald top which was a nice change to the lab coat she had been wearing the last few days constantly when working on the case. "Which I must admit is a bit concerning as you're just heating up soup in a microwave which is a relatively simple task."

"Stove top, Bones." Booth corrected as he held up the tray with a suave little grin that ended up coming out more like a proud little boy's who had baked cookies for his mother. "Just like mama used to make."

"Not my mother. That statement is inaccurate." Temperance replied her face completely dead pan. "My father actually did all of the cooking and very rarely was it condensed soup." However Booth didn't let her get away with it as he smiled again holding the tray up right under her nose which actually caused the anthropologist to smile a thin lipped little smile. Her partner could always manage to do that even when he was being silly and hardly scientific.

"Come on, Bones." Booth nodded toward the living room and moved around her, moving toward the couch. "Everybody likes soup." He commented as he set the tray down on the coffee table and sat down on the couch, rubbing his hands together in preparation.

"That is another general and horribly inaccurate statement." Temperance shook her head, but even in knowing this she smiled and sat down beside her partner.

Agent Booth reached out and took a sheet of ripped up paper towel tucking it into his collar so to prevent mess. Meanwhile Temperance Brennan took her own sheet of paper towel and set it delicately on her lap. Both took their individual bowls into their laps eating the contents in their own personal fashion. Temperance sipped softly while Booth preferred to slurp in a rather obnoxious manner.

"Booth." Temperance sighed, reaching out with her free hand to nudge his leg. "You're going to wake up Parker." She lectured, it was a late hour after all. She didn't need to be a mother to understand that much.

"Oh. That's very motherly of you Bones." Booth smiled, his spoon clinking against the bowl as he faced his partner ready to tease. "I didn't know that you had it in you."

"Nothing motherly about it." Temperance shook her head, purposely avoiding her partner's gaze as she stirred the contents of her bowl. "It's simply common sense. Sleeping child. Loud noises. Nothing scientific about it."

"All the more reason to be shocked." Booth added quickly with a devilish grin and cocking forward of his head. "You care about Parker. I can see that, even if no one else can." Booth shrugged turning his own gaze onto the contents of his bowl as he brought up another spoonful to his lips.

"I care. Of course I care. It's only natural-" Temperance went on, now just stirring the contents of her bowl. "When one has spent as much time with a person as I have with Parker that you have to care to some compacity, even with my ability to decompartamentalize." She noted thoughtfully falling quiet again.

"With that kind of rationing one could say that you would have to care about me." Seeley looked up and after saying it he added a little smile so to soften his words. "Just a little bit." There was even a teasing little twinkle in his eye, egging her on. There was also a bit of red tomato soup on his upper lip.

Temperance looked up, her eyes taking in the man's face in front of her. "Must you be so insistent?" A pause as she studied him for a moment longer. "I accept your logic." She sighed and then catching glimpse of the red on his lip a little smile pulled at the corners of her thin lips and her eyes brightened as she pointed with a slender finger. "You have something-"

Seeley blinked with confusion until he got the general hint and lifted his arm to wipe just under his nose removing the tomato soup stain. A boyish gesture that kept Temperance's smile on her lips. How could such an upstanding man be so childishly adorable? She suddenly loathed herself for thinking such an illogical thing. Seeley looked to his lap and Temperance continued looking at her bowl.

"I have to thank you." Seeley said quietly, not having the courage to look up.

"For what?" Temperance, unlike Booth, was quite easily able to look.

"For helping us find Parker and Krys in time..." Booth shifted a bit on the couch as he set the bowl back on the coffee table.

"For doing my job?" Bones blinked, filled with confusion at the nature of this greatfulness. "And either way it was Zack who-"

"Not just for doing your job, Bones." Seeley gave a heavy sigh and finally he was able to look up and at her the honest intent shining in his eyes. "For being there... For me."

Temperance blinked as the words settled in. "Oh."

Another quiet filled the room and Temperance, out of the need to do something to occupy her so not to feel horribly useless, leaned forward setting her bowl down. What could she possibly say to that? There was no answer that was appropriate and there was no action that was professional. She knew what she wanted to do but it just wouldn't be right logistically. Now her heart was racing as she battled the urge with all of her might left with nothing more but to look right into her partner's eyes.

"I don't know where I'd be without you Temperance." Booth admitted softly and his hand slid carefully across to rest on Doctor Brennan's lower leg.

He felt his own breath become caught in his throat and he felt like he was in highschool all over again. Like he was sitting next to the prettiest girl in the entire school who was so unattainable for him and yet he wanted nothing more than to... Kiss her. Oh god what was he thinking?! Better yet, what the hell was he doing?! Soon he found himself leaning toward her, and better yet she wasn't moving away. She was just looking right into his eyes which drew him even closer. Closer... Closer... His mouth was dry. His head began to tilt.. Closer... Closer... So close..

"Dad." Came Parker's tired voice which caused Booth to move back so suddenly that him and Temperance almost bumped heads.

"Parker." Booth said breathlessly, his eyes darting about before he managed to move to his feet and toward his little boy. "Hey buddy. Can't sleep?" Parker shook his head no and Booth instinctively picked up his son. "It's alright. Lets get you back into bed."

Parker rested his head on his dad's shoulder closing his eyes and before Seeley left he found himself looking back toward a very flushed Doctor Brennan. Giving her a weak apologetic smile, which was all that he could manage, he turned away and moved to put Parker back to sleep.

Temperance meanwhile found her back leaning into the couch cushion with a bit of a sigh. Suddenly she wasn't very hungry for condensed soup anymore.