First, thanks Z for your input on this one. He helped me out with a Booth issue so the credit for that should go to him, I wrote it but it was his idea.
Next, this was tomorrow's post and you can thank Storyfreak for the early update. Let it not be said that I don't like to please. Enjoy!
Gently stirring the pot full of pasta, Maura eyed the two small sauce pans she intended to serve. She lifted the screen off of the one she had prepared for Booth, Rick, and Jane and cringed slightly at the overly meaty red sauce. She knew her love and Rick both enjoyed meat and she had accommodated them with an extra half pound of lean ground. It was a heart attack wanting to happen and until Kate had taken her to Jane's gym, she had no idea how her lover avoided massive weight gain.
Although Jane's diet included quite a bit of healthy foods, she loved eating foods high in fat and cholesterol. But after watching her "workout" she knew exactly how Jane stayed slim, and how she had gotten every single lean muscle. Jane burned most of it off in her very intense fight training which left her with the body of a professional athlete. Jane was athletically sexy before she came to New York but now, Maura loved to appreciate every square centimeter of her lover's body. And even though they had loved each other for years, thoughts of Jane were a continuous distraction. Maura thought they always would be.
And the sex was incredible and to Maura's delight, frequent. Yesterday after Jane had come home from work, in the shower before dinner, in bed before sleep, after they had come home from the gym, and this morning in the shower. Maura shook her shoulders and grinned, she loved Jane's libido immensely as well as her lover's devotion to satisfying her and she was definitely satisfied.
The red sauce popped lightly, bringing her out of her memories and she focused her thoughts back on task. She nodded at the meaty mess and laid the splash screen back over the pan and lifted the second one. The sauce she had especially prepared for Kate, who was more conscious of her figure than Jane was, and Temperance, who was a vegetarian, and herself. She stirred the rosy pink sauce and replaced the screen, knowing that both would be ready shortly.
When she had returned to the Island to prepare the kale salad, she watched as Jane came out of the bedroom carrying an odd shaped soft case with her. It was black as most things of Jane's were and was about three feet long but less than half a foot wide. It almost looked like a gun case.
Jane sat one end of the bag on the floor carefully and her serious expression called to Maura. Jane was about to do something she was nervous about.
Maura watched her lover's dark eyes as they met hers. "When I moved in, you asked me about these."
Jane unzipped the end of the bag and pulled out two long sticks with leather grips on one end of each. Made of some type of rattan wood, they were distinctively Asian and reached almost three feet long.
"You said they were for balance and then deflected the conversation." She remembered how uncomfortable Jane had been and had dropped the subject.
She nodded as she held them up in one hand by the grips. "They are, at least that's why Colin gave them to me." She took them in into her hands and took two steps back so she could twirl them lightly. "They're called Escrima fighting sticks. My first year at LETO, Colin started to show me some hand to hand Arnis techniques."
"Which is opposite of the more traditional training of teaching weapons first in Arnis." Maura noted as she continued to prepare the salad.
"Right," Jane said with a smile, "But stick fighting really doesn't come into play in police work for a detective so he didn't bother." She sighed, "At least until you left for Mali and I came to New York. When I went to LETO last year, he gave me these."
She held up the sticks. "He showed me these because he thought I lost some inner balance and he thought this would help, but it didn't because you are my balance."
"Jane." She moved to set down the salad spoons and embraced Jane when she heard a whirring sound in front of her.
Jane spun the stick in her left hand almost beyond the eyes' ability to see and Maura felt the air in the room stirring. "No! No sadness."
The stick halted as if it had never moved, "I'm letting you in all the way, Maur, with no more secrets. But for me… I need to explain how it all came to be the way it is."
Maura nodded and returned to the stove to check the food and satisfied, she turned off the sauces. "Please, Jane, continue."
She smiled lightly at the blonde's patience with her and after a friendship spanning five years and a love that scared them both, Jane finally let go of the last of her armor with Maura.
"So ever since the night Hoyt died, I started learning these fighting things because I didn't want to feel weak again. I didn't want to have to use that other side of myself so Colin started showing me a lot of Keysi as well as Arnis. I can use pretty much anything in the room as a weapon if I had to but again I really didn't throw myself into it as much as after we split up."
"And then?" Maura asked as she turned the salad.
Jane set the sticks down on the counter and rested her hands on them, "I threw myself into it hard. I'd train for hours, every day. I couldn't find the balance Colin was talking about but for a while it kept me distracted." She smiled at her lover, "That's also how I became a neat freak like you. I used to clean and scrub just to keep busy, to keep my mind away from you. Colin dragged me out into the field to train last year after he caught me starching his socks." She paused while Maura chuckled softly with a grin she continued. "With Keysi and Arnis it was the same thing. It kept me busy. Then my partner got shot in the stomach."
She'd heard about this but never from either Jane or Kate. Maura's attention was fixed on her as she continued.
"That's when I reached for It again and it was like I came back to myself. Everything that I though was gone came back in a rush and when I thought about it later that night, I realized that I was hiding from It as well. So I started training harder and I trained myself and It so that no one could ever take the ones I love from me again."
Maura watched her mood start to shift but the change was ended with a headshake and Jane palmed the sticks single handed and held them up. "I actually don't use these to train anymore but I keep them to remind myself of where it all comes from. How hard I worked to get to the level I'm at."
"But Jane, that level of training requires constant practice." Maura said as she opened the oven to check on the bread. "I haven't seen you train here and you haven't been to the gym in a while."
She nodded as she slid the sticks back into the bag, "Since you came back into my life I haven't been hitting it as hard as I used to but I still train for an hour or two at the precinct's workout room after I drop you off."
Maura nodded her understanding, "But you don't use the sticks?"
Jane smiled and shook her head, "Not the sticks." She set the bag aside and pulled out two long black cylinders that were sticking out of the back pocket of her Jeans. "Now I use these."
She held them up in each hand and Maura recognized the extendable stun batons. Jane flicked the release and the rods shot out to a near equal length of her sticks. Though the grip was the same diameter, both of the two extensions were reduced. Jane flicked the switches and Maura heard the distinctive ascending whine of the batons charging. She smiled as she shut them down again.
"The weight and balance is way different but the NYPD would frown on me carrying three foot ninja sticks. These aren't exactly NYPD issue but no one seems to notice or they don't care. I usually keep them in the car but since I wanted to show you the sticks, I brought them up for you to see."
Because her batons were spring-loaded, she had to physically close them before she stuffed them back into her back pocket and walked around the island. She stirred the pasta and sighed, "Linguini? I thought you'd cook one of those fancy dishes for your distinguished colleague."
Maura smacked her on the shoulder, "Jane! It's Thursday and this is our Spaghetti night."
Jane laughed as she used the pasta scoop to pull a noodle out.
"Don't you dare throw that against the wall!" Maura scolded.
Jane smiled as she hooked the noodle with her tongue and drew the end into her mouth. It burned slightly but Jane was Italian and was used to sampling too hot foods. She sucked it in sharply and chewed, "Mmm." She said with food in her mouth, "About five more minutes and this will be perfect."
Laughing she was about to scold her lover for talking with her mouth full when there was a knock on the door. Jane kissed Maura lightly on the cheek and ran for the door.
She opened it to find Booth and Brennan dressed casually, Brennan held up a bottle of wine.
"I know Dr. Isles has discriminating taste in wine, this should meet with her satisfaction."
Jane held the door and ushered them in, Booth eyed the batons.
"You always answer the door armed?" His tone was amused.
Jane grinned as she patted her pocket, "It's New York City, wouldn't you?"
He laughed as he slid Bones's jacket off and Jane took it.
She shut the door and hung it up and Booths next to it. Dr. Brennan looked around and smiled.
"Maura you have a truly beautiful home." She said casually as she set the wine on the island. "The view of Central park is quite breath taking."
Maura smiled, "It was one of the reasons I chose it." She said casually. "Though the best view is actually inside." Her eyes fell on Jane and her lover blushed slightly next to the Agent.
"Oh here we go." Jane groaned, "More embarrass Jane in front of colleagues moments."
She heard Booth chuckling next to her and she glared at him.
"Better you than me, Rizzoli." He said out of the corner of his mouth.
"I tend to agree." Brennan said to her associate, "I find that I enjoy watching Booth play with our daughter Christine far more than any of the wonderful views in our home."
Booth scratched his chin with his tum and tried not to look embarrassed.
Jane stifled a grin, leaned toward him slightly and out of the corner of her mouth came, "You were saying?"
Brennan continued the conversation, "It is very pleasing to see you enjoying your relationship with your partner."
A groan from Jane.
"Actually her partner will be here with her fiancé shortly." Maura corrected, "Jane prefers the term girlfriend to partner because people tent to confuse Kate and I."
Brennan glanced at the Italian and back to Maura, "Oh, I apologize, I thought you were life partners."
Maura smiled warmly as she watched her love, "Not yet but we do intend to have a baby when we move back to Boston. We'd considered getting pregnant here but Jane insists that our child needs a house and a yard instead of a condo and parks. She's terribly romantic about things like that," her voice became slightly dreamy, "She wants it all to be perfect when we settle in for a baby."
"I understand completely," Bones replied, "It was the same way with Booth when we found out that I was pregnant. He wanted to be the one who cared for and supported us. He can be very," she looked to him, "thoughtful when others are not around. I attribute it to being part of the alpha male dominance behavior before other pack members. Most North American men have a tendency to test a pack hierarchy whenever they come into contact with others."
"Do you ever get that feeling when the smartest person you know says something that completely unmans you?" He said softly to Jane as to not be over heard.
"Jane is the same way so it's not limited solely to males of the species. She has many alpha qualities and behaviors as well." Maura said obliviously.
"She does it all the time but I wouldn't call it unmanned," she groaned, "but definitely takes the bad ass right out of you."
"Until you tick them off, then they take the bad and leave the ass standing right here."
"You too, huh?" She looked back to the women conversing in the kitchen. "Must be the whole with-someone-smarter-than-you thing."
He tipped his head slightly to the side, "Must be."
"In fact, I find that Jane will exude those dominance markers around men more than women because women tend to pick up that Jane is an Alpha instinctively. It's quite fascinating actually."
Jane clapped her hands together and looked at Booth, "And on that note, let's go find Sports Center or… something."
His face brightened instantly as he agreed, "That sounds like a good idea. Let's leave the women to their," he waved a hand to them, "scientific dissection of our personalities."
Jane led the way to the living room when Maura intercepted her. She was promptly handed two bottles of beer, though hers was decidedly shorter than Booth's, and her bag. "Dinner will be ready shortly, my love."
Jane didn't bother to shoot a look to Booth before she took the items and kissed her sweetly. She handed the taller bottle to Booth and settled into her place on the couch. She leaned the bag against the arm and dug the remote out of the cushion.
Both sat on opposite end as Jane flicked the TiVo on and clicked on last night's Sports Center. Booth cracked his beer and then he indicated the bag with the bottle, "Pool stick?"
She grimaced, "Half right." She handed the bag over and he set the beer down and opened it.
He pulled the sticks out and whistled low, "Kali fighting sticks. Good ones."
He swung one lightly and nodded, "Nice, you study Kali?"
She shook her head, "Arnis."
He looked at her and slipped the sticks back in their case, "Remind me never to pick a fight with you."
She snickered, "You train?"
"Some," he shrugged as he handed the bag back, "Mostly what I learned in the army. Being FBI, I try to keep up with it."
She nodded, "Yeah, I get it."
He sat back and started watching the highlights with her before he noticed the massive turtle making its way over to the couch. He watched as Jane unconsciously picked up her feet and the turtle settled in front of her, Jane gently set her feet down on the shell.
"Nice foot rest, Rizzoli." He said tipping his beer at the turtle. "How'd you get him to do that?"
Jane looked down at her feet, "Who, Bass?" She shrugged, "Maura gets mad when I put my feet on the coffee table. One day, Bass was just here and I sat my feet on him and he didn't seem to mind so it's been our thing ever since."
"What kind of turtle is he?"
"He's a tortoise." She said. "African spurred tortoise. This one's Maura's and his name is Bass."
Booth picked up his feet and looked around, "There's another one here?"
"Naw," she laughed, "Maura got me one before we got together and he's still in Boston with my brother. We're moving back in just under two months so rather than move Tank all the way here just to go back, my brother is going to keep him until we get home."
"Tank?" He asked trying to learn what he could about his wife's friends who weren't squints, "Why Tank?"
She rolled her eyes, "It was a nickname that just stuck. When I got him, he came in a tank and then he out grew it. He's big enough now that he moves around like Bass here, like a friggin' tank. You wouldn't believe how strong these things are." She said as she stared at the shell, "Just last week, Bass actually pushed the couch, with Maura and I napping on it, across the room so he could lay in the sunlight."
Booth started chucking. "You're pulling my leg."
Jane stared at him. "Oh you think so." She looked over at the kitchen, "Maura, honey?"
"Yes Jane?" Her voice was perky and he was starting to believe it was just because Jane called her name.
"How far did Bass push the couch last week?"
She raised her eyebrows as she thought, "Approximately two yards give or take a few inches."
Jane looked over at Booth, "By the way, that was long ways." She flicked a finger from her end towards his. "When Bass wants it, he gets it."
He laughed and turned his eyes back to the flat screen.
Jane heard the subtle click of a key in the door and looked in time to see Kate, Rick, and Alexis walk in.
"Hey Partner." She said from the couch. "Hey Rick."
Kate smiled as she saw the others.
"Thanks for having us over." Kate said warmly.
"I hear Spaghetti night at the Rizzoli's is the best in Manhattan." Rick said enthusiastically, "Didn't want to miss it."
They took off their jackets and shoes and added them to the collection. Maura smiled warmly, "Well, I'm not used to having so many guests."
"Better get used to it, Baby. Cause it's going to be like that all the time in Boston."
"Times two families," Kate amended.
"Aunt Jane!" Alexis shouted, "I got that thing you were looking for." She pulled a tablet out of her bag and plopped down on the couch. She handed her aunt the iPad and pointed before putting her feet up on Bass.
The tortoise opened his eyes and seeing Alexis he moved his front feet inside and closed his eyes again. It was precautionary because one time Alexis had dozed off on the couch and her feet had slipped and hit his foot. Apparently, African Spurred Tortoises have a long memory.
Booth smiled at the almost pet like personality of the giant reptile.
A laugh erupted from Jane as she pointed to the tablet, "Its perfect Lex." She gave the teenager a fist bump, "She'll love it."
Kate came over with a beer and Alexis quickly shut off the tablet, "nothing!" She said too quickly.
Jane shook her head, knowing that Kate was already on to them.
Her partner looked at them with a keen eye, "You two are planning something."
Jane smacked the girl in the shoulder, "See, I told you. Play it cool. I'd have had another window open with a joke or something on it."
"Sorry," she said, "I guess I tipped her off, huh."
Kate shook her head, "I don't want to know."
Jane made room next to her and Alexis and held up the tablet, "It's for Ma."
Kate took it and plopped down next to them as she looked at a brand new high quality cook wear set.
"As a wedding gift, while they're out on their honeymoon, me and the Boston Brother are going to redo Cavanaugh's kitchen."
Maura chirped up from setting the table, "Brothers and I."
Jane smiled and looked at Kate who handed the pad back to Alexis and glared agitatedly. "A whole year of you correcting my grammar and now you're back to bad English. What gives?"
Jane smiled as she glanced to the dining room, "She likes correcting me so I try to keep her as happy as I can." She cupped her mouth, "I miss my turtle."
Maura looked up and smiled, obviously delighted, "Tortoise, Jane."
She smiled back and looked at Kate, "See?"
Kate stared at her, Oh you are so going to get it when there's no witnesses.
You love me and you know it, Jane replied.
Booth stared at them. He could have sworn there was some serious information being passed between them but neither said a word before Kate nodded and sat down and put an arm over the red head.
Alexis settled in a bit tighter and smiled, "I miss having you both around."
"You act like I'm far away!" Jane barked, "I'm six blocks up. You could walk it faster than cabbing it."
"Dinner is ready." Maura called out.
Jane stood up and stretched, "Bathroom is down that hall, first on the left. Alexis will take you there."
Another look passed between Jane and Kate before the black haired woman picked up the bag and they headed into the master bedroom.
Booth stood up and headed to the Kitchen sink to wash his hands.
Dinner went smoothly with several jokes, anecdotes and of course scientific blather that left everyone but Maura and Bones's head spinning. And, of course, relationship talk.
"The thing that I love most about Jane is that she cares more for justice than she does closing cases." Maura said to Bones.
Rick smiled kindly as he looked at Kate, "Kate is the same way and it's what makes them such great partners. There was this one case where she had to track down a woman's boyfriend who killed her several years ago only to find he'd been killed, she tracked it to the girl's father and put him behind bars, where I would have just let him go."
"But that's illegal," Brennan said, "Even though he killed his daughter's murderer it was still homicide."
He nodded with that crooked grin, "And that's why she's the one with the badge and I'm the one with the pen."
Booth smiled, "I would have put him away too."
"Booth follows the evidence where ever it leads and always tries to bring justice and closure to the victim's family." Brennan said.
Jane and Kate had stopped talking briefly while they listened.
"It's the same thing with Jane." Maura commented, "She follows the evidence wherever it leads although I am still uncertain as to how her intestines lead her to murderers but they do."
"I'm not certain of what you mean." Brennan said.
Jane and Kate shared a look and started giggling and snorting.
"Aunt Jane's gut feelings." Alexis explained with a chuckle. "Aunt Jane follows her gut."
"OH!" Brennan exclaimed, "I'm familiar with that term. She has very good instincts about crime."
Booth started to join the partners in their amusement as did Rick.
"Was my statement humorous?" Brennan asked.
Maura shook her head, "Humor is a difficult concept that defies scientific and logical conclusive thought." She kind of shrank into herself, "I often have to have Jane explain the joke to me."
Jane instinctively took her hand. "You are the smartest person I know. Don't be ashamed because you're too smart to get my stupid humor."
Kate tried to occupy herself with the conversation in the living room but her eyes kept drifting back to her partner, who was helping Maura clean up the kitchen after. Alexis had regretfully headed home for her chemistry homework which was her hardest class. After dinner Jane cornered her partner and suggested that Booth might be the one to give the Beckett file to. Kate agreed that he seemed like the type of investigator they needed to prevent them from breaking the bargain with Bracken but she was still nervous about handing it off. To the point where she had insisted that they hold back the bulk of the information until they got a good read on Booth.
Since Maura knew Brennan professionally she asked a few subtle questions about him and within a few minutes Brennan had figured out what they wanted to know and spoke very highly of his integrity and his sense of right and wrong. Currently Jane was discussing that same subject and Kate was getting more nervous. It was a dangerous case and Booth had a family to think about.
Jane caught her partner's eye and nodded subtly.
Kate took a deep breath, a fact that she could tell did not go unnoticed by Booth. He watched them all very carefully and had all night.
As Jane headed off to Maura's home office, Kate caught Booth's eye and subtly nodded to the hallway.
He got the message as Kate excused herself and went to join Jane.
A few minutes later he stepped into the office. "So is there something going on that I need to know about?"
Jane sat in Maura's chair as Kate fell into one in front of the big desk. "Yeah, there is."
Kate motioned for him to sit and he did but his FBI mode was clearly active. Jane pulled a copy of the file out of Maura's safe and handed it to Kate. Kate pulled out a notepad and began to write on it when she was done she handed it to Booth as she started talking about the case he was assisting them on.
"DO NOT TALK ABOUT THIS! ROOM BUGGED! What I have here in my hand is by far the worst case I have ever held. Lies, cover ups within NYPD, and a conspiracy that runs all the way up and into the US senate." She said as she opened it. "I've worked it since I started in homicide and Jane joined me when she came to NYPD. Rick also has put his own in here, and Maura has gone over the medical and forensics to pick out what's real and what isn't."
He mentioned some babble about procedures at the Jeffersonian that should shed light on the bodies as he wrote a reply, "Since we're doing this quietly, can I assume that you're running this investigation on your own?"
Kate nodded, and wrote back, "My mother's murder. I need an investigator, off the books and away from anyone I know. Before you get into this you need to know that aside from the four of us, everyone else who has touched this has died. The three officers involved with the action, one of which was my CO Roy Montgomery. Three attempts on our lives before we caught up to the sonovabitch and threatened to give him up to Maura's dad, Paddy Doyle."
The conversation continued as they talked shop while passing the note pad back and forth.
"This is as bad a case as there ever was and this guy will stop at nothing to preserve his standing. The danger is real. We have eyes and ears on us at all times so we can't proceed with anything or the hits start all over again. But neither of us can let this go."
"How bad is it?" Booth wrote.
Kate stood up and lifted the hem of her shirt high enough to expose her belly scar. She then sat down and tugged the collar of her shirt down to see the sniper scar. Booth's eyes went wide as Jane came around and turned Kate around so he could see the exit wound.
Jane took the pad and when she finished she handed it back, "Maura took two to the shoulder over Christmas. One sent bone fragments into her lung. Rick has been spared from the bulk of this but Alexis had to kill the guy who shot Maura. If you take this on for us, NO ONE CAN KNOW! For us as well as your own family."
He shook his head, "Investigate cold? That is a really hard way to run."
"And almost everything in here has been cold." Kate shook her head, "It's how it's got to be."
Booth sighed heavily. He knew the type of people that they were. They hated going outside of their own resources for something like this and for them to bring it to him was an act of desperation and he knew it. This went against everything they believed in.
"Why are you asking me?"
Kate looked to Jane and she nodded and took the pad. "Maura trusts Brennan, Brennan trusts you and we've been watching you all night, just like you have been with us. You don't play the politics and of all of the people we've checked out quietly, you are the best chance we have. We're stuck in a waiting game. Eventually he's going to come back at us and our families."
She gave the pad to Kate and she added to it, "If it was just my mother, I could have accepted that when we brought down the three cops and settled for adding the gunman to the list but this goes too high up to let go. He's in the senate and could potentially run for president one day, that kind of corruption cannot be allowed to go that high."
Booth shook his head at the words. He levelled a glare at both of them as he turned it over in his head, This could come back on my family. For that alone I should say no. An off the book investigation, with no resources and no backing from the Bureau. A highly placed conspiracy that could run up into the Senate. Three LEOs dead. Two LEOs and three civilians almost killed. I should say no.
A senator who coculd run for president. If this is legit than that kind of corruption can't reach the Oval Office, it would be the end of everything America stands for. A violation of the very thing I swore to protect with my life. I should say no. For Tempe and for Christine.
His thoughts turned to his little girl and also to his son. They deserved better than to be put into this kind of danger. But what kind of place would they grow up in if a murderer ever became president. It was bad enough that he was in the Senate. In the end the world his children might grow up in was enough to force him into action. Booth was a family man but he also had to think of his childrens future not just their present.
He took the pad into his hands and wrote, "Let me see what you've got and we'll go from there."
Kate handed him the file albeit reluctantly and Jane watched him very carefully. She followed every nuance of his movements with her keen vision. He was so engrossed in the file that he hadn't noticed her eyes seemed to get darker. She watched him as if he was in slow motion; his eyes darting over the pages and his muscles of his face tightening into a frown, his eyes widening in surprise and finally anger setting in on his handsome face. As the muscles in his neck tightened to raise his head up, Jane withdrew her other side.
He set the file down on the desk and rubbed at his face before he took the pad again, "I know you deal with murderers and crazies but this is a lot more dangerous than anything you'll ever face. I don't know what I can do with this but I'll look into it, very quietly. At the first hint of trouble, I'm going to destroy this and forget everything about it."
Kate read it and nodded before handing it to Jane, who quickly wrote "I don't care if it's a feeling or the hair on your neck, don'texpose yourself atall. If you even have a doubt, dump it. It's notworth it."
Kate took the pad and added to it before passing it back to the FBI man. "She's right; don't do anything to bring them out again. Think of your family and protect them at all costs. If you do need us, we will be there with guns blazing if need be. But tell me, why are you willing to do this?"
He read and looked up at her, "I'm a patriot." He said simply as he wrote, "Because as cheesy as it sounds, I love this country and I swore to defend it against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. This is as domestic as it gets."
Jane knew they made the right choice then, his reactions to the file and his anger at the potential damages had been genuine. With her unique talents she could spot a fake reaction instantly. Kate nodded; I think he's the one. Do you?
Yeah. She sent, I think he's our best shot at this.
"There you go again," he said quietly and put his cards out on the table. "What is that?"
Jane smirked, "You haven't heard?"
Kate grinned, "We're psychic."
"The problem is that the process is denied as being accurate even though it is the most accurate." Temperance stated, "Gene sequencing all three samples gives the most accurate representation of what genes are present in the DNA. Although I am not familiar with the process specifically, I could study the required curriculum and earn the certification within the specified time frame. The problem is the legality of it. There are several prominent legal facilities that are constantly defending the unfounded assumption of biological exchange. It's ridiculous."
Maura shook her head, "I'm not looking to turn over the medical reviews on this. What I would like is to know that my child has both myself and Jane in her makeup. I do not need to put us into a legal fight over it. I just would like to know for certain."
Bones nodded, "I can certainly understand your point of view however in order for it to have a legal standing should you and Jane ever decide to split up, certifications have to be in place as well as…"
"Temperance," Maura interrupted, "I'm sorry but you misunderstand. I am not thinking in the terms of child custody should Jane and I break up. The reason I want to undergo surrogate pregnancy is because I want to have a baby that has both of us in its genetic makeup. I do not believe that Jane and I would ever separate after what has happened to us the last time. We have a very symbiotic relationship. Neither of us seems capable of living without the other anymore."
Bones scrunched her eyebrows together in though, "To be clear, you are going to have one of Jane's ovums fertilized in vitro and then implanted into your fallopian tubes so that you can conceive and bear an offspring that has genetics from both yourself and Jane."
"Yes." Maura said with a glimmer in her eye.
"And when the child is born, you want to perform a gene sequence to compare your DNA along with Jane's and the donor's to verify that your goal was achieved."
"Yes, that is correct." She stated simply.
Brennan thought about it for a few moments, "The concept that no biological material is passed from the birth mother to the offspring during surrogacy is a difficult one because of the legal consequences of acknowledging the surrogate. If you ever do go to court for custody, unlikely as you believe it is, you will not be able to use the gene sequence as evidence. In addition, due to the sensitive political and legal position of this procedure it is unlikely that you will find a doctor who is willing to perform the procedure. However if you find a physician to do it, be sure to get a sample of the donor's DNA for comparison. You and Jane can bring the child to the Jeffersonian and I'll conduct the test for you."
Maura's heart fluttered at Temperance's words. The Jeffersonian Medico Legal was the premiere Forensics department in the country. Bones would have access to the most state of the art equipment to conduct the test.
"Oh thank you, Temperance." She beamed one of those smiles that couldn't help but put one on your own face. She clutched Brennan's hands tightly, "You have no idea what this will mean to Jane as well as myself."
Temperance returned the 1000 watt smile and patted her hand, "Since I know that Booth is the one who helped me conceive Christine, I can't begin to contemplate questioning her paternity. With you and Jane both being female, questioning maternity is inconceivable to me. Anything I could do to help illuminate that uncertainty is the very least I could do for an old friend."
Maura smile grew brighter, if that were even possible, and Jane couldn't help but smile brightly as she watched from the hallway.
She turned back to her companions and stared at Kate, "I guess we're not the only ones who have an investigation on their minds."
Booth Nodded, "She really is amazing, but as much as I hate to do this, don't mention this to her at all. The less she knows, the less risk to her."
Kate patted him on the back. "Fair enough."
Jane lead the way out of the hall and Maura jumped up energetically and mashed her hands together, "Jane! I asked Temperance and I have amazing news…" Her almost childlike bouncing made Jane love the shorter woman even more.