Years ago

"Enter." Booth grunted from inside his office.

"Uhh, excuse me sir." Booth looked up in surprise to see David, his daughter's boyfriend standing in front of his desk. "Do you…uhh…have a minute?"

"Sure. Have a seat."

"I would prefer to stand."

"Whatever you want." Booth had to grin. He hadn't seen David this nervous in years. The last time David was this nervous was the night Morgan announced that they were living together so Booth had a feeling that whatever David wanted to talk about was big.

Booth sat behind his desk and watched as David paced back and forth in front of his desk. This must be big. Finally he went, sat on the edge of desk, crossed his muscular arms in front of his chest and waited. Finally, after about five minutes Booth decided to put the kid out of his misery. "So did you come here to demonstrate your pacing skills or is there something that you would like to talk about?"

"I…uhh…yes sir."

"Yes what David?"

"There is something that I want to talk to you about." Again Booth waited but David just paced.

"David, will you relax and just talk. You should know by now that I'm not going to shoot you."

"I want to ask Morgan to marry me."

"I figured that this would be happening soon."

"Sir, I love Morgan with my whole heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"I know that."

"I'm here today because I want your blessing when I ask for Morgan's hand in marriage." Booth smiled.

"David, Morgan is so much like her mother and she would not appreciate you asking for my blessing."

"I know that. You know that but Morgan doesn't need to know that. I respect you and your relationship with Morgan. I know how important she is to you and what she means to you and it because of that respect that I am here." Booth had always liked and been impressed by what a stand up guy David was and today by coming and asking for his blessing to marry his daughter affirmed his belief that David was the right man for his precious girl.

"You are everything that I have ever wanted for Morgan to find so David, I give you my blessing."

"Thank you."David held out his hand and Booth shook it. "Thank you so much sir. I promise you that you won't regret it."

"I know that I won't. Uh can I have my hand back?" David hadn't stopped shaking Booth's hand.

"Yes, Of course." David continued to shake.

"Now?" David immediately dropped Booth's hand.

"Sorry."

"So tell me what you have planned." Booth requested and David proceeded to tell Booth his plan to propose to Morgan.

"Booth why are there three pies sitting on our counter?" Bones called from the kitchen.

"The kids are coming over for dessert." Booth answered walking into the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Kids? Our kids?"

"No Bones. Some random kids." She looked confused. "After all of these years, you are still so literal." He kissed the tip of her nose. "Our kids Bones. Remember Parker, his wife Emily, their kids Rebecca and Lauren, our daughter Morgan and her fiancé David. I know that they have been gone for awhile but I would hope that you haven't forgotten them."

"Of course I haven't forgotten our children. I was just surprised that they were coming over because neither of them said anything at work about coming in…did you say Morgan's fiancé?"

"I did."

"Morgan is not engaged Booth. She would have told me."

"Not if she didn't know." Bones' eyes grew wide and Booth nodded. "David is proposing…" Booth pulled an arm away from his wife's waist and glanced at his watch. "Right about now."

"How did you acquire this information?" Booth leaned down and kissed Bones.

"I promised that I wouldn't tell." He released Bones and went to the fridge.

"You have to tell me. You can't just tell me that our daughter is getting engaged without giving me details." She pulled him away from the fridge and slammed the door shut.

"David came to my office today to ask for my blessing to propose."

"Morgan is not your property. She is no one's property. David shouldn't have asked for your blessing. If she wants to marry him then she will whether you like it or not."

"Easy there girl. Why was it acceptable when Parker asked Em's dad for his blessing to propose?" It wasn't acceptable in her eyes that Parker viewed Emily as property and not a person. Parker explained that wasn't the reason but once Bones makes her mind up about something it is virtually impossible to change it. Booth knew it. He just loved to push her buttons and he succeed. Her blue eyes flashed and grew dark with anger.

"I never once told Parker that is was acceptable…" When she saw the grin cross his face she realized that she had been had. "You are an ass Seeley Booth." She grumbled. "Why must you do that?"

"Cause I love to get you all worked up."

"There are other ways that are more beneficial to you to get me worked up."

"Oh really? Beneficial how?" He leaned forward to nuzzle her neck but she pushed him away.

"I don't think so." Booth knew the cost of pushing Bones' buttons and he accepted his punishment, for now anyway.

"David came to talk to me because of the respect he has for me. He knows Morgan, better than anyone and he knows that she is not my property and she would probably smack him upside his head if she knew what he did but he did it for me. You may think that it is old fashioned but when the time came I wanted David to come and ask for my blessing so I am glad that he did"

"I don't understand why you feel that way."

"It's a father- daughter thing Bones. Since the day she has been born, I have been the main and probably the most important man in her life. Now, by asking for my blessing, David is respectively asking to take over that roll." I told her.

"It's hard for you isn't it?" She asked.

"What?"

"Knowing that you aren't the most important man in Morgan's life anymore." Booth nodded slowly.

"Yeah it's hard. It's really hard. When she had good news, she came to me. When she needed advice, she came to me. When she was scared she came to me and now not anymore. She goes to David for all of that. When she sees the two of us together, she goes to him first and yeah, it does kill me but I know that even though she has David, I will still be there for her if and when she ever needs me." Booth had to blink to keep his tears from falling.

"She'll always be your little girl and you will always have a special place in her life."

"I know. I guess that I just needed reminded of that." Booth smiled softly and Bones leaned forward and kissed him.

"Can I ask you something and have you be completely honest when you answer me?"

"I'm always honest."

"Sometimes you're not but I know you lie to me because you love me and this may be one of those times."

"I'll be honest."

"Did you ask my father's blessing before we got married?" Booth grinned.

"No I did not." Bones stared intently at him, looking for any sign that he was lying and after twenty plus years together she knew the signs and she didn't see any.

"Why not? I assumed that is something you would have done."

"I would have, had it not been you."

"What does that mean?"

"Well first of all, I know that if I would have asked Max for your hand in marriage, you would have kicked my ass."

"Yes I would have."

"And the second, main reason I didn't ask Max was because he wasn't the most important man in your life. You didn't go to him when you were sad, scared or happy. That man was me and in my mind because of what he did to you, he didn't deserve to give his blessing."

"He changed Booth."

"I know that and I am so glad that he did. Even though he came back into your life as an adult, I am glad that you got to have your father back."

"So am I." She whispered tearfully. Max had been gone for about five years and in the years prior to his death, really since he came back into her life the two of them had built a really strong relationship and his death was hard on her. "I'm so glad that you were and still are the kind of father to Parker and Morgan that I never had." Booth didn't respond with words. He simply pulled the woman he adored into his arms and the two shared a long and slow kiss.

"Grandma, Grandpa we're here." Three and a half year old Rebecca and Lauren yelled as they ran into their grandparent's house.

"Twins." Booth roared and both girls giggled. They always thought that it was funny when Booth referred to them as twins and he mainly did it because he had trouble telling the two of them apart. Once they identified themselves he would remember which one was which but until that point he needed their help without them knowing.

"That's not my name. I'm Lauren."

"Now wait a second." Booth put his hands on his hips. "I thought you were Becca." Lauren giggled.

"No Grandpa. I'm Lauren."

"So that makes you…?" Booth asked the oldest of the two girls.

"I'm Becca."

"I knew that."

"No you didn't." Rebecca accused.

"Yes I did." Booth knelt down and opened his arms. "Now come and give your grandpa a hug and kiss." The twins did as they were told.

"What about me?" Bones asked, joining her family.

"Grandma." The girls tore away from Booth and into their grandmother's arms. Rebecca and Lauren adored their grandparents and the feeling was mutual.

"Hey dad." Parker came over and hugged his dad. "So what's the occasion?"

"It must be a big deal." Emily came over and kissed her father-in law. She had already greeted Bones in the kitchen. "There are three pies on the kitchen counter."

"One pie is for Booth. One is for David and Parker and the third is for Emily and the girls." Bones informed them. After all these years, Bones still did not like pie even though it was a regular feature in their house.

"That's not fair. Why does dad get his own pie?" Bones sighed and let Booth and Parker argue over the pie while she and Emily talked and found some toys for the girls.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Morgan called a few minutes later as she and David joined her family in the living room. As soon as Rebecca and Lauren heard their aunt's voice they dropped their toys and ran over to her and David.

It took about ten minutes before Rebecca and Lauren were done greeting Morgan and David. OF course, like she always does, she brought them each a gift. Tonight she brought them each a new coloring book and crayons. The girls loved to color and Emily set them up at their little kids table with cookies while the adults sat at the dining room table and enjoyed their pi e except for Bones who had a bowl of frozen yogurt.

"Parker and I are starting the girls in preschool in the fall." Emily told the family.

"Which one?" Bones asked.

"David and I are engaged." Morgan blurted out suddenly causing Parker to spit his mouthful of pie across the table.

"Geez Morgan." Parker gasped. Morgan was like her mother. She had a habit of blurting things out at the weirdest times, except while she was working. When she was working she knew exactly what to say and when to say it. It was uncanny.

"What?"

"Why do you just blurt stuff out?" Parker shook his head. "One minute we are talking about preschools and the next you're telling is you are engaged."

"Leave her alone." Emily demanded as she smacked Parker's deltoid muscle. She stood up, pulled Parker up with her and they went over and waited in line, behind Booth and Bones to hug the happy couple.

"So how did he ask you?" Emily asked once they all got settled back in their seats.

"When I got home from work today I walked in the apartment and there were rose petals on the floor. I followed the petals to the living room and there was David. He was down on one knee holding the open ring box in his hand." Booth and Bones looked at each other and grinned.

"That's how I proposed." Booth told his future son-in law.

"I know. Morgan told me that story when were kids at the hospital. She loves that story. She said that if she ever got married she wanted her husband to propose like you proposed."

"I forgot that I told him that until tonight." Morgan mumbled softly.

"A man in love Morgan, he remembers everything, even something that you think that is trivial and meaningless, the man in love always remembers." Booth wisely told him.

"She actually cried." David announced and Morgan glared at him.

"Why did you cry?"Bones asked her daughter.

"Because I found it to be a very sweet, romantic and sentimental moment."

"It's okay that you cried Morgs. Em cried when I proposed."

"I didn't cry when your father proposed to me."

"Not everyone does Bones." Booth reached out and linked his hand with hers.

"So how did he ask?" Emily asked her sister-in law.

"I already told you."

"Morgs, you told us how he set the mood but you didn't tell us what he said." Parker explained.

"Well he said I love you and Morgan will you marry me." Morgan told everyone with a confused look. "Why is that important?"

"It just is sweetheart. It just is." Booth told her. It amazed Booth that Morgan was so much like both him and Bones. She was super smart, literal, no nonsense woman like her mother but a t the same time where she was book smart like Bones she was street smart like her father. There were times when she was very literal but she always seemed to know when not to be literal and where Bones was straight laced, serious most of the time, Morgan knew when to relax and have fun. She had no problem sitting back and letting David do manly things for her and loved it when David was romantic. Yes, Morgan had the best traits of both of her parents.

They men spent the rest of the evening watching a hockey game on the television while the girls talked wedding. By the time Booth and Bones were on the porch waving goodbye to their family a tentative wedding date picked out. Bones was going to start making calls the next day. She seemed to just as excited about the wedding as Morgan was.

"What's on your mind sweetheart?" Booth asked. They were in bed and Booth could swear he heard Bones' mind working, if that was possible. She had been tossing and turning for the past twenty minutes; making it impossible for Booth to fall asleep.

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"I don't know why, but I am bothered by the fact that I didn't cry when you proposed. Angela, Cam, Emily and now Morgan, they all cried tears of happiness but I didn't. I was happy, I was very happy when you proposed but I didn't cry." Booth adjusted his body in bed so he was facing his wife. He reached out and easily pulled her thin, tiny frame to his large frame. He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her softly.

"Bones its okay that you didn't cry. You aren't like most other women. You're reaction was exactly what I expected and if you cried then I would have thought something was wrong. "

"Am I a cold fish? I have heard people say that I am a cold fish."

"No sweetheart you are not a cold fish."

"But everyone…"

"That's crap. Not everyone knows you like I do, like your family does. Just because you don't cry at proposals or at sappy chick flick movies, those things don't make you a cold fish. You shed tears at our wedding and at Parker's wedding. You cried when I placed Morgan in your arms for the first time. You cried when we left Parker at college. You cried when the kids were sick. You shed so many tears during Morgan's cancer. Do you know how many times I walked into her hospital and she was throwing up and you were holding and crying right along with her or she was simply sleeping and you were sitting beside her, watching her sleep and crying because your child, our child was sick and their wasn't a damn thing we could do for her but I also remember that you cried when we were told that she was no longer sick."

"What are you saying?"

"When you cry Bones, you are shedding tears for other's pain, grief and happiness. Rarely do you shed tears for yourself and a cold fish does not to that. You are the warmest fish I know."

"You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better? How do you do that?"

"That's easy. I love you." He smiled at her and still after all the years that the two of them had been together her heart still pounds furiously every time he smiles at her. "You really do feel better?"

"I do. Thank you."

"I'm glad and you're welcome. Now will you please stop tossing and turning so I can sleep. I have an early meeting in the morning."

"Goodnight." Booth rolled over on his back and Booth settled her head on his chest. "I love you Booth."

"And I love you Temperance." He kissed her head. "Sleep well."

"What in the hell is going on?" Booth growled. "What is she doing inside?"

"She came on her own dad. She had a hunch and she followed it." Parker explained.

"Damn her." Booth was angry but he was more scared than he was angry.

Parker and Morgan had been working a murder case that had been troubling. Morgan was convinced that she knew who committed the murder but she and Parker couldn't find any concrete evidence to link her suspect to the murder and it was driving her insane. She had spent many hours with her parents bouncing idea's off of them but she continued to hit a brick wall.

Earlier that day Morgan had found something that convinced her that she could nail this guy. She was so excited about it that instead of telling anyone she just took off, sending her brother, her partner, a text message telling him that she was on her way to the suspect's house.

By the time Parker arrived the situation had escalated. The suspect was irrational and terrified about spending the rest of his life in prison, yelling and screaming at Morgan. When Parker arrived he knocked and identified himself, the last thread that he holding onto broke. He pulled out his gun and threatened to kill Morgan if he entered the house so Parker retreated and called for backup which brought his father to the scene.

"What part of always take your partner with you was not clear to her?" Booth mumbled as he turned to the hostage negotiator. "What's the status? Have you been able to communicate with the gunman?"

"No sir. He's not answering the phone and Agent Booth isn't answering her phone either."

"Gimme the phone. Let me try." Booth didn't wait to be handed the phone. He grabbed it out of the negotiator's hand and hit redial but the phone just rang and rang. He finally disconnected the call and dialed Morgan's phone and it rang five times and then went to voicemail. "Dammit." He grumbled handing the phone off. "So what do you see with the thermal imager?"

"Two people. One holding a gun on another."

"Booth." He turned when he heard his name and saw Bones rushing over to him, terror clearing covering her face. She was being held back with the spectators. "Let me through." She demanded. Booth motioned to Parker who went and escorted his mother over.

"She's okay mom. She's holding her own." Parker was explaining.

"What in the hell is she doing here alone? Why weren't you with her?" Bones snapped at her son.

"Because she's stubborn. Because she doesn't know how to follow rules. Because she only thinks of herself. I don't know mom. Take your pick." Parker snapped. Like his parents he was scared for his sister which caused him to snap.

"Knock it off you two." Booth snapped. He couldn't afford to be distracted by his wife and son bickering.

"There is a back door sir. It's locked but my guys can get it opened."

"That's our way in. Get me and Parker a vest." He demanded a couple of rookie agents jumped and went to get the vests. Due to a change in protocol, Parker was required to have a marksmanship certification, which wasn't a problem since he had been shooting a gun with his dad since he was sixteen and that was why Booth wanted him to go in with him.

"I want one too." Bones spoke up.

"You're not going in."Booth told her as he took a vest.

"Yes I am. My daughter is in there." Bones reached for a vest but Booth grabbed her arm and led her away from everyone.

"You ARE NOT going in there."

"Let go of me." She seethed as she shook out of his grasp. "My daughter is in there so I am going."

"Which is why you are not going."

"But you're going and you're her father and you are allowing her brother to go as well.

"She is one of my agents and Parker's partner. That's why we are going in."

"Agent Booth we're ready."

"Don't make me have you removed. Can you stay out here or am I going to have to have you removed?"

"I'll stay." Booth nodded and walked away. "Booth?" He stopped and turned and faced hi s wife. "Bring her out safely."

"You know…" Suddenly shots rang out.

"Shots Fired. Shots Fired." Someone yelled. Bones clasped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out and she leaned against one of the cars for support.

"We're going in NOW." Booth yelled.

Booth, Parker and three other agents pulled their guns and made their way to the house. Booth easily kicked the door opened, entered the room and found Morgan standing over the lifeless body of her suspect, pointing her gun at him with a shaking hand. Parker walked over and kicked the gun away while Booth walked over to Morgan and took the gun out of her shaking hand. It was her first kill.

"I…I…didn't want to." She whispered with a shaking voice. "He…he…shot at me and I aimed….I aimed for his shoulder but he moved… and I…I…warned him. I warned him to put his gun down…but…he kept coming…he…I…"

"He shot you?" Booth asked.

"A flesh wound. It grazed my arm." Booth could see blood pouring down her arm.

"Let me look at you." Booth turned Morgan away from the body and towards him so he could look at her.

"Stop it." Morgan hissed. "I'm fine but he…"

"It's all clear sir."

"Come on sweetheart. Let's get you out of here."

"I am not your sweetheart." She told him through clenched teeth.

"Fine Agent Booth. Let's get you checked out." Booth took her by her non-injured arm and led her outside to the paramedics.

"Morgan." Bones called as she rushed over to her husband and bleeding daughter.

"Mom, what…?"

"You're bleeding. Were you shot?"

"Grazed." Bones wrapped her arms around her daughter but Morgan pushed her away. "What are you doing here?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because I am a federal agent at a crime scene who doesn't need her mother here." Morgan ignored the hurt that crossed her mother's face as she turned and walked away and over to the paramedics followed by Parker.

"Really? Was that necessary?" Parker asked.

"What are you? My overprotective big brother or my partner cause right now, I need my partner, not my brother."

"Fine brother is on the back burner but you should know that you really pissed your partner off Agent Booth."

"I'm sorry Parker. I shouldn't have come here without you."

"Sorry just isn't going to cut it right now Morgan. You scared the hell out of me, mom and dad and that is unacceptable. You can't go off and be a cowboy Morgan. You are not dad and you're going to kill yourself trying to prove that you are." Parker told her. He waited for her to respond and when she didn't he walked away from her.