What Is And What Should Never Be~Ongoing/Rated T

This is the sequel to my story The Test in the Texts. Technically, you don’t have to read Texts to be able to follow this story, but there are certain accepted truths in this sequel that might confuse you, so my suggestion would be to (official shameless plug) take a minute and go check it out. The most important truth being Booth has been promoted and Brennan has a new partner.

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Chapter One

Booth opened his eyes slowly, enjoying the quiet of the morning and the stillness in the air. He turned slightly, looking over to his left so he could watch Brennan sleeping. After a busy few days previous in which they hardly saw each other, they had finally managed to get together the night before for dinner. Brennan had managed to surprise Booth by bringing him to a new place he’d never heard of, Lo ho Detto Cosi, which Bones informed him loosely translated from Italian to I Told You So. The name made absolutely no sense to Booth until their food was brought to their table before they ever saw a menu.

“Sid!” Booth jumped up from the table to embrace his old friend. “When did you get back? Why didn’t you call me?”

Sid laughed at Booth’s enthusiasm. “Seeley, when I got back you were dead, remember? And even I don’t have the means to make a call that long distance. He bent down to kiss Brennan on the cheek. “Hey, Dr. B. It’s good to see you, too. You’re looking gorgeous as always.”

“Thank you, Sid. I’m so glad that you’re back.”

“Hey! Don’t hit on my lady, Sid.”

“Wouldn’t think of it, Seel. I am simply complimenting a beautiful woman. I am nothing if not a gentleman.”

Brennan had rolled her eyes at Booth’s ‘my lady’ comment, and then jumped in to save Sid. “Booth, seriously. Reel it in.”

Both men stopped to gawk at her perfect use of the metaphor. Brennan crossed her arms and regarded them both. “Gunn has been teaching me some things.”

Sid’s eyes widened. “Gunn? As in Special Agent Richard Gunn, hoarder of the recipe for the best damn barbeque on the planet?”

Booth nodded, grinning. “The one and the same. He’s Bones’ new partner once my promotion kicks in.”

“Excellent.” The way Sid purred the word reminded Booth of Mr. Burns from The Simpsons. He just needed to tap his fingers together and the picture would have been complete. “ So Dr. B, think you can bust out your considerable charm and get that recipe for me? I’ll feed you free for life in gratitude.”

“Deal, Sid. But you can feed Booth for free instead, he eats more. Lots more.” Brennan patted the seat on the booth beside her, picked up her spoon and nodded to their host. “Thanks, Sid. The food looks great.”

“Thanks, Dr. B. For you, we’re starting with Roasted Pumpkin soup, made with my special pumpkin seed oil. Your main course is seared yellow fin tuna in a soy truffle jus, served with lotus crisps hijiki and a sesame seaweed salad. Booth, your soup is Lobster Bisque with a tarragon-infused crème fraiche, the main course is a grilled filet mignon flatiron steak with garlic butter, French fries and watercress salad, and you’re both having my sour cream mascarpone cheesecake with raspberry reduction for dessert.”

“Damn, Sid. I really, really missed you.” Booth grabbed a spoon and took a taste of his soup. “God, this is amazing.”

Brennan agreed as she tried her pumpkin soup. “This is so smooth…I don’t know how you do it, Sid.”

“It’s the pumpkin oil, trust me. I make it myself.”

“Well, it’s fantastic. Thank you again, Sid.”

“Anytime. Enjoy your meal. Oh, and…I’m glad to see you two together. It’s about time.” He clapped Booth on the shoulder as he headed back towards the kitchen.

Booth shook his head at the happy thought of having Sid back in town and pulled himself up out of bed, bending his feet and ankles to alleviate the stiffness that always accompanied his wake up routine. He stifled a groan as he stood, knowing it was going to take some extra time that morning to get moving smoothly. Brennan had been nice enough to let him watch his Flyers come back from 3 games down in their series against Boston to clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the game had been so exciting Booth had done a fair amount of jumping up and down during. ‘At least I know I won’t be chasing any suspects today.’, he thought.

He glanced at the suit Brennan had hung on the closet the night before as he headed to the en suite bathroom. She had insisted on buying him a brand-new suit for his first day as Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Branch. Booth had to admit, she had great taste in men’s clothes. The black and grey pinstriped Armani was sharp, and he loved that Bones had paired it with a cornflower blue shirt and boldly striped tie. But the fact that she had been so excited to be able to do something as mundane as buying him a new suit made him grin like an idiot, no matter what the suit looked like.

He made his way into the bathroom and started to shave, his mind going a mile a minute in twelve different directions. He hated to shave, and although he had to do it every day (and sometimes twice) as a matter of course, he knew that from now on he was going to have to be even more conscientious about his personal grooming. He laughed internally at that, knowing that Gunn would give him hell for the whole idea. He already called Booth a ‘peacock’ because of his obsession with his hair and socks, so he knew he would have to be careful not to add any fuel to that fire.

Wiping the shaving cream off his face, Booth reached over and started the water in the shower. He stripped off the rest of his clothes and stepped in, letting the steaming hot water beat down on his aching shoulder. Another casualty of his former job, the healed gunshot wound where Pam Nunan had hit him three years ago still twinged in bad weather, and when he was tired it really acted up. He turned around, getting his hair wet to shampoo, when he opened his eyes and saw that he wasn’t alone.

Fair warning…this chapter contains mild smut. Nothing too explicit, but more than the T rating allows.
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Chapter Two

“What’s the matter, Bones? Feeling the need to save water?” Booth openly admired Brennan’s naked form as she turned to flip the switch on the second shower head, then slipped under the water to let it wash down her body, along with her hands.

“It’s always more advisable to shower with a friend, Booth.” Brennan smirked and moved closer to him, letting her fingers roam across his well-defined chest. “Besides, I wanted to make sure you were nice and relaxed for your first day as a Special Agent in Charge.”

Booth moved his own hands to her hips, then slid them down to cup her ample ass cheeks, stroking them slowly. “I can’t think of a better way to relax, Bones. You’re a genius.”

“Oh, I know.” She smiled as she pulled his head down to draw him into a long, wet kiss. He nibbled at her bottom lip as her hands moved from his head to his shoulders and then down his back, fingernails grazing his skin lightly. Her head fell back, exposing her long neck to his mouth as he licked and sucked the falling water off her smooth skin, leaving a trace of a love bite on her clavicle as he moved further down.

Brennan literally purred and grasped his biceps to keep from falling as Booth took one tight nipple into his mouth, groaning at the feel of her sensitive skin puckering under his tongue. “Booth…” She breathed, grasping at his wet hair and tugging his face back to hers. “I need you.”

“You already have me, Bones. You always have.” He whispered in her ear as he reached under her and pulled her up against him, letting her wrap her long legs around his waist as he slid home, drawing satisfied groans from both of them.

“Oh God, Booth…” Brennan’s head dropped back to the shower wall, her eyes slipping shut in pleasure as Booth moved smoothly in and out, occasionally bending down to swipe at one distended nipple with his tongue. They filled the bathroom with their moans, both trying to hold off the inevitable precipice fall they were quickly hurtling towards.

“Mmmm…hang on tight, Bones….” His warning was unnecessary as she already had a death grip on his shoulders, letting her short nails dig into his flesh as he moved them both towards their goal. Brennan’s orgasm hit her first, leaving her seeing stars behind her tightly shut eyes. “Oh, Booth….now, Booth….now…”

Booth groaned her name into the curve of her shoulder, losing his breath, control and equilibrium as the world tilted on its axis. “I love you….so much.” Breathing heavily, he looked up to her face and found her grinning delightedly, a look he couldn’t help but return.

“If I had known it would be this good between us I would have jumped you a long time ago, Booth.”

Kissing her slowly and languidly, he released the hold he had on her legs and let her slide deliciously down his body to stand on her own. “Don’t remind me how much time we’ve wasted, Bones. Let’s just enjoy this, here and now.”

Brennan kissed his cheek and couldn’t resist running her hand down his chest one more time. “Deal. Now hand me the soap.”

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An hour later, Booth stood in front of their bedroom mirror and studied his reflection. His hair, tie and suit looked perfect…almost too perfect. In his heart he knew that taking this promotion was going to drastically change his life, and probably for the better, but there were just some things he was loathe to give up. Looking down, he lamented the loss of one of those things. Black socks. Boring, staid, non-free-thinking-rebel socks. Shaking his head at his own ridiculousness, he grabbed his shoes and sat on the bed to put them on.

Brennan had been watching from the doorway as Booth stared at his feet. She knew what he was thinking, which sometimes surprised her when it happened. He was depressed about having to wear plain socks. If it wasn’t so endearing, she would find it ridiculous…but it really was incredibly sweet. She stepped into the room and placed the gift bag she was carrying on the bed next to him.

“Bought you a present.” She plopped into the vanity chair across from him.

“Bones! You already bought me this new suit; you didn’t have to do this.” But he was already picking up the brightly colored package and moving the tissue paper aside.

“Oh, I think I did need to do this.” She grinned happily when he finally saw what was in the bag and his head snapped up, smiling in unrestrained glee.

He dropped the bag and jumped up, grabbing her and spinning her around the bedroom. “You are the best, Temperance Brennan. The best!”

“Booth! Put me down, you’ll put out your back and wrinkle your suit!” She slapped at his shoulders playfully before he finally set her down and reached for the gift bag again.

“These are great, Bones. I love Paul Smith socks. And the blue stripes actually match my shirt.” He leaned up and kissed her again before unceremoniously yanking the offending black socks off his feet.

“I’m glad you like them, Angela was the one who told me what brand to buy. You know I never notice that kind of thing, it took me months to figure out that Dolce and Gabbana wasn’t a law firm here in DC.”

Laughing, Booth wiggled his newly stripey-sock-clad feet. “And I wouldn’t have you any other way, baby.”

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“Hey Erik? Have you seen my-”

“What? I found your sunglasses, by the way. You dropped them in the living room.”

Gunn walked into the kitchenette of his small efficiency apartment and couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as he watched Erik, the one person in the world who understood him better than anyone else, waved his missing Ray Bans with one hand while stirring the eggs he had scrambled for breakfast with the other. “Thanks, babe. After last night I definitely need them.”

“Hey, no one told you to try and drink Mikey under the table. That was all you.” He turned off the burner on the stove and scraped the eggs onto two plates. “You want toast?”

“Yeah. No bacon, though. Thanks.” Gunn carried the plates to the table, and then turned to grab the coffee pot. Before he sat, he watched Erik moving around the tiny space, all smooth grace and practiced ease. Erik was the same height as Gunn, but at least twenty-five pounds lighter and it showed in the way he almost danced from counter to fridge as he finished preparing breakfast.

“No bacon? You’ve been hanging out with Temperance way too much. I like it.” He joined Gunn at the table, passing him the toast and grabbing his coffee cup. “Less meat in your diet wouldn’t be such a bad thing, you know. I’ve been trying to get you to eat less of it for months.”

Gunn nodded, finishing his bite of eggs before speaking. “I know, but she scares me more than you do.”

Laughing, Erik agreed. “If she wasn’t so gorgeous she would be terrifying. That sweet face saves her.”

“And thank God she and Seel finally got their heads out of their asses.”

“Can’t blame Seeley for that, though. He did try. She turned him down the first time.”

“But he gave up, Erik.” Gunn sighed, not for the first time wondering what his friend had been thinking. “He had this ridiculous notion that she couldn’t be pushed. Yeah, maybe that was true of her five years ago, but Booth has been such a good influence on her, and the only one who couldn’t truly see it was him. He should have pushed her harder that night, and maybe they could have avoided a lot of heartache in the end.”

Erik gave Gunn an affectionate look and reached for his hand. “Maybes and coulda-shouldas can’t be fixed like hitting some reboot button on life, you know that. The best we can do is the best we can do and move on from that. Besides, I think Seeley and Temperance both appreciate the journey as much as the destination, don’t you think? It really is the best part, in the end. That’s the part that makes us who we really are.”

“You are awfully damn philosophical for first thing in the morning.”

“Doesn’t make me any less right.”

“As always.” Gunn finished his coffee with a gulp and stood, wiping his mouth with his napkin. He grabbed his suit jacket, holstered his gun and pocketed his badge. “I need to get going. Today is my first day under my new boss. Need to be on time, I hear he’s a real ball buster.”

Erik stood up and placed his hands on Gunn’s shoulders, forcing him to make eye contact. “Listen…about what we talked about last night…I still want this, you know.”

“I know. So do I. I do.”

“Then talk to Seeley about it.” He held up his hand to cut off Gunn’s automatic protest. “I know, you think he’s too Catholic and traditional to understand. But he’s also a man in love, and he’s your friend. He would not only understand, he would support you. Us. Trust me, talk to him.”

“You sure we can’t be each other’s best man?” Gunn tried his own charm smile on Erik, getting a friendly glare in return.

“That’s no fun. I want to do this as traditionally as the law allows, and I really want you to want that, too. Okay?”

“Alright. I’ll see if Booth and Brennan can meet us for lunch sometime this week.”

“Today, Richard.”

“Fine! Geez. You’re a pain in the neck.” Gunn leaned forward and gave Erik a kiss. “Goodbye, Bossy.”

“I love you, too. Call me when you know about lunch.” Erik closed the door behind Gunn and leaned against the wood, shaking his head. The night before had been spent celebrating with some close friends their recent decision to have a commitment ceremony, and although Erik had been a little angry about it, Gunn hadn’t wanted Booth and Brennan to be there. They ended up inviting only their friends from the gay community, and it made Erik think that Gunn was a little ashamed of the two of them. After a loud argument and some patient mediating by their friends, Gunn had admitted that he was afraid Booth would be offended by the idea of two men getting married and not even want to attend. Erik had been shocked at first, considering how accepting both Brennan and Booth had been of Erik when they finally met him, but Gunn was quick to point out that the difference between being lovers and being married was bound to offend Booth’s Catholic sensibilities. Even now, the thought made Erik laugh. Apparently, Richard Gunn didn’t know his good friend as well as he thought which is why Erik had insisted that Gunn speak to him as soon as possible. Erik knew that if Gunn wanted anyone to stand up with him at the ceremony, it was Booth and he was determined to make sure that happened for the one person on the planet he would do anything for. Keeping a hopeful thought, Erik went to get ready for a day of apartment hunting with Brennan’s realtor.

Chapter Three

Special Agent in Charge Seeley Booth stood in front of his assembled group of Homicide agents and grinned. When he had first walked into the office that morning, several of them had come up and offered congratulations and handshakes, making his initial nervousness begin to fade away. And once he’d seen his new office, he knew that this was one of the best decisions he’d ever made.

His SAC office was twice the size of his old one and featured a reception area, complete with assistant. The inner office itself was well-decorated and featured all of his old wall photos as well as some new ones, specially chosen by Brennan to “inspire dedication and justice”. His desk was definitely nicer, and the chair….oh sweet Lord, the chair….another Brennan addition, it was ergonomically correct, had the best back support money could buy, and was made of the softest leather he had ever felt. Behind his desk was a solid oak table covered in Booth’s knickknacks from his old desk, including his Bobblehead Bobbie, mini Stanley Cup and Magic 8 ball. The only really new addition was a framed photo of Bones that he had picked out himself because she was wearing a deep blue sweater that he thought brought out the color of her eyes. It sat next to a photo of Parker and himself taken at the park, and across the table from a group photo of himself with his Jeffersonian family. The office also included a large conference table, four guest chairs, a personal coffee station and at the side of the outer wall across from his desk, a basketball net…a gift from Assistant Director Hacker.

He had been allowed to choose his own assistant from the office pool, but thought it more prudent to let Brennan do the choosing in the interest of domestic harmony. In the end, she had chosen the best applicant for the job, which coincidentally turned out to be a sixty-year old woman named Janie. She introduced herself to Booth with a hug, a cup of coffee in his Steelers mug and congratulations, and then proceeded to list his appointments for the day, which included the current meeting he was running to get acquainted with the agents under his supervision.

Booth sat on the desk behind him and leaned back, arms crossed in front of him. He looked at each of the agents on front of him, trying to make eye contact with as many as possible. “So here’s the thing. My office door is always open. Always. I don’t believe in the ‘putting the moat around the castle’ style of supervising agents. You’re all adults and you can certainly figure out when you do and do not need my guidance without being a pain in my ass or screwing up a case because you didn’t communicate. You will have to go through Janie, but she seems fairly harmless to me. Depends on whether you’re nice to her or not. She tells me she loves chocolate chip muffins, just so you know.” The agents laughed while Booth smiled and the slight tension in the room seemed to ease perceptibly.

“Now, since my former position as Supervisory Special Agent is obviously available, I need to know if anyone here is interested in filling it. Just let me know in private and I’ll decide who is taking over by the end of next week. Just remember, I am not bribable with muffins, so don’t even bother.”

One voice came from the back of the gathering. “You’re more of a pie man, right Agent Booth?”

Booth rolled his eyes. “That’s right, Agent Gunn. And remember, I prefer apple.”

Gunn stepped forward a little, arms crossed in a mirror of Booth’s position. “Oh, no thank you, Boss. I have my hands full with my new partner. I couldn’t possibly handle her and a new job at the same time.”

Booth couldn’t mask the goofy grin that crossed his face. “I didn’t seem to have a problem with it, Agent Gunn.”

“Well, admittedly…you are special, Sir.” Gunn raised an eyebrow as he looked around the room. “I think we can all agree on that.”

Booth waved a hand to stop the laughter rolling through the room again. “Okay, okay…enough of that. But since Agent Gunn was kind enough to broach the subject, I don’t think I need to remind anyone that not only will he be Dr. Brennan’s new partner and Jeffersonian liaison, he will need to utilize the same assistance from our support staff as I did when I partnered with her. The Jeffersonian staff is responsible for more than three quarters of our major solved cases this year so any help we can provide will be appreciated and expected. Don’t make me look bad by not keeping up with my impeccable standard, as hard to live up to as it is.”

Booth went over a few more procedures and personal preferences as to how he was going to be running the department, then dismissed the gathering with a reminder of his open SSA post. “If you are interested, see Janie and she’ll make a list of agents who want the job. I’ll let you know. Now get out of my office.” Everyone shuffled out, laughing amongst themselves and looking relaxed and happy, which is what Booth had aimed for when he decided that to start, he would be approachable and friendly with the agents under his supervision. If they kept up the same level of excellence they had before he was given the job he wouldn’t have any reason to crack the whip on them.

“So, think that being their friend is the approach to use, Dad?” Booth looked up, unsurprised that Gunn was the only one who ignored his order and stayed, even settling into one of the guest chairs in front of the desk.

“For now, yes. The last guy to hold this job, Marsters, was incredibly hands-off, which is why Hacker was down here so often and why Marsters lost his job in the first place. We all knew our jobs and how to handle them, so we rarely needed him. Honestly, I think that except for performance reviews I talked to the guy twice in the three years he had the job and that won’t fly with me. So yeah…they can handle things without me, but now they don’t need to. If they try to take advantage of me, they’ll only do it once. “

Gunn grinned and stood. “I knew you were the right guy for the job, my man.”

Booth looked mock offended. “You doubted me?”

“Never.” Sticking his hand out over the desk, he shook Booth’s and nodded. “You were born to do this, Seeley. You’ll be great.”

Holding his friend’s hand for a beat longer, Booth nodded back in appreciation. “Thanks, Gunn. Really.”

“And on that manly little bromance moment, I need to go. But Erik wanted me to ask if you and the Doc are available for lunch? We have something we need to ask you.”

“I can’t speak for Bones, but…”

“Good call, Seel.”

“I’m learning. But, yeah…according to this complicated schedule the lovely Janie has compiled, I am free for lunch today. In fact…” Booth stared at the weekly schedule closely. When he realized what his assistant had done, he laughed. “She left every lunch time free on my schedule and penciled in ‘Lunch with Dr. Brennan’ every day. I like her.”

“I would imagine that Doc had something to do with that. So we’ll see you at the diner at noon?” Gunn stopped at Booth’s door, looking at him questioningly.

“Yeah, unless Bones can’t make it. If she can’t, I’ll still be there.”

“Great. Thanks, Booth. See you then.”

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Gunn sauntered into the Jeffersonian looking more relaxed than he actually felt. Now that he knew he was going to have to talk with Booth about his upcoming commitment ceremony with Erik, his nerves had shot up a hundred-fold. As he headed for Brennan’s office, he tried to decide if he should broach the subject with her ahead of time, or just wait until lunch and tell her with Booth. When he reached the threshold of her office, he noticed that she was on the phone and hung back to wait, unable to avoid the end of her conversation.

“Don’t worry, Booth. I already contacted my lawyer and she was happy to start all the paperwork. She will draw up our updated wills, power of attorney and the cohabitation agreement we talked about. Then, once we find a house she’ll submit the rights of survivorship for joint tenants documents and we should be all set.” Brennan listened for another moment, and then laughed. “I told you that the paperwork for not getting married was more complicated than you thought. But you’re right, I don’t really need any of that. The government does.” Another laugh from Brennan. “Okay, but remember that I was amenable to marriage, so no complaining. I will see you at lunch. I love you.” Gunn assumed Booth returned the sentiment before Brennan hung up the phone and resumed her work on the laptop in front of her.

“Good morning, Doc.” Gunn walked into the office and settled on her sofa, leaning back and sighing.

“Richard, Good morning. Is something wrong?” Brennan’s brow furrowed at his tense body language.

“No, not at all, Temperance. Actually…Erik and I decided to have a commitment ceremony at the end of the month.” He smiled at her, genuinely this time.

“Oh, Richard!” Brennan stood and crossed the office excitedly, settling next to him on the sofa and leaning to hug him. “I’m so happy for both of you! Is Erik excited?”

“He really is.”

Brennan regarded him closely. “I know I am still learning about how to read people, but even I can tell that you don’t seem as happy about this news as you should be. Would you…?”

“No, Doc. Thanks. I really am happy, honestly. We’ll go over it at lunch with you and Booth, if that’s okay.”

“Alright. That is acceptable.” Brennan stood again and returned to her desk. “So, do we have a case?”

Most people would have assumed that Brennan’s abrupt change of subject was her way of making him more comfortable by deliberately changing the subject, but Gunn knew better. In her mind, the discussion was closed and he found that facet of her personality absolutely delightful. There was nothing more irritating to him than when someone pushed him to talk about something when he didn’t want to, and it generally made him clam up completely. The only person who had been able to get him to talk when he was like that was Booth, and even he knew when to stop pushing.

“No, no case. I just had to get away from my slave driver new boss.”

Brennan grinned. “Does he like his new office? I tried to make it as comfortable as possible for him.”

“Oh yeah, he actually groaned in a way that made me decidedly grossed out when he sat down in his new office chair. You made a nice choice.” Gunn shook his head. He wasn’t exaggerating. Booth had literally moaned when he sank down into the rich leather chair.

“Good. He deserves the best things in life.”

Looking Brennan up and down with a small smile, Gunn agreed. “He does, Doc. That’s why he’s with you.”

Brennan blushed. “Thank you, I-“ She stood again and made a point of closing her office door before she crossed back over to the sofa. She sat next to Gunn and folded her hands in her lap, twisting her fingers together.

“What’s on your mind, Temperance?” He waited for her to gather her thoughts.

“I think I might be overdoing it.”

“Overdoing what?”

“My relationship with Booth. I’ve never been in such a committed relationship, and I don’t want to fail. Booth is too important to me. But…I’m afraid I am overcompensating and I don’t want to smother him.” She looked up finally, and Gunn was alarmed to see tears in her eyes. He grabbed her hands in his large ones and held tight, wanting to solidify his point with touch.

“Temperance. You should know by now that when it comes to Seeley, he likes to be cared for. He may never admit it, and he would never ask for it, but he enjoys the extra attention you give him. Almost as much as he loves giving it to you.”

Brennan released a long breath and nodded. “He really does enjoy caring for those he loves. And I want to do that for him. I need him to know that I really do love him, and that it’s not a reaction to his returning from the dead again.” She paused, collecting her thoughts. “This love I feel for him…it’s real; I literally feel it in my chest cavity. What I mean is that metaphorically, my heart responds to his presence and I want to share that feeling with him. But I want him to be able to be his own person, not just half of a couple. Does that make sense? It seems irrational to me.”

Gunn took her hand. “No, it’s not irrational. You feel the same way about yourself, so it makes sense that you would want to do that for him. You do that often, I’ve told you that. What makes you more secure in your relationship with Seeley may be a little different than what makes him secure, but your goals are the same so anything you do towards that goal is never wrong because it’s done out of love.”

Her eyes closed briefly as she smiled and nodded, accepting what Gunn was saying. “Thank you, Richard. I appreciate that. You’re a good sounding board, and I hate to say it but you’re even better than Angela. By now she would have just made a comment about having more sex with Booth to keep him happy.”

Gunn laughed and stood, offering her his hand. “I do love Angela’s approach, though. And she means well.” Making a decision, Gunn led her out of her office and walked towards the stairs to the lounge area. “Now, let’s go and get a cup of coffee and you can return the favor by being my sounding board, okay?”

“Of course. I would be happy to listen. I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but…”

“You underestimate yourself, Doc. C’mon, let’s have a chat.”

Chapter Four

Brennan walked into the reception area of Booth’s office, stopping in her tracks when she saw the door was shut. Music she recognized from his collection at home came softly through the closed door, although the music itself didn’t seem soft at all. She looked questioningly at Janie, who smiled softly and invited Brennan to sit down to wait.

“I’d give him a few moments, Dr. Brennan. One of the agents has already been in sucking up for the SSA job and he had a heck of a time getting rid of her.” Janie looked amused as she rose. “Would you like some tea while you wait? I just made myself a pot.”

“Oh, no thank you Janie. We’re supposed to be going to lunch…or, at least I thought we were. Does he remember I was picking him up?” Brennan looked at the door again, confused and unsure.

“He does, dear. I promise. I reminded him, but he knew. Let’s just say this agent was insistent that she could do his old job…and was more than happy to do anything to get it.”

“Oh. She offered sexual favors?” Brennan was amazed.

“You betcha.” Many people thought Brennan was entirely too blunt, but Janie loved her total lack of guile. It was refreshing in the world of law enforcement, where she had spent her whole life and in the world in general, where people almost never said what they meant. “Don’t worry, dear. Agent Booth is completely dedicated to you. It’s very obvious.”

Brennan wasn’t worried, but she also knew that Booth wouldn’t have necessarily been clear with this female agent…or at least as clear as Brennan herself would have been. Booth had proven time and time again that he was sometimes too nice, especially with women. “I am not worried, Booth has expressed often how much he loves me and only me, and he is a dedicated, honest and loyal man. I don’t trust anyone the way I trust Booth.”

“And he trusts you the same way, Dr. Brennan. You are a very lucky couple.”

“Please, Janie. Call me Temperance. And I know, even though I don’t believe in luck.” Brennan smiled at Janie’s delighted laughter, then tipped her head to the side and listened intently. “Oh my. Are you sure something else didn’t happen today, Janie? That’s Darkness on the Edge of Town by Bruce Springsteen. He usually only listens to that song when he’s having an especially bad day.”

“Not that I know of, Temperance. Until Agent Manning showed up he seemed to be in good spirits.”

Brennan considered her options. She wanted very badly to find out what was bothering Booth, but she knew her limitations and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to help him in the way he needed. After going back and forth for a moment she decided to do what Booth would do in her position. She stood and walked towards the door.

“Good for you, dear.” Janie nodded in approval and turned back to her work.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Brennan decided not to knock on the door before she opened it, turning the knob slowly and quietly pushing it. When she peeked in, she could see Booth sitting sideways at his desk, staring at a picture in his hand. Warmth spread through her chest as she realized it was a photo of her. The gentle smile on his face and the way his finger traced her image in the frame made her breath hitch and a lump form in her throat. Intellectually, she knew that Booth loved her. He showed it every day, in all kinds of small and large ways. She never wanted for anything when he was with her, and she wanted to give that content, satisfied, and complete feeling of being adored back to him at every opportunity. But standing there watching this strong, physically dominant alpha male gaze so longingly at her photo made her feel as if she could never return the kind of love he gave her, not in the same way or at the same level of intensity. Yes, Gunn had reassured her that the things she did for Booth she did out of love, but she was suddenly feeling like it wasn’t enough. As her thoughts started to turn even more morose, Booth seemed to sense her presence and looked over to her, a delighted smile crossing his face.

“Bones!” He jumped up and rounded the desk, pulling her into his arms and kissing her senseless. She took in his face, so thrilled and just…happy, and all her misgivings flew out the window.

“I guess you’re happy to see me.” Brennan returned his smile, unable to resist the charm smile for even a moment.

Looking down, Booth smirked. “Well, that definitely isn’t a banana in my pocket.”

Rolling her eyes, Brennan pushed him back lightly. “Come on, pervert. Let’s go get some lunch. Erik and Gunn are probably waiting already.”

“Alright, alright.” Booth grabbed his phone from his desk and followed her out the door. “Janie, we’re going for lunch. Can we bring anything back for you?”

Pulling out a container, Janie shook her head. “No, thank you Agent Booth. I brought my homemade vegetable soup with me today. Although…if you’re going to the Royal Diner, a piece of their apple pie would be lovely.”

Giving his assistant a thumbs up and a smile, Booth led Brennan out of the office. “I knew I liked her, Bones.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Richard, quit jiggling your leg. It will be fine.” Erik slapped his knee under the table and threw him a glare.

“I know, I know. I…I talked with Temperance this morning. About Booth.” He looked down and swiped at a non-existent crumb on the table.

“What did my favorite genius say?”

“Exactly the same thing you did. Only more squinty.” Erik laughed and slapped him on the back.

“I told you. So just calm down. Besides, you have to. They’re here.” He pointed to the door, watching as Booth held it open for Brennan, and then walked a few steps behind her to the table.

“Hey guys.” Booth let Brennan slide into her chair before settling next to her. “Did you order yet? I’m starving.”

Brennan fought an eye roll in favor of a lecture. “Booth, you had a huge breakfast and I know Janie got you those muffins you like. So don’t exaggerate.”

“Muffins? Hey! I thought you said you didn’t like muffins.” Gunn recalled Booth’s claim from earlier during the staff meeting.

“No, I never said I didn’t like them. I said that they weren’t good bribe material. Big difference.” Booth picked up the menu and looked at it intently, as if he didn’t already have it memorized.

“So what is good bribe material, Agent Booth? The same thing Agent Manning was offering you earlier?” Brennan couldn’t resist prodding Booth about being propositioned earlier, and she also wanted to gauge how he was feeling about it.

“Bones!” The deep blush that crossed his face told her some of what she was wondering. “I can’t believe Janie told you. How embarrassing.”

“She hinted, I guessed. And why would you feel embarrassed? A beautiful woman offers you sex for a job and you’re the one who’s embarrassed? That’s illogical, Booth.”

“What?!? Manning offered you a little sumptin’ sumptin’ for the SSA job? That’s awesome!” Gunn gave Booth his first genuine smile since he and Brennan had joined them.

“No, Dumbass. It’s not awesome. She was…well, she was rude. And out of line. I had to put her on leave for a week because of it.” Booth became fascinated with the cuff of his shirt sleeve, not looking Brennan in the eye.

“Booth, why would you put her on leave for that? You turned her down, she left…correct?”

“Bones, can we just let it go?”

“No, Booth. We can’t. What did she say?”

Booth finally looked up and glared. “Temperance. Let it go.”

“No, I will not. Something she said upset you, That’s why you were listening to Springsteen earlier when I came to get you.”

Gunn piped in. “Darkness?”

“Yes.” Brennan confirmed.

“Seeley.” He forced Booth to look at him. “Man, you’re going to have to tell eventually. Might as well spill it.”

Sighing, Booth turned and looked only at Brennan. “Look, Bones. I am telling you this under protest. It’s not necessary.”

“It’s fine, Booth. Whatever she said about you-“

“It was about you, Bones.”

Gunn winked at Erik, who smiled back tightly. They had both suspected the problem had something to do with Brennan. And with his short interaction with Agent Stephanie Manning, he knew she wasn’t Dr. Temperance Brennan’s biggest fan.

“What did she say, Booth? Do I have to beat her up?” She placed a hand on his leg under the table, rubbing up and down to calm him.

“No, I think she’ll back off now. But…she was pretty nasty, Bones. I know women are supposed to be more vicious than men but wow….Manning was being a real bitch.”

Brennan knew it was bad if Booth resorted to using that word, one he had never heard him use in reference to another woman outside of the occasional case-related comment. “It’s fine, Booth. Obviously she wants you have sex with you, so she is probably jealous.”

“She heard some things from Sully, Bones.”

Brennan’s hand stopped on his leg. “What?” Her whispered question was filled with shock. “What could he have possibly shared with her?”

Booth looked over at Gunn and Erik, both of whom looked like they wanted to beat someone. “We can talk about it at home, Bones. Please?”

The curiosity was killing her, but when Brennan looked into Booth’s eyes, she saw that he was begging her to let this go in front of their friends. She was helpless when it came to that look he was giving her. And, she allowed, he was probably right. It was not a conversation to be having over lunch with friends. “Alright, Booth. We’ll talk later.”

He kissed her softly. “Thanks, Bones.” He stared into her eyes for another moment or two, and then turned back to their lunch companions. “Okay then. What did you two want to talk to us about?”

Chapter Five

Gunn cleared his throat nervously and looked to Erik. Rolling his eyes, Erik took the lead, thinking that it was akin to pulling off a band aid.

“Well, Richard and I have decided to have a commitment ceremony. And we’d love it if you would be Richard’s best man, Seeley.”

Gunn watched Booth’s reaction closely, and couldn’t have been more shocked. His face broke into a delighted grin and he reached across the table and slapped Gunn on the shoulder. “Congratulations, you two! That’s great, how about that?” Booth smiled at Brennan, then back to Gunn. “And I would be honored to be your best man, Dumbass. Why were you so nervous about asking me? Thought I was too Catholic?”

Gunn had the grace to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I just…”

“Nah, don’t sweat it. I understand. But you should know me better by now, Dumbass.” Booth tried to glare, but couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. “This is really good news. I love weddings.”

“It’s not really a wedding…” Gunn started to protest.

“In the eyes of God, it is.” Ignoring Brennan’s attempt to interrupt, Booth continued. “Look, all a wedding is supposed to be is two people standing before God, pledging to love each other and stay true forever. And no matter who is doing the pledging, as long as you’re happy I want to believe that God is happy for you, too.”

Gunn was relieved and more than a little bit shocked. “You, Seeley Booth, are a constant surprise.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Booth grinned and dug into his lunch.

“So, when is the ceremony, Erik?” Brennan picked at her salad as she continued to turn Booth’s words about weddings over in her head.

“We’re going to try for the end of the month. We’re still trying to find somewhere to hold it.” Erik shook his head. “You’d think in this day and age…”

“How about the gardens at Hodgins’ estate?” Brennan broke in. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, and there’s plenty of room.”

“Oh, we couldn’t impose on him or Angela. Besides, they don’t even live there anymore, do they?”

“No, they don’t, but he keeps a staff there and they do use it to rent out for balls and proms and such. Why couldn’t you take advantage of that if it’s there? I know Angela would probably love to help you plan everything.” Brennan pulled her phone out and handed it to Gunn. “Call Ang. She’ll be happy, believe me.”

Gunn shook his head again. He knew that he was lucky to have friends like Booth and Brennan, but he had had no idea how far that luck extended. He and Erik were truly blessed. He pressed the number for Angela on Brennan’s phone and prepared himself for the excited squeal that was sure to come.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After a very productive but exhausting day, all Booth wanted to do was go home, take off his suit, eat something bad for him and make love to his Bones. But as soon as the door shut behind him, he knew that at least one of those things was not going to happen…at least not anytime soon. Brennan was sitting at the dining room table, tapping her finger in irritation, boxes of Thai food sitting all around her.

“Hey babe. What’s up?” Booth loosened his tie and walked into the kitchen. “Want a beer?”

“No, thank you. I’ll have a glass of wine, though. It’s on the counter.”

Booth grabbed a glass from the rack below the cabinet and poured some of the wine, grabbing his beer and the bottle with his other hand. He put her wine in front of her, kissed the top of her head, and sat down across from her at the table. They handed cartons back and forth, making up their plates, before digging in. Conversation was at a minimum as they ate, Brennan stealing glances at Booth when she thought he wasn’t looking. Finally, she couldn’t take anymore.

“So, are you going to tell me now what Agent Manning said to you?” She took a bite of spring roll, waiting patiently.

Booth pushed his half-eaten plate away and sighed. “Bones, do you really want to hear this?”

“I think I deserve to know what Sully has been saying about me.”

“Alright then. Let me tell you the whole story, then.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest. “Manning came in and made it very clear that if I was interested, she could offer me certain incentives if I would give her the SSA job. Of course I told her to get bent, but-“

“Get bent?” Brennan wrinkled her nose in that cute way that made his pants instantly tighter.

“Get lost. Go away. It’s just a saying. Anyway, apparently she thinks more of herself than she has any right to, and seemed surprised that I turned her down. Once I explained to her that I was in a monogamous, happy, loving relationship and had no plans nor inclination to cheat, she decided to play the bitch card and began making nasty comments about you. All nonsense, of course, but enough to piss me off anyway.” He paused to take a long pull on his beer.

“What did she say, specifically?” Brennan felt like a glutton for punishment, but she had to know.

“Uh…you know, that you’re cold, too wrapped up in your job, not that attractive…all said out of jealousy, of course. And not a word of it true. I told her that she was over the line and that she really didn’t know you if that’s what she thought. And she said…” Booth closed his eyes for a moment before going on. “She said that I was wrong, and that what I thought about you was all wrong. When I asked her where she would get that idea, she said she had spoken with one of your ex-boyfriends, and he was quite chatty when he was drinking.”

“Sully.”

“Yeah. She apparently ran into him at a bar when he was back visiting last year.”

“He was back? He never called me.”

Booth released a breath he didn’t even know he was holding, ridiculously glad that she hadn’t met up with Sully and neglected to tell him. “I guess, I don’t know when, exactly. Just last year sometime. Anyway, he got really loose-lipped, he was still mad that you wouldn’t go with him when he asked, and he had a rough go of it in Jamaica for awhile, so he took it out on you.”

“That doesn’t sound like Sully. Or at least the Sully I knew.” Brennan looked genuinely hurt and confused.

“I know. Sully was always a really good guy. But we all have our limits, Bones. Maybe he reached his.”

“Maybe. It makes me sad to know that, though.” She shook her head. “In any case, was Manning more specific?”

Booth became even more uncomfortable. “Bones…this isn’t necessary, is it?” He took in her resolute posture and sighed again. “Fine. He said that you were…very, um adventurous in bed.”

Brennan raised an eyebrow. “What did he mean by ‘adventurous’?”

“She said something about a threesome.”

“Oh.”

Booth wanted to laugh at the look on Brennan’s face; she looked ashamed and a little bit amused. “Bones, you know I don’t care about that.”

“Booth…it isn’t true.”

“I still don’t ca-what?”

Brennan almost laughed at the look on Booth’s face. He was genuinely surprised. “Yes, Booth. It’s not true. He asked, and I turned him down.”

“Ah. Okay.”

“You seem surprised.”

“I am, actually.” Booth stood and moved to pull Brennan to her feet. He held her in his arms for a moment, and then led her to the living room, where they settled on the sofa. “You need to know that it doesn’t mean anything, doesn’t have anything to do with how I feel about you. I just…you’ve always talked about how you like sex uninhibited, how it’s a biological urge, so something like a threesome seemed pretty tame to me.”

“I can accept that. Sully was suggesting a threesome with me and another woman, and I really wasn’t interested in that dynamic.”

“But had he suggested another man…”

“No, I don’t think so. Look, that kind of thing necessitates a certain level of trust between lovers, and while I did trust Sully somewhat, we were nowhere near that kind of commitment. And since I’ve never actually…” She actually blushed.

“You’ve never had a threesome, Bones?”

“Have you, Booth?”

“Uh…”

Brennan’s jaw dropped as she gaped at him. This was Booth. Puritanical, uptight, prudish, ‘making love is better than crappy sex’ Booth. She watched as the blush crept across his face, and was comforted by the fact that the skittish Booth she found so adorable was still in there, almost embarrassed by the admission. She sighed, knowing the talk to come was going to be uncomfortable for both of them, but was obviously necessary.

“Maybe it’s time we had the sexual history talk, Booth.”

Chapter Six

“What do you mean, sexual history talk? We discussed testing and-“

“No, Booth, I mean…” Brennan turned to sit cross-legged on the sofa, facing Booth who was still sitting forward. “What I mean is what we’ve done with past lovers. What we like. Fantasies…that kind of thing. Is that okay?”

Booth nodded tightly. He turned slightly as well, resting his arm along the back of the sofa. “I am an open book, Bones.”

Brennan laughed slightly. “The reason you were so prudish around me about sex was because we weren’t having it, weren’t you?”

“Geez, Bones. I thought you already knew that.” He smiled and began to relax. He wasn’t ashamed of anything he had done in bed (or out of a bed), and he certainly wasn’t embarrassed to discuss anything with Bones…considering the fact that he had seen her naked already and had been inside her, he couldn’t think of anything that was off limits. “So, what do you want to know?”

“Well…” Brennan leaned forward, obviously warming to the discussion. “Tell me about the threesome.”

Booth cleared his throat before speaking. “Which one?”

He enjoyed watching her reaction…the slightly open mouth, the dilated pupils…talking about sex really turned her on. This was definitely information he was filing away for future reference.

“You…you’ve had more than one?” Brennan was flabbergasted, but interested. More than she expected.

“Yes. I went through a, um…I guess the only word for it is ‘phase’. I tried quite a few things I hadn’t even considered doing, and enjoyed pretty much all of it. I’ve been having sex for over twenty years, Bones. There’s not much I haven’t tried. So yes, more than one threesome. Four times, in fact.”

“Anyone I know?”

“Yes.”

“Should I ask?”

“Rebecca. A friend of hers. That was a fun weekend.”

“Weekend?” Brennan squeaked. “Wow.”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t do it again, though. I am a one-woman man now.”

Brennan smiled at that. “Well, since I am a one-man woman now, I guess that one is off the table.”

“You bet your ass it is.”

“And speaking of which…” She looked down at her hands, picking at imaginary lint on her jeans. “Is that something you enjoy? Anal sex?”

“Assuming of course I’ve even tried it.”

“Booth…”

“Okay. Yes, I have tried it. Have you?” Booth was beginning to feel like this conversation was very one-sided.

“Uh, no. That is another act that requires a huge amount of trust between partners, and I just never had that. Until now.” She cursed her traitorous blood vessels as the blush crept across her cheeks. “You didn’t say, though….did you enjoy it?”

Booth considered his answer. “Honestly, yes. It’s a completely different experience than...the usual way. But as you said, it requires a certain amount of trust. And it’s really not something I need as a sexual option.”

Her response was almost whispered. “So you wouldn’t do it again.”

He heard something in her voice that made him wonder, so he reached for her hand, rubbing his thumb along her knuckles. “Is that something you want, Bones?”

She looked up into his eyes. There was nothing there but honesty, curiosity and love. No judgment, no recrimination. She once again thanked Booth’s God that He had given her this amazing man. “I think that I would like to try it sometime.”

Booth nodded. “Alright. Well, that’s a good start.” He laughed a bit. “You seem more nervous about this than I am, Bones. We have had sex, you know. We should be able to share anything with each other.”

“I know, Booth. But it’s a big paradigm shift for me. Usually I am the sexually confident one in this relationship and you make me feel like a…novice, I guess.”

“I think we’re a lot more alike than you know, Bones. We probably just have different experiences.” He thought for a moment, trying to get them back on even ground. He suddenly remembered something she had mentioned during their pony play case. “What about role playing?”

Brennan’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I do enjoy that, actually! Nothing elaborate, of course. But…” She looked him up and down for a moment, considering. “You would look very pleasing as a cowboy, Booth.”

Chuckling, he leaned forward and kissed her. “If you say so, Bones. But no assless chaps.”

Brennan couldn’t help it, the picture of Booth with his naked butt hanging out of a pair of chaps made her laugh hysterically. She leaned over and put her head on his chest as her shoulders shook. Booth grinned at her reaction, just happy to see her more comfortable. “Are you making fun of me, Bones?”

She managed to get a hold of herself before she answered. “Yes…I mean, no! I just…I got the most amusing picture in my head, and…” She began giggling again, trying desperately to gain control. “It was really funny.”

“Fine, fine…it would probably be funny. And I have to say that the idea of you in a French maid uniform wouldn’t be something I would turn down.” He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned suggestively.

“I actually have something like that, I think. I’ve never worn it, though.” She reached up and ran a finger along his jaw line. “For you, though…I would be happy to.”

“Nice.” He whispered, leaning down to brush a soft kiss against her lips. “Anything else you’d be willing to try?”

“Well, I think we’d be crazy not to take advantage of the fact that you have handcuffs readily available.” Brennan tried to imitate his eyebrow wiggle, making Booth chuckle. “I’ve also been told that my breasts are the perfect size for…what is it called?” She pushed her breasts together to illustrate what she was asking.

Booth immediately got a graphic image in his head of Brennan’s breasts cradling his currently aching hard on and covered her mouth with his. After coming up for air, he shook his head. “That’s not something I would need, Bones.”

“But what if I enjoy it, Booth? I like watching.” Her usual sexually confident self was coming back out with a vengeance and her head was spinning with all kinds of ideas. She adjusted her position so she was resting her back against his chest, leaning against him comfortably. “What about mutual masturbation? Is that something you would like?”

“Only with you.” Booth was running his fingertips along her ribcage as they talked. He had been quite sexually adventurous over the years, but this was the first really frank and honest sex talk he’d ever had with a woman he was with. Of course, Bones wasn’t like any other woman despite her earlier tentative reaction. It didn’t surprise him that she had warmed to the topic rather quickly.

“It sounds like we’re both amenable to just about anything, Booth. That’s a good thing, right?” Brennan tilted her head slightly so she could see his face.

“It’s a very good thing, Bones. It means we trust each other and love each other and want each other. And there’s nothing bad about that. As long as we communicate, we can get through anything…even the embarrassing sex talk.” He huffed a laugh and nuzzled her neck, reaching for her hand and intertwining their hands. “So are we done talking?”

Brennan smiled predatorily. “Well, at least with this kind of talking. Because you know…”

“I know, Bones. You like the dirty talk in the bedroom.”

“Mmmhmmm. And the living room, and the kitchen, and the shower…I am happy that you’re very skilled at providing the naughty talk, as well.”

“You’re a bad, bad girl…” Booth pulled her up with him and threw her over his shoulder.

“Booth! Put me down!” She slapped his back and rear end, on the edge between laughing and exasperation.

“No way, Bones! We have too much time to make up for…gotta get to it.” Booth stopped suddenly, looking around the room.

“What are you doing?” Brennan tried to pull herself up to look as well. His answer made her entire body feel as if it had caught fire.

“Looking for my handcuffs.”

Chapter Seven

Brennan tried to sneak into the Jeffersonian the next morning without anyone seeing her. She had almost made a clean break for her office when Darryl, the guard next to the platform, welcomed her.

“Good morning, Dr. Brennan!” He called from his usual place next to the card reader.

Brennan nodded and waved. “Good morning, Darryl.” She practically ran for her door, knowing that Angela’s sharp ears would hear her arrival. She made it to her desk and had managed to get her coat off and computer booted up before her best friend made an appearance at her doorway.

“Brennan.”

“Angela.”

“You’re late.”

“I am aware of that.”

“Any particular reason?” Angela sipped her coffee and regarded Brennan closely.

“Couldn’t pry myself off Booth’s naked body.”

Angela sprayed liquid all over the carpet. “What?!?”

Brennan squelched a smile. “You asked.”

“Temperance Brennan, I am so proud of you.” Angela grinned and turned on her heel. “I won’t even ask for details. Have a good morning, sweetie.”

As Angela walked away, Cam entered the office chuckling. “Good for you, Dr. Brennan. Who knew the direct route would finally get Angela to quit prying?”

Brennan smiled and shook her head. “It’s something new Booth suggested I try, of course he wouldn’t have wanted me to be that direct, but still…it seems to have been effective.”

“It certainly does.” Cam handed Brennan a folder. “The reason I’m here is that Gunn faxed over information on a case. He’ll be here soon with the body…and before you ask, it was already at a funeral home when he was assigned the case. It’s unusual, you’ll like it. And also, Director Hacker called me. The Bureau wants to have a reception and ceremony for Booth at the end of the month, to celebrate his promotion and award.”

Brennan wrinkled her brow as she flipped through the file. “Booth isn’t going to like that at all. He hates having the spotlight on him.”

Cam took the chair across from Brennan’s desk. “I know, I told Hacker. But he seemed insistent. Apparently Director Mueller thought it would be a good idea, especially since they have been getting interview requests for the both of you, considering your rather eventful press conference.” Cam had to grin at Brennan’s blush. “It’s a good thing, Brennan. People like to hear about brave men and a happy, romantic ending. You two fit that bill perfectly. I don’t think the FBI is bending on this.”

With a sigh, Brennan nodded. “I’ll talk to him.”

“If anyone can talk him into it, you can.” Cam stood and began to walk out. She stopped at the doorway, and turned back. “Dr. Brennan, I just want you to know that I couldn’t be happier for the both of you. Seeley came to me earlier last year about his feelings for you, and I know that he was worried how you would respond…but I saw how you were when we thought he was gone and it broke my heart. I was afraid we were going to lose you as well, no matter how well it looked like you were coping. And when he came back, it was like you did, too. And we had missed you both, so to see you finally quit denying how you felt and try to find some happiness with each other…it means everything. You should be happy together because you both deserve that, you’re wonderful people.”

Brennan blinked away the tears that sprang to her eyes. “Th-thank you, Cam. I confess that I was struggling for a bit, but when I found out he was alive…” She swallowed thickly, not wanting to relive the horror of losing Booth once again. “Anyway, I appreciate everyone’s support. The last few months have been so full of upheaval, and I can’t thank you enough for being there for me and everyone. You’re the one who held us together, Cam and I don’t know what we would have done without you.”

Cam was surprised to see Brennan’s eyes shining with unshed tears, and shocked that she felt answering wetness in her own. “It’s nothing you wouldn’t have done for any of us…but you’re welcome, Dr. Brennan.”

“Temperance, please, Cam.”

“You’re welcome, Temperance. Just keep making each other happy. That’s all any of us want for you both.” Cam turned on her heel and walked out, head down as she headed for her own office.

Brennan set the case file down on her desk and leaned back in her chair. Four months ago, she was dating Hacker while Booth was dating Mary and they were both engaging in a furious game of ‘Who can compartmentalize more?’ that only made them both miserable. Brennan had genuinely liked Mary, which made the whole thing that much more difficult, especially since Booth didn’t seem to really care for Hacker. She thought back to the night at the Hoover when Booth had gambled on them and lost, at least temporarily, and winced. What would have happened after if she had followed her heart instead of her head and accepted Booth’s romantic overture? Would she have been with him when the tac team stormed the warehouse? Would she have had to watch the building explode, knowing that Booth was inside, and knowing she couldn’t help him? Would he have wanted to contact her sooner, knowing that she did return his love, possibly putting himself in even more danger?

And what about that comment Booth made to Gunn about what marriage means to him? He had said that God wanted them to be happy, and that marriage was just the two of them standing before God, pledging to be together for as long as they lived. Brennan already knew that she would never want to be with anyone else for the rest of her life, so why was Booth so resistant to her offer of marriage? Yes, it was true that she still didn’t believe in it, but she would marry Booth if it made him happy…and yet, he said he didn’t need that. Something in her chest constricted as her thoughts turned darker. Maybe Booth didn’t want to marry her because he thought she was still against monogamy. Maybe he didn’t believe that she had what it took to maintain their relationship and he was being cautious. He had said time and again that she was not good with interpersonal relationships, although he admitted she had made great strides over the course of their partnership. Was it possible that he thought she would leave him eventually, and he wanted to protect himself from that?

When the telltale sounds of her partner arriving with their new case filtered into her office, Brennan pushed her internal dialogue aside and stood to grab her lab coat. Her personal issues would have to wait while she headed for the platform to do the one thing she was absolutely sure she could do better than anyone else.

Chapter Eight

Gunn stood off to the side of the exam table on the platform watching Brennan examine the remains he had brought in earlier. They were discovered in a drawer at a local funeral home, only the director had no idea who they belonged to or how they had gotten there. The body was so decomposed the DC police had asked for and were granted joint jurisdiction with the FBI so that they could utilize the services of Dr. Temperance Brennan. In the chain of command, Booth ended up being the one to approve the interagency cooperation…after calling Brennan, of course. Now Gunn sat, fascinated, watching his partner examine each bone, each notch on each bone, each nuance on each notch on each bone…looking for anything to tell her cause of death. The process never failed to impress him.

Four years earlier, Gunn had been sitting at a bar having a few beers with Booth when the subject of Brennan had come up…as always. They had only been partners for a little over a year, but it was clear to Gunn that Booth had something more than partnerly feelings for Brennan. There were little clues in the way Booth talked about her, but the one thing that always stuck out for Gunn was when Booth described what Brennan looked like when she inspected her bones…it had been so reverent and full of awe that Gunn was literally knocked backwards. The only other time he had heard Booth use that tone of voice was when he talked about Parker.

Brennan brought Gunn out of his reverie when she spoke his name. “Richard? I think we can safely say that unless the tox screen comes back with an anomaly, this is not foul play.”

Just then, Cam made her presence known. “You’re right, Temperance. The tox screen was clean, but the heart was heavily damaged and almost twice the normal size.”

“Heart attack?” Gunn asked.

“That is my assessment, yes. Although I still don’t know what he was doing in a funeral home storage drawer.”

“He used to work there.” Angela joined them on the platform with a folder in her hand. “Heath Freeman, 69. Former thirty year employee of Hartford and Sons Funeral Home. Reported missing by his brother six months ago.”

“Was he fired from the funeral home?” Gunn asked.

“No. He retired voluntarily about a year ago. According to Mr. Hartford, he liked to sleep in the drawers because it was peaceful.”

“He must have come back in the middle of the night, and simply died in his sleep.” Brennan added. “It sounds like just bad timing. I wonder why the funeral home never looked in the drawer all these months.”

“I asked them, Mr. Hartford said that it was Mr. Freeman’s favorite drawer, and they just hadn’t had the heart to use it, until they had an influx of bodies and it became necessary. That’s when they found him.” Angela shook her head. “Poor man, lying there all that time.”

Gunn smiled. “I don’t know, it sounds to me like he passed peacefully, in a place he loved. We should all be so lucky.”

“I agree, Richard.” Brennan finished the file Angela handed her and passed it to Gunn. “Would you mind informing the immediate family? I imagine he will be transported back to Hartford and Sons once arrangements are made.”

“That sounds about right. Yeah, I’ll go talk to his brother. Do you want to come, Doc?”

“No, thank you.” Brennan shook her head tightly. “I have things to do here, if you don’t mind.”

Gunn tapped the railing with the file and turned to leave. “Not at all, Doc. I’ll let you know how it goes.” And with that he jogged down the steps and walked out of the lab.

“Is something wrong, Bren?” Angela noticed the perfunctory way Brennan was covering the body and putting her equipment away, mind obviously elsewhere.

“Hmmm? Oh, no. I just have a lot on my mind. Working out a new chapter of my next book.” She turned on her heel and left the platform, heading for her office with Angela hot on her heels.

“I don’t buy it, sweetie. Of all the things you’ve learned from Booth, you’re still a terrible liar.” Brennan sighed and sat at her desk, giving her friend a glare of warning.

“This isn’t one of those times where talking to you is going to make things better, Ang. Can you just let me work it out myself? Please?” Her eyes were practically pleading with Angela to let it go.

Thinking that she was missing something but willing to give Brennan a chance to work through her own problems, Angela acquiesced. “Alright. I can respect that. But please tell me if there’s anything I can do, okay?”

Brennan visibly relaxed. “I will. I promise.”

“Great. And with that, I am out of here for the day. I have a commitment ceremony to plan!” She winked, turned on her heel, and walked out.

Brennan leaned back in her chair, brain going a mile a minute. Without trying, her mind went back to the night a few days ago when she and Booth had talked about marriage.

“Booth! I’m serious!” Brennan tried to push him off her, but he had her pinned tightly between himself and the sofa cushions, running soft kisses up and down her neck.

“And so am I, Bones. This making love thing is serious business…now quit stopping me.” He continued his path along her neck to her ample cleavage, slowing only long enough to lick sensuously between her breasts before moving to the left one, heading dangerously for the nipple.

“Seeley Joseph Booth! Will you listen to me for a moment?” She slapped his shoulder.

“Ooh. Breaking out the middle name, Bones. Must be really serious.” Booth sat up, boyish grin plastered to his face as he took in her thoroughly mussed appearance. “Okay. I’m listening. What’s on your mind?”

Sitting up and taking a breath, Brennan steeled herself for a fight. “We need to talk about this...us.”

“Oh, we do? Since when?” Booth looked into her eyes and saw nothing but resolve. “Okay. Shoot.”

“I would like for us to have some paperwork drawn up…legal paperwork.” She twisted her hands together. “To legalize out situation.”

“Legalize…what? I’m confused. What are you trying to say, Bones? You want to get married?”

“No!” Her eyes widened. “I mean, that’s not what I meant. I just thought we should look into the legalities of the two of us living together…possibly buying a house, having power of attorney and cohabitation agreement drawn up, updating our wills…these things need to be discussed….” She trailed off at the shocked look on Booth’s face. “What?”

He stood and pulled her to her feet, hugging her close. “I love that you’ve thought about our future like that, Bones. I really do. It’s humbling that you want to spend the rest of your life with me, and that you’d go to all this trouble…it blows me away.”

“Well, thirty, forty or fifty years is a long time, Booth.” She leaned up and kissed his slack jaw. “There’s nothing wrong with being prepared. Although…a marriage license is a lot less paperwork.”

Booth sighed her name. “Bones. I know you don’t want to get married. And I only want what you want. Always. And to even think of getting married just because it’s less paperwork…that is unacceptable to me. I am perfectly happy just as we are. But yeah, the lawyer thing sounds like a good idea.”

Nodding, Brennan pulled away. “Good. Now that’s settled…you have something you need to finish.” She pulled her blouse over her head and walked backwards toward the bedroom, one finger crooked in his direction.

Pulling off his own shirt, Booth followed happily. “Don’t have to tell me twice!”

Now that she’d had time to think about that conversation, Brennan wondered why Booth hadn’t even fought her on the marriage topic. She’d always assumed that when Seeley Booth fell in love for life, he would want marriage above anything else. He had even said as much during that case a few years ago when the bride-to-be had been run over by a car and sandwiched between packing crates. He said he knew he would get married someday. So why wasn’t he arguing more for something that he so obviously wanted? Was it her? He had proposed to Rebecca, and although that was mostly because she was pregnant, Brennan knew he would never have asked if he didn’t love Rebecca. Was she that adamant on the marriage idea that he didn’t even consider asking? Was that making him unhappy? There was nothing she wouldn’t do for Booth, she knew that. But marriage? Her head was starting to pound. Deciding to put this on her mental back burner for the time being, she turned to the paperwork in front of her and began cataloguing her findings.

Before I start this chapter, I just want to remind everyone of an observation David Boreanaz made about Booth in a conference call interview before the 100th episode: “I don’t think one of his main goals is to get married. I think Booth is a pretty simple, blue-collared kind of guy. He loves the simple things in life.” I am of the opinion that the guy who plays Booth probably knows him better than I do. Hence, Booth’s feelings in this chapter.

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Chapter Nine

Booth heard the apartment door slam shut as he was stirring the vegetables he was sautéing on the stove. He looked up, expecting to see Brennan enter the kitchen, but instead heard her stomp off towards the bedroom. Worried, he turned the heat off and walked towards the back of the apartment.

“Bones? Everything okay?” He tried to open the door and found it locked. “Bones? What’s going on? Why did you lock the door?” He waited a few beats and when she didn’t answer, he went back into the living room to grab his coat. When he came back, it was with his lock picking tools, which he used to make quick work of the offending lock.

The door swung open to reveal Brennan sitting on their bed, head in her hands. He crossed the room quickly and crouched in front of her, hands on her knees. “Bones? Sweetheart, what’s going on?”

Brennan dropped her hands from her face and looked up. Tears streaked her face and her expression was completely distraught. “Do you love me less than you loved Rebecca?”

Booth was literally rocked back on his heels. “What? Temperance, where is this coming from?”

“You didn’t answer the question, Booth.”

He reached up and cupped her face in his hands, pressing his forehead against hers. “No. I don’t love you less than I did Rebecca.”

Brennan nodded against him, finding her courage once that one fear was stilled. “Then why don’t you want to marry me?”

“Who says I don’t want to marry you?”

“But you…you said…you said we didn’t have to get married.”

“And I stand by that statement.” He stood and sat next to her on the bed, pulling her onto his lap. “Bones, I know you. Better, I think, than anyone ever has. I know how you take your coffee; I know that you’re working out a puzzle in your head when you pull on your left ear, and I know that deep down…no matter how famous you get or how many anthropological awards you receive, you’re still that scared, lonely little fifteen year old girl who thinks she doesn’t deserve to be happy. And I know that you absolutely have no desire to get married. To me or anyone else. And I am completely okay with that.”

Brennan looked up from her perch on his lap, eyes wide. “You are? But I thought that you always wanted to get married.”

“I always assumed I would get married. I thought I would meet a woman, fall in love, she would want a ring…bada bing, bada boom…white picket fence and 2.5 kids. But in the last six years, I’ve slowly been realizing that the reality is that I don’t want that.”

“What do you want?”

Booth shook his head in amazement. “Don’t you know, Bones? You. Rational, temperamental, brilliant, beautiful, grouchy, scared, loving, independent, adorable you. Just…” He kissed her softly. “you. And you do not want to get married.”

She sighed and burrowed into his chest, relishing his warmth and scent and letting it wrap around her like the most comfortable cocoon. “But what if I wanted to give that to you?”

“I love that you want to, Bones. I do.” He reached down and hooked her chin with his finger, pulling her face to his. “But you’re not listening. We are on the same page here, Bones. As long as I have you, have your total commitment and total trust and total heart, I don’t need to stand in front of God and ask His blessing. He’s already blessed me with you, and I don’t want for anymore than that. And more importantly, neither do you.” He shifted her around and lay back on the bed, pulling her on top of him so she lay flush with his body. “I am a lot of things, Bones. Some I’m not so proud of.” He shook off her protest and continued. “But one of the things I am most proud to be is loyal. To my country, to my job, to our friends, to my son…and to you. I’ve always been yours, Bones. And I always will be. And I know you will be mine always.”

“How do you know? How can you be sure?”

In retrospect, his answer seemed so simple. “Because you told me so.”

“I did?” Her brow furrowed in concentration.

“You did. You do. Every time you touch me, every time you smile at me, whenever we make love…you promise me that you’re mine and I’m yours. I know you appreciate hard evidence and empirical data, but this is something you can’t measure. I can only tell you that I just…know.” He pushed her hair back off her face and held her gaze.

“You knew, and you know.”

“I did and I do.”

“Okay.”

He pushed up slightly, taking in her smug smile. “Hey…did I win that argument? What is that…two in the six years we’ve known each other?”

“Don’t get used to it.” She laughed and rolled off him, lying sideways on the bed, head propped up on her hand. “I just…you don’t lie to me, ever. And that means more to me than anything I can measure in the lab…over time you have proven your trustworthiness, and I have absolutely no reason to doubt you now, not about this.”

“Thanks, Bones.”

“You’re welcome, Booth.”

“So…no wedding.”

“Nope. No wedding, just a promise of forever.”

“I can live with that. C’mere and lets seal it with a kiss.”

“That is acceptable as a contractual substitute.”

“And more fun, too.”

“Mmmmhmmm….”

Chapter Ten

“Gunn, can I ask you a question?” Angela poked her head around the corner of his cubicle, smiling at the currently glowering FBI agent.

Sighing, Gunn resigned himself to yet another annoying conversation centered around what kind of boutonnieres he and Erik were wearing for the commitment ceremony or whether Booth and David, Erik’s best man, were wearing the same color tie as the grooms, or what kind of cocktail they wanted as their signature drink at the reception (a point that made Booth laugh hysterically and suggest Slippery Nipples as the drink of the day)…all details he couldn’t have given two craps about.

“Sure, have a seat, Ang. I’m just finishing this report for my pain in the ass boss.”

“Yeah, I heard he’s a real jackass. Cute, though.” Angela hid a grin as Booth came up quietly behind Gunn, file in hand and smile in place.

“You have no idea, Angela. He’s a slave driver. If he were the least bit attractive at least I could enjoy the scenery, but seriously….he’s really quite the uggo.” Gunn looked over his shoulder. “Need something, Boss?”

Booth laughed outright and shook his head. “Nah, I just heard you bitching again and I thought I’d head it off. You really need to change the record.” Booth slapped him on the head with the file, leaned over and kissed Angela on the cheek, and sauntered off.

“Yeah, a real jackass.” Gunn muttered. “So, what brings you to the Hoover today, Angela my love?”

“I just wondered…why aren’t you and Erik getting married?”

“What do you mean, Ang? What is all this planning for? Did I miss something?”

“No…you’re having a commitment ceremony, not a wedding. You did know that same sex marriage is legal in the District, didn’t you?” She gave him a look that said she already knew the answer to her question.

“Yes, we both know. And we’ve talked about it.” He rubbed a hand over his face, knowing that half-answer wasn’t going to satisfy Angela. Not by a long shot.

“Aaaand?” As expected, she prodded him to continue.

He leaned back in his chair, resigned to the fact that this woman was just not going to let it go…something he both loved and hated about her. He picked up a quarter from his desk and began weaving it in and out of his fingers, watching as the coin slid smoothly across his knuckles. He looked up into her eyes, letting the quarter drop onto the desk again. “Angela, I’ve only been with Erik for six months. Yes, we’ve known each other for years, but actually being together is a relatively new thing for us. We danced around each other, both having these feelings…but not acting on them. So things are still new, fresh. And I know I do want to be with him forever, but right now this is all I can give. A promise, a public declaration of my love for him…but I am just not ready for that to be legal, even if it is only legal in five other states and one Indian tribe.”

To Gunn’s complete surprise, Angela didn’t argue. She actually started laughing. “Good God! You’re like the gay version of Booth and Brennan!” She chuckled in amusement, slapping the desktop. “I’m sorry, I’m not making fun.” She wiped her eyes, gathering her thoughts. “I understand, I really do. But what I want to know is do you feel like you would get married sometime in the future? A real, legal partnership?”

Gunn nodded. “Sure. I already know that Erik is it for me. But I don’t see where there’s hurry, especially since its legal here now. I’m just happy with him. That’s all I need.”

“Then…and I can’t believe I’m saying this, why don’t you wait?”

“What?” Gunn’s eyes widened.

“Yes. Wait. Why put yourself through the hassles of doing this ceremony when you can just enjoy each other for now and when it’s right…do it right? I know that it won’t mean more, because you’re already committed to each other for life, but…”

“I see what you mean, Ang. I do. Maybe…look, Erik and I will talk about it again and I’ll let you know. Okay? Just hold off on any plans for now, and we’ll see what happens.” Gunn stood and grabbed a few files. “Now, I have a meeting with Hacker and Booth, so I need to get going. I’ll talk to you later?”

Angela stood and leaned to kiss him. “Definitely. And don’t worry; I won’t say anything to Erik until you talk. I promise.” She patted his arm and walked away, heedless of the eyes of Gunn’s fellow agents following her swaying hips as she headed for the elevators.

“That woman is going to be the death of me…” He mumbled as he turned and headed towards Booth’s office, a million thoughts flying through his suddenly pounding head.

Enjoying this