A/N: Oops – somehow I lost a day and this is late. Nonetheless, here it is - the last chapter. Thanks for all the great encouragement along the way.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Bones related except my imagination. (2/14/16)

Valentine's Day in 2016 happened to fall on a Sunday, the one day of every week in which all the occupants in the Booth household seemed to slow down to a more relaxed pace and simply enjoy the routines of everyday life. Booth would go to the grocery store; Brennan would change the bed linens and catch up on laundry. Booth would take Christine to Sunday morning mass at their church; Brennan would take Hank on a long walk, pushing the stroller through their neighborhood. Booth would cook breakfast; Brennan would cook dinner. In between those standard chores, they'd color with their daughter, read to their son, and probably find time for a tea party or two between diaper changes.

As he rolled out of bed that morning, tucking his feet into his slippers and grabbing for his bathrobe, it was the thought of these predictable routines that brought Booth comfort. He still found it difficult to fathom that a few months earlier Bones had worried that he was becoming bored with their life this way. This was exactly what he'd always dreamed of and in his mind, life couldn't be more perfect, but she'd been worried enough to surprise him while he was undercover, decked out as the spontaneous and unpredictable character of Wild Card Wanda. She'd certainly surprised him all right. Wild Card Wanda had made a few other appearances since then too, mostly in the bedroom, but, as he cast a glance towards his slowly waking wife, Booth didn't have any cause for complaints about that either.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Booth headed towards the kitchen to start breakfast – pancakes, bacon, and some diced fruit.

Christine was the first to join him in the kitchen. Again, very predictable. As soon as the smell of bacon cooking hit the air, Booth could always count on the pitter patter of her little feet sounding in the hallway. Christine loved bacon almost as much as Booth did.

Shortly thereafter, Brennan came into the kitchen, a freshly diapered Hank in her arms. She plopped him in his high chair before grabbing a home-made vegetable puree out of the refrigerator for his breakfast and approaching Booth for a quick good-morning kiss.

That was when she first noticed the pancakes.

"They're pink," she noted wonderingly, stating the obvious while Booth just gave her an unabashed grin.

"Of course, Mommy," Christine chimed in, a half-eaten bacon strip pinched between her fingers. "It's Valentine's Day. Daddy was trying to make the pancakes into heart shapes, but it's not working very good."

"Very well, Christine," Brennan automatically corrected, reaching for the plate of food he placed in front of her sans bacon. "And actually, while they're definitely a little odd shaped for pancakes, they look more like a real heart than the typical anatomically incorrect heart symbol you generally see plastered everywhere as the symbol of love. Real hearts do not have such a pronounced point at the bottom."

Booth chuckled. "It may not be anatomically correct, Bones, but the symbol of the heart has always been used to represent love and affection and I think it's here to stay." He winked at his daughter. "Even in pink pancakes."

Brennan shook her head in disagreement as she ate a piece of fruit. "In point of fact, that's not entirely correct, Booth. The origin of the heart as a symbol for romantic love is actually believed by many historians to date back to the 7th century BC where it has been discovered on coins produced by the people of Cyrene, an ancient Greek and Roman city located in a region of the world now belonging to Libya. The common belief is that the heart-shaped symbol on the coins was actually a representation of the seed pod from the now extinct silphium plant. The silphium plant was a type of fennel that was used for medicinal purposes including use as an extremely effective herbal contraceptive. The ancient Greeks thought the silphium plant was a gift from the god Apollo and its use as a method of birth control meant both the plant and the heart-shaped symbol were closely associated with sexuality, but not necessarily love. Depictions of the seed were so widespread across the Roman Empire that it even eventually found its way onto their money. It wasn't until almost two thousand years later, during the 13th century, that the actual symbol of the heart that we identify with today was first illustrated in a French manuscript as a symbol of romantic love."

Booth stood still, spatula frozen in his hand as it hovered over the skillet of pancakes. "Really, Bones?" he whisper-growled at her, casting his gaze towards their daughter who was listening with rapt attention. "That is not a topic that Christine needs to learn about. Not for a long time. A long, long, long time."

Brennan rolled her eyes at her husband's sometimes prudish mindset. "It's just history, Booth. Nothing to be ashamed of. It's not like I presented a detailed discussion of S-E-X to our five year old daughter. Besides, your bible tells stories that are much less appropriate for a child than what I just stated including the themes of adultery, incest -"

"Stop. Just stop right there. Leave God and the bible out of this."

"Are you going to give Daddy a card covered with hearts on it asking him to be your Valentine for today?" Christine prodded as Booth placed the last pancake on the plate of food in front of her.

"Oh. Well, your daddy and I don't usually exchange cards on Valentine's Day, Christine."

"Why not? I thought you loved each other?"

Brennan glanced at Booth for direction, but he just seemed to be studying her, as interested in what she might say as Christine was. "Of course we do, sweetheart. But your father and I love each other every day, not just on Valentine's Day, so it's not necessary for us to commemorate one day a year with special heart decorated paraphernalia."

Christine shrugged her shoulders, happily chewing her pancakes. "Well, when I'm bigger and have my own husband, I'm gonna make him be my Valentine. I'll decorate special cards for him and he can give me a big heart shaped box of chocolate. And flowers too. Just because we'll love each other every day doesn't mean we shouldn't also pay attention to a special day that's all about love and do something extra nice for each other."

"It's almost time for us to get going for church, Princess." Booth interjected. "Hand me your plate as soon as you finish that last pancake and go get dressed. We'll be leaving in about a half an hour."

Christine finished her breakfast and slid her plate over to her father to rinse off and load into the dishwasher. While he was doing so, Brennan came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, her head resting on his back between his shoulder blades. "You do know that I love you and that in my metaphorical heart, I consider you to be my Valentine even if we don't make a big production out of the day with cards and candies, don't you?"

Booth twisted around in her arms so they were facing and he could embrace her back. "Yeah, Bones. I do. But, Christine has a point too. It's still nice to hear the words. Every Sunday when we go to church, I thank God for the family we've built together and the love we share, but when Valentine's Day rolls around each year and we don't actively celebrate it, I feel almost like we're denying our love. Like we're hiding it or ashamed of it or . . . something. I love you every hour of every day of every year, and when I see others around us treating their loved ones special, I wanna do the same for you. You are my life. You give me strength, and laughter, and purpose and I want to be able to show you openly how much you mean to me every way I can. And that includes celebrating Valentine's Day with you."

"Well then, Booth. Will you be my Valentine today?"

"I'd be honored, Bones."

Brennan tilted forward, stretching up on her toes, and shared a tender kiss with him.

Jessica lifted her glass of wine, swirling the burgundy liquid in gentle circles before taking a sip of the velvety drink while sneaking peeks at the man sitting across the table from her.

Two nights ago, she met him for pizza and beer at a little neighborhood restaurant they occasionally liked to eat at. Two nights ago, she'd been prepared to challenge him head on and ask whether he thought their relationship would or could ever grow into something more than just casual hanging out buddies. Two nights ago, before she'd been able to say a word, he apologized to her for being difficult to get in touch with for a couple days and assured her she was important to him . . . that he cherished the friendship they'd formed . . . that every time they parted after hanging out, he was already eagerly waiting for the next chance to get together again . . . and that if she didn't have other plans, he'd like her to let him escort her to a nicer dinner on Valentine's Day. Tonight.

Of course, she agreed. It was exactly what she'd been wanting.

They'd sealed their agreement by clinking the necks of their beer bottles together and while nothing more had been said about the pending date for the remainder of that night, she knew they'd both been guilty of stealing covert looks at one another while they'd eaten their pizza.

Before she knew it, time for her first official date with Agent James Aubrey had arrived.

Jessica had seen him as Agent Aubrey, wearing a suit and tie on a regular basis through their work interactions. She'd also often seen him as James, dressed more casually in jeans and a T-shirt when they went to a movie or watched T.V. together. But when she opened her apartment door earlier this evening and saw him standing on her doorstep wearing light gray slacks, a deep striped blue button down shirt with the top few buttons casually opened, and a black sports jacket, she'd felt her heart palpitate. He no longer wore the look of FBI agent or of the guy next door. Instead, his appearance declared romantic DATE and she reveled in the thrill of excitement that shot up her spine and the anticipation of where the night might lead them.

And now they were here, at a nice restaurant with a pleasant dinner winding down. It had been a fun and relaxing evening without any of the normal angst that often accompanied a first date and she presumed that was because of the solid friendship they had already established.

"Well, I've got to hand it to you Superman . . . that was a delicious dinner. I don't think I've ever eaten octopus before, but that was a really tasty experience."

Aubrey smiled at Jessica and nodded his head. "Octopus Santorini. I'll have to remember that dish. I once bought some fresh octopus from a grocery store that sells gourmet foods and tried to make something at home with it, but it didn't turn out nearly this tasty. After that experience, I decided octopus was something I would leave to the professionals to prepare and I'd stick with just making roast beef sandwiches."

She chuckled. "I really enjoyed the unique Mediterranean flavored dishes. How'd you pick this restaurant for dinner tonight anyway?" Upon their arrival, she had noticed that tonight they were only allowing in patrons with dining reservations and the Maitre D' had beamed at Aubrey, claiming he'd set aside one of their best tables for him and his guest. Service throughout the evening had been wonderful.

Aubrey's cheeks flushed with a rosy hue. "Honestly, Dr. Brennan set me up with the reservations. She pulled some strings using her celebrity status to make sure we'd be treated well here tonight."

"Way to go, Dr. B!" Jessica said with a smile. "You know, when I first started working at the Jeffersonian, I thought she would be hard to work for. Very serious, very literal, way too by-the-book on everything for my personality. I thought we were going to clash constantly and I wasn't sure how well the internship would actually work out. But now I've been there almost two years and I've gotta tell you, I love working for her. When she quit and we didn't expect her to ever come back, it really sucked and I totally missed her. Not only is she a great mentor with respect to the forensics, but her no-bullshit attitude keeps a lot of the nonsense drama that occurs in a lot of work environments at bay."

"Yeah. She and Agent Booth are a pretty incredible team together and it's definitely a privilege to be working with them. I'm glad they both decided to come out of retirement and start working again. They're good people and someday I hope to have a life very similar to theirs . . . the house, the kids, the marriage."

"House, wife, and kids . . . those are all prerequisites for running for Senate, aren't they?" she teased.

"You know what they say . . . if you're gonna play the game . . . ," he joked with her. "But, seriously. You're right. I have aspirations to do more with my life than just chasing down bad guys forever. I'm not exactly certain what I'm gonna do, but I know I wanna find a way to make a difference in a way that helps the average person, you know?"

"You will, Aubrey." In her eyes, he saw complete confidence in her words. They were more than simple platitudes. "I don't have any doubt about it, but you will."

"I think it will be easier, and definitely more rewarding, to have a good woman standing beside me when I do."

Somehow the conversation had gotten much more serious than either Jessica or Aubrey had intended, especially for a first date, but she figured it was probably best to clear the air now, before they took this romance any further and one or both of them ended up getting hurt.

"I have some skeletons in my closet, Superman. Some you know about, some you don't. No real criminal behavior, but some things that could be a little embarrassing to someone seeking the public's approval. Most importantly though, I can't promise that in the future I'll be content to just sit on the sidelines and be an observer if I think engaging in a fight on an issue would make a difference."

Jessica's natural enthusiasm for life and all its opportunities was one of the aspects of her personality that appealed to him the most. She was open minded and embraced life with optimism, looking for the silver lining in whatever came her way. She was passionate about the causes that she believed in and she wouldn't apologize for her beliefs. Aubrey thought those characteristics would be beneficial in finding a woman that could also be an equal partner in sharing a life, both in their home and in their careers. He looked her directly in the eye. "I'm only interested in the present and the future, Jess, not the past. I'm not worried about your skeletons, whatever they may be. We all have some. With regards to any future endeavors, I trust you. I trust your judgement. You're an intellectually gifted woman and I'm certain you can find a way to proactively support your causes while still being respectful of the system in which we live and work. That's all I'd ask."

"I'm happy to hear that, James."

After that, their conversation shifted back to more neutral topics while Aubrey settled their bill and they finished their drinks. When it was time to leave, he held her coat for her so it would be easier to put on. "Such a gentleman," she commented.

"Hey, it's the least I can do when a beautiful woman accompanies me to dinner."

Aubrey's car was parked in a public parking deck about two blocks from the restaurant and they started walking that direction, side by side, but not really touching. Right before they entered the parking garage, Jessica stopped and turned to look at him. "Why did you invite me to dinner tonight?"

"What?" Aubrey was taken aback, confused by the question. "Because I like you . . . and I wanted to spend this evening with you."

"Just this evening?" she challenged.

"Well, to be honest, I'm hoping there will be other evenings that follow this one too."

"And what about nights? Once the evening is over I mean?" Jessica stepped closer to him, invading his personal space, her chest only inches away from his. "Are you interested in spending our nights together too? Because I am. I'm hoping that once we enter this garage here and get in your car, that you'll take me back to my apartment and find somewhere to park that doesn't require you to move your car before morning. I'm hoping that you'll come upstairs with me, but this time it will have nothing to do with what's playing on TV. I'm hoping you'll still be around for breakfast tomorrow morning. I make a killer omelet you know."

Damn. Aubrey had never been so turned on by just a few sentences and he was half-tempted to drag her into the nearest alleyway to demonstrate exactly how he was hoping the date would go next. Instead, he lifted his hand and softly brushed his knuckles across her cheek, a gesture intended to show her affection as well as buy him a little time to get his desire under control. "I didn't bring any pajamas with me."

Jessica shivered at the husky timber in his voice that she'd never heard before and turned her head slightly, brushing a whisper soft kiss across the back of his fingers. "You won't need any."

They stood there looking at each other, both letting the meaning of her words sink in. In some ways, it felt like they were frozen that way for an eternity, but in reality, it was no longer than a couple of heartbeats before Aubrey slid his fingers from her cheek to under her chin, tilting her head up towards his as he lowered his lips to hers. His hand on her chin was the only part of their bodies that touched other than their mouths. His lips moved back and forth over hers until she allowed the kiss to deepen by opening her mouth and letting him in. As his tongue stroked along hers for the first time ever, she could taste a hint of the whiskey he'd had with their dinner and wondered abstractly whether he could taste her wine.

The kiss was delicious.

Jessica was just about to reach for him and escalate their embrace when a car drove by, honking their horn and hollering out the window for them to get a room. A crude but effective way of reminding them where they were.

This time, as they pulled apart and started walking into the garage together, Aubrey reached for her hand and tangled their fingers together. "Nights together sounds good to me too." He squeezed her hand and returned her grin with one of his own.

The drive back to her place was torturous. She only lived about twenty minutes from the restaurant, but as soon as they got in the car, she placed her hand on his thigh and it didn't stay still while he drove. By the time he parked, she'd thoroughly explored his upper leg from knee cap to his crotch with her teasing fingers, stopping just shy of touching his genitals every time she got close and Aubrey was certain he'd never been so hard in his life.

She hadn't been silent on the drive either, adding to his distraction and making him marvel at the fact that they managed to arrive back at her place in one piece. She'd whispered to him words about how much she liked the clothes he'd worn that night, but that she couldn't wait to remove them. She told him that she was wearing a thong under her dress and what color it was. She'd nearly given him a heart attack when she softly announced to him that she'd recently gotten a Brazilian wax job with him in mind and she hoped he liked the results.

They wasted no time getting from his car to her apartment, but they didn't make it past the foyer in her apartment before they crashed into one another. In a matter of just minutes, there was a trail of clothing littering her floor and leading from the front door to her bedroom where Aubrey got a first-hand look at both her thong and her Brazilian.

This first time at making love together was almost frenzied with the drive from the restaurant being all they needed in the way of foreplay. He was already hard and she was already wet. They were both so eager and had been wanting this long enough that they came together quickly and in a few short minutes Jessica was hollering his name as she exploded around him and Aubrey followed right after her, climaxing into his hastily donned condom.

And that was okay.

It allowed them the chance to snuggle together in post coital bliss, whispering the sweet nothings like new lovers often did before making love the second time.

The second time was slower and calmer. Since they'd already taken the edge off, they could leisurely explore one another and build up slowly to their next peak. Using hands and lips, they traveled from head to toe on one another, discovering what each person liked and where they were most sensitive. They gave and they took equally and when it was over, Jessica laid back down in Aubrey's embrace and they slept for the night. They weren't quite ready to declare their eternal love together, but both participants were content in the knowledge that they'd experienced something deeper and more meaningful than just sex.

Only time would tell where things between them went from here.

Across town, Booth entered the front door of his house after dropping Christine and Hank off at their grandfather's place for the night. Max had offered to keep the kids several days earlier and Booth had readily accepted his offer. As much as he loved both his children, he wasn't about to turn down an opportunity to spend an occasional night alone with his wife.

Booth could smell the casserole Brennan had been preparing when he left cooking in the oven, but the house was dark other than one light in the kitchen and a glow coming from his bedroom. Since he couldn't see Bones in the kitchen area, he headed towards the glow.

"Bones? I'm back."

He stopped suddenly at the entrance to their bedroom, looking around as he heard her call "I'm in here" from their bathroom. No lights were on, but the room was bathed in the flickering glow from over a dozen candles placed strategically around the room to illuminate the space. A few of the candles must've been scented because there was a subtle scent of cinnamon and vanilla in the air and Booth's highly honed gut instinct told him that seduction was on the menu tonight too.

Booth deposited the items in his hands at the foot of the bed while he hung up his jacket and slipped off his shoes. Then, picking up one item and leaving the other, he headed quietly towards the open bathroom door.

Brennan was in the bathtub. Their marvelously, wonderful, plenty-big-enough-for-two bathtub. Her hair was pinned up loosely in a twist that kept it out of the water but bubbles obscured his view of anything more than the slender column of her neck. Even in the candlelight, he could tell her cheeks were lightly flushed with a rosy hue from the heat of the water and he could see the heat of desire in her eyes as she tracked his movement into the room.

"I brought you some flowers," he said, holding forth a beautiful bouquet of a dozen roses he picked up on his way home from dropping off the kids.

Brennan sat up in the tub and reached for the bouquet, her slender arms coated in bubbles as she brought the flowers to her nose and inhaled their aroma. "They're beautiful, Booth."

"I know it's trite and cliché, but it is Valentine's Day and everyone knows roses are a classical way of telling someone you love them." He shrugged. "I thought you deserved them."

She held them back out to him. "I love them. Can you set them by the sink until I can grab a vase for them?"

"Sure, Bones." He cleared his throat and looked at her sheepishly. "I also bought a big heart shaped box of chocolates for you too. They're still in the bedroom."

Brennan laughed softly at his embarrassment, a little surprised at how much she liked the thought of Booth bringing her flowers and candies for the special day. "I thought a lot about our conversation from this morning during the day today too, Booth. I think I would very much enjoy participating in the celebratory traditions of this holiday with you every year. We live in a society where this is the cultural norm and even though there isn't a significant historical or religious event to mark the advent of the Valentine's Day holiday like is the case with most other traditional holidays, that doesn't mean it's not just as relevant to our modern day society or that we should shun the associated traditions."

"Yeah. I think you're right on that, Bones."

"Of course. Besides, it's well documented that children emulate the behaviors of their parents and Christine's comments this morning disturbed me. I don't want to set an example for our kids which implies an expression of love is less than a good thing on any day of the year."

Like so many times before, Booth felt his heart swell over her concern and devotion to their family and being the best parent she could be. "You're a great mom, did you know that?"

She leaned back in the tub gently waving her arms through the bubbles. "I'm glad you think so. Now, do you care to join me, Mr. Booth?"

Booth reached for his shirt and tugged it over his head. "What about dinner?" His hands dropped to his waist.

"It's on a low heat and will take a while to cook. We have time to relax." She smiled at him knowingly. "And play."

Booth finished disrobing and Brennan slid forward so he could step into the tub and sink down behind her. He leaned forward and nibbled on her ear as his hands circled her waist under the water. "You know, for a lot of folks, celebrating Valentine's Day also means indulging in some sexual antics too."

Brennan grinned. "I know, Booth. I expect that may be what I'll enjoy most about celebrating this holiday with you."

THE END

A/N: Hope everyone liked it, especially mphs95. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any comments you have. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!