OK…epilogue time. I can't think of anything to say here that won't make me start crying…I'll save it for the end…

Epilogue

"All right, Temperance. I need you to push. Come on. One big push and you get to see your baby."

"Come on, baby. Bones, you can do this. I know you can do this."

"Shut up, Booth!! This is entirely your fault!!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Booth. She doesn't mean it."

"Oh, she does. She only uses my last name when she means it."

Eight months and one week after their wedding Temperance and Seeley found themselves in a very different situation. In the middle of the night he had been woken by the dampness of sheets and a gasp from his wife.

After the first six hours she had finally given in and, after a particularly painful contraction, almost broken his hand begging for drugs. But her contractions grew more and more painful and the epidural had little effect and her temper rose with each passing hour.

By hour ten a doctor actually suggested he have his hand x-rayed when he noticed the swelling in a few of his fingers. He was back an hour later with a diagnosis of three broken fingers. At the sight of him, Temperance mood swings took a violent turn and she started to sob. He told her over and over that it wasn't her fault but it hadn't appeased her.

By hour twelve her temper was back with a vengeance and the cursing had started.

That was six hours ago.

Temperance grasped his unbroken hand and pushed. A long, drawn out cry of pain escaped her and broke off abruptly as her body went limp with exhaustion.

It was replaced by the cries of another form. The cries of a baby.

Sitting beside her on the bed, tears filled Seeley's eyes as he wrapped an arm around Temperance and pulled her to his side. The doctor looked up at them, smiling.

"It's a girl."

As the doctor's checked over the baby, Seeley looked down at her.

"We have a baby, Temperance. A beautiful baby girl."

He saw tears swimming in her eyes as well.

"We do…I'm sorry I yelled at you…"

He kissed her head and brushed back her sweaty curls.

"Don't you dare apologize. If every time you're yelling at me like that, you're delivering our babies then go right ahead and yell away."

She looked at him in disbelief.

"If you think I'm ever doing this again then you've lost your mind."

"Would you two like to meet your little girl?"

They both turned to the doctor who was holding a squirming, crying bundle in her arms. Temperance's eyes lit up and she held out her arms eagerly. Once settled in her arms the pair looked down into the face of their daughter for the first time.

"Oh, God, Bones…she's gorgeous."

"She's perfect…"

Temperance looked up at her husband, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. He knew tears were on his own face but he didn't care. He dipped his head and kissed her, long and sweet.

Not long later they were settled into a new room and they were sitting side by side on the bed. The baby was in Seeley's arms this time and Temperance's head was resting on his shoulder. After several long moments of staring at their baby, Temperance spoke.

"What are we going to name her?"

They had agreed early on that they didn't want to choose a name before hand. Their baby's name had to be something they thought of once they saw her.

Looking into her sleeping face, Seeley smiled.

"I like Joy."

Temperance looked up at him. He looked back at her, smiling tenderly.

"Joy?"

"Joy Christine."

She looked from her husband's face to her daughter's.

"Joy Christine…"

"Has a ring to it, don't you think?"

Temperance reached out and touched her daughter's cheek.

"Joy Christine Booth."

A tap on the door made them look up. The door opened a bit and a smiling face appeared.

"Hey. You three up for visitors?"

"Sure, come on in."

Vivian entered the room.

"Zach went downstairs to get us something to eat but I couldn't wait any longer."

"Did you call Angela and Jack?"

"Yea…they caught the first flight out they could get. They should be here in a few hours."

"No…I didn't want them to come back now. It's their honeymoon."

"Are you kidding? Imagine me telling Ange her best friend is in labor and trying to stop her from coming home immediately. I think I heard Jack mention buying a jet if necessary. Now, where is my niece?"

"Right here, sis."

Seeley passed the baby into his sister's arms and she cradled the little bundle securely in her arms.

"Ohhhhhhhh my God…she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. What's her name?"

"Joy Christine Booth."

"Hello, Joy Christine Booth. I'm your Auntie Viv. And I am going to spoil you so rotten it's ridiculous. And you're gonna meet Zach in a few minutes. He's kinda weird. Talks a lot and sometimes doesn't make sense but he's pretty amazing. And you wanna know a secret? In a few months he's gonna be your uncle."

"Excuse me?"

Vivian looked up from the baby with a wide grin on her face. She passed the baby to Temperance and pulled out a long chain that was tucked into her shirt. Dangling from the end was a diamond ring.

"Zach asked me the other night. He asked me to marry him. And I said yes."

Seeley's face was impossible to read. His face was completely blank.

"Seeley?"

He got up off the bed and crossed the room to stand in front of his sister.

"OK, you're starting to scare me."

"You're getting married? To Zach?"

"I'm getting married to Zach."

In an instant he'd caught his sister around the waist and hugged her tightly.

"God, my baby sister's getting married. I can't believe this."

He heard her laughing and released her.

"I have a bit more news."

"Don't you dare tell me you're pregnant. I'll kill him."

She laughed and punched him lightly on the arm.

"Shut up. I'm not. I got a phone call yesterday."

"Yea?"

"From dad."

"What?"

"Yea."

She moved to sit beside Temperance, she looked down at the baby and smiled.

"He asked if I could come home this weekend. He and mom want to talk to me. He called it 'home,' Seeley."

"Wow."

"You're telling me. I was pretty shocked."

"Are you going?"

"Yea…I think I am."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

She looked up and smiled at him.

"Not this time. This I'm gonna do alone."

"Alright…but call-"

"If I need you. I will."

"Good."

She stood up and moved to the door.

"I'm gonna go find Zach. Give you three some time together."

She smiled and hugged her brother as she walked past him. She waved at Temperance, who smiled in return.

After she'd closed the door behind her, Seeley went to sit beside Temperance again. He looked down at his daughter and reached out to touch her fingers. They opened under his and grasped his finger.

"She's definitely got your grip."

Temperance chuckled.

They both watched as something flashed across their daughter's face. Temperance's eyes widened and Seeley's jaw dropped a bit.

"Was that…"

"Did she just…"

Seeley choked out a laugh.

"Well…Vivi always said the smile's genetic."

The End

A/N: Alright everyone…that's the end and I'm crying as I'm typing. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did and thank you all so much for being so wonderful throughout all this. My next story is already started and the first chapter will be posted by tomorrow night. It isn't a sequel but I still think it should be good. It's going to be the second story in what I'm calling The Unexpected Visitor's Series. Still working on a title. Hope to hear from you all soon!