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Epilogue

"Daddy, look!"

Brennan heard Parker say via the baby monitor receiver that was sitting in her office. She closed her laptop, knowing there was no way she was going to get another chapter written today.

It had been a week since their—encounter in the back of his SUV, and she felt… happy. Before-her-parents-disappeared-happy.

She also felt terrified, afraid everything would shatter sooner or later.

Parker had come over Thursday evening after Booth and Brennan had finished their paperwork for the DA and Cullen. Hannah's cast was gone, and Rebecca had agreed to let Parker stay until Sunday, since their discovery at the beach had cut short Booth and Parker's time together.

She felt connected to Rebecca, considering the recent developments. As Brennan reached downstairs, she found Booth rummaging around the kitchen excitedly. "What's going on?" she asked with half a smile.

"Look!" Parker yelled and she turned towards Booth's living room, watching Parker hold Hannah's hands up in the air. The young boy took a step back and Brennan gasped as she saw Hannah take a step forward.

Booth joined her, camera now in hand, and started taking pictures.

"I thought they were supposed to crawl before walking," Brennan said, feeling something inside her chest tighten at the sight before her.

"Each kid's different, Bones," Booth explained proudly. "Plus the Squintlet's not really walking yet, and some babies never learn how to crawl."

It was incredibly rare for her to be speechless, but this was easily one of the best moments of her life.

Parker continued to take steps back, and Hannah continued to match each of his steps with one of her own until they reached the entertainment center. Hannah giggled and Parker smiled at the adults, obviously sharing their notion that this was a moment to feel delight.

Hannah followed Parker back to the couch, excitedly waving her arms when Booth put the camera down and picked her up. Brennan watched as Booth's free hand messed up Parker's hair.

"Daddy, she's here," Parker excitedly pointed at Brennan, "can I tell my joke now?"

Booth nodded as Hannah played with the chain around his neck.

Parker ran up to Brennan, breathlessly asking: "Why the skeleton couldn't go to the party?"

Brennan's mind considered the question carefully, her brain trying to find an answer to the question even though it wasn't meant to. Skeletons and parties didn't mix, so why would a skeleton go to a pa—

"It's a joke, Bones. Say 'I don't know' and he'll tell you the answer," Booth explained amusedly.

"I don't know," she offered even though she wanted to think it over a little bit longer.

Parker was grinning excitedly as he answered. "Because he had nobody to go with!" he dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Brennan was silent for a microsecond before she joined Parker, honestly laughing hard. "Get it Booth? No body," she explained.

"I got it the first time he told it, Bones," he teased her.

"Wait, I have to write it down for Zack!"

Booth laughed this time, and she was pretty sure it was at her instead of with her.

††††

Booth had entered his room to find it uncharacteristically empty.

He hadn't realized how accustomed he'd grown to Bones' presence in his bedroom.

Now as he entered her bedroom, he wondered why they didn't spend the nights there; even though the bed hadn't been slept in days, it still looked welcoming.

There was soft music coming from the bathroom, but no sound of running water so he figured she was taking a bath. He wanted to investigate her bedroom further, but the image of his partner in lukewarm bathwater was way more enticing.

Booth locked her bedroom door and grabbed one of the baby monitor receivers, turning the volume down so that only the loudest of disturbances would come through. He carried it with him as he hovered in the doorway to the bathroom, his mouth going dry at the sight of Bones in candlelight.

The whole sink counter was covered in candles, and the room smelled like cinnamon. He didn't alert her to his presence; instead he spent a long time admiring her. The bathtub was pretty shallow: the water level hovered just below her nipples and Booth envied the bubbles that were quickly disappearing.

He was hard already, but he was content to stand by the door watching her. In one week, their relationship had progressed more than Booth had ever thought possible, even though pretty much everything had been unspoken; he had so many questions, but he also knew just Temperance wouldn't think twice before running if he weren't careful.

Very early into their partnership, he'd established that there were some topics that she would not discuss; every once in a while, he would push one of them just a little to see how far he'd get.

She hadn't had any nightmares, and he'd gotten her to promise to see a doctor if they returned: that was definitely one of the times when pushing into those 'dangerous' topics had turned out well.

Maybe they were too old for it; maybe he was just afraid of bringing it up, but their relationship was still undefined: no spoken exchanges of love, no promises of love no one could guarantee. Someday, perhaps, he would push the topic, but for now he was just glad to be able to watch her soak in a bubble bath, during their downtime and the only lives depending on them were the two that were sound asleep down the hall.

"Are you going to just stand there all night?" She asked him with a teasing grin.

Booth shook his head but stood still, his eyes meeting hers and holding its ground. It had to be a vision - no one was allowed to look that good.

Eventually he set down the monitor received on top of her closed toilet and started undressing, taking his time removing his clothes and keeping his eyes on her naked form. Bones emptied the bathtub halfway before refilling it with hot water. When he was done undressing, she moved to the center of the tub, allowing him to take his seat behind her.

Her hair smelled like some fruity concoction; the wet strands teased his still dry chest. His hands moved of their own accord to her breasts, teasing her nipples in the way he'd learned she liked.

There were still many things he needed to learn about pleasuring Temperance Brennan, but he was more than willing to spend the rest of his life learning.

Bones moaned at his ministrations, and his erection twitched against her lower back. One of his hands moved down to her center, finding her slick and wet in a way that had nothing to do with the water around them.

She moved before he did, her hips rising until her entrance was poised right above his erection. He pressed his lips against her shoulder blade, the kiss turning into a slight bite as she lowered herself onto him, muscles already contracting around him.

He would be lucky if he lasted five seconds.

The water around them was cooling down, but it was burning hot inside of her. His lips moved to the nape of her neck; his hands massaged her breasts, relishing in the way she surged against his palms.

There was not much room for maneuvering, so he was content to let her do most of the work. He felt relief as she climaxed, finally allowing himself to come as well.

Booth felt sated as he sat with in partner in the bathtub, a long comfortable silence between them, until the water got too cold.