Author's note: Thank the Lord for timelines. I'm grateful for being smart enough to write down all my ideas for each chapter. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to piece this thing here together. Sorry for the long wait. Life (and other stories) got in the way every single time I sat down to work on this chapter. I've searched forever to find the right song to support the final scene. I've marked when I believe you should put the song on. You don't have to of course, it's just something extra for those of you who are as crazy about music as I am.

I'm going to do a little shameless self-promoting here. If you're interested in other stories I've got waiting to be written/posted, my LJ is the place to be. I've decided to keep whoever is interested informed on my writing process there. It's just one click away on my profile page.

Thanks EternalConfusion for the beta-job. Brilliantly done, as always!

For my reviewers: Everyone who has ever read or reviewed my story, or has put it on story alert or in their favourites list, thank you! I cannot express how grateful I am for your support. To all who reviewed the last chapter -Aertyn, Howdylynn, Bellabun, Egyptianautumn, jaed621, Spuffyshipper, YouAndMe Kelly, brennanmars, Addictt, willgirl, I hart Booth, goldpiece, canadianagurl, muppetmadness, mereva, saz89, bones-is-love, krisnina77, Amasayda, 43n5ic fr3ak, HolidayArmadillo, squinter, EternalConfusion, krazegirl and siddika- also a big thanks!

Disclaimer: For old time's sake, let's disclaim Bones one more time. I, niah1988, do not own Bones, neither its characters as anything related to it, except for this fluffy plot.

- Week 4: Sunday -
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"Daddy, you're not even trying!"

"Sure I am, son."

Parker giggled when his father tried to sweep him up in his arms for the umpteenth time, but missed him again within a hair's breadth. Cheering loudly, the young boy zigzagged across the beach for a couple of yards, before he came to a stop to see if Booth was following him. When he noticed his father coming towards him with large strides, his hands reaching out and a smile on his face, Parker laughed again and made a mad dash for the group of grown ups sitting a bit further along.

"Tempe, hide me!" the four year old shouted at Brennan who was sitting on a towel, knees drawn up and feet buried in the sand.

A faint smile played around her lips as Booth chased after Parker until the child crouched down behind her. She was still amazed at how fast Parker had attached himself to her. In her opinion she hadn't done anything special, yet somehow the boy had grown fond of her. There were a handful of grown ups he could have run to, but still he had chosen her. It made her feel more accepted than she had ever expected.

Booth flopped down beside her, reached out and grabbed his son. Placing him onto his lap, he said, "Gotcha, bud."

His son squiggled and squirmed until his father loosened his grip. Parker ran off again, to join the other children playing around.

The entire family had decided to go for a picnic on the beach, so that they could recover from last night's party, and could do something fun together before everyone left for home again. They had been sitting here for about three hours now. After lunch, the children had begun running around, playing games, while the grown ups talked, or entertained the children, like Booth had done a couple of minutes ago.

He had just draped an arm around her shoulders, when his mother approached them. With a small nod of her head she sent him away, leaving Temperance behind with her eyebrows nearly reaching her hairline.

Mary Booth settled down beside the anthropologist. She didn't attempt to speak for a long time. It almost seemed as if she was waiting for Temperance to make the first move. However, when Brennan opened her mouth, Mary silenced her by briefly raising her hand.

"Seeley's first girlfriend lives right next door."

Brennan's head swivelled around. "Excuse me?"

"Just thought I'd give you a head's up. Every time my son comes down, Renée suddenly appears at our front door to tiptoe around him. Only the Lord knows why."

"Why are you telling me this? Do you want me to bear down on that Renée-woman, to club her over the head, so that she will leave Booth alone?"

Now Mary turned around. A smile tugged at her lips. "Not necessarily." Mary faced the ocean again. "You've already taken care of the claiming part." At receiving nothing but silence, Booth's mother explained, "Your book; the dedication page."

"I didn't write that to claim Booth."

"Oh please," Mary retorted, slightly rolling her eyes. "A neon sign reading 'M.I.N.E.' would have been more subtle!"

Temperance was about to retort -What is it with this family and forcing me to realise the truth by blatantly throwing it in my face?- but Mary cut her off.

"Dan says you don't believe in marriage."

Now Brennan felt like sticking her head in the sand. Maybe then Mary would leave her alone. Yesterday she had survived the rather emotional talk with Booth's father because she had been the one initiating the conversation. Now it was Mary who was the dominant party.

That's why the anthropologist resolved to a polite "No, I don't."

"When you buy a house, you want the deed to prove the house is yours, right?"

Temperance nodded. Marriage? House? If she mentions grandchildren, I'm dragging Booth back here by his ears to let him take care of his mother.

"The same goes for marriage," Booth mother continued.

"You can't own a person. No-one's property," Temperance argued. "You're suggesting marrying someone would mean you own the person. Like a piece of real estate."

Mary shook her head. "I'm talking about the emotional part. Thanks to a piece of paper you can kick everyone's ass if they so much as look wrong at Seeley."

This made Temperance smile. "I don't need a piece of paper to kick someone's ass."

"So I have heard," Mary replied smoothly, now smiling as well. Then she turned serious. "Have you told him you love him?"

"You read the dedication page."

"I mean, actually spoken the words?"

The anthropologist quickly squeezed her eyes shut, to open them again half a minute later. "I did. Sort of."

"In the heat of the moment," Mary offered knowingly. She got another nod from Temperance. "You should try to tell him when you're not… You know… He has changed so much for you. Don't you think it's fair that you try to push yourself past your boundaries for him?"

Temperance remained silent. She didn't even bother looking at Mary. She could feel her gaze resting heavily on her. What was she supposed to say now? That's she'd immediately march over to Booth to casually say "Hey babe, I love you"? No way was she doing that!

Mary reached out to pat Brennan's shoulder. "I'll leave you to your thoughts."

She stood up and went back to her husband who was proudly filling his sons in on the details of the last bowling game he had won.

Temperance stared down at her feet, slowly pushing her heels deep into the sand. Yes, leave me to my thoughts. Like I haven't done enough thinking in the last few weeks.

She sighed deeply. This wasn't going to be an easy situation to solve. There was no running from this. One day she would have to tell Booth exactly how she felt, or else he would leave her. For both their sakes, she had to figure out a solution to this problem.

---°---

Brennan absent-mindedly took a wet plate from the small drying-frame on the counter and ran a kitchen towel over it. After dinner May and Lilly had dragged her off to the kitchen to help them do the dishes. Mary had a dishwasher that worked just fine, but apparently it was some sort of habit that with every family gathering the women did the dishes while the men went to the living room to talk amongst themselves.

It probably is some kind of bonding ritual, Temperance thought, dating back to the 18th century when the women left the room to leave the men and their cigars and brandy alone. Her inner anthropologist effortlessly analysed the situation, but made no attempt to stop Temperance from participating. She saw them asking her to tag along as a sign of approval, and was more than happy to join the other women, even though her mind was elsewhere.

At the picnic she had had a meaningful conversation with Booth's mother. Afterwards Parker had come along and had forced her to chase after him. The embarrassment of running after a four year old was still vividly present. She would probably never understand how parents could so easily forget their surroundings and act like a kid themselves to play with their children. It had been awkward, but with a hint of fun nonetheless.

Brennan cursed when she nearly dropped a plate. All her deep thinking had almost made her break one of Mary's favourite dishes. She tried to keep thoughts of Booth at bay until she had finished drying off the last plate. Then she helped putting all the dishes, glasses and cutlery away, before she marched off to the living room, fully intending to take a leap of faith.

Only the person she wanted to take that leap for wasn't present.

"Where's Seeley?" she asked Jared.

"Outside. I think he went to his regular spot."

"And where can I find this 'spot'?" Brennan probed.

Jared calmly gave her directions to what he referred to as Booth's hide-out. He also informed her, with a good waggle of his eyebrows, that it was a very secluded place. Temperance thanked him and went on her way.

---°---

(Cue Can't Take It In by Imogen Heap)

Jared was right. This is a very secluded, but beautiful hide-out. I understand why Booth comes here, Temperance noted when she halted at the top of a dune.

The wind rolled over the upcoming tide and beach, wove through her hair, made her clothes flutter, and continued its path toward the boulevard that ran along the beach. Temperance felt like spreading her arms wide open and taking a deep breath to gather courage, because what she was about to do, would be the hardest challenge she had ever faced.

The anthropologist slowly descended the dune and worked her way through tall dune grass. At one point the grass stopped. A fairly large open space was revealed; and in the middle of that space she found who she had been looking for.

A large smile spread across her face, and the hairs on her arms and in her neck stood on end. Her skin all tingly, and her heart aching for him; how could she have ever been afraid of having faith?

A couple of careful steps later, she sat down beside him and mimicked his posture. Knees drawn up, hands clasped and loosely resting on her knees, and her gaze fixed on an unknown point in the distance, she sighed contently.

"It's beautiful here."

Booth nodded.

She nervously bit her bottom lip. Here we go. It's now or never. "I'm not someone who wants to get married."

"I know," Booth nodded, not tearing his gaze away from the magnificent view he had on the sea.

"And I'm not the kind of woman whose sole purpose in life is to become pregnant."

"I know," Booth once again nodded.

"But what I am," Brennan continued, "is head over heels in love with you."

She was sure she had never seen him turn around so fast. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she nodded. Temperance expected the world to stop turning, expected to feel her heart being ripped out of her body, all because she had spoken the words she had vowed to never say out loud, in a normal state of mind. All she felt were his hands cupping her face and his lips covering hers.

The joy that coursed through her was almost too much to take in. She had taken a plunge and had survived.

When the kiss came to an end, he let his forehead rest against hers. "I love you. I really do," Booth said, his hands running up and down her sides and shoulders, to come to a rest on her jawbone.

"I love you right up to the moon and back," she whispered.

Booth chuckled. "Who's ripping a cliché from a book now?"

"It's true though," she assured him as she turned around. For a few silent moments she gazed at him from her kneeled position. "I didn't think it was possible, but I really love you right up to the moon and back."

Her fingers lightly traced his lips that curved into a smile. "I love your smile."

Then her fingers gently stroked over his cheeks and along his jaw. "I love how smooth your skin feels under my finger tips."

Booth pulled her closer for a kiss. She mumbled against his mouth as she swung her leg over his waist, "And I certainly love the way you kiss." Capturing his lips again, she sat down and clamped her thighs firmly around his lower body.

"Temperance," he mumbled.

Brennan smiled. "I love how you say my name. No-one has ever, and will never say it like you do."

His hands found their way around her hips and pulled her tightly against him. Temperance softly caressed his features, all the while smiling at him. "But most of all, I love how you love me," she whispered right before she lured him into another lip-lock.

He chuckled as he buried his face in her neck. "You heard what I said about a week ago."

"Yes, I did."

He brought his face back up. "And you didn't run away."

"No, I didn't. I realised I would have been running away from one of the best things that has ever happened to me."

The sea continued to crash onto the beach two miles away from them, seagulls circled around above their heads, and all the pair did was stare and smile at each other. Eventually Booth pushed her flush against his chest to give her a bit of a rough, but still loving, hug.

She wrapped her arms around him, understanding he was trying to regain control of his emotions. It tugged at her heart to see, and feel, how happy she had made him. Smiling into his hair, she commanded her brain to stop working and to just revel in the intense moment they were sharing.

The last thought that crossed her mind was that in only one month she had changed irrevocably. She had come to terms with her past, had realised her feelings for her partner and had embraced them in the end.

Twenty-eight days. The transformation was complete.

Like in a vicious circle she was back at the beginning, ready for more changes.