One year later.

The snow was swirling gently around DC. People were rushing around making last minute purchases. Lines to see Santa seemed to be extra long with only three days until Christmas, every child wanted to make sure that the jolly old elf knew exactly what they hoped to see under the tree on Christmas morning. Even the Royal Diner was decked out in appropriately festive décor as if to declare that right now even the apple pie would taste more magical.

Magical pie was not something that Temperance Brennan believed in, nor was she going to cave to the cajoling of her partner that she was missing out on the best pie he'd ever had. She simply smirked and plucked a French fry off of his plate and slipped it into her mouth. "I don't like my fruit cooked, Booth."

"C'mon, Bones, you don't know what you're missing." It was the age old dance they'd been doing for years and he couldn't help but smile as he watched her wrinkle up her nose at the idea.

"I do know what I'm missing, and I am sure that I don't like my fruit cooked." She took a sip of her coffee and just shook her head in amusement at him.

The bell on the door of the diner jingled and gently smacked against the glass and a rush of cold air from outside rushed in with the next patron. Neither Booth nor Brennan bothered to look to see who it was until a voice that they hadn't heard for quite some time greeted them in surprise.

"Seeley. Temperance. Hi." Hannah Burley hadn't been in DC in nearly a year. She'd been all over the world and had stopped in the nation's capital for a few days to check in with the national news director and take a bit of a respite from her travels. Somehow she'd felt a slice of pie calling her name, and she thought maybe she might run into the partners, but it certainly wasn't intentional.

"Hannah." Brennan smiled easily at her and gestured to the empty chair next to her. "Do you want to join us?" She wasn't sure that the other woman would accept her invitation, given the circumstances surrounding her departure.

Hannah's eyes widened slightly and she glanced over at Seeley. "I don't want to impose." She glanced around and noticed that there really weren't too many open spots in the diner this time of day.

"It's no imposition, is it, Booth?" Brennan looked over at him, tilted her head a bit and seemed to shrug her shoulders with her eyes.

"Uh, no. No imposition at all. Have a seat." It wasn't that Booth actually still had any romantic feelings for his former girlfriend, it was just that he was a little surprised to see her after all this time and so many things had changed since then.

"I'm actually supposed to be meeting someone here. You're sure it's no imposition." Hannah hesitated only briefly before taking the chair that Brennan had offered.

"Why would I offer if it was an imposition?" Ever the rational one, Brennan didn't stand on pretense or say something she didn't mean.

"Of course." Hannah smiled at her and slid into the seat. She had forgotten how refreshing the other woman's candor could be.

"Are you just passing through DC?" Booth knew that tying Hannah down was like trying to shoot down a housefly with a rubber band, possible, but not very easy.

"I'm here for a little while." An amused smirk danced across Hannah's face. "There are just some things that are difficult to accomplish overseas." She seemed to be privy to a secret that she wasn't quite ready to share.

"If you're going to be here through New Years, you should come and join us. Angela and Hodgins are hosting a party. Plus, you could see their daughter Chloe." Brennan knew that Hannah and Angela had hit it off and in most cultures females typically bonded over small children.

"I'll have to check with Mark." Hannah's face seemed to light up as she mentioned his name. "But it would be nice to see Angela again."

Booth raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Mark? Is it serious?" Old habits died hard and he wasn't above checking into the past of this guy to make sure he wasn't sketchy.

Hannah sat up a bit straighter and looked him right in the eyes. "Yes, it's very serious." A slight smirk tugged at her mouth again. "I hope you're not jealous." The reality was that she hoped that Seeley had gotten his act together and told Temperance exactly how he felt about her. As an investigative reporter it was almost a matter of personal pride if her instincts had been off.

"No jealousy here." Booth held up his left hand and waggled his fingers to make sure she noticed the band on his ring finger. "I am officially off the market." He glanced over towards Bones and then back at Hannah.

Hannah glanced at Temperance who held her hand up as well and her mouth gaped open just a bit as she registered what had happened. She quickly recovered and offered a genuine smile. "Congratulations." She really and truly was happy. As much as she thought she loved Seeley when she was with him, she had found her soul mate in Mark and had never been happier.

Brennan glowed. "Yes, Booth and I committed to engage in a monogamous relationship with a desired duration of forty or fifty years."

"Or more." Booth felt the need to amend her comment because as far as he was concerned, forty or fifty years was just a down payment on forever.

"Yes, or more." Brennan set her cup down and scooted her chair back, glancing at Hannah and then Booth. "Uh, if you'll excuse me, I need to use the ladies room."

"Of course." Hannah smiled at her and then her eyes widened as if she wasn't quite sure she was seeing what she was clearly seeing. "Temperance, are you…" She glanced up and didn't quite finish her statement.

Brennan seemed amused and very proud. "Yes, I am pregnant. Booth and I expect that our child will arrive in late March. However, at the moment she seems more intent on kicking my internal organs."

"Or he. I keep telling her that we've got the future kicker for the Steelers in there." Booth looked exceptionally proud and extremely happy that he'd managed to get what he thought was beyond his wildest dreams.

"I'm not sure how you think you can determine our progeny's future career, but I'm sure that whatever she chooses to be, she'll be the very best in her field." With that she moved to stand before she received another kick in the bladder.

Hannah's phone chose that moment to chirp and she glanced down and a smile spread across her face as she stood up. "Look, I need to go, Mark is running late and he wants to meet me at the hotel." And truth be told, she didn't want to intrude any more than she felt that she already had on this happy little family.

"It was good to see you, Hannah." Brennan impulsively gave the other woman a hug. "Be sure to call about New Years, we'd like to meet Mark." With that she walked briskly in the direction of the restrooms.

Booth stood up and offered his hand to Hannah. "I hope that Mark is everything you were looking for." He wanted her to be happy. He had long ago let go of his self imposed guilt over ruining their romance because he hadn't been able to get over Bones and he truly hoped that Hannah could find even a fraction of the happiness that he now had.

"He is." There was no hesitation in her tone and she smiled broadly as she shook his hand and gathered up her purse. "Goodbye, Seeley."

"Goodbye, Hannah." He waved and smiled and then sat back into his seat to wait for his wife to return. His life was blissfully happy and he was so glad that everything really did happen eventually.

The End