A/N: One of Booth's and Brennan's children unwittingly shares a significant date with the couple.

A recuperation story for FaithinBones who has given all of us so many hours of reading enjoyment. I hope this gives you a fraction of that happiness in return.

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Ruminations from the Past

Some people seem to think Dr. Temperance Brennan is not the least bit sentimental, but they don't know her very well. Longtime friends and work associates know she epitomizes the expression "Still waters run deep." Understandably reluctant to talk readily about her feelings after hiding them to protect herself in unkind foster homes, Brennan nevertheless notices everything and takes it all in. An anthropologist observes and remembers tiny details of observed and experienced events. Far more intuitive and sensitive than casual observers and acquaintances realize, she notices and remembers the feelings of others, however subtle they might be.

In the years of their over-arching partnership, she and Booth have become symbiotic; first professionally, later personally. As crime fighters, friends, lovers, and parents, they complement each other's strengths. She once clarified this verb for him in Sweets' office. "Not compl-i-ment, Booth; rather compl-e-ment," she'd stressed.

Everyone says that he is the romantic, the yin to her yang. But in truth, he is this no more than she. Booth doesn't recall exact dates; Brennan's steel trap mind never forgets such details. She could tell him the date he proposed, or the day Pelant made his terrible promise to kill five innocents if Booth carried through or told her why he was withdrawing from their engagement. While the painful sadness has disappeared, she could never forget the evening Booth broke their engagement to save those lives.

She remembers like it was yesterday the evening he first discussed marriage with her, promising never to foist that upon her, declaring that she would need to propose to him. Long before Pelant ravaged their souls, Brennan chooses this same date to present Booth with a package of his favorite beef jerky in the park, relishing his confusion. Despite Christopher's manipulation, monitors, and mayhem, she gifts him hope.

It isn't a wedding anniversary, but it is a most significant date to the couple because she finally wanted to marry him, and told him so. And therefore, the partners also celebrate this day each year in addition to their actual wedding anniversary. It's their unique personal holiday, like Gotcha Day for an adopted child. And if you asked, she could tell you how each yearly observance was marked. What restaurant, what hotel room or area of their house . . .

The couple had observed each yearly occurrence of her declaration not only with a sumptuous meal but by retesting their ability to break the laws of physics, and each time they swore to each other they'd gotten closer to perfection than the time before. Despite everyone's awareness of their love for one another, no outsiders could fathom the tenderness and depth of their mutual feelings. They always presented each other with appreciated gift items, but it was the intangible exchange of mutual strongly- felt emotions that they truly cherished.

Brennan cherished the fact that Booth was her mate even more than his being her husband. This fact baffled the agent until she explained her reasoning in depth. As Brennan saw it, marriage is a ceremony proclaiming two people husband and wife. Her definition of the term 'mate' signified that two living beings were linked for life as partners in every way possible. Not only among sentient humans but among other species in nature. Mating occurred throughout nature, and was for her, a stronger bond than even marriage. Brennan wasn't sure Booth would ever grasp the difference she saw between the two terms, mate and spouse, but for her it was profound. And Booth was forever her mate. It took him a while to convince her that he not only understood, but greatly valued her philosophy.

"Bones, I'm yours for the next 30, 40, or 50 years here on earth, and forever after that," he had declared.

"Booth, I don't believe in forever or the after-life."

"I know you don't, Bones, but I do, and that's what's important. As far as we're both concerned, we're linked to one another from here on out, right?"

"Yes, that's so very true for me," she said softly, looking at him intently.

"Then it doesn't matter what words we use to describe our roles in each other's lives; only that we are pledged and committed to one another as deeply as two people can be for as long as we exist. And to me, that's forever. I'll never leave you, Bones, never."

She had hugged him more tightly than he'd ever been embraced. "Ya nearly squoze the stuffing out of me, as Pops used to say," he chuckled after catching his breath.

Brennan had said nothing, only beamed at him more brightly than any star could shine. And then they'd re-examined those laws of physics all over again, giving each other a night of blissful romance and physical fulfillment that no one else could imagine.

Everyone's Brain Includes A Memory…Whose is Best?

She wasn't the only person with a memory for the milestone and significant dates in her long relationship/ partnership/friendship with Booth. (Call it what you will, she'd thought many times to herself, it always was and remained the most essential connection in her life.) Though they had never discussed it, and she wasn't sure he even realized it, Booth's son was that other individual. Parker seemed to have realized very early on that his father and the scientist he'd met in Sid's restaurant that lab quarantine Christmas shared something special. At one point it was fueled merely by his childish desire for a place to swim in winter like his school friend had; but Booth's little boy had somehow sensed how much this lady meant to his dad. Long before either of the adults involved had more than an inkling how important they would become to each other. ("Out of the mouths of babes" what a nugget of truth that was, she had mused more than once.)

Parker, of course, remembered exactly the dates of his dad's becoming engaged to Dr. Bones. Both dates. Although he had been rather young at the time, he had wanted the two of them to be together since he could remember. For almost as long as he'd known the scientist who always took any question he asked her seriously. Unlike many other adults in his life, Bones gave Parker truthful factual informative answers which made him love her all the more. Meeting her in Sid's café on quarantine Christmas morning for the first time, clutching the incredibly cool robot's leg and waving at her from the safety of his father's arms, the young boy had no idea how entwined he and Dr. Bones would become.

But even at age four, on Saturday mornings at his dad's apartment, over donuts at the diner, or in the park with Bones, he had sensed how special this lady was. She didn't talk over him or at him, she talked to him. Like they were equals. And it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize how much his dad liked Bones. A few months of observing the partners was all it took for Parker to sense that their friendship was very close. Although he hadn't yet heard Pops' "One mouth, two ears" speech, Parker realized with the insight of childhood that watching was better than gabbing. Bones made his daddy happy and that was all that mattered. He didn't mention it; he just relished it like a teddy bear you could hug to yourself.

Gradually, Booth and Brennan's partnership had grown much deeper and stronger. Parker loved that his father had such a good close friend. He loved swimming at Bones' apartment, learning stuff at her lab whenever he was allowed to visit, and his Coke bottle Mentos sessions with Max. He wished with all his might that they'd get married, since that's what grown-ups in love did. Somehow he knew his father loved Bones. And he knew Bones loved his dad. She either just didn't know it, or couldn't admit it.

And then … Hannah. When his dad f-i-n-a-l-l-y returned from Afghan—(what was that word?) it wasn't long before the blond newspaper lady showed up. Oh, bother! (As Winnie the Pooh would say.) That had been a very awkward year for all the grown-ups and a very long year for Parker. He didn't get to see his Dr. Bones nearly often enough. And when he did, she looked skinnier and sad. Adults certainly complicated things for themselves. Even his mom thought Bones was better for his daddy than Hannah, but it wasn't polite to say so out loud.

Once Hannah went away, Parker was hopeful. But it took a long time for Bones and his dad to get back to where they were close friends again. Rebecca had once explained to her son that she and his father were fond of each other but they just couldn't be married. So even though he held out hope that someday things might work out for his dad and Bones, Booth's son worried that maybe it would never happen.

But, then baby Christine came along, and things got so much better. Apparently Bones thought marriage was stupid, even though she loved his dad. He thought that grown-ups are certainly weird sometimes. They complicate matters that aren't, they confuse feelings that are obvious to kids, and they often snarl everything up. But if just living with Bones was okay with his father, then it was okay with Parker. And he really loved having a baby sister! She was so cute, cuddly, and funny. Every time he showed her something, Christine would try to imitate him and learned stuff really fast. Bones explained that babies' brains are a bit like sponges, absorbing knowledge from all over the place. Bones said Christine was smart, and why shouldn't she be? His dad was an intelligent guy, and Dr. Bones was 'smart off the charts' as Pops had once said. Therefore Christine was too. (Ergo, ipso facto, Columbo, he'd add to himself years later, having heard Brennan's stories about Micah, her favorite Jeffersonian security guard.)

So time went on, and he guessed that Brennan had changed her mind. Because one weekend when it was Booth's turn to have Parker, the man was positively vibrating with happiness. The boy had learned to squelch his questions until the adults were ready to explain. So as the weekend progressed, he just enjoyed his dad's great mood, played with the baby, and hugged Bones back when she surprised him with macaroni and cheese. And when Booth drove him back to Rebecca's house on Sunday evening, Brennan and the baby came along and he watched the pair have one of their silent conversations. Halfway to Bec's place, Booth pulled into their favorite park and stopped the car. The couple shifted in their seats and turned to beam at their favorite boy.

"Parker, Bones and I have something important to tell you. For right now, you're the only one who knows this besides us. We're gonna get married. Bones knows it means a lot to me, and when we talked about it, she said yes. It won't be a big shindig, just a small ceremony, but we wanted you to know. Father Henry said we could plan it for next month. Parker had just grinned at two of his favorite adults.

"If that's what you want, that's great! I love ya both!" he told them.

Bones had looked fondly at him. "Of all the people in the world, the only one I needed to hear that from was you. Biologically, I'm not your mom and you're not my son; but I love you just as much as if you were, and we wanted to be sure you are okay with this."

"Bones, I love you too! How could it not be okay?"

By the time his next weekend at Booth's had rolled around thirteen days later, everything had changed. Bones was sad. His father was sad. And the world was upside down. Booth had explained to his son that for now, their small wedding was on hold because of issues too complex to explain. It might happen later; it might not. But for now, the wedding was off.

At the time, he hadn't known how much of a threat Christopher Pelant was to the important adults in his life, but he knew how happy his father had been when they shared their habitual Saturday morning brunch that weekend his dad had proposed. The guy had beamed ear to ear all weekend. And now his dad was that much more miserable. And Bones was so quiet and subdued, it unnerved him.

Shortly thereafter, Rebecca and Parker had been put into a sort of local protective custody for a time, invisible to the boy, but nerve-wracking to his mom. The period of time between Pelant's evil phone call and Booth shooting the twisted genius at the abandoned power plant had been tortuous for everyone close to Booth and Brennan.

The kiss that followed led to a Jeffersonian garden wedding as Parker and Pops stood up with Booth. And finally, his beloved father and adored Dr. Bones were as 'one' as two people could be.

But Hank, Jr. hadn't even been a twinkle in his daddy's eye when all this occurred.

Relevant Occurrences Now

Hank Booth II swung into the driveway, parked his Honda Prologue and dashed up the front steps of his parents' home. Bursting through the front door, he strode into the kitchen, picked up his mother and swung her around jubilantly. Not many intrepid souls would undertake such a maneuver with Dr. Temperance Brennan, but her son was ecstatic and couldn't resist.

"What are you so happy about, Hank?" she asked with a smile.

Grinning back at his mom, Hank answered with another question. "Where's Dad?"

"He's watching the Flyers-Capitals playoff hockey match downstairs."

Hank trotted over to the basement door and flung it open as he bellowed, "Dad, come-mere!"

A deep voice responded, "Whatsa matter? Did you have a wreck?"

"Nope, nothing like that!" Hank chortled. "Just come up here a minute. I wanna tell you both together!"

It took Booth a little longer to get his feet on the floor and his knees cooperating than when his grandfather's namesake was a youngster. Now their youngest towered over his tall father, with the same curly brown hair and eyes Pops had once had. Climbing the stairs from his man cave, the now FBI Deputy Director peered up at his impatient son, who was positively vibrating with excitement.

"You look particularly happy, Bub," he observed.

"Nobody else knows yet! Just happened last night! I took Emily to her favorite restaurant out in Silver Springs. We had a really nice meal; roasted Cornish game hens and salmon. We shared a great bottle of wine with their delectable homemade strawberry shortcake."

"Hank, you pulled me away from the game to tell us what you had for dinner last night?" Booth asked with a knowing smile.

"Booth, let the poor kid finish!" Brennan chided. "So what was so significant about this specific meal you shared with Emily?" she prompted.

"I proposed!" Hank's grin was so wide it threatened to split his face.

"Well, I knew you were planning to do that," Booth teased. "We discussed it last week, remember?"

"Yeah, Dad, but the important part—the thing you didn't know is- She said yes!"

"Ah, how wonderful, Hank!" Brennan said softly. "I'm so happy for you two!"

"That's great, Son," Booth agreed. "I think this calls for a toast, even though it is only 10 o'clock in the morning!" Pulling open a cabinet above the bar where their children had eaten countless school day breakfasts, he extracted three wine glasses from the top shelf and the bottle of Mount Pleasant Estates Merlot Augusta, Missouri NV that he had picked up during the couple's last FBI Crime Lab conference in St. Louis.

"Your mother and I shared this last night, but there's just enough left for the three of us."

"Last night?" Hank asked. "Why last night?"

"It's the anniversary of your mom telling me she wanted to marry me, Tiger!"

"Dad, why didn't you tell me? I would have chosen a different day."

"I never remember exact dates like your mother does. When a beautiful woman like Temperance Brennan wants to cook you a spectacular dinner for any reason, a special reason, or no reason at all, who am I to turn her down?"

"I never remember it's the day she made my world, until it's on top of us again."

"Hank, due to circumstances that ended long ago, your father had to postpone a proposal he made to me, and I chose this date to tell him I wanted to marry him in spite of my earlier reluctance to engage in what I thought was an outdated and meaningless ritual. Your dad showed me otherwise, and so we celebrate the day I let him know I finally agreed with him."

"Well, I'm sorry I horned in on your special date, Mom. Dad here doesn't have your elephant memory apparently."

"Nonsense, Hank. The fact that you and Emily became engaged on a day that's significant to us makes it all the more special. It's up to you whether to share that information with her. She might prefer to consider your engagement day all your own. Think carefully before you divulge the coincidental timing to her. Whatever would please her is what should weigh most heavily in your choice. It's a sweet bit of knowledge for your dad and I, but whether you tell Emily is up to you."

"We are both so very pleased for you! She's a wonderful young woman and we know you'll make each other very happy over the lifetime you share!" Brennan finished as a tear glistened in her eye.

"You're both lucky ducks!" Booth declared, thumping his son on the back. "We know you'll cherish Emily like I do your mom, and she's a perfect match for you!"

He twisted the cork out, poured three glasses, and handed one to Brennan and Hank. "To love in the Booth-Brennan family! Your great-grandfather would be so proud! I'm sure he's watching from a cloud somewhere, wishing he could toast with us. Pops did love a good glass of Merlot."

Brennan hugged her youngest son tightly. "You'll have a fine life together, Hank. Not all easy times, but you'll make it through just like your dad and I have. Love you so much, and Emily too. Christine and Parker and everyone else will be so happy for you both!"

Hank, Jr. smiled broadly at his parents. "We're going to pick out her ring together. I considered buying one before I popped the question, but I figured she might have some style preferences."

Brennan had one of the silent conversations with her husband their children were accustomed to.

"Hank, when I was a child, my father gave my mother a sapphire necklace and earrings. Its style is very simple and classic. Your dad gave me the wedding ring that Pops gave to his grandmother years ago, and Parker and Christine received a small piece of family jewelry shortly before their weddings. They each had the gold melted and used the stones in a new design to mark the beginning of their married lives. If you and Emily like, you may have the sapphire set I'm describing. My parents weren't wealthy, so it isn't fancy, but it does carry meaning for me, and might also for you and your bride."

Hank looked at his mother in surprise, and said quietly, "I'd love to share that with Emily, Mom. No matter what it looks like; if Granpa Max selected it years ago, it is special. That would mean a lot to me. Thank you."

He hugged his mother tightly and coughed to hide his sniffling.

"Hey, Bub, don't ever be ashamed of your emotions," Booth told his son. "Pops always said that real men can cry if they feel like it."

"And if Pops said something, it's true," the two Booths finished in unison. Hank clapped his dad on the back and bear-hugged him.

"Booth, I never thought I'd see someone who hugs more tightly than you, but Hank does!" Brennan chuckled fondly.

Flashbacks of a Very Private Evening

The impromptu anniversary celebration at which Booth had uncorked the bottle of Mount Pleasant Estates Merlot Augusta, Missouri NV yesterday evening had been absolutely perfect . . . The secluded table in the far corner of Chef Gordon Wyatt's restaurant was private, his steak and her eggplant parmesan were delectably prepared, the small jazz club where they danced had played their favorite songs. Even a jazz rendition of "Hot Blooded," a departure from the norm of jazz selections, delighted them both.

The couple had challenged the laws of physics numerous times over their marriage but last night had defied words. Booth couldn't believe how blessed he was to share life with this woman; Brennan marveled again how right his gut feeling about fate had been in that American University lecture hall the first day they met.

Although Hank didn't notice his mother's pinker cheeks when Booth mentioned the merlot, Brennan's flushing face didn't escape the notice of one expert senior agent standing nearby. (I have to remember this vintage for next year, he chuckled silently. The memories that bottle evokes will last us a lifetime. As soon as Hank leaves, we can break those laws all over again.)

Far in the Future

Hank hung up the phone from engaging their favorite babysitter for the following Saturday evening. Pulling up the bookmarked website of their favorite restaurant, he reserved a secluded table for two on the outdoor patio high over Silver Spring. He and Emily had been coming here to share special dinners for twenty-eight years, ever since he'd proposed and she accepted.

Shortly after their engagement, Emily had learned the significance of this date to their family. Very pleased to know how and why they shared it with her loving in-laws, she had suggested to Hank that they continue Booth's and Brennan's tradition of celebrating an extra anniversary each year. After all, who needs an excuse for a night spent with one's beloved? And what an excellent reason to uphold family tradition!