A/N: So I finished my thesis and wanted to update A McPerfect Life, but then all the finales happened and while I normally write stories that are rather AU, I got this idea in my head and well... It's my version of the reunion at the Coffee Cart and its aftermath. (though not what I expect to see next season) As always, I'm very bad at updating and I have no clue where this story is going...
Disclaimer: It's called FANfiction, but just in case you were wondering, I do not own Bones.
She was going home, to him. A year later. Things had changed. Part of her was afraid his things would be different too. She'd gone straight to her apartment from the airport, dropped her bags, taken a shower and left for the mall. Two hours early, but she couldn't just sit home and wait.
Over the last year, he'd told many men and women about what he was doing when he got home. It was a popular topic: they often discussed what they would do when they got back. His story, however, always got the best reception. One recruit had compared the coffee cart to the Empire State Building, though everybody rooted for him to actually find her at the coffee cart, without any accidents or any more waiting, and he'd grinned at the idea and answered that his Bones would not get the reference.
She is already there when he arrives. Her back is to him, but he recognises her immediately. She isn't sitting on the bench and when he sees what she is doing, he pauses. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe after all this time, anyone would look like her. He approaches and she turns and stares right into his eyes and his breath stops.
She expected him to be confused. They had kept in touch, but this was something she had to tell him in person. She hands him his coffee and takes a sip of her fourth cup since she'd gotten there. "Booth." There is something very odd about meeting someone you haven't seen in a long time. Because once you're standing eye to eye, time does not seem to have passed.
He takes the coffee clumsily, takes a sip and then smiles. "Bones." There is a sense of relief in his voice, as if saying her name makes it real. Then he realizes questions can wait and he takes her into his arms and she rests her head on her chest. "We made it." He whispers.
"Of course." She answers as if she has never doubted it, even if she has been worried all year that he would be his heroic self.
As they break apart, he nods towards the bench. "You could've told me."
"I thought it would be better to tell you in person."
"What exactly are you telling me?" He is still confused. He mostly wonders how long she's been keeping this from him.
She sits down on the bench and he followssuit. "I told you there were some high school students from all over the world who were selected to come and intern at the dig over the summer. They were all very bright. There was a British girl, Emilia, I'm sure the scientific world will see great things from her in the future," She pauses, takes a sip from her coffee.
He studies her, almost squinting. He hasn't seen her that proud of an intern since Zack and yet there aren't a lot of directions this story could go.
"My team there was brilliant, but most of them were concentrating so much on the dig that they did not notice what I saw right away."
He is surprised she didn't just say the truth; that they weren't as genius as she was. Humility, that's something very new. As she continues her story, he takes her hand in his. "Emilia, only 16, was 5 months pregnant when she arrived in Indonesia."
He frowns, but before he can ask, she answers his question. "It is not that difficult to hide with the right clothing, Booth." Another sip.
"I took her apart and informed her of my observations and she cried and told me she'd understand if I sent her home, but she hadn't told anyone, not even her parents and she had initially wanted to have an abortion, but it was already too late when she found out and then she'd heard that she'd been accepted and she told me about her enthusiasm for the project. I couldn't send her home, Booth, I don't know, the rational side of my told me that I had to send her home to her parents, but I just, I couldn't. I'm blaming you and Angela." She says it smiling and he takes the compliment by giving her hand a little squeeze.
"However, she was supposed to stay for the summer only and she couldn't fly back eight months pregnant. I told her we would find a solution and she became my personal intern and I took her to the doctor on a regular basis. This was her idea. After a month, she asked me if I'd ever considered adoption and well, you know I have, and she asked me if I wanted to adopt her child. I explained that we would have to tell her parents. We had a videoconference with them and they were shocked of course, but they were very understanding. I wanted to send you a message, to skype, but I was so afraid something would happen Booth." He nodds.
"Emilia's mother came for the birth. It was amazing Booth." A tear appears in her eye. "Emilia didn't change her mind. I wrote a letter to Emilia's school that she was so talented I thought she'd benefit greatly from staying longer, a little green lie,"
"A little white lie, Bones."
"Right." She shrugs. "She's back at school now, best in her class."
A sound from the stroller interrupts her story. She gets up and takes the crying baby out, who immediatly calms down.
"Bones, you're a mother." He says, as if he's only just understood the situation.
"Booth, this is Sophia." The baby, three months old, opens her eyes and stars right at him.
"She's squinting at me." He tells her as he touches the baby's cheek, something that had always calmed Parker down when he was a baby.
"Would you like to hold her?" She asks tentatively. He nodds and lets her place the baby in his arms.
Sophia does not mind the transition and happily sucks her tumb as Booth stares at her in awe.
"She likes you." Brennan tells him. She is relieved, but not surprised, after all, Booth taught her most of what she knows about children and love.
He looks up at her. "I love you."
She blushes, looks down at her daughter who is already drifting back to sleep. His eyes are still waiting to reconnect with hers, though not as afraid as that day she ran from everything she secretely wanted. "I love you too."
R&R if you please. Next chapter is coming and will be about either Hodgela, Cam or Sweets. Or maybe all of them. For me to know, for you to find out.