288First of all, thank you, thank you, a million times thank you to everyone who read my fic and offered their support and encouragement. Thanks for all the favs and follows. Here are a few facts about my fic
1. I had only planned it out to the end of Chapter 13 so thank you for encouraging me to continue.
2. I watched all of the seasons of Army Wives while working on this
3. This is the largest word count I have ever written consecutively
4. I was shocked with the amount of fluff that B&B inspired.
5. All of your comments, feedback, and prompts have only served to make me a better writer and I will take the lessons I learned in this fic and apply it to my other works.
6. B&B Shippers are the best people in the world.
7. I stressed over the finale for several days but I could only think of one logical ending that held true to the rest of the story.
Booth observed from a distance as his wife purchased a cup of coffee from the cart at the Mall. A promise had been made a year ago and without a word both of them had shown up to honor it. Booth studied her as she expertly handled her wallet, the coffee and Christine. She was even more beautiful now than when he had first met her at American University. He remembered that day with such vivid clarity, every movement, every breath etched into his mind like a sculpture in stone. So much had happened between them, the murderers, the kidnappings, the love and Christine. He knew without a doubt that he was the luckiest man alive and he wasn't sure that the rest of his life would be enough time to prove to her just how much he loved her. Every day it still blew his mind that she had chosen him, that she had married him. Who was he? Just a poor shulb from the wrong side of the tracks. Yet, she had chosen him, and he loved her for it. Oh, he knew that he loved her for a million different reasons, but the most important one was because she loved him. That first night outside the pool hall when she said that they weren't going to sleep together he had wanted to know if it was because the next morning he would have regrets. She had given him that sultry laugh and a broad smile, assuring him that that would never happen. Of course she had been right, because the only regret that he had was that it had taken them so long, but then again, maybe that was the way it was supposed to be. Bones felt the weight of his stare and smiled when her eyes met his. With just a look, she beckoned him to her as she lowered Christine into her stroller and sat on a bench. As always, Booth felt his heart rate increase and butterflies in his stomach as he closed the distance between them.
"So, here we are." He said, standing in front of his wife, somehow unsure of what to do next. Bones reached out to grasp his hand, pulling him to the empty space beside her.
"Yes, here we are. One year to the day." Booth squeezed his hand around hers as he smiled at his daughter. "Did you do well at the shooting range?" An incredulous laugh escaped Booth's lips.
"What do you think?" Bones leaned in and dropped a kiss on his cheek before dropping her head on his shoulder.
"I think that you blew it out of the ballpark. You are a very good shot, something that your time in the service would only enhance, or so I would imagine."
"I think you mean blew it out of the water or hit it out of the park, but yeah. I did good. The Range Master already signed off on my paper work. As soon as we talk to Sweets, we can go back to work. Are you ready for all of this?" Bones' eyes drifted toward her sleeping daughter, still so tiny. Just the thought of leaving her every morning tugged at her heart.
"No, but I will have to be. It's important for Christine to know that the work we do matters. I'm sure that I will adjust." Booth's arm slid around her shoulder, offering what he used to call a guy hug, now, it was much more, but still remained a huge source of comfort to Bones.
"I'm sure you will. But, just play it by ear. If it becomes too much, just cut back on your hours." Bones slowly pushed and pulled Christine's stroller with her foot, rocking the child.
"I know that I won't be able to work as much as before, but I am excited about going back. When do you want to see Sweets?" Bones asked. Both of them still had several days before they planned to return to work. They were still in the process of moving things from Booth's apartment to storage and sorting what they needed from the house in Georgia and what they could live without until they both managed to agree on a residence. Booth, of course, wanted their financial responsibility to be split in half and while Bones understood his logic, she didn't agree with it. After all, she had money in the bank that wasn't doing anything and a home was an investment. But she had relented because Booth was an alpha male and needed to be a provider for his family.
"Let's go right now. I would love to show the guys at the Hoover my baby girl." Bones laughed at Booth's eagerness and jumped up from the bench, offering Booth her hand, pulling him up alongside of her.
"I have to admit, I'm curious about the reactions from the bull pen. Do you know who won the pool?" Booth laughed and stepped behind the stroller.
"Caroline won. I heard that she left the magistrates office and headed straight to the Hoover and announced that the game was over. Twenty-five hundred big ones baby! Wait, how did you know about the pool?" Booth stopped and Bones turned to face him with a smirk.
"I am very observant Booth. Although I may not appear to know what is going on around me. I always do. You should know that about me by now." The trio continued forward.
"I find out something new about you every day." Booth said while shaking his head in disbelief. What other things had she observed over the years that she had pretended not to?
"Sweets, gotta minute?" Booth asked as he burst through the door of Dr. Sweets office, ignoring the fact that he was obviously with a patient. Sweets shook his head and gestured towards his patient.
"Agent Booth. I'm in a session right now. Make an appointment with my secretary." Just as he finished, Bones stepped into the doorway holding Christine in her arms. Sweets momentarily forgot his patient and his dimpled cheeks spread into a wide smile.
"Is that Christine? Wow. She's adorable guys." The man in Sweets' office cleared his throat, reminding the doctor that he was working. He gave a stern look to the Booths who were intent on interrupting his session. He shrugged his shoulders and gave his patient an apologetic smile, informing him that they would pick it up at their next session. The patient, knowing the reputations of Agent Booth and Dr. Temperance Brennan rose from his seat and made his way to the door, taking a moment to tickle the baby's tummy. As soon as he cleared the door, they made their way to the sofa and sat down side by side.
"Would you like to hold her?" Bones offered and Sweets held out his arms, anxious to meet the little angel.
"So guys, what's so important that you had to interrupt my session?" The kid asked as he made funny faces at Christine who gurgled appreciatively.
"We need you to sign off on the paper work so our partnership is reinstated. We are ready to go to work." Christine, having grown tired of Sweets baby talk and funny faces, let out a cry. Sweets handed the baby back to Bones in such a hurry that it made Booth laugh.
"Really? You two have a whole new life together and you just want me to give it my approval so you can go back to work, just like the past year never happened?" Both Booth and Bones exchanged glances and turned to face Sweets.
"Yes." They said in unison earning a reproachful look from the psychologist.
"It doesn't work that way. I will have to reevaluate your ability to work with each other. I'm sure that being married and new parents has changed the two of you tremendously." He noted how close they sat next to one another. "Your marriage will also present new challenges in the field. For example Booth, how do you feel about Dr. Brennan being present during the apprehension of a suspect?" Booth's arm came around Bones and he clasped his hand to her shoulder.
"Bones and I agreed that she could be present to question suspects and interrogations, but she will stay in the lab when it's time to make an arrest." Sweets nodded while studying Bones facial expression, which gave nothing away.
"Did you agree to that Dr. Brennan, or are you just telling Agent Booth what he wants to hear." Bones hand absently rubbed Booth's thigh, another display of their intimacy.
"I agree that Christine is our priority and that means that I can't always be with Booth like I have been in the past. I accept that I have to be the one to stay behind. Anthropologically, it is the woman who is the primary caregiver and nurturer of a child, a role that I happily accept. Any other questions Dr. Sweets?" Sweets was surprised by the fact that Bones was really and truly happy to take a step back because it would be the best thing for the baby.
"Okay. You both had not planned to return to work for a few more days. I'll sign the paperwork and you will both attend bi-weekly sessions with me for two months. Do I have your agreement on this?" Both parties nodded and rose from their seat.
"Sure. Thanks Sweets. But if you want to see more of us, you should just come to our place and visit" Sweets touched Christine's hand with his forefinger and shook it lightly as her tiny fingers clasped around it. Bones watched the interaction with a mother's pride.
"Really, that's, wow, thank you guys." Sweets replied, his attention never leaving Christine. The pair were quite enamored with each other.
"I think that she likes you Dr. Sweets." A blush heated his cheeks and he laughed awkwardly. Bones touched his hand. "I feel that you should know that Miss Wick will be returning on Friday. She will be on the six-fifteen flight from Tokyo at Dulles, if you are interested. I know for a fact that she would like to see you." Sweets cleared his throat and nodded, trying to school his features.
"Thank you Dr. Brennan. I will consider it." Satisfied that she had helped her young intern and her favorite baby duck, Bones turned and followed her husband out of the door.
The elevator doors opened to the bullpen where the best crime fighting team with the FBI was surprised by the loud applause and whistles as they stepped onto the floor. Various personnel shouted their congratulations as the family walked through the area towards Booth's now vacant office. After many waves and laughs Booth shut the door behind them, needing a moment to collect their thoughts. Just as Booth sat in his comfy office chair and gave it a spin behind his desk, his door burst open.
"Oh, let me have that sweet baby." Caroline Julian scooped a wide awake Christine from her stroller and snuggled her against her chest peppering her tiny face with kisses. Booth's jaw dropped open in surprise from the open display of affection.
"Apparently, in the absence of both of our mothers, Ms. Julian has declared herself an honorary grandmother." Caroline nodded, never taking her attention away from the baby.
"Your lady doctor has got that right. By the way, the Army was kind to you. You are even cuter than the last time I saw you putting a ring on the good doctor's finger. This baby is such an angel." Caroline took a deep breath, inhaling the baby scent. "So you two ready to leave your little island and get back to work with the rest of us?" She asked, never taking her eyes off her pseudo granddaughter.
"We weren't on an island we were…" Booth's expression stopped Bones mid-sentence. "Oh, too literal?" She asked.
"Just a little. Yeah, we're back Caroline. We still have unpacking to do, but we are officially back and on call." Booth supplied to an amused Federal Prosecutor.
"Well good. That junior team is good, but you are better." Caroline handed Christine back to her mother and wrinkled her nose. It was time for her to leave. "Take all the time you need chère. It can be hard leaving them at first, but I think she has left you a surprise which is my cue to go." She pointed her finger to Booth. "You take care of these two or you will answer to me." Booth nodded his head gravely, not doubting for a second that Caroline would hurt him if anything ever happened to his wife and daughter.
An insistent phone call from Cam led the small family to the lab. She had requested that Bones pick up a case file on a Jane Doe that had been at the Jeffersonian for a few weeks. They had been unable to ascertain identity, but had confirmed that cause of death wasn't murder. Bones pushed the stroller through the sliding doors just behind Booth who was determined to pick up the file as quickly as possible so that they could go home and relax. Both were surprised when the large banner hung over the platform welcomed them home and a large crowd consisting of all of their friends, family and various interns' yelled surprise.
Booth stopped dead in his tracks, completely overcome by the love and affection shown by his family of squints. Bones eyes grew as wide as her smile from the display of affection from their family. Booth lifted Christine from the stroller and held her against his shoulder before taking Bones' hand in his. He turned to his wife as Angela ran down the steps and grabbed her Goddaughter to show her off to the best and the brightest of the Jeffersonian. Booth laughed as the women oohed and awed over his baby daughter.
"This is going to be a lot to work around." Bones said, her face clearly expressing the obvious love she felt while commenting on the loud party and the mess. Booth dropped his lips to hers earning another round of catcalls and laughter from their friends. Bones' free hand caressed Booth's pink cheeks. He gave a nervous laugh and kissed her palm before raising his twinkling eyes to hers.
"We've worked around bigger…metaphorically speaking." Bones kissed him again, ignoring everyone around them except Booth.
"Welcome home Bones." Booth whispered against her lips, understanding that the Jeffersonian had been her home long before they had met and would continue to be a huge part of their shared lives.
"Welcome home Booth." She whispered before finally turning and stepping into the chaotic melee that was their lives.
The end.
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