EPILOGUE

The Jeffersonian was getting quieter as the sun began to set. Temperance Brennan took a glance at her watched and smiled. They should arrive there soon.

For the past seven years, she couldn't remember many nights she stayed on the lab till late. Unless there was a case really demanding her work till the dark hours of the night, she would never switch an evening with her family for work. The workaholic Brennan was in the past. Not that she didn't like her job anymore. She still loved what she did. But it wasn't a priority in her life anymore. There were things much, much more important and that gave her much more happiness.

"Mommy!" She lifted her head from the skeleton she was studying and grinned when she saw the redhead little girl running towards her, her long hair whipping in her back as she ran. Brennan opened her arms and caught the excited child, hugging her and kissing her cheek.

"Hi, baby." She said to the kid.

"Charlotte! I won't tell you again not to run around the Jeffersonian! Jeez, sometimes you are just like Parker!" Booth showed up at the edge of the platform carrying two backpacks, a Power Rangers one in one arm and a Tinkerbell one in the other. Standing by his side was his blue-eyed little version. "Hi, babe." He smiled when he saw his wife and walked up the steps to kiss her, only to get an icky glance from their daughter.

"Hi, Mom!" Tommy stretched himself to kiss his mother's cheek. At seven years old, he was taller than most of his friends. "I missed you."

Brennan put Charlie back on the floor to hug her beloved son. He said things like that all the time. How much he loved her, how much he missed her, even though she had seen him just that morning. Tommy was definitely the Mommy's boy and Brennan loved it. Sometimes she couldn't believe how big he already was. She felt like it was just yesterday when he was her chubby baby. He looked more and more like his father as time passed, and his natural charm and good heart enchanted everyone. "I missed you too, baby."

"You have to be careful, carrot. No one will be happy if you make them drop something." He turned his attention from his mother to the little girl. If there was something Tommy loved to do, that was to tease his little sister.

"Don't call me carrot." Charlie frowned and shot him an angry look. Booth smiled and looked at Brennan. She was just like her mom.

"Well, you look like a carrot." Tommy continued and the parents decided to see where that was going. Charlie usually didn't let her brother win a battle without fighting first, what led to some very amusing situations. If they didn't pay attention, the little girl would end up kicking her brother's ankle. It had happen some times before.

Booth wrapped his arms around his wife and both watched their kids' arguing, waiting to see if they would have to interfere.

"No, I don't! I look like a little girl." Charlotte's face started to get pink. "And dad says my hair is pretty and Auntie Angie says lots of people would love to have my hair." She stuck out her tongue at her older brother. "And mommy said she also had orange hair when she was a little girl like me and when I grow up I'm going to be pretty and tall like mommy, with big boobs and all, right, Daddy?"

She directed her big blue eyes at her father and pouted. Yeah, like he could resist it.

He loved how his baby girl would always go to him when she needed reassurance.

"Yes, you are, pumpkin." Booth lifted her up and kissed her tempers. "You're already the prettiest little thing around there."

"Pumpkins are also orange…" Tommy coughed and Brennan gave him a gaze that told him to stop, but she had to try hard not to smile.

Angela and Hodgins, who were about to leave the Jeffersonian to go to their son's soccer game, decided to stop to greet the happy family.

"And Tommy, Parker and I are going to kick a lot of guys who will want to date you, but we won't let them." Booth continued talking to his daughter.

"Boys are annoying." Charlie grimaced. "I just like Peter. He's nice." She added and waved at Angela and Hodgins with a wide smile on her face. "He kissed me once." She blushed as she said that to her father. Peter would always help her doing plans to tease Tommy. The three of them got along very well and even with all the tease, the kids loved each other. "Here on the cheek." She pointed the spot on her face as her father's brows furrowed.

"I'm going to kick your son's little butt, Hodgins." Booth let out a laugh and looked at Hodgins.

"No, daddy! You can't hurt Peter!" Charlie said right away, shaking her head 'no' desperately.

"It's not his fault Charlie is such a cutie, Booth."The curly haired entomologist said amused. "A boy's gotta do what a boy's gotta do." He added proudly.

"Oh, imagine how adorable it would be if Charlie and Peter got married one day?" Angela said hopefully and clapped her hands together.

"They are four and five years old, Angela." Booth reminded his friend. Jeez, he didn't want to think about his baby getting married anytime soon.

"Well, they'll grow up one day." Angela shrugged.

"Mommy, Dad told us we're going to the diner tonight and have burgers and ice cream!" Tommy said excited.

"Yeah, he said we'll have ice creams this big." Charlie spread her arms to show how big they would be.

"That big?" Brennan chuckled.

"No, Charlie, they won't be that big." Tommy explained tenderly to his baby sister. He loved to tease her, but he adored the little girl. "But they still are going to be pretty big."

"Aunt Angie, Uncle Jack, 'want to come with us?" Charlotte asked.

"We'd love to, honey, but Peter has a game tonight." Angela explained.

"Oh." The little girl sighed disappointed. "Tell Peter I'm hoping he'll win. He plays very well."

"I think Charlie really has a crush on Peter, Bones. Should I be worried?" Booth whispered to Brennan.

"I think it's sweet. She's a child, Booth. I don't think there should be reasons to be worried. Besides, Peter is really an amazing and bright little boy." Brennan reminded him. "Maybe eventually they'll date." She bit her lips trying not to laugh as she saw Booth's jaw clenching. "And by eventually I mean in like, fifteen years."

"If he breaks her heart, I'll shoot him." He murmured. "I mean it."

Brennan chuckled.

"Poor Charlie and her future boyfriends…" She shook her head amused.

"Boyfriends? In the plural?" Booth cried.

"Let's go, Booth, the kids must be hungry." She linked her arm with his and patted his hands. "Tommy, Charlie, let's go." She called the kids. "Angela, Hodgins, are you still up for the lunch tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course! Paul and Cam are also going, and Sweets and Daisy with Lisa." Angela said.

"Okay, we'll be there." Brennan nodded and they started leaving the lab, the kids walking in front of them.

"Parker is going to meet us there." Tommy told his little sister.

"Good, I love Parker. He's my favorite brother. He plays with me, and doesn't tease me." Being the youngest, Charlie was always the one everyone liked to pick on, but she was also the most adored one, after all, she was their baby. And the only girl.

"He does tease you." Tommy snorted.

"Not as much as you do." She pouted.

"I know I'm your favorite brother."

"No, you're not. Parker is."

"Aw, Charlie. I know you love me." He wrapped on arm around her shoulders and shot her his best charming smile. "You're my favorite sister, you know that."

"Of course I'm your favorite sister, cuz I'm your only sister." She looked up at him.

"Yes, but you know I love you, right?"

"Yeah." Charlotte grinned. "I love you too. Even though you're annoying."

"Thanks, carrot."

"Don't. Call. Me. Carrot!"

Booth and Brennan smiled as they watched their kids walking in front of them with their arms around each other.

It was a long journey till their life finally settled, but in the end, it was all worth it.