Thank you soooo much for all the encouragement to continue! I was overwhelmed! So, here it is folks! All done. Maybe not the blood and guts catfight that you may have been expecting but it's some closure nonetheless. Please enjoy and let me know if you enjoyed it!

I don't own Bones.

Temperance answered her front door with a swift pull.

Her hair was pulled back messily behind a bandana, she had a large packing tape dispenser in one hand and a shoulder bag draped tight across her body. She was clearly in the middle of packing and to Hannah's great relief – as thin and non-pregnant-looking as she had always known her to be.

"Hannah!"

"Hello Temperance. May I come in?"

"Oh, sure. Mind the mess – we are currently in the process of shifting to another residence. Would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you. I was just in town. I thought I would pop in… You aren't really pregnant are you?"

Taken aback by Hannah's blunt questioning, the anthropologist frowned amusedly, "No. I am not"

"Yet one could very likely assume from your latest book that you are."

Temperance nodded and dipped her head – a smile tugging persistently at the corners of her mouth, "I always wondered if you read my books."

"Well, when I was dating the obvious muse - it kinda proved to be a great motivating factor."

The Doctor again nodded, her hand drifting absently over the fabric of her bag, "I see your logic."

"I must admit though – I was surprised to read your dedication. I didn't think that you were that type of person Temperance."

"What type of person?" She questioned.

"Well, I know that you loved Seeley," Hannah gave a humorous snort, "that much was clear. I just never took you as the type of person who would take advantage of a man who was clearly suffering a broken heart. How long after I left did you pounce on him?"

"If by pounce you mean commence a sexually satisfying relationship with him then three months."

Hannah smiled spitefully – still, it seemed, under the influence of the mini bar, "So the pregnancy plot was another one of your Seeley fantasies written under the guise of a good story."

"Hannah, I do not know what your purpose is in being here but I am quite busy and am finding your insolence uncomfortable so, either state your business, or leave."

Hannah's nostrils flared unbecomingly, "I am here to warn you that, despite your ill concealed delusions, Temperance, I intend on getting Seeley back."

Temperance laughed – unable to hide the mockery from her tone, "I believe that the saying is, 'finders keepers – losers weepers', Hannah. You had your chance and I, most assuredly will not allow you the opportunity for another!"

Preparing herself for a hair-pulling, face-slapping catfight, Hannah's reply was interrupted by a soft whimper emanating from the bag that was slung across the anthropologist.

A petite little hand jerking out from the top of it served to confirm Hannah's suspicions as Temperance pulled the tiny infant out of it's pouch up to the comfort of her chest, softly lulling the child into a peaceful quiet.

Noticing Hannah's obvious shock, Temperance smiled as she quietly teased, "You know, for a journalist, I would have thought you to be more observant, Hannah. And astute - It takes a substantially more time to publish a novel than it does to print breaking news."

"So – he did get you pregnant! I knew it! I knew it! Ha! He got you pregnant straight away! You realise he is just with you because of his strong sense of responsibility right? That is if he is even with you still… Is he?"

Temperance wriggled her diamond encased ring finger in silent confirmation, "Like I said – your lack of awareness is quite surprising given your occupation." Then under her breath she added, "Perhaps there is some merit to the belief that blondes have stunted IQ's."

"Wow!" Hannah shook her head in disbelief, "let me get this right. He proposed twice… in the same year to two different women."

"And married the latter." Temperance added with a self satisfied grin.

Hannah's eyes shot out of her head, "Married! Under obligation no doubt. If that doesn't spell rebound – I don't know what does!"

"Look, Hannah, as much as Iwould love to keep slinging insults under the pretext of friendly chit chat – I really must keep going. Besides, my husband is due home any minute and it wouldn't be in your best interests to have him see you here under the obvious influence of alcohol."

"Oh, I was looking forward to seeing him actually." Hannah chirped stubbornly – clearly not willing to budge.

Temperance shrugged – speaking over her shoulder before retreating to the nursery to put her slumbering child to bed, "Suit yourself. Should you come to your senses and change your mind – please be sure to lock the door behind you."

Just as Hannah settled herself on the sofa, a succession of crisp clicks alerted her to the fact that she was a moment away from reuniting with Seeley Booth. A warm flush of nerves washed over her as she prepared to face her ex.

oOoOo

Booth's sing song voice softly broke the silence as his head poked through the door, "Bo-nes! Where's my girls!"

Without having noticed their guest, Booth met his wife in the kitchen and folded her into the warmth of his arms for a long, tight, contented hug. "I missed my girls so much today. How's Chrissy?"

Regretfully pulling from his grasp she responded, not without a passing peck to his lips, "Well, she's fine. Actually, Booth, you have a visitor."

"Hmm?" He looked around, spotting Hannah –sitting doe-eyed on the couch, "Oh, hey, Hannah!" he chuckled cheerily walking over to give her a perfunctory squeeze and a pat on the back as she stood to return the awkward gesture, "wadda know! How's it going?"

"Um… good Seeley, thank you. I was just… you know… in town."

"Hey thanks for dropping in! Did you meet our baby girl?"

"Yes!" Hannah laughed nervously, "What a surprise! Congratulations!"

Booth returned to Temperance – his hand naturally falling to rub her back tenderly, "Yeah, pretty amazing, huh? Bones here was in labour for two days straight," he looked dreamily into her eyes as she blushed, "Still – no pain relief, nothing… amazing…" shaking himself out of his love induced daze he asked, "So, did you… did you want a drink or something before we leave?"

Temperance interrupted before Hannah could respond, "Leave? Where are we going Booth?"

He smiled apprehensively, turning to face her and lowering his voice to a sexy hum, "Well, I wanted to take my wife out… on a date – just… forget about packing and breastfeeding and diapers for a couple of hours and squeeze in some you and me time. Angela offered to take Chrissy. What to you say Bones, you up for it?" his arm tightened around her in an affectionate plea as he waggled his eyebrows and used his charm smile to coax out a yes from her.

"Alright, well, I had better go and get ready then. I won't be long."

His eyes followed the hypnotic sway of her hips until she disappeared into the bedroom.

He swung back around to their uninvited visitor, his tone taking on a calm but not overly welcoming character, "So, Hannah, what brings you to DC?"

"Margaret's wedding."

He nodded, smiling tightly, "Great, so, what brings you here… to Bones' place?"

"Oh, I was just checking in. Seeing how things were going." She played distractedly with a thread on the throw rug. "I was… quite… surprised by the fact that, you know…" she laughed nervously, "…you and Temperance! And the baby and, wow, you two are married!" She shook her head in disbelief.

"Yeah well, it only took us seven years."

Hannah nodded, her throat swelling with impending tears, "So, it's solid then?"

He nodded with solemn conviction, "Yeah, Hannah. It's taken me a while to realise it but, Bones? She's," he shook his head with a smile, "she's it for me you know? I tried to deny it and fight it but you can't argue with fate and, well, I love her but I need her as well and it's… amazing, you know? What she's given me… she knows me like no one else and just… loves me for me."

"I just, phew!" she lifted he eyes to the ceiling in a vain effort to catch the tears that were already tumbling down her face, "I never thought that you would go for her. She's just so…"

"Amazing?" He supplied.

A half sob, half chuckle escaped her, "Yeah, you've said that three times already. Kinda wasn't what I had in mind but anyway," She stood, "I wish you all the best, Seeley."

"Thanks, Hannah. I already have all the best. No offence; what we had was great fun but I guess we both knew deep down that that's all it really was. I was just too proud to admit it at the time and tried to make it more than what it was meant to be."

She nodded, accepting the fact that it was indeed her injured pride that was causing her stabbing chest pains, not the actual deep unselfish love that the partners clearly had for each other, "You're right… take care Seeley."

And with a sad smile, she was gone.

Stepping up behind him, Temperance's warm arms reached around over his torso as her head rested affectionately on his perfectly formed acromion.

Her voice was muffled slightly by his shirt but he heard her nonetheless, "I love you Booth… and… as much as I did not enjoy seeing her, I do not regret her imprint on our life. She forced me to see the tragic flaw in my reasoning. There are just some things that cannot be explained with science and logical reasoning and, whilst questioning and denying those things led me around and around in unbearable frustrating musings, to have accepted them as truth is to know true pleasure and contentment. I have that with you… and Chrissy… and, as much as it hurt to see you with Hannah – it was the push I needed to accept us as a possibility; to accept love and the power of the metaphorical heart as true tangible forces."

He gave her arms a squeeze in acknowledgement and then turned around to her – cupping her face tenderly and gazing soberly into her eyes. Without words strong enough to explain his feelings – his lips spoke a more understandable language; one without scientific evidence. And, as they gently worshipped hers – she understood…

Dinner could wait…

Worth the wait?