Uncharted Lands

16 – A Gift.

'the greatest gift is a portion of thyself.'

After a hard day of paperwork and arguments about cases Booth decided to head to the lab to see if his brilliant partner was still there.

She was, of course, still very had at work identifying old remains. She didn't hear him come in and just like he had done many times before, he stood there and watched her work.

Angela saw Booth enter and she granted herself one luxurious moment of watching beauty play out before her eyes as Booth's attention was caught by Brennan working on the platform. Angela had always known it would be like this when they finally got together, like it had been, only better, and she decided she shouldn't spy on them so she went back to work.

Brennan felt his eyes on her and she looked up. 'Hey Booth, what are you doing standing there?' she inquired. He blinked a couple of times, finding his voice. 'I.. I came to see if you're game for dinner and maybe a movie,' he said quickly.

Brennan pondered the question. 'Game.. Yeah, I'd like that game very much.'

Booth smiled. 'All right.'

'Just let me finish up here, I'll be ready in a few minutes,' she said, and he nodded.

She did indeed take only a few minutes to get ready, and half an hour later they were in her kitchen, now their kitchen. He had opted to take her out to dinner but she had felt more like staying in, and another take-out would not be too healthy so she decided to cook and he was happy to help her. As he cooked the pasta and sauce he added whatever she handed him, while she chopped up vegetables and ordered him around. He took it graciously and every now and then her hand would linger on his side, or his hand would come around her shoulders if he checked on her progress, and it was homely and familiar and new at the same time, but as long as he was there she didn't mind the butterflies in her stomach, and as long as she was there he wasn't afraid to open his kind heart to her.

'This is great, Bones,' Boot said, devouring the food they had prepared with quite an appetite.

'It's like a lot of things we do, Booth,' she said softly. 'What do you mean?' he asked.

'Well, it's a combination of my skills and yours,' she started.

'It's perfect,' he finished, and even though it wasn't what she had in mind to say next, she nodded. 'It is.'

She was talking about food, he was talking about so much more but he didn't mind her ignorance because he was still afraid of scaring her with the intensity of his love for her.

Their chatter and friendly bickering followed them through dinner, and after they'd put their dishes in the dishwasher he opened the freezer. 'I have something for you.'

Handing her a carton of ice cream, he smiled at the look in her eyes. She had always liked ice cream, but her pregnancy had made her crave for chocolate ice cream a lot more than usual. 'Thanks, Booth,' she whispered as she opened the lid and tore off the thin paper separating her from her ice cream.

'You're welcome, Bones,' he answered. 'Whatever I have to do, I'll do it.'

'I don't know what that means,' she said as she found a comfortable position on the couch. He smiled. 'I just meant, that, you know, if you need ice cream, I'll make sure I have it.'

'That's very kind of you,' she said. 'It's kind of my duty,' he replied.

Her face darkened. 'I don't want to be your duty, Booth.'

'No, no, that's not what I meant at all,' he said quickly, joining her on the couch. 'I just meant that.. I guess I meant that I love you and I'll do anything to make you happy.'

Her face softened and his did the same, grateful that she let him off the hook so easily.

'I love you too, Booth.'

Every time she said those words his heart skipped a beat, and this time was no different. He looked at her for a tender moment, then pointed to her ice cream. 'Eat you ice cream, I'll pick out a movie.'

She nodded. 'Ok.'

Movie night was one of her favorite things, and as he rejoined her on the couch and snuggled up to her, the opening credits to Titanic appearing on the screen, she silently thanked him for everything he gave her. She wasn't strong enough yet to say it out loud, to name everything he had taught her and gave her, but one day soon, she would tell him. He had opened his heart to her so much that she felt she had to give something back, not just to him, but to herself as well. But for now she was content to have his head on her shoulder, his hands on her body, sometimes redirecting the spoon with ice cream to his own mouth.

After the movie had finished Booth dared to look at her for the first time since he'd seen her start to tear up halfway through. She hadn't said a word, but he'd felt her grip on his hand tighten, her hand come up to wipe her eyes or her body shift slightly closer to him.

He saw sadness on her face, her eyes teary, evidence of dried tears on her cheeks, but a gleam in her eyes that told him she wasn't sad.

'That was.. Quite an emotional movie,' she managed, her voice soft and thick. He nodded. 'Yeah.. It's about love.'

'It was beautiful,' she said, after she'd composed herself fairly well. 'I enjoyed it very much. Thank you for picking that.' He nodded. 'I have an entire collection I have to show you.' She smiled. 'I'm already looking forward to it.'

He kissed her softly before getting up, extending his hand to help her. She took it and his arm came around her hips to walk with her to the bedroom.

Like every morning, this morning she had made the bed, so there was no evidence of their extensive lovemaking the previous night. However, as she stepped over the threshold she could almost see herself, with him, as images of that night and others flooded her mind. She freed herself from Booth's arm and turned to face him, her eyes happy and calm as they met his.

He smiled at her and bent down to kiss her, and she met him halfway, her lips already aching to be touched by his again. Their kiss was soft and sweet, his hands coming up to caress her sides, up to cup her breasts. A sigh escaped her mouth because even though it was still early on in her pregnancy, her breasts were getting more sensitive to his touch. He remained careful, his touch lingering instead of softly kneading, not sure if it was discomfort or just change she felt. She broke the kiss, looking him in the eyes.

'It's ok,' she whispered. 'It feels so good.'

He smiled and kissed her again, his lips capturing hers, his tongue dueling with hers, his hands now more confident in their journey.

Her own hands cupped his face, caressed down to his broad shoulders, kneading, feeling his muscles respond to her touch. She moved her lips from his mouth to his cheek, down to his jawline and further down to where her hands were trying to move his shirt out of the way to feel as much skin as possible.

He assisted her in opening his buttons, and she deftly pushed his shirt over his shoulders and off his body. Beneath it, he wore a sleeveless vest and her lips broke contact with his skin long enough to pull it over his head and toss it onto the floor with the shirt.

He smiled into her hair, nuzzling it with his nose, his own hands trying to remove her clothes as well.

'Come here,' he whispered and she looked up. He took advantage of the moment to pull her own shirt over her head in one movement and she was left in her bra and skirt, her breasts full against the fabric of her bra. He locked eyes with her for a moment before dropping his lips to her left breast, softly kissing along the line of her bra as his hands opened it from behind. It fell away easily and she released him long enough for the garment to join the rest on the floor.

A gasp escaped her as he licked around her nipple and slowly back up to her neck again. His hands replaced his mouth and she immediately sought his lips again, trying to push him backwards onto the bed but he beat her to it, lifting her carefully and, supporting her lower back and head, laid her down on the bed. She smiled at his romantic side, and tried to pull him down with her, but he avoided her seeking hands and quickly pulled down the rest of her clothes, leaving her naked on the bed in front of him.

For a moment, he was frozen, unable to move. He watched her with growing emotion, and she watched him as she saw his eyes cloud with tears she couldn't help her own reaction. She averted her eyes, unable to take in the truth and clarity she found in his eyes. How could he love so much?

She realized she'd said it out loud when his face slowly changed, tender love taking over in a smile that showed her the answer. It was a stupid question if ever there was one, because she, Temperance Brennan, loved just as much.

He knew she had the answer figured out when he saw her smile back, so he didn't answer her in words. He just removed his own clothes and started kissing down her body again, starting at her collarbone.

His path took him through the valley between her breasts, where he stopped for a second to listen to her heartbeat. Then he moved lower, past the underside of one globe, down further to her bellybutton where he stopped to talk softly to his child. 'We're going to be a family,' she heard him whisper, a quiver in his voice. She nodded, a tear falling down her cheek.

Her hands were in his hair, on his shoulders, and all he felt was Brennan. He didn't know how to tell her how he felt, but he could do something else. He could show her time and time again, and that's what he would do every time she'd let him, like now.

His lips moved lower and lower still, until they met the soft skin where her leg connected to the rest of her body. He kissed it until he reached her inner thigh, where he stopped to check on her and to slow himself down.

Her eyes were beautifully clear, blue pools of wisdom looking down at him, giving him permission to go on, and he saw something else. She needed reassurance. He didn't know what it was exactly that he saw, but he just knew.

'You're beautiful,' he whispered to her. 'I love your brain, I love your heart, I love your body. I love you, Bones.' He was sure he had never said 'love' so many times in one sentence before, but it was the truth and therefore he didn't care about the words. He just cared about her.

She smiled down at him, her mouth opening to say something but no words came out. 'I know,' he just said and he witnessed another tear fall down her cheek.

He concentrated on his task again, softly kissing up to her tummy again. She moaned, her muscles contracting, a liquid fire moving over her everywhere his tongue went. She gave herself to him, everything, mind body and soul, she was his. Her legs spread for him and he moved between them, his hands on her thighs, caressing and opening her to him as well.

He kept his tongue soft, carefully tracing her, driving her insane with his control, but she had no idea what she was doing to him with her uninhibited response. He took it slow to make sure he had an endgame, because this was for her, she who gave everything to him.

She started to move under his mouth, trying to direct him, and he let her because he needed her pleasure as much as his own.

She almost cried with the intensity of her feelings, his tongue touching her exactly right, softly but full of passion, and when he carefully dipped his tongue in her entrance, she lost control of her tears and cried.

He heard and felt her shudder and cry but he knew it was happiness and relief, so he continued to sweetly assault her with his mouth, licking her, building her up to an inevitable climax. He loved her taste, he loved everything about her.

He added a finger, slowly but surely penetrating her as deep as he could. She moaned, and he caught a few words coming from her, her voice clouded with tears. 'I love you, Booth.. More, please.'

So he started thrusting his finger in and out, never stopping the tender touches of his tongue to her clit and around his fingers, and as soon as he added a second finger he felt her hand around his biceps, squeezing him as hard as her inner muscles as she came with a shuddering moan into the pillow next to her.

He brought her down before moving up to kiss her, and she responded wildly, crossing her legs behind his back, pulling his bare member flush against her. He smiled into her mouth, knowing what she wanted and that she wanted it now. She released him just long enough for his mouth to find its way back to her tender breast, and she moaned as he took her nipple into his mouth. He licked softly as his cock found her entrance and he joined them slowly, feeling her walls still fluttering around him from her climax.

'Wow,' he whimpered as he hovered above her, bracing on his elbows.

'Don't speak,' she whispered to him and he obeyed, knowing she felt as vulnerable as he did but also whole, and it was a combination he knew but she didn't and she didn't want to think about it, she just wanted to feel.

He sat up a little, never leaving her body, his hands now free to touch her and his eyes locked with hers as he started to move.

She felt as if her entire body had been sunburned, but in a good way, the attention he was giving her fuelling her desire and her love for him. She felt vulnerable, open, but it didn't scare her like before, because he was there and in his eyes she saw the same vulnerability. He was willing to risk it all for her, so she would risk it all for him. She'd marry him. She'd wear white. She wouldn't compromise on everything, some of the things she'd let him have, like he let her have her things. That was what made them.. Them.

A deep moan escaped him and she saw his face, his beautiful face, strained to control himself, willing his body to last, wanting to enjoy this a little while longer but he couldn't and she didn't want him to torture himself.

His thrusts felt like heaven, and she felt another orgasm approach as he hit her sweet spot exactly right with each thrust. 'It's ok,' she whispered. 'I'm right with you.'

His eyes met hers again, she reached up to kiss him, her hands, her sweet hands on his chest, softly raking her fingernails over his skin, and he couldn't hold on for a second longer.

With a deep howl that came from deep within his heart he came, his head falling back, his body thrusting into hers without finesse, once, twice before he felt her muscles clench around him and he heard her voice call out to him. 'Booth..' And her name for him grounded him, so he whispered back as soon as he had found his voice. 'Bones..'

His voice brought her back to reality as he carefully rolled them onto their sides, never pulling out of her, wanting to feel connected for as long as possible. Her hands still on his chest, she shuddered with the intensity of everything, their lovemaking, his voice, her emotions, and tears threatened to fall again. She wanted to apologize for them, but as soon as she locked eyes with him she forgot what she was going to say.

He looked gorgeous.

His forehead shining with sweat, his cheeks shining with tears, his eyes full of.. Love, trust, vulnerability, tears. He didn't speak, he just held her as close as possible, one arm under her head and another around her lower back, keeping them close and as deeply connected as possible.

His heart was beating wildly with everything he felt for the woman in his arms, and it went so far beyond sexual attraction that even he himself didn't know where his love for her ended and the rest of the world began.

He thought about how he wanted to be with her, the things he wanted to show her, the places, the movies he'd show her, the people he wanted her to meet, the people he wanted her to introduce to him, the parties she would take him to.. But he also thought about protecting her, letting her cry into his chest whenever she needed it, keeping her close, sharing his warmth, cradling her like she would cradle their child. Their connection, it went deep. It made them vulnerable but beautifully strong at the same time, and he knew Brennan understood that too. It scared her, but he knew that with her by his side he'd have the strength to help her through.

She was observing him, watching him as his mind took him far away from her but what she saw made her heart beat as wildly as his. She saw his strength, his determination to make this work, his true lion heart, and she accepted it all because she wanted it all.

After a while of lying together she sniffed and he turned back to reality, to her, lying in his arms.

'Are you ok, Bones?' he asked, concerned.

'Yes,' she confirmed, and she rolled onto her back in his arms. 'I'm just going to use the bathroom, I'll be right back.'

He let her go and watched her as she got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom, looking over her shoulder to reassure him she was fine.

A minute later she was back, still naked, and she turned off the light as she re-entered the room. He rolled onto his back, and she got under the covers to find her place next to him, using his arm as a pillow. His other arm came around her to stroke her back, and she sighed contently. 'You know that I love you, right?' she whispered and she sounded so vulnerable that he had to turn his head and softly touch his lips to her forehead. 'Yeah, of course,' he replied. 'And I love you more than I can tell you.'

'You did mean to ask me, didn't you,' she dared to ask.

He smiled in the darkness. 'You mean the ring? Well.. Yeah.' She smiled as well. 'I'm glad. We really can have it all.'

'I just want you,' came his reply in the darkness, and again, it brought tears to her eyes. She didn't know why, but tenderness hadn't been a big part in her life and the short time she had been with Booth had made her so open that every time he said something as sweet as that, she felt luckier and luckier with every word.

'You have me,' she whispered back, and his arm tightened around her naked form. 'And you have me,' he said, and it was the last thing she heard before she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

As he too followed her in sleep, he had no dreams either. He couldn't. Because no dream could ever equal the happiness he was experiencing while he was awake, and every dream he had ever had concerning her was superfluous now that she was in his arms.

They were each other's gift, right from the beginning, when their lives had intersected and she had looked at him with bright eyes, he had known she was a precious gift. She had taken a little longer to realize it but still, she had known for a good six years that Seeley Booth was a good man. He had given her a lot, and she had tried so hard to give something back until she had realized, not so long ago, that she didn't need to try. She could make him happy without changing, without trying, just like he could complete her life just by being next to her.

They both recognized the value of what they had, they cherished it, and it was enough to live a full life. And that was all either of them had ever wanted.