A/N: I'll keep this brief: my first story, B&B forever, be kind, r&r, and I don't own or make any money from any of this. You could try suing me, but unless you're a huge fan of pocket lint, you wouldn't be too pleased with the settlement....

Chapter 1: The Flaw in the Logic

"No."

"No?"

"No, Bones. I can't… No"

She'd broken it to him as gently as she knew how. How she'd thought about it. How she'd reasoned it out. How genetically he was very desirable. She couldn't understand his objections to such a logical proposal.

Earlier That Day

"Bones, have you heard a word I've been saying?"

Dr Brennan snapped her attention back to her partner. Not that her attention had wandered from him, she just hadn't been listening. Her decision to have a child had become fixed in her head within the last few weeks, and the more she thought about it, the more sure she became. The question was, who to provide the other half of the genetic material. She'd lost Mark and Jason, the only other men she knew well were her father, her brother…. And Booth. She knew Booth had no objections to children as he had Parker. And it's not like she was asking him to feel for her or commit himself to her – just commit to the child. Or not. If he just wanted to donate and then never have anything to do with them again, that would probably be ok.

She spent a few days trying to study him. Strong bone structure, good posture, excellent muscle tone… Yes, he would make an excellent donor. How to broach the subject though? Would he accept her logic? Booth was too much of a 'heart' person to just throw himself into something as logical and natural as this without trying to want more from it. So… Logic had to be the way to go. Actually, appealing to his stomach was probably the way to go. Feed him, give him a few glasses of wine and then drop the bombshell.

"Yes, every word. Er…. You think the girlfriend is the most likely suspect, even though the Angelator says the blow had to come from someone six feet tall."

"Yes, Bones, I think so. Could high heels cause it, or standing on a step or anything?"

"Difficult to tell. It's possible, I suppose, but unlikely." Here goes…. "Booth, could you – would you – like some Chinese tonight? Or Thai food? Moroccan? Name it, my treat."

She could see the question had caught him off guard, and she cursed herself for her poor timing. She should have waited until they'd finished discussing the case.

"Er, yeah, Thai sounds good, why?"

"Just… My third book's had its final edit, I wanted to celebrate"

Great Tempe, so much for 'stick to the logic' – you just lied through your teeth.

"Great, of course. Do I get to read it this time? Or have you dedicated it to me again?"

Dedicated it? I haven't even finished writing the damned thing...

"We'll see. My place, seven?"

"Sure. So, why couldn't the girlfriend have been standing on something?"

Brennan clinked glasses with Booth and took a sip. Booth took a hearty swig of the red wine and smiled. No mention had yet been made of the book, but she knew it had to come up sooner or later, and then her secret would be out. She decided to get on with things.

"Booth, I'm afraid I got you here under false pretences. The book isn't finished."

She caught a glimpse of amusement in his eyes, then wariness.

"So, what, Ms Brennan, y'all just tryin' to get me drunk an' take advantage o'me?"

His attempt at a southern drawl was masking his apprehension.

"No, Booth. Seeley. I wanted to ask you something very important, but I couldn't mention anything about it at the lab. See, I've been thinking and I've decided … have reached the conclusion that …"

God, why was this so damned difficult?

"What is it Bones?"

She took a deep breath to compose herself.

"I want to have a family. Want to have a child. Children. I haven't decided, but you have to start with one, right?"

She was rushing her words, nervous. And she hadn't phrased that very well, would he understand what she was asking him?

"What happened to 'I don't want kids'?"

Oh god, he didn't understand.

"I re-evaluated. Please don't try and talk me out of this Booth, I've given it a lot of thought."

"God, no, Bones, I wouldn't dream of it, I think it's fantastic news! So who's the lucky guy, or were you just appraising me of the change of mind?"

Another deep breath. Here goes…

"Actually Booth, there isn't anyone. I … was going to need … to ask …have to ask for a donor."

Booth chuckled. He was still kicked back on the couch, all body language relaxed and jovial. For such a good detective mind, he really was infuriatingly slow sometimes.

"Jeez, Bones, I hardly think someone who makes that kind of deposit is going to provide the right genetic material you're looking for. You've probably got in mind a quadruple-doctorate-ed brainiac with an IQ of 376 and a vocabulary to put yours to shame. Not your typical sperm-bank regular…."

"I know. Actually I wasn't thinking of an anonymous donor. I had more in mind someone with excellent muscle tone, maybe excellent bones. Someone who," she swallowed nervously "gets their three glasses of milk a day…"

She studied his face closely, waiting for the penny to drop. He was watching her too, holding her eye contact, waiting for her to tell him who this mystery guy was. Then she saw it: a slight flicker in the eyes and the smile fading from his face. And suddenly she knew what his answer was going to be, she knew he was going to turn her down.

"Bones, you can't …. Me?"

"I know it's a huge favour to ask and I don't expect an answer straight away. You wouldn't have to pay maintenance or anything either, I wouldn't need you to be any more involved than the initial – uh – contribution."

She watched him lean back into the couch and take another gulp of his wine. She took the opportunity to have a sip of her own, but didn't relax her pose. On the edge of her seat, literally and figuratively. They sat there like that in silence for what seemed like forever. He wouldn't look at her. His cock-sure hold-your-gaze confidence was gone. Another mouthful of wine. And another. Then he leaned forward and placed his glass on the coffee table, clasped his hands between his knees, and brought his eyes up to meet hers. It made her heart race and broke it all at once.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why …. Why everything! Why change your mind, why now, why me, why … ?"

She ignored the last why, the last question he didn't or couldn't ask.

"I changed my mind because… I don't know actually. I don't know where the idea first came from, but the more I thought about it, the more logical it seemed to be and the more it made sense. Now, because logically speaking I can't wait forever and I'm financially very comfortable. You, because …. Well, several reasons, actually. Firstly, you're one of my few male friends that it wouldn't be inappropriate to ask. Secondly, you're genetically a very desirable match." She paused while he snorted derisively "And third … Well, I see how happy Parker makes you and thought you would understand why I would want that too."

He hadn't stopped looking at her throughout her reasoning. She wasn't even sure that he'd blinked. It was her turn to escape his eyes and hide herself in her wine glass. As she felt the wine trickle down her throat, she was acutely aware of his gaze burning into her, trying to make sense of her. He looked down at his hands and sighed.

"No."

It was barely audible, as if it wasn't even aimed at her.

"No?"

"No, Bones. I can't… No"

She sighed and nodded, trying to fight back a tear that was threatening to make itself known.

"May I ask why not?"

He looked up at her, sadness in his usually warm brown eyes.

"Several reasons actually."

She laughed, in spite of herself, at him turning her words against her. He didn't smile.

"First, and as I'm sure I've told you many times, I'm Catholic. Donation, IVF, all those treatments are frowned upon." He held his hand up to silence a protest she was about to make. "Secondly, yes, Parker makes me amazingly happy. But you've also seen what I've gone through not being with his mother, and I don't want to go through that again. Third…"

He sighed, deeply, and there was something in him that she couldn't read.

"Third, I just don't think I could. Having a child with you should be…" he stopped himself, unsure if he should continue that thought.

"Should be?"

"Should be done out of love and passion and a strong relationship, not out of logic and finances and a plastic cup."

He reached out for his wine glass again and drained it. He stalked out of the room in search of the bottle, leaving her alone with her glass and her thoughts. She contemplated his reasons. The Catholic angle was one she had forgotten. She should have done some research into their ethics on the matter. Still, the church also frowned on sex out of wedlock and the use of protection, and she knew him to have done the former. The latter she wasn't sure of, but she knew he had had plenty of partners, and there would be a lot more Parkers running around DC if he hadn't used something. His second reason had no place either, she wasn't asking him to get involved and go through the heartbreak he'd had with Rebecca, it wouldn't arise. As they were just platonic, she would have no cause for denying him access to the child, no need to use him or her as an emotional weapon.

His third reason puzzled her. 'Having a child with you' he had said. He had said it with feeling. With emotions. She realised she had missed another angle to all of this. Booth was a deeply emotional man and wouldn't be able to compartmentalise. He was never going to be able to see the logic of her decision without bringing his heart into the matter. She frowned and sat back, draining her glass. Realising he'd not returned with the bottle, she rose from her chair and strolled through to the kitchen.

He had his back to her. He was leaning on his elbows on the counter, swirling red wine in the deep glass and taking the occasional sip. He stopped when he heard her come in and straightened himself by leaning on his hands. She reached up to stroke his shoulder, a simple gesture they both did to each other all the time. He flinched. She pulled her hand away and reached for the bottle. She poured herself a glass and waited for him to speak.

"The Catholic argument didn't hold any water with you, did it?"

"Sorry, no. If you're going to follow an organised religion you have to follow all its rules, not ignore the ones you don't like. But I'm sorry for not thinking of it before approaching you."

"No apology necessary Bones. Temperance."

She shifted at the use of her first name. He rarely used it, and only ever when he was trying to show tenderness towards her. She wrapped her arm in his and pulled him away from the counter.

"I'm sorry I asked you Booth. Actually, I'm not. I'm sorry I asked you the way I did, and I'm sorry I didn't think it through as well as I thought. I'm sorry you don't want to help, but I understand your objections."

They started back to the couch. He squeezed her arm, then after a pause:

"Actually, I never said I didn't want to."