Brennan yawned and stretched as the alarm began to blare signaling the start of another work week. She smiled as Booth groaned and pulled his pillow over his head.

"Come on, Booth," Brennan snuggled up against him and kissed her bare shoulder. "We've been away for the Peru dig and the book tour before that." Booth groaned again. "Plus, we were on that case in Germany last month, so I'm sure that we are both behind in our normal duties."

Booth threw the pillow off. "Alright, alright I'm up." He looked down at Brennan who was propped up on his chest and smiled. "You know we could taken another day off; we just got back last night," he kissed her hard on the lips. "I was hoping to spend a whole day in bed with you."

"That is not going to be possible. I not only have to return to work today, but I also have an appointment with my doctor." Booth prepared to argue, but Brennan gave him a stern look that said 'Logic will win this argument.'

"Fine, you win, Bones, but can I still meet you for lunch?"

Brennan smiled. "I wouldn't dream of missing it," she kissed and swatted him out of bed. "Go shower." Booth kissed her once more and then headed to their master bathroom. Brennan sighed contentedly as she watched his retreating form.

Even after all these months, she couldn't believe how her life had evolved in the last few years. After dancing around and denying their attraction for years, Brennan and Booth had given into their feelings and initiated a romantic relationship. The relationship that had taken them so long to admit developed with a great ease and actually a great deal of overt affection. Brennan had surprised herself by giving into her relationship with Booth fully and without reservation. She found herself opening up and experiencing love and trust in a way that she had never imagined possible and she reveled in it and Booth. In fact it had been Brennan that after a year of spending most nights at each other's apartments, suggested that Booth move in with her. He had without hesitation and they had spent the last year building themselves a home.

"Bones," Booth's head popped back out of the bathroom, "are you going to join me?"

Bones scurried out of bed, stripping as she went.

Brennan hummed tunelessly, walking into the gynecologist's office. After so many months of constant traveling it was nice to get back to some semblance of normality. She was glad to be home with Booth, back in her own office, her own lab with her own people – anymore she loved her normal life too much to be away from it long, but cases and digs still tore them away from D.C. from time to time. The only difference is now they went together.

She walked up to the receptionist who smiled immediately. "Dr. Brennan, we thought we'd never see you again. You've been away for a while; it's nice to see you."

"Yes, my schedule has been slightly off lately due to travel, but I am here every three months as is prescribed for the progesterone shot. I have yet to have missed an appointment."

The woman frowned. "You had never missed an appointment until last month, Dr. Brennan." She swallowed nervously. "You were due to come back in last month because you had moved up your last shot by a month because you were traveling. We attempted to reschedule that day, but you were called away by a case. We attempted to call you to schedule later that week, but were unable to reach you at home. We assumed you had simply used another doctor while you were traveling."

Suddenly it all came rushing back to Brennan. Due to her their traveling schedule, she had moved up her progesterone shot and only started to look at possible appointments when Angela had called with the I.D. on victim in their latest case. "Oh god! I've been off birth control for a month now."

"Unless you've been using other methods of protection, then yes you have. We will have to give you pregnancy test before we can administer the shot and then we can discuss your options once we've gotten the results."

Brennan took a deep breath, trying not to dissolve into apprehension. "Yes, I understand. But, I will not make any decisions until I've had time to discuss matters with my partner."

"Of course, dear; now why don't you come with me?"

Booth stormed into the Jeffersonian with a single thought on his mind. "Has anyone seen Bones?" He asked as he swiped his card and stepped up on to the platform.

Everyone looked up, but Angela spoke first. "Sorry, Sweetie, but she hasn't even been here this morning."

"I knew she had a doctor appointment first thing this morning," Cam shook her head "but I had expected her to arrive at the lab a couple hours ago."

"Why didn't anyone call me to let me know she was missing?"

"We figured either her appointment took longer than expected or you had a case and intercepted her before she got her." Angela was starting to get worried now. "I only really realized something might be wrong when you came storming in here."

"She was supposed to meet me for lunch, but never showed." Booth slammed his fists against the nearest table. She's not answering her phone and no one knows where she is. Dammit!"

Angela jumped as her phone started to ring. "It's Brennan!" She paused to read the message the flashed on to her screen. "She says that she's fine and to let Booth know that she just needs some time to think and will call you later in the day."

Hodgins cleared his throat interrupting the heavy silence that had descended after Angela read the message. "So, is everything okay between you two?"

Booth glared at the squints as they all looked at him with serious, questioning faces. "Yes, everything is fine or at least it seemed like things were fine. Nothing crazy happened while we were away – everything has been smooth sailing for quite some time."

"Well, unfortunately for you, Sweetie" Angela sighed, "that could be enough for Brennan to need some time to think. She'll call you later. I'm sure things will be fine once she's had some time to sort through whatever is going on in that wacky head of hers."

"Get back to work, Seeley. We'll let you know if we hear anything." Cam shooed him away in official matter and turned back to the team. "Now back to work everyone."

Booth sighed once more and nodded. He attempted to smile at the squints, failing miserably. They all returned the failed smiled before turning back to their work and Booth headed back to the Hoover building to pretend to work while he worried.

Booth sat at his desk, drumming on it, staring at blank computer screen in front of him. He glanced at the clock – 6:15. He was trying to remain at the office in case Bones needed to take her time to think at home, but it was getting harder to hold still. He thought about going to the gun range, but was afraid to miss her call, so he continued to sit and drum and stare.

Brennan took another sip of her juice as she stared out on to the water, grateful for the unseasonably warm weather. The Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool had always been a place where she could gather her thoughts and today was no different. She sighed and glanced at her watch – 6:20. She knew she couldn't put this off any longer and Booth had to be worried sick. She didn't like doing this to him, but she had needed time to think and even talking to him earlier would have been too much to handle. He had waited long enough and she wasn't going to come up with any different conclusions by sitting here and continuing to think. She pulled her silent phone out of her pocket and hit speed dial.

She heard Booth fumble with the phone, knowing that he'd probably been waiting by it all day. She hated that she'd made him wait and worry.

"Bones," he breathed into the phone when he got it under control.

"Hi. I'm sorry I've made you worry, but I found out something this morning and I needed some solitude to sort it out."

Silence. "Are we okay, Bones?"

She almost began to cry at the uncertainty in his voice. "Of course, Booth; I just needed some time."

Booth release the breath he'd been holding all day. "Are you ready to talk now?"

"Yes. Why don't you meet me at the Lincoln Memorial, AFAP."

"ASAP, Bones, as soon as possible."

"I know. I just wanted to tease you." Brennan paused. "I love you, Booth."

"I love you too, Bones, and I'll be there AFAP."

Brennan watched as Booth jogged lightly to their spot on the stairs. She took a deep breath and tried to get her rapid pulse rate under control. What she had to tell Booth has the potential to change both of their lives irrevocably. She had picked this location to think because it held so many wonderful memories for them and she hoped it would hold another one for them after tonight, but it could also be their undoing.

"Hey, Bones. Have you been here all day?" Brennan nodded. "I should have guessed. So, will you please tell me what's going on?"

"Yes, but will you sit with me first?"

"Of course." Booth sat and reached out his hand, which she grabbed immediately.

"Now, Booth, I will need you to be silent while I'll tell you this because I'm unbelievably anxious and you interrupting me will only make it worse." Booth nodded. "Alright, so as you know our schedules have been overly hectic lately with the European investigation, my latest book tour and the Peruvian dig and due to that fact, I had altered my progesterone cycle in order to help facilitate easy travel. And due to those facts combined, I have inadvertently relinquished my progesterone cycle. I could never imagine that such a simple oversight could cause such a massive consequence, but it has and I don't know what your feelings are in relation to this consequence…and I cannot proceed with any of the doctors suggested treatments until I know how you feel -"

Booth finally cut her off. "Bones, I know you're nervous, but you're losing me in the squintese," then remembering a trick. "Tell me whatever you're trying to say how I would say it."

Brennan took a shaky breath and then said all at once, "Booth, I missed my birth control shot and I'm pregnant."

Booth sat silent for a moment. Then without looking at Bones, "And how do you feel about that?"

Brennan sighed as a tear streaked down her cheek. "Unbelievably happy. I have made a life altering mistake and I'm sorry, but I'm so elated that I can only hope that you share my feelings of elation."

Booth finally looked up with the hint of a smile. "So, you want to have this baby?"

"More than possibly anything, as long as I'm having it with you."

Another long silence followed as Booth tried to process that this was really happening. More tears streaked down Brennan face as she listened to his silence, fearing what his next words would be. Then all at once Booth's face broke into a bright smile and he pressed his lips against Brennan's with a soft passion that took her breath away momentarily before she returned the kiss with joy and relief. Booth continued to kiss her, his hand sneaking up into her soft curls and leaning her back against the stairs. Brennan began to cry harder as relief washed over her and she wrapped around Booth's broad shoulders.

A moment later, Booth broke off the kiss and looked at Brennan, dizzy with happiness. "We're having a baby, Bones!"

"Yes, Booth, we're having a baby," Brennan affirmed, smiling for the first time that day.

With that Booth stood up, pulling Brennan to her feet with him. Raising his and her arms in a move reminiscent of the hero of boxing movie that he'd forced her to watch, Booth yelled out over the nearly empty steps of Lincoln Memorial, "We're having a baby!"

Brennan laughed at his broad, alpha male display as she wiped the remaining tears away and turned to face Booth. "So I can assume you share my elation over this news?"

Booth pulled against his chest and off her feet, pressing his lips to hers. "You have made me the happiest man alive – and I know that's not quantifiable" he said cutting her off, "But, I love you so much, Bones, and I'm honored and overjoyed to be having a baby with you."

"I love you too, Booth and I'm equally thrilled to be reproducing with you." She then looked very serious. "Now that we have decided to reproduce together, I'm in desperate need of sustenance. My worry and thinking deterred me from eating today."

Booth shook his head at how Bones fell so quickly into old habits. "Okay, Bones, let's get you and our baby fed before you both starve."

Brennan stopped. "Our baby," she breathed, "we're having a baby. We're starting a family."

"Yes, yes we are," Booth laughed pulling her down the stairs.

Hours later as the pair languished in bed after a night of celebrating, Booth staring contentedly at her bare and still flat stomach. "I can't believe there's a little tiny baby in the, Bones, that's half you and half me."

"Yes, that is very true." Brennan played with his now gel free hair, trying to plan her next words carefully. "Booth, you know how we talk about things that are 'ours'?" she began. Booth nodded. "Is this one of those things?"

He looked up from her stomach, "Well eventually we're not going to be able to keep it to ourselves unless we whisk you off to some foreign country. But, if you want to keep it a secret for a while that's fine with me."

"I don't want to hide our joyous news, but the doctor did warn me that one in four women miscarry during their first pregnancy," Brennan became very quiet. "I don't know if I could handle that if everyone had already begun to celebrate with us."

Booth pulled himself up to be eye to eye with Brennan. "Then it will be totally ours until you give the all-clear. Booth kissed Brennan softly on the cheek. "I love you and this baby, so I want to tell the whole world because I'm so happy, but I'd rather wait until its right."

"Thank you, Booth. I want to tell everyone too. Know that, but I also understand the emotional risks involved."

"Then 'mum' is the word." Booth sat up and pulled Brennan against his chest. She laid her head on his chest as he placed his hand on her stomach. "And until then we can enjoy our little secret without answering to the prying eyes of the lab."