A/N: wow, I am completely overwhelmed with the response to the last chapter. Thanks so much. I forgot to thank GreyIsTheCatsPajamas last time for giving her seal of approval to every chapter. If you haven't read her stories, I highly recommend all of them. Enjoy and leave a review! :)

Chapter 2

Month 2: The Limbo in the Lab

"Angela, do you have the facial reconstruction for the latest set of skeletal remains we have been working on?" Brennan asked as she waltzed into her friend's office without knocking. Of course these days, it wasn't like Angela wanted to get up to answer a knock anyway. Now eight moths pregnant, Brennan was fascinated to see first hand the structural changes in her skeletal frame that accompanied this stage of her pregnancy. She intellectually knew what happened to the pelvis and lower back during pregnancy and had seen other pregnant women before but to see each stage of the development. And although Angela kept repeating to not only Brennan but also her husband that her pregnancy was not a science experiment, Brennan still studied her at every chance she got.

But seeing Angela's pregnancy develop and what it did for her and Hodgins also put some dangerous thoughts into her head, thoughts about a baby that had been talked about but never happened. A baby with a man that she voluntarily hadn't seen or spoken to in seven weeks that would have blue eyes, dark brown hair, a scientific mind, and an open heart. Something that would represent the best of both of them, when they were at their finest.

"Yes, sweetie, I have it right here," Angela said with an exasperated tone. Ever since Brennan had informed them that Booth would not be working with them for the next five months and that Dr. Edison would be handling all the FBI cases, things had been a little slow around the lab. The number of cases they had cleared from limbo though had been extraordinary. It seemed that's what the lab was in right now though: limbo. Happily clearing decade old cases but not really working to their full potential on more recent victims. Handing over her latest drawing, she waited for Brennan's response.

"Ange, why did you put a three cornered hat and a body with a Revolutionary War period British uniform on the reconstruction? This is historically inaccurate and could unfairly bias anyone looking at the reconstruction against what the empirical science tell us," Brennan told her, ignoring the frequent eye rolls coming from her friend.

"But it makes him look more handsome, more distinguished," Angela argued, knowing there was no way she was going to win this argument but wanting to rile up her friend up a little bit. Since Booth wasn't around, she sort of felt it was her duty. But at her friend's panicked look, Ange decided to let her win this one. "Besides, Jack already told me that the amount of strontium he found in the teeth could only come from one distinct region of England and since you already determined that he died during the Revolutionary War, I decided to spruce him up a little bit."

Brennan thought for a moment about this. She knew that the members of the squint squad as they had been named, were bored with the new direction their work was taking. Sighing, she decided to allow this small act of rebellion.

"I find that acceptable, for this time," Brennan told her. "But in the future, please make sure that you clear any superfluous detail in the reconstruction with me." Pleased with the smile on Angela's face, she turned to leave the office before being stopped once more.

"Hey, Bren, what are you up to tonight?" Ange innocently asked. "Because if you are not doing anything, I have a friend who I think would be perfect for you. He is exactly your type; smart, intelligent, very good-looking if I do say so myself. I really think you guys would get along great."

Brennan froze for a moment, unsure about Angela's offer. Deciding honestly was always the best policy; she went with her usually blunt response. "I am not interested in having sex with anyone right now, Angela, but thank you for the offer. As you did a couple of years ago, I have decided to be celibate for the next several months. Besides that and that I have a book signing tonight, you know I am in love with Booth. I would find it counter-productive for any future I might have with him to engage in sex with someone whom I do not have the same depth of feelings for."

Brennan was shocked when Angela rushed into her arms, surprised that she could move that fast in her current state. Surprised, Brennan returned the hug, extremely confused and wondering if there was a social cue that she missed that would have clued her into why her best friend was suddenly hugging her.

"Angela, are you okay?" she asked after several moments of what she considered awkward silence.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so proud of you," Angela said, finally pulling back and trying to subtly wipe her eyes. "I swear, if Booth doesn't sweep you off your feet when you guys start talking again, I will personally kick his ass."

Convinced that it was the increased amount of hormones running through her system that was making her friend so crazy, for lack of a better term, Brennan quickly thanked Angela for the reconstruction and headed back to the safety of her office. The rest of the day passed fairly quickly and soon enough, she was gathering her things so she could run across town for her book signing. Her publisher was thrilled that she had the time to get out and address her adoring public as she put it. Brennan personally didn't see the big deal; her books already sold more copies than she ever dreamt and she didn't need the money. But she understood that it was part of the business and reluctantly agreed to the event.

The bookstore was crowded when she arrived and her publisher immediately escorted her to a table set up in the middle of the store with plenty of copies of her latest book scattered around the table.

"Okay, everyone, please form a line!" her publisher told the crowd. Brennan smirked for a moment as the tiny five-foot nothing woman managed to gather the interest of the entire store. Quickly, the patrons formed the requested line and Brennan was steeling herself for the next couple of hours of signing and smiling.

The first hour went smoothly and she even posed to take a few pictures with the readers of her books.

"Is Agent Lister here tonight, Dr. Brennan?" an older woman asked about an hour into the event.

"Of course not. Andrew Lister is a fictional character that I created for the purposes of these books, just like Dr. Kathy Reichs. It would be impossible for either of them to be here in person," Brennan responded as she finished signing the woman's book, confused as to why she would ask such a question.

"No, I mean that handsome FBI Agent that you solve your real life cases with. You know, the one that you dedicated your second book to," the woman clarified laughing, apparently thinking that Brennan was joking previously.

Brennan smiled sadly for a moment. Over the last seven weeks, things in her daily life constantly reminded her of her partner. In the beginning, it was really hard to not talk to him. She would find herself texting him things that she would normally tell him and just stop herself from sending it to him, erasing the message before she changed her mind and broke their pact. And even though there wasn't a day that went by that she didn't think about him, it was getting better and she was becoming more confident about her role in the lab again, for the first time since even Cam became her boss. Realizing that she hadn't answered the woman yet, she came up with the first thing she could before her publisher stepped in with an elaborate story that explained his absence.

"He's doing paperwork tonight on our latest case. Being in the FBI isn't all about chasing the suspects," she said, happy that the answer seemed to placate the woman.

The rest of the evening passed without further incident and as she drove home that night, she played the CD her dad made her, letting the soothing sounds of 'Keep on Trying' reinforce that what they decided was right, that he was somewhere improving himself like she was improving herself.