He hadn't called, at least not yet. Booth had only been home for a few days now and he was probably trying to get himself reacclimated to his home and the life he couldn't remember. Still, Brennan was frustrated. She was happy that he had been released even though a week after his surgery seemed too soon for her. She knew how deeply he disliked hospitals and she was glad that he could start to heal in the comfort of his own home. What frustrated her now, was that she was completely in the dark, so to speak. At least while he was in the hospital she had been able to call two, sometimes even three times a day to discuss his condition with the nurses. Now she had no way of knowing how he was doing without pushing herself back on him. It took all her strength to stay away, but she believed that the next move needed to be his.

Brennan sighed defeatedly and looked around the room at the bright and almost sickeningly cute photographs of hundreds of babies, and the couples that stoically clung to each others hands, waiting for their names to be called. She fought back an unfamiliar pang of something she only vaguely recognized as envy and brought her eyes down to her lap, where her hands were tearing a tissue nervously. This was all happening so fast. She knew in her heart that she wanted this, to have a child, his child, but she couldn't put her finger on the wrongness she was feeling. She had never thought of herself as a romantic, she was strictly a rational individual, she had never thought that having a man in her life, a traditional family, was something that mattered to her. Now she wasn't so sure. She closed her eyes and imagined him sitting beside her, holding her hand. He would be smiling, and she smiled at the thought. Would he be nervous? She didn't think so, after all he already had a son and he absolutely adored Parker. Besides, he was the strong one. He would be doing everything in his power to keep her emotions in check, he always did. It was a nice thought, being in this situation together, rather than the alone she seemed to be on a daily basis.

Of course, her thoughts shifted again, if they were in this together they wouldn't be sitting in these chairs. She felt a shiver shoot through her body as she imagined his warm hands caressing her body, her fingers tangling in his dark hair. As suddenly as the images flooded her mind, they were gone, forced away by her always rational mind at the sound of her name being called. She was back in the masked sterility of the clinic's waiting room, the eyes of the other couples burning holes in her back as she walked towards the procedure room.

"How are you today Temperance?" her doctor asked, smiling. "Are you ready for this?"

Dr. Madeline Collins was a small woman, in both size and demeanor. Her salt and pepper hair and almost sweet round face made her seem almost matronly. Being in the presence of this woman, a brilliant doctor in her own field, instantly calmed almost all she came into contact with. She had a quiet confidence about her, and Brennan had felt instantly at ease upon meeting the doctor. She forced a smile and sat down on the examination table.

"I'm ready," she heard an unfamiliar tremble in her voice and frowned slightly at her lack of control over her own emotions. "How long do you expect the procedure will take?"

Dr. Collins smiled again and placed her small hand over Brennan's. "The procedure itself will only take a moment, but I'd like you to stick around for at least half an hour afterwards. It's more effective to say horizontal for a while afterwards, gravity and all that…" she winked suggestively and patted her hand on Brennan's knee as she guided her patient back on the table.

Brennan sighed again as Dr. Collins' words flooded over her. She closed her eyes and found herself drifting away, no longer hearing what the doctor was saying to her. Her thoughts once again drifted to Booth. The feeling of his arms around her as he offered her the comfort of one of his "guy hugs," or the sight of his chest rising and falling as he slept beside her in that horrible trailer they had used during their last undercover case. She had loved laying beside him, watching the sun cast its orange rays over his face as he slept. He had looked so peaceful then, she couldn't help but watch him, as if he was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen.

She snapped upright, her peaceful vision shattering, as a hand nudged her shoulder. "Temperance?"

"I'm sorry Dr. Collins," Brennan smiled shyly. "What were you saying?"

Dr. Collins smiled brightly at the taller woman. "You dozed off for a while Temperance. We're all done here."

"You're finished?" Brennan frowned, puzzled. "How long was I asleep for?"

"Almost an hour," Dr. Collins grinned. "I guess my conversation skills aren't as stimulating as I had thought."

"I'm sorry Dr. Collins," Brennan shook her head, attempting to clear her foggy mind. "I didn't sleep well last night. I don't usually fall asleep like that."

"No worries dear," the doctor squeezed her hand reassuringly. "You head on home now and get a good night's sleep. We're going to keep our fingers crossed and hopefully in the next week or so we'll have a little one growing in there."

Brennan smiled at the thought. "Thank you Dr. Collins." She stood as the doctor led her from the room and back to the waiting room. The waiting couples were gone and she found herself sighing with relief. She didn't want to have to see them again, to witness the relationships she lacked and the looks of pity on their faces directed at her.

"You try not to think too hard about this Temperance," Dr. Collins said gently, holding Brennan's hand in her own as she spoke. "We can do this as many times as we need to. It doesn't always happen on the first try."

Brennan nodded her understanding. She opened her mouth to speak, but her ever rational mind couldn't seem to choose the words she was looking for. Instead she closed her mouth and forced a smile. No more words were spoken as Brennan let herself out of the clinic. Nodding silently as her doctor waved goodbye, Brennan made her way into the chilly night, wrapping her arms protectively around herself as she walked.

She had never imagined this moment would feel so momentous, so huge. She had never thought she possessed any maternal characteristics, never imagined she would have any desire to become a mother. Now as she slid into her car she placed a trembling hand on her abdomen. A life was being created. She didn't know how she knew, it didn't even matter anyway. She just knew that deep inside her belly, the most basic parts of Booth and herself were combining. She felt closer to him then than she had ever felt to anyone in her life before. The tears began to fall once more as she wished him beside her, holding her in his arms as they realized the potential of this night together.