I think I should call the babysitter one more time," Booth said, shifting in his seat. His cell phone was set on vibrate, a comforting weight in the pocket of his jeans. It was the only link between him and Eric at the moment, and his hand twitched, itching to grab hold of it.

"You just called fifteen minutes ago," Brennan said. It was true; Booth had called on their way from dinner to the theatre. Now they were sitting in the lit theatre waiting for the lights to dim, and Booth couldn't stop fidgeting.

"Yeah, but I feel like I should call again. Eric was asleep; I didn't really get to talk to him."

"You talked to him the first time you called."

"Are you sure this babysitter is going to take good care of him?" Booth asked. "I mean, she's only sixteen."

"Yes, but she seems very proficient in handling children," Brennan said, "She has several younger siblings of her own; she even knows that game you like to play with Eric. The one where you cover your face with your hands and then remove them rapidly to create the illusion of disappearing?"

"Peekaboo?" Booth asked, "Yeah, I'm not surprised that she knows that one."

"Eric seemed delighted to have found a new playmate," Brennan said under her breath.

There was an uncomfortable silence, the way there always was after one of Brennan's sullen remarks, "I'm sorry, you're right. I've just been dealing with a tough case lately, and I guess it's messing with my head."

"Do tell," Brennan said, perking up instantly. Seeley smiled at her enthusiasm. She had been taking time off of work to write and care for the baby, and Booth knew that she was missing her job.

"Calls himself the Doll face killer. He finds these young, attractive people, breaks into their homes. Tortures them, breaks their bones, slices them up, and then while they're bleeding to death, he gouges their eyes out and replaces them with plastic eyes. Doll's eyes. He leaves dolls with their eyes gouged out on the doorstep, for the families to find, and then when they walk in, they see their loved one's mutilated bodies on the floor… I've been looking at these bodies all week, Bones, and I've got to tell you, this guy's creeping me out. I just, I see these people, and I can't help but picture Eric in a few years. All the victims remind me of him, what I'd do if something happened to him…"

"Oh," Brennan rubbed her hand along his shoulders, "Seeley, nothing is going to happen to Eric, you would never allow it. And neither would I. Our baby is fine." She smiled reassuringly.

"Still, I feel like I should call one more time. Just to make sure that she's feeding him right, she knows that she needs to cut the pizza into little pieces for him, right?"

"I told her everything she would need to know," Brennan defended herself. "Listen, Seeley, I have been staying home with Eric every day - "

"- I told you I would be happy to stay home with him – "

" - And I find it very fulfilling, but I have also been looking forward to some time alone with my husband. Statistics show that couples who spend time together away from their children are able to better face their responsibilities as parents, and enjoy a stronger bond with each other and with their baby. Eric is an only child; it's healthy for him to enjoy time with someone outside of his immediate family. I'm thinking of his well-being too, you know."

"You don't have to defend yourself, Bren…"

"I worry about him," Brennan said. "It's only natural; he's my son."

"It's kind of surprising, though, isn't it?" Booth said. "How strong it is? The way that smile lights up your whole world. How much you love him, how you'd do anything for him."

"I enjoy my role as a maternal caregiver very much," Brennan said primly. "And, yes, I love my baby even more than I had initially anticipated. But we've spent months searching for a film that caters to each of our unique tastes, and I'd like to watch it with you. So, no phone. Please."

And with those pretty blue eyes staring into his, how could he say no?

Two and a half hours later;

"That was great!" Seeley laughed, "I gotta tell you, Bones, this date night idea of yours was solid. I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

"See, it was good for both of us," Brennan beamed. "And now that we're refreshed we can bathe Eric and put him to bed, and then we'll have time for amorous activities…"

"Oh, yeah?" Booth's eyebrows rose as he leaned forward to kiss his wife on the cheek. A perfect end to the perfect night, he thought…

… Until Brennan turned the corner and bright red and blue lights caught his attention.

"Seeley…" Brennan's voice was shaking. There were two police cars parked in their driveway, an officer standing out front, talking to a pimply young pizza delivery boy. The boy was pale and shaky, a pool of vomit on the driveway in front of him.

"Hey, what's going on?" Seeley called, slamming the car door shut and stalking up to the officer. The pizza boy stared at him with haunted eyes. "This is my house, what's going on here?" Brennan came up next to him, clinging to his arm with both hands.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid your house is currently the scene of a crime…"

"What are you talking about? What crime?" Booth was starting to shout, but his wife cut him off. Brennan gasped, her grip tightening around his forearm. Booth followed her gaze, and his blood froze in his veins.

There were two baby dolls sitting on their front porch, foreheads leaning against each other.

Their eyes were missing.