***REPOSTING THE CHAPTER AGAIN.***

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SUPER THANKS TO MagicSnowMusic (Kayla, my hero), my new beta reader AND co-author of this story, who has unique talent to read my mind and write what I can't. Thank you a lot! You're made of win!!

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Grace

Chapter Three

"Yes, thank God. And now, she has a chance to start over because of you."

She nodded. "Yes." Brennan smiled again, and Booth couldn't help but copy. "I saved her life."

*

"What are you going to do now? Are you going to put her in your bed?" Booth asked.

Brennan looked around, her brain working to find an answer for him. His suggestion appeared to be her only option anyway. "Where else could I put her?" She replied, shrugging her shoulders tiredly.

She turned away and walked to her bedroom, approaching her bed. It's not for long, she thought, and besides, it'd be just for a few days till they've found the baby's relatives. A relative that could raise her, give her love and attention; someone that could teach her the real values of life, and teach her how to talk, give her support at her first day at (a good) school and never, ever yell at her.

Brennan sat on her bed, cradling the little girl. She put the baby right beside her, shifting carefully away off the bed. With both hands on her waist, she made sure everything was proper.

"Do you have more pillows?"

She heard Booth ask. She looked up at him, confusion written across her delicate features. "Why?"

He smiled. "For the baby. You have to put some pillows around her so she won't fall off the bed."

Brennan blinked. "Booth, she's a baby, and according to what we know so far, she's 6 months old. She's sleeping and probably doesn't walk yet. Why would she fall off the bed?"

Booth didn't laugh; although he was amused, it would only upset her. "That's right. You don't really know anything about babies, do you? They're like little Pandora's boxes. Babies usually roll on the bed when they sleep."

He could tell from her expression that she was thinking hard about what he had just told her, and he was already waiting for something extremely analytical from his lovely Bones.

"What does Greek mythology have to do with this child? Besides, I don't believe in those stories-"

"Bones, I have a child. I know how these things work." Booth said, cutting her off before she woke up the sleeping baby.

"What things?"

"Just go get the pillows!" He whispered.

"Don't tell me what to do!" She crossed both arms over her chest defensively.

"Please. It's what's best for this baby." He said, changing his tone.

Brennan studied him for a moment. "Thank you."

Brennan took two steps towards the closet when she heard the baby starting to cry again.

"Oh," Booth was watching the baby without touching her. "Why are you crying? You've been fed, bathed and changed, what's wrong?" He asked her.

"She's not going to answer you. And you're the one with a child. You're supposed to know those things." Brennan replied, a bemused look on her face.

"Don't be sarcastic." Booth said, glancing at her.

"I wasn't! I was merely repeating what you said previously about your skills regarding children." Brennan replied, her smile widening. Booth rolled his eyes.

Both of them were kneeling beside Brennan's bed while supporting their bodies with hands on their knees. They kept watching the baby for a moment until Brennan grew uncomfortable under Booth's gaze.

"What?" She asked, glancing over at him. "What's wrong?"

Booth smirked. "Aren't you going to pick her up? She probably just wants to be held."

Brennan shook her head. "Let's wait a little bit. Maybe she'll stop crying. I'll try holding her in a few minutes, but she'll probably fall asleep again."

"I bet she won't." Booth challenged.

"Hey, just because you have one doesn't mean you know everything about children." Brennan replied, her competitive side coming out.

"I know a lot of things, okay? Now pick her up, she's killing me here!"

Brennan stared at him incredulously, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips slightly parted. "Why me? Why don't you pick her up?"

Booth looked at the baby. She continued to cry, her cheeks red, her arms flailing, and tears pouring down her beautiful little face. "Fine." He said to Brennan.

"Hey, hey, don't cry." He said, now focusing his attention on the baby as he reached for her.

"Never mind, I'll get her," Brennan said, reaching with both arms and lifting the baby before Booth was able to. "Come here," she sighed, cuddling the baby.

"Bones!"

"Shhh!" She frowned. "Don't yell,"

"I'm not – what made you decide to pick her up after all?"

"I don't know," she said, rocking the baby side to side. Within seconds, she had stopped crying and she was already almost asleep again.

Brennan looked up from the baby's peaceful face and looked at Booth. He stared back at her, surprised when she suddenly smiled at him. He grinned back at her, pleased with the rare treat of her beautiful smile. They each sat there, smiling like fools as Brennan subconsciously continued to rock the baby, and each wondered what was going on in the other's mind. Was it the memory of how it all started between them, when their relationship had changed two days earlier?

He smiled at her, and she smiled back. The dinner had been going fine until this particular moment. He placed his hand on her knee under the table, and she didn't protest. Their surroundings oozed romance; with the candles, the food, the wine and the music, everything was perfect around them. She radiated beauty in her elegant red dress and flowery perfume. He sat beside her looking equally elegant and handsome.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss. She responded to his kiss quickly, and for the longest time they just sat and kissed, each enjoying the other's presence.

They broke apart when the waitress returned with their credit cards and cleared her throat. They moved apart but continued to look at each other with such intensity that when they finally looked up, the waitress had left.

The memory had washed over both of them quickly and with great intensity. The look they had shared after their kiss returned as they stared at each other. However, it was broken when the baby stirred and made a little noise in Brennan's arms. The intensity was quickly replaced with awkwardness.

"Well, um, you seem to, um... be handling everything alright, so, I...I, um, you don't need me here anymore, so…" Booth stuttered nervously, a light shade of red tingeing his cheeks.

"What? No, where are you going?" Brennan immediately replied.

"It's late, I, I…" Booth tried again to excuse himself from the situation.

"No, Booth, I need you." Brennan paused. "I, um, I mean, I need your help. I don't know anything about babies, remember? I don't want to do something wrong." She continued.

The awkward silence returned, and again, neither knew what to do.

"Okay, I'll put her back on the bed and then I'll make us something to eat, if you're hungry." Brennan said, desperate to break the silence.

"Bones, are you sure you want me stay? I don't live that far away from here, you can call me." Booth tried one last time.

"No, I'm insecure enough. Although I believe I'd handle myself until you arrived, if something bad happened, I would really feel much better if you stayed with me. Please?" Brennan asked softly.

"Nothing bad will happen, don't worry. Now if you really want me to stay…" They exchanged a look and he could almost hear her heart beating faster. He knew he couldn't say no with the look she was giving him. "I'll stay. But you have to listen to me, okay? There's no point in me staying for help if you won't listen to me when I try and help you." He said calmly.

She analyzed his suggestion for a bit and finally nodded. "I'll accept your suggestions, but only if they're reasonable."

He smiled. "It's a start."

Before Brennan could mentally agree with that, in so many more ways than just that one, she walked over to her bed again and carefully put the baby down.

Once again, the child started to cry.

"Oh, what now?" She exclaimed picking up the little girl again. She stopped crying almost immediately, and Booth grinned. "See that? She just wants to feel safe. She likes to be on your lap."

She looked up at Booth, who had an "I told you so" smile on his face then looked down at the baby. "Anthropologically speaking, as a human being she needs to feel protected. Being held against a larger, warm body provides safety and comfort, so logically she would've quieted on your lap as well. Also, considering the trauma she went through, it's hardly surprising that she'd want to be held. She might be young, but babies understand everything that happens around them, actually in a radius of…"

"Alright, I got it, Bones," he interrupted her. "So, will you try again?"

She looked at the baby, so peaceful in her arms and then back to the bed. "I don't know."

"It's up to you. But I must warn you that your back is going to hurt after some time."

"That's why you're here, right? You'll hold her when I have to do something and I can't be holding her."

Booth nodded. "Whatever you need me to do. But first I think I'll have to order something for us to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"Me too. Thai would be great."

"Sounds good." Booth replied. They both smiled, agreeing for once.

Soon they left her bedroom, desperate to escape the awkward moments they had been having since their dinner two nights ago. They relocated to Brennan's living room, where Booth quickly found a menu to order from.

After he ordered their food, he sat down on the couch and relaxing against the comfortable cushions. "It's going to take ten minutes, Bones. I think you should sit down or you're back is going to bother you soon." Booth suggested.

She was going to protest, but she realized that he was right. Her back was starting to hurt, and she had promised she would accept his reasonable suggestions. She walked over to the couch in silence and sat by his side, carefully watching the baby to see if she had disturbed her. The sleeping baby slept on, oblivious to Brennan's watchful eye.

"Booth?" She whispered.

He glanced at her, silently acknowledging her.

"Do you think she misses her parents?"

Booth studied her. She looked genuinely worried and concerned, but also vulnerable. He could tell she had already made a connection to the child.

"Yeah." Booth replied. "I think she does miss them. But she'll be okay. She has us." Brennan nodded, lost in her thoughts.

"Hey, you know what? We don't know her name." He tried to smile, poking her softly on the shoulder.

"Grace," She replied softly, bringing her finger to caress the baby's cheek. "Her birth name is Grace."

To Be Continued…

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