Needless to say Halloween did not betray Temperance by revealing her secret. She was sure that her growing stomach was going to do it soon enough though. She was no longer nauseous, but she was still extremely moody.

Veteran's day (November 11th):

"Hey Angela have you seen Temperance this morning?" Booth asks.

"No. I haven't actually. She's normally here by now isn't she?"

"Yeah."

"I'm here. Sorry I overslept and then I got stuck in traffic," Temperance apologizes.

"You overslept? You never oversleep."

"I forgot to set my alarm."

"Oh. Well let's get this show on the road. Do you want any coffee, or tea before we start?"

"No I'm fine Seeley."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she smiles.

As lunch approaches Temperance has a craving that only Angela will understand without questioning.

"Hey Angela can you do me a favor?"

"Sure what?"

"Can we talk in private for a second?"

"Sure," she agrees.

They go into the bathroom. Temperance checks all the stalls in paranoia.

"What do you need?"

"I need meat."

"Excuse me?"

"I want meat."

"But you don't eat?"

"Well someone begs to differ?"

"What kind of meat do you want? Turkey? Chicken?"

"No I want beef," she tells her almost as if she's possessed.

"Beef?"

"Yes."

"Like a hamburger?"

"No like a big juicy steak."

"Oh."

"Please. It's not for me it's for the baby."

"Fine," Angela sighs.

"Where are you going?"

"To get a steak."

Angela returns half an hour later with the steak. Temperance digs in without paying any attention to anyone around her.

"Whoa you better slow down before you choke," Seeley suggests.

She doesn't respond. She simply continues to eat.

"Wait are you eating meat? Steak for that matter?" he raises an eyebrow.

She nods.

"Last time I checked you didn't eat meat."

She shrugs as she continues to eat.

He grabs her arm.

"Bones breath, or you are going to choke to death on that."

She takes a deep breath, "Sorry. I was just really hungry."

"For a steak?"

"Yeah?"

"Just out of the blue you suddenly want a steak?"

"I think that my iron is low."

"So you give up being a vegetarian for low iron? Couldn't you just take some iron supplements?"

"I do."

"Oh. Are you possessed?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" he asks to clarifies.

"Yeah why?"

"First apple pie and now steak?"

"Things change."

She makes a doctors appointment for the following day to get everything checked out because she's concerned about feeling woozy.

The doctor tests her iron with a finger prick.

"You're iron is very low. I'd like take a look at the baby," he tells her.

"Ok," she agrees.

"Hum."

"Hum what? Is something wrong?"

"You're baby is a little behind."

"How so?"

"She's smaller than what we expect at 28 weeks. She's measuring about three weeks behind."

"Is that normal?"

"It is normal. Next time she would measure two weeks ahead, but given the circumstances I am a little bit concerned. You aren't gaining much weight, and your iron is way too low. You blood pressure is above normal too. It's not at an alarming rate, but you need to try to avoid stressful situations."

"That might be difficult considering that I'm an anthropologist who solves murders for a living."

"Maybe you should take some time off of work."

"How much time?"

"As much time as you feel would be right to remedy this."

"Ok."

"I'd like to see you again in two or three weeks."

"Ok."

The following day Booth waits anxiously for Temperance to arrive.

"Hey Cam have you seen Temperance?"

"Dr. Brennan has decided to take a temporary leave of absence."

"Why?"

"She didn't divulge that information to me. She only said that it was for personal reasons."

"How long will she be out?"

"I don't know. She wasn't sure how long she was going to be out."

Meanwhile Temperance was at home laying in bed. She lays there quietly with a book in one hand and the other over her stomach.

"Who are you?" Temperance wonders aloud as she puts down her book after the baby kicks her.

"I mean I know that you're a little girl who happens to be inside of me, but I guess I'm really asking what you think you'd like to be called," she rambles. "Would you like a practical name, or a wild name, I don't really know," she continues. "I guess I'll just have to wait until we meet," she decides.

A few minutes later her cell phone vibrate off the table and falls onto the floor before she notices. She quickly reaches to grab her phone. She flips it opens and answers, "Hello?"

"Where are you at?"

"I'm at home."

"What's this I hear about you taking a temporary leave of absence?"

"I'm taking a leave of absence."

"Why?"

"For personal reasons."

"What kind of personal reasons?"

"Booth let it go."

"Why don't you let me in on anything any more?"

"A lot has happened."

"Like what?"

"Booth just get back to work," she hangs up on him.

After she hung up the phone she decides to make a list. She jots down everything that she imagines the baby needing. When she finishes her list she is astonished by how long it is. She crawls out of bed and slowly wanders into her empty spare bedroom. She stops in the doorway and flips on the light. She just stares at the empty room. She steps into the room a little further and then lays down on the floor. "I'm guess I should paint the walls. White is pretty boring. I don't know that I could handle seeing pink walls everyday though. I'm at a loss," she mutters to herself. She goes to the store and picks up some paint samples. After getting home she takes a nap. All the days for the next two weeks are pretty similar, and uneventful. Booth continued to call her, but the two times he stopped by she had the lights off and pretended not to hear him. Luckily she had changed her locks since she had given him a key.