Chapter 7: The Change in the Game
Sunday morning came around quickly and Booth was up early to go to church. He was showered and had eaten breakfast before Brennan even stirred in the bed. He lingered in the bedroom struggling to decide whether to wake her up or let her sleep. Part of him never wanted to leave her without saying goodbye, but another part of him knew she needed the sleep. He wished she would talk to him about what was going on, she'd been very quiet when they'd gotten home from visiting with Pops and part of him wanted to ask her, the other part, the part that knew her really well, knew she needed some space to digest whatever Pops and she had talked about.
"Booth, what are you doing?" Brennan asked waking to Booth standing over the bed deep in thought. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and then looked up at him again not quite awake yet.
"Sorry babe, I was just deciding whether to wake you or let you sleep, looks like you made the decision for me" Booth told her wryly. He bent down over the bed and placed a sweet kiss on her lips.
"Sleep more if you want to I'm just going to go to church" Booth told her, stroking her hair, happy to see her looking well rested for once. He bent down and kissed her again allowing her to deepen the kiss this time wanting to see her face flushed with passion before he left.
"Now that is a nice way to wake up! I think I will get up, Hodgins said something about wanting to come for a visit today, I'm not sure what it's about though" Brennan told him still a little confused as to why Jack would want to see her. She wasn't very good at relationships, and while she knew a lot about the mechanisms of pregnancy, she couldn't see that he'd need advice about that either.
"He probably wants to check up on you, he warned me once that if I wasn't treating you right he'd make sure I knew about it" Booth chuckled, not really threatened, although the bug man had been able to push him last time they'd had a confrontation, he knew he was much stronger. Although he knew Hodgins wasn't much of a threat to him, he was secretly impressed with the guy. Hodgins had stuck up for Bones when he knew he couldn't because he was the one treating her badly.
"What are you talking about Booth, Hodgins knows you'd never treat me badly" Bones told him, shaking her head not understanding why Booth would say that. She understood that her friends had been protective of her after that night, that she'd revealed her heart to Booth. They'd taken her in that night after she'd called Angela crying so hard she had hardly been able to talk. She'd told them everything because they were her friends and they loved her and she'd needed to tell someone the whole story. She wanted them to understand that she was at fault in this, if she'd just told Booth she'd try when he'd asked her for a chance none of this would have happened.
"It's okay babe, it happened a while ago, and he was right and to be honest I'm happy you have someone other than me looking out for you, it makes me happy to know Hodgins and Angela will be there for you if anything ever happened to me" Booth told her, kissing her again hoping she'd let the conversation drop. He knows they've got everything out in the open now and this would only re-open old wounds.
"Well I guess I'll find out when he gets here, you should go to church, I know you don't like to be late" Brennan told him, not wanting him to leave, but knowing how much church meant to him. She would never deny him the right to attend church no matter how sappy she was feeling.
"Okay Bones, make sure you eat, I'll be back in a few hours" Booth told her dropping a kiss onto her lips as he stood up to grab his suit jacket and leave.
"I love you Booth" Brennan said as she watched him leave, seeing the smile on his face at her words, knowing she didn't need him to return the sentiment to know he loved her. It was strange to her to be so secure in a relationship that was only a month old. She heard the front door close and decided she better get up, she had plans for this morning and wanted to complete them before Jack came over.
She had a leisurely breakfast and read the paper, trying to relax a little before she carried out her plans. Once she'd finished her breakfast she headed for the draw in the bedroom that she'd kept the package she'd bought yesterday when she'd left to get them some dinner after the visit to Pops. She knew now was the perfect time to find out once and for all if she was pregnant. Booth wouldn't be back for hours, so she knew she'd have time to take the test and deal with the results.
Her hands shook as she opened the package and read the instructions thoroughly, she wanted to make no mistakes when taking this test. She'd bought 3 different types to ensure she could check the results and if it was positive she'd be calling her doctor to make an appointment to get further testing carried out tomorrow. Her doctor was always happy to squeeze her in at the last minute. Once she'd read the instructions and was clear on what she needed to do for each test, she opened all three of them and took the sticks with her to the bathroom. She'd purposely drank a good amount of liquid that morning to ensure she'd be able to produce enough urine for the tests.
Once she'd finished in the bathroom she set her watch for the times each test indicated and waited. When the buzzer sounded for the first test she was almost afraid to look, her hands shaking as she picked up the test, with her eyes squeezed shut, she didn't know if she wanted to look. A part of her wanted the test to be positive, she'd wanted Booth's baby for a long time, but she was worried if they were ready for this. The second buzzer went off and she knew she couldn't delay it any longer. She opened her eyes and stared at the test, her mouth slightly open in shock. Positive, it was positive, the little plus sign staring her in the face.
Still shaking, she looked at the second test and saw the same result, this time written as 'positive' on the test. It was the more expensive one she'd bought and she almost jumped when the last buzzer went off. She wasn't sure if she really needed to look at that one after the first two positives, but she looked anyway. The two lines indicating positive stared at her and she finally let herself fall to the ground allowing the knowledge to sink in. Pregnant, she was pregnant with Booth's child. Of course it wouldn't really sink in completely until she'd been seen by her doctor and had the pregnancy confirmed.
A knock on the door roused her out of her thoughts, and she quickly put the tests away and then went to answer the door. She hadn't even realised she'd cried during her discovery but felt the wet feeling on her face and subconsciously wiped the tears away.
"Hey Dr B, are you okay? You look like you've been crying?" Jack asked his friend, he knew both he and Angela hadn't been around as much recently due to Angela being hugely pregnant and not as mobile as she'd like to be anymore. They'd had to focus on the baby, and both of them had figured Booth and Brennan would enjoy some time alone to allow their relationship to develop anyway.
"I – yes I'm okay, come in" Brennan said letting Jack in and leading him into the loungeroom.
"Would you like a drink? Coffee?" Brennan asked, hoping he'd say yes so she had a little time to compose herself.
"Coffee would be great Dr B, let me come help you" Jack said, deciding to et her go to the kitchen alone. He wasn't always that great at reading people, but could definitely tell Dr B needed some space.
She came back a few minutes later, with two cups and handed him a cup of coffee and and smiled as he took a sip and groaned at how good it was.
"How do you make such good coffee Dr B, I need to know your secret, I have a feeling I'm going to need a lot of it soon" Jack said, trying to break the ice with a bit of humour about the coming baby. He was nervous about becoming a father, it was going to be a big change in his and Angie's life, a change for the better but that didn't stop his nervousness.
"You're going to be a great father Jack" Brennan told him, smiling at him. Other than Booth she'd never had another male friend who understood her as well as Jack did. When they conversed alone, she always called him Jack, always had since their ordeal with the Gravedigger. She didn't think anyone really knew how close they were, she loved him like a brother and she had been very happy that he was the man her best friend had chosen to marry.
"Thanks Dr B, that's what I wanted to come to talk to you about actually, I've observed some things and I wanted to talk to you about it" Jack said, unsure of how to begin this conversation. He had no idea of whether Brennan would be happy about being pregnant, or how strong her relationship with Booth was. He knew she loved him, he'd been watching her with him, and watching Booth with her more, looking for any sign that he was going to hurt her.
"I think I know what you are here to talk about Jack, and you are right I – I did the test this morning" Brennan told him, surprising him with this revelation. He had thought he was going to have to convince her to take a test, he'd even brought a couple with him just in case. He'd been prepared to cite all of his observations of her symptoms, but as usual she was ahead of him.
"And? Don't keep me in suspense here Dr B, I know you probably want to tell Booth first, but something tells me you'd like to confide in someone first, to get used to how it sounds" Jack told her, knowing that was why Angie had told Brennan so early on in her pregnancy and not wanted to tell anyone else. She'd told Brennan before she'd even told him, and if he could be Brennan's sounding board right now he would be.
"They were all positive, I won't be 100 percent until I see my doctor, but I feel comfortable admitting that three positive test results makes it very likely that I am indeed pregnant" Brennan admitted to Jack, a tear dropping down her cheek again without her knowledge, saying the words just made it all the more real for her.
"And should I be saying congratulations? Are you happy about this Dr B?" Jack said, placing a hand on her arm letting her know if she wanted comfort he was there for her. When she began to shake a little, he put an arm around her and pulled her into his embrace. He knew what she needed right now was assurance, Booth would be able to reassure her more, but if he knew Dr B as well as he thought he did, she wouldn't be telling him about this until she'd had it confirmed by her doctor. He held her and felt her cry into his chest and while he knew eventually she'd be happy about this baby, it would still be a shock and he knew that right now she just needed time to get used to idea.
They sat that way for a while, neither of them saying anything, Jack just providing what comfort he could. He knew he'd have to get her calmed down before Booth came home or she wouldn't be able to go ahead with her plan of getting the pregnancy confirmed by her doctor before telling him. As a scientist he wanted her to be able to have that confirmation, for her to be able to say to Booth with complete certainty that she was indeed pregnant.
"Dr B, I know this is a lot to take in right now, and believe me both you and Booth are going to walk around for a few days completely dazed at this news, but you are going to be such a great Mum and I know you and Booth will be great parents to this little baby, Angie is going to be so excited when she finds out!" Jack said gently unwrapping his arms from around Brennan and getting her to look at him for a moment. He saw the little smile on her face and echoed that smile.
"Thank you Jack, you don't know how much it means to me that you were here for me, while this is a shock, I have wanted Booth's baby for a very long time and if the pregnancy is confirmed tomorrow, I will be very happy and I hope that Booth will be too" Brennan told him, working to get her emotions under control, she knew Booth would be home soon and if he found her crying, he'd ask her what was was wrong and if he asked that she'd have no choice but to tell him.
"I should go, I told Angie I'd only be a few hours and with her being due any moment I really should be with her" Jack told Brennan, seeing that she was much calmer now. He knew without a doubt that the pregnancy would be confirmed tomorrow and he knew it was going to be a struggle to keep this to himself until Dr B and Booth announced it, but he would keep it a secret for her.
Booth came home an hour later to find her sleeping on the couch. He smiled at how young she looked when she was asleep and grabbed a blanket to put around her. After he was sure she was going to stay asleep he made himself some lunch and then put the television on quietly, switching it to a game of baseball he'd taped the night before.
The rest of the day passed without incidence for either of them, Brennan had gotten her emotions under control and was focused on getting through the day and getting to her doctors appointment tomorrow. She had gotten an appointment very early that morning to ensure that she could leave at her normal time for work, saving her from having to explain anything to Booth.
As she walked into the doctors office the next morning her nervousness was quite apparent. She sat waiting for her name to be called, tapping her foot absent-mindedly hoping her doctor would not be running late. When her name was called she shot up out of the chair and quickly followed the doctor into her office.
"Dr Brennan, it's been a while, what can I do for you?" Dr Louis asked her smiling at her patient. Dr Louis had been her general physician for over 10 years and knew her quite well.
"I think I'm pregnant, I've done three pregnancy tests and all have come back positive" Brennan told her doctor schooling her features to try and hide her nervousness. She had chosen this medical centre because they had an in-house pathology and could get same day results for blood tests. Over the last 10 years she'd donated a fair amount of money to the clinic, to ensure that it kept up with the latest technology, which ensured that she got the best care when she needed it.
"Okay, when was the day of your last period?" Dr Louis asked, typing some information into the computer and organising the paperwork for a blood test. When a woman like Dr Brennan told you something was possible, it was almost certain to be true.
"I was supposed to get my period a week ago to the day, so it was 5 weeks ago" Brennan told her, trying as hard as possible to stay calm. She looked over at the computer and saw that Dr Louis had already ordered a blood test and smiled, this was why Dr Louis had been her general physician for 10 years, no matter how outlandish her requests were Dr Louis was always been happy to indulge her.
"Okay how about you get changed into that gown over there, and I'll do a quick physical examination, then I'll send you off to pathology to get some blood drawn" Dr Louis instructed and left the room to give Brennan some privacy to change. A few minutes later she was back and smiled reassuringly to her patient as she stood over her preparing to undertake the physical exam. She placed her hands on the place where Brennan's uterus would be and felt for any changes that would indicate a pregnancy.
"Now have you noticed any symptoms, nausea, extreme tiredness, more frequent urination?" Dr Louis asked as she continued her examination. She was almost certain that Dr Brennan was indeed pregnant but knew her patient would not be convinced until they had the blood results back.
"I have felt more tired than usual, and I seem to have gone off a few things, like my favourite soup and tea" Brennan told her glad when the physical examination was over. While not painful the experience had been
uncomfortable, especially when Dr Louis had been probing the area where here uterus would be.
"Well Dr Brennan, everything is pointing to you being pregnant, there is a slight enlargement of your uterus which would be consistent with you saying your last period was 5 weeks ago, but I know you won't be satisfied until a blood test is done, so take this with you to pathology, I've put a rush on the results, so you should have them just after lunch" Dr Louis told her as she handed her the paper, got her to sign a form for the visit and left the room to allow her to get dressed.
There was no queue in pathology so the drawing of the blood only took a few minutes and she was walking out of the doctors office, still a little shaken. She was more convinced now that she was pregnant than she had been when she walked in, and knew it was going to be a struggle to wait until after lunch to find out. She was just walking into a cafe to get some breakfast when she got the call from Booth about a body in a bowling alley. Deciding on a bagel and a cup of decaf coffee, she left the cafe quickly and went to go find her car so she could head to the crime scene. She ate as she walked, thinking of Angela and the call she'd had from her that morning professing that the baby would be coming today. Part of her hoped it did, she knew her friend was miserable as the days dragged on without her going into labour and another part of her didn't because she knew if the results of her blood test came back positive she'd want to wait until after the baby was born to tell Booth.
She walked into the bowling alley and saw Booth instructing the techs. She almost walked back out again, convinced he would be able to sense that something was going on with her, but knew for the sake of the victim she had to tough it out and get in there.
"Bones! There you are" Booth said walking over to her and wishing he could kiss her. He'd woken up that morning to her already having left for the day. He hadn't even heard her alarm. He knew they didn't have a case at the time, so he was surprised that she was going in so early, but then remembered the paperwork that they hadn't gotten to over the weekend and figured she was probably feeling guilty about not completing it.
"Booth, what have we got?" Brennan said grabbing some gloves from her kit wanting to get straight into the investigation so Booth wouldn't have time to question her. He didn't answer just directed her to the bowling lane where the body had been discovered. One look told her this was going to be a pretty gruesome body to look at.
"Angela said she's going to have her baby today" She said to him making conversation to keep his mind off the questions she knew were going through his head.
"She's been saying that for the last two weeks" He exclaimed, sensing her tactic and deciding to let her have it, it wasn't as if they could really talk here anyway. He looked at the body closer up and looked away quickly disgusted already by the sight of it.
"Can you say blegh of a strike!"He grimaced when he took in the state of the body. Parts of it were mangled around the pins and it was in chunks, not his favourite way to discover a body. He looked over at Brennan who was kneeling to look at the body and almost swore she went a little green too. She began rattling off some information on the sex of the victim and he took down notes as he watched her examine what she could see of the body. He asked the police officer who had attended to the scene about how long the body could have been there and then they went to examine the rest of the body which had been ground up into the pin setters. He blushed as Bones made an inappropriate comment about sex and then got to organising to have the body shipped to the Jeffersonian. He was about to turn to Brennan to ask her if she wanted to get something to eat when he noticed she was no longer beside him.
He quickly walked out onto the lanes to try and find her and found her coming out of the women's bathroom.
"Bones, you ok?" Booth asked noting she still looked pale and wondered if she'd had breakfast that morning. Knowing her, she'd gotten straight into the paperwork and had completely forgotten to eat breakfast.
"I'm fine Booth, I have to go make sure the body is processed properly at the lab, shall I meet you at the diner for lunch?" Brennan asked him, hoping he hadn't noticed how pale she was, she'd tried valiantly to not throw up when she'd seen the body, and although she knew it was a little early for morning sickness, she'd struggled to keep the nausea at bay during the examination. She'd successfully distracted Booth with a comment about sex long enough to make an escape so she could head to the bathroom in case her stomach decided to rebel on her and was glad she had. Not five seconds after she'd closed the door to the stall, she'd thrown up her breakfast. She'd almost laughed as she realised that Booth had been right, everything happens eventually. She'd finally vomited over a body.
"Okay, I'll meet you at about 12pm, and Bones make sure you eat something you're looking a little pale, did you have breakfast this morning?" Booth asked concerned for her. It was his job to look after her and make sure she ate, and he'd slept through her alarm that morning. If he'd woken up when she had, he would have been able to make sure she ate.
"Ah no I got so wrapped up in work that I forgot, I'll get something on my way to the lab, I promise Booth, you can stop worrying about me, I'm fine" She reassured him and then kissed him, making sure there was no one watching first. He was so surprised by the kiss that she was able to make her escape and head back to the lab, making a quick stop to get some crackers first.
Okay another longer chapter and I did get sidetracked by Hodgins again, I know we don't see it in the show, but I think he'd be quite protective of her and it would have been nice to see either Angela or Hodgins have a little chat with Booth about his relationship with Hannah on the show. I had to introduce the change in the game, I can't find transcripts for the episode so most of the lines are going to be coming out of my memory of the episode, so if I get them wrong I apologise now! Next up Brennan's chat with Angela and lunch with Max, in the show he knows something is going on with them, but does he know what? Thanks for reading and for the great reviews.
Authors note: I have gotten a couple of reviews from a Julianne(Guest) I'm new to this but if you review as a guest I can't respond to your reviews and answer the questions you are posing. If you'd like to talk to me about my thoughts in this story feel free to pm me I'm always happy to discuss motivations etc of the characters :)
