Hello! Thank you for your lovely reviews, story and favourite story alerts! Sorry for the wait! Hectic week! I have half a kitchen missing! Anyway, I will recap for you:

Booth finds out Hannah is preggers and is aprehensive yet excited at the prospect of becoming a Daddy again, Hannah doesn't want to go through with it, Brennan finds out that it's not Booth's and gives Hannah till 6pm to tell him. Phew! Sounds like Days of our Lives! Anyway, case wise, they just interviewed the previous owner of the crime scene property, Amelia Gossell, and it seems that the remains found were those of her mother due to the shared chromosomal abnormality. B&B discover, while there, that Amelia was swindled out of a large sum of money in the property changeover by her ex boyfriend/ real estate agent, Jake Anderson. OK, on with the story...

"I feel oddly sad for her."

"Yeah, well," his hand fell to her back to guide Brennan in front of him out the narrow gate, "she's had a tough time, Bones, and you're human" Booth glanced at her sideways and sensed her pensive mood. He avoided the emotion and diverted the conversation. "You just, you know, do what you said and give her some closure. We can look into the shifty boyfriend and take it from there."

"I do think it's strange that she didn't know enough about her condition to know that Jake was lying about his sister though." She added as they slipped into the vehicle.

He flashed her a charm smile and turned over the engine. "That's 'cause you're a genius, Bones. Not everyone knows themselves as well as you do." She was sure he was being humorous but the comment pushed her into rumination nonetheless. Brennan felt the absolute opposite of how Booth had described her – it was her lack of knowledge of herself and the resulting flight response that had put them in this uncomfortable mess in the first place.

Had she known how to identify and name the cognitive reactions she had to Booth and his friendship/partnership/whatever-the-hell-it-was-ship, she would have correctly concluded herself to be completely and utterly in love with the man. Of course, Brennan knew that she loved him – they had said as much to each other after his operation, but, Booth was asking for so much more than that. The quixotic, romanticised view that he had of 'being in love' confused her – belittling what she felt towards him.

She looked to Booth whenever there was a question of heart. In his explanations of being in love – she came to doubt herself. Brennan was a woman of science, she reduced everything down to an atomic level but this – this heart issue could not be deduced conclusively with scientific reasoning and it scared her – all the way to the Maluku islands.

"That is an incorrect assumption based on unsubstantiated evidence" It was mumbled, to whatever it was that held her attention out the window, startling Booth from his own reverie.

"Hmph? What?" She reflexively turned her head to look at him, "Bones, you're always reminding me that you're a genius."

She returned her gaze to her window, "I am."

"Right," he drew the word out to express his doubt, "listen, maybe we should stop ignoring the elephant in the room and just talk about it, Bones, it's obviously on your mind"

"Booth, I'm sorry but I didn't understand the metaphor the first time you used it and I assume you are referring to a Masterdon. While they have similar features to an elephant – they are from a different genus altogether."

"Bones! Come on! This is big stuff we are talking here – I need to know we are on the same page. I can see you are serious about adopting this baby and you're the most sincere person I know but, I can also sense apprehension. Can you just... be honest with me Temperance, what are you thinking?"

She brought her eyes to his, "Booth, you need to talk to Hannah. Then we can talk afterwards"

His jaw clenched and relaxed, "She's not answering"

"She will, Booth." Brennan glanced at her watch, "In fact, drop me back at the lab and then go home, I told her to stop avoiding you and talk."

He humphed, smiled slightly and shook his head in wonderment, "Of course you did!"

Silence won them over for a good portion of the ride back to the Jeffersonian. When they arrived, Booth walked her in for a quick update on the case. Brennan submitted the sample of Amelia's DNA for testing and they entered her office just as Angela sauntered in.

"Hey, you two. I was able to restore the letter. Quite a tragedy. I'll leave you with it." She handed a copy of the restored letter and made her exit – discretely recognising that they would appreciate the time to themselves.

"Thanks Angela" Brennan began to read it out loud:

My Dearest Rosie,

Please forgive me Rosie girl. I respected your wishes – I know that you didn't want our little girl to be poked and prodded at – to be a science experiment: as you were. I know that you didn't want to have her at the hospital for that reason but, as your husband – I should have taken you anyway to get you proper care.

I am so heartbroken that I failed you! I don't know what happened, I can only assume that your precious heart couldn't take the stress of childbirth and I am so sorry that I couldn't bring you back. I tried – I, God, Rosie – it was awful! I think I made it worse. Please forgive me!

It's been two days now – I really don't know what to do. I am laying you to rest under your treasured roses with Mollie doll. I can't make it official, Rosie – they will take our baby girl off us. No one will treat her with the love that she needs – I am all she has now and I can't give her up.

She's beautiful, my girl, even at two days – she looks like you! She has your beautiful brown eyes already! I promise to love her and raise her as you would have wanted to yourself. I named her Amelia, Amelia Rose – it means labour. She was a labour of love. Thank you, my love. She won't know how you left us – I am not sure what I will tell her yet but I will not have her believe it was her fault. Hers was a labour of love, Rosie – a true labour of love!

Please forgive me Rosie. I love you so much and I miss you so much it hurts. I knew from the moment I saw you – standing a foot clear above all the others that you were the one. You will always be my one and only Rosie girl – through life, through death, through whatever the hell this world throws at us. Please sleep well until I hold you in my arms again.

Your Husband,

Bobby.

Brennan found it difficult to get through the last leg of the letter and kept her head bowed so that she could let the tears dry without him noticing.

Booth was expecting a comment about the whimsy of his words or, at the very least, a dig at Robert's faith in seeing his wife again despite her current state. But, he did not expect tears. What was happening to his ever rational partner!

Knowing that she didn't need him to reinforce her "weakness" by acknowledging it, he waited respectfully for her to compose herself – fighting back the compulsion to screw respect and hug her. That compulsion seems to be happening a lot lately – he mused.

"This is no longer a murder investigation, Booth," she sniffed, keeping her head bowed, "he tried to save her – obviously fracturing her ribs in the process of CPR." Needing an out from his gaze, she retreated to the couch, "The stress of labour may have caused an aortic dissection – it's an inherent risk of natural delivery for women with Marfan Syndrome."

Booth finished her proposed scenario, "He panicked, knowing what his wife had been through – being so different to her peers. He didn't want his kid going through the same bullying. He never registered her death – assuming that they would deem him unfit as a single parent." He sighed and slumped down next to her. "I'll organise to transfer the case to the fraud department – we will at least get someone onto Jake and we can now give Amelia some closure."

"You had better go Booth – it's getting late. Perhaps you can take the paperwork with you and drop it off on the way – get them started straight away."

"Ok." He stood and gathered the paperwork, with hesitation and little understanding of why he was asking, he added, "What are you doing tonight?"

She smiled at his thought, "I am just going to finish up here and go home. I don't have anything planned... I..." she looked at her hands sitting in her lap and then raised her eyes to look at him, "...my door is always ajar, Booth... metaphorically, of course... I mean to say – for that talk." Brennan stood, "I'd... better get to work. Good luck with Hannah. You're a good man, Booth, you deserve to be happy... just... remember that." She smiled and left him, speechless in her office.

With that random, tender comment he smiled, shook his head at the ironic, perceived impossibility of her statement and walked out as his phone beeped.


Seeley, we need to talk, Hannah


OK, so the case is, most definitely not over – just so you know. Please review! Thank you!