And now...for what you've all been waiting for...

The elevator doors opened to the children's ward of St. Joseph's Hospital and Brennan stepped out. She'd stopped at a drug store on the way to pick up something for Parker and make herself a bit more presentable.

Now that her hair was brushed, she wore some makeup and the large hooded sweatshirt had been abandoned in the backseat of her car, she felt a bit more human.

Her heart was in her throat as she pointed herself in the direction of room 201.

Odd.

She tilted her head to the side and stopped to study a portion of the brightly colored wall. Animals of every type ranging from bears painted the color of Easter eggs to bugs of impossible proportion scattered themselves freely on it. She found the entire scene quite annoying since it was so obviously impossible.

You're stalling. The little voice in her head told her. The same little voice that she'd grown accustomed to ignoring over the years.

Am not.

Brennan frowned at a particularly troublesome duo of a butterfly and a giraffe, both nearly the same size. Even allowing for different vantage points to explain the size, she knew there was no such thing as a green giraffe with purple spots.

"Excuse me ma'am? Do you need help with something?"

Brennan whirled around to find a young male nurse with bright green eyes and striking dark hair grinning cheekily at her. He leaned one shoulder against the wall and tilted his head to get a better look at her.

"You look lost."

Brennan drew her eyebrows together and took a step back from him, finding his close proximity unnerving, then she turned back to the wall.

"Giraffes are not green." She stated bluntly.

The man glanced at the wall and then back at her.

"No. They're not." He agreed, his voice was low and smooth.

Brennan looked at him and then down the hall where she could see the door to room 201. She knew that was where she needed to be, but for some reason her feet didn't want to move.

"Why?" She asked finally.

"Why what?"

"Why is the giraffe green? It's not logical."

The man chuckled softly and ran a hand through his thick hair.

"I think they do it for the kids. You know, most of them are in here and scared to death, a green giraffe is funny. Gets their minds off it."

Brennan's frown deepened. She'd never thought of hospitals that way. She'd always seen them as a necessary, though inconvenient, part of life.

They provide a service, they allow one to heal and rest after injury, or if possible, prevent injury.

She was about to state this very thought when there was a loud crash somewhere down the hall and an embarrassed intern scrambled to gather twenty clipboards she'd just scattered across the floor.

Brennan glanced around again. There was noise everywhere. From the different machines and equipment to important looking doctors and hurried nurses barking orders in a language unintelligible to anyone without a medical degree, it almost seemed chaotic.

To a small child, this place could seem very intimidating, and probably a bit frightening.

When she thought of it that way, she decided she could forgive the funny colored animals and bugs of impossible proportions if it meant that a child wasn't as scared to be there. A child like Parker. A child like her own.

Booth's face flashed in her brain and she closed her eyes for a moment, knowing the time for stalling had long since passed.

"I have to go." She gave the nurse a curt nod before starting off down the hallway.

"Wait!" He jogged up beside her, "I didn't catch your name." The man gave her a dimpled smile Brennan would have described as a 'poor man's Charm Smile', had she known what that meant.

"I don't believe I threw it." A proud smile slid across her lips and she almost wished Booth was there to hear her understanding and responding to a phrase such as that.

"Oh. Well mine's Todd." The man was undeterred, this woman was far too pretty to give up on that easily, "I was thinking if you weren't busy, maybe we could get a cup of coffee, you know…discuss the philosophical significance of pastel colored mammals as wall decoration?"

Brennan stopped walking and turned toward him and Todd unwittingly took this as encouragement.

"Or we could just go out for lunch, save the coffee and philosophy for another time?"

She opened her mouth to speak, closed it, and opened it again.

"Are you hitting on me in the children's ward of a hospital?" She asked, her expression a mixture of amusement and irritation.

Todd shrugged. "I guess I am."

"That's very flattering…Todd, but…I'm kind of…spoken for."

Todd reached out and took her left hand, leaving the hand holding a grocery bag dangling at her side. Brennan stiffened at his touch.

"I don't see a ring."

"Keep touching me and you're going to not see a whole lot more than that." She curled her hand into a fist and Todd immediately backed away.

"Okay okay…it was, um, nice talking to you." He scurried away and ducked around a corner.

Brennan turned back in the direction she'd been going, trying to shake off the feeling of another man on her skin.

The only man allowed to touch me is Booth. She thought decidedly.

She stood in front of the door to room 201 and took a deep breath before knocking lightly and pushing it open.

"May I come in?" Brennan asked quietly. The room was mostly dark except for a light near the bed that shone a soft yellow glow on the little boy unconscious below it.

Booth stood from his chair on one side of the bed and Rebecca followed suit on the other.

"Dr. Brennen, of course you can." She beckoned and Brennan joined them in the room, standing beside Booth.

"Hey." Booth whispered, noting her tired appearance and feeling a pang of concern in the pit of his stomach before turning away to look at Parker. "He just got out of surgery, he should be awake in a few minutes."

Brennan nodded and watched as he ran a hand across his face. His tie was loose around his neck and she resisted the urge to reach out and stroke the stubble on his chin.

Booth looked over and caught Brennen's stare causing a blush to creep into her pale cheeks. She turned away and held up a plastic bag grocery bag, pushing it toward Rebecca.

"What's this?" She asked, raising her eyebrows in question and taking the bag.

"Blue Moon ice cream. My tonsils were removed when I was four as well, this was my favorite. I thought Parker might like some when he wakes up." Brennan shrugged, unsure of whether or not her present was acceptable.

She felt Booth's stare on her and glanced at him. His approving smile met her worried face and she immediately relaxed.

Booth watched Brennen hand the ice cream to his ex with pride and a bit of amusement.

Anyone else would have brought a teddy bear or flowers. Leave it to Bones to bring a present that is entirely logical...and completely perfect.

"That's his favorite too." Booth whispered, gaining a wide smile from Brennan who looked considerably less tense at his words of encouragement.

Cautiously, he moved his hand from his side and wrapped it around hers, almost afraid she would pull away. To his delight, she turned so their palms were facing and laced her fingers with his.

A small whimper turned all the adults' attention to the little boy in the bed.

"Parker?"

He opened his brown eyes and his face contorted in pain when he tried to speak.

"Shhh, don't talk sweetie." Rebecca brushed a few curls off his forehead and kissed him on the cheek, "You're throats going to hurt for a little bit, but after it heals you won't get any more of the sore throats you were getting before okay? You'll be all better."

Parker's face remained slightly irritated and he made another attempt at speech.

"Hey, Buddy look, if you promise not to try and talk for a while, I'll make sure you get all the ice cream you want. How does that sound?" Booth smiled at his son and Brennan frowned.

"Booth," She leaned toward his ear, "He'll get ice cream anyway."

Booth just rolled his eyes.

Parker's face brightened at the prospect of ice cream and immediately began searching for it. When his eyes landed on Brennan he smiled widely and waved.

"Hi Parker." Brennan gave a small smile as Rebecca opened up the tub of ice cream.

"Look what Dr. Brennan brought you Parker." She handed the ice cream to the boy along with a spoon she'd produced from some an undisclosed location on her side of the bed.

Parker looked at Brennan thankfully before he began devouring the blue substance greedily. Booth laughed softly at his son's appetite, convincing him that the surgery had left him untouched, minus two offending tonsils.

Brennan stood for a few moments, hand intertwined with Booth's, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach that continually reminded her that she had a very important reason for being there.

Finally it became too much and she took a deep breath.

It's now or never...and never is definitley not an option.

Brennan tugged lightly on their joined hands, and Booth looked at her. She motioned her head toward the door and he nodded.

"Buddy, Bones and I are going to go talk, we'll be right outside okay?" He ruffled his son's hair and Parker barely paused in his mission to make his ice cream disappear. Brennan was already headed toward the door and Booth nodded at Rebecca before following her.

"So what's up Bones?" Booth shut the door behind them and shoved his hands in his pockets, attempting to hide his frear for the coming conversation with a casual smile.

This is it. She's going to tell me to take a hike…at least I have a full twelve pack of beer at my apartment already. I have a feeling I'm going to need it tonight.

Brennan stared at the ground, her own apprehension nearly overpowering her and she folded her arms around herself protectively.

"Booth…I'm sorry." She whispered, her heart pounded in her chest and she was sure everyone in a ten mile radius could hear it. She knew he had every excuse to be angry with her with the way she'd treated him and waited for him to show it.

His finger found it's way under her chin and Brennan complied as it pushed her face upwards.

She caught her breath, he was standing nearly toe-to-toe with her, she could feel his hot breath on her lips.

Trying to keep her wits about her, she continued rambling.

"I know I've been impossible and cold and distant and I truly apologize Booth. You didn't deserve any of it. I'm so sorry. It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. You were completely perfect and understanding and I know I hurt you and I'm sorry. I was just…I just…I'm sorry." She dropped her gaze and Booth bent lower so he could look into her eyes.

"Bones…I'm not angry, just…worried. Is everything okay? Are you alright?"

The honesty and tenderness she saw when she looked up into his brown eyes nearly knocked her over and she took a step back to keep from crashing her lips into his, which would have surly caused her to forget what she had to tell him.

"Bones?" Booth's stomach flip-flopped as she moved away from him.

"It turned blue." Brennen said quickly, flicking her eyes toward him and then back at the red and orange tile floor.

"What?" Confusion clouded Booth's rugged features and he straightened to his full height, "What turned blue?"

Brennan sighed, and opened her mouth, but words failed her. Booth raised his eyebrows in question and she pursed her lips.

Taking one of his hands in hers, she placed it on her lower stomach, where a small but noticeable bulge had begun to form.

"It. Turned. Blue." She repeated slowly and she searched his face for comprehension.

Booth's mouth fell open and his eyes widened.

"You mean…"

Brennan just nodded, tears beginning to stream down her face.

"I'm pregnant Booth. Again."

Who loves me baby?? C'mon...tell me...