Story: The Feel of A Heartbeat

Author: QueenyC

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or any of the charters or locations affiliated with it. If I did, I'd be doing more with them then posting stories in fan fiction.

A/N: SouthunLady, this one is for you!

Chapter Ten: A Change in Arrangements

"Booth!" Her voice was panicked over the phone.

"Bones? What is it? What's wrong," he was already swinging out of bed, throwing on clothes.

"I...I don't know. I feel odd and — ow —I think something is wrong, Booth," She broke off into sobs.

Her words sent a terrible chill down his spine, his stomach clenched in fear. "I'll be right there, don't move," he promised, reaching for his keys and sliding on his shoes in a frenzy.

"Please hurry," the fear in her voice more than anything spurred him to action.

He reached her apartment in record time, bounding up the stairs like a man possessed. He didn't knock but let himself straight in, finding his partner on her couch, hands on her round belly and tears in her eyes.

"What is it, Baby?" He asked, the term of endearment slipping out unnoticed by either of them.

"I'm not sure," Brennan replied, her eyes were full of pain. "Booth," she whispered, "I'm scared."

"Okay, it's okay," he told her gently, as if speaking to a small child. "I'm gonna pick you up, okay? And we're going straight to the hospital."

She nodded but didn't speak. That alone made him cold with fear. Without another word he scooped her up into his arms and carried her gently but quickly down the stairs and out to his SUV. He flipped on his lights and siren and made hastily for the hospital, praying to every saint he could think of for Brennan and the baby's safety.

Please God, let everything be okay.

~BB~

"Everything is fine, Dr. Brennan. It was just false contractions. You're a little early in the pregnancy for those and they generally don't cause as much pain as you experienced, but everything is just fine," her doctor said reassuringly, resting an gentle hand on her arm.

"I'm going to send in the antsy agent now," Dr. Womack continued. "Is that okay?"

Brennan nodded absently as her doctor left the small examining room and Booth came rushing in, in her place. She wrapped her arms tightly around her stomach as if in protection. The pain had been intense, but the fear had been paralyzing. Never had Brennan felt so invested in someone's life since Pam Nunan had nearly taken her best friend from her. But this had been beyond that in so many ways.

And it was nothing.

She suddenly felt like she couldn't catch her breath.

How could she feel so much for a life that hadn't even begun yet? How could she love someone so much that she hadn't even met? For five months a life had been growing inside of her, but at that moment it had all become real.

Booth had his arms wrapped around her before she realized she'd started crying. "I know," he muttered into her ear, always so in tune with what she was thinking and feeling. "I know. It's okay. I'm here. It's alright."

"But you weren't there," she whispered back desperately because there was no way she could ever describe what it felt like to have that initial pain lance through her abdomen, to worry for the precious life slipping through her and away from her, and to be alone.

"Bones," he sighed and she could already read the guilt in his eyes.

She shook her head. "No, Booth, I don't want you to feel guilty. It's just...I was so stupid to think I could do this alone."

"Hey, you're Temperance Brennan. You can do anything," he told her gently.

"No," She shook her head wildly so that he placed his warm hands against her cheeks to hold her steady. "I'm scared, Booth," she admitted for the second time that night. "I was so scared."

He nodded. "Me too. But it's okay now."

"Come live with me." Brennan said breathlessly, looking up into her best friend's eyes to help convey her desperation. He was the only person who would ever see this side of her, the only person she'd ever let in that far.

"What?" Booth looked at her like he was trying to see through her.

"Come live with me. I have a spare room. You'll be there for everything that way. You'll be there if...if something—" She couldn't even finish the thought for the trembling of her hands.

"Hey, nothing is going to go wrong, Bones."

"I'd feel better if you were there,"she admitted after a moment of hesitant silence. "You'd only be a room away instead of a phone call." She whispered, feeling weak but also uniquely needy.

Booth studied her carefully, his eyebrows raised in surprise, emotions crossing his face too quickly for her to analyze. "You really want this, Bones? It's not just fear or obligation talking?"

She shook her head wanting to make him understand. "Please, Booth," she begged, fighting back her tears once again. "I just, I can't..."

"Hey," Booth's voice whispered against her ear, something unreadable in his tone. "Anything, Bones, you know that," he sighed, hugging her tightly once more. "If you want me there, it's done."