Well, this chapter was a hell of a lot easier to write than the last!

Thanks again for all the faves, follows and especially reviews - PLEASE keep them coming, they are really appreciated. A shout out to Jenny1701 who has written a number of very detailed observations and lovely things through the whole thing - thank you so much.

Realistically I think we probably have 2-3 chapters left in the tank after this one.

I don't own Bones. Just my imagination.

Seven-thirty on a Saturday morning. An off-duty FBI agent and his forensic anthropologist were taking advantage of the weekend to have a well-deserved lie-in after a busy week. A body found in a drain and Miss Wick as Squint of Week had left the partners quite exhausted; and the smell had presented a particular challenge to Brennan in her current circumstance. Still, case solved and here they were in their their favourite spot - snuggled in bed like spoons in a drawer. They were half-awake, Booth's hand drawing lazy circles over Brennan's belly as she dozed, in the gentle reflection from her window, he could see a serene expression gracing her features.

They were disturbed by a loud rap on the door. Booth bolted upright.

"You expecting anyone?"

"Hmmmmm...no... Booth, come back. That was nice..." Brennan mumbled over her shoulder as Booth grabbed the nearest thing to hand, which was her bathrobe (oh, now there was some déjà vu) and headed for the door. He looked through the peephole expecting a delivery boy on the other side; and then, for a split second, Cam and Jared, but it wasn't any of them. He recognised the face staring blankly ahead though, and prepared himself.

"Max? What are you doing here so early?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Seeley, especially as you appear to be wearing my daughter's robe." Max raised an eyebrow.

Booth's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish but nothing but a silent mixture of mainly nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide came out.

"I'm guessing that if I walked into Tempie's spare room right now, the bed would be untouched... I knew it!" Max clapped his hands together. "I knew it when we were in the diner that day... And at the alley - you may have been in costume but you sure weren't faking!"

"Faking what, Dad?" Brennan wandered into her kitchen in a tank top and yoga pants to see her father sporting a wide grin and her - whatever Booth was - she still hadn't decided on the best word - boyfriend...? lover...? mate...? partner...? - anyway, significant other standing very awkwardly in front of him.

"You and Seeley - you finally gave in to your feelings! This is great, it really is." Max smiled warmly at his daughter, allowing Booth to relax slightly and he stepped across to Brennan. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she naturally leaned into him and wrapped her own arm around his waist.

"Yes, it is." Brennan said simply, and gazed briefly at Booth, who gave her a thousand-watt smile. "...And there's more, Dad." Max looked at them both in anticipation.

"-We're having a baby!" Booth blurted out, the first thing he had spoken since Max had walked through the front door.

"Wow! I'm going to be a grandpa? Russ's girls are great but this... I'm going to be there right from the beginning. So how far...?"

"About ten weeks."

"Oh Tempie. I am so proud of you."

"Dad, I'm not sure how Booth and I making l-" Booth clamped his hand over Brennan's mouth.

"-Not appropriate Bones!"

"I meant that you've got your act together. This is a good guy" he said, gesturing at Booth, "and you deserve a good guy."

"Thanks Max. I was expecting more the 'hurt my daughter and I'll kill you' speech" chuckled Booth.

"Oh that applies, but I don't have to tell you that. You're a smart guy. You just told me." Max winked. "Now, are you guys going to offer me some coffee? And Seeley, please change out of that robe. You're creeping me out there..."

"Cullen"

- "Sir, I have Special Agent Booth on line three."

"Put him through."

- "Yes Sir."

"Special Agent Booth. If it isn't my favourite Homicide agent."

- "How are you Sir?"

"Wasting energy on strategic paperwork mostly. I hear you're still saving the world with that crazy partner of yours."

- "About that." Booth took a breath. "I wanted some advice."

He wasn't necessarily very close to his old boss, but Cullen was now somewhere in the stratosphere as far as the FBI was concerned. A couple more levels and he'd be J Edgar himself. After Brennan had helped Cullen get some justice for his dying daughter, he had held both her and their partnership in much higher esteem. He and Booth had stayed on good terms when Cullen had been promoted away from Homicide and although Booth was generally one for doing things by the book, he wanted senior backing before he approached Hacker. In fact, he'd prefer it if he could bypass Hacker altogether in terms of the logistics, although a part of him couldn't wait to see the sonofabitch's face when he found out that the two if them were not only an item but were making beautiful babies as well.

"You didn't finally give her a gun, did you?"

- "No Sir. I was wondering..." He hesitated, "...What current policy is on relationships between FBI staff and consultants?" It came out almost strangled.

"Define 'relationship', Booth."

"Um... Pregnant girlfriend?" Might as well get it out there.

"Holy Shit, Booth! You don't do things by half, do you? I assume it is Brennan we're talking about." Cullen sighed resignedly.

- "Yes Sir."

"How far gone?"

- "Nearly three months."

"And now you want to know if you can still partner up?"

- "Yes."

"Okay. Official line is 'no fraternisation', in reality, but it's merely a deterrent. It happens all the time. Fact is, we thought you'd been at it for years, that's why we put you in couples' therapy."

- "Partners' Therapy." corrected Booth.

"Couples' Therapy." corrected Cullen.

- "Oh."

Cullen leaned back in his chair and wedged the phone into his shoulder as he fiddled about with the Newton's cradle on his desk.

"You'll have to continue to go to that of course, at least for the moment, although now the two of you seemed to have resolved whatever unfulfilled sexual crap you were playing at so maybe that can end after a review period. I would also suggest avoiding acting like lovesick teenagers at any crime scenes and during working hours generally... Look, your solve rate is hard to argue against, we'd be crazy to split you up. She needs to stay away from anything dangerous though, I don't want the department sued if something goes wrong. You need to liaise with Doctor Saroyan on that one and I want to see the paperwork."

- "Yes Sir. Thank you."

"I'll let Andrew Hacker know the situation and tell him to leave you alone, providing you stick to the rules."

-"Thank you." Booth fist-pumped in the air, glad Cullen couldn't see him.

"So you both finally got your shit together, huh?"

- "Yes Sir."

"Someone's going to win a lot of money in that pool." Cullen actually laughed. "I'm slightly disappointed I'm not on the floor anymore..."

Booth smiled. He'd been right on both counts.

"Booth, where are we going?"

"We are celebrating and I wanted to take you somewhere special." They walked for about fifteen minutes, Booth virtually dragging Brennan along behind him at some points. Booth knew Brennan would be ecstatic about their partnership being kept intact and for what he considered an important moment in their relationship he wanted them to be somewhere meaningful.

"What's the hurry?"

"I have something I want to tell you."

Brennan was getting suspicious, and worried. They were on the Mall, not a million miles from where Booth had proposed to Hannah. Much as she completely and utterly loved him, marriage was definitely not on the table, not to mention that she didn't want him to propose in the same place he'd asked his ex-girlfriend. That would be weird. Not that she would even entertain the possibility, of course. Brennan was relieved when they ended up at the coffee cart, such as it was, closed up for the night. She wasn't sure why she felt relieved.

"What are we doing here, Booth? The coffee cart is closed."

"This is our place Bones. I wanted to tell you this somewhere meaningful to us."

"Okay" Brennan responded, quite uncertainly. Booth sat her down on the nearest park bench and pulled her on to his lap.

"Booth!" That action was a little unexpected.

"So you know..." He stroked her hair, "...We are the centre..." He gazed into her eyes.

"...And the centre must hold..." Brennan responded immediately, like it was a mantra. Their mantra.

"So... I spoke with Cullen today."

"Cullen? Is he still even at the Bureau?"

"He's pretty near God status now. I spoke to him about us, Bones."

"Oh. I take it that it's good news on the basis that we are celebrating?"

"Yes. We can continue our partnership. Providing no funny business at work and you don't put yourself in any stupid situations."

"Good." She moved in to kiss him. He stopped her just short of reaching his lips.

"There's one more thing." Brennan looked at him quizzically. "We have to carry on seeing Sweets, at least for now."

"Oh. I suppose that's to be expected."

"I was thinking... Wanna have a little fun with Sweets?" Brennan grinned at Booth before swooping in to claim her kiss and Booth knew he had his answer.

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