THREE MONTHS LATER

"I don't believe this crib meets all of the criteria we discussed." She eyed the attractive piece of furniture with hesitation.

"Bones, it's fine. You like it, I like it, it's safe."

"But it's larger than we anticipated Booth. This room will not accommodate the crib and the rocking chair and the changing table."

"It will too. See check this out." He dragged the rocking chair into one corner and pushed the changing table up against the wall. "Everything fits." He stood back to admire his handiwork and she lowered herself slowly into the rocking chair. It was comfortable, and the room was somehow much more cozy than the professionally decorated nursery at her apartment.

"It's acceptable." She agreed, resting a hand on her enormous belly. A tiny foot kicked at her hand and she sighed in contentment. "The baby appears to like it as well."

"Of course she does. It's perfect." Booth smiled a crooked smile that made her heart flutter.

"I should get going." She said regretfully.

"Yeah, we've got a long day tomorrow. Get some rest Bones." He helped her out of the chair and her body flushed at the contact. She couldn't seem to get this reaction to him under control, every time he got near her she got all flustered and warm. His strong arm settled around her waist for one heart stopping moment before he pulled away and led her to the front door.

"Are we still meeting at the diner for breakfast?" She asked hopefully.

"Yup. We have to go over those notes on the Compton case before we testify and the lab report on Teresa Sanchez should be back first thing in the morning." He held the door open for her and she smiled awkwardly at him before heading home.

She was still surprised at how simple all of this was. It shouldn't be so easy. She was having a baby with her partner! Her partner who used to want to date her, who'd moved on in time for her to decide she wanted him. They should be fighting and jealous and battling the FBI and the Jeffersonian to continue working together and fielding derogatory comments from their co-workers.

But they weren't. No one was surprised. No one was bothered. Least of all Booth. He was being supportive, not pressuring her to do things she didn't want to do, not forcing her to stay out of the field, not demanding they get married. He was just there for her. And she felt every last ounce of resistance to their relationship crumble with every day. Every day was better than the day before. It was so simple. As though this had been the next natural step in their relationship, rather than a crazy mistake brought on by tragedy.

The biggest problem as she saw it was that Booth was determined to move on. He gave no signs of desiring a romantic relationship with her. He wanted to be a father and a friend and that was all. And that was what she'd thought she wanted too. But lately, whenever she had to leave him, she had this unnatural urge to touch him. Hug him, kiss him, squeeze his hand. She'd caught herself reaching out as he walked away on more than one occasion. Her heart ached for more than what he was offering and she had no idea how to ask for more.

The next morning she found herself sitting across from Booth at the diner, watching him eat, her mind focused on everything except work. It was incomprehensible that she and her partner were going to parent a child together. How had she gotten herself into this? She had been so reckless… so frantic and needy and desperate for closeness. And now that she recognized her feelings for what they were, she had to admit that it wasn't just closeness she'd craved, but closeness with Booth. The man who had dominated her thoughts during her capture. The image that had gotten her through her darkest days.

She had lost complete control of her rational mind and her weakened body and her guarded heart… and for that one moment, in the middle of the jungle, she'd experience true passion… not just lust, but deep, soul wrenching, mind blowing, passion. And when it was over, she hadn't felt simply satisfied. She'd felt peaceful… comforted…as though she knew for the first time in her life that everything would be okay. And then he'd been called away and her perfect moment had shattered around her. She'd felt… heartbroken.

Which made no sense at all considering the nature of their sexual encounter. It had been about satisfying biological urges, not peace and comfort and emotions.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Booth asked, eyebrows raised, a fork full of pie half way to his mouth. She shook her head, trying to focus on the present. The diner…her food… She should not be thinking about sex at a time like this. But her eyes returned to focus on his mouth, she couldn't look away. His mouth was so… hot. She remembered how hot it felt against her skin. How hungrily it had moved over her body…

"Nothing, I just…"

"Bones seriously," he shoved the fork in his mouth and slowly chewed his apple pie as he watched her. "You don't think I know that look?" The mouth quirked up at one corner. She wanted to lick that corner. She should be embarrassed. She was probably drooling. Right in the middle of the diner, in the middle of what should have been a serious conversation about their work, she was drooling over her partner's perfect, sexy mouth. He wasn't an idiot, he could obviously tell that she was thinking about sex. But for some inexplicable reason, she wasn't embarrassed. Just incredibly, uncontrollably turned on.

"Pregnancy hormones." She said dismissively, still not looking away. She licked her lips self consciously and he rolled his eyes.

"Please." He snorted in disbelief.

"It's a scientific fact that human women experience hormonal changes during their gestation period." She explained helpfully, still undressing him with her eyes.

"It's also a scientific fact that I will fuck you in a bathroom stall if you don't stop looking at me like that. I don't care if you are the mother of my child." He said it like he was talking about the weather, and then he just sat there, sipping his coffee as her entire body flushed and tingled and her mind went wild with long suppressed fantasies. And that word. That foul, inappropriate word coming out of that wicked looking mouth…. She had no idea something like that could make her mind turn to butter. It was so out of character. So careless and arrogant and sexy. She had to get control of herself. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the way her body was responding, tried to calm her breathing and cool her face with her mind.

"Good girl." He said patronizingly. "Now what does micro fracture distal whatever mean?" He pointed to a word on the lab report between their plates. Unfortunately, her mind was still stuck in a bathroom stall and she had no idea what he had asked her.

"What?" She asked stupidly.

"Bones pay attention." He tapped the page on the table impatiently but his mouth betrayed the slightest hint of a satisfied smirk. He knew! He knew what he was doing to her and he was enjoying it. She couldn't let him win. Her eyes focused sharply in on the report and took in its meaning within seconds.

"She was tightly bound, these fractures on her wrist indicate she struggled against her restraints for months before she was killed, there are signs of significant remodeling." She resumed an entirely scientific tone.

"So her husband was right, it wasn't her choice to stay away."

"You don't really believe he is psychically linked to his wife do you?" she rolled her eyes. This husband had claimed to sense his wife's moods for a long time after her alleged abduction. Booth didn't answer immediately.

"I don't know about psychic links or whatever Bones but I can tell you I knew you were alive in that jungle. I knew you were waiting for me to find you and I knew they were hurting you." He sipped his coffee again, his eyes soft on hers. "I don't know how I knew it. Everybody thought you were dead. But I knew different." Her heart twisted in pain, remembering the desperate hollow look in his eyes as he mindlessly killed her captors and hovered protectively over her defensive form.

"I didn't know you felt…" she whispered.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me." He shrugged.

"I held onto a similar faith when you were taken by the gravedigger." She admitted. The link between them was undeniably strong. Their gazes locked and she wondered if he could see the love that she was trying so hard to hide.

"I know." He said simply. "We've been together longer than Teresa and her husband have Bones. We may not be married but we're just as connected as they are." He said earnestly.

"Perhaps we should visit with the husband again. His insight may hold more value than I initially thought." She blushed, knowing she was giving weight to something completely non-scientific. Knowing that Booth would understand what she was saying. His mouth curved into a devastating smile that sent her fragile emotions into a tailspin.

"I'll give him a call."

AN: I am so sorry for the delay! I couldn't figure out how to keep it going, but since so many asked for more I'm giving it my best effort. Thanks for reading.