Episode 6.5 x 10: The New Chapter in the Old Story ~ Written by NatesMama

8:04 AM - Chevy Chase, Maryland

Cam absently spread butter on her English muffin as she watched the morning news on the small television on the kitchen counter across from the breakfast nook where she and Paul sat. Taking in the spread on the table in front of her, she searched for her favorite jam to add to the already-laden muffin on her plate when another cramp settled across her abdomen.

Checking the clock on the stove and smiling slightly, she nudged the man eating his eggs beside her. "Paul. I think I'm in labor. Maybe since last night, twelve minutes apart right now."

Paul nodded and placed his hand on her belly, noting the tightness contracting and expanding. "When last night? Before you fell asleep?"

Cam shook her head. "No, around two, when I got up to use the bathroom."

"Water break?"

"No, I would have told you."

"Good." He looked at his watch. "Well, twelve minutes, plenty of time." He patted her stomach, and then looked around the table. "You need your blackberry jam, honey?"

"Please." She watched as he crossed the kitchen to retrieve the sweet spread she had been craving every single morning of the last nine months. Looking down at her expanded middle, she pushed aside the slight nervousness she was feeling and allowed herself a grin.

"Well kiddo…here we go."

8:17 AM - Royal Diner

"I'm trying to understand it, Booth. I promise. It's just…baseball is so boring." An uncharacteristic whine from Brennan made Booth smile. "I prefer hockey. It's much more exciting."

"So do I, Bones. It's okay about the baseball, really. When the Phils are in town I can take Parker or Wendell or Hodgins. You don't have to feel obligated." He passed her the sugar shaker for her coffee. "But when the Flyers are here? It's you and me, baby."

Sighing, Brennan nodded. "I just want to be supportive of your usual leisure activities, Booth. You were nice enough to attend that lecture on modern Ethiopian burial rites with me last week and you even managed to stay awake for the entire question and answer period." She tapped his hand sitting on the table. "I really appreciated that."

"It turned out to be pretty interesting, Bones. I didn't know that 60 percent of Ethiopians were Christian."

"You were paying attention." Brennan leaned back and smiled. "I thought you might enjoy it, just a little."

"Yeah, well…I enjoy spending time with you, doesn't matter what it is."

They exchanged contented smiles filled with words that didn't need to be spoken aloud, all noise and clatter from the diner around them seeming to disappear. The moment was interrupted by the sudden appearance of their former psychologist and his girlfriend.

"Hey guys, good morning!" Sweets gestured to the seat next to Booth. "You mind if we join you?"

"Nah, come on. Sit." Booth moved his chair forward so Sweets could squeeze in next to the window. Since the discovery of Sweets' mother during their trip to Savannah, Booth had been making an effort to be nicer to the kid. He nodded at Claudia as she settled next to Brennan and across from Lance. "Morning, Turner. You get that paperwork done from last week's Bentley case?"

"On your desk, sir." Claudia grabbed a menu and started reading. She glanced to her left and smiled. "Good morning, Temperance."

"Good morning, Claudia." She gave her companion a conspiratorial grin. "Did you watch Big Brother last night?"

Claudia turned to face Brennan with a matching smile. "You bet I did! Can you believe what a whiner Rachel is?"

"I have to admit, for someone who has played the game before; she seems to not understand the dynamics involved. She is overly emotional and that can't be good for how she is perceived inside the house."

Booth and Sweets looked at each other with matching shrugs. "You know, Sweets…I blame you for Bones' recent interest in reality television."

"Me? Why? Claudia was the one who hooked her."

"I just prefer to blame you. It's always worked for me before." Booth stirred his coffee and then tapped the spoon on the side of his cup. "Uh, ladies? Could we talk about something else? No offense, but that stuff gives me a headache. Bad enough I have to watch it, I'd rather not have it analyzed while I'm trying to enjoy my breakfast."

"Alright, Booth." Brennan glanced at Claudia. "We can talk about it later."

"Definitely. Besides, I wouldn't mind talking about how things are going between the two of you." Claudia pointed between Booth and Brennan. "You seem…well, actually you don't seem any different."

"Why would we be any different simply because we have added a sexual component to our relationship?" Unconcerned at Claudia's knowledge of their change in status, Brennan ignored Booth's grimace.

"And how did you find out about it, anyway?" Booth glared towards Sweets, who held up his hands in defense.

"Hey, I don't keep anything from Claudia, and she hasn't told a soul!"

Claudia nodded. "I promise, boss. Not a word. However…" She looked at Brennan. "As much as I enjoy girl talk, I need to put a halt to any discussion of your sex life with me. I mean, Booth is my superior and I really don't need to know any of that, at all."

"I understand. I don't think that Booth would appreciate it if I shared any of that with you, in any case."

"No, he would not." Booth stirred his coffee in irritation. "Let's keep the professional and private separate, if you don't mind."

"Although…" Claudia grinned conspiratorially at Sweets, who shook his head in warning. "You have to admit, you people at the Jeffersonian really seem to like to pair off. You two, Lance and Daisy, Angela and Hodgins…"

"Booth and Cam at one time." Brennan offered, taking a bite of her fruit and smiling innocently across the table at Booth.

"Bones!"

"Whoa." Claudia looked between the two next to her. "Boss, you used to date Dr. Saroyan?"

"That was a long time ago." He glared at Brennan. "Long enough to not even merit mentioning."

"And it doesn't bother you, Temperance?"

"At the time, Cam and I didn't really care for each other, so the timing was…unfortunate." Brennan shook her head. "But no, the fact that they were engaged in a mutually beneficial sexual relationship did not upset me."

"You're a better woman that I am, Temperance." Claudia winked at Sweets. "We saw Daisy the other night at Nobu and I truly just wanted to scratch her eyes out."

Brennan raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Why? Ms. Wick and Dr. Sweets' relationship ended long before you ever met. We all have a past. Jealousy with concern to former sexual partners is irrational."

"Maybe, but they were engaged. It was more than a 'former sexual partner' kind of thing for both of them."

"Claude…" Sweets looked pained.

Smiling brightly, Claudia reached across the table and took his hand. "It's fine, really. I know it's irrational, but she hurt you. That's why I want to smack her, and then thank her."

"Thank her?" Brennan asked.

Eyes still on her boyfriend, Claudia murmured. "Yes. If she hadn't left, we never would have gotten together. So, I feel very grateful for that fact."

"That is very logical…and romantic." Brennan leveled her own soft smile at Booth, who hadn't taken his eyes off her the entire conversation.

"Very romantic. You're just a softie, Turner. Who knew?"

Claudia shook her head as her boss made what could only be described as goo-goo eyes at the woman across the table. "There's the pot calling the kettle black."

"Hey, I-" Booth stopped, mid-protest. "You know what? Yeah. I am a romantic guy. I can live with that."

Brennan nodded. "You really are. And I appreciate the extra effort you put forth."

Booth leaned forward, elbows on the table in front of him; ignoring their breakfast companions as his voice dropped in timbre. "Yeah?"

Mimicking his pose, Brennan smiled softly. "Yes. I am most appreciative of your…efforts."

"Um, yeah. Whoa." Sweets stood up, his chair scraping the floor loudly. "You ready, Claudia? I'm ready."

Claudia rose slower, amused. "Yes, I think it's time we get going. Temperance, I'll call you later?"

"Of course." Brennan's eyes never left Booth's. "Have a good day, Claudia. Sweets."

"Yeah, you kids have fun." Booth winked at Brennan with a grin. "We'll get breakfast."

"Thanks, boss. See you later." Claudia tossed over her shoulder as Sweets practically pushed her out the door of the diner.

Booth snickered as they both leaned back, satisfied smiles on their faces. "That was good, Bones. Scared the kid right off."

"I find that I like Dr. Sweets more in small doses. Sometimes I have to engage in subterfuge to separate myself from him, and I have been practicing." She looked inordinately proud of herself.

"Well, you did well, Grasshopper."

Brennan's forehead wrinkled momentarily in confusion. "Why are you referring to me as an Orthoptera Caelifera?"

Not wishing to delve into the psychological reasons why her confusion over pop culture never failed to charm him, Booth just shook his head, stood, and threw some money down on the table. "C'mon, Bones. Let's get to work."

9:00 AM - Jeffersonian Institute Medico-Legal Lab

"I'm just saying, Ang…it says a lot about how you really felt when you hadn't even started packing up your office." Hodgins held the door open for his wife as they both made their way into the lab proper. "Deep down, you knew you couldn't really leave." At the raised eyebrow from his better half, he grinned. "Hey, I just call it as I see it."

Sighing as she headed towards her office, Angela decided that conceding was less of a pain than listening to Jack harp on the subject for the rest of the day. "Alright. Fine. You win, Hodgins. I couldn't pack up my office because I really wanted to stay. And now, I am staying." She stopped and put her hand on her hip. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic." Jack grinned, ignoring Angela's indignant huff as he walked away.

"Arrrggghh!" She growled.

"Is there a problem, Angela?"

She turned and watched as her boss waddled towards her, Paul holding her elbow to escort her along as they headed towards Cam's office. "Are you alright, Cam?"

"She's in labor, actually. Please tell me that Dr. Brennan is here." Paul looked around hopefully.

"What? You're in labor and you're not at the hospital?" A voice called from behind them.

Cam turned slightly and nodded as Booth and Brennan came up behind the group. "Seeley, I have a few papers to sign and I need to make sure Brennan has the calendar of meetings with the board before I go. I didn't expect to go into labor two weeks early, and this needs to be done."

"Generally, first-stage labor for a first pregnancy tends to be as long as eight hours, and Cam does not appear to have experienced a contraction in the last few minutes so she should be fine." Brennan nodded decisively. "I assume that Dr. Lidner would know, better than we, whether or not it is appropriate for Cam to stop here on their way to the hospital, correct?"

"She has plenty of time, Booth." Paul glanced at Cam, who was panting slightly as she felt the onset of another contraction. "We're down to ten minutes apart. I don't even advise most moms to head for the hospital before seven to eight minute intervals, but we should get this show on the road." He rubbed Cam's back as the contraction crested and faded. "Okay?"

"Mmmhmm." Cam nodded. "But let's get this done so I can get some drugs."

Booth took Brennan's bag off her shoulder and pushed her in her boss's direction. "Bones, you go with Cam and get her out of here. I'll take your things to your office and start on this paperwork."

"Alright…" Brennan gave Booth an odd look as she shuffled off behind a still-panting Cam. Booth winked at Angela and turned to head for Brennan's office, whistling.

With a deep breath and a shake of her hair, Angela let her face break out in a toothy grin. "God, I missed this place."

Twenty minutes later, a determined Cam stepped into the doorway of Brennan's office as Paul stood off to the side chatting quietly with Brennan. "Seeley? We're heading out."

"Don't call me Seeley, Camille." Booth stood and crossed to hug his friend.

Cam wrapped her arms around him as far as she could and smiled into his shoulder. "Don't call me Camille, Seeley." She looked up into Booth's eyes, suddenly overcome with a tenderness that she would forever attribute to a surge of hormones. "I'm going to have a baby."

"Yeah." Booth fought off his own emotional response to the sheen of tears in Cam's eyes. "You are. And you're going to be an amazing mom, Cam."

"You think so?"

"Not a doubt in my mind." He leaned down and hugged her again. "You'll be great. Unconventional, maybe. But you know that the best kids have the most interesting parents." They parted and he reached out and squeezed her hand. "Everything here is under control. Go. Make a family."

Cam suppressed the sob that threatened to escape her as she lightly slapped Booth on the shoulder. "Damn you, Booth. Don't make me cry now."

"Sorry." Not looking the least bit sorry, Booth looked up at Paul, who had come up to take Cam's elbow again. "Take care of them. And congrats, Dad."

"Thanks, Booth." Paul replied, shaking the other man's hand. "We'll call with updates."

"Good luck, Cam." Brennan said, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder. "And I assure you, I will have no problems running the lab in your absence."

"I have no doubts about that, Dr. Brennan. Thank you." They gave the partners a wave and made their way to the exit.

Booth and Brennan watched them for a moment, both uncharacteristically quiet. Then, with a sidelong look at the other, they turned and headed into Brennan's office to start their workday.

10:05 AM - George Washington University Hospital

"Hey Dr. Lidner, Dr. Saroyan. How are we doing this morning? Are we ready to have a baby?" The relentlessly chipper nurse with the unfortunate name of Flower busied herself checking Cam's vitals and generally making sure that everything in the room was in perfect order. Normally, Cam would appreciate the attention to detail the young woman was paying her job, but with painful contractions searing her midsection and an innate sense of decorum warring with the need to have her lower half easy accessible, she was not feeling very charitable at the moment.

"Well, Flower, we are fine. And as far as if we are ready to have a baby…I don't know about you, but I certainly don't have my lady parts hanging out for God and everybody to take a peek for nothing."

Flower, to her credit, simply smiled and pulled a warm blanket over Cam's legs. "You just relax, and I'll send Dr. Hanson in as soon as he arrives." And with a quick pat to her leg, the nurse squeaked out of the room.

"Cam…" Paul warned. "I know you're uncomfortable and in some pain, but they really are here to help you. They're good people; I've been working with them for years."

Sitting up as much as she could, Cam glared. "Look…" At Paul's slight stiffened demeanor, she shook her head ruefully, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, Paul. I really am. I just can't seem to control the things coming out of my mouth."

"I know, I understand…I do. And so does the staff." He chafed her hand between both of his. "But being cranky and being nasty…there's a fine line. I know Flower is incredibly cheerful, but believe me…in a few hours, when you're really hurting and the contractions are coming closer together; there isn't a better OB nurse on the floor. She is incredibly nurturing and sweet and we're lucky she was assigned to us."

Tears pricked at Cam's eyes as she nodded. "Now I feel horrible for snapping at her." She sniffed pitifully. "I'll apologize to her when she comes back."

"Apologize for what, Cam? Are you throwing things at the nurses already?" The figure standing at the door grinned.

"Michelle!" Cam grinned through her tears. "Come in, please. Give Paul a break from my bitchiness."

Her daughter laughed as she crossed the room to pull Cam into a tight hug. "How are you feeling? Is it…" She paused, her forehead lined in worry. "Is it really painful?"

"It isn't fun, that's for sure." Cam smiled wearily. "But it could be worse. Or, it will be."

"She's doing great." Paul assessed. "Labor is called labor for a reason, she's entitled to a little grumpy behavior." He stood from his seat next to the bed. "Since Michelle is here, why don't I go get you some more ice and call my parents?" Addressing Michelle, he smiled. "Just hold her hand during the contractions and agree with whatever she says. Piece of cake."

Paul leaned down to kiss Cam while Michelle looked on. After he left the room, Michelle placed her hand on Cam's distended abdomen. "He loves you both so much. You're lucky to have him."

Laying back to relax between pains, Cam sighed. "We all are. He loves you, too you know."

"I know." Her voice caught on the last syllable. "We're all lucky."

10:30 AM - Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab

Booth relaxed against the back of Brennan's office sofa as he watched her call all her available interns in for the day. Once Cam had turned over the lab to her, Brennan immediately pulled out a list she had prepared months ago, outlining everything she wanted to accomplish in her boss' absence. Booth knew that more than half of whatever she had planned would mean absolutely nothing to him, so instead he asked about the interns.

"Bones, what's with the squinterns all coming in? Don't you usually have just one?"

Brennan picked up her list and moved to sit next to him on the sofa. "When the lab is operating under normal circumstances, of course only one intern is necessary. However, because we are currently without a case, and dissertations are coming up soon, I thought it would be prudent to allow them all to avail themselves of the lab's resources while they could."

"Cam doesn't let them do that?"

"Sometimes, but only when we are not busy, which is not very often. If I remember correctly, the last time we had more than a few interns in the lab was almost two years ago."

"Ah. Okay." Booth leaned a little closer to Brennan, absently rubbing her thigh. "So what do you have planned for the Mini-Yous?"

Fighting an eye roll at Booth's four hundredth nickname for her interns, Brennan pulled out a sheet of paper. "Mr. Vaziri will be helping out in the Enthology department, as he has decided to focus his doctorate solely on Cultural Anthropology. The department head, Dr. Roush, is preparing to spend a year in the Omo River Region of Southwestern Ethiopia studying the Amhara people and he requires several students to travel to the region with him to assist. It will delay Mr. Vaziri's doctorate studies, but the opportunity is invaluable and his presence in the department now will go a long way towards securing him a position on the team."

"And your recommendation probably doesn't hurt." Booth grinned with pride.

"Maybe." Clearing her throat, Brennan continued. "Mr. Fisher is also changing his focus of study, to Archaeology. And because the Jeffersonian has one of the largest and most comprehensive departments in the world, he would be best served interning part-time under Dr. Kant and this provides the perfect opportunity for him."

"What about Wendell? I heard you call him in. Don't tell me he's dropping forensics too?"

"No, Mr. Bray has already begun working on his dissertation for his forensic anthropology doctorate, which is a relief as he is my most talented intern. He will be focusing on several sets of Maori warrior remains for his thesis, and the quiet will give him ample time to continue his research." Brennan shuffled more papers. "Also, I have some general cleaning tasks that need to be performed, as well as a full lab inventory and at least three board meetings to attend this week alone."

"Yeah? So, a lot of late nights, then?" Booth tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice as he drew slow circles on her leg.

"I'm afraid so, Booth. I will try to leave the lab as soon as I am able. We could try for late dinners?" She looked hopeful despite the pout he was wearing.

Taking her hand, Booth let his mouth turn up into a half-smile. "I can live with that, especially if late dinners turn into early bedtimes…" He leaned forward to kiss her, shaking his head when she pulled back. "Bones, no one is around."

"I just…" She turned to peek out her doorway. "I thought you wanted to keep things quiet for now."

"I suppose." He sighed and ran his hand over his face. "I've just always had a thing for powerful women in charge, and you…like this, I gotta say, Bones…" Leaning over closer to her, Brennan could see the gleam in his eyes she now recognized as his flirting mode. "I am not opposed to shutting the blinds and locking the door and christening your couch here." He patted the cushion and waggled his eyebrows.

"Booth!" Brennan jumped up and moved closer to her desk. "We are not having sex in my office!"

Laughing lightly, Booth stood and moved to the door. "I know, Bones. But I figured it was worth a try. I have to get to the Hoover to pick up some more paperwork, but I'll be back in an hour or so. You want more coffee from that organic shop?"

She followed him to the door and looked around the area outside. Seeing no one, she quickly pecked him on the lips. "Thank you." She straightened his tie and smiled saucily. "You know, if there's a night when we're here late, and no one else is around…"

"Temperance Brennan, you are a tease." Booth kissed her again, not bothering to check for an audience. "But luckily I already knew that about you." He brushed one hand down her arm softly. "I love you. Back in a few."

"Love you too. Bye." She watched as he sauntered out of the lab, frowning slightly as she detected a slight limp in his walk. Making a mental note to pick up some orange tree oil and Epsom salts from the health food store, she headed back into her office and back to work.

11:19 AM - George Washington University Hospital

"Well, Camille…while everything is looking good, I would have expected to see you progressing a little more by now." The obstetrician, Dr. Hanson, stood at the nearby sink washing his hands. He turned and glanced at Paul. "You're only two and a half centimeters, and I thought we would see at least five at this point."

Cam looked between the two colleagues, who were somehow having a conversation without saying a single word. "Hello? Woman in labor here…can someone tell me why you're both looking like that?"

Paul took her hand and squeezed. "I'm sorry, Cam. It's just…we didn't want to worry you until it was completely necessary. You've been in labor for nine hours, give or take. You're having regular contractions, but they're not getting closer together fast enough and you're not dilating like we'd like."

"You're both worried about a c-section." She pulled her hand out of Paul's and plucked at the warm blanket in her lap. After a moment, she sighed in resignation. "What do we have to do to avoid that, if we can?"

Dr. Hanson sat on the edge of her bed and patted her leg. "I'm going to break your water, see if that doesn't get things moving. Alright? Simple fixes are sometimes the best. But you know, it might really push things along really fast, too. I want you to be prepared for that."

"Hey, the faster this gets moving, the faster we get to meet him. I'm all for that." Cam agreed.

"Still sure it's a boy, Cam?" Dr. Hanson grinned at Paul, who was shaking his head. "And Paul thinks girl."

"Of course. And since I am right, Macon will be making his appearance tonight."

Hanson nodded. "Macon. That's a nice, strong name. Family name?"

Paul shook his head. "No, Cam's favorite novel is Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, and the protagonist is named Macon."

"I like it. What about if it's a girl?"

Paul grinned. "Harper. After my favorite novel's author."

"Ah, To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper is a much better choice than Scout." Hanson stood and moved to the other side of the room again. "In any case, we need to get Macon or Harper moving along here, so what do you say we break your water and see how you do?"

Cam glanced at Paul and gripped his hand tightly. "I'm ready."

12:05 PM - Java Green Coffee Shop

Booth tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the barista to make Brennan's favorite organic latte. He scanned the muffins and cookies in the display case, trying to decide if her secret sweet tooth would be in the mood for something chocolate-laden, finally landing on an almond croissant and adding it to his order. He reached up to grab the coffee and croissant, absently snagging the napkin the barista had placed under the cup. As he turned to walk out, something on the small square of paper caught his eye and he realized that the pretty young woman behind the counter had given him her phone number. With a slightly cocky grin and a laugh, he crumpled up the napkin and threw it in the trash on the way out the door.

Getting into his SUV, Booth was mildly irritated to realize that his phone was buzzing, and Rebecca's name was coming up on the caller ID. Flipping open the phone, he settled Brennan's coffee in the cup holder and threw the bag on the passenger seat.

"Becks. What's up?"

12:40 - Jeffersonian Institute Medico-Legal Lab

Dr. Jack Hodgins stood quietly at the doorway of his wife's office and watched as she continued to organize her desk to its original order. He was, deep down, thrilled that she had changed her mind about quitting the lab. Truth be told, while he had been more than supportive in her choice to leave, seeing her stack her sketchpads in a neat pile and collect her pencils in a nearby cup settled his heart and mind like nothing else. He knew that, despite her earlier disquiet, that Angela belonged here, a working and essential piece in their little family.

"Hey babe." He stepped into the room and moved to lean against the desk she was still organizing.

Angela's mouth turned up softly, giving her husband the smile she saved just for him. "Hey. I'm just finishing up here. Did you want to go get some lunch?"

"Sure. Should we grab everyone and go together?"

"Nope." Angela bent down and grabbed her pocketbook, then walked around the desk to hook her arm through Jack's. "I feel the need for some time alone. Just you and me."

Hodgins grinned and leaned over to kiss her. "As always."

B&B

Booth rapped on the doorjamb as he entered Brennan's office. "Hey Bones. Ready for lunch?"

Brennan continued typing at her computer, head bobbing slightly, not even acknowledging Booth's question. He stepped a few paces closer, finally seeing the ear bud wires that were trailing down her shoulders and into her iPod next to her on the desk. With a devious grin, he moved out of her line of sight and settled behind her, glancing down to see what song was playing before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on her neck.

"Booth, I knew you were there." Brennan barely moved her head, reaching down to pause her music. "Some sniper you are."

Snorting a laugh, Booth pulled the buds out of her ears. "Hey, I wasn't trying all that hard. If I had brought all my skills to bear, I'd have you thrown over my shoulder and halfway to the platform before you even noticed you'd moved."

"And I believe you, Booth." Fighting an eye roll, Brennan shut down her laptop and pulled her bag out of the bottom drawer of her desk. "Now let's go to Mama's, I'm starving."

"Yes, ma'am." Booth helped her with her jacket and they headed for the doors. "Oh, before I forget, Rebecca called. She's stuck at work and Parker has a half day of school, so I have to go get him at 2:00."

"What are you going to do with him?" She asked as they exited the museum. "Can you take half a day off work?"

Booth shook his head and unlocked the car door. "I wish I could, but I have to meet with Caroline sometime today, and it can't wait. Plus, we still have about two hours of paperwork to finish." He walked around the car, and got in beside her. "I was wondering…"

Sighing, Brennan smiled. "Of course he can hang out in the lab, Booth. Angela has all kinds of paints and pencils to keep him occupied."

"Cool. Just make sure Ang knows no face paint. I still haven't heard the end of that one from Becks."

"I shall endeavor to make sure I set down the ground rules for the proper care and feeding of your son."

Booth glanced at Brennan out of the corner of his eye. "I'm not sure how I feel about this new smart mouth you've been showing off."

Brennan squared her shoulders proudly. "You should be proud; I learned it from listening to you for almost seven years."

Booth spun the wheel as he turned into the parking lot at Mama's. "Yeah, I shoulda known that was going to come back to bite me in the ass one day." He grumbled to her delighted laughter.

1:55 PM - George Washington University Hospital

Cam and Paul sat nervously watching the doctor as he checked her progress. When he looked up and shook his head, Cam let her head drop back onto the pillow with a whimper. "Damn."

"I'm sorry, Camille. You should have at least progressed a centimeter when I broke your water. That was two hours ago and you haven't progressed a bit. And the baby's heartbeat has slowed just enough to make me worry a little."

Paul wrapped his arm around her and nodded. "It's fine, I was expecting this." He addressed his girlfriend. "Cam, you know the choices. We can wait and you can suffer through more contractions that, frankly, aren't getting you anywhere and are just stressing the baby. Or…"

"I can have the cesarean. I know." She sat up and placed both hands on her protruding belly, lightly rubbing. "You are going to be stubborn, like your mom, huh?" Looking into Paul's eyes, seeing the worry in them, she made her decision.

"Alright, let's get this kid out of here. I'm ready to meet him."

2:15 - Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab

"Bones!"

Brennan turned when her name was called, barely able to brace herself before she was hit with 85 pounds of flying Parker Booth.

"Parker! Take it easy, buddy. Bones isn't as tough as Dad." Booth called as he jogged to catch up with his son and girlfriend in the middle of the lab.

"He's fine, Booth." Brennan looked down affectionately at the boy in her arms. "But pretty soon he's going to be as big as his dad and then I'll be in trouble."

"I'll be careful, Bones." He looked around. "Can I go hang out with Angela now?"

Booth laughed and playfully flicked his son's ear. "Makes you feel wanted, doesn't he, Bones?"

"It's fine, Booth." Addressing Parker, Brennan pointed towards Angela's office. "She's waiting for you, Parker. Go ahead."

They both watched, amused, as the boy tore off towards the artist's domain, almost passing the doorway in his haste, closely resembling a cartoon character as he skidded to a stop. They heard Angela's "Hey, Baby Booth!" and smiled at each other before heading into Brennan's office.

"I have some work to do if you want to head back to the Hoover, Booth. I can keep an eye on Parker while you're gone." She took her seat behind the desk and wiggled her mouse to wake up her desktop.

"Nah, everything I have to do has been done. I'm just waiting for Caroline to call and let me know what's going on with that case we have going to court next week, and Becks is supposed to call when she's on her way home so I can drop Parker off." He sat on the sofa and kicked back. "Besides, I don't have a couch in my office." His ringing phone distracted him for a moment.

"Hey, Paul. How's Cam?" Brennan watched as a worried look crossed his face. "Yeah? But everything is okay, right?" He paused again, eyes catching Brennan's. "Alright, man. Let her know we're thinking about her." He listened again. "Thanks for calling, Paul. Good luck." He hung up and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Is everything alright with Cam?" Brennan finally asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, Bones. She's just…not moving along like they want, so they're doing a c-section."

Nodding, Brennan sighed. "I know that is not what Cam wanted, but she is in good hands. They'll be just fine, Booth."

"I know. It's just unexpected, you know?"

"Yes. But she'll be fine."

Booth smiled. "And what is your evidence, Dr. Brennan?"

"I suppose…I am using my gut." She wrinkled her nose. "I don't care for it."

Booth leaned back again on the sofa, smug. "But I love that you're doing it anyway."

Brennan raised an eyebrow and stood to open her file cabinet, shaking her head. "Booth, go find something to do that isn't distracting or annoying me. Go have a chat with Hodgins about one of your sporting events. You enjoy that. And give everyone the update on Cam."

"You don't want me around?" He tried to affect a convincing pout, but he knew when he was beat. This wasn't the first time she had sent him off to find something to do when she was working, although sometimes it made him feel like her kid instead of her boyfriend. "Alright, alright…I'll go." He stood and straightened his tie unnecessarily. "But don't come crying to me when you need some entertainment and I'm too busy rubbing the fact that my Phillies are wiping the floor with the Nationals in Hodgins' face."

"I'll do my best to restrain myself." Brennan replied dryly.

Booth, against his better judgment but keenly aware of the tightrope he was walking with Brennan, wandered across the lab and into Hodgins' office to talk with him. He knew his reticence was justified when as he walked in, he noticed a brightly-colored lizard sitting on the scientist's shoulder.

"Hodgins, what the hell is that thing sitting on you?"

Jack turned around and grinned, absently patting his slimy friend. "Hey Booth. Relax, it's a red headed agama. Completely harmless."

Booth hid a shudder. "That doesn't explain why you're wearing it."

"Oh, she's not integrating well with the other lizards, salamanders and iguanas. I'm trying to decide whether to separate her in her own case or just put her in there with the others and see what kind of trouble she causes."

Booth leaned forward a little and inspected the lizard closely. "Nice coloring, though. Almost pretty." He cleared his throat at Hodgins' smirk and continued. "But in my experience, redheads are almost always a pain in the ass so you shouldn't be surprised."

"Tell me about it…" Jack threw caution to the wind and put the lizard into the terrarium with the others, closing the lid tightly. He didn't want a repeat of the Great Bearded Dragon Escape of 2009 on his hands. Cam still glared at him for that one, from time to time. He sat back in his chair and grinned nostalgically. "There was this chick in college…Betsy. Classic psycho chick and the brightest red hair you've ever seen."

"Yeah?" Booth settled onto one of the stools closest to Jack's desk. "How psycho? Leave you weird notes in your underwear drawer crazy, or bunny boiling all-out nuts?"

"Oh, no. Nothing that pedestrian. Betsy was a psychosis unto herself. We had a great time together, but man…when she was unhappy, she made it known in the oddest ways." Hodgins pointed at the large fish tank at the opposite end of his office. "See that tank?" Booth nodded. "I had a small one just like it in my apartment. About two months after I started seeing Betsy, I noticed that some of the fish were disappearing."

Booth laughed. "She was stealing your fish, man? You're right, that's odd."

"Oh no, G-Man. I wish she had just been stealing them."

"She was…flushing them?"

Hodgins leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "Oh no. Not Betsy. That would have been too easy. No, she was truly out where the buses don't run. We had a huge fight one morning before I left for class, and I was going to be late, so we agreed to meet back at my place and talk later. I get back, and I guess she was preoccupied, because she never heard me come in. I walk into the living room, and…" He snickered, shaking his head.

"What?" Booth leaned forward, caught up in the story. "What was she doing?"

"She was systematically swallowing my exotic fish live. One at a time."

Booth's eyes widened, a shocked laugh escaping him. "Seriously? She was eating your pet fish?"

"I know, right?" Jack shook his head. "Needless to say, we never did resolve that fight. I got as far away from her as I possibly could."

"Yeah, I don't blame you. The worst thing a chick ever did to me was cut up my ties."

"You got off easy. I met a woman in the psych ward who set my bunk on fire because I passed too closely to her in the hallway."

Both men turned around to see Fisher and the other two interns standing in the doorway. Wendell and Arastoo took a step back from Fisher, staring warily.

Hodgins looked at Booth, an eyebrow raised in question. "I'm guessing the guy who was living with actual, documented psychos might win this argument."

Booth stood, smoothing his tie unconsciously. "Yeah. And he's welcome to it." His phone rang, and seeing that it was Rebecca, he patted Hodgins on the shoulder and nodded at the interns as he passed. "Gentlemen."

They all watched as Booth answered his phone as he sauntered down the hallway, headed for Angela's office.

Wendell took Booth's vacated seat and shook his head. "I honestly can't think of a really crazy chick I might have dated."

"Oh, come on Wendell. We all have at least one woman in our pasts that we just look back on and say, 'What the hell was I thinking?' Even you, man."

Wendell looked uncomfortable. "Well, when you put it that way…"

Hodgins picked up on his friend's reticence and the reason behind it and smiled. "Okay, so you've always made good choices in women. We can let you slide on this one, Wendell."

Arastoo nodded sagely, also not missing the subtext. Changing the direction of the conversation, he scratched the side of his face absently. "I have to admit, there was a woman I dated…for a short time. But…"

"But what?"

"Well…you might know her." He raised his hands in a classic defensive pose. "But it was before she started dating Dr. Sweets!"

"Daisy?" Wendell and Hodgins said the name together, wearing matching shocked expressions.

"Hey, like I said…it was even before she started interning for Dr. Brennan!"

Hodgins grinned. "Were you the guy she dumped for Sweets?"

"No. Absolutely not." Arastoo shook his head determinedly. "We only dated for a few weeks. Daisy is…very enthusiastic. She was a little much for me."

"Couldn't handle her, huh?" Wendell smirked.

"Daisy is a little jumpy, but she isn't crazy. Believe me, I know crazy." Fisher interjected. "And you aren't the only one here that dated Daisy."

Hodgins started full-out laughing. "You too? Oh boy, it's a good thing Sweets didn't know any of this."

Arastoo leaned into Fisher, whispering. "Did she ever ask you to…you know, have sex in odd places?"

"Oh yeah, her favorite was coat check rooms in nice restaurants and clubs." Fisher's expression never changed. "We almost got arrested one night; she makes a lot of noise."

"Tell me about it." Arastoo shook his head.

Hodgins stood and held his hands out. "Okay, that's enough! Aside from the fact that I have no desire to know about Daisy Wick's sex life…it's disrespectful. Talking about the crazy things women have done to us in the past is okay; gossiping about a former co-worker is not. Let's move on, gentlemen."

Fisher and Arastoo shrugged, both agreeing. But Wendell leaned into them, hand over his mouth. "We're talking about this later, right?"

"Oh yeah."

"Most definitely."

Angela watched, amused, as Parker put the finishing touches on his painting, a rendering of what Washington DC would look like immediately after the onset of the zombie apocalypse. "Wow, Parker. That's…"

"Gross?" His eyes were hopeful.

"Oh yeah. Definitely disgusting."

"Awesome." Parker nodded in satisfaction and put his paintbrush down on the easel's tray. "Thanks, Angela. This is so cool."

"Anytime, Parker. Really. Now here, let me get your picture hung up over here so it can dry. It'll take a few hours and I know you have to leave soon, but I'll give it to your dad when it's ready." She looked around the room. "Is there anything else you wanted to do to kill the last half hour?"

Pointing to the Angelatron, Parker grinned shyly. "Can you watch movies on that big TV?"

"Of course. In fact…" She rooted around her desk for a moment, crowing in triumph when she found what she was looking for. "How about some Transformers?"

"Cool!" Parker ran over to the table along Angela's office wall and jumped up to sit. "We watched this with Bones last weekend. Me and dad liked it, Bones said it was im…imploss…"

"Implausible?" Angela chuckled. "Sounds like Brennan." Inserting the disc in the drive on the side of the Angelatron, a thought occurred to her. "Does Dr. Brennan come over a lot when you're at your dad's?"

"Sure, we hang out all the time. Last time we went to the aquarium on Saturday and then on Sunday Bones made us an awesome lunch while we were at church."

Suddenly intensely curious about her best friend's weekend activities, Angela decided to probe further, ignoring the slight pang of guilt she felt about essentially interrogating an eleven year old. "Sounds like fun. It's nice of you to include Dr. Brennan."

"Bones is awesome, I don't mind and Dad gets all gooey-eyed around her and they kiss and stuff so I guess he likes her, too."

"Really, now." Angela couldn't contain her grin. "So Dr. Brennan stays with you and your dad all weekend?"

"Yeah…" Parker gave Angela a strange look. "Why? Is that bad or something?"

"Oh! No, Parker…not at all. That's very good." She ruffled his hair. "I'm glad your dad and Dr. Brennan have each other. And I'm really glad you like her."

Looking slightly mollified, Parker nodded. "Yeah, like I said, Bones is cool."

Angela turned and looked towards the platform, where Brennan was talking with the head of Egyptology and smiled predatorily. "Yes…yes, she is."

3:30 PM - George Washington University Hospital

Cam lay on the flat table in the operating suite with her arms stretched out to her sides, IV snaking out of her. Paul perched himself next to her head and ran his hand up and down the side of her face, holding her eyes with his.

"Can you believe that in just a few minutes, our baby will be here?" He whispered, leaning close.

Wide-eyed, Cam shook her head. "No. I-" She swallowed. "I don't know if I can do this, Paul."

"You can." At her head shake, he nodded. "You can, Camille. You are the strongest woman I have ever met and you are going to be an amazing mother." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "We are going to be amazing parents."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah." He glanced up at his colleagues and nodded. "We're ready."

Dr. Hanson smiled and peeked over the surgical sheet separating Cam from her view of the rest of her body. "Are you ready to meet your baby, Cam?"

Cam nodded tightly and closed her eyes, feeling Paul's hand in hers. The anesthesiologist, who had introduced herself as Stephanie, leaned over to Cam's left and softly gave her instructions.

"Now, I need you to relax. Take deep, cleansing breaths just like you would have during active labor. Dr. Hanson is making the incision, and you shouldn't feel anything but some pressure." She paused, looking over to where the doctors were working. "Do you feel anything, Camille?"

Cam shook her head, eyes still closed tight. "No."

"Alright." Stephanie's voice was calm and low and Cam chanced a look at her, getting an encouraging smile in return. "You're doing great. Dr. Hanson is making the Pfannenstiehl incision through the skin, and starting cut to reach the fascia." Cam nodded again, soothed by the technical explanation of the procedure and the cadence of being walked through each step as it happened. She noticed that Paul was still holding her hand, but he was now standing and watching everything as it occurred.

"Is everything okay?" She asked tentatively.

Paul winked. "Perfect. Just relax; he's starting on the fascia now."

Stephanie continued to walk Cam through her birth, reminding her to breathe deeply and gently encouraging her to remember every moment of this amazing experience. "He is through the peritoneum and I can see the womb." She smiled down at Cam. "Not long now, Mom."

Sniffling slightly, Cam gave her a watery smile.

"Alright, he's made the incision in your womb, and I see some very dark hair there." Stephanie's voice rose in excitement. "Okay, suctioning out the nose and mouth and…there. Clamping off the cord. Here we go…"

Paul gasped as his son was pulled into the world, kicking and fighting. He clutched Cam's hand tightly and shook his head. "My God. I…" He tore his eyes away. "Camille, we have a boy. He's perfect."

Cam released a sob and instinctively tried to sit up. Stephanie touched her shoulder and gently pushed her back. "Just hang on, Mom. Let us clean him off and he's yours."

She saw the nurse walk by with a flash of pink flesh and white towel and tried desperately to see her baby. Paul leaned down and kissed her lips, whispering 'Thank you' before resting his head against hers. "Go. Go see him and bring him to me." Her eyes were wide and pleading and Paul moved immediately to do her bidding.

Stephanie patted her hand. "You did great, Camille. Congratulations."

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Cam whispered. She stared into Stephanie's eyes for a moment, an understanding and kinship passing between them that women had been sharing for millennia, when the anesthesiologist's eyes were diverted across the room.

"I think that someone wants to meet you." She tipped her head forward, and Cam turned in time to watch as Paul carefully carried a tightly-wrapped bundle over to her.

Cam's breath hitched as the face she had been dreaming about for the last seven months was suddenly in front of her, looking into her eyes with a calm that belied the cries he had been making just a few minutes earlier. "Ohhh." She breathed. "Hello, Macon. You are so beautiful. Isn't he beautiful, Paul? Oh, I…I never imagined…"

Paul watched, sheen of tears in his eyes, as Cam gently nuzzled her son, a warm wave of love and affection washing over him so strongly that it almost knocked him off his feet. "It's breathtaking." He agreed, but whether he meant their son or the woman who had given him this gift, he couldn't really be sure.

After a moment, the pediatric nurse came over and gently explained that they needed to take Apgar scores, weight and measurements and foot imprints. Cam nodded and kissed the baby's soft cheek before Paul relinquished the tiny bundle to the nurse. He sat back down next to Cam and gently wiped a tear away that had run from her eye into her hair. They didn't speak again, content in the fact that their baby was here, he was healthy, and they were finally a complete family.

4:45 PM - Jeffersonian Medico-Legal Lab

Brennan smiled down at Booth as he took the steps up to the lounge. He was weighed down by several bags of Chinese food that he had stopped to pick up on the way back from dropping Parker at home. As he reached the top step, Booth's return smile got even bigger. "Hey, I just heard from Paul, everyone." He addressed the gathering. "At 3:42 PM, Macon Atticus Lidner was born. 7 pounds, 14 ounces. Everyone is just perfect. Mom, dad, baby and big sister are all doing well."

Everyone cheered, and Brennan took a few of the food bags from Booth as she grinned. "I find it very hard to picture Cam with a baby." She led Booth over to the long table where their team sat, talking animatedly about baby gifts and visiting hours at the hospital. "But I cannot help but be happy for her. She will be a wonderful mother." Only Booth caught the wistful expression on her face as she turned to hand Angela her order and a pair of chopsticks.

"Yeah, Cam's gonna be great." Booth agreed, filing away Brennan's reaction to reflect on at a later date.

Hodgins leaned back into the sofa where he and Angela sat, eating an egg roll. He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, just enjoying the brief moment of peace and fellowship that surrounded them and their friends. Angela patted his knee and leaned to whisper in his ear.

"I'm glad you're relaxing and taking a break. You've been too wrapped up in the Creeps case lately." She kissed his cheek. "It's nice to have you back."

"Hey, everyone needs to take a step back once in awhile." Jack agreed, the fleeting thought of a computer in his lab running yet another scenario he'd come up with earlier pushed to the back of his mind guiltily. "This is nice."

Intently watching Booth and Brennan's interactions for a clue, Angela nodded. "It really is. We should do this more often."

For her part, Brennan knew that Angela was staring at her, and she suspected why. Ever since Parker had left with Booth, her friend had been hinting around about the partners' relationship and while Brennan generally missed most obvious social cues, Angela was nothing if not blatant. Leaning into Booth, she whispered a question that had his eyebrows rising almost to his hairline.

"Really?" He swallowed slowly. "Are you sure? Because I know that we agreed to keep it quiet, but I'm okay with everyone-"

"Angela already knows." Brennan said, loudly enough for everyone to hear her. The interns stopped their intense conversation mid-sentence and Angela held back a snicker.

Hodgins sat up, interest peaked. "What, exactly, does Angela know?"

For her part, Angela acted nonchalant. "Oh, nothing. It's just a guess, really."

Booth sighed and waved at her with his chopsticks. "Go ahead, you can say it."

"Well…" She sat up and placed her hands on her knees as if she was going to tell everyone a story. "It seems as though Dr. Brennan here has been spending her weekends with a certain FBI agent and his son."

"So?" Jack shook his head. "They always hang out together." He glanced at Booth, noting with surprise the slight flush to his cheeks.

"Yes, but do they sleep in the same room and kiss?" Angela added smugly.

"Angela!" Brennan gasped. "Were you grilling Parker?"

Booth looked irritated. "You interrogated my son?"

"No!" Chagrined, she rushed to explain. "Well, he offered the information…I just, nudged him along a little bit."

"Ang…" Jack sighed. "Really?"

"I'm serious! Parker told me that Brennan spent the whole weekend with them! I didn't ask. I promise." Angela was starting to look upset, making Booth feel guilty.

"Think we should let her off the hook?" He asked Brennan, who was fighting a grin.

"I don't know. That was rather intrusive." She glanced at Angela, who was slowly catching on. "Maybe we should let her hang for just a little while longer."

At Wendell's snicker, Angela stood up, incensed. "You guys! Quit messing with me! You are together and you didn't tell us? You didn't tell me? Temperance Brennan, I thought we were friends! Best friends!" She began to pace between where Hodgins sat, grinning madly, on the sofa and where Booth and Brennan were barely containing their laughter. "This might be unforgiveable!"

"Oh come on, Angela. They probably just wanted some time to get used to the whole thing without everyone examining them like bugs under a microscope." Hodgins soothed. "Give them a break." To Booth and Brennan he said, "I, for one, am happy for you guys."

"Thank you, Jack." Brennan said. "We appreciate that."

"Yeah, thanks Hodgins." Booth wrapped his arm around Brennan and kissed her temple, effectively taking the raging wind out of Angela's sails.

The artist took a moment to really look at her friends and sighed dramatically. "Alright, fine." She moved to pull Brennan into a heartfelt embrace. "I really am thrilled for both of you. Truly."

"I know, Angela." Brennan pulled back from the hug. "And I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. But Hodgins is correct; we just wanted it to be between us for a little bit."

After hugging Booth, Angela smiled widely and nodded as she sat back down next to her husband, laughing a little when Fisher patted Booth on the shoulder, causing the older man to jump away. "It's okay, sweetie. Really." Picking up her discarded food, she shook her head. "And hey, it's not like everyone else knew first, right? I mean, if you had told…like, Sweets first…now that would be unforgiveable."

Brennan and Booth exchanged a look, eyes wide. "Uh, yeah. That would be bad." Booth agreed shakily.

Brennan could only nod.

Join us next week when a young woman who appears to have had a fairy tale life is brutally murdered, causing the team to question if anyone actually lives happily ever after. Don't miss The Fairest in the Land by Squinttoyou and Brainysmrfs.