Chapter 10: As Time Goes By (Two Months to be Exact)

Part one: Saturday Morning

Angela sat absent-mindedly in silence on the large Victorian-style couch in the mirror-ridden dressing room. Her leg bounced up and down as she fidgeted, waiting with unusual impatience. They had been here for almost an hour and Brennan had not warmed up to a single dress. This was going to be a very long planning process and she was not looking forward to it.

" I do not think this one is right." Brennan's voice pulled her from the spot she had been staring at on the ground. Her gazed went from the paisley carpet to the miles of tulle and lace that were covering her friend. The crème monstrosity seemed to consume Brennan till Angela could only see parts of her shiny brown hair hanging out.

" Oh, Sweetie, it's…. awful." She said as laughter overcame her. Brennan pulled the long veil from her hair exposing her face. Her lips were pressed in a tight line as she turned and stepped down off the platform. Wordlessly the dressing room door slammed shut and the smiling bridal consultant rushed over with two more garment bags in had.

'Yeah,' Angela thought, ' it's going to be a very long trip to the alter.'

Fifteen minutes later and three bridal consultants later Brennan was standing in front of the room full of mirrors in a vision of white. The form fitting dress had a train that extended out about three feet, and the strapless bodice fit her like a glove. Angela tilted her head and sighed, her eyes welling up with slight tears as she took in the sight of her best friend. This was what every little girl should dream of, being a gorgeous princess about to marry her own knight in shining armor.

" Oh Sweetie, that's gorgeous." She gushed at her, trying to keep most of the sappiness to her self. She knew that to much emotion would turn Brennan off, and only make this process harder.

" It's alright." Brennan was looking at herself in the mirror, studying the curves of her satin clad hips and turning to the side. She placed a hand on her flat stomach, letting it linger there for just a brief moment.

" You look hot. I think Booth would go crazy for that dress."

" I'm just concerned about this." Brennan seemed like an actual girl for a moment turning from side to side and checking out her own rear in the mirror. Granted she was not quite the fashionista that Angela was, but there was some style in the good doctor that could not be ignored.

" Your butt looks fine, Bren." She said with a smile.

" But there is not much room to grow." Brennan had turned back to her side, her hand resting on her stomach.

" Are you planning on gaining fifty pounds before your wedding, because I have to tell you, Booth may love you no matter what, but I would get him to sign a lifetime commitment before you let yourself go."

" Just meant that as the baby gets larger I will need more room." The statement came out so natural, as though it were common knowledge and not quite the bombshell it turned out to be.

" Um, be kind, rewind. What?" Angela looked at her friend with wide eyes. Brennan's eyes widened as well, indicating that she had not meant to slip so easily.

" Booth and I are starting a family, again." She turned to look at her best friend in the whole world, and for the first time in a long time, allowed Angela see the fear behind her cerulean lit eyes.

" Oh MY GOD!" Angela's voice must have raised fifteen octaves in that minute. She reached out pulling Brennan into a crushing hug, cooing in her ears and crying all at the same time. She could not believe this, a wedding and a baby from her best friend in the same year. Perhaps she was finally ready to join the land of the living, leaving the past where it ought to be, behind them.

" Ange, you are cutting off the circulation to my lungs." Bren's voice was strained, as she gasped for air.

" Oh sorry," Angela released her, " When did you find out?"

" Two weeks ago, but I did not confirm it with a physician until yesterday."

" And Booth? Is he like so excited?"

" He actually doesn't know. In fact no one did until just a few seconds ago."

" Why haven't you said anything, Sweetie? This is wonderful news." Angela looked at her friend; she could see uncertainty on her face, as though she was not so sure.

" Can we talk about this somewhere else? Let me change at least." Brennan pulled away from her, leaving her standing on the platform of mirrors wondering what was going on. Booth would be happy. He had to be right? At least that is what Angela thought.

****

Part Two: Afternoon

The Yellow Pelican

Forty Minutes later.

Brennan sat at the table with her napkin carefully placed in her lap her menu open, hiding her face. She was pretending to contemplate the wine listing, in hopes to avoid the conversation she knew was looming over them. There were so many details to discuss, and so few that she was willing to give at the moment.

" Spill it Brennan, you can't drink in your condition so you can stop studying the merlot selections." Angela said as she plucked the menu from her hands. Brennan's lips tightened again as she eyed her friend with slight disdain. She had not meant to tell anyone for quite some time, needing to get used to the idea herself. It was hard enough trying to re adjust her views on wedded bliss, but to have another baby on the way was just a tad more that she could handle.

" Are we ready to order, ladies?" A waiter in a black and white stopped by the table, noting the closed menus resting on their plates.

" I'll have the sea bass, but with greens and balsamic glaze. Oh, and you had better bring me a large glass of chardonnay, I believe I am going to need it." Angela said, handing the man her menu.

" And for you miss?" Brennan barely registered the presence of the waiter; all she could concentrate on was the ringing in her ears. The tell tale signs of nausea swept over her, though she was not sure if it was from her condition or the stress of the impending conversation.

" Just the house salad and some water please." She managed to squeak out, earning a nod from the waiter.

" So…." Angela said as he departed to place their orders.

" So I liked that last dress a lot." Brennan said hoping to keep away from any talk of the baby.

" Yeah, not if you get seriously pregnant you won't. Speaking of that, how did this happen?"

" One transient night on the couch in my office?"

" Wait you and Booth did the nasty in your office? Oh, I am so never sitting on that couch again." Angela said making a slight face and taking a gulp of the wine that had appeared before her.

" I have needs just like everyone else, Angela. There is nothing wrong with having intercourse in my office. It was actually quite arousing." Brennan said taking offense to her reaction.

" Sweetie, first of all, calling it sexual intercourse takes away from the mystery and romance behind it, and second I never implied that you were not a sexual being, it was just a little to graphic of an image. Plus, it's kind of hot. I mean how did it happen, did he push you up against a wall and take you right there?" There was a lusty looking in Angela's eyes as she formulated the scenario in her mind.

" Not exactly." Brennan smiled against her will. It was one of her more treasured memories.

" So, you guys did it on the couch and now you are with child. Why didn't you say anything?"

" I do not know that I am ready for this again. It's a huge risk, and I mean paired with the wedding, I guess I just thought it was a little to much to deal with all at once." Brennan admitted, taking a sip of her water.

" I can respect that. I mean, you did go through something pretty horrific the last time, but there are some very big differences this time around. The major one being that you are doing things the right way, as a couple."

" Love is a feeling, it's fleeting. Once it is gone then where will I be? Perhaps I am better off with out any of these complications in my life. I mean there was a time when it was all about the science and giving people their lives back. What happened to that point in my life?"

" With all do respect to your work, you gave dead people their live back. Don't get me wrong that is very important and all, but you have just moved forward. Instead of discovering someone else's life story you are writing you own. There is no substitute for being in love, Brennan." Angela said as she nodded her thank you to the waiter, who had put their plates on the table.

" That has no basis in anything other than psychology." Brennan said stabbing a tomato with her fork. At least this time around she had been able to eat. The morning sickness had almost been a deal breaker after last time.

" Look, fact: You can not help who you love, and you will fall in love. You fought Booth tooth and nail, and yet you still feel this way. It's not in your control anymore. There is no shame in living your life."

" You say this after the whole fiasco with Hodgins?"

" That was beautiful, and I screwed it up. I would not trade that for the world. The more we work through it, and the closer we get again, the more I realize that he is my Booth. There is just this thing out there, and you and Booth have it. It's this giant cosmic pull towards each other. Have faith in that, because that is real Bren, and that is what will count when things do get rough."

Brennan did not respond, she only took another bite of her salad. There was some logic to what Angela was telling her. That seemed to comfort her, but there was still a small part of her that did not understand it. That part of her wanted to have something to hold and feel. She wanted physical proof of their love for one another, something to make her believe. It never even occurred to her, as she sat there, that she already had it. The hard evidence of their love was growing inside her, just as their love grew a little stronger right in front of her eyes everyday.

*****

Part Three: The Evening.

Booth was flipping channels when he heard the door open. The click of her boots against the hardwood floor, the sound of her keys hitting the table even the sound of her breathing as she walked towards him seemed to reassure him. He loved it when she came home. He felt like she erased all that ailed him with the gentle sound of her voice and the press of her tender kiss.

" Hey Bones, how was shopping with Angela?" He called to her, hearing her get ice from the fridge into a glass.

" Eventful." She called back, making her way into the living room.

" Find anything that you like?" He asked slipping his arm around her as she curled up beside him.

" It's going to be complicated." She responded taking a sip of her water.

" Why is that?"

" I have a confession."

" What?" He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

" Remember how we had that conversation the night we took Parker to the zoo a few months ago. The one about starting a family?" She asked looking up from her spot against him.

" Yeah, are you indicating that it is something you would like to consider?" He looked at her wondering what she was trying to say.

" What if I was past the considering stage and had moved on to, say , the action plan stage?"

" Are you saying… I mean are you… sure." His brown eyes widened with surprise. He had wanted this so badly, but even he knew that you could not push her on certain issues. She needed time to come to things via her own mind.

" I'm Pregnant. I know, it's not quite the right time, and I'm still trying to digest this information myself…" He place his hand on her chin, silencing her as he turned her head towards him. His eyes searched her face for any sign of despair or uncertainty. He knew this would be hard for her, knew that she would have to be stronger now than ever before, but part of him took solace in the fact that their lives were finally coming full circle.

" Temperance, there is no right or wrong time for us to be together. I only care about your happiness and your well being. That being said, you have just made me the happiest man on this earth." Booth leaned in and kissed her lightly. This was not about passion. Passion had given them the life inside her, this was about comfort and love. This was yet another reason that she knew deep down, he was the only person for her. They kissed for a few moments, letting themselves digest the idea of being parents all over again.

" I wonder when this happened." Booth laughed as he pulled away, tracing the lines of her heart shaped face.

" According to the time line that the doctor gave me, I would say that night in my office." She responded clinically.

" You see," He said with a laugh, " I told you it was good to be a little bad."