I want to thank those of you that took the time to encourage me to continue this story. I think every writer gets a case of doubt every once in awhile. If you want to continue to read this, then I will continue to write more. I do appreciate any and all reviews.

This chapter was hard to write. I'm not sure why, it just took me awhile to get it right.

I own none of these characters and wish that I did. Remember, this story is very AU. While some of the things might follow the show, most of this story is made up by me and the way that I wish that the show would go. LOL! So, without further ado, here is the next chapter...

The next morning started out innocently enough. Booth had his annual physical scheduled that day. He'd had no problems in the past, so when the doctor called him later in the day, Booth was a bit concerned. Especially when the doctor said, "I think it would be a good idea if you bring your wife. We have a lot to discuss with you."

Booth hung up the phone and sat in his chair for a few minutes before he picked up the phone and called Brennan. She answered brightly and asked, "How did your physical go?"

Booth sighed and told her, "The doctor called and told me to that he wants to talk to us. He specifically requested that I bring you."

That's what scared Booth most. Every other year, the doctor simply called him and told him that he would see him the following year.

They walked into his doctor's office later that afternoon. Brennan took his hand and gave it a soft squeeze as they walked into the doctor's office. She whispered softly to him, "It will be okay. Whatever it is, we will get through it as a family."

Booth nodded and in the end, he was glad that she had gone with him. He only heard every few words that the doctor said. He heard the words brain tumor and his mind shut out the rest of the conversation. He heard her gasp softly and he knew that the news wasn't good.

When Bones turned to him and asked him a question, he could only stare at her blankly. He saw the smile that she gave him and he whispered, "I don't know what you asked me. I..."

She smiled at him softly and whispered, "They need to admit you to the hospital for surgery."

He looked at her blankly and repeated, "Surgery?"

Brennan found that she was growing more and more anxious at Booth's reaction to this. He wasn't acting like himself and it worried her. She took both his hands and framed his face and forced him to look at her and she whispered, "Booth, look at me." She could tell that the words weren't getting through to him. So, she resorted to calling him by his first name, "Seeley..."

He finally looked at her and she could see that she had his attention and she said, "The tumor is operable. They need to admit you to the hospital tonight."

Booth finally nodded and said, "I want you in the room with me when the operate."

She looked at him with a shocked expression on her face and said, "I'm not that kind of doctor Booth."

He shook his head and said, "I know that Bones, but you know enough about the human body to know what they are doing. I trust you."

She had no idea that three words would change her world completely. Hearing him tell her that he trusted her changed her mind. She looked at the doctor and asked, "Can I?"

The doctor cleared his throat and said, "It's highly unusual. I..."

Booth shook his head and told him, "It's not up for negotiation. If she isn't in the operating room then I'm not having the surgery. I..."

Brennan took his hand and whispered, "Booth..."

He shook his head and told her, "I'm serious Bones. I want, no, I need you in there with me. You won't let them do anything to me that isn't necessary and..."

The doctor finally looked at the couple and knew that the only way he was going to get Booth to agree to the surgery was to allow his wife into the operating room. So, he finally nodded and said, "While it's highly unusual, I will allow it in this case."

Booth breathed a sigh of relief and he felt Bones squeeze his hand softly. He looked at her and whispered, "I love you."

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him softly, "I love you Booth."

They held hands and kissed each other right there in the doctor's office. Finally, the doctor cleared his throat and said, "I would like to admit you tonight. Then, first thing in the morning we will take you into surgery. If everything goes well, you can go home the following day."

After a few tense moments, Booth finally whispered, "Okay. Let's do this."

Booth felt her squeeze his hand and he turned and they smiled at each other. They drove to the hospital and Booth was prepped for surgery. Before they wheeled him into the operating room, Booth looked at his wife and said, "I want you to promise me something."

She looked at him and said, "Anything."

"Promise me that if something goes wrong and I don't make it out of surgery, promise me that you will raise Parker and Julie. They love you and you are their mom and..."

Brennan could feel the fear welling up in her chest. It settled on her like a heavy cloud. It threatened to drag her under and she wanted to run. However, she found herself saying, "Nothing will happen Booth."

Booth shook his head and said, "You can't know that. Anything could happen and I need you to promise that you will be there for them."

She knew that he wouldn't be satisfied until she assured him that she would take care of the twins. She finally nodded softly and whispered, "I promise. I'll be there for them if something happens to you. I promise."

She watched as the nurses took him back and they stared at each other. Booth's doctor came and led her into the room where they would scrub down and get in their clothes for the surgery. She walked into the operating room and saw Booth laying down and looking up at her. She couldn't help taking his hand and giving it a soft squeeze. She leaned down and kissed him softly and whispered, "I love you Booth. It will be over before you know it. I'll be right here with you the entire time."

Booth nodded and that was the last thing that he remembered before they put him under.

It was four days before Booth woke up. Four days that Brennan spent beside his bed wondering if her husband would be coming back to her. Four days that left her wondering if she was destined to be a single mother of twins. Four days that she simply sat beside him and held his hand.

She barely slept. She never left his bedside. The only time she ate anything was when Angela or Cam brought her some food. She was afraid that if she left his bedside he would wake up and she wanted, no, she needed to be there when that happened. She needed to know that he was going to be okay.

Angela came in sometime during the third day and sat down and watching her best friend sleeping. She took Booth's other hand and whispered, "You need to wake up Studly. She's barely hanging on. She needs you. Your children need you."

She wasn't used to seeing Booth so still. Wasn't used to seeing him so quiet. She gave his hand a final squeeze and whispered, "You changed her for the better Booth. I'm afraid that if you don't come back, she will go back to being the same woman that she was before you came into her life..."

She took one final look at him and smiled. She walked out of the room and saw Cam and Jack waiting for her. She sat next to him and whispered, "I wish he would wake up. She's pulling away and it scares me Jack."

Hodgins nodded and whispered, "He will be fine."

Angela wished that she could believe that, but something told her that nothing would ever be the same.

It took another twenty four hours for Booth to wake up. He started mumbling something and when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the beautiful face of a woman that he knew that he should know. However, he had no idea who this woman was. Maybe she was one of his nurses. Once he was able to speak, he asked, "Who are you?"

Seeing his eyes open, Brennan started to have hope that everything was going to be okay. Her husband was awake and he could come home soon. However, when he finally spoke, the words that came out of his mouth were enough to drive a bolt of fear through her. When he asked who she was, she thought that she was dreaming. She shook her head and swallowed hard.

She finally looked at him and whispered, "I'm Bones. I'm your wife."

Booth shook his head and said, "I'm not married. I..."

She fell back into her chair and managed to reach for the call button. She told the nurse, "He's awake, but he doesn't know who I am."

It was at that moment that Brennan felt the urge to flee. Her worst fears were coming true. He'd forgotten her and their life together. The doctor's and nurses were working on him, so she left his room. She walked out to the waiting room and saw their friends sitting there. Angela noticed her and asked, "Is he awake?"

She nodded and said, "He doesn't remember me."

Angela smiled sadly and said, "That's one of the temporary side effects of the surgery."

"I know that Angela. It doesn't mean that I have to like it. How can he not remember me? He loves me and..."

Before she could say anything else, the door to the waiting room opened and the doctor came out. He was obviously looking for her and he smiled and said, "Your husband is asking for you."

She looked at him like she didn't believe him, "He doesn't know me. He..."

Angela saw the look in her eyes. The look that said that she was going to run. She took her best friend's hand and said, "Everything will be fine. You knew that this could happen."

Brennan nodded and she knew in that moment that she couldn't run. She had a family that depended on her. A family. In the past, running away had been so easy. She'd never had anything or anyone to ground her to one place. Now however, she had a husband. She had two children that loved her. She had friends. She had everything that she'd always wanted. They'd known that temporary memory loss was normal.

She smiled and knew that she would do whatever it took to make him remember the love that they shared together. She looked at Angela and said, "I'll be right back."

Angela stopped her and said, "Sweetie, don't run. Everything will be fine. I..."

Brennan smiled and said, "I'm not running. I'm going home. I need to get some things for Booth. Things that will help him remember."

Angela looked at her and asked, "You're not running?"

Brennan laughed and said, "No. I'm staying here. I've got no reason to run. I love Booth and I know that he loves me. Even if he doesn't know it right now."

Angela smiled as she watched her best friend leaving the hospital. Part of her still wondered if she would be coming back. Her best friend was not known for staying in stressful situations. Maybe she would surprise her this time. Heck, if someone had told her that she would be married and in the process of adopting her partner's twin children, she would have told them that they were crazy. Temperance Brennan did not want children and certainly didn't want to get married.

She looked at her leaving and smiled. She walked back to see Booth and was happy to see him smile at her and she said, "Hey there studly! It's good to have you back."

She could see the confusion in his eyes and he asked, "What happened? The doctor's only told me that they removed a brain tumor and I was out for four days."

Angela smiled and sat down next to him and started telling him some of the events of the past four days. She would leave the rest for Bren to tell him, but for now, he needed some answers. She looked at him and said, "It's all really simply Booth. Bren's been by your side. Waiting for you to wake up. I've never seen her more scared and more determined. Sitting beside her husband's beside. She didn't leave your side for more than five minutes."

Booth looked at Angela and asked, "My wife?"

Angela nodded and said, "You've been married for a little over six months. You've been together for almost four years."

Booth couldn't believe that he was married to her. He whispered, "We're married?"

Angela nodded, "Yes. The twins have been asking about you. Jack and I told them that you were sick."

Booth remembered the twins. He looked into his friend's eyes and asked, "I remember her as my partner. I..."

Angela smiled and reached down and got her purse. She took out the picture that she carried in her wallet from their wedding day. Booth looked at it and whispered, "We are married."

Nodding Angela said, "With two children. Although they aren't Bren's. Their mother died when they were born..."

Booth interjected, "And I was afraid when Bones got pregnant. Then she lost the baby and... God, I was such an asshole..."

Angela could tell that her friend was getting more upset. She took his hand and said, "She's forgiven you Booth. You have been working through your issues together. You've been talking with Sweets and working things out with his help."

"How can she forgive me for that? I don't deserve her forgiveness..."

Neither of them saw Brennan walking back into the room. They didn't know that she had heard them talking. At least not until she said softly, "I forgive you because I love you and that's what you do when you love someone. You forgive them for the things that they say and do..."

Booth and Angela turned and looked at her. She smiled and watched as Booth held out his hand to her. She took his hand and bent down and kissed him softly and whispered, "I love you Booth. No matter what."

She took out some papers from her briefcase. She smiled as she handed them to him. She whispered, "The twins drew these for you. They made me promise to give them to you once you were awake."

Booth looked at her and then at the pictures. Memories started flooding back into his brain. Losing Rebecca. Meeting Bones. Falling in love with her. Marrying her. He looked up at her and whispered, "I remember us getting married. I remember falling in love with you."

He took her hand and held on tight to it. Then he whispered, "I love you Bones."

He might be having problems remembering certain things, but the one thing that he didn't doubt was the love that he felt for this woman standing beside him now. He knew that she loved him and somehow, that was enough to get them through this time in their lives.

She just hoped that he was strong enough to hear what she was going to tell him next. The day before the surgery, she'd gotten some news. She whispered it to him while he was in the coma. Part of her hoped that he couldn't remember the conversation, but part of her hoped that he did.

She didn't want a repeat of the last time, but she knew that she couldn't wait another moment to tell him. She swallowed and said, "I want to tell you something, but I find that I'm apprehensive."

Booth smiled and squeezed her hand, "Whatever it is Bones, we can handle it. As long as you aren't leaving me."

She nodded and swallowed hard. She wondered if he was right. Could they handle this? She wanted to believe that they could, but she was still afraid. So, she swallowed hard and said, "I want you to know that I didn't plan this. If anything, I'm just as surprised as you are and..."

Booth laughed and said, "Just spit it out Bones."

She gave him a confused look and said, "I'm sure that I don't know what that means."

Booth laughed and said, "It means just tell me."

She nodded and whispered, "Well, there's no easy way to say this. To tell you this... I..."

A million different things were running through his mind. She was leaving him. She was going on a dig in some remote country. A million things were running through his brain at that moment. What could she be wanting to tell him? What could be causing her to act like she wanted to run and hide. Before she could say anything else, the doctor came into his room to check him over.

Brennan walked out of his room. She couldn't tell him. Not right now. She just got him back and she couldn't take the risk of losing him again. She would wait for another time to tell him. A better time to tell him that their lives were changing forever...