AN: I don't own Bones. I wish I did, but nope. Still nothing.

Thank you guys so much for the reviews, follows, and faves. I know you're tired of reading this, but I am sorry for the wait. I wanted to have this up a few days ago, but I've been sick lately, so my bed became my best friend for a couple days.

Okay, so B+B were supposed to be going back to DC in this chapter, but my muse went a whole other direction. But don't worry. It's coming. I promise.

This chapter takes us back a bit to S3 Ep12, 'The Baby in the Bough', with Baby Andy. Remember that little cutie?

BTW - I don't endorse talking on a cell phone while driving, but if you do do that, as so many of us do, please do it safely.

Alright, my lovelies. Go! Read and enjoy!

"Hey, Booth?" Brennan asked.

"Yeah, Bones?" he asked, turning his head to look at her as she drove.

"If I pull into this convenience store ahead, would you run in and get me a ginger ale?" she asked.

Booth gave her a concerned look. "Are you feeling sick there, Bones?"

Brennan nodded. "A bit." she said.

"Well, in that case, sure." Booth said, still giving her a concerned look.

"Thank you." Brennan said, pulling into the parking lot. After she parked and shut the ignition off, she reached behind her for her bag, and gave Booth a couple dollars out of her wallet. "If you'd like something, go ahead and get it." she said.

"Be right back, Bones." he said, getting out.

Brennan watched him for a moment, admiring the way his muscles moved under his shirt. Her attention was diverted, however, by the sound of her phone ringing. She reached into the center console, where she kept it while driving, and smiled at the name on the screen.

"Brennan." she answered.

"Hi, Temperance, it's Carol."

"Hello, Carol." Brennan said. "How are you?"

"Good." Carol said with a little laugh. "I was wondering if you were terribly busy this afternoon, actually?"

"Uh...I don't think I am." Brennan said, noticing Booth was walking out of the store. "Why?"

"Well, Jimmy and I were going to put together an impromptu party for Andy. As you know, his birthday is coming up on Wednesday, so we thought we'd have his party before, rather than after." Carol said.

"What time is it?" Brennan asked, silently thanking Booth as he handed her the ginger ale she asked for after getting in the truck.

"We were aiming for around three, three thirty." Carol said.

Brennan looked at her watch, doing some time math in her head. It would take around six hours or so to get to Petersburg, then the additional two hours home to DC, plus maybe two hours for the party...so, they'd get to the party at around four, then be home around seven, seven thirty, eight, depending on traffic.

"That sounds good. I won't be able to be there until four, though." she said, getting a weird look from Booth.

"No problem, Temperance. I know Andy will thrilled to see you."

"I will be quite happy to see him, as well." Brennan said, another smile forming on her lips.

"Great! So, we'll see you around four, then?" Carol asked.

"Yes. Oh, and I'll be bringing Agent Booth with me. You remember him, correct?"

"Of course. Bring him along, if he wants to come." Carol agreed.

"Alright. I'll see you then."

"Bye, Temperance."

"Goodbye." Brennan said, ending the call. Looking at Booth, she gave him a small smile as she turned the key in the ignition. "Do you mind if we take a small detour before we go back to DC?"

Booth sat silently in the passenger seat as Bones drove to their detour. She wouldn't tell him where they were going, but she seemed happy to be going wherever it was. He wondered, though, who she had been talking to when he came out of the convenience store, and who this guy was she'd be happy to see again. However, Bones had asked if the person on the other end of the line had remembered him, so that meant they met before.

"So, Bones," he started, "if I ask you some questions, will you give me a hint about where we're going?"

Brennan let out a little laugh. "You are incapable of being surprised, aren't you?" she asked, glancing at him.

"No. It's just..."

"Booth, I can honestly say I think you'll enjoy where we're going, but I want to keep it a secret until we get there." Brennan said.

"Alright." Booth said. "Just...have we been there before, Bones?"

Brennan gave him a smile, not looking away from the road. "Yes, we have." she said. "Now, please, let me surprise you, Booth." she said.

Booth sighed, slumping down a bit in his seat. "Alright, alright." he said. "I'll just sit here, and watch the road go by." he said.

Brennan once again reached into the center console and grabbed her cell phone. "Here, Booth." she said, holding it out to him. "I installed some new games I thought Parker would enjoy, and you may as well." she said.

"Really?" he asked, taking the phone from her.

"Yes. You and Parker are a lot alike in your interests, so it follows that you would like the same video games as he does." Brennan said.

"Hey, hey...thanks, Bones." Booth said with a laugh.

"Sure." she said.

Booth decided to be a bit sneaky while he had her phone. He went to her media folder and then to the photos section. A smile formed on his face as he looked at them. There were photos of Bones with Pops, obviously taken fairly recently going by Bones' hair. There was also a photo of her and Parker that looked like they were at the zoo. A few photos of the squints gathered around a smiling Bones and a cake in front of her with candles.

'Oh, man.' Booth thought with an internal groan. 'I forgot Bones' birthday.'

Booth thought back to the date of her birthday. He and Hannah had gone away for the weekend, and he hadn't remembered it was Bones' birthday until after they had gotten back. But then, he got sent to South Carolina after he got back to help with a case down there, and again it slipped his mind. He made a mental note to buy her something to make up for it when they got back to DC.

Two hours later, Booth was still happily playing the racing game he had found on the phone when an incoming text message interrupted him.

"Oh, you uh...got a text here, Bones." he said.

"Who's it from?" she asked.

"Janet." Booth said. "Who's Janet?" he asked.

"My new publicist." Brennan answered. "What does she want?"

"Oh...basically, she wants to know if you've thought over the magazine offer?" Booth asked. "What magazine offer?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Anthropologist Monthly wants to do a special issue on me, and I haven't made a decision on that yet, so she's been...I think you'd say hounding...me for an answer." Brennan said.

"Wow! A whole issue? As in the entire magazine will just be about you?" Booth asked in amazement.

Brennan nodded. "Yes." she said.

"So, say yes." he said. "I mean, an entire magazine devoted just to you? That's quite an achievement, Bones."

"You...you think so?" Brennan asked, glancing at him.

"Yeah." he said. "Bones, this is something even the most successful athlete hardly gets. You gotta do it."

Brennan sighed, holding her hand out for her phone. Once Booth handed it to her, she dialed Janet's number.

"Temperance! How are you, sweetheart?" Janet asked in greeting.

"I'm good, Janet." Brennan said. "I was calling about the magazine offer."

"Oh, did you make a decision then?"

"I have been thinking, and at the advice of someone I trust wholly, I will do it." Brennan said. "However, I want final say over everything." she added, making Booth let out a little laugh.

"I'm glad to hear that, Temperance." Janet said. "And, I'm sure I can get the editor to agree to having your final say. So, I'll get that all set up and send you the details later."

"Very well. Goodbye, Janet." Brennan said, ending the call. "There, I gave her my answer." she said.

"Aww, come on, Bones. It won't be so bad." Booth said.

Brennan frowned, glancing at Booth once again. "We'll see."

"Alright, Booth." Brennan said. "Any of this look familiar?" she asked, getting his attention from her phone.

Booth looked up from the game he was playing and looked around. "Uh...should it?" he asked.

"Well, it has been a few years, so maybe not." Brennan said.

"Bones, no offense here, but two lane roads through a bunch of forest-y area all look the same after a while." he said.

"I know." she said. "It'll come to you in a few minutes." she smiled. Five minutes later, she pulled up in front of a white house with balloons tied to the tree and porch. "We're here." she said, putting the truck in park and shutting the ignition down.

"Where exactly is here, Bones?" Booth asked, getting out of the truck.

Brennan got the pups out of the back of the truck while Booth stood beside the road looking around. She was glad that Jimmy and Carol had a fenced in back yard so she'd have somewhere to put the pups while they were inside.

"Like I said, Booth, it's been around three or four years since we were here, so it might take you a bit to recognize anything." she said as she walked with the pups on their leads around to the yard.

Booth followed Bones up the sidewalk to the front door, still wondering who they were going to be seeing. He stood a bit behind her as she rang the bell and waited for the door to be opened. A moment later, a short blonde woman answered the door, smiling as she greeted Brennan with a hug.

"You came." Carol said.

"Of course. I said I would, and I almost always keep my promises." Brennan said, smiling back at her. "Besides, I want to see the birthday boy."

"Oh, he's going to be so happy to see you." Carol said. "Agent Booth, hello again." she said after she let Brennan pass by her.

"Hello." Booth said. "Thanks for inviting me."

"We're glad you could make it." she said, letting him in and closing the door behind her.

Booth entered the house and immediately looked for Bones. He found her over by the kitchen, kneeling down and hugging a little boy dressed as Superman. He laughed a little as she tried to pull away and the little boy clung tighter to her. Bones finally gave up, standing with the little boy in her arms, his little arms around her neck. He was struck with a vision of how Bones would look with a child of her own, and found himself wondering if she still wanted a baby. After all, it had been three years since she had planned on having a baby, and two years since she even mentioned it.

Brennan smiled as she walked over to where Booth was standing awkwardly in the living room. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when she introduced the little boy who was currently in her arms.

"Andrew, can you say hello to my very special friend, Agent Booth?" she asked.

Andy turned his head from where it had been in the crook of her neck and gave Booth a small smile and wave.

Brennan smiled at the shy little boy. "Booth, this is my special little guy, Andy." she said.

As Bones said the little boy's name, something inside Booth clicked. Three years ago...a woman in a car...a car seat in a tree with a baby in it...he and Bones taking temporary custody of the little guy after he swallowed a key...Jimmy and Carol taking custody...Bones hiring Carol to rebuild the bridge in and out of town instead of buying a big house with a huge flat screen.

Booth smiled, giving the little boy a wave. "Yeah, I remember him, Bones."

"Andy, why don't you go get the picture you drew for Temperance, huh?" Carol asked from behind Booth.

"Okay, mommy." he said, running off down the hall as soon as Brennan put him down.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go see if Jimmy needs help with the grill." Carol said, walking past Brennan and out the back door.

"Bones, you...you truly are a wonderful person." Booth said, making Brennan blush. He stepped closer to her and brushed her hair back off her shoulder. "I mean it, Temperance. You kept in touch with these people all this time, and it's clear Andy adores you." he said softly.

"I try to come visit every few weeks or so." she admitted. "Much as I tried not to, I got attached to him, and Jimmy and Carol, during that case." she said with a smile.

"Hey, I wasn't teasing, Bones. I meant what I said." Booth said, looking into Bones' bright blue eyes.

"Thanks, Booth." Brennan said, getting lost for a moment in the dark brown eyes of Booth's. The moment was broken, however, by the sounds of little feet running back down the hall.

"Here, Bwen." Andy said, handing her a piece of paper with a brightly colored picture on it.

Brennan knelt down to Andy's level, and smiled as she took the paper from him. Andy had drawn a rainbow over a patch of trees. "This is wonderful, Andy." she said, tickling the little boy under his chin. "Why don't we go find your parents, hmmm?" she asked, standing back up. Andy tugged on her shirt and raised his arms toward her, wanting to be picked up.

"Here, I'll hold onto that, Bones." Booth said, reaching for the picture.

"Thank you." she said, smiling as she handed it to him before reaching down for the little boy currently demanding her attention. "Here we go, Andy." she said. "Are you coming, Booth?"

"Yeah. Right behind you, Bones." he said, smiling both at the picture in his hands and hearing Bones and Andy talking as they walked outside.

Review please.

Til next time!

XOXO - Onyx Obsidian