The following morning the three of them head out to visit Sweets. When they get to Sweets office they are instructed to go in. Booth opens the door for Temperance who carries a carseat in one hand and a diaper bag on the opposite shoulder. Seeley sits down on the couch first. Temperance sits the carseat on the floor. She sits the diaper bag next to it. She takes the blanket that is draped over the front of the carseat and throws it over her arm. She unbuckles Liam, and tucks the blanket around him securely. He continues to sleep. Satisfied she takes a seat on the couch next to Seeley.

"It's been quite a while since I've seen you Dr. Brennan. How have you been?"

"Fine," she answers and looks at Seeley. She rolls her eyes at him.

"So this the tyke?" he asks as he points to Liam.

She gives him a death glare and then relays the message loudly and clearly, "He has a name I'd prefer that you use it. His name is Liam, not the baby, or the kid, or the tyke, or it. It's Liam,"

"Agent Booth how have you been?" he shifts his glance to Seeley.

"Good."

The curiosity overcomes him. His glance quickly shifts back to Temperance. "Can I hold him... can I hold Liam?" She looks at him very carefully. "You're twelve," she answers.

"Dr. Brennan I am not twelve and you know this."

"Have you ever held a baby before?"

"Yes of course."

"Have you ever dropped a baby?"

"No."

"Have you washed your hands recently?"

"Yes why?"

"Sweets I can not believe you just went there."

"Went where?"

"She's obsessive about germs."

"I'm not obsessive I'm just cautious. Premature babies are much more susceptible to disease because their immune systems are not as developed."

"He's fine. Just let Sweets hold him."

"I..."

"Don't be unreasonable," he tells her.

"But he's asleep."

"Temperance you know that he's not going to wake up. He only wakes up if he's hungry."

"Fine," she sighs as she gets off the couch. She bends down and lifts the baby out of the carseat. She carefully, quickly, and expertly wraps the baby in the blanket. She stands with the baby in her arms and carefully, and reluctantly places Liam in Sweets arms.

Lance carefully holds the baby and begins to ask questions.

"So how have things been between the two of you?"

"Fine," Booth answers quickly.

"Dr. Brennan do you feel the same?"

"Yeah."

"How has the bickering been?"

"We haven't been bickering lately," Booth answers.

"You haven't?"

"No I think that Bones is too tired."

"Interesting."

Temperance watches the baby carefully.

"So have any issues arisen in the several weeks since I've seen you last?" he directs at Temperance.

"Booth thinks that he should step up and play the father figure to Liam."

"Why do you think that agent Booth?"

"She's my Bones."

"What does that mean? I'm not a possession you know."

"I know that Bones."

"What did you mean by that agent Booth?"

"Bones has attachment issues," he announces hoping to deter the inevitable discussion.

"Is this true Dr. Brennan?"

"I don't know what he's talking about."

"She was asked to lecture at Berkley."

"You're going to lecture at Berkley?"

"No," she answers quickly.

"Why not?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to take Liam with me, he's too little. I don't want him to get sick."

"And she won't leave him, even though I told her that I'd take care of him."

"Don't you trust him?"

"Of course I do."

"Then why won't you leave the baby with him?"

"He's got to work."

The baby starts to cry.

"What did I do?" Sweets asks.

"You didn't do anything," she replies.

"He's just hungry," Temperance and Seeley reveal in unison.

She gets up and snatches Liam away from Sweets. She quickly unwraps Liam and throws the blanket over him. Sweets looks at her in horror as she begins to nurse.

"You ok Sweets?" Booth asks.

"Uh yeah," he answers unconvincingly.

"See Bones I told you that it would bother him."

"I guess you were right. I was wrong to think that he's mature. We both know he's only twelve."

"Yeah he's probably not seen a boob before."

"I think it's kind of sad."

Sweets recovers. "I'm fine."

"You don't look so good."

"Agent Booth thanks for your feigned concern but I'm fine."

"You should be you know," Temperance tells him.

"Uh huh," Booth taunts him.

"So back to the two of you."

"The two of who? She and I or her and the baby or the baby and me?"

"Agent Booth you know very well that I'm talking about you and Dr. Brennan."

"I'm not sure that he knew that. Sweets you weren't very clear."

"I'm sorry. I'll be clearer next time."

"That's all we're asking Sweets," Booth tells him.

"Is it ok if I get back to my job now?" Sweets asks.

"Were we stopping you?" Temperance raises an eyebrow.

"So Dr. Brennan why aren't you comfortable with leaving the baby... Liam with agent Booth?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to."

"She isn't uncomfortable leaving him with me."

"She isn't Agent Booth?"

"No her issue is with being separated from him."

"Is this true Dr. Brennan?"

"I don't want to leave him. Is that wrong?"

"No it's not. It's an inborn maternal instinct to want to protect your child."

Temperance stares at him with an unusual look in her eye.

"I just don't know how she's going to handle going back to work. I mean I know that she loves working with bones, but he's her kid."

"Are you feeling apprehensive about going back to work?"

"I don't know. I guess that I could be."

"Do you want to go back to work?"

"Yes of course I do."

"But?"

"But I..."

"She's not ready to leave him."

"Booth that isn't your assessment to make," she warns.

"It's not? Whose assessment is it to make?" Booth questions.

"I don't know."

"Face it Temperance you aren't ready to leave him."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Yes because I don't think that Cam is going to let you bring him to work."

"Why not? I am very focused, and I am extremely good at multitasking."

"Wouldn't having a baby around the lab increase the risk of contaminating evidence?"

"I suppose."

"I mean how are you going to change his diaper if you're examining bones? You just can't."

"I'm just nervous."

"Are you uncomfortable with the nanny?"

"Not at all. I'm very confident in her abilities. She's intelligent, and she's got a lot of experience."

"So what's the problem Bones?"

"He's my son and I don't want to leave him."

"But you have to–that's reality."

"I know."

"You've got to prepare yourself."

"I know."

Sweets finally butts back into the conversation. "Agent Booth earlier when you said that she was your Bones what did you mean by that?"

"She's my partner."

"But that doesn't explain why you feel that you should act as the father figure to her son."

"What does it matter Sweets?"

"I think that you already know the answer to that question agent Booth."

"No I don't. Do you want to clue me in?"

"Did you think that maybe you want to be a father figure in Liam's life because you see yourself in a family with Dr. Brennan."

Temperance's eyes shoot up to meet Sweets face. "What?!" she stares at him.

"That doesn't make any sense," Booth tells him.

"It doesn't agent Booth?"

"No," he answers quickly.

"I think that it does. You feel that you have to protect her."

"She's my partner."

"You feel that you need to be there for her all the time."

"She's my partner."

"You're actually glad that she has a baby aren't you?"

"I don't understand the question. If you're asking if I'm glad that she's happy then yes."

"No. You're glad she has a baby because that means she won't be going out with anyone for quite a while."

"Why would that make me glad?"

"Because you're in love with her."

There is a silence that falls over the room. There are two very quiet, yet distinct sounds. One is the sound of the clock ticking, and the other is of sucking.

Temperance studies Sweets carefully before she breaks the silence, "Why would you think that?"

"You both have feeling for each other. It's so obvious."

"To whom?" she questions.

"Everyone but the two of you."

"We're not in love," she announces.

Seeley looks at her as she stares at Sweets. He becomes startled when she whips her head around to face him.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"I...It... I don't know that he's entirely wrong."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, never mind," he recants his statement.