A/N - Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to reply. And thanks to MickeyBoggs for her thoughts.

Real life is manic right now. I hate only being able to post intermittantly, but we're kinda on the home run now, so what I thought, perhaps, would be for me to save up future chapters till i've finished and then post them all daily so you guys aren't hanging around. Thoughts?

I posted the last chapter at about 2am and forgot to credit the poem i used. It's called 'Little Snowdrop'. The author is unknown but it is a popular poem for a child funeral. I hope I didn't mislead anyone into thinking it was my own work.

Disclamer - Yadda yadda yadda.

Enjoy


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"Seeley, we need to talk."

Booth's grin vanished at Rebecca's severe tone and he hugged Parker, before sending him to his room to unpack his weekend bag. It had been a tough couple of days for them all. Conscious that Bones was still out of sorts post-funeral, Booth had worried that he was neglecting her needs while Parker had stayed with them overnight, and was anxious to get back and lavish his complete attention on her before they both returned to work in the morning.

Despite his encouragement to take things easier, Bones was adamant that she was fully capable of maintaining a full work schedule, persistently repeating that she was 'not ill, just pregnant'. With an impending house move he was more than concerned that she was taking on more than anyone should be able to handle.

Rebecca led him through to the kitchen. "I'll make us a coffee."

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BBBBB

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"So there it is." Rebecca sat back in her chair, waiting for Booths reaction. "I'm sorry, but it's my best option."

"This is going to kill me, Becs. You know that?"

"I do, but what other choice do I have, Seeley?"

Booth rubbed his temples, processing Rebecca's bombshell. "Besides, I don't… I don't know where I'm going to find that kind of money."

"I thought Dr. Brennan was rolling in it? Don't you guys have, like, some joint bank account or something?"

Booth looked at her, disgusted. "As it happens, no. But even if we did you think I could just withdraw fifteen thousand dollars without Bones questioning it? It's a lot of money, Becs."

"You don't need to tell me Seeley. I'm the one who lent it you in the first place."

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BBBBB

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Temperance was asleep when Booth arrived back. He watched her lying peacefully on the bed for a few minutes then headed out of the bedroom to watch TV. There had to be something good to watch on a Sunday night. It crossed his mind to climb in beside her and wake her in a very pleasant way, but deep down Booth knew that right now she needed the rest.

Hours later Booth awoke from his spot on the sofa to find his apartment in darkness. At some point she had woken and turned off the TV and lights, yet left him sleeping alone. Confused, and a little hurt, Booth made his way through to the bedroom, stripping down to his boxers quickly, and climbed in beside her.

"Why didn't you wake me?" he asked quietly. Despite the fact she was lay facing away from him, Booth instinctively knew she was awake right now.

"I wasn't sure that you wanted me to," she whispered back.

"What?" Booth pushed himself up on his arms and leaned over to see her face. He let out a low growl of frustration at her puffed up face and bloodshot eyes. It was pretty obvious that she'd been crying. "Bones? Talk to me. Whatever's upset you… I'll fix it. I'll do anything. I hate seeing you like this."

She snorted disgustedly and her lip began to quiver.

" Wait… have I done something?"

"Have you?" she quipped bitterly.

He frowned. "What are you saying?"

"You were a long time dropping Parker off tonight."

"Yeah. I'm sorry. Becca needed to tell me something."

"Anything that I should know?"

Booth felt a wave of panic wash over him. Did she know what he'd done in her absence? What a fool he'd been? "What are you getting at Bones?" he asked cautiously.

"It occurred to me that you might feel a need to procure a sexual release in light of your recent abstinence."

"Whoa, Bones!"

"Horse."

"You think I'm having an affair with Rebecca?"

"Are you?"

"I can't believe you're even suggesting this, Bones!"

"You have been spending a lot of time there recently Booth. And you told me that Rebecca had approached you with the proposition of reconciliation. And we stopped having sex…"

Booth laughed, loudly. He tried so hard not to, but it was just so absurd, the suggestion she was making. "Bones… oh baby you couldn't be further from the truth." He pulled her tight against his chest. "I would never be unfaithful Bones. You know that. And the only reason I've not been making love to you is because after everything that's happened recently you seemed to need time to process. But you know that Rebecca is being let go from her job, right?" He sighed. "What she told me tonight was that she's been offered a transfer. Except… it's in Boston. And she'll be moving there in a week. With Parker."

Temperance pulled back and looked up at his sad face. "Booth, I am so, so sorry. How will you be able to see Parker?"

"We've been working out a new schedule. I'll get more time in the holidays. But I'm gonna miss him so much." Booth ran his thumb along her crestfallen expression. "It sucks, Bones. But Rebecca isn't prepared to risk unemployment, especially given the economy right now."

"What does Parker think?"

"He doesn't know yet."

They both lay back on their respective sides of the bed.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I developed what I believed to be a rational hypothesis that proved to be invalid."

Booth grinned and shifted in towards her, spooning himself against her back and slinging his arm protectively across her waist. "S'okay Bones. Sweets warned me you'd be all crazy pregnancy hormones about now."

"Booth?"

"Bones?"

"Would you like to engage in intercourse?"

"I thought you'd never ask!"

She could feel his smile as Booth's lips traced along her neck and shoulders and his hand inched across her thigh. Temperance shifted uncomfortably as his fingers moved closer to her center. She loved him in a way that she had never believed possible, that was a fact. And he aroused her with ease.

Usually.

Tonight was somehow different.

"Please avoid my breasts, Booth," she pleaded as his mouth ventured towards her engorged peaks. "They are incredibly tender tonight."

"Sure" he mumbled against her flesh, disappointed at his restriction. Booth's tongue danced against her abdomen and she tensed up. "You don't like that, Bones?"

She flashed him a weak smile. "Kiss me?"

Booth shifted himself up over her and brought them face to face. His mouth descended onto hers and kissed her with passion and vigor, nipping at her lip, savoring his favorite flavor. Bones. As Booth's palm slipped back down between her thighs, a disappointed sigh escaped from his lips as he became blatantly aware of a problem.

She flushed as she spoke. "Do you have any form of sexual lubricant, Booth? For a reason I presume to be hormone related, I'm finding that on this occasion my vagina is not actively producing the necessary lubrication to make intercourse a pleasurable activity." The humiliation in her voice was evident.

Booth rolled off to her side. "Maybe we should leave it for tonight?" he suggested as his erection quickly subsided. It was hard to stay… well… hard when your lover isn't turned on.

"I wanted to, Booth," she insisted. "I don't know why this happened."

"I'm sure you'll be fine after a good night's sleep." He snuggled up beside her reassuringly. "I love you, Bones."

Temperance stared wide eyed though the darkness at the faint patterns of light that danced in from the street below. "I love you too, Booth."

She would get very little sleep that night.

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