Things are finally falling into place, but what's life without a few problems, setbacks, and surprises along the way to keep things interesting?

There's a tiny bit of spice in this chapter, but nothing too heavy.

Groaning softly in the dark on Saturday morning, Jessica punched her pillow in frustration as she rolled over and tried to get comfortable. Questions about how things had gone down with Daisy one week earlier insisted on popping into her head at weird times, and no matter how much she'd willed herself to ignore them, the angsty thoughts were keeping her from getting a good night's sleep.

'Could I have done anything different? Should I have told her the truth? Everyone thinks that I did the right thing but now my best friend hates me…however, she also put me in the position of lying for her and always sucked me into her drama...'

She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was 4 AM...too early to get up and do anything productive, but she decided it would be a good time to make a trip to the bathroom. Aubrey was snoring softly next to her, so she quietly slipped from her bed to take care of her business.

Mumbling in his sleep, Aubrey turned over to throw his arm over his girlfriend but she wasn't there. Hearing the toilet flush, he groaned softly as she opened the door. "Are you okay, Jess?

"Yeah." Pulling back the sheet she climbed back into bed. "I just had to pee, that's all. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"I'm not." He snuggled up behind her, put his arms around her waist, and smiled. "Now that we're both awake, maybe we can use a way to use our time wisely."

She giggled as he caressed her breasts. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know...maybe some spooning…" Aubrey's lips found the soft skin on Jessica's neck. "...maybe a bit of sex...you know, something that'll help us go back to sleep because we're so relaxed…"

"I see." Turning to face him, Jessica grinned as her hands began to roam over her lover's body. "I'm glad you're ready for action, but you're wearing too many clothes…"

Aubrey's hand moved across her posterior. "So are you…"

Quickly jumping out of their pajamas, they embraced each other tenderly at first, but their gentle kisses soon became more intense as they became increasingly aroused. Finally Aubrey pulled Jessica on top of him, rapidly thrusting into her, spurred on by her soft moans.

"Oh my God, Aubrey…", she yelled, arching her back before collapsing on top of him.

Riding a crest of his own, he emptied into her as he held her close. "I love you so much, Jess…"

"I love you, too, Aubrey." Stifling a yawn, she chuckled softly. "I think you were right. I'm feeling very relaxed." She moved to lay next to him, running her fingers down his chest. "How are you feeling…"

"Wonderful." Stroking her hair, he sighed. "I'm so sleepy…"

"Hmm...me, too." She closed her eyes contentedly. "See you in a couple of hours."

Oooooooooo

Later that morning, Aubrey chuckled as his girlfriend slowly sauntered into the kitchen wearing only an MSU tee shirt, her fuzzy slippers and a silly grin. "Someone looks rested and happy this morning."

Laughing softly, she gave him a pat on the butt. "I was just thinking about how content I am. I mean, look...we live in a beautiful house…" Standing by the center island, she saw Skinner happily chomping on his food. "We have a happy and content cat, you're cooking breakfast, and I'm sexually satisfied…" She winked at Aubrey. "Very satisfied, as a matter of fact. What could be better?"

"I'm glad you have your priorities straight, Jess.", Aubrey laughed as he flipped a ham and cheese omelet onto her plate. Glancing at her clothes, he quirked an eyebrow. "What are your plans for this morning?"

"I'm meeting Genny by her house at the Ford Dupont Ice Arena at 10 to help her get ready for her undercover assignment."

"Sounds like fun. How long has it been for you since you've been curling?"

"About six years…" Shrugging as she sat down at the counter, she buttered her toast as she continued. "When Genny called, she said it's been a long time since she's been on the ice as well, but she's in good shape, so once she gets used to being on the rink again, I think she'll be fine. She still has most of her equipment, too, and we'll be able to use some stones at the rink. I guess I'll be gone a couple of hours, and then I'll come home and start the laundry." Taking a drink of her tea, Jessica smiled at Aubrey. "What are your plans for today?"

"I have a bit of paperwork I need to finish up, and then later this morning Wendell, Booth, and Arastoo are gonna come over and help me get that bedroom furniture moved upstairs. I'm gonna order some pizza to feed them lunch."

Jessica wrinkled her nose a bit. "Are you sure you guys can handle that set? It's really heavy, remember? After all, the guys Aaron had helping us move it onto the trailer play on the University of Richmond's football team…they work out..."

"I work out!" Aubrey narrowed his eyes at her. "Between the four of us, we should be fine. Anyway, I think Arastoo is bringing his two older sons as well. Don't worry...we won't hurt your precious bedroom suite. You don't need to worry about it. I'll take care of it, okay?"

"Oh..kay…." Jessica bit her lip to keep from laughing at what Dr. Brennan would classify as an overt alpha male display. "Well, then...I'll leave my furniture in your capable hands."

"That's more like it." Puffing out his chest a bit, Aubrey loaded up his plate with another omelet and joined her at the counter. "So what are we having for dinner tonight?"

"Oh, I don't know...maybe I'll stop on the way home and get some potato salad and coleslaw to go with the leftover ham...unless you're already tired of it…" Jessica began to make a list on her phone. "Is there something else you want instead?

"That actually sounds pretty good. Maybe you could pick up some baked beans, too, and some macaroni salad...some pumpernickel bread and coleslaw would be nice…oh, and some cheesecake...you know, stuff for a light dinner since we're having a big breakfast..."

"Yeah...a light dinner. Right." Sipping her tea, Jessica added some items to her list. She grimaced as she glanced at the time. "Oh wow...this wonderful breakfast has me running late. I've got to get going."

"Okay." Aubrey watched her walk up the stairs, nodding to himself as he picked up the dishes and loaded the dishwasher. It was probably a good thing Jessica would be gone before Booth arrived later. He didn't want her to worry, but he had some things about the case that he needed to discuss with the older agent, and maybe, the less she knew about them, the better off they'd be.

Oooooooooo

It was 9:45 when Booth rang the doorbell at the Mighty Hut. He tapped his foot impatiently, not sure why he was there so much earlier than the rest of the guys, but Aubrey had said it was important, and they were good friends.

'However, there better be some strong coffee ready and waiting for me.'

Opening the door, Aubrey greeted his buddy. "Hey, Booth. Thanks for coming over." Pointing toward the garage, he handed his friend a mug filled with strong black coffee. "What I wanted you to see is in there."

As he raised the garage door, he waved toward the furniture laden trailer. "So here's the furniture we picked this up from Jessica's old house the other night." Pulling the tarp away, he rolled it up and cast it aside. "Look familiar?"

Giving Aubrey a sideways glance, Booth shook his head. "Nope. Why? Should it?"

Grinning sheepishly, Aubrey chuckled nervously. "Maybe?" Circling around to the other side of the trailer he pointed to the headboard. "Remember when we had to stay at the warden's house because of the blizzard?"

Booth groaned at the memory. "Yeah, of course…Christine has been hinting for us to buy her some bunk beds the last few weeks, but I keep getting flashbacks of the ones we had to sleep on that night at Brinton's." Looking at the set again he nodded. "What's it with girls and frilly bedroom shit?"

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure his daughter's room had the same bedroom furniture suite...that it was just like this one." Aubrey paused, waiting for Booth to figure out the connection. When there was no reaction, he began to explain. "So Jessica said that this set of furniture was really expensive when her mother bought it about 15 years ago...she estimated that her parents spent about 5000 dollars for it. When I realized how similar it looked to the stuff at Brinton's house, I did some research online. A set like this was listed for about 7500 dollars 15 years ago. It was part of a collection specific to Ethan Allen stores from 2002 to 2010. There wasn't a store in West Virginia, so he would have had to go to Pittsburgh to buy it. Some of those pieces were probably custom made."

Booth stood with his hands on his hips, trying to get Aubrey's point, when the realization dawned on him. "Wait...how was a glorified prison guard able to buy expensive furniture on his salary? I mean, he probably doesn't worry too much about money...federal wardens make about 100,000 dollars a year, but still...that's probably a month's salary…for a teenage girl's bedroom set...and to get parts of it custom made and have it shipped to his house..."

"Exactly." Aubrey ran his fingers over some of the gilded trim. "I can't imagine how he managed to afford it…Jess's parents could but their income bracket is higher than Brinton's."

"Maybe he saved up for it...or maybe he got an inheritance of some sort…or he made monthly payments for a couple of years. He even could have gotten it from that Andrea Clark woman since she and his wife are family." Booth pursed his lips as he thought over the problem. "There's a lot of ways he could've afforded it. I guess it doesn't have to be anything illicit."

"Or he could've taken a bribe." Aubrey averted his eyes from Booth's smug expression. "What? Come on, Booth...you know that guy is hinky...he has to be. There's no way he could have the money for an expensive set of furniture like this other than by doing something illegal."

"That's kind of a stretch, even for you and your wild imagination. We don't have any proof at all that he's done anything wrong, other than he's a nosy son of a bitch who happens to like your father." Booth walked over and patted Aubrey's shoulder. "I tell you what...maybe we can get Angela to look into it if she has time, okay? I admit...it looks suspicious, but we have to be careful pushing the envelope on this thing. I mean, I practically had to twist Stark's arm to get the go ahead on the undercover operation. I don't want to risk getting it shut down because of some off the wall accusations..."

"Yeah...okay. I'll see if Angela can squeeze in a records search next week. She said she's working until the baby comes next month but she looks like she's about to pop. No wonder she's kind of snappish, right? She probably hasn't been feeling good." Shrugging a shoulder, he grinned at Booth. "Do you want to start moving the stuff in, or should we wait for the other guys?"

Booth laughed as he sipped from his mug. "Let's wait."

Oooooooooo

Jessica smiled as she walked around the ice rink to the curling lanes, waving at Genny, who was getting things set up for their practice.

"Hi, Jessica. Hey, thanks for helping me. I was kind of worried about this part of the operation. It's been a long time since I've thrown a curling stone." Genny cautiously stepped towards the hack, lining the stones up so they could take turns launching them. "When Hunter told me you used to be part of a curling league, I was surprised. I don't know how I missed that bit of information in all of our lunch conversations…"

"Well, it's not something that often comes up in a normal conversation, is it?" Jessica sat down on a nearby bench and opened up a duffle bag.

"I haven't done it since I graduated from Rutgers...a long time ago." Genny did some deep knee bends and then stretched as Jessica finished getting ready.

Jessica began stretching as well. "I'm out of practice, too. I haven't done it competitively since I graduated from MSU, so I just hope I don't let you down."

"It's not like we're running a race or something. Anyway, I remember the strategies...it's more the question of whether or not I'm able to still get in position for the delivery." She groaned softly as she hunkered down on the ice. "I feel like my center of gravity has shifted over the years. Of course, it doesn't help that I've gained weight since Hunter and I got together. He likes to cook, and he's good at it, so I've been letting him fix dinner. I've gone from having frozen microwave entrees to fancy gourmet meals, and I've enjoyed it, but it hasn't done my waistline any good."

"You look great, Genny." Jessica grinned at her friend. "But I know what you mean about letting a man do the cooking. Aubrey thinks a three egg ham and cheese omelet is a snack."

Giggling together, Jessica and Genny got everything in place to practice. "Okay…", Jessica began. "Since you're the skip, you need to stand down there and watch me throw, right?" Grimacing slightly, Jessica eyed the lane. "We really need a sweeper, don't we?"

"I think we can get by without one today. If we have time, we can practice with a sweeper later on. Go ahead and throw.", Genny said. "Let's see what you've got."

Jessica got lined up in the hack, putting her gripper shoe on the right side and the slider on the left. Crouching down, she lunged forward, pushing the stone in front of her and sliding gracefully behind it until it was at the edge of the hog line and it was time to let it go.

The stone traveled slowly down to the house, stopping inches short of the center button. Genny glanced at her friend, obviously impressed. "That was a great shot!"

"Thanks." Shrugging slightly, Jessica's brow furrowed a she got the next stone ready. "So, where do you want this one?"

"Let's have a little less weight, and give it more curl so we can make it a guard." Genny pointed to a spot in front of the first stone. "Maybe right about there."

Jessica tried to comply, getting close to the intended location but bumping the previous stone slightly off the button. "I put a little too much oomph on that one…"

The women practiced for several minutes, with Jessica throwing the stones and Genny trying to direct the placement from the far end of the lane. Finally the redhead laughed. "I think maybe it's your turn to throw some stones. Let's see how you do."

"Oh, okay." Walking down to the hack, Genny got lined up and threw the first stone, chuckling to herself as she watched it stop well away from its intended target. "Now you know why I was always the skip."

"Oh, don't be silly. I know you can do better than that! You used to throw the hammers, right?", Jessica teased. "Give it a good shove."

Puffing out a sigh, Genny nodded. Getting the stone lined up, she glided smoothly down the lane and gave it a big push."

"Bullseye!", Jessica shouted. "Right on the button!"

Anxious to see the stone's position, Genny rose up quickly and started down the lane, but she tripped, bumping her left knee and injuring her left wrist as she tried to stop herself from falling. "Ouch! Son of a bitch!"

"Oh, no!" Jessica hurried over to her friend. "Genny, are you okay?"

Wincing in pain as she carefully stood up, Genny nodded as she rubbed her leg. "Yeah, I think so. I'll probably have a dandy bruise on my knee." Grimacing in pain, she held her arm out to Jessica. "What do you think? Is it broken?"

"Well, I'm not a physician…" Jessica gently ran her fingers down the bones in Genny's lower arm. "...but I don't think you have a major break. It could be fractured, though. You need to get an X-ray to find out. Can you move it?"

"Yeah, a little. I'll ice it down when I get home, and it'll be fine."

"You really should have it checked out by a doctor...maybe you should go to an urgent care center. There's one down the road." Jessica chewed her lip nervously. "I'd feel a lot better if you did…"

Genny shook her head. "Nah...I'm going to see the FBI doctor on Monday about my stomach issues so Hunter will quit nagging me about that. If my wrist is still bothering me, I'll ask her about it then."

The redhead grimaced. "At least wrap it and put some ice on it…and also take some ibuprofen to reduce any swelling."

"Like I said...I'll be fine…" Genny grinned at her friend. "But thanks for the advice. If it bothers me a lot tomorrow I'll go to urgent care, okay? Come on...let's get this stuff picked up."

"Okay...if you say so." Jessica sighed softly as she helped Genny put the curling equipment away, hoping her friend knew what she was doing.

Oooooooooo

After a busy Saturday, Aubrey and Jessica were relieved to be able to spend a quiet Sunday together with nothing pressing on their agenda. Knowing that days like this would be few and far between, they decided to use their time wisely, choosing to do some really important things when they finally got out of bed for the day...things like watching old movies, playing with Skinner, and munching on an assortment of snacks.

Jessica snuggled happily into Aubrey's arms after they'd gone to bed that evening. "It was a wonderful day...so peaceful. We should do this more often...you know, just spending the day enjoying each other's company...chilling out with no stress...it was so relaxing..."

Stroking her hair, he closed his eyes as he drew her closer. "Yeah, I agree. I could get used to this...spending time with the woman I love...no chores...no cases...no drama. Maybe for our honeymoon we could have a week or two of days just like this…no real plans...just the two of us, spending some time together..."

They were both surprised at his unguarded statement. "Aubrey…", Jessica began, unsure of what to say as she propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. "Um…well that sounds nice, but we..."

"Sorry to spoil the mood, Jess…it just slipped out." He bit his lip, wishing he could take back his words. "I'm sorry...I know that's not a part of our plans right now…I wasn't hinting at anything...I'm with you on now not being the right time to think about getting married..."

Jessica felt bad as an embarrassed Aubrey stumbled over his explanation. "Well, maybe it's not going to happen right now, but I think it'll happen someday...and when it is a part of our plans, I'm going to want a honeymoon just like you described...a whole week filled with lazy days spent making love and enjoying lots of quiet time together."

Relieved that she wasn't upset with him, he chuckled softly. "Okay, I'll remember that." Yawning, he gave her a sleepy smile. "We need to get some rest. I have a long day tomorrow."

"Me, too...but I think we can enjoy this Sunday for a little bit longer, don't you? I don't want it to be over yet." She glanced at her clock. "It's eleven...we only have an hour to fill before the day is over…" She ran her hands down his chest. "Can you think of something we can do together for an hour?", she asked innocently.

"Yeah, I think so." He kissed her passionately. "In fact, we may need two hours for everything I want to do with you…"

oooooooooo

Fidgeting as she sat in the waiting room of the FBI's preferred physicians' office on a rainy Monday morning, Genny sighed softly as she checked her phone for messages again. Having already waited fifteen minutes to see Dr, Santos, she was restless and bored. My appointment is for 9...why can't I get in at 9?

Dr. Santos was normally punctual, but occasionally she'd get behind on her schedule. Grumbling to herself, Genny rubbed her bruised wrist. She probably gets behind because of people like me who come in for one thing and ask questions about something else. I don't want to make two appointments, though...and anyway, this is no big deal...just a sprain or something…

Finally hearing her name called, Genny followed the nurse back to the cluster of offices. "Okay, Agent Shaw...let's get your blood pressure...and your weight."

"Um...okay." Slipping out of her shoes, Genny groaned as she stepped on the scale. "Oh boy...it looks like I've gained at least six pounds since the last time I was here, just a few months ago! That's terrible!"

"Your blood pressure is normal." The nurse shrugged as she recorded the information on her tablet. "It's not that much of a weight gain, really. I'm sure Dr. Santos won't be too concerned. She may suggest some slight moderation in your eating habits, that's all. If you'll follow me…when was the date of your last menstrual period?"

"About three weeks ago." They entered a small examination room, and Genny sat down on the elevated table, nervously drumming her fingers as the nurse took her history.

"Why are you seeing the doctor today?"

"I've had chronic nausea and indigestion for the past couple of months, and it doesn't seem to get better no matter what I do." Genny winced slightly as another wave of nausea crept up on her. "And I bruised my wrist Saturday, so maybe the doctor can look at that, too, if she has time.

Nodding, the nurse continued. "Are you taking any medications for the stomach issue?"

"Antacids, mostly, but they don't seem to help with the nausea. It feels like I've been eating them by the handful." Genny laughed ruefully. "Nothing seems to help with it...it feels like I'm always on the verge of throwing up. I've been careful about what I eat, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. Plain cottage cheese upsets my stomach just as badly as chili dogs do."

The RN clicked her mouse a few times and typed in Genny's response. "How long have you been experiencing this problem?"

Thinking over the question carefully, Genny counted on her fingers. "Two or three months, I guess...since the first week of January."

"And you're just now doing something about it?" The nurse was surprised as she continued to enter the information into Genny's record.

"Well, I've been busy." Grinning shyly, Genny shrugged. "I got married recently, and we went on a honeymoon...and there's work…"

"Congratulations on your marriage. Would you like your husband added as your primary emergency contact?"

"Yes, please...his name is Hunter Geren…"

"There we go…" Standing up to leave, the nurse smiled as she picked up her laptop. "Dr. Santos will be in momentarily."

"Thank you." As she looked around the small exam room, Genny couldn't help but grin happily. "My husband…", she said to herself. "I have a husband...a loving, wonderful man...he loves Danny, too...how did I get so lucky…"

A sharp rap at the door shook her out of her musings. "Good morning, Agent Shaw. How are we today?" Dr. Santos glanced at the information on her tablet. "Tummy troubles, hmm? And an injured wrist." Settling on the stool, the doctor took out her tablet. "Tell me about your stomach ailment. "Do certain foods affect you more than others? Any diarrhea?"

"Well, like I told the nurse, changing my diet doesn't seem to stop the problem. I still get nauseous, no matter what I eat, but it's not like I'm constantly vomiting, and I don't have any other symptoms." Pursing her lips slightly as she nodded, Genny shrugged at the gray haired physician. "I don't think it's that much of a big deal. It's more of a nuisance, really...not anything I can't live with, but my husband thinks that since I've had trouble over several weeks, I should get it checked out." Shifting as she tried to get comfortable on the table, she put her hand on her abdomen. "Sometimes the smell of certain foods makes it worse, though. Canned tuna, for example...I used to love it and now I think it just reeks…it makes me want to retch."

"I see." Scanning through Genny's history, the doctor paused. "I'm not trying to embarrass you, but you seem to have put on a few pounds since I last saw you, even though you've been troubled with an upset stomach. Interesting. Why don't you lie back on the table and we'll take a look at you, okay?"

"Yeah, I know I've gained some weight. That happened not long after I started taking birth control pills so maybe that has something to do with it, or it could be because I got married recently, and my new husband is an excellent cook."

"Well, that's good news." Dr. Santos glanced at her tablet as she continued her exam. "Let's see...it says here you had a bout of strep throat at the end of December...right about the time you began birth control pills, correct?"

"My son had strep around Christmas time and I ended up with a really bad sore throat soon after we got him past that, so I went to an urgent care center and they prescribed amoxicillin for it. It was nothing, really. I was better in no time. I only missed one day of work." Genny was becoming impatient with the doctor. "Maybe you can give me some sort of heavy duty antacid to stop the nausea, and I can be on my way...my caseload is through the roof, along with my other duties as an ASAC."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Agent Shaw. I've been treating FBI agents for twenty years and you're not the first agent with a high caseload. Just relax, okay? We need to be thorough and diagnose the underlying issues, not just treat the symptoms." After palpating Genny's abdomen, the doctor helped her sit up and then listened to her heart and lungs. "Let me look at your wrist while I'm here."

Seeing Genny wince as she examined it, Dr. Santos shook her head. "I think we need some blood work done to rule some things out for your nausea, and I want you to have an X-ray on that wrist."

Groaning softly, Genny thought over her schedule. She didn't really have time for lab work that morning, but, on the other hand, she wouldn't have much time later in the week, either, and she'd told Hunter she'd find out what was going on as soon as possible. "How long will that take?"

"I think we can have the results back within the hour. I'll put the orders in the computer right now, and you can go to the lab downstairs. I'll call you when the results come in, or you can call, and ask with the front desk."

"Fine." Pulling out her phone, Genny sent Aubrey a text to tell him she'd be late. "Let's get this over with."

Oooooooooo

45 minutes later, as she was having a cup of coffee in a small cafe, Genny got a call from the doctor's office. "Agent Shaw? This is Tina with Dr. Santos' office. She needs you to return as soon as you can...she's going to work you in. How long before you can get here?"

Feeling uneasy, Genny answered in a tentative voice. "10 minutes? I'm right around the corner. I'll be there soon."

Paying for her coffee, Genny was somber, muttering to herself as she walked back to the office. "I bet I've broken my wrist...Booth and Aubrey are gonna be so pissed if I can't go undercover. Dammit! Why'd I have to be so clumsy…no way can we find another agent who can curl in a few days..."

Checking in with reception, she was shocked as the nurse immediately ushered her into an exam room. "Oh no...this is bad. I wonder if I have an ulcer...or cancer...I wish Hunter was here with me...I should call him…"

"Agent Shaw?" Dr. Santos smiled as she entered the room. "I have your test results…"

Feeling her nerves getting the best of her, Genny breathed deeply to calm down, trying to hold back the wave of nausea that came up. "No messing around, okay? Give it to me straight. I have a broken arm, right?"

Dr. Santos gave a small smile. "No, there's no fracture visible in the X ray, but…"

Sighing with relief, Genny relaxed. "Good. That means I can still go on my undercover assignment."

Dr. Santos was horrified. "Absolutely not!"

Shocked at the woman's response, Genny reared back in surprise. "What? Why not? It's just a sprain or a bruise…I'm right handed so I still..."

"That's true, you have a slightly injured wrist, but that's not the issue." Dr. Santos glanced at her tablet before grinning at Genny. "The issue is that you're about 8 to 10 weeks pregnant."

"What?! Oh, Hell no! I can't be pregnant! I've been on the pill! Come on...there must be some other explanation…" Genny sat gaping at the doctor in astonishment. "Are you sure?"

"The blood test came back positive, and it's normally quite accurate."

Genny tilted her head to one side as she regarded the doctor. "Wait a minute...I've had two periods...I can't be pregnant…I've been pregnant before...I didn't have my period then and I was always puking...I haven't puked this time...no way I'm pregnant...I would know..."

Pulling up a stool, Dr. Santos sat down and tried to calm her patient. "Here's what I think happened...I think there was an interaction between the birth control pills and the amoxicillin you'd taken for your strep, which reduced the efficacy of the contraceptive. The onset of your nausea seems to coincide with that…"

"So I've been having morning sickness? Oh, my God...I had a glass of champagne at my wedding, and I've had a glass of wine with dinner on occasion…and that might affect the baby in a bad way..."

"I understand your concern about your alcohol consumption, but if that's all you've had recently, I think your baby will be fine. However, no more wine with dinner for now, okay? As for the apparent menstrual periods, embryo implantation can cause some spotting, as can a cervical polyp, which might've been aggravated by the hormone changes that accompany pregnancy. I'm assuming your periods were lighter than normal?"

"Yeah." Thoroughly flummoxed, Genny shook her head as she tried to wrap her head around what the doctor was telling her. "Um...I need to get back to work…"

"You may go back to work, but you'll be placed on certain restrictions until you get cleared by your ob/gyn after you give birth. As you know, per FBI regulations, you're to be on desk duty for the duration of your pregnancy...and you're not to lift anything over 10 pounds unless you hear differently after your first prenatal visit, which you should schedule ASAP. Since we aren't sure of what has caused the spotting, we need to be cautious, especially considering your age."

"I'm 35...not really an old woman…", Genny grumbled as the doctor's back was turned. 'God...pregnant...now? I've only been married four weeks…'

Dr. Santos handed Genny her business card. "Have your OB call me after you've been seen, and we'll discuss removing the restriction on how much you can lift. Good luck, Agent Shaw."

"Good luck? It's more like SURPRISE!" Inhaling sharply, she pulled out her phone to call her husband, but it went to voicemail. "Dammit! Where is that man?"

The ASAC continued to grumble as she arrived at her vehicle. Just as she was about to open the door, she had a sudden realization.

"Wait...8 to 10 weeks pregnant?" Genny calculated backwards, trying to remember what had happened during that period of time. "Hunter was gone to that SEC inservice for a week right after New Years...we were only together twice the week after that...but my pills should have been in full effect. Wait...that means I conceived…"

Genny covered her face with her hands as she realized the truth. "Oh, my God...I got knocked up at an FBI party...how flipping insane is that…our first time having sex and I get pregnant...just like a stupid teenager. Hunter is going to be so proud of himself...I hope. I hope he isn't too upset...after all, we are newlyweds...and maybe he doesn't want to deal with an infant right now..."

Sighing to herself, she climbed into the SUV and tried to call him again, but he didn't pick up. "Of course...now that I need to talk to him, he doesn't answer."

Starting the car, she pulled out of her parking spot and headed for the Hoover when another thought occurred to her. Hunter had a meeting with Booth and Aubrey today. I bet that's where he is...he's still with those guys. Well, I guess he'll get the news in person, instead of over the phone...and that might be better anyway…

Sniffling softly as a plethora of emotions washed over her, Genny wiped away the tears flowing from her eyes. Maybe he'll be happy...once he gets over the shock...but when will I get over the shock?

Oooooooooo

It was 11 AM as Hunter strode across the Hoover's 4th floor for his meeting with Aubrey and Booth, carrying his briefcase and a big box of celebratory doughnuts. For the first time in several months he finally felt like there was some hope of getting justice for Louis Vacchio. He smiled to himself as he walked on. His wife had said she would be glad to go undercover to help him out. He was so proud of her…

Today's meeting would be to finalize the undercover plans. The basic groundwork had been laid, but there were still some details to hammer out. Not being very experienced in that aspect of investigating crimes, he was glad that the FBI had offered their assistance.

Aubrey wore a big grin as he saw the accountant approach the conference room, and not just because the man came bearing snacks. He'd come to appreciate the accountant as a steady, reliable, and very intelligent man. It was good having someone like him on their side.

"Hey, Hunter! How's it going?" Sniffing hungrily, the agent tried to sneak a peek into the box. "Whatcha got for us this morning?"

"Call Booth in here and I'll show you.", Hunter chuckled. "He might like first crack at the doughnuts for a change."

"And all this time I thought we were friends." Pretending to be wounded, Aubrey clasped his hands over his heart. "Devastating…"

"Yeah, but you'll live.", Booth laughed as he entered the room. "Got any cinnamon sugar cake doughnuts in there? I mean, I know it's close to lunch, but still..."

"See for yourself." Hunter lifted the lid. "I picked them out especially for you, Booth."

"Cool." Booth took a big bite of the treat, savoring every morsel before he gave a pointed look to the men sitting across from him. "Hey, you guys...don't tell, Bones, okay? She thinks I'm on a diet."

"Whatever.", Aubrey snorted as he picked out a glazed beauty. "Jess doesn't have me on a diet…"

"Yet.", Booth retorted before munching on his doughnut.

"Ha ha…", Aubrey snarked back with a full mouth. "Okay...let's get to work."

#############

Thirty minutes later, the agents were hard at work as they sifted through the scattered papers littering the table. Deep in thought, they didn't hear the slight knock at the door.

"Hunter?" Shaw stood in the doorway, twisting a tissue in her hands. It was obvious she'd been crying. "Is your phone turned off? I've been trying to call you for almost an hour…"

"I'm sorry, Honey...I knew we were gonna be busy, so I put it on silent." Surprised to see her so agitated, he frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to you...now. My office." Turning away from the men, she marched down the hall without a backwards glance.

"Dude...what did you do this time?" Aubrey tried not to laugh out loud, but a chuckle escaped anyway. "I've seen that look before...like when she's interrogating a suspect…and it means someone's in trouble."

"Then I'd better go see what she wants." Smoothing his tie, the tall agent rose from his chair and headed towards his wife's office.

Not wanting to overtly spy on the couple, Booth poked his head out into the hallway, trying to figure out how much he could hear without standing right in front of Shaw's door. "I hope she's okay…"

"Yeah." Aubrey nodded in agreement as he stood behind Booth. "She's been at the doctor's office this morning. I hope she didn't get bad news..."

Aubrey was interrupted with a loud WHOOP coming from Shaw's office. Both he and Booth trotted to her office in a hurry, and were surprised to see a 6'4" man doing a jig inside.

"Really? Oh my God! That's great! Oh, Honey...that's so wonderful…" Hunter had picked Genny up and was twirling her around. "I'm gonna be a dad! I'm gonna be a dad!" Seeing the surprised looks on Booth and Aubrey when he stepped out into the hall, Hunter grinned broadly. "Genny's pregnant! I'm gonna be a dad…holy shit! I'm going to be a dad again!"

"HUNTER!", Genny hissed. "Control yourself. I'm at work! We don't need to announce it to the whole floor!"

"I don't give a damn! I'm gonna be a dad! Danny's getting a new brother or sister!"

Sniffling softly, Genny took her husband's hand, hoping to calm him down. "Are you really happy? We haven't been married that long…"

"Yeah, I know we haven't been married very long, but since I just turned forty, I don't have any time to lose. I was gonna suggest that we add to our family soon...it looks like I got my wish!"

Grimacing slightly as they walked down the hall, Genny sighed as she acknowledged the good wishes offered by Booth and Aubrey. "Thanks, guys. Unfortunately, however, it does cause a problem for us."

"Yeah...you're off field work, crime scenes, and undercover work during your pregnancy per FBI guidelines." Aubrey sighed softly. "Did the FBI doc put you on any other restrictions I need to know about?"

"Desk duty until I get the all clear from the ob/gyn...after the baby is born. I can't lift anything over ten pounds, either...at least not for a few weeks." Seeing Hunter's concern, Genny rubbed his arm. "Don't fret, okay? Dr. Santos just wants me to be careful. I'll explain later." Turning to her mentor, Genny gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry I let you down, Booth. I never would've suggested a plan that had me going undercover if I'd had any idea I was pregnant…"

"I know...and you didn't let us down. This is a great moment in your life, Shaw, and you need to enjoy it." Puffing out a quiet sigh, Booth shrugged as he glanced at Hunter. "So no more worrying about the undercover project right now. We'll come up with a plan B later. You two just need to take care of your little one, okay? I tell you what...why don't you guys go get some lunch, and we'll pick it up when you come back, Hunter."

"Thanks, Booth. That's a great idea." A blissful Hunter grinned down at his wife. "I'm so happy…"

"Me, too.", a relieved Genny responded with a giggle. "Surprised, but very happy."

Watching as the couple left for lunch, Booth grumbled softly as he turned to Aubrey. "Shit! Now what are we gonna do?"

############

It was a quiet evening at Booth and Brennan's house. The children were asleep and it was time for just the two of them to chat about their day.

Handing her husband a scotch, Brennan sat down next to him and patted his knee. "You've been quite pensive this evening, Booth. Is something bothering you?"

"I don't know if it's bothering me, but I do have a problem to solve." Seeing his wife's look of concern, he put his arm around her. "It's not a big deal, I guess. See, Shaw was supposed to do this undercover operation for us, but she's pregnant…"

Brennan smirked a bit as she sipped her wine. "I know…"

Booth laughed softly. "Of course you do. You can tell by how she walks, or the way her eyes look, or by how she moves her hands, right?" Sighing softly, he shook his head. "If you knew, why didn't you tell me?"

Brennan shrugged slightly as she stared into her wine glass. "Well, over the years you've taught me that certain information, such as that pertaining to a pregnancy, shouldn't be discussed openly without the affected parties' specific permission."

Rubbing her arm tenderly, Booth nodded. "In other words, what's theirs is theirs. Yeah, I get that. Anyway, I guess you knew before Shaw did...she just found out today."

"Really? She had no idea? That's interesting."

"Yep, and that's the problem, too. Per FBI regulations, Genny is confined to desk duty for the duration, meaning no crime scenes and no field work, including undercover ops, and I don't know who we have that can replace her on this project we have going. I mean, curling is a real specific skill to have, you know?" He groaned softly. "Dammit. I really thought this was gonna work. Now I have to go talk to Stark and tell him the sting is off again."

Brennan's brow furrowed as she thought over the problem. "What about Ms. Warren? I believe she was quite proficient in curling during her undergraduate years in college …"

Booth considered his wife's idea. "It's a thought, but she's not under contract with the FBI..."

"Perhaps you can arrange for her to be given a temporary contract, just for the duration of the assignment. After all, you are a special agent in charge of a division…"

"I am, aren't I? You know, that's a great idea. I'm not sure Aubrey will be happy with it, though, Bones. He's pretty protective of her, especially after what happened with Gerald Maxwell."

Brennan sipped her wine. "I understand that, Booth, but it's her decision, rather than his, isn't it? It's only for a day or two, and from my observations of her, I think she could handle this type of experience, but I should talk to her first and..." Brennan struggled for a moment. "...feel her out on this, just to be sure."

"Good job, Bones. It might also be dangerous, and I'm not sure how I feel about putting her in that situation." He sighed before sipping his scotch. Setting the glass on the table, he smiled at his wife. "I guess maybe you can discuss it with her tomorrow. Let me know what you think and we'll go from there. I'll have to run it by Stark, too."

"Why don't I go call her right now? That way we'll have an idea of whether or not she's interested." Brennan started to rise from the sofa to get her phone, but Booth caught her hand.

"Nah. I think tomorrow morning will be soon enough. Besides, I don't want to talk about work stuff anymore. I have better things to do this evening."

Giggling softly, Brennan snuggled next to her husband. "Am I a part of those better things, Booth?"

Smiling broadly, he reached up to turn off the table lamp. "Definitely."