End of August, 2007

Booth checked his watch anxiously, tapping on the table of the coffee shop as he watched the people walk by on the crowded streets of DC. The sun was setting quickly, and Booth knew that he was going to be late for Bones. They were supposed to be seeing a movie in…he checked his watch again…20 minutes. That was so not happening.

Just as he was pulling his cell phone out of his pocket to give Brennan a call saying they should see the later show, the women he had been waiting for walked through the door.

Her blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun, her blue eyes shining, her face radiant with pregnancy. An uncharacteristic grin was wide across her pretty face when she saw him, waving as she crossed the café to sit down next to him.

He waved casually, and smiled, taking a sip of his coffee as she sat down next to across from him.

"Hi Seeley."

"Rebecca, you're late. I was supposed to meet Bones 5 minutes ago."

She quickly ordered a coffee, and then looked at Booth, her face guilty. "I know, I'm sorry. Parker had to go to a friend's house and we got lost. Anyways, this won't take long."

He took a sip of his coffee, looking at his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child with inquisitive eyes.

"So what's up Rebecca, you don't exactly make social dates with me very often, so something must be going on. Is Parker all right?"

She wavered under his stare. She never had been able to match his stares with one of her own. That was what he loved about Bones, she was never afraid to challenge him.

Speaking of Bones, she is going to kill me for being so late. I'll make it up to her.

"No, no. Parker's fine."

"So what is it? I'm really going to be late."

"Hold your horses Seeley; I'm sure Dr. Brennan will forgive you. What I'm about to say is important."

Booth sighed, running a hand over his face. "Ok, shoot."

"I'm moving to New York."

Booth literally almost spat his coffee across the table, instead he satisfied himself with burning the back of his throat with the scalding coffee.

"What?!"

She looked at him calmly. "I'm moving to New York Seeley. With Parker and Drew. In 3 weeks."

"Why?"

"I want the baby to have a new life Seeley." She put a hand protectively on her middle. "There's too much in DC. Too much baggage. Drew and I just want to start over."

"With Parker too?"

"Yes, Parker is my son after all."

"He's my son too Rebecca. You can't just take him away from me."

"I'm not trying to take him away from you. That's why I'm giving you notice. You can move to New York too Booth."

"I can't just move to New York Rebecca. My whole life is here. The bureau, and the squints, and Bones…"

"Listen I'm not responsible for what you do Seeley, but I'm taking Parker with me. He can visit you on weekends if you decide not to move."

"Parker's life is here too Rebecca, what if he doesn't want to move."

"He's 5 Seeley; do you honestly think he knows what he wants?"

Booth sighed, looking out the window, trying to gather his thoughts. This was all just happening too damn fast.

"Don't you think this is a little sudden Rebecca? Maybe you should wait until the baby is born before you make a decision like this."

"No, you can't change my mind Seeley. I'm doing this for the baby, and my family. If you decide you want to move, give me a call."

She stood up abruptly, leaving money on the table for the coffee, as she walked out the door as fast as she had come leaving Booth to think about the bomb that had just been dropped on his life.

He took a sip of his coffee, looking out onto the streets were a dark haze was setting over the city. He needed time to just think.

Picking up his cell phone, he hit her speed dial, rubbing his forehead.

"Yeah Bones, I'm definitely going to be late…."

April 1, 2007

Brennan pulled her hair behind her ears, sighing loudly as she stared blankly at her computer screen. She was supposed to be writing part of her next book. She was supposed to be identifying the Civil War remains that were waiting for her only 30 feet away on the lab platform. She should be going over the case file that Booth had just dropped off in her office 5 minutes away. Instead her head was overflowing with thoughts she truly wished weren't there.

Booth. Babies. Chloe. Sam. Her lies. Booth again. Things had been horrible with him. She didn't want it to be that way. She wished that she could go back in time and stop him from leaving. That she hadn't been so afraid and had gone to New York the second she realized she was pregnant.

She bit her lip, thinking about his sudden departure. The memories which had been slowly repeating themselves on a continuous rotation since he came back made her feel sick. If only things hadn't changed so suddenly.

They would have been together right now. He would have helped her with Chloe and Sam. They would have had a father. They would have been a family, and everything that Brennan was so afraid of wouldn't have to exist anymore. Because she would have Booth.

She couldn't change the past. It wasn't logical, but she could change the future. She shouldn't have lied to him. He needed to know the truth. She knew that Chloe and Sam needed their father more then ever.

If only she wasn't such a coward and could think of a way to tell him.

Little did she know, a way would present its self in a very unexpected format.

She leaned her head in her hands, trying to calm herself down. She was just going to stand to find the remains, knowing that the bones might clear her head, when the raven-haired head of Angela Montenegro popped into her door.

"Hey sweetie."

Brennan put up a weak smile for her friends benefit, as Angela meandered across her office, finally sitting on the side of her friend's desks, staring at her with huge almond eyes.

"Hey Ange."

"How are things going?"

"With what?"

"You know, a certain FBI agent?" Angela raised her eyebrows.

"With Booth?"

"Yes, sweetie. With Booth. How's he taking the news?"

"What news?"

"You know the whole you having his illegitimate kids, lying to him thing?" Angela used her hands to weigh out the news to Brennan, and Brennan immediately turned away from Angela. She didn't want to lie to her best friend.

"I haven't told him."

Angela stood up, a look of shock and disappointment on her pretty face.

"What?! Brennan! You haven't told him?!"

Brennan stood up, walking around her desk to face her friend, who was definitely not reacting the way she hoped she would.

"I couldn't Angela."

"You couldn't? You couldn't Brennan? How do you think he would feel if he knew you were hiding his children from him? Not very happy I would guess."

Brennan looked at her friend, whose voice was rising. She knew Angela would be disappointed in her, but she couldn't explain.

"Ange I tried. Really, but I couldn't."

Angela put up her hand to her friend, he face hard with recognition.

"Stop it Brennan. You know I'm disappointed in you. Sam and Chloe deserve their father. They deserve to have what you didn't. And I would have thought that you would want them to have that. They need their father. They need Booth!"

If everyone in the Jeffersonian didn't already guess that Booth was their father, they would now, because Angela's voice had rung out loudly, leaving Brennan to wince. Angela had been completely honest, something that Brennan hadn't been able to achieve in the past week.

Angela's face quickly turned from anger to shock, as she put a hand to her mouth, going white at something behind Brennan's back.

Brennan looked at her friend, confused. "Ange, what it is…"

She trailed off as she turned around, knowing exactly why Angela looked so panicked. Standing in Brennan's doorway, with a look of utter shock on his face was Booth.

Brennan's eyes widened, as the comprehension that he had heard their entire conversation ran through her head. She felt her heart beating loudly, as she gripped the desk for support.

Apparently and opportunity had presented itself. There was no going back.