The bachelorette party was great. I wrote this chapter at work this afternoon, lol. Shh don't tell… I really like it though. Enjoy!

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"Okay Bones. Easy does it." Booth said, as he guided her to the living room couch.

She rolled her eyes. "Booth, I feel fine. You don't have to be so overprotective." Temperance saw the hurt flash over his face as she said the words.

He ducked his head down and moved to go towards the kitchen; his voice was softer. "Angela and Jack will be here in a little while. Do you want some water?"

She reached out to him. "No, I'm fine. Come he-"

"I'll go get you some water." Booth said before hurrying out of the room.

Temperance released a deep sigh as she tucked her legs underneath her and pulled a blanket into her lap.

Booth paused with his head lowered and his hand poised at the cupboard door. His shoulders fell as he exhaled. Booth tried to shake the burdening thoughts from his head as he continued his attempts to get water for his girlfriend. His eyes stung with the thought of what had happened. Once he held two full glasses of water, Booth straightened his back and wiped his cheek with his forearm before heading into the living room.

"Come here." She said softly as she moved to the middle of the couch and patted an empty spot beside her.

He walked to the couch and placed the glasses on the table. For a moment he paused and looked between the empty spot on the couch and the chair on the other side of the coffee table. A tug at his arm broke him from that thought and pulled him to the couch. Booth sat stiff beside her, his hands in his lap.

"Booth…" She began, noticing his tense body. Temperance moved closer, pulling his arms into her lap and adjusting his chin to face her. "This isn't anybody's fault."

His eyes burned again suddenly. Booth sat forward and put his head in his hands. Temperance followed his body with hers; draping her small frame around his shoulders so that her head rested beside his. "You say that Bones, but I'm not sure I can forgive myself."

"Booth, if it's anybody's fault- it's mine. I must have done something to lead this to happen. I could have missed a vitamin or not eaten healthy enough." Temperance didn't blame herself, she knew that these things happened. It saddened her, but she would rather have this man she loved blaming her instead of himself.

"No, Bones." He turned to look at her, grabbing her hand. "I was supposed to protect all three of you. I was weak, I shouldn't have..."

She stood abruptly. "Seeley Booth, you have to stop this!" Her outburst surprised him, but her voice softened and she immediately came to kneel between his legs and hold his face in her delicate hands. "I can't have you beating yourself up. You believe that God does things for a reason. Maybe right now, we were only meant to have this one child. Couldn't that be true?" She searched his eyes waiting for him to agree.

"But it was just a baby. How could God do that to us?" His face fell. "What if it's because of everything I've done?"

She shook her head and held him more firmly. She could feel his faith slipping away from him and she wouldn't let that happen, it was too important. "You are a good man. Everything you have ever done was to protect me, your children, and innocent people. This happened because it wasn't meant to happen."

He nodded, solemnly.

"I need you to be strong." Her eyes began to well with tears. "I need you to be, because I'm not."

It was his turn to be strong. He pulled her up to him, so that she was in his lap; her face pressed into the right side of his neck. "Shh, Bones. Its okay, you're right; it's no one's fault. We're all going to be okay."

"I'm scared, Booth." She sobbed against him.

"Of what, baby?" He asked, rubbing circles over her back and hip as she sat diagonally across his lap.

She pulled back to look at him. "Of so many things."

"Tell me." He urged softly, brushing her cheek with his hand.

Temperance sniffed. "What if this baby isn't meant to be either? What if that means we aren't meant to be together? What if something happens to one of us? Or if you're afraid to be with me romantically now."

Tears streamed down her face slowly as she spoke. Now he realized how selfish he'd been to be wallowing in his own shame and guilt when she felt this way. She was right, he needed to be strong. "That's a lot of 'what ifs', Bones."

She shook her head. "I don't know what that means."

He smiled sadly. "It means that you can live in fear because of the things that might happen." It dawned on him then, another realization: "Like how I can't live in fear that being intimate with you is going to hurt you and the baby somehow."

She relaxed slightly at his admission. "But you can't guarantee that everything else is going to be okay."

Booth thought. "No… I can't. But I can tell you that nothing that happens can stop me from being in love with you and wanting to be with you." He cradled her face between his hands. "I will fight with everything that I have to keep all of us safe and together for the rest of my life."

Temperance's eyes were streaming with tears; sadness mixed with joy. "Then we'll fight together."

Booth nodded. "Yes, we will." He kissed her softly and held her body to his in a tight embrace.

She pulled away after a moment. "Booth,"

"Yeah Bones."

"I think I want to get ma-" There was a sudden knock on the door.

"That must be Jack and Angela." He slid her off his lap and to the couch, pressing a light kiss to her lips. "Be right back."

Temperance sat on the couch and muddled over what had almost just happened. In the background she could hear Booth greeting their friends. "Where's little Mikey?" Booth asked with a grin.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Michael is at home with his grandpa."

"We just wanted to have some adult time with you guys." Angela finished with a smile.

Booth nodded as he led them to the living room. Angela moved quickly to her friend and held her in a tight embrace as she sat beside her on the couch.

"You look well, sweetie." Angela commented.

"Thanks Ange." She said as she pulled back from the embrace and made eye contact with Hodgins. "Jack…" Temperance voice broke with emotion.

The entomologist moved between his wife and his friend to hug the doctor. "Don't worry about it, Temperance. I'm glad I was there to help you."

She nodded as she accepted his embrace. The two of them had been through so much together that neither of their best friends/partners could understand. "And I'm sorry none of us told you about the pregnancy, we were waiting in case something like this happened."

Jack pulled away and nodded. "I understand." He looked at the agent, who offered another firm handshake of gratitude.

"Jack, want to help me get drinks for you and Ange?" Booth asked, giving his head a jerk towards the kitchen.

"Sure." Hodgins agreed with a smile, reaching out and squeezing his wife's hand as he walked away.

Angela smiled and turned back to her friend. "How are you feeling? You really do look great."

Brennan blushed lightly. "I feel…" She paused. "I think the correct word would be-"

"Blessed?" Angela offered, knowingly.

Temperance nodded. "I was going to say grateful, but yes. I feel like 'blessed' is also an adequate word. We're so lucky for what we have. Our relationship, a new apartment, a baby… I'm sad but I feel like I have faith in what Booth believes in. What's meant to happen will happen."

Angela smiled. "I can't believe my ears. Pregnancy has turned Temperance Brennan into a soft hearted believer in God. First you want to be a godmother and now this…"

She shook her head vehemently. "No, I said I believed in Booth's faith and wanted to participate. I don't believe in a God."

"The universe then." Angela sounded like Booth now. "But anyway, you believe." She took her friends hand in reassurance. "It's good to believe in something, sweetie. Your child will be very well rounded if he or she can accept all forms of belief."

Temperance nodded. She supposed having faith in something irrational and almost mystical didn't have to be a weakness like she had believed. It could be a strength. "I understand what you're saying."

Angela smiled again. "Good, just keep an open mind. How's Booth?" The artist always knew when it was a good time to change the subject.

Temperance sighed. "I think he's going to be okay. We were just talking before you got here. We just need to be strong and supportive of each other and we will get through this."

She nodded. "That's good. We didn't interrupt anything though, did we?"

"Well…" Temperance began, "I think I might have almost proposed to Booth."

Angela shrieked. "Did you? That we be so incredibly amazing!"

Temperance laughed. "I didn't get the chance." She sighed. "Maybe, I shouldn't. He might want to do it or maybe he doesn't even want to get married anymore; after Rebecca and Hannah."

"Trust me, honey. He does." Angela assured.

"Everything's so hectic now. I think maybe I'll bring it up when we're settled into our apartment." Temperance shrugged, unsure.

"Are you two talking about the apartment too?" Booth asked as he walked back into the living room with Jack.

Angela nodded. "Yes we are." She turned to her husband. "Did you offer it to him?

Jack smiled. "Yup."

"Offer what?" Temperance asked, looking between the three of them.

"Bones," Booth stepped forward and sat beside her so that she was between him and Angela. "They offered to pay for movers to get us into our new apartment. As sort of an early housewarming present."

Temperance smiled, "Really, you guys? I really didn't think that this type of large gift was socially common between friends."

Angela shrugged. "Sweetie, we want to. Plus, I couldn't imagine moving two apartments while pregnant with Michael."

"And," Jack added. "With you needing more rest and Booth's bad back, neither of you are really in a healthy state to do that sort of work."

"Thanks, man." Came Booth's sarcastic reply to his friend's honest insult.

"That's very generous." Temperance said. She looked over at Booth who gave her a look that told her that this one was her call. "I guess we'll be moving in much sooner than we expected."

Angela clapped her hands together in excitement. "Great! I can't wait to plan the housewarming party!"

The three other friends rolled their eyes. "She hasn't gotten out much." Jack commented, "She needs somewhere to direct her attention other than Michael."

The friends laughed and spent the rest of the night talking freely about children and the happy moments ahead.

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Next is the housewarming party… An old friend returns!

Stay tuned. Read and review please.