A/N: Well I am finally back! Finally, I've got some spare time to myself and enough energy to write another chapter in this story's that I've missed so much. Hope you like it and sorry about the pop culture reference (see further into the chapter for meaning). I just couldn't help it. Just a little reminder, this story is set between third and fourth season, approximately.

"How long will we have to wait for?"

"Sixteen days."

"Sixteen days?"

Two weeks.

Two weeks had gone by since the fateful day when the embryos had been implanted in her uterus. Sixteen days of questioning, of anxiety, of wondering if the tiny cells would develop and form a foetus. Was she pregnant? Would her best friend and her husband have to go for adoption?

Two weeks.

Two weeks since they had last seen the grey walls of the fertility clinic's waiting room, since they had been surrounded by other women waiting anxiously for their results or for a nurse to call out their names and lead them into one of the offices in the back where, hopefully, they would get the answers to their questions.

"It's sunny today." Angela had commented on the way to the clinic. "It must be a good sign."

Hodgins had mumbled something in response. Temperance, sitting in the back seat, had simply gulped. Her best friend's comment had simply resulted in agitating the butterflies in her stomach. And, as she sat in the waiting room, those butterflies were back and seemed to have brought along some friends.

There wasn't much to do in this small waiting room. Observing the other women present didn't soothe her anxiety. Instead, it seemed to intensify it. Grabbing a magazine she had never even heard of, Temperance began flipping through the pages. Beside her, Hodgins and Angela were as silent.

A woman by the name of Maria Rodriguez was called. Temperance's heartbeat sped up. She glanced at the clock hanging from the wall across from her seat. Five more minutes.

"Oh look!" Angela squealed on the other side of Hodgins. "Britney's sister had her baby."

"Who?" Temperance asked, looking up from her own magazine.

"Britney Spears."

Temperance frowned.

"I don't know..."

"Who that is?" Angela finished. "She's a singer. Well, used to be anyway."

Temperance nodded, unsure of what else to say.

The word baby had brought out something in her. Suddenly, the room seemed to get too small. Baby. Britney's sister, whoever she was, had had her baby. The embryos in her uterus, had they attached themselves to her uterine walls? Would she be the one having a baby in nine months?

Of course not. She heard a voice in her head reply. You're not the one who's going to have a baby. Angela and Hodgins are.

"Temperance Brennan?"

A nudge on her side made her look up.

"Yes?" She asked, her voice betraying the wave of anxiety washing over her.

"The doctor will see you now."

Time seemed to stand still and silence seemed to have fallen over the room as Temperance got to her feet, followed momentarily by her best friend and her colleague.

She hated going to the doctors. She hated getting shots as a child and, today, hatred of syringes and blood samples had been added to the list. She had fought the urge to take a quick glimpse at her arm as the blood poured into the vial. Usually, she wouldn't have minded. But today, things were different. This time, her blood was the carrier of The News, news she wasn't sure she was ready to face.

It only lasted a few minutes. The nurse then led her to an office down the corridor where Angela and Hodgins were already waiting. She took a seat beside Hodgins. Minutes later, their doctor was entering the room.

"I am happy to see you all again."

The three of them nodded. Their eyes followed the old man as he walked over to the other side of his desk and sat down. Temperance couldn't help but notice how well his name suited him. Dr. Gray, with his salt-and-pepper hair, somewhat reminded her of her own father.

"How have you been doing, Temperance? Any nausea, pains, headaches?"

"No. Nothing."

Dr. Gray nodded.

"Well I shouldn't be surprised. It's still a bit early to have any symptoms, if you are pregnant. We will send the blood sample to our lab this afternoon and we should have the results in 24 hours."

"Twenty-four hours?"

The question had escaped her lips before she could stop it. Twenty-four hours? She'd have to wait another 24 hours before knowing if she was pregnant or not?

"Well the technicians need time to analyze your blood sample and surely we are not the only clinic in the area sending samples to that lab. Twenty-four hours is pretty quick, Dr. Brennan. Surely you would understand that."

Temperance nodded. Of course she understood. She sometimes had to wait longer than that to get results back from a lab.

"While you are all here, is there something you would like to talk about? Anything at all?"

Temperance shook her head. Her colleagues did the same.

"Very well. I will see you tomorrow at noon." Dr. Gray informed them as he stood up.

The trio got to their feet and followed the old doctor to the door. Thanking him for his time, the three of them walked out of the office.

"Twenty-four hours." Hodgins sighed as they climbed into Angela's car. "Do we have to wait that long?"

"I could take a home pregnancy test." Temperance suggested.

Angela shrugged.

"I'm not sure it would be conclusive."

"We could try." Hodgins replied. "It's worth the shot."

Angela concurred.

"I might have some pregnancy tests left at the house." She said, glancing in the rear-view mirror at her best friend. "Would you mind doing this for us?"

Temperance shook her head. Angela and Hodgins smiled.

"Thanks, Bren."

Temperance simply nodded. Then, turning to the window, she looked out at the scenery outside.

It seemed like all she had been doing since this whole thing started was waiting. She had waited for her uterus to be ready for embryo implantation, waited for the appointment for her blood test, had to wait for the results and, now, in Angela's bathroom, she waited for the pink line to magically appear on the small, white stick. She could hear her friends' muffled voice on the other side of the door as they whispered. They were counting on her on this. Maybe she should have told them no. She couldn't stand to put her own friends in a state of such uncertainty.

She glanced at her watch. One minute left. She turned to the mirror and thought of Booth. He still didn't know. How would he react when she told him? Would he be happy for her? Would he support her? Or would he turn judgemental and tell her how, in the Bible, surrogacy was prohibited?

Thirty seconds. She took a deep breath as the seconds continued to tick away. Twenty. She could feel her heart beginning to pound. Fifteen. On the other side of the door, Angela and Hodgins had both stopped talking. Twelve. Her cellphone vibrated in one of her pockets. Ten. She gulped as she saw her partner's name on the screen. It's tempting to push back the moment of truth but her throat felt so dry, she didn't think she would be able to speak. Four. Cellphone still vibrating in her hand, she slowly reached for the stick. One.

Everything went silent. As though on cue, her cellphone went still. Her shaking hands steadied and her heart skipped a beat. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob to the door.

"And?" Angela asked, hopeful.

Temperance handed her the stick, only to have back in her hands mere seconds later.

"It doesn't..." she started.

But whatever she was going to say stuck in her throat and instead she casted an helpless glance at Hodgins.

"Let's just wait for the blood test results."

Angela looked up at her husband.

"Yeah." She replied, taking a deep breath and plastering a smile on her face. "There's always the blood test."

Glancing briefly at her best friend, she turned around and walked away. Hodgins smiled apologetically at his colleague before following his wife, leaving Temperance standing, alone, at the bathroom door, the negative pregnancy test still in her hands. She glanced down at it and felt her stomach do a somersault. Yes, there was always the blood test.