A/N: Wow, and I thought I wasn't going to have a lot to write for this chapter. lol Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I finally got some energy back after a long winter and I'll probably be updating more often over the next couple of months. But for now, enjoy this chapter.

"I'm sorry I've kept you waiting so long." Dr. Gray said as he motioned to the three friends to sit down. "But I finally have the lab results."

Though she had expected it, the news had come like a bombshell. She had read the report over and over again, trying to convince herself that it was wrong, that there had to be some mistake. It was impossible. The odds, they were just so... Pregnant?

The word echoed in her ears even hours after she had left the doctor's office. It all seemed so surreal. She just couldn't be. The pregnancy test had been negative. She had known it would be, of course, but one tiny part of her had clung to that result. Maybe, just maybe. But no. Here she was, sitting in her obvious, feeling slightly nauseated.

Angela and Hodgins were ecstatic but how couldn't they be? They had waited so long for this. It was all they seemed able to talk about on the way back from the clinic as she sat in the backseat, trying her best to keep her breakfast in her stomach. She remained silent. So many things ran through her mind, things she hadn't necessarily thought of before agreeing to this ordeal. Those things, it was too late to think about them now.

She'd have to tell Booth. He had waited long enough. He deserved to know what was going on with her. He was her partner, her friend. It was unfair to him that she hid that from him. Would he be happy for her? Would he be supportive? Or would he ramble on how unnatural this situation truly was?

A knock at the door startled her. She turned her gaze and her heart nearly stopped as it fell on her friend. There he was, standing outside her face, a bright smile on his face.

"You're back."

He seemed happy. She couldn't think why.

"Yes."

"We found Jennings."

She nodded. Jennings was the prime suspect in their current investigation. They had been looking all over the city for him but he had always managed to slip between their fingers.

"Where is he?"

"A warehouse, just outside the city. He's taken hostages."

A hostage situation? She could almost hear Angela's voice, telling her not to go. Fighting her friend's imaginary voice, she got to her feet. Nothing wrong would happen. They had gone so many times to hostage situations and everything had always turned out great. There was no need to worry about this time.

She felt her partner's gaze as she passed by him and closed the door to her office. He led the way out of the lab, not before glancing briefly at Angela first. His gut told him whatever had gone on between the artist and his partner wasn't over. He hadn't mentioned it after the last crying spell episode, nor had Brennan. But Angela's attention was focused on whatever Cam was explaining to her and didn't notice the partners leaving the lab. The sliding doors opened and closed as they passed through them and their footsteps echoed off the walls. She was quiet. She usually would be bombarding him with questions. Max had known something was up but he hadn't divulged anything. He couldn't stand the not-knowing. It was like an itch, driving him crazy. He'd find out... tonight.

The drive had been equally quiet. Temperance, lost in her thoughts, hadn't bothered to look away from the scenery outside the window. Her eyes had examined the huge parking lot as they had turned into it but her lips had stayed sewn shut. Multiple police cars were already parked astray everywhere, lights whirling, sirens cut off. Men in uniforms and bullet-proof vests stood near the entrance to the warehouse. The S.W.A.T. sat in their van, waiting impatiently for the permission to barge in. Booth cut off the engine and turned to his partner. His face showed deep concern and Temperance immediately felt uncomfortable.

"Bones, I want you to stay in the car."

Before she could say anything else, Booth went on.

"This guy, he's really dangerous. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

She glanced briefly at the warehouse with its teal walls. She imagined dogs barking like mad. A shiver ran up her spine and before she even knew what was going on, a wave of unknown feelings crashed inside of her. She turned to her partner and, unable to speak, simply nodded.

Her heart still racing, she watched as Booth unbuckled his seat belt, opened and the door and climbed out of the SUV. He paused and turned towards her. His gaze met hers.

"Tonight, my place. Thai food. I'm paying."

"Okay." She muttered, her throat suddenly dry.

Throwing her his charm smile, Booth slammed the door and walked away.

Her eyes followed him as he zigzagged across the police cars, making his way to the cops on other side of the parking lot. She watched as he talked to two men, possibly gathering information on what was going on inside the warehouse. Her eyes never left him, even as he gave the signal to the task force leader to send in the S.W.A.T. team. Her heart momentarily stopped as she watched him enter the building himself, accompanied by two other FBI agents. Had he bothered putting on a bullet-proof vest? Or did he think himself strong enough to do this without one?

She stared at the warehouse doors until she couldn't see him anymore. The darkness had engulfed him and she was left, alone, buckled up, in the SUV. What if something happened to him? She quickly realized that she needed him. She hated depending on someone but her situation was too big for her to handle on her own. With both her brother and father in prison, Booth was her only family left.

Family? She thought to herself.

Sure he was her friend and partner but since when had she started to consider Booth family?

Her mind switched to her colleagues at the Jeffersonian. From Cam to Zach, they were her friends, her new family. She thought of Booth's comment about different kinds of families and she suddenly understood. She had made herself a new family and, surprisingly, all of them had stuck around.

She thought of Angela and wondered what she would say if she found out she had gone to an hostage situation knowing that she was pregnant. But something else had happened. Why hadn't she fought Booth's decision to stay behind? There had been this rush of feelings, things she had never felt before. It had washed over like a wave. Had it been maternal instincts?

But maternal instincts don't even exist. And it's not my child.

She looked at the time. Three minutes had gone by. She looked over at the warehouse. A cop was talking on his radio. In her pocket, her cellphone rang. Her eyes never leaving the cop, she plunged her hand in her pocket and took out her cellphone.

"Brennan."

"Bren, what are you?"

Her heart nearly stopped.

"Angela."

"Yeah. Where are you?"

"I'm with Booth. There was a hostage situation just outside the city. Jennings, he's in there with people."

"I know what a hostage situation is, Brennan. What are you doing there? Don't you know it's dangerous."

She could almost feel Angela's glare bore into her.

"Don't worry, Ange. I stayed behind. I'm still in the SUV. Booth didn't want me to go in. Apparently this guy is very dangerous."

She heard Angela's sigh of relief.

"You listened to Booth? Tell me you at least put a fight."

"No, I didn't." She replied, matter-of-factly. "His point was rational. I couldn't..."

She stopped in mid-sentence. Another cop had joined the one with the radio.

"Brenn?"

"I'm still here." She replied, her gaze focused on the two men.

What was going on? Why were both cops talking on their radios? The S.W.A.T. were coming out of the building and two tall men held a much smaller one in handcuffs. She squinted, trying to find her partner in this mess. Was he with the hostages?

"Brenn, what's going on?"

"They have Jennings."

"That's great. Now wait for Booth to come back and drive your little tushie back to the lab."

Silence.

"Brenn?"

A family of four slowly came out of the warehouse. Even from where she sat, Temperance could tell they were still scared. She found herself relieved that no children had been present. Paramedics were already tending to them. Yet, Booth was still nowhere to be found.

A knock on her window startled her. She turned to find a policeman looking at her. She rolled down her window and stared quizzically at the man on the other side.

"Yes?"

"Are you Dr. Brennan?"

Temperance frowned.

"Yes."

In her ear, she heard Angela asking her what was going on.

"The hostage situation didn't go down as planned." The man told him. "Four men were hit. Paramedics are on their way. Here."

The man handed her a set of keys.

"They'll be bringing him to Sibley Memorial Hospital."

Temperance felt her heart stop. Shakily she grabbed the keys and shut her phone, hanging up on a worried Angela.

She could feel the nurse's gaze on her but she didn't look up. She knew she would only tell her to go home, that visiting hours were over and that she needed some sleep. His condition was stable and the doctors expected him to wake up from the anesthesia any time now. She just couldn't leave him. Memories of three years earlier when her fridge had exploded kept flashing before her eyes. He had been lucky today. Two bullets had entered his body but neither of them had damaged any vital organs. They had been surgically removed, placed into plastic bags as evidence, his wounds had been stitched closed and blood had been transfused into his system to make up for his huge loss. Yet, under all the bandages and tubes, he almost looked vulnerable.

"You should go home, Dr. Brennan." The nurse said as she finished tidying up the room. "He might still be out for a few more hours."

"If he's not awake in an hour, I'll leave." She lied.

The nurse nodded.

"Just ring if he needs anything."

Temperance turned her gaze back to her partner. She heard the nurse's footsteps retreat towards the door and then down the corridor, having left the door slightly ajar, the room now almost completely dark. She could make out the outline of her friend in his bed. She felt tired. After all the excitement, her body now seemed to be craving some sleep. Her eyelids began to droop.

"Bones?"

She bolted awake as though as she had been hit like lightning. Night had fallen outside and the room was now completely dark. Reaching over to the lamp, she turned it on.

His eyes, half-opened, were fixed on her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been shot."

"Well it's an accurate feeling since you have been shot twice."

Booth chuckled and winced in pain as he tried to sit up in his bed.

"I know, Bones. I was there."

"What happened?" She asked, her voice betraying the worry she had felt.

"I'm not sure. There were a lot of people. The S.W.A.T. team was yelling to the man, Jennings was yelling back. There were shots and then more screams. I just felt my arm beginning to burn and before I even had a chance to react Jennings was shooting madly at us."

"Three other men also got hit."

Booth nodded.

"How are the victims? Are they okay? The rest is sort of fuzzy."

"They're safe and sound, Booth. Don't worry."

"I'll be speaking with them as soon as I get out of here."

His expression which had showed the immense discomfort and pain he was feeling morphed into something tender. His eyes sought his partner's and locked with them.

"Thanks for being here, Bones."

Temperance nodded.

Booth winced in pain as he laid back down in his bed. Grabbing his partner's hand, his thumb began drawing circles on the top of it. Temperance felt her skin burn under his touch and she gulped.

"There's something bothering me."

Booth, who's gaze had been resting on their hands, looked up.

"Why did you agree to stay behind?"