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"I want to go with her!" Booth yelled, watching helplessly as Brennan was wheeled away from him.
"Booth!" Her voice sounded distant, and he wanted so badly to go to her. To hold her hand and tell her everything was going to be okay.
"Bones!" He tried to push past the doctor who was blocking his path, but the doctor gave him a violent shove backwards. "Please! I have to be with her! Bones!"
"Booth!" Her voice was even fainter than before, and panic began rising in Booth's chest. He couldn't see her anymore. He felt tears stinging his eyes and he tried moving past the doctor again.
"You can't go with her!" the doctor insisted, giving Booth another hefty shove backwards.
"I have to!" he protested. "I have to go with her! I love her!" Suddenly, another doctor approached and took him by the arm.
"Sir, I'm sorry. We did everything we could. But we couldn't save the baby," the new doctor told him soberly. The world began to spin around him and Booth collapsed into a nearby chair, burying his head in his hands.
"No, the baby's okay. It's okay! Check again!" The doctors both shook their heads sadly and turned to leave. Booth stood and ran after them. "No! Check again!" he demanded forcefully, but the doctors didn't acknowledge him. They kept walking swiftly down the long hallway, their eyes fixed straight ahead. "Check again!" The doctors were long gone, but he just kept yelling into the now empty hospital. "Check again! The baby's okay! You made a mistake!"
"Booth?" Brennan called with concern. He was sleeping peacefully at her bedside and she had begun dozing herself when she heard him mumbling in his sleep. "Booth?" She touched his arm tenderly, but it had no effect. "Booth, you're dreaming." She shook him a little harder and his eyes finally flew open. He looked around frantically for a moment before his eyes settled on Brennan.
"Bones?" His voice held confusion and Brennan ran her fingers through his hair in comfort.
"You were having a nightmare," she explained. Booth nodded and surveyed his surroundings. He was disoriented and couldn't quite remember why he wasn't in one of their apartments. Then it all came rushing back. "What did the doctor say about the baby?" he asked and Brennan's face contorted in confusion.
"You were standing right there," she told him incredulously. Booth took a deep breath, still having trouble separating reality and his dream.
"Yeah, I know. Just… refresh my memory?" Brennan still looked unsure, but didn't hesitate to do what he asked.
"He said that the baby is unharmed, but they can't discern the cause of my bleeding and cramping. They're keeping me overnight to run some tests. If everything goes well I should be discharged tomorrow afternoon." Booth nodded. He was a little more awake now and much less confused. The dream had felt so real.
"Right," Booth said, still a little out of breath.
"Booth, are you alright?" Brennan asked with concern. "The fetus and I aren't in any danger. The overnight stay is simply precautionary."
"I know, I just… You really scared me today, Bones." Brennan looked away from him guiltily.
"That wasn't my intention." Booth laced his fingers between hers and squeeze in reassurance.
"I know you didn't mean to, Bones. I just can't help it. Ever since you told me you were pregnant I can't stop thinking about you. What if the baby got sick and we couldn't help it? What if we go to a crime scene and there's some chemical there that causes birth defects? It's driving me crazy, Bones."
"You already had an extreme desire to keep me protected before I was carrying your offspring," Brennan reasoned. "Anthropologically it makes sense that those feelings would become more intense because I'm having your progeny."
"Look, I've been thinking…" Booth began, ignoring her statement. He hesitated, not sure if he really wanted to put this idea out there right now. He went against every instinct he had and kept talking. "I think we should move in together." Brennan's response was immediate.
"We've only been dating for two months, Booth. You asked Hannah to move in with you just a week after she moved to DC and that didn't seem to work out in your favor." Booth smiled and placed a hand on Brennan's belly.
"From where I stand, it worked out perfectly." The couple shared a tender look before Booth continued. "Bones, when I got your text message, my heart stopped. The drive to your place was the longest five minutes of my life. If we lived together… I would have been there."
"You weren't there because you were angry," Brennan pointed out. "You left to get away from me."
"Yeah, well, if we lived together I wouldn't have anywhere to run when I got mad."
"You could go to the shooting range, or to Founding Fathers, or…"
"Okay, okay," Booth cut her off. "Forget about that. New angle. I want you to live with me because I love you and plan to spend the rest of my life with you. Besides, we've known each other for over seven years. It's not like we need time to get to know each other. I don't understand what we're waiting for." Brennan's expression became serious as she considered his words.
"I accept your logic," she said finally. "We have to discuss where we will reside, but that can wait until the morning." Booth chuckled. "You know, I can think of another benefit of our moving in together." Booth brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
"Yeah?" he asked between kisses. "What's that?"
"It will be less of a shock to our friends and co-workers when we tell them that I'm pregnant in three weeks if they already know we're sharing a domicile." Booth laughed.
"True, we might avoid a few heart attacks that way." He yawned widely and stretched. "What time is it?"
"It's nearly three in the morning. We should try to get some more sleep." Booth nodded in agreement, gave Brennan a quick goodnight kiss, and settled himself in the cot the nurse had set up for him. After several minutes of silence, Booth heard Brennan's voice in the darkness. "Booth?"
"Yeah, Bones?" he answered groggily.
"I can't sleep." Booth was instantly on alert.
"You're not in pain, are you?" he asked frantically, already inching toward the nurse call button.
"No, I'm fine," she rushed to assure him. "But… would you sleep next to me?" Booth stood up and walked to her bed.
"You sure there's enough room?" Brennan nodded and folded the corner of her blanket down in invitation. Booth hesitated only a second before sliding in next to her and draping his arm over her torso.
"Much better," she appraised before snuggling into his embrace and sighing contentedly. Booth traced his fingers lightly over Brennan's belly, which was just beginning to protrude over her waistline. He contemplated how much his life had changed in the last month, and how he wouldn't change a second of it. Smiling, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
I know I haven't posted in a few days, but life has been crazy! I hope it was worth the wait! Tell me what you thought!