The Baby in the Bond
A/N: Time for chapter nine! Thanks for reading and thanks to my awesome cousin the editor! Enjoy!
Chapter 9:
Early in the morning, Brennan had woken up to her usual morning sickness trying not to wake up her snoring partner. She had tiptoed to the bathroom as fast as she could and shut the creaky door as quietly as she can. Whenever she got sick, he would suffocate her with help. Not that she didn't appreciate it, but he would take it to the top and she would give him the same reply every time. "Booth, I'm a big girl I can do it myself. I'm pregnant not incapacitated."
Later on, Booth awoke to Brennan, the love of his life, in his arms with their legs intertwined. Life could not get any better for the inseparable partners. They were engaged to be married, had a baby on the way and a whole new life ahead of them which they were going to reach step by step.
"Morning baby."
"I'm going to need to get used to that." said Brennan with a tired but sincere looking grin on her face
"Hey! I thought you said you liked the nickname!"
"I did. But that doesn't mean it's not going to take some getting used to."
Booth had started to tune her out as he leaned down to kiss Brennan's abdomen where his baby lied. He could almost see their child's face calling to them. The sound of their baby was so sweet. It was like a melody that cannot be described. A song that cannot be sung by just anyone.
"And good morning to you too baby." He desperately hoped he'd hear his baby's sweet song reply to his greeting.
"First of all, it's a fetus. And second of all, she can't hear you yet Booth. It'll be a few months before cognitive development takes place. Although cognitive development first starts when the child is born but seeing as how we will be able to-"
"Bones, let me have this one please. You know, you should try talking to the baby. She should be hearing her mother's voice every morning, every night, and maybe a little during the day."
"But I talk to people during the day. People who have already been born. Why utilize my time talking to someone who can't even hear me, let alone respond to me when I'm talking."
"And by the way, do me a favor and don't use so many big words during your pregnancy."
Bones was starting to misinterpret what Booth was saying to her. She thought that he was telling her what and what not to do by using the baby as her excuse. Which he was not trying to make her think. But it seemed as though that's what was happening.
"But my occupation requires the use of intricate, scientific and reasonable words to help me carry on with my duties as a forensic anthropologist."
"Yeah I know but I want you to talk baby talk with the baby. Otherwise her first words will be things she hears you say while in your stomach. Such as pelvic diameter, zygomatic, antemortem, postmortem. You know, stuff you say on the job."
"Booth, she won't be able to interpret what she hears while in my uterus. All she hears is noise. And she won't be at work with me enough to have my words be her first."
"I know. I'm sorry. You know, I actually do want our baby to be just like her momma." Booth said before kissing her softly on the lips enjoying it a little too much.
"We better get ready for work. It's almost 9:00"
"BOOTH! We're going to be late! To top it all off, I need to go to my apartment for a change of clothes and I need to shower!"
"Ok, go shower here, we'll go to your apartment once you're out and ready. But you're bringing a couple of extra outfits to leave at my place."
"Fine by me. But… wait a minute. I heard the words 'outfits' and 'my place' in the same sentence. I told you what's the point in doing that if I don't live here?"
"I was going to ask you this later but-"
"Don't you dare ask me to move in with you." Brennan said with a stern and strict voice. What was she getting so mad about? They were engaged to be married and she was angry at him for asking her to move in with him. Or so that's what Booth thought.
"What? Why?"
"Because I was planning on asking you the same thing later tonight. My apartment is bigger. It has two bedroom's one for us and one for the baby. But I think once my lease is up, we should buy a house that will fit us, the baby and Parker." Every time she says Parker's name, she pictured his reaction to hearing about his dad's new fiancée and his new sibling. Sometimes she pictured his reaction to be thrilled and happy. Other times she pictured him to be upset and feeling replaced. She would never want her stepson to think that her baby would ever replace the love she had for him. Parker was the first child she ever actually loved. He took up a large part of her heart. She always has loved him, and she always will.
"Really? Are you sure? I don't want to impose."
"No no! You could never impose! I'm the one asking you remember? Besides, we only ever stay at your place. We never spend the night at my apartment and I feel like I'm imposing."
Booth laughed at how much he and Brennan thought alike. They were two totally different people with totally different beliefs who have different understandings on the way of life, yet they always know what is on each other's mind. Two opposites have never attracted so perfectly. It had to be fate. He didn't care if Bones didn't believe it. Because to tell the truth, it was fate that brought them together. He knew it was fate from the moment he stepped into the lecture hall at American University watching her speak about defleshing techniques. He even knew it was fate when she told him she didn't believe in fate not even a minute after meeting him. The memory still lingered in his brain. "Do you believe in fate?" "Absolutely not. Ludicrous." They both stated with smiles on their faces.
Those few words were the start of the most remarkable and tender relationship both of them had ever had. It's funny to think that the slightest amount of words could set off a spark. A spark that could power a whole fourth of July parade. A spark that could only be generated by the power and love they create between themselves. These feelings are produced in the heart. They multiply and multiply and never run out of supply. The thought of ever running out of feelings for one is unbearable to even think about. That's the burden. Like wings, they have weight. We feel that weight on our backs, but they are a burden that lifts us. Burdens which allow us to fly.
Just thinking about the house they would one day live together in made Booth smile from ear to ear. He pictured it vividly. He saw Brennan holding their newborn child feeding her formula from a bottle. Parker was sitting next to his step-mom at the kitchen table eating mac-and-cheese, his favorite meal made by Brennan. The kitchen was large and beautiful with an island type counter in the middle of the room. A large chrome refrigerator stands next to the white stove. Brown granite countertops with a touch of pink in it surround the large sink. The table was circular and made of mahogany wood with four matching chairs around it. Four chairs fit for a family.
He pictured them relocating to the living room after dinner where lies a 103 inch plasma screen television that Booth had always wanted. Tan leather chairs. All four family members sat together, Brennan cradling their baby in her arms. They were a family. He knew this was only a fantasy, but he didn't want to wake from it.
"Booth? Booth? Hello? Earth to Booth. I think that's what people say to get others' attention.
"Huh what?" his fantasy bubble was popped and the remains were on the floor."
"So what do you think?"
"I think you look very nice, you have nothing to worry about."
"Booth what are you talking about? I was asking about your answer on moving into my place."
"Oh that's what you meant! I'm sorry, I kinda zoned out and came up with some substitute excuse… But I did mean it though."
"Why thank you. And could you please give me an answer?"
"Yeah. Yeah I'll move in with you!"
"Excellent! When can you move in?"
"When I want to move in! Which is soon." He gave her his charming smile while raising an eyebrow. It was his irresistible face.
"Oh, I see what you did there! You said that to show that you are an independent individual who takes control over when he wants to leave. That's very a masculine and alpha-male-like move. I quite enjoyed it."
Booth was starting to wonder if alpha-male was a good thing. It was something she always called him and he didn't know why! What's the difference between an alpha-male and just plain male?
"And now that we are moving in together, I'm going to teach you how to speak earthling."
"I don't know what that means."
"Soon enough Bones, soon enough."
oOo
A few days later, Brennan walked into her apartment after a long and tiring day at
work and pregnancy made it especially hard to walk around the Jeffersonian all day. All she wanted to do was go home, jump into bed and sleep. She walked into a house with boxes on top of boxes stacked everywhere. Booth was opening one labeled "kitchen" with sharpie on the side. He had taken the day off to start unpacking, yet Brennan noticed after all this time of being home, "kitchen" was the only boxed opened.
"Hey Bones! Ready to unpack?"
"Are you joking?"
"No, why? Are you regretting wanting me to move in?"
"No, no it's not that. It's just that I've had a long day and I'm exhausted. And hungry."
"Aww babe, that's nothing to worry about… You're always hung- That came out sounding wronger than intended."
Brennan gave him a look he couldn't describe. It was a combination of the death stare, confusion, and a just plain blank look. After a few seconds, her combined facial expression lightened up.
"First of all, I know I'm always hungry. It's your baby who eats everything I put into my stomach. Second of all, wronger is not a word. You'd use the word 'worse'."
"What are you, the grammar police? And how come you say "your" baby when she does something you wish she didn't."
"Because you both eat like pigs. No offense intended towards you whatsoever."
"None taken. Now come sit next to me and tell me about your day."
He sat down on the middle seat of the three seater couch and patted the space to his left. The right seat was covered with tons and tons of boxes piled on top of each other. She slumped down on the seat and he put his arm around her while she laid her head on his shoulder. They intertwined their hands and she told him about her hectic day.
"Well, when I got to work, Cam suggested I interrogate a suspect for this murder. ME! You know I'm not good with people! Sweets had to walk me through it using the earpiece! It was quite complicated! And why is it taking us this long to solve my neighbor's case when it never takes us this long to solve any other ones? Anyway, his alibi checks out. He was biking with a couple friends on a trail in which they had to sign in to get into. I drove all the way to the trail to see that he was telling the truth. He wasn't lying about the check in sheet. Then, I drove back to the Jeffersonian where I realized I forgot my meeting with Sweets. I arrived and he didn't want to give me a session because you weren't there. I guess there was no point in giving us our "partnership session" if only one partner was present. I forgot to tell him you had taken the day off. I drove back to the lab where Hodgins pulled me out to go visit Zack in the mental asylum. Of all the days we could've done that, the genius picks today! We stayed and talked to him for about 45 minutes when we started to leave. Hodgins swiped his card and we were denied access to leave. I tried mine and the same thing happened. As it turns out, my little genius assistant took the metal backing off our cards and clipped one to his loony bin library card so he could escape! Do you remember that he did that to Sweet's card? So the security guard let us out after about fifteen minutes of arguing with him. Hodgins took me back to the lab where Cam found a stab wound on the victim's right femur. Who stabs someone in their leg? She also ran a tox screen and turns out that Mr. Peretti used drugs. Hodgins found fibers on his ribs and made me run it through the mass spec and it was polyester. That brought us to Angela running it through the Angela-tron. She said the fibers were a shade of blue. She brought up the color wheel and the color found on the fibers was the same exact color vest the Wal-Mart employees wore. He never worked at Wal-Mart! He told me years ago that he worked in his family business at a furniture store his whole life. Where did the vest come from then? Then it was late and I came home and now here I am talking to you about my day."
"Wow…"
"That's it? "Wow" is all you have to say after 4 minutes and 47 seconds of blabbing to you about my day?"
"You didn't let me finish! I was also going to say that that sounds tiring and I'm sure you'll need some rest… Right after we unpack."
"I am very displeased with you at this very moment."
"Geez Bones. I'm only teasing you. Go to bed. I'll be there soon. Let me just unpack a few boxes and I'll head to our room."
"Ok, are you going to be ok lifting those boxes by yourself? You might strain your back."
He loved how caring she was. But at the same time he really wanted her to go to bed and relax so he could do his man work.
"Yeah Bones, I'll be fine. If I hurt my back you could just magically fix it like you always do."
"It's not magic Booth."
"You and I both have different definitions on that word."
"Yes indeed we do." Brennan said with a toothy grin. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight Booth."
"Night Bones."
Booth watched his girlfriend walk into the bedroom. He stood up and looked around his new apartment. "Where to start, where to start. Boothy, you got a lot of work to do."
He continued with his box of kitchen supplies and worked his way down to toiletries. He put all of his shampoos and soaps in the shower, his toothbrush in the holder next to Brennan's and his towels in the closet where she kept hers. All that was left was the bedroom stuff. He'd save that for tomorrow so he wouldn't wake Brennan up. So he decided to open a box that said memories. It was in a padded cream and pink colored fabric box with a slot for a picture on the top. It still had the paper that said "place picture here" in it. He hadn't looked in that box in a few months and he was enthusiastic to see what had accumulated inside. He never realized how many of his memories involved Brennan. Actually, practically all of his memories involved Brennan. He lifted the top of the box and there lay 3 picture frames wrapped in tissue paper. He unwrapped each one individually the first one happened to be a picture of Booth and Parker. The second one was in a diamond bordered frame. It held a picture of the whole gang. Booth and Brennan in the middle, Cam, Sweets and Vincent next to Booth. Hodgins, Wendell and Angela next to Brennan. They were at the founding fathers one night after a case was solved. The bartender had taken the picture for them. They all looked so happy and he remembered that night vividly but when the picture was being taken, the only person he realized he was with was Brennan. It was like the whole world just disappeared and they were the only two who still walked the face of the earth.
The third picture frame was blue and had branch like lines coming from all directions. There was a picture of Booth and Brennan sitting down, his left hand tangled with her right hand. They both smiled like there was no tomorrow. The picture had been taken before they were together even though the picture looked like they were a couple. The background was blurry but they were crystal clear. He couldn't remember where they were or why they were holding hands if they weren't dating but he could remember that a shock wave was sent through his body when their hands first touched. It was like he had been electrocuted by a cable wire. "Now I remember!" Angela had taken the picture forcing them to look like they were in love. She lied and told them it was inspiration of another piece of art. Really, it was just an excuse to get a snapshot of them holding hands. Although, it's not like neither of them hadn't enjoyed it.
The picture brought a huge smile to his face. He looked back into the box and dug through to see what else he had stored. He had an extra "cocky" belt buckle given to him by Brennan in case something happened to his current one. There was a sprig of mistletoe. The very same mistletoe he and Brennan had kissed under three years prior. He even saved the little piece of gum she transferred from her mouth to his and kept it in a Ziploc bag. He also had kept the bullet that had shot him close to the heart. The bullet he had taken for Brennan. "Why do I still have all these? Oh yeah, because these were some of the best moments of my life. Except for being shot, but I took the bullet for Bones and that was worth it." At the way bottom of the box, there was a sonogram picture. Brennan's first sonogram picture of the baby. He hadn't been in that box for around half a year, how did that picture end up in there if Brennan had just entered her second trimester? Had he put it in there and forgotten? Impossible! If he went in that box, he would without a shadow of a doubt look through its contents and the last time he remembered looking at them, was six months ago.
So many things to wonder about, so many memories to remember. He decided to show Brennan his box of memories in the morning. In the meantime, he quietly tiptoed into their bedroom, stripped down to his boxers and lied down next to Brennan. She was obviously still awake because she snuggled into Booth's side resting her head in the crook of his neck. He started absentmindedly stroking her stomach where their child lay.
"I love you." She whispered into his neck.
"Not nearly as much as I love you."
A/N: Thanks for reading! I'll update more in a few days! And by the way, that burdens which allow us to fly line is not mine! I felt guilty stealing it so I had to put a disclaimer on it lol. Most of you will probably recognize it from the season 4 finale "The End in the Beginning" the voiceover spoken by Hodgins said it and it's probably one of my favorite quotes of the whole series! Once again, thanks for reading!