Just like Brennan's skeletal remains over the years, these stories are slowly but surely getting out of Limbo! We're getting there, people, we're getting there. Oh, and remember how I was bragging about how I had over forty of these stories? Well, I guess I lied. Although I do have a lot – that much I was telling the truth about – I don't quite have forty. But I'm still making more as I go along. I'll have forty eventually, I promise.

It's probably more along the lines of 25-30 atm.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I haven't made it so Booth and Brennan have told anyone about the pregnancy, just that they're together now. No one knows about future Baby Christine yet except our favorite duo. Not even Angela.

Disclaimer: I can honestly say that I do not own any Bones things. But if Hart Hanson ever wanted to join forces, I have some murder ideas to run by him.

Street Lights

Takes place a month after Season 6 Finale

"Oh, so I got to talking to Angela today," Brennan announced. They were strolling along the sidewalk a few blocks from the Diner, enjoying the night and making small talk as they put distance between all things familiar.

Brennan held onto Booth's arm, pacing herself after managing to take down a milkshake – she didn't even like milkshakes – two veggie burgers and two servings of fries. She'd even stolen a bite of Booth's burger which, she'd noted as she continued to bite into it, she didn't like either. Booth just told his 'It's to be expected' joke and to not worry; it was normal. Of course she knew that, but actually experiencing what she knew was altogether. . .strange. It was confusing, and she didn't like to be confused.

Booth looked at his partner. "Angela? How's she doing?"

"She said the three of them are doing fine and Michael is loving the stuffed bunny we got him. She says Hodgins tried taking it away from him when he was almost asleep but he woke up and cried and got it back." She had that look in her eye, like what she was saying held extreme value. "Apparently he is asking to see me, though I find it difficult to believe a four-week-old to be speaking with such fluency."

"Who, Hodgins?" Booth smiled as he was hit on the arm.

"Booth! No, Michael. You know, Hodgins is truly very smart. He's like me: graduated at the top of his class earned two doctorates. He's quite exceptional." She mused.

"Well, we both know you'd work with no less." He winked.

"Not true."

He scoffed, shocked at her. "What? So true! You hate working with anyone that isn't at your level."

She looked at him, eyes conveying her confusion.

He laughed. "Well look, let's see there was Agent Perotta. You wouldn't work with her because she was below you, even though she had my expertise almost exactly. And then there was Dr. Philmore, a few months ago. You 'bout near paralyzed the guy head to toe from one article. And not to mention all the other little side-partners we've had here and there. Then we come to all those Squinterns. Y'know, it's been – what – three, four years since Zack left? All of the Squints are exceptional but yet-"

"Booth!" She laughed, standing in front of him and cutting him off. "That's not it at all. Like you said, I've grown in the last few years, and I can assure you I'm not like that anymore. Well-" she corrected. "Not as bad anyway, I hope."

"Joking went too far?" He guessed.

She ignored him. "It's not that I didn't want to work with Agent Perotta because she wasn't at my level of expertise. I didn't want to work with her because she wasn't you. I was at first offended that you'd be accused of murder and then even more so once I heard I'd have to work the case with someone else and you being just an Advisor," Brennan smirked. "Even then I was subconscious to my affections for you. And Dr. Philmore was a mistake from the past. I should have. . .contrited a lot sooner."

"Hey, I was just joking. No need to explain yourself, Bones." He reassured her, then continued their walk. He put his hands in his pockets as she freclaimed his arm, her hea don his shoulder.

"What about the Squinterns?" He asked after a minute.

"Oh," She glanced at him, then looked quickly back down. Knowing their relationship now, sometimes it was still hard to just say the exact thing that came to her mind, rather than masking it in a vague collection of a few words he doesn't understand. "Technically I'm not required to pick one, but I can if I see extreme potential. The Jeffersonian has plenty of money to fund for all the Interns."

He sighed. Try as he might she still retained information from him, like a suspect in an interrogation room. "Right, but you know that's not what I mean. You know you could save the Jeffersonian buckets if you just said you wanted, for example, Wendell. Who, by the way, would be my choice because, well, he's the most normal. So, why is it you haven't chosen one?"

She huffed. Might as well, she thought, because he won't stop until it's out. "Because of Zack."

"Oh right. Zack. . ."

"He was the best, Booth," she complained to him. "I don't want anyone thinking they're as good as he was. . .is. . .I know it's irrational, but somehow it controls my further judgment. I can never pick."

He thought for a moment. "So tell me, then, did you love him? Y'know, not like me, but like Angela and Hodgins?"

She looked down at her feet. Why couldn't something like talking be as simple as moving one foot in front of the other? It was just left and right. Left and right. ""I suppose I wouldn't have admitted it then, but now. . .yes. I always had a certain affection for him, didn't I?"

Booth smiled and leaned his head on hers. "Yeah, that you did. I'm sorry. I know what he meant to you. You still see him though, don't you"

"Well yes, every once in a while." She grinned, remembering way-back-when. "You never particularly liked Zack, though."

"He was all right," Booth pretended, shrugging. She hit him. "No seriously, I liked him. I just. . .He was odd, okay, I'll be honest."

"How was he any more odd than I was?" She laughed.

"He just. . .didn't know or understand things that you and I did."

"Oh, you're talking about sexual intercourse. That's it?"

"Woah, okay, really. Those were your words. You said it not me."

"Why is it that men base their intelligence on what they know in the sexual field rather than how many years of college they took? I assume our relationship isn't based on your sex knowledge." She eyed him from her spot on his arm.

"What, no. Bones you're- you're pregnant." At her smile, he stopped himself." And I mean- no. Well- You don't think I'm like that, do you?"

Now she thought, stopping her walking altogether. "When Zack was around, that's how you acted. You had many girlfriends and-"

"I didn't have many I had a few here and there. I had a four year old son part time back then."

"-although you were very glad to brag about time spent 'in the sack' you would also cower away when Zack asked for help, or Hodgins questioned your stories. After Zack left that attitude sort of dwindled. But with Sweets around it seems to have come back."

He just looked at her.

"I'm basing my findings simply on fact and acute observation, Booth."

"I get it," he laughed. "No need to explain to me."

"You miss Zack, but you won't admit it, though I don't know why." She shrugged.

"It's not that I miss him it's just. . .look, when he did what he did he really messed with everyone. Including you. I mean, I'm the one who had to stop you from going to Europe or wherever just so you could put distance between what happened here. Remember that?" She nodded. He pulled her back to him as they continued their walk. "He hurt the team, Bones. My team. But you're right. Despite what he caused, I do miss him."

Brennan smiled at her partner. Many a time Booth hid what he felt, as people often did. Even her. Thought she still didn't know why.

Looking at her a second longer, he added, "But that's between you and me! No telling Angela or whomever."

"Why?"

"Because, I know that she has a way of getting information from you no matter how much you protest. She worms her way in," he said, moving his hand in a wiggly fasion. "Let her worm her child."

She looked at him disbelievingly.

"Just promise me, Bones. Please," A raised eyebrow on her part. "I'm asking as a personal favor."

She rolled her eyes, completely shocked by him. "Booth! That's not fair. That's you trying to maintain your cool-guy status."

"Buuuuuut?" He encouraged.

"Fine."

He grinned.

"Can we head back now? I want to go home."

"Sure Bones. Anything." He reached out his hand and she took it, though she still settled for his shoulder as a pillow. "We were starting to get on the wrong side of town anyways."

She shrugged. "You'd protect me."

"You think so?"

"Yes, don't you?"

"I kinda figured if something happened I'd come back later to make sure you were still alive but. . ."

"You wouldn't."

"I'm kidding, Bones. Yeah, I guess I'll protect you. I assume you'd need no protecting, though, what with your crazy ninja skills and all."

She rolled her eyes. "Temperance Brennan does not have 'ninja skills'. It's a mix of martial arts and judo. Along with various techniques picked up from across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans."

Booth chuckled at this. "It's a figure of speech, Bones. Meaning you're crazy good at whatever it is you do."

"Oh, well that term is incorrect in it's usage."

He smiled and turned his face skyward. "Ah, I'm going to miss this." He recalled the last few weeks of just them and no one else, with minimal case work. Parker was there, too, and he loved that just as much.

"Miss walking?"

"No. This." He gestured at the both of them. "Just us. No murders, no files or reports to hand in. Soon we're going to be back at work with only the weekends to motivate us."

"I thought you loved your work." Brennan accused.

"No, no. I do. But don't you think this is nice?" They stopped at a light and waited for the right to walk across.

"You mean just going about life as usual, minus the murders?"

Booth rolled his eyes mentally. Hadn't he just said that? "Right. With, y'know, the perk of coming home to you every day."

She half smiled, looking down. Why was she suddenly so embarrassed?

"Now who's blushing?" He murmured to himself, thinking of their conversation a few days ago.

"Wh- I am not blushing!" Her head snapped to her full height, defending herself. She found it odd that the only thing she was focused on was their hands.

"Look at that," he put a hand to the side of her face. "Pink all over." And he kissed her, almost completely forgetting where they were.

He didn't know how long they stood there, but gathered it was passed time for them to cross the street. Their foreheads together, he grinned like an idiot, and in the circle of his arms she smiled herself. Even though they were in public, the fact that the sky was blackish blue gave her some comfort of privacy. But then she remembered the streetlights. "You're terrible." She muttered.

"And yet I live."

She laughed, breaking their kiss. "I won't hurt you."

Woaaah, I hope ya'll liked the long fic for a change. More to come today. I promise.