Chapter 8! Haven't really gone in depth about the pregnancy. So here's an in depth one for you guys.

And to that person who gave me a review - you know who you are - I know Booth doesn't call Brennan 'Brennan', but it was an important moment and, as we've seen before, calling her something other than her nickname grabs her attention the best. Sort of like when your parent uses your middle name, you know things are serious.

And, before I forget, thank you to all of you who have reviewed. I know I haven't mentioned it, but thanks! First actual thing I'm going through with, so fingers crossed! Life gets in the way, as we're all aware, and I know I said I'd try to post early in the mornings, but today was busy-stuff! So bear with me. I'll still try for two or three fics a day. Stay tuned!

Disclaimer: Wake up and smell the FanFic! It's not exactly HH writing these. If so, he's waaaaay holding out on us. You feel me?

Impostor Child

Takes place six weeks after Season 6

Brennan jolted awake. The source of what had awoken her made itself known immediately. The sound was piercing and filled the apartment with an unneeded loudness. Though – she noted grumpily – obviously not loud enough to wake her partner.

She groaned.

Too lazy to lift her head, she shook her partners' arm. She lay on her stomach, which she found to be quite suddenly uncomfortable, and he lay facing her but clearly not disturbed by the noise. Or her shaking.

"Booth." She tried gently at first. Resting on her other arm she shook him harder. "Booth. It's your turn."

"Mm- wah?"

Brennan wanted more than anything to lie back down and sleep, but she knew the importance of the sound-make in the other room. By estimation, they didn't have much longer to attend to it.

She sat up more. "The baby doll. It's your turn."

"Nooooo." He groaned unhappily – sleepily – into his hands. "Can't you do it?"

"We agreed on turns," she yawned and in a swift movement had the blankets torn off him.

"Jesus!" He shot up and looked around, settling his tired, accusing eyes on her. "You're cruel."

"C'mon, I'll go with you." Brennan said. Her eyes were half closed – understandably – and she grabbed his hand, effectively pulling him off the bed and heading in the direction of the next room over. The one with the crib and the electronic baby. It still cried, much to her – both of their – protesting ears.

She stopped at the entrance of the room and pushed him in, settling for crossing her arms as she watched half-asleep. The sound of complete silence seconds later was bliss, and the crying was replaced by a sucking sound. She opened her eyes to find Booth holding a plastic bottle to the fake baby's mouth.

Booth turned around, baby in his arms, and walked over to her. He smirked as he saw her leaning against the doorframe. She jumped when she felt him kiss her temple.

"Sorry," he murmured, looking down at the imposter child.

It must be two o clock in the morning, Brennan thought. She rubbed her eyes. "How long does it have to take the bottle for?"

"It? It's not an it, Bones, it's a baby. A she." Booth said defensively, always having to correct her. "And probably no longer than the last few times we've done it."

"Right, sorry."

"You know you didn't have to get up with me." He looked at her.

"You wouldn't have gotten up otherwise." She smirked.

He pointed a finger at her from under the baby's back. "That blanket trick was a cheap shot."

"Whatever, Booth." She rolled her neck.

"Well, look at that, baby Booth," Booth addressed the mechanical child. "Mama's got tude."

Her face twisted. "Don't do that."

"Mama's a big grumpy-head." He looked up to find her glaring at him. "Well then you hold her."

"Fine," she uncrossed her arms and held the baby close her chest, plastic bottle in hand. "But I'm tired. Don't blame me if I drop. . .her."

He chuckled. Smoothing her hair. "You won't."

She looked up at him. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Get all. . .affectionate? You've been doing it a lot lately."

He laughed. "What, I can't be affectionate with you? Are you not my 'Baby Mama'? My girlfriend?" He smiled, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "You know, guys tend to be affectionate towards the person they love. It would be wrong to do otherwise."

Her nose scrunched. "I do not like the term 'Baby Mama'. Hodgins informed me of the meaning. It's too. . .loose for what we have."

"Loose? What kind of term is that?" He laughed.

"Don't make fun, I'm running low on intelligent words to use lately."

"Mhm, excuses." At her warning glare, he stopped it there. "Well let's see, apparently I can't be affectionate," he said, emphasizing the word every time to annoy her. "Would you rather I ignore you?"

"No," she answered too quickly, but he caught it. "I would be too afraid of you looking at other women."

He stifled a very loud laugh. "Okay, you're ridiculous. And tired."

"Well I believe she's done, anyhow." Brennan held the baby out and upon further inspection, Booth nodded.

"Time to go back to bed." Booth grabbed the baby and placed her gently in the crib, turning to leave the door open ajar as they went back into his room. He still felt weird going through this thing. But Brennan was insistent in at least looking into the miniature program for to-be parents. It seemed strange to put something electronic the size and weight of a baby gently into a bed made for a real person. A person who would be born in eight months from now.

"Booth, we'll be fine parents, don't you think?" She asked.

He steered her by her shoulders, walking behind her. "Yeah, Bones, of course."

"Well, I could use the practice. I already know you're an excellent father."

"You think so?" She was bumping his tired ego, he hoped she realized.

"Yes. You have Parker, and I saw how you were with him when he was younger. And I see how you are with him now. You do an amazing job."

"Okay, one: correction, we have Parker. You know that. And two: I need the practice as much as you do." He stopped them in the middle of the room to look at her. "Yeah, I have him now and he was a baby once, but that was a long time ago. And – because I know you're going to say it – I know that stuff doesn't really go away, but a routine still has to be developed once the baby is born. Every baby may do the same things, - eat, sleep, diaper change, babble – but every baby also has a different routine. Some wake up periodically throughout the night; some sleep solid past seven or eight 'o' clock. Some take naps in the middle of the day; some don't take naps at all- What?"

During his explanation, she'd started to smile. Then it turned into her small chuckles and she looked at him admiringly. "Nothing, it's just you sound like me."

Booth crossed his arms. "Oh, ha-ha."

"No, it was very-well said, Booth," She unfolded his arms. "I feel reassured now. Thank you."

"That was quick," he leaned in to kiss her, holding her closely to him.

"Well, you are a very reassuring person."

"And besides, Bones," he continued their earlier conversation. "This was optional. You could've said no to this mechanical-baby-test thing. The fact that you said yes just proves to me further how serious you are about this."

"It's important to me," she said honestly, gripping his upper arms. "It's important to both of us. Right?"

"Absolutely." He kissed her again. She smiled.

"I love you."

Inwardly, Booth felt his heart leap skyward. He didn't want to say it out loud, because they both knew it, but that was the first time she'd actually said the words. It was always implied, of course – and more than that it was obvious – but she actually said the words. And he had a feeling he'd be hearing them a lot more often.

"Yeah. And I guess I love you."

"You guess."

"I'm ninety-nine percent sure."

"That's pretty sure."

"So I'm told."

She smiled at him. "Can we go back to bed now?"

"You don't like kissing me?" Booth asked, feigning hurt.

"No, I'm tired. And I don't want the baby to wake up and prolong my tiredness."

"Yeah, best not to wake Jr. again."

"That, and it would be my turn."

"Well, we kinda shared this one, Bones." Booth said as they got comfortable under their shared blankets. She faced him and he laid an arm over her waist, pulling her closer.

"Mhm." She already had her eyes closed, and he followed suit.

One: I don't even know if this is an actual thing, but sometime last year (when I made this particular Fic) kids were getting these electronic babies for a grade in Health class and I laughed at the thought of Booth and Brennan going through that.

Two: I know I do a lot of dialogue, and I'm sorry. And I know the conversations are always choppy and like, "Okaaay, where is she going with this?" But I promise they do get better. I have some with hardly any dialogue and some with lots. Just bear with me.