A/N: Huh, I guess threatening to not continue the story unless you give me reviews actually works! Seven's not a bad start :D So yeah, a big thanks to the anonymous-es, Janzen-Swomps, EverythingEventually, Coldcaseismylife, jsiebert, Ms. Pad's, MsCyatt, aaaaannndd Your Worst Nightmare -x-, who despite the name writes beautifully and with passion. (Just thought I'd mention that because... Uh... Well I dunno, but it's definitely worth checking her out at some point. Not literally, figuratively.)
AN. Y. WAY. Onwards and upwards :D Or maybe just onwards.
Mmm... Coffee addiction...
Enjoy!
Retribution
"Hush little baby don't you cry, mama's gonna sing you a lullaby." Tempe smiled down at the little bundle in her arms, staring up at her with pale grey eyes almost identical to her own. She kissed it on the cheek and whispered in to its little pink ear, curled up like a seashell. "I love you, my baby... I love you." She pulled a funny face and stuck her tongue out, and the baby smiled, showing off its pink gums and tiny tongue.
"Passing along bad habits I see?" An arm wrapped itself around her shoulders, and she looked up to see the father of her child grinning down at her with his dazzling smile. She laughed.
"I think we've got a fast learner here." He leant down and pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss, before looking back to the baby.
"Let me have a turn..." Despite her protests, he lifted the bundle out of her arms, and started walking towards the door.
"Wait, where are you going?" She called out to them, but the room seemed to be stretching out before her, her little family fading further and further away. "Baby?" She shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Baby, where are you?"
Temperance shuddered awake feeling hot, sweaty, and confused. She sat up, and reached over to twist her digital alarm clock round- it was nearly three in the morning. Groaning, she flopped back down onto the pillows, twisting her duvet cover into anxious knots with her hands. If Sweets knew about these recurring dreams, he would tell her that it was some deep psychological sign- but Brennan hated psychology, so surely it didn't mean anything?
It had been two weeks and a day since she had confided in Angela, and so far her friend had provided great moral support for her, even bringing her herbal teas that; despite tasting and smelling disgusting were actually a very effective relief for the morning sickness she now experienced daily, along with a strange craving for the high sugar content foods she normally avoided.
Placing a hand on her very slightly bulging stomach, she went over her high school sexual health classes in her mind. The foetus would still very much resemble an alien the size of a plum at that point, but it would have the basic shape of a baby, with a gender, fingers and toes that web together like a frog's, and even a heartbeat.
Bones buried her head under her pillow. When she thought in that way, as if the baby was a real human being already, the thought of aborting made her feel nauseous. But she knew in the back of her mind that it was irrational to consider the tiny ball of cells in her abdomen as her child just yet, especially seeing as the father didn't even know yet. She hadn't yet plucked up the courage to ask him out for coffee -decaffeinated of course- yet.
Sitting up again, Temperance rubbed at the dull pain that had arisen in her lower back, brow furrowed. It had been a while since the ache had started, and as it jeopardised her chances of falling back asleep she figured she might as well get up.
"Ooh..." She continued to one-handedly massage away the knots in her muscles, suddenly regretting ever getting pregnant.
Three hours later, and the pain had spread to her lower abdomen as well. Anxiety was bubbling in the pit of Temperance's stomach, coupled with guilt for the negative thoughts that had flowed freely through her mind just a few hours earlier.
Brennan wasn't normally one to reach out for help, but this wasn't something she could just ignore in the hopes that it would stop. She fumbled around for her cell phone with sweaty hands, her fingers slipping on the buttons as she dialled Angela's number.
"Hello?" Her friend's tone was irritable, which was hardly unexpected considering it was only 6am.
"Ange, it's Brennan..." Her tone immediately changed.
"Hey, you okay sweetie?"
"No, I..." Bones trailed off as her mind sped at 60 miles an hour to find the right words.
"Do you want me to come round?"
"Thanks... I think I need to go to hospital. I'm experiencing quite a substantial amount of pain."
"Oh, oh God." Angela was obviously struggling to keep panic from lacing her tone. "Okay sweetie, just sit tight and I'll come get you, kay?" Bones didn't bother saying goodbye before cutting off the call and allowing her phone to slip through her fingers before she curled up beside it on the rug.
"Please be okay baby," She whispered, pressing a fist up against her stomach. "I don't want it to take losing you to realise that I wanted you all along. Please, baby."
"Okay Doctor Brennan, we're going to perform an ultrasound to check up on the foetus and see what's going on." The gynaecologist squirted some gel on to Tempe's abdomen and turned the screen away from her and Angela to study it. Brennan grasped her friend's hand as the wand was placed on her stomach and manoeuvred around to get a clear picture of the baby. Both women knew the outlook seemed bad. Temperance was bleeding, and that symptom alongside the pain she was experiencing were clear markers for a complete abortion- miscarriage.
"Do you want me to call anyone? Booth?" Angela asked, stroking the back of her friend's hand with her thumb.
"No, I'm fine thank you." If Booth were there, he would want answers to the questions that she was still afraid to think about.
"Hm... Well, there is no evidence to suggest that you have miscarried the foetus' at this point in time." It surprised Brennan that although she expected to feel relief at her words, she only felt shock.
"Wait, foetus'? There's more then one?" The doctor pushed the monitor around, and pointed her pen at both of the baby-shaped shadows on the sonagram.
"I'm sorry, I should have told you. They're twins." Angela clapped a hand to her mouth, a mix of joy and surprise coating her features.
"So I won't lose them?"
"It's too early to tell, I'm afraid. At the moment it would appear that they're doing well, but if you continue to bleed vaginally through the night there's still a chance. I'm sorry, I wish there was something we could do." Bones nodded, and let a smile creep across her face for the first time in a long time. She might not be out of the clear just yet, but she'd made up her mind that -if she didn't miscarry- she was going to keep them, no matter what.
"Would you like a picture to take with you?" She nodded, wiping a tear that threatened to dribble lazily down her cheek. Angela squeezed her hand as the ultrasound technician passed the little picture over, and the gynaecologist patted her gently on the shoulder.
"Okay, I'm happy to let you go home now, but make sure to call the department if anything changes."
The next morning, Temperance held her breath as she undressed, praying with all her might that the bleeding had stopped. When she received the answer, she burst in to tears and collapsed on the floor; reaching into her dressing gown pocket for her cell.
"Angela?" She sobbed down the receiver. A slight pause ensued.
"Tempe... Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry-"
"No, it's not that! I'm having twins, Ange! I'm going to have two babies!"
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she walked into Booth's office armed with her ultrasound picture.
"Hey Bones, what's-" Before he could even finish his sentence, Brennan brandished the photo in his face. He stared at it in confusion. "What's this?"
"This," She began, her voice shaky. "Is the first picture of our children. Our twins."
"But-"
"Booth, let me finish! I know this isn't what you wanted, and I know it wasn't planned. But whether or not you choose to support me, I want to go ahead with the pregnancy."
"Bones, I-"
"Let me finish! I don't know how involved you want to be in their lives, but I nearly lost them a few days ago and since then I have realised that nothing you can say can stop me from-" Booth, having had enough of not being able to get a word in edgeways, put a finger against her lips. She shut up.
"Slow down!" He slumped into his desk chair, trying to take it all in. "So... How far along are you?" Temperance relaxed a little when she realised Booth's first reaction wasn't a bad one.
"The gynaecologist said I was about twelve weeks along."
"And you're sure it's twins?"
"I'm certain it is. See, you can see the two separate bodies..." She showed her partner the photo again; this time he took it and made an effort to look at it.
"Wow. I mean... Wow."
"Is that all you are going to say on the subject?"
"Gimme a break Bones, I'm still trying to take it all in! What do you mean you 'nearly lost them'?" Brennan looked at her feet.
"I thought I was going to miscarry them at the weekend. I was bleeding quite a lot."
"So why are you back at work already? Shouldn't you be putting your feet up or something?"
"Well I feel fine now!" Booth shook his head disbelievingly.
"Are you sure it's mine?"
"Of course! Are you implying that I have multiple sexual partners?"
"No, it's just... This is so sudden!"
"But... You do plan on supporting my decision, don't you?" He stood up, and drew her close to him, putting a hand on her stomach and staring deep into her eyes.
"Of course I will, baby. Of course I will..."
A/N: Okay, I know I said the next chapter would be better and longer... But I failed at that D: I'm sorryyyy!
Reviewwww anyway?
Thaaaa-aaaaanks! :D