Neither Booth nor Brennan told their friends about Hannah's unexpected visit. Her visit was soon followed by many other, more pleasant visits. With Rebecca's permission, Brennan brought Parker to visit his father. Booth was relieved neither Bones nor Rebecca had shared the full details of his shooting with his son. After missing an entire year of his life, Parker didn't need to know how close he'd come to losing his father.
Nevertheless, Parker seemed to have intuited the severity of the situation. Booth couldn't remember a time in recent history that Parker had been so affectionate towards him. He hoped this could erase the negative feelings that Booth knew his son had about his father having another child out of wedlock.
Booth's next visitor was less welcome. Hacker had decided that, now that Booth was out of the woods, he'd stop by for a visit. He sat at Booth's beside for an awkward fifteen minutes with Brennan glaring at him as he offered an apology for how the situation was handled.
"I can't believe he showed his head here," said an exasperated Brennan.
"His face," Booth corrected, "He showed his face. It doesn't matter, Bones. Don't let it bother you."
Bones yawned before launching into a tirade about Hacker sending her daughter's father into a clearly unsafe situation.
"We're in unsafe situations all time, Bones. This whole thing has made me wonder if it's…irresponsible for a father of two to do the job I do."
Brennan looked at her partner wide-eyed, "You wouldn't consider leaving the FBI?"
Booth shrugged, "I don't know. There are other positions at the FBI that don't involve working in the field."
"But you are good at field work," Bones said insistently, "I don't think our daughter would expect you to make a career change."
"Yeah," Booth replied hesitantly, "I think we should consider it…for the future."
"Okay," Bones said with a yawn, for once, not in the mood for an argument.
Booth reached for Bones' hand, "Go home, Bones. You can't get a night's sleep on that chair, especially when you're seven months pregnant."
"Well, I can't get a good night's sleep at home either," Bones countered.
"Bones, please. Go home. Do it for me and the baby."
Bones hesitated before agreeing. Before leaving, she left all of her phone numbers, as well as Angela and Max's with the charge nurse. When Brennan arrived home for the first time in days, she immediately crawled into bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.
Booth's first visitor of the day was Sweets. He was just getting off the phone with Brennan, urging her not to rush into the hospital, when Sweets trotted cheerfully into the room.
"Bye, Bones. I'll see you soon. Love you too," Booth said before hanging up the phone.
"Is Dr. Brennan at home?" Sweets asked as he slid a cup of coffee over to Booth.
"Yeah, I was able to convince her to go home and get a good night's sleep. Thanks for the coffee."
"You're welcome. I'm sure it's been a very difficult few days for her. I know that in the past, I've been critical of Dr. Brennan's reactions to emotional events, but she's been the picture of grace under pressure in this situation."
Booth smiled faintly.
"I mean, even when she passed out, an -."
"Passed out?" Booth said sitting straight up in bed and causing pain to rip through his chest.
"Eh," stalled a nervous Sweets, "I guess she didn't tell you."
"Tell me what the hell you're talking about!" Booth shouted.
Hurriedly, Sweets stated, "When you were out of surgery, in the recovery area, they let Dr. Brennan go back to see you. From the shock of seeing you…like that, she collapsed."
"Did they – did she -."
"She received immediate medical attention, of course. She only lost consciousness for a minute. They called someone to be with her, and Angela went in. They monitored her and the baby for a while then Dr. Brennan went up to be with you."
"But they said she okay? And the baby?"
"Yes, everyone was okay," Sweets replied, tactically omitted the fact that Dr. Brennan had hit her head during the fall.
"I can't believe she didn't tell me," Booth muttered.
"I'm sure she just didn't want to worry you."
"You think?" Booth replied sarcastically.
Sweets spent the next twenty minutes making awkward small talk. He eagerly rushed out the door when Brennan arrived.
"Did you get a good night's sleep?" Booth asked.
"Yes…though I've become quite accustomed to sharing a bed with you. The bed seems very large without you."
Booth smiled, "Well, I hope to be back in the bed with you soon, Bones."
Bones studied Booth's face, "Is everything okay?"
Booth raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I've become quite adept at reading your facial expressions," Bones said proudly.
Booth smiled then his expression quickly turned somber, "Sweets told me that you passed out."
"Oh," Bones said softly.
"Bones," Booth said taking her hand, "why didn't you tell me?"
"It was a very minor event, Booth. I merely collapsed from emotional and physical exhaustion. I was monitored for a head injury, and the baby's heart rate was monitored as well. We're both fine."
"You hit your head? Geez, Bones."
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, Booth, but, honestly, it was a minor event, comparatively."
"And if I hadn't been unconscious you would have told me?" Booth pried.
"Yes, of course, Booth," Bones said without hesitation, "we are sharing our lives together for the foreseeable future. We are going to have a child together. Under normal circumstances, I would not have kept my…incident from you."
Booth's mind caught on Bones' words "foreseeable future", and he blurted out, "What do you consider the foreseeable future?"
"What?" Bones asked, her train of thought derailed.
"You said that we were sharing our lives together for the 'foreseeable future'. What does that mean for you?"
"I don't know. I love you and being with you makes me happy. Of course, whatever might happen, we will always be bound by sharing a child."
"Bound?" Booth said with disappointment, "that sounds so…confining."
"No, no," Bones said quickly, bringing her hand to Booth's cheek, "I just meant that regardless of what happens, we'd always be part of each other's lives."
Booth frowned, and Bones realized her statement didn't have the alleviating effect she'd hoped.
"The nurse called you my wife," Booth said softly.
"What?" Bones asked in surprise.
"The nurse – Amanda – she said she was my nurse after the accident. She told me my wife – you – were very devoted."
Bones blushed, "They weren't going to let me see you. I told them I was pregnant with your daughter. Then, they let me back to see you. Everyone just seemed to assume that we were married, though neither of us have wedding rings. Spouses have special visitation privileges. I didn't think there was any harm in letting them continue to believe I was your wife if it made it easier for me to be here with you."
Booth nodded, not sure what make of this. Never had he doubted Bones' devotion to him. After all, this wasn't the first time she'd kept vigil at his bedside. Furthermore, Bones had suspended her beliefs – reality even – to be with him when he needed her.
"No, no harm. I like the sound of it. You, my wife."
Bones looked at Booth with surprise.
"Look," Booth said reaching for her hand once again, "I know this isn't the time or the place, but I want to marry you."
"Booth – I."
Booth pressed a finger to Brennan's lips to silence her.
"We're already going to be a family, Bones. I love you. Nothing's ever going to change that. When you are ready, I want you to be my wife."
Bones swallowed hard, "What if it's years before I'm ready…what if I'm never ready?"
"Bones, I'd wait for you forever."