2 – Names must be chosen.
"Sarah... Oh, Sarah..."
Brennan has been thinking about this name all day. Booth was right, that child would be a princess, that child was going to be loved and cherished, but… But, Sarah? Was that the right name for her?
She never thought she would be able to love someone. She never thought she would have her own family. All she thought was: "I'mjustoneof those people who doesn'tget to be in a family". Turns out she was wrong and Booth was right. He once told her: "There is more than one kind of family", and she didn't believe him. She wanted to, but she couldn't, because all the families she has been with, were the same. They all abandoned her, even if they didn't want to. And that was the main point for her to become who she is. For her to become Booth's Bones. For her to become a mom and a wife.
Brennan and Booth always loved going to the Lincoln's memorial to walk around the reflecting pool and jog there sometimes. They were used to wake up at 7am and meet next to the coffee cart, just to drink some coffee and exercise themselves. However, things have changed and – now – Brennan was just going with him, just going to watch he runs around the reflecting pool while she was sitting in the Lincoln's Memorial stairs, holding her belly and enjoying the summer sunlight.
"Bones? It's 6:30am. Are you sure you wanna go to the Reflecting Pool today?"
Booth kissed her in the forehead. Brennan opened up her eyes and stretched.
"Booth, it's our thing. The thing we do – as Hodgins would say -, so I'm going. Besides, vitamin D is very necessary for pregnant women and the sun is the best source of it. I mean, not the sun literally…"
Booth didn't let her finish the sentence. He kissed her and helped her get out of bed.
"Bones?"
"Yes?"- she was walking towards the bathroom.
Booth pulled her closer and let her right in front of him. Those blue eyes where like the ocean, just staring at him while he managed to say the sentence he wanted to.
"Today is the day I'm supposed to measure your belly for the last time, remember?"
Booth and Brennan had this "wall moment" once a month. It was his idea. To paint a wallpaper with Brennan's belly measurements during her pregnancy. Just so they would be able to analyze their evolution. Just to know how close they were getting to the due day.
"Oh…" – she started at her belly and put her left hand o it. "She is kicking, again". – Brennan brought Booth's hand to her belly, right where the baby was kicking.
"That's our girl. A soccer player, huh?"
"I don't think so, Booth."
"Do you wanna do this now?"
"I think so… You might get in labor at anytime and I don't wanna miss this…"- Booth took the black marker and led Brennan to the wall.
Brennan got all emotional again. There was the wall, all filled up with her belly. 8 measurements… Eight months of happiness.
"Look at that. Look at us, Booth. This is a hell of an evolution, don't you think?" – Brennan rested her head on Booth's shoulder.
"Yes, Bones. That's you. Your evolution. You see? You told me you couldn't change, but you did."
"I did… We did, ok? You helped me trough this. You showed me the way and I just followed, turns out my way was leading me to you and to this, to all I've ever wanted." – she dried a tiny tear that was streaming down her cheek.
"Are you crying, Bones?"
"Hormones, you know… Blame the hormones."
"Ok, Lady. Come here and stay still. It's the last time, Bones."
Booth drew her belly's shadow and it seemed to be a huge mountain.
"Look, Bones, "The Himalaya""- he laughed at her.
"Don't laugh. It's not funny, Booth. It's your daughter in here, ok?" – she slapped him on the chest.
"My daughter… It sounds so…"
"Paternal?"
"I would say perfect…"
Brennan took a shower, got dressed and they went to the reflecting pool. Probably for the last time as only a couple… Probably for the last time as just "Brennan and Booth".
They probably have never thought about holding hands and changing diapers together, but this was becoming their reality. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow this new little person is going to be there with them and they are going to love, protect and take care of her. She is theirs. She is the seed of a true love and that's why she is so important to them.
"Booth, I'm going to sit here on the stairs while you run, ok? Because the sun reflects better here and I can take a little sunbath…"
"Alright. Are you sure this is comfortable? Are you sure you don't want me to stay here with you?"
"It's ok, Booth. You can go… You should run, it's your thing. Your morning ritual."
Booth put his earphones on and begun to run. He would probably take a while to complete his first lap, so Brennan would just sit there and enjoy the sunny day.
The baby was kicking more than usual and that made Brennan realize she wasn't alone sitting in there. Brennan knew that babies could hear their parents voice while they weren't born yet, but she never tried to talk to her belly. So, the scientist realized that this could be her last chance to talk to her daughter before she was born.
Brennan enjoyed that moment, the first time her daughter would actually listen to her mom. She has always been curious to know what happens inside her belly, because every time Booth talked to it, the baby started kicking faster.
Brennan put her hand on her belly just to feel the kicks more intensively.
"Hey, baby. What's happening to you today? Is it the name your dad chose you? Sarah is a good name, isn't it?"
The baby kicked twice.
"So, let's make a deal here. I have to choose your name, I mean, your father and I have to choose your name and it would be very helpful if you think you could "metaphorically" tell me that it's a good choice. You've probably heard that your dad wants to name you Sarah and he gave me a very special reason…"
Brennan stopped talking for a while and moved her hand all around her belly.
"Sarah means "princess" and that's what you are going to be… Not officially, because we are not members of a royalty and I'm not a queen… However, here is the deal. Since your kicking so much today, I'm gonna ask you if you want Sarah to be your name and if you kick me twice, that's going to be your name. But, believe me, I never ever thought I would do something like this… This seems so ludicrous."
The baby seemed to be understanding what Brennan was about to do.
"Can you name you Sarah?"
No movements for a while. Then, two kicks, one after another. Brennan put a smile on her face.
"There you go, Sarah."
Booth approached and Brennan didn't even noticed, since she was all concentrated in talking to her baby. To their baby. He lay on the stairs and put his head over Brennan's lap.
"Sarah? Is this it?"
"Booth! How many laps did you run today?"
"Five, as usual."
"But… are you running faster?"
"No… It took me 20 minutes to finish it, as usual. You probably were very concentrated here… What were you doing?"
"I was talking to Sarah. I asked her questions and she answered."
"What? How come?" – Booth put his hand on his forehead, trying to block the sun that was reflecting on his face.
"Actually, she kicked me… We made a deal and I told her she should kick me twice if she wanted 'Sarah" to be her name." – Brennan stroked Booth's hair while he seemed to be trying to understand that.
"So, she kicked you twice? And Sarah is going to be her name?"
"Isn't that what I just said?"
"I just wanted to be sure."
Booth got up and put his mouth close to Brennan's belly.
"Hey, Sarah. It's a nice choice. A very nice choice. You are like your mom, you know? She is always making the right decisions…"
"No, Booth. Not always." – Brennan corrected him.
"No, Bones. Always. You might take a while to find it right, but you always make the right decisions."
They stayed there for a while. Enjoying the sunlight, enjoying that warm morning in Washington D.C before heading to work.
--B&B-
Telling Parker wouldn't be as easy as Brennan had pictured it. She wasn't sure Parker would like the idea. He was a very nice boy, but he never had to deal with this situation before, so it could probably scare him out a little bit.
"What are you thinking about, Bones?"
"That we should tell everyone today. And by everyone, I mean Parker too."
"Do you think you are ready for this?"
"I'm almost three months, Booth. It's almost our first trimester and they say that if you pass your first trimester, you should consider talking to your friends and family."
"Who said that?"
"A book I'm reading, ok? I had to buy one, Booth. These things are not so easy for me and I want this to be as normal as it's possible."
Brennan stayed still for a while.
"Not that I'm not normal… It's just… I said it out wrong."
"You're right, Bones. Mom's to be must be prepared. I just didn't tell Parker yet, because you asked me to do not tell him and I didn't want to push you through this."
"Thank you, Booth. But I feel I'm ready. We should tell the squints and everyone from the Jeffersonian then you could take Parker and me for dinner."
"How about bringing Parker to your house tonight? Or mine? He should spend a night with us… You know, just the four of us. And I'm sure you two are going to get along just fine. Parker adores you, Bones."
"He does?"
"Yes. Very much. I bet you are his role model, Bones. When I'm with him, he is all about: "Bones told me that, Bones wouldn't do that, Bones taught me that…" He seems a little you."
"That's not possible. You know that."
"I know, Bones. I was metaphorically speaking."
"Oh."
"So."- Said Booth, pulling Brennan close to him and kissing her in the forehead. "Can I call Rebecca and bring Parker over for the night?"
"Well, I… Yes… I'm ready. I'm ready. I can do it, right?"
"Yes, you totally can. Bones, this isn't going to be as difficult as getting your doctorate degree."
"That wasn't difficult."
"Bones…" – Booth sighed after her statement.
"So you're telling me this is going to be a piece of pie?"
"A piece of cake."
"Don't you rather have pie?"
"No, Bones. What I meant is that we say: "It's a piece of cake.""
"Why can't it be pie?"
"Because, Bones… Ugh… Never mind."
"I hate it when you tell "Never mind". But… We should go to the Jeffersonian. I wanna gather everyone on the platform and tell them the great news."
"Alone?"
"Yes. Why not?"
"Because I should be there, holding your hand and getting all excited again. Besides, we are together now, Bones. We are a couple and they should know it. It's against the rules so we'll have to deal with all the odds. And it's my baby too."
"And what are the odds?"
"The odds are that we might… Well, there are no odds… We just have to make it official and Hacker will probably let us work together."
"So, this is under control?"
"110%."
"You really should stop saying that. It's so wrong that I can't even hear it."
"It's not a big deal… 10% wrong, ok? And you'll have to deal with it."
"What if I don't want to?"
"I won't stop."
"Why can't you just say 100%?"
"Because it's more than that."
"But it doesn't exist."
Booth drove her to the Jeffersonian. He seemed to have all under control but he was nervous about that all. It was his child in there and it was their future. Everybody would get to know they're a couple and that they've been a couple for more than three months. But, that was the best feeling he had ever had. He finally got the chance to say: 'I'm with Bones and I love her. Oh, and we are having a baby.'
-B&B--
Before all that fuss, Booth and Brennan went together to their first appointment. After the day Brennan found out she was pregnant, Booth told her they should go together for the first appointment. That he wanted to be there to see his child for the first time and that he wanted to go with her every time she needed to.
Brennan lay on the procedure's bed and Booth pulled a stool to sit next to her and hold her hand while she was having her first ultrasound.
Dr. Lockhart seemed to be a very nice person. She started to explain what all those numbers meant and showed Brennan and Booth all they needed to see.
"So."-said Dr. Lockhart pointing to the monitor. "These here are your babies measurements. It's perfect, Dr. Brennan. Couldn't be better."
Booth pressed his forehead on Brennan's when she turned her head to his side.
"And this here."-Said Dr. Lockhart, pointing to the monitor again. "This is your baby."
Booth was staring at something that seemed to be just a huge pea. He knew that was completely normal, because he was able to remember Parker's first ultrasound.
"Judging by your baby's size, I'd say you're almost a month. So, your due day is going to be between end of July and beginning of August."
"A summer baby." – said Brennan, still trying to contain the tears that were forming in her eyes.
"A summer baby, Bones."- Booth said that kissing her hand.
"Let's listen to you baby's heart?"
Dr. Lockhart placed and equipment on Brennan's belly and a sound was coming out of it. A very strong sound.
"That's our baby. Pretty tough with a very strong heart."- said Booth
"Indeed. Everything seems to be just perfect with your baby. Now, I'll print your 3D ultrasound and we'll have to book another appointment for next month, what do you think, Dr. Brennan?"
"An ultrasound…"- said Brennan.
"I beg you a pardon?"
"It's fine, Dr. Lockhart. Booth and I are going to be here next month."
Dr. Lockhart handed Brennan her first ultrasound. The ultrasound that showed them just a huge pea, their baby.
When they got in the car, Booth handed Brennan a package.
"What's this?"
"Open it."
Brennan opened that package and started at a yellow photo album. The cover was saying: "Baby _'s first album".
"I got it in yellow because we don't know if it's a boy or a girl, so it's neutral. Can you turn to the second page, please?"
Brennan turned to the second page and it was a page all dedicated to one thing: "That is me. First time mom and dad saw me. Just a huge pea."
"You have to place that ultrasound there."
Brennan didn't say anything for a long while.
"Bones?"
"It's… It's… beautiful, Booth. Best gift someone has ever given me."
"It's nothing, Bones… It's for us."
-B&B--
When Brennan and Booth got at the Jeffersonian, everybody was working on a case. She didn't want to interrupt that, but all she had to say was so important that she had to do it right in that moment.
"Booth, do you think you can get their attention?"
"What? Of course I can, I'm a FBI agent."
"Can you do it?"
"Do you want to hold my hand?"
Brennan held his hand and they got on the platform. Booth didn't even need to say anything. Angela turned around and started applauding when she sighted they were holding hands.
"What's your problem, Angie? Is this.."- Hodgins turned around and let his jaw fell of his face.
"Attention, everyone."-Said Booth. Everybody there turned to stare them both. "Bones and I have an announcement to make. Not only one, but two."
"As you might have seen."-Said Brennan – "Booth and I are together. And…"
Angela started "squeeing" while Brennan was trying to finish her sentence.
"And… We are having a baby."
The platform just exploded. Everybody was applauding and fussing around. Brennan and Booth got a lot of hugs and kind words. All squinterns congratulated Brennan and Booth. And, finally, for the first time in over almost 7 years, they got together in the platform not only as partners at work, but also as partners in life.
Angela took Brennan to her office. Michael was sleeping in there while they were all working on that case.
"So…" – said Angela whispering. "When did you plan to tell me this?" – she put her hands on her waist.
"I just did it, Angie."
"Brennan, things like these are supposed to be shared with your best friend. Remember when I told you I was pregnant. I did that before even telling Hodgins…"
"Angie… Your relationship with Hodgins is so solid I'm jealous about… When I found out I was pregnant, I didn't even know what Booth would say, that's why I didn't tell you. Because I wasn't sure about our situation."
"Oh, sweetie. Since when do you get jealous about a relationship?"
"Since I found out it might really exist."
"It does. When did you find out about the baby?"
"The day Michael was born. That's another reason of why I didn't tell you or anyone else, except Booth. I was frightened…"
"Frightened of what?"
"Of being a mother. I know I said I was ready, I know I said I wanted it. And I still do. But when I heard you screaming…"
"That scared the hell out of, right?"
"Yes. But then you told me that it was a dream. That it was wonderful. And that made me realize that what I was passing through was the only thing I've been wishing for since I met Booth." – Brennan was staring at Michael who was still asleep. – "And, look at us. I'm an aunt and you're about to be an aunt too. The Jeffersonian is about to have kids running around while we are all trying to solve murders."
"I never saw that coming!"
"There is only one thing that keeps me frightened…"
"What is it?"
"We are telling Parker tonight. He is spending the night at my house."
"Sweetie. Parker loves you. I bet he will be so happy about it…"
"Do you really think so? I know I should spend some time with him, but sometimes I feel like I'm not good at children."
"Well, I'm sorry to inform you, but you'll have to learn how to be good at them. And, it's pretty easy. You think you don't know how to do it, but you're wrong. You're brilliant, Brennan. You're a genius and that's what Parker loves about you. Just use your brilliance tonight and you'll be fine. Just be you."
Booth was coming towards them. Brennan could see him through Angela's glass door.
"There you are, Bones. I was talking to Rebecca about picking up Parker. She said we can do this, but we'll have to pick him up at School. So, it's time. Do you wanna go with me?"
Brennan didn't say anything. She didn't move either. Angela pushed her to Booth.
"Go, Brennan. You'll be fine." – Said Angela.
"Thanks, Angie."
The FBI agent and the scientist headed to Parker's school.
-B&B--
Parker was waiting in front of school when Booth parked his S.U.V. The boy came running to his father while Brennan was waiting on the car.
"Daddy!"-said Parker, running in Booth's direction. He jumped in Booth's arms.
"Hey, buddy!"- said Booth, while holding Parker and putting him above his shoulders.
"So, Bones is here."
"She is?"
"Yes. And we have something to tell you. Something very special. We were wondering if you would like to spend the night with us at Bones' apartment."
Parker was stroking Booth's hair while they're walking to the car.
"Dad?"
"Yes, Buddy."
"First of all, are you to dating?"
Booth stopped.
"I don't think 'dating' is the appropriate word for this. But, we're together, Parks."
"YES."- he squealed while Booth started walking again. "So, would this special thing you wanna tell me something related to a baby?"
Booth stopped again.
"Wh…? Parker Matthew Booth, how do you?"
"Dad. I'm ten years old, ok? I can smell things like this one."
"What? Since when?"
"Dad… This is brilliant, ok? And, I bet Bones is not feeling comfortable about this all, because she might think I will not like this. But I'm loving it, ok? So, put me down and let me talk to her. I don't wanna let her worried any second else."
Booth put Parker down and the boy went to the SUV.
"Bones?" – Parker called her, while getting on the backseat.
"Hey, Parker. How are you?"
"I'm fine. What about you?"
"May I say I'm over the moon? I know you are going to say this is not even possible, but I'm over the moon, Bones."
"Well, that's not possible, Parker. But, may I get to know the reason of this all?"
Booth was still outside, just trying to listen to Brennan and Parker's conversation. His son was managing to do very well…
"Because, dad told me you two are together. Well, he didn't actually. I found out when he told me you two had something very special to tell me."
"What? He told you? Why? I was supposed to tell you…"
"And then I also found out that I'm having a sibling." – Parker kissed Brennan on the cheek after saying those words.
They stayed in silence for a while. Booth got on the car.
"So, can I say you two are cool? I mean, Bones was a little bit afraid of this moment… You know how she is, right, Parker?"
"Yes, dad. She thought I wouldn't like it. Turns out I do. I really do. It's great to finally see my dad with someone he really loves, Bones. And I can tell you are making him very happy. He is different. He is happy."
That night was going to be a memorable night. Parker would spend the night with them. Brennan would spend the night with her two Booths. And, sometimes, life is about living one day at a time.