Hi again, people… sorry it took me a while to update!

Thank you all so much for your reviews. So glad you enjoyed the Cam-Brennan conversation!!!

Coming home…

Chapter 9:

One week after my conversation with Cam I was still pregnant – no surprise – and spent fifteen miserable minutes every morning retching until my throat burned….a side-effect of the hormones I could have easily done without.

I taken up to working normal hours these past days and after the fourth day people actually stopped staring at me when I came to work and left like every one else during daylight instead of holing myself up in my office until midnight. I knew they were probably cooking up rumours about me, but I had learned as a teenager not to listen to what other people were whispering behind my back.

My appointment with my gynaecologist had come and gone by with Angela by my side, asking more questions than I could have ever thought of, but I was very grateful for her presence.

Finally Wednesday arrived and I was getting nervous. Cullen had not been able to guarantee that Booth would be making contact with us this afternoon and I was on edge.

I hoped for Booth and Parker that the whole thing would work out, but I couldn't be sure. And – I had to admit to myself – I was selfish enough to hope it for myself, too.

At half past four I was knocking on the door of Rebecca's new apartment.

I heard quick footsteps approach and Parker's young voice asking. "Who's there?"

This caused me to smile. Booth's son was smart enough to ask before opening the door.

"It's me, Bones." I said and the door was thrust open in an instant. "Bones!" The seven-year-old smiled happily at me. "I'm so glad you came."

"Happy Birthday, Parker." I said and hugged him tightly, then I pulled back and straightened.

My partner's son took my hand in his and dragged me inside the living room. Rebecca was sitting in her wheel-chair and her mother and sister were seated on the couch, drinking coffee.

"Hello Rebecca, Rachel. Mrs. Stinson. Thank you for inviting me." I addressed them.

They too greeted me and I was soon offered coffee – but asked for tea instead - and Parker raced off to get me a piece of his birthday cake. While he was gone I opened my bag and took out my laptop. "Can I set that up here somewhere? I'm waiting for an urgent message."

Rebecca frowned at me. "It's Parker's birthday. Do you really have to bring work here?"

Her sister and mother gave me a disapproving look.

I shook my head and whispered conspiratorially to her. "If this works out the way it should, it's going to be a present for Parker."

Rebecca's eyes widened a little, then she smiled a thin-lipped smile and nodded. I hadn't seen her genuinely happy since her accident, but I suppose that's understandable for somebody in her position. After all, she was now forced into a wheel-chair for the rest of her life and the insurance companies still had not paid a single cent. But she tried hard to be optimistic for her son and that was enviable.

I had just finished setting up the laptop on the dining table a few feet away, when Parker came back with a huge slice of cake for me and his gleaming eyes settled on the bags I had brought. I laughed. "Here, Parker… Happy Birthday." I handed him three boxes, explaining that the first one was from his Dad, who had left his gift with me and asked me to give it to him. Parker bravely mastered his tears upon hearing that, but it was a close call. The second box was my present, the third from the squints, who had gotten him a lab coat with his name on it.

I watched him unwrap the presents, one by one, listened to his excited exclamations and my chest tightened a little. His smile was so like Booth's it hurt to look at him and – at the same time – was oddly comforting. I was so absorbed in watching the boy and thinking of his half-sister or half-brother growing in my womb I didn't even hear it when my laptop signalled an incoming message.

"Bo-ones," Parker suddenly addressed me. "Is that your computer?" He pointed to the table a few feet away.

I blinked and nodded. "It just beeped." The boy announced and my mouth went suddenly dry when I understood. "Oh. Oh. Well I better check then." I said quickly. "I'm waiting for a message, you know."

"Uh-uh." Parker made and his concentration was on the brand new big fire truck he'd gotten from his father.

I hurried to the table, seating myself in front of my computer and took in a deep breath.

The laptop signalled a contact-inquiry and my heart beat faster when I read it.

"SB making contact. Respond, please."

I frowned a little at the distanced phrasing, but shrugged and typed.

"Hello."

A few moments long there was nothing and I swallowed hard, then another message appeared.

"SB making official contact as ordered. Identification?"

I blinked in confusion, but after a moment I understood.

Obviously Cullen had not told Booth whom he was making contact with and the Skype account on my laptop was new, installed by the FBI under a fake identity, because Cullen had wanted to keep my name out of the files. Which made sense if the order to make contact had gone through official FBI channels, I thought.

I had no idea how I was supposed to respond now, though. Was I allowed to use my name NOW or not? Cullen had not prepared me at all.

"Respond. ID, please." Flashed again and I took in a deep breath and typed.

"Am I supposed to identify myself with my real name or am I requested to select an alias of some sort?"

A minute passed by until finally a message appeared. "Bones, is that you???"

I had to smile… Booth really knew me better than anyone else.

"Yes." I typed and hit enter, then I added.

"Is it safe for you to use video phone?"

"Yes!" Came back instantly.

"Call me in one minute." I wrote, swallowed hard and said. "Parker, can you come here for a minute… I want to show you something."

Parker joined me and peeked at the screen. "Just wait a second." I answered and made sure to adjust the camera so that Parker would be visible for Booth.

The boy fidgeted beside me and sighed. "What do you want to show me?"

"Just a second, Parker. I promise you'll like it." I said.

"Is it something cool?" He asked and I had to smile. "Yeah, pretty cool."

As if on cue, my laptop signalled an incoming call and I showed Parker which button to press to answer it.

And then the familiar face I had missed so much filled the screen.

"DADDY!" Parker exclaimed and I saw Booth smile at his son, surprised but pleased and my heart beat sped up.

"Happy Birthday, Parker." The familiar voice and I closed my eyes for an instant, enjoying the sound of it. Then I stepped back to give Parker and his father some time to talk to each other… after all it was the boy's birthday, not mine.

My eyes met Rebecca's as I sank back on the couch and reached for my tea. She stared at me, her eyes wide and then she gave me the first genuine smile since the accident. "Thank you. I don't know how you managed that, but it was exactly what Parker needed."

I nodded. "Booth needs it too, I guess." I added and took a bite of my cake, chewing slowly.

In the background I could hear Booth and his son talk and I sighed, fighting down the urge to walk over to the laptop and tell him that I was pregnant. It would have been irrational and wrong. After all I had made my decision to keep it a secret from him and I still stood by it… He was in a high risk situation and I wouldn't want this unexpected pregnancy to distract him.

That didn't keep me from straining my ears to hear his voice, which sounded a bit distorted by microphone and speakers, but was so unmistakeably his it tugged at my heart.

Mrs. Stinson asked me something, but I had not been paying attention to the women surrounding me and only blinked in confusion. "Pardon me?"

Rebecca and her sister exchanged a meaningful glance, then Parker's mother asked me. "You miss him too, right?"

I took in a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. Yes I miss him." Then I forced a smile on my face. "But he won't be gone forever." No, he wouldn't, I told myself, but he might just be gone too long for me to be able to stand it.

"But you don't know how long, do you?" Rebecca sighed. "Parker misses him so much."

"No, I don't know how long. A few more months, maybe." I swallowed hard. "But… I know what he does there is very important."

Rebecca closed her eyes for a moment. "If we didn't need the money…" She shook her head.

I nodded and smiled as I overheard Parker thanking his father for the new fire truck, then my gaze fixed on Rebecca's. "Booth's boss promised to put pressure on the insurance companies regarding your case."

Her eyes flew open in surprise. "You… are you sure?" She asked with hope and disbelief in her voice.

"Yes." I answered. "He seemed quite agitated that they hadn't come to a decision after five months."

The three women exchanged a long look then Rebecca gave me a serious look. "Dr. Brennan…. I didn't like you when I first met you and I'm very sorry for that. I.. you're doing a lot for Parker and I want you to know that we're very grateful."

I didn't know what to say, responding to compliments or obvious gratitude had never been my strong force. Thankfully Parker chose this moment to yell my name. "Bo-ones. Daddy wants to talk to you, too."

"Oh." I only said, blinked and walked over to the table, where Parker was sitting in front of my laptop.

"I'm gonna get my new toys Daddy, then I can show you what I got." The boy announced and dashed off leaving me alone with the laptop and Booth's smiling face on the screen.

"Bones. I don't know how to thank you." His voice was husky and his brown eyes held so much emotion and gratitude my breath hitched. "How did you manage to pull this off?"

Remembering my conversation with Cullen I had to fight the urge to laugh hysterically. Oh, it only took me to tell your boss I was pregnant with your child, Booth, that's all, I thought.

"I have my ways." I answered mysteriously, but then I regarded him more closely. His face was haggard and I could see he had lost weight… and the smile he flashed me didn't look as genuine as usual. "Booth," I said in a low voice "I know what you're doing there."

His eyes widened in shock and he blinked. "Did Cullen tell you?" His voice was somehow emotionless now and I nodded. "Yes."

"Are you… disgusted by me now?" Booth asked me hesitantly and I jerked back in surprise.

"No!" I said forcefully. "No. Not by you." I shook my head. "By what you're forced to do, maybe, but not by you. How could you think that?"

He briefly closed his eyes and I noticed again how tired he looked. "I don't know. I'm here and… it's hard."

"I just wanted you to know … well, you should be careful.. you know." I stammered a little and I saw him smile warmly at my words. "Are you saying you're worried?" The words were somehow teasing, but I knew him well enough to recognize the serious tone of his voice.

"Yes." I simply answered and I heard him take in a deep breath and once again I saw something flash in his eyes, some kind of emotion, but it was gone before I could interpret it.

"How's it going with the crime solving?" He asked after a moment. I shrugged. "Agent Crane is okay, but we haven't had a lot of cases together so far." I frowned a little. "She says we're all aliens and she doesn't know how you put up with us."

Booth laughed out loud. "I miss you, Bones." He said and my heartbeat sped up upon hearing him say my name with such longing. "I hope I can come home soon."

"We miss you too." I answered and he gave me a long look, then smiled. If the 'we' was puzzling him, he didn't say. "You have no idea what it means to me that you made it possible to talk to my child today. Thank you, Bones."

My throat constricted a little when I heard him say the words 'my child', but then Parker raced back into the room, his arms full with things he had gotten for his birthday. I had to grin as he explained the 'Science for Kids' set I had given him to his father and showed off his new lab coat.

Booth groaned and sent me an accusatory look. "You're turning my kid into a squint?"

"He likes it." I defended my actions. "Nah, he's just trying to humour you." Booth joked.

"No, Daddy, what Bones gave me is cool." Parker corrected and I had to chuckle at the horrified expression on Booth's face. "Don't worry, Booth, he still thinks your job is cooler because you get to arrest bad people." I said.

"Daddy?" Parker suddenly asked. "When will you come back?"

Sadness entered Booth's eyes. "I don't know, bub. I wish I could tell you. There are many bad guys here and it takes long to arrest them all, you know. And you know I told you I need to get them all before I can come back."

"I know Daddy." The boy beside me sighed. "But it's been so long and I miss you."

"I miss you too, Parker… I think of you every day." Booth told his son seriously and my heart ached for both of them. He was a great father and trying so hard to be there for his son.

"Will you tell your mum I want to talk to her for a minute?" He asked his son and Parker nodded and walked over to Rebecca..

"I only have a few minutes left, Bones." He said and I nodded mutely.

"I just wanted to let you know that… I think of you every day, too." My former partner whispered and I smiled sadly.

The truth was, I thought of him all the time too… especially now that I knew that I loved him and had found out I was pregnant. But I could hardly throw that at him now, with his son and ex-girlfriend in the room. ...and it would not be the right thing to do. What would it accomplish? Make him feel even more lonely?

So, I just said. "I hope you can come back soon. Be careful." Then Rebecca moved her wheel-chair towards me and I gave the man I loved one last look. "Good bye." I whispered and he nodded… the sad look in his eyes made me ache inside. "Good bye, Bones." I heard him say.

Then I stepped away from the laptop and fled from the room, my eyes watering and my insides churning. I had been at Rebecca's often enough to know where the bathroom was and when I was inside I locked the door behind me. Trembling, I took a shuddering breath as I regarded my reflection in the mirror above the sink.

Faintly I heard Parker yell "I love you Daddy."

My stomach protested and I wondered for a brief moment why people called it morning sickness, when in fact, it could come over you any time of the day.

I know, that was a pretty sad chapter, I guess. I hope you still liked it. At least it was a longer one, right?

Please let me know!