A/N: Alright, you guys were amazing last chapter :) I'm going to try and respond to each and every review from now on. Promise. Thank you all so much.

A note for this chapter: I know Angela and Hodgins got a new place, but I have an attachment to their mansion, and I use it in all my stories. I really like it, and I have a picture of it in my head complete with how I think it would be laid out inside... so I'm sticking with the mansion regardless of how the canon goes.

Chapter 6

May 30th, 2011

Brennan found herself running late, when morning rolled around. For the first time in what was probably years, she had hit the dreaded snooze button. The action in itself had very nearly propelled her from the bed, but after a few seconds of thought, she had pulled the covers back up over her head and dropped her face back into the pillow heavily.

And so, now, an hour later, she was shuffling through her kitchen trying to find a coffee travel mug that didn't leak while she attempted to towel dry her sopping head of hair. As luck would have it, her dryer picked this morning to die. One second, she was combing through her hair and aiming it at the mirror to clear a patch so she could see what she was doing, and the next it was sputtering and going silent.

She had very nearly thrown it at the wall.

Last night... had been a late night. But she only partially regretted that fact.

Booth had wanted to talk, and she had known he wanted to talk... but with the case weighing on her mind and a long week probably still ahead of them, she had been looking for an excuse. Hodgins had told her he was back at the lab late because Angela was in a bad mood, and she used this as both an excuse to avoid Booth, and a reason to visit her friend.

It was not something Booth could argue about, when she told him of her plans as he let her out at her apartment. He had been ready to climb out and bring her to her door, where he probably would have found a way to come inside and then discuss the baby, but at her insistence that she needed to do this, he nodded with understanding and left the car running as she got out and went around.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" he called as she headed up the stairs to her apartment, her bag slung over her shoulder. She nodded and waved a cheerful farewell before ducking quickly inside.

After changing her outfit and dumping her things on the chair by the door, she left once again, feeling drained but determined with her keys clutched in her hand.

Hodgins hadn't returned yet when Brennan pulled into the driveway at her best friend's home. The mansion was mostly dark, but light was streaming through the front windows where Brennan knew the living room was located. She cut the engine and climbed out into the chill air of night. The sky was dark now, and out here, among the trees and the long well-paved streets that made up the ritzy neighborhood, she could see the starts beginning to twinkle overhead.

Clearly, Angela had been watching, because Brennan didn't even get the chance to knock before the door opened.

"Hey," Angela said, smiling wearily. Her long hair was falling out of a messy ponytail, and she looked mildly disheveled. Dark circles under her eyes indicated that she hadn't slept well in quite some time.

"Hey," Brennan echoed, returning the smile hesitantly. She didn't need to ask, because Angela stepped out of the way immediately and motioned for her to come inside. She nodded gratefully and stepped over the threshold, sliding her shoes off in favor of going barefoot on the warm carpeting, like Angela.

"He's sleeping," Angela explained, leading the way towards the kitchen. "For now, at least," she added ruefully, shaking her head and removing the coffee pot from it's holder as she simultaneously reached up to unhook a mug from the rack over the stove. The liquid steamed as she poured it, and Brennan realized she had probably only made it recently. Her assumption was confirmed when Angela picked up a second mug that Brennan hadn't noticed at first and took a sip from it herself as she held the fresh cup out to her friend. She accepted it thankfully.

They drifted into the living room, where Brennan found a collection of baby items strewn across every surface. Toys, still in their packages, littered the couch, and clothing items were in various locations. Brennan couldn't help but raise a questioning eyebrow, and Angela sighed heavily, blowing a piece of hair out of her face as she dropped into one of the few open chairs.

"I procrastinated getting organized," she said, wincing. "Turns out, it's pretty hard to do it after you have the kid. I sort of... blew up at Hodgins about it earlier. I was watching for him when I saw you pull in."

"He went to the lab," Brennan told her, and she nodded.

"I figured as much. How's the... case going?"

"Good," Brennan said, but there was enough hesitation there to make Angela's eyes narrow. "We've... got several possible suspects, and the evidence is giving plenty of clues..." she tried to continue, to salvage the conversation. But Ange wasn't listening, and she knew it.

"Is something wrong, Bren?"

Brennan opened her mouth to respond with a firm denial, but a sudden cry from over their heads effectively distracted both of them from any notions of continuing. Angela was on her feet at once, and Brennan quickly followed. She half expected her friend to tell her to stay downstairs, that she should just relax while she handled it, Angela gave her a curious look and then lead the way up the stairs.

Brennan's gut churned.

At the sight of little Michael—her god-son, she reminded herself—her concerns melted away. He was fussing and rolling side to side, his face pinched up as he gave another high-pitched wail.

Angela seemed to know by instinct what was wrong, because she lifted him from the crib and held him gently, patting his back lightly as she rocked him on her way over to the changing table. Brennan stayed silently by the door, her hand rested on the frame and her legs stiff and frozen.

"Bren," Angela said, drawing her out of her blank staring. "Could you get me a wipe..?"

At once, she stepped forward and swiftly pulled one from the pack beside the table, handing it over to her friend. After a momentary struggle during which Brennan felt useless, Angela had the fresh diaper secured, and she cooed softly to the baby as she lifted him again into her arms.

"Do you want to hold him, sweetie?" Angela asked, raising her eyebrows at her friend and moving closer.

"I... yes. I would love to," Brennan answered at once, a smile spreading warmly across her features. Although still fussing slightly, Michael was much calmed. His face was still wrinkled and red, but he was no longer crying and the color was starting to fade back to a healthier shade.

Carefully, Angela fixed him in her arms so that he was angled better, and then held him out to her friend, who gently accepted him, crooking him in her arms so his head was propped up and his small body was cradled properly. He fit almost perfectly, like a puzzle piece, and he was warm. As she rocked him slightly, he twisted and squirmed, a tiny arm reaching up and just coming short of brushing her chin. She smiled, her eyes immediately moving up to find Angela's.

Her friend laughed softly, her head tilted to the side and her eyes dancing.

"He already likes you," she murmured.

Brennan nodded almost disbelievingly, turning her attention back to the baby.

He had opened his eyes, and blinked up at her, his expression gone from distaste to the quiet wonder that only babies can show. His tiny mouth was open and his cheeks were chubby. He reached his hand up again, and she dipped her head this time so his tiny hand could land on her chin, clutching at it and then falling loose to settle for the easier grip of her shirt collar.

"He's beautiful," she whispered. "And already curious, too," she added with a laugh.

"A squint in the making, at only a few days old," Angela chuckled. "I wonder if Hodgins got it this young."

"I bet he was one of those kids that ate bugs."

"Oh, I bet he was," she agreed. "I wish he had some family alive still... I'd love to hear stories."

"I feel the same way," Brennan murmured, almost to herself rather than her friend.

"Sweetie?" Angela asked curiously after a few seconds passed in silence.

She glanced up, biting her lip and half-hoping Angela wasn't going to ask the obvious question. But of course she was.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," she answered with a shrug, dropping her eyes.

"Hm," Angela responded disapprovingly, and then carefully stepped forward to take her son back from her. It was a gentle motion, and Brennan knew it wasn't meant to feel like rejection. But it did, regardless. Her arms felt cold as they dropped back to her sides. "Come on," Angela said, her voice a whisper as she checked one last time on her son's position in the cradle before she flipped the switch and turned the lights off, leading the way back out and towards the stairs.

The uncomfortable feeling returned to her gut long before they settled into their seats in the living room once more and reclaimed their coffee mugs.

"You meant Booth, right?" Angela asked, raising an eyebrow.

Brennan ran her tongue over her lips, considering her options. And then she sighed, and gave in with a heavy nod.

Angela was silent for a while, a thoughtful, contemplative look on her face as she sipped from her steaming mug. Brennan tried to focus on her own drink, but her heart was racing without her permission, and she felt like there was a good chance she wasn't going to be leaving this house tonight without telling Angela the full truth.

Was that such a bad thing, though?

Because she really wanted to tell her. Had wanted to tell her every since she'd discovered it for herself, in fact.

Maybe it would be better once it was out there, the way it had been better when she had finally told Booth. And Angela would have advice. Angela could help her with this; would love to help her with this, actually.

"Have you two talked?" she asked finally, breaking the silence and making Brennan jump slightly in her seat.

"Uh... no. Not... not really."

Angela regarded her for another moment, and she knew the question before it even exited her friend's mouth. Could feel it hanging in the air, waiting to be spoken.

"Are you pregnant, Brennan?"

It was soft, but probing. It was a question, but at the same time an offer. I won't judge, sweetie. Just tell me the truth.

Her silence was enough of an answer, and Angela's eyes widened with every second that ticked past loudly on the suddenly very obvious clock on the mantelpiece.

"Yeah," she choked out at last, a nervous laugh breaking loose much like it had on the night she had told Booth out on that sidewalk. "Yeah, Ange. I am."

Angela's mouth fell open, and Brennan guessed that she probably would have shouted if it weren't for the baby sleeping upstairs. Much like she had wanted to shout that day in the lab, when Brennan had admitted to sleeping with Booth. Only this time, all words were failing her.

She stammered, shaking her head, her eyes wide and shimmering with happiness. And then she seemed to give up on speaking, because she swept forward and pulled Brennan from the other chair so she could wrap her arms around her in a crushing embrace.

"Congratulations," she whispered in her ear. "Congratulations, sweetie..."

She hadn't thought it would make such a difference, but telling Angela... had already started to have an effect. With her friend in the loop, the weight had lifted fully off of her shoulders for a while. She hated that it hadn't done so with Booth, and a guilty pull had positioned itself in her gut, but she was still glad.

When Hodgins had arrived, as had been inevitable, Brennan had bid her farewell. Not before Angela had forcibly gifted several pregnancy books to her, however.

Hodgins would know by now, of course. Brennan assumed Angela would have told him regardless, but she had mentioned, just before he came up the driveway, that she could share with him. It would make things easier, because the one person Angela couldn't hide anything from was her husband.

They were the only ones who could know, though, and Brennan had made that clear. She didn't want the entirety of the lab whispering about it. She wanted the chance to tell them on her own terms, and she already felt bad that Booth wasn't involved. He had promised not to tell anyone when she told him she wanted it kept quiet, and here she was... telling people herself.

She hadn't even considered how he felt about it. Did he want people to know, or did he prefer the situation she had originally envisioned?

As she finally made her way towards the door, digging her keys out of her bag and locking the apartment up behind her, she wondered if she should tell him that Angela knew. Probably, in case it came up. He deserved to be aware of every change in the situation, too, and it would be unfair to keep him in the dark.

What if he had people he wanted to tell, like his brother?

She shouldn't have restricted him.

Which was part of the reason she was glad he hadn't offered to pick her up this morning. The time alone was refreshing, and she relished the drive to the office and the feel of the smooth tires rolling beneath her as she guided her latest 'gift' from her publisher out into traffic.

Booth wasn't at the lab when she pulled in, and she scanned the parking lot thoroughly in case he had parked somewhere different for once before she headed towards the elevator. He was probably at his office, running down his own leads. She quelled the latest surge of guilt at her relief.

There was a time when she would have been secretly upset that he wasn't present in her morning routine. But now, with the pregnancy hanging over her and her added guilt over the whole thing... she was happy not to have to face him. She was stalling, pushing back the inevitable, and she knew it.

"Good morning," Wendell greeted her as she came through the sliding glass doors.

She nodded in response, and headed up to the platform. Cam was waiting for her, with Hodgins standing by, preoccupied by an image on one of the monitors.

"What do we have?" she asked, collecting her lab coat from where she had left it the night before and pulling it on along with a fresh ponytail.

"I came in early this morning. Figured I'd contribute." Cam explained, turning to point towards the monitor, where Brennan now recognized the note from the day before. In green lines, the words that had previously been indistinguishable now glowed.

"Culver 430 FF," Brennan read slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"It doesn't mean anything to you either, does it?" Hodgins questioned, turning to face their small group just as Wendell climbed up to join them.

She pursed her lips regretfully and shook her head. "No. Is it code, do you think?"

"Doubtful," Cam interjected. "It looks more to me like a note that would make a lot of sense to our victim... like something he wrote down to remind himself of something. It could be an address; Culver could be a street, 430 the number, and FF the apartment?"

"Or reversed," Brennan posited. "Culver could be a name, and FF an abbreviation of some sort."

"True," Cam reasoned. "We have no way of knowing until we narrow down the possibilities, though. Angela was up early as well; she gave me and Wendell some help, and we've got a program checking any correlations between these three."

"The number is the most significant," Brennan pointed out. "Culver or FF could be a name, and that might not connect to the address, if it's a public place."

"We've taken that into account. It would be best, obviously, to have a result that fit all three parameters. But the program is also looking for strong links between two, such as if a Culver lives at an address with 430, and the same with an FF abbreviation. Or even a 430 with an apartment building that uses double lettering."

"There could be thousands of results," Brennan murmured, frowning.

"Yes, well, we're praying otherwise," Cam replied heavily.

She glanced towards Hodgins, feeling his eyes on her, and he grinned widely. Self-consciously, she flicked her gaze away once again, feeling some color rise into her cheeks.

"Has their been any progress on the murder weapon?" she asked quickly, her attention focused on Wendell.

"We're narrowing down possibilities," he answered, shifting uncomfortably.

Her and Cam cast each other mirrored looks.

"Alright. I think... I'll hide in my office today," Cam said after a long pause. "I'd prefer not to get covered in melon guts again. Once was... plenty." She turned her attention back to Brennan. "Is Booth coming by soon? I was going to call him, but I figured I'd wait for him to show himself. He'll want to know about this as soon as possible, and I'm hoping we'll have some results up when he drops in..."

"I don't know, actually," she answered. "But... I'm sure he'll come by soon. He always does, after all."

Cam nodded. "Of course. Are you two checking out the newspaper today?"

"That seems to be the most likely course of action."

She nodded once again, and then departed for her office. Hodgins murmured a few words to Wendell, and Brennan caught a few like 'experiment' and 'cantaloupe' before the intern jogged off and disappeared into the entomologist's office space.

Which left her and the bug man alone on their section of the platform. He glanced around quickly before engulfing her in a quick hug. He stepped back smoothly afterwards, and grinned. "Congrats," he said simply, and she laughed.

"Thank you, Jack," she murmured.

He waved her off, "Thank you, actually. Your visit last night... was very appreciated. Angie's been missing you a lot, and seeing you really cheered you up. Not to mention the news that you had for her."

"Is she coming by to visit the lab sometime this week?" Brennan asked curiously. "She mentioned that she might try, but that she was going to talk to you about it."

"Yeah, I think she is, actually," Hodgins said, but his smile was tense. "She's going to see if she can come by on Thursday. I don't know how long she'll stay... but it looks like I'll be on solo duty with the baby. If she trusts me that long."

Brennan smiled sympathetically, and then ran her tongue over her lips before speaking, barely understanding where the words were coming from. "She trusts you, Hodgins. She's just... a mother. And I think she wants to be the one around the baby so much because she can't bear to be away from him. Not because she doesn't want you to be alone with him."

He smirked, but his eyes had regained their sparkle, and he playfully pushed her shoulder. "Right. And you're still claiming to hate psychology, aren't you?"

"It is a soft science," she answered with a shrug, grinning back innocently. Even she had to admit that her analysis was more psychological than anthropological. But that didn't mean she was going to say it out loud.

A beeping from the computer announced that it had reached a conclusion, and both scientists turned towards it.

There were only two results on the screen.

An obituary for a man named Joseph Culver, with the service held at 430 Orchard Rd several years back, and a bakery at 430 Franklin Fuller Way.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to comment on how unlikely it was that these results meant anything, footsteps announced that she had missed the doors opening.

"Got something good?" Booth asked as she glanced over her shoulder.

"Hey," she greeted him, and then gestured at the screen, which he squinted at with a frown. "A funeral home and a bakery. Great."

"The funeral home is extraneous," Hodgins supplied before Brennan could beat him to it. "It was four years ago, and the connection is... tenuous. I'd say it's either the bakery... or our search didn't come up with what we're looking for. This isn't an exact science."

Booth nodded. "Alright then, bakery it is."

Hodgins was smiling suddenly, and Brennan cast him a warning look that immediately quenched his good-humor. He gave her a questioning look, glancing back and forth between her and Brennan, and she decided that now would be a good time to leave. Before he said something that gave her away. The last thing she needed was for Booth to find out, from Hodgins himself, that she'd told some of the others without notifying him.

She needed to tell him, but she'd prefer to do it on her own terms.

"Should we... check out the bakery, then?" she suggested to Booth, hoping he would agree. The ride would give her a chance to fill him in, as well as take stock of how things were. The roller coaster was killing her, and she suspected it wasn't having any good effects on him either. She wished they were more level... that they knew what they were doing, that they could stop dancing around each other. She wished she knew how to handle this properly. She wished she could read his mind so she would know if she was going about it the right way. So she would know how things really stood.

If only.

"Yeah, let's go," he said, grinning at her in that way that made his eyes crinkle. She smiled back, relief coursing through her. And not just because he was agreeing. Because... she was starting to miss him. Avoiding him this morning had had more consequences than she had thought it had, because now, seeing him... made her want to stay with him.

Maybe she should start addressing things more with him. To get them to that solid ground she so desperately wanted.

She shed her lab coat again, leaving it where she had found it this morning, and walked beside him towards the exit. She could feel Hodgins' eyes on her as she went, and she tried to brush it off, but she knew he had questions now. It felt like everyone had questions, and clearly Angela hadn't informed him, in her excitement, that Booth shouldn't know that they'd been filled in on the details.

"Did you already have breakfast this morning?" he questioned as they climbed into the SUV.

"Granola bar," she answered. "I was planning on grabbing an early lunch, though."

"How about some pastry?" he suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"You don't think this lead is going anywhere, do you?" she tossed back at him.

He sighed. "No, not really. I mean... it's a bakery, Bones. Our victim could have been planning to meet someone there, but the odds of finding anything at the actual bakery? Slim."

"But you brought pictures," she pointed out, holding up the file he had tossed in her lap.

"Yeah, well, it's always a good idea. See if they recognize anyone involved in our case. Might give us an idea of who he was supposed to be meeting."

"Assumably, someone named Culver," Brennan pointed out. "If the bakery is even correct, which it might not be."

"Ah, but you see, that's why we're getting pastry. If we don't have any luck... at least we'll have some food. And you need to be eating breakfast," he added, glancing sharply at her abdomen as he hit the brake for a red light.

Just like that, they were on the subject. Her gut clenched, but she couldn't justify it if she didn't speak up. It would be cowardly.

"I went to see Angela last night," she informed him.

"I know," he replied nonchalantly, although she suspected he knew there was going to be more to this story.

"She asked me if I was pregnant," she said, getting straight to the point. She could have explained the whole story, but she figured this was the best way to go about it. To just tell him upfront.

"I figured she'd be the first one to guess at it," Booth said, laughing slightly and shaking his head. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her the truth," Brennan answered, watching him closely. He seemed almost... amused, rather than upset. Which she supposed was a good sign.

"Good," he answered. "And then she told Hodgins, which is why he was acting so weird around me this morning?"

"You noticed that?" she asked, baffled.

"Everyone always forgets the Special. It's Special Agent, Bones."

She ran her tongue over her lips. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked, a frown drawing his brows together in confusion.

"For telling Angela without consulting you. I know that... we agreed to keep this quiet."

He gave her an incredulous look. "Bones... you can tell whoever you want. All of that... is up to you."

He was only making her more confused. "But we... we agreed..."

"I agreed not to tell anyone at your request. I never said you had to keep quiet about it, Bones. I want you... to do this however you want. At whatever pace you like."

Inexplicably, she felt a wave of anger come over her, and she snapped her mouth shut before she let on how quickly her emotions had just changed. She turned her head to look out the window, and fell silent.

"Bones?" he asked gently, after the seconds had ticked by long enough for him to get concerned.

She closed her eyes, unwilling to turn around, but finally shifted and tilted her head in his direction to meet his gaze. He would only keep asking if she didn't give him some sort of response.

"You okay?" he questioned once it was clear she wasn't going to speak of her own volition.

"Fine," she replied heavily, her stare challenging him to question her on it.

He sighed, but turned his eyes back to the road.

She was being unfair, and she knew it, but she couldn't quench the sudden fury she felt towards him. Why did he have to do that all the time? Why did he have to be so... self-sacrificing? Didn't he realize that she didn't want that? That she hated him putting himself in front of her, as if she was more valuable than him? And not just figuratively, but literally as well. He was always protecting her, always trying to shield her. Stepping in front of bullets and going into buildings ahead of her, even if they both had guns.

She hated him for it, in those moments of fear.

And she realized now, that she felt the same trappings that came with those situations. Like he was preparing to give up something big for her, something she didn't want him to, something that would leave her forever dreading the world that would follow.

They should be equals in this. They should be dealing with this pregnancy together. And she had been pushing him away and pulling him close so much that she had probably confused him as to her intent. A part of the anger was aimed at herself, as well, and she recognized this, too.

She could try and say that she was the one trying to protect him, or she could even go ahead and blame it on the hormones and the overwhelming emotions that came with being pregnant. The fear.

But she refused to do so, because she wasn't going to give herself that exit.

Even then, though, something else was going on with Booth to make him think he needed to give her all this leverage, all this freedom that he wasn't allowing to himself in turn. Clearly there was something she was missing in his thought process, and that scared her too.

There was so much that she didn't understand. So much that she wished she could grasp. And it was all out of her reach.

Neither of them spoke for the rest of the trip, and she could tell Booth was lost as deeply in thought as she was. She wondered what he was thinking about, but didn't ask.

Once they climbed out of the SUV at the bakery, though, they returned to something close to normal. It was a bit forced, and they mostly avoided eye contact, but after he started asking questions of the manager, she felt herself relax and could see that he had as well. This was what they needed to be doing. This made them themselves.

"Never heard of him," the young woman who owned the bakery told them, shaking her head. "And I'm here most days."

"How about these?" he asked, passing her the pictures of Anna and Liz. Again, she shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry. What is this about?"

"Just following a lead on an investigation, ma'am."

"Hm. Well, you can ask my staff, but if I ain't seen them, they probably ain't either."

"Alright, thanks. Could we... get something to eat, as well?"

"Pick what you like. You can even have law enforcement discount."

He nodded, and then turned to Brennan. "What do you want, Bones?"

She stared at him for a moment, and then bit her lip and turned to the display case. "I'll just... I'll have a raspberry turnover."

"Okay, and I'll have one of those bear claws."

"Coffee?" the woman asked.

"Tea," Brennan corrected. "But... Booth can have coffee. If he wants." She glanced at him, and he nodded.

"Alrighty. Grab a table, you two," she said heavily. "I'll show these to the staff," she added, collecting the pictures from the countertop.

Booth hesitated, and then nodded in agreement before leading the way towards a table that had just opened up next to the window.

"Do you want to talk?" he suggested openly when they were settled.

She bit into her lip again, considering his proposal.

And then she chose a halfway answer.

"You can tell whoever you want, about the pregnancy."

He frowned. "Is that what's got you so upset?"

A waitress came around and put their pastries in front of them, pouring Booth his coffee and promising to return with Brennan's tea. It saved her from answering.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to keep it a secret because of me." Especially if he thought she should be able to tell anyone she liked. "So if you want to tell Jared, or Pops, or even Cam and the others... then you can."

He smiled disbelievingly. At first, she thought it was because he was glad he could tell people, but then he spoke and that idea sputtered out like a dying candle. "I don't care, Bones. I don't care who knows... all that matters to me is that we know. So, if you want to tell people, we will. But... it doesn't matter to me, how long we wait."

She almost groaned in frustration. Why did he keep saying it like that? Why did he keep deferring to her to make the decisions? He usually made decisions for himself, and the change was... wrong. It made her question everything all over again, and wonder if he was being himself at all around her through this. What was he doing?

"Fine," she answered dismissively. If that's what he wanted, then he could have it. She didn't want to discuss it anymore.

The waitress returned with her steaming cup of tea, and she thanked her and blew on it before taking a cautious sip. Just like that, the conversation was over.

And she didn't know when they would get back to it.

Or if they ever would.

These chapters always end up longer than I originally planned them to be, and so I end up cutting them off ahead of schedule. There was supposed to be more about the case in this one, but we'll have to get to it next week instead.

As always, let me know how I'm doing. I know that you all want to see BxB get together and have an actual talk... but other things need to happen first. Keep in mind that it's only been four days since she told him, and this is only their second day on the case. There's still alot ahead of them.