"Partially skeletonised. The angle of the mandible and the brow of the skull indicate a male Caucasian around forty to fifty judging by the ware on the mandibular teeth".

"Cause of death?" asked Booth peering over Brennan's shoulder in distaste.

"Undetermined right now due to the acceleration of de-comp", said Cam moving around to the other side of the remains. "Of all the things to find at a recycling centre", she muttered as if talking only to herself. Abruptly – and with resolution – she stood and addressed Booth, "We'll need the remains taking back to the Jeffersonian as well as everything from this particular shipment".

"That would be a good idea since we're missing three phalanges. I'll get Hodgins to take samples from this area and set him to work on sifting through all of this crap".

Brennan began making her way back to Booth's car, pulling off her gloves as she went and stopping outside the passenger door to take off her forensics suit.

"Bones", Booth appeared by her side flipping his cell phone shut. "We should talk about what we're going to say to Angela and Hodgins. There's only so many ways we can avoid seeing them".

"I'm going to tell Angela the truth Booth. She's my best friend. Whilst there are a number of things that can go wrong during the first trimester, logic tells me that telling Angela won't change anything, I'm certainly not superstitious, everything was okay at the ultrasound scan yesterday and we have to tell Sweets soon anyway".

"Okay, you handle that", he said with a sly smile "And I'll go through missing person's reports to see if anybody has reported a white male, aged forty to fifty missing in the last 48 hours".

Less than twenty four hours earlier Brennan had been positioned, rather embarrassingly, on the cool examination table waiting for Doctor Gates to arrive. She had been instructed to take off her jeans and panties and place her feet in the stirrups at the bottom of the table with a thin white sheet pulled up to her stomach to conceal her modesty. Helen, the receptionist, had then invited Booth back around the other side of the partition that cut off the examination area to the rest of the room; the one that he had willingly ducked behind as soon as he'd heard mention of Brennan having to take off the bottom half of her clothing. With a slight blush he re-appeared and took a seat beside her head and gave her a reassuring smile. "The Doctor will be right with you", said Helen with a smile and disappeared.

As they waited anxiously they both studied a large poster of fetal development pinned on the adjacent wall. "That's amazing, Bones." His expression was one of awe and wonderment. "Our baby is about two point three centimetres right now and weighs about two grams; he's already developed his basic physiology by now with his eyelids now completely covering his eyes", he informed her, obviously reading directly from the poster.

"Or her's", Brennan reminded him and then her eyes lit up and she began to offer more insight of the development of their baby. "Did you know that - in the next two weeks of fetal development - our baby will have begun to develop his or her vocal chords, their eyes will start moving closer together and their liver will begin to function? It's quite fascinating".

"Sorry to keep you waiting folks". Doctor Gates breezed into the room simultaneously popping his pen back into his upper left pocket on his pristine white coat. "I had an early delivery upstairs". He was a tall man, only an inch or so shorter than Booth with greying hair and kind, brown eyes. He wore a simple gold wedding band on his left hand and a watch on his right wrist which was adorned with a plain brown leather strap. Booth was glad he wasn't a flashy sort of man because it suggested he cared more about his job than showing off how much money he earned. "I hear this is your first baby"?

"Yes", Brennan answered. "But it will be Booth's second child", she thoughtfully added and he beamed up at her from his seat, clearly excited for what was about to happen. "Although, Booth's son was born out of wedlock, something that greatly distresses him but…"

"Err…Bones", Booth hissed into her ear. "Doctor Gates doesn't need to know any of this".

"Booth, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Parker is much better off with you and Rebecca sharing custody than he would have been if you'd have gone ahead and married Rebecca. Did you know that, statistically speaking, around 45% of all marriages end in divorce? Anthropologically speaking marriage is an unnecessary and drastically archaic establishment anyway."

"Bones!" Booth fought the urge to suffocate the mother of his child.

"You must be very excited to be doing this for a second time Agent Booth", Doctor Gates said, changing the subject, as he reached for a wand shaped object and pulled the little screen it seemed to be hooked up to closer to the examination table where Brennan half lay, half sat and took his chair at the foot. He slipped on his white latex gloves, snapping them around his wrists, the sound echoed around the silent room whilst Booth looked on confused as the Doctor slid a condom down the length of the wand and applied what looked like lubricant.

"W-w-what is that?" Booth asked turning a shade of red Brennan had never seen before. "Where's the stomach probe thing-y with the gel?" Brennan was wondering the same thing herself and then a dawn of realisation hit her and she felt only slightly embarrassed for Booth's sake.

Doctor Gates let out a gentle knowing laugh and addressed both Brennan and Booth. "This is a trans-vaginal ultrasound wand. It's inserted just a few inches into the vagina and it gives us a more accurate due date; it's easier to check the fetal heart beat so early on and asses the uterine lining. Don't worry, it isn't painful, just maybe a little uncomfortable; probably more so for you Agent Booth than Doctor Brennan here".

Brennan seemed to find it highly amusing and began to laugh along with Doctor Gates but Booth shifted nervously in his seat and tried to focus on the fetal development poster whilst the Doctor began his examination. A fuzzy image appeared on the screen quickly becoming clearer. The two studied it with great interest and excitement. In all honesty Booth thought it looked much more like static interference on his TV set but Bones seemed to know exactly what she was looking at. After a few tense moments they heard the most glorious sound echoing throughout the now silent room; the two breathed a sigh of relief. Doctor Gates merely smiled. "And there's the heartbeat folks", he said in a jolly tone.

Booth laughed and without thinking pressed his lips to Brennan's and then took her hand in his. "That's our baby Bones".

"I know Booth", and even she couldn't help a wide smile spreading across her face or her eyes from slightly watering at the sight on the small screen before them.

"I'm going to measure the foetus to determine how far along you are", said Doctor Gates and then began tapping at the computer keys. "From my measurements, you're 10 weeks along like you thought. There's a strong heartbeat, everything looks good. I'll give you chance to get dressed and see you in my office so we can talk about your due date and book your next appointment".

"Sweetie, this is amazing news!" Angela sat across from Brennan at the Diner nursing her second glass of iced tea whilst rocking Michael in his baby carrier positioned on the chair next to her. "How far along are you? When did you find out? Is Booth excited? Are you excited?"

Brennan smiled at her best friend's enthusiasm and began to relax. "Booth and I are very happy about it. I'm 10 weeks along and I found out about a month ago".

"A month?" Angela shrieked excitedly and then lowered her voice and winced as her son opened one eye and then another. "Go back to sleep sweetie". She began rocking the baby carrier a little too enthusiastically which only roused baby Michael further. He opened his mouth and let out a loud wail. "Oh no honey, it's nap time", she whispered to her son and then checked her watch and looked disappointed.

Brennan stood and leaned over the table. "Let me, Ange". She opened the straps that had been holding the little baby in place and, in one smooth movement, he was in her arms. She slowly sat back down and began to rock him gently and, to Angela's surprise, his heavy lids began to drift slowly shut.

"How did this happen?" Asked Angela as she began to relax back into her seat.

"Oh, well, you were a little too loud Ange. Babies have extremely sensitive hearing; you really should talk in hushed tones when he's sleeping".

"Not that", her friend said sounding slightly exasperated. "You. Having a baby".

"Right. Well, I told you, Booth and I had intercourse. It was quite satisfying", she added with a grin and Angela couldn't help but smile. "When I told him I was pregnant and that the baby was his, he was pleased about it. We came to an understanding and decided to raise this baby together".

"Gee, how romantic", Angela's words dripped with sarcasm.

"Nothing is going to change Angela. Mine and Booth's relationship is private and it has to be separated from our working relationship. It's the only way we can be partners".

"Okay, I get it", she sighed. "Do I have to keep this a secret"?

"For now, although I suppose you'll be telling Hodgins, naturally. Plus, Booth and I have to tell Sweet's soon".

"You have to tell Sweets. Oh my God. I'd almost forgot to factor him in!"

"Sweet's will want to psycho analyse us and this whole situation, probably make us do another quiz. Psychology is a soft science at best and is backed up by no empirical evidence. It's based largely on opinion and interpretation rather than fact".

"Are you forgetting that Sweet's was perceptive enough to realise that you and Booth were meant to be together? Long before you did, by the way." Angela gave Brennan a satisfactory little grin.

Brennan merely rolled her eyes at her best friend before turning her full attention to the baby stirring in her arms and once again began to gently rock him. "I think I'll be good at this". She concluded with a soft smile.

"I think you'll be great at it, sweetie".

Brennan, now adorned in her blue lab coat, swept up the steps onto the platform at the Jeffersonian were the recent remains lay, quickly swiping her key card and pulling on her gloves.

Her intern Wendell was already looking over the set of Bones with interest and looked up to greet her as she joined him on the other side of the brightly lit table. Before she could give the set of remains her full attention, the sound of another key card being swiped disturbed her thoughts and she looked up to see Booth ascending the steps.

"What have we got Bones"?

"I'm examining the remains now Booth, Wendell has just finished cleaning them".

"That's good because I didn't have any luck going through missing person's. Where's Angela when you need her"?

"Probably at the Diner, I just had lunch with her", offered Brennan in her usual literal manner.

"The diner, huh?" Booth quickly turned away and pulled out his cell phone whilst Brennan addressed Wendell.

"The remains were found at a private recycling centre partially wrapped in a plastic bag. Hodgins is sifting through the shipment in which the bones were found to try and locate the missing finger and toe phalanges".

Booth returned his attention to Brennan with a smirk. "Angela is coming in to do a facial reconstruction".

"Booth", Brennan scolded him. "Angela is on maternity leave".

"It's a few hours, okay Bones? In the meantime I'm working with the private recycling firm to try and track the shipments and find out where this guy came from. Call me if you determine cause of death", Booth added before descending the steps and disappearing.

"The right side of the sternum is crushed which probably occurred post mortem, most likely from being buried under a shipment of recycled material."

"I can see several fractures to the tibia and cuboid bone, as well as the collar bone and the lumbar vertebrae, again all of which probably occurred post mortem after the body was dumped", said Wendell.

"There's also a broken left clavicle, trauma to both his knees, a nick on his left ankle, fracture to his thumb and broken ribs, all ante mortem, as though he was tortured but some of these injuries are two decade's old whilst other's show almost no signs of remodelling".

"These are all common sports injuries associated with football in particular".

"That's right."

"Look at this", said Wendell, his forehead creasing as he studied the victim's skull more closely. "Bruising on the frontal bone and the back of the skull is cracked".

"Head trauma could definitely be the cause of death. We'll wait until Angela does a facial reconstruction and maybe we'll find something to help us".

Two hours later, Booth, Brennan, Cam and Angela stood around the "Angelatron". As Angela fiddled with her remote, a holographic image appeared before them of a middle aged man with dark blonde, slightly greying short hair. As Booth and Cam both studied his familiar green eyes, long straight nose, and high cheek bones and chiselled jaw, both their foreheads creased at once.

"I'm confused", said Cam turning to Booth whilst Angela and Brennan watched Booth and Dr Saroyan with interest, realising that there was a piece of information that had gone straight over their collective head.

"You and me, both", said Booth now squinting at the image. "It can't be right Angela. If it is this image is a look to twenty years down the line".

"What are you talking about Booth?" Angela asked patiently.

"This is Bram Heeley." When neither Angela nor Bones responded, he elaborated. "Line backer for the Hawks?"

"Who?" Now it was Brennan's turn at confusion.

"The Seattle Sea Hawks. He plays for the NFL! Ring any bells? Who am I kidding; of course you don't know any NFL football players".

"You're right Booth, I don't know who that is but it certainly would account for all of the sports injuries".

"My facial reconstruction is not wrong Booth", Angela said accusingly.

"There's a simple explanation for this", offered Brennan. "A male who resembles this football player: Bram Heeley?" She asked looking to Booth for conformation.

"That's right".

"But who looks a couple of decades older. Isn't it obvious? It could be his father".

Booth looked impressed and whistled in admiration. "Nice one Bones. I'll check it out. Are you coming?"

"Sure, let's go. Thanks Ange".

"You're welcome", she crooned setting down her remote and retrieving Michael in his baby carrier where she had set him on the floor next to her chair. "Let's go find Daddy baby boy".

"Bones, all I'm saying is, be cool. Don't go asking him any questions, okay? When dealing with celebrities, you have to go about things a little differently. Just let me do the talking Bones".

Brennan grew indignant and finally felt the necessity to point out the obvious to Booth. "I will be cool, as you put it Booth. He's a football player, not a Greek god. And you fail to realise that I probably have nearly as much money as he does, meaning I'm hardly going to find his celebrity intimidating. If anything, I should intimidate him. I'm the best in my field Booth, plus, I'm an author who has appeared on the New York Times best seller list several times. In addition. I have a much higher than average IQ and I'm quite beautiful".

"Okay Bones", he said finally giving in. He couldn't help a little smirk from finding its way to his lips at Bones' description of herself. She certainly hadn't said anything that wasn't true but the way in which she pointed out the obvious still didn't fail to amuse him, even after all this time.

As Booth's car wove through North Beacon Valley in Seattle, he admired some of the architecture and a particularly beautiful garden where a small blonde toddler threw her head back with laughter and took the hand of an older little girl wearing a similar pink coloured little sun dress and straw hat. The younger of the two girls, looked towards the house were an attractive blonde haired woman stood framing the front doorway with a smile on her face waving to, what Booth assumed, were her two daughters. He wondered if he and Bones would ever live in a beautiful suburban house like this one with their little son or daughter playing in the front yard. He supposed not. Brennan was quite attached to her apartment, as was he to his own apartment, and he couldn't picture them living the quiet suburban life he saw before him whilst he was an FBI Agent and she was a Forensic Anthropologist. He was also trying to resign himself to the fact that he would probably never be married and an unfamiliar unpleasant feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.

"This is it", Bones' voice interrupted his thoughts as they pulled into a quiet cul-de-sac with large stone washed villa's and bright green lawns with expensive cars adorning the immaculate driveways.

They both exited the car and made their way to number two-twelve. Booth knocked on the door and after a few seconds it swung open revealing a younger looking version of the victim they had seen at the lab a few hours earlier. "Bramwell Heeley?"

"Yes". He looked from Booth to Brennan and his gaze stopped on her as a broad grin took over his face and he tried subtly to look her up and down. Brennan smiled as Booth introduced himself, and decided that Bram Heeley was much better looking than the victim. The star athlete didn't seem to take any notice of what Booth was saying until he introduced her. "And this here is my partner Doctor Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian".

"Pleased to meet you, Doctor Brennan", he said stepping forward and offering his hand. She took it politely and looked to his bright green eyes covered with thick dark lashes as his warm palm connected with hers and stayed there a little too long before Booth raised one eye brow and interrupted by shoving his badge alarmingly close to Mr Heeley's face and clearing his throat.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions My Heeley. May we come in?"

"Of course", he said with his eyes still on Brennan. "This way."

He lead them into a large sitting room off to the right and as Brennan and Booth took seats on the cushy cream sofa across from Bram, Booth sat so close to Brennan that she was forced to reposition herself a little to the left as Booth was almost sat in her lap. He whipped out the print of Angela's reconstruction and turned it toward Bram. "Do you recognise this man, Mr Heeley?"

"Sure", he said his brow knitting in alarm. "That's my Dad. Is he in some sort of trouble?"

Booth and Brennan eyed each other for a second before turning their attention back to Bram. Brennan was the one to speak next. "Mr Heeley, this is the facial reconstruction taken from a set of remains we found this morning in Washington DC. We believe they belong to your father."

Bramwell Heeley's expression faltered before he vaulted from the adjacent sofa and turned his back to them pinching the bridge of his nose were tears formed. "Are you sure it's my father?" He asked turning back to them rubbing a hand roughly over his face as if to compose himself.

"We're sure Mr Heeley", Brennan confirmed, her voice softening. "We're very sorry for your loss."

"We need you to come with us for questioning Mr Heeley", said Booth. "Is there anyone you want to call first?"

"Yeah", he said reaching for his cell. "My uncle, he was the last one to see my Dad".

"I still can't believe he's gone". Bram was seated at the long table in the meeting room in the FBI building.

"It's okay, son", Bram's Uncle, Mr John Heeley, who was seated next to Bram placed his arm around his shoulders and then addressed Booth.

"You say he was found at a recycling centre"?

"That's right", answered Booth. We found him this morning.

"How long do you think he was there"?

"It's hard to tell right now", said Brennan eyeing the clearly distraught Bram.

Booth leaned forward placing his forearms on the smooth surface of the table. "You're nephew here told us you were the last one to see your brother. Exactly when was that"?

"A little over a week ago".

"And where were you"?

"We were at the bar near my house. We went there a lot".

"Is there anyone who can confirm that"?

"Sure. Hewey, the bartender. He served us that night".

"What was your relationship like with your brother? If you don't mind me asking, Mr Heeley"?

"Of course not", he said looking from Bram to Agent Booth. "He was my brother and my best friend. We both spent a lot of time together, especially with Bram. Calvin was a sports Agent and I'm Bramwell's business manager".

Brennan spoke next, addressing Bram, who was gazing down at the table and seemed lost in his own thoughts. "Do you know if your father had any enemies? Anyone who would want to harm him"? His head snapped up, as if remembering where he was.

"No, no one. Everyone loved my Dad; he was just that kind of guy. Right, Uncle John"?

"Absolutely".

"Okay", said Booth, addressing both men. "We'll contact you with any new developments or if we need to speak to you again". They both shook Booth's hand and gave Brennan a gentleman like nod. After the two men left the room, Brennan retrieved her jacket from the back of her chair and turned to Booth.

"I better get back to the lab and see if Hodgins has found the missing phalange's yet".

"Ok I'll drive you".

As they headed toward the elevator, Booth looked around and seemed distracted which Brennan thought was odd. The door's opened and they stepped inside.

"Everything okay, Booth"?

"You seemed to pay Mr Heeley a lot of attention today", he observed, trying to appear casual.

Brennan smiled. "If you're wondering if I find him attractive Booth, the answer is yes".

"What"? He looked outraged and slightly dumbfounded.

"Booth, we're in a committed relationship now; you don't need to worry. But it's inevitable that on occasion I will be sexually attracted to another man, it doesn't mean I'll act on those impulses. Just the same as I'm sure you find other women sexually attractive. It's human nature Booth".

"Okay, whatever Bones. Just don't go looking into his eyes again".

"Are you jealous"? She asked through a laugh.

"Of what"? He said, now sounding slightly cocky. "We both know that guy has nothing on me", he said smirking once again.

"Something we agree on", she said smiling as they made their way to the parking lot. "Booth"?

"Yeah, Bones"?

"You're just jealous because a celebrity likes me better than you". One again her laughter filled the parking lot and Booth's scowl grew more intense.

"Let's just get you back to the lab, shall we Bones"?