Brennan had put Ruth to sleep and held the baby monitor in her hand. She tried to remain calm. Angela had mentioned that she had seen Cam and Booth holding hands and getting cozy and she wondered if there was truth to it.

"Maybe that's a good thing." She mused to the air. "I at least know that Cam has medical training." She mustered the best she could before huffing. She knew that Booth was busy tonight, he had told her that some army-ranger friends were in town and he was grabbing drinks with them, but she wondered if that was a front.

"Now you sound ridiculous." She criticized herself, as she walked into her kitchen to grab a bottle of wine from the fridge. "You're accusing Booth of lying to you solely because Angela mentioned he might be seeing Cam. If he is, who cares? You don't have a say in his love life." She scoffed and wondered why it hurt to say that aloud. Then she heard a strange knocking.

Looking toward her door, she walked up to the peephole, but saw nothing. She even opened the door, but nothing was there. The knocking happened again and she looked toward her bedroom. She grabbed a bat that she had near her front door after the balcony incident and began walking toward it. Gently opening the door, she lifted the bat and turned on the lights in her room, but nothing. Another knock. She walked toward Ruth's room and checked the monitor. Her daughter was sleeping, but she felt uneasy.

Swallowing hard, she grabbed her phone and sent out a text to Angela. Are you home? It was only a couple minutes before she received a response. At Hodgins, everything okay? She didn't want to worry her friend, so she simply replied. No big deal. And tried to calm her racing heart. Then she thought she saw a shadow pass her balcony and she turned on the balcony light. No one was there. But still the strange knocking happened.

Finally, she had enough and collected Ruth and a quick bag of things. Knowing Booth might stop by the next day, she sent him a quick text. Staying at a hotel tonight. Will text details later. She shoved her phone in her pocket and got Ruth settled in her car seat. Thankfully the toddler was a heavy sleeper and didn't stir on the drive to the hotel or on the way up to the room. Brennan had her arms full with the bags and a toddler and it wasn't until a full hour later that she was able to check her phone, which was inundated with missed calls and texts from Booth.

Hotel? Why?

Bones?

Was there an issue with your water?

Please tell me it wasn't a break in?

Is everything okay with Ruth?

Please pick up the phone.

Why aren't you picking up?

Is everything okay?

How far away is this hotel?

What happened?

Temperance, answer your phone!

Placing the phone up to her ear, she was preparing herself for the shitstorm awaiting her.

"What the hell, Bones? You can't just text me something cryptic like you're going to stay at a hotel and then go completely dark on me!" Booth's voice was frantic and Brennan couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or just the adrenaline from him being out of touch from her for an hour.

"I apologize. I didn't want you showing up to the apartment tomorrow and us not being there." She replied and he sighed in frustration.

"Well yea, that would've also been completely terrifying." He sounded exasperated.

"Mama?" Ruth's tired and groggy voice brought Brennan's attention away from Booth's annoyance.

"Hey, baby girl."

"Home?" She asked looking around with a confused look. Brennan placed the phone on speaker and continued to talked to the toddler, who crawled into her lap.

"No, we aren't home. We're at a hotel!" She smiled and Ruth rested her head on her mom's chest.

"Bones, why are you guys at a hotel?" Booth's voice came through the speaker phone and Ruth looked toward it sitting on the bed.

"Baba?" She asked confused and Brennan laughed.

"Yea, he's in the phone." Brennan tried to explain to the toddler, but she say the heaviness in the toddler's eyes and knew she would be asleep soon. Placing the phone back up to her ear, she sighed. "I heard some noises and even though I checked the rooms in my apartment, I got nervous. Angela wasn't home, so I decided it was best to just get out."

"Why didn't you text me?" Booth asked, the hurt was palpable in his voice.

"I knew you had plans." She responded and he scoffed.

"If there's a chance you and Ruth are in danger, I would cancel any plans, Bones." He spoke earnestly and Brennan sighed.

"I wouldn't want you to miss out with your friends. Plus it was likely nothing. I just don't like the idea of strangers knowing my address. It was one thing when I was alone." She muttered and Booth sighed.

"I know." He agreed.

"I'm thinking maybe I can move. Keep the apartment as sort of a decoy for my publishers and fan mail, but have a separate place for my home, plus that way I can pick a good school district for Ruth." Brennan put the idea out there and held her breath, she was scared to ask the next question.

"Wow, that's a pretty good idea, Bones." Booth said, he sat down on his couch and cracked open a beer. He felt a little dread wondering how far this new place would be, he didn't want to be too far from Ruth, he liked how easy it was to spend time with her especially with her being so young.

"I was wondering if you would help, uhm with the whole picking out process." Brennan shut her eyes, scrunching up her face. There was a pregnant pause as Booth tried to get a grip on what just happened. Temperance Brennan just asked me to help her pick out a place to live for our daughter. She wants my input. He thought, it was like his brain was malfunctioning. "Booth, if it's too much to ask, I can do it on my own, I don't mind." She began to backtrack and Booth sputtered.

"No, no, I want to help!" He exclaimed and chuckled. "I think it's a great idea!" He smiled. Maybe I can find a place that can fit all of us. He thought. Even though it was a pipe dream, it found its way into all of his desires. As they ended the call, he realized he truly wanted a family with Temperance Brennan.

-BB-

Booth had installed some security cameras on Brennan's balcony for the time being and her front door so that they both could keep an eye for any trespassers. He played it off as a worried parent, but he was also worried for her. The next week was full of casework. Booth found himself at the lab when Brennan would be working late.

"You know you can go home, Ruth usually sleeps soundly in my office." Brennan said with her magnifiers on. The baby monitor was sitting on the table next to her with Ruth's little figure illuminated by the night vision camera.

"I don't like the idea of you and her walking into the house so late at night." He muttered and she chuckled.

"Do you want to take her home?" She asked. "You have the crib and extra clothes." She continued and Booth weighed his options.

"Alright, but that doesn't mean you get to sleep here tonight." He replied and she laughed.

After collecting Ruth and all of her things, Booth made his way home. Parker was a very good big brother and wanted Booth to put the crib in his room, but Booth didn't want her to wake him up in the middle of the night, plus he wanted to be there in case something happened. So Ruth's crib was set up in Booth's master bedroom. He wondered how that might look to women he brought home, not that he was trying to score with anyone other than Bones, but it was a funny thought.

As he laid her down, he received a notification on his phone. Movement on camera 5.

"Camera 5 is Bones' balcony." He whispered and opened up the app on his phone. There he saw a man standing at Brennan's balcony door, his hands cupping the glass to look in. Booth took a few screenshots and a short video, feeling a cold chill run down his spine, before calling Brennan.

"Booth, I'm just about to open my front door, I was going to text you." Brennan's voice sounded exasperated.

"NO!" He shouted, scaring Ruth, who began crying. "Oh, shit." He whispered.

"What?" Brennan asked, he could hear the jiggling of keys.

"Bones, someone is on your balcony. Do not enter your apartment." He didn't care that he was shouting. He was freaking out.

"What?" She whispered to herself. "But, uhm, okay, I guess I can go back to the office." She muttered.

"Come to my place, please. Bones."

"Shouldn't I call the police and wait?" She asked and he sighed.

"Temperance, please, just come to my place. We can submit the photos and videos. I'll watch the guy from the cameras on my phone." He just wanted her safely in his arms.

"Okay, okay." She mumbled. "I'll be there in about 10 minutes." She whispered and he heard the phone click. He logged back into the camera app to keep an eye on the perpetrator and called his buddy with the DC police department.

"Hey Kevin, are you on patrol tonight? I need you to stop at an apartment, I have a trespasser with attempted breaking and entering at my partner's place."

"Okay, Seeley, give me the address and I'll send my guys over. You seem pretty freaked."

"Well she could've gotten really hurt." Booth responded.

"Isn't this the same partner who beat up a gang member?"

"Just send someone over." Booth growled.

"Shit, man, I was just trying to joke around with you." Kevin retorted, but Booth didn't want to hear it.

Once he calmed Ruth down, he paced his apartment and waited for Brennan to arrive. As he waited, he continued to pace. Finally after 20 minutes, there was a knock on the door.

"Where have you been?" He asked as he swung open the door.

"I waited for the police to arrive." She shrugged out of her coat and looked around the apartment.

"She's in my room, fast asleep." He answered her question before she could ask and she made her way into his room. He hoped he didn't leave any underwear on the floor. She came out a moment later looking visibly relaxed.

"I stayed so I could let the cops in. They arrived pretty quickly, but they wanted to take a quick statement, and they are probably going to stop by here, but your friend, Kevin, said I should probably get my ass over here before you chew him out. Whatever that means." Brennan muttered as she threw a hand through her hair.

"Yea, I might have gotten angry at Kevin, he was trying to joke around with me and I just lost it." Booth was realizing the magnitude of the situation and sat down on the couch. Brennan sat next to him and without thinking, he threw his arm over her shoulder, pulling her into his side. The two sat in a companionable silence as they waited for the cops to arrive.

Booth wanted to protect Brennan from everything, he wanted to protect Ruth from everything. Tonight had drained him. By the time the police had taken their statements and Booth had provided them with the videos and photographs, he was exhausted.

"Booth, why don't you go to bed?" Brennan asked as she made herself comfortable on the couch. He sighed. He had a king sized bed and seeing her sleeping on his couch made him uncomfortable.

"Bones, just stay in my room tonight. I have a big enough bed, you know." He joked and she sighed. He saw the blush that colored her cheeks and wondered if she was reliving their night together.

"I don't know, Booth." She muttered and he gave her his best puppy dog eyes. He knew how to charm women, but Bones was a different kind of woman, she was stubborn and independent, she would definitely argue him until they would both be sleeping on the floor.

"It's just for tonight." He placated and she sighed, she knew he was worried and she rationalized with herself.

"Well you look exhausted and if Ruth gets up, it'll probably be easier if I can get up and get her." She mumbled and he smiled knowing he was winning the fight. He held out his hand and slowly lead her into the bedroom. He watched as she climbed into his bed and thought back to their night together.

The haphazard way they threw themselves at the bed. The lack of discretion. They didn't care how loud they were being. His hands itched to touch her soft skin under his calloused fingers. He wanted to hear her moaning his name or how she bit into his shoulder as she clenched around him.

But tonight was the opposite. It was completely domestic. They crawled into bed quietly. Their daughter fast asleep just a few feet away. He could still feel the heat from her body radiating from a couple feet away and yearned to pull her close. Her hair was splayed against the pillow and her head faced away from his. Her scent engulfed him and he smiled knowing she was so close. He fell into a deep sleep praying that maybe this could become their reality. Maybe this could become their family.