Hiatus by Ally H.

AH's note: So, this will be my 'Hiatus Baby'. I'm going to update this one daily, as much as I can with a full-time job (+ extra hours, yay for nursing). Chapters will vary in length. It will follow B&B every day as the pregnancy progresses. Beware of all the trials and tribulations and all the good in between!

Week 8, day 1

Moments had passed between them, in which they were just smiling at each other and neither of them said anything. Cars went by behind Brennan's back and the sounds of people talking as they walked through the streets of downtown Washington were drowned out by the simple connection they made with their eyes. Booth knew though, that he was expected to say something. Before him stood his…partner - or whatever it was that they were now- and she had just told him that she was pregnant with his baby. Yes, he definitely had to say something.

The goofy grin was still spread all over his face as he inhaled deeply and forced out his clever response: "Really?" As soon as the word had left his lips, he felt like smacking his forehead with the palm of his hand. That was the best that he could do? Brennan's smile faltered quickly and her brow furrowed.

"You think I'm making this up?" Booth took a step towards her and Brennan watched him expectantly.

"No, no, Bones, of course not. I'm just…" He sighed as he reached out for her with his arms open. She stepped inside of them and welcomed the warmth he was providing as she leaned against his chest. Her heart was beating rapidly as her confession had made her feel like she took a jump from a high cliff. Nevertheless, she felt relieved that the truth was out now. "I feel shocked and ecstatic at the same time and I don't exactly know what to say."

Brennan snuggled deeper into the cocoon of his arms around her and she closed her eyes to savor the moment. "Do you…Is this…You're not mad?" Booth's opened his mouth to speak, but Brennan interrupted him by leaning back to look him into the eyes. "We didn't discuss birth control and I stopped taking the pill a while ago and I should have told you before we had sex, but it slipped my mind. I was very irresponsible and I understand if you don't want—"

"Woah, Bones, hold it a second." He released her from his hold and his hands went up to cup her cheeks, but fearing her reaction at such an intimate gesture in public, he decided to go for her upper arms instead. "I'm not mad at all! We're in this together, alright? You're not alone in this. Now, let's hail a cab and then we'll talk about it more at my place, okay?"

Just like that, Booth let go of her altogether as he walked to the side of the road and raised his hand up in the air. Brennan watched him, but remained standing on the spot, with her arms hanging loosely to her side. As a car stopped beside him, Booth looked back at her questioningly. She looked somewhat fragile, standing there by herself and Booth fought the urge to go back and wrap her in his arms again protectively. "Bones, what's wrong?"

"I'm really tired," she answered truthfully, shrugging her shoulders in defeat. Booth felt sympathetic towards her. She had to be exhausted. This day had been way too long, even for someone who was not pregnant. He could only imagine how she was feeling right now.

"It's okay, Bones. We can sleep first, talk later," Booth opened the door to the cab and then walked back to her to guide her inside. He wrapped his arm around her lower back, but he felt her hesitation as he gently walked with her. Before she could get in the cab, she paused in her stride to look back at Booth again.

"Booth, we're not even dating. I can head back to my own apartment and then we—"

"Well, that's something else we're going to have to talk about, don't you think?" Booth cut her off, reassuringly smiling at her. Luckily, the smile had a contagious effect on her as Brennan reflected it back at him.

"Okay," she agreed, before bending slightly to get in the car. Booth could not help himself but turn around to remember the scene where his whole life was turned upside down, in a matter of two short sentences. He suddenly felt something bubbling up along his spine. Turning away from the vehicle, he placed his hands at either side of his mouth and took in a deep breath:

"I'm going to be a father again!" Booth yelled out across the street. An elderly couple that walked by shook their heads at him in unison. A young man on a skateboard gave him the thumbs up. Booth placed his hands at the back of his head and stretched his back. Looking up at the moon in the sky, his smile widened even further. Things were bound to get more complicated, but he found himself really looking forward to it. With a last contented sigh, he got into the cab and sat down next to Brennan.

Brennan felt nervous, treading the unfamiliar waters of their shifted boundaries after she had been intimate with Booth. Sure, she had counted on the fact that they were compatible together in bed when it came to stamina, but all the emotions –and the other consequence- that came with it, were very overwhelming to her. Her father had called on them being 'awfully polite' with each other and that had confused Brennan. She did not know how to act around him otherwise. And since when was being polite such a bad thing?

In the cab, Booth had been quiet, sending her smiles every now and then. He seemed to know just what to do. He was happy to learn that she was pregnant with his child and he wanted the world to know. He was confident that everything would fall into pieces, but Brennan herself was not. Not yet anyway.

Maybe it had been a mistake to go home with him. After all, they had only shared one night together in which things had taken a turn for the unexpected. They never talked it out afterwards. She was upset, he comforted her in the exact way that she had needed it to be. With this baby, they would linked together forever. Was that really what they both wanted? She did want to be with Booth, romantically, but getting pregnant before they ever tried to be together was never part of her plan.

Fatigue threatened to overtake her as Booth opened the door of the taxi and took her hand to help her get out. Booth was still Booth, but was she still herself? She shook her head. It was time to stop thinking now or she was never going to find the peace to sleep. Dragging herself up the steps to his apartment, she wondered if she should kiss him. Maybe that would clear things up, just like it had done six weeks ago.

Booth was still smiling as he opened the door and gestured for her to enter first; ever the gentleman. Brennan was too exhausted to protest and was pleased to be back in a warm room. She liked being here, in his apartment. Booth's furniture had contrasting light and dark colors and he kept all kinds of keepsakes on his shelves and window sills. Pictures of him and Parker covered the walls, making the place look very homey.

Brennan allowed Booth to take her coat before stepping inside the living room. There was a sports magazine on a side table and gym bag rested on the floor beside it. The room was clean and tidy and Brennan inhaled the air deeply, that smelled so much like the man that was bound to become such a big part of the rest of her life now. Heading for the couch, Brennan noticed that Booth never put the pillow and blanket away, which he had taken out for her to use on that one special night. It was piled up on the exact same spot where she had folded it and left it.

"Would you like a drink, before we go to sleep?" Booth asked Brennan as he headed to his kitchen. Brennan sat down on his couch. Bending forward, she unzipped her boots and kicked them off. Flipping her hair back over her shoulder, Brennan grabbed the pillow, placing it on the arm rest of the sofa. She leaned with her side against it and smiled in content. She drew her legs up on the sitting and warmed her hands between her upper legs.

"Yes, please," she replied, enjoying the comfortable setting and atmosphere that had not changed among everything else. Booth opened his refrigerator and took out two beer bottles. He popped them open and walked over to Brennan. Sitting down next to her, he watched her icy blue eyes look from the bottle to him before she let out a small laugh.

"Booth, I can't drink that anymore," she enlightened him. As much as she liked to drink alcohol and beer in particular, she knew that drinking while pregnant was not recommended. It was a worthy sacrifice. Booth looked at the beer bottle before he frowned and started laughing too.

"I'm sorry. Force of habbit," he apologized, as he got back up from the sofa and walked back to the kitchen. Praying to himself that he had something non-alcoholic in the fridge, other than water, he opened the door and peered inside. There was soda, but he knew that Brennan did not like drinks with gas. He had wine, other sorts of beer, drink yoghurt way past its date and…

"I've got milk and orange juice," he called out from the kitchen after a few minutes. Waiting for a few seconds and still not having received a reply, worried Booth a little. "Bones?" She had not just sneaked out the door, had she? Or maybe she was in the bathroom? Closing the fridge again with his foot, Booth headed back for the living room and stopped dead in his tracks at the display before him. Brennan was sleeping quietly, her head resting on the pillow with her hair lying in loose strands behind her head. Her chest moved slowly up and down in her peaceful slumber and Booth felt his heart swell even further than he ever thought possible.

Moving forward on his tiptoes, he sat down on the chair next to the couch. Grabbing the bottle of beer that he had placed on the table the first time he had sat down, he took a small sip, never taking his eyes off of Brennan. At times like these, you start to notice things you usually never do. He saw goose bumps up her arm; were people able to be cold in their sleep? Her eye lashes were long and thick; does mascara irritate the eyes if it is not removed before falling asleep? Her stomach was as flat as it appeared to be six weeks ago; how long would it take for her to start to show?

He was doubting himself on whether or not he should cover her with a blanket and let her sleep or wake her to take her to bed. Booth quickly finished his beer, listening to her even breathing. This pregnancy was a sign, he decided, that they were meant to be together. It had been one night only and in the heat of the moment, neither of them had remembered to bring up the subject of protection. These things did not happen to him, usually.

Booth put down his beer bottle and made up his mind that he could not let his pregnant Bones spend the night on his couch. Booth took off his shoes too, before getting up from the chair and sneaking to his bedroom on his socks. He pulled back the covers of the right side of the bed; Brennan's side, because he had learned that she wanted to sleep on the side that was closest to the door. He fluffed up the pillows and grabbed the same old oversized shirt that he had handed to her six weeks ago. All the other ones he had were even bigger.

Back in the living room, Booth knelt down in front of Brennan and lightly caressed her hair, causing her to stir. "Baby, we're going to have to move you to a proper bed." Booth spoke in a quiet whisper, because he did not intent to wake her up entirely.

"Don't want to…," Brennan muttered, stubbornly keeping her eyes closed. Booth forced himself to keep a straight face. There was his Bones…headstrong and difficult, but at least he knew it.

"Yes, we are. Don't worry, I'll help you," carefully pushing one arm underneath her shoulder blades while placing the other underneath her knees, Booth pushed himself up into upright position and lifted her up with him. Brennan's head leaned on the inside of his arm as he cradled her. Ignoring the protests of his back, he carefully carried her to the bedroom, making sure to walk as softly as he could so he would not shake her. Once there, he sat her down on the bed with her head leaning against his shoulder as he sat down beside her. He reached behind her for his shirt.

"I'm going to undress you now, Bones," he whispered. "Let's get you ready for bed." Brennan was barely able to lift her arms when he grabbed the hem of her sweater and pulled it up. Booth tried to ignore the sensual way in which her hair fell on her naked back as he managed to get the garment off and the soft pale skin that was revealed. Booth worried whether or not it was appropriate for him to take her bra off, but he decided to do it quick. He reached behind her and unhooked the dark green piece of lingerie. Without looking any further, he pulled his old shirt over her head and urged her to put her arms through the sleeves.

Brennan opened her eyes for a few seconds as Booth pulled his shirt down over her naked upper body. "I'm sorry," she said. Booth stared at her and placed his hands on either side of the mattress beside her.

"Don't apologize, Bones. You make me very—" He trailed off when Brennan leaned forward again and rested her cheek on his shoulder. Booth's hands automatically found its way to her back, and he just held them there for a while. 'Happy', he finished the sentence in his head. Realizing that Bones was falling asleep again, he gently eased her to lie down. Booth turned the alarm on the night table off before moving his attention back to her midsection. He unsnapped her pants and pulled the zipper down. Ever so carefully, he tugged it down her slender legs, before throwing it on a chair in the corner of the room. Finally, he took off her socks and grabbed the sheets at the foot of the bed.

He stood up and tugged Brennan in all the way up to her chin, making sure she would not be cold anymore. He then walked around to the other side of the bed and shed himself of his own clothing, except for his boxers. He climbed into the bed next to Brennan and wondered if he should press a kiss to her forehead. He decided against it, eventually. Things were tense enough between them now.

"Goodnight, Bones," his last words, before he flicked the switch next to the bed to turn off the lights. Lying down, Booth fell into a deep slumber as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was sure to have pleasant dreams for a change.

AH's note: Tomorrow (yes, I can look into the future): B&B have their talk about them, the pregnancy and most importantly: what to do now? And what DOES Booth dream about?

Let me know if you'll be reading this, before I start this huge effort, only to find out nobody cares!