The Trouble in the Third Trimester

Prologue

Five and a half months ago, Temperance Brennan had changed Seeley Booth's life by uttering two (or three depending upon how one counted contractions) words: I'm pregnant. Or, perhaps it was the three (or four) words that followed that pronouncement: You're the father.

Today, it was Brennan who would receive life altering news.

Brennan sat at her desk, engrossed in her work. She was about to get up to use the bathroom again, when she heard a knock at the door.

"Temperance?" asked a familiar male voice.

"Andrew," Brennan acknowledged.

Hacker took this as a signal to proceed, and he entered her office. He fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment.

"Temperance, Booth has been shot," he said somberly.

She looked at him with wide eyes, "Sh-shot?"

"He's on the way to the hospital -."

Brennan didn't wait for Andrew to utter another syllable. She jumped out of her chair as swiftly as her swollen stomach would allow.

As she threw her bag over her shoulder, Brennan asked, "What hospital?"

"George Washington," Andrew said blocking Brennan's path, "Let me take you. You shouldn't be driving in your…condition."

Brennan tried to maneuver past him, shouting, "No! If you had just called me, I could already have been at the hospital now!"

"Temperance, please," Andrew plead.

"Get…out…of…my way!" Brennan said shoving Andrew. He stumbled backwards, inadvertently clearing passage for her.

Cam had heard the yelling and walked into Brennan's office as she pushed past Andrew.

"Woah, what's going on?"

"Booth's been shot," Bones said her lip quivering.

"Oh," Cam exclaimed.

She quickly recovered from the shock and offered to go with Brennan to the hospital.

"Let me take my car. I have a siren," Andrew said, finally giving Brennan a reason to agree.

Brennan nodded, and the three of them quickly exited the Jeffersonian.

On the short ride to the hospital, Andrew, seated in the back of his own vehicle, filled in the details.

Booth was investigating the murder of a teen whose parents suspected he was involved with drugs. His body was found in an abandoned lot, but it didn't seem that he'd been killed there. The FBI had received a tip about a former drug house that the kid might have visited, which seemed like a possible location for the murder. No one was supposed to be there. When Booth heard the sound of footsteps in the house, he called for back up, but it was too late. The man lurking inside the house shot Booth in the leg. Booth fell to the ground. As Booth got off a shot, he was hit again – in the chest. By the time back up arrived, he was unconscious and the suspect had fled.

Cam glanced sideways at Brennan as Andrew spoke. He kept the details to a minimum, and Brennan didn't utter a word. Cam watched her brush away tears several times then return her hands protectively to her abdomen.

"We'll be there soon," Cam offered as she skillfully navigated D.C traffic.

Brennan nodded and the car remained silent until they reached the hospital entrance.

Cam had barely stopped the car next to the ambulance bay before Brennan darted out.