Bones FF by Akarana: Life changing moments (chapter 4)

[akarana]

Thanks again to Gianna for betaing.

And we're getting closer...

Chapter 4: Jail birds and hedgehogs

"Both upper central incisors are broken into pieces approximately 1 mm in circumference," Cam said into the microphone she wore, while she proceeded with her autopsy, looking into the victim's mouth. "Right molar is... ow," she exclaimed and placed a hand on her back while she switched off the recording with the other. "Damn Braxton Hicks," she cursed. "How am I supposed to work like this?" she asked, although no one was there to give her an answer. "Ok, then we have to do this another way," she sighed and stepped onto the pedal on the floor, lowering the autopsy table as much as possible. Then she pulled over her desk chair, pulling it up as far as possible and slowly sat down. "Ah, so much better," she found, but kept rubbing her back, the fake contractions not yet over completely.

"You're doing your autopsies sitting now? You're sure you should still be working, cherie?" Caroline asked when she walked into the autopsy room.

"I'm fine. Did Hodgins send you?" Cam replied unnerved and opened the mouth of the dead soldier on her table again.

"I'm not getting in the middle of your little love games," the attorney protested. "All I care to know is what you were thinking when you published that article about brain damage in veterans," she came straight to the point.

"I've autopsied a lot of dead soldiers since Dr. Brennan left and found that most of them show anomalies in the brain and I decided to do some research. I then made an article out of that observation. Is there a problem with it?" Cam stopped her autopsy again.

"Don't you have enough to do here? Do you need to start a new war while you're so pregnant you can't even see your own feet anymore?" Caroline asked annoyed.

"I felt it was my duty to report what I had found," the coroner insisted.

"You better not make any mistakes from now on or they'll have your ass kicked out of here, pregnant or not."

"I really don't have time for this now, Caroline. I need to finish this autopsy today so I can go to a meeting with the head of the Jeffersonian tomorrow, because we're having a budgeting issue since Dr. Brennan left. And last but not least I have to be at a childbirth class at the hospital Thursday at eight, thanks to the crazy father of this kid," Cam listed and counted the single points off on her fingers.

"Don't forget to eat, drink, calm down and brace yourself for the storm that is surely about to come. I doubt you want your baby to be born this week," Caroline advised and seemed more worried than annoyed now.

"I will slow down once I have all the dead soldiers out of my storage. One more to go," Cam sounded appeased as well.

"Dr. Hodgins, this is Dr. Karl. I'm the head of the American Entomological Society," the man on the other end of the phone said, when Hodgins had picked up his on Tuesday morning.

"Yeah, I remember. I think we met once at a conference," Hodgins replied and leaned back in his chair.

"I'm calling because I read your article on Nitrification in freshwater sediments as influenced by insect larvae and we're interested in having you as a guest speaker for our next big conference next month," Dr. Karl came straight to the reason of his call.

"Uhm, that is a bit short notice to be honest," Hodgins replied, really stunned that he was being asked to speak in front of other experts with just a three week notice.

"I know, but we would really appreciate it if you could give the speech. Your findings were exceptional," his colleague tried to sweet talk Hodgins into saying yes.

"I will think about it and call you back." Hodgins tried avoiding answering right that moment. His plan was to work less and keep an eye on Cam before she worked herself into the ground, but if he took the offer he would need to work more.

"Ok, but please inform me within the next two days, otherwise it will be simply impossible to find a substitute," Dr. Karl requested.

"I will, bye," Hodgins said quickly before he could keep him from work any longer. Once he had hung up he looked around, trying to remember what he had just been doing when the phone had rung. He found the sample sitting under the microscope. He rolled over with his chair and looked through the lenses again.

"What are you?" he muttered, still not sure what kind of larvae egg he was dealing with. He stared again, squinted and then sighed, knowing that after the call he could concentrate even less than before the call. Ever since Cam had published her research results on the brain damage in soldiers all hell had broke loose and he didn't like it one bit. He knew what she had been up to and he had supported her in not just ignoring her findings, but he didn't like that she had already published her results. She could have waited until after their son was born, when she wasn't still working on a new team, dealing with budgeting issues, birthing class and her crazy family all at once. She was working overtime every day anyway, trying to prepare the institute for her maternity leave, but every time she had one task completed something else popped up. The brain damage thing was just the tip of the ice-berg.

"Dr. Hodgins, could you come and help us, we're ready to take the flesh off the bones now. I thought you'd want the clothes, hair and fingernails," Clark Edison said when he entered Jack's lab.

"Does Cam know about this?" Hodgins asked, knowing she would kill them for de-fleshing the body without her okay.

"Yes, I sent her an email and she gave her ok," Clark nodded and then hurried off. Hodgins wanted to follow him when his cell phone rang. He checked the screen to see who was calling and picked up when he saw Michelle's number on the screen.

"Hi Michelle," he greeted her and walked out into the lab, his phone pressed to his ear.

"Hi. Do you know how I can reach Cam?" she asked him and sounded upset.

"She's in a meeting, so either you write her an email and hope she checks her Blackberry or you wait," he replied. "Why? What's going on?" he wanted to know.

"Cam's dad just called. They arrested Matt's wife today because she stole clothes for the kids while still being on probation. She'll go to jail if someone doesn't pay the $8,000 bail and pays for a really good lawyer. Also the kids were already picked up by child services and they refuse to hand them over in the care of Jo, because they say he's too old to look after four kids all alone," Michelle reported.

"They're probably right," Hodgins nodded and rubbed one hand over his face tiredly, not really knowing what he should do.

"If we can't find a legal guardian for the kids they are going to foster care," Michelle pressed. He knew she would never say anything, but she didn't want those kids to stay under the guidance of child services.

"Listen, you send Cam an email telling her to call me as soon as possible. I'll take care of something here and then call Jo and a lawyer. We'll get the kids out at least," he promised.

"Ok," the teen replied, sounding relieved. "When will you be home?"

"As soon as I finish up here I will come home, I don't want the others sticking their noses into our private business. See you later," he said and hung up, then hurried over to the platform where the others were already waiting for him.

"Problems Hodgins?" Arastoo asked.

"Yeah, I need to take care of some stuff at home. I'll leave once we're done here," he informed them.

"We're still waiting on the larvae analysis, Dr. Hodgins," Clark said annoyed, not happy with the lacking results so far.

"Then I guess you have to wait a day longer," Hodgins barked at him and helped take the shirt off the dead guy on the table without ripping his skin off. The trousers and underwear followed. "You're sure Cam doesn't want to autopsy this guy?" he asked just to be sure.

"He was already autopsied before he was buried. Cam went over the autopsy reports again after he was dug up, but the inconsistencies she found can't be verified by the soft tissue anymore, because there's not much left," Clark pointed out, still angry at Hodgins.

"Ok, the clothes are off, please bring the rest to my lab when you're done, I really have to go," he said, checking his watch and realizing they had needed nearly an hour of work to undress the corpse.

When Hodgins arrived home he realized that Jo's car was sitting in their driveway and Jo was sitting in the living room, a cup of coffee in front of him, looking stressed and tired.

"Hey Jo," Hodgins greeted him without a smile. There was nothing pleasant about the situation and he couldn't say he was happy to see him under the current circumstances.

"Jack," the older man nodded. "Where's Cam?" he wanted to know and stood up to shake hands, then sat down again.

"Still in the meeting I guess. She hasn't called me so she must be busy," Hodgins replied and sat down as well.

"So what are we gonna do?" Michelle asked and looked helplessly from one to the other.

"On my way here I called my lawyer, he will take Kendra's case and he will get the kids out, but he said that we need a legal guardian for them and a place for them to stay in case their mother will spend some time away from home," he summed up what he had learned on the phone.

"I can do it," Jo said immediately.

"You're over sixty and alone, that's not really ideal for taking care of four kids," Jack replied and held up his arms when Jo's look darkened and it seemed he would attack any moment. "That's what the lawyer said and what child services will say," he defended himself.

"What about Jo junior? He lives in New York, so the kids wouldn't have to leave their hometown," Michelle suggested.

"I already talked to Junior, even to Mia and Brandon, but they can't take them. Junior works all day and they already barely make it, Mia just refused and Paula won't let Brandon take the kids. Caitlin would take them, but with four of her own kids still at home she doesn't have the space," Jo reported and suddenly looked older and less powerful than Jack had ever seen him.

"We can't take four kids, Jo," Hodgins shook his head, answering the unspoken question in the room.

"I know," Cam's father nodded.

"Cam is working all day, so am I and she's 29 weeks along. She should relax, not run after four kids," Hodgins insisted just to make it clear that he wasn't saying this just because it was easier for him.

"How is she anyway? Everything ok?" Mr. Saroyan wanted to know. "I haven't talked to her in a few weeks."

"She's fine, so is the baby. I'm just worried she's working too much," Jack admitted and leaned back into the cushions of their new couch. "I think to save us all some trouble we should just pay the bail for Kendra and send her home to her kids," he went on after a moment when they all stared blankly ahead.

"I'm not sure child services will give her the kids back that easily. It's not the first time they took them away," Jo admitted.

"Honestly, I don't even think the kids should stay with her. If you ask me they are better off with a good foster family than staying with their deadbeat father and a mother who is stoned one second and stealing the next," Hodgins exploded then, not caring if he would anger his kind of father in law.

"Kendra is clean. And she only stole the clothes because she has no money to buy them for the kids. With Matt in jail they barely have an income and the little they get she sends Matt so he can pay for his safety in prison. Not everybody lives as carefree when it comes to money as you do here," Jo defended his son.

"I might have inherited a fortune, but I still work my butt off every day and so does Cam. We learned, we studied, we work. That's how you do it. Even without my inheritance we would still be well off and so is Michelle and so will be our son," Hodgins said loudly. "Matt should have tried education and work instead of drugs and doing nothing," he finished his rant.

"You're right, I apologize," Jo said quietly and looked at his hands.

"I don't think you all realize what Cam has achieved and what she does day in and day out. For you she's the lucky one, the one who miraculously made it and now gets paid the big bucks and wears expensive clothes and drives a big car. Every time one of you call you want something and when she goes to New York every once in a while, you let her be belittled by her siblings and stand idly by while telling Felicia that her messed up life isn't as bad. Cam is the head of the forensic department of the Jeffersonian Institute and the federal medical examiner for DC and environs. She didn't just get the job because she's pretty, she got it because she's damn good," Hodgins fumed and vented what he had wanted to say for a long time. "I will help you out this time and the next time and the next one after that. But what I ask in return is some respect for Cam, for Michelle and our family." Jack put his foot down this time now that Cam wasn't around and glared at Mr. Saroyan.

"You will be a great father, son," he complimented and put his hand on Hodgins' shoulder, wearing a small smile.

"Now that we have your territorial fights out of the way: What are we gonna do?" Michelle commented on their exchange and reminded them of the task.

"We will get the kids, then Kendra. I say we keep them here until Kendra is out and if that takes more than a week, they'll stay with you and I'll pay for a full time nanny," Hodgins decided. "After that we will do whatever the lawyer tells us."

"Ok, then I'll get the guest rooms ready and child proofed," Michelle nodded relieved and walked off to start.

"You want to stay for dinner?" Hodgins turned to Jo.

"I should drive to New York and..." he started to decline.

"Edwardson, the lawyer is already in New York and trying to get the kids. He'll bring them back here as soon as he has them," Hodgins revealed that he had given instructions to the lawyer even before he had talked to Jo.

"What will Cam say?" her father wondered.

"Option A is she will be pissed at Kendra and relieved we already took care of everything," Hodgins started and walked into the kitchen, with Jo following him.

"And option B?"

"She will be pissed at all of us for not waiting for her to make the decisions," Jack shrugged, knowing there was no going back now anyway. All they could do was sit and await their fate. Or cook while waiting.

"Jack? Why is my dad's car in... oh hi Dad," Cam said surprised when she walked into the living room around nine that night.

"I take it you didn't check your emails again?" Hodgins asked her and pecked her on the lips after she had greeted her father.

"No, the meeting got crazy and then I just wanted to come home. I'm starving," she sighed tiredly and sat down beside him.

"Kendra got arrested and the kids were taken by child services, but Jack's lawyer got them out and is gonna arrive with them in about two hours," her father summed up the events of the day.

"What?" Cam gaped at them, her eyes nearly popping out.

"They will stay here for one week tops and then either go to your dad and a nanny or Kendra," Jack added. "Michelle already prepared the rooms."

"I... you… why didn't you call me?" Cam still couldn't sort her thoughts or words.

"I tried and had Michelle send you an email, hoping you would check them. When you didn't call back we had to make a decision," Jack said and was aware that she had moved away from him.

"We? You mean you. This is my family and would have been my decision to make," Cam started. "And now suddenly your lawyer is in all of this, and I honestly doubt my dad can afford to pay his bill."

"What's the big deal? If you were here we would have come to the same conclusion," Hodgins tried to stay calm. Cam had obviously chosen option B and he was her main target.

"The big deal? The big deal is that for the last few weeks you have been an overbearing ass, who tells me constantly what's good for me and what I can and can't do. And now you're even getting involved in the business of my messed up family? Why can't you just... stop?" Cam suddenly yelled at him and was off the couch.

"I can't stop because you're irresponsible and crazy, both when it comes to your family and work. You're pregnant and already buried so deep in work that I can't see the top of your head anymore. And then you decide to publish this damn report about the brain damage. Now the men in charge are just waiting for you to screw up and have already started by cutting back our budget. Why didn't you wait like I told you?" Hodgins yelled back, frustrated with her reaction and the day altogether.

"The men out there fighting for our freedom are being damaged irrevocably and I can't have that," she argued back, her father looking back and forth from one to the other.

"Look out for yourself and our son first before you start fighting the war of others, who shouldn't be out there fighting in the first place. Now go and get something to eat, because you haven't eaten all day," he screamed back and pointed to the kitchen door.

"Sorry, I forgot, in your little conspiracy universe there are no wars, because everything is just set up by the politicians," she snorted. "And I'm not hungry anymore, so leave me the hell alone," she spat and then walked out of the living room and stomped up the stairs.

"You better go and apologize," Cam's father said tentatively.

"I have nothing to apologize for. I'm down in the basement if you need me and then out for a run," Hodgins replied aggressively and left Jo alone in front of the TV.

"Are they here yet?" Cam asked quietly when she came into the living room again three hours later and found only her father there to her big surprise.

"No, not yet," her father replied and patted the couch beside him. With a loud sigh Cam followed his request and sat down.

"Where's Jack?" she asked him then.

"He went for a run nearly two hours ago and isn't back yet," Jo replied.

"A run? At this time of night? Is he nuts?" Cam got upset again.

"He was upset and looked like either going for a run or punching a hole in the wall," her father said with a small smile.

"He has a punching bag in the basement for his anger management issues," Cam shrugged, leaning back against the couch. "Shh, it's ok, he'll be back," she said to her baby bump and placed her hands on top of it, rubbing slow, calming circles.

"He really helped us out today, Cami. I wouldn't have known what to do without him," her father insisted and watched her hands stroke over her stomach.

"I know. I'm just frustrated and cranky today," she admitted.

"Pregnancy hormones?" her father asked.

"No, too much work and too little time with Jack and Michelle," she replied. "Jack was right, I should have waited with publishing that article. But I just wanted it out there and didn't think it would cause this big a reaction," Cam went on, still trying to calm her kicking son.

"He feels that you're upset. You should calm down and eat something. I'm sure Jack will be back soon," Jo tried to calm her.

"I can't eat when we fight," she sighed and let her father pull her towards him so that her head was resting on his shoulder.

"He's just as worried about you, if not even more so. You don't make it easy for the poor guy, working like that. Nine is way too late to come home - and no, don't lie to me by telling me it's a onetime thing," her father stopped her and Cam gave him a little smile. Just then they heard the front door opening. "Go and apologize, so that you and my grandson can calm down," her father advised her and Cam rolled her eyes, but got up anyway.

"Hey," she said tentatively when she saw him standing in the hallway, covered in sweat and red in the face.

"Hey," he panted and took another sip of water which he had in a plastic bottle that he had carried with him while running.

"You went for a really long run," she stated the obvious and took a step closer to him.

"I was really angry," he shrugged and closed the water bottle. "The kids already here?"

"No, not yet," she shook her head and looked at him, her warm, brown eyes shimmering with regret.

"I'd say come here for a make-up hug, but I'm all sweaty," he smiled, reading her eyes.

"I don't care," Cam laughed and went into his open arms, wrapping hers around him and got as close as she could with her pregnant stomach in between, not minding that he was dripping with sweat.

"He seems pretty upset," Jack commented, feeling the kicks against his own stomach.

"He is, he missed his daddy," Cam mumbled against his shoulder.

"Have you eaten already?" he asked her, placing a kiss on her hair and resting his open palm against her belly.

"No, I wasn't hungry anymore," she replied in the negative.

"Then go feed yourself and the kicking one here, and I'm gonna take a shower," he decided for them and Cam only nodded, not minding the least that he was deciding for her again.

"Thank you," she said instead, pulled his lips down to hers and kissed him, sweat and all.

"Go eat," Jack laughed when they pulled back and placed another kiss on her forehead.

"Kitchen still standing although you heated up food?" he teased her half an hour later when he came into the kitchen, dressed in a fresh shirt and sweatpants and his hair still damp.

"Oh shut up," Cam replied laughingly and ignored Michelle's laughter.

"They're still not here?" Hodgins asked, realizing that the kids and the lawyer were still missing.

"The lawyer called and said that they're stuck just outside DC. They checked into a hotel and will be by tomorrow morning," Cam let him know.

"Jo, you wanna spend the night here? It's late already," Jack offered.

"If you don't mind," Cam's father shrugged, still leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Come on, I'll show you the guest room and my new loft. You haven't seen it yet," Michelle jumped at the chance of showing him her freshly renovated studio on the third story and slid off her stool.

"Ok then, good night, see you tomorrow," Jo said and kissed Cam on the cheek before he left with Michelle.

"We're going to bed as well?" Jack asked Cam and pulled her closer by her hips.

"Mmmh," she made and laid her head on his chest.

"I thought about this, about us, while I was running," he said then and stroked over her hair.

"Oh," Cam just replied and didn't change her position.

"What happened tonight was a result of us feeling like hamsters in a wheel. For weeks all we did was work, come home, eat and go to bed. I think the last time we did something else was the trip to Palms Springs," he told her.

"You're right. I'm just so tired all the time," she agreed. "All the energy I can muster up is going to work in the morning and coming home at night and going back to sleep," she agreed.

"I'm not talking about sex," he chuckled when he realized what she was getting at. "It seems you always find energy for that," he grinned.

"Not as often as I used to a couple of weeks ago," she grinned back.

"True, but I'm still not complaining. You wore me out during your second trimester," he grinned when she slapped his chest. "I just think we should go on a date. Just you and me, dressing up, going out for dinner, maybe a movie," he suggested.

"Sounds great. Just no movie, I have to go pee every five minutes," Cam considered it.

"Then dinner. And you're exaggerating about the peeing thing," he said and then kissed her softly before he yawned.

"You're tired?" she asked him with a glint in her eyes that made him suspicious.

"A bit. Why?" he asked her back with raised eyebrows.

"Now that I am awake, I think we could revisit the sex discussion. Last night without the kids in the house," she grinned.

"Well, when you put it that way," he chuckled and kissed her again, this time much more passionately.

On Thursday night when they walked into the hospital hand in hand Cam was in a much better mood than she had been before.

"I can't tell you how glad I am that Kendra got out and picked her kids up today. One more day with Tay and Tyron and I would have killed them," she told Hodgins on their way to the elevator.

"You do know that we're having a son, not a girl with cute pink shirts," he dared to point out with a smile.

"Our son won't be like that. They basically trashed the room they were in. I still don't know how they managed to reach the lamp and make it come down," she protested.

"A baseball and a glove will do the trick," he laughed knowingly.

"Don't tell me you gave it to them." Cam couldn't believe it.

"I didn't think they would play inside. I told them to stay outside with that stuff," Hodgins defended himself. "And personally I think that Nesha was much more demanding than the two boys," he pointed out.

"She was really clingy this time. I guess having your mother arrested in front of your eyes does that to you," she sighed.

"Ok, now we stop talking about the past and concentrate on right now and the baby, 'kay?" he asked her when they reached the room where the birthing class was held.

"Ok," she agreed and pecked his lips.

"Hi there," the midwife greeted them. She was an older woman not yet in her sixties, with short gray hair and a gentle smile that made Cam like and trust her instantly.

"Hi, Jack Hodgins and Camille Saroyan, I think we talked on the phone," Hodgins introduced them.

"I'm Kate," she replied as they shook hands. "We are just waiting for one more couple and then we can go and take a look at the maternity ward of the clinic. If you don't mind I'd like to do a quick exam to see that everything is ok and we won't risk premature labor," she turned to Cam.

"Uhm, ok, as long as I'm not getting pricked again," Cam smiled back.

"No, I just want to see what position your baby is in," Kate laughed. "If you'll just lay down on the mat over there and pull up your shirt," she instructed and led them past the other couples, who Cam and Hodgins greeted with a short hello and got knowing smiles in return.

"You want to give me your jacket?" Hodgins asked Cam and held out his hand.

"Thanks," she replied and handed her black warm coat to him before she lay down.

"Now let's see," the midwife said and gently pressed down on Cam's stomach, smiling when she felt a kick. "Quite the karate kid you have there," she laughed.

"Believe me, I know," Cam chuckled.

"This round and flat thing here is your kids rear end," Kate told Cam and let her feel it, then showed Hodgins. "You're having a boy or a girl? Or do you want to be surprised?" she asked them then.

"A boy," Jack replied proudly.

"Here are the feet, as you can surely tell," Kate went on. "He's basically snuggled into your side," she explained. "Here's the head," she pointed to the upper right part of Cam's belly, "here's the rear and the feet are down here." She seemed content with her findings.

"Shouldn't he turn at one point?" Hodgins asked.

"Most babies turn between the 30th and 36th week, so everything is fine. Has the pregnancy gone well so far or have you had any problems?" Kate wanted to know.

"No, no problems. My back kills me sometimes, but I guess that's normal, " Cam replied and sat up.

"I will show you some massage techniques later that might help you," the midwife said and then got up when the last couple entered the room. She examined the new woman as well and talked shortly to them before she led them all out of the room and into the maternity ward and to the delivery rooms.

"I don't know how many of you have decided to give birth here in the hospital, at home or a special private practice. I'm going to show you the different possibilities for a natural birth here anyway. Please interrupt me anytime you have a question," she finished her introduction and switched on the light in the first delivery room.

After showing them the room with the tub for water births, the one that had a large robe hanging from the ceiling and all kinds of balls and a large bed they were back in the training room, sitting on their mats and learning correct breathing techniques to use during childbirth.

"If I keep doing that I'm gonna collapse," Hodgins gasped quietly and made Cam laugh.

"Luckily you won't be the one pushing the kid out," she grinned and then focused on breathing into her stomach again.

"Slowly, just feel your breath reaching your belly, see how it rises. And breathe out again," Kate instructed while she walked through the room and inspected what they were doing.

Suddenly Hodgins made a drum sound and then sang quietly "The way you make me feel... you really turn me on," into Cam's ear and cracked her up. In a matter of seconds she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"I can assure you that won't work during birth as a form of distraction," Kate looked disapprovingly at him.

"Sorry," he said, but didn't really seem bothered.

"You will make us the first couple to ever get thrown out of a childbirth class," Cam shook her head, but snuggled back in his arms to feel the breaths reaching her stomach.

"Junior seems to be asleep," Jack whispered in her ear, his hot breath against her neck making her tingle.

"Yeah, he usually is around this time," she replied quietly.

"Ok, now take the red balls that look slightly like hedgehogs men, while your women lean forward and relax," Kate instructed.

"These don't look anything like a hedgehog. The spines of the common hedgehog of the family of Erinaceidae are..." Hodgins started, but Cam placed her hand over his mouth.

"Shut up Jack and start massaging with the red spiky ball," she told him and this time it wasn't Hodgins who laughed, but Kate, who had witnessed their exchange.

"And did you learn how to breathe?" Michelle grinned when they came back home that night.

"Yes, although Jack nearly got us thrown out of the course," Cam nodded with a smile.

"Why don't you know how to breathe?" Tallulah's voice suddenly came from the living room and a second later the child walked into the hallway, dressed in her pink Hello Kitty pajamas.

"I think I'm hallucinating. The breathing exercises ruined my brain," Hodgins deadpanned when he saw the child.

"Jo brought her over an hour ago, saying she screamed all the way to his apartment, at his apartment and the whole way back here, because she wants to stay here until they go back to New York this weekend," Michelle informed them like it was the most normal thing.

"So he just brought her back?" Cam couldn't believe it. What happened to calling and asking?

"Why does the saying 'You break it, you buy it' come to mind?" Michele asked teasingly while Tallulah looked from one to the other, trying to understand what the adults were talking about.

"More like 'You pay for it then you have to care for it'," Cam corrected and then turned to Jack. "You know now why I always tell you to just stay away from them and don't help them out? Because this is how they show their gratitude," she informed him and pointed to the four year old in their hallway.

"You don't want me to stay?" the girl asked, her bottom lip quivering alarmingly.

"Oh, sweetie, of course you can stay. We just wish that your grandpa would have told us before," Cam replied soothingly and crouched down in front of her niece.

"I just don't want the police to come in at night again and take me away," the girl started to cry.

"No one will take you away here," Cam soothed her and pulled her into her arms.

"Nesha here as well?" Jack asked Michelle suspiciously.

"No, she wanted to stay with Jo and her mother," she replied.

"What is that?" Tallulah asked and pulled back from Cam, looking down to her stomach.

"That's the baby kicking. He just woke up," Cam informed her.

"Really? But the baby is still in your tummy, how can it kick?" the girl asked in wonder.

"Let me get up and I'll show you, ok?" Cam replied and untangled from the girl, who took her hand as soon as she was standing upright again, with the help of Hodgins.

"I'm going to bed, it's already late. Goodnight," Michelle excused herself when the other three made their way into the living room. Cam sat down on the couch and slowly pulled her shirt up.

"Give me your hand," she said to her niece and took her little hand in hers. "Now put it here and press down a little," Cam instructed and showed her how to do it. A second later the first kick against Tallulah's hand was sent and made her giggle.

"You felt that?" Jack asked her, already knowing the answer.

"He kicked me. Again," the girl laughed and forgot for a moment how scared she was of the police or child services taking her away from the people she loved. Her full attention was now on Cam's stomach and the kicks of the baby, while Cam and Jack grinned at each other over her head, relieved that she seemed happy - at least for the moment.

"Wow, look at you," Hodgins said appreciatively when Cam came down the stairs to the hallway on Saturday evening. It was date night for them and while he wore black trousers and a nice dress shirt, Cam had gone all out and wore a silky black dress that showed a lot of cleavage and played loosely around her curves. The skirt ended above her knees and the black high heels with the little rim stones on them matched the long pendulum earrings she wore. Her hair was wrapped up in a loose chignon, strands seemingly haphazardly falling out, framing her face.

"I take it the shopping trip this afternoon was worth it," she grinned when she saw and felt his eyes roaming over her body.

"I didn't know they made maternity dresses like this," he was still stunned.

"They do, you just have to find them and pay a lot of money for them," she grinned and stepped down the last stair.

"That dress is worth every cent," he decided and pulled her body into his with a hand on her lower back.

"Good," she smiled and her eyes darkened a shade when he kissed her hungrily. "First dinner, then dessert," Cam said huskily when she broke the kiss and picked up her clutch from the small table. Jack took her coat and helped her into it, placing a kiss on her neck just because he could.

"I don't know how long I'll be able to keep my hands off of you," he stated, his eyes still lit up with lust.

"If you make it through dinner that will be enough," Cam laughed and threw the car keys his way while she walked out the front door. He caught them just before they would have hit him in the face and then followed her outside for their first date in months.

"... and then he went and bought another batch, ate two more and threw up again," Hodgins finished one of his college stories and made Cam laugh. When he was done talking he took another sip of his only glass of red wine for the night.

"Felicia did that one time; she ate so much and then threw up. I don't think it was pancakes, but cupcakes," Cam replied laughingly. When she noticed how he looked at her she stopped, her laughter diminishing to a smile. "What?" she asked him, a bit self-conscious.

"Nothing, I'm just happy to be here with you and see that despite all the tension these last few weeks we can find our way back to the way we were and should be," he replied with a shrug and a smile.

"I like it here, it's nice," she complimented, but didn't comment on the other things he'd said.

"I haven't been here for years," he admitted.

"Why?" she asked, sensing that something had happened that made him stay away.

"At that table over there I proposed to Angela for the first time. It was also the first time she said no," he replied and pointed to a table at the other end of the room.

"I guess you're safe this time. Or do you plan on proposing tonight?" Cam asked him mischievously and wasn't the slightest bit disturbed by his admission.

"I will propose when I think the time is right for us. And it's not tonight. But did I tell you already that I had toyed with the thought of proposing before you got pregnant?" he admitted and his cheeks flushed red.

"No, you didn't," she replied and took another sip of her peach juice.

"I didn't really have a plan or anything, but I liked the thought. Then when we got back together after our 'pause' I thought about it again and I actually had a plan. But before I could set it in motion you were pregnant again and ruined my plan - again," he said the last part teasingly and made her laugh.

"Sorry," she grinned. "But you participated as well," she pointed out.

"Ten weeks," he sighed.

"Ten weeks," she nodded and laced her fingers through his when he took her hand.

"You think he'll stick to the due date?" Jack asked her.

"I don't know. So far he hasn't turned. Maybe he'll be late," she wondered.

"Nah," Hodgins shook his head, not believing it. "I actually think he'll be early," he added.

"I think you might be right," Cam agreed and Hodgins noticed again how the candlelight danced in her happy brown eyes.

"You want dessert?" he asked her, his voice already husky and his eyes trailing down her face to her cleavage.

"Yes," she nodded. "At home."

"Bill please," Hodgins called out in response to her request and their eyes locked when she pressed a soft kiss on the knuckles of the hand joined with hers.

TBC