She awoke around 3am one Monday morning with Booth's arms enveloping her. It wasn't his grip around her that was why she was awake at that hour. Her back was hurting in every position she tried to lay in. Bones decided to use the bathroom since she was up, and this being her ninth month of pregnancy, it was also a necessity. She moved from Booth's arms, he stirred slightly, but continued to sleep as she got up out of bed. Her hand went to her back, trying to find relief. As she entered the bathroom, the back pain suddenly disappeared. She decided to go lay down again. Just as she was about to drift off, some fifteen minutes later, the back pain came back. She started to get frustrated when another fifteen minutes later the same thing happened. She decided to get up again and try sleeping on the couch, thinking her bed was the reason her back was hurting. Finally finding relief on the couch, she dozed off until dawn.

Booth woke up to his alarm that morning, his arm instinctively reaching out for his girlfriend laying next to him. When his hand hit the cold mattress, he sat up and called for Bones. When she didn't answer, he got out of bed and checked the bathroom only to find it empty. He opened the bedroom door and spotted Bones sleeping soundly on the couch. He walked over to her, put his hand on her shoulder and gently said, "Bones, honey, wake up."

Bones slowly opened her eyes to find Booth's chocolate pools glistening at her. "Oh, hi, Booth." She said sleepily.

"What are you doing out here? The bed is much more comfortable than the couch."

"You'd think that, but my back was hurting a few hours ago and I could only find some relief laying out here." Bones sat up, her hand quickly going to her back as the rush of pain hit her again. She groaned, "the pain is back."

"Probably from laying on the couch." Booth smiled at her. "Why don't you go back to bed and enjoy your maternity leave."

"I don't see why I even had to take a maternity leave, I am perfectly capable of working while pregnant."

"You made a promise to me that you would take it easy. I don't want anything happening to my two girls." Booth said, placing a kiss on Bones' forehead before he stood up. He held out his hand for her to take. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

The pain subsiding for a bit, so Bones took his hand and stood up. She got into bed as Booth got ready for work. She watched him as he scrambled around the bedroom in his boxers and a nice button-up shirt looking for his favorite tie. Finding it, he put it loosely around his neck and went in search of his pants. Bones rested her right hand on her belly as the back pain came back again. Her belly felt hard as the wave of pain went through her whole body. Then it hit her. She might be having contractions. She read in one of the numerous pregnancy books, that her abdomen would feel hard as contractions would come. She started to worry. Should she tell Booth or wait until the labor progressed a little further? She could have contractions for several hours before she actually needed to go to the hospital. She didn't want Booth to get worked up over Braxton-Hicks contractions, so she decided to quietly get through the pain until Booth left.

"Do you think you're going to be alright here by yourself on your first day of maternity leave?" Booth asked, as he pulled on his suit coat.

With the contraction finally passing, she smiled and said, "I'll be fine Booth. I'll probably just read or look over some files. If I need you, I will call you. The baby isn't due for another week and half, so I'm sure nothing will happen."

"Okay, I just worry about you being alone here," he said, coming to her side of the bed, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." Bones responded, as Booth left the bedroom.