Booth opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, lifting his arms above his head, stretching the muscles in his shoulders, tensing, then releasing them. He let them drop heavily to his sides and turned his head. She wasn't there. He reached out and touched her pillow. It was cold. She's been gone for a while.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes with the balls of his hands. Yawning he swivelled and dropped his feet to the floor, feeling around with his toes for his slippers. They weren't where he stepped out of them last night. He spread his knees and looked down between them at the floor, leaning forwards to see if they were under the edge of the bed. They weren't.

Hopping off the bed he got down onto his knees to see if they were further under the bed. They weren't. Leaning on the edge of the mattress he groaned as he pushed himself up off the floor. He scratched his jaw, feeling the soft stubble, and noting that he probably should have a shave in the next few days.

"huh? I could have sworn they were here" he mumbled to himself. He grabbed a pair of sweats and pulled them on, hopping on one foot as the other got tangled in the bunched up leg. "Damn it!" he yelled as he lost his balance and tipped towards the floor, saving himself at the last minute by grabbing onto the foot of the bed. He pulled the pants off his foot roughly, reaching into the bunched up leg and pulling it out, then leaned against the bed and pushing his feet one at a time into the legs, pulling them up and loosely tying the string at the waist.

He slowly came down the stairs following the suspicious aroma's wafting from the kitchen. His curiosity peaked, he poked his head around the corner. Brennan was standing at the stove, she was making breakfast. He smiled. She was singing softly, her hair was down, the sun shining through the window making the top of her head glow like she was wearing a golden crown. She was wearing a knee length, pale green wrap that he had bought last week. He found it in a maternity store and got it for her because her everyday one just wasn't big enough anymore. It was soft and silky and clung to her, showing her amazing breasts, her still firm behind and her long shapely legs. And on her feet. His slippers. He clamped his lips together.

"Bones! You got up early!" he said as he walked towards her. She turned and smiled brightly. "I know! I woke up and I just felt amazing! I'm making pancakes!" she announced proudly. Booth nodded, and forced his mouth into a smile, his lips pressed together. Pancakes weren't exactly her forte. He was the pancake king of the family. Stepping towards her, he leaned in to kiss her cheek. His eyes landed on the thing in the frying pan. It was kind of orangey-brown, and. Lumpy?

"Wow! What kind of pancakes are they hon?" he asked warily. She smiled and flipped the thing in the pan with the egg slice. "Just normal pancakes. I thought we could have syrup with them. I forgot to buy whipped butter." she said. Booth's eyebrows raised up just normal ones? Then why are they orange and lumpy? "They look. Delicous." he said, turning away, his mouth forming the silent words Oh My God

"I'll get some juice and the syrup" he offered. Brennan smiled, proud of her efforts. She tipped the final pancake onto the pile of oddly shaped cakes and picked up the plate and carried them over to the table. She went back to the counter and poured two mugs of coffee, then set one down in front of Booth and sat down.

"Coffee? I thought you weren't drinking coffee any more Bones?" he asked surprised. She shrugged "I know, but today, I just felt like I wanted one" she said as she took a sip. He waited for her to throw the mug, or to spit the coffee out, but she just grinned and took another long draught "mmm so good" she murmured. Booth shook his head and refrained from commenting, instead, poking at the pile of pancakes looking for one that was the least orange and brown. He found one that vaguely resembled an actual pancake and put it onto his plate. He poured a little too much syrup onto it and then using his fork, cut through it, with a little more force than usually required, forking the piece into his mouth.

"Good, huh?" Brennan asked him as she speared three pancakes with her fork and put them on her plate, pouring syrup over them. "mmmm. Yummy" Booth replied, forcing himself to smile, as he chewed on the thing in his mouth.

Brennan picked up her knife and fork and cut a piece of pancake and held it up to her mouth, hesitated, then put it down on her plate.

"something wrong?" Booth asked. She shrugged "I don't want pancakes. I think I just want toast" she said looking at him. "What's wrong with me Booth? I know I'm acting strangely. I can't seem to make a decision. I fly off the handle easily. I seem to just float around in a cloud most of the time. I know the doctor said that I'm probably just having an overly inflated influx of hormones because of the twins, but I just don't feel like me most of the time!" she said, her bottom lip dropping.

Booth reached out and grabbed her hand, he had the piece of pancake he had been chewing for the last five minutes clamped between his back teeth. "Honey, there's nothing wrong with you. You know the doctor said some women get a little." He had to choose his words carefully. "Overwhelmed, when carrying twins. I think that maybe you are one of them. Just relax. Don't worry so much. See, this is exactly why you need this time off. To just calm down, relax, rest. See how good you are this morning? You even cooked!" he said encouragingly.

Brennan tilted her head and smiled at him. He really was the best husband in the entire world. She knew that the doctor and he were right. She had moments when she felt like her old self. Lucid, intelligent, balanced. She just wished she felt like this all the time. She was well aware of the times when her brain wouldn't function. It was like she was trapped inside someone else's head. It was most disconcerting and frustrating and sometimes, a little frightening.

"You're right of course. I really do feel a little like my old self today." she smiled. "You two need to just settle down and stop making Mommy act so irrationally" she said to her belly, rubbing her hand backwards and forwards across it. Booth chose that moment to surreptitiously wipe his mouth with a napkin, spitting the bit of rubberised pancake into it. He stared at his wife. She was so beautiful right now. Her hair falling softly over her face as she looked down at her belly. Her eyelashes forming a shadow on her cheek, the curve of her mouth as she smiled at her unborn babies. Her hand, gently splayed over them, the sun glinting on her wedding ring.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you right now Bones?" he whispered. Brennan glanced up and saw his eyes, dark, velvety, full of love for her. They were so right together. "I'm sorry I've been so unlike me" she said reaching out for him. He shook his head "It doesn't matter. And it won't last forever. Only three months Bones and our little men will be here!" he said excitedly. "so I was thinking, do you want to go shopping for the nursery today? We really do need to get a second crib and maybe some blue baby clothes? Do you feel up to it?"

Brennan's eyes lit up "Yes! I think that would be so much fun! Do you think Christine will mind that we shopped for them without her? I had promised her she could come with us when we did decide to go." she said. Booth shook his head "Nah. She's having a lot of fun with Michael, Angela and Jack. What about, we buy her something new for her room too as a surprise. What do you think?" he asked. Brennan clapped her hands together, her eyes shining "We did see a beautiful lamp in a catalogue the other day that she liked. We can get her that!" she said as she stood up. "I'll get dressed and then we can get going. I'm really looking forward to today Booth!" she bent and dropped a kiss on his cheek. "I love shopping for baby things!" she chirped as she left the kitchen.

Booth grinned "Perhaps I'll buy a new pair of slippers too" he chuckled as he got up and cleared the table.