Thank you all again. So glad you still like this story and the last chapter with Cullen showing up ;)

And here we are, the next one is ready!

Coming home

Chaper 21:

"O-kay." Angela finally said overly cheerfully after some time of rather awkward silence. "Something to drink, anybody?"

"A beer would be nice." Booth answered sarcastically and I had to smile upon hearing his muffled words.

"Besides you, sweetie. Sorry." Angela grimaced and I had to laugh at the expression on her face. My mood changed quickly as I felt a sudden pain in my back. "Ow." I made and rubbed the spot, but the pain had subsided to a dull throbbing ache again.

"The little one bothering you again?" Angela asked compassionately and I nodded, but then I frowned a little. I had not felt the baby kick, so it had to be just the back ache, not the baby kicking my kidneys. "My back hurts." I stated. Well, to be more accurate, I think I actually complained.

Cullen gave me a long look. "You should probably sit down." He suggested.

"What is it about men thinking pregnant women need to sit down all the time…" I started, but then the pain in my back became stronger again. "Alright, maybe it's not such a bad idea." I added and walked the three steps to the stairs and – with Angela's help – carefully let me sink down on them.

"Bones? What's wrong?" I barely heard Booth's concerned inquiry from the other side of the elevator doors.

"Nothing. Just a back ache." I answered and grimaced. There was no way to get comfortable on the stairs, they were just too hard and cold. I fidgeted a little.

Cullen took off his coat and held it out. "Stuff that behind her back." He said to Angela. Again, Booth's boss surprised me with his thoughtfulness. "Thanks." I pressed through gritted teeth. The back ache was actually getting worse for a moment, but then the pain subsided again and the coat made for a great pillow. I probably should be thankful for the unusual cold and rainy days we had this September or Cullen would not have had a coat to offer me.

"Temperance?" I heard Booth's muffled voice. "Are you really alright? Maybe you should… you know go lie down?"

"I'm good." I answered. "Would you mind getting me some water, Angela?" I asked and she just nodded and went upstairs.

I tensed as the ache in my lower back intensified for a moment, but the pain ebbed away and I felt normal again. Well, as normal as I could manage, sitting on the staircase a few feet away from my boyfriend's boss, who was watching me while Booth was stuck behind those metal doors. The whole situation was odd, to say the least.

I heard Angela's footsteps approach again and soon she appeared with three small bottles of water. She handed me one and wordlessly held out another to Cullen, who took it and thanked her. "Some party." Angela sighed and checked her watch. "Well, at least the others should be here soon and there'll be somebody to help open these doors. Let's just hope the car's not exactly in-between the floors. That would suck."

"Way to cheer me up, Angela." Booth's voice could be heard. We waited for a few moments in complete silence.

"This is so weird." My best friend commented. "And totally the opposite of how I wanted this evening to be for you two."

"I know." I said, nodding at her. "But it's not your fault, Angela." I said, then gritted my teeth as another wave of pain seemed to stab me in my lower back. I tried to adjust my position, but the pain enveloped me for a moment, then just passed away. I sighed a little and opened my eyes. I had not even noticed that I had squeezed them shut.

I blinked and fidgeted uncomfortably as I realised that Cullen was watching me speculatively. "What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, but he just kept on watching me, which was a little unnerving. Angela started to talk about how she was looking forward to all the gifts we'd be getting. And that she was anxious about our reaction to her gift. I glared at her. "The painting in the nursery is the gift. I told you not to buy anything."

"Oh, but I had to, sweetie…. That stuff is all sooo cute and I just couldn't… you now NOT buy anything." Angela explained, almost apologetically. I rolled my eyes and exhaled slowly as I felt the damn back ache yet again and hoped that I wouldn't have to spend the next three weeks with that kind of pains and aches. It would be hell.

And still, Cullen was watching me, which made me almost nervous. I frowned a little as I realised that the baby DID not warrant my fidgeting and uncomfortable feeling with kicks against my bladder or my kidneys… as usual. Come to think of it, the baby had not kicked me for more than half an hour, which was the longest amount of time I had spent without sensing it's movements in the past two weeks.

"Dr. Brennan," Deputy Director Cullen finally said, his voice low as if he didn't want Booth to overhear. "Are you in labour?"

I gaped at him. "What? No, of course not, I still have three weeks." I hissed.

"Hm." That was all the reaction I got out of Cullen with my statement. That and a clearly disbelieving look.

"Temperance?" I heard Booth's muffled voice. "Why are you whispering?"

"We're not whispering, we're just not yelling at the top of our lungs, Booth." Angela answered cheerfully, but then her concerned gaze connected with mine. "Are you alright?" She asked in a low murmur and watched me more closely. Which was probably the first time she paid me full attention since the 'horrible' news of the elevator being stuck and our guests being forced to walk up.

"You're awfully pale. And there's sweat on your forehead." She commented after a moment.

"Thank you. Just what I wanted to hear." I gave back and touched one hand to my forehead. She had been right… there was a sheen of perspiration on my skin. And suddenly another wave of pain engulfed me, stronger than the one before… radiating from my back to my pelvis, causing me to tense for a moment. A moan escaped my lips before I managed to contain it.

"You ARE in labour." Cullen stated quietly. "No, I'm not." I clenched my teeth. "This is just a back ache. And sitting on this stairs is not making it better, that's all."

Unfortunately I could NOT picture myself walking up the stairs to my apartment right now, either. I frowned. The whole situation was very … unfortunate.

"Sweetie…." Angela gave me her 'I'm worried – look'. "You might want to consider that… he's right." She whispered.

"No." I simply said. I flat out refused to accept this possibility.

"But… I mean… you're obviously in pain, Bren. And as far as I can see it's not constant, right? It comes and goes?" She continued and I grudgingly nodded.

"Sounds an awful lot like labour pains." She murmured.

I forced breath out of my lungs. "No. I still have three weeks. It's too early."

"Bren, you of all people know that some babies come earlier. Look, your Dad even said both you and your brother were born about ten days early." My best friend gently said. "Maybe it just runs in the family."

"No. I refuse to be in labour while Booth is stuck in that elevator." I snapped. Unfortunately I seemed to temporarily have lost control over my voice, maybe because another wave of pain started, a little stronger than the one before. I had intended to talk quietly, so that Booth wouldn't overhear our conversation. Instead, I yelled.

"What? What?" I heard Booth's frantic voice from the other side of the elevator. "You're in labour? Shit. Shit." I heard some shuffling noises. "Damn. I need to get out of here." I heard Booth exclaim. He sounded almost panicked, which was not exactly encouraging.

"Booth!" Cullen thundered. "You calm down now. You're just making it worse."

"But…" I heard him trying to object. "That's an order!" Cullen snapped again. "We'll get you out of there as soon as possible, okay?"

"Yes, sir." I heard Booth answer meekly. "Is she…. Temperance, baby, can you talk to me? Please?"

"Don't call me baby!" I pressed through gritted teeth as another wave of pain crashed into me. I briefly closed my eyes, but quickly blinked them open again, as I felt Angela's arm come around me, supporting me.

"God." Angela exchanged a panicked look with Cullen. "They're coming pretty fast. This… is…ah.." She stopped, clearly for my benefit. Obviously my best friend did not want to frighten me… unfortunately I had already come to my own conclusions.

"Too fast." I choked. "They're coming too fast. This is not supposed to happen this early and not this fast." I squeezed Angela's hand tightly and tried very hard not to panic.

Cullen stared at me for a moment, then he quickly dug out his cell phone and called for an ambulance.

"Oh God." Booth said. Through the haze of the pain that crashed over me in waves and then ebbed away again I could still make out his voice. "Bones, hold on, I'll be there soon, okay?"

I could almost see him, pacing restlessly in the small elevator like a tiger in a cage. "I'm okay. It's going to be okay." I tried to reassure him, but the last word ended in a moan. The pain was getting stronger and the amount of time between the waves of pain was short. Too short.

According to my books, according to my knowledge, my studies of the human body, there was supposed to be a slow build-up, sometimes there were gaps of fifteen minutes in-between the labour pains, at least in the beginning. This felt more like two minutes. Which was…. very frightening. The pain engulfed me again and I tried hard not to cry out. And failed.

"Temperance." I heard Seeley shout, his voice sounding nearly as pained as I felt.

And suddenly, my father knelt beside me. "Tempe, baby…" He said. "My God." He must have come up the stairs. Of course it was now about seven, the time when our party was supposed to start.

Without conscious thought I grabbed his forearm and squeezed tightly. "Help Cullen." I pressed through gritted teeth.

My father gave me a bewildered look. The pain subsided for a moment and I registered how my father and Cullen eyed each other wearily for a moment.

"Booth is in the elevator. I need him. Get him out." I forced out. It was all it took to get the deputy director and the former criminal to co-operate. At another time and place – and in less pain – I would have marvelled at the picture the two of them made, mutely working together. Distantly I registered that one or two of the apartment doors had opened, some of my neighbours curiously peeking out of their apartments. An elderly woman stared at me for a moment, eyes wide, and quickly threw her door shut again. Very helpful neighbours, a sarcastic part of my brain commented.

A few – literally – painful minutes later the two men managed to force the elevator doors open. I blinked, fighting the pain. The elevator car was half-visible behind the doors and before I actually had a chance to even blink, Booth launched himself up and out of the elevator, like.... a missile. I would have laughed at this rather odd comparison, but the pain prevented me from smiling.

"Temperance." In an instant he was beside me, his hand grabbing mine. "God…. Where is this ambulance?" There was panic in his eyes and his voice sounded hoarse.

"I'm going down to meet them and send them up." Cullen announced.

Another wave of pain took possession of me and my nervous system. And then I felt an odd sensation, a feeling I could not quite place at first... then a hot rush and….. I knew. "My water just broke." I croaked.

"Wow… oh, shit… wow." He just whispered, his eyes glued to mine. "Hold on, Bones. The paramedics will be here in no time, okay? .... God, I wish I could help you." He blinked and I saw tears in his eyes.

I focussed on Booth, on his brown eyes, the concern in them. I knew my father was there too, as was Angela, but then Seeley suddenly said. "She'll need her bag. Can you get her bag?" Angela hurried away, getting the bag that was sitting packed and ready beside the door.... had been for weeks now. And I was alone with my father and the father of my unborn child. And afraid. I felt so afraid.

"This is not normal, Booth." I pressed through gritted teeth.

"I know,… but it will be okay. You'll be okay and the baby too." He said, almost pleadingly, trying to convince himself as much as me.

"But.. this …"I started again, but my father just said. "Don't argue. Just believe it. You will be alright." His voice, too, held the distinct note of fear.

I felt more tears gather in my eyes. "Please, Temperance, please be alright." I heard Booth's voice say. "I love you, Bones." He croaked. "And I need you and the baby, so we'll better make sure we'll get you to the hospital real soon."

His eyes darted away from mine for a moment. "God damn it, where ARE these paramedics?" I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing evenly as the pain took over again. Unfortunately I didn't succeed. My breathing was erratic, my body jerking.

"Move aside." I heard a female, oddly familiar voice. I blinked and a face came into focus.

It was Cam.

"Shhh, Temperance, I need you to breathe evenly, okay? Slowly and evenly, yeah, that's good." Cam said, her voice soothing. "Right, you're doing fine. Just breath evenly, relax your body, and don't even think about pushing, alright? Just slow and easy breaths."

"I'm not… giving birth here." I pressed through gritted teeth. That was my plan and I intended to stick to it. I had no desire to give birth on the fourth floor of my building in front of the elevator doors with a growing number of neighbours gawking at the spectacle. No, I told myself, not like that.

"Damn right, you're not." Cam smiled down at me. "You're going to have a nice ride to the hospital and THAT's where you're going to give birth. And that's why you have to breath slowly, just like that…. and don't push, right? You remember that?"

I was in pain, but not an idiot. "I'm not an imbecile." I muttered and Booth gave a harsh, disbelieving laugh. "God, Bones…."

Angela's face appeared and she announced. "I got her bag. And I think I hear the paramedics coming up."

"That's good." Cam smiled down at me reassuringly. "Just remember to breathe slowly, yeah?"

"Will you please move aside?" An unfamiliar voice said and I caught a glimpse of the paramedics, the neutral, distanced expression on their faces. Then I passed out and everything faded to black.

YES, I know I'm EEEEEEEEEVIL. You probably all hate me now, right? SORRY.

But the next chapter should be up real soon. Reviews would be AWESOME.