Temperance paced her office for twenty minutes before collapsing on the couch and dissolving into tears. They came at fifteen minutes intervals and lasted about thirty. Nearly two hours later, that's how Seeley discovered her.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked in worry as he moved swiftly to cradle her. "What happened?" he whispered, but she just kept on crying. He insinuated himself onto the sofa and pulled her tightly into his arms. "It's okay, Temperance."
"No, it's not," her voice quivered. "I'm on speaking terms with my brother, my father is alive and I'm still alone on Christmas. Why?"
" Listen to me," he murmured into her hair. She slowly sat up and swiped at her eyes. "Bones, you don't have to be. It's only the twentieth of December. It's not too late to make plans." She sniffled softly.
" I work with the only people I know and all of them had their plans finalized weeks ago. After that quarantined holiday…"
"My plans aren't," he said, ignoring her reference to that awkward day. Her eyes shot up to stare at him. "Come over to my place on Christmas Day. You'll enjoy it." She sniffled again and he cradled her until she agreed before nodding off to sleep. He slipped out, locking the door behind him.
At noon on the twenty-fifth, Temperance showed up at Seeley's door, as requested, with an emergency overnight bag I her vehicle, also requested.
"Good!" he boomed when he saw her on his doorstep. "I was afraid you'd back out of it somehow."
Just then, Parker came running up behind his father and greeted Temperance with a smile and a gingerbread cookie.
"Hi, there." She smiled at the child. "Parker, right?"
"Yeah. You're Doctor Brennan," he announced proudly.
"That's right. If you like, you can call me 'Tempe'. It's easier."
"Okay. Come see the tree!" he exclaimed before running back inside. Temperance tapped Seeley's shoulder and he immediately spun around to face her.
"Listen, I can't imagine how you forgot you had Parker today, but-"
"I didn't forget anything. Parker and I made sure. We even made the checklist together." Temperance stared at him in confusion. "We've been planning this together all week, so can you do me a favor?" She nodded her head silently.
"Leave the scientist at the laboratory and just have fun with us today. We want to show you everything you've been missing all these years. Okay?"
"Okay," she whispered.
Seeley showed Temperance into the living room where a six foot tall, artificial pine tree towered in the corner. She gasped softly at the lights and spheres of color while Parker rattled away about how he helped. She tuned back in as Parker announced that there was one decoration left. He picked it up as gently as a six-year-old could and brought it to her. When she turned it around, she saw her name in scarlet ink in Seeley's scrawl and sparkles and stickers that could only come from a child's creativity.
"You're part of our Christmas this year. Mine and Parker's are on it already."
"I…" A slow grateful smile spread across her face. "Thank you," she whispered. She smiled and turned to Parker. "So… where can I hang this, Parker?" He smiled and showed her a perfect space right between their bulbs. Handling the branches like glass, she hooked it on the tree where it sparkled the color of the lights in the branches around it. Parker ran to his father.
"Can we go outside?" he asked happily. Seeley's gaze slid to Temperance to gage her response, but she just smiled happily.
"Sure! Go put your snowsuit on." The boy was gone in a flash, leaving the two adults alone. Seeley smiled at Temperance but when he noticed her long black coat, he grimaced.
"Please tell me you have a pair of winter hiking boots."
"Well, they're not boots per say, but they're alright. I'll be fine."
"Here, take this," he said, tossing her a thick hoodie. "You'll be cold otherwise."
"Thanks."
Seconds later, Parker came bouncing out in his full suit, boots, mittens, scarf and hat. Temperance helped him with his coat zipper while Seeley pulled on his coat and gloves. The boy grabbed their hands and pulled them outside, barely giving his father the time to lock the door behind them before rushing them out into the crisp winter air.
"Let's not go too far in case you get cold or tired."
"Okay!" Just then, a snowball came flying by and hit Temperance in the shoulder. "Gotcha!" he yelled.
"Parker, don't-"
"No! No, it's okay," she insisted with a laugh. "He's, uh… it's alright." She took off after him, missing him by a country mile every time he zigzagged, "accidentally" tripping and giving him time to get away. After chasing him over half the yard, she put her hand on his shoulder and slid to the ground, laughing as he fell on top of her. "Noo!" she yelled as Parker tickled her sides. Seeley was beside her almost instantly.
"What are you doing? Huh?" He pulled Parker into his arms, tickling him like he had Temperance. As he did, he never noticed her sneak up until the snow was down his coat.
He jumped up and danced a highland fling much to his son's delight while she ran away. Once he finally dislodged the cold precipitation, he turned to his son.
"Parker… you stay here…I have to go teach the sneaky doctor a lesson."
The words were barely out of his mouth when he took off in a dead sprint after her, her squeals loud and totally out of character. She dodged left and right as he chased and finally, what seemed like an hour later, he caught her around the waist and tackled her to the ground as he dug his fingers into her sides.
Temperance laughed and squirmed until her lungs and sides hurt, twitching into Seeley's grip. They came face to face and froze. His cheeks were pink and his eyes smoldering while hers sparkled with life. She panted softly.
"You got her, Dad!" Parker cheered only feet away.
"Yeah… I got her." Temperance rolled off quickly and laid flat on her back, still panting while her cheeks flamed red.
"A snow angel!" Parker yelled as Temperance snapped her arms and legs together. "Keep going, Tempe!" She smiled and moved a few more times before letting Seeley help her up. "See? An angel!"
"It certainly is… " Seeley whispered out of earshot. Temperance dusted off her coat as Seeley adjusted Parker's jacket and scarf. Parker smiled and ran off to start his snowman. Seeley wandered over to Temperance's side.
"You move like a rabbit. You run so fast!" he commented comically.
"Well, not fast enough it would seem. You managed to catch me pretty easily. What's Parker doing over there?" she asked curiously.
"Oh… he's making a snowman. Wanna help him?"
"What do I have to do?" she asked. He grinned. "I haven't played in the snow since I was a young child. Don't laugh at me!"
"It's not rocket science. You make three snowballs: one big one, one medium one and a small one. Once you make them, you pile them, add extra snow so they stay stacked. Then, you add buttons, rocks or whatever to decorate it. You know? Give it a face of buttons, a small top hat and tree branches for arms?"
"Sounds like fun. Let's go help him," she said with a smile and was about to run off when he caught her wrist. She spun around to face him.
"This is a child's creation. It's not supposed to be perfectly, symmetrically built. There's nothing riding on this but a couple hours of fun. Just help him out a little. Okay?"
"Sure… I can do that. Help a little. No perfectionism. Got it."
They walked over to the boy and they got on their knees to help him make the large spherical base. Then, while Temperance rolled a ball for the snowman's head, Seeley and his son worked on the torso ball. When they finally met up, Temperance's ball turned out bigger than theirs. Seeley looked at his son.
"Parker, how come we two men worked together and our ball is still smaller than hers?" he asked.
"Because it kept falling apart!"
They all laughed for a moment before getting the large balls into place. Scooping up some loose snow in their hands, they padded the joining tips of the spheres and packed it solid to keep the snowman standing. Parker and Temperance ran around trying to find some fallen branches to stick into the snowman's torso while Seeley dug through the snow to find a couple of large rocks for the snowman's eyes, nose and buttons.
After a couple hours of grueling work, the trio stood back and admired the work they had done. Parker high-fived Temperance. Then, with a smile, they all collapsed into a snow bank and laid there like frozen products on ice in a freezer staring into the lightly snowing skies. Parker took her hand in his and thanked her for her help with the snowman and finding the perfect branches with five fingers and everything. On her other side, Seeley tapped her shoulder and smiled at her.
"Having fun?"
"Very much. Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," he said a little louder. "The day's not over yet."
"No! There's still lots left to do," Parker announced happily. "Now, we have to go inside, change into dry clothes and sit by the fireplace with hot chocolate! C'mon! Let's go…"
Parker jumped up and ran to the glass entrance door while Seeley helped Temperance up again. She dusted her coat off once more and stopped at her car to retrieve her bag before they went back inside. Just before they walked into the main lobby, she tapped his shoulder again.
"I only brought spare underclothes and a toiletry pouch. I have a spare top, but I can't walk around like that…"
Seeley fought the tempting image out of his head as he reminded himself that he was with Parker today. He cleared his throat and took her bag from her hand with only a little bit of protest.
"Brennan, I've got it. Besides, you're a guest her today. And don't worry. I can lend you a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, but you're going to float in them."
"I don't know what that means."
"They're going to be really big on you."
"Why didn't you just say that from the beginning?"
"Bones…"
An indescribable look flashed across her face: a mixture of relief, acceptance, and yet, a kind of withdrawal. He tried to place his hand on her shoulder, but she actually shrank away a little.
"What did I…"
"You hadn't called me 'Bones' once until that point. I knew it would slip out at some point, but… I don't know. I guess I'm just kind of surprised by the fact that I… I've gotten so used to it."
"If you aren't sure if me calling you 'Bones' is good or bad, would you mind telling me what you do want me to call you?"
She stared up into his big brown eyes. "Just Temperance."
"Are you going to call me 'Seeley'?"
She smiled and walked in over to where Parker was waiting to take the stairs up to his father's apartment, Seeley not far behind keeping both of them in his sights at all times. The second they were in the room, they started peeling off their outdoor layers, the warmth of the apartment almost too much to endure. While Parker ran in to change, Temperance and Seeley ran to a window and opened it a crack to get a little bit of fresh air into the place. A few seconds later, Parker was out in his Christmas pajamas.
Seeley disappeared down the hallway and returned about ten seconds later with a pair of stretchy sweat pants with a drawstring and an over-sized t-shirt with a huge latex image printed on the front that read "I do not have a !#&? attitude!" He smiled as she disappeared down the hall to change while he switched out of his tight wet jeans and opted for a very similar pair of snap-up track pants.
When she came out of the long hall, she was greeted by a blinding flash of a camera. Her vision cleared and the first thing she saw was Seeley doubled in laughter, holding the device. She took off like a bullet after him and they fell in a heap on the couch and terribly close to one another.
"Dad, can we have the hot chocolate now?" Parker asked, not realizing the awkward moment that had temporarily settled over the duo. Seeley chuckled and sprung up while Temperance excused herself to use the bathroom, but mostly to splash some cold water on her face. When she came back out, there were three steaming cups of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows in them. She couldn't help the big grin and single tear that came to her face. Seeley moved immediately to her side.
"This is one thing I remember about my parents. On cold days, when we came home from school, my dad would have some hot chocolate made for us to warm us up after the walk from the stop to our door. Mom would stare at him for spoiling us and putting a couple marshmallows in. Then, he'd walk over and give her a big mug of tea, which I now know was chamomile, and she would smile and he'd kiss her cheek."
She looked up to see Seeley staring at her tenderly. He smiled and put his hand over hers to offer her comfort and warmth.
"That's the first time I've ever heard you talk about your life with your parents. I know it hurts sometimes, but if you don't remember the good times, the bad will eat away at you at an accelerated pace."
Temperance nodded in admission and smiled as Parker announced very clearly that it was now movie time. They smiled and moved to the couch where Temperance sat down and held Seeley's drink while they set up the movie player. Parker scanned the movies and decided they would watch "The Grinch" cartoon first. Seeley took a brief moment to remind her not to comment about the creatures and she nearly started, but he gave her hand a little squeeze and she sighed once before returning to watching the movie.
Temperance was bombarded with questions from Parker when it finished and she answered them simply while Seeley loaded "White Christmas" into the machine. Parker gave a little groan, but his father shushed him and told him to let the doctor see it since she hadn't before. As he had planned, Parker fell asleep sprawled out on the floor after all the outdoor activities. Little by little, Temperance and Seeley moved closer to each other. When the movie ended, they looked up to find that she'd cuddled into him and his arm was draped around her shoulders not to mention the soft tears on her cheeks.
"That's so sweet, what they did for him. I'm sure he really appreciated it." She sniffled. "I'm sorry," she chuckled. "I'm not usually this weepy."
"I know that. This is a really good movie." Seeley smiled as he passed her a tissue off the table. "Well, Parker's napping, which isn't very surprising after all the energy he used up playing in the snow for half a day. It's only five, though, so he'll be waking up in fifteen minutes or so." She smiled softly and stood up, taking the mugs out to the kitchen. "No, Temperance, it's okay."
"It's fine… Seeley. I'm sorry," she gushed. "It's just, using your first name might take a little bit of getting used to."
"That's alright. Would, um… would you like to get extra practice at New Year's?" She turned to look at him while she rinsed the cups out. "I got invited to that Jeffersonian party thing, too. We could either…go together or… we could skip out and just have some fun. Bowling, movies, dinner, whatever…"
She smiled at his rambling and cut him off. "Seeley." His mouth snapped shut and he looked up sheepishly. "If you can promise it will be as fun as today, definitely."
"Great. So… do you wanna… go to the party thing or…"
"Well, I told Angela I'd… Oh, no! If we show up together, Angela will be-"
"Unbearable," he finished dramatically. "but, you promised."
"I know! Why do I suck at breaking promises?" she complained softly.
"So, are you enjoying today, at least?" he asked her. She gave him her 'special smile'.
"Very much so. Thank you so much. I… I think I can survive the holidays now. I'm not suicidal or anything…" she appealed quickly. "However, it is lonely. And I can't even work because there's no one in any office on the actual holidays. So, I'm left in my apartment, staring at mindless holiday movies and sipping eggnog because that's about as festive as I get. Plus, I like the flavor."
"Really?" he asked in amusement. "I have a cartoon in my fridge. Would you like some?"
"Would you have some with me? I don't like taking something all by myself, especially if I'm visiting somewhere."
"I get you. You feel like you're imposing, even if you're really not."
"Exactly."
They chatted amicably for about half an hour about the beauty of the weather, but how it made for horrible driving conditions. Temperance told him about a time where she had gone into the Canadian province of Quebec in ninety-eight when an ice storm hit the island of Montreal and surrounding regions. He stared at her and asked how it was possible to drive in such conditions, but she assured him that all roads were practically closed down. She briefly described it as a frozen minor Florida hurricane. They looked up in time to see Parker run to them from his bedroom.
"When did you wake up, buddy?" he asked his son.
"Not long. What are we gonna do now?" he asked, jumping up and down, refreshed.
"Well, how about we have that turkey meal?"
"Turkey meal?" Temperance parroted. "You made a whole meal?"
"Yeah. We wanted you to have the perfect Christmas, so we got a small bird, some potatoes, a small bag of cranberries and I called an aunt for her raisin stuffing recipe. It's a mini Christmas meal."
Temperance looked up at him from the table after it was set with all the food. "This is mini?" Seeley chuckled and was about to put his hands together when he stopped himself and asked to see Temperance in the kitchen. She came in after tucking a napkin into Parker's pajama top. "What's up?"
"I know you don't believe in Him, but we say Grace every night at supper. It's just a dozen or so words thanking God for everything we have. Please humor me and at least pretend. All you have to do is put your hands together and I'll say everything."
"Alright." Then, she bounced back out to the table to the beat of the Christmas music playing on the stereo. Seeley sighed and thanked his luck stars that she didn't put up an argument. Then again, she was an anthropologist and this was her chance to study the way people celebrated Christmas. That meant she was retreating again. He sighed and went back out.
"God, please bless this food we are about to share and open our hearts to the needs of others. I'm thankful for my son, Parker, my friends and that we get to share our Christmas with someone new this year. Parker?"
"I'm thankful Tempe is here this year because playing in the snow was really fun. Thank you for Mommy and Dad and my fun stuff." Seeley was about to dig into his plate when his son stopped him. "Wait! Tempe didn't thank God yet."
"Uh, Parker, Temperance…"
"It's alright," she said to Seeley. "I'm thankful for a lot. I'm thankful for my job, my health, the way I can live, how far I've come since… my childhood," she said quietly. "And… I'm forever thankful for having such generous people in my life that are willing to alter their plans just to… 'make Christmas' for me." A stray tear escaped her eye and she got it quickly, but not before Seeley could notice it. He smiled sympathetically and raised his glass. "Thank you," she whispered.
Within seconds, Parker was finished all his mashed potatoes and was asking for more, but Seeley told him to finished his vegetables and such first. Temperance smiled as Parker protested, regardless of his father's instructions.
"Hey, Parker?" she asked him softly. "You know your dad's strong, right?" Parker nodded his head. "Do you know how he got that way?" she asked. This time, he shook his head. "He ate all his vegetables and drank all his milk. If you do that, you'll be strong like him some day."
"Hmm…" Parker skewered his broccoli and stared at it momentarily before putting it in his mouth and chewing for a little while. He looked up at his dad. "Does it ever taste better?" Seeley chuckled and nodded back. "It's not so bad, but I still like pizza better."
The meal progressed very well with small talk here and there between bites of what was actually one delicious meal. After a couple platefuls of turkey and potatoes with gravy, Seeley and Temperance sat back and rested a hand on their abdomens and groaned for several moments that they'd eaten way too much. Parker had finished a while earlier and was watching a Simpsons' Christmas special while they finished. Now, they set to cleaning up the mess of the meal. Though the pie on the rack looked delicious, both their stomachs lurched at the thought of more food.
Clean up was a breeze. All the leftovers went in Tupperware, scraps were thrown out and the dishes were washed quickly. Within twenty minutes, they were gathered around the tree in the living room again. Parker and Seeley went back over to the television stand and started another Christmas movie. They watched the reindeer with the blinking red nose for just over an hour. As the movie finished, Seeley whispered something into his son's ear.
Parker ran to the tree and took the small box from under it. It was clumsily wrapped, but in a strong container. With a wide smile, he brought it to her. She stared at it a moment before taking it and looking up at Seeley.
"Open it, will ya?"
"You didn't have to," she whispered quietly. He grinned smartly.
"I didn't. Parker did. He chose it and he gave the man the money and everything. It's from him."
"Dad told me you don't like presents, but everyone likes 'em. So, I got you one!"
Temperance slowly undid the paper and withdrew the small box inside. She turned it gently and took out a large rectangular prism of glass with a frosted dolphin trapped in the middle. It also came with a small plastic base. Parker jumped up and down as she stared at it for a few seconds. He jumped up onto the couch beside her.
"Do you like it, Tempe?" he asked excitedly. "Dad told me you like dolphin stuff and he told me to look for something pretty and I saw the glass dolphin brick. Dad said it was perfect and there's lights, too!"
"Here," Seeley said, taking the plastic base and sitting it on the small coffee table. He pressed the small button and the colors began to morph into each other. When he sat the glass prism on the base, the light caught in the frosted dolphin inside and slowly shades blended in and out.
"It's beautiful. It's… it's absolutely gorgeous."
"Do you like it?" Parker asked again. Temperance turned to him and smiled ever-so-softly.
"Yes, I like it a lot. Thank you, Parker."
He jumped into her arms and hugged her tightly and, for the briefest of moments, Seeley was jealous of his son, but the thought was no sooner present than it was gone when Parker looked up at the clock and yawned. Seeley's gaze followed his son's to the face and grinned knowingly.
"Getting tired, bud?" he asked.
"No, I'm not." Another yawn followed that declaration. "I want to have some dessert. Please?"
"Alright, but afterwards, you brush your teeth and get into bed. Got it?" he said, tickling him to which he replied with a slightly winded "yup!"
Seeley went out to the kitchen and started slicing up a small pumpkin pie while Temperance was brought into Parker's room to see all his sports stuff and toys. Seeley smiled in the kitchen as he heard Temperance 'ooh' and 'aww' all of the things his son kept showing her. When the two of them came back out into the dining room, there was a small point of pie with a dollop of whipped cream on the top and a slightly larger piece for Temperance with a bigger spoonful of cream on hers. She smiled.
"So, what do you think of my room?" Parker asked cheerfully. She smiled to him and told him he had lots of interesting things, which set him off immediately about the things he just received for Christmas.
"Hey, I said you could have some dessert," Seeley butt in, "but that means you actually have to eat it. You should have been in bed half an hour ago. C'mon, eat up."
They went on eating their pie quietly, laughing briefly when Parker got some of the cream on the tip of his nose. Seeley smiled as Temperance leaned in with a napkin to wipe off the spot. She chuckled and folded up the napkin to put it in under her plate when she dragged her hand in her own. With a small laugh, she acknowledged it as one of her klutz days and licked it off her skin. Meanwhile, Seeley twitched uncomfortably.
"Well," Seeley said quietly, "you're finished your dessert. Go brush your teeth and I'll tuck you in." Parker jumped up and walked over to Temperance. With a wide smile, he gave her a big hug and scrambled off to the bathroom. Temperance sat there with a smile on her face. Seeley sat across from her with an admiring gaze. "He's never taken to someone so well."
"Well, they say that a child's intuition is very astute. If they don't like someone, there's probably a very good reason," she said in a very matter-of-fact way.
"So, if he was taken with you, does that mean you're a really good person?"
"I, um… I don't know." Her cheeks were subtly tinged with pale pink while she floundered a moment.
"Temperance," Seeley said quietly, "you're very modest when you want to be. You are a great person and I knew that before I invited you into this house. Parker even asks about you sometimes. Otherwise, you'd never be in this building at the same time as my son. You're a very special person, Temperance Brennan."
"Thank you," she whispered, touched by his kind words. "And thank you for a wonderful evening. It's been a wonderful day. This is the best Christmas I've had in years." She stood up and was turning to her now dried clothes when she gazed outside. The snow blew to the point of whiting out the view. It was so bad that she couldn't see the sidewalk just ten meters away and two floors down. Seeley walked over to her.
"You're not going anywhere in this. Just stay the night." The words where still echoing in the air when Parker came skidding out.
"She's staying the night? Really? Cool! We can camp in the living room," he yelled happily. He sprinted back off and returned with both his sleeping bag and his dad's as well as a couple blankets and pillows. Of course, he dragged it all on the ground on one unfolded blanket, but his smile was so wide that Temperance felt her heart melt.
"I guess so," she said with a big grin and she turned to Seeley to chuckle lightly at his son's insistent and headstrong nature. "Just like his father," she added quietly and disappeared into the kitchen with the empty plates. Seeley got his son installed in his sleeping bag and spread the other bag and think blankets to make a kind of improvised bed area. Then, he went off to the kitchen were Temperance was at work.
"That comment was totally uncalled for," he said quietly as she rinsed off the plates.
"Maybe, but it's entirely true," she replied snidely. He grinned evilly and snatched the tub of whipped cream from the counter. She spun around and faced him with apprehension. "Seeley, your son is asleep already."
"That's right," he smirked, "so don't make too much noise." He came at her and she squeaked quietly, trying to dodge away from him, but he caught her around the waist and unloaded the handful of cream in her face. She stared at him through a cream mask in disbelief, wiping it off and holding it in her hand. With a cracking frown, she launched herself at him and connected with his head. The cream splatted in his hair and the look of disbelief settled over him now. She laughed quietly, suppressing a small snort.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I was aiming for your face and I missed. I'm sorry." He stepped slowly towards her and she backed into the counter when he trapped her in the corner. "Seeley, no. I don't have anything else to wear." A wicked look filled his eyes and she bit her lip quickly. "Your son is here!"
Seeley eyes smoldered dangerously as he stared at her. "I know that, but I also have other t-shirts I can lend you. So…" He palmed a cup worth of whipped cream and smushed it into her hair. She squealed quietly, doing her best not to wake Parker. By the time he was finished, it was dripping down her hair onto her back and chest. She licked it off her lips and wiped it from her eyes. Then, with a grin, she leaned forward and hugged him. He chuckled softly until it escalated to full blown laughter. They stood there doubled in silent laughter that caused tears to streak their cheeks.
"What a mess…" he said in amusement. She stood there, still chuckling at how his hair stuck up at odd angles from the improvised hair mousse. Hers, however, was no better. It was a matted mess and her clothes clung to her sides and her face was red beneath the white from the uncontrollable laughter.
"Where's that t-shirt? If I get into the shower now, I can keep these sweats."
"Sure, c'mon." After checking around the doorway to make sure they hadn't woken Parker, they rushed to the bathroom. "I'll just hop in, rinse off and get dressed so I can clean the kitchen while you wash up. Just give me a few minutes."
True to his word, not even three minutes later, he came out of the bathroom soaking wet with a big fluffy towel around his waist and his dirty clothes in a ball under his arm. She slipped quickly inside and gingerly stepped out of her sweat pants. A minute later, Seeley returned and knocked on the door. From behind it, she passed him her rinsed t-shirt in exchange for a large towel and clean t-shirt.
The hot water stung her skin, but it felt good in comparison to the shiver that raced up her spin as she stood half-dressed with Seeley in a similar state on the other side of the door. She worked out the cream from her hair and grabbed his shower gel to get rid of the stickiness that was left from the sugar in the cream. The scent was pure him and she inhaled deeply as her cheeks flushed red again. Soon, the steam built up in the room and she felt herself slip into a state of complete calm and the heat enveloped her.
"Temperance?" he murmured outside the door. "Temperance, are you alright in there?" She moaned softly from the heat, not hearing him over the spray of the shower head. He knocked harder and she jumped a little. He called to her again and she assured him she'd be out in just a moment.
She shut off the water and pulled the towel around herself to dry off. After changing into the clean top and her comfortable pants, she used the towel to dry the majority of the water in her hair. The towel tossed her hair all over the place and it knotted horribly, but it wasn't important. She folded the towel and placed it on the counter top by the small sink before walking out to find her bag where she had a thick comb. Making quick work of the knots, she stashed it away again and pulled her wet hair into a ponytail before walking into the kitchen to find it was already done and Seeley was sitting on the floor on the make shift bed, watching something called 'Love Actually'.
"I heard about this movie," she said quietly. "Isn't it British?"
"Yeah, and it's damn funny. Come watch it with me."
Temperance tiptoed over Parker and sat next to Seeley, leaning against the couch as the movie continued in front of them. Actors flashed by, some in overly festive outfits, some in no outfits and there was always some oath flying out of someone's mouth. She chuckled softly as the movie progressed, smiling as the different couples hooked up and feeling bad for the ones who didn't. When the movie was over, she sat up and stretched briefly before turning to her host.
"We do work tomorrow. Maybe we should take a sheet out of Parker's manuscript."
"You mean a page out of his book, Temperance. A page out of Parker's book. And yes, you're right, we should. It's late enough, even for us." He pressed a button on the remote and turned off the television, then pressed another to turn on the stereo system to a disc of soft Christmas music played by clarinet only.
"Goodnight," she said quietly and tucked herself further into the thick blankets. He stretched out behind her and stared at her relaxed form. She shivered a little and he scooted closer to her, sensing her tense briefly, but almost as soon as she tensed, she relaxed into his warmth. He sighed and smiled as she began to snore quietly.
"Goodnight, Bones…" he whispered, then fell into a dreamful sleep.
Temperance woke up more rested than she had been in years. She stretched her feet a little and was about to sit up when the arm draped over her pulled her tighter. For a brief moment, she tensed, but the warmth of his near body fought and won her body's desire to remain ridged. Eventually, she accepted his embrace and even leaned into his warm hug. She purred quietly in his arms and nearly drifted back off to sleep when she heard him stir drowsily from behind him.
"Good morning, sunshine," he said roughly. Temperance smiled softly as she rolled towards.
"Good morning," she said smartly. He stared at her for a second, mouth agape and started to chuckle.
"I'm sorry!" he said with a smile. "That must have been awkward." Her face drooped as if to acknowledge to situation. She nodded quietly and jumped up from her place on the floor beside Seeley. He gazed over at where his son was laying.
"Parker's still asleep and it's seven in the morning. I have to be at work in an hour. I'll be dressed in a few. I've, uh… I've got to go." She sprinted to the bathroom, snagging her dry clothes on the way and locked herself in the bathroom for about ten minutes.
The second she was inside, she grabbed her towel from the previous night and cried into it for several moments before she stood up and pulled herself together. She splashed water on her face for thirty seconds, flushing her eyes and concealing the red under them from her spilled tears.
"There you are," Parker yelled as she came out of the bathroom. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah! I did. Thank you for inviting me, but I have to go to work. I guess your dad is going to bring you back home to your mom now, hun?" she asked quietly as Seeley looked at her.
"Yup! I can't wait to tell my mom about yesterday." She smiled at his hyper grin. "Thank you. Bye!" he said and disappeared into his room to get dressed. Before Seeley could say anything, Temperance gathered up her stuff, grabbed her bag and moved to the front door.
"I had an absolutely wonderful time. I'll see you later at work, but I got to go home and freshen up and change. Thank you," she said, hugging him briefly before finally going, leaving Seeley to rest against the door and wonder what the hell he was going to do now.
"How was your Christmas holiday, Ange?" Temperance asked softly when she popped into her office. Angela's eyes sparkled happily like they always did after a holiday alone with her dad. When she'd return, she always had something to show for it from her dad's travels and a definite pep in her step from spending time with him away from all the morbidity of her job.
"I had a wonderful time. My dad just came back from a European tour and he had all this gorgeous jewelery from Ireland with precious stones, wooden jewelery from Spanish communes… it's all so beautiful. Then, he had these old calendars from Paris and each month is this beautiful aerial view of a different landmarks.
"Wow. I'd love to see them sometime. Are those some of the new earrings he got you?"
"Yeah, they're made with turquoise jade and black onyx with small amethysts studs on the hooks. I just love them. Speaking of 'love', that dolphin is gorgeous. Where on earth did you get it?" she asked.
"Oh, that," Temperance sighed. A soft smile spread across her cheeks. "I got that for Christmas from Parker."
"Parker?!" Angela asked in shock. "As in Booth's little boy?" Temperance nodded her head and pressed the small button to activate the lights. "Wow, that's really nice. Kinda hypnotic, actually. But, Parker? How?" she asked.
"Confused, right? Well, um… on the twentieth, I was in here and I broke down. My dad's alive, I'm talking with my brother and I was still alone for the holidays. Bo- Booth found me and we talked and he invited me to his place for Christmas Day. It would seem that he told Parker how much I like dolphins and he thought a 'glass dolphin brick' was perfect for me. My gut tells me that Booth probably pointed it out to Parker."
"You spent Christmas Day with Seeley Booth and his son, Parker? Did they hang mistletoe anywhere?"
"Ange!"
"I'm serious. He so likes you, Brennan. He's always there for you. For God's sake, he's an F.B.I. agent and he let your father go for you. I think he'd do anything for you, Bren."
"Look, Angela, there can't be anything between us. We spent a day together and nothing of significance happened besides a tiny little food fight and playing in the snow. Leave it alone, Ange. Besides, I've got work to do right now."
Angela stared at her friend for a short moment and watched her walk back to her desk with a very disconnected look on her face. She gave a half-hearted little smile and eventually left her office.
Days passed by in a very slow blur and Temperance found herself dreading the upcoming party. She'd almost begged Angela to let her out of her deal, but her friend refused. She told her friend that the party would be fun and that she would appreciate having gone. In the meantime, Angela spent all of the twenty-ninth taking her friend shopping for the perfect dress. And, of course, she had to have the matching accessories. Ange tried to talk Temperance into buying lingerie, but she refused flat out, saying she still had plenty left from her last lingerie raid with Angela at a Victoria's Secret outlet.
On the afternoon of the thirty-first, just as Temperance was closing up shop, Seeley popped his head into her office. Her head was down and she was concentrating on some last minute work. She was biting her lip and her brow was furrowed as she typed, oblivious to his presence. He stood and watched her silently until she shut down and lifted her head from her computer and saw him. She froze.
"Hey, there," he said jovially as he entered her office and flopped into the chair. "How you doing?"
"I'm fine. I was just closing up. Was there something you wanted?" she asked neutrally.
"Not really. I was just swinging by to wish you a good New Year's. I'm not sure I'll be going to the banquet tonight." She froze in her tracks and he watched in concealed amusement at her confused facial expression. "I just think it's pointless for me to go to this thing. How come you're out of here so early?"
"I, uh… I am going. Angela… wouldn't let me out of my promise. I've got to go now. I need to get ready. Sorry."
Seeley nodded his head and left very swiftly. He waited in his car for just over ten minutes and finally saw her wander out, so consumed in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice him a few cars over and two rows back. She climbed into her car and banged her fist on the steering wheel several times before jamming the key into the ignition and tearing out of there.
In just under twenty minutes, she pulled up to her door and pulled a beer from the fridge the second she walked in. She took a shower, set her hair in some rollers and blow dried it with her dryer set on high heat, low power. Pulling the rollers out, she stared in her mirror. With her hair secured back in an elegant bun and loose tendrils framing her face, she sat and stared at her reflection for several moments, examining herself in the mirror with a critical gaze.
Sighing, she took out her make-up bag and applied a fine line of black eyeliner to her upper lid and a mauve-rose color of shadow with very little mascara. She used a pale rose lipstick and opted for pinching her cheeks versus blush.
Temperance went into her jewelery box and looked it through a few times before staring at the earrings from her mother. With a small smile, she opted for a set of pearl stud earrings, a string of pearls for her neck and a smaller string for her wrist. She put them on and looked back into the mirror. A wry laugh escaped her throat as she stared at her icy untouchable appearance and she laughed again when she considered how well her dress suited her look.
Temperance had laid the navy blue gown on the bed while she'd been preparing. Before she slid it on, she downed a shot of clear liquid: not enough to get her drunk, but enough to put her on loosen her system a little but. She slipped on the gown and stood stalk still for several moments. Her gaze lingered on her reflection in her large full-length mirror. The floor-length, flowing skirt was fluid around her legs, moving smoothly in the lightest of breezes. The whale bone ribbed torso hugged her curves and the off-the-shoulder bands of material accented the delicate slopes of her shoulders.
With her velvet cape slung over her shoulders, she walked to her front door and slid on her black paten leather pumps. Temperance clicked off all her lights and stepped out into the hallway, pausing to lock her door. When she got outside, the limo ordered by her publisher was waiting. She climbed in and placed her massive skirt while the chauffeur closed her door for her.
The car moved through the crowded streets of downtown D.C. to finally arrive at a two story building lit by the indoor lights and chandeliers. Cars were backed up in the area outside the main doors. The limo came to a stop and her chauffeur came around the vehicle to open her door. She gently exited it and took her skirt and cape in her hands as she made her way up the front steps. An air soft snowfall dotted the black sky with tiny white flakes and Temperance felt like she was in some Christmas classic like what she'd watched just a few nights ago. She went inside, checked her coat and walked quietly into the main hall.
Angela found her almost immediately and fell completely silent, earning a smart comment from Temperance. The artist hugged her friend and insisted she looked beautiful. Within seconds, Jack and Zack walked up behind Angela and both their jaws dropped at the sight of their boss. Hellos and commentaries were exchanged and, not even thirty seconds later, they all headed on their merry way: Jack and Angela to the dance floor, Zack to the table of dignitaries who'd invited him to dine with them and Temperance to a small table in a corner that was intended for two.
Armed with a rum and coke, Temperance sat alone there, enjoying the scenery and watching everyone dance. As she watched, she found herself studying their foot patterns and eventually picked up the basic waltz. Sighing, she stepped out onto the terrace that no one was brave enough to face in this weather. It had been cleared of snow and ice and, with the unseasonably mild temperature, she wound up staying outside for several minutes, briefly trying to repeat the waltz steps she'd seen earlier. Time ticked by and her arms got cold.
She stepped inside and turned to close the door behind her. As she turned around, she felt the room fade to nothingness. Standing about ten meters from her in a full tuxedo was none other than Seeley Booth. Her lungs cried out for air, but that became even more impossible when he started walking closer to her. She backed herself against the veranda doors and panted softly. He finally stopped about a foot away.
"Hi, there." His greeting was whispered and he was staring at her with the same smoldering eyes he had after their whipped cream fight.
"Hey. I, uh… I thought you said you weren't coming."
"I wasn't going to, but then I thought maybe something good could come of it. Who knows? I might meet someone." He gazed around the room and his eyes lingered on the dance floor. He sighed as 'Fascination' by Nat King Cole started on the sound system and turned back to Temperance. "Would you like to dance with me?" he asked quietly.
Temperance stared at his outstretched hand for a moment and a wave of anxiety washed over her. Suddenly unable to speak, she took his hand and he led her to the floor. He put his hand to her hip and took her other hand in his and, unknown to her, led her in the very waltz she'd been practicing. The people whirled around them, but her eyes stayed on Seeley's face and she couldn't help feeling completely safe. As they swayed to the tune, a startling, terrifying sensation swept over her. She'd fallen in love with him somehow.
Horror and shame both drained and colored her face and as the closing notes of the echoed across the dance floor, she wrenched herself free from his grasp and scrambled to the patio where she had been just moments earlier. Even outside, the last note of the song reached her ears and as it finished, she heard the first lines of the next song and bordered on tears once more.
It's undeniable that we should be together
It's unbelievable, how I used to say that I'd fall never
"Temperance!" Seeley rushed, seeing her the moment he was through the doors. She saw him and tried to sprint down the promenade, but he caught her easily and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him. She tried to grab his arms to defend herself and push him off, but he caught hers and pinned her against him. "Temperance, please!" he begged quietly and she stopped briefly. "Why are you doing this?"
"ME?! You're the one who won't leave me alone!"
"I thought we were getting along now. That day we spent together…"
"Momentary lapse in judgment. What can I say? They happen to the best of us."
He let go of her and stared at her in disbelief and hurt. She saw it in his eyes, but she couldn't help it. No matter how she tried to distance herself from him, he kept on coming back for more. Now, maybe he wouldn't.
"You don't really mean that. Tell me you don't mean that," he begged quietly. She stayed stalk still and stared at him with as concealed an expression as she could manage. He just stared at her and she watched his expression change from disbelief to acceptance. "Well then, I guess mine was falling in love with you."
Temperance stumbled backwards and reached out to the wall for any kind of support she could find as she felt her knees give out from under her. Seeley watched her with a hard expression and she felt the air whoosh out of her as she fell to the concrete, nearly landing hard on her knees. Instead, his hands caught her shoulders and steadied herd.
"You're in love with me?" she asked in disbelief. Her eyes stared blankly at him as he watched her, revealing nothing and absorbing everything. She felt herself choke on her first tears until the turned into full blown sobs and she hugged her sides. He tentatively extended his hand to her. She looked up at him with a tear stained face and let him help her up.
Seeley stood about a foot away while Temperance trembled, leaning against the wall behind her for support. She stretched a shaking hand out to his face and let her fingers brush his cheek. He cursed and took her hand in his.
"Jesus, Temperance, you're frozen. Come back inside."
"I'm sorry," she whispered ever-so-softly. He turned back to face her as she took a small step towards him. "I didn't mean it, Seeley. I'm sorry." She twisted her wrist and took his hands in both of hers. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean any of it!" she sobbed. "I don't regret Christmas Day. I loved it. I love you!" she babbled hysterically. "I love you… I love you. I'm sorry."
"Temperance…" he said, holding her up in front of him. She stared at him with a slight fear that she'd made an irrevocable mistake, but he just stared at her with that same smoky look in his eyes. "Will you please just shut up and kiss me?"
Temperance let out a short choke of laughter and panted softly as he moved his warm hands to her cool cheeks to pulled her gently towards him. He let his thumbs stroke her cheeks and wipe her tears before leaning in and finally pressing his lips to hers.
She let out a small gasp as his mouth worked over hers, his lips massaging and opening hers to his inquisitive tongue. His fingers wrapped around the back of her neck and pulled her deeper into him, although, she was doing that very well on her own. Her hands curled in his short hair and she let her mouth open easily to grant him access. She moaned softly and felt heat turn to every single one of her extremities as the passion spiked.
"I love you, Temperance. I would do anything for you."
"Really?" she asked quietly, honored.
"Absolutely."
She stared at him and kissed him again with a smile and a fire to her eyes that rivaled his own. Pressing tiny kisses up his jaw, she worked her way across his face, back down his jaw on the other side and up to his ear. With her warm breath tickling his superheated skin, she moaned.
"Take me home, Seeley… and be with me. Then, stay with me."
-Fin-