Title: That Auld Lang Syne
Author: Stephanie (AKA Damara)
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: The characters herein are NOT mine. I just wanted to bring them out to play for a little while…They belong to the FOX network, Kathy Reichs, and the creators of Bones, and I promise to return them when I'm done with them…
Summary: BB, Sequel to That Old Yuletide Magic—Will the holiday spirit still linger when on New Year's Eve Brennan is revisited by her insecurities?
Authors Notes: Okay well, so I DID have plans to write a short, sweet, simple little epilogue…but now SEE what you all have done to me! I had to go and write a whole new sequel! There's no telling how long this one will be :oP All I can tell you is this…I am working on that little idea I mentioned before, so this piece is intended to fill that gap when the show was on hiatus for the holidays. And be forewarned about the italics again. Ok so, hope you like what you read here…and as always, leave me your feedback. You know I live for it!
Chapter 1
"Sweetie! What are you still doing here?"
From her position at her desk, Temperance lifted her head up from the file in front of her. Pen in hand, she quirked a small smile as she was consistently amazed by her best friend's genuine surprise every time she found her in her office hard at work.
"I would have thought the answer to that question would have been obvious."
"It's New Years Eve Brennan!" Angela's voice was so matter of fact it nearly made Temperance laugh, "And on New Year's it's mandatory that you be with your honey at the stroke of midnight."
"Really?" Temperance queried with a smile. She could only assume that by the term 'honey Angela meant Booth, her partner and new boyfriend of sorts.
"Yes! And you know what…not only is it a tradition…but you would be the most brilliant fool who ever walked the Earth if you sat here any longer and passed up your God-given right to kiss that man senseless come midnight!"
Temperance couldn't hide the grin that surfaced at Angela's animated interest in her burgeoning relationship with Booth. It wasn't as though their new romance were a secret, least of all from Angela. It wasn't even as though Temperance could have ever hoped to keep her from finding out; not with all her poking around. No, she couldn't manage to fool Angela for even a full 24 hours before she started with the incessant snooping.
There was also the issue of the permanent grin that plastered itself on my face for half the day…not that that would have given anything away!
"Bren, please…I swear if you don't get out of that chair right now and go find that hottie, I will drag you out of it and beat you senseless with one of those bones you've spent all day staring at."
"Ang…" she laughed, "we've been through this already. I told you…what Booth and I have could hardly be labeled a conventional relationship." The answering glare she got from her friend told her she was definitely going to have to do better. "Yes, I admit we broke some pretty monumental barriers on Christmas…but since then we haven't really had a lot of time to build on a relationship."
Unless of course you count those kissing and groping sessions between updates…But she wasn't going to give that away.
"We're busy," Temperance continued to explain, "Bones to analyze. Murderers to catch."
Angela cocked an eyebrow at her, a pretty valid indicator that she wasn't buying it, "Mmhmm."
"And…" she took a breath as she gestured demonstratively, "I'm not about to intrude on Booth's private time with his son when I know how infrequent their visits are. He's probably got plans for them for New Years. He said something about Rebecca agreeing to let him have Parker New Years Eve night. The last thing I want to do is overstep my bounds."
Angela shook her head; she was going to have to nip Brennan's insecurity in the bud. "Sweetie, if Booth didn't want you spending time with him and Parker, he probably would have never invited you to stay on Christmas." Brennan looked down and away, "And besides, didn't you say that he liked that you and Parker hit it off so well?"
"Well, yes he did. But that doesn't mean that he's comfortable with my showing up for every holiday they spend together! Booth takes his responsibilities as a father very seriously Angela. He's a man of great character and integrity. He doesn't want just anyone imposing on their quality time together."
"Exactly…and that's my point Brennan. You're not just anyone to Booth sweetie. And if you didn't know that before, you definitely do now. He loves you. He told you that much."
It was obvious from the way she was playing with the pen she still held in her hand, that Temperance was uncomfortable with this discussion. Feeling an intense need to urge her friend out of her state of confusion, Angela resolves to break through her wall of defense and kneels down beside her.
"Sweetie…I realize that this whole meaningful relationship thing is unchartered territory for you. And I know that when it comes to matters of the heart, you tend to want to pull away; you prefer to focus on the tangible….but love isn't something that you can logic your way out of. It's a feeling that you just have to trust…even when it scares the hell out of you."
To the casual observer, the look behind Temperance's eyes might have been interpreted as apprehensive. But to the well trained eye of her best friend, Brennan's guarded gaze was more a sign of her concentration on the meaning behind the words.
"And to be honest with you Brennan, I worry about you sometimes ending up alone. I just don't want to see you ruin your chance at happiness with Booth because you're scared to let go a little bit. You have to let him in. Don't over think this sweetie…some things you just intuitively know."
"Like?" Brennan quietly queries.
"Like for instance, when the time is right to tell a certain charmingly witty, talented, and gorgeous FBI man that you love him!" Temperance cocked her head in surprise at her friend. "Oh sorry…was that me thinking out loud again?" To Angela's great relief, that spurred a laugh out of her friend.
"Ang…" reaching over to envelope her best friend in a hug, Temperance tells her, "I don't know what I'd do without you." They hold each other comfortingly for just a moment longer before the sound of a familiar voice pulls them from their reverie.
"I had a hunch we'd find you here," they heard.
Disentangling herself from her embrace with Angela, Temperance spies the object of her affection, and their conversation, watching her softly from the doorway.
Did he hear us?
"Well, well…" she heard Angela whisper to her quietly, "I guess this answers the 'what if he doesn't want me there' question."
It was just then that Temperance caught sight of a certain handsome four-year old standing beside him. Grinning up at her, the little figure runs excitedly towards her, arms outstretched and waiting to grab her.
"Tempe!"
