Camille Saroyen loved Christmas and not in a crazy celebratory way but in a time to give thanks, rejuvenate, renew herself sort of way. She enjoyed seeing her family and just being away from work. Especially this year it seemed she needed some time to think, to sort through some new confusing feelings that had come upon her.
She had just come back from bringing Michelle to the airport and doing some last minute shopping. And now she was getting ready to enjoy her Christmas Eve ritual of eggnog and "It's a Wonderful Life" before heading to her brother's for dinner and gifts. She was pouring herself a glass of eggnog when she heard a tentative knock on her door. Taking a quick look through the peephole she spied Dr. Brennan standing nervously outside the door. Thinking something is wrong she swings the door open quickly, startling the doctor, causing her to almost drop the box she is balancing in her hands.
"Everything OK, Bren? I thought you were going to Malawi?" Cam asks concerned, reaching forward to steady her.
Brennan's eyes widen, "Oh, you scared me." She takes a deep breath and calms herself, righting the box in her arms. Cam looks down at the box and sees the words 'Jean's Pastry' stamped on the box. Cam can't help the grin on her face.
Brennan finally manages to speak. "I was going to Malawi but at the last minute, changed my plans. Otherwise everything is OK." She says trailing off.
Cam raises her eyebrows wondering what is going on. "Well, do you need something, are you OK?"
Brennan looks at her feet, takes a deep breath, "Actually, I'm not sure. I didn't exactly think this all the way through before coming here." She murmurs before looking up and into Cam's brown eyes, holding her gaze.
Still puzzled Cam opens the door wider, "Well, come on in and we can figure it out? I am not going to turn down sweets from 'Jean's Pastry' which I am hoping you brought to share." She says smiling widely, feeling a warmth spread through her chest.
Brennan's face cracks into a relieved smile and she steps through the doorway. "Of course I brought them to share, I know it's your favorite bakery."
They settle down next to each other in the kitchen, perching on stools at Cam's breakfast bar. Opening the box Cam finds several different danish and scones, she feels her mouth watering. Choosing a blueberry scone for herself, she pushes the box towards Brennan, "Coffee? Eggnog?" She asks turning to her cabinets.
"Eggnog, please." Brennan answers making her own pastry choice.
Cam sets the glass down in front of Temperance and settles into her scone. They eat quietly in a companionable silence, their knees touching warmly under the breakfast bar. Cam is content to wait Brennan out as they both eat the sweet treats from 'Jean's'.
Finally, Brennan sets down her now empty glass of eggnog.
"OK, I am ready to tell you why I am here." Brennan says abruptly, wiping her mouth with the napkin.
Cam looks up from the last of her scone and can't help but laugh at her bluntness. To Cam, Brennan's unflinching honestly and awkwardness is endearing, makes Brennan more human, makes Cam like her even more than she already does, already shouldn't.
Brennan's mouth twitches briefly before her face settles into a serious face. Cam gazes at her closely, trying to gauge where this was going. She and Temperance had been spending more time together, doing things outside of work, talking, talking a lot. Talking about their lives, going to the movies and eating food together, Cam looked forward to spending time with Brennan; she craved it and couldn't quite organize these new feelings in her brain. It was the talking part that had thrown Cam. She had thought Temperance only had that with Booth so it was a pleasant and disconcerting surprise to be let in, to be able to know her in ways Cam hadn't realized she had wanted. She looks back up at Brennan and continues to wait.
"Cam?" Brennan whispers.
"Yes, Bren?"
"I…" She looks down in frustration, bites her bottom lip.
Cam reaches over and puts her hand on Brennan's forearm and begins to softly rub small circles, "It's OK. Just tell me what it is." She scoots her stool a bit closer to Brennan, puts her own feet on Brennan's stool.
Brennan turns to face Cam and reaches over and wraps her arms around her neck and gives a tight squeeze. Pulling back, "I didn't want to lose out again. I had to come here and take a chance." Cam takes a deep breath in, her senses overwhelmed by her scent, her closeness.
Cam tilts her head to the side, gazes into Brennan's eyes, puzzled. "What do you mean, take a chance? On what?" She leans in and tucks a wayward curl behind Bren's ear.
Brennan sits back a little, "I lost my chance with Booth, I didn't allow myself to wonder, to think about what might be possible, what I might be capable of, what Booth might be capable of and now he is with Hannah, he's happy and I am alone. And it is OK, it has always been OK, I have been OK but then you stepped in. You didn't have to, I hadn't given you any reason to even think I would be open to being friends and now…" Brennan drops her hands helplessly to her sides, looking at a spot beyond Cam's head.
Cam absently moves even closer to Brennan, their knees interlocking underneath the countertop. "And now what?" Cam whispers.
"Well, now I feel like I can't spend enough time with you, near you and, " Temperance brings her eyes over to meet Cam's warm brown ones,
"I am hoping you will let me spend the holidays with you." She places both her hands on Cam's thighs, rubbing them slowly up and down.
Cam swallows audibly and peers into Temperance's eyes not quite believing what the doctor is saying. She cocks her head to the side, "So, you would like to spend the holidays with me?"
Brennan nods her head, "Yes. I packed a bag, I brought some gifts, it's all in the car, on the chance you would say yes…" She trails off and looks at Cam expectantly.
Cam just smiles and puts her hands on top of Bren's, takes them in her own, rubbing her knuckles gently, bringing them to her lips.
"I think I would like that very much." Cam leans in and whispers into Temperance's ear, leaving a kiss on her cheek, rubbing her nose against Tempe's until they are facing each other less than an inch apart.
"Yeah?" Bren says on a breath out.
"Yeah." Cam mutters as she presses her lips onto Brennan's. Kissing Brennan had been on her mind for a while, she had been dreaming about this very moment quite a bit lately.
She sighs into Brennan's lips and winds her arms around the other woman, Brennan pulls back to kiss her cheek, her ear, "I have wanted this for the last month, dreamt about you, about this, didn't know what to do."
Cam silences her with another kiss, warm, wet, their tongues meet, Cam stands up to get closer to Brennan, her fingers running through brown hair, Brennan's fingers on her waist, her hips, both women breathless.
They finally pull back, eyes wide, mouths smiling, "So does this mean I can watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and drink eggnog with you?" Brennan asks chuckling.
Cam leaves a quick peck of a kiss on her lips and moves to refill their eggnog glasses.
"Oh, hell, yeah." Cam murmurs as Temperance can't help but laugh out loud, her heart finally joyful.