Taking another Step
NA: this OneShot is a Secret Santa story for musicnlyrics. I'm sorry for taking this long to post it ;) Hope this is what you were looking for. Merry Christmas! Thanks to bruninhagalle for beta reading.
It was going to be their first Christmas in their new house and it also was going to be Christine's first Christmas with them. Booth wanted it to be perfect. He wanted a big family reunion. He wanted someone to dress as Santa Claus for Christine and Michael. And he wanted it all to happen in their backyard.
He managed to get the deck done by November, so they could put a picnic table and he could build a barbecue grill outside, just like the one he helped Gordon Gordon to build, but – of course – this time he would get it done. His plans were settling just fine and Brennan seemed to be really motivated with all that was going to happen. He was amazed with her happiness, once Christmas time was not one of her favorite times of the year. He knew exactly which boundaries he couldn't cross, so he was giving one step at a time, because he knew that by doing it, she was going to raise the white flag telling him she was ready to give another step forward.
"Bones, do you think we can invite all squinterns plus Cam, Angela, Hodgins, Caroline, your dad, Pops, Parker and Michael? I mean, do you think we can have this amount of people on our deck? It's not that big…" – He approached the kitchen counter, holding Christine in one arm.
Brennan didn't answer immediately; she was too absorbed reading an article, so she didn't even pay attention to what Booth was talking about. She lifted her head from the page she was staring at and all she could see was Christine stretching her arms, trying to reach Brennan, almost begging to be held by her.
"Come here, little girl. I know you are hungry." – She gave Christine a noisy kiss on the forehead. Booth was still staring at her, as if he was waiting for an answer. – "I'm sorry, Booth. Did you ask me anything? I wasn't actually paying attention."
He gave her his perfect smile, took a deep breath and asked her again after kissing her on the forehead.
"Actually, Bones, I did. I asked you if you think our deck can handle all guests we are gonna have on Christmas' eve. I know we are going to get a snowy day, but we have the canopy and it covers it all, so I believe we'll do just fine, after dinner we can get inside."
"Well, we don't have a lot of guests, Booth. And you are dying to build that barbecue grill outside, so I'm supporting you with your idea. Plus, you said you want someone to get dressed as Santa Claus for the kids; I believe that if we have dinner on our deck, it's gonna be easier for Santa Claus to get in."
Booth couldn't believe in what he was seeing. He never thought that Brennan would change this much. He knew that motherhood was capable of changing people's feelings and thoughts, but he never thought that it would play this much with Brennan's emotions.
And, by seeing how much she has evolved, he thought that this was the perfect time to ask her something he knew she wouldn't agree with a few years ago.
"Bones…" – Christine was staring at him, cooing with some fingers in her mouth and a big smile on her face – "Do you wanna come with me, Parker and Christine to the Christmas' tree field? We have to choose our tree and it's kind of a family thingy. I was wondering if you could come with us. You know… It's important for Christine…"
They kept there, quite, staring at each, waiting for an answer. He was afraid she was going to say "no", but he also was comprehensive, so he knew that if she said "no", it wouldn't actually mean she didn't want to go, it would simply mean that she wasn't ready yet to give this step, because this was something she once told him she was used to do with her parents and Russ a few weeks from Christmas' eve.
She had a sad look on her face, perhaps because those words reminded her of her childhood or perhaps because this was something she really wanted to do but she wasn't feeling comfortable doing. She stared at Christine who was now with almost her entire fist in her mouth. She kissed the top of Christine's head before pronouncing her decision.
"Remember that day I told you that going to Christmas' tree field was a journey for me and Russ? My parents used to wake us up really early on the first Sunday of December and Russ and I used to put on our sweaters from last Christmas, those horrible sweaters we always got from some relatives. Russ used to mock me all the way down to that field, saying that I wasn't going to get any Christmas' presents that year, because I had been a horrible girl. Mom had to calm me down saying he was lying, that Santa Claus was coming for me too. Of course that it only happened until I was 8 years old. Because that year I found out that… You know." – She stared at Christine who was now playing with Brennan's scarf.
"That's okay, Bones. You can say what you want, I'm sure Christine doesn't understand a word we are saying." – He fussed his hands on Christine's hair.
"I'm not sure about that, Booth. Christine is really smart for her age; I wouldn't be surprised if she understood everything we say. Anyways, the point is: I know that this is really important and that it's really foolish too. I don't see a point in lying for all those kids the whole year just to get them to behave well, this is bad parenting, but I agree with you that this is a way of bonding with them. This is a way of getting a family together, so – as I once said – I'm willing to do anything to prove to you that I love you, even irrational and foolish things." – She took a deep breath.
"So, let me get this straight. Was this a yes?"
She gave him that look. The look only he could understand.
"Wasn't that pretty clear?"
"To me, yes. But if you were saying this to someone else, it wouldn't be pretty clear, Bones."
"Dad, why do we always have to choose a tree on Christmas'? It's not written in the bible. They never mentioned they had to choose a Christmas' tree to celebrate anything. So, why do we have to do it? Whose idea is this?" – Parker was sitting on the backseat of Booth's SUV; Christine was sitting by his side on her car seat, pulling Parker's hair and cooing every time he made some noise complaining about it.
Booth didn't know what to say. As a Christian, he knew that there was no mention about Christmas' trees in the bible, but he didn't know why this was a tradition. Pops never told him that, and he never asked anyone about it either.
Brennan didn't want to intrude, she didn't want to go all scientific on it, but she knew the answer for Parker's question. She was going to wait for Booth to come up with something or ask her to help him out with that.
"Dad, did you hear what I said?"
Booth didn't say anything. He was focused on the road. He reached for Brennan's knee to caress it and beg her for an answer he wasn't able to give.
"You know, Parker. My dad once told me that this tradition started in Germany, with Martin Luther King. People say that he was staring at the sky one night and then he came up with this idea. And this tree has a meaning for everything, starting with its shape to its decoration." - She was now staring at Parker.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, all Christmas' trees have a triangular shape, right? That's because it represents the trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and they always point upward towards God. Also, all those trees are evergreen, meaning that they are eternal, since they never lose their leaves. And, well, green is a color that represents life. Then Martin Luther also realized that those trees – pines or firs – have needles that grow upward, like hands praising to God. And last, but not least, he realized that they needed some decoration and that these decorative ornaments should also have a meaning. So, Martin Luther decided to put some lights on the trees to represent heaven, the Christmas' balls to represent planets and the gifts under the tree to represent charity and love."
"So that's why we always have to do all this." – The boy was enchanted by Brennan's answer.
"Yes, that's it, Parker. And that's also a way of getting all of us, including Christine, together for a family trip." – said Booth.
It was a sunny, but windy day in Washington. Brennan was still taking Christine out of her car seat, when Parker and Booth decided to start walking around the trees. She let them go, because watching them having a father and son conversation was something she enjoyed. She could hear Parker saying that they should buy the tallest tree in the field and Booth was replying saying that they couldn't do that, otherwise the tree wouldn't fit their living room.
"Bones?" – Parker was yelling from somewhere far away from where she was standing. – "I think we found our tree."
She followed the voice and met Booth and Parker staring at a tree a few meters away from her. It was the greenest but not tallest tree she had seen there that day.
"So, what do you think?" – said Booth, taking Christine from Brennan's arms.
"I think we found our tree."
"Really?" – Booth approached her with Christine still in his arms. He gave her a subtle but passionate kiss.
The decoration of a Christmas' tree was also something that always gets all family together. Some hang the balls on it, others place the star right upon it , but everybody – in some way or another – helps. Christine couldn't do much to help, but Parker insisted on taking her in his arms and giving to her a Christmas' ball. He put her index finger in the middle of the ribbon and helped Christine to hang it on the tree. Booth took a picture of that moment to put in their family album.
Parker let Christine go by putting her in Brennan's arms.
"Dad, can you put me on your shoulders? I think it is time for us to get that start upon the tree."
Booth lifted Parker until he was able to reach the top of their tree to put the star on it.
"Now we can turn the lights on." – Said Brennan looking for the switch.
It was the first time since Brennan's parents left that she felt the spirit of Christmas' again. That she felt like home. With Christine in her arms pointing at the twinkling lights, Booth with his arms around her waist, and Parker describing how his last day of school before the winter break had been, Brennan felt like she belonged to someone's family again.
After giving Christine a kiss of goodnight and putting Parker to sleep, Booth got downstairs. He could feel the heat coming out of the fireplace. He could smell the scent of wood burning somewhere near there. Brennan was waiting for him. Two glasses of wine were placed in the middle of the coffee table.
"Come here."- She patted on the couch, showing Booth that she had saved him some space.
Booth put his back against the couch and pulled Brennan close to his chest, allowing her to rest her head on it.
"Do you think that they had fun today?" – Brennan was with her head laid on Booth's chest. They were both lying on the couch enjoying the heat coming out from the fireplace and by the lights of their Christmas' tree.
"Oh, yeah. I've never seen Parker like this. He used to hate this moment. Did you see how he held Christine in his arms and helped her to hang the ball on the tree?" – Booth kissed the top of Brennan's head.
"I never thought we'd get this far. In fact, I never thought I'd actually have something with you."
"Neither did I. You told me I was a superstitious moron, and now, look at you. All dressed up to go Christmas' tree hunting, all excited to get the tree decorated."
"What are you implying here? There are some things a mother has to do for her children. Even if I don't believe in it, it's something I have to do for Christine and for you. And, of course, for Parker. Because you are my family now."- She gently turned around. Her elbows pressing against his chest now, her hands cupping his face to give him a subtle kiss. - "I'm very lucky to have you, Booth. Christine and Parker are very lucky to have you as their father."
Brennan could stop thinking about how lucky she was. About how far they had come.
"I can't imagine how my life would be without you here. I don't even know where I'd be right now if I had never met you."
"Probably in Guatemala. Digging up some skeletons. Just as you always were."
"Funny." – She said, slapping him on the arm. – "Thank you for giving me this, Booth."
"Oh, why! You know I wouldn't be able to do this alone. So thank you for giving me this, too, Bones."