Note: This is not what I was supposed to be doing today.

Title: Blue Christmas

Background info: Set in season 6 – the Christmas we never saw.

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A year ago, she'd been in Maluku, deep in the rainforest. There had been no snow, no lights, no Christmas trees. If her colleagues hadn't taken time off to go home for Christmas, she likely wouldn't even have been aware of the season.

By the 24th, she was left in the camp with only a renowned archaeologist and two grad students for company.

After years of priding herself on her ability to be happy on her own, she was embarrassed at how much she missed spending Christmas with family and friends. On the 25th, she considered breaking the rules and using the satellite phone for a personal call.

When she realized she didn't have Angela's number in Paris and that Booth was unreachable, she finally understood why her father said that being alone on Christmas means that no one loves you.

She called Russ's number, but had to settle for leaving a brief message. She tried Max, but his number had been disconnected. She tried not to wonder whether he'd moved, been arrested, or simply stopped paying the phone bill.

When she realized she had no one else to call, she joined the archaeologist in a bottle of alcohol made out of fermented coconuts. He would have been happy to have her join him in bed as well, but she found that casual sex didn't appeal to her any longer. Instead, they spent the day drinking and talking about past Christmases.

It wasn't the worst Christmas of her life, but even the year she spent in quarantine was better.

This year should have been one of her best Christmases. Angela and Hodgins were home, Booth was safely back from Afghanistan, Sweets and Cam and all of the interns were back. She'd expected an office gift exchange, a mandatory visit to the Jeffersonian Christmas party, a big dinner with friends and family. She was ready to participate, too – ready to put aside claims of work and embrace the holidays with the people she loved.

Instead, Angela and Hodgins rented a remote cottage in the mountains. Cam and Michelle booked tickets to Hawaii. Parker and Rebecca were going to England, so Booth and Hannah were spending the holidays on a safari in Africa.

She and Max had gone to Russ's place for Thanksgiving, and the girls had been bubbling over with excitement over their Christmas plans to visit Amy's family and go to Disney World.

"Sweetie? Are you listening?"

Caught, Brennan dragged her wandering mind back to her best friend. "Sorry, Ange."

"You're welcome to join us. The cottage is plenty big enough."

Brennan forced her lips to curve into a smile as her mind went to the e-mail awaiting a reply. "That's nice of you, Ange, but I don't want to intrude. Besides, I have plans."

The flash of relief on her friend's face told her she'd made the right decision. "I'm glad, sweetie." Angela stood up and threw her arms around her friend. "Have a great Christmas, OK?"

Brennan nodded solemnly. "You too, Ange."

"I'll see you in January. Merry Christmas!"

With that, she was gone, and Brennan gratefully sank into her desk chair and hit reply. "Thank you", she wrote. "I would be delighted to participate in this dig. My flight will arrive at 17:45 on the 24th. Please make arrangements for ground transport."

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Feel free to suggest other songs. I will try to write a few of them as time permits.