A Boothy Bones Christmas: A Bonesology Christmas Challenge Story

Chapter 1 Missing Holiday Spirit

As Christmas approached, Brennan was surprised by Booth's apparent change of heart regarding their celebration of his favorite holiday. He had always insisted that certain practices be observed inviolate, that none of their Christmas tradition be altered or eliminated during the month preceding December 25th. This had been true since she'd first met him. Even though Parker's time with him might vary depending upon Rebecca's scheduling whims, her partner had always done certain things with his son each year. Some years their celebration took place on Christmas Eve, or several days later, but Booth stuck to tradition in how they decked out their tree, attended church, and opened gifts. This year, she felt like asking if Jacob Marley had replaced her normally jovial husband, for Booth's mood was much darker than usual. Not that she blamed him; his brother Jared's death had affected him deeply, and the resulting criminal investigation had proven much more snarled and difficult than their usual cases. Booth had been spending a great deal of time in the back yard of their new home, hoeing and spading a plot of dirt. He wouldn't tell her his plans for it, nor allow her to observe his activities. He had asked her to stay out of the back yard entirely until spring approached. Attacking the soil seemed to give him some relief from his anxieties, so she had agreed to do so. He'd also erected a low privacy fence around his intended garden plot, further obscuring his handiwork.

Booth's enthusiasm for decorating their house had fallen to an all-time low. When he had told her to purchase a small Home Depot Christmas tree for their living room rather than searching piney lots for the perfect enormous fresh cut tree, she really started to worry. But he was faithfully attending his GA meetings, and showed no signs of relapsing into gambling, so she held her counsel and hoped the Universe would right itself. His decorating their front yard was limited to one light string wound around the lamp-post, and some candy canes stuck upright in the ground along the sidewalk. Even Christine was asking why Daddy had changed his holiday routine. The only signs of normalcy were his printed boxers and gaudy striped socks. Booth had collected quite a wardrobe of holiday undergarments the last few years, and he continued to wear a different deign each day. She clung to the small comfort this gave her, and chided herself for fretting over insignificant details. Except, she knew, they weren't unimportant.

The weather around Washington DC had been unusually temperate this year, without so much as one hard freeze. Their table conversations frequently involved the likelihood that climate change and global warming were finally affecting daily life. Brennan still found herself puzzled as to why Booth ran the lawn sprinkler for several hours each afternoon. Surely watering dormant plants and bare earth was a poor use of natural resources, but she said nothing that would upset her pre-occupied spouse.

Finally, early on Christmas Eve morning, Booth snapped out of his grinchy mood and declared that he wanted to show his gardening project to Brennan and Christine. Barely waiting for Brennan to finish her first cup of coffee, he blindfolded them in the kitchen, then took each by the hand and ushered them out onto the back porch. Both mother and daughter were mystified by his strange behavior. Once down the steps, he lifted Christine into his arms, then guided his wife down a newly-laid stone pathway. After progressing some thirty feet toward the back of their property, Booth stopped beside Christine's tree house adorned oak tree and placed Brennan's hand on its trunk to steady her balance.

"You can take off the blindfolds now," he directed them happily. Surprised by his twinkling eyes and merry tone, Brennan looked around. Before her was a carefully tended little garden. Several small Ilex opaca, American holly plants, a spindly Thuja occidentalis, also known as white cedar, and a Juniperus virginiana or eastern red cedar sapling were growing there. Booth had added several blooming potted poinsettias, and planted Silene caroliniana, the wild pink, which would bloom in the spring. A nondescript shrub nearby sported several dark green waxy clumps of mistletoe. Brennan could only gape in wonder at the tiny winter garden her husband had created. He grinned at her like a small boy revealing a wondrous surprise, which indeed it was.

"Booth, how did you do this?"

"When I started raking leaves a few months ago, I found these two little cedars growing wild out here. Apparently they sprouted by themselves one eastern red cedar, one white cedar. And it gave me an idea for memorializing Jared. He loved the smell of Christmas trees as much as I do, and these two little guys reminded me of us, Mutt and Jeff, you know?"

"Mutt and Jeff?"

"Some old comic strip characters; never mind. The point is, I thought a little garden out here would make a nice tribute to him, and give me a place to remember him when I'm blue. See the rock I had engraved?"

Brennan noticed a smooth flat stone which read 'Jared's Garden 1975-2015.' Booth had also placed a simple stone bench along one side of the garden, up against the oak tree, so someone could lean back and enjoy the verdant scene.

"Sorry I've been so secretive lately." Booth bent down and broke off a sprig of mistletoe, raised it over Brennan's head, and kissed her. Then he moved it slightly and kissed Christine, who giggled in response.

"Daddy, you're silly, but I like your garden. I think Uncle Sweets would like it, too."

Booth looked at Brennan over their daughter's head as his eyes grew misty. She leaned over and kissed him. "Jared would be pleased, Booth, and Hank would love it. It's a perfect place to regain perspective and remember those we love. You've done a wonderful job of selecting native evergreen plants which can withstand Maryland's chilly winter climate. But the poinsettias, not so much."

"Okay, I admit, I bought them. I figured we could bring them into the house to decorate it. I'm starved, how about making some pancakes?"

oooooooooooooo

Later that evening, as Brennan was standing in the closet, considering what to wear to church, Booth stepped close to her and kissed her soundly. Then he pointed overhead. Ten minutes later, as she applied her makeup, he kissed her again and pointed upward. She broke into laughter. Taped to the ceilings of both their closet and master bathroom were sprigs of mistletoe.

"There's plenty more where that came from, Bones. I've put it in the kitchen, and the nursery, and Chrissy's room, and the foyer, and over the couch! You'll get lots of Christmas kisses from me tomorrow!"

Brennan hugged her husband hard, and kissed him back.

"Now you go dress Christine, and I'll get Hank ready, or we're going to be late for your midnight services, Booth. Merry Christmas!"