This started out as a one-shot but will probably have two or three chapters, depends where this goes. I'm not sure if Christine exists or not in this story, she's not mentioned, so you can decide that on your own :)

I know, I completely abandoned Dead. I'm sorry. I'll try to be better.

And merry Christmas to all of you!

Brennan was just about to take off her latex gloves when a buzzing in her pocket let her know that she had a new message. She freed her hands of the gloves and threw them in the trash, and then picked up her phone. The text was from Booth.

I'm picking u up frm ur place at 7 4 dinnr. wear smthing pretty :D

Brennan smiled to herself. What is he planning this time? Ever since they became a couple, Booth had surprised her many times with romantic gestures, from a bouquet of roses sent to her office to getting home and finding the place bathed in the light of hundreds of candles. She quite enjoyed it all. Booth had always been very kind to her, but in the past month and a half, he had been especially wonderful.

We go out to dinner every night, what's so special about this one?

He replied almost immediately.

It wont b a surprise if i tell u, will it? and dont 4get 2 b fancy xoxo

Okay, but I still want to know what's going on.

u will in a bit, dont worry ;)

Brennan was still smiling and staring at her phone when Angela walked up to the platform holding her clipboard, jotting something down.

"Hey, are you staying in late tonight?" She asked. "I need to go over the reconstruction with you, there's some stuff I think you should see."

Brennan glanced at her watch. 16:34. She should be getting home if she wants to have time to take a shower and get ready for tonight.

"No, I think I'll be leaving early today. Booth has something planned and I need to "wear something fancy" as he puts it." Brennan walked down the platform stairs, and heard Angela squeal behind her. She turned around in time to see Angela slam her clipboard down on the nearest surface. She bounded towards Brennan and shuffled her to her office.

"Well then we should get going, sweetie!" She exclaimed. They had reached Brennan's office and Angela helped her friend out of her lab-coat and into her jacket, and then thrust her bag at her. Brennan just managed to catch her bag and Angela was off again, half running towards Cam's office. She had only now gotten back from her month and a half maternity leave and now her husband was taking the other half, and Brennan was sure that it wasn't a good idea for her to be running around like that.

Angela hollered her name as she stormed into Cam's office. "Brennan has a date that she needs to get ready to. We're leaving early. I'll finish inputting the data from that letter we found tomorrow." She opened her mouth to reply but Angela wasn't there anymore, already half down the hall. Cam swiveled around in her chair and watched as her colleague jumped up and down excitedly at Brennan's side, who did not seem impressed.

"Come on!" Angela cried. "When is he picking you up?"

"Seven."

"Then we barely have enough time to get you ready! We need to find a dress-"

"I have many suitable dresses." Brennan protested.

"No, you need a new one. One that will blow Booth's mind away. We also need to do something with your hair. Ooh! And shoes. Something to go with your dress. I know this great little place on K Street; they have amazing open toed heels. They come in all sorts of colours, and you can…" Angela's voice drifted off as she dragged her whining friend to the Jeffersonian doors. Cam chuckled. Sometimes it seemed like Angela was enjoying Booth and Brennan's relationship more than they were themselves.

Brennan was putting on her earrings when the doorbell rang.

"In a minute!" She yelled, and hurried over to the door an opened it. In front of her was a man. A very handsome man. His face was cleanly shaven, and under his leather jacket, a dark blue buttoned shirt emphasized the muscles underneath. She looked him up and down, noting his strong jaw-line and his cheery stripy socks.

"Booth." She said, smiling widely. He looked at her, for a minute forgetting how to breathe. She was wearing a dark red dress that reached just above her knees and swished when she moved. Angela had picked it, and from where she was hiding behind Brennan's bedroom door, she saw it had the effect she had predicted.

Booth cleared his throat.

"Hey Bones. You ready?" Brennan didn't answer him, but instead closed the gap between them and kissed him fiercely. He immediately pulled her closer to him. When they separated, Booth was breathless and a bit dizzy.

Angela was about to faint. She took a deep breath to steady herself and strained to hear the rest of the conversation.

"What was that for?" He asked Brennan.

"Do I need a reason for every time I kiss you?" Brennan gave him a puzzled look, her brow furrowing.

"No, of course not." Booth smiled at her and took her hand and pulled her towards the door. "We better bet going, I made reservations." Brennan didn't move.

"Wait, you promised you'd tell me where we're going and why."

"I'm taking you out on a proper first date. Wine, fancy dinner, a romantic walk home, the whole shebang. Come on, we're gonna be late." He pulled her more insistently, but Brennan still would not budge.

"But we've already been out to dinner, so it's not a first date. Don't you remember that time when-" Booth cut her off.

"Bones, first dates are different. On a first date you get to know your companion, you ask them questions about their life, you tell them about yours. You kiss them goodnight. It's not the same as whenever we go out to the Founding Fathers or order take-out. This is different, okay?" He opened the door, grabbed Brennan's bag from the hanger, and showed her outside, locking the door behind them.

"Technically it's still not a first date." She insisted, but allowed Booth to take her hand and lead her down the hall. Booth sighed and rubbed his face with his free hand. She can be exhausting sometimes, he thought. Brennan looked up at him, her dazzling blue eyes sparkling, and grinned.

"It's still going to be fun, though." She said, and Booth's previous thought vanished immediately. He sniffed her hair, which smelled like sunshine. These days, he didn't need an excuse to do that.

Inside Brennan's apartment, Angela emerged from her hiding place and went over to get a glass of water. That kiss she had witnessed had left her flushed, and she downed the water in one go. She then settled on Brennan's couch and turned on the TV that Booth insisted she buy, and waited for the couple's return.