They pulled up to the scene in the black SUV still bickering as they passed the yellow tape. The other agents just glanced over and rolled their eyes, they'd all become accustomed to the odd relationship that the partners shared. They all suspected there was something there, something the partners themselves didn't see.

Today, they squabbled about Angela's "little comment" this morning. Over the years, Brennan had gotten used to Angela's sex absorbed mind. Booth, however, had not. He expected it to some extent, but still thought that her desires could be kept inside her perverted brain.

"Booth, it's Angela; what else do you expect?" Temperance rolled her eyes thinking how ludicrous his complaint was. Sure, Angela could make people uncomfortable sometimes but it's not nearly as awful as Booth would depict. She smiled to herself, prude.

"'Looking good stud, mind if I wrap you up and put you under my tree?' That's a little too much" He repeated shaking his head. Yes, I'd mind.

"I believe she was referring to the silly Christmas tradition in which the Christmas tree is put up and wrapped gifts are placed under it for loved ones. It's an odd tradition. What's interesting, though, is that it actually started as a pagan tradition on a pagan holiday and the Christians took it into their own beliefs and celebrated their so called savior's birth on the pagan holiday. Though, if the Christ child did in fact exist, He would have been born in March, not December. So, Christmas as a whole is a completely fabricated and meaningless day." She finished her ramblings, feeling quite proud of herself only to see Booth glaring at her, bewildered.

"You just ruined Christmas. Bones, Christmas isn't about science, it's about Jesus and family. It happens to be my favorite holiday. So, keep your anthropological mumbo jumbo to yourself, please." He huffed. "And I knew what she meant, it's just inappropriate. Besides, she mentioned something else."

And it was that something else that was truly bothering him. No matter how uncomfortable he felt with the previous comment from Angela, the one that had bothered him was the one to follow it. The one he swore he wouldn't mention to Bones, but her atheistic ramblings had drove him to it. Sometimes, he thought it was so hard to have an atheist for a partner, especially because he was Catholic. Maybe he didn't go to church every week, but he believed in God…and she didn't.

The idea of a different partner was heartbreaking, though. So, he'd put up with her. In truth, he loved her feminism, her strong rationality, and even when they argued about God. He knew that even if she didn't believe it, she could respect his beliefs. She looked at him and her blue eyes captured his again. It was as if they could say everything with just a somber glance. An apology waited in her eyes, it waited for him to accept it. He smiled. He couldn't help it, it was involuntary. She made him smile.

They approached the deteriorated flesh and bones lying on a pile of leaves. She knelt down over the body and began her quick, on-the-scene examination. "Caucasian male, late twenties to early thirties…" She trailed off and squint her eyes. "There is a lot of flesh still intact on this victim. It'll have to be cleaned before I can further examine it." She got up hastily. "Back to the lab" she said to the agents.

"Bones, what I was going to say is that" He was interrupted by his favorite scientist.

"WAIT!" She yelled as the light glinted off of something in the slightly ajar mouth. The team backed off and Temperance approached the body again. "There's something there" She opened the jaw completely.

It was a little zip loc bag that you would put earrings or a bolt in, but in this bag was white powder. Her eyes widened. "Booth" She called.

He took the zip lock bag from her and examined it. He put the smallest amount on his finger and stuck his tongue to it. "Cocaine…so was he the coke head or the dealer?"

After Cam had finished with the flesh, Clark boiled the flesh from the bones. Everyone was doing their normal jobs. Angela was trying to put a face together, Hodgins was ogling at the leaves and the beetles that were responsible for the deterioration of the victim's flesh, and Cam had successfully determined time of death: one month ago.

Brennan now stood on the platform bending over the bones. She concentrated very hard on the left side of his clavicle. There was a very definite scratch, probably a stab wound, she reasoned. The scratch was angled at such a trajectory that the knife would have come down from the neck to the clavicle. It very well could have sliced his jugular.

"Cam, I feel confident in saying that this scratch on the clavicle is the cause of death. It appears to be a stab wound. This wound suggests that the weapon came down from the neck to the clavicle. It would've sliced his jugular vein open. He would've died before any help could be reached from blood loss. I'd imagine that the place he was murdered has blood spurts every where, it would've been very messy." Dr. Brennan said as she gestured to the mark.

"That seems correct," She nodded as she herself looked over the bones and considered Dr. Brennan's words. "I'll check the database and try to get a name on this John Smith."

Seeley Booth arrived at his son's elementary school and waited anxiously for Parker to be released. He missed his son. Temperance Brennan smiled as she gazed at the sheer joy expressed on her partner's face as the bell rang and children flooded around. His boy Parker ran into his arms. "Daddy!!!" The seven year old exclaimed as his father picked him up.

"Hey Buddy!" Booth greeted putting his little boy back on the ground. "Look who's with Daddy?"

"Dr. Bones!"

"Hello Parker" She grinned at him. He was adorable with his innocent eyes that mirrored his fathers and his unadulterated happiness.

"Daddy, is Dr. Bones gonna play with us all weekend?" Temperance and Seeley laughed easily.

"No, Bones is just coming to eat dinner with us." Booth smiled fondly at his little boy before he started the engine. "Buckle up, kiddo"

Parker quickly strapped himself into the safety belt and Booth proceeded to put the SUV in drive. Brennan envied Booth's smile. She was happy for him, but she still wanted that smile that he got whenever he looked at his child. She wanted a child of her own. A child that she'd asked Booth for. She revisited that conversation. If I can't be involved, I don't want her to have the kid. He had said to the illusion of a cartoon baby.

He had to be involved if he was going to give her his sperm. Of course, Fisher had offered her his gamates without any further requisites. She didn't want Fisher's child though. She wanted Booth's. He had everything good that a child could ever need. He had every trait that she would want for her child to have. She knew that deep down there were other reasons she wanted his baby, but she chose to keep those to herself.

She hated psychology. She hated it, especially when Dr. Sweets had the audacity to ask if she requested Booth to be her sperm donor, because she thought if she were to give birth to his child, then he would love her. What lunacy! Even if the thought had crossed her mind, it exited just as soon. She didn't allow herself to picture Booth and herself raising a little baby.

Before he had gone into surgery he had told her that if he didn't make it, she wanted her to use his sperm for a child. During his coma, he'd dreamt about impregnating her. She wondered how he'd feel now, about fathering her child. She decided to revisit the subject with him when they had time alone.

His mind still dwelt on Angela's comment. She'd pulled him to the side and spoke clearly and directly, and even worse sincerely. After an unneeded reminder about how alone Brennan would be this Christmas and suggestion that he spend his Christmas with her, she became intrusive. If I know Bren, she's still waiting on your decision about using your sperm to get pregnant. She hasn't said anything yet, but it's coming. Listen, I'm not blind, Booth. No one here is; we can all see that you love her. As her best friend, you're what I want for her; because I know she wants you too. She's just afraid to admit it. Asking you for this is a big step for her. I know you want to be involved, but I'm telling you…you will be. You could be a family…if you loved her, you'd do it.

He pondered on that and decided that the talk would ensue tonight as soon as he'd gotten Parker to bed and before he drove her home. The last words kept haunting him. If you loved her, you'd do it. They left one question, the most obvious but reluctant question of all…do I love her?

I really, really, like this one guys. I don't know what possessed me to do this, but I felt really inspired to start this new fanfic. I hope you guys like it. REVIEW if you want more. I'm still working on the second chapter to Traditions…but I think this might be my main fanfic…depends on reviews…

xD

-Lacey