A/N: this story is intended to be a collection of unrelated short chapters instead of a linear story. The chapters won't normally be in any sort of chronological order. That being said, several readers commented on the fact that they wanted to see more of what happened with Tessa and Booth. It was not my intention to leave a loose end or a cliff hanger, so I've added this chapter in order to add a sense of completion to the previous chapter.

I found the holidays mentioned in this story on the internet, and I think they sound lovely.

If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura

It was late on a Saturday evening as Brennan sat on the couch in her pajamas and robe, reading one of the galley proofs of her latest novel. Her editor had made some suggestions she hadn't quite agreed with, and she was busy writing notes in the margins so they could discuss them further over lunch next week.

Sighing softly, she set the pages aside and picked up her cup of herbal tea. It had been a dull week at the Jeffersonian since Booth had been gone on vacation. She hadn't realized just how much he had insinuated himself into her life until he wasn't around. At one time in the recent past, she had wondered if maybe her life would be easier without having an FBI agent constantly pestering her, but now it seemed like she enjoyed the challenge presented by solving the cases he brought her, and, truth be told, she enjoyed his company as well.

Staring into her cup, she mulled over the situation with her partner. They worked well together, even though they had very little in common, and his tendency to make intuitive leaps when working a case could be quite annoying. However, he was not only a good detective...he was a good man as well. He was concerned for her welfare, checking on her from time to time to make sure she was eating properly and resting when she should. He had often patiently explained things to her about human interactions that she otherwise might find unfathomable. He'd helped her understand idioms and slang...he'd invested time in their relationship, and he'd trusted her with his secrets. They shared meals with each other and had fun together.

The only other person that Brennan could relate to in such a fashion was Angela, who claimed to be her friend. Logic would dictate, then, that Booth was also her friend, since he fit within those same parameters.

So, evidently, Booth was now to be considered her friend, and as such, it was appropriate for her to miss him when he was gone...and miss him she did. She found that she had been eagerly anticipating his return to work, even if he did frustrate her from time to time.

Things would be back to normal soon. Booth would be back at work Monday after a week in Jamaica, and they'd have more work to do. In the meantime, Brennan thought, she needed to use the lull in her schedule to focus on her latest book.

After a few more minutes of work, she had dozed off over her pages, only to be startled awake by a knock at her door. It's eleven! Who could be visiting me at this hour? Then she smiled as she realized who it was. Looking through the peephole in the door, her suspicions were confirmed, and she opened the door. "Hello, Booth! How was your trip?"

"Fine." He carried a bottle wrapped in a paper bag as he strolled into her living room and sat down on the couch. "I got back into town a couple of hours ago."

Brennan sat down next to him. "I see. Did you have fun?" His olive skin had taken on an attractive bronzed glow, which was well emphasized by his white tee shirt. "You look like you've spent some time in the sun. I assume you're relaxed and well rested."

"Yeah, you know, it was great. I went deep sea fishing on a party boat, and then I went snorkeling on a reef, and it was beautiful. I went hiking up to some sort of pirate cave, and I spent some time some time at the beach and at the resort's poolside lounge. The weather was great. It was a lot of fun...a lot of fun. I'd like to go back someday...maybe spend some more time...you know, maybe take a cruise or something like that."

Brennan was somewhat perplexed as she listened to Booth's description of his vacation. His words seemed to say he had enjoyed his trip, but his mood didn't quite seem to match his discourse. In fact, he almost seemed depressed. Something isn't right here…"That sounds most enjoyable. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"Yeah, I enjoyed it...I guess." He shrugged and tried to smile at at her before holding up the bag he held in his hand. "Hey, can you get us some glasses? I brought us something to warm us up this evening."

"Of course." Getting up and pulling two glasses in the cupboard, she brought them back to the sofa and sat down. "Are you alright, Booth? I know you must be tired from your trip, but…"

"But what's up? Why am I so...down in the dumps?" He laughed sadly as he unwrapped the bottle. "Well, you remember that Tessa didn't go with me on vacation, right? That she had a 'work project' that couldn't wait, or something like that?" Seeing his partner nod, he continued quietly. "When I got back to my apartment tonight, I found out that she'd cleared out all of her stuff, and left me her copy of the key on the kitchen counter. So...I guess me and her...we're officially through…"

"Oh, Booth...I'm so sorry. That was certainly an unkind way for her to handle things."

"Yeah, well...whatever. That's just the way it goes. We'd been kinda on the outs for awhile anyway, and I guess me being gone just gave her the window of opportunity she needed to make the change." He cleared his throat as he opened the bottle, wanting to change the subject. "So this evening, I wonder if you'd do me the honor of celebrating some very special holidays with me."

"Holidays? What holidays? Today's March 2…I don't know of any holidays that are normally celebrated today." Brennan regarded her partner with confusion. "I don't understand…"

"Well, the two minor holidays we're gonna celebrate are usually observed in February, but I don't give a damn. We're gonna do it tonight." He pointed to the label on the bottle. "This is a bottle of twenty year old single malt scotch, and we're gonna use it to celebrate 'Open That Bottle Night'. It's traditionally celebrated with wine, but I'm not really a wine kinda guy…"

"Wait...what is the point of 'Open That Bottle Night'? I think you're making that up, Booth…" Brennan giggled as he poured her a drink. "Is it just an excuse to get drunk?"

"Nope. It's supposed to be a night to reconnect with friends over a good drink." He paused as he stared into his glass. "I missed you while I was gone, Bones...probably even more than I missed Tessa."

"I missed you, too.", Brennan admitted. "And I'm glad you've made it home safely. It's unfortunate that Tessa chose to be so thoughtless, but, if it's any consolation, I believe she committed a huge error in judgment."

"Thanks." He downed his drink and then poured himself another. "Me and you are also gonna celebrate 'Don't Cry over Spilled Milk Day'."

"Now I know you're making that up." Brennan rolled her eyes at her silly partner as she sipped her scotch. "I'm not that naive…there is no such thing..."

"No, it's a real thing alright.", he laughed. "You can look it up on your computer. It's a day to think positively about things, no matter how bad they are, and to look on the bright side." Suddenly serious, he gazed at his partner. "See, even though Tessa bailed on me, I knew I could count on you to be here for me, Bones. I know that, whatever happens, me and you are always gonna be friends, and that makes me happy."

"Thank you, Booth. I feel the same way. I value our partnership and our friendship very much." Brennan poured herself another drink and took a small sip. "Are you sure we're not going to get drunk tonight?"

"We might get drunk, but that's okay, right? We don't have to work tomorrow, and I can just crash here on your couch…so who cares?"

"But sleeping on the couch won't be good for your back. You can stay in the guest room if you don't want to drive home tonight." Brennan arched an eyebrow at Booth as she looked at a page on her computer. "You know, according to this list, tomorrow is 'I Want You to Be Happy Day'. It would make me happy if we had brunch at the diner together tomorrow…"

"Or maybe lunch." Booth chuckled as he poured himself another scotch. "After celebrating 'Open That Bottle Day', I may need to sleep late tomorrow."

"Alright...maybe lunch." Setting her computer aside, Brennan sat back on the couch, watching her partner as he enjoyed his scotch. "Thanks for being my friend, Booth."

He felt himself blush under her tender gaze. "Any time, Bones." He raised his glass to her as a sort of a toast. "We're always gonna be friends, right?"

She nodded as she clinked glasses with him. "Yes, Booth...we're always going to be friends."