Well, like the first line of this chapter, the holiday jumped on me faster than I realized, and now I'm a frantic mess trying to get the rest of this fic posted. Eh, oh well. It takes my mind off all the real-life craziness. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the first two chapters. I received some excellent comments which fueled my muse for this chapter. A special thanks goes to lucyc66 for the image of Sweets. I never saw it the way you did, but it was such a hilarious idea that I had to put it in there. Enjoy!
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December 19 arrived before they knew it, and the early afternoon found the partners in Brennan's office where Booth bellyached about...well, his belly.
"Bones, could I get some help here?" Booth asked, irritated as he pulled and tugged at the padding under the Santa suit. "If this guy would lay off the cookies, the rest of us wouldn't have to wear padding!" he grumbled.
Brennan, who had changed into the Mrs. Claus dress before Booth arrived, had watched Booth struggle with the suit and couldn't suppress a chuckle. "You're the one who insisted on pretending to be someone who doesn't exist."
"Santa does exist. Just because you can't see him doesn't mean he's not there."
"Like God?" Brennan questioned, skepticism evident in her voice.
Booth, always hesitant to get into a discussion about religion with Brennan, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I wouldn't equate God and Santa, but generally speaking, yes."
"You could always call and cancel. Tell them Santa had an emergency."
Stunned by her lack of argument and the abrupt change of subject, Booth was momentarily speechless. "What? No way! We're not turning back now." He took another deep breath. "Could you please help me with this suit?"
Brennan finally consented and went to work shifting the padding into a Santa-esque shape.
"Bren, I just heard that you're taking time off this afternoon," Angela said as she entered Brennan's office. "Well, hello Santa!" she flirted and fired a grin at Booth. "Too bad you've already got a Mrs. Claus, because I've been a very bad girl this year, and I should be punished."
"Angela!" Brennan exclaimed.
"Relax, Sweetie. I'm just kidding," Angela said. "I must say that you both look adorable. What's the occasion? Christmas party?"
"No, definitely not," Brennan declared.
"Well, it sort of is for a Christmas party, Bones." He turned his attention to Angela. "Bones agreed to help me do this for Parker's class."
"Aw, that's really sweet!" Angela exclaimed. "But will they let you be Santa? It's not exactly standard procedure."
"That's what I said," Brennan informed Angela. "But apparently all the parents agreed that this would be a good cultural experience for the children—even those who don't celebrate the holiday."
"And how did an FBI agent get roped into playing a jolly old fat man?"
"I volunteered," Booth interjected. "A long time ago. When I thought there was no chance of it actually happening."
"Ah," Angela said. "Well, that explains the 'personal leave' I came to ask you about, Bren." Her eyes narrowed and her gaze drifted between Booth and Brennan. "Not that I don't think this whole thing is adorable, but Sweetie, how did you get involved?"
"I pulled the 'partner' card," Booth told her. "And I threatened to ask Sweets for help."
"It wasn't much of a threat, Booth. And you would have been completely miserable with Sweets."
"Yeah, he'd be worse than the kids. And they'd probably mistake him for a giant seven-year-old."
The three shared a laugh, each secretly ashamed for making Sweets the butt of their jokes.
"Wait," Angela said as she realized what they'd been talking about. "You said Sweets was going to help you? You were going to make Sweets be Mrs. Claus?!" she asked with a grin.
"No, he was going to be an elf," Booth supplied.
"Good, because I'm not sure I'd be able to look at Sweets the same way if he'd been Mrs. Claus." She turned to Brennan. "So does Cam know that the reason you took personal time was so that you could go ho-ho-ho-ing with your partner?" Angela asked mischievously.
"What I do in my personal time is not Cam's business. I don't meddle in her affairs, and I expect the same from her."
"Affairs?" Booth and Angela questioned simultaneously.
Brennan rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."
"For once I actually do," Angela replied. "Well, I better get back to work, but you two have fun today."
"Yeah," Booth said, although he didn't sound too sure of himself.
After Angela left the office, Brennan continued to stare at the door, brows creasing in concentration.
"What?" Booth asked.
"Did you ever think about how we're going to get out of the lab and into the parking lot?"
"Uh…no. Why?"
"Well, it's one thing to be these characters for the children's benefit, but what will all the adults in the lab think?"
"That we're seven weeks late for a Halloween party?"
"Come on, Booth!"
"I'm kidding, Bones. Honestly, I hadn't thought that far in advance, but I don't see that we have a choice. We'll just have to make a beeline for the parking lot and hope nobody notices the two red flashes."
"We could change back into our regular clothes and then change again when we get to the school. Don't they have a bathroom?"
"I am not changing out of this and then back into it. Besides, there won't be enough time." He looked at his watch. "We're already late, anyway. Are you ready to go?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied.
"You do look very nice," Booth said seriously.
"Thanks," she said with a slight smile. "You don't look so bad either."
"Yeah, right."
"You look very…appropriate for the situation." Brennan groaned inwardly fully aware that she'd never been good at giving compliments. She cleared her throat and grabbed the wig, hat, and glasses from the desk where she had laid them earlier. "Let's go, Santa Booth!" she called over her shoulder as she left her office.
He grinned to himself and wondered if she'd really called him 'Santa Booth.' It sounded like a display at a carnival, but it was catchy and certainly not the worst thing he'd been called. He hurried out of the office after his partner, hoping they wouldn't make fools of themselves…too much.
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Thanks for reading!
