AN: Using my new laptop to write this chapter. :D

Brennan opened her front door using her key and groped around in the dark for a light switch. She kicked off her shoes and dropped her bag on the floor next to them. Glancing around her apartment, she noticed the light on her answering machine signaling to her that she had a message. She pressed the button and Angela's voice filled the apartment, rich with the cadences so familiar to Brennan. She sounded just like Brennan had expected her to sound after finding out about the kiss; excited and prying. The temptation to ignore Angela's message was overwhelming. Maybe she could just put it off; she had rescheduled her flight to Peru until the next morning. She held the gut feeling that if she didn't call Angela soon, Angela would call her. She got herself a glass of water and took the portable phone from its cradle. Sitting herself on the couch, she dialed Angela. After two rings, Angela answered.

"Sweetie!" she exclaimed. "How was it?"

"How was what," Brennan tried to avoid the inevitable.

"The kiss, of course. How was it?"

"Fine. Almost like kissing Russ."

"You and I both know that's not true," Angela pressed.

"Honestly, Ange, it was good. I didn't want it to be good."

"You didn't want it to be good in the same way that I didn't want my first date with Jack to be good," Angela explained for her. "Because if it sucked, there would be awkwardness, but you'd get back to normal. Since it was good, you don't know where to go from here."

"Exactly," was the only response she could muster. "And I just don't know, Ange. When I went to see," she paused, "my family, he brought a tree. He and Parker decorated it and stood outside the jail. And he was the reason that I decided to talk to Caroline to see if visitation was even an option."

"And he always does things like that," Angela said. She smiled to herself, imagining how her friend on the other end of the line was reacting.

"Yeah, he is." Brennan shifted on the couch, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Sweetie," she sighed, "this is the part where you get all quiet and say 'I think he likes me' in a terrified tone."

"Yeah, if we were fourteen. But we're not."

"It's still the same situation, hon."

"Alright," she gave in and lowered her volume, "I think he likes me."

"Duh sweetie. But we're making progress. Boy likes girl. Does girl like boy? Well, I know the answer to that. So, the next step is for girl to make the first step and make a move on boy. God knows he's made enough on you."

"He has not!"

"Bren, you're just willingly oblivious. The rest of us notice, trust me."

"Angela," she said in a warning tone.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Nothing. I'm leaving for Peru in the morning; it would be pointless to try to start anything now."

"That's just a copout. You're running. This is just something that you don't want to think about. Honey, running away won't solve anything. If you don't want any kind of relationship between yourself and Booth, you two need to at least sort it out. If you go to Peru tomorrow, when you come back the both of you will just go on as if nothing ever happened. Then in a few months something else will happen, and you'll miraculously be needed in Madagascar. Just talk to him." The anthropologist took in a deep breath and let it out before speaking.

"Okay. I'll call him. Thanks Angela."

"No problem, sweetie. Somebody has to make you live. I'll talk to you after you talk to Booth." Then the artist disconnected, leaving Brennan alone with her thoughts.

"Fine, I'll call him," she said to her empty apartment. She refilled her water glass and sat in on the end table by the couch. What was she even going to say to Booth? Better question: what did she want to happen with Booth? Like she had said to Angela, he was always thoughtful and considerate. He was nice to her. Then there was the kiss. She continued to tell herself that she only kissed him because Caroline wanted her to. Was there more to it than that? Maybe. Probably. She resettled herself on the couch and grabbed her cordless phone, and dialed a number as familiar to her as her own.

---

It was Christmas Eve and Booth still had several presents left to wrap before putting them under the tree. It was almost ten PM and Parker was asleep after his bath. Booth knew he should be wrapping Parker's gifts, but he wasn't. He was settled on his sofa with half of a bottle of beer in his hand. His feet were propped up on the coffee table before him. The TV was on, but it provided him little distraction from his thoughts. Thoughts that revolved around his work partner and the kiss they'd shared.

In all honesty, he'd been reluctant to kiss her. He'd imagined their first kiss many times before, and none of his scenarios included Caroline Julian or mistletoe. But Caroline was feeling puckish, and Bones wanted to make Christmas for her father. He understood it. Christmas had always sucked for Bones since her parents left. For the first time in more than fifteen years she was able to have something that resembled a traditional Christmas with and almost traditional family. To get all of that, she needed to kiss him. Being a woman of reason, she just figured that she'd kiss him with or without his permission. It had quickly turned into more than just a mistletoe kiss. It was definitely more of a kiss than she would plant on Russ. He remembered her warm lips against his, and the artificial mint taste in her mouth. Her hands pulling on his jacket, bringing them closer together. He remembered their kiss, every swipe of the tongue, and he wanted her. He pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket, and pressed his speed dial. He placed his beer on the coffee table and leaned back into the couch, ready to talk to Bones. Then he heard something he wasn't expecting: a busy signal. He sighed and placed his phone on the table next to his beer.

---

A busy signal. Great. Amazing. Who was he talking to? Maybe it was important. She didn't want to interrupt. Should she call back later? Would it matter? Would he answer? All this over one person. But Angela was right; she needed to talk to him before leaving for Peru. She headed to her kitchen and filled up her third glass of water of the night. She decided to give it a few minutes before she tried again. She resettled herself in the warm spot on her couch and leaned her head into a cushion. She knew there were things she should be doing: rechecking what she'd packed, showering, eating dinner, just to name a few. But she was sitting and waiting to cal Booth again and hope he'd pick up. It was a far cry from the fiercely independent woman she had been before meeting Booth. She would have scoffed at a woman waiting to talk to a man even a few days ago, and there she was, doing just that. She picked up the portable and it rang in her hand. The caller ID displayed Booth's umber on its tiny screen. She breathed in and answered on the second ring.

"Hello," she spoke into the phone. After a pause, he spoke.

"Hey Bones. I just called to talk to you. Um, if you don't mind my asking, who were you talking to ten minutes ago?" The question surprised her. Ten minutes ago, she was trying to get in touch with him.

"Nobody. I called you ten minutes ago and got the busy signal. I guess you were calling me while I was calling you." She smiled as she relaxed into her couch once more. She steadied herself before speaking again. "I was wondering if I'd see you before I leave for Peru." Her words sounded almost hopeful, something Booth picked up on.

"Yeah. Parker's still over here, but he's asleep. You're welcome to come over."

"I don't want to cause any confusion of he gets up to try to find Santa or something." She chewed on a portion of her lower lip.

"He won't. He knows that he needs to stay in bed in order for Santa to leave anything. Come on over. It'll be fine." Now his tone revealed a bit of hope.

"Alright. I'll be there in ten minutes."

"See you then," he smiled into the receiver before hanging up.

Brennan shuffled around her apartment, putting on her jacket and shoes. She pulled her hat on over her head, locked the door, and headed into the night.

AN: Next chapter, you guys. Next chapter they'll actually talk. Please, please, please review. I only got two reviews last chapter, and I got sad and didn't write this chapter as soon as I would have.