Sorry for taking so long everyone! Thanks for all of the reviews. I hope this lives up to everyones expectation. As you can see from the title, this is only part 1 of the dinner. Things will get much sweeter (both literally and figuratively) for dessert! Enjoy!
Disclaimer to all things Bones
Brennan took a deep breath as she began the walk from the elevator to the door of Booth's apartment. Normally she wouldn't be so wary going to the home of her partner, but with the invitation coming specifically from his grandfather, she wasn't quite sure what to think. Naturally, she was curious as to what about Michael Booth made him such a prominent force in Booth's life. When she reached the door, she shifted her containers to her left arm and knocked three times quickly and waited.
When Booth answered the door, she watched his lips spread into a smile. "Hey Bones, glad you could make it." He looked down at her arms and moved towards her, "Here, let me take those." Instead of informing him that she was quite capable of carrying them herself, she handed the containers over without any resistance. "You didn't have to bring anything." He added.
She shrugged, "I didn't think it was fair for you to have to make everything, and besides it's expected for guests to bring something when going to someone else's home for a meal, isn't it?"
His smile grew, "Yeah, and it's custom for the receiving party to tell their guests that it's unnecessary. But thanks really." He began walking towards the kitchen. "Come on, have a seat, dinner's just about ready."
Once she got to the table, Brennan watched Michael stand and mirror his grandson's expression. "Dr. Brennan, I'm delighted that you could make it." He extended his hand and Brennan took it.
"Call me Temperance, please." She said shaking his hand. She caught Booth's expectant expression from the corner of her eye and continued, "I'm delighted to be here, Mr. Booth."
"Alright Temperance, but you must call me Mike." Michael replied
"Aww, Bones, don't tell me!" Booth exclaimed as he unwrapped the first of the parcels that she had brought.
Brennan looked at him quizzically, "I didn't tell you anything." She said honestly, missing Michael's smirk.
Booth brought the container to the table "Granddad, this is Bones' famous 7 layer dip. It is one of the best things you will ever taste. You have to try it"
His partner laughed a little at his obvious excitement. He was just like a little boy sometimes, "It's hardly famous Booth." She told him as his grandfather helped himself to the dip and used the chips to scoop it up. For reasons she would never be able to explain, at that moment, she had a flash of that same nervousness when she had to defend her dissertation.
"You're right, Seeley." Michael conceded after he was finished chewing, "The dip is quite good."
Brennan smiled sweetly, "Thank you. Oh, and Booth, don't open the other container, please. That's for dessert."
"Whatever you say, Bones." Booth said as he turned back to the stove
Michael Booth raised his eyebrows, "Now, Bones – that's an odd nickname," He turned to the forensic anthropologist, "Doesn't it bother you at all?"
Booth immediately stopped stirring the spaghetti sauce as he turned to listen to Brennan's response.
"It used to bother me quite a bit." She admitted, "But now I see it as Booth's way of bonding, and that's an essential component of an efficient partnership. Besides, I've gotten quite used to it over the years because as I'm sure you've heard, he uses it all the time."
"But you don't call him Seeley." Michael countered, "Should you not also be a part of that bonding?"
Brennan considered this for a moment, "I learned quite early on that Booth does not have an affinity for his given name, so I respected that and choose not to use it. Having a less than common name myself, I can understand his reluctance to have it used amongst his acquaintances."
Again, Booth's grandfather smirked, and was content to let the matter lie. Booth on the other hand was seriously disturbed by hearing his Bones refer to herself as an acquainatance of his.
"Alright, that's enough talking about me like I'm not here. Let's eat." Booth announced as he sat between the man that was the guardian of his past, and the woman who was the light of his future.
TBC
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