AN: I am really sorry that you had to wait so long for the next chapter. To make it up to you, I'll post another long one, before I'll start with the shorter chapters. I hope, you still like the story. Here we go....

Apartment of Temperance Brennan, 12.23.08:

After a long talk with Angela, the anthropologist was finally able to think clearly again. She knew that trying to have a relationship with Booth could ruin what they already had, but she also knew that she had to try it to be happy in the end. Booth had told her that they could take it slow and that's exactly what she wanted to do. He would never intentionally hurt her, but it was hard for her to really open up to other people. She would need some time to let him all the way in, behind her walls as Angela would call it. But they were already so close to each other that she wasn't too afraid anymore, after her conversation with Ange anyhow.

She was musing about what could happen on their trip and what she wanted to happen, while Angela was rummaging through her closet to find the perfect clothes for her to take with her. Packing for her, seemed to be something Angela really enjoyed doing and she could never bring herself to tell her friend no. Most of the time she thought about everything and even packed things she could actually wear without a problem.

But today deciding what to pack seemed to be a very hard task. More than once, she already had sighed in frustration. Mostly, about the lack of 'something really hot' or 'something Booth would drool over' in her closet. After the first irritation, Brennan now liked the idea of making Booth drool. She wanted to arouse him after all. Maybe not on the first days, but she was planning to test her abilities in this area on this trip.

But we can't go too far. Parker is there too after all and I don't want to rush. Angela said that we should take it slow and Booth thinks that too. They are both good with feelings and people and I trust their opinion. And it isn't about 'biological urges' with Booth.

"….and then we need to add another garter belt to the things to buy…maybe in pink, Cullen likes the color…and you could dance in nothing but your underwear on his desk…

Are you even listening at all?"

"Huh? Sure. If you think so, it sounds like a good idea."

"You haven't heard a single word I've said, have you?"

"I'm sorry, Angela. What was the question?"

"I just wanted to know, if you want me to decide which underwear you bring too or if you would prefer to do that on your own."

"I can do that alone, thanks for your help, Ange. And for talking some sense into me again. I really needed that."

"You're welcome, Sweetie. I only want you to be happy. You can call me whenever you need me. Okay? Even, if it is in the middle of the night. Just don't run away from him."

The Jeffersonian, 12.23.08:

"Bones! Hey Bones! Where is she?"

"Hi Booth. You don't have to yell I'm right behind you."

"Hi Bones. I need your signature on some paperwork, I have to finish before we go away. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure. Let's go to my office."

They tried to act as if nothing was going on, but of course, Jack and Cam who were working on the platform too, immediately knew that something was different about them this afternoon. They had already asked Brennan why they didn't have lunch together like usual, but she just told them that they had still lot's of work to do before they could get away for Christmas.

"I tell you, Jack, something is going on with these two. They act a little strange, don't you think?"

"As if they have some secret, they don't want us to know about…it's some kind of governmental conspiracy and they are both involved in it…"

"Or they are just finally together…but Angela would have told us, about that…"

"Maybe she doesn't know it yet. We have to go and ask her, if she knows anything at all."

Brennan's office, 12.23.08:

"I think we need to talk, Bones."

"What about the paperwork. Shouldn't we finish that first?"

"We can't avoid talking about what happened in front of the diner. And I don't want to avoid anything anymore. I want to be able to talk to you about everything."

"I don't want to avoid it either, Booth. I know that we have to talk and I want to talk. Nonetheless we have to finish this paperwork and I think it is easier to concentrate now then after we had the talk."

"Okay. First the paperwork it is…workaholic…"

"I heard that, Booth."

She was giving him a small smile to show, that she didn't care. She knew that he was just making fun of her and that she was indeed a workaholic.

They went to her couch and sat down next to each other. A little closer than usual, but someone who did not know what happened last night would never have been able to see it. The look they gave each other would have given them away anyway, but no one was there to witness it.

While Temperance was reading her way through page after page of boring paperwork, her partner was lazily stroking small circles on the small of her back. His place. The place where he put his hand, whenever they were walking somewhere. The place that was right now tingling under his touch. It was getting harder and harder for the anthropologist to concentrate on the task at hand and not just give in to his gentle caress. She wasn't used to being touched like that anymore. Most men only touched her if they wanted to have sex with her. And it never felt like that. Booth's touch was different, she knew that he wanted to touch her, but not in the way other men had did it. He just wanted to be close to her. Nothing more, nothing less and it made her happy to know that it wasn't about any urges for him as well.

After she was finished with all the paperwork, she leaned back on the couch, trapping his arm behind her back. It was nice to feel him close without the fear of accidently admitting any feelings for him and she planned to enjoy that feeling for a few more minutes. Booth was pulling her a little closer and she happily obliged and let her head come to rest on his broad shoulder.

"That is nice."

"I dreamed about you tonight. About being able to hold you like that, to tell you the truth. I think we should do it more often. But you look exhausted. Couldn't sleep tonight?"

"Hmmm. No, not really. I…I had to think about some things."

"Me? Or us? You could have just called me, to talk about things. You know that you can tell me anything, right? Whatever it is that is keeping you from sleeping peacefully at night, we can talk about it."

"I know that now. Angela told me that too. I called her in the early morning. We talked for a while and we started packing my clothes. So you don't have to worry anymore. I am coming with you."

How can she do that? She isn't even good with reading people, but with me she always knows what I am thinking. She knows so much about me already, and she is still by my side and now she even considers having a relationship with me. I am a lucky man right now.

"I would love to remain sitting here for the next few hours, but I still have some things to take care of today. I'll pick you up tomorrow at 6pm. At home. Don't even think about working the whole day. We can drive to Rebecca to get Parker and then we're on the road. We should be there before it get's too late.

"I'll be ready. But I can't promise you anything about not working. I still have some things to do as well. There is this body from limbo and I wanted to take another look at the skeleton of the latest case…"

"You are unbelievable, Bones. I hope you know that. I have to go now."

They both stood up and after some nervous looks, Booth hugged her for a moment, whispered 'I'll miss you' in her ear and went out of the door, before she could fully comprehend what happened.

Only seconds later, Angela walked into her office, with a huge smile on her face.

"That was soooo cute, Sweetie. And now pack up your things, we still have some shopping to do."

"But…"

"No buts, Bren. You promised me that we could go shopping today and now we go. Get your things."

Shopping Mall, 12.23.08:

"Angela, I really don't need anymore clothes. We already packed anyway. And I am NOT wearing that!"

"Why not? I can guarantee you that it will make him really hot."

"I can't run around wearing something like that. We have Parker with us and I don't wear anything this revealing around a 7 year old."

"So you would consider wearing it just for Booth? You know, that Parker will have his own bedroom, right? You could just wear it when the two of you are alone…"

Angela was trying to get her best friend to buy a very revealing dark red bra and panty set, that 'Booth would love'. She had even found a matching garter belt and 'cute stockings' to go with it. But of course, Temperance wasn't interested in these things at all. She loved to wear nice and sexy things for a man, she cared about, but never before had she cared so much about a man and she wasn't planning on just having sex with him. She wanted it all, holding hands, kissing, being together and making love. Booth had only told her about that so far but she intended to try it some day. Maybe not right now, it was still too early to even say if they would be together in the end, but she knew that the only man she wanted to have this feeling of being one with was her partner.

"Ange, of course I would want to wear sexy lingerie for him. But don't you think it is a little early for that? We haven't even kissed yet. I don't want to, what do you call it….hix it?"

"Jinx, Sweetie. I guess I understand your point. When the day is there, when you want to buy anything for him, just give me a call and we can go shopping again."

Two hours later, Angela was still running around and trying to get her friend to buy various articles. So far they got a new 'hot but not too revealing' set of pajamas for her and a science kit as a Christmas present for Parker.

"What about Booth's present, Bren? Do you have that already? What is it?"

"We decided to just get each other something small. No big presents, or expensive things. I got him a flashy tie with lot's of skeletons on it and another one with something written on it…"

"That's a nice idea. The skeletons will remind him of you, every time he wears the tie. And what is written on the second one?"

Brennan whispered something so quiet that Angela didn't understand it.

"What was that, Bren? Is it something embarrassing?"

"It says 'taken' in big red letters on a black tie. Happy now?"
This time Ange couldn't hold back her squeal of delight. She never thought Bren would even think about buying something like that, if she insisted and now she had gotten it all on her own. Booth was already having a good influence on her life.

"Angela! Stop screaming! People are looking at us!"

"That's just about the best thing you ever did, Bren. I bet he will be very happy about that present."

"You think so? I wasn't sure, maybe he does not like it…"

"Trust me, Bren, he will love his gift."

AN2: I would love to get some reviews. Tell me if you liked it, or hated it, or whatever else you thought while reading it. Oh and someone thought that I had to be a mother....nope I just turned 20 and so far there are no kids running around the house....