The snow was peppering her raven waves as she walked toward the little front porch in a Southeast DC neighborhood. Although it was Christmas morning, Angela noted that there was a buzz of people walking around, just plain standing around, or staring at her from their front porches.

There was no door bell to ring on the little brick building and she would have knocked to gain entry, but solid steel bars blocked the doors and windows. Angela gripped the tiny Christmas present in her hands and tried to shelter the shiny red paper from the falling snow. She noticed some movement inside the building, behind the yellowish curtains. It wasn't an ideal place for a little boy to grow up; the neighborhood was beyond questionable. It seemed that not a day passed without WTTG or WUSA reporting a violent crime in the area. But it was definitely better than the little crack house that her mother was raising the boy in. At least here, he would have running water and a solid roof over his head. She put aside any worries that the house inside was a wasteland and shouted to let herself be known.

The curtains moved. The blinds shook. Then two hallow eyes appeared behind the door which was cracked only enough for a little bit of her face to show. Angela was shocked at Debbie's appearance. She looked ill and anxious. "Whatcha want, hon? It's Christmas, ain't it?"

"I... I brought Brayden a present."

"Brayden ain't here."

"He's not?"

"I mean he's 'sleep. It's not even ten yet. I'm lettin' him sleep in. Why don't you just come back a little later?"

Angela batted her eyes disbelievingly. Behind Debbie, she could hear laughing, chatting, har-har-haring voices. "Having a party?"

"It's a family get-together." Debbie opened the door just enough to snatch the gift from Angela's hands and close the door again. "Why don't you come back later? It's a holiday."

"But I was hope--"

Angela was left talking to the steel bars again. She felt like breaking the woman's nose, but she reminded herself that tomorrow was the day that she would talk to her lawyers. Today she was a newlywed and tomorrow would be a new day.

"A new day," she whispered to herself. She turned and walked slowly down the walk to where Hodgins was parked on the street.

---

Fifteen minutes earlier, Booth was standing in the hospital doorway waiting for Brennan to wake up. When she began to stir, he walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Merry Christmas, Bones." This greeting did not come from Booth. It came from a little blondish-haired boy who was quickly becoming a young man before his father's eyes. "Dad said you were sick. You want some?" he asked, offering some of his lunch.

"Mmm, no thank you, Parker. I'm not hungry."

"Woah, there, Bones," Booth said, stepping forward. "You don't have to sit up."

"I want to."

"Don't you think you should lie down?"

"Don't patronize me, Booth. I'm not a child."

Their little tussle was disrupted by Parker's laugh. "You guys are worse than mom and Brent."

Booth sighed and sat back. "Rebecca brought Parker by, I hope you don't mind."

"You could have gone to Rebecca's to spend Christmas, Booth. I wouldn't have minded."

"I would have. You're my... and... you know, it wouldn't be right to leave you here by yourself on Christmas."

"Partner," Parker said.

Both adults looked over at the boy with the bag of Fritos.

"You're Bones' partner, dad."

Booth nodded. It wasn't that he was at a loss for words, but it was just that somehow that word wasn't quite right. Not any more, anyway.

When Rebecca had brought Parker by the hospital that morning, Booth had realized something. He was fairly certain that he had never been told about the baby that was coming. Honestly, he was still trying to adjust to it himself.

He had put the quarters into the snack machine in the hospital's cafeteria, all the while keeping an eye on Parker. He had cleared his throat a few times.

"What... what do you want for Christmas, Parker?"

"Is this a trick question, dad?"

Dang, he was sharp, Booth thought. "No, no. Nothing like that, Buddy."

"OK. In that case... I want a gun."

"Wow."

"It's OK, dad, you don't have to say anything. I know you're gonna say I'm too little and stuff."

"I think you're right." The Fritos fell and Parker had retrieved it.

"Why are we at the hospital, dad? It's it Dr. Brennan? I once saw this show called Cops and this guy and his partner, like, went into this house and there were a bunch of guys in there and they shot him. He was OK cuz he had a vest on and stuff, but is that what happened?"

"When, uh..." Booth had put a bill into the soda machine. Two sodas fell down and he had grabbed them in one hand. "When was the last time you saw Dr. Brennan?"

"I dunno," Parker had shrugged, drinking his soda. "It was a long, long time ago, though."

They had walked several strides in silence until they were outside of Brennan's door. Booth then knelt. "Look, Buddy, uh... Bones is gonna have a baby and that baby wants to come early, so she's here to make sure he stays in a bit longer."

Parker had drunk his soda and digested the new information. "Is he... is the baby gonna be yours too?"

Booth then stood so abruptly that Parker had begun to think he had said something wrong. Booth then put his hands on his hips, scratched his head, then knelt again. "Yeah... yeah, he is. I'm sorry I didn't tell ya before, but, uh... Well, there's no excuse for it. I'm sorry, Buddy. I should've gold you."

"I'm not mad, dad," Parker said.

"You're not?"

Parker chuckled, "Huh, no!"

"No?"

"Can I go say hi to Dr. Brennan now, cuz my legs are starting to hurt."

"Sure," Booth had replied, bewildered.

Fast forward and Parker was opening his present for Booth and Brennan. Booth laughed as Parker marveled at his gift.

"That's not child approved," Brennan whispered.

Booth shook his head, "Look at him, he loves it."

"Rebecca is going to have an ulcer," Brennan whispered back.

"It's not armed," Booth whispered back, then grinned again at Parker and the antique grenade.

Brennan rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Booth looked at Brennan and smiled at her, realizing that even Temperance Brennan could not fight anthropological inevitabilities such as maternal instincts.

Brennan caught that grin and smiled back, "What?"

Booth stood up. "I got something for you."

"I... your present is in my closet at home," Brennan replied.

"No, Bones. This isn't the kind of thing where you expect something in return. This is... it's special," Booth took the little box from his jacket pocket and sat back down beside Brennan. Parker stood by Brennan's right shoulder, Booth to her left. Their hands touched as he put the little box in her hands. For a moment, that 'lightning in a bottle' jumped out and zinged up her arm. She had to catch her breath, but couldn't help but to feel dizzy yet when she realized she was holding a little jewelery box, the size of a ring... or earrings? Or a ring.

Had he found her ring and repackaged it? Or was he going to go and do something incredibly stupid and she would have to tell him no way and break his heart?

"Booth, I--"

"Open it, Bones. Just-- trust me."

Brennan opened it.

And she was surprised that the contents of the box were disappointing.

A golden chain that ended in little red garnet. But why was she so disappointed?

"It's a birthstone. It's... our baby's birthstone. For January."

"It's December."

"And I told you, I have faith. So, it's January. The guy asked me if I wanted to get insurance even. He said that it would allow me to change the stone out if it's the wrong one and I said 'It's the right one'." Booth took the necklace out of the box and put it around her neck. He may or may not have taken his time slipping the necklace around her neck. It was just as torturous to him as it was to her, feeling his hands on the soft parts of her neck. And it did help that she hadn't been touched in many months. Then again, even if she had... it was Booth and he was so... so...

Booth's cell phone rang. He had to break contact. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done.

He took the call in the hallway.

Parker then took his father's seat beside Brennan. "I like it," he said. "It looks nice on you."

"Thank you, Parker."

"Can I name the baby?"

"Uh... how about one of the names?"

Parker thought this over. "OK."

In the hallway, Booth hung up the cell phone slowly. There was an uneasiness in the way he walked back into the room and looked at Brennan.

"What? What's wrong?"

----

Thanks again, everyone! :)