Willow poked her tongue between her teeth as she fiddled with her hair, trying to get the long red strands to sit the way she wanted them to. Normally she wouldn't care about it but she was going with her father (as his plus one… which was exciting because she'd never been plus anything before, except for getting A plusses at school) to the Jeffersonian Christmas party and she wanted to make a good impression and to be presentable enough that her father would be proud to introduce her as his daughter.
Willow finally slid the last pin into place and smiled at herself in the mirror. Sure, she wasn't nearly as pretty as Buffy and Cordelia and she wasn't very good and doing her own hair up nice, but at least she looked presentable. She glanced down at the clothes she was wearing, glad that Buffy and Cordelia had taken her shopping for some new clothes. She was wearing a knee length black dress with streaks of dark green worked into the soft material. She'd also a brought a matching dark green jacket and had pulled on some strappy black shoes.
Satisfied that she was ready, Willow walked out of the bathroom of Booth's apartment and headed back to the bedroom so she could put away her things. She smiled as she looked around the small guest bedroom. There wasn't much room in it, a big double bed and a dresser and a desk almost filled it, but it was cozy and Willow felt comfortable in there. She put her things in her suitcase and picked up her jacket from off the bed along with her handbag. She walked out of her room, heading towards the living room.
Booth had gone to work that day, his last day until after Christmas, so Willow had been alone in his apartment. Booth had offered to fake being ill so he could stay home with her but Willow had shaken her head and shooed him out the door. She'd entertained herself be doing a bit of reading, for once not school- or research-connected but instead some old cushy classic romance novels, and she'd had an afternoon nap, just because she could, and she guessed that it was going to be a late night, not that she wasn't used to it.
Now she was waiting for Booth to come and collect her on his way from the Hoover building to the Jeffersonian. Willow found herself looking forward to it. The previous night Dr. Saroyen, or as she insisted Willow call her, Cam, had offered to organize a personalized tour of the lab and the museum for Willow and Willow had happily agreed, looking forward to it. The Jeffersonian looked like an interesting place to visit and Willow, always a keen learner, anticipated that a personalized tour would be highly educational and with a bit of luck, it would be far more interesting than the psychology conferences in LA her mother had taken her to up until Willow was about fifteen.
Willow sat down on the couch and looked around the apartment. The place reminded her strongly of Booth. The movies and books on the shelf were a mixture of action, comedy and sports, with a good selection of children's movies on the lower shelves, obviously for Parker's benefit when he came to stay. The apartment was tidy but still felt lived in, the exact opposite of the sterile, impersonal home that she'd grown up in and Willow felt comfortable and safe, even though she'd spent less than a day there. Willow didn't know how to explain it, so she simply shrugged and went with the flow, fully intending to enjoy spending time with her biological father and half-brother and not worrying about things. She could worry when she returned to Sunnydale.
Willow's gaze flickered over to a framed photo of Booth and Parker together. She smiled. It was a Friday and tomorrow she and Booth were going to go and pick Parker up from his mother's house and then drop him off again on Monday. He'd be back again Wednesday afternoon, as Wednesday was Christmas Day, and then he'd spend the following week with her and Booth. Parker would go home on New Year's Day and Willow would fly back to Sunnydale on the fifth of January, so they would be able to spend lots of time together. Willow bounced a little in her chair as she thought of actually getting to meet her younger brother. She knew that over Christmas Booth was going to introduce her to his grandfather and brother but it was Parker, the loveable little boy who had sounded so excited on the phone and that Booth had talked about so much that she was really looking forward to meeting.
Willow jumped slightly when she heard a key in the door lock but relaxed when she saw Booth poke his head through.
"Hey, it's just me. You ready to go?" He smiled.
Willow nodded and picked up her jacket and bag, double-checking that she had a vial of holy water, a small cross and a couple of pencils tucked in there before she walked over to the door. Booth stepped aside to let her out before he switched off the light and locked the door up again.
"You look beautiful," he told Willow as they walked down the corridor to the elevator.
Willow blushed a little. "Thanks, you look good too."
Booth tugged a little on the front of his suit. "Yeah, and it's surprisingly comfortable too. These Jeffersonian parties are good fun though, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it."
"I just have to watch out for Angela and the photocopier?" Willow asked and Booth laughed.
"Yeah, don't worry about it though. I advise you to stay away from the eggnog though, and the punch."
"How come?" Willow asked as they entered the elevator. Booth chuckled.
"Hodgins and Zach have been known to spike the drinks at these kinds of things. None that I've been to, but apparently they did the punch at a Fourth of July party, and it wasn't pleasant."
"They spiked the punch? What with?" Willow asked
"Pure alcohol they made in the lab. Angela tells me it was so funny… what she remembers of it. Apparently Bones was furious."
Willow giggled. "Alright, I'll stick to the water."
"That's a good idea." Booth nodded as the elevator pinged and let them out into the basement. Willow followed Booth to the SUV in his designated parking space and giggled some more when he opened the car door for her.
"My lady." He bowed.
"Thank you, sir," Willow replied as she got in. Booth closed the door and walked around to his door.
"Seriously, though," he commented as he started the car, "you look so much like your mom at our homecoming dance. She was so beautiful."
"Do you miss her?" Willow asked. Booth looked at Willow and then refocused on the road.
"Yeah, I miss her. I mean, she was my first serious girlfriend. I would have not gone into the Army if she'd wanted me to stay here with her, not she wanted me to go. She knew that it was important to me. I'm just sorry I didn't stay around. I might have known what was going on then, I might have had the chance to meet you before now."
"But you didn't. Don't focus on the might-have-beens. Buffy once told me that you need to Carpe Diam, seize the day, because tomorrow, you might be dead."
Booth coughed. "That's, um, cheerful," he managed. Willow shrugged.
"Yes, it is morbid, but it is true though. I mean, you work solving homicides every day. You know how many people die in a city this large on a day-to-day basis, so don't waste time focusing on the could've-beens, should-have-beens and might-have-beens, and focus on the could be, should be and will be."
Booth simply looked at his daughter in amazement. "You ever considering being a motivational speaker?" he asked. Willow blanched.
"Oh, ick no. Public talking, no way." She shuddered. "Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Almost as bad as frogs."
Booth snorted. "Frogs? You're scared of frogs?"
"Well, not Kermit, but real frogs, yes. They're all hoppy and slimy and croaky. Please tell me there aren't any frogs at the Jeffersonian."
"Hodgins might have a few, I don't know, he's more bugs than amphibians though, so I don't know."
"Good." Willow smiled and they fell into a comfortable silence, Willow watching as the landmarks went rushing by and Booth watching the traffic.
BtVS/BONES
Booth cut the engine of the SUV, glancing over at Willow with a smile. Willow didn't notice, busy chewing upon her lip nervously.
"Come on, Willow, you'll be okay. They all liked you last night. The squints wouldn't shut up about you today."
"Really, what was she saying?" Willow asked, her head whipping around.
"Ah, just how intelligent you were and how polite you were and Cam couldn't get over how much like your mother you look… she knew us both back in high school," Booth elaborated. Willow blushed.
"I hope it didn't get in the way of a case being solved… or anything."
Booth snorted. "Willow, nothing stands in the way of those squints and solving a case. Bones is the most focused person I know, no contest, except for possibly your mom."
"Oh, that's a relief." Willow relaxed slightly before she and Booth got out of the car. Booth locked the car and took Willow's hand, leading her to the car park exit and into the main Jeffersonian complex.
BtVS/BONES
Booth led Willow through the crowds straight to the lab, knowing in his gut that Bones would still be working, despite the party going on around her. He smiled when he spotted the squints through the glass doors and pushed them open, allowing Willow in before following her and closing the door. He smirked when he saw the look of amazement on Willow's face, her eyes as wide as saucers as she tried to take the lab in.
"Booth, hey, and Willow. Glad you could come. Now, maybe we convince Bren and Zach to come and join the party," Angela said, dressed in her customary elf costume. Willow's eyes widened even more at the sight of the artist.
"I didn't realize this was a dress-up party," Willow said, looking from Booth to Angela in puzzlement. Angela laughed.
"It's not, sweetie, I just like to wear something festive. Speaking of, you look great."
Willow blushed. "Thanks. Um, you do too, elves are very festive."
"I know." Angela bounced excitedly. "I love Christmas parties, except for when people don't know when to stop working," Angela shot a look over her shoulder up at the platform where the others were clustered. Hodgins broke away, shaking his head and joined Angela, Booth and Willow.
"Please tell me there isn't a body up there," Booth said with a worried glance at Willow.
"Yes, just some old ones from a dig that Dr. B was sent today. She's pointing out details to Cam and Zach."
"How about I take Willow into my office and I can show her my computer stuff and you can work your magic on Bren and make her go to the party?"
"And I'll work on Zach," Hodgins added. Booth, Angela and Hodgins all paused for a moment.
"Good luck," Angela and Hodgins said in unison, Hodgins speaking to Booth and Angela speaking to Hodgins. Willow giggled as the two men swiped their cards at the stairs and went up, approaching the rest of the team. Cam shifted and Willow caught sight of the skeleton lying on the table but she was distracted by Angela's had on her shoulder.
"Now, let me show you the fun part of the lab," the older woman said. Willow shrugged and followed on – she had enough dead bodies to deal with in Sunnydale, so she could handle not being around them while she was away from the Hellmouth.
Angela led Willow into her inner sanctum and Willow immediately forgot about the skeleton. It was amazing. She eyed all the computer technology and she was almost salivating at the thought of working on it.
"Wow," she managed, "you've got a great set-up here."
"Thanks, it's pretty cool. It's also pretty far from the boy's lab, so I don't hear many of the explosions."
"Explosions?' Willow asked.
"Yeah, Hodgins and Zach love trying out their theories in the form of experiments. Cam hates it though; she even banned them from being alone in the same room together because they almost blew up the lab."
Willow giggled, thinking that maybe Hodgins, Zach and Xander would get along well together.
"What are you two giggling about?" Hodgins asked as he and Zach entered Angela's office. Willow stopped giggling.
"Nothing," Angela said with a smile. Zach cleared his throat.
"Angela, were you aware that you've got photographs of remains out."
"Oh, damn," Angela said, the smile falling off her face as she grabbed the stack of photos up from her desk, where Willow had gotten a good look at them, before shoving them in her desk drawer.
"And Booth thought you'd be away from all the bodies in here," Hodgins chuckled shaking his head.
"It's okay, sweetie. You think you're going to puke?"
Willow shook his head. The pictures hadn't disturbed her at all. Giles had far more gruesome images in his demonology books and Willow herself had found those bodies at school. It was worse when they had flesh and were covered in blood and were people that she had known.
"No, I'm okay. Kind of not the first time I've seen a dead body," she said with a shrug. Zach looked interested.
"Really?"
"I found a couple at my high school earlier this year. It was a wild animal attack or something. Very messy and they were kids I knew and they were all still fleshy, well, where they weren't covered in blood anyway."
"Ew, poor you." Angela put a sympathetic arm around her shoulder.
"Yeah, don't worry, the bodies brought in here aren't very fleshy, or if they are, they don't stay that way," Hodgins said with a grin. Willow's comment had immediately sent his overactive imagination into a spin, running conspiracy theories through his mind and thinking of possible reasons the government would have high school students killed and make it look like an animal attack.
"Does Special Agent Booth know?" Zach asked.
"Um, I don't think he does," Willow replied.
"We won't mention it then, okay? He'd freak if he knew," Angela said. Willow nodded, unable to stop herself from agreeing with the artist.
"Come on, you guys, Booth's got Brennan, let's go," Cam said as she poked her head into the office before hurrying off, her heeled feet clicking as she strode across the smooth floor of the lab. Angela beamed and picked up her bag before she straightened her costume and took Hodgins' outstretched arm. They walked out of the office and Zach and Willow glanced at each other nervously before following them out. Booth and Brennan were waiting for them all at the glass doors to the lab and Booth took Willow's hand once again as he led the way from the lab, pausing while Bones locked it up before they all headed off to the party together.