I LIED! Not the last chapter at all :) Because I love you all too much. And I'm dealing with some fucked-up shit at the moment and I need something else to do, new chapter of Forgetting is and I'm waiting for all my usual reviewers to toddle back, so here we are (I am never updating on a Sunday again ¬¬) In this, Booth didn't go anywhere and neither did Brennan or the others :D

Christmas

'How are you spending Christmas?' Booth asked Brennan as she bent over her desk, head buried amongst a tidal wave of paper that was threatening to wash her away.

'The same way I always spend Christmas, Booth. My father comes over and we have dinner, then he goes home.' She told him, looking up for a second as she considered rephrasing a paragraph on a report.

'I was actually thinking… do you want to spend Christmas with me? That is… if you want.' She looked up at her, she supposed, boyfriend and smiled, a blush creeping up her cheeks and along her neck.

'I'd love to.' She smiled genuinely and he caught the tail end of it, a grin breaking out on his face too.

'You would?'

'I would, but isn't Parker with you for Christmas?'

'No, he's with Rebecca this year. I have him for New Year.'

'Oh okay, I was just curious.' She added hastily, seeing his quizzical glance.

'Don't you like him?'

'Of course I do Booth! He's your son and I love him a lot, and I know he loves me. I just… have some stuff I need to discuss with you.'

'We can do it now?'

'I don't feel comfortable doing it in the workplace.' She shifted slightly in her seat and bent her head over the paperwork, her hair falling over to hide her face, but not disguising the flush on the back of her neck. Booth seemed to get it, and gave her a small smile that she didn't see.

'Well okay, I'll see you at mine in two days time, about six Christmas eve right?'

'Sounds like a plan.' She agreed, watching him turn to leave. She stood up and walked towards him, kissing him on the cheek and blushing bright red as Angela walked past, looking curiously at them both.

'See you then.' He smiled and planted a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth. No sooner had he left and Brennan had sat back down at her desk, Angela appeared in the doorway.

'What was that?' She asked curiously, dropping into a chair opposite her friend.

'What was what?'

'You kissed Booth. I saw you. Why? Are you guys an item?'

'I don't know what that means… but if you mean we are a couple, then yes, we are.'

'I knew it! I knew you guys were perfect for each other, I've been telling you all along.' Angela beamed and hugged Brennan, who looked a little confused, but returned the motion.

'You did?' Brennan smiled as Angela looked shocked and then ducked a swatting hand.

'Of course Sweetie! You guys are so good together. Like Hodgins and I, we just… match. As do you and Booth. Are you going to his place for Christmas?'

'How did you know?'

'The steps of being a couple.' Angela informed her wisely.

Christmas eve – Booth's apartment

Brennan stepped inside his apartment, dusting the snow off the shoulders of her white coat and shivering as the warm air inside enveloped her.

'Don't you shiver when you're cold?' Booth asked her, looking the very picture of homeliness with a faded tee and some old jeans on. She glared at him and he gave her a smile, reaching out to take her coat from her hand.

'Don't you have other people to annoy?' She quipped at him, throwing the coat over his face and moving into the kitchen.

'Ouch. Coffee?' He grimaced and glided into the kitchen beside her, catching her around the waist and pulling her to him.

'No.' She answered quickly, spinning gracefully from his embrace.

'Wine?'

'No.'

'Anything?'

'Water would be nice.' She told him, walking back towards the living room and dropping onto the sofa, kicking off her shoes as he brought her in a glass of cold water from the fridge. 'Thanks.' She curled her legs up under her and he joined her, pulling her under his arm. She closed her eyes as he pressed a button on the remote and the television screen flickered into life. He shifted slightly so that she was more comfortable, taking the glass from her hand and resting it on the coffee table in front of him. She pressed back against him, her head completely on his shoulder, her hair flicking across her face and over her shoulder. He watched her for a while, her breathing becoming slower and more regular until she was completely asleep. After watching some ridiculous Christmas movie and deciding that she should probably be awake, he shook her gently and she opened her grey eyes, slightly clouded by sleep.

'Hmmm? What's happening?'

'Nothing, I just thought I'd wake you up.'

'I fell asleep?' She asked, scandalised.

'Nothing wrong with that is there?'

'Oh… no I'm just annoyed that I didn't stay awake to talk to you.'

'Not much to talk about I guess. And you look cute when you're sleeping.' He teased, playing with her hair and running it through his fingers, the strands as soft as silk.

'I do not!'

'You do!'

'Do not!'

'Do!' Booth teased her and wrapped his arms around her waist, her warm body radiating heat. She squirmed slightly against his grip, but conceded that she was too tired to push him off. 'You do.' He whispered in her ear, brushing aside a lock of hair with his hand.

'I do not.' She whispered, too tired to even summon up the energy to scold him properly, content with the fact that she'd get him back later for it. 'Not that I've seen myself asleep…'

'Exactly! How would you know?'

'I wouldn't. But I'm not cute, so I was thinking I would know whether I looked cute any other time.'

'You are cute.'

'To you maybe.' He smiled.

'Too right.' He ran a hand down her arm and surreptitiously glanced at his watch, noticing that an entire hour had gone past since he'd woken her. It was now half past nine, and dark adorned the windows, fat white flakes of snow drifting silently beyond them. For a while, he just watched the snow the same way he'd watched the rain when she was in her darkest hour, watching the bleakness outside. She too was watching the snow, and they caught each other before bursting out laughing.

'What do you want for Christmas?' He asked her as she settled back against the cushions, her hand still holding his.

'You.' She answered immediately, her usual shyness gone when she was around him. 'What about you?' She redirected the question to him, tying her hair back.

'Your hair down for a start; I like it better flowing over your shoulders. I want you for Christmas, you're all I want.'

'What about Parker?' She asked him, untying her hair meekly.

'I love him, he's my son, but not like I love you Bones, you know that right?' She nodded and ducked under his arm, nestling against him.

'I know it.'

'Maybe… one day, we could give Parker an extra special Christmas present, one he's wanted for a while that I couldn't give him.'

'What is it?'

'He wants a sister.'

Silence fell.

One hour later…

Brennan finished making her vegetarian alternative to Christmas dinner whilst Booth prepared his, and washed up, flicking water surreptitiously at Booth as he stood with his back to her. Only when, what can only be described as a tide, of water crashed over his back did he look around.

'Was that you?'

'Who else?' She gave him a smile and returned to washing up before he dumped a bottle of cold water over her head. 'Didn't appreciate that!' She exclaimed, glaring at him from a safe distance.

'I did.' She glared at him again and went into the bathroom, returning with a towel to dry her soaking wet hair with.

'Well I didn't.' She told him and began to furiously dry her hair.

'I'm sorry… but you look so lovely when you're dishevelled.'

'Yes Booth, dishevelled does not mean the same as soaking wet.'

'Sorry.' He apologised and moved into his sitting room, and within seconds she heard him whistling tunelessly to some carol playing on the radio. She gave up drying her hair and tucked the towel around her shoulders like a cape. She emerged from the kitchen and noticed he was standing under a sprig of mistletoe that was hanging from the ceiling.

'Did you just put that up?'

'Maybe.' A flush was slowly creeping up his neck and he smiled. 'Well, in the spirit of Christmas, are you going to kiss me under it?' He asked her, a smile that melted her heart plastered on his face.

'Of course.' She checked her watch. 'Ten seconds to midnight.'

Ten

Booth put his hands either side of her waist.

Nine

Brennan copied the motion.

Eight

He glanced up at the mistletoe.

Seven

A blush began in her cheeks.

Six

He placed a hand behind her head.

Five

She put her hands on his chest.

Four

He took a deep breath in.

Three

She pressed herself up against him.

Two

He steeled himself.

One

Their lips touched and the spark was ignited. They kissed passionately, fiercely, as though each second was going to be snatched away from them.

'Merry Christmas.' He whispered the moment they broke apart.

'Merry Christmas… daddy.'

Maybe the last, probably the last. I hope you enjoyed this and reviews are very much appreciated ^_^