A/N: Again, I am sorry for only updating weekly. I am finding that with all of the annoying Hannah-ness on the show, I feel less inspired to write. But, your reviews are a constant inspiration, so please keep them coming!

December 10, 2010

"Everything looks great, Temperance. How are you tolerating bed rest?" Dr. Katz asked.

Bones grimaced in response.

Booth put his arm around her shoulder, "She is doing great."

Dr. Katz nodded sympathetically, "I was on bed rest for the last eight weeks of my second pregnancy, so I understand how difficult it can be."

Booth and Bones nodded in unison.

"I was hoping that I might be able to get a brief reprieve-."

"- to go out to dinner or something," Booth said, completing Bones' statement.

Dr. Katz considered the request, "I think that would be feasible. Is it a special occasion?"

"No." Bones said, while Booth replied, "Yes."

Bones turned to face him, a quizzical expression on her face.

Dr. Katz laughed, "Well, I will let you two figure that out. Unless you have any other questions, I will see you next week, Temperance. You too, Seeley, of course."

"I don't believe we have any additional questions," Bones said turning to Booth for confirmation.

He shook his head and helped Bones down from the exam table.

"I am going to use the bathroom. I'll change in there."

"Okay, I will bring the car around," Booth said giving her a peck on the cheek.

"That's not necessary, but if you insist."

"I do."

Bones rolled her eyes, "Okay."

Bones headed towards the bathroom, while Booth sought out Dr. Katz. He caught her just as she was about to go into another exam room.

"Can I ask you a quick question?"

"Sure."

"Would it be okay if, when we were already out, Bo – Temperance and I went to pick out a Christmas tree? Would that be too much for one day?"

"Just don't let her be on her feet for more than thirty minutes at a time, and obviously, she shouldn't be helping to carry the tree."

"Of course not!" Booth asked, "Thanks, doc."

"Have a good day, Seeley."

Booth returned the sentiment then headed towards the car. He saw Bones approaching the glass doors and rushed to open the door for her.

"I am still capable of opening doors, Booth, despite my size."

"I know, I just don't want you exerting yourself," Booth said while opening the car door, "Big day tomorrow!"

When Booth sat down in the driver's seat, Bones asked, "What is the special occasion?"

"We've been together for five months, well technically, five months yesterday."

Bones asked earnestly, "Do couples typically celebrate that?"

"No, not really, but I thought it being a special occasion might bolster our case for your get out of jail free card."

"I know what that means," Bones said waggling her eyebrows.

Booth chuckled, "Good. I look forward to taking you out to dinner tomorrow night, Dr. Brennan."

"And I look forward to going out with you, Agent Booth," Bones said with a smile.

The Next Day

"Are you ready, Bones?" Booth asked, glancing at his watch.

"Almost!" she shouted from the bathroom.

He had made six o'clock reservations at an Italian restaurant that Angela had recommended. Booth hadn't yet told her about the second part of his plans. He hoped he wasn't incorrect in thinking that Bones would be excited to pick out a Christmas tree.

Booth heard Brennan's footsteps on the stairs and turned expectantly towards her. When he saw what she was wearing, he felt bile rise in the back of his throat. Of course, Bones would wear the dress she'd worn to Jared's wedding. She had been sequestered in their home for nearly a month and anticipated spending another month there. Shopping for a dress for a dinner out would, understandably, have been far from her mind. Nevertheless, seeing her in that dress brought back unsettling memories.

Booth managed to plaster a smile on his face, "Hey, it still fits! You look great, Bones."

Bones ran her hands over her stomach, "I think 'great' is an exaggeration, but thank you."

"Nope, no exaggeration," Booth said, hooking his arms with hers.

"I suppose that in comparison to the tee shirts and sweat pants I've been wearing for the last four weeks, this is a considerable improvement."

Booth laughed, "You look beautiful no matter what you wear."

Bones looked at him skeptically.

"You do! Come on, Bones. Let's get going."

When they arrived at the restaurant, Booth was told that their table would be ready in less than ten minutes. Booth looked around and saw no unoccupied seats for Bones.

Booth approached a young man seated by himself, "Excuse me, would you mind getting up so that my girlfriend could sit down?" Booth said gesturing towards the very pregnant Bones.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I would mind," the young man said before turning away from Booth.

"Booth, it's ten minutes. I'll be fine."

Ignoring Bones' plea, Booth thrust his badge in the young man's face, "Now do the decent thing and get up so the pregnant woman can sit down."

"Booth!" Bones exclaimed, all heads now turned in their direction.

Finally rising from the seat, the young man turned to Bones and said, "You're boyfriend is crazy."

Taking the vacated seat, she replied, "Yes, I am aware."

Three minutes later, the hostess informed them that their table was ready. As Booth took Bones' hand, Bones noted that the young man's girlfriend had joined him.

Momentarily, breaking free from Booth's grasp, she rapidly said to the woman, "You should know that your boyfriend was extremely reluctant to vacate his seat for a pregnant woman. Society's customs dictate that people give preferential seating to pregnant women, the handicapped, and the elderly."

Bones returned to grab Booth's hands as she heard, the appalled young woman say, "You wouldn't get up to let her sit down?"

Bones looked back with a satisfied smirk before continuing to follow the hostess.

When they were seated, Bones stated, "I am not going to comment on your behavior, other that I find it unacceptable and would in the future, as not ruin our evening."

Booth stifled a laugh, "I'm sorry, Bones. I was just worried about you standing for any period of time."

"Although I understand the biological imperative to protect your young, I can take of myself, Booth. I'm a big girl."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," Booth said, reaching across the table to take her hands in his, "I didn't want to ruin our night out."

Bones expression softened, "You didn't."

"Good," Booth with a warm smile and brought his hands to her lips, kissing them lightly.

"Good evening," the waitress said, "Would you like me to come back?"

"No, that's not necessary," Brennan said dismissively.

The waitress smiled, "Would you like to order a glass of wine, ma'am?"

Bones' lip curled in a half smile and rested her hands on her stomach, "Yes, I would - very much, but it would be ill-advised. Water is fine for me."

"Oh," the waitress said, her eyes widening in recognition, "I didn't even notice that you were pregnant!"

"I presumed," Bones replied.

"Well, congratulations! It looks like that baby is due any day now!" the waitress said cheerfully.

Afraid that the waitress' reference to Bones' size would set off a crying jag, Booth quickly said, "Babies. We are expecting twins in a month or so."

"That's wonderful," the waitress replied before taking Booth's drink order, reciting the specials, and leaving.

"I find society's shared joy over the expectation of a child fascinating," Bones remarked, "before my prescribed bed rest, strangers were always smiling at me or congratulating me on my pregnancy."

Booth took her hand again, "If you think you are getting a lot of random smiles now, just wait until we are pushing those two beautiful babies in a stroller."

Bones merely smiled in response, the image that Booth had painted dancing through her mind. The waitress returned a few minutes later with their drinks and to take their dinner order. Bones looked around at the surrounding tables, containing mostly other couples.

"It is so nice to get out of the house, even if it is only for an hour or two."

Booth smiled knowingly, "Well, my dear, after this, we are going to pick out our Christmas tree."

"We are?" Bones asked, "But what about Parker? Don't you usually pick out a tree with Parker?"

"I do. Rebecca said that we could pick him up, and he can spend the night with us - if that's okay with you."

"Of course it is okay for your son to pick out a Christmas tree with us, Booth! I hope Parker doesn't feel that I am intruding. I know how much you enjoy spending the holidays with your son," Bones stated with a slight frown.

Booth leaned across the table so his lips were only inches from Bones' and said, "I like to spend time with the people I love during the holidays – that means you and Parker."

Bones nodded, and Booth kissed her lightly.

"Next year, me, you, Parker, and the girls will pick out a tree. Families change, traditions change," Booth said brushing her cheek lightly with his forefinger.

"I very much look forward to that," Bones said with a smile.

After the main course was eaten, Booth insisted on ordering dessert upon Angela's recommendation that they made an excellent peanut butter pie. Bones took a few bites of the confection then declared she was full. While Booth finished the pie, Bones visually searched the restaurant for the waitress.

"I hope she returns with the check shortly," Bones sighed impatiently.

Booth chuckled, "Why? Do I have to bring you back by curfew?"

"What?"

"Never mind. I think she is headed our way now."

As the words crossed Booth's lips, Bones fished her credit card out of her wallet.

"Nope," Booth said, "This one is on me. Our five month anniversary, remember?"

"I thought you said that wasn't a 'real thing'," asked Bones with a furrowed brow.

Booth laughed, "Well, we have really been together for five months, so it is a 'real thing'. I figured that by the time we were together six months, we might already be parents, which makes getting out to dinner difficult."

Bones nodded, "Yes, I suspect it would."

"And," Booth added emphatically, "I think every day I get to spend with you is worth celebrating."

"Despite the unexpected difficulties during the pregnancy, I have found these last several months to be very enjoyable," Bones replied authoritatively.

"Me too, Bones," Booth said suspecting that was as close to Bones said he made her happy as he'd get, at least at the moment.

Parker did not stop chattering from the second he bounced into the car to when they arrived at the water ice place now occupied with Christmas trees in the off season.

"We can get a really big tree," Parker said excitedly, "because your house is really tall. Remember, at your apartment, we always had to get trees that were shorter than you, Dad?"

"Yeah, I remember, bud."

"After we get the tree, Dad will put up the lights then we'll hang the ornaments and drink hot chocolate," Parker explained to Bones.

"That sounds fun," Bones commented.

Parker rushed ahead into the simulated forest of trees with Booth following closely behind him. Bones paused for a moment. The vision of the many evergreens reminded her of a night three years ago when she had looked longingly out a window at a lit Christmas tree and two pairs of warm, brown Booth eyes looking back at her. She smiled at the memory.

"Bones? Woo hoo, Earth to Bones!" Booth shouted reaching for his girlfriend's hand.

"Oh, sorry. I must have gotten distracted."

"I noticed," said an amused Booth, "We better go reign Parker in or we'll end up with a tree big enough for the White House."

Bones nodded and followed behind him.

"Okay, Parks, did you find one you like yet?"

"I like this one, but I like this one too," Parker remarked about a number of trees.

"They all look good to me, what do you think, Bones?"

Bones carefully considered the trees that Parker had selected, "This blue spruce is quite nice. It seems rather a shame that it was chopped down only to be discarded in a few weeks."

Both Booths frowned, and Bones amended her statement, "But, it would make an excellent Christmas tree. I think Parker should be the one to chose, however."

"I like that one, Bones," Parker agreed enthusiastically.

Booth wrapped his arms around Bones' rounded belly, kissing her lightly on the cheek, "Then, that is our tree. I will get the salesman. Can you and Parker guard the tree?"

"Sure," Bones replied before Booth went in search of the teenager he'd seen at the entrance.

"It's a nice tree," Bones commented to Parker as she ran her hands over the branches.

"Yep!" Parker said before his expression turned serious, "Next year, we will need an even bigger tree to fit all of the presents for me and my sisters."

"Yes, we will," Bones replied, as tears began welling in her eyes.

Parker glanced at Bones, giving her a disconcerted look, "Are you okay?"

Wiping her tears, Bones said, "Yes, I am fine."

Parker gave Bones a quick hug before announcing, "Dad is back with the salesman."

When Booth approached, a concerned Parker whispered to him, "Bones is crying again."

Booth looked over at Bones to find that she was indeed crying, "Parks, why don't you go with Jim while he gets the tree ready? Bones and I are going to sit down on that bench for a minute."

"No, Booth. I'm fine -."

"Okay!" Parker exclaimed.

Parker eagerly followed their Christmas tree, while Booth and Bones took a seat.

"What is it, baby?" he soothed.

"I just – I've never chosen a Christmas tree with anyone, except my family when I was a child," she confessed.

Booth put his arm around Bones and drew her close, "What about that physicist, didn't you live together for a year?"

Bones nodded, "Yes, but Peter was Jewish, and I had no inclination to celebrate Christmas."

"Because of your family," Booth said completing her thought.

Bones nodded, her lower lip quivering, "I never realized how much I missed being part of a family – a real family."

Booth nodded sympathetically, "I am glad that I get to be your family, Bones."

"Me too."

"We are going to have a lot of great Christmases together…and Easters, and Thanksgivings, and Halloween and…"

Bones giggled, "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

"Good," Booth said rising from his seat triumphantly, "Now, let's get that tree home and decorate it!"