(The Goop on the Girl)

Thank you for reviewing my story. It is the only way I can tell if anyone is still interested. Here is the promised Christmas dinner.

I don't own Bones.

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Entering the front door, Max greeted his daughter, looked around and smiled, "Very nice. I like it."

Taking her father's coat, Brennan pointed towards the Christmas tree, "Booth has a theme for his tree. He always has a theme."

Max frowned and walked closer to the tree to examin the decorations, "The Philadelphia Flyers?"

Amused at her father's expression, Brennan carried the coat over to the guest bedroom and entered the room, "It's taken him years to get enough to cover the tree. The tree topper is the traditional Angel topper though. It belonged to his grandmother."

Quickly looking up, Max smiled, "It's very pretty . . . Where is Booth?"

Reentering the living room, Brennan pointed towards the kitchen, "He's checking on the turkey. That's his responsibility. I thought Margaret was coming with you?"

The smells coming from the kitchen so tantalizing, Max followed his daughter towards the kitchen. "She's coming Honey. She plans to come around five. I offered to bring her, but she said that your invitation was for five and that's when she was coming. Something about stale guests or something."

Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was 2:23 p.m., "Why did you come so early?"

His gaze moving towards the holly wrapped bannisters on the staircase, Max explained, "I want to help with the dinner. I don't want you to over do it. I remember how tired your mother got when she was pregnant and I want to help make sure that you don't get tired today, that's all."

Brennan placed her hand on her stomach and sighed, "You forget who I'm living with, Dad. Booth has made it his mission to make sure I don't over do it."

Entering the living room, Booth remarked, "Damn right. It's my job to make sure you have a nice time today. If you need help with anything you come and get me, Bones."

Stopping to kiss him as she passed him, Brennan murmured, "Booth, you promised to be less bossy."

Annoyed with himself, Booth nodded his head, "Yeah, I did say that I'd try and I am trying."

Punching him lightly on the arm, she advised him, "Try harder."

Amused, Booth watched her enter the kitchen and laughed, "Okay . . . Okay."

Laughing, Max stated, "You should have seen how I acted when Christine was pregnant. It's a miracle she didn't leave me or murder me in my sleep. I wouldn't let the poor woman do anything once she was showing. She finally threatened to turn me in to the cops if I didn't tone it down some."

Interested, Booth asked, "Did you?"

Snorting, Max nodded his head, "Of course, Christine never lied to me about anything. If she said she was going to do something she did it. I wasn't about to sit in prison while she was having my baby."

Staring at the kitchen doorway, Booth nodded his head, "Sounds familiar."

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Puzzled, Margaret stared at the Christmas tree and shook her head, "This hardly seems very Christmasy."

Annoyed with her attitude, Hodgins shrugged his shoulders and explained with a smile, "Well, Booth loves the Flyers and he loves Christmas. I guess he just wanted to combine them both."

Plucking off a figurine of a hockey player, Margaret stared at it closely, "Wise men don't need advice and fools won't take it."

His smile disappearing, Hodgins took the ornament from her hand and placed it back on the tree, "Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."

Startled, Margaret responded, "You're quoting Benjamin Franklin. I was too. He was one our greatest leaders."

Unhappy with the woman's attitude, the entomologist frowned and spoke quietly, "Look, that's fine if you want to quote him, just don't use the quotes to make snide remarks about people. You're standing in Booth's and Brennan's house. They invited you here for a family dinner. Don't insult the man or his tree. It's not right." Shaking his head, Hodgins walked over to the couch and sat down next to his girlfriend, "I don't like Brennan's cousin."

Puzzled, Angela asked, "What happened? Did she say something?"

Placing his arm around her, Hodgins leaned closer and spoke quietly in her ear, "She insulted Booth's tree. It made me mad."

Irritated, Angela glared at Margaret who was still inspecting the tree ornaments, "If she says anything to upset Brennan or Booth and they hear it, then God help her."

"Yeah, Booth will probably tell her off." Kissing Angela's cheek, Hodgins exclaimed, "Relatives!"

Shaking her head, Angela smirked, "I meant that if she upsets Brennan or Booth I'm going to hurt her feelings."

Wisely, Hodgins kept silent.

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The dinner a success, everyone was in the living room chatting about the case they'd just closed and the funeral they had attended that morning. Most agreed that burying a child during the Christmas holidays had to be the saddest thing they'd ever witnessed.

Worried that their party was becoming depressing, Booth left the room, entered the guest bedroom and then came back with a large red bag trimmed in white. Smiling, he pulled out wrapped boxes and handed one to each of his guests.

Protesting, Angela took the present, "Booth, I thought we agreed not to give each other presents this year."

Booth shook his head and continued to rummage in his bag, "I didn't agree to that." Finished handing out his presents, Booth eagerly motioned with his hands, "Come on, open them."

Margaret, who hadn't expected a present, tore off the paper and found a chrysanthemum sun catcher. "This is nice. Thank you."

Pleased, Booth watched as his friends unwrapped their presents.

Cam smiled at her sun catcher and turned towards Booth, "This are very nice, Booth. Thank you."

Watching her friends hold up their sun catchers, Brennan smiled, "Each sun catcher is a flower. Booth used the language of flowers to choose which ones to buy. Each one has a meaning. He wrote their meaning on a slip of paper and put them in the box."

Delighted, Angela looked in her box and pulled out the small paper. Reading the neat handwriting, Angela beamed, "Snapdragon, graciousness and strength". Stroking the glass flower, Angela smiled, "Thank you, Booth."

Handing his last box to Brennan, Booth leaned down and kissed her, "I have one for you too, Bones."

Surprised, Brennan opened the box and found a lavender rose sun catcher. Finding the slip of paper, Brennan read, "Love at first sight." A wave of happiness moving through her, Brennan stood and placed her arms around her lover, "Thank you, Booth."

Hugging her as tightly as he could, Booth kissed her, "It's only the truth, Bones."

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Sitting down next to his grandfather, Booth debated about whether or not to wake him. Deciding that it would be better in the long run, Booth placed his hand on Hank's shoulder and gently shook it, "Pops, wake up Pops."

Fighting sleep, Hank yawned and then shook his head, "I wasn't sleeping. I was just resting my eyes."

Amused, Booth pointed to the guest bedroom, "Why don't you go to bed? Everyone has gone home and Bones and I are getting ready to go to bed too. She's pretty tired."

Using his cane, the older man slowly stood up, "Yeah, it has been a long day. I'll see you in the morning."

Watching his grandfather walk across the living room and enter the bedroom, Booth stood up and stretched his arms and shoulders. Brennan leaving the kitchen stopped to stare at Booth and smiled.

Aware that Brennan was watching him, he slowly removed his t-shirt and flexed the muscles on his back and shoulders. Turning, Booth wiggled his eyebrows, "See anything you like?"

Brennan smiled and walked over to the staircase, "Actually I do."

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