Finally we have the next chapter. Several of you have commented on the Sheriff. He's a caricature, of course, and not based on a real person.

So let's see what Booth and Brennan are up to now...


7:30 PM December 22

Probably because it was covered with several inches of snow, it seemed like Guthrie had already closed down for the night as Booth and Brennan traveled the few short blocks from the sheriff's office to the rectory of Trinity Episcopal Church. The windows of the homes which stood along the way glowed warmly from within, and Christmas lights twinkled brightly from many roofs, adding a dash of color to the otherwise stark black and white landscape, but the streets were virtually empty of traffic or pedestrians. It appeared that almost everyone in town had chosen to stay off the snowy roads for the rest of the evening.

As their SUV followed Sheriff Clymer's truck down Oklahoma Avenue, Booth nodded as he took in the placid scene. "You know, with everything being so quiet and peaceful right now, it reminds me of that song…" He hummed a few bars before singing a bit of it. "O Little Town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie…above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by…"

"Except that Bethlehem of that time period was much smaller than present day Guthrie is, and there probably wasn't any snowfall in the immediate vicinity, even if Jesus was born during the winter, which, by the way, is somewhat in doubt…" Brennan shrugged as she looked over the wintry landscape. "I'll admit…it is a beautiful scene, although I've never understood why people associate snow with Christmas. In the Southern Hemisphere, December 25 is a summer holiday. For example, many people in Australia go to the beach to celebrate the day…"

Annoyed because it seemed his partner had delighted in correcting him, Booth scoffed loudly at her statement. "Yeah, but we live in the Northern Hemisphere, and Christmas is in the wintertime here, so there should be snow!"

"I feel confident that it rarely snows in Florida…and yet they still manage to celebrate Christmas in Miami somehow…probably by lounging around a swimming pool, candy canes in hand." She shook her head at her partner's silly notions. "I think the popular focus on having a 'white Christmas' just adds another layer of romantic fantasy to a holiday that already commemorates a truly outlandish story…"

"It's not some 'outlandish story', okay?! It's the story of a miracle, and I happen to believe it's true, alright?," Booth exclaimed in frustration. He gave his partner a sidelong glance. "Look, Bones…," Clearing his throat, he chose his words carefully as he continued, hoping he didn't sound overly defensive. Unwilling to sit through another lecture, he wanted to avoid getting her more riled up. "...I really don't think you should make such a big deal about the Christmas story being just another ' religious myth' while we're staying at the rectory, okay? I mean, the priest is letting us stay there out of the goodness of his heart…"

"I'm sure the FBI will compensate him very well for our stay, Booth…"

"Maybe so, but we're still gonna be guests in his home, okay? So I think we should consider his feelings, that's all. I think maybe it'd be more…respectful, for lack of a better word…if you kinda tone it down a bit about how a virgin birth couldn't happen and how you don't believe in angels and shit like that…just on a temporary basis…you know, just until we find somewhere else to stay. Please? For me?"

Brennan was unconvinced. "If the man can't handle an intelligent critique about one of the myths that is the basis of his religious beliefs, perhaps he shouldn't be a priest, Booth. He's been college educated…he should be well versed in apologetics…and he should be ready to defend his faith. After all, that part of the evangelism is strongly emphasized by Christianity…being able to explain one's faith to others is highly valued by church leaders in all Christian denominations…"

"Normally I'd agree with you, okay, Bones? But from what the sheriff said, it sounds like Father Ed is kinda elderly, and so he may be set in his ways, and that sort of 'intelligent' discussion might make him annoyed. Philosophy may not exactly be his thing, okay? And there's no real reason to provoke him, right? Look, I'm used to your views on the matter, and while I may not agree, I can accept them because I know that's just part of who you are…and besides, you're my friend, but he might take offense to your opinions on the subject, and seeing that he's doing us a huge favor by letting us stay at the rectory this evening, I'd rather not rock the boat tonight. I'm not sure my back could handle sleeping in the SUV for eight more hours after driving all day, especially as cold as it is. I'd much rather have a real bed…"

"But aren't Christians supposed to practice charity? I'd think he'd be willing to let us stay there, even if he disagreed with me on the finer points of that silly myth. That's in the Old Testament you know…people are supposed to offer hospitality to strangers and travelers…"

"Yeah, maybe, but…even the best of us can have a bad day, okay? So, please…for me? Maybe you could avoid poking too many holes in the details of the biblical Christmas story? Just for tonight? I'd really appreciate it…"

Brennan puffed out an aggravated sigh. "I will endeavor to avoid initiating an argument about the church's myths, but if the priest asks my opinion on the subject, I will respond with what I really think is correct. That's the best I can do, Booth."

Knowing how strongly she felt about the subject, it was a better compromise than he'd hoped for. "That's all I ask, Bones. Thanks. Oh…there it is…"

The small, sturdy red brick building that housed Trinity Church stood proudly on the corner of Noble and Broad, still serving its parishioners well, as it had for over a hundred years. The carved stone Celtic cross perched on top of the sharply peaked roof pointed toward the Heavens through a thick layer of snow, proclaiming the basis of the faith that had comforted members of the congregation for many generations. Beautiful stained glass windows glowed warmly beneath the eaves, their colors still bright despite their age. The heavy snow covering the grounds around the quaint little church and blanketing its roof gave the scene an ethereal quality, as if it was an old fashioned Christmas greeting card come to life.

They pulled into a gravel parking lot behind the church and parked next to the sheriff's truck. After helping Booth remove the bags from the SUV, the sheriff pointed to a large white two story frame house, the back of which faced the lot. "That's the rectory. Let's just take this little path here to the house…careful there…looks like Ed has cleared it some, but there's still quite a bit of snow…"

They walked down the path and up the steps to the covered back porch. After stomping his feet on the doormat to clear the snow from his boots, Sheriff Clymer pounded loudly on the back door before announcing their arrival. "Father Ed? Hey, it's me…Billy Don…"

After a minute or two, the door opened slightly and an elderly man peeked out. "It's about time you all got here…come in! Come in! Welcome!"

Glad to be out of the cold, they gladly followed the slightly stooped old man through the cheery kitchen and into the warmly lit parlor of the Victorian era home. Pointing to an overstuffed velvet sofa, he said, "Here we are…make yourselves comfortable, folks. I'm Father Ed, of course…Ed Bledsoe…" He gestured to an elderly woman sitting next to a glowing fireplace. "...and this lovely young lady is my wife, Phyllis. We're glad you're here! Welcome to our humble home."

"Um…thanks…" Reaching out to shake hands, Booth made his own introductions. "So, I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, and this is my associate, Dr. Temperance Brennan…and we really appreciate your hospitality for the evening, Father, especially on such short notice…"

"Oh, it's no bother…you all can stay as long as you need to." Smoothing her dress as she stood up, Phyllis smiled happily at them. "We like having company, and we have plenty of room." Her smile faded as she continued. "Our children and their families can't come for Christmas this year, so I'm glad we'll have someone else sharing this big old house with us, even if it is for only a day or two…"

Rubbing her shoulder to comfort her, Father Ed explained. "Our son Phil is the ranking firefighter at his station in St. Louis, so he had to pick up an extra shift over the Christmas holiday since the wife of one of the other fellas he works with had her baby prematurely. The baby's in the NICU now, but they think she'll be fine in a couple of weeks, thank God." Shoving his hands in his pockets, he shrugged as he continued. "Our daughter Paula is the head of nursing at the VA center in Claremore, and they're always short staffed around the holidays, so it's hard for her to get away, even for a day…and the bad weather didn't help matters…"

Shaking off his gloom, the priest forced a small smile. "So what brings you two to this little town?"

Booth glanced at Brennan just in time to see her eyeroll. "We were hoping to catch a flight out of Oklahoma City, but on our way over from Tulsa we found out the snowy weather had caused the airport to be closed. Since it'll still be closed for the next few days, we needed a place to stay, and Guthrie fit the bill, since it was close…but there were no vacancies in any of the hotels in town, so we had to look for other accommodations…"

"No room at the inn, right?" Grinning at the corny joke, Father Ed scratched the back of his neck as he thought over Booth's explanation. "Well, it's no problem for you to stay here, but why didn't you just fly out of Tulsa? Seems like that woulda been simpler than driving to the City…"

"Booth doesn't understand what the word 'blizzard' means…" Brennan giggled as she saw her partner's scowl. "It seems he thought planes could fly through the snow magically, like Santa's sleigh is supposed to do. Apparently reindeer can handle poor weather conditions far better than aircraft can. Evidently reindeer don't have to be de-iced."

"Very funny, Bones…anyway, Father…I had my reasons for wanting to fly out of Oklahoma City…but it didn't work out, so…"

"Well, maybe you can do that after the snow melts some, right? And by the way, you can drop the 'father' bit. I'm retired from full time ministry. I'm simply a supply priest…I just fill in where the diocese needs me, so you can call me Ed…it's easier that way…" After glancing at his wife to get her tacit approval, he nodded at the partners. "Anyway, you all can stay here as long as you want."

"We appreciate it." Smiling sweetly as she looked around the spacious parlor, Brennan commented, "You have a lovely home, Ed…you and Phyllis must be very comfortable here."

"Thank you. The parish has done a good job of maintaining this old rectory, haven't they? I can truly say that this is one of the nicer places we've stayed while I've been a supply priest…"

"Bones…it's Father Ed, not just 'Ed'…," Booth hissed. "Be respectful!"

"He said we should call him Ed, Booth! I was just doing what he asked…"

"He was just being polite, Bones! He needs to be addressed by his correct title!"

"The sheriff calls him 'Ed' sometimes..."

Their bickering was interrupted by a noisy text alert on the sheriff's phone. Reading the message, Billy Don groaned as he ran a hand over his face. "Oh my God! Hanlon, you are such a goddamn idiot! I shoulda known you'd fu…screw everything up…" Seeing the disapproving look on Phyllis' face, he blushed slightly. "Pardon my language, ladies. It's just that I shoulda known better than to leave Deputy Hanlon in charge of parking the semis at the Fairgrounds. I gotta go straighten everything out before we have a whole herd of angry truckers fighting over a spot to park while they wait out the weather, so I'll leave you all to it. If you need anything, just holler over to the office, and Debbie can help you all out. I'll see myself out, Ed. Good night…"

After the sheriff left in a hurry, there was an awkward pause before Phyllis coughed softly. "I'll just go make sure you all have enough towels available in the upstairs bathroom. Dr. Brennan, would you like to see the rooms you'll be using?"

Seeing Booth's slight nod, Brennan quickly agreed. "That would be very nice. Thank you." Picking up her bag, she followed Phyllis upstairs.

"So…um…Father…I mean, Ed…," Booth began tentatively. "About your fee…the FBI gives its agents a per diem for expenses while they're on the road. The going rate is a hundred dollars per night per agent, so I'll be asking the Bureau to pay you two hundred dollars for putting both of us up tonight…and then more if we stay longer…"

"No."

Booth was surprised at the priest's stubborn response. "What? Well, that's the rate…I'm sorry it's not more, but…"

"Oh, you misunderstood, Agent Booth." Ed cackled softly at Booth's discomfort. "What I mean is that I don't want the Bureau's money. Trinity's vestry voted to let us stay here for free while I'm serving as their substitute priest, so there's nothing for you to pay for….you might as well share in our good fortune. Besides, I don't feel like it's right to charge you two that much just for using our spare bedrooms…after all, no one else is usin' them…"

"That's great, and I appreciate your point of view, but you see, I can't have it look like I've received any sort of kickback from you, you know? It'd look funny on my expense accounts if we stayed for free, so I need to pay you something for the use of the rooms." Scratching his chin as he thought things over, Booth finally came up with an idea. "Does your church have an alms box? Maybe I can put the money in there. That way the money would be paid and it wouldn't cause the FBI's accountants to go bonkers…"

"We don't really have a poor box, but the church has a priest's discretionary fund. Would that work?"

"Yeah…I think so." Booth grinned at the old man. "I'm a Special Agent in Charge, so I can tweak things a bit when I file my expense report. I think we can arrange it so we'll both be happy. I'll use my Bureau credit card to get some cash, and you can write me a receipt, but instead of keeping the money for yourself, you can put it in the church fund."

"Good idea.." Father Ed yawned and stretched a bit. "Now, if you don't mind, Agent Booth, I need to turn in for the night. My old bones are downright tired. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Picking up his duffel, Booth nodded. "Sure thing. Just show me where to crash, and I'll be out of your hair…"

He followed Ed up the stairs and soon found an empty bedroom at the end of the hall. He set his bag on the bed and rummaged through it to find his toiletries so he could get ready for bed.

Passing Brennan in the hall on the way to the bathroom, Booth paused. "G'night, Bones. See you in the morning…"

"Good night, Booth…sleep well…"

A few minutes later, he was stretched out in bed, staring at the ceiling above him. Suddenly he was exhausted. It's not even 9 o'clock, but I can hardly keep my eyes open…

It was incredibly quiet that night, except for the normal creaks that usually came with an old frame house…more quiet than he was used to, living in the city as he did.

Normally being in a strange place…in unusual circumstances…and being with so many people he didn't know…might make him anxious. His finely honed Ranger instincts would take over, and he'd be on high alert, listening…waiting for something to happen...unable to relax…

Instead, as he began to drift off to sleep, he was filled with a sense of peace as he thought about the calm little town and the kind people who'd taken in the stranded travelers out of the goodness of their hearts.

And no matter what happens over the next few days, one way or the other I'll be with Bones for Christmas…and that's all that really matters…

Oooooooooo

December 23

After the messy weather the day before, the brilliant sunshine and bright blue sky that appeared the next morning were a welcome sight. Even though the temperature was well below freezing and the roads were still somewhat snow packed, the little town had stirred to life as people tried to finish their last minute preparations for Christmas.

It was almost noon as Booth and Brennan sat in a small tea room, ensconced by a window overlooking a side street, and enjoying a meal…or at least trying to…

"Jesus…what the hell is this?" Booth grumbled as he looked over his 'lunch'. "Two postage stamp sized pieces of rye bread held together by some sort of weird orange cheese paste? Really? This 'sandwich' might make a good appetizer for some little old lady…," he complained. "...but a man needs something that's way more substantial…like maybe a half dozen of these 'tea dainties' and then four or five scones for dessert..."

"I'm sure you won't starve, Booth. Anyway, you can order several more 'dainties' if you want, since I'm buying lunch today." As she nibbled on her watercress sandwich, Brennan giggled at his aggravation. "Although as much as you ate at breakfast this morning, I don't know how you can possibly be hungry…"

"Hey, I had to eat all those pancakes, okay? I had to be polite! I didn't want to hurt Mrs. Bledsoe's feelings by turning them down, especially since she went to all the trouble to make them for us."

Brennan shrugged as she picked up her steaming cup of herbal tea. "I completely understand, Booth. She was rather proud of herself when you finally announced that you were full." Grimacing slightly, she sipped her tea pensively. "However, I'm not sure it's feasible for her to cook like that for us every morning while we're staying there, especially since they're probably on a fixed income. She might've used several dollars' worth of ingredients to make that many pancakes."

Munching on a carrot stick, Booth agreed. "Yeah, I was thinking about that, too. Maybe we can stop at the grocery store on the way home and get some stuff so we can make our own breakfasts. I don't want her to feel as if she's gotta feed us like that every morning."

"An excellent idea." Brennan smiled as she looked out at the snow on the restaurant's lawn, admiring the way it glistened in the sunlight. "I'm glad we found a laundromat. Phyllis had offered to do our laundry, but…"

Booth grimaced in disgust. "As rank as my clothes were, I'd hate to have her do that, you know? After she got a whiff of them, she might've kicked us out of the house."

"Very true. After all, I'd only packed enough clothes to be gone for a couple of days…," Brennan said. "...and it's far too cold to go commando, so washing our clothes was definitely in order…"

Swallowing hard at the thought of his beautiful partner going commando, Booth nodded. "Yeah…way too cold…can't have that, can we…"

Oblivious to his romantic daydreams, Brennan abruptly changed the subject. "Booth…I noticed that the Bledsoes don't have any Christmas decorations displayed in their home…and no Christmas tree. Is that because he's a priest in their church?"

"What? Oh…nah…I think it's more because they don't really have a permanent home right now. I guess they're living almost like nomads or gypsies…they have to travel light…so they may not have a lot of room for a lot of extraneous stuff."

Brennan nodded, considering his statement. "That's true…but I think it would be nice if we could find them a small Christmas tree of some sort…I think they'd like that…"

"Well, let's see what we can find when we go to the grocery store, okay?"

After ordering three more tiny tea sandwiches and three large cranberry scones, Booth showed Brennan a text message he'd received earlier that morning from the airline about possible flight times to travel home. "I guess we can get a flight out of Oklahoma City early on Christmas Day, if you want…"

Brennan studied her dainty china tea cup for a few seconds. "If you don't mind…and if the Bledsoes don't mind…I think I'd rather leave the day after Christmas. Phyllis really misses her children, and while we don't belong to her, I think having us around might ease her loneliness somehow." She shrugged bashfully. "Given what you've said about there being more than one kind of family, perhaps…perhaps we can serve as a sort of surrogate family for the Bledsoes over the Christmas holiday." Meeting Booth's intense gaze, she bit her lip. "That's not inappropriate, is it?"

"Nah…it's actually very kind." Booth smiled as he took Brennan's hand in his. Bones has the biggest heart… "And I was hoping you'd say that. Father Ed said something about that this morning…about how having company was taking his wife's mind off the fact that their children can't come see them this year, and I think it's kinda nice that we can fill that void in some way." Glancing out the window, he shrugged. "And, you know, Guthrie's kind of a nice little town. If we have to be stranded somewhere, this isn't a bad place to be."

"I did some research about the town's history last night…," Brennan said, pausing as the server brought Booth's second round of sandwiches.

He smirked at her, shaking his head. "Wow…you did research? I'm so surprised to hear that."

Pretending to glare at him, she began to expound on the facts she'd recently learned. "Guthrie was founded as a railway station in 1887. On April 22, 1889, the federal government opened what they called 'unassigned lands' in Oklahoma territory, where anyone could come and stake a claim during a sort of free for all land run. Within hours after the land was made available,10,000 people had arrived and settled in the area. After a few years, Guthrie had become a very modern city for its time, with several up to date amenities, and was the state capital until 1910."

"Interesting. I mean, who'd ever think this little town used to be a booming metropolis?"

"Yes, I thought so, too. And, because of its economic prominence at the time, there were many impressive Victorian Era structures built…several fancy homes and large commercial buildings. In fact, the downtown Historic District has been named a National Landmark. The town has a large assemblage of very well preserved buildings in the Foucart architectural style, similar to those seen in some European cities. Guthrie's former Carnegie library is still standing, although now it's a museum, and that massive white structure at the end of Oklahoma Street is one of the largest Masonic Centers in the world."

"Hmm…and here I thought it was just an ordinary small town." Finishing his coffee, Booth sat back in his chair. "Maybe we'll have some time to explore while we're here."

"Perhaps."

They continued their meal in silence for a few minutes before Brennan set her fork aside and crossed her hands in her lap. "Booth…there's something I want to tell you."

He sighed quietly, wondering if he really wanted to hear what she had to say. "Okay…go ahead. I'm listening…"

"I'm…I'm sorry I acted like a spoiled child yesterday. I know you would never deliberately plan to get us stranded somewhere…and as far as us leaving from Tulsa goes, I've since realized that there was no guarantee that we could've changed our reservations on such short notice, so perhaps flying out of Oklahoma City was our best option after all. Unfortunately, my behavior was quite irrational…and I'm ashamed at how I berated you so badly…"

Shrugging slightly, Booth smiled sadly. "Don't worry about it, Bones. I know that the facts of our most recent case…with the remains being buried the way they were before they were found…I know that probably stirred up all sorts of bad memories for you. I didn't take it personally…"

"Thank you." Having received a fresh cup of tea, she squeezed some lemon juice into it. "I thought all those memories were behind me…and I also thought I had compartmentalized my feelings, but apparently not, and unfortunately, you were an available target for my emotional instability."

"Yeah, well…I don't mind. I mean, that's what friends are for, right? And I'm a big boy…I can handle it."

Sighing heavily, she gazed out the window. "Do you think there'll ever be a time when I no longer grieve so deeply over my mother…or when I don't wonder how things might've been different if my parents hadn't abandoned Russ and me at Christmas all those years ago?"

"I honestly don't know, Bones." Shrugging, he ran his thumb gently over her knuckles. "Grief is funny that way…it ebbs and flows, okay? One minute you're fine, and the next someone says something that dredges up all sorts of ancient memories, and you feel like you've been gut punched." Hearing her sigh again, he continued quietly. "The good news for you is that you'll never have to deal with it by yourself if you don't want to, because I'll always be here for you, okay? You can yell at me all you want if you're feeling bad, because no matter what, I'll be here to support you."

"Okay. Thank you, Booth…that helps…but I shall endeavor to avoid yelling at you. I must come up with a better way to cope with my feelings." She chewed her lip for a few seconds before continuing. "You know, it still surprises me that the man was interred the way he was, in an unsanctioned grave. The Cherokee have a sophisticated culture with well delineated funeral customs. To bury him that way is most unusual…"

"Well, there might be a lot of reasons that happened, you know? I don't think it occurred that way out of disrespect. I mean, maybe he lived alone, and nobody realized for a while that he'd passed…or maybe his family couldn't afford a regular funeral."

"Or maybe his family was made up of criminals on the run." Brennan pursed her lips as she ran her fingers around the rim of her cup.

"Bones…"

"Never mind…" She shook off his look of concern. "By the way, I received an email from Dr. Bishop this morning. The Cherokee Nation has agreed to provide the man with a proper burial, so that's good news, although we still don't know his name. However, the exciting thing is that Dr. Bishop found some hairs attached to the remnants of the ribbon shirt. He's hoping to do some DNA analysis on the samples with the idea that he can compare them to the national databases. The odds of finding a match are very slight, but it does give him another avenue of investigation."

"See? You did a good thing, coming here, since now that man will be buried with the respect he deserves. And who knows? They may find his relatives after all." After he finished his fourth sandwich, Booth grimaced at Brennan. "So…I guess there's no reason to keep it a surprise any longer…"

"Keep what a surprise?"

"The real reason I wanted us to go to Oklahoma City. It was supposed to be part of your Christmas present."

"Oh?" Suddenly curious, Brennan arched an eyebrow at Booth. "So? Tell me!"

"Well, there's a famous museum there in the City….the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum…and they have a large collection of memorabilia from Western movies…you know, stuff from Gary Cooper, Roy Rogers…and John Wayne…and I thought you'd like to go see the exhibits, so I was gonna take you there for part of your gift…but my plans fell through, okay? Another one of my dumb schemes, I guess…"

"No…that's not a 'dumb scheme'! I'd love to visit there someday to see the John Wayne exhibit!" Seeing that he was still disappointed, she sat back in her chair. "Maybe we can go there before we leave for home. By the way, I have a Christmas gift for you, too, but it's in DC, so you may not have any packages to unwrap on Christmas morning…"

"A gift?" He grinned at her. "So what is it?"

"I'm not going to tell you! I may save it and give it to you next Christmas."

"Come on, Bones…that's not fair. I told you what I'd planned to give you…"

"I'm not telling…" She gave him a beautiful smile. "If you're good, I'll give it to you when we get home…"

Suddenly Booth's mind jumped to all sorts of unmentionable fantasies. Clearing his throat, he exhaled slowly, hoping to compose himself as he glanced at his watch. "I tell you what…I've got a challenge for you. Let's go shopping for each other's Christmas gifts here in town."

"That sounds like it might be enjoyable…although I'm not sure what sort of selection they have in such a small community..."

"Here's the rules…"

Her brow wrinkled in confusion. "Why do we need rules for Christmas shopping?"

"Because it's a challenge, Bones! Rules make it fun. So…we have 90 minutes, okay? And you can spend any amount of money you want, but what we get each other needs to be something unique…you know, something you can't get just anywhere, or else it needs to be something that comes from the area…you know, something from Oklahoma…so no trips to the big box store for something generic…and you can't use the SUV…you have to stay within walking distance of this restaurant. So…are you in?"

"Yes…I believe I'll be able to meet those criteria…"

"Good." He checked his watch again. "It's 12:30…so meet me back here at 2 o'clock sharp. Ready? Let's go…"

"No, wait…I can't be back until 2:05. I need to have five minutes to pay for lunch…"

"C'mon, Bones…you can be back at the same time as I am…five minutes won't make that much difference…"

"No fair…you'll have more time than me…"

"It's Christmas shopping, not a competition, Bones." He laughed as he sprang from his seat. "I'm leaving now, so bye! See ya soon…"

Grunting in annoyance, Brennan drained her cup and got up to pay for their meal. "It's always a competition with you, Booth…and I intend to win this game!"

Oooooooooo

They'd finished their Christmas shopping and had stopped at the small Mom and Pop grocery store not far from the church to do some food shopping. Booth had found all sorts of things he wanted to purchase…not only for their breakfasts, but also so they could help provide nice meals for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

"Yep…I think chili will hit the spot tomorrow night…with meat for us and without for you…and we can have ham and au gratin potatoes on Christmas Day…and look…I even found some tofu for you, Bones. Maybe you can dress it up with some sort of fancy sauce to make it Christmasy." He paused in the frozen food aisle to peruse the bags of fruit and vegetables. "Whaddya think, Bones? For dessert on Christmas, how about we get some frozen berries to have with angel food cake? And maybe some ice cream to go with it…or should we get some frozen topping?"

Grimacing as she read the list of ingredients on the frozen topping, she shook her head. "Definitely ice cream."

The cart was full when they wheeled it up to the cashier. As they waited to check out, Brennan pointed to a small plant perched on top of an adjacent magazine stand. "Booth…look…"

"That's kinda cute…but what is it?"

Inhaling its spicy scent, Brennan grinned. "It's a basil plant that's been trimmed to look like a small fir tree! It's perfect for the Bledsoes! They can use the basil for seasoning, and if it's not all used by the time they leave here, they can plant it for the next person to use! It even has a big red bow on the pot!"

"Great! Well, add it to the cart. It looks like the Bledsoes are gonna have a nice tree for Christmas after all!"

Oooooooooo

The groceries had been put away, and the new 'Christmas tree' had been accorded a place of honor on a table next to a sunny window.

"Oh my goodness!," Phyllis cooed as she ran her fingers over the fragrant foliage. "Isn't it the cutest thing? And you bought it just for us? How thoughtful! And all those groceries…what a blessing you two are! Aren't they a blessing, Ed? We're going to have such a nice Christmas dinner…"

"They are…they truly are a blessing." Ed wiped his eyes with his handkerchief before shaking Booth's hand. "Thanks, son…"

"No problem…really. It was our pleasure. After all, we don't want to eat you out of house and home while we're here." Waving off the elderly couple's thanks, Booth checked his watch. "You know what? It's almost dinner time, and I'm starved!" He winked at his partner. "Bones didn't feed me enough lunch today. Is there any place around here to get a good cheeseburger?"

Grinning happily, Ed chuckled. "Sure…there's a Braum's down the street…good burgers, good fries, good milkshakes…and they even have salads for Dr. Brennan. C'mon…we can't have you starving, Agent Booth. I'll drive…"

"Nah…I'll drive." Seeing Ed's hesitation, Booth laughed. "I grew up in Pennsylvania…I know how to drive in snow…"

"Okay…I'll let you drive…just this once…"

"Good. Let's go."

Ooooooooooo

The remnants of dinner had been cleared away, and it was time to settle in for the night. Brennan was sitting with Phyllis on the sofa, chatting quietly as they looked through albums filled with the Bledsoes' family pictures.

Pleased to see that she was happily occupied, Booth wandered out onto the front porch to see what Father Ed was up to. He found the elderly man relaxing in a rocking chair, smoking a pipe.

"Pull up a chair, young fella!" Laughing softly, Ed pointed to another chair. "I don't mind the company." He held up his pipe. "Phyllis won't let me smoke this thing in the house. It's a nasty habit, I know…but I'm probably too old to quit now."

Booth shrugged as he sat down. "It doesn't bother me, but aren't you kinda cold sittin' out here?"

"Nah…I got my long johns on. I'll be okay, but you'd better zip up that fancy leather jacket of yours. Can't have a G-man catching cold on my watch now, can I?"

Booth grinned as he leaned his chair back against the porch railing. "I'll be fine. I'm a Philly kid, remember?"

"Right…I forgot. That makes you superhuman, doesn't it?" The men both laughed before Ed continued. "You know, I've been thinkin' while I've been sittin' out here...it may be time for Phyllis and myself to settle down somewhere for good…maybe somewhere closer to our family, so we don't miss spending the holidays with them. Life's too short to miss out on that sort of thing, and I imagine my sweet wife is probably ready to put down some roots somewhere, you know? Anyway, I think we're getting too old to gad about like a couple of silly teenagers." He regarded his companion with interest. "What about you, Booth? A nice fella like you…you must have some family you'd like to be with over Christmas…."

"Yeah…" Booth pulled a picture from his wallet and handed it to the priest. "Parker…my kid. He's 8. His mother and I never married, so my visitation rights are…vague, for lack of a better word..."

"Cute kid. Looks like his mom, right?"

Laughing, Booth nodded as he put the picture away. "Maybe, although Bones…Dr. Brennan…says he has my cheekbones." Looking out over the snowy lawn, he shrugged slightly as he continued. "I've got a younger brother, who's a royal pain in the ass…and my grandfather still lives in Philly…but that's it." He suddenly felt awkward, remembering what Bones had said about how it felt to tell people that she didn't have a family. "I haven't seen my mom and dad in several years…and I probably won't see them anytime soon...not even over Christmas. I guess that's weird, but…I don't want to see them. Neither of them are any good." He paused to gather his composure. "I guess my dad developed PTSD from his time in 'Nam. He was an abusive drunk who beat my mother until she ran away…and then he beat me until my Pops took me and my brother in. Come to think of it…that may be the reason my little brother is such a pain in the ass…" Why am I telling Ed this story? He doesn't need to know this! Is he gonna judge me?

"Well, none of us is perfect, right? We've all got our troubles, son...all of us fall short of the Glory of God." After puffing on his pipe for a few minutes, Ed pointed the stem at Booth. "For what's worth...from what I can tell, you turned out alright, even if your parents had problems. Thinking of others the way you do...you've got a good heart, Booth…"

Blushing slightly, Booth looked away from the priest's searching gaze. "Bones keeps telling me that I'm not like my dad, but…I still worry about acting that way, you know? Acting out of anger, and hurting someone..." He studied his nails before nodding resolutely. "I do know that I'm gonna make damn sure to raise my boy right, even if I don't get to see him every day. I'm gonna make sure he knows how to act…how to take care of his own family…and he's gonna know how much I love him…"

"Good…that's good…and I'm sure you'll be successful. You know what they say about training up a child in the right way...when he's older, he won't depart from it, okay? I'm sure he'll turn out to be a fine man when he's grown." Grinning, Ed continued with a chuckle. "And Dr. Brennan? How does she fit into your family plans? I take it that your affection for her isn't the brotherly sort…"

Seeing the wisdom and good humor in the old man's eyes, Booth knew it would be useless to lie. "You're right…I don't think of her as my sister…not by a long shot. I want her…to be my wife, and the mother of my children. She already loves Parker…and she'll be such a good mom for her own kids, but…" He shook his head. "She doesn't believe in romantic love, or long term relationships. As you've probably noticed, she has a lot of non-traditional beliefs…"

"Oh yes…after talking to her, I know she's rather unconventional in her thinking."

Cringing, Booth apologized profusely. "I hope she didn't offend you somehow. She doesn't mean to be offensive, you know…she's just obsessed with what she sees as facts, and she can't stand things that she views as untrue or unproven. That makes her really good at her job, but it can make her challenging to deal with on a personal level…"

"I wasn't offended, son. In fact, answering her questions about what the church teaches is good exercise for my old brain." Ed grinned as he tapped the tobacco ash out of his pipe. "Anyway, you're a big, bad federal agent, right? You like a challenge, don't you? You're not gonna give up on making' her your wife just because she's a non-traditional woman…"

Booth laughed out loud. "I'm definitely not gonna give up…and you're right...I do love a difficult challenge..."

Their conversation was interrupted by the hum of a diesel engine as the sheriff's truck pulled up in front of the house.

"Great…just great.," Ed grumbled. "I wonder what that goofball is up to now."

Sheriff Clymer jumped out of the truck's cab and made his way up the snowy sidewalk. "Evenin', Agent Booth…Father Ed. How y'all doin' tonight?"

"We're fine, Billy Don…," Ed said cautiously. "What's up with you?"

Scratching his chin, the sheriff shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, Ed, seeing how it's almost Christmas and all…I was wondering if you could do me another favor…"


I know the arrangement that Booth made with Father Ed may not be acceptable in the real world, but this is fan fiction so I'm going to go with it.

If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. More soon... Laura.