A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I'm glad you are enjoying the story.
~OOOOO~
He showed up early to pick her up for the FBI party. Or gala as the invitation called it. Waiting for her to answer the door, he kept pulling down his sleeves and adjusting the coat.
It wasn't their first evening out as not just partners. They'd been to a couple lunches and one quiet dinner outside of town. But this was the first night where they'd be in full view of colleagues. He was ready. Had been ready for a long time. And he was confident she was ready too.
The door opened to a woman he recognized but at the same time didn't. He'd seen her dressed up before, but never when he could claim that she was his.
Finally, he didn't have to hide the desire in his eyes. The dress was dark green and floor length. There was a deep v neckline in the front that dropped down toward a band around her waist. It swirled around her ankles when she walked and fit her like a glove at the top. Conservative and alluring he struggled to find words.
"You," he said, ghosting a hand down the long sleeves that ended at her wrists. "Are devastatingly beautiful."
"Thank you." She could feel the blush travel up her cheeks. "I need to get my shoes and bag. I even got my nails done," she said shyly, holding out her hands for him to inspect them. "I know that it is a frivolous expenditure given my job, but tonight is special."
He looked at the polish, then brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. Then let go to brush his knuckles across her cheek. "Is your makeup done?" he asked her softly.
She tilted her head. "Do I not look okay?" she asked, feeling self-conscious.
He shook his head slowly. "I don't want you to be upset if I mess it up when I do this," he explained. Then pressed his lips to hers and kissed her soft and slow.
Breathless when they broke apart, she took a step back, not sure they'd make it out of the apartment if she didn't. "Not upset," she said, pressing her fingers to her lips, unable to explain exactly what she was. But it wasn't upset. That she was sure of.
"Good," he said, pulling at his sleeves again. "Are you ready for all of this, Bones?"
Quietly, he'd filed the necessary documentation the day before. Cullen had tucked it in a file and promised he would wait to send it up the chain until Monday. They'd have the weekend, and this one night, before the truth was out.
It wasn't enough. He wanted more time for the two of them, before the rest of the world intruded. To go someplace far away where they were an anonymous couple with nothing to worry about.
It was a foolish dream that for the two of them, wasn't meant to be. So he'd take this one night and make as much of it come true as he possibly could. He'd escort her to a fancy ball and dance too closely and pretend nothing existed except for each other.
She knew exactly what he was asking. Her long hair, down and styled in loose curls, brushed her shoulders when she nodded. "I'm ready, Booth."
She turned to finish getting ready and Booth laughed when she had to pick the dress up so she didn't trip on it while she walked. At the start of the hallway that would take her to the back of the apartment, she turned toward him.
He raised an eyebrow in question and waited.
"I should have told you how handsome you look."
Looking down at the tux that fit him perfectly, Booth knew he looked good. Still next to her, it wouldn't matter. "No one is going to be looking at me tonight, Bones. Trust me."
~OOOOOOOO~
Her hand was tucked into his elbow when they arrived. He presented the invitation that would get them through the door and escorted her into the hall.
It was decorated in the spirit of the season, reds and silvers dominating the room. Booth rubbed the leaves of a plant between his fingers as he passed, surprised to discover they were real. White holiday lights added to the ambiance.
Paired with the woman at his side, it was beauty wrapped up in magic.
A word he used a lot lately. Magic. But he couldn't think of a better one to describe this month. How else could he explain everything happening?
"You needed an invite to get in?"
"This isn't your standard party," Booth said, bending his head down so she could hear him. "It tends to be the people with fancy offices or titles. The heads of departments. That sort of thing." He shook his head. "The invitation thing is one of those touches someone thought was cool."
Which was why he'd avoided coming. Now, the chance to escort Bones as his date overrode whatever he felt about the company they'd spend the evening with.
He led them to an empty table away from the main part of the dining area. It couldn't be called private, but it was at the fringes of where many of the other guests would choose to sit. "Can I get you something to drink?"
Her pretty nails drew Booth's attention as she reached up to brush the hair away from her face. "I would like that very much. Thank you."
Not needing to ask what she wanted, Booth stepped off into the crowd, heading toward the bar. She remained standing next to the table, observing those that came through the door, before glancing back to find Booth periodically.
A touch at her elbow made her turn. Sam Cullen and his wife, Julia, stood just behind her and Brennan smiled warmly at the pair. "Good evening."
"Is there room at this table?" Sam asked, motioning to the empty seats. He glanced at Julia, who nodded in agreement.
Surprised at the question, Brennan nodded. "Of course, there is. But don't you have to sit near the front? You hold a position of importance in the FBI which implies your position at this dinner shouldn't be in the rear."
He couldn't help but laugh. "You are correct, Dr. Brennan. There is a seat with my name on it very near the front. I don't want to sit there. I want to sit here. If there is room."
Returning in time to hear the end of the conversation, Booth handed Brennan her drink. "You are welcome to join us, Sir."
"Sam," he corrected, pulling out a chair for his wife. "You can drop the title for tonight, Booth."
Booth nodded, unsure if he'd actually be able to do so. He knew Bones wouldn't have any trouble calling his boss by his first name. She never did, no matter who they were dealing with.
"So, Dr. Brennan," Julia said, waiting for the woman to sit down next to her. "Tell me about your latest novel. I love them."
"It's coming along nicely. And you can call me Temperance," Brennan offered.
Julia blinked in surprise. She'd heard, and knew from experience, very few people were ever offered that courtesy. "I would like that very much," she said, recovering. "And please feel free to call me Julia."
Informed by Sam of the official change in the couple's status before arriving, he'd also asked his wife how she felt about switching tables. By sitting with them, he was giving what he hoped was clear approval of the change between the agent and the scientist.
Her agreement to the plan was enthusiastic and immediate. She hated these dinners and sitting with two people she respected would make the evening better than it usually was.
Tipping her head toward Brennan, Julia lowered her voice. "Can I offer my congratulations?" she asked. She turned her head to give Booth a warm smile before turning back again. "I'm very happy for both of you."
Turning her own head, Brennan also looked at the man still standing behind her. Their eyes met and locked, making it clear, at least to the two people with them, that they weren't hiding their feelings anymore. Breaking the stare, Brennan turned back to Julia. "Thank you. I'm extremely happy myself."
And she was, Brennan acknowledged as Booth sat down next to her. It wasn't a feeling she was used to experiencing. She'd been content with her life for many years, pleased with her accomplishments in science and tolerant of her friends and the relationships they tried to form with her.
It wasn't until Booth and that first meeting, that she started to wonder if there might be something she was missing. Now, she had friends that she more than tolerated and a life she'd never imagined.
Booth's hand came down on top of hers, drawing her attention. "You okay?" he asked her. Sam and Julia were caught up in their own conversation, and Booth wasn't concerned they'd overhear.
"I," she reassured him, "am better than okay. I'm happy."
~OOOOO~
When the fancy speeches started, Booth held her hand beneath the table, tangling their fingers together in a bond that felt unbreakable. He didn't focus on what was said, concentrating instead on the way it felt to have her hand pressed against his. Knowing he was going to get to do this, and more, as their future unfolded in front of them.
Maybe it wasn't a private party far away from anyone who knew them. But it was still more than he'd dared hope it would be.
No one questioned it. No one bothered them to ask what was going on. Booth wasn't sure if it was because they didn't realize everything had changed or because Cullen was with them. At the first opportunity he was going to thank the man for sitting there. That little move was going to make this all go over fine. Booth was sure of it.
When the lights were turned down and the band started, he used the hand he still held to pull her to her feet.
"Dance with me."
They made a striking couple and whispered conversation drifted around them. In the back of the room, Cullen remained at the table, his wife next to him. With a bump to his arm, Julia drew his attention to the dance floor.
"How did they ever manage to hide that?" She sighed, her romantic heart loving what she saw. Anyone who watched them knew what it was they felt for each other.
Booth held her too close and she leaned into him. No one would mistake it as a dance between partners.
Cullen shook his head. "I've known since we faked Booth's death all those years ago. Sometimes I think I knew before the two of them did," he admitted with a laugh, sipping from his drink. "I thought they were close to this point until she left and he reenlisted."
"I wonder what happened," Julia pondered. "Do you know?"
Shaking his head, he thought back on it. "I tried to talk Booth out of going. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I knew and still know the man well enough to tell that he wasn't being entirely truthful with me. But there was no changing his mind. I think," he said after a pause, "that he took a page from Dr. Brennan's playbook and ran. They both did."
"It looks like everything worked out in the end," Julia said.
As she watched, Booth and Brennan swayed to the music on the floor, appearing to be nothing more than a couple dancing the night away. It was only those closest to them that knew their tangled history and could appreciate everything that they'd gone through to get to this moment.
"I remember those days. When everything was new and it felt like it was only the two of you in a room full of people. When the future was nothing but a dream, but you were sure it was going to be amazing."
Surprised, Cullen looked at his wife. "You felt that way?"
She gave him a smile full of history and love. "Still do," she admitted.
On the dance floor, Booth swayed slowly, Brennan tucked as closely as he could manage. "I dreamt of this moment. More than once. My dreams didn't do it justice."
Picking her head up, she tipped it back slightly to see him better. "Of the FBI banquet?" she teased. Her fingers came up to trail down his cheek.
He dropped his head down until their foreheads bumped. "Silly woman. Of dancing with you in the middle of a crowded room. Of not having to pretend we are only partners anymore."
"Kiss me, Booth. Then everyone will know we are done pretending."
In the middle of the crowded dance floor, in view of hundreds of people, he willingly gave into her demand.
