a/n: We are nearing the end. Thank you for all the wonderful comments and I hope you enjoy the final three chapters.
He picked her up at seven and they made their way through late evening traffic back to the Jeffersonian Holiday Party. This was an event they'd attended together every year, except for the previous holiday when they'd both been out of the country. While it wasn't anything wild and crazy it also wasn't anything he dreaded. And Hodgins could usually be counted on to do something both memorable and ridiculous.
Her hand in his, they made their way through the entrance of the large room. Reindeer and a sleigh full of gifts decorated a far corner. The decorations gave it a festive but more casual feel than the party the FBI hosted. Booth wondered what department the decorating committee stole the pieces from. And if they were better about asking for permission than his team tended to be.
Booth laughed to himself, nodding to several people he recognized. His people. What seemed like a ridiculous notion that first day was now a fact he'd argue with anyone who dared to disagree. They were his people, his team, and the most valuable member of it was walking in next to him.
The dress she wore, a sparkling silver he couldn't stop touching, kept pulling his attention toward her. That and some intoxicating perfume which made him want to press his lips to her neck and take a deep breath. It was a miracle they'd made it out of her apartment.
Ignoring the fantasies that threatened to make this a very uncomfortable evening was proving to be more difficult than he wanted it to be. He thought it would improve after they spent the night together. But now that he knew exactly what being with her was like? Well, now some things were harder to ignore, rather than easier.
"All the dances are mine," Booth mumbled as they skirted the dance floor and headed toward the bar. There wasn't a chance he was watching some scientist paw at her.
"That's very possessive," Brennan said with a smile, pulling her hand free to tuck it into his elbow instead. Leaning into him, she kept her voice low. "But," she said, ignoring his frustrated growl, "I have no intention of dancing with anyone else. And I expect you to follow the same rule."
"Do we have to follow the rule about kissing at work?" he asked, already coming up with a plan to take care of this issue. Permanently.
Tipping her head back to look at him, Brennan shook her head, wondering what he was up to. "Rationally, while we're in the Jeffersonian, we're not at work. So, no."
"Good," he declared. Twirling her around so she faced him, Booth pressed a hard kiss to her lips, hoping that in the first five minutes he hadn't ruined the lipstick she was wearing. There were several startled gasps that he ignored, focusing only on her eyes when he pulled back.
There was a question there and he shrugged. "Now you won't have to explain why you keep telling everyone no when they ask. And neither will I."
"You're ridiculous," she said, but there was only humor in her voice and she pulled away from him. From the bar, Angela waved at her and Brennan headed in her direction.
"That was hot," Angela said, waving a hand in front of her face. "I think the two of you just broke a few hearts," she added when Booth joined them.
Booth turned and leaned against the bar, scanning the room. "I don't think I care."
"No," Angela said. "I was pretty sure you didn't." Angela lowered her voice. "Is everything ready for tonight, Brennan?"
"I believe so," she answered. It had taken her all week, and several favors, to arrange her surprise for Booth. The Jeffersonian was very particular about who could enter exhibits after hours. Especially one that was going to open for an extremely limited engagement. "The lights were to be turned on and I was provided with the security code. The whole thing turns off at midnight."
"Ooooh, like Cinderella's Ball. Are you wearing glass slippers?" Angela asked, looking down at Brennan's feet.
Thankful she understood Angela's reference, Brennan kicked out a foot. She'd spent a ridiculous amount on the strappy sandals. Channeling her inner Angela, she'd decided to splurge, liking the way they looked on her feet. "No. Glass shoes sound as if they'd be uncomfortable and dangerous."
Booth was working hard not to eavesdrop but trying to figure out what Bones had planned drove him crazy all week. He'd heard just enough now to really catch his interest. Nothing about Bones screamed Cinderella. He couldn't imagine what she'd come up with. "You want something to drink?" he asked the women, motioning to the bartender. "And where is Hodgins?"
"He made some comment about creating Christmas magic," Angela said, taking a moment to place her order. "I really want this year to go well, so I sent him on his way."
Rolling his eyes, Booth reached for the beer placed in front of him. "I hope it's not like the Christmas magic he created the last time we came. I spent months getting glitter out of everything."
Two years ago Hodgins set up some light and magic show that unfortunately involved biodegradable glitter. Except someone had bumped whatever launcher he set up and the crowd ended up covered in the stuff. For months, Booth found little pieces in the SUV and the clothes he wore that night. In Afghanistan, he was sure he found a piece in his gear. The stuff never went away.
Angela laughed, but she wasn't amused. "I swear I still find it in the laundry. But he swore there wouldn't be anything like that this year. Or ever again. There he is now," she said, waving for him to join them.
"Hey, Booth. Dr. B." Hodgins took the drink Angela offered him. "I think everything is ready to go. It's going to be spectacular."
Booth snorted. "I've seen your idea of spectacular. We'll be lucky if you don't get us locked in this place for another Christmas."
Hodgins sighed, wondering if they'd ever let him forget what happened their first year as a team. "I'm not going to get us locked in. This involves nothing but lights. I promise," he added, not missing the look of disbelief on two of the faces looking at him.
"We should select a table," Brennan said. The room was filling up fast. "They'll be serving dinner soon and we don't want to be seated near the front during the speeches. Our table is, unfortunately, notorious for not listening well."
As they crossed the room toward the tables, they found Cam with her date for the evening. Soon Sweets and Daisy joined them and when Wendell arrived, they moved chairs around and made room for him at the table.
Booth moved his chair so close to Brennan's their arms brushed each time one of them moved. "You good, Bones?" he whispered to her. "When do I get my surprise?"
She turned and found his lips so close to hers that she couldn't help but kiss him. The surprised exclamation from across the table had her turning her head before she could answer the question.
The sound came from, no surprise to the couple, Sweets. Next to him, Daisy sat with a hand pressed over her mouth. While she managed to remain silent, she was bouncing so hard in the chair, Brennan was shocked it didn't tip over. Next to them, Wendell raised his drink and saluted them before going back to his conversation with Hodgins.
"No," Booth said firmly, reaching under the table to grasp Bones's hand. His eyes never left Sweets and he made an effort to keep his voice firm without sounding harsh. "We won't discuss it with you. Yes, the FBI knows. No, I won't tell you when it happened. Yes, we are going to continue working together." Turning, he gave Bones a smile that told anyone watching exactly what he felt for her. "And, yes, we are very happy."
Blue and brown eyes pinned Sweets, daring him to make a comment. Next to him, Daisy had removed the hand from her mouth, revealing the blinding smile. "I am so happy for you, Dr. Brennan."
She would never reveal to anyone what her mentor had cried out in her sleep while they'd shared a tent in Maluku. Not even to Dr. Brennan herself. But it had broken Daisy's heart, the number of times she'd called out Booth's name in the darkness, the longing in her voice impossible to ignore.
Daisy, ever optimistic, had hoped and watched from a distance. Kept the truth about Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan close to her heart and hoped the pair would realize what she already knew. That kiss and Booth's words were a Christmas present she hadn't asked for, but secretly wanted. Because what was better than two people finding exactly what they were looking for?
Sweets looked from Daisy back to the couple before nodding. Surprised at how well Daisy was taking the revelation, he wondered what she knew. Now wasn't the time to ask, and he chose to follow her lead instead. "I am happy for you as well." If there was something the pair didn't want him to know, they built an impenetrable wall. And that was when they'd claimed they were only partners. Now that they were in a committed relationship? He wouldn't find out anything they didn't want to share.
Besides, he hadn't been their shrink for a long time now. And as their friend, he truly was happy for the turn their relationship had taken. "How are the Flyers doing this season?" Sweets asked instead.
Nodding his head in thanks, Booth gave a quick overview of the season and where he thought the team was headed, knowing Sweets had only asked to change the subject. Next to him, Bones fell into a whispered conversation with Angela, and Booth wondered if they were talking about his surprise.
When dinner arrived, Booth was thrilled. The table had fallen into a heated discussion about a new forensic technique he didn't care about published in the latest journal he didn't read. He'd been entertaining himself by running his fingers along the back of Bones's neck, noting when she shivered at his touch. Those places, the curve where her neck met the shoulder, and where her spine met her skull, would be explored with more than just fingers later.
The speeches were boring, as usual. Why there needed to be speeches at a party like
this, Booth didn't understand. And as usual, his table was not behaving. At Angela's encouragement, they'd downloaded some sort of trivia game to their phones and split off into teams. Booth tried to refuse to participate until Brennan turned imploring blue eyes on him and he was helpless to resist.
Now, they were answering questions to earn points for their team and making disparaging comments about members of the other team. Comments that weren't always whispered quietly enough.
Answering a question about football, Booth earned another five hundred points, eliciting a not so quiet cheer from Bones. One that briefly interrupted the speech going on at the front of the room.
Horrified, Booth threw a glance at Brennan. He didn't care what anyone thought of him, but he knew how Bones felt about being the center of attention at something like this.
However, Brennan didn't miss a beat. She shrugged her shoulders and said in a voice loud enough to carry, "Sorry, but all accomplishments in our field should be celebrated. I was simply expressing enthusiasm for what you discovered this year. Congratulations on your achievement."
When she turned back to the table, Angela's face was red from trying not to laugh. Hodgins and Wendell weren't even trying to hide their amusement and Daisy gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up.
Cheeks coloring, Brennan turned to Booth, expecting him to be embarrassed, but he was looking at her in awe. "That was amazing," he said, also starting to laugh. "But maybe," he said, plucking the phone from her hand, "we should stop the game for now."
"No," she said, taking the phone back again. "There is only three minutes left in this round and I have no intention of losing."
When the final speech ended, her team had managed to win by a hundred points. Thanks, in no small part, to Booth's extensive knowledge of sports trivia.
They danced to every slow song and neither was forced to turn away admirers, Booth's kiss being as effective as he hoped. At ten o'clock the lights dimmed and they turned toward the front of the room.
It started slowly. A pattern of lights that morphed into stars. After that, the light show only turned more elaborate. Scenes so real, it felt as if it was possible to reach out and touch them. It was a long way from the first Christmas tree created in the Jeffersonian the year they couldn't leave. Both arms wrapped around her, Booth pulled Brennan flush against him, admitting that he was dazzled by what he was seeing.
"Angela is a genius," he whispered to Bones, his breath ghosting against her ear.
She tipped her head up toward him. "Hodgins did this. Not Angela."
Booth disagreed. "Do you really think he could do something like this without Angela's help?"
Thinking about it, Brennan realized he was right. Content, she turned her head back to the show and for a few minutes thought about nothing except the display in front of her and the warm body behind her.
No Jeffersonian Christmas Party would ever be as perfect as this one, no matter what she believed about singular events and missed moments.
When the lights came back on, she turned to him and took his hand. "Come on," she said, tugging him toward the exit. "There is something I want to show you."
