A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I appreciate it.
Now we're going to spend some time with Brennan while Booth plans his trip.
Some of you may be surprised at her use of a Biblical reference, but the show has told us that she's read the Bible, as well as other religious texts, with an anthropological interest. It seems to me that she'd be able to apply those 'myths' to an appropriate situation.
Anyway, that's my point of view, so here we go...
Temperance Brennan hated Christmas shopping. She hated the noise...the crowds...and the crass commercialism. Truth be told, she hated almost everything involved in celebrating what was supposed to be a major religious holiday marking the birth of a god. "I suppose this must've been what it was like in those Biblical myths in the Gospels, where people dealt with the greedy money changers at the Temple in Jerusalem before their angry god chased out the malefactors.," she said to herself as she was jostled by some shoppers. "The sacred has become profane…"
And yet, there she was at the mall, trying to find items to match the individuals on her list. Selecting a gift for her father had been easy. He'd asked for a new cardigan and some slippers. After picking up some CDs by his favorite artists from the seventies and some of his favorite candy, she'd be done.
Angela would be receiving some craft supplies so she could make some artwork for their new baby's room, and Hodgins was getting a matched pair of antique prints featuring exotic species of beetles, which, knowing him, might find their way into the baby's room as well.
She was sending gift cards to her brother's family, along with some money to put towards her nieces' college funds. Those items had already been purchased and mailed.
Stopping to get a cup of coffee at the busy food court, she found a table in the corner and sat down to go over her list again. Each of her interns would get a cash bonus, but over the years she had learned that small personal gifts were also appreciated, especially if the items were selected with the individual's tastes in mind. However, it was important that they all be similar in value as well.
During the past few years when Brennan was faced with an issue such as this, she'd ask Booth for guidance. Their conversation would be quite predictable. She'd ask for help in selecting the items, he'd tease her about her 'big genius brain' not being up to handling the problem, she'd pretend to pout, and then he'd laugh and offer gift suggestions.
Lately, however, their dynamic had changed dramatically. Hannah's presence had been part of the reason, and even though Ms. Burley had departed approximately a month ago, leaving Booth with a broken heart, Brennan was unsure of how to approach him. He hadn't been his normal cheerful self, which, while it was understandable, still made their interactions quite awkward.
"He might still be upset by her leaving.," she murmured to herself as she watched the teeming hordes of shoppers rush by. "Anyway, he's busy, and he might not want to be bothered with my little gift giving problems. In fact, it's doubtful as to whether he'd want to talk to me at all. It's possible that he's still angry and embarrassed about what happened when Hannah left that night. She'd turned down his proposal, and then afterwards, he became quite intoxicated and I had to take him home and put him to bed. He's so proud...he doesn't want anyone to feel obligated to take care of him...even a friend...I'm sure he's still mortified by that turn of events..."
Sipping her coffee, she thought about the last case they'd worked together. Booth had been polite, but something was missing between them...something she couldn't name. It was like he wanted to talk over something with her, but she wasn't sure what that could be, and he never pressed the point. Instead he was courteous and kind, making sure that their conversations were mundane at best. There was no banter...no teasing...no bickering...and it wasn't like them at all.
"Things were so much easier when I went on an expedition of some sort over Christmas.," she grumbled. "But that's not possible this year, since I didn't want Dad to be alone over Christmas." Her father had planned to stay until the first week of January, so a trip out of the country wasn't feasible that year.
She groaned inwardly as she considered her gift giving quandary once again. Finding suitable gifts for the interns was one thing. That Booth had been merely polite and courteous as they worked on their last case offered another problem for her in the gift giving department. Over the past few years, Brennan had found herself quite attached to Parker Booth, and often indulged both her own feelings and the child's by giving him some Christmas gifts. While she hated the holiday for the most part, she found that she enjoyed making the little boy happy by bringing him a present or two on Christmas Day.
Given her present relationship issues with the child's father, she wondered now if giving Parker a gift would be appropriate. It was a nuance that made her feel uncertain, and she hated that feeling. It was as if she'd finally understood all of the social aspects of Christmas gift giving, only to have a new twist injected into the scheme simply to confuse her.
As she finished her coffee, she thought of something Booth had told her a few years ago after she'd witnessed a particularly bitter exchange between him and Rebecca. Brennan had been surprised to see how quickly Booth was able to move past his anger, even though he'd had every reason to hold a grudge against Parker's mother.
"Nah.," he'd said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "It's not the kid's fault that the adults can't get along, and he shouldn't have to suffer because of it. I'm gonna pretend like me and his mom are friends for his sake. It makes it easier on him if I do it that way."
"Exactly.," Brennan said to herself. "Booth and I may be at odds, and of course, I won't buy a gift for Booth this year, but our personal relationship issues are not Parker's problem. He'll expect a Christmas gift from me, and I don't intend to let him down."
Happy with her decision, she picked up her packages, disposed of her trash, and made her way to the mall's toy store.
She was going to make herself happy, no matter how Booth felt about her at the moment.
But if I don't see Booth socially, how will I get the gift to Parker? After thinking it over for a few minutes, the answer seemed obvious. She'd take it over to the Hoover and drop it off. The employees in the mailroom would either take up to Booth or notify him of the delivery. Her task would be done with a minimum of social interaction, and everyone would be happy.
It was an excellent idea, and she was proud of herself for working it out. Now came the hard part...deciding what to purchase.
She paused slightly as she stood in front of the toy store. Normally Booth would give her ideas, but she didn't want to bother him, and anyway, this was something she wanted to do all on her own. Surely it wouldn't be too difficult to pick out a few gifts for a small boy…
Or so she thought, until she entered the store….
