A/N: Getting the Christmas tree home is half the fun...
After much laughing, grunting, sweating, and panting, along with the occasional curse word, the fir tree had been tied onto the top of the Prius, driven to Brennan's building, untied, loaded into the elevator, and then dragged down the hall to her apartment.
Finally it was standing in a corner of the living room, facing a window, so that passersby would be able to enjoy it as well as the occupants of the apartment.
Collapsing into a chair, Brennan couldn't help but laugh as she thought about their adventure. "I don't remember getting a Christmas tree home as being that much work!"
"That's because I did it for you last year, remember? You came home, and I had already set it up in that same spot. I got you a nice discount on that year's tree because I was selling them." Max regarded the large fir tree carefully. "I wonder if we should turn it a little bit more this way before we put the lights on it."
"Dad, it's after nine! I don't think we have time to decorate the tree tonight, do we? I haven't gotten the materials out of the storage closet yet."
He shook his head as he made more adjustments to the tree. "No, of course not! It has to relax first." Removing the twine that had held the branches in place so it could be transported home, he grasped the trunk and thumped the tree up and down against the floor, which scattered loose needles everywhere. "It'll need some water, too. Do you have a bucket we can set it in?"
Rolling her eyes, Brennan exhaled slowly. "It would appear that real cut Christmas trees are a lot of work. Perhaps an artificial tree is something I should invest in for next year..."
"Real trees do involve a lot of work, but it's nice to have a fresh tree in the house, isn't it? I suppose it's kind of like bringing cut flowers home. Silk flowers last a long time, but they're just not the same as the real thing." He ran his hand over a branch and then took a whiff of the scent. "This tree smells like Christmas should smell…a fake one just isn't the same." He turned to smile at her. "Besides, we had a lot of fun tonight, right? Doing something together to get ready for Christmas?"
"Yes, Dad...it was a lot of fun."
As she watched her father inspect the tree, Brennan couldn't help but smile sadly. They'd spent a long time apart after her parents had abandoned her and Russ, and it had taken her awhile to trust the man again, but here he was, in her apartment, and they were going to spend the holidays together.
She wondered if that would've been possible if Booth hadn't been there to intervene...to act as their mediator. Somehow he knew that she needed to forgive her father...in fact, he'd insisted on it. It's probably due to Booth's high emotional intelligence that I have a relationship with Dad. I'd never have been able to do that by myself...I wouldn't know how, but Booth showed me...he wanted me to have something he never had with his father...I should thank him again...
"Here, Tempe...I have something for you." Max held out a small frosted cup. "I think you'll like it."
Brennan shook off her musings as she took the glass from her father. Eyeing the creamy white liquid suspiciously, she looked up at him. "What is it?"
"Eggnog, silly! I made it this afternoon." He held up a small can. "We'll just sprinkle some nutmeg on it...like this...and then take a sip."
She took a small taste and gasped loudly, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Oh my God, Dad...did you put paint thinner in this eggnog?"
"No…" Surprised by her extreme reaction, he shrugged as he took a big drink from his mug. "Just some rum…you know, to take the edge off all the sweetness..."
"It wouldn't happen to be the same kind of 'rum' you made when you were in jail, would it? That was horrible stuff." She tried another sip and grimaced slightly. "I mean, I guess it's not bad, but I wasn't expecting that much whiskey…"
"It's real rum, alright...and not the homemade variety. I got it from the liquor store down the street." He winked at his daughter. "But I didn't exactly follow the recipe...I added more rum than it called for."
"Well, it is good, Dad, but…" She grimaced as she set her glass on a nearby side table. "...as a vegan, I don't normally consume any animal products, including milk and eggs, so…"
"Oh, I'm sorry! I completely forgot about that!" Embarrassed, Max ran his hand over his face. "I was trying to recreate a family tradition, that's all. When I was a small boy, my grandparents would serve eggnog like this at their Christmas parties, so I thought it would be nice for us to have some."
Exhaling slowly, Brennan willed herself to be calm. It was somewhat infuriating that her father couldn't remember something so basic about her lifestyle. However, he'd meant no harm...it was simply a careless mistake, and the idea that he wanted to share a Christmas memory with her was somewhat endearing. "It's not a problem, Dad. I'm glad you want to share family traditions with me." Rising from her chair, she handed him her glass. "You might as well finish this, too."
"Okay, okay. I apologize." Pouting a bit, Max huddled in his chair. "I was just trying to do something fun…"
"I know." Laughing softly, she nodded towards the kitchen. "Is there any rum left?"
"About half a bottle. It's in the pantry."
After pulling out various ingredients from the pantry shelves and the refrigerator, Brennan dumped all of them into the blender with some ice and then added the rum. A few seconds later, she poured herself a banana daiquiri and walked back into the living room.
"Here we go. Let's have a toast, Dad…to traditions both old and new…"
"That's right, Honey...to our family traditions. We can make up new traditions anytime we want, right? It's our family, and we can do as we please." Max took another sip of his eggnog before holding out his mug to her. "So here's to drinking rum while we decorate the Christmas tree."
"You're right, Dad. We can do both, although I'm not sure how the tree will look when we're done with it." Smiling happily, Brennan gently clinked her frosty glass against his. "But who cares? It'll be something we did together, right?"
"You said it, Honey." After finishing his eggnog, Max walked into the kitchen to pour himself a daiquiri. He grinned as he walked back into the living room and plopped down in a chair. "And you know what? I think next year, instead of eggnog, we should just stick to daiquiris. I like them a helluva lot better."
Laughing, Brennan quickly agreed. "I'll drink to that!"
Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites. I appreciate it. Laura.
