Let's see what Christmas Day has in store for our favorite couple...
"Here we go, Honey." Max put a pan of warm cinnamon rolls on the table before sitting down across from his daughter. "This morning has been nice, hasn't it? It's been fun, us spending Christmas together..."
Yawning, Brennan smiled as she stirred some lemon into her tea. "I've enjoyed it, too." Selecting a roll from the pan, she put it on her plate. "I like the new desk lamp and the sweater you picked out for my gifts. I think the sweater will go well with several shirts I have."
"Good. I thought that color would look good on you...and since the lamp is LED, it's energy efficient….good for the environment." Pleased that she was happy with her gifts, he grinned at her. "Thanks for my new DVD player. I'm gonna get a lot of use out of that." Cutting up his roll, Max paused slightly before changing the subject. "By the way, Honey, not to be nosy, but...I've been thinking about when I saw you with Booth at the diner the other night. You weren't really planning to go your separate ways when you left there, were you? You had something else in mind, right?"
Unable to hide her coy smile, she studied her cup before answering. "You're correct. We had planned to do something else after the party."
"Well, I guess I put a kink in those plans, didn't I? I'm sorry, Honey. I guess I should've realized as much at the time...I should've known you two wanted to be alone." He sighed softly. "I imagine you'll be glad to have me out of the way after the holidays are over."
"Dad…" Brennan exhaled slowly as she patted his hand. "I enjoy having you stay with me. Besides, you needn't worry about what happens between Booth and me. I believe things will work out for us in the long run…"
"In the long run?," Max interrupted in a surprised tone. "As in what...weeks? Maybe months?"
"Perhaps months...although, knowing Booth as I do, I believe he'll prefer an even greater length of time." She hoped that she sounded matter-of-fact, but she had a hard time suppressing a happy chuckle. "Who knows? The point is that nothing you did that night or might do in the future will prevent the two of us from entering into a long term relationship if that's what we choose to do. Our relationship is predicated on more than the occasional sexual encounter."
"I see...although hopefully for your sake, the sexual encounters will become more frequent." Reaching for his coffee cup, he smirked at his daughter's annoyance. "Come on, Honey...you know I'm teasing you. I just hope things work out for you two this time. After everything that's happened in the past year, you could use a break when it comes to the romance department, and Booth is a good guy, you know? I'm not sure you could find anybody better suited for you than he is."
"I tend to agree." She picked up her plate and rose to put it in the sink. "And while I don't actually need your approval when it comes to my romantic relationships, it's nice to know that you think so highly of Booth."
"I don't think I'd trust anyone else to take care of my daughter." Seeing her disapproving glare, Max shrugged. "Yeah, I know you don't think you'll ever need someone to take care of you, and right now that's probably true, but you might need that kind of support someday, and Booth's the guy who can offer that." He picked out another roll from the pan. "So I'm an old fashioned guy. Deal with it, okay?"
She held her hands in mock surrender. "Fine...and you're right...Booth is naturally prone to being a protector, and there may be times in my life where that would be to my advantage. Now...can we talk about something else? Where are you going after you leave DC?"
Feeling smug about his daughter's acquiescence, Max laughed. "Who knows? I guess we'll see which way the wind takes me…"
Oooooooooo
It was almost 3 o'clock as Booth took the apartment building's elevator up to Brennan's floor. For some reason he couldn't quite figure out, he felt a tiny bit of nervousness that afternoon. "What's the big deal? I ate Christmas dinner here last year…but there were a lot of people over, and this year it's more...personal? More intimate, I guess..."
Maybe he felt nervous because there'd been so much emotional upheaval during the past year, and maybe it was because it would be just the two of them...and Max. In some ways it felt like he was a teenaged kid again, going to meet his girlfriend's parents for the first time. Whatever the reason, he figured there might also be the chance that he was maybe a little edgy because of where he and Bones were heading with their relationship. Maybe this holiday seemed to mean more because he was thinking of their future together...a future that would hold many holidays spent together...and maybe even a couple of kids thrown in for good measure...
But let's not jump the gun. We've gotta get through today first. Juggling his packages as he left the elevator, he walked the short distance down the hall and set a large shopping bag aside before ringing the doorbell.
He couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as she opened the door, looking beautiful in her dark green blouse. "Hey, um...Merry Christmas, Bones!" He handed her a bottle of wine. "I hope this will go okay with dinner…being a beer guy myself, I wasn't sure exactly what kind to get...and I brought a fruit salad, too..."
"Thank you! I'm sure it'll be fine. Oh my…" She laughed as she saw the wrapped packages in the bag. "It looks like you've been busy with your holiday preparations…"
Stepping into her apartment, he held up the bag. "Yeah, well…you know, what's Christmas without presents, right?"
"Make yourself at home.," she said before being interrupted by the oven timer. "Oh, I need to go take care of that. Why don't you and Dad visit for a few minutes?"
Great...just great. What are we gonna 'visit' about? Sitting down on the sofa across from Max, Booth exhaled slowly. "So, um...have you had a good Christmas?"
Max shrugged slightly. "Yeah, so far it's been great. Hey, how's Hank? I was worried about him the other night…"
"He said to tell you he was sorry he crapped out on you. I guess he overestimated just how much partying a guy his age could handle during a night on the town. He said he's normally in bed by ten when he's at home."
"I'm glad to know it was nothing serious." Max leaned forward, regarding Booth with an almost paternal interest. "You know, the two of us were talking...Hank and me, that is...and he's really worried about not seeing you settled down with a good woman before he passes on…"
Groaning softly at Max's domineering comment, Booth ran his hand over his face in frustration. "Look...me and Bones are finally in a good place, okay? Why don't you just let nature take it's course without all the extra butting in? Besides, Pops still has plenty of good years ahead of him..."
"I'm just telling you what Hank said, that's all, Booth. No need to be so touchy. Your grandfather's a good guy, you know? And as it turns out, we've become good friends. In fact, I think I'm gonna go see him in Philly this spring. We might hang out...go see a ball game."
Those two old goats running around together are gonna be the death of me. "That sounds like fun. Maybe I'll just invite myself along…"
"Maybe...if you're not too busy with work...and with Tempe. I'll let you know when we decide on a date, although it's not like we need a chaperone..."
Booth rolled his eyes. "I know...maybe I just want to watch a ballgame with my grandfather, okay?"
Their discussion was interrupted by Brennan's reappearance. "Here we go...snickerdoodle cookies fresh from the oven." She snagged one before putting the plate full of the spicy treats on the coffee table. "They smell good, don't they? And they taste good, too…"
"My favorite!" Max smiled happily as he picked up a couple of cookies. "Thanks, Honey...this was real thoughtful of you."
She nodded "I thought we could enjoy them while we opened our gifts."
"Yum." Max took a big bite of a cookie and grimaced slightly. "They're...um...different from what I expected, but they're good. Is this a new recipe?"
Brennan shook her head as she picked up another cookie. After sitting next to Booth, she broke it in half and nibbled on one of the sections. "No...but I substituted some vegan ingredients for the butter and eggs the original recipe called for, so now I can enjoy them as well. I think they taste very close to the original…"
Not wanting to be rude, Booth took a small bite out of the smallest cookie on the plate. "Yeah, Max is right. They're pretty good." He offered a sly wink at Max. "Of course, I don't think I've ever had the originals, but I bet these are close, right?"
"Absolutely.," Max agreed. "And Tempe made them for me, so you'd best keep your mitts off my cookies, Booth…"
After finishing his first cookie, Booth smirked at Max as he picked up a second one. "Well, maybe I'll have another one while I'm here…you know, to make sure they're really okay..."
"I made four dozen.," Brennan laughed, snuggling next to Booth. "There'll be plenty...and you need to save room for dinner!"
"Okay, okay…" Booth grinned as he put his arm around her. "Maybe I'll get some to take home with me…"
"Or I can make some more for you later." She patted Booth's knee. "I think it's time for us to open presents!" She rose quickly from the couch and walked over to the hall closet. "This was too big to put under the tree…"
It was the sled she'd seen at the toy store when she was shopping for Parker's gifts. She smiled bashfully as she brought it over to Booth. "I hope you like it. I know you probably already have a sled, but Parker's getting bigger, and I thought a sturdier one might be in order...and I'm also hoping that I could help you enjoy it…"
"Bones...this is great!" He stood up to get a closer look, grinning happily as he ran his fingers over the shining runners.. "Man, what a beauty! And you're right...Parker's outgrown the other sled, so I've been wanting another one. Wow...look at the craftsmanship on this baby…" He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love it…"
"I'm glad…" She leaned it against the wall next to the tree. "Now we just have to hope for some snow so you can try it out…"
"Hey, come sit down, okay? I have some gifts for you, too." Returning to the sofa, Booth reached into the shopping bag and pulled out a gift for Max before handing two boxes to Brennan. "Here you go…hey, Bones, open the bigger one first."
She quickly tore the paper away from the large square package. "Oh, Booth! It's beautiful." She turned it so her father could see her gift. "Look! It's a picture of the rose window from St. Vincent's!" The brightly colored panes of glass stood out against a black background. "How did you find this?"
Proud of his plan, Booth smiled. "I asked Angela to take some photographs of the window, and this was the best one. She suggested the round white mat and the black frame, and I think it looks great. In fact, I think she's gonna make some smaller prints of the picture so they can be sold to benefit the soup kitchen."
"That's a wonderful idea!" Brennan held up the picture again. "Now...where should I put it?"
"I'll help you decide that later. Open your other gift…" Booth bit his lip as she unwrapped it. "I hope you like it. When I saw it, it reminded me of you…"
Brennan took the lid off the small box and gasped softly. "Oh my…you've outdone yourself, Booth.."
It was a silver cuff bracelet that had been engraved with a trio of swimming dolphins. She took it out of the box and held it up for Max to see. "I love it!"
"Really?" Relieved, Booth sighed softly. "Good. It's one of a kind...I saw it in a jewelry booth at a flea market and couldn't resist…"
"You chose very well." She put it on her wrist and held out her hand to admire it. "What do you think, Dad?"
Max nodded his approval. "I think it's great, Honey. Booth did good, didn't he?" Holding up a bottle of single malt scotch, the older man grinned. "I'd say we both did alright."
"Yes, we did." She winked slyly at Booth. "There is one more package under the tree…" She picked up the box and checked the tag. "It's for you, Booth. You must've been exceptionally good this year…"
He grimaced slightly as memories of the previous year flashed through his mind. "Well, I don't know about that…"
He tore the paper from the box and lifted the lid from the carton. "How did you know?"
"I know you, Booth. I found them in the same shop where I found the phone that Hannah gave you...all but that one…"
The partitioned carton held an assortment of old fashioned Christmas ornaments. "Wow...these are great! I was just thinking about this sort of thing last night, you know? I was looking at the tree at St. Vincent's, wishing I had some of my grandparents' Christmas ornaments…"
"The one that looks like a disco ball…" She pointed to a silver plastic ornament covered with shiny facets. "...your grandfather sent that to me so I could give it to you, but the plastic snowflakes, stars, and icicles came from the antique shop. They were infused with tiny amounts of radium, so they glow in the dark." She pointed out some small glass balls. "Those are mercury glass, and the process used in producing them has been discontinued for the most part." She sighed softly as he looked over the ornaments in the box. "I know it's not the same as having all the Christmas decorations from your family…"
"You gave these to me, so they're from someone who's part of my family, okay? And I'll treasure them for the rest of my life." He brushed away a tear before kissing her. "They're perfect…"
She smiled happily as she leaned against him. "I'm so glad…"
"I love them...and I love you, Bones…"
"I love you, too, Booth…"
Max couldn't help but grin. "That's more like it! You two need to spend some more time making some Christmas cheer like that…"
"Dad!" Giggling, Brennan pulled Booth up from the couch. "Come on...let's eat."
Oooooooooo
They feasted on a Christmas dinner of vegetable lasagna, turkey, dressing, stuffed mushrooms, fruit salad, and apple pie. After they cleared away the dishes, it was decided that a holiday movie was in order, so Brennan popped Elf into her DVD player and they made themselves comfortable, laughing as Buddy the Elf tried to fix things for his biological father, saving Christmas in the process.
As the credits rolled, Brennan's brows knit in confusion. "The actress playing Jovie in that movie looks so familiar…"
"Maybe..." Max nodded in agreement. "She kinda looks like your cousin Margaret, doesn't she?"
Brennan puffed out a sigh. "I suppose she does, in a way. Have you heard from Margaret recently?"
Her father shook his head. "Not for a couple of months. I think she's moved or changed jobs or something. Who knows?" Rising from his chair, Max made a production out of yawning and stretching. "Man, I'm beat. I think I'll turn in early." He offered Booth a hand. "If I don't see you before I leave town...take care of yourself...and take care of my little girl...if you know what's good for you, that is…"
"Right." Booth grinned as he shook Max's hand. "Stay out of trouble, okay?"
"Maybe. Good night."
Booth laughed as he and Brennan watched Max move towards his bedroom. "So much for being subtle, huh?"
"I don't know what you mean." Giving him an innocent look, she shrugged as she nestled next to him. "You don't think my father was tired?"
"He may be tired, but I think it's more likely he's giving us a hint." Booth waggled an eyebrow at Brennan.
"Well, he did say that he realized that he'd put a crimp in our plans for after the FBI party…"
"Well, maybe this is his way of making amends." Chuckling softly, Booth pulled Brennan close. "So...wanna make out?"
"Hmm…" She smirked at him before turning her gaze to the Christmas tree. "...that does sound tempting…"
"Yeah, I think so, too…" He sat with his arm around Brennan, watching the tree's blinking lights for a few seconds before tilting her chin so she was looking into his eyes. "I love you...so much…"
He kissed her passionately until she was breathless. She gazed up at him with a sultry expression, licking her lips as she ran her hand down his chest.
"You know, if I remember correctly, there was an occasion when you offered me the chance to engage in some very intense foreplay…"
"I did?"
"You said you wanted our 'first time together' to be something we could savor...something we could linger over, so…" She kissed him before straddling his lap. "...I think it's time we begin that phase of our relationship…" Her nimble fingers quickly undid the buttons on his shirt as she gently gyrated over him. "Don't you?"
He groaned softly as he felt his body's urgent response to her nearness. "Yeah...yeah, of course I do. I mean, I've waited for this a long time, but I don't want to do itout here...not in your living room…" He reached under her shirt and caressed her breasts, enjoying her soft moans as she leaned into his hands. "I don't want to wake Max…"
"Hmm...you may be right. I tend to be quite vocal when I achieve an orgasm." Seeing the intense look on his face as he eyed her hungrily, she slowly moved away from him. Taking his hand, she led him down the hall to her bedroom. "Merry Christmas, Booth…let's make it a memorable occasion...just you and me...together..."
"Just like we were always meant to be, right?" Seeing her smile, he grinned in return as he took her into his embrace. "Merry Christmas to you, too, Bones…"
Thanks to tazm for the idea of selling pictures of St. Vincent's rose window to raise money for the soup kitchen.
And thanks for all the kind comments. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura
