AN: I'm still completely overwhelmed by all your reviews! Thanks so much. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. This isn't even close to the last chapter...I have a feeling this Christmas story may go beyond Christmas...hope thats okay! Enjoy!

The door bell rings precisely at four pm and Booth's heart jumps into his throat. This is it, he thinks to himself. This is the day. His stomach twists into knots and his mouth suddenly feels like a desert. What the hell is wrong with me? I'm not a teenager. I'm an adult. I can do this, he tells himself as he walks to the front door. Taking one last deep breath, he swings the door open.

"Bones, what the hell?" He asks, staring at his partner, laden with at least three bags on each arm, and her purse strap through her teeth. She gives him a glare as she struggles with her parcels. "Oh, right!" He blushes slightly, taking all the bags from her right arm and pulling her purse from her mouth.

"Well, it's Christmas, right?" She says, letting out a sigh. "I know well enough not to show up for dinner with a five year old without presents."

Booth has to smile. "Bones, you didn't have to do that." She quickly looks down at her feet and he realizes he's made her feel self conscious and she's only been there for five seconds. He quickly regroups. "But we appreciate it. Parker's gonna love you forever." Her blue eyes meet his and he suddenly feels faint.

"Standard etiquette suggests that you should invite your dinner guest into the home when she's freezing to death on your door step." She teases him.

He gives her an embarrassed smile and steps away from the entryway to allow her to pass. She brushes by him and grins, patting him on the arm as she goes.

"We'll just put these under the tree. Are all these for Parker?" He gestures at the bags in her hands and his.

"Well, not all of them. There's one in there for you," she kids. He rolls his eyes and swipes the bags from her hand.

"Go ahead and hang up your jacket and come on in to the living room. Parker's been waiting for you all day."

"He has? I can't believe he even remembers me." She says, beginning to unbutton her coat.

"Bones, he's met you more than once. He knows who you are, okay? So, take off your coat and come join us." He turns his back on her as he heads down the hallway.

"Parker! Dr. Brennan is here!" He shouts down the hallway to his son, playing with all of his new toys in his bedroom.

You can do this, you can do this, he repeats in his head as he pulls perfectly wrapped presents from the bags Bones brought.

"Nice tree, Booth," Bones' voice comes from behind him.

"Why, thank you Bones, nice of you to notice," he says, standing up and turning to face his partner. He couldn't help the massive grin that splits his face.

Her face immediately turns bright red. "I thought I would try to be a little festive, for Parker, of course. Red and green are the customary Christmas colors, right?" She asks, suddenly unsure of her red turtleneck sweater and green scarf. He nods approvingly. Her eyes meet his and he swears the Earth moves.

"Way to get into the Christmas spirit, Bones!" She rolls her eyes at him as he knew she would, and opens her mouth, he's sure to lecture him on how commercial and false the Christmas season is, but she's interrupted.

"Dr. Bones! Dr. Bones! Dr. Bones!" Parker shouts, running into the room and hugging Bones around the legs. She looks at Booth a little startled, before patting the boy on the head.

"Hello Parker. Merry Christmas," she says, and Booth thinks he can see her flinch as she says the words.

"Merry Christmas, Dr. Bones," he repeats politely, and then tugs on her arm so she'll come down to his level. "This is gonna be the best Christmas ever," he whispers to her. "I promise." Booth smiles at his progeny relating so well to the woman he loves.

Brennan smiles at Parker, glancing up at Booth, and he shrugs.

"Dr. Bones, would you like to see what Santa brought me?" This is it, Booth thought. She's gonna say something about Santa and it's all over.

"Sure Parker! That sounds like fun. And you know what? I brought you some presents too, so after we're done, maybe we could open them." Booth watches his son's eyes light up and wrap his little arms around his partner's neck, and he knows he made the right decision inviting her. He sees the uncertainty in her face as she wraps her arms around his son's body, but is so proud of her for trying that he can't wipe the smirk off his face, even when she glares at him.

"Come on, Doctor Bones, let's go! My toys are in my room." His son is nothing but a blur as he races out of the room and down the hallway to his bedroom. Booth chuckles at the look of shock on his partner's face.

"He really likes his new toys," he explains and she gives him her 'ah' look and smiles.

"Thank–"

She cuts him off in a hushed tone. "Just because I don't condone your lying to your son about a mythological man who delivers presents to all the children in the world in one day, I would never undermine your parenting. You want Parker to believe, and if that's what you want, I respect that. I can play along for one day. I'm not so socially impaired I would spill the beads to your son, Booth."

He's so absolutely touched by her words, he can't even bring himself to correct her 'beads' comment. He just smiles and nods.

"I can remember what it felt like to believe for a day. I can remember what it felt like to be a part of a family," she says, and he sees the hurt flicker through her eyes, and it pains him.

Be a part of my family, he thinks as he takes a step toward her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Bones, I –"

I love you, he shouts in his mind, but it's never verbalized. She's here looking for support and comfort from her partner and his son. I can't possibly tell her how I feel today. It would be taking advantage of her already emotional state.

"DR. BONES!" Parker shouts from his bedroom, and Booth's sentence is cut off. They both chuckle silently as he drops his hand to his side.

"Well, sounds like you have some distracting to do so that I can make the best home cooked meal you've ever had," he says giving her his charm smile.

She closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Are you sure this is okay?" She looks back up at him with her icy blue eyes and he has to take pause. She looks almost as vulnerable in this moment as she did in that warehouse when he saved her from Kenton.

"Bones," he says, grasping her shoulders in his hands, and bringing his face within inches of hers, "You're gonna go play with my kid, then we're gonna open the presents you brought, and then we're gonna eat until we drop, and you're going to enjoy every minute of it, understand?"

"Booth, I don't think it's possible to eat until you drop. What's the context of the word 'drop'? Are we talking dead or unconscious?" His head drops as he sighs. "I'm interested in proving my theory false though," she says in a small voice, and his heart flutters. He gives her his charm smile, turning her around, and gently shoving her toward the hallway.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," he says to her.

"I'll be in your son's bedroom explaining to him phylogeny," she tells him as she walks away.

"He's five, Bones."

"It was a joke, Booth," she shoots back over her shoulder as she goes on down the hallway.

He shakes his head and smiles. Then again, maybe today is the day. As he wanders into the kitchen, he hears her say very loudly, "Parker, let me tell you a little something about hexavalent chromium."

"COOL!" His son cries out.

"BONES!" Please don't turn my son into a squint.

So, Brennan might be the hardest person to write ever. I know the characterization of her was a little off, and I'm sorry, but it'll get better with time. I like thinking of Booth as this sort of nervous teenager as opposed to the confident male we see on the show cause afterall, its true love, who wouldn't be nervous?

Hope you liked it! Next chapter will be up soon!