Here is the next chapter!

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Brennan woke up at ten o'clock the next morning thoroughly pissed off. Not only had she slept in later than she would have liked to but she had another dream about someone forcing her to celebrate the holiday.

She threw back the covers on her bed and immediately made her way into the shower forgoing for the time being her ritualistic cup of coffee. Twenty minutes later, she stepped out of her bathroom feeling more relaxed then she had when she originally woke up this morning, deducing that her lavender body wash was to thank for it.

Making her way into the kitchen, she started making coffee and grabbed a breakfast bar out of the cabinet when her phone rang. She was almost to it when she decided not to answer. She didn't feel like talking to anyone right now especially since all anyone could talk about was Christmas plans and forcing her to celebrate the holiday which had no meaning or value to her. It was just another day.

The kettle began to whistle and she walked back into the kitchen when her answering machine picked up the call. She heard her voice giving the usual 'leave a message' spiel and then the beep.

"Hey Bones." Booth called over the answering machine, "I know that you are not at the lab so you must have gone out… elsewhere. So, anyway, I'm leaving for my parents house tomorrow morning and I just thought that you should know that the invitation is still open. I would really like it if you would come with me, but it's your choice. Anyway, if you change your mind and want to come along, meet me at my place around Eleven A.M. okay? Alright. I'll talk to you later."

With that the call was ended. Brennan filled her cup with boiling water and mixed in the instant coffee mix and leaned against the counter. Taking a sip, she contemplated what Booth had said. He said that he wanted her to go with him but not that she should spend Christmas alone.

Either way, it wasn't going to happen. His mother most likely thought of her as some promiscuous woman who toyed with her son's emotions. Seeley Booth was a good Christian boy, at least in his mother's eyes, and she was a foster child who was raised by criminals of all sorts, not to mention her genetic link to criminals; she slept around with men and wrote sleazy novels in which a forensic anthropologist has a lurid relationship with her partner/FBI Agent. There is no excuse for someone like her in a Christian's eyes especially if she went around inadvertently offending his family with comments about how Christianity is a farce created for unity of the culture and belief in a supernatural being that created the world in seven days and bred a child from his non-corporeal state.

Taking her last swig of coffee, Brennan went to her bedroom and got dressed intending to go out for a walk again. This time however, the diner was off limits. She was not about to run into someone else that she knew. Throwing on a sweater, a pair of jeans, boots and her coat, she grabbed her purse and left the apartment.

She walked down towards the center of the city and roamed the streets. Everywhere she went there were displays in store windows and children holding hands with their parents with expressions of pure bliss on their faces waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. She didn't understand it. Granted, seeing children happy was not a bad thing, but she couldn't recall ever being that happy before Christmas; being skeptical, yes, but happy? She walked briskly around town and ended up infront of the Ford theatre where a show was going on for the holiday season. Outside of the theatre, jolly holiday songs were being played in the streets and people passing by were humming and singing along to the music, carrying bundles of bags under their arms.

She walked into the museum that stood next to the theatre and walked down the stairs into the informational part of the exhibit. She had never been to this museum in all the time that she had lived in the city and decided that since she hadn't anything better to do, she might as well do it now. It was small and minimally informative; basically an overview of Lincoln's presidency and how he died in the theatre and a few panels on the people who were suspected to be involved in his assassination.

She walked into the gift shop where she was greeted by a young sales girl who donned a festive costume much like the one Angela brought out every Christmas for the annual Jeffersonian holiday party. She smiled kindly at the girl and made her way to the book section of the shop which was full of informational texts and creative fiction about and written by people who lived in the city.

"Doctor Brennan!" A merry voice behind her greeted.

She turned and saw Anthony standing behind her, "Oh, hello. How are you doing?" she asked politely.

"I'm just fine." He said smiling and walking up to stand next to her, browsing the shelves, "Yourself?"

Brennan turned back to the shelves and nodded her head, "Fine as well." She responded, "Have you bought my book yet?" she asked conspiratorially.

Anthony laughed, "To be honest, not yet. I'm having a bit of difficulty with a client at work. She's been taking up all of my time."

Brennan smiled and lifted a copy of her novel off of the shelf and showed it to him, "Well, you have time right now, don't you?"

Anthony laughed again and picked the novel out of her hand, "Well, I guess I have no choice in the matter now, do I?"

Brennan wrinkled her nose, "I don't think so." She said shaking her head.

Anthony tucked the book under his arm and began browsing the shelves again, "How is your friend doing? The one who told his son that Santa is real?"

Brennan cleared her throat, "He's good. He's going up to see his family tomorrow in Pennsylvania."

"Ah." Anthony said, picking up a book about D.C. ghosts and flipping it over to read the summary, "Family man. No doubt he loves to visit them for the holidays."

Brennan quirked an eyebrow and looked at the old man, "Not really. He hasn't seen them in a while, he asked me to go with him; I he wanted me to go as a buffer of some sort." She said turning back to the shelves.

"That sounds nice. I'm sure that you'll have fun." He said, placing the book back on the shelf.

"Oh, I'm not going." She stated walking around him to the other side of the shelf, he followed.

"Oh, so you're going to be seeing your family," he stated nodding his head.

"No, I'll be alone for the holidays." She stated again.

Anthony turned to her abruptly; "Alone?" he said incredulously, "Why would you want to be alone for the holidays?"

"I have spent many holidays by myself. It's a non issue for me." She said turning to look at him.

"I assume that you have spent holidays in the past alone because you had no choice?" he asked.

Brennan nodded, "I guess." She said, thinking back on past holidays.

"So if you have the choice this year to either spend the holiday with people you love or spend it alone, why would you choose to be alone?" he asked empathetically.

Brennan shrugged, "I don't want to intrude on their time."

Anthony tilted his head to the side, "You believe that you are unwanted?"

She stuttered, "Well… I… uh, no. I guess not, but that has nothing to do with it."

"Do you mind if I ask you something personal, Temperance?" Anthony said leaning against the shelf.

Brennan shrugged again, "No."

"Would it be fair to say that you let yourself be sad and lonely because it's easier than trying to be happy and loved?"

Brennan stepped back from the man, "Frankly, I find what you say to be offensive; not to mention premature. You don't actually know me, Anthony."

Anthony smiled and pushed himself off of the shelf, "The holidays aren't just about religion, Temperance. They're about being happy. All year we are worried about check books and stocks and responsibility that we must carry through. The holidays are about letting go of those things for the time being and just about enjoying life." He took the book from out under his arm and held it up, "Nice picture by the way." He said, turning to the cashier and paying for the book. Before leaving the store, he turned back to her and smiled, "Happy Holidays."

Brennan watched him disappear up the narrow staircase and when he was out of sight, ran after him. When she reached the doors to the outside, she pushed them open with force and jumped out to the sidewalk looking for him but he was already gone. She turned to see a woman standing on the side of the road who was looking at her. She walked up to her, "Ma'am did you just see an older gentleman come out of that building?" she asked, pointing toward the building in question.

The woman smiled at her and shook her head. Brennan straightened up and let out an exasperated breath, "Thank you." She said to the woman before storming off down the street.