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Booth and Brennan re-entered the house and shrugged off their coats. Despite the fact that the doll was still plaguing her, she decided to push it to the back of her mind and think about it later. She was here to be with Booth and his family after all, the last thing she wanted to do and especially the last thing Booth wanted was for her to retreat to the back of her mind and remain antisocial for the rest of the night.
Booth was nervous that she wasn't going to let it go, but there was something else that had been bothering him about the story that she had relayed to him. What had prompted her sudden change of mind about spending the holidays with him and his family? Brennan was not the kind of woman who was easily swayed in her decisions, especially after she had adamantly set her mind to something. This dream that she had about the little girl named Frankie; could that have been the reason that she changed her mind and if so, why had that led her straight to his family home rather than anywhere else?
After hanging up both of their coats Brennan seemed reluctantly to join the family festivities. Booth gently placed his hand on her lower back and she looked up at him nervously. He looked at her with a comforting smile and led her back into the kitchen, "Bones, you have got to try this ice cream." He said pointing to a carton on the kitchen table. Removing his hand from her back, he picked up a bowl and shoveled a healthy amount of chocolate ice cream into it, "It's home made. This guy and his wife a few blocks over make it." He said turning to her, "And it's all natural, no chemicals involved. You'll love it." He said.
Brennan smiled and accepted the bowl, "Thanks." He stood there looking at her waiting for her to take the first bite. She scooped up a small amount onto her spoon and put the bite in her mouth. Her eyes widened as the flavor enveloped her taste buds. It was the most rich and flavorful chocolate ice cream she had ever had, "Oh my god." She exclaimed.
Booth laughed, "I told you so."
"This just proves that natural foods made without chemicals are not only better for you, but also taste better." She said waving her spoon at him, "It's a shame that you insist on your unhealthy eating habits when the proof is in the ice cream."
"Proof is in the pudding, Bones." He said, correcting her.
She lifted the bowl up and pointed at it, "Ice cream, Booth. Not pudding."
Booth laughed and rolled his eyes, "I'm glad you like it."
Mrs. Booth walked up the bickering couple, "Jared is popping in the video of Boppy and Seeley. You're going to love this Temperance." She said taking her by the arm and leading her into the TV room and taking a seat on the couch.
Jared was kneeling in front of the television jabbing buttons forcefully on the VCR, "You know, Dad. One day you're going to have to breakdown and come into the 21st century. Buy a DVD player!" he said angrily.
"Why should I buy some new fangled gadget when the old fangled gadget works just fine!" Mr. Booth argued.
"It's a matter of convenience, Dad!" Jared retorted, "DVD players are much easier to manage and don't eat your tapes."
"What am I supposed to do with all of the VHS tapes I already have then and the home movies?"
Booth sighed, "There is another 'new fangled gadget' that converts everything!"
"OH!" Mr. Booth said angrily, "No, no. It's just the corporation's way of cheating me out of more money. I'm not buying one gadget just so I can use another gadget."
Jared shook his head vigorously, "I'll take home all of the VHS tapes and convert them for you and I'm buying you a damn DVD player and throwing this crap out of the window on the third floor of this house when I'm done. Then you won't have a choice." He said.
Booth was cracking up quietly in the corner at his brother's frustration and various family members were looking at each other and holding back comments. It seemed as though this was a normal occurrence in the Booth household. Jared, Seeley and his father arguing about something that wasn't necessarily worth arguing over.
Mrs. Booth rolled her eyes and looked at Temperance who was smiling widely at the comfortable argument between Father and Sons, "They do this at every family get together. It doesn't matter what the subject is; they could be taking about the toaster we have that burns everything for all they care, but they still fight about it. They do it more because it's funny and not because they actually care about the technology itself."
Brennan laughed and Jared jumped to his feet, "It's alive!" he said moving to sit on the couch along side Brennan. He picked up the remote and pressed play. The first thing they saw was a younger Mrs. Booth. She looked to be in her early twenties when this was filmed and she was pregnant. Brennan immediately thought that she was too young to have become a mother so soon, but didn't say anything out loud.
Mr. Booth's voice came from behind the camera on the tape, "Hey baby!" he said.
She smiled up at him and rolled her eyes, "Get that camera off of me Michael. I look like an Elephant." She complained.
Mr. Booth's voice came again, "Well then, this elephant thinks that you're an especially beautiful elephant." He said, dropping the camera towards the floor, giving the impression that he was kissing his wife.
While the camera was pointed downwards a little boy crawled into frame and looked up into the lense. There was Seeley Booth at age two. Adorable little boy who looked exactly like Parker only with short brown hair and large brown, curious looking eyes. Brennan laughed out loud and Booth looked over at her smiling at her reaction.
"That's right!" Booth said, "Look at that handsome devil. Age two: Lady killer." He laughed.
Brennan laughed and Mrs. Booth rolled her eyes. Jared threw a left over napkin at his brother, "And the EGO keeps on COMING!" he said, laughing.
"Shut up Jared!" Booth said, picking the napkin up off the floor. He patted Sarah Jane on the arm, "You gonna let him talk to me like that?" he asked her.
Sarah Jane looked up from her mound of vanilla ice cream, "Sorry Uncle Seeley, Jared has got you there. You do have a pretty big ego." She laughed.
"HA!" Jared said, "She told you, playah!"
Sarah glared at Jared, "Your ego far surpasses his, Jared."
Jared put his hand to his heart and fell back on the carpet, "You killed me Sarah. You shot me straight through the heart!" He cried.
Booth laughed out loud, "That's my girl, SJ!" he said, then turning to Jared, "She knows what side her bread is buttered on!" Sarah Jane laughed and shoveled more ice cream into her mouth.
The little boy on the video pulled on his father's pant leg and he turned around to see his son sitting on the floor next to him, "There is our baby elephant!" Mr. Booth said.
Seeley smiled at the camera, "Apopie?" the little boy said and the on camera Mr. Booth laughed.
Brennan immediately burst out laughing and everyone turned to look at her. She looked up, out of breath, "Apple pie!" she said loudly, "You haven't changed since you were two years old, Booth!" she said loudly.
His grin spread across his face at the sight of Brennan completely out of control with laughter. He had never seen her like this. This laugh was loud and robust and lacking self consciousness and restraint, he could help but laugh himself.
On camera Mr. Booth said, "Mommy is making it now, but guess what Seeley?" he said.
The boy lifted his hands in the air, "Wha?"
"Guess who is coming over?" Mr. Booth said excitedly.
"WHO?" Young Seeley said, his voice cracking in excitement.
"Uncle Tony!" Mr. Booth exclaimed.
Young Seeley smiled the infamous smile that she now knew as his charm smile, particularly charming on only him.
"Honey! I'm home." A man called from out of the shot. Young Seeley's face lit up at the sound of his voice he turned a wobbled out of the kitchen and his father followed him with the camera. Young Seeley grabbed onto the legs of a man firmly and the man bent down and picked him up and placed the boy on his hip and smiled at the camera. It was Anthony Gallo and behind him was the woman Temperance ran into on the street.
"Hey!" Brennan said softly, "I know them."
Mr. Booth turned to look at her, "You knew Tony and Grace?" he asked, somewhat shocked.
Brennan looked at him questioningly, "What do you mean 'knew'? I had coffee with him three days ago."
Mr. Booth looked at his wife and Brennan looked at Seeley who was ashen. Mr. Booth coughed and Brennan looked at him again, "Tony and Grace died in a car accident ten years ago. You must be mistaken." He said firmly.
Brennan shook her head, "No, I'm not. I had coffee with him and then I talked to both of them at the Ford Theatre yesterday." She said vehemently.
"No." Mr. Booth said firmly, "You're mistaken." He said turning back to the television.
"Anthony Gallo." She said. Mr. Booth turned to her abruptly and stood up.
"I never told you his last name." he said, raising his voice, "Young lady, if this is some kind of jokeā¦"
Booth stepped toward his father, "Bones doesn't joke Dad." He said calming his father down, "Bones, are you sure that this is the man that you saw? Anthony Gallo? My godfather?" he said pointing at the screen where a young Seeley Booth was punching the man in the noise and giggling.
"Yes." Was all she said before getting up from the couch and running toward the foyer to get her coat.
