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Enjoy...


It seems that in every family when a new person is introduced into their clan by a loved member, it is the family's job to make sure that that new person is told of every mistake, folly and embarrassing moment in their lives. It is a way of conveying to the new comer that that person is not only an integrated part of the family history, but that he is loved and cherished by those around him. The Booth family was no exception.

It was eleven thirty and the children had all been put to bed, scrunched up beside one another in Seeley Booth's childhood bed and a few extraneous friends had left for the night. The adults were sitting in the TV room around the coffee table telling stories from Jared and Booth's childhood, teenage and young adult years, making sure to exaggerate their mischievous and odd behaviors for Temperance's benefit. It seemed as though everything that had happened after the viewing of the video had been forgotten and all that mattered now was making sure that everyone was enjoying themselves.

They had forgone the traditional pitcher of Egg Nog which his mother made out of habit for beer and simple mixed drinks and tears were flowing from their eyes from laughing too hard at the multiple stories that Booth's mother and father had relayed over the past hour and a half. Nancy was leaning on her husband's arm (who Temperance later found out was Mrs. Booth's younger brother). Temperance and Booth sat on the floor cross legged and Jared was laying down on the floor with a blanket made into a makeshift pillow, haughtily denying claims of bad behavior as a child and demanding that the record be set straight all in jest, of course. Although Booth was embarrassed about the stories being told about him in front of her, he knew that it was his family's way of initiating her into the family by letting her be able to enjoy in their tight knit history.

Finally, Mrs. Booth stretched her back and slapped her husband on the leg, "I think it's time for bed." She said, smiling at him.

Mr. Booth let out a yawn and nodded, "Yeah." He said standing up and stretching, "Santa is coming after all." He said, winking at her.

Lending her a hand off of the couch, Mr. and Mrs. Booth made their way out of the TV room with a few words of good night to everyone. They were soon followed by Nancy and her husband who were spending the night in the guest room and Jared taking up residence in his old room. When they were finally alone, Brennan released a long breath letting out her nervousness and tension that had been with her the entire evening.

"They loved you." Booth said, moving onto the couch and pulling her up with him.

"How do you know?" she asked sinking into the couch.

Booth laughed and placed his empty beer bottle on the coffee table, "My parents only ridicule me in front of people they really like. That doesn't happen often. The one time Rebecca was here they barely spoke, and that wasn't even on a holiday." He said smiling at her.

Brennan looked at him and then looked away when she met his eyes, "Rebecca was also your girlfriend and she broke your heart." She mumbled.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that they think you're my girlfriend though." He said chuckling.

Temperance's eyes widened and she turned to him abruptly, "Why would they think that?"

The color drained from his face and he turned away and picked up the bottle again, beginning to peal the label off, "I don't know. I guess they just… see how well we get along." He said shrugging.

Brennan cleared her throat, "You should probably let them know."

Booth nodded slightly and decided to change the subject, "So, why did you run out of the house earlier?" he asked.

Brennan looked at him in confusion, "Because of the tape…" she said incredulously.

"What about the tape? Was I too cute for you?" he asked teasingly.

Brennan shook her head, "Your uncle?" she asked, trying to trigger his memory.

Booth shook his head, "What about him?" he asked.

"Are you kidding?" she asked, "I saw him." She asked him, now becoming frustrated.

Booth laughed, "We all saw him, Bones. He was on the video." He said.

Brennan shook her head, "No, I told you… I told everyone. I had coffee with him three days ago at the diner." She was confused. Completely and utterly lost, but somehow it made sense. After she ran out of the house, Booth nor anyone in his family had mentioned anything about what she had said. They had all somehow forgotten what she had said and the only way she could explain it was that Anthony and Grace had done something; something to make them forget.

"You what?" he asked, freezing in place.

Brennan exhaled, "Anthony Gallo and I had coffee at the Royal diner three days ago, right before the dreams I had told you about started. Then yesterday, I talked to both your godfather and his wife and the Ford Theatre."

Booth knit his eyebrows in confusion, "That's impossible, Bones. They…"

Brennan cut him off, "Died in a car accident ten years ago, I know."

"You aren't kidding." He said, stating it as a fact rather than a question.

Brennan shook her head, "No. That is why I ran out on you before." She said clasping her hands on her lap and studying them, feeling his eyes on her. She looked up at him and his expression had changed to unreadable, "Oh… You think that I'm crazy, don't you?" she asked, standing up from the couch and starting to walk away.

He quickly stood up and grabbed her by the arm, turning her back to face him, "No, I don't think you're crazy." He said, "In fact, I never would have told you this before, but now… I think you'll understand." He said bringing her back to the couch and sitting down.

"What is it, Booth?" she asked seeing the concern on her face.

"Three days ago…" he started. He couldn't seem to bring the words to fruition. Temperance placed a hand on his and encouraged him to continue, "Three days ago I fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up, my aunt grace was there." He said, turning to look at her with tears in his eyes. She gasped softly, seeing how hard this was for him to say, "She told me that there was more to my life than what was happening now. That I needed to start livingly actively with the people in my life or I would never be truly fulfilled. She talked about you." He said bluntly.

The grip on his hand became tighter, "Me?" Temperance asked.

Booth laughed softly and put his hand over top of hers, "Yeah. She said that I can't keep hiding things from you because it will make us both miserable."

Temperance immediately pulled her hand back, "You've been hiding things from me?" she asked, clearly hurt.

Booth laughed, "It's not what you think, trust me." He said, taking her hand back, "About fifteen minutes later was when you dropped by."

Temperance laughed, "Is that why you said that I could have been interrupting something?" she asked, eying him up.

Booth laughed as well, "Yeah." He rolled his eyes, "Anyways, the next night, I had a dream where I was talking to myself. I ridiculed myself for not trying to make you happier around this time of year in the past. I told myself about how I knew how upset it makes you and how I'm one of the few people who could change that and thus far, after three years of Christmases I had yet to actively try to make it better for you."

Brennan sighed, "That isn't your responsibility Booth. We're supposed to be partners, my happiness doesn't work into that equation." She said adamantly.

"But it does." He said vehemently, "You may not realize but your happiness is extremely important to me. If you aren't happy then I can't be either, not really."

"Why?" she asked, not sure that she wanted the answer.

"I'll get to that in a minute." He said clearing his throat and taking a long look at her before continuing on, "Last night, I saw…" he said bringing his hand up to his mouth and holding back tears.

Brennan didn't need him to say it out loud to know who he was talking about, "Frankie?" she whispered and he nodded in response. She immediately flew into his arms and they were both lost in the flood of emotions that was both drowning them and redeeming them. She hid her face in the crook of her neck, breathing in his cologne, the smell that had drawn her to him in their first meeting. He stroked her auburn locks and let the tendrils pass through his fingers, hypnotizing him.

Booth sniffed and wiped his eyes, "She kept asking me why mommy was so unhappy. She was pleading with me saying, 'Daddy, make it better!'. I didn't know what to do." he said, his voice becoming rough.

Brennan sobbed into his chest, "Why didn't you tell me before? When I told you about her?" she asked.

Booth shook his head, "I was in shock. I didn't know what to think. I didn't want to scare you. I care about you too much; I didn't want you to run away from me."

She pulled out of his arms, caressing his cheek and needed no permission when she fervently laid her lips upon his. They were ossified by one another; giving each other a new life by their shared breath and mingling mouth. Their tears formed into a collective pool on their faces and their breathing was labored by their journey into a new chapter of their lives.

She pulled away from him and he wiped the tears from underneath her eyes with his thumb, "I love you so much." She said, her breath hitching as the words flowed easily from her lips.

"I love you too." He said, genuinely smiling at her and laughing slightly with excitement. He pulled her back into a hug and kissed her temple. Their hug eventually became spooning on the couch as they gently and happily fell into the arms of uninterrupted sleep.


This is NOT the end. I think there will be one more chapter... maybe two. I will have it up tomorrow.

Remember! I said TONS! TONS OF REVIEWS!

Have a nice BONES night! (And those overseas who don't get it... my condolences.)