Never Too Old
Author: SplishySplash, Ihave207Bones
Pairing: B/B
Spoilers: Mayhem on the Cross
Rating: K
Summary: Its Brennan's birthday and the squint squad throw her a party.
Author's note: Okay, now you will see how this is backwards.
The restaurant was empty, save for random Jeffersonian employees and FBI agents who had the pleasure of working for Temperance Brennan awaited for her to arrive. Angela scurried around, playing host to the surprise party awaiting the arrival of the birthday girl. She had taken the afternoon off to ensure that the anthropologist stayed oblivious to her plans, which wasn't hard when she tasked that job out to her partner.
"This is a great set up Angela, you've really outdone yourself." Cam said shaking the water off her jacket before hanging it up on the coat rack by the door.
The artist tied the last balloon to a chair and smiled at the pathologist, greeting her with a hug. "It's been awhile since I've thrown a shindig, but I'm happy with it. " She said with a small happy shrug. "Was Bren still there when you left?"
The pathologist nodded and a bigger smile as she sat a box on the present table. "Booth was collecting her as I left she was sure putting a fight, though." There was a chuckle from behind them as Brennan's father and brother walked in behind them followed by the entomologist.
"That's Tempe for you." Max said, hanging his jacket on the same coat rack.
Russ gathered the artist in a hug. "She wouldn't be herself if she wasn't putting up some sort of fight." Russ said as they wandered further into the restaurant, taking in the decorations. A huge banner hung from the roof surrounded by burgundy and white colored balloons and ribbons, daffodils and candles as center pieces on the tables.. "I'm guessing her favorite color is burgundy?"
Angela shrugged. "It is for today." She said. "You should see her apartment it's a bit more colorful."
"Doctor Brennan doesn't really have a favorite color." Hodgins said with a smile, his attention scanning the flock of female FBI agents across the restaurant.
Angela scoffed and folded her arms. "She would launch herself into a long speech about how the body is receptive towards the light refracted off an object or something like that." Angela mocked with a smile. The psychologist walked in the door with a toothy smile and a wrapped box in his hand. "Sweets, I'm glad that you could make it!"
"Daisy wanted to come, but she is too close to finishing her dissertation." He said, setting his box on the neatly decorated table. "And I wouldn't miss this for the world, I'm curious to see how both Booth and Doctor Brennan handle the attention."
Max was about to comment about it when Hodgins spoke up. "They're coming!" He said excitedly Booth held the door open for the anthropologist.
". . . Booth, I wasn't anywhere near finished typing up that report, not to mention I got a request for a lecture that I need to prepare for and I need to go over the remains for the new exhibit on the early American settlers." She exclaimed, not taking notice that the room was filled with people she knew.
Booth chuckled loudly. "And it will all be amazing, but you have to eat sometime." Booth said with a wink.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted excitedly.
She jumped back into Booth, whose hands went to her waist to keep her standing. She gasped loudly and Booth whispered encouragingly into her ear as he led her into the middle of the floor where she was gathered into the arms of the artist, pathologist, entomologist and psychologist before she noticed her father and brother who also swept her up in their arms.
"You guys didn't have to do this." She said nervously as all pairs of eyes were on her.
Angela placed an arm over her shoulders and smiled brightly. "Of course we did sweetie! It's your birthday and you are always so modest about it, so we decided that you needed a little surprise party." She explained excitedly as she pointed out the people who had arrived for her birthday.
"My birthday isn't until tomorrow. . ." She said and frowned.
"I know, but it was easier to get everyone together tonight and I thought you had plans for tomorrow night."Angela said with a bright smile. Brennan tilted her head to the side, like she did when she was processing information obviously signaling that she didn't have an idea as to what Angela was talking about. "Go ahead and mingle for a while, then we will eat." She covered.
Brennan stood still for a moment, trying to shake the shock that filled her when her dad approached her. "What's wrong sweetie?" He asked, it was almost awkward for him to stand next to his daughter. It was the first birthday celebration that he had been around for since she turned fifteen and tomorrow she was turning thirty three.
"Nothing." She answered simply. "I'm really happy that you are here." Her gaze sought out Booth that was talking animatedly to Sweets and Hodgins by the bar, his arm moving like he was tossing a ball.
Max followed her gaze. "Booth showed up couple days ago and invited us. The babysitter backed out last minute so Amy decided to stay home." He said with a knowing smile. "Booth is a good man, came all the way to North Carolina to invite us to this little party."
Her face fell in awe as Booth looked up from his conversation and sent her one of his charm smiles that had forced her to put her hand on the table as support. Angela and Cam watched from across the room with matching smiles. "Man do I wish that was pointed at me." Angela said and Cam nodded as they turned their attention to the kitchen.
"He is a very good man." She answered she watched Booth hand Sweets a glass filled with champagne and pointed at her. The psychologist crossed the restaurant and handed her the glass. "Thanks Sweets."
"No problem, Doctor Brennan. " He said with a bright smile.
Max extended his hand to the shrink who warily took his hand giving it a brief squeeze to the man he hadn't seen since his trial. "It's good to see you, Doctor Sweets." Max said trying to make small talk. Sweets responded in surprise as Brennan took a sip of the champagne and wandered towards Booth who had a phone pressed to his ear near the door.
". . . She's right here, hang on." He said into the receiver and gave his attention to his partner.
Her brow raised and a frown formed on his lips. "Do we have a case?" She asked in a quiet voice.
"You're not getting out of this party Bones." Booth chided as he folded his free arm, prepared for an argument. "It's your birthday and we are going to celebrate it."
She held up her hands defensively. "I was just asking. . ."
A smile came to his face as he held the phone for her. "It's for you, they want to wish you a happy birthday." Her smile matched his as she took the phone from him and pressed it to her ear.
"Hello?" She said into the phone and a small voice on the other end made her smile soften.
"Happy Birthday, Bones!" It was Parker on the other end.
Her heart metaphorically skipped a beat and she metaphorically melted. "Thank you Parker." She said, turning to the door to hear the boy.
"How old are you?" The boy asked, not knowing the social norms behind asking a woman her age not that she minded of course. She answered his question honestly and he giggled excitedly. "My daddy is older than you, but not that much."
Brennan chuckled and turned to his father, who held his smile at her as Angela announced that dinner was served. "I know, bud." She said.
"Did you get the present that I made for you? I gave it to daddy to give to you." He said excitedly.
"I haven't opened any presents yet, but I'll make sure I open yours first." She said softly and Booth motioned that her presence was requested at the tables. "I have to go, your dad needs me."
They said their goodbyes with a promise to call tomorrow when she handed the phone back to his father who also said his goodbye and placed the phone back into his pocket. "He was really excited when I told him about your birthday." Booth said, placing a hand on the small of her back and lead her towards her overly decorated chair and walking towards the line of food.
"Booth, I can get my own. . . "She started, gaining a sharp look from him.
"It's your birthday let me do this for you." He said sweetly pushing her back down on her chair gently, with his hand on her shoulder as her dad took a seat next to her and Russ kissed her on the top of her head before taking the seat on the other side of Max.
Angela sat across from her with a bright smile on her face. "Relax sweetie, let Booth play the alpha male today. Consider it a birthday present from him." Angela said with a smile as she began picking off the pineapple from her pizza, piling it nicely on her plate in a small pyramid.
Russ watched Angela with fascination as she dissected her pizza before taking a bite of it. "What have you done to your pizza?" He asked with his eyes wide.
She shrugged her shoulders and watched as Booth sat a plate in front of Brennan before taking a seat next to her, her plate filled with vegetarian pizza and bread sticks. She waited expectantly and his brow rose. "What?" He asked as he took a bite of his own pizza.
A very non-Brennan like comment slipped from her lips. "Aren't you going to cut it for me too?" She asked innocently as a wave of laughter filled the table. His smile read 'smart ass' as he picked up a knife and leaned over her to cut her pizza, she swatted his arm away and picked up the slice and took a bite of its gooey goodness.
*~*
Another roar of laughter filled the restaurant as Max told the story of Brennan's fifth birthday party. ". . . but boy was Tempe determined to hit the piƱata, she stomped on ole' Ray's foot and he dropped the rope it was on. She beat that thing like a bat out of hell." Max said as he rubbed the tears out of his eyes. "Ray shot me the dirtiest and all I could say is that's my baby girl."
Brennan's face was buried into her hands as her shoulders quaked with laughter and Booths arm resting on her hunched back. "That's Doctor Brennan for you, doing anything to get what she wants." Cam said teasingly.
"Even step on the foot of the elderly neighbor to get a handful of candy." Russ said with a hearty laugh before pointing a finger at his dad. "Remember on her second birthday when she climbed up on the table and got into the cake? They named the terrible twos after Tempe went through it, she was quite the climber."
Her face grew redder as the embarrassing stories continued giving insight to the woman they knew before she was forced to grow up quickly, sticking clear of sensitive subjects. A comfortable silence filled the restaurant as a couple of waiters brought a cake with thirty three candles and set it in the middle of the long table, followed by two other cakes. Hodgins took a lighter and lit the candles as they broke out into a very tone deaf version of Happy Birthday only to her.
She got all the candles out in one try and the cakes were quickly served. "I couldn't remember what kind you like so I picked out three of them." Angela said when questioned about the three cakes. "I never realized how difficult it is to decide."
"You couldn't make it up?" Sweets asked as he took a bite of his cake, standing next to Cam and eyeing her choice of a yellow cake. "I see your point."
Booth watched as Brennan chatted animatedly with a small group of people who he assumed worked at the Jeffersonian as a hand was placed on his shoulder. "I guess she is a little old to be asking you what your intentions with my daughter are, but then again I would be repeating myself." Max said with a laugh. "Thank you for putting this party together for her."
He shrugged modestly. "It was a joint effort. . ." Booth answered just as modestly, hiding the flush on his cheek with a napkin.
"I know, but you took the time and effort to come down to invite Russ and I, it means a lot to me to know that she is well taken care of. " Max said squeezing his shoulder as Brennan walked over, her fork poised at his chocolate cake.
Stealing a bite of his cake, she smiled at the men. "You're not telling anymore embarrassing stories from my childhood are you?" She asked stealing another bite.
The men looked at each other and a chuckle escaped from her father. "Of course not honey, Booth was just complaining that Angela didn't get any pie." It was a small white lie and it rolled off his tongue with ease because she had complained about him and his 'pie fetish.'
With the mother of eye roll and a huff, she placed her free hand on her hip. "Are you serious? You will live if you don't have your daily piece of pie it's really a wonder how in shape you are." Brennan said, digging her fork into her own white cake and holding it up for him to take a bite.
He took the bite and smiled, deciding to ignore her pie comment. "You always choose better cake." He said, digging his fork into her cake. "I'm getting that kind from now on." Max smiled and took a step back, watching the exchange between the partners.
"You can't." She said with a bright smile. "Because then I would want some of the chocolate cake."
He laughed as both pieces slowly began to disappear. "It's almost like if you give a mouse a cookie." He said as confusion spread across her face.
"I don't know what that means." She said her face falling in confusion.
Russ wandered over and placed an arm on her shoulders. "It's a children's book, Hayley and Emma love it." He said pulling her into a hug as a signal that he was heading out, when she noticed that the crowd had thinned out and the bus boys were clearing the tables. "I need to head out."
Booth took her plate from behind her brothers back as he wished her a happy birthday. As he left, the Squint Squad gathered around the birthday girl holding the wrapped boxes and a beautiful smile spread across her face. "Thanks guys for everything." She said softly.
"Oh we aren't finished yet, babe." Hodgins said, his smile suggested trouble and that he was up to something with the left over cake boxes in his hands. "Sorry, the babe thing is just a reflex." His free hand went to the back of his neck awkwardly as Angela stepped in.
"We are going back to your place to open presents and have a little birthday fun." Angela said, placing an arm over her shoulders and walking her towards the coat rack. "Including lots and lots of alcohol."
Booth held out her coat and she slid into it, shivering slightly as his fingers brushed her neck when he untucked her hair from under the collar and met her father at the door. "This is my cue to head out too." He said wrapping his arms around her.
"You're not going to join us, Max?" Asked Booth with a laugh as the rest filed out of the door as he put his own jacket on.
"No, I'm too old for that sort of stuff." He said with a laugh, giving his daughter one last squeeze. "Have fun, be careful and all that sort of nonsense."
Her face fell slightly as her eyebrow raised matching the 'clearly not amused' look that graced her face. "I can take care of myself you know. . ." She said placing her hands on her hips as Booth grabbed her arm, leading her from the restaurant.
"Of course you can, Bones. Come on before Hodgins and Angela drink it all." He said with a nod to Max and a hand on her back and ushered her out of the door.
