Chapter One: Denial

"Hi Sweetie." Angela said, walking in the door. She looked out into the hallway again in case Booth was standing behind her.

"Who are you looking for?" Angela asked.

"Ummm… I just didn't know if Jack was with you." She stammered.

"Nope." Angela said. "Just me."

She shut the door and turned and looked at Angela. "So, Ange" she said. "What do you want?"

"Well." Angela replied. "I know you dislike Christmas and all that, and I know it was a big step to have the gift exchange here, but Jack and I were wondering if you wanted to spend Christmas with us. "

"Ummm, Ange." She started.

"I know, I know, you don't do Christmas." Angela interrupted. "But we really aren't doing much at all. Just watching Christmas movies tomorrow and having turkey dinner on Monday. C'mon I really want you there."

"I would be interrupting you and Hodgins." She replied.

"No you wouldn't. I swear." Angela said pleadingly. "C'mon. You get to see Jack's gigantic house. And he has a really big library, so you can spend all your time reading books if you want. And we are going to go snowshoeing!"

She was about to say no when a thought sprang to her mind. 'I wouldn't have to talk to Booth.' She could turn her cell phone off and not talk to him for at least another day or two. She could put some distance between them. She knew that if had come charging through that door, she would have kissed him and much more. And she wasn't ready for that. She wasn't ready for things to change. 'Maybe with a few days to calm down' she mused to herself.

'Sweetie? You okay?' Angela said, waving a hand in her face.

"Umm yeah" she replied. "And yes I will come."

"Really?' Angela squealed. "K. Go pack your bag."

She walked into the bedroom and started grabbing some clothes to take with her.

"You watched White Christmas?" she heard Angela ask from the other room.

"Yeah." She replied. "Booth said I should watch it so I did. It's good." She didn't add that he had said that about one minute before she had practically jumped him in the snow. She heard Angela say something back but she wasn't sure what it was. She was too busy replaying that kiss in her mind. She could feel her cheeks go red.

'Temperance Brennan.' She thought to herself. 'You're acting like a schoolgirl. Stop it.' She was glad Angela was in the other room and couldn't see her blushing. She quickly threw her clothes and toiletries into her bag and headed back into the living room.

"I'm ready." She said.

"Why are your cheeks flushed?" Angela asked, looking at her strangely.

"Ahh, they are?" she stuttered. "I guess it's hot in here."

'Damn Booth!' she thought the herself as she grabbed her jacket. 'Damn him and that perfect kiss.'

"Let's go sweetie." Angela said. "Don't worry. I won't make you do anything you don't want to do."

"Yeah right!." She laughed, shutting her door and locking it.

She followed Ange down the stairs and out to the car, trying to push thoughts of Booth out of her mind. 'Besides,' She thought. 'He didn't come back. It must mean that the kiss didn't mean anything to him.'

It was a perfectly logical thought. But her heart crushed a little when she realized it might be true.

A/N: Wow. I just read that over and noticed how many times Angela said sweetie. groans I may have to reconsider this no editing thing.