Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us, they gather near to us once more.
Through the years we all will be together and if the fates allow.
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.
The holiday season really was his favorite time of the year. Booth just simply loved everything about it: the music, the decorations, the smells, the sense of family, the religious aspect, the presents... It was always the highlight of the dark and dreary, bitter winter that lie ahead of them. It made him happy when the cold, harsh weather was trying to bring him down.
And right now, at this moment, things couldn't have been more perfect. Booth sat on the couch in front of the fireplace with Katie asleep on his lap, watching as the first snow of the season gently fell outside. The glow of Christmas lights from the tree twinkled around them. Frank Sinatra belted out the sounds of the season in the background as the smell of Brennan's Christmas cookies wafted in from the kitchen. He couldn't remember the last time he had ever felt so at peace. All he needed was for Parker to be there and things would be absolutely perfect.
He heard the soft patter of Brennan's footsteps behind him and turned his head to notice she was carrying a plate of her cookies. Wordlessly, she put them on the table in front him before sitting besides him on the couch and pulling the blanket that was draped over the back into her lap. Booth watched her as she reached for a cookie and then settled back into her place. He certainly couldn't deny the fact that even with her hair in a messy ponytail and no makeup on, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
"What?" Brennan asked when she caught him staring at her. "Do I have flour on my face?" She wiped at her face with the back of her hand.
"No, just, nothing," Booth stumbled over his words.
"Okay…" Brennan raised her eyebrows at him.
"These look delicious!" Booth exclaimed, changing the subject and reaching for a cookie. Katie shifted on his lap when he did so, but she still appeared to be asleep.
"I hope they are; I haven't made them in years. My dad found my mom's old recipe book and gave it to me last year. We used to make these every Christmas Eve together. And Russ always wanted to help, but my mom always told him no. She would say that cookie making was our special thing."
"Well before you know it, you'll have your own special little helper," Booth said, nodding towards Katie.
"Hmm, I suppose that's true. Before you know it, we'll be raising a teenager."
"Oh God, don't say that. Parker's older than she is. I don't want either of them to grow up."
"Well whether you want it to happen or not, it will. It's a normal process of life."
"Ha, yeah I got that, Bones, thanks," Booth laughed, biting into his cookie. "Hey these are pretty good!"
"You sound surprised."
"Me? Surprised? Not at all! So, Bones, Santa Claus. He's coming on Christmas Eve, right?"
"You're going to lie to her too about this?"
"Come on, Bones. It's just what you tell kids. You had a childhood; didn't you ever believe in Santa Claus?"
"Russ tried to get me to believe, but I've always been a highly rational person."
"Even when you were three?"
Brennan shrugged, "And besides, we didn't even have a chimney."
Booth laughed and the noise was enough to wake Katie. She yawned, stretching her arms above her head.
"Well look who decided to wake up in time for dinner," he commented, still laughing. "Maybe if you're nice to her, Bones will give you a cookie."
Brennan smiled, shaking her head and turning to look out the window. "I'm beginning to understand why you enjoy this time of year so much."
"Yeah, it's pretty great, isn't it?"
"I've spent years hating this month…but ever since I met you…"
"I have that effect on people."
Brennan chuckled to herself as she moved to take Katie from Booth. "Come on sweetie, let's get you fed."
Booth noticed her pause before she left for the kitchen; no doubt thinking about how everyone had been "sweetie" to Angela. He settled back into the couch cushions after selecting another cookie to munch on. He closed his eyes and let the sound of Frank's voice wash over him as he slowly drifted off. Through the years we all will be together and if the fates allow. Hang a shining star upon the highest bough. And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.
Her work family. That's who these people were. There were only two people missing, but she was trying not to focus on their absence. They were here to celebrate the season after all. Brennan approached the group sitting in the elevated lounge type area of the lab and noticed Caroline had shown up, but two others were missing.
"Where's Annah and Dr. Wessland?" she asked, directing her question at Booth.
Cam had told her that Booth had asked her not to invite them. She was both thankful and relieved that he had done so; not wanting to spend this time with her new colleagues she just couldn't make herself like. But of course, she couldn't let Booth know that she knew.
"Oh, uh, they were busy," Booth said quickly. "Right Cam?"
Cam nodded, plastering a very fake smile on her face.
"Right," Brennan laughed, taking the empty spot on the couch between Booth and Caroline.
Booth handed her a cup of eggnog as she surveyed the group of people around her. Sweets and Daisy giggled about something to her right. Well okay, Daisy giggled as Sweets continued whispering something in her ear. On her left Caroline and Cam were discussing their current case and how this one would solve itself a lot quicker than their previous child case had. She listened as Vincent, Fisher, Arastoo, and Clark argued about Clark asking his girlfriend to move in with him for her Christmas present. They were all convinced it was a terrible idea, except for Clark. Brennan turned to ask Booth how long they had before they needed to relieve the babysitter, only to notice that he and Wendell were deep in a discussion about the last Flyer's game. She would never understand hockey.
And that's when Angela's absence really hit her. If Hodgins were here, he'd probably be adding to the male squints discussion of Clark's love life. But if Angela were here, they'd probably be discussing Katie's recent ability to walk or about how she and Booth were practically their old selves again or even about that one Christmas party involving too much eggnog and a photocopy machine. Brennan laughed to herself at the memory. Then she began thinking about the Christmas that followed and how a mistake by Zach and Hodgins had forced them all into quarantine at the lab. And how the drugs they had been given to prevent the disease had put Booth into a state that was a combination of drunk and high. Her laughing finally bubbled out of her mouth.
"What's so funny?" Booth asked, noticing she hadn't been talking to anyone.
Her laughter grew even louder as she recalled telling Caroline that kissing Booth was like kissing her brother. Kissing Booth was so far from kissing Russ, it was on a different spectrum.
"Seriously, Bones, what is it?"
Brennan wiped at her eyes, thinking now about her cousin Margaret, whom Booth claimed looked like her sister, and wondered what she was up to now. She certainly hoped the Benjamin Franklin quotes had stopped.
"It's nothing, Booth," she said quietly, really wishing her best friend was here to talk to so she didn't look like the maniac laughing to herself in the corner.
"Well, clearly something was funny."
She noticed that everyone had stopped their conversations and were all staring at her now.
"I was…I was just thinking about the past Christmases I've had with you people. Like the year that Hodgins and Zach accidentally contaminated all of us with that old disease and we were stuck here until Christmas day. But I guess only Booth was there for that now…"
Booth instinctively moved his hand to her back in a comforting gesture.
"And then uh," Brennan continued, "how Caroline made Booth and I kiss under mistletoe so my dad and Russ could have a conjugal trailer for the family on Christmas."
"You did what now?" Cam asked, eyeing Caroline next to her.
Caroline simply shrugged, "I was feeling puckish."
"And then there was this one year when Angela had too much spiked eggnog at the Jeffersonian's Christmas party and started photocopying her butt upstairs and…" Brennan trailed off in a mix of laughter and sobs, realizing that even Booth wasn't there for that. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't make today about them and here I am…"
"We all miss them, Bones. It's okay," Booth said, reassuringly.
Brennan threw him a half-smile, knowing he was just trying to make her feel better.
"Hey, why don't we start the gift exchange?" Sweets suggested. "That should lighten the mood a little bit."
Everyone began to pass around gifts and the various conversations started back up. Brennan felt herself drift back to her own thoughts; once again feeling alone. Her mind flashed back to a time when she thought she was fine alone and she realized that statement was far from true.
"Hey Bones," Booth nudged her. "Who do you think drew your name?"
Brennan simply shrugged in response.
"Well then, who'd you get?"
"Daisy," she answered flatly, making no effort to continue the conversation.
"Hey." Booth drew her gaze up to his by gently directing her chin. "Talk to me."
"You and Wendell may continue your hockey discussion. I don't mind."
"I'd rather talk to you."
"You live with me, Booth. Use this time to talk to your friends."
"They're your friends too. Hell, they're like your second family."
"I know," Brennan said, drawing her gaze away from his again. "But that doesn't stop me from feeling so alone."
"You're not alone, Dr. Brennan," Sweets chimed in overhearing this part of the conversation. "You have all of us."
"Sweets is right," Cam added. "We may not have been as close as you were with Angela, or even Hodgins, but we're here for you. I know it's been tough trying to get back into the swing of things without them, but if you ever need to talk…"
"I know, thank you," Brennan answered quietly.
"Here, maybe this will help," Wendell said, handing her a gift-wrapped box. "I drew your name."
She smiled at him, taking the box and removing the lid. What she found inside nearly took her breath away.
"Wendell –"
"I'm the only one who knows who to work the Angelator now, ever since that crash course I had while Katie was being born," he started explaining. "And I was using it a few weeks ago to try and figure out what was on that CD we found with the victim. And well, it's a complicated system and I accidently ended up in Angela's personal files. I saw that one of them read 'Bren Xmas' and the date on the file was from this year and I still needed to get you a present for this, so I opened it. And I just figured she'd still want you to have it, so… it's from the both of us."
Brennan picked the gift up out of the box to further examine it. It certainly was uniquely Angela. The artist had compiled all of Brennan's favorite photos from over the years, including the ones involving Booth; probably hoping that by December things would be okay between them again. Wendell had taken the photos and placed them in a photo album, but the thing that had taken her breath away was the note in Angela's handwriting attached to the front.
"Where did you find this note?" she asked softly.
"I found it in one of her drawers while I was looking for a pen. I figured you might want it."
Bren, I'm still debating if I actually want to give this to you or not so if I decide against it and you happen to stumble across this someday, don't be mad. I just…this whole thing with Booth. It's been almost a year now. And before you say it, I know I should be yelling at him instead of you, but believe me, I've tried. He's a very stubborn man as you well know. I just keep thinking back to when you guys first started working together. You two were so adorable, always flirting with each other. Yeah he was with Tessa, whatever. I mean think about what you two have been through together. You're the only one who can fix this, Bren and you really, really need to fix this. You guys are both miserable. And you know why? Because you still love each other. Don't try to tell me, that you don't love him. Just because you've never said it aloud, doesn't mean you don't feel it. And as your best friend, I think I've earned the right to call you out on your shit. Because sweetie, when you have a man like Booth who loves you as much as he does, you don't just let him get away.
Brennan folded the note in half and ran her hands over her face.
"Wendell, did you read this note?" she asked him.
"Yes. And I have to say that I agree with it."
"That's really none of your business, don't you think?"
"What does the note say, Bones?" Booth asked her.
"Ah…nothing. Thank you, Wendell. The pictures are really nice. Excuse me," Brennan said in a rush, standing up and leaving the group.
"Bones, where are you going?" Booth called after her.
"I uh, I left Daisy's present in my office."
"No, you didn't. It's right here."
"Leave her be, Booth," Cam instructed.
He watched as Brennan ran to her office and practically slammed the door behind her. She seemed really upset.
"Wendell, what the hell did that note from Angela say?" Booth demanded.
"It's really not my place to share."
"Why do you get to know and I don't?"
"Seeley –" Cam warned.
"No, I'm serious," Booth started. "She is really upset. Angela's handwriting would not draw that much of a response from her alone. It had to have been the content. So, what was the content?"
"Booth, I really can't. If you want to know, you're going to have to get it from her," Wendell told him.
A few more awkward minutes passed before Brennan finally emerged from her office and returned to the group. She took her place besides Booth again but now felt slightly uncomfortable by his side.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Yes, yes I'm fine. Don't worry," she assured him.
"You sure?" he noticed her squirming beside him as though she was trying to distance herself from him.
"Really. I'm fine."
He didn't buy it, but he let it go…for now. He planned to interrogate her again when they were back in the comfort of their own home…or rather Angela and Hodgins' home. He still wasn't sure what to call it.
"Lance, I just can't hold it any longer," Daisy whispered loudly.
"All right, all right, we'll tell them," Sweets agreed.
"Tell us what?" Cam wanted to know.
Sweets took Daisy's hand in his and together they stood up.
"We're engaged!" Daisy blurted.
"Again," Sweets added. "And we've really talked about it this time, and we're serious. We're actually getting married."
The rest of the team burst into cheers and hugs and congratulations, except for Booth and Brennan who remained seated. Brennan was too busy thinking about how their previous engagement had been broken off. And how later Sweets had talked Booth into proposing to the product of their year apart. And how the fight that had resulted from the turned down proposal had caused them so much pain. She didn't doubt that Booth was thinking about the exact same things while he sat speechless, unmoving next to her.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Booth asked softly.
"Yes. I shouldn't have gone to Maluku," Brennan whispered.
"I shouldn't have gone to Afghanistan," he whispered back.
They turned to each other, sharing their signature "look."
"What were we thinking in doing that?" she asked.
"That we needed a break from all of this. And that we could just come back without anything changing."
"So much for that, huh?"
"Well, we're almost back to normal now. And you know, Sweets and Daisy being engaged doesn't have a direct correlation to our relationship."
"You're starting to sound like me," Brennan laughed. "But you're right. I shouldn't allow myself to think that everything is going to become messed up again just because it did the last time they were engaged. In fact, the thought of such sounds utterly ridiculous."
"I've said it once, and I'll say it again, Bones. We're going to make it through this."
"What are guys not happy for us or something?" Sweets asked, walking over to them. "I mean everyone else is over here cheering and stuff and you two are just sitting here."
"Oh yeah. Congrats man!" Booth laughed.
"What?" Sweets asked concerned. "Why are you laughing?"
"Calm down, Sweets, this has nothing to do with you," Brennan reassured. "But congratulations, really. You too, Daisy."
Sweets didn't seem convinced, but he backed off anyway. The party fell back into its rhythm of mixed conversations and gift opening. Brennan had found Daisy one of the Prince Charmington dolls she loved so much and Booth had given Cam a copy of The Shining, a long time inside joke between them. Caroline had drawn Booth's name and gave him what she claimed to be the craziest tie she could proceeded to take a group picture at the end of the evening before bidding goodbyes and parting their ways.
Booth slid behind the wheel of his SUV, waiting for Brennan to get into the passenger side. He was intent on discovering the contents of that letter from Angela.
"It was overall a pretty good night, right?" Booth asked, once they were alone in his car.
"Yes, it was."
"A nice way to spend Christmas Eve."
"Mmm-hmm," Brennan agreed keeping her gaze focused on the snowy world beyond her window.
"So, uh, what did Angela have to say?" Booth tried to casually slip it into the conversation.
"It's not important."
"You seemed pretty upset by it."
"Don't worry about it."
"Bones –"
"Just let it go, Booth, please."
And so he did. But that didn't stop him from secretly plotting to find a way to read whatever was in that letter. Whatever Angela had written were forever going to be her final words of advice, wisdom, whatever to Brennan and whatever those words were, they had deeply affected his partner. No, Booth just wasn't going to be able to let this one go.
It was the first real family Christmas either of them had had in years. And yet here it was happening with more family present in one room than either thought was possible. Pops, Jared, Padme, Parker, Max, Russ, Amy, Emma, Haley, and even cousin Margaret had all shown up. More surprisingly, Rebecca and Brent were there too. Booth figured that everyone had finally decided that this would be a good year to show some familial support, what with all of the tragedies and changes.
Having all of them here was making him a tad bit overwhelmed. His family was one thing, but Brennan's? It almost felt like they were married and he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that at this point. Booth was currently standing in the kitchen watching them all mingle in the living room.
Brennan walked in carrying Katie. "How's it going out there?"
"Well, it's going."
"I still can't believe that all of them are here. You actually have family. I actually have family. And there are a lot of them."
"Shocking isn't it?"
"I just…why now?"
"My guess is, we lost two people who were extremely close to us and we are now raising their child together. They're either here for moral support or to watch us fail."
"Well now that we've established why Jared's here…"
"You're terrible," Booth laughed. "But oh so right."
"Should we go out there?"
"Probably."
"All right, let's do this," Brennan said, taking the lead and walking into the room full of people.
"Tempe!" Max exclaimed upon seeing his daughter enter the room. "And Miss Katie! Can I hold my granddaughter?"
"Dad, she isn't..." Brennan started looking down at Katie. "Never mind, I guess she is. Yes, you can hold her."
She handed her over to him.
"So that means she's our baby cousin, right?" Haley asked from her spot between Russ and Amy.
"Yes, it does," Brennan answered, smiling.
"Is Katie like my half sister then? No, wait step-sister?" Parker wanted to know.
"No, buddy, she's just your sister," Booth answered entering the room. "Or actually, maybe she would be your half sister…"
"How about we just refer to Katie as his sister?" Rebecca suggested. "Avoid the hassle of confusing titles."
"Good call," Parker agreed.
"This is nice," Pops commented. "All of us here together. Like one giant family."
"Pops –"
"Oh relax, Seeley. I was just making commentary."
"The man does have a point," Max added. "I've missed gatherings like this. Haven't had both sides of the family together since your name was Joy." He nodded at Brennan.
"When did you change your name to Temperance?" Padme asked.
"Oh I don't know. What do you say Dad, I was two?"
"Are you in the witness protection program?" Brent asked stunned.
"Hmmm, something like that," Brennan responded with a small laugh.
"Brent, you can't just go around asking people that," Rebecca chastised, slapping him on the arm.
"You know, Max," Booth started, walking over to stand next to Brennan. "When you say
'both sides of the family,' you make it sound like your daughter and I are married."
"Well, maybe you should be," Max said simply.
"Dad –" Brennan warned.
"What? It's not like I'm saying go get married tomorrow, but you really still can't be in denial about how perfect you two are for each other."
"Never leave that till tomorrow, which you can do today," Margaret chimed in.
"Okay, Benjamin Franklin, you're not helping," Booth told her.
"Seriously. And Margaret, I thought you stopped quoting him all of the time," Brennan said.
"I have. I just felt like that quote was relevant."
"No, but seriously you two," Max tried again. "Are you sleeping together yet? You do live together now and –"
"Dad!"
"No, no I agree with him," Jared spoke up. "I mean, come on bro, it's been what, like 8 years now? I think it's high time that you take her up against the wall and –"
"Jared! There are children in this room!" Booth yelled at him.
"I can't believe this is happening," Brennan murmured, burying her bright red face in her hands.
"All right, all right," Russ started in an attempt to calm everyone down. "When's dinner going to be ready, Tempe?"
"As soon as the timer goes off, which should really be any minute now."
As if on cue, the buzzer sounded.
"Okay people, dining room!" Booth announced. "Right this way."
As everyone wandered into the dining room, Booth followed Brennan into the kitchen.
"Family, huh?" he asked with a smirk once they were alone.
Brennan pulled the ham out of the oven and placed it on the counter with a sigh. "Do they think they're actually being helpful, or are they just trying to be humorous?"
"They're just doing what family does, Bones."
"I can't even tell who was worse: my father or your brother."
Brennan walked back over to the stove and removed the green beans that had been heating and poured them into a bowl.
"I'd have to go with my brother on that one," Booth said, moving to get the butter out of the fridge. "He basically announced in front of everyone that I just need to fuck you and get it over with already."
She stopped her food preparation and allowed her eyes to lock onto his. "Fuck me?"
"His words, not mine," Booth said quickly, his eyes widening, realizing his mistake.
"No, his words were 'take me up against a wall,'" Brennan corrected. "And I'm also pretty certain that he didn't use the phrase 'get it over with already.'"
"It's what he was implying, Bones. Look, you know me. I'm not the kind of guy who does stuff like that."
"Right, right because you believe in this making love nonsense."
Booth sighed. "And I see you still don't."
Instead of responding, Brennan moved over to the cutting board on the counter and began slicing up the loaf of French bread. Booth followed her, coming up behind her and standing uncomfortably close.
He leaned in and whispered into her ear. "Don't you ever fantasize about it? Giving up all of your control to another person and just letting them take you over the edge as you break the laws of physics. Being so incredibly into each other that the only thing you want is to press yourself into each other as far as you can go. Getting that orgasm that is so intense and so full of pleasure that you swear you see God. Or are you the kind of girl who prefers to be fucked up against the kitchen wall?"
She drew in a sharp breath as she brought the bread cutter down with a thud, just missing her finger.
"Just think about that, Bones. Think about it."
He turned to leave the kitchen only to look back at the last second and stare at her. Her hands were gripping the counter so tight that her knuckles were white. Her eyes had turned glassy and he watched as they fluttered closed. She bit her lower lip and made this little moaning noise that made him want to take Jared's advice and take her up against the wall right then and there. Mission accomplished, he smiled to himself as he entered the dining room.
"Well don't tell me you came in here empty handed!" Pops exclaimed. "I thought I raised you better than that."
"Relax, Pops. I came to take drink orders."
"Oh well in that case, I'll have a cabernet."
Brennan walked in seconds later, brandishing the glazed ham.
"Oh that looks great, Temperance!" Amy commented. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I've got it covered, Amy. Thank you for offering though."
She went back into the kitchen to bring out more food and Booth followed again to the pour the drinks. Brennan came up behind him as he was unscrewing the cork from the wine bottle, standing behind him like he had done to her.
"For you information," she began whispering, "I'm up for anything when it comes to sex."
The cork went flying across the room; a reaction to Booth's surprise at her statement. Brennan smiled picking up the bowl of green beans in one hand and the bread basket in the other.
"Think about that one, Booth. Think about it."
The rest of dinner went off without a hitch. Conversation was light and no one brought up their desire for Booth and Brennan to be a couple.
"You know I think it's about time for presents," Max suggested, patting his stomach.
"I agree!" Emma chimed in.
"All right gang, everybody head back into the living room," Booth told them.
Brennan started clearing off the table, mindlessly watching everyone, caught in her own thoughts. She hadn't been able to get Angela's note out of her head since yesterday, and this new sexual teasing she and Booth had started was making it even worse. The thought of being in love with him absolutely terrified her. This was why she had turned him down that night outside of Sweet's office. She didn't know how to be in a relationship like that. She didn't know what it was like to need someone, and yet somehow she knew that she needed Booth. And she hated that she did. She wanted him, but at the same time she didn't. It was such an internal conflict and Brennan felt that the only person who could help her figure what she really wanted was dead.
"You okay, Bones?" she heard Booth ask her. She realized she had been standing by the table, holding the empty bread basket and staring off into space, for several minutes now.
"I – yes. I'll be right there," she told him.
She finished clearing off the table and then joined everyone in the living room. Katie, who had been sitting by Booth's feet on the floor, walked over to her when she noticed her enter the room. Brennan smiled and happily picked her up and placed her on her lap. Katie snuggled into Brennan's chest, letting out a happy sigh.
"I love you too, Katie," Brennan whispered, kissing her on the top of her head.
She watched as Parker went around delivering everyone's presents.
"Merry Christmas, Bones!" Parker smiled, handing her a stack of presents.
"Thank you, Parker. Merry Christmas to you, too."
"Hey, do you remember that one Christmas when my dad and me brought your family a Christmas tree and we turned it on using dad's car?"
"I do."
"He's a pretty nice guy, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is. I can see that you get that from him."
"Really? Thanks Bones!" he smiled again and then left to go finish dividing up the presents.
"Open mine last," Booth leaned over and told her.
"Which one is yours?"
"The one on top. Trust me; you'll want to save it till the very end."
"Well in that case, you should probably open mine last as well."
"Okay, which one is yours?"
"This one," Brennan said, pointing to a present in the middle of his stack.
"All right. Oh and Bones? Thank you."
"For what?"
"For this," Booth said gesturing to their families. Haley and Emma were enthralled in some story that Padme was telling them. Amy and Rebecca were discussing which high schools they wanted to send their kids too. Jared, Russ, and Brent were all discussing something regarding the NFL. Max and Margaret were talking about whatever family it was that made them related in the first place. And Parker was listening to Pops tell stories about the Christmases he had when he was a boy. "You did this. I thought they all came because they were trying to be supportive after everything that's happened, but I was talking to Jared, and he told me that you called him. You called everyone."
"I thought that we could use a real family Christmas after everything. I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been pretty depressed lately."
"Oh, I've noticed," he said, rubbing her on the back. "But this is really great. I think it's exactly what all three of us needed."
"Oh, I tried to get a hold of Angela's father, but he was busy."
"You still did good, Bones. Really, really good."
"Thanks Booth."
For the next hour or so everyone went around taking turns opening their gifts. There was so much laughter and spirit in the room the Brennan almost forgot why she used to hate this holiday so much. Eventually the only two presents left in the room were the ones Booth and Brennan had given each other.
"I'll go first," Booth offered, toying with the ribbon around his gift.
"You really want this to be the last thing opened, don't you?" Brennan asked, gesturing to the gift in her lap.
"Yeah, I do," he smiled, slipping the ribbon off of the box. He tore off the wrapping paper and revealed a shoe box. "Did you get me shoes? Is this because you wanted to call me 'Shoes' back when I first started calling you 'Bones'?"
"Just open the box, Shoes," Brennan said with a smile.
Booth smiled back at her comment and lifted the lid on the box. "Flyers tickets? Damn, these are good seats too! And this game was sold out. Bones, how did you –"
"I know a guy. Well okay, my publisher knows a guy."
"Wow. Well thanks, Bones! This one is going to be the game of the year!"
"So I've heard," she smiled again. "There's more."
"More than this?"
"Look back in the box."
Booth removed the layer of tissue paper that was still in the box. He found himself staring a hockey puck autographed by his favorite player.
"No way! Is this the guy your publisher knows?" Booth joked.
"Actually it is. They went to high school together…or something."
"Well then, I plan on utilizing these connections more often," he laughed. "Thanks, Bones!"
"You're welcome."
Booth marveled over the hockey puck for a few more minutes before he finally turned back to Brennan. "Okay, okay. Open yours."
Brennan began unwrapping the gift, not really sure what to expect. Her mind drifted to Brainy Smurf and Jasper and she suddenly wondered if he remembered giving her those plastic toys. She made a mental note to go fish them out of that box in the back of her closet in her apartment. They'd been shoved there during a time when simply looking at them had upset her. She and Booth had certainly come a long way in four months.
"Booth," she breathed once she had unwrapped the gift. "Is this…"
He nodded watching as she lifted the gift out of its wrapping. It was music box. Just like the one she had mentioned her mother had years ago. Ever since he heard her reminisce about it a few years back, he'd been waiting for the perfect moment to track one down. Booth figured mending their broken relationship was as good a time as any.
"It looks just like the one Mom had," Brennan commented.
"Here, let me see that," Max said, reaching for it.
She handed it to him, and he turned it over in his hands. He wound it up and opened the lid, listening as its twinkling notes filled the room.
"You know I don't actually know what happened to your mother's. There's a chance that this could be it," Max told her.
"Booth, how did you remember that?" Brennan asked.
"The best thing to give a woman is something she said she wanted when she didn't think you were listening. And I remember the way your face lit up when you were talking about this that night. I knew then that somehow, some way, I needed to find it for you."
"Thank you," Brennan whispered, taking it back from Max and running her fingers over the detailing. "I love it."
"A gift like that, Seeley," Pops started. "You must be in love with her."
"Pops," Booth scolded.
Brennan watched as a blush colored his cheeks briefly. Oh God, he was in love with her. Still. After all this time and all of the fighting. After Hannah. Her mind flashed back again to Angela's note. Because sweetie, when you have a man like Booth who loves you as much as he does, you don't just let him get away.
Katie, thankfully, started crying, in need of a diaper change. Brennan quickly took her upstairs, excusing herself from the group.
"Well she seems pretty on edge about this whole thing," Jared remarked.
"Jared," Booth started, shaking his head. "Just stop, okay? All of you stop. Brennan and I are not together."
"But you want to be," Margaret said. "It's fairly obvious. And you have yet to deny your love for her."
"She means a lot to me, okay? She always has, but –"
"Still not denying it," Margaret said again.
Booth groaned, tired of fighting them on this. "Bones is my best friend. We tell each other things that we don't share with a whole lot of people. Of course I love her. But you've got to stop trying to push us together. It'll happen when it happens, if it happens. The two of us have just fixed our friendship after over a year of fighting. I don't want to rush into anything and from the looks of it, she doesn't either. So please, just leave well enough alone."
Everybody finally seemed to get it then and by the time Brennan returned with the freshly changed Katie, the topic had been completely dropped. The rest of the evening was splendid and everyone was almost sad to see it end.
"We need to get all of us together again sometime," Max was saying as he put on his coat. "I miss having this sense of family."
"Sure, Dad, we'll do it again," Brennan told him, handing him his scarf.
"Listen, Tempe, I'm sorry if we made you uncomfortable earlier. We were just –"
"I know what you were doing. Thank you for finally stopping."
"I just want you to be happy. It's what fathers do."
"I know, Dad. I know," Brennan told him, pulling him into a hug. "Have a good night."
"Same to you," he said with a smile. "Goodbye! Oh and Merry Christmas!"
He was the last one to leave, reducing the number of people in the house back down to three. Brennan moved back into the living room, groaning at the mess of boxes and wrapping paper the room had become. She flopped back down on the couch with a sigh. Booth came back downstairs from putting Katie to bed. He sat down next to Brennan, handing her a glass of wine.
"Might as well finish the bottle off," he told her.
Brennan nodded, taking a sip.
"I again apologize for my family," Booth said before taking a sip of his own.
"Mine was just as guilty as yours," she concluded.
Brennan put her wine glass down on the table and picked up her music box. She wound it up and let it play, closing her eyes as she recalled the memory.
"I remember being little, really little," she started. "And I would sit on their bed and my mother would play this for me. Au clair de la lune; by the light of the moon. I would ask her every night if I could keep it. And she always said 'when you're older, Tempe, when you're older.' Even if this isn't the exact one that belonged to her, I'd like to think that it is."
"I thought you didn't remember your childhood?" Booth asked.
"Oh I remember everything. Or as much as the average human remembers about their childhood. Those memories were the only things that got me through foster care."
Brennan placed the music box back on the table in exchange for her wine glass. She ran her index finger around the rim and it hummed with vibration.
"Something else on your mind, Bones?"
"Yes."
"Care to share?"
"Not really."
"Now, how is that fair?"
"I never said that it was."
"You'd tell me though, if it was something important, right?"
Brennan looked over at him and opened her mouth to respond, but decided against it and downed the rest of her wine instead. "I'm going to go take a shower and go to bed. Merry Christmas, Booth."
She started to walk away, but Booth stopped her by grabbing her wrist. "You've been acting all detached ever since you got that note from Angela. It said something that affected you. I want to know what that is."
"I'm fine, Booth. Now let me go."
"No. Not until you talk to me."
"I said, let me go."
"Bones –"
"Damnit Booth!" Brennan yelled, resorting to one of her martial arts tricks to free her wrist from his grasp.
"That was totally uncalled for!" Booth yelled back, cradling his aching arm to his chest.
"You asked for it," she mumbled, heading up the stairs.
"You know, I really don't understand you. We were having that really good sex conversation earlier and now you're pissed at me again."
"I'm not mad at you," Brennan told him, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. "I'm mad at myself."
"For what?" he asked, coming up behind her.
"I'll get over it, don't worry."
Booth put his hands on her hips, guiding her to turn around and face him. She sighed, complying. He laced his fingers together behind the small of her back, keeping her in place so she would talk to him. He just hoped that she wouldn't attack him again.
"I really don't want to talk to you about what's going on," she said softly.
"Why? I know I'm not Angela, but –"
"It concerns you. And I can't talk to you about…you."
"So let me get this straight, you're mad at yourself about something that concerns me, but you won't talk about it…because it concerns me. "
"Precisely."
"Fine," Booth said, letting go of her. "I hope you can work whatever this is out."
"I hope so too. Goodnight, Booth."
"Goodnight, Bones. And Merry Christmas."
AN: Random Tuesday update woo! I may or may not have quoted Castle in there somewhere…This is the longest chapter of anything I've ever written. This page right here that I'm writing on? Page 21. And to think I had originally planned to include New Years in this chapter…ha! Hope the Holiday spirit wasn't too hard to get into during this hot summery month! This is probably one of my favorite chapters so please leave a review and let me know what you think!