Happy Humpday! There's a bit of smut in this one to celebrate. ;)

Lots happening in this chapter, and I'm sure you'll notice some pretty big changes. Enjoy!

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Chapter 15

To their mutual surprise and amusement, the victim's address turned out to be a small apartment over a toy store. The landlord unlocked the door for them, and when Booth flipped on the light switch, they were stunned by the sight that greeted them. Tinsel and twinkle lights lined every wall, a model train ran a circuit on an elevated track around the living room, and Christmas music began to play automatically. They both stared in amazement, taking in every detail.

"Wow," Booth said, smiling widely. "Parker would love this place." Brennan nodded in agreement, still overwhelmed by the sensory overload. They made their way through the small apartment, finding milk, cookies, and reindeer food in the refrigerator and a full Santa-style wardrobe in the closet. The victim had framed a photograph of himself standing next to a reindeer, and Brennan wondered aloud if it was the same one that had kicked him.

In one of Kris Kringle's drawers full of ugly Christmas sweaters, Booth discovered a false bottom that concealed a large amount of loose cash. All of the bills were small denominations with the exception of a small stack of crisp fifty-dollar bills with sequential serial numbers. The landlord was surprised to see that his tenant had stashed that amount of money, particularly since he'd been behind on his rent. The man was able to give them the name of the temporary employment agency where the victim had worked, and the partners decided to make that their next stop.

As they made their way across town, Brennan's thoughts were once again focused on the upcoming holiday.

"How much longer are you going to let Parker believe in Santa?" she asked curiously. Booth glanced at her in surprise and gave a noncommittal shrug. "Don't you worry that he'll be teased for it at school?"

"Not yet, Bones. He's only six. I hope that we'll have a few more years before we need to worry about that."

"But you don't feel bad about lying to him?"

"Nah… Santa is magic. It's okay for kids to believe in that. When Parker's ready to let go of that belief, then I'll tell him the truth," he reasoned.

"How will either of you know when he reaches that point?" she persisted.

"Well, even now, Parker occasionally asks me if Santa is real. I always respond by asking what he thinks. Parker has always answered that he thinks he's real, but eventually his answer will change. When that day comes, then I'll know he's ready for the truth."

"Hmm," Brennan nodded, approving of his reasoning. "By that logic, Russ should just lie to the girls so they won't know he's in jail."

"That is a brilliant idea," he replied. "Give Russ some civilian clothes and tell the girls he flew in from wherever they think he was." Her answer was interrupted by an incoming text message on her cell, and she fished it out of her coat pocket quickly.

"It's Zack. He says cause of death was head trauma that most likely punctured the superficial temporal artery. He's trying to figure out what kind of object caused the wound."

Booth nodded and pulled into the parking lot of the temp agency. When they entered the building, they found the victim's boss, Dale Owens, in a break room area with a dozen or so other men who were all dressed as Santa. Owens was dismayed to hear of his employee's death and lamented the loss of his number one Santa. Several of the other employees approached them to ask about their co-worker's death, and both partners noticed that more than one of the Santas seemed to be injured. One sported a healing black eye, and a few others admitted to aching shins from being kicked by numerous children. Everyone insisted that Kris had been a kind and generous man who had always been willing to go out of his way to help others. No one had any suggestions as to who might have been angry enough with the man to kill him.

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Hodgins was able to link evidence found on Kris Kringle's suit to particular Chinese delicacy called bird's nest soup. Due to the cost of the soup ingredients, only one restaurant in Chinatown served the dish. Booth went with Hodgins to confirm the location, which the entomologist accomplished by searching a back alley dumpster. They also found a number of empty wallets in the dumpster and a sewer drain in the same alley. Booth was fairly certain that the victim had gotten into some sort of physical altercation in the alley and then had been pushed into the sewer access. Since the wallets Hodgins found had been emptied of cash, it seemed likely that a pickpocket had probably dumped them there. The IDs and credit cards were still inside, and it would be a simple process to track down the owners.

While Booth was busy in Chinatown, Brennan spent the time attempting to talk Caroline into arranging the conjugal trailer for her father. To her surprise, Caroline agreed to set things up, but she warned that Christmas trees were against the rules. Apparently, someone had once used a Christmas tree star as a weapon.

When she caught up with Booth at the Hoover, he was interrogating the owner of one of the wallets he and Hodgins had found. The man happened to be a police officer, who admitted to having been pickpocketed by a man in a Santa suit. When he'd noticed his wallet was missing, he went back to confront the thief, but the Santa had played dumb. In his anger, the cop had punched him in the face. He claimed that they hadn't been anywhere near an alley of any kind, and that the altercation hadn't escalated any further due to the reactions of the people nearby.

The serial numbers on the stack of fifty-dollar bills from Kris's apartment matched those paid out to the police officer from check cashing business he'd visited just before being pickpocketed. By the time Booth and Brennan headed home for the evening, forensics was in the process of checking the cop's clothing for remnants of the soup Kris Kringle had apparently rolled around in prior to his demise.

Brennan headed back to the prison the following morning in the hopes of changing Russ's mind about Christmas in the conjugal trailer. Russ looked back at her skeptically as she laid out her plan.

"You're going to help me lie to the girls?"

"Well, apparently it's not morally wrong to lie at Christmas," Brennan replied, frowning slightly as she thought of Booth's impassioned defense of holiday magic.

"What if they know I'm lying?" her brother challenged.

"Well, they'll still know that you're doing it out of love."

"Where are you getting this?" he teased. "Because I'm in jail, and I'm getting better advice." Brennan rolled her eyes.

"You tell the girls that Santa is real, right?"

"Yeah, of course. They're kids."

"Then why can't you lie about one more thing? It'll make them happy." She watched him sigh in defeat and continued. "Look, we have a plan. I'll bring you civilian clothes, and the girls will think you popped in from...wherever you told them you are."

"Burma."

"Burma doesn't even exist anymore," she said disapprovingly.

"What happened to it?"

"It became Myanmar… Nevermind. There's another problem with the trailer. No Christmas tree."

"Why not?"

"Shank material," she shrugged apologetically. "Is it important?"

"Christmas? With no tree?" he asked, looking incredulous again.

"They're young, Russ. They believe in Santa Claus. They believe in you because you love them… They'll sit on your lap and open their presents, and they'll believe in you and in Burma, and… Maybe they won't notice that there's no tree." Russ looked down at his lap, hoping that his sister was right about this. "Look, Amy will be there, Dad will be there, the girls will be there…"

"And you," he reminded her.

"I'm…" Brennan faltered, suddenly unsure of her footing. They were scheduled to leave for Florida on the same day that Caroline had managed to book the trailer, and the timing could be tricky. Russ saw her hesitation and frowned.

"Tempe… Dad wants us all. You're one of us."

"It's not that. Booth and I are taking Parker on vacation, and we're leaving that day. I wouldn't be able to stay for very long…" She trailed off, running through the logistics in her mind. Maybe if we can push the flight until the next morning…

"Bring your family too," he insisted. "It's Christmas." Brennan met his eyes again and recognized that he was using her own arguments against her. She smiled in defeat and nodded.

"I'll do my best," she said sincerely.

On her way out of the prison, Brennan got a call from Cam. She explained that Zack and Hodgins had determined the murder weapon to be a brass bell, which indicated that Kris Kringle had most likely been assaulted by another Santa. Brennan thanked her for the information and arranged to pick Booth up from the Hoover.

They returned to the victim's place of employment and found the break room cluttered with Santas once again. Chemical testing revealed blood evidence on one of the bells, but they were communal property. It wasn't until Booth and Brennan reluctantly resorted to using their olfactory sense that they determined who had been in a scuffle with their victim. The scent of bird's nest soup was still lingering on the Santa suit of one of the men they'd spoken to previously. He had a healing black eye, apparently from his altercation with the cop he'd pickpocketed, and the other Santas admonished him as he was arrested and taken into custody.

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"Okay, so we've got a gift exchange with the squints, and then we can pick up Parker on the way to the prison," Booth said, speaking aloud as he glanced over their travel itinerary. They had managed to reschedule their flight so that there would be time for Christmas with Brennan's family.

"Are you sure you're okay with taking him there? I can always go alone," she said reluctantly.

"It'll be fine, Bones. It's Christmas, and you are long overdue for a holiday with your whole family."

"But won't he ask awkward questions and-"

"If he does, we'll answer them," Booth assured her quickly. "We don't have to give him details." Brennan pursed her lips doubtfully, recalling Parker's inquisitive nature. Booth glanced at his wife from the driver's seat of the SUV and read the disagreement in her features. "Look, we'll just say that Grandpa Max is in jail for a little while because… Because the police think he broke the law. The jury will decide if he really did or not, so until then, he has to stay where he is."

"And you think that'll be enough of an answer?"

"Well, you know, it's Christmas," Booth shrugged, a little uncomfortable. "He'll have a lot of distractions." Brennan hummed and turned her gaze toward the snowflakes that had begun to swirl in the air.

"Grandpa Max?" she asked, her brow raised quizzically.

"Sure," he grinned back. Brennan couldn't help but return his smile, knowing that her father would probably like the sound of it.

After a quick gathering of the squints in the upper lounge at the lab, they picked up Parker from Rebecca's. Brennan enjoyed the opportunity to spend a holiday with her family as well as her 'work family,' and as they headed toward the prison that evening, she began to truly feel excited at the prospect of having everyone in the same place at the same time. Though her father and brother had come back into her life some time ago, they had never managed to have their entire family together in the same room.

"Hey, I have an idea," Booth announced, sounding excited. Brennan and Parker both asked what it was, but he merely shook his head and pulled into the parking lot of a department store. Booth led them through the store until he stopped in front of a display of artificial, pre-lit Christmas trees.

"Booth, we can't. It's against the rules."

"It'll be fine; just trust me," he insisted. Brennan watched as her husband lifted one of the boxes into his arms and gestured for them to follow him to the checkout.

When they arrived at the prison, Booth told her to go check in and make her way to the conjugal trailer. He promised that he and Parker would join her shortly, and Brennan reluctantly agreed, her confusion written plainly on her face. A few minutes later, she stepped through the doorway into the tiny wood-paneled room of the trailer.

Everyone was already there, and Brennan was pleased to see that Russ's stepdaughters did indeed look very happy to be there. They were more concerned with Russ than anything else, and it was clear that she had been right about making these arrangements. Hayley and Emma didn't seem to mind the lack of decoration in the slightest. When they caught sight of her, they both rushed forward to hug her as well, and Brennan laughed at their enthusiasm as she hugged them back.

Max was wearing a smile so genuine that his former features shone prominently through his alterations. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of it, and the rush of love she felt for the father she had lost rose up inside of her. It was staggering, and as she embraced him, she didn't feel at all uncomfortable. He offered her a small paper cup full of what she belatedly realized was moonshine, and she did her best to hold it down.

She greeted Russ and Amy warmly as well, waving off Amy's fervent thanks for her work to arrange everything. Brennan assured Russ that Booth and Parker would be joining them, and her phone began to ring almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

"Booth?" she answered, reading the caller ID.

"Hey, Bones. Open the blinds and tell everyone to go to the window."

"Um… Okay," she replied, bewildered. Brennan did as she was told, and her face lit up at the sight that met her eyes. Booth had pulled the SUV into the snow-covered, grassy area outside of the trailer and connected the Christmas tree to the car battery. Parker stood proudly beside him with a happy smile on his face.

Everyone was excited to see the tree, particularly Hayley and Emma, and Brennan was so moved that her eyes began to fill. Max came to stand next to her, smiling at the tree as he patted her back affectionately. They all admired the tree for several minutes before Brennan urged Booth to come in out of the cold. He and Parker shoved the tree back into the SUV as quickly as possible and went inside. Brennan had her arms around her husband before he had even stepped completely into the room.

"I love you," she whispered against his ear. He swayed a little as he held her and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I love you too," he replied, smiling over her shoulder at their audience. Brennan released him and moved to hug Parker as well before helping him out of his coat. Parker was a little shy at first, but he remembered those he'd met previously. Booth had explained the situation to him in as few details as he could manage, and Parker was curious about Brennan's father. He spotted the unknown man beaming at him and smiled back hesitantly.

"This strapping young man must be Parker," Max greeted him congenially. Parker nodded and stepped toward him.

"Are you Grandpa Max?" he asked bluntly. Max laughed a little in pleasant surprise and extended his hand.

"I sure am. It's very nice to finally meet you." The old con shook hands with the young boy, and Max continued to smile as he watched Parker cross the room to join his cousins. He looked back at Booth and Brennan with misty eyes.

"Thank you for coming. And for the tree," he added, grinning at Booth. "This is the best Christmas I've had in sixteen years," Max admitted, his voice ringing with sincerity.

"Me too," Brennan agreed softly.

The children began begging to open their gifts, and the adults sat together to watch their happy expressions. Brennan was wedged on the sofa between her husband and her father, and she was pleased that it didn't feel nearly as awkward as she'd expected. Aside from the location, they were just another family enjoying a holiday together.

"If my dad offers you a drink, don't take it," Brennan advised Booth, leaning over to whisper into his ear. "It will most certainly kill a large number of your brain cells." Booth was confused but smiled at the serious expression on her face.

"Thanks," he whispered back.

After a half hour or so, Booth gestured for Max to step away with him for a few minutes. The two men stood in the farthest corner and spoke in quiet voices as they watched the children play with their new toys.

"Look, Max, I don't want you to say anything that I, as an FBI agent, can't ignore," Booth began, cutting his gaze toward his father-in-law. He waited until Max had nodded in understanding before he continued. "I know what you've done to keep Bones safe. And… to handle the people who've hurt her in the past." He let the comment hang in the air, watching Max's features carefully. His expression was guarded, but there was an unmistakable glint in his blue eyes, indicating that he knew precisely what Booth was talking about.

"I want to thank you for that," Booth continued, causing a flicker of surprise to cross Max's face. "For doing what I couldn't."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Max replied, smiling benignly while silently acknowledging Booth's gratitude.

"My mistake," Booth smirked.

When they returned to the group, Brennan gave them an odd look, but Booth soothed her curiosity with a kiss. She smiled at him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, feeling thankful that she had listened to him about celebrating Christmas with her family.

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Booth was somewhat withdrawn for the remainder of the evening, mentally replaying his conversation with Max. Con man or no, Booth had had no difficulty reading Max's response to his words. He no longer had any doubt that Max had sought revenge on the foster parents who had cruelly abused his daughter. It wasn't precisely clear whether he'd killed one of them or all four of them, and at this point, it didn't really matter. Max had done the job successfully enough to leave behind no evidence that would identify him, and there was no chance of prosecution.

Booth had slightly mixed feelings about the whole thing, but at the end of the day, he was glad that those men had been made to pay for their cruelty. Whenever his faith- and FBI-driven moral compass started to bother him, the images in Brennan's foster care file were more than enough to silence his conscience. The world was a better place without those men.

Now he was left with the decision of whether or not to tell his wife about the conversation he'd had with her father. His first instinct was to be completely honest with her, but as he'd watched her interact with her family that evening, another inclination arose. She had finally reached the point where she could sit comfortably in a room with the people who had abandoned her as a teenager. She had come to understand that she loved her father and that he loved her in return. She had forgiven Russ and seemed well on her way to forgiving Max as well. It was a resolution she'd been working toward for years, and it was now within her grasp. Could he really take that peace of mind away from her? Would it be enough for her in the long run, even if she never got the answers they'd set out to find?

Booth carried Parker up to bed when they returned home, while Brennan set about organizing their luggage and travel paperwork for their departure the following morning. When Booth returned to the main level, he stepped behind her and gathered her into his arms.

"Need any help?" he asked, his voice thick and low as his breath warmed the skin of her neck.

"No, everything's ready. Is Parker asleep?" Booth gave a muffled sound of confirmation, his lips tracing a line from her ear to her collarbone. Brennan wiggled a little at the tickling sensation and smiled up at him.

Their lips connected in a slow, heated kiss that quickly shifted their interactions from playful to passionate. Their arms were wound tightly around one another as Booth kissed the oxygen right out of her lungs. When she pulled back to take a breath, his mouth attacked the exposed skin of her neck, and he began to walk them toward the couch, flipping off the light switch on their way. The room was lit only by the colorful, gleaming lights of their Christmas tree, and the soft glow illuminated their skin a little more with every piece of clothing they removed.

Brennan straddled his thighs, lowering herself onto his length with agonizing slowness. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, the contact tormenting her nipples as they began to move. Booth's hands seemed to be everywhere at once. They were clutching her thighs, grasping her hips, twisting into her hair. She clung to his broad shoulders, occasionally letting her hands drift downward over his back. The sinuous movements of his muscles aroused her even further, and she felt every thrust with her core as well as her hands.

Their lips crashed against one another in another wit-scrambling kiss as they rocketed toward the summit together, shaking in each other's arms when the waves and tremors overtook them. They collapsed into the plush cushion of the couch, enjoying the luxurious, heavy sensation that settled in their limbs. As their breathing slowed, Booth tightened his arms around his wife.

"Merry Christmas, Bones."

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Brennan was exceptionally pleased with the beach house they'd rented. The photos they'd seen online truly didn't do justice to the beauty of the structure or its setting. At high tide, the ocean was just a few hundred feet from the front door, and the other sides of the small cottage were surrounded by lush vegetation.

Parker had been remarkably well-behaved for the duration of their flight to Key West, but by the time they had made it through security, rented a vehicle and set out for Sugarloaf Key, he was more than a little travel-worn. The sight of the ocean, however, seemed to erase is sour mood immediately. Neither Booth nor Brennan had ever seen him so excited. Brennan watched the boys play in the waves for a little while before turning her focus toward setting up their temporary household. They planned to drive into the small settlement nearby to purchase some groceries later that evening, and Booth was eager to try a nearby beach restaurant for dinner.

They spent the next few days enjoying the laid-back pace of a tropical vacation. The majority of Parker's interest was focused on swimming and collecting seashells, and as always, he was full of questions for Brennan. She shared what she knew of oceanography and marine biology as well as a brief history of the islands' first inhabitants. Every night, Parker crashed early, utterly exhausted, which left Booth and Brennan with plenty of time together. They spent the evenings cuddling on a double-wide lounge chair on the deck of the cottage, listening to the ocean and gazing at the stars.

Booth eventually got around to telling her about his nearly one-sided conversation with Max, and he was relieved to see that Brennan seemed neither upset nor surprised by his words. She had already been assuming Max's guilt, and she took news of its confirmation fairly well. Booth didn't push her to explain her reaction, or lack thereof, but he made a point to reiterate that if she wanted to keep looking for evidence or proof, he was willing to do so. She thanked him but didn't give him an answer one way or another.

On New Year's Eve, Parker made a valiant effort to stay up until midnight, but he was no match for the physical exhaustion of the day. They had gone sightseeing in Key West and had done a lot of walking. Once he was tucked in, Booth and Brennan settled into their accustomed places on the deck. Booth had found a small radio in one of the closets, and he fidgeted with the dial until he was able to pick up a reasonably clear signal.

Booth pulled Brennan to her feet when the disc jockey announced the next song. It was one they'd danced to before, and the theme fit his mood perfectly. He spun her gently around the wooden planks of the deck, singing along quietly with Bob Seger about fate that defies logic and a love that captures the soul. Neither felt the need to speak as they swayed together in the dark, and although they'd done a lot of stargazing on previous evenings, they couldn't seem to take their eyes off of one another. They were both slightly startled to hear the countdown to midnight begin, having lost all concept of time.

"Happy New Year, Booth," Brennan whispered when the countdown ended. He caught her lips in a long, slow kiss.

"Happy New Year," he grinned.

They continued to dance through a few more songs before collapsing back onto the cushioned sun lounger. Much like on their honeymoon, they made love under the stars with the sound of the ocean to accompany them.

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Their return flight was scheduled for the following evening, and Parker was determined to spend every possible moment on the beach that day. Brennan did the majority of the re-packing, but eventually Booth forced her to take a break.

"Why don't you stay out here with Parker for a while, and I'll go get us ready to leave," he suggested. She'd done the majority of the work to get them packed for vacation in the first place, and he was feeling a little guilty.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," he assured her, leaning down to brush his lips across hers. "Yell if you need me."

Brennan watched as Parker skipped in and out of the waves, noticing that they were quite a bit stronger than they had been all week. The sunrise had been red that morning, signaling foul weather in the near future. Brennan frowned disapprovingly at the clouds, hoping that their flight wouldn't be delayed.

"Parker, be careful," she warned, watching him stumble in the wet sand. He turned to smile at her in assurance that he was okay, and in the short second that his attention was diverted, a wave knocked him off balance. "Parker!" Brennan shouted, rushing toward him.

He had nearly regained his footing when another wave washed over his head, and Brennan was fairly certain he hadn't had time to take a breath. A cold chill of panic washed over her, and although she reached him quickly, time seemed to stretch endlessly. She caught him up in her arms, ignoring the fact that she had just dived into the ocean fully clothed. Parker was coughing and sputtering noisily, clearly stunned by the unexpected turn of events.

Brennan shouted for Booth as she carried his son up to the deck and began to fuss over him. He was breathing normally now, and he seemed to be fine, but his eyes were red and irritated from the saltwater. Booth came outside and was surprised to see the two of them. Parker didn't look all that different than he had before, but Brennan was completely soaked from the waist down.

"What happened?" he demanded, alarmed by the panic that was still etched in her features.

"A wave knocked him off balance," she answered, still breathing heavily from the rush of adrenaline. "Twice, actually."

"Are you okay, buddy?" Booth asked Parker, inspecting his small body for injuries.

"I'm okay, Dad. Bones saved me." The little boy's voice was slightly scratchy from the seawater he'd swallowed, but the smile on his face was genuine.

"Are you sure?" Brennan asked, mentally calculating the odds of secondary drowning. Parker assured them that he was fine and decided that he had a favorable audience to ask for a snack. Booth chuckled and told him he could get something small from the kitchen, and Parker quickly disappeared into the house.

"Are you okay?" Booth asked his wife. She still seemed shaken, and he couldn't blame her. As a parent, these sorts of things happened, but it never got any less scary.

"Yes," she replied tremulously. "I just… It happened so quickly, and I couldn't seem to move fast enough…" Her voice was thick with residual panic and emotion, and Booth folded her into his chest, rubbing soothing circles onto her back.

"You pulled him out," he said calmly. "He's okay."

"I'm so sorry," she sniffled.

"Hey, none of that. It happens. Kids get hurt, and no parent is completely able to prevent it."

"I've never been so afraid," Brennan admitted, her words slightly muffled by her husband's broad chest.

"I understand," he replied. And he really did. Of all of the frightening situations he'd been in over the course of his life, the ones that had involved his son were the absolute worst. "He's alright though, okay? He's just fine."

Brennan nodded and melted into him a little more, allowing his familiar scent to calm her. Booth led her back inside so that she could change into something dry, and he tossed her wet clothes into the dryer. Thankfully, they still had plenty of time before they would need to leave for the airport.

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Brennan continued to hover around Parker for the remainder of the afternoon, watching him for signs of respiratory distress. Booth smiled each time he caught her, forcibly reminded of his former tendency to listen to his newborn son breathing.

In spite of the approaching weather, their return flight departed on schedule, and Booth couldn't help but notice that Brennan was particularly quiet for most of the journey. He wasn't sure if she was still upset over what had happened or if something else was bothering her, but he could tell that her thoughts were definitely occupied by something that was troubling her.

It wasn't until later that evening that he finally got tired of waiting for her to open up. They had tucked Parker in for the night and were preparing for bed themselves, and Booth couldn't stand the distant expression on her face for another minute.

"Bones, what's wrong?" he asked. She looked at him in surprise, almost as though she hadn't realized he was in the room with her. "You've been out of it all evening. Something's obviously bothering you. Is it about this morning with Parker?"

"Kind of," she sighed apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was… absent."

"It's alright. Do you need to talk about it?"

"It's…" she faltered, uncertain of how best to voice her thoughts. "I was really scared today," she said softly, averting her eyes from his inquisitive gaze. "I know that he didn't really get hurt, and that I was never in danger, but… I would do anything to keep him safe, even if it meant risking my own life." Booth was momentarily stunned by her words, and she rushed to continue explaining her train of thought. "It's not that I didn't know that before. I've felt that way for a long time, but it was more abstract. It just… really hit me today."

"I get it, Bones. That's how every parent is supposed to feel about their kid. Once they enter your life, it's not about you anymore, you know? Nothing is ever the same again." They extinguished the lights and curled up together in the middle of the bed.

"It actually made me think of Max," she admitted, her voice still quiet. "If I'm so motivated to protect Parker, then my father's determination to protect me has to be at least that strong. Maybe stronger. And by that logic, how can I fault him for the things he's done?"

Wow, Booth thought, amazed at her turnaround.

"Does that mean you've forgiven him?" he asked cautiously.

"I think so… I think I have to. Holding onto my anger hasn't done me any favors, and now that I can actually sympathize… What he did wasn't rational, but a parent's love for their child isn't rational either." They lay together in the silent darkness for several moments before she spoke again. "I think we can stop investigating too. We both know that he killed those men, and we know we'll never prove it. There isn't much sense in pursuing evidence that doesn't exist." Booth closed his eyes, only a little contrite about the relief her words gave him.

"I'm proud of you, baby. I know how hard you've been trying to work through everything and how much you've been hurting over it. And I certainly agree with you. If anyone had hurt Parker the way you were hurt in the system, their days would be limited. Rational or not."

Brennan remained silent, reminded yet again that her husband and her father were more alike than she often considered them to be. The difference, of course, was that Booth would never abandon his family. She knew that he would do everything in his power to avoid that kind of situation.

Brennan snuggled into his chest, feeling lighter with each passing moment. She embraced the clarity she'd found and felt relief that her efforts to forgive her father had finally come to a resolution. She still had some progress to make when it came to trusting Max, but the act of letting go of her anger was liberating.

"Thank you for being patient with me," she murmured.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you never really disapproved of his actions," she shrugged. "And I know that I've been stubborn about holding a grudge and letting him upset me."

"Bones, you've handled everything with more grace than anyone has a right to expect from you. You don't need to thank me for anything."

"Still," she said, smiling up at him before pressing her lips to his. "You always support me no matter what. I love you."

"I love you too, Bones."

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I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the Max stuff. This won't be the last time the foster parent stuff comes up, but this whole arc is more about Brennan's journey than Max's actions. As I'm sure you noticed, I took out the mistletoe kiss. As much as I love that scene, I just couldn't come up with a plausible reason to keep it. I had them kiss plenty of other times. Adding Booth and Parker to the trailer celebrations just made sense, and I just couldn't take out the Christmas tree scene. :)

Parker getting taken out by a wave was actually inspired by a real life event. The same thing happened to my youngest daughter when she was five. I've never seen three adults move so quickly, and she still got knocked over twice. In the end, my mother was closest and ended up going in after her fully clothed. With her cell and car keys in her pockets, I might add. It happens so fast, but holy crap, it's terrifying.

We'll be moving a little faster in the next chapter. Or a lot faster, I guess, since the S3 hiatus lasted till April. There were only 15 episodes, so this story will be shorter. I ended up with 21 chapters.

Review cause you love me. ;)