"Wow, I never would've imagined Agent Booth lived in a house like this." Daisy and Sweets had just driven up the long driveway to the house that Booth and Brennan had purchased a few months earlier. It was an old Victorian style home in Virginia, with a wrap-around porch and a large back yard complete with a small stream.

"I believe this was a compromise between him and Dr. Brennan," Sweets said as he helped Daisy out of the car and shut the door behind her.

"What compromise? That they didn't have to have a moat and drawbridge?"

Daisy eyed the front entryway suspiciously, taking in the ornate columns and the stain glassed window in the oversized front door. "Look at this landscaping," Daisy exclaimed as she examined the extremely detailed stone path that lead around toward the side of the house.

Sweets stopped her just as she began to round the corner to check out the backyard, "Daisy, come on, you can be nosey inside, okay? Just do not ask how much they paid for anything. It's a sore subject."

"Why? Dr. Brennan is loaded."

"I think you just answered your own question," Sweets said as he pushed the button to ring the doorbell.

"Oh, so Agent Booth's alpha male hierarchy is threatened by the fact that the woman he has chosen to mate with has substantially more income producing power than him?"

Sweets barely heard the end of her sentence as Booth had opened the door and was staring at him with a disbelieving look on his face.

"Welcome to our home," Booth said through clenched teeth as Daisy pushed her way past him to check out the curved staircase that she could see just beyond his left shoulder.

"We brought wine," Sweet held the bottle in front of him as a peace offering, with a goofy smile on his face.

"Listen, the only reason the two of you are here is because Bones insisted that we invite all of her interns to this Christmas party. I had a much smaller guest list in mind. Keep a muzzle on her."

Sweets swallowed hard, tempted to ask if the agent had being having a bad day, "Yes, sir."

"Come on in, everyone else is already here."

"Did you see Dr. Brennan's breasts in that dress?" Clark thought he was whispering to Wendell.

"Excuse me?" But he had failed to realize how closely Booth was standing.

"Uh, I, I, wow, you have to admit that dress is very low cut and she has grown quite a bit with the pregnancy," he could tell that Booth was not amused. "I'm going to shut up now. I am so sorry," Clark's face turned three shades of red as he stammered. Booth's eyes were gazed over with a look of barely controlled anger. "Please don't kill me."

Unable to speak without saying something he knew he'd regret later, Booth walked away from the two squints. Clark was left holding his chest and breathing deeply while Wendell choked on his drink laughing at the other intern.

"Oh, man, you are so on his hit list now."

"I'm going to go find Nora and leave."

"That might not be a bad idea," Wendell laughed as he regained his composure. Both men were very aware that Booth was still watching them even though he had walked across the room.

Hodgins walked up to where the two were standing near the fireplace and handed them both a present, "From me and Angela."

"Oh look at that Clark, your last ever Christmas present."

"That's not funny dude."

"What's wrong?" Hodgins felt left out of their joke.

"Clark commented on the size of Dr. Brennan's chest."

"She doesn't care she talks about it all the time."

"Booth heard him."

"Oh, yeah, that's not good."

Brennan having talked Booth out of getting his gun from the safe, he moved on to the kitchen where Cam, Paul and Arastoo were hanging out by the punch bowl.

"You have a beautiful home Agent Booth."

"I have a beautiful girlfriend too, don't I? Are you going to say that you haven't noticed?" Booth thought he had his emotions in check but realized he was still flustered as he spoke.

"I feel like this is a trick question."

"Seeley, what's wrong with you? You look like your blood pressure is through the roof."

"I caught one of the interns staring at Bones' breasts."

"They're hard not to notice Seeley, lighten up."

"This punch is amazing, by the way. Is it a family recipe?" Paul asked, desperately wanting to change the subject.

"Uh, no, I think she found it on the internet. I need alcohol. There isn't any in that," Booth pointed at the bowl and took off to the pantry to gather himself. And retrieve a bottle of scotch.

As he left, Daisy and Brennan entered the kitchen, the later being forced to give a detailed tour of her home.

"Is that marble?" She asked as she ran her hand along the counters.

"Yes, all the countertops are marble Miss Wick. I'm not sure why you're overly interested in our kitchen finishings."

"Are the counter tops in the bathroom marble too?" She had her boss by the hand and didn't stop talking as she led her toward the back stairway.

Cam leaned back against the kitchen island, not even attempting to hide her joy at the distress of Brennan and Booth, "I am really enjoying this little get together."

Angela walked into the living room to find Fischer admiring the handmade ornaments on the Christmas tree. "Isn't that sweet?"

"Yes, I find it fills me with an unusual sense of joy. I'm not used to this."

"It's okay to be happy Fischer."

"Dr. Brennan seems to be very happy these days, doesn't she?" He held up an ornament featuring a photograph of a smiling Brennan and Parker.

"Yes, she does. And she deserves it. So do you."

"Maybe one day I can believe that. As for today, I believe I'd like another drink."

Angela shook her head as he walked back toward the kitchen and Booth's impromptu bar that he'd set up after leaving the pantry with much more than just scotch. She walked over to the tree and examined the decorations.

"If I knew they didn't have ornaments, I would've bought them some for Christmas," Cam said as she joined Angela at the tree.

"Somehow this seems much more appropriate than any expensive ornament. Don't you think?" Angela held out a paper snowflake that Parker had scrawled, "For my sister" on.

"Awww. Okay, yes, you cannot buy memories like that."

"Hide me," Brennan practically ran into the room and crowded between her two friends and the tree.

"That's kind of hard to do right now sweetie," Angela laughed.

"Are you making a humorous observation about my size?"

"Who are you hiding from Dr. Brennan?"

"Daisy. She's driving me nuts."

"Nuts?" Angela was surprised at her use of the phrase.

"Parker is teaching me a few colloquiums. We've taken to calling Booth nuts; it's become a source of bonding for us."

"Things seem to be going well for the three of you," Cam observed.

"Yes, they are. I find I enjoy spending time with Parker. I always have. I'm happy that he seems excited about the baby as well, I always knew there was a chance that he may be upset with the situation. It was all very sudden."

"Seven years is not sudden sweetie."

"Has anyone seen Dr. Brennan? I was just noticing the oak bed in the master bedroom and wanted to ask her where she purchased her linens."

Cam and Angela formed a wide wall in front of Brennan in an attempt to keep her out of sight of the intern. "I think she went that way," Cam pointed toward the front door.

"Outside? But it's cold."

"She said she needed to cool down. She's pregnant, it was getting hot in here," Angela shrugged.

Daisy fell for the bait and Brennan was able to step out of her hiding spot, "Thank you."

Hours later, exuberant amounts of alcohol consumed and gifts exchanged, the entire team gathered in front of the tree for a Christmas picture. Brennan had presented all her interns with a healthy bonus which had been met with a squeal from Daisy and hugs from Wendell and Fischer. Clark had decided it best to just shake hands.

Much discussion went into the placement for the photo.

"I'll get in the middle, since I'm the boss."

"Actually Dr. Saroyan, I should be in the middle. You are only the figurative head of the lab."

"You can both be in the middle," Booth played peacemaker, placing the women standing facing one another. "See, it works better this way."

Brennan gave Booth a satisfied look as she angled her belly toward Cam, effectively placing herself back as the center of the group. Booth shook his head and placed Angela and Hodgins sitting at the women's feet. Brennan told the interns to fill in around her and Cam.

"You can stand on the outside," Booth offered when Clark walked toward Brennan.

"Of course," Clark avoided eye contact with Booth and Nora. The later of the two currently eyeing him suspiciously from where she was standing chatting with Paul.

Booth fine tuned everyone's positions until he was satisfied with the arrangement. He was rather good at the task, much to the surprise of his co-workers.

"Wait," Sweets called out just before Booth could snap the picture. "Something's missing."

Booth put the camera down with a sigh, "What's a matter Sweets?"

"Just give me a moment."

Everyone stood fidgeting in place as they waited for the shrink to return. He quickly jogged to his car and returned holding a framed picture. He handed it to Hodgins to hold, "Ok, this is perfect," the bug man commented as he showed his wife the picture.

Booth smiled, "Good idea Sweets," he said as he took in the photograph of Vincent Nigel Murray that now sat between Angela and Hodgins, making their holiday scene complete. No one questioned why Sweets was carrying the framed picture of the late intern in his car.

"Okay, everyone say particulates," Booth grinned as he caught the eye of his partner, both of them well aware of the special role Vincent had played in their lives.

With the photograph taken, the guests filed out thanking their hosts for the evening. The first Squint Christmas gathering was proclaimed a success and would become an annual tradition.

Although, Clark would never again comment on Dr. Brennan's breasts.