Chapter 8

The following week, Brennan stood in the bedroom of her apartment, frowning at her appearance. She wore a floor length pale blue dress that hugged her figure nicely, but something just did not seem quite right. "You're starting to show," Booth remarked from behind her, his arms encircling her waist as he spoke directly into her ear. "Not much but some which I guess is only natural since there's two babies in there." His hands moved down to caress her stomach. She leaned back against him, enjoying the sensations his touch always created. They stood in silence for a few seconds before Booth's hands moved higher. "And these are larger, too," he growled into her ear, cupping her breasts as he nipped at the cartilage. She tilted her head back to rest against his shoulder, and his lips moved to her exposed neck. She moaned softly in pleasure as he pressed his lips to the skin there, sucking gently. After a minute or so, he pulled away. "As much as I want to, Bones, we have to get moving. Cam will have both our hides if we don't get there soon. Here." He moved his hands to her back, taking the zipper between his fingers and pulling it closed.

Brennan turned as he moved away from her, his hands fumbling with his bow tie. They were attending the Christmas party at the Jeffersonian that night, an event which required formal attire that Booth had complained bitterly about all night. When he finally fixed his bow tie, he grabbed his tux jacket from the chair and shrugged into it, turning back to Brennan who was putting her second earring in. "Ready?" she asked him, and he nodded. "Well, then, let's get going." She started out of the room, and he fell into step beside her, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back. They found Max in the living room playing Monopoly with Parker and Kristen. Noah sat in his bouncer beside his sister, his wide eyes focused on the game.

"We're going," Booth announced, and both kids immediately jumped up to hug them goodbye. Booth chuckled, kneeling to wrap them both in his arms as he pressed a kiss to each of their heads. While they said goodbye to Brennan, he turned back to Max. "We should be back in three, four hours. Call us if you need anything."

"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine," Max assured the agent.

"Okay. Be good for Max," Booth told the kids, leading Brennan out the door.

Angela accosted them almost as soon as they walked into the Jeffersonian's ballroom. She was arm-in-arm with a tall, well-built man in his late thirties who had thick, wavy brown hair and green eyes. "Oh, good, you two are here. Cam's been looking for you," Angela told the partners. "So, Booth, Bren, this is Ian Hamilton; he owns a nightclub not too far from here. Ian, this is my best friend Temperance Brennan and her boyfriend Seeley Booth."

"Nice to meet you," Ian said politely, extending a hand. Both partners shook before Angela began to shoo them away.

"Go find Cam," she instructed. "She nearly bit my head off earlier when I told her I didn't know where you two were." Booth chuckled.

"Okay, Angela, we're going," he assured her.

They found Cam in the far corner of the room with her latest boyfriend. When she saw the two partners, she moved toward them quickly. "There you are! It's about time you showed up," she chastised.

"We told you we'd be here a little late, Cam," Booth reminded her.

Cam ignored him. "See that man over there," she said, pointing. Booth and Brennan both nodded. "He's one of the Jeffersonian's biggest donors. Evidently, he heard recently that the bestselling author Temperance Brennan works here, and he's been dying to meet you. Now, go talk to him."

"But-"

"No buts, Dr. Brennan. This guy gives a lot of money to the museum. If he wants to meet you, then he gets to meet you even if I have to handcuff you and drag you over there." Cam looked at her pointedly, and Brennan sighed, turning toward the man.

"Come on, Bones, it won't be that bad," Booth assured her. "I'll stay right here the whole time." He took her hand and squeezed it, noticing with satisfaction that she did not try to shake him off.

They spent three hours at the party, spending most of their time talking to donors though Brennan did manage to convince Booth to dance for a short time. At Angela's urging, they even kissed under the mistletoe though it was only a short peck. At around 11:00, Booth was engaged in a conversation with Cam's date about the latest hockey games when he noticed that Brennan was conspicuously absent. Excusing himself, he set out to find her.

It did not take long for him to ascertain that she was not in the ballroom, and he made his way quickly outside. He found her standing just outside the door, staring into the expansive gardens of the Jeffersonian. "Thinking hard, Bones?"

"Just. . . wondering."

"About anything in particular?"

"Nothing important. I'm just thinking."

"Care to take a walk, Bones?" She shrugged, and he held out his arm, allowing her to link her arm with his as they started out. They walked in silence for some time before she began to shiver slightly in the chilly air, having forgotten her coat inside. Booth noticed immediately and moved his arm to encircle her shoulders, pulling her close to his side. "You want my coat?" he inquired.

"I'm fine."

"Bones, it's freezing out, and as beautiful as that dress is, I can't imagine that it's all that warm. Now, take the coat." He shrugged it off his shoulders, placing it around her before replacing his arm around her shoulders.

"Have I really changed that much?" she questioned suddenly.

"What?"

"I was just thinking about what our life is like now. I mean, we're in a committed relationship, and we're raising three kids with two more on the way. I never really considered a committed relationship before you, and I didn't really want children. And then in the three short years I've known you, all of that has changed. And if that can happen, who knows what else can. I'm my own person, Booth. I don't want who I am to change."

"That won't happen, Temperance."

"It's already happened."

"No, it hasn't. The basics of who you are, what makes you you, that hasn't changed. You're still Bones, the same woman I fell in love with. You've just opened yourself up more, allowed yourself to come out of the shell you built when you were fifteen. Who you are hasn't changed; in fact, I think the real you is only beginning to show, the Temperance Brennan who realizes that she can be loved."

"I'm a scientist, Booth, an empiricist."

"You are. But you're also a woman, a person who has feelings and emotions, and you need to realize the two don't always have to be mutually exclusive."

"So you're saying that who I am hasn't changed?"

"Nope. You're still the same person that you've always been. How you see the world, however, that has changed. And I think you're happier for it." He turned to her, his eyes twinkling, and she leaned forward to press her lips to his. They spent a few moments lost in each other before he pulled away. "I think we've done enough socializing for one night. What do you say we head home?"

"I think that's an excellent idea."

They arrived home to find Max sprawled on the sofa watching A Christmas Story. He looked up at the two partners when they entered, muting the movie so that he could speak to them. "The kids went down about two hours ago. Noah was up about half an hour ago, so I fed and changed him. How was the party?"

"The same as every other one," Brennan answered. "Did the kids give you any trouble?" Max shook his head.

"They were fine. Kristen kicked my ass in Monopoly though. You'll have to watch her; she's a shark."

A smile spread slowly over Booth's face. "Come on, Max, I expected you of all people to be able to take her," Booth remarked. "Or are you getting old?"

"She's just good."

"Well, goodnight, Max. We'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight." Max lay back down on the couch as the two made their way into the room. As soon as the door shut behind them, Brennan turned around.

"Booth, would you mind unzipping the dress for me?" she questioned.

"Sure." He hastily pulled the zipper down, resisting the urge to press a kiss to the milky skin revealed as the two halves of the dress split apart. His hands quickly moved from her body to his own bowtie which he hastily removed before tossing it into the chair. He hung his jacket in the closet and toed off his shoes as his fingers began to work on the buttons of his shirt.

"Hey Booth?" Brennan's voice was low and sultry, and Booth turned to her automatically, swallowing hard when he realized she had completely removed her dress and now stood before him in only her underwear. "Let me help you with those," she offered, keeping her voice deliberately husky, knowing that particular tone drove him mad. He could do nothing but stand and watch as she moved closer to him, her hips swinging tantalizingly with each step. His hands dropped to his side, and hers picked up where they left off, slowly removing each button from its hole. When she had completely unbuttoned the garment, she pushed the two sides apart and ran her hand down his muscular chest, eliciting a groan from him.

"Bones, your dad," he ground out through clenched teeth.

"He's in the other room. We'll lock the door." She left for a moment, and he heard the click of metal on metal as she turned the lock on the door. When she returned to him, she placed her hands on his shoulders, carefully pushing his shirt off his body.

"Bones, he's your dad. This isn't," she leaned forward and placed her lips around one of his nipples, "right," he breathed, already lost in the sensation.

"You really are a prude when it comes to sex, aren't you, Booth?" she questioned.

"I'm not a prude, Bones," he argued.

Leaning forward so that her lips were hovering just above his, she whispered, "Prove it."

In the living room, Max sat, half-concentrating on the movie playing on the screen in front of him and half-listening on the muffled noises in the room behind him. He may have been old, but he was certainly not hard of hearing. It did not take a genius to figure out what was going on, and he smiled to himself. His baby girl had found someone to love her, someone to care for her and protect her even if she did not believe she needed either care or protection. Max had truly meant what he had told Booth earlier that day. He could not have chosen anyone better for his baby girl. Reaching behind him, he picked up the remote and turned off the television, standing to pull out the bed. As he settled onto it, he closed his eyes, trying to ignore the sounds from the adjoining room, giving the two partners privacy. As a father, he supposed he should be upset at his daughter's actions, but she was a grown woman, and he certainly did not delude himself into thinking she was still a virgin. As long as she was happy, he was happy, and he knew Booth made her happy.

Booth was up first the following morning, and he untangled himself from Brennan's limbs before pulling on boxers and a t-shirt and making his way to the kitchen. He busied himself making coffee, turning when he heard the unmistakable sounds of footsteps behind him. He saw Max standing in the doorway of the kitchen, his eyes still bleary from sleep. "Sorry. I was trying not to wake you," Booth apologized.

"No problem. You have extra?" Max nodded to the coffeepot.

"Sure. It'll be a few minutes." They were quiet for a few seconds as Booth turned on the pot. When he turned, he realized that Max was still watching him carefully.

"You know, you two aren't as quiet as you think," Max commented, smiling as a red flush broke out across Booth's neck, creeping up to his face.

"I don't know what you mean," he stammered.

"Booth, I wasn't born yesterday. I know what it takes to make a baby."

"And you're. . . okay with that?" Booth could not believe he was having this conversation, could not believe that he was talking to his girlfriend's (no, not girlfriend, that was too juvenile, a voice in his head corrected) father about sex.

"Temperance is a grown woman."

"Do I smell coffee?" a voice questioned from behind them as Brennan shuffled past her father into the kitchen.

"It'll be ready in a few minutes."

"What were you two talking about anyway?"

"Nothing," Booth answered quickly, feeling the flush creep higher on his cheeks.

"We were just discussing last night," Max added. Booth found himself wishing that the floor beneath him would collapse and end the conversation.

Booth looked between the two men, noting her father's small grin and Booth's flushed cheeks, and it did not take her long to determine the topic of their conversation. "Oh. Well, Booth has always been a bit of a prude when it comes to discussing sex," Brennan remarked. Booth wondered if it was possible to spontaneously combust from embarrassment.

Max's smile grew. "Oh, really?"

"I am not a prude, Bones."

"Every time I try to discuss sex, you change the topic."

"Because you choose highly inappropriate times and places to discuss it."

"You know, Kristen is almost at the age where we're going to have to tell her about the birds and the butterflies, Booth."

"Birds and the bees, Bones, and I know."

"If you're uncomfortable with it, I can always tell her."

"No way, Bones."

"Why not? I'm perfectly capable of discussing it rationally."

"Yeah, that's the problem, Bones. I know you, and you'll probably be too. . . clinical about the whole thing."

"She deserves to know the truth."

"The truth, sure, but she doesn't need the details."

"I know that. I do have tact, Booth."

"Look, Bones, now is not the right time for this discussion. We'll talk about this when it gets closer to time for that conversation."

"You know, we could always tell her together. I mean, we are partners." She leaned closer to him, and he grinned, forgetting that Max still stood in the doorway, watching the two with a wide grin.

"Partners," he repeated, closing the distance between their lips. She moved her hands up to his shoulder blades, bringing him closer as they kissed. They kissed lazily for a few minutes, both content with the simple intimacy of that act for the moment. One of the things that Brennan had learned early on in her relationship with Booth was that unlike her previous relationships, it was not centered around sex. Sure, they had an active sex life, more active than hers had been with anyone previously, but sex was not the only form of intimacy that she enjoyed with Booth. For the first time in her life, she appreciated the other aspects of their relationship from the gentle touches on her back to the soft kisses that they often bestowed on one another to the feel of his arms wrapped around her while she drifted off at night to the way he could make her open up and laugh. Though the sex was amazing, there were other moments that she found equally amazing, little things that he did which would literally take her breath away.

They lost themselves in one another, only breaking apart when Parker's small voice remarked, "Don't you guys ever stop doing that?"

"Reluctantly," Booth answered, pressing another short kiss to Brennan's lips before stepping away from her. He noticed that the coffee had finished and Max had disappeared. His son rolled his eyes.

"Can I work out with you this morning, Dad?" Parker questioned.

"Sure, Bub. Is your sister up?"

"Yeah. She's changing so she can workout, too."

"Okay. Give me five minutes, Bub."

It started snowing as they were finishing their run, and Booth and the kids slowed their pace to enjoy the flakes which fell from the sky. "Think it'll stick, Dad?" Parker questioned eagerly.

"It might," Booth replied. "Who knows? We could have a white Christmas."

"That would be awesome," Parker declared. Beside him, Kristen was twirling in the snow, her head hung back. She had removed her hat, so her sleek brown hair billowed in the wind as she spun, laughing delightedly. Brennan watched her, marveling at the change in the small girl since she had come to live with the two partners. She was so concentrated on Kristen that she did not notice Booth sneaking up behind her until he wrapped his arms around her, his hands moving under her shirt. She shrieked as the fabric of his gloves, cold and wet from the falling snowflakes, came into contact with her skin. He laughed loudly as she turned in his arms to deliver a slap to his shoulder. Still laughing, he pressed his lips to hers before holding her close, watching the kids cavort in the snow.

By the time they returned to the apartment, they were all wet and shivering, but none of them minded. Parker took the shower first, and Booth started a fire, allowing Kristen to curl up with Brennan and him as they all attempted to warm up. Once they were all clean and warm, Booth put on Christmas music, and his deep voice echoed around the apartment as he belted out the familiar songs, sometimes joined by Parker's own smaller voice. Even Max joined in on a couple songs, and he forced Brennan up from her perch by her computer where she was attempting to work on her book, insisting that she dance with him. She laughed at him, refusing at first, but Max was stubborn, and she eventually gave in, following his lead around the living room. At Kristen's urging, Booth joined them, one hand holding Kristen's and the other holding Parker's as they, too, spun around the living room, all laughing loudly. It was one of those perfect moments, one of the moments that Booth would hold in his memory for years to come. There was nothing momentous or life-changing about it, but it was special because of its simplicity, because it was a time when they could forget about murderers and kidnapping and death and simply enjoy the love and comfort of a family.

They had a lunch of soup and grilled cheese sandwiches before Booth chased Brennan out of the kitchen, claiming that he was going to cook Christmas Eve dinner with the kids. Knowing it was useless to argue with him, Brennan joined her father in the living room, cuddling Noah to her chest as the baby sucked contentedly at his bottle. Christmas music still played over the stereo, and Brennan could hear Booth and the kids singing along in the kitchen. Kristen seemed to know some of the words, and from time to time, Brennan heard her voice join those of the boys.

If anyone had told her a year ago that she would be sitting here now, pregnant, listening to Christmas music with her father beside her and a baby in her arms while Booth made Christmas Eve dinner in the kitchen with two kids they were raising, she would have suggested that person have his or her head examined. By nature, Temperance Brennan was not a woman who settled. She did not let people get close, did not let herself love because that only invited in heartbreak. And yet here she was, in love with her partner and raising three kids with his help. Sometimes, things did not go exactly as planned. But she was finding more and more often that the surprises in life could provide the greatest enjoyment.

After a delicious dinner, Booth took Kristen and Parker to Christmas Eve mass, and Brennan drug out some of the presents which they had not yet had a chance to wrap. Max watched her carefully measure out the correct amount of paper, slicing it cleanly with the scissors. "I remember when you were little, probably six or seven, you walked in on your mother and I wrapping presents on Christmas Eve," he remarked. "We thought you had gone to sleep."

"But I had stayed up so I could see Santa," Brennan said, remembering. "I heard noises in the living room and thought it was him. That was the year I realized that Santa Claus wasn't real."

"You took it better than your brother did. But then, we expected as much."

"Rationally speaking, it would be impossible for him to exist."

"I know, Sweetheart. But Santa Claus is not supposed to be rational. He's supposed to be magical." Brennan glanced over at him, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. He simply smiled over the rim of his mug of hot cider, taking a sip. She turned back to the package, and he watched as she carefully addressed it. "To: Kristen, From: Santa." And in that moment, Max knew that despite her rationality, deep inside her, there were some aspects of magic in which she still believed.

With Max's help, Brennan managed to finish about three-quarters of the packages, tucking them all away in various hiding places around the apartment. The kids were asleep within thirty minutes after they arrived home, and Booth collapsed in the armchair, his tie loose around his neck and his jacket already removed, hanging on the side of the chair. He leaned his head back, shutting his eyes briefly before focusing on Brennan. "I see you got started on wrapping."

"I thought it would be better if we didn't have to worry about doing all of it after you got back."

"Thanks, Bones."

"We should probably finish it up soon so we can go to bed."

"Yeah." He grunted and pushed himself to his feet. "Goodnight, Max."

"Goodnight, you two."