Hello!
Well, here we are at the end of the marathon! Technically, the last chapter was the last 'hour', but it just didn't seem right to end a story about a day at 11 PM. Yet, it also didn't seem right to start the 'day' at 1 AM so it would end at midnight. Thus, a quandary. And, like with most BB fic quandaries, 'more smut' was the answer. : )

I hope you have enjoyed this series—if so, drop me a line and let me know! Though I will point out that despite my earlier request, NO ONE offered to send me any Booths to relieve my pain. As if!

Haha, okay…on with the post.

-b&b-

"Hey."

The sound from the bedroom doorway startled Brennan from her position on the floor near their bed. "Booth…stay out! You're not supposed to be in here."

"I know, but…" he whined, and pouted. And maybe he rose onto his tiptoes to peek a little bit.

"I mean it, Booth. I'm wrapping your Christmas gifts." She unrolled a large piece of wrapping paper and tried to cover up what she was working on.

"Why don't you come over here and kiss me then?" His voice was sweetly convincing, and he stood in the doorway to their bathroom, bare chested, freshly showered and clean shaven, in his favorite reindeer printed boxers. One of his hands rested on the doorjamb, and the other held up a small sprig of mistletoe.

Brennan couldn't help but laugh incredulously as she shook her head, "I just got down here, Booth. It will take me forever to get up. I'll kiss you later."

His lips pursed in dissatisfaction, and he took a step closer to her.

"Booth!" Brennan held up her hand. "Stay away!"

"It's almost midnight, Bones," he argued. "On Christmas Eve. That means it's almost Christmas. I have to kiss you when Christmas Eve turns to Christmas. It has to happen."

"It has to happen?" one eyebrow arched suspiciously.

"Yes," he nodded solemnly. "It's Christmas, Bones." That was all he said, as if it was reason enough. His body was illuminated from behind by the soft glow of the bathroom light. He made for a perfect Christmas picture—the kind of picture that would have been perfect for a 'hottie' calendar Angela might have given to her as a joke.

Brennan sighed.

"I'll close my eyes," Booth sensed an opening. "And you can tell me how to get to you. And then I'll walk out of here."

Brennan considered his words. She looked back toward the gifts she was guarding and made a few mental notes. "Okay, I suppose it could work."

He grinned, and she held up a hand. "Close your eyes, Booth. I mean it."

Booth did as he promised, wrapping one hand around the mistletoe and his other hand around his eyes. He smiled and took one tentative step forward.

"Keep coming, Booth," Brennan instructed softly, unable to keep from smiling as he took smaller and smaller steps. "You don't have to cover your eyes. Perhaps that is upsetting your balance?" she offered.

"I have perfect balance, Bones," he huffed, taking a bigger step and then pausing.

Brennan laughed and when he got close to her, she reached out with one hand and gently brushed his leg.

Booth yelped and nearly jumped.

"Booth," Brennan laughed again. "It's just me."

"Well, jeez, Bones. You scared the crap out of me. I thought you were a…I don't know what I thought."

She smiled and let her knuckles brush over his stomach. "Well, you're here now, so…kiss me."

"Is it midnight?" he asked, his face scrunching up, almost as if he was squinting behind his hand.

Brennan looked at the clock. "11:59."

"Ah, awesome," he breathed. "I just made it." He held up the mistletoe and then leaned over. Brennan smiled and moved to her knees, stretching up so she could press her lips against his. The angle was awkward for both of them, but still sweet. The faint chime of Booth's favorite clock rang out from their living room, and they kissed until the final note sounded. When they parted, Brennan watched as Booth smiled, and even with his eyes closed, he seemed happy.

"Merry Christmas, Bones," he murmured, a satisfied tone to his voice.

Suddenly, Brennan was overcome with memories of their partnership. The time they were quarantined in the lab, the time he showed up at the prison with Parker and a Christmas tree, the time he stood by her at a funeral and later helped her clean up after a family dinner party. She knew he loved Christmas, and she knew what it meant to him. He meant so much to her, and it amazed her that he was satisfied and so happy with the simple things—with just having her close by, and with sentimental traditions.

"I love you, Booth," she whispered softly, placed her hand on his shoulder, and pulled him down for another kiss. "Merry Christmas."

His mouth was soft against hers—not quite kissing her, but certainly allowing himself to be kissed. She almost smiled at the way she could tell he was sensing something had changed, but she was still too emotional to smile.

"Bones?" he used one hand to smooth her hair away from her face as best he could. She did smile then, and made a decision.

"Keep your eyes closed, okay?"

"Okay…" he murmured tentatively, but did as she instructed. Brennan used her hands and the bed to stand up. She grunted a bit, but made it and then she took Booth's hand and led him around to the other side. "Sit down," she softly commanded, pressing gently on his shoulders. Booth sat and when she encouraged him to his back, he complied, stretching his body out completely on the bed.

"Stay there," she leaned over and kissed his cheek. As she tried to rise, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist.

"Is everything okay, Bones?" he finally asked, and she nodded, then replied "yes" when she realized he couldn't see her nod.

"Okay," he answered and moved a pillow to better support his neck.

Brennan shoved her wrapping paper and all of her gifts for him under their bed and then quickly moved to their walk-in closet. She pulled out some lingerie she'd been saving for later in the morning. It was fairly skimpy, but the deep red color and white fluffy trim made it very festive. And it was designed for maternity wear. It was supposed to be what she woke him up in, but now was as good a time as any, she figured, as she pulled the straps of the bra over her shoulders.

Brennan examined the final result in the full length mirror. Her breasts were noticeably larger than normal, and the bra enhanced them further. She was particularly curvy even when not several months pregnant, and she enjoyed the way Booth enjoyed her body. The bottom was made up of sheer boy cut panties, loose enough to accommodate movement, but snug enough around the waist to ensure they stayed in place. Higher up on her waist was a garter belt, attached to silky white thigh high stockings. She smiled at her reflection and then made her way back toward Booth.

He was resting comfortably, his chest gently rising and falling with each breath he took.

"Booth," Brennan spoke quietly so as not to scare him. "I'm back."

"I know, Bones," he smiled but kept his eyes closed. "You think I couldn't hear you?"

She laughed and pressed one knee to the bed, and then the other as she crawled in beside him. "Sniper training?"

He smirked and rolled to his side. "Yep, plus years of being your partner make me incredibly attuned to you," he said, and his voice was sweet and soft.

Brennan smiled and placed her hand on his chest. He was always so warm. "You can open your eyes now."

Booth blinked and smiled and looked at her face. He blinked again as his eyes adjusted to the light in the room and he adjusted to his position of laying down. And then he noticed what Brennan was wearing. "Wow," his mouth dropped open. "Bones…wow!" He blinked rapidly several times and met her eyes before letting his gaze travel over her body and back up again. Then back down and back up again. He swallowed hard and placed a hand on her bare stomach. "This might sound cheesy, but… I wanna unwrap you, Bones."

"Where did you put that mistletoe?" she asked him, and he unfisted one hand to show the greenery in his palm. Brennan smiled and took it in her hand. She pushed on him until he was on his back, and then she worked one of her legs over his until she was straddling him as best as possible. Her rounded belly meant she couldn't exactly lie flat on him, but she was able to balance her weight on her hands, and when he lifted up, they could kiss. Booth stroked her stomach and up to the sides of her breasts, gently pressing on them and running his thumbs along the undersides of her curves. Brennan groaned into his mouth, and then arched her neck back in pleasure.

Booth was staring up at her in wide-eyed wonder, and she couldn't help but smile, tilting her head to the side and basking in his adoration. Her hair fell between them, the ends reaching down to his bare chest. Between her legs, she felt him stirring, and she pressed her thighs together to encourage him.

"Our first Christmas together," he said softly, smoothing his hands from her shoulders down to her hands. He rubbed his thumbs against her wrists and then let his hands cup her thighs, right where the stockings met her skin. "First of many," he added and let his hands move upward to cup her curvy behind. He gave a gentle squeeze, and Brennan shifted in his hands.

"I wanted to make love to you," she told him. "As one of your gifts."

Booth smiled and he sat up so his back was up against their headboard. He moved her forward and buried his face in her neck and breathed deeply. "Let me make love to you, and that would be the best gift you could give me."

Brennan laughed at his logic, but when she met his eyes and saw that he was serious, she considered his words.

"Please, Bones," he murmured, and she nodded, moving off of him and onto her side. He knew that was the most comfortable position for her, and he stripped off his boxers before he stretched out beside her and faced her. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and then Booth kissed her neck and shoulders and her chest before licking gently at one nipple. It tightened and he stared at the puckered flesh before wrapping his lips around it and sucking—harder than he intended. But her fingernails in his back told him she liked it. He switched to her other breast and gave it the same treatment until her heels were pressing his legs, her desperation clear in the sound of her voice and the wetness brushing against the bottom of his cock through her skimpy panties.

"Bones, damn…you're so beautiful. I could just…" he stared down at her, licking his lips at the sight of her hard nipples, wet from his mouth. "You're so beautiful."

She traced his cheek with two soft fingers. "You don't have to say that…" she smiled. "I'm already persuaded where you are concerned."

Booth smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, I do, Bones. I want to tell you every damn day how incredibly gorgeous you are."

He kissed up and down her body, and then moved around her, kissing a straight line down the length of her spine. Brennan curved sensually into his touch, and his erection strained between her perfect ass cheeks. Then and only then did he slide the panties down and off her legs. He left the sexy garter belt on as well as the bra. Instead of peeling it from her body, he just smoothed the sexy cups down and under her breasts, putting them on a pretty Christmas display for his eyes and hands. He gently wrapped one hand around her hip and opened his mouth on the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. Her upper thigh lifted up, and then back over his legs, making room for his penis to slide between her thighs and up inside her in one smooth stroke.

"Mmmm," Booth groaned and inhaled through his nose. "Yeah."

This time was slow and steady and he rocked into her, enjoying the sound their bodies made when he pulled out of her and then pushed back in. Brennan reached between her legs and rubbed her clit with her fingers and cried out.

Booth watched her fingers fly over her body, and he pressed into her again. With a low, rumbling growl that reverberated from his chest to her back, he pulled out, sank back in, withdrew, and then surged in again. His strokes lengthened each time, his pumping hips gaining momentum. Soon, any attempts to hold back were tossed away as his thrusts grew urgent and demanding.

Brennan was right there with him, her breasts bouncing with every thrust, and her thigh pressing his legs into the mattress. Friction, pressure and heat built up between them and then their entire beings were concentrating only on the impatient release exploding around, to and through them both.

"Oh," Brennan gasped. "Oh, oh…" she arched back into him and let her arm fall to her side. Her damn fingers slid along Booth's side, and he moaned, falling onto his back, and bringing her with him until her back was splayed against his front. Their legs were tangled together, and it took a few moments for them to get up the energy to move. Booth slid out from under her and then walked over to her dresser. He pulled out a cotton nightgown and some clean underwear and walked toward her. His back twinged a bit, but he managed, and smiled when she laughed and sat up. He tenderly peeled off the bra and garter belt and stocking she was wearing, and she caught his eyes roaming over her appreciatively more than once. He also helped her into the nightgown, and when she slid her underwear on, he fished around on the floor for his boxers and tugged them on to.

His eyes were drooping as he slid under the covers with her and tugged her close, this time with her facing him.

"I loved my gift, Bones," he smoothed a finger over her shoulder.

She pressed a kiss to his chin and settled in, placing her hand on his bare chest. "Merry Christmas, Booth," she softly sighed.

-b&b-

LOL, it's not Christmas yet, (though I believe at the time of this printing that the US east coast has suffered some October snow!), but I love the idea of a little B&B Christmas moment in bed. And it seems very Boothy to me to want to be with her exactly when Christmas Eve becomes Christmas. It's an eve and a day…it's a B&B miracle, haha!

Thanks again for all of the kind comments on these posts! I have loved each and every one of them. And once again, I have to toss it up to SleeplessinAtlanta, who TOTALLY deserved co-authorship credit on some of these posts!