Age 31- Santa in the Slush
Temperance stepped through the newly fallen snow to her car, looking up at the sky as the snowflakes melted on her warm skin. She felt happy and sad at the same time, and was not sure that she wanted to even attempt to sort out those emotions at this moment. Christmas Eve had come, and was nearly gone once again, though this year was markedly different.
The happiness came from having her family nearby. Her father, her brother, though both in prison, were there. But it was that one person that was missing that seemed to wrap the entire affair in a pall of sadness.
She stared up at the sky for a moment, hoping to capture a glimpse of the stars, but found that the clouds that were sprinkling the earth with snowflakes had dampened any possibility for stargazing. She sighed in resignation and unlocked her car, hoping to find some warmth within. The seats were just as crisp and cold as the nighttime air, and her breath hung in the air as puffs of steam even as she started the car.
Her mind shifted to the past couple of years, of the things that had happened, all of the changes that had occurred. Temperance could hear her breathing rattled as if her body wanted to cry, but her mind simply wouldn't allow it. She started the car and began to drive. She focused on the road, but her mind wandered here and there, to the uncertainties that her future still held. She thought of her father's Christmas wish, and how all he had wanted was for the family to be together. She thought of her brother and his family, and the smiles and laughter that she had witnessed. She thought of the phone call from Booth, and the surprise of the Christmas tree in the distance. Her heart warmed at his sentiment, at his eagerness and the thoughtfulness of the gesture. Temperance's tongue then ran over her upper lip, and her cheeks warmed in something other than the Christmas spirit.
She pulled her thoughts from that place for a moment, still denying herself the happiness of the Christmas season, and found that she was no longer traveling in the direction of her apartment. Instead, she found herself in a familiar neighborhood that was not her own. Her eyes gazed up at Booth's apartment, and she smiled as she thought of him spending Christmas with Parker. He had been so disappointed, so disillusioned by the thought of spending Christmas alone. She paused and opened the glove compartment, pulling from it the small green box that she had carefully placed there. Her fingers ran over the smooth cover, and she thought of the contents for a moment. Her eyes lifted to the street, and her eyes focused on the colorful decorations that lined the streets, and the lights that sparkled from the windows of the apartments and storefronts that surrounded her. A light smile came to her face as she closed her eyes and felt their warmth, wishing for the gentle sound of her mother's voice in her ear. She could almost smell the spruce from tree, she could almost feel that spirit that Sweets had claimed had disappeared from her heart far too early. She was suddenly roused from her reverie by the sound of a passing snowplow, scraping the asphalt violently with its blade.
She sucked in a sharp breath and before she could stop herself, she was out of the car and heading up the sidewalk to Booth's apartment. She took the stairs in place of the elevator, sending a wary look at the old contraption. She stepped to Booth's door, and raised her hand to knock, she gently rapped at the wooden door. Immediately, Temperance questioned her motive for visiting him, though the weight of the gift in her hand reminded her. She listened for a moment for movement, trying to convince herself that she would be interrupting a family moment, and took a step back.
Before she could make her retreat, the door opened, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Uh…"
"Hey Bones," he said softly, almost as if he had expected her arrival.
She nearly stammered to regain her ability to talk, something she rarely needed to do. "I um… wasn't going to come over, but I was in the neighborhood, and I thought I'd drop by to give you the gift I bought for you. I understand you have Parker, and you're probably entertaining him…" She felt silly for babbling on, but simply couldn't seem to stop herself.
"He's sleeping, Bones," he whispered.
"Oh, oh… well, I… I don't want to bother you guys, so I'll just… I'll bring this back after Christmas." She could feel her face turning red and she could see the humored expression on his face that was making her feel very self conscious suddenly.
"Come in, it's okay. He sleeps like a log."
"But I thought that Christmas Eve was the night of the…"
"Immaculate deception? Yeah." Booth said, rolling his eyes.
Her brow furrowed, and she continued to stand in the doorway, unsure of what to do. "I don't know what that…"
Suddenly, he made her mind up for her and grabbed her arm, tugging her into his apartment as he closed the door behind her. "Just come in, Bones."
"Are you sure? I can come back another time and…"
"No, it's fine," he said, flashing a smile to ensure she saw his sincerity. "Do you want something to drink? Beer? Water?"
She paused for a moment, knowing that if she took a drink, she would be committing herself to a visit. "A beer would be fine." After she spoke, she looked for something else to talk about, to just keep the moments moving and keeping them from being awkward. "Your tree looks nice."
"Thanks," he paused. "You've seen it, Bones."
She suddenly felt odd about mentioning the tree, and followed him into the kitchen. "Have I been here since you put it up?" She asked, taking the open beer from his hands, she looked back to the tree, and back to her partner.
"Probably," he said with a smile. She watched him glance at the box in her hands. "What do you have there?"
"It's your Christmas gift," she said with a furrowed brow, unsure of why he'd ask such a ridiculous question.
"I know, but what's in it?"
"You have to open it," she said, handing it over to him. She could feel her cheeks burn slightly at his eyes catching hers. "It's not much, just something I thought you'd like."
"You didn't have to get me anything, Bones."
Suddenly, she felt extremely self conscious, and started to reach for the box. "Booth...Just open it."
He pulled the box from her, and opened it, his eyes falling on her, just as she looked to his. When he looked down at the object in the box, she was sure that she heard him gasp slightly. "Bones," he whispered, reaching into the box. "You really…"
"It's just a little something. You don't have to wear it, or use it… or anything." She wondered suddenly when her voice had turned into a whispered mumble, but accepted it and shrugged.
He pulled the chain from the box, and looked poignantly at the simple gold cross that hung from it. "It's beautiful," he paused. "Thank you."
"It's nothing special. I mean, I thought that you…"
"It's perfect, Bones," he said pulling the chain around his neck, he smiled at her. She could feel the warmth of his smile, and hear the sincerity in his voice. "It's perfect."
The moment following his words was filled with a nearly awkward silence, and she fought with her brain to find something to say. Her eyes moved to the cross, and she sipped her beer, both at a loss for words. "Oh…" She said softly, reaching forward for a needle that had somehow landed on his sweater.
"What?" his whispered response seemed to indicate that his mind had been elsewhere as well. "Oh," he whispered when he saw what she had captured in her fingertips.
"Spruce needle," she said, holding it up. She looked at it closely, trying to think of anything else she could say, but everything that came to mind seemed awkward. She took another sip of beer and leaned onto the table, pulling herself onto the barstool. She took a slow, deep breath as her eyes fell onto the tree across the room. Her mind wandered for a moment as she watched the sparkling lights on the tree, and gently drank in the warm feelings that she was quickly attributing to the libation in her hand. After a moment, she heard the words drip from her mouth without so much as a pause. "Did you ever notice how nice a freshly cut Christmas tree smells?" Her words fell to silence, and when she glanced to Booth, she could see a curious smile on his lips. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing, Bones," he whispered, pulling himself into the barstool across from her.
Temperance could feel him settle in the barstool, his company relaxing and right. She closed her eyes for a moment and slowly breathed in that gentle scent of the spruce tree across from her. She opened her eyes to the sparkling lights of the tree, and could have sworn she felt a soft and tender shiver work its way down her spine.
A tender smile rose on her face, as she remembered her mother's words, and the meaning behind that shiver.
"What, Bones?" Booth whispered.
"The magic of Christmas, Booth."