Hello :) I hope everyone had a good christmas :)

I realise that the next couple of chapters are a bit off, but because of Christmas and everything else, I haven't had time to upload these on time. I hope you like it.

I know that the characters are OOC but I'm taking my creative rights :)

I don't own Bones :( But I did get Angel season 5 for Christmas :) And I must say hearing DB doing an Irish accent made me crack up :) But he is very good at it.

It was a couple of days after they camped. Both were aware that their relationship had changed. They held hands when no-one they knew was around, they curled up on the sofa together and had kissed once or twice.

Brennan was with the Squints in a meeting in Cam's office. They were all seated, but waiting for Booth to arrive. Brennan had made sure she got a chair behind Angela and that there was a seat next to her. Although Brennan had known Booth for 5 years, she still got butterflies in her stomach, as irrational as that was. It was 5 minutes later when Booth practically ran into the office.

"Sorry. Got caught up." Booth apologised, flashing a smile at everyone. He caught Brennan's eye and gave her the smile reserved for her and her only. She motioned her head towards the chair next to her and he willingly obliged. The chairs were close together. So close that their legs were touching. Booth placed his hand on his leg that was touching Brennan's and Brennan put her hand on the leg that was touching Booths. Slowly their hands began edging towards the others until Booth gently touched her hand. She turned her head, looking at him and smiled. He took this as a sign that she was OK with it and began tracing light circles over her skin.

"Dr Brennan?" Cam asked. "Dr Brennan?" She asked, slightly louder this time. "Dr Brennan!" She all but yelled, jolting Booth's hand from Brennan's and forcing Brennan's head to snap up to look at Cams.

"Sorry Cam. What did you say?" Brennan asked, embarrassed that Booth had this power over her. From the corner of her eyes she could see his smug smile on his face and couldn't help but think that payback was needed.

"The Lab is going to be closed over Christmas. From the 24th – 27th you are not permitted to be here. Understand?" Cam told her in a no nonsense tone, but it was clear that she liked the anthropologist.

"Yes." Brennan replied, causing the room to look at her. Everyone was expecting her to argue and try to persuade Cam to allow her in. "What?"

"You... ALWAYS work over Christmas." Angela exclaimed.

"Maybe this year I don't want to." Brennan said simply, turning to walk out of the room, leaving everyone stunned.

"Bones." Booth shouted from outside her office.

"Yes?"

"I'm going."

"See you."

"Lunch at the Diner?"

"I might have to wo-"

"No Bones. Lunch at the Diner. I'll pick you up at 1."

"Fine."

"Bye Bones."

"Bye Booth."

Angela stifled a giggle as she heard the conversation between her best friend and her partner. It was by far one of the most unusual things she had ever heard, or seen for that matter. Their conversation seemed so.... well it seemed as though they were a married couple. If only they would realise what everyone else knows.

At precisely 1pm Booth came strolling into the Jeffersonian Medico-Legal lab.

"Bones." He said walking into her office. "You ready?"

"In a minute." Brennan replied. After 5 minutes she logged off, purposefully taking time because she wasn't about to let an alpha-male force her out of work without any prior knowledge. OK, there was a bit of prior knowledge and maybe she didn't hate it as much as she let on and maybe she was looking forward to spending time with Booth. What was he to her? After the camping incident partners, friends, best friends didn't seem strong enough. Lovers? That seemed almost a quick 'roll in the hay' relationship and boyfriend and girlfriend? Maybe, it seemed a logical course of action.

"You OK Bones?" Booth asked, as the waitress walked away with their orders.

"I'm fine. You?" Brennan asked, cursing the man for always knowing how she was feeling and when something was wrong.

"I'm good. What's up?"

"Nothing's up Booth. I just said."

"I know when there's something wrong."

"What are we?"

"What?" Booth asked, confused to why she would ask this.

"What are we? Friends, lovers, a couple, partners?" Brennan asked and Booth could see the discomfort in her eyes as she said 'partners'.

"What do you want us to be?" Booth asked cautiously, not wanting to scare her away.

"I- I'm not sure." Brennan replied nervously looking down at the table. "I guess we're more than partners, have been for quite a while. But then lovers doesn't seem appropriate. None of the terms fit us. More than friends, more than partners. A couple? I think we are but I'm not sure. I mean it's an anthropo-" Booth cut her off before she started rambling too much.

"Bones, you're rambling."

"Sorry."

"I understand what you mean though." They had been busy over the past few days and any time they had spent together , they didn't discuss anything serious as they had been working on a pretty heated case. They were simply content with being with each other, watching films and kissing once or twice. "Spend Christmas with me." Booth asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"You aren't working and as far as I know you aren't going on a trip. Unless you have other plans..."

"No. It's just that don't you have Parker for Christmas?" Brennan asked, regretting it as she saw a Booth's expression turn sad.

"Rebecca's taking him up to see his grandparents. It's not her fault, her dad's really ill and they aren't sure if he'll be here next Christmas. I'm just going to miss him. I get him New Years Day at 5pm until he goes back to school though which is the 7th." Booth perked up at telling her this and Brennan smiled at him.

"OK."

"OK? Yeah? OK." Booth replied, unable to form full sentences. "I'd like to be a couple with you Bones, but I think we need to be ourselves, not label us. But I'd really like it if I could do this - " He gently placed his lips to hers.

"Booth, I think we've established you can do that."

"Yeah but Bones they were simply quick ones. I want to know that I can, that you won't kick my ass if I do."

"I won't. Promise." And then to prove her point she kissed him again, this time going running her tongue over his lips, asking for permission. He willingly obliged. They simply sat in the Diner, together, until the waitress came over with their food. Brennan took one of Booth's fries and in that moment, they knew no matter what happened, they would be OK as long as they had each other.