A/N: Many thanks to Penandra, who suggested the first song, What Are You Doing New Year's Eve by Frank Loesser. The second song is Where and When by Rodgers and Hart. No copyright infringement intended...

Maybe it's much too early in the game

But I thought I'd ask you just the same

What are you doing New Year's Eve…..

"I don't understand, Booth...why do people become so excited about New Year's Eve?" Brennan sat across from Booth at their favorite table in the diner, gesturing with her toast to make her point. "It doesn't have any religious connotations that I can tell. It mainly seems like an excuse for people to drink excessively, get dressed up in fancy clothes, wear silly hats, and do things they normally wouldn't do." She took a sip of her tea. "Is it supposed to be a continuation of the Christmas holiday?"

"What?" Booth was grinning like a fool as he ate his bacon and eggs. He was ecstatic that Bones had called him and asked him to join her for breakfast at the diner. He hadn't really been listening...he was too busy thinking about how beautiful she was. Finally he realized that she had asked him a question. "Oh yeah...Well, it kind of has a religious meaning, because it's in the middle of the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany."

"Epiphany? Why would your church celebrate the sudden realization of an idea or of knowledge? That doesn't make any sense…" Brennan wrinkled her nose and shook her head at such a silly thought. "They might as well celebrate imagination or serendipity."

Booth sighed and rolled his eyes. Even though he loved Bones with all his heart he had to admit that sometimes she could be difficult, especially if her mind was made up on a subject. "In this case, the Epiphany they're celebrating is the idea that the Christ came to be revealed to the Gentiles as well as the Jews, so that we can all become God's chosen people." He smiled to himself, remembering his boyhood confirmation classes. Brother Thomas would've been so happy that he actually remembered that part of the catechism…

"Oh, I see. So that's why people drink too much on New Year's Eve? Because a god was revealed to them?" Brennan laughed to herself, hoping to get a rise out of Booth. It was certainly fun to see him get so flustered as he explained all of his silly superstitions to her.

"Okay, look, Bones...getting drunk is just one part of what some people do. There's a lot of other things, too. I tell you what...what did you decide about tomorrow night? Are you going out with Sully?" Please say no...please say no...please say no. "He asked you to go to a party with him, right?"

"He did, but I declined. I'm not convinced that continuing a relationship with him is a good idea, Booth. I really think all we have in common is that we're very compatible sexually."

Good...I think…"So if you're not going out, why don't you come over to my apartment for dinner tomorrow evening? I'll make us some spaghetti with marinara sauce...meatless, of course…" Booth winked at Brennan…"and we can watch a football game, or maybe a movie...and then we can maybe welcome the New Year. What'dya think?"

Maybe I'm crazy to suppose

I'd ever be the one you chose

Out of a thousand invitations

You've received…

Brennan considered the invitation carefully. "Don't you want to go out to a party, Booth? I thought Director Cullen said that the FBI was sponsoring a dinner and dance at a venue downtown. That was the party Sully wanted me to attend with him."

Booth shrugged as he shook his head. "Nah...I get to see those guys all day at work. I'm not sure I wanna see them when I'm supposed to be having fun. Anyway, I thought maybe we could watch part of the bowl game that's gonna be on….you know….football…"

Smiling coyly, Brennan ate another bite of toast. "I'm not sure why I'd have to come to your house when my kitchen is much bigger and easier to cook in."

Booth rolled his eyes at her again. "Do you have a television, Bones? No, you don't...so if we're gonna watch a game we have to be at my place. My kitchen is big enough to cook in…"

"Will you be able to explain the rules of football this time so that they make sense, Booth? If I remember correctly, last time we watched a game you became quite frustrated with me…I still don't understand why an attempt to move a ball across a field is called a down...the terminology of the game is very confusing."

"I think I was frustrated because the Eagles were playing so badly, not because you didn't understand the game." Booth laughed at the memory of trying to help Bones understand football. "I'll study up on it so I can explain better, okay? I guess if you'd prefer, we could watch a movie instead...I can rent a couple. So we can have a nice meal, a beer or a glass of wine, and enjoy watching the New Year come in at midnight." Booth smirked as he scooped up a bite of his eggs. "So maybe you should tell me what your New Year's resolutions are." It was his turn to try to get a rise out of Bones.

"Why would I make resolutions? That would imply that I have things that I need to improve on, and you know I'm the best in my field…" Brennan's forehead creased a bit as she thought about making resolutions. "Oh, I understand...you mean for personal improvement...I don't do that. Do you?" She tried to figure out what Booth would resolve to do…

"I don't make resolutions about getting exercise or drinking less coffee or anything like that...mostly I just try to make peace in my mind about things that happened in the previous year so I can move on to the present year."

"That makes a lot of sense, Booth." Brennan drained her tea cup and chuckled softly. "Dr. Goodman says it may take as long as six weeks until I can be reinstated as your partner again. Maybe you should resolve to be nice to Sully since he may be your partner longer than you wish…"

"Ha Ha. Very funny. So...tomorrow night? Seven?"

"Okay...tomorrow night. I'll bring a salad. Do we need silly hats and noisemakers?" Brennan grinned at Booth. "Don't you have some sort of silly beer hat?"

"It's not silly...it's functional. Just bring the salad, okay? Hey, thanks for breakfast, Bones…" He looked into her blue eyes again and wished they could have breakfast together every morning in a home they shared together. He was going to make that happen...that would be this year's resolution. "See you tomorrow night." He lingered a minute, not wanting to leave, but realizing he had to go to work. "Bye."

Brennan nodded. "Seven tomorrow evening. Good-bye, Booth." Smiling, she turned to leave. It appeared that this New Year's Eve would be very satisfactory….

But in case I stand one little chance

Here comes the jackpot question in advance

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

oooooooooo

Booth flipped through the papers in the file on their most recent case, trying to concentrate, but it was difficult. All he could think about was what he had to do after work. He needed to pick up some things at the grocery store for his marinara sauce, and he wanted to rent some movies in case the football game wasn't interesting. He pulled a pen out of his drawer and started making a list of things he needed until he was interrupted by his partner's voice.

"Booth?"

"Oh, hey, Sully...what's up?" Booth was feeling much friendlier towards Tim Sullivan since Bones wasn't going with him to the FBI New Year's Party. "Got some more information about our case?"

"Yeah...It looks like cause of death was being run over by a car." Sully came in and sat down, handing a file to Booth. "That area of the park where the body was found is used by off road enthusiasts. It's gonna be hard to figure out which set of tire tracks match those present on our victim, but the squints at the Jeffersonian are gonna give it a go." Sully sat for a minute chewing his lip as he watched Booth look through the file. "Hey….Are you going to the FBI party tomorrow evening?"

Booth shook his head. "Nah...I'm gonna stay in, watch the game, you know...take it easy." Booth smiled to himself as he asked the next question. "What about you? You takin' Bones to the party?"

"I asked her if she wanted to go, but she said no….she already had other plans." Sully sighed heavily. It seemed like he needed some more 'guy advice' from someone who knew Brennan well. "I don't know what I did wrong, Booth, but I think Tempe's giving me the old brush off. I thought she'd be happy to see me, but…"

"But she wasn't?" Booth shrugged his shoulders, trying not to laugh out loud. "Oh well...you know what they say...win some, lose some."

"I guess...I'm still surprised Tempe didn't like living on the boat when we were in the Caribbean...she gets bored really easily, I guess, and when she's bored, she's irritable. It seems she's only happy if she's working on something difficult. She has a hard time relaxing...it's like she has to be serious all the time. She's intense, you know?"

"She is definitely intense, but that's because she's so smart, I think...her mind just keeps spinning out thoughts constantly. If she didn't have anything to do, she'd be unhappy."

"Well, there were lots of physical activities, like swimming and fishing, but she said she needed to keep her mind busy...she needed things to think about. I don't know...It's hard to say what kind of guy she might like, but I guess it wasn't me…."

"That's too bad, Sully...I'm sorry it didn't work out." Booth commiserated. Okay...that was a blatant lie...but it sounds good, right? He tried hard not to look pleased at Sully's disappointment over his failed relationship with Bones, but he felt sure he wasn't entirely successful at hiding his grin.

"Yeah, thanks, Booth. Okay...I'm gonna call the Jeffersonian and see if they have any new information for me. I'll talk to you in a few days."

"Right. Have a good holiday." Booth chuckled softly as he watched Sully leave, wondering what Sully would think if he knew what Bones was doing to celebrate the New Year. He turned to his computer and tried to scold himself about his behavior. "Yep. Maybe I'm being an arrogant jerk, but, Jesus...I'm so glad Bones is spending New Year's with me instead of Sully."

oooooooooo

Brennan stood looking at her reflection in the full length mirror attached to closet door. She had been to Booth's apartment many times to work on case notes, but this felt different. She smoothed the dark green sweater over her jeans again, wondering if her attire was appropriate to the occasion. "You're just going to have some spaghetti with Booth….it's not the White House, Brennan." Still, she knew her body well enough to know that her heart rate elevated slightly whenever she thought about being at Booth's apartment tonight. She'd noticed a slight change in his attitude toward her since Sully had returned to work at the FBI. "Booth's always been an alpha male, but now….now he's acting territorial...hmm…" Brennan cringed a bit when she realized that she liked territorial Booth, especially if she was considered part of his territory. However, being an anthropologist, she also realized that she'd be territorial around Booth if she thought her claim on him was being threatened….

Grabbing her coat, purse and the salad, she tried to shake off the giddy feeling she had about sharing a meal with Booth. "In reality it's just another day and just another meal….."

ooooooooo

Booth bustled around the kitchen, setting the plates on the counter as he stirred the sauce. He'd gotten a late start on the meal. "Damn video store…." It seemed that everybody thought renting movies was a good way to spend New Year's Eve. Then there was the problem of what to choose….Bones didn't watch movies that often, but Booth knew she loved John Wayne, so he'd picked The Quiet Man and Rio Bravo, and then, a whim, he picked up When Harry Met Sally. "Yeah...that might be pushing it a little...we'll see how it goes." He was nervous...Bones had been to his apartment many times, but this was different somehow….

Booth wiped the marinara sauce spills from the counter and rushed to change his shirt, running to answer the doorbell as it rang. "Hiya, Bones…"

It seems we stood and talked like this before,

We looked at each other the same way before,

But I can't remember where or when…

It took a few minutes for the feeling of awkwardness to wear off between Booth and Brennan. Both of them realized something was different, but they couldn't name it, exactly. Soon, however, they were laughing and talking like they always had...enjoying the food, enjoying the friendship, but seeing things through a slightly different lens.

The smile you're smiling you were smiling then,

But I can't remember where or when….

When the meal was over, Brennan carried the dishes to the sink and began to load the dishwasher. It was such a normal thing to do, but for Booth...for Booth it was like a vision of what kind of life they could have together….as a couple...partners at work and in life.

"What are you doin', Bones?" Booth laughed as he joined her in his tiny kitchen. "I don't expect you to wash the dishes at my house when I invited you for dinner!"

Brennan turned and gave him a radiant smile. "You cooked, so I'll clean up. Next time I cook for you, you can help me clean up. It'll only take a few minutes...I hate leaving dirty dishes in the sink."

"Okay, but let me help you...That's not how you put silverware in the basket, Bones. Everybody knows it goes the other way…"

"What difference does it make, Booth? The forks will still get clean…"

"Well, this is how I do it. Here, hand me that plate….okay, we're done. Let's go see if the game is on…"

ooooooooo

The football game was a dud….even trying to explain the rules to Bones couldn't rescue it. Finally, with the score of 52-7 at the end of the first half, Booth turned to her and asked if she wanted to watch one of the movies he had rented. "Look, Bones...John Wayne...which one do you wanna watch?"

"I like both of them...I've seen them many times. What's that movie about? I've never seen that one…" She pointed to When Harry Met Sally.

"Oh, that...it's a romantic comedy. You probably wouldn't like it, Bones...it's really not very believable…"

"Why? What's it about?"

"These two old friends who go through all these trials and then they figure out they love each other...hey, wanna listen to some music? Look, I got a couple of new jazz CDs…"

"Don't you want to watch this movie, Booth? It looks interesting…"

"Alright, we can watch it." Booth pushed the movie into the player and pressed the start button. He sat down on the end of the sofa, and motioned for Brennan to join him. "Hey, want some popcorn before we start?"

"No, I don't think so." She sat next to him and leaned into him as he started the movie. Soon Brennan's head was on Booth's shoulder, and his arm was around her as they watched the movie.

Something that happened for the first time is happening again,

But I don't remember where or when…

As the end credits played, Booth patted Brennan's shoulder to wake her up. "Did you like the movie, Bones?"

"I don't know, Booth...I'm not sure it accurately portrayed the feelings people have when dealing with a relationship like that…"

Booth laughed out loud. "Of course it didn't. Romantic comedies are like fantasies, Bones..they aren't documentaries. Hey, look at the time...11:45. Almost midnight. I've got an idea. I've got a Harry Connick, Jr CD...you know...he sang during that movie. I'll play it and we can dance in the New Year, okay?"

Brennan smiled demurely. "I'd like that very much, Booth. I understand now why people enjoy New Year's Eve. It's fun to do different activities in order to stay up until midnight."

Booth shook his head and grinned as he loaded the CD into the player. "I'm glad you're having fun, Bones. C'mere…" He took her in his arms pulled her close as the warmth of the music filled his living room.

And so it seems we have met before

And laughed before, and loved before,

But who knows where or when…..

Booth placed one hand in the small of her back, and his other hand was on her shoulder as she rested her hands on his broad chest. He was looking in her beautiful blue eyes as he brushed a strand of her soft hair away from her beautiful face….and the temptation was too great. He tilted her chin up so he could kiss her lips, gently brushing his mouth over hers, and she responded by pulling him close to her and kissing him more insistently. He caressed her gently, running his hands up and down her back as he kissed her again, trying to pull her still closer, feeling her heartbeat against him when he heard it….

…...the distinct click of his front door lock opening. Booth broke free from Brennan, and spun around, flushed but ready to spring upon whoever was breaking into his house. He motioned to Brennan to move away from the door as put his finger to his lips to quiet her. The lock clicked again. Booth picked up a hockey stick from the rack by the door and raised it over his head. The door swung open, and…..

"Booth?"

"Cam?"

"Surprise! Happy New Year…."