This is for the 2023 Bonesology Christmas challenge.

I don't own Bones.

Ooooooooooooooooo

It was quiet in Bones Storage and Brennan appreciated that. Unless one of her interns was with her or Angela tracked her down for a visit, she had the room to herself and it gave her solitude. She needed that sometimes.

She'd had a radio on earlier, but the station started to play Christmas music and Brennan wasn't in the mood for that. Christmas was going to be a lonely affair this year and she wasn't looking forward to it. She'd turned off the radio and found that to be more conducive to what she was doing. Why would someone give their loved one a partridge in a pear tree. For that matter, two turtle doves, three French hens and four calling birds? Is their loved one keeping an aviary? What nonsense. Those gifts are impractical. The song is ridiculous.

The bones were laid out on the steel table before her. They had been found by a diver who had explored a ship that had been sunk by the navy and made into a reef in the Atlantic Ocean. "Male, between the ages of 35 and 45 . . . Caucasian. Why were you on the ship when it blew up? Were you forgotten? Did you commit suicide?"

Brennan noticed remodeling on the victim's ribs, his right leg, both feet, his clavicle and knew this man had been through a lot before he'd died. "You had an adventurous life before you died, that is for certain."

Holding the right clavicle in her hands, she noticed the nick in the bone. "You were shot in your past . . . military perhaps. You were on a decommissioned American Naval ship, so were you part of the navy? Why were you on that ship? It was sheer folly to be on a ship scheduled to be sunk. Were you there on purpose?"

Angela had heard Brennan talking as she entered the room. "Did the bones talk to you?" She found it amusing that Brennan sometimes talked to the bones she was examining if she thought no one was around. It was whimsical and Angela liked that.

"No of course not." Annoyed, Brennan placed the clavicle down on the table. "I am examining the set of remains sent over by the coast guard. The diver that found the bones was wise to leave them where they were. The Coast Guard took pictures of the bones where they laid then retrieved all the bones they could find. Several are missing, but there are enough here. I should be able to identify the remains. The fish and other sea life had cleaned the bones before they were found so Wendell didn't have to do a lot to prepare the bones for examination."

"Well, when you're ready for me to make the facial reconstruction, I'm ready. There isn't a lot going on right now." Angela was bored. "It used to be so hectic around here when Booth was alive." She knew she shouldn't have said that as soon as she'd said it. The look of sadness on Brennan's face reminded her that Booth had been their dear friend and he was still missed. "I'm sorry, Bren. I shouldn't have said that."

"There is no need to apologize. I miss Booth too." Brennan was examining the calcaneus bone in the right foot and found the injuries oddly familiar. "The victim was tortured as a young man. His feet were hit with a rubber hose or a pi . . . pipe." Placing the bone down, she picked up the calcaneus bone in the left foot and studied it. "I . . . I need to see Booth's x-rays, Angela. I . . ." Her hands were trembling.

Concerned, Angela moved closer to the table. "You think this is Booth? You think the Gravedigger dumped him on the boat before it was blown up? Oh my God." She felt sick. When the Gravedigger had kidnapped Booth, they'd tried their best to find him, but they didn't have enough clues. The call made by the Gravedigger to Brennan had been made at King's Beach Boardwalk and Thomas Vega had lived in the area, but it turned out he had been in California when Booth was kidnapped and that had been a dead end. Vega's book about the Gravedigger had made it seem it was possible he was the Gravedigger, but since he couldn't have kidnapped Booth that had left them with no one to look at. No clues to point to where Booth was.

Brennan placed the bone back on the table and leaned on the edge of the table. "We never knew where the Gravedigger buried Booth . . . I don't think he buried Booth. I think he placed him on the ship . . . I . . . I failed him. I failed Booth."

"Nonsense, Honey." Angela moved closer to her friend and placed her hand on Brennan's shoulder. "We tried to find him, but we didn't know where to look. This isn't your fault. The Gravedigger did this. He's to blame. I just wish we could catch that guy. I'd kill him if I could get close enough to him. He's killed too many people."

Trying to remain calm, Brennan stared at the bones and knew this was her friend. "I don't work with the FBI anymore . . . They will have to find the Gravedigger without me." She felt light headed. Moving over to the chair next to the PC in the corner of the room, she sat down. "Booth . . . I'm so sorry, Booth. I'm so sorry. I . . . I'm sorry."

Ooooooooooo

She was talking quietly too quietly for him to understand what she was saying, but Booth found a bit of comfort in that. If Brennan was talking then she was probably waking up. At least he hoped so. When their suspect went berserk in the interview room, he'd lunged over the table and knocked Brennan over. Her head had hit the floor and she'd blacked out. Booth had grabbed Ben Kramer as he attacked Brennan and knocked him unconscious then called for help but Brennan had been out cold and so far she refused to wake up.

"Come on Booth. Dr. B is going to be okay." Aubrey had arrived at the hospital an hour after Brennan had been admitted and he'd stayed to keep Booth company while they waited for Brennan to wake up.

Booth prayed that was true. "It was my fault. I knew that Kramer was worked up, but I didn't think he'd lose it like that. He's a coward and . . . I screwed up."

His hand on Booth's shoulder, Aubrey shook his head. "Bullshit. Kramer is a coward. He killed helpless people in nursing homes. He killed defenseless people. It surprised the hell out of me when Kramer went after Brennan. You didn't do anything wrong. I think he went after her because he thought she was weak because she's a woman and he wanted revenge for being arrested . . .You knocked him out and got your partner help as fast as possible . . . stop blaming yourself. You know Brennan would hate that."

"Booth, stop blaming yourself. You really didn't do anything wrong." Brennan's eyes were open and she was staring at her husband. Her dream had seemed so real and she was relieved to find that Booth was still alive. Her mind had tried to trick her into thinking differently. "I hope you didn't kill the man. We still need him to go on trial for what he did."

Relieved, Booth leaned over and hugged his partner. "Thank God you're awake. You had me worried."

"I am awake, but I do have a headache." Brennan hugged Booth and smiled. "Kramer is alive, isn't he?"

"Yeah." Booth released his wife. "I didn't have time to beat the shit out of him. I needed to get you to the hospital."

Amused, Brennan smiled. "Good." Her smile now gone, she sighed. "How long was I unconscious?"

"About three hours." His hand touching her arm, Booth sighed. "Three very long hours."

"Well, I am awake now." Brennan touched his hand. "I had a very odd dream . . . I really hate the song, Twelve Days of Christmas. The lyrics are nonsense."

Surprised, Aubrey stared at Brennan. "You had a dream about a Christmas song?" He found that to be very strange. "I don't think I've ever had a dream about a song, let alone a Christmas one."

"Bones is unique." Booth smiled fondly at his wife. "It is weird to dream about a Christmas song though."

Shrugging her shoulders, Brennan decided not to mention the rest of her dream. Her husband was alive and she didn't want to dwell on a dream that was sad. "I am unique . . . My dream . . . I was so happy to see you on the boat, Booth. So happy and relieved."

Puzzled, Booth glanced at Aubrey then back at his wife. He didn't know what she was talking about, but whatever it was, it seemed to make her sad. "Yeah, me too . . . It was just a dream, Bones."

"Yes . . . I prefer reality."

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Recovered enough to be released from the hospital, Brennan entered their house with Booth following her in to the living room. "Angela says she can take care of Christine and Hank for a couple of days while you recover. She said Michael Vincent wanted to have a sleepover anyway. I told her it's okay."

Standing in front of the Christmas tree, Brennan admired the decorations and the way Booth had made sure his theme made sense. He had a collection of Coca Cola Polar Bears that he had inherited from his grandfather that Christine loved and a set of small colorful teddy bears hanging from the branches for Hank. She didn't believe in God and before she met Booth she never celebrated Christmas. Her parents had deserted her just before her fifteenth Christmas and she had hated the holiday from that day foreword. Booth had shown her the fun side of the holiday and her children were just as enthusiastic as her husband was when it came to Christmas. "Thank you, Booth."

"For what?" Booth moved across the room and stood next to his partner and wife.

"For including me into your celebration of Christmas when we became partners . . . The first year we celebrated Christmas was bizarre since we were trapped at the Lab. We spent most of the time solving an old crime but the Christmases afterward were more traditional . . . our first Christmas as a couple was nice. You didn't try to make me celebrate with you but you included me in your celebration plans giving me the option to bow out of most of your plans if I wanted to . . . I know you love Christmas and I love your enthusiasm for the holiday. It can be infectious."

Booth placed his arm around her shoulders. "I know why you used to hate Christmas, but the past is the past and you shouldn't let it control you and your happiness . . . I wanted you to celebrate the parts of the holiday with me that made sense to you . . . thanks for helping me when I needed it. Those years that Rebecca kept Parker away from me during Christmas was tough. Parker is older now and he can choose what he wants to do for Christmas . . . Anyway, you made those Christmases fun or at least bearable." He laughed and pointed at the tree containing his polar bears and teddy bears. "Bearable . . . get it? Pretty good pun, right?"

"Yes, it is a very good pun." Brennan turned and kissed her husband. "I would have hated Christmas more if you hadn't been in my life."

"Well, you're stuck with me, Bones." Booth returned her kiss. "I'm not going anywhere."

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Thank you for reading my story. Let me know what you think of it. I hope you have a wonderful holiday.