Title: That Old Yuletide Magic
Author: Damara
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: The characters herein are NOT mine. I just wanted to bring them out to play for a little while…They belong to the FOX network and the creators of Bones, and I promise to return them when I'm done with them…
Summary: BB, Set Post-"The Man in the Fallout Shelter"—After spending a bizarre and surprisingly momentous Christmas Eve together, will Booth and Brennan finally acknowledge their growing affections for one another? Or will Parker do it for them?
Authors Notes: Just a little note to let you all know that I've reworked the ending of the episode a bit here at the beginning. This is intended as a continuation piece so the opening dialogue is borrowed from the episode (though the inserted explanation/reflections are mine).
Sitting at the bar beside her FBI partner Seeley Booth, Dr. Temperance Brennan had to concede that while a mere 48 hours earlier the thought of spending yet another holiday rejoicing in her comfortable solitude was preferable; she was ready to admit that even she was succumbing to the Christmas spirit.
True she still harbored a deeply seeded fear for all that the family-oriented holiday implied, but sitting here with Booth, ensconced in the familiar glow of the lighting of Wong Fu's, Temperance felt reassured that she wouldn't be doomed to dread the holiday season indefinitely. Certainly not with friends like Angela and Booth who were forever determined to make her feel the magic of Christmas, she remembered with a smile.
"Christmas spirits, well they come in many a guise," Sid announced. With a simple "cheers" Booth began the primitive toasting tradition, and before long Sid had left them to attend to his other guests.
"Ivy Gillespie came to the lab after you left with her granddaughter," she proudly informed Booth, watching as he settled in his stool, a knowing smile on his lips. "Don't you want to know what happened?"
"I know what happened," he told her with careful confidence. "You told her about Careful Lionel." As he stole quick glances at her throughout, he continued his explanation. "You showed her the letters…the tickets…she cried." Looking back over at her affectionately he told her, "But you made her happy."
"Not to mention I gave her a penny worth over a hundred thousand dollars," she reminded him with a small smile.
"She won't care about that today." His strong even voice held such certainty of that fact, and she was amiss to wonder how he did that. How he intuitively knew so well what she could only hope to discern about a person's inner thoughts and feelings. "You just gave somebody the best Christmas gift they could ever get." Their eyes met as she watched him lean closer into her and nudge her suggestively, "Who's the Secret Santa now?"
"Stop," she protested only half-heartedly as they both shared a laugh.
Apparently the noise their humor elicited also garnered attention elsewhere as they were drawn to the sudden movement of the robot her assistant Zach had gifted to him. Booth and Brennan watched in amazement as the impressive creation leant over and commenced a series of push-ups on the countertop beside them.
"Whoa…ha!"
She couldn't contain the giggle that bubbled out of her.
Temperance watched then as Booth struck a comical, yet endearing superhero pose and acknowledged thoughtfully, "And that weirdo assistant of yours just made me the coolest dad in the world."
"Daddy!" Their reverie was interrupted as the voice of Booth's overly-excited young son rang between them; she watched in amazement how the boy's sudden arrival instantly transformed her partner.
"Come on, hey!" She heard him say.
"Daddy!" The boy ran eagerly into Booth's arms.
Moving quickly off of his stool, Booth bent down and swept his son up in his embrace and kissed him excitedly; Temperance looked on fondly as they exchanged hellos.
"Hey look…look at this thing," Booth told the boy.
"Can it flip?"
"How cool! It can flip, trip, swim, whatever ya want!" he promised easily with his son cradled tightly in his arms.
Suddenly the thought occurred to Temperance that fatherhood had never been a role she'd pictured Booth comfortable in before now. She wasn't sure why that was. But seeing him with his little boy now made her feel honored to be invited here with them. She'd known that this afternoon would be Booth's only opportunity to spend quality-time with his son on Christmas, and yet he'd invited her here to be among them. She wasn't sure the reasoning for it, though she felt a very certain sense of delight at the thought…and yet she still feared that she might be imposing on a very private moment.
That was, until Booth turned his attentions back to her and smiled. Before she knew it she was looking on as Booth instructed the boy to wish her a Merry Christmas.
"Merry Christmas…" the little boy told her with a smile. And smiling back easily she waved, a strangely private communication of their own passing between them. He really was a sweet little boy she thought as he excitedly waved back at her; Booth grinned as he turned them around and walked a few steps away, his son nestled securely in his arms.
"Daddy…" the child whispered into his father's ear, "who's that lady?"
Turning them back around to face the bar, Booth smiled tenderly as Bones, oblivious to their prying eyes, took another sip of her eggnog. "She's a friend of daddy's from work," he answered honestly.
"She's pretty," the boy observed.
Smiling at his son, Booth spied Bones again at the bar, "Yes…she is isn't she?"
"Daddy…" Booth was drawn away from his stare on Bones by a strong tug on his jacket. "Daddy…" he heard his son repeat, indicating that he wanted to whisper a secret to him. As he leant over to give his son his fullest attention, Booth listened when he told him that he wanted to go talk to the pretty lady.
Slightly taken aback by his son's request, Booth asked him, "You sure about this little man?"
Eagerly the boy nodded, "Yep!"
Stealing one last quick glance at Bones, Booth turned his attentions once again to the boy in his arms, "Well it's okay with me…if you're sure?"
"Yay!" The boy announced gleefully as his dad set him back down on the ground with a smile. Standing upright Booth watched Bones with interest as his son approached her; the child's approach seemingly went unnoticed by her as she moved to pick up her purse and left a few dollars on the counter for a tip. As she stood up however and prepared her exit she suddenly felt a sharp tug on her pant leg.
Looking down in surprise, she smiled at Booth's son, whose height barely managed to her mid-thigh. Brown eyes peered up at her as she greeted him, "Hey." She squatted down making their heights equal, "I didn't see you there…"
Booth watched approvingly as his son nodded at her and told her easily, "I want you to come too!" From his distance, Booth marveled at the boldness of his son's request…how is it always so easy for children to say what they're thinking?
"I'm sorry…I don't think I understand…," she was clearly perplexed as she looked over at Booth. He offered her a warm smile in response. As she brought her attention back to the boy in front of her she asked him, "You want me to come with you?"
"Yeah."
"Well…I…I uh…"
"Please…" his tiny voice nearly pleaded with her, and suddenly she wasn't sure she'd be able to find it in her heart to refuse him.
"I suppose I could come with you. That is, if it's okay with your Dad?" She addressed Booth indirectly and watched as he gestured her over with a nod.
Smiling warmly first at Booth and then at his son she told them, "Well then…I guess that's settled."
"Yay!" Temperance couldn't contain the laugh that bubbled out of her at the sight of the boy's exuberance, and neither apparently could Booth.
"What's your name?" he asked without any hesitance.
"I'm Temperance. But that's kind of a mouthful so I'll tell you what…because I like you so much, you can call me Tempe."
"Cool! Hey daddy, did you hear that?"
Booth grinned his satisfaction at their obvious connection, "I sure did pal." Walking over to them both Booth attempted his best sulk, "And how come he can call you Tempe?"
Temperance smiled through her slight awkwardness, "Because…I said so!"
Poking the little tike in the tummy with her finger she elicited an adorable giggle from the satisfied little guy. "Besides…" she looked back up at Booth teasingly, "you seem to be fixated on a certain other nickname for me."
As he tilted his head in agreement Booth told her affectionately, "Okay that's fair enough I suppose. I'll concede…with one stipulation of course, that no one else can call you Bones."
Booth's son looked on their exchange expectantly from his position on the floor.
"Well, I doubt if anyone other than you would ever be so daring," she answered softly, all the while becoming increasingly aware of the tension growing between them. The moment didn't linger for too long however, as Booth's son naturally found a way to draw their attentions away from one another and back onto himself.
"Tempe..."
"Yes…," she started to answer when suddenly she realized in embarrassment that she didn't know his name. "Hey! You know my name, but I don't know yours!"
"I'm Parker," he grinned happily.
"Well Parker, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Okay you two," Booth broke in, "now that we've all been formally introduced, what do you say we head over to that table over there and settle in for the long-haul?"
Directing her gaze to the table Booth was pointing at, Temperance nodded to Parker who took her hand without any reservation. Then just as Booth walked away in that direction, she moved to stand up from her position on the floor when Parker leant in to tell her a secret.
"My daddy thinks you're pretty." Pulling away from a shocked Tempe, Parker smiled at her as she stole a long glance back over at Booth. She watched him in keen interest as he moved to collect a third chair for their table before she whispered back to Parker.
"Really? Your daddy said that to you?"
His answer was an excited nod. Then pulling her hand he eagerly directed her over toward their table, where Booth sat expectantly waiting for them.