A/N: So…I'm writing Booth and Bones a little story for the new year. Also, the Brennan-Angela interactions are a bit less characteristic than I might have liked, but I don't think they are so out of character as to be completely unbelievable. As always, I take good reviews and fold them up into little bite-sized review-sandwiches and live off of them. Flames used to toast review-sandwiches.
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Contrary to expectations, Temperance Brennan enjoyed New Year's Eve.
Oh, not the parties. She hated being thrust into an unknown situation fueled by alcohol and irrational decisions. But she appreciated the symbolism of the event. New beginnings, new adventures, new experiences.
And the moment in which one year switched to the next? Temperance couldn't explain it, but there was a sense of wonderment and magic. A sense of time standing still and a subconscious knowledge of all the unacknowledged possibilities that came with a new year.
Unfortunately for Temperance, she'd let slip to Angela that she might not entirely hate New Year's Eve. Angela had been bugging her to come to the New Year's Eve party that she and Jack were hosting. "C'mon Temperance." Angela badgered. "I can't be responsible for letting my best friend sit home and watch Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve when she could be at an amazing party hosted by two amazing people."
"Angela, you know I don't like parties." Temperance shuffled a few lab reports on her desk. It was always easier to resist Angela's admittedly loving attempts to make sure that Temperance didn't turn into a complete hermit if she wasn't looking at Angela.
"Tempe, no one at the party will be sober enough to notice that you don't have any social skills. Sweetie, I know that you can live without sex. And I know that you think you can live without love beyond your family and me and the guys, but you need more than that. What will you do when you can't work? Who will keep you warm when that's gone? And don't say that you'll work until you die because that's immaterial."
"That's the very foundation of your argument." Temperance retorted, opening her email.
Angela gave a frustrated sigh. "I give up, Brennan. I'm just trying to look out for you and you're rejecting me the same way you reject Booth. I really, really hope you'll be at the party. And honestly give it a chance. Because you might meet someone worth your time. But I can't make you do anything."
Temperance was almost a little stunned as Angela scribbled down the information and left. It wasn't like Angela to just give up. Normally she could wear Tempe down within ten or fifteen minutes, so why wasn't she pestering her as usual?
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Angela's words curiously stuck with her as she drove home, ate dinner, and got ready for bed. Who will keep you warm when that's gone?... I give up, Brennan. I'm just trying to look out for you. The defeat in Angela's voice was unexpected and, if Brennan allowed herself to be totally honest for a moment, disconcerting. Subconsciously, she had always expected that Angela would chalk Brennan's behavior up as being a part of their "thing." Brennan resisted, Angela insisted, and though Brennan might pretend to dislike Angela's machinations, in the end, she always appreciated the effort.
Brennan grabbed her phone, ignoring the fact that it was a good half hour after Angela probably had gone to bed.
"Bren?" Angela's voice was rough with sleep.
"I'll come." Temperance said quietly. "To the party, I mean. I'll come and I'll give it an honest chance and I'll try."
Angela was suddenly much more awake. "Good. I'm glad."
"Okay."
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According to Angela, and honest chance meant putting on a distinctly not-office-appropriate outfit.
After several hours of shopping, Temperance had returned home with a champagne-colored silk halter top that dipped disturbingly low in front and a pair of jeans that gripped so tight Temperance feared that she might have to be cut out of them.
"Sweetie, you look hot. Booth is gonna flip when he sees you."
"Angela, I'm not going to this party just to satisfy your disturbing desire to see me have sex with Booth." Temperance folded her arms.
"Did I say anything about you and Booth having sex? No."
"You strongly implied it." Brennan retorted.
"All I said that Booth was going to flip out when he saw you. Do you remember the last time you got all dressed up in front of him? Or that time when the Jeffersonian had that huge party? Booth is always surprised when you're out of your lab clothes."
Temperance rolled her eyes. "I'll see you next week, Ange."
"See you next week." Brennan could practically hear Angela smirking as she hung up the phone.
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Temperance had been to Hodgins' mansion a few times before, though she'd never really wandered outside of the foyer. But he'd decorated the entire thing for Christmas and New Year's Eve. The mansion was edged in a simple string of white lights; just enough for a festive look, but not enough to be tacky. Temperance knocked on the front door a few hours before the party started. Angela had requested Brennan's help in setting everything up and it had seemed rude for Brennan to refuse.
"Oh, in case you don't want to drive home after the party, I made up a guest bedroom for you. It's just up the stairs and to the right." Angela informed Temperance. "Booth is definitely staying over. Apparently he doesn't want to have to drive home at three in the morning, especially if he's had anything to drink, so I put him in the guest bedroom next to yours."
"Angela…" Temperance narrowed her eyes.
"Sweetie, Just because Booth is in the guest bedroom next to the one you may or may not be sleeping in isn't part of my evil, meddlesome plan to get the two of you together." Angela rolled her eyes. "However," a small smirk played over her face. "You two are the only ones in the guest rooms tonight, and Hodgins and I are on the other side of the house, so no one will hear anything that goes on."
Temperance ignored that piece of information. "So, you said you needed help setting up?"
"Yes. Jack is setting up the bar, so why don't we decorate the ballroom?"
"Ballroom?" Temperance raised an eyebrow.
"Yep. Ballroom. It's a little weird to be living in a house with a ballroom, but it is a great room for a party." Angela made a quick stop by the kitchen and grabbed the party decorations. There were silver sparkly sunglasses that spelled out "2008," with the two zeroes as the lenses for the glasses; gold top hats with the words "Happy New Year" scripted on them, various noisemakers, "Happy New Year!" banners, and plastic champagne glasses with "2008" written in curlicue script at the base of the glasses. "I'm so glad you decided to come." Angela said to Temperance as they stood on chairs to affix one of the banners over the door.
"As long as Caroline Julian won't be standing with any mistletoe near Booth and me, it doesn't seem like a particularly awful way to spend New Year's Eve."
"Mistletoe is a Christmas thing." Angela seemed a little confused. "Anyway, Hodgins has this totally killer sound system that he and Booth brought in this morning. According to Booth, this thing is going to make our neighbors down the street cry."
"Is that a good thing?" Temperance frowned.
"As far as they're concerned, apparently it is." Angela arranged the party favors on a table near the DJ station. "Are you going to be wearing the sunglasses or that hat tonight?" Angela held up Temperance's options.
"Neither."
"You're going to be wearing one or the other by the end of the evening." Angela threatened. They worked methodically until the room was set up with decorations and party favors.
"Hey, Bren, before the party starts…" Angela zipped up her dress. "This is New Year's Eve. Live a little dangerously. You can always blame it on shots and champagne later, if you have to."
"I don't plan on doing anything I need to blame on excessive alcohol." Temperance said.
"Fine. But do me a favor." Angela was staring at Temperance in that odd way – a combination of sisterly love and motherly concern.
"Maybe."
"You're supposed to say yes."
"I'll wait until I hear the favor to say yes." Temperance retorted.
"Find someone to kiss at midnight. I know it seems silly, but being alone at the stroke of midnight is no way to start a year. So even if it's just kissing Zack on the cheek, be with someone at midnight."
Temperance couldn't believe this was Angela. The Angela she knew was full of light and hope, not this worried-seeming nanny figure. "Okay." She promised, just hoping to get the normal Angela back. "I'll find someone to be with at midnight."
"Good." Angela took a deep breath. "Now, let's party!"
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Temperance was shocked to find herself having a good time as the evening went on. She'd danced with Zack once, learning that while he certainly wouldn't be competing for any professional titles soon, he was a decent dancer. She'd danced with a couple of random guys, even one dance with Hodgins and one with Angela. It wasn't until around eleven thirty, while she was hiding in the kitchen, that she saw Booth.
"Hey." Booth grabbed a bottle of scotch from the kitchen table and sat down next to Temperance at the kitchen's island.
"Hi." She smiled. "Where have you been?"
"With Parker. And then I had another friend's party to stop by."
"Oh."
Booth poured a glass of scotch for himself. "You want?"
"No, thank you." Temperance shook her head.
"You look beautiful tonight." Booth commented, taking a sip of his drink.
"You look very nice too." It was true. Booth had opted for a happy middle ground of his FBI suited look and his weekend blasted jeans and rock band t-shirt look. He wore dressy pants and a light blue shirt that was rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms.
"So, you look like you've been having a good time tonight."
"Surprisingly, I have been. Angela knows how to throw a good party."
"I saw you dancing with Zack." Booth took another sip of his drink.
"He's not a bad dancer." Temperance shrugged.
"I didn't know you danced."
"It's not that hard." Temperance seemed to have changed her mind about the scotch, reaching for a glass and pouring herself a small taste.
"I know, but it just doesn't seem like something you would do."
"Why not?"
"Because…it just doesn't." Booth finished lamely.
"Well, I do dance."
"I gathered." Booth finished off his drink. "Dance with me."
"No."
"Why not?" Booth narrowed his eyes. "You danced with Zack and those other guys."
"They asked me. Politely, I might add."
Booth rolled his eyes. "Bones, would you please dance with me?" Booth took her hand and led her back to the ballroom. "So, how much did Angela have to beg or threaten you to get you to come tonight?" He wrapped an arm around Temperance's waist and clasped her hand in his.
"Not much."
"Really?"
"Really." Temperance half-frowned at Booth. "With the emotional significance that society places on New Year's Eve it's not surprising that I would want to spend it with my friends."
"Good. I'm glad we're ringing in the new year together."
"I agree. It's – hey, isn't that Dr. Sweets?"
Booth followed Temperance's glance. "Yup. Isn't it past his bedtime?"
"Booth…" Temperance lightly scolded him.
"Okay, okay. So, what have you resolved for this year?"
"I don't make New Year's resolutions. If I'm going to do something, I do it when I decide I'll do it, not when there's a convenient marker to say I'll start it."
"Well, I resolved something."
Sensing that he wanted her to ask, Brennan bit. "What did you resolve?"
"I'll tell you later." Booth grinned.
They danced a few minutes longer until the waiters started passing around glasses of champagne.
"So how come you didn't stay at your other friend's party for midnight?" Temperance asked.
"I wanted to spend it with you."
Temperance gave Booth a funny glace but was distracted by Angela trying to get the attention of the party.
"Thank you, everybody, for coming. We're glad you're here."
"One minute." Jack muttered to her.
"We're just one minute away from midnight." Angela announced the marker. "Thirty seconds…twenty seconds…ten seconds." The crowd started counting down to midnight.
"…Seven…six…five…four…three…two…one…happy new year!" Amidst strains of Auld Lang Syne, Booth wrapped his free arm around Temperance's waist, and gently lowered his lips to hers. If the Christmas kiss had been nice, this kiss was several thousand degrees beyond that. It was hot and intense and sweet all at the same time. Though Booth's mouth was gentle on Brennan's lips, there was no denying the clear possession or the – if Brennan was being one hundred percent honest with herself – love present in the kiss. Reluctantly, they parted.
"Happy new year, Bones." Booth murmured, taking a sip of his champagne.
"Happy new year Booth." Temperance was surprised and surprisingly delighted that Booth's arm remained around her waist, keeping her body neatly tucked against his. They set their empty champagne glasses on the tray of a nearby waiter.
The deejay had selected a slow song for the first dance of the new year. Booth pulled Temperance close and leaned down so that his lips were just barely grazing her ear. "So, about that resolution." His breath caressed her skin, making her shiver.
"What did you resolve?" She asked.
"That in 2008, I was going to kiss you."
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A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the story! Remember that I love reviews! I love them a lot. And I hope that you and your family and friends all have a wonderful new year. See you in 2008!