Chapter 11: Second Christmas

"I have a surprise for you." Temperance Brennan said with a sweet smile as she waited at the door of Seeley Booth's hospital room. They had kept him several days and he was finally well enough to be released. Seeley couldn't be happier about that; he had been going stir crazy waiting for them to let him go. It had been only 5 days that he'd been forced to stay there while they monitored him, but if felt like 5 days too many for Seeley.

His ribs still burned in his chest from the cracking that they had received, and his arm was now in a very large and chunky cast, that hung in a sling at his side. He was on paid leave until the cast came off in three months. At the present, the thought of having several months with Temperance without work to get in the way… it made him very, very happy.

He slid off the bed and gritted his teeth a bit as his body growled its resistance to him moving so much. He'd cracked his ribs before so he was used to it, but it still hurt like a bitch. He silently thanked his doctors for the pain meds they had given him. He moved across the room and stood next to the wheelchair that she had brought for him. He looked at it and then her, "You are not going to make me.."

"The doctor said." Temperance said gave him a look that told him not to mess with her. He gave a begrudging look and sat. Temperance stepped behind it and began to wheel him to the exit. Eventually Seeley tilted his head backward and looked up at her while she pushed him down the hallway.

"Come on Bones…My arm is broken not my legs."

"Doctor's orders." She said and a wicked grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. Seeley reached out and stopped the one wheel with his good hand. Temperance looked down at him and he could really see her trying to hide the smile now.

"Which doctor?" He questioned and she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Me." She burst out laughing, Seeley growled and jumped from the chair. Temperance was giggling and holding her sides, leaning up against the wall. Seeley stepped around the chair and pulled Temperance close against him, ceasing her giggling, though her eyes still shone brightly as if she would burst out laughing at any moment.

"Very funny, very funny Temperance." She smiled brightly even though his voice dripped with sarcasm. As if to make his point about how unfunny the joke was he pushed her gently backwards, up against the wall of the hallway. She still smiled brightly at him and he pressed against her, giving her a cocky smile as he did so. She slipped her arms around his neck, brushing his cheeks with her finger tips as she did so.

"We are going to be late for your surprise." She said in a soft voice as he bent his head to hers. He hovered his mouth inches from hers and teased her like that.

"Oh?" He moved his head a fraction closer. She could feel his breath across her lips and instinctively her head tilted back, making it easier to kiss him. Seeley moved his head away to keep the distance equal, just enough so that they were almost but not touching. His smile grew wider and his hand slipped from her waist and caught her hand. He moved away from the wall, tugging Temperance who fell into step beside him. They left the hospital hand in hand.

---!!!---

"Seriously Bones, what's the surprise?" Booth said as they stepped out of the elevator to his floor. He secretly hoped it was going to be Temperance naked in a bed with nothing to do for several days, but he wasn't trying to get his hopes up. They moved his door and he stood next to her, leaning slightly on the wall, as she turned the key in the lock.

"I can't tell you what it is but you have to close your eyes." Seeley raised his eyebrows. Maybe Temperance was going to really give him something dirty. He looked at her quizzically for a second and then closed his eyes. He heard the door open and then Temperance's voice. "Wait here, and don't peek."

Temperance slipped into the apartment and greeted Rebecca and Parker warmly but silently. She whispered that Booth was waiting outside the door and Rebecca nodded. She hugged her son and the slipped out of the door and down the hallway quietly. Temperance followed Rebecca into the hallway and once she was out of sight, Temperance steered Seeley into the doorway.

"Open your eyes." She whispered and Seeley complied. The Christmas tree they had decorated was almost dead, but the ornaments and the lights shone brightly on it. There were gifts around the bottom of the tree, a train puttering around happily by them. There was Christmas music just starting up from his stereo, and above everything else; Parker was standing there smiling warmly at his father.

"Daddy!" Parker cheered and Seeley stepped into the apartment to hug his son. He looked around, taking everything in, and smiled at Temperance.

She kissed him on the cheek and whispered warmly, "Merry Christmas Seeley."

---!!!---

"Thanks again Rebecca." Temperance said as Rebecca and Parker left later that evening. Rebecca smiled her reply and they disappeared into the elevator. Seeley pushed the door shut and turned to Temperance. He smiled warmly at her.

"That was the best surprise."

"Really?" He nodded his reply and they began gravitating towards each other. "I remembered you saying last year that you and Parker would have your own Christmas when he was supposed to go to Vermont…Since you were in the hospital on Christmas day I though.."

"It was a great surprise Bones." He slipped his good hand past her cheek and through her soft hair. She pressed her hands into his shirt, moving them upward to grip at the collar of his button down shirt. She gazed at him warmly and he lowered his lips to hers.

He tilted his heads and their lips slid across each other in a fluid sensual motion. She tightened her grip on his shirt, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened and their tongues mingled in the shared space. She pulled his lip into her mouth and they broke the kiss moments later to embrace in a hug. Her arms slipped from his collar under his arms to his back, while Seeley moved his arms behind her shoulders. They swayed for a time to the music that was playing, enjoying the comfort the other person brought.

"Booth?" She said hesitantly after a time, he responded with a soft noise, not breaking the embrace.

"Mmm?"

"I love you. I'm in love with you. I've never felt like this for anyone before." She didn't move, they remained swaying to the music as Temperance found a way to express her feelings. "But I'm not going to be the kind of girl I expect you to want."

"What do you mean?" Seeley asked quietly, running his good hand through her hair.

"I'm not the kind to say home. I don't want kids.. I don't believe in marriage. I love my job, I love working with you to solve cases. I don't want to give that up. I still love you, more then everything else… but I I don't want you to think that I'm going to just change.."

"No one's asking you too Bones." He said quietly and she lifted her head to look at him. He chucked a smile, "I don't love you because I want you to fit into a role Temperance."

"I just.. you believe in marriage.."

"I love you because of who you are. I love you because you are irritating. Because you can look at a pile of bones and tell me something I don't know. Because you never back down. Because you don't get all my crappy pop culture references. Because you look so cute the one time you do."

She smiled happily at him and began tugging him backwards towards the bedroom while he continued, "I don't want to have anyone other than you as my partner. Even when you shoot me."

"Sorry." She said and continued to steer him towards the bedroom. He tilted his head and kissed her deeply as the crossed into the bedroom.

"We are going to have a TV when we live together though Bones…"

----------------------------------------------!!!!!!!!!!!----------------------------------------------

That's the end. I hope that everyone enjoyed reading it. I plan on writing more stories, sometime soon. More Bones no doubt. I am having fun with them as characters. Thank you for all the reviews and the encouragement to continue the story. Sorry to keep you all hanging when if Booth would live or not.

-Allison "McKenzie" Lins