DISCLAIMER: Not mine, not making money off them, give me a break. :)
SPOILERS: set during season 1, "The Man in the Fallout Shelter".
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Christmas Wishathon-fic for revolos55.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Christmas Presents
By rach
"Ange?"
"Yeah Brennan?"
Even whispers sounded un-naturally loud in the nearly deserted Jeffersonion Institute. The constant hum of people and machinery was absent. Only those few people who'd been present when the BioHazard quarantine remained. A seriously high Special Agent Booth had been shepherded away by Dr Goodman after describing for the tenth time the amazing firework show that only he could see. Zac and Hodgins had kipped down in a near empty lab, leaving Angela and Tempe to camp out on the floor of Tempe's office. The lack of privacy afforded by glass walls wasn't really an issue since none of them had pyjamas to change into anyway.
"I'm sorry you got stuck here on Christmas Eve," Brennan lay on her back looking up at the ceiling.
"It's not like it's your fault honey," Ange smiled and looked over at her friend. "Besides, how is it any worse for me than you. We're all stuck here."
"But it is different," Brennan protested. "Christmas means something to you. There you were, all set to party the night away, but because you came back to try convincing me to celebrate you got stuck here in the lab."
"Tempe," Angela reached out for her friend's hand. "If you blame yourself for this I may never forgive you."
There was silence for a minute, both women lying with their eyes open, enjoying the darkness.
"Ange?"
"Yeah honey?"
"If you weren't stuck here on Christmas Eve, where would you be?"
"Well," Angela didn't even need to think about this. "You remember how I was trying to get you out to this great new club in East Washington? Well I would have been at the club, wearing my elf outfit, dancing my heart out and seeing if there were any likely presents from Santa?"
"Presents from Santa?"
"You know, someone pretty to wake up to on Christmas morning."
"Oh, right," Brennan sounded slightly put off.
"Don't sound so surprised honey, you know me!" Ange protested.
"It wasn't that," Tempe replied. "I know that all humans have physiological needs, and there shouldn't be any issue with individuals meeting those needs. I certainly try to meet mine whenever needed."
"So why did you sound kind of weird about it?"
"Just feeling guilty that you are missing out on that," Brennan answered. "Don't tell me it's not my fault, I can still feel guilty."
"Well you don't need to feel guilty, I'm a modern woman and I'm perfectly capable of doing without."
The silence drew out between the two women, then was broken by a chuckle.
"You don't have to do without it you know."
"Temperance," Angela sounded shocked. "What are you suggesting?"
"Well." there was sufficient light for Angela to see her friend turn towards her. "We're good friends, and we're both modern women. There's no shame in taking care of certain things ourselves."
"Taking care of things ourselves?"
"Or even for each other."
"I am shocked!" Angela exclaimed. "I always thought you were so straight." The silence drew out for what seemed like hours before Angela continued.
"I would never have expected you."
"Homosexual activity is a completely natural phenomena," Brennan began to explain. "It's common in many societies and seen in more isolated examples in almost every society studied. The modern prevalence of same-sex unions has been taken by some people to be an indication of a collapse or modern mores, however in a society characterised by over population and crowding beyond what is normal."
"So," Angela asked cheekily. "Have you ever?"
"Well, I haven't." Brennan hesitated, "But I've thought about it."
"Hmm, I have." Angela sounded smug.
"You have? Thought about it, or."
"Or." Angela drew the word out, allowing Tempe to reach the obvious conclusion. "So, honey, are you offering yourself to me to take care of my Christmas 'needs'?"
Angela had leaned in towards her friend, and Tempe hesitated only briefly before leaning in to kiss her friend gently on the lips.
"We all have needs," Tempe whispered, then further speech was made impossible by the soft lips which were kissing hers in an increasingly aggressive manner. After that the silence of the Jeffersonian was broken only by the soft rustling of sleeping bags, quiet murmurs and the catching of breath.
Shortly before dawn Ange woke briefly and smiled at the sight of Tempe using her shoulder as a pillow while one hand gently cupped her breast. She kissed her friend on the forehead, then snuggled back in to sleep.
"And you said you wouldn't be giving Christmas presents."
The End