A Coulson Family Christmas, an agents of s.h.i.e.l.d. fanfic

A Coulson Family Christmas

Disclaimer:
As always, I own nothing. … Except Addanaya Coulson, Aiden Ward, Aria Fitz, and Liam Anderson.

Rating:
K

Genre:
Romance/Family

Pairings:
Coulsye
Grantny (Grant Ward/Brittany Linton)
Fitzsimmons

Lyrics Used:
Céline Dion "These Are the Special Times"
Brad Paisley "Penguin, James Penguin" (as "performed" by Phil Coulson)
Kelly Clarkson "Winter Dreams (Brandon's Song)" (as "performed" by Jemma Fitz)
Colbie Callait feat Brad Paisley "Merry Christmas, Baby" (as "performed" by Leo & Jemma Fitz)
NewSong "The Christmas Shoes" (as "performed" by Brittany & Grant Ward")
Glee Cast "The Little Drummer Boy" (as "performed" by Leo Fitz)
Taylor Swift "Christmas Must Be Something More" (as "performed" by Skye Coulson)
Bill Engvall "Here's Your Sign Christmas" (as "performed" by Phil & Skye Coulson)
Enya "White Is In the Winter Night" (as "performed" by Brittany Ward)
Blake Shelton feat Michael Bublé "Home" (as "performed" by Grant Ward)
Brad Paisley & the Kung Pao Buckaroos "Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday" (as "performed" by Auggie Anderson, Phil Coulson, Leo Fitz, Grant Ward, and Annie Anderson)

Author's Note:
Okay, this thing got WAYthe hell out of control! I seriously never intended this thing to be so long! I apologize. That said, I want to say that this fits in with my story "Sometimes, It's Easier To Lie". It's set about 5-6 years in the future. Not really a sequel but...yeah...Anyway, this idea just came to me the other day when I was on my way to work and "Penguin, James Penguin" came on and I thought it would be the ULTIMATE song for Coulson to sing to his daughter. So...enjoy my little bout of craziness! lol

It was Christmas Eve and Phil Coulson had just arrived at his sister and brother-in-law's house with his wife and five-year-old daughter. He had also brought the rest of the team and their families with him; Agent Grant Ward and his wife, Brittany with their son, Aiden and Agent Leo Fitz with his wife, Jemma, and their daughter, Aria. It had been far too long since he'd seen his sister and brother-in-law as well as their son, Liam. The gifts had all been arranged under the tree and they had just finished their dinner.

"So, who's up for some Christmas carols?" Annie offered, invitingly, grinning to herself at the overwhelming positive reaction from both adults and children alike. "Aaaand...How about we make things a little more interesting?" She added, a sly smirk on her face.

"What'd you have in mind, Annie?" Auggie asked, curiously.

Turning to face her husband, Annie replied "Well, earlier this afternoon, I threw everyone's name into a hat-well, the adults, that is." She began, pulling an old ballcap out of the linen closet before returning to the group settled in around the fire. "And, I see we all have plenty of gifts under the tree. So, I was thinking...I'll draw names out the hat and that person will have to perform any carol of their choosing in exchange for opening one gift early." Annie proposed.

"Oh, that's a splendid idea!" Jemma squealed, clasping her hands together.

"Sure, sounds like fun." Grant replied, grinning slightly.

"Okay, then..." Annie began, covering the top of the hat with her hand so as to prevent any slips from falling out when she shook the cap to shuffle slips. "Now, I think we can all agree that the fairest way to do this would be to have Auggie draw the name."

"Seriously?" Auggie asked, feigning indignation, though, grin on his face gave him away. "It's 'cause I'm blind, isn't it?"

"Well..." Skye began, unable to resist the opportunity for a blind joke of her own. "At least we know we won't have to worry about you peeking..."

"Very funny, Skye." Auggie teased, throwing a mock glare in the hacker's direction.

"Okay, okay, everyone, settle down." Annie replied. "Auggie, here you go..." She added, brushing the cap against the back of her husband's hand, thus allowing him to find it on his own. "Go ahead and draw the first name."

Covering his eyes in a non-verbal blind joke, Auggie couldn't stop grinning wildly at the round of chuckles he gained from the rest of the group as he rummaged his hand through the slips of paper in the cap. Finally pulling one out, he held it up. "There ya go...First victim..."

"Okay...First up is..." Annie began, taking the paper from her husband. "Phil Coulson!" She declared, grinning at her brother, passing him her guitar. "You're up, Phil."

"Daddy..." Addanaya Coulson spoke up, tugging at her father's sleeve from her place on her mother's lap.

After positioning the guitar on his lap, Phil turned to smile at his daughter. "What is it, sweetheart?" He asked, gently.

"Will you do the song you wrote for me?" The five-year-old begged with big blue eyes.

"You wrote one for Addie?" Grant asked, curiously.

"Oh yeah..." Skye chimed in, resettling her daughter in her lap. "Phil wrote a special Christmas song just for little Addie, here..."

"Oh, this, I gotta hear..." Annie teased, lightly, smiling at her brother. "Go ahead, Phil." She prodded, gently.

"Okay, okay..." Phil acquiesced, clearing his throat as he prepared to sing while his daughter squealed excitedly. "Here goes..." He added, as he began to strum the guitar strings.

"Well, the reindeer pull the sleigh
And, the elves make the toys
Those are the stories that are well known to all
Little girls and boys"

As Phil began to sing, Addanaya just grinned contentedly as her father sang the Christmas song he'd written just for her. Skye smiled, as well, as she briefly tightened her grip on her daughter while her husband continued to sing.

"But, I've got another story
That I bet you haven't heard
Did you know that Santa
Has a secret agent bird"

Annie couldn't resist a small chuckle as her son tugged on her sleeve to whisper in her ear. "Mommy, Santa has a spy just like you and daddy..." Liam Anderson whispered excitedly.

Grinning to herself, Annie Anderson just pulled her son onto her lap as she whispered back. "And just like your Uncle Phil and Aunt Skye."

Leaning over his wife's lap, Auggie chimed in with his two cents worth. "And Uncle Grant and Aunt Brittany...and pretty much all your aunts and uncles..."

"But, you remember the rule?" Annie asked, in a hushed voice.

Sighing lightly Liam whispered back. "Yes, mommy. The spy thing is our secret and I'm not supposed ta tell no one..."

"That's right." Annie replied, hugging her son tightly while placing a tender kiss on his cheek. "But, let's just have fun, tonight, shall we?" She asked, lightly.

Liam just nodded wildly as he curled into Annie's chest and continued to listen to his Uncle Phil's song.

"He's Penguin, James Penguin
That dapper little guy
Like a well-dressed duck
In a three-piece tux
He's Santa's secret spy"

At the end of the first chorus, all the children in the room chuckled and sniggered at the thought of a little penguin spying on all of them and wearing a tuxedo. Smiling to himself, Phil continued on.

"Now, have you ever wondered
How Santa Claus keeps tabs
How he knows when you've been good
How he knows when you've been bad"

Looking around the room, Phil couldn't resist laughing at all of the stunned looks of realization on all the faces of the children around him as he continued singing about Santa's super spy.

"Mummy..." Aria Fitz asked, tapping on her mother's shoulder. "Is James Penguin a spy like you and daddy?" She wondered, in a hushed tone.

Hugging her daughter close, Jemma simply whispered "Yes, sweetie, he is."

"Wow..." The young toddler whispered, amazed, as Phil repeated the chorus.

"He's Penguin, James Penguin
That dapper little guy
Like a well-dressed duck
In a three-piece tux
He's Santa's secret spy"

"Daddy..." Aiden whispered, tugging on his father's pant leg.

Easily hoisting his son on to his lap, Grant Ward asked "What is it, Aiden?"

"Santa has his very own spy just like you and mommy." Aiden whispered, excitedly.

Chuckling at his son's excitement, Grant replied "That's why it's so important for you to be a good little boy..." He reminded as his son nodded solemnly.

"From an undisclosed location
He's watchin' me and you
He's got satellite uplinks in his cufflinks
Yeah, he sees everything you do"

"Penguin must be on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s payroll to have those kinds of toys..." Skye joked, quietly with Jemma who snickered in response.

"He's Penguin, James Penguin
That dapper little guy
Like a well-dressed duck
In a three-piece tux
He's santa's secret spy"

All of the parents in the room cuddled and danced in their seats with their children as they listened to the song. "Only Coulson would come up with something like this..." Grant whispered to Leo who just smirked, knowingly.

"You see, not so very long ago
Santa didn't need much help
But, with more and more kids, every year
He soon got overwhelmed
He told the elves one Christmas
'We can't do this, anymore'
Then, a knight in shining polyester
Waddled through that door"

"Mummy, Santa wouldn't really cancel Christmas, would he?" Aria asked her mother, terrified of no more Christmas and no more Santa.

"Well, sweetheart..." Jemma began carefully. "Thanks to Mr. Penguin, we'll never have to worry about that, now will we?"

"Nuh-uh!" The small child in her arms quietly declared. "Mr. Penguin's a hero just like Uncle Phil. He always saves the day."

"That's right, Aria." Jemma agreed, proudly. "That, he does."

"And, it was Penguin, James Penguin
That dapper little guy
Like a well-dressed duck
In a three-piece tux
He's Santa's secret spy"

Phil, Skye, Auggie, Annie, Grant, Brittany, Leo and Jemma all watched with amused expressions as their children all got up and started dancing to Phil's song.

"And, Santa said 'Penguin
Won't you be my ears and eyes
How'd you like to help me run
My SCFBI"

The children all smiled and laughed as they all continued dancing to the music.

"He's Penguin, James Penguin
And, now, I guess you've heard
How Santa got his little Christmas
Secret Agent Bird"

As the song came to a close, Annie moved Liam over to Auggie's lap as she approached the tree. "All right, Phil...You've given us, quite possibly the most adorable and entertaining Christmas carol that I think any of us has ever heard. So, as your reward, you get to choose one gift to open early..." Annie smiled at her brother.

Looking over at his daughter, Phil knew he wanted Christmas to be all about her. "Actually...If it's all right with you, Annie...I'd like to pass my reward over to Addie..." He replied, smiling at his daughter.

Grinning, Annie had suspected that her brother would pull something like that. "Of course it's all right with me." Turning to her niece, she added "Addie, sweetie...That means you now get to pick one gift to open, tonight."

"Oh boy!" Addanaya squealed, all but leaping off of her mother's lap to race to the tree. "Hmmm..." The five-year-old hummed anxiously, placing her finger to the corner of her mouth-eliciting amused chuckles from both of her parents. "I choose...that one!" She finally declared, pointing to a small package near Annie's feet, wrapped in metallic pink paper with Christmas trees and snowflakes on it.

"All right, sweetie..." Annie replied, plucking the gift from its resting place and handing it to her niece. "This one's from..." She paused, reading the gift. "Aunt Brittany and Uncle Grant." She announced, handing her niece her gift.

Nuzzling in closer to her husband, Brittany shared a grin with him as they watched Addanaya open her gift from them. The five-year-old's eyes lit up the room as she tore open the package. "It's just like yours, mommy!" Addie squealed, proudly, showing off her brand new iPad mini.

"Wow!" Annie observed. "Grant, Britt, that's incredible."

"Well, Phil and Skye both mentioned how Addie picked up her mother's natural talent for computers and computer science." Brittany reasoned.

"So, we thought we'd see what she could do with a tablet of her own." Grant finished his wife's thought. "That oughta keep her entertained for a while."

"I give her two days-max-before she masters it." Skye challenged, watching her daughter already busily working away, playing on her new tablet.

"I give her one..." Phil added, placing a light kiss to his wife's lips.

"Okay...Next victim..." Annie added, returning to her seat on the couch, handing Auggie the ball cap.

Repeating his same actions from before, and earning himself the same laugh, Auggie rummaged his hand through the remaining slips of paper before holding one up for his wife.

"Jemma Fitz!" Annie announced, grinning at the bio-chemist's shocked reaction. "Your turn, Jem..." She added, as Phil passed her the guitar.

"All right, then..." Jemma replied, nervously before inspiration struck her as she began to play.

"Drawing hearts on the foggy glass
New love, chase away my past
Nothing but the open road, saddle up, here we go
1-2-3

First winter here in your arms
Flames rising as we fall like stars
Making angels in the snow, warm fuzzies, frozen toes
Is this a dream"

Jemma began to sing the song that spoke to her as she and Leo had been married on Christmas Eve four years, prior. Smiling at her husband, Jemma continued to sing.

"Don't wake me up
If this is love
Please, let me be

Swept completely off my feet
This snow globe scene is turnin' me
This Christmas Eve, 'I' became 'we'
Don't wake me, please
From this winter dream

Winter dream
Winter dream"

Phil and Skye shared a knowing look between the two of them. They, too, felt their own connections to the song. Before they'd realized their mutual attraction, five years ago, they'd always thought any relationship between the two of them could only exist in their wildest dreams. Now, as a family, they were living out their sweetest dream come true.

"Build a fire to escape the cold
Bing Crosby on the stereo
Tracing letters on my skin, slowly starts sinking in
You love me"

Grant and Brittany shared a look of their own, recalling the memory of their first Christmas together. Skye had asked Grant to meet her down in the gym for an unscheduled sparring match and Jemma had asked Brittany down to the lab to test out a new weapon design. Before the two of them knew what had happened, they were alone and Brittany had pointed up toward the ceiling where a piece of mistletoe hung over their heads.

"Oh, don't wake me me up
If this is love
Please, let me be, oooooooooooohhhhhh

Swept completely off my feet
This snow globe scene is turnin' me
This Christmas Eve, 'I' became 'we'
Don't wake me, please
From this winter"

Annie curled into Auggie's chest with his strong arms around her while Liam went to go play with Addie and her new tablet. Annie recalled how Auggie had proposed to her on Christmas Eve. She'd arrived home, late, after a rough day at the office only to find all the lights had been turned off, leaving the house lit only by countless tealight candles. "Joan helped me set up the candles..." Auggie stated, by way of greeting, before lowering himself down onto one knee, pulling a small velvet box from his shirt pocket, holding it open and presenting it to Annie. "Annie Coulson...You have seen me at my absolute best...You've seen me at my absolute worst...And, you've stood by me through everything in between...No matter what I was going through, I always knew I could count on you to be there...I never thought I'd be so fortunate as to fall in love with my best friend...But, I did...So...Anne Catherine Coulson...Will you make me the happiest man in the world and will you marry me?" Annie still recalled the way Auggie choked, anxiously, waiting for a response. Utterly speechless, Annie threw herself to her knees in front of him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissed him. That had been the single best Christmas she'd ever remembered celebrating...Until tonight.

"Dreamin' dreams while I'm wide awake
The tree, the lights, stayin' up late
It's true
I'm in love with you, ooo-ooo-oooohhhh"

Jemma smiled over at her husband as she sang her song. Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons had been close friends since the day they met. Leo would have been lying through his teeth if he said he'd never been attracted to Jemma from the word 'go'. Jemma, however, took a while to warm up to the engineer. But, before she knew what had happened, Jemma had suddenly realized that Leo had gone from her best friend to the love of her life. She always chalked the turning point up to the time she'd been infected the Chitauri virus and Leo'd refused to leave her side. Still, she shouldn't quite pinpoint it with any degree of scientific certainty.

"Swept completely off my feet
This snow globe scene is turnin' me
This Christmas Eve 'I' became 'we'
Don't wake me please

From this winter dream
Dream
Winter dream"

All around the room, all the adults were sharing loving glances and tender caresses and warm embraces as the bio-chemist's song came to a close.

"Oh, oooh-ooo-oooh
Oooh-ooo-oooh
Oooh-ooo-oooh"

Once Jemma'd finished singing, the room erupted in applause as she blushed brightly. "Thank you..." She muttered, both flattered and ever so slightly embarassed.

"That was beautiful, Jems..." Annie praised, once again crossing the room to stand next to the tree. "All right, then, it's your turn to pick a gift to open..."

Looking from Phil to Aria, Jemma decided to follow her boss's lead. "Actually, I think I'll do what Agent Coulson did and pass my turn to Aria..." She smiled, watching her daughter's eyes light up.

Chuckling to herself, Annie picked the young girl up and carried her over to the tree. "Okay, Aria...Remember, you get to pick one present to open..."

The young toddler examined each gift carefully before making her selection. "That one!" She declared, proudly, before reclaiming her seat on the floor next to her father.

Carrying the small silver package over to Aria, Annie lay it in the toddler's lap as she returned to the couch. "That one's from Auggie and myself." She announced, claiming her seat.

Wrinkling her nose in confusion, Aria voiced her question. "What is it?!" She half-demanded.

Chuckling lightly, Annie explained "It's a CD Auggie and I made of all of your mommy and daddy's favorite Christmas songs from when they were your age..."

"Awesome!" Aria cried, learning what her gift was. "Mummy, daddy, can I listen to it, now."

"Maybe when we go to bed." Leo suggested, trying to keep his daughter happy.

Thinking it over, Aria asked "Promise?"

Grinning lightly, Leo replied "Pinky swear." With that, he held out his pinky finger to his daughter.

"Deal!" Aria Fitz declared, proudly.

"All rightie, then..." Annie announced, reaching for the ball cap as she once again passed it to her husband. Pulling another slip out, Auggie held it up for his wife. "Auggie, did you add slips to the cap?" She asked, both amused and accusingly.

"That's classified." Auggie replied, barely able to contain his smirk.

"Auggie, the slip's in braille!" Annie deadpanned, although the slightest bit of amusement bled through.

"Guilty." Auggie finally conceded, taking the slip from his wife. "Leo and Jemma Fitz!" He declared, running his finger over the bumps on the slip.

"I just went, though." Jemma argued.

"That's all right, Jems." Leo added, taking the guitar from her. "It'll be fun to do one, together." Her husband reasoned.

"All right, then." Jemma agreed. "Which one shall we do?" As Leo leaned over and whispered in her ear, she couldn't resist the urge to smile. "Oh, I love that one!"

"It's settled, then." Leo decided as he began to play while his wife began to sing.

"Merry Christmas, baby
You sure do treat me nice"

Then, Leo joined in, echoing his wife's lyrics.

"Merry Christmas, baby
You sure do treat me nice"

From there, Jemma picked it back up.

"And, I feel just like I'm living
Living in paradise

Now, you see, I feel real good, tonight
Got music on the radio"

Once again, Leo joined in, echoing his wife.

"Yeah, I feel real good, tonight
Got music on the radio"

Jemma joined her husband, once again.

"And, I feel just like I wanna kiss you"

Leo laughed as all the children in the room wrinkled their noses at the idea of grown-ups kissing before singing back to his wife.

"Underneath the mistletoe"

Smiling as Leo leaned over to kiss her cheek-earning a chorus of "Eeeewwww"s from all the children in the room-Jemma began to sing again.

"Now, listen
Santa came down the chimney
Half past three

With lots and lots of little presents for my
Baby and me

Merry Christmas, baby"

It was at that point that Leo joined in, once again.

"You sure do treat me nice
And, I feel just like I'm living
Living in paradise"

The adults around the room just watched with amused smiles while the children all got up and started dancing while their Uncle Leo played a musical interlude while the adults all echoed with choruses of "Merry Christmas, baby" before Leo and Jemma began to sing together.

"Well, now
Santa came down the chimney
Half past three
With lots and lots of little presents for my
Baby and me

Merry Christmas, baby
You sure do treat me nice
And I feel just like I'm living
(Feel just like I'm living)

Living in paradise
(Living in paradise)"

As the song began to wind down, Leo took a vocal step back and allowed his wife to shine.

"Merry Christmas, baby-OH
Yeah, I said
Merrry Christmas, baby
Yeah
Merry Christmas, baby"

Nearing the end of the song, Leo rejoined his wife.

"Merry Christmas, baby
I feel just like I'm living
(Feel just like I'm living)
Living in paradise
Oh"

The rest of the group all joined in with more choruses of "Merry Christmas, baby" and hummed along while Leo built up to the big finish. "That was great, you guys!" Annie praised while the rest of the group applauded and cheered their approval. "But, I think we'll go ahead and skip the gift since little Aria's already opened one."

"Aaawww..." Aria Fitz half-whined.

"Don't worry, sweetie..." Annie reassured the disappointed toddler. "You'll have lots of presents to open, in the morning."

"Oh yeah!" Aria replied, her eyes suddenly brightening with the light of realization. "I forgot!" She declared, excitedly while the adults all chuckled with amusement.

Passing the cap over to her husband, once again, Annie waited while Auggie rummaged around before holding up another name. "Okay, the next performer will be..." She began, unfolding the paper in her hands. "Okay, Auggie, you seriously need to stay out of my games." She scolded, feigning anger as she returned the paper to her husband. "Either that, or learn to hand write the names..."

Chuckling lightly, Auggie ran his hand along the slip of paper to read off the name. "Okay, okay...Our next volunteers will be...Brittany and Grant Ward!" He announced, grinning.

"Oh!" Grant exclaimed, surprised. "Okay, so...What song do you wanna do, babe?" He asked, turning to look at his wife.

"How about the one I wrote about that little boy I ran into while Christmas shopping, the other day?" Brittany suggested.

"That's a great idea." Grant replied, smiling. "I'll sing the little boy's part."

"What little boy?" Skye asked, curiously.

"Well, while I was out doing some last-minute shopping, I saw this little boy in line ahead of me in the checkout line." Brittany began, turning to face the hacker. "He had such a moving story that I just had to write about it."

"Well, let's hear it, then." Phil added, encouragingly while Leo handed the guitar over to Grant who began to play while his wife started to sing.

"It was almost Christmas time
And, there I stood in another line
Trying to buy that last gift or two
Not really in the Christmas mood
And, standin' right in front of me was a
Little boy waiting anxiously
Pacin' 'round like little boys do
And, in his hands, he held
A pair of shoes"

Grant played the guitar soft and slow as his wife sang a soft, slow, ballad. All eyes in the room were on them as everyone listened intently to the song.

"And, his clothes were worn and old
He was dirty from head to toe
And, when it came his time to pay
I couldn't believe what I heard him say"

Brittany's eyes began to mist up as she lead into Grant's part. Everyone was surprised by his vocal talent as his velvety voice sang the little boy's story.

"Sir, I wanna buy these shoes
For my mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir
Daddy says there's not much time
You see...
She's been sick for quite a while, and, I
Know these shoes would make her smile, and, I
Want her to look beautiful
If mama meets Jesus, tonight"

As Grant's part came to a close, there wasn't a single dry eye in the house as everyone was deeply moved by the little boy's story. After the close of the first chorus, Brittany began to sing, again.

"They counted pennies for what seemed like years
Cashier said 'Son, there's not enough, here'
He searched his pockets, frantically
Then, he turned and he looked at me
And, he said"

All the parents in the room held their children close as Grant sang his next part.

"Mama made Christmas good at our house, though
Most years, she just did without, tell me, ma'am
What am I gonna do?
Somehow, I gotta buy her these Christmas shoes"

Even the hardened Agent Grant Ward's eyes began to tear up as he continued to sing the little boy's story before his wife jumped back in.

"So, I laid the money down
I just had to help him out
And, I'll never forget the look on his face
When he said"

As Brittany lead into her husband's next part, all the mothers and fathers in the room were wiping their eyes as they clutched their children close as Grant sang again.

"Mama's gonna look so great

Sir, I wanna buy these shoes
For my mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir
Daddy says there's not much time
You see...
She's been sick for quite a while, and, I
Know these shoes would make her smile, and, I
Want her to look beautiful
If mama meets Jesus, tonight"

Smiling at her husband's emotional reaction, Brittany just rubbed his knee as she sang, again.

"I knew I'd caught a glimps of Heaven's love
As he thanked me and ran out
I knew that God had sent that little boy
To remind me
What Christmas is all about"

And, if there were any dry eyes, left in the house, they were gone the moment every child in the room sang along with Grant for the final chorus.

"Sir, I wanna buy these shoes
For my mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir?
Daddy says there's not much time
You see...
She's been sick for quite a while, and, I

Know these shoes would make her smile, and, I
Want her to look beautiful
If mama meets Jesus, tonight"

As the music slowed, approaching the end, Aiden Ward climbed into his mother's lap and sang the last line directly to her, causing all the adults in the room to virtually bawl their eyes out.

"I want her to look beautiful
If mama meets Jesus...tonight"

"That was..." Skye began, her voice thick as she finsihed drying her eyes. "That was unbelievable." She praised. "It was so beautiful, Britt."

"Definitely." Phil agreed, even wiping away a tear or two of his own.

"That absolutely earned you the right to select a gift!" Annie declared, trying to add a little levity into the room.

"I think I'll keep with the new tradition." Grant was the first to speak while his wife finished drying her eyes. "I'll go ahead and let Aiden pick one for himself." He finished, eager to watch his son open a gift.

"I think that's a fantastic idea." Brittany agreed watching Aiden following his Aunt Annie over to the Christmas tree.

"Okay, Aiden..." Annie began, smiling. "Which gift would you like to open?"

"Hmmm..." The young boy hummed thoughtfully before pointing to a medium-sized packaged wrapped in Avengers wrapping paper. "That one!"

"Do I really even need to reveal who that one's from?" Annie asked, grinning at her brother.

"What?!" Phil asked, defensively. "I thought he would like it!"

"And, he does..." Skye replied, gently patronizing her husband as she pointed to the little boy eagerly tearing into his package on the floor. "See? He can't wait to get it open. Plus, he wanted to open it, first, before all the others."

"COOL!" The little toddler on the floor cheered as he pulled out a box of super hero action figures. "I got Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain 'merica, Hulk, and Spid'rman!" He cheered, taking all the figures out of the box. "All my fav'rites! Thanks Uncle Pheel!" He cried, running over to hug Phil's leg.

"Oh..." Phil began, hoisting his young self-proclaimed nephew into his lap, watching him playing with his Iron Man and Captain America toys, "You're welcome, Aiden!" He smiled warmly.

Smiling fondly at her brother, Annie passed the cap back to Auggie. "I swear, Auggie, I might have to slap you if you pull out another braille slip..." She warned, playfully.

Chuckling at his wife's feigned warning, Auggie rummaged through the papers in the cap before holding one up for his wife.

Taking the slip from her husband, Annie spoke as she unfolded the paper in her hands. "All right, then...Next victim..." Opening the paper, she grinned as she announced "Leo Fitz!"

"Wow." Leo replied, surprised, as Ward returned the guitar to him. "We must be popular." He surmised, turning to his wife as he prepared sing a solo of his own. "Okay, so, this one's a timeless classic which happens to be a personal favorite of mine.

"Come, they told me
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
A newborn king to see
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
Our finest gifts we bring
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
To lay before the king
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum

Rump-a-bum-bum

So, to honor Him
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
When we come"

As Leo began to sing, all of the children gathered around him, on the floor, eyes glued to him and filled with wonder as he continued to sing.

"Little baby
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum

I am a poor boy, too
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
I have no gift to bring
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
That's fit to give a king
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
Rump-a-bum-bum
Shall I play for you
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
On my drum"

All the parents in the room smiled as their children swayed and danced, in their places, with the music while Leo continued to sing.

"Mary nodded
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
The ox and lamb kept time
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
I played my drum for him
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
I played my best for him
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
Rump-a-bum-bum

Then, he smiled at me
Ba-rump-a-bum-bum
Me and my drum"

As the song came to a close, all the children clapped and cheered for their Uncle Leo. "That was great, Leo." Annie praised, smiling. "'Little Drummer Boy's always been a personal favorite of mine, too." She added, before pulling the ball cap back out, handing it over to her husband, yet again.

As Auggie held up another slip of paper Annie spoke "So, who's up, next..." She wondered as she unfolded the paper. "Skye Coulson!" She announced, glancing over at her sister-in-law. "You're up, Skye." She added, while Leo handed the guitar over to the hacker.

"Oh, okay..." Skye replied, settling the guitar on to her lap. "Okay, so, you all know that I'm not really a religious person." She began, building up to her song choice. "But, I do feel that Christmas can be a bit over-commercialized." The young wife and mother added. "So, when I first heard this song, a couple of years, ago, it really spoke to me. Yes, it's religious in nature, but, it really spoke to me in that...I really feel like Christmas should be more about spending time with the people you love rather than focusing on the presents we give and receive..."

"Well said, Skye" Brittany agreed, smiling warmly at the young hacker.

"Seconded." Phil added, smiling at his wife.

"Here, here!" Grant called out, raising a glass in agreement with his operative.

"Here, here!" Everyone else echoed, also raising their own glasses as Skye began to play.

"What if ribbons and bows didn't mean a thing?
Would the song still survive without five golden rings?
Would you still want a kiss without mistletoe?
What would happen if God never let it snow?
What would happen if Christmas carols told a lie?
Tell me, what would you find"

All the families in the room all cuddled together, mothers and fathers holding their children close as they swayed with the young hacker's song.

"You'd see that today holds something special
Something Holy, not superficial
So, here's to the birthday boy who saved our lives
It's something we all try to ignore
And, put a wreath up on your door
So, here's something you should know that is for sure
Christmas must be something more"

As they listened to the song, everyone in the room had to agree that even they were guilty to one degree or another. They'd all been too focused on the preparations, that they'd lost sight of what Christmas was really all about.

"What if angels did not pay attention to
All the things that we wish they would always do?
What if happiness came in a cardboard box?
Man, I think there is something we all forgot
What would happen if presents all went away?
Tell me what would you find"

Skye was overcome with emotion as she sang her song. So many years, Christmas had just come and went, for her-no different from any other day of the year. Now, here she was, surrounded by her new family. She could think of no better Christmas gift than the people around her; her loving husband, beautiful daughter, a loving sister and brother-in-law, a team that treated her like family. Her life was finally right where she wanted it to be.

Watching his wife sing, Phil couldn't help feeeling his heart swell with pride for her. When he'd first met her, she was so lost. So far on the wrong side of the tracks, she couldn't even see the tracks. But, now, here she was. A brand new woman. The woman that he loved. His wife and the mother of his child. He couldn't belive how fortunate he'd been. Five years ago, he would have laughed in the face of anyone foolish enough to tell him that he'd be the type to get married and have a family. He couldn't say 'settle down' because he knew he could never 'settle down'. It just wasn't his style. Nor was it Skye's. But, this. This was all he'd ever want.

"We get so caught up in all of it
Business and relationships
Hundred mile an hour lives
And, it's this time of year
And, everybody's here
It seems the last thing on your mind"

The lyrics of the song hit home with all the adults in the room. They all knew it was true. With their jobs, they lived their lives a hundred miles an hour. Their jobs had them constantly on the move-always looking to what was next. They never really stopped to just appreciate each other's company. It was definitely something they would all need to work on.

"Is that the day holds something special
Something Holy, not superficial
So, here's to Jesus Christ, who saved our lives
It's something we all try to ignore
And, put a wreath up on your door
But, here's something you should know that is for sure
Christmas must be something
Christmas must be something
Christmas must be something more"

As the song neared its end, the rest of the group turned and smiled to each other as they all joined hands as the young hacker finished her song.

"There's gotta be more
There's gotta be more"

"That was brilliant, Skye!" Jemma praised, smiling warmly.

"Absolutely." Leo added, agreeing with his wife's opinion. "You really got to the point!"

"Definitely." Grant agreed. "You really hit the nail on the head with that one!"

"I couldn't agree more." Annie added, smiling warmly. Reaching for the ball cap, once again, she passed it to her husband. As he held up the paper for her to read the selection, Annie inspected the slip before accepting it. "Uh-uh. This one's all you, Auggie." She replied, pushing the paper back over to him.

Grinning evilly, Auggie opened the paper and ran his finger over the names. "Looks like we're gonna get an encore...Phil and Skye Coulson!" He announced, smiling.

Glancing over to his wife, Phil shared a look with the young hacker "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow. She wasn't sure why, but, Skye knew the holidays always brought out the cheekiest in Phil.

"Oh yeah..." Skye replied, smirking, as she re-tuned the guitar.

As Skye began to play, Phil leaned back in his armchair while Addanaya leaned back against his chest as he began to tell his story. "I took my daughter to the mall, the other day to go see Santa Claus. The woman in line behind me said 'Hey. Is that Santa Claus, up there?' I said 'No, ma'am. That's a Kenny Rogers stunt double. Here's your sign.' The other day I bought a wreath to put up on my front door. As I was on my way out of the store, a man stopped me and asked me 'Hey! You gonna put that on your door?' I said 'No, sir. It's a Christmas toilet seat cover. Got the idea from Martha Stewart."

The rest of the group erupted in laughter as Skye began to sing.

"Here's your sign
Here's your sign
Here's your stupid sign
Ya acted dumb, so have some fun
And, wear your stupid sign
Here's your sign
Here's your sign
Here's your stupid sign
Ya lost your mind, so pay the fine
And, wear your stupid sign"

At the end of the chorus, Phil continued with his jokes. "I hung those Christmas lights on my house. Ya know the kind that blink on and off? My neighbor comes over and asks me 'Hey, Phil, how do you get your lights to blink on and off like that?' I said 'I got my daughter inside. Pluggin' and unpluggin' it. Pluggin' and unpluggin' it.' Here's your sign'. I took my family to buy a Christmas tree, the other night. When we walked on the lot, the guy walked up and asked 'Hey! Y'all here to buy a Christmas tree?' I said 'No, sir. My daughter's gotta go to the bathroom and those trees look really inviting."

"Here's your sign
Here's your sign
Here's your stupid sign
Ya acted dumb, so have some fun
And, wear your stupid sign oh
Here's your sign
Here's your sign
Here's your stupid sign
Ya lost your mind, so pay the fine
And, wear your stupid sign

Have no fear, we're just spreading cheer
During Christmas time"

As Skye closed out the next chorus, Phil jumped right back into the jokes. "The other night, my family and I were walking through the neighborhood, lookin' at all the Christmas decorations and, we came upon this house with a manger scene. Now, there was this whole group of people lookin' at it when I heard this one guy say 'Hey! Are those the three wise men?' I said 'No, sir. That's ZZ Top doin' a Farm A concert!" With another burst of laughter, Skye began the next chorus.

""Here's your sign
Here's your sign
Here's your stupid sign
Ya acted dumb, so have some fun
And, wear your stupid sign oh
Here's your sign
Here's your sign
Here's your stupid sign
Ya lost your mind, so pay the fine
And, wear your stupid sign

Here's your sign
Here's your sign
Here's your stupid sign"

Phil jumped in with his final joke as Skye continued to sing in the background.

"(Have no fear, we're just spreading cheer
During Christmas time)"

"And, finally..." Phil began, grinning like a mad man. "My wife and I were in the grocery store, the other day, and I heard a woman ask the clerk 'Do you know what time midnight mass starts on Christmas Eve?' And, in the holiday spirit, I walked over and said 'Here's your sign'. Happy holidays, everybody!"

"Okay, that was hilarious, Phil!" Annie praised. "I forgot how good you were with comedy."

"Yeah!" Jemma chimed in. "You should definitely let that loose on the bus, more often!"

"And, on that note...It's time to select another victim." Annie added, handing the ball cap over to Auggie.

"And, here is your next victim, milady..." Auggie grinned as he passed the slip over to his lovely wife.

"Why, thank you, milord..." Annie replied, kissing her husband on the cheek. "Brittany Ward! You're up, next!"

Accepting the guitar from Skye, Brittny cleared her throat before introducing her song choice. "Okay, so...You all know I love Enya's music, right?" She asked, receiving a chorus of nods as she pressed onward. "Well, she does a Christmas song that I really adore so...I'm gonna play it for you all, now..." After her introduction, Brittany began to play a soft, celtic melody.

"Have you seen the mistletoe?
It fills the night with kisses
Have you seen the bright new star
It fills your heart with wishes
Have you seen the candle light?
It shines from every window.
Have you seen the moon above?
It lights in the sky in silver."

Everybody all started swaying and dancing in their seats as the music played.

"Green is in the mistletoe
And, red is in the holly
Silver in the stars above
That shine on everybody
Gold is in the candle light and
Crimson in the embers
White is in the winter night
That everyone remembers"

The families all around the room snuggled in to listen to Brittany's song while the fire flickered in the background.

"Have you heard the boys all sigh
When all the girls are skating?
Have you heard the sweetheart's cry
For all this time they're waiting?

Green is in the mistletoe
And, red is in the holly
Silver in the stars above
That shine on everybody
Gold is in the candle light and
Crimson in the embers
White is in the winter night
That everyone remembers"

The couples around the room all shared loving glances and gentle kisses and carresses as the chorus repeated.

The irony of the next verse was lost on no one as the children all rose from their seats on the floor to start dancing around the floor along with the song.

"Have you seen the children playing
Tiny hands are frozen
Have you seen them hurry home
When suddenly, it's snowing

By the end of the chorus, all the children had settled into their parents laps while Brittany continued to play.

"Have you heard the bells are ringing
Ringing out their glory
Have you heard the choir singing
Glory! Glory! Glory!"

"That was great, Britt." Grant praised, wrapping his arm around his wife, kissing her cheek.

"Deifnitely!" Auggie chimed in. "Almost as good as Mingus-OW!" He was soon cut off, however, by a swift smack on the arm. "Hey! What was that for?!"

"Behave yourself!" Annie scolded, her amusement evident in her tone. "And, here..." She added, passing her husband the ball cap.

"Okay, okay..." Auggie replied, grinning through his feigned annoyance. "Here ya go..." He added, kissing her hand as he passed his wife the slip.

"Okay...Pickin's are getting pretty slim..." Annie began, unfolding the paper in her hand. "Grant Ward!" She announced, as all eyes turned to Grant.

Accepting the guitar from his wife, Grant introduced his song choice. "Now, granted...I'm not quite as creative as my lovely wife or Coulson or Skye...But, this song really spoke to me, the first time I heard it. Because, as you all know, I didn't really have the greatest of childhoods, growing up..." The rest of the group nodded understandingly as Brittany rubbed her husband's shoulder, supportively. "So, that's why I've decided to go with this song. Because, after Agent Coulson brought me on to his team...I finally felt like I'd found a family. Like I was finally home..." Moving introductions out of the way, Grant finally began to play.

"Another Christmas Day
Will come and go away
And, I got so far to go
But, I want to go home
I need to go home"

As they listened to the way Grant's velvety voice caressed every lyric, every adult in the room connected to the song in some way. Most of them hadn't gone home for Christmas since they first joined their respective agencies. Skye didn't even have a home to go to. She'd always wanted to have a family to go home to and, now...She did.

"Maybe surrounded by
Strangers and Christmas lights
I shouldn't feel so alone
But, I wanna go home
God, I miss you, ya know"

Listening to the song, Annie remembered all the Christmases she'd missed due to being away on a mission. That was one of the perks to being a department head. She spent every Christmas at home with her husband and young son. Right where she belonged.

"I can close my eyes and see the angel on the tree
A blanket of snow, outside
And all my friends and family
And, though, I know that you're no further than a call away
I need to see your face
A call could never be the same"

Listening to the song her S.O. was singing, Skye recalled the first Christmas she and Phil had spent together as a married couple. Phil had been given time off only to be called in at the last minute for an emergency op. As much as she loved her job and as committed as she was to it, she had to admit...The hours really sucked, sometimes. But, they were here, now. Together. That was all that mattered to her.

"Another Christmas Day
Will come and go away
And, I won't leave you alone
And, I wanna go home
I've got to go home"

As the song progressed, Jemma had felt somewhat guilty for all the Christmases she'd spent away from her family in England. But, after everything their little group had been through, together, it didn't seem right not to spend Christmas with them and all of their new families. Which was why she and Leo had made arrangements to go and see them for New Year's.

"Let me go home
I'm just too far
From where you are
And, I wanna go home"

During the guitar solo, Brittany recalled the memory of Aiden's first Christmas. Grant had been out of the country on an assignment while she stayed home with Aiden. As much as she loved her job, she hated it when S.H.I.E.L.D. kept her and Grant apart. Especially over holidays or birthdays.

"Now the reasons I'm so far away ain't good enough
Whatever they need me for
I know that I need you more
So, I'll do the things I gotta do to get back to you
I need you to believe
I'll make it back by Christmas Eve"

Jemma recalled last Christmas when Leo had been called away for a mission the week before Christmas. He swore he would be back in time to spend Christmas Eve with her and Aria. But, when dawn cracked on Christmas Eve morning and Leo still hadn't returned home, Jemma had begun to lose her faith in him. But, just as she and Aria had sat down for dinner, there had been a knock at the door. With an agitated sigh, she left the the dining room to go and answer the door when she saw Leo standing there, dressed as Santa Claus holding a small package with her name on it in one hand and another slightly larger one with Aria's name on it in the other. "Go ahead, Agent Fitz." 'Santa' greeted invitingly. "Open it." He added, handing Jemma her gift. Inside the package was a diamond bracelet with their wedding date and Aria's birthdate inscribed on the inside along with their initials next to the corresponding dates. "I hope you like it. I just couldn't find anything quite special enough so I did the inscription, myself." He offered, by way of explanation.

"I love it!" Jemma breathed, wrapping her arms around Leo's neck, kissing him softly. "But, you do realize that just having you here with us would have been enough, right?" She asked, with a twinkle in her eye.

"I did." Leo conceded. "But, I had been planning to give you the bracelet for a while and I figured that since the mission took longer than anticipated, I should make it up to you for being late. So, I added the inscription."

"You're not late." Jemma smiled, guiding Leo inside. "You're just in time." She added, calling Aria in to see them. "Aria, sweetheart, could you come here?"

"Yes, mum..." The young toddler trailed off when she saw her father standing next to her mother, dressed as Santa Claus. "DADDY!" She cried, running across the room to greet him, wrapping her little arms around his leg. "Mummy didn't think you'd make it...But, I knew you would...You pwomised!"

"That, I did, sweetheart." Leo replied, gathering his daughter into his arms. "And, I've also brought you a present..."

After giving his daughter a brief hug, Leo set her down on the floor to open her gift. Leo and Jemma couldn't resist smiling as they watched their daughter's eyes light up when she tore into her gift. "A teddy!" She cried out, clutching the bear close to her chest. "Thanks, daddy!" She called, carrying the teddy with her as she skipped down the hall.

"Another Christmas Day
Will come and go away
And, I won't leave you alone
No, I'm gonna go home
I'm gonna be home
Though I'm surrounded by
This cold December night
I feel so alone
I'm gonna go home
Babe, I miss you, ya know"

Laying her head on her husband's chest, Annie recalled their first Christmas together as a couple. She'd still been working as a field officer and her vacation had been canceled in favor of an op. It was just supposed to have been a simple brush pass in Zurich. She would have been home late evening on Christmas Day-at the latest. But, one of her contact's colleagues had botched the mission, causing Annie to take a bullet. Christmas morning, Auggie awoke to the phone ringing. Joan had called to tell him that Annie had been shot and that she was in the hospital. Upon arriving in Annie's room, Auggie sighed in relief when he heard Annie speak. "I'm so sorry I ruined Christmas, Auggie..." She greeted, apologetically.

"You're 'sorry'?" Auggie choked out, taking Joan's place by Annie's bedside. Taking her hand in his, he added "Annie...You're alive...And, you're home...That's more than I would have ever asked for for Christmas." He stated, sincerely. It was true. After everything they'd been through, together, just having her home safe and...well, mostly sound was more than enough. Leaning over to kiss her forehead, Auggie whispered in her ear "Merry Christmas, Annie."

"Let me go home
I've had my run
Baby, I'm done
Let me go home
It'll all be all right
When I'm holding you tight
'Cause this Christmas, I'm home"

As the song came to a close, everyone clapped and cheered their approval. "That was great, Grant." Skye praised after her S.O. had finished his song. They'd all had their share of memories with that song. Sometimes, it was nice to relive Christmases gone by.

Looking inside the cap, Annie realized that it was empty. "Well, looks like all the names have been drawn."

"Wait a minute..." Phil began, slowly. "You and Auggie haven't gone, yet." He pointed out, recalling all the various performances.

"Yeah!" Liam added, vehemently. "So, I didn't get to open a present!" He added, indignantly.

"Okay, okay, sweetie..." Annie replied, calming her son. "Tell ya what...Why don't you go pick a present to open. Then, when you've opened it, why don't we all do one, together?" She suggested.

As Liam raced over to the tree to select his gift, the adults exchanged glances. "That sounds like fun!" Skye decided.

Nodding, Phil agreed with his wife. "Yeah, that'll be great, all of us singing, together!"

"Absolutely brilliant!" Jemma exclaimed.

Chuckling at the sound of his son tearing open his gift, Auggie asked "Did anyone catch who that was from?" He asked, an amused grin on his face.

"Oh, that one's from us." Skye chirped, noting the familiar Avengers wrapping paper. "I know you said that Liam was into computers, so, I thought he might like it."

"Oh, it's one of those Nabi Jr learning tablets!" Annie chimed, reading the packaging over her son's shoulder. "Liam'll love that, thanks, you guys!"

"Okay, so, how about that big group number?" Leo asked, eagerly. "How will that one work?!"

"Well, I was thinking we could do 'Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday'." Annie offered, as suggestion.

"Oh, I know that one!" Grant interjected. "That one's, hilarious!"

"It's funny 'cause it's so true!" Phil added, throwing his opinion. "It's got my vote!"

"Mine, too!" Leo added, grinning. "That song's utterly brilliant!"

"It's settled, then." Annie replied, taking the guitar from Skye. "Auggie, why don't you narrate, I'll sing, and Grant, Phil, and Leo can alternate verses?" She suggested.

All the boys nodded as Auggie replied "Sounds like a plan!" With all the roles assigned, Auggie began the story. "And, now...The Grand Ole Opry Theater proudly presents...A special Holiday edition...of the Adventures of the Kung Pao Buckaroos..."

After Auggie's introduction, Annie began to play the guitar as she sang the first chorus.

"Well, it's a Kung Pao Buckaoo Holiday
Whatever you do, watch what you say
If you're easily offended, well, that's okay
It's a completely non-offensive
And politically correct Holiday"

As the first chorus ended and the music stopped, Auggie continued his narration. "We catch up with our Cowboys, one cold December night, huddled around the camp fire."

"How about we sing some holiday songs?" Phil added, carrying on the story.

"Yeah!" Leo interjected, picking up the story line. "Hey, Grant! You wanna start us off?"

"Yeah, I got one." Grant replied before beginning to sing. "Oh, Chri-NOPE-mas tree, oh, Chri-NOPE-mas tree, how lovely are thy branches...Why am I getting bleeped, again?" He asked as Auggie cut off the word 'Christmas' in his lyrics.

"Haven't you heard, guys?" Auggie asked, carrying on the narration. "You can't say 'Chri-NOPE-mas...Ya gotta say 'Holiday'." He added, with Annie cutting off the word 'Christmas'.

"I can't say 'Chri-NOPE-mas?!" Grant asked, feigning indignation as the rest of group laughed at the storyline.

"No, you might offend somebody." Leo pointed out.

"Who is offended by 'Chri-NOPE-mas'?!" Grant demanded.

"You know, you might offend the NOPE, and the NOPE and the atheists." Leo explained. "What?" He asked, as Annie cut off his first two groups.

"Time to be politically correct." Phil interjected. "I'll lead us off." He added, before singing another carol of his own. "On the first day of Chri-NOPE-mas, my true love gave to me..."

"Phil, are you listening?" Grant asked, impatiently.

"What?" Phil asked, curiously.

"You can't say 'Chri-NOPE-mas'!" Grant insisted.

"Why not?!" Phil demanded. "If you can say 'h-NOPE-ll on the last record...Why can't I say 'Chri-NOPE-mas'?"

"I don't make the rules." Grant defended.

"Hey, listen, guys..." Leo interjected, cutting of the fake argument. "It's not that difficult. All you gotta do is change 'Chri-NOPE-mas' to 'Holiday'." He explained, helpfully. "You know...Instead of saying 'I'm dreaming of whi-NOPE Chri-NOPE-mas'...You say 'I'm dreaming of whi-NOPE holiday..." Furrowing his brow in mock confusion, Leo asked "Why did I get bleeped?"

"You've got to say 'Caucasian'." Grant pointed out.

"So, I have to sing 'I'm dreaming of a 'Caucasian Holiday'?" Leo asked, indignantly.

"Sure, that won't offend anyone." Phil interjected as Annie began to sing, again.

"Well, it's a Kung Pao Buckaoo Holiday
Whatever you do, watch what you say
If you're easily offended, well, that's okay"

"Why do these people have to feel that way?" Phil wondered. "How come they get offended, so easy?" He asked, as Annie finished her chorus.

"It's a completely non-offensive
And politically correct Holiday"

"I'm just tryin' to come up with a song, here..." Phil said, thoughtfully.

"Let's sing one, together." Auggie offered up by way of suggestion. "Everybody ready? Grant, you ready?" He asked.

"Ready." Grant called out, responding to the roll call.

"Phil, you ready?" Auggie asked.

"I'm ready." Phil responded.

"Leo?" Auggie asked. When he received no response, he asked again. "Leo?" Still, no response. "Leo?!"

"Oh-KAY!" Leo finally responded, in the highest, squeakiest tone he could muster, eliciting giggles and laughter from all the children in fthe room.

"We three kings of Ori-NOPE are...Bearing gifts, we've traveled real far..." Grant, Phil, and Leo began, only to be 'bleeped' by Annie, once again.

"Oh, sorry, guys." Auggie interjected, apologetically. "You have to say 'Asia', now." He explained.

"What?" Grant asked, impatiently.

"Oh, come on, just try..." Auggie prodded.

"I've gotta get hyped up for this..." Grant replied, reluctantly.

"We three kings of Asia are..." Grant, Phil, and Leo all began again.

"That sounds like horse cr-NOPE!" Phil surmised, being 'bleeped', yet again, by his baby sister.

"Oh, Lord, okay..." Leo began. "How about 'Little Drummer Boy'?"

"Nope." Grant replied, rejecting the engineer's suggestion. "That offends short people."

"And, you can't say 'drummer' 'cause that'll offend real musicians." Phil reasoned.

"How about 'Little-hahahaha Town of Bethlehem?" Grant proffered, laughing at his own short joke.

"What's with all the short jokes?" Leo demanded.

"Hey, how about we do 'Silent Night'?" Auggie suggested. "Silent night...Holy night..."

"No, it offends people hard of hearing..." Leo interjected. "...And, afraid of the dark."

"What'd he say about a shark?" Phil asked, curiously, turning to Skye who nearly fell out of her chair, laughing.

"SHARK?!" Leo shouted in a panic.

"This happens every year..." Grant sighed, feigning irritation. As Annie began playing the guitar, again, and sang the next chorus.

"Well, it's a Kung Pao Buckaoo Holiday
Whatever you do, watch what you say
If you're easily offended, well, that's okay
It's a completely non-offensive
And politically correct Holiday"

"Ho! Ho! Ho!" Leo bellowed, doing his best Santa impression, earning a full-bodied laugh from his daughter.

"Nooo..." Phil interjected.

"I can't say 'ho'?" Leo whined, indignantly.

"No, you might offend some..." Phil paused, pretending to search for the safest word. "...women."

"So, basically, we can't sing anything..." Leo surmised.

"I think that's a bunch of bull NOPE..." Grant commented, 'bleeped' once again.

"Softer, Grant, it's more effective." Phil whispered.

"I think that's a bunch of bull nope..." Grant whispered, still unable to avoid the 'bleep'.

"Wait just a dar-NOPE minute!" Leo demanded.

"Nooo, no, no, no..." Grant replied.

"Ya know what?" Phil began, his best I don't give a crap expression in place. "I don't care who we offend, I'm gonna sing Chri-NOPE-mas carols if I wanna sing Chri-NOPE-mas carols!" He declared, proudly, unbothered by Annie censoring him.

"Louder, Phil, it's more effective!" Grant declared, just as proudly.

"I DON'T CARE WHO WE OFFEND, I'M GONNA SING CHRI-NOPE-MAS CAROLS IF I WANNA SING CHRI-NOPE-MAS CAROLS!" Phil shouted, earning another round of laughter from the rest of the group around the room.

"Me, too!" Leo chimed in.

For the grand finale, all four men joined together for "We wish you a merry Chri-NOPE-mas...We wish you a merry Chri-NOPE-mas...We wish you a merry Chri-NOPE-mas...And, a happy ne-NOPE year..."

As Annie brought the climactic guitar accompaniment to a close, Grant turned to Phil with a sly smirk on his face. "We can't say 'new', it'll offend the old folks..."

Returning his specialist's sly grin, Phil glanced around the room-paying special attention to the children-as he concluded the story/song. "And, ya better not offend them..." Pausing, Phil put on his best reluctant expression as he added, feigning defeat "...Us..."

Looking at her watch, at the end of the number, Annie spoke up. "Well, it's getting late. We better get the little ones in bed so Santa can come and bring their presents!" She reasoned, pulling Liam up into her lap.

"Awww..." The children all around the room all whined in protest.

"We wanna stay up and wait for Santa!" Addanaya argued, protesting as Phil gathered her up into his arms to carry her off to bed. However, Phil just simply chuckled quietly to himself as he watched his daughter's tired yawn give her away.

"Look at it, this way, sweetheart..." Skye chimed in, moving to stand next to her husband, talking to her daughter. "The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner it'll be morning and you'll have more presents to open."

"Okay..." Addanaya replied, yawning, once again. "Will you and daddy both tuck me in?" She asked, timidly, finally surrendering to sleep.

"Of course, we will." Phil reassured, rubbing his daughter's back, lightly.

"'Kay..." The five-year-old replied, resting her head on her father's shoulder while Phil and Skye carried her off to the guest house.

"We better be getting our little Liam to bed, too..." Annie replied, hoisting her son on to her hip. "You want mommy and daddy both to tuck you in, too?" She asked, rubbing her son's back.

"Uh huh..." Liam was already losing the fight against sleep as his mother carried him off to his room, Auggie at her side.

"Come on, Aria..." Jemma cooed, hoisting her own daughter on to her hip. "Off to bed with you."

Seeing the rest of the children surrendering to sleep, Aria gave up without a fight. "'Kay...But, don't forget my CD!" She insisted, softly.

"We won't forget, sweetheart." Leo reassured his daughter, warmly, picking the CD up off of the floor before following his wife to one of the guest rooms.

"All right, Aiden..." Grant sighed, gathering his son up into his arms to carry him off to bed. "It's bedtime..."

"Okay, daddy..." Aiden replied, having lost the will to fight as the other children had been taken off to their own beds.

As Skye tucked her daughter into bed, Addanaya asked "Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" Phil asked, gently.

"Can James Penguin tell Santa where to find me if I'm here, at Auntie Annie's house?" The five-year-old wondered, worriedly.

"Of course, he can..." Phil smiled, taking his wife's place next to Addanaya to kiss her forehead. "James Penguin can find you anywhere, anytime...He'll tell Santa exactly where you are and what a good girl you've been, this year..."

Smiling contentedly, Addanaya settled into the covers as her head began to fill with dreams of all the wonderful presents that would await her in the morning. "Okay...Good night, Daddy..." She whispered, softly, sleep overtaking her.

"Good night, Addie." Phil smiled, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist as they watched their daughter lose the battle against sleep.

"Good night, sweetheart." Skye added, softly, as she kissed her daughter's cheek, before she and Phil left the room to return to their own bed.

"Mom?" Liam Anderson asked, curiously. "Dad?"

"Yeah, sweetie?" Annie asked, as she finished tucking the blankets in around her son.

"Do you think Uncle Phil was right?" He asked, curiosity twinkling in his eyes.

"Right about what?" Annie asked, quirking an eyebrow curiously.

"Is James Penguin real or did Uncle Phil just make him up?" Liam asked, looking from his mother to his father and back.

"Of course he's real." Auggie replied, grinning slightly. "How else do you think Santa could know just what a good boy you are?"

"Am I really a good boy?" Liam asked, turning to his mother, hope shining brightly in his eyes.

"Of course, you are." Annie replied, reassuringly.

"Absolutely." Auggie added.

"Good night, sweetie..." Annie whispered, kissing her son's cheek.

"Good night, Liam." Auggie echoed, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist as his son slowly drifted off to sleep.

"G'night, mommy...daddy..." Liam whispered as sleep overcame him while his mother and father turned out the light and left for their own room.

"There you go, sweeetheart..." Jemma declared, softly, tucking her daughter securely into her bed while Leo placed her new CD into the player on the other side of the room, turning the volume down so that she could just hear it in the background without it keeping her awake. "Snug as a bug in a rug..."

Giggling lightly, Aria replied "Thanks, mummy..."

"Oh, you're welcome, Aria..." Jemma cooed as Leo moved to stand next to her.

"Sleep tight, Aria..." Leo whispered, kissing his daughter's cheek before moving to kiss Jemma's cheek.

"Yes, sweet dreams, little one..." Jemma whispered, stroking her daughter's face before moving with Leo to the door way to turn out the light.

"G'night, mummy...daddy..." Aria Fitz whispered as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Christmas morning.

Tucking his son into his makeshift bed, Grant rose to stand next to Brittany. "There ya go, buddy." He stated. "All tucked in, safe and sound."

"Thanks, daddy..." Even Grant had to admit, even now that his son was four years old, it still melted his heart to hear little Aiden call him 'daddy'.

"Anytime, Aiden..." He whispered as his wife kissed Aiden's cheek before standing next to Grant.

"Good night, sweetie." Brittany whispered, softly as her son's eyes slowly started sliding closed as he drifted off into sleep.

"G'night, buddy..." Grant added, smiling warmly at his son.

"G'night, mommy...daddy..." Aiden Ward whispered, dreams of Santa Claus and presents to open on Christmas morning already filling his head.

"Well, this was fun." Skye commented, smiling, as she finished dressing in her nightgown before sliding into bed, next to Phil who was clad only in a white tank-top and gray sweatpants.

"Yeah, it was." Phil replied, returning his wife's smile as he pulled her close in his arms.

"Addie sure loved your 'James Penguin' song." Skye smiled as she recalled her daughter watching Phil sing the song he'd written for her.

Chuckling lightly, Phil replied "Yeah, she sure loves that song..."

"Mmm...Probably because James Penguin reminds her so much of her big strong daddy..." Skye added, smiling up at Phil before briefly capturing his lips in a soft, sensual kiss.

"You may be on to something..." Phil whispered, once they broke the kiss.

Staring into her husband's baby blue eyes, Skye breathed "I love you."

"I love you, too." Phil whispered, capturing his wife's lips in another, longer, sensual kiss as he rolled over on top of her. Finally breaking the kiss, Phil propped himself up on his elbows as he tenderly caressed Skye's face before whispering "Merry Christmas, Skye."

Grinning seductively, Skye replied "Merry Christmas, Phil."

With Liam safely tucked away into bed, Annie watched as Auggie dressed in nothing but a pair of black sweatpants before joining her in their own bed. "Well, I'd say tonight was a success. At least as far as hosting Christmas for the first time, ever, goes." Annie declared, proudly before resting her head on Auggie's chest.

"I would definitely have to agree." Auggie added, kissing the top of his wife's head, lightly. "The kids really seemed to love our 'Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday'." He added, thoughtfully.

"They sure did..." Annie replied, recalling the way all the kids laughed and cheered at the family-wide comedy routine.

"They really are great kids..." Auggie observed, off-handedly.

"Pfft...Of course, they're great kids..." Annie grinned. "Look who they have for parents!"

"Too true, my dear..." Auggie trailed off, gently pulling Annie's face up to capture her lips with his own, briefly. "You really are a wonderful mother." Auggie stated, sincerity shining in his unseeing eyes.

"And, you are a terrific father..." Annie smiled, before positioning herself on top of her husband, capturing his lips once more. "Merry Christmas, Auggie." She breathed, preparing for another kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Annie." Auggie breathed, capturing his wife's lips, grinning sensually.

With their daughter safely ensconced in her own bed, Jemma slid into bed next to her husband. "I'm so glad the kids got to have such a great time, tonight..." Jemma stated, settling into Leo's warm embrace.

"Me, too." Leo smiled, kissing Jemma's head, lightly. "You know, it's such a shame we don't get to have more of these holidays, together..."

"It really is, isn't it..." Jemma sighed, lightly. "It just too bad our jobs keep us apart so much..." She added, off-handedly. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I love my job. And, I love that you and I get to work, together. But, it would be nice if we could have more family holidays with all the families together."

"What d'you say we just enjoy this one?" Leo asked, quirking an eyebrow seductively. "Aria's sound asleep...We've the room to ourselves..."

"Mmm...I like where you're going with this..." Jemma replied, as Leo lowered himself down atop his wife.

Capturing her lips in a soft slow kiss, Leo whispered, once they broke apart "Merry Christmas, Jemma..."

Smiling, Jemma pulled her husband down for another kiss as she replied "Merry Christmas, Leo..."

With their son sound asleep, Brittany and Grant settled into their own bed. "I'm really glad we did this." Brittany commented, settling into her husband's arms.

"Yeah..." Grant replied, pulling his wife flush against his chest. "Me, too. It's always best when we can get the whole gang together."

"That, it definitely is." Brittany agreed, whole-heartedly. "Aiden really loves getting together with all of his friends."

"Yeah, he sure enjoyed himself, tonight, didn't he?" Grant agreed, absently kissing his wife's head.

"Yeah..." Brittany agreed, rolling Grant on to his back. "Now...I believe I owe you an early gift, Agent Ward." She purred into her husband's ear. One thing was for certain, Grant definitely liked where this was going.

"Is that so, Agent Ward?" Grant asked, quirking an eyebrow as his wife captured his lips in a slow, tender, kiss.

"Mmm...It most definitely is..." With another soft, sensual kiss, Brittany lightly shook the hair from her face as she purred "Merry Christmas, Grant..."

Rolling them over to lower himself down atop his wife, Grant grinned seductively as he replied "Merry Christmas, Brittany..."

Author's Note:
Well, this was my little Merry Christmas to all the people who made "Sometimes, It's Easier To Lie" so popular! Merry Christmas, y'all! :)