A little bit of a Boothcentric Christmas story... Christmases through time... through his eyes, and his tradition...

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Eleven year old Seeley Booth stood straight as a pin, his shoulders upright and sharp, his head pressed evenly in the corner as he looked out into the family room. Usually when he did this stance, there was nothing impeding his view, on a normal day he'd be looking out onto an old green couch with yellow lines, a burnt orange shag carpet, a tray table or two beside the table where his father's ash tray sat.

Today, however, standing in front of him was the family Christmas tree. He wasn't hiding from anything specific, perhaps only himself at this point, but he knew his father was coming home early from work today. He knew that his father only left work early so that he could go to the bar and have a few drinks, only to come home at the time he'd usually get home from work, stinking like beer and cigarettes. It was nearly five o'clock on Christmas Eve, and Seeley stared into the trunk of the Christmas tree, staring at the wood, the smell of spruce filling the air as he wished he could be somewhere else.

It was snowing out, again… he had played outside after school until nearly dark, when his mother told him to get inside and change for dinner, before his father came home. He could smell the spruce from the tree, wafting through the air, the smell of his mother's lasagna sauce pushing over the smell of spruce, mixing it, swirling with it in the air. He had changed into a red and green striped sweater, one that his mother had bought for him for Christmas the year before, it still fit, mostly… though he had grown quite a bit in the past year, but he didn't care. It would make his mother happy to see him wearing the sweater.

He stared out past the tree, the decorations sparkling on the farthest branches, the tinsel and lights twinkling, the feeling of warmth that entered his heart when he thought of the holidays made his heart beat faster. All of the sights and smells of Christmas were in the air, and he couldn't think of anything better that he'd do with his time.

Suddenly, the sound of pounding feet filled the house, and six year old Jared came careening down the stairs at top speed. "Mom! Mom! Daddy's home!" He squealed as he ran around the corner, the sound of his socks slipping across the floor as his mother caught him mid-slide. Her laughter filled the house as she called her son a 'silly boy', and kissed him atop his head.

It didn't take but for a moment for the entire mood of the house to change, however. As soon as his father stepped into the house, it was as if a storm cloud had swept over the family room and kitchen. His father's booming voice filled the entire house, and from the sound of his speech, Seeley could tell that he was drunk. He closed his eyes for a moment, cringing at the sharp tone of his father's tongue, trying to will the warm feeling that he had been feeling back into his heart. He breathed deeply the smell of the spruce tree, tinsel, and of the popcorn that he and Jared had threaded together and placed across the tree. He tried to imagine Christmas morning, bounding down the stairs with Jared, the gifts under the tree, the smile on his mother's face, and the… glass of egg nog in his father's hand.

Seeley sighed and opened his eyes again, now he was staring through the tree into the eyes of his little brother, a mischievous grin spread over the six-year-old's face. "MOM!" he shouted as he stared at his brother's scowl. "Mom! Seeley is behind the tree again!" He exclaimed, running as quickly as he could back into the kitchen, Seeley took a step to chase him and changed his mind. He crossed his arms over his chest and slammed his back into the corner once again, his eyes narrowed in irritation. He could hear his brother's over excited voice going on and on in the kitchen, and he closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

He waited… and then he sensed another presence in front of him. He breathed deeply, expecting the smell of bourbon and cigarettes, and instead was greeted with the scent of a light perfume, a bit of Italian seasoning, and a hint of cinnamon. His eyes opened, and he tipped his head up, his mother's warm, brown eyes looking down on him. "Seeley…?" She said softly. "Why don't you come out from behind the tree… help me set the table for dinner?" She asked, watching her son's thoughtful eyes as he watched her. He didn't say a word, just watched her expression.

"Jared told on me." He whispered grumpily.

"Your brother is just excitable… he's a little boy, after all…"

"I'm still a little boy, too." He whispered.

"You're my little boy." She replied. "Come out from behind the tree, Seeley…"

"He's drunk again." He said, noting the hurt in his mother's eyes, he immediately regretted his words.

"He's your father… he loves you."

"He loves drinking more than he loves me." Seeley whispered.

"Seeley!" His mother said as she shook her head, the concern in her eyes for her son's thoughts was evident, but she also didn't like the way he was thinking.

"I'm sorry, Mom." He whispered, hanging his head as he stared at his socked feet, wishing that the floor would swallow him whole. "I'll set the table in a second." He whispered, waiting for his mother to leave. She stood in front of the tree for several more moments, watching her son as he stand behind the tree.

"I love you, Seeley." She whispered, turning around she disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving him with his thoughts.