Disclaimer: Don't own Bones nor will I ever. I don't own any of the stories some of the chapters are based on either, nor the songs (I tried to find the original artists for these but if I couldn't then I settled on the ones that are either well-known or I liked best) and the quotes.

There are ten stories in this story that are going to be posted on a Thursday and Sunday before the big day, each with their own little central characters, though there'll be some group chapters and they are all set in the future. There are some original characters so I will alert you at the beginning to save confusion (also Katy is Christine but I started writing her before Christine was born and I just wanted to keep the continuity in my Bones world). Some are based on classic stories and some with a modern twist with little songs or quotes at the beginning. They have been inspired by some Christmas films/TV shows.

The first one based on the Modern Family episode 'Express Christmas'. I tried not to copy the plot too much but there are elements that are similar.

Central characters: Booth, Brennan, Angela, Hodgins, Cam, Sweets, Parker, and Michael.

OC introductions: Kaitlyn 'Katy' Booth, Isabel 'Izzie' Booth, Harry Booth, Katherine 'Kathy' Hodgins, Damon Hodgins, Jordan Linder - Saroyan, and Alexandra 'Allie' Sweets.

Rocking around the Christmas tree,
At the Christmas party hop.
Mistletoe hung where you can see,
Every couple tries to stop.
Rocking around the Christmas tree,
Let the Christmas spirit ring.
Later we'll have some pumpkin pie
And we'll do some carolling.

Brenda Lee - Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

18th December 2018

"So what is everyone planning for Christmas?" Cam asked while everyone (including Booth and Sweets) was gathered around in the seating area of the Lab.

"Booth and I are taking the kids to Florida to spend Christmas with Russ and my father." Brennan said sipping her coffee.

"We're taking the kids to Atlantic City. Billy's in Europe on tour and since most of us are going away for Christmas; I immediately jumped at the chance." Hodgins said.

"Wait, everyone is going away?" said Sweets.

"Yeah. Paul's taking Jordan and me to Napa, California. Why are you and Lisa not going anywhere?" Cam asked.

"No. I thought everyone was staying here for Christmas." Sweets answered

"You could always go to Minnesota." Brennan suggested.

"Bit difficult to get a flight last-minute but that is an idea." said Sweets nodding. "It's a shame, I thought we were spending Christmas together."

"We could actually." Hodgins said getting a light bulb in his head. "We could make Christmas come a week early."

"I have to say this is the craziest idea you have come up with." said Angela shaking her head at her husband.

"Not crazy; just a simple idea. All we need is a tree, presents, food, decorations and I have an oven." explained Hodgins standing up.

"I have to admit this could work if we divide and conquer." Booth said standing next to Hodgins.

"I don't mind taking the kids to get a tree." Sweets said.

"Sweets you cannot take nine kids to get a tree. We'll have a certain amount of kids between us." Brennan said.

"Fine, I'll have Allie and Katy." Sweets said.

"I'll go shopping for presents with the twins." Angela said.

By the end of the discussion, Sweets had taken Allie, Katy to the tree lot, Angela had taken Kathy and Damon to the mall, Booth, and Hodgins had taken Parker, Harry, and Michael to get the turkey while Cam, Brennan, Izzie, and Jordan had started to decorate the Jeffersonian.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"So we need a Douglas fir, about twenty feet high" Sweets said looking at the trees.

"Do we have to be specific about a Christmas tree?" asked Katy in her usual curiosity.

"Yes. Douglas firs are less likely to produce needles and I am not having the cleaners having a pop at me for the amount of needles that fall on the floor." Sweets answered.

"Ok." The six-year-old said shrugging.

"Excuse me. How much is it for this tree?" Sweets asked the seller.

"Um… Fifty eight dollars." answered the seller looking at the price tag on the tree.

"Great. Can you strap it to the top of my car? It's the silver Honda." Sweets said handing the money over.

"Sorry. Not my job. You'll have to do it yourself." The seller walked away and Sweets followed him.

"Have you got any straps? My car isn't a Land Rover."

"Sorry dude." The seller walked away and Sweets, rather defeated, walked over to the tree.

"Right we may have to place this in the back. Can I have a hand?" Sweets asked Katy

"I'm six. You expect me to be able to carry that?" Katy said.

It was a bit much to ask a six-year-old to help him lift a tree onto the car. Maybe he could call Booth and Hodgins to help. They were around the corner after all.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Why are there different breeds of turkey?" Hodgins asked looking confused at the four types of turkeys on the shelf.

"I have no idea. Some taste better than the other I suppose." Parker answered looking equally confused. "Plus there is free range ones as well."

"We should just pick one." said Michael.

"We could but there are a lot of people to feed." Hodgins said. "Would two turkeys be enough?"

"Perhaps." the sixteen-year-old and the seven-year-old answered in unison.

"Perhaps what?" asked Booth pushing the trolley with Harry in the child seat. The one-year-old was not pleased with the idea but Booth didn't want a repeat of what happened to Parker when he was the same age.

"We should get two turkeys." Hodgins said.

"I suppose that would be enough for the majority of us. That reminds me. Can you pass the small meat substitute?" Booth said pointing to the small meat substitute above the large stacks of turkey. Parker managed to grab it and gave it to his father. "Thanks Bud."

"No problem. Do you have any idea which turkey to buy?" asked Parker.

"No. Bones usually does this." Booth answered. "Maybe we should call her to help."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Ok, so I found a whole bunch of old decorations from last year's Christmas party." said Cam walking onto the platform with a box. She placed it on the autopsy table while Brennan was sorting out some plugs.

"Great, you may have to give me a minute though." Brennan said tugging on the wire.

"I don't think that is the way to do it Doctor Brennan."

"I know but if I don't tug then it won't come out." Brennan said as she gave an even sharper tug finally pulling it out but the lights also went out. "Oh no."

Brennan stood up realising that she had blown the power out and therefore putting them under lockdown.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"We need all this as presents?" asked Kathy looking at the list.

"If we want to have Christmas today sweetie then yeah." said Angela moving around the clothes aisle to try to look for some tacky jumpers for the boys.

"Why can't we just get Santa to do it?" The five-year-old asked.

"I don't know, maybe because Santa doesn't deliver on the 18th December." responded Angela.

"Fair enough." The girl said as she tried to keep her twin close to her, just in case he did a runner. Which he was very prone at doing. She spotted a jumper saying 'sweet' on the arm. "Hey Mom, what about this?"

"Well that is your Uncle Sweets sorted." Angela said picking the item up and putting it in the cart. "See any with Booth or Hodgins on?"

"No." The two children answered.

"I can see spaceships though." Damon said pointing to the toy aisle.

"Ok, let's grab the next three jumpers we see." Angela said rolling her eyes in amusement at her son.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Any luck?" Cam asked Brennan when she got off the phone.

"There should be a sheet of paper hanging up on Hodgins' office wall that should tell us how to trick the lockdown system." answered Brennan.

"Great, I'll get that while you help the kids." Cam left the platform and Brennan watched her daughter, Izzie, and Cam's son, Jordan wrap tinsel around the bars of the platform. "Hey, Iz, Jordon. Do you need any help?" Brennan said kneeling down next to them.

"Can you pass that mistletoe over please?" asked Izzie pushing some of her brown hair out of her face. Brennan did what she was asked and Izzie attached the mistletoe to the bar.

"You two are doing a really good job of this." said Brennan.

"Thanks." They both said.

"Brennan." said Brennan answering her phone which Booth had changed the ringtone to Jingle Bell Rock.

"Hey Bones, can we have some help here?" Booth said on the other end of the phone line.

"Depends on what it is." said Brennan.

"We're at the supermarket and we have no clue as to what turkey to buy."

"I go to the Farmers Market to get the turkey. It's always fresh and free range."

"You have to be kidding me. Bones that is thirty miles away."

"Well, I'm sorry Booth but you'll have to choose the turkey yourself. You may have to take your time however."

"Why?"

"I blew the power and it triggers a lockdown."

"You guys need to get a new security system."

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Ok, we may have to resort to Eeny, meeny, miny, moe." Booth said putting his phone away.

"Bones didn't give you any clue?" asked Parker.

"If you want to travel thirty miles to the Farmers Market." answered Booth.

"It shouldn't be this hard." Hodgins said. "It's a damn turkey."

"I know but everyone is really picky. It has to be free range or Angela will not eat it, Katy doesn't like the bones and it shouldn't have any read spots." Parker said.

"The one in the middle looks about right." Michael said pointing to the turkey with the blue ribbon printed on.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Come on you -" said Sweets trying to push the tree onto the car but quickly stopped before he cursed in front of the girls. "Katy can you go and find some help, please?"

"Sure." The child said as she skipped off and Sweets still struggled to get the tree on the car.

"Come on!" He shouted.

"Need some help buddy?" Someone asked. It was a very scary biker man who was standing next to Katy.

"Um… yes." Sweets said nervously.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Ok, give it a minute and we should have the power back on." Cam said fiddling with some fuses.

"Ok, Jordan, Izzie. Stand away from the bars!" Brennan called to the children and they responded by running towards Brennan.

"Ready?" asked Cam.

"Yes." Brennan said as Cam flicked a switch and the lights came on and the lights that Brennan and the kids had wrapped around the platform came on and it looked magnificent.

"Oh wow." said Cam staring at the lights and decorations.

"I concur it looks amazing." said Brennan

"You two did a brilliant job." Cam said to the children and they smiled at their creation.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Have we missed anything?" Angela asked when she and the twins were at the checkout.

"I don't think so." Kathy said. "I think."

"Allie's doll, I forgot to pick it up." said Angela when she double-checked her items on the conveyor belt and the shopping list in her hand.

"I'll get it quickly." Damon said before jogging to the doll aisle to look for Allie's present and he spotted it. It was on the top shelf. He tried to jump up to reach it, however his legs couldn't reach it properly.

"Do you need some help?" A person said behind him. It was a shop worker who had taken pity on the small boy

"Yes I need to get that doll for a friend." Damon said pointing to the doll.

"Here let me grab that." the shop worker reached for the doll and gave it to Damon. "Here you go."

"Thank you Mr Shop Worker man." Damon said before running towards the checkout where Angela was picking out extra chewing gum and breath mints. "Mommy I have the doll." Damon said running up to the artist. "What is with all the gum?"

"You can never have too much gum Damon. Never too much." Angela answered.

bxbxbxbxbxb

"Do you need some help Dr Sweets?" asked Brennan when she saw Sweets pulling in the tree with Katy carrying the end of it with Allie trailing behind.

"You can help me push it up against the side of the platform." said Sweets. Brennan replaced her daughter and helped Sweets lean the tree in the corner of the platform.

"Couldn't you have gotten a smaller tree?" asked Brennan.

"I have already been asked that by your kid." Sweets responded. He looked at the decorations around the platform. "Wow it looks great."

"Izzie and Jordan did a very good job on the decorations while Cam and I tried to get the electric on." said Brennan.

"Hey." Booth said coming in with a turkey in his hands, followed by Hodgins carrying in some other shopping bags. "Wow, this looks great."

"I concur. Anyway how are you going to cook the turkey?" asked Brennan.

"I have an oven that should have it done in a few hours." said Hodgins.

"Can I help?" asked Katy, Parker, and Michael, all rather enthusiastically.

"Sure." Hodgins said walking into his office followed by Michael, Parker, and Katy.

"Should we get the table ready?" Booth asked.

"Sure." Brennan said.

bxbxbxbxbxb

A few hours or so later, everyone was sitting around a table on the platform when Hodgins came around with the turkey on a large plate.

"And for the piece de résistance." Hodgins said placing it in the middle of the table.

"Wow, it looks so good." said Angela.

"Thank you." Hodgins, Booth, Parker, and Michael said in unison.

"I have to admit you have outdone yourselves boys." Cam said. "How long did it take you to pick this turkey out?"

"Not long." They all replied.

"Did you go to the Farmers Market?" Brennan asked.

"No. Michael picked it out randomly." said Booth.

"Well, I have to admit it seemed impossible but this was a success." said Sweets.

"Hey, here is to a Merry Christmas wherever we are." Hodgins said raising his glass.

"Merry Christmas." Everyone said raising their glasses.

Up next: Hodgins, interns, a toddler, Finn dressed as Santa Claus and a dog race. What can go wrong?

(P.S. I can do companion pieces for certain chapters if you request it.)

Anyway I would like some constructive criticism because I did work really hard on this. Thank you.