A/N: KNOCK KNOCK.

Now this update comes unusually early, huh? You may consider this chapter a Christmas present from me. Or just a present for the ones who don't celebrate, like my family.

I know that Claire and Josh probably sound a little lot more grown up than they should, but I tried. Right?

KTF CLM

24th of December 2028

It was just past 7 pm when the last of Eureka's residents switched on their festive lights. Christmas carols could be heard all around town, mostly sung by high tech houses or holograms. However, the melodic sounds Zane Donovan heard when he entered his home were by far more comforting and familiar. Which suited him just fine, considered that his laboratory at GD almost exploded about two hours ago. Again.

The researcher quietly closed the front door behind himself, smiling as soon as he recognized the voices emanating from the living room. He tried his very best to keep quiet as he made his way to the source of the harmonic noises, hoping he could catch a look of the peaceful image before they noticed him approaching this time around.

Leaning against the wall in the hall, he glanced over his shoulder. And indeed, he spotted Claire on the left side of the sofa. She was singing a Christmas song in almost fluent Spanish on top of her lungs, strumming the strings of the seemingly huge guitar resting on her lap. On the other end of the couch, Jo was sitting crisscross and singing along the lines. Her black hair was falling over her shoulders, framing her face. She looked adoringly at Claudia, who she held sitting upright between her knees. The one year old might not realize much of what was happening around her, but she looked happy.

Zane managed to silently observe the scene for all of twenty seconds, before they were interrupted by steps running down the stairs. The man turned his head, catching sight of his twelve year old son. Joshua had a pair of high tech goggles sitting on top of his messy hair, an early Christmas present. He chuckled when he saw his older younger sister, who was still struggling with the instrument. She was good with music, but she was also still a nine year old kid. She almost completely disappeared behind the guitar, much to her older brother's amusement.

It was obvious that he was about to drop a comment, but their father quickly stepped in between. Jo smiled at her husband, finally looking up from the baby.

"Hey, Rocky Road. I take it you guys stopped the end of the world without me once again?"

Despite her calm and sincere expression, Zane saw sadness in her eyes. And he knew why. There was no question that Jo loved spending time with their children, but she also missed her job every time someone kept her away from it. He remembered how her mood had dropped ten years ago, once she realized that another pregnancy meant that she had to stay at home for another year while the guys got all the action. It was almost like living with her brothers all over again, but in this case her stubbornness was to no avail. She couldn't just risk her life to prove herself again. She had kids and a husband to come home to, and the last thing she wanted was to leave hers the way her mother left them.

And the last thing he wanted was to make her feel useless.

"Yeah, we somehow managed the situation. But if you would've been there, we could've both been home hours ago."

He smiled sincerely, leaning down to leave a kiss on his wife's forehead and earn a grateful smile in return. Of course, she knew what he was doing. But she appreciated it, more than she cared to admit.

Zane lowered his gaze to meet his youngest child's, and Jo could swear that she saw both of their expressions brightening. He carefully took Claudia's tiny hand in his, pressing a cautious kiss onto the soft surface.

"Hey there, Claude."

He took a moment to study the girl's reaction, but then turned to look at his older daughter. He smirked sheepishly, pointing at the guitar. "Sounded good. I bet Vince would let you play at Café Diem. You know, once you're tall enough to carry the guitar on your own."

The girl rolled her eyes at the last part, even though she was still fighting her pride. She looked down at the instrument, not daring to show shyness.

Zane got up and approached his son, giving his very best not to smirk as he nodded towards the goggles.

"Testing the limits of our home lab?"

Joshua merely nodded, already seeing the next part coming. It was the Donovan standard conversation.

"How many laws did we break this time?"

The boy tried to fight the sheepish smirk crossing his lips, but failed.

"Only the laws of physics."

"Josh?"

His father raised an eyebrow, obviously still waiting for further information. But his son simply shrugged, rolling his eyes.

"Relax, dad. You know the deal. I'm just working on my school project."

"And?"

"And it's nothing the lab's miniature EM barrier couldn't contain. Don't. Worry."

Zane sighed in defeat. The small version of the town's electromagnetic shield had been a compromise made after several discussions about the rules both father and son ignored every so often. The suggestion had come from Henry, and he quickly had Sheriff Carter and Jo on his side. After all it worked well in his garage. Most of the time.

Joshua continued his way to his original destination, namely the kitchen. The second he walked out of the room, Claire set down her guitar. A flash of curiosity appeared in her brown eyes before she turned to face their mother.

"Mom, do we still have gingerbread in the kitchen?"

"Sure. I left it on the counter. But please, don't eat all of them."

"C'mon. Do I look like Uncle Jack?"

The girl's rhetorical question once again had her mother in between smirking and glaring, but she was out of the room before the woman had a chance to decide.

Once she had caught up with her older brother, Claire almost immediately received a side glare though.

"What do you want, Claire?"

"Gingerbread," She replied innocently, smiling overly sweetly. The girl climbed onto the counter just beside the plate she spotted from afar, snatching some of the pastries. But then she crossed her ankles, and a devious shimmer appeared in her eyes. "Also, I highly recommend you tell me what you're actually working on."

"No." His sister had barely finished her sentence when he cut her off. Of course, he knew this was coming. But that didn't make it any less annoying.

"Oh, I think yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Claire, quit it. I won't tell you."

"Why?"

"Why should I tell you?"

As soon as Joshua sat down on a chair and set his cup of Vincent's homemade cacao on the table, Claire jumped off the counter and approached him again. While he was visibly getting annoyed and frustrated, she only seemed to get more determined now that they saw eye to eye.

"Because I want in on your little secret, or else."

"Or else?"

The girl smirked knowingly, since she knew she had the upper hand now. And if he was being honest with himself, he knew that too.

"We both know that I'll figure this out either way. And then, I'm going to tell mom and dad." She paused for a moment, thinking about what she just said. And how conversations like that usually ended in this house. "Or just mom."

Joshua was about to say that she would never do that, but nine years of growing up with her taught him otherwise. In general, she was loyal to her friends and family. But when she had her mind set on a goal, he wouldn't dare to doubt that she would walk over dead bodies on her way. She definitely got that from their mother.

Claire crossed her arms in front of her chest, staring straight into her older brother's eyes. He swallowed silently, obviously still searching for a way out. But he couldn't find one. Eventually, he sighed in defeat.

"How do I know you won't sell me to the wolves either way?"

"You don't."

She shrugged sheepishly, smirking as if she was ten feet tall. For such a small girl, she sure as hell knew how to make taller people feel like ants underneath the lens. But he gathered up his guts, looking at her with a seriousness she would usually tease him for.

"Clary, I'm serious. If I tell you, you have to keep quiet for once."

His sister studied him, curiosity growing. And maybe she was even, only a little bit, concerned.

"Why do I get a feeling that we're dealing with something that could get you kicked out of the country?"

"Well, if by 'kicked out' you mean that I might have to move to another state and get a new identity, you might be right."

For about a minute, silence took over the kitchen. Neither of the siblings said anything. It was like they both disappeared in their thoughts. Joshua just hoped that he hadn't told her too much, that she would decide to support him in this. Meanwhile, Claire's mind was running wild. What could he possibly have gotten himself into? It wasn't like her twelve year old brother was cold enough to risk so much for nothing.

"I'm in."

Even though his sister's voice sounded uncharacteristically small, it was still loud and determined enough for Josh to understand it. And still, he had a little trouble believing what she said.

"You do realize I didn't even tell you what you're signing up for, right?"

Claire rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath in. He knew what that meant. She was about to start talking touchy feely, and they both knew how much she hated that.

"Alright, Josh. Listen up, because I'll only say this once. You're my brother. We're family. And that's pretty much the only thing in the world that means more to me than music. So if you're willing to risk so much for this, I've got your back."

He raised an eyebrow, but the smirk was returning to his lips. "I'd rather you'd stand beside me. I don't want to end up being shoved down the stairs."

The siblings shared one of their rare sincere smiles, hidden behind mocking smirks and glares. She hesitated for a few seconds, eventually deciding to hold out her hand towards him. Looking down at the formation of her fingers, Joshua raised a teasing eyebrow.

"Pinky Promise? Seriously, Clary?"

She nodded firmly, dropping her gaze and raising her hand a little more to clarify the situation. "Dead serious."

He stared at her, but quickly decided to cut this short and give in. She grinned triumphantly, shrugging unapologetically.

"Well, mom and dad always wanted us to work together. Didn't they?"