(Season 12)

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Christmas morning was the usual chaos of paper torn from packages, boxes opened, presents admired and children so overwhelmed they didn't know what to play with. Loving the moment, Booth sat on the floor with Hank and Christine and played with the Lincoln Logs Brennan had found online. Hank sat on his lap while Christine sat next to him and they strategized what they were going to build.

Happy and relaxed, Brennan watched the quiet intensity of her children as they helped their father build a small cabin. The previous year, she had almost lost her husband when he had tried to help his brother recover a list of FBI undercover informants. He had sustained a wound that should have killed him, but thankfully hadn't. Booth had found a way to stop his blood loss long enough to get help. She and her friends had worked hard to find Booth and they had found him while there was still time to save his life. Grateful that he had recovered from his ordeal, she watched him sitting on the floor laughing while the children played with him and knew that this is what she wanted. A happy and healthy family.

After a while, the children managed to get the cabin built and boasted of their feat to their mother. "It is time for everyone to get dressed. Booth, if you're going to go to church, you need to dress soon."

"I'll help Hank get dressed, Bones." So far, Christmas was everything Booth wanted it to be.

While her family dressed for church, Brennan picked up the wrapping paper and empty boxes and stuffed them into a trash bag. Next, she organized the presents into piles and would carry them into the children's room while they were at church. She had considered going to church this year, but in the end, she didn't go. She wanted to use the time to prepare for Christmas dinner. It was her intention to meet her family after church at the Royal Diner for brunch as she did every year. Her children loved to eat at the Diner and Brennan and Booth liked to take them there as a special treat.

Once she had the house to herself, Brennan carried the children's presents into their bedrooms except for Christine's new bicycle. She placed that in the garage. The living room almost clutter free, Brennan entered the kitchen and prepped fresh vegetables for the dinner. Once that was done, she placed them in the fridge, wiped down the counters and went to her bedroom to get ready to meet her family. While she was changing clothes, she noticed an envelope on the dresser addressed to her. The envelope was stamped with a lot of blue stars surrounding a red heart with a small blue star in the center of the heart. They had been drawn on the envelope with a magic marker and whoever had drawn the stars and heart had done it with a neat hand.

Curious, she carried the envelope over to her bed, sat down and opened the envelope. Inside was a sheet of paper, a letter.

Dear Bones,

First off, Merry Christmas. I hope you are having a wonderful day. I really wanted to be there on Christmas Day, but since I was there on Thanksgiving, I felt that I needed to be here with Mom for Christmas.

I really enjoyed being there for Thanksgiving. The kids are growing so fast and it seems like I miss out so much being away from them. They are a reminder that time doesn't stand still and it keeps marching along whether I am there or not.

The past year was hard on everyone and although I have already said this, I feel like I need to say this again. Thank you for not giving up on Dad and saving him last year when Uncle Jared was killed. I know Dad was in the hospital for a week and Mom was afraid that he had been so badly injured he might not survive. We prayed for him and I also said a special prayer for you. I know when things are grim and looking bad, I know that you are there to help my Dad through the worse of it just like he is there for you.

I love you, Bones. I've loved you since I was a little kid and before you and Dad got together. You were so cool and you taught me a lot of stuff that Dad or my Mom didn't know. Who else would have told me that an adult lion's bladder when full holds 1500 milliliters of urine and that termites fart the most and you can't hear them? You taught me a lot about science and math and you let me and Dad swim in your swimming pool when you lived in an apartment. You didn't have to do those things. You did them because you wanted to and I loved you for that. I still do.

I wished I lived there and not here in England, but I only have two more years of school and then I will be going to University. My plan is to go to college in the United States. I'm already collecting information from various Universities and applications. What I would like to do is to go to Georgetown for a degree in English with a minor in writing. If I can swing that I would like to live with you guys while I'm going there. That would save Mom and Dad some money, since they would only have to cover tuition and books. I hope that will be okay. We can talk about it when I come back to see you guys next Summer. Don't be afraid to tell me no. I know you and Dad have the kids to take care of and your jobs. I don't want to be a burden.

Anyway, I can always get an apartment near you guys and visit and I think that will be a lot of fun. I want to see the kids and be with them before they grow up and don't need me around. I don't want to be a stranger to them.

Well, that's all for now. I hope you and Dad and Christine and Hank have a great holiday and a Happy New Year. On New Year's Eve, I'm going to stay up to see the new year come in. I plan to stand in my backyard and look up at the North Star. If you and Dad have the time, please go outside and look at the star at midnight. It would be cool if we can share that moment. I know there is a five hour difference between us, but staring at the star at midnight would still be a shared experience.

I love you, Parker

The letter was sweet and Brennan knew that she and Booth would make sure they shared that moment with Parker. It was something he wished to share with them and Brennan wanted to grant him that experience. Even though he was her stepson, Brennan had thought of Parker as her son for a long time. She loved him and when it was time for him to attend college, she hoped he would be able to live with them. Their family would be complete.

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The word of the day was star. This was the last word in the list. I hope you found these little stories to be entertaining.