A/N: In the spirit of sharing typical of the Holiday, I imagined 20-Davids sharing with each other their favorite and least favorite memory of Christmas time.
As team leader, Hondo goes first, and of course, his team is all ears.

Hondo's worst and best

Christmas time is here, no doubt of that. Not that fake pine trees, tinsel and holly, and some more lights all around our city will make a real difference for tucking down bad guys. But you know, people, I think we all really deserve a little bit of magic this year. Every day we get our hands so full, it's hard to bring back home our hearts all in one piece, I know that.

This year will be different from any other year. For each and every one of us. I personally have some big things on my hands. With my pops and my mama under the same roof for Christmas eve, and both my sisters, too, well guys, I'm telling you right now that I'm probably setting myself up for a big disaster. And if you add Leroy to the mix… But Darryl… the kid deserves a special Christmas. He's gonna turn eighteen next year, and I know he's already a father and has already been behind bars, but it's still just a kid. This will probably be his last chance to enjoy the spirit of the holidays like a child, and I don't want to deny him that.

I know what you're thinking right now. I've not exactly ever been in Darryl's shoes, but I know a bit of it too. This year the kid will have something he'll never forget for his life. And my family is gonna help, whether they like it or not.

Cards up, my mom had always adored Christmas. She could never afford showy decorations, but she'd always assured Winnie and me a decent Christmas tree, some lights, and loads of candles. To not talk about her gingerbread cookies and cinnamon rolls.

You can wipe your mouth, Street—yeah, okay. I'll ask my mom to bake some spare sweets to take to work.

Back to my story, when I was little, I could not go one single day of the Christmas Countdown without my mom's beautiful voice spreading the joy of the carols throughout the whole house.

Things changed when my dad left us.

Our first Christmas after that... I was fourteen, and the abrupt change in my mom's attitude got to me more than I like to admit. I'm doing my best not to hate on my pops for what he did to us, but thinking back to those days, thinking about seeing my mother like that...

That year none of us was in the mood of celebrating. We got out just a few decorations, and neither the strings of lights nor all the candles of the world could lighten up our home. Even the poor carolers—who my mom had always loved and rewarded with any kind of sweets—that year were dismissed without a chance to reach the second note of their first song.

I tell you what, back then, if you tried to tell me about the Christmas spirit and how families had to stick together, I would have punched you in the face.

However, that Christmas morning, fourteen-year-old me wanted to surprise my mama and big sis by cooking them breakfast. I got up early, got all dressed and ready, but when I got to the kitchen, my mom was already there, with her loud Christmas apron and her best smile.

Don't get me wrong now, I was glad to see her smiling, but I could just tell from her dark-circled eyes that she was putting up the act for Winnie and me only. I— I just hoped that pretending long enough, she could start believing her happiness herself.

What she said when she noticed me standing there was just, "Happy Christmas, Honey. Grab a seat. Breakfast is almost ready." She said it just like she hadn't cried her eyes out all night, and I didn't dare to contradict her.

If she could show us kindness and joy despite the weights she had inside, I knew she would do just anything for my sister and me.

I tell you this, that may have been my worst Christmas ever, but if my mom taught me anything that day, it's that you always need to go the extra mile for the people you love.

And that's what I tried to do my first year as a marine just out of the boot-camp. That one had hands down been the best Christmas of my life so far.

I had been at my assigned base for merely two months, and my unit was preparing for deployment, my first mission overseas. None of us thought he would be able to go home for Christmas, and you can guess how my mother reacted when I told her the news.

Now I will give you a minute to imagine how much the high ranks liked us at the bottom of the chain to decorate the base. Yeah, exactly. The mood around there, especially for us freshmen, was not too festive. But when the strictest sergeant in the unit came to us and gave us a free license for the holidays, the majority of us cheered and whistled—not that the sergeant appreciated. It cost us fifty extra push-ups.

You should have just seen my mama's face when I showed up at her extra-hard decorated door. I never felt more welcomed or loved. Being home after months of hard training— in every possible condition—was incredible. And the food! Have I already told you how good my mama is at cooking? You couldn't really think I learned all my tricks on my own, right?

Okay Luca. I'm sorry, man, but keep your stomach in check, would you? I could hear the rumble from here.

All right, all right, enough talking about me. Who's next?