It was a week before Christmas and the Booth household was its usual Christmas wonderland inside and out. The tree had been up and fully decorated since the day after Thanksgiving. Small gifts appeared under it now and then. Christine checked under the tree every day when she got home from preschool, today was no exception. "Mommy, theirs a present with my name on it under the tree…"

"Really?"

"Yep. It's from Daddy. Can I open it now?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Christine, we'll open everything Christmas morning like we do every year. That's only in five more sleeps. Plus we can't open presents without Parker here…"

"When is he coming home again?"

"Tomorrow. We're all going to get up very early in the morning, earlier than you get up to go to school, and go to the airport to pick him up. Then we'll go to the diner for breakfast after that we'll all come home and take a nap. Then when we wake up we'll make cookies and do some other fun things."

"Yea!" Just then Booth came through the door. "Daddy!" Christine ran to Booth, he easily picked her up and kissed her cheek.

"Hi Angel. Did you have fun at preschool today?"

"Yeah, we made ornaments and had a party!"

"Cool. Did you hang your ornaments on the tree yet?"

"Nope…"

"Well, go get 'em and I'll help you hang them…"

"Okay…." Booth lowered Christine to the floor and watched as she ran to her backpack and pulled out a Christmas tree made of Popsicle sticks that were painted bright green and had small different colored dots painted on it for lights and small shapes for ornaments. And a clothespin Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. She ran back to Booth. "See, Daddy?"

"Christine those are so cool! Where do you want to put them on the tree?"

"Up high!"

"Okay." Booth picked Christine up and walked over to tree and waited patiently as she decided where to place the ornaments. A little bit later Brennan walked over to the tree and looked at Christine's ornaments. "Booth, Christine's ornaments are cute! They're whimsical…"

Booth slipped an arm around Brennan and pulled her back to him and kissed her hair. "They are. I love them."

"Me too."

"We're lucky, Bones. We get a whole tree of homemade ornaments and other gifts. I didn't get much of that stuff from Parker, he always gave the ornaments to Rebecca to put on their tree because he saw it more than he saw mine…"

"I'm sorry Booth."

"It's okay, it used to get me down a little that he didn't get to spend as much time with me as we both wanted. Then one day I realized how lucky I was to have the little time I did get. So many parents don't get as much as I did. I can't wait until we pick him up tomorrow. I get to spend 17 days with both of my kids!"

Brennan smiled and kissed Booth. "I'm looking forward to it also. Christine is so excited, I doubt she'll sleep tonight."

"I know I won't…"

"Which is why we're going to the diner for breakfast after we pick Parker up then coming home for a nap. Everyone will need one…"

A/N: See you tomorrow for day 7…