Author's Note: Hope you're enjoying these. This story is set in present time, everything through mid season seven cannon implied, no spoilers.
"It's leaning to the left."
"No, it's leaning backwards."
Booth tore off a piece of cardboard from the box that the tree had came in, then crawled underneath to position it to keep the tree from leaning in whatever direction it was leaning. He had no idea if it would work but after a few minute of tinkering and yanking around on the tree his critics proclaimed it "perfect."
Crawling out from the tree, Brennan helped him knock the stray plastic needles off of his shirt. She had wanted a real tree but Booth was concerned about the fire hazard and they'd eventually comprised on a very convincing looking spruce, with an astoundingly high price tag.
"Where are the ornaments?" Parker asked with a frown.
"Oh, I don't have any. The only time I've put a Christmas tree up in my home, Dad did it. I guess he took them back with him."
"I must've sent mine to storage. I didn't have nearly enough to fill this tree even if we did go get them." Booth looked up at the enormous tree. He had to admit that a smaller tree would've looked out of place in their rather large family room.
Parker ran out of the room, leaving the two adults to exchange curious looks with one another. He returned with his backpack and after a few minutes fishing around he pulled out a snowflake made from paper. "We made these at school today. We could hang them on the tree."
Brennan smiled at the hand cut designs, "That's perfect Parker."
She helped him place the snowflakes around the massive tree as Booth watched, "Yeah, that's not nearly enough."
After looking at the rather pathetic image of four small snowflakes adorning the massive tree, Brennan and Parker had to agree with him. The three of them thought silently for a moment before Parker spoke, "We can make more." Leave it to the kid to come up with the easiest solution.
"I'll go get some paper and scissors," Brennan left to go retrieve the supplies from her office.
"And I'll go pop some popcorn."
"Are you hungry Dad?"
"You'll see," Booth smiled as he headed toward the kitchen.
Together they made dozens of snowflakes, some ornate, some large, others irregular shaped and small. Each taking their time, making precise cuts, then unfolding their creations hoping to best the others. When one turned out almost microscopic Parker held it up and announced, "This one's for the baby."
Booth strung the popcorn and ran to the store for cranberries to add to the mix. He also brought a few candy canes along with him. When Brennan saw the string he used for the strands of popcorn and berries, she got the idea to gather some of the jewelry she no longer wore. She took the beads and jewels off the pieces and used the string to create glimmering balls of gold and silver. Then she found some wrapping ribbon she had left over from last Christmas. After some quick Googling, the three of them were able to fashion crude, yet rather lovely bows.
Two hours later the trio sat on the floor of their multi-million dollar home, each sucking on a candy cane. There was a fire flickering in their marble fireplace, their ten foot tree towering over them, as they admired their handmade decorations.
Booth glanced toward the fire place and realized what they'd forgotten. "We need stockings."
"Can we just buy those?" Parker yawned from his position sitting between them, leaning heavily on Brennan's shoulder, already half asleep.
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," Bones agreed.
In the years to come the Booths would fill their tree with more ornaments that their children had made. They also made a point in picking up ornaments when they traveled and their tree told the story of their time together. There'd be memories from New York, the Grand Canyon, Disney World, and their trips to Europe, among others. Booth retrieved his old treasures from storage and added a few new ones of his own, mostly sports related. Angela made a habit of buying Brennan an ornament every year to mark the ages of her children, starting with their "Baby's First Christmas" ones and those were sprinkled in with all the others.
Eventually the tree was busting with ornaments and memories. But for Booth, Brennan and Parker nothing would ever replace the memory of their very first family Christmas tree with its decorations made from love on a cold snowy night in December when they were just learning how to be a family.