This chapter is somewhat happier than the previous ones...hope you like it :)

Christine tiptoes out of her bedroom at ten minutes after six and creeps across the hall. She lightly knocks on Parker's door, and when he fails to answer her, she turns the knob and walks in. She climbs on his bed and jumps up and down. "Wakey, wakey, Parky. It's Christmas!" She drops to her knees and shakes him awake.

Parker covers his head with a pillow. "Teeny, go back to sleep," he grumbles.

"But it's Christmas!" She tugs on his shirt. "I don't think you heard me, Parky. I said it's Christmas!" She pauses. "And it's snowing!"

He cracks open an eye and looks at the clock. "Christine, it's the butt crack of dawn."

"It's Christmas!"

"It'll still be Christmas four hours from now." He grunts when he feels her tug on his shirt sleeve again.

"C'mon, Parky! We gotta see if Santa came."

He rolls his eyes and pulls the sheets over his head.

She pulls the sheet away and bounces on her knees, rocking the mattress.

"For the love of God," he mutters. He rolls onto his back and sits up, scrubbing his face. He narrows his eyes and stifles a yawn. "Do you have any idea what time it is, Teeny?"

"Christmas time!" She jumps off the bed and yanks on his arm. "C'mon."

"Bones and dad are still sleeping."

"First we see if Santa came, then we wake mommy and daddy." She practically drags him to the door, running right into her father. She stops and tilts her head up. "Daddy, it's Christmas!"

Booth runs his hand back through his hair. "It's six in the morning, Princess."

She shrugs. "So?"

Booth bends his knees and scoops her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

She squirms and kicks, giggling. "Daddy, put me down!"

Booth looks at his son. "You can go back to bed, Bub."

Parker rolls his eyes. "Like that's gonna happen." He walks across the hall and disappears into the bathroom, wincing slightly.

"Is something wrong, buddy?"

Parker stops and looks at his dad, shaking his head. "My leg's been aching lately. I think it's the cold weather. It's not too bad. It's worse in the morning, though. Nothing some Advil can't help."

Booth nods. "Yeah." He pauses. "There's a heating pad in the hall closet. It works great for those kinds of aches and pains."

Parker yawns. "Your feet?"

"Among other things, yeah." Booth smiles faintly and sets a still squirmy and giggly little girl on his hip. He kisses her cheek and looks back at Parker. "Come downstairs when you're done, unless you change your mind and want to go back to bed."

Parker nods and heads into the bathroom, shutting the door.

Booth looks at Christine and starts to walk towards the stairs. "Let's go see if you've been naughty or nice this year, Baby."

"I've been very nice, daddy."

He carries his daughter downstairs and sets her down in the foyer. He's not the least bit surprised when she immediately takes off and heads into the living room. He follows her and clears his throat. "Not so fast, Princess. You can look in your stocking, but you gotta wait to open your presents until Henry and your mom are awake."

She sighs. "Why? I'm awake and the presents are here now."

He gives her a stern look. "I could just bring you upstairs and tuck you back into bed. Is that what you want?"

She relents, sitting on the floor in the giant pile of presents. She tugs her overflowing stocking off the coffee table, it falling with a thump into her lap.

"I'll be right back."

"Are you making coffee, daddy?"

He nods. "Yeah. Would you like some?" He jokes.

She screws up her face and sticks out her tongue. "Blech."

He laughs and heads into the kitchen. "I'm watching you, Baby, so don't even try and open up one of your presents."

She sighs, grunting and withdrawing her hand from one of her nearby gifts in defeat.

He returns a few minutes later with a steaming cup of black coffee. He sits on the couch and watches his daughter empty her stocking. He takes a sip of his coffee and smiles at the joy displayed all over Christine's face. He looks around the living room and something suddenly catches his eye, something he forgot was there. He sets his mug down and picks up the small wrapped box resting on the table. He runs his hand over the label and sighs.

She looks up when she hears a sniffle and rises to her feet. She scurries over to her dad and bumps into his leg on purpose. She points to the gift in his hands and furrows her brows. "Did Santa get you a present too?"

He doesn't realize he's crying until he feels a little hand touch his wet cheek.

"You can't be sad on Christmas. It's Christmas!"

He tilts his head and meets his daughter's caring but confused blue eyes. "I'm okay, Princess."

"You're crying." She pauses. "Are you sad 'cause Santa didn't get you a big gift? You can have one of my presents. I got plenty, daddy."

He smiles and lifts her up, setting her on his lap. He wraps his arms around her waist and kisses the side of her head. "Thanks, Baby."

"Are you gonna open your present?" She pokes the box.

"This isn't my present."

"Is it for mommy? Are you trying to steal mommy's presents, daddy? That's not very nice. She'll get mad at you."

He shakes his head. "It's not mom's present either."

"Parker's?"

"No."

"Henry's?"

"No."

"There's nobody else here, daddy."

He sighs and removes his thumb from over the label.

She looks down and reads the small, legible handwritten address. Her eyes well up with tears the second she reads the name. "Are you," she sniffles, "sending that to Heaven?"

He swallows and wipes away a tear that dripped onto the wrapping paper.

"If we put it in the fireplace, Santa will come back and take it up to Heaven."

He smiles sadly at his daughter's wild imagination and kisses her temple. He puts the gift on the coffee table and nudges her shoulder. "Go look at the rest of your stocking, Princess."

She wraps her arms around him and presses a kiss to his cheek. She pulls back and smiles. "Don't be sad, daddy. It's Christmas and Santa will get the present to Popsicle soon." She slips from his lap and pads over to her discarded stocking.

Ten minutes later, Brennan walks down the stairs behind Parker with Henry tucked in the crook of her arm. She yawns and swallows as she pads into the living room. She places a hand on her partner's shoulder the second she sees the gift and gives it a tender squeeze.

Booth tips his head back and smiles. "Good morning, Bones."

"Good morning, Booth. Merry Christmas." She lowers Henry into his arms and then walks around the couch, sitting beside him.

"Merry Christmas to you too." Booth pauses. "I made coffee." He adjusts his son in his arms, putting one of his Santa-printed socks back on his foot. "Merry Christmas, Little Man." He plays with the infant's fingers and smiles at him, his eyes still glossed over with a thin layer of unshed tears, but the sadness melting away as he watches as his son smiles and blow bubbles, his eyes wide and exploring.

Christine looks at her dad. "Since mommy, Parky, and Little Alien are awake now, can I open my presents, daddy? You said so."

Booth nods. "Go ahead."

"Wait." Brennan gets up and heads into the hall. She returns with the video camera and sits back down on the couch. She turns it on and gets it set up. "Okay, Honey, go ahead." She presses record quickly, not wanting to miss a second of this.

Parker walks around the back of the couch and stands in front of his dad. "You want the little guy in the video, don't ya, dad?"

Booth nods.

Parker takes his baby brother into his arms and carries him over to where Christine is excitedly ripping away the wrapping paper. He sits down on the floor and sits Henry in his lap, kissing the top of his head. "This is the best seat in the house, mister." He pauses. "Now store this away for future reference. This is how not to open your presents." He laughs and lifts his brother up by his waist, lowering him down slowly on his feet.

After Christine finishes opening every one of her gifts, Parker takes his turn, giving Henry to Booth for the time being. He lets out an exasperated sigh. "More underwear, really? If there's an apocalypse and somehow all the washers crap out, I'll be set. I now have enough boxers and socks to last me at least a couple years without the need to do laundry." He shakes his head and grabs the last unopened present. He shakes it, listening closely. It's a tiny box, so he almost missed it. He furrows his brow, unsure what to make of the small gift. Nothing he asked for fits in a box this little. He tears off the paper and lifts the lid. "No. No freakin' way!" He looks at his dad and stepmom. "Are you serious?"

Brennan glances at Booth and they share a smile. She looks at Parker and her smile widens, seeing the surprise and joy on his face—it's contagious. "You deserve it, Parks."

"You guys got me a car!" He leaps up, his tiredness and aching bones be damned, and throws himself at the two adults, hugging them.

Christine, feeling left out, joins in, squeezing her way between her mom and her big brother.