Author's Note: This story is actually 12 separate stories. Some are set in the past, some in the present and some in the future. Some are sweet, some are funny and others are full of angst. Some are slice of life stories, others internal monologues, and yet others are something quite different. Most are told from Brennan's point of view. They have the common theme of Christmas tying them together. No spoilers for future episodes and all stories set in the future are told within the universe I created for Booth & Brennan in "A Very Boothy Thanksgiving."

I got the idea for these stories from a review left on that story by ya-fic and I have to give them credit for the title. I also have to thank Frankie707 and Rynogeny for all their help in getting these stories written. You are both awesome Betas and have become two of my very best Bones friends.

As with my Thanksgiving story, I plan to post a chapter each day between now and the holiday. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X

It was barely five am when Booth and Brennan were woken by an unidentified flying object landing upon them with an astounding thump. Only it wasn't so unidentified, it was their three year old daughter Alice. And her new friend.

"Wook! Wook! Mama wake up!" Alice banged Elmo's head against her mother's pillow to emphasize each word. The last strike actually hit Brennan on top of her own head, effectively waking her.

Still groggy from her abbreviated night's sleep, Brennan reached up and stopped her daughter from landing another blow to her head. "I see baby, what do you have there?"

"Santa brought Elmo! Wook," she pressed the button on Elmo's belly and he started to sing a rap version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Alice danced along with the doll, her parents not even attempting to stifle their laughter as they sat up in bed to watch.

As Booth joined in, singing along with Elmo, Brennan remembered the night before.

"Damn it," Booth shouted as he pulled his hand back from the offending toy.

"Booth, be quiet, the children will hear you," Brennan exclaimed from her position by the fireplace where she was placing gifts into all four of their stockings.

"I just broke my hand trying to put this doll house together."

"I'm quite certain that it isn't literally broken."

"You may be the world's most renowned forensic anthropologist Bones, but you do not have x-ray vision."

She took his hand in hers and examined it closely, ending with a hard press to the bruised digit, "If the metacarpal were fractured, you would've yelled."

"But you told me not to yell."

"Can we just finish putting the Santa gifts out Booth? You're the one who insists that we go to such elaborate lengths to trick our daughter every year."

"It's not elaborate to put out gifts underneath the tree Bones."

"You sat out milk and cookies, which you then had to eat massive amounts of, since our daughter hypothesized that Santa has a large appetite."

"She's right, Santa's fat."

Brennan continued her speech despite his interruption, "Over indulging on cookies at this hour of night will undoubtedly cause you acid reflux if we ever get to go back to bed. And, you littered our front yard and porch with something you called Reindeer Food. The substance appeared more like standard oats to me, but you have quite detailed packaging that ensures that it is in fact food specifically intended for Santa's flying reindeer. Never mind, that no reindeer would ever scientifically be able to achieve the thrust and velocity necessary for flight."

"Isn't it worth it when we see her face though?" Booth looked up from the dollhouse, using his uninjured left hand to tighten a bolt.

"I have to admit that I do quite enjoy seeing her reactions. I just believe that it should be easier to achieve such an effect."

He ignored her logic and continued his work on the dollhouse, "And weren't you the one who assaulted a small child at Target to get the Elmo doll?"

"I did not assault a small child. I assaulted a grown woman. The child was attempting to take my doll away. I simply kept him from his intended goal."

"Face it Bones, we're stuck doing this for as long as Alice believes in Santa," he motioned to indicate all the toys that were now surrounding the tree, "And you like it as much as I do."

She smiled at him, "I suppose, if I were being honest, yes, I do rather enjoy spending these nights with you while we pretend to be Santa. Although if our daughter would've gone to sleep at a more reasonable hour than we wouldn't be here at three am still working on the deception. And the reason that she did not go to sleep at her usual bedtime is because you had her hyped up on sugar and excited about the prospect of an imaginary fat man breaking into our home and leaving her toys after she fell asleep."

"Don't call it a deception."

"But that's what it is."

"It's more pretend than deception, okay?"

"Fine, I'll accept that as a compromise."

They stopped arguing long enough to step back and admire their handiwork. They had bought enough small gifts to cause each stocking to bulge. Brennan had taken the opportunity to purchase stocking stuffers for herself as well. She filled her stocking with makeup, brushes and lotions that she had needed for a while. Booth's stocking was filled with various brightly colored socks that Parker had helped his stepmom pick out. Bones had also secured season tickets to the Flyers which she hid within a pair of the socks. Parker's own stocking held several gift cards, candy, and the new iPhone complete with every accessory Bones could find. The last gift had nearly led to World War III with Rebecca when Booth had told her about their plans. In the end she had relented when he promised to let her give Parker the newest game system. Bones had then proceeded to pout for a week over Booth's compromise with his ex. Alice's stocking was stuffed with play makeup, as she was really starting to enjoy using her mother's very expensive eye shadow. There were also coloring books, crayons and colorful socks to match her dad's.

Underneath the tree, in front of the wrapped gifts that had been there for weeks, Booth and Brennan put out the gifts that were from Santa Claus. The largest was the dollhouse that had taken Booth way too long to put together, despite the directions proclaiming the process to be 'quick and easy.' Once he had it assembled, Brennan had filled it with the tiny dolls and doll furniture that came along with it. There was also a toy car that the little girl could sit in and propel with her feet. Booth had called it a Flintstones' car but Brennan hadn't quite understood. There were also a couple large stuffed bears. Alice had always loved bears, much to her mother's dismay. To keep up appearances, they had bought a few gifts from Santa to Parker. A Phillies stadium blanket was spread out in front of the tree with half a dozen video games for his new game system along with new winter boots and a coat lying on top of the blanket.

"I think Santa did very well this year," Booth grinned.

"I think we have two very spoiled children."

"But they're good kids," Booth grinned and wrapped his arm around his wife.

"Yes, they are. We're very lucky Booth."

"I know we are. You ready for bed?"

"It's almost three and Alice will be up before dawn, I've been ready for bed for hours."

"Then put out the last gift and we can go to sleep."

"Do I have to Booth?" Brennan whined, clutching the gift tightly in her arms.

"Yes, you have to. She asked Santa for it, not you, you can't steal the credit."

"But I was the one who got it Booth, not Santa. I'm the one who risked my life for it, not him. He's the one trying to steal all the credit."

"Now who's being unreasonable?"

"Fine," Brennan relented and pulling herself from his arms, she placed the Elmo doll in front of the doll house for her daughter to find.

"That's my girl," Booth laughed as took her by the arm and lead her back toward their bedroom.

Brennan was pulled from her daydream by her daughter crawling into her lap, her impromptu concert with her Dad and Elmo now finished.

"I wuv Santa Mama," Alice declared as she hugged her Elmo tightly to her chest.

"Do you love Santa Claus more than you love me?" Brennan teased as she squeezed her daughter tightly to her chest. Booth suppressed a laugh, knowing that her question wasn't completely a joke.

"Nu-huh. Him is just here once a year, you is always here. I love you and Daddy the most."

Booth was relieved that his daughter had seemed to inherit his ability to know exactly what to say to reassure Bones about her ability to be part of a family.

"Hey, how about me?" Parker asked from where he stood in the doorway, his sleepy eyes half open and his blond curls lopsided on his head.

Alice smiled at the sight of her brother, "I wuv you too silly, I just didn't know you was there."

"Did Santa bring me presents?"

"Yeah, there is lots of stuff, can we go now. Please?"

Booth sighed, remembering all the years of playing Santa for Parker, who was now helping play along for his baby sister. He missed his little boy and he grieved for the Christmas mornings missed when he was with his mother, but he couldn't be any more proud of the young man Parker was becoming.

As the children rushed off to scope out their gifts, Parker having overheard part of the fight between his parents and anxious to retrieve his phone, Booth and Brennan shared an early morning kiss.

"You better be glad that she still loves me more than Santa."

"When she stops believing you can tell her the story of how Mommy beat up a little boy to buy her the Rapping Elmo doll when she was three. Okay?"

Brennan smiled, as she slipped out of bed and walked toward the family room, "That seems reasonable."