Hello, everyone. Here is another Criminal Minds fan fiction.
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. Criminal Minds belongs to the creator, Jeff Davis. I don't own any of the original characters. I'm not going to lie, I'm uber nervous about creating this story.
In light of the holiday season, I've decided to write this one-shot story of Maddie's first Christmas. I'll post The Wake of the Kin Killer as soon as possible; I've been at school and a bad case of writer's block.
Please enjoy and please review, too; constructive criticism is always appreciated.
Happy holidays! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Christmas Eve…
Reid closed the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer book before looking down to see Maddie as he was gently rocking her to sleep. He thought she looked absolutely adorable as she was all dressed in a red check pattern pajama set, watching her close her dark eyes as she babbles.
Since almost two weeks ago and thanks to the team's suggestions, he took Maddie to visit and take a picture with Santa at the mall, made hand-and-foot printed ornaments, a card, got a customized stocking with her initials and even decorated the nursery with little snowflakes, reindeers, elves and even had a red-and-white Christmas quilt.
He had even sent some presents and heartfelt poetry letters to his mother at the mental hospital he put her in. He called her and wished her a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. He wasn't quite ready to tell his mother about Maddie, but he promised himself that he would.
"Oh, Maddie," Reid said, stroking his fingers through her hair. "Can you believe tomorrow will be your very first Christmas?"
"In a way, it's exciting, but at the same time, it's a bit sad. It's exciting because you get to spend your first Christmas with me and everyone else, but sad because you won't have your birth family with you to celebrate. But I know they'll want you to have a good Christmas."
Maddie let out a small yawn as she stretched her little arms and legs, which had Reid melting. Which also meant that she was tired. Reid laid her down in her crib and made sure she was warm enough by adjusting the temperature in the room. "You're most certainly going to need all the sleep you can get. Today will be the best day for the both of us. Night, Maddie."
Christmas Day…
Reid towers over the crib where he sees little Maddie peacefully sleeping. He gently stokes his fingers through her hair before tickling her cheeks. He watches her wake up and let out a small yawn, stretching out her tiny arms and legs. She soon set her eyes on Reid as she was holding on to his index finger with her tiny fingers and kicking her feet, smiling at him.
"Good morning, Maddie." He said, resting his arms on the crib. "Do you know what day is it? Today's Christmas." He brings her to his arms and smooches both sides of her cheeks as Maddie, letting out small babyish giggles. "That means Santa Claus is coming to town. Isn't that excited?"
Maddie claps her hands as Reid chuckles. Looking at his watch, "Oh! We better get going! We have a Christmas party to attend to, but don't worry; Santa will visit us tonight."
Reid parked the car and rushed to the back seat to unbuckle Maddie, who was all dressed up in a black shrug, red tartan dress, black tights and booties with a little dark blue bow in her hair. Grabbing the blue gift bags,
"Alright, Maddie. Let's have a good Christmas." Knocking on the front door to JJ's place,
"Hey!"
"Hey to you all and Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas to you, too! And little Maddie."
"Uncle Spencer! Maddie!" He gives Reid a hug.
"Henry! Merry Christmas to you, buddy!"
Before JJ could close the door, Morgan and Garcia; with the both of them dressed as younger versions of Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, walking up the pathway. Walking with their arms wrapped around each other, Garcia walked in with a bunch of bags hanging from her arms while Morgan carried a number of bags.
"Hey and oh, oh, oh! Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, my tiny elves!"
"Aunt Garcia!"
"Hello, little Henry! Merry Christmas from Mrs. Santa Claus, your godmother!"
"What about us?"
Hotch, with Jack by his side and Emily, walking up the pathway before stepping inside.
"Hotch! Jack! Merry Christmas to you all! Emily, you made it!"
"Of course we did. Sorry to say, but Rossi can't make it. He's spending his Christmas with his daughter and family."
"That's okay," As Reid was settling down with Maddie on the couch,
"Uh…I have an announcement to make." Everyone looked at him.
"You know I've been taking care of Maddie for a few months. Well, I've been thinking about this for a while now…and now, I plan on adopting her as my own."
Everyone's mouths, especially Morgan's and Garcia's mouths, dropped to the ground. JJ and Emily covered her mouth in complete shock. Hotch's facial expressions didn't seem to change much, but seemed to be just as surprised as everyone else.
"You are?"
"Yeah," Reid said as he was rocking Maddie on his lap as she was cooing. "And I was wondering if…you all would like to be her god-family. I know it wouldn't replace the family lost to her biological father, but I want her to know that she'll always have family with her."
"Why, of course we'll be her god-family, pretty Ricky," Morgan chuckling as he strokes through Maddie's hair. "And I promise you; we're going to protect her from anything that comes in our way."
"Yay! I have another godchild!" Garcia said, jumping up and down, clapping. "Why do you think I have all these gifts with me?"
"Don't tell me all those presents are for Maddie."
"Of course not."
The team sighed in relief before,
"Just about a quarter of these presents are for Henry." The team, mainly Reid, looked at her with complete baffled looks on their faces. "Hey! As one of the fairy godmothers, it's my job to spoil the child with love and gifts and one of my first gifts to Maddie is…give me my goddaughter…" Taking Maddie from Reid's arms before going through one of her bags,
"…This gorgeous gift box set from Ralph Lauren! And it was on sale, too! Isn't that exciting, you massive adorable pot of bubbly deliciousness?"
Emily and JJ just simply shook their heads. Hotch whispered in Reid's ear,
"Remind me after the holidays to have her drug-tested."
"I can definitely do that."
Jack and Henry stepped out from the crowd, "Uh, Aunt Garcia? Before you give Maddie her next Christmas present, we'd like to give her a present."
Will and Hotch asked, "You do?"
"Of course we do." Pulling out a red gift bag as they walked up to Maddie, who was sitting on Reid's lap, "What we got for you is…" Revealing the gift, "not one, but two ornaments…"
"…With a stocking, which we made all by ourselves." One was a painted glass ornament, the other was a snowflake with her initials on it and a stocking with a reindeer and snowflakes.
Everyone—Hotch, JJ and Will especially—was amazed and kind of touched that their sons made two worthy keepsake presents for Maddie. Reid took the presents and waved them over Maddie. "Look at that, Maddie. Jack and Henry made presents for you. Isn't that sweet?"
Maddie's face began to wrinkle up and looked as if she was about to cry. Reid watched the way she moved her body; stretching her arms out into the arms and kicking her legs.
"Hey, Maddie. What's wrong?"
"Maybe's she hungry?"
"Maybe she's tired?"
"I think I know what she wants."
"What does she want?" Emily eyes Maddie's arms reaching out for Henry and Jack munching on Christmas cookies, which made her smile inside.
"I think she wants to hug not one, but two special boys." Emily points to Henry and Jack, who were both standing in the corner.
"Aw, Maddie. You want to hug Jack and Henry?"
"She wants to hug us?" Henry said with his month full.
"Well if she does, I get to hug her first."
"Why you first?" Henry protests.
"Let's see: I'm older, bigger, wiser…"
"Uh…first of all, you're not all that wise and second of all, so?"
"So I get to hug her first. Case closed."
"No, case reopened. No, I want to."
All of a sudden, they both got into a petty argument. JJ, Will, Hotch and Reid all shook their heads, laughing. Hotch steps in,
"Alright, you two. I have an idea," They both stopped to look at Hotch. "How about you both hug her at the same time?" Looking at each other again,
"Fine." They simultaneously look at each other. Reid got up from the couch and gave Maddie to Jack.
"Oh!" Jack said as he took Maddie from Reid's arms. "You're getting bigger huh, Maddie?"
"Well, duh. Babies are supposed to get bigger." Henry said. Jack gives him an annoyed glare. Jack looks down to see Maddie resting on his shoulder as Henry rest his head on Maddie's, which had everyone melting and taking pictures.
"Isn't that sweet?"
"Little Maddie hugging her two god-brothers."
"Okay. You can have your baby back." Henry hands Maddie back to Reid. Chuckling to himself,
"Aren't your god-brothers something special?"
"Speaking of something special," Hotch said. "I have a Christmas present for her, too."
"You do? Where is it?"
Hotch pulls out a CD from his Christmas bag. Everyone else looked a bit confused.
"What's on the CD?"
"JJ?"
Taking the CD from his hand, JJ walks over to the DVD player and pops it in. Everyone else gathers around the couch as it was loading. Finally, the DVD starts playing and soon appears three children; two boys and a girl. One boy had fairly light skin, short blond hair and piercing blue eyes, the other boy had medium skin tone, dark brown curly hair and eyes and the girl had medium tan skin tone, brown curly hair and hazel-blue eyes.
"Oh my…"
"Who are they?"
"Maddie's siblings. Michael's the blond, the twins are Parker, her brother and Peyton, her sister."
"Merry Christmas!" The three children said into the camera.
"And happy holidays to all!" A woman's voice said off-screen.
The camera soon turns to a woman's face. She had flawlessly radiant light-medium tawny-copper colored skin, a very slim face with piercing upturned-almond-shaped hazel eyes, well arched eyebrows, Cupid's bow lips, high cheekbones and dimples, long neck and long wildly wavy and curly black-brown hair.
"Whoa!" Jack said as soon as he saw the woman. "Who's she?"
"That's Maddie's birth mother, Caroline." Reid sadly said. Henry and Jack looked baffled.
"That was her mother?" Henry points to Maddie and her mother on the TV screen.
"Yes."
"Well, I have to say. Her mother was very pretty."
"I second that."
"I know," Reid agreed before he looks down at Maddie. "She has her mother's eyes…"
"And her face shape." Prentiss commented.
"Just wait until she gets older." Morgan said with his arms folded.
"That's what I'm afraid."
The camera later zooms out, showing off the woman, dressed in a simple red dress and slippers, sitting on the couch, rubbing her belly while the three children were dressed in Christmas sweaters and sweatpants.
"Look, Maddie," Garcia said. "You're in your mommy's belly."
"Why did she eat Maddie?"
"She didn't eat Maddie, Henry."
"Then why is she in her belly?"
"We'll tell you when you're older…"
"Much…older." Will pats his head.
"So," Michael in the home video says directly to the screen. "To my unborn sibling who will be here in…when, mom?"
"…In about two-to-three months…"
"Two-to-three months. You will be coming soon; next year, actually. And now, today's one of the best days of the year…"
"…other than Halloween is one of the best days of the year..." Peyton pops up on screen.
"…And Thanksgiving…"
"Today we're celebrating…"
"Christmas!" Michael, Parker and Peyton said into the camera.
"Yes, Christmas! December 25 is the day of Christmas; the birth of Jesus Christ. Yesterday—December 24—was Christmas Eve."
"So tell me, children," the camera points back to Caroline. "What is the meaning of Christmas to you?"
"To me, the meaning of Christmas is being with the ones you love…"
"Especially those who know how to make sweets like these," Parker said, munching on a sandwich cookie he just grabbed off a silver platter. "And of course, giving back to those in need."
"Speaking of which, we spent two hours giving away presents to those in need at a shelter and orphanage."
"And we even donated canned goods…"
"And I wrote a check and gave it to the shelter and orphanage we visited. I believe one of the best things to do during the holidays is…oh!"
"Mama!" The children rushes to her side.
"No-no. It's okay." She rests her hand on her belly. "I can feel the baby kicking inside."
"Really?"
"What else can the baby do?" Peyton asked.
"Well, the baby is starting to move around, the lungs, liver and brain are still maturing, they can open and close their eyes…"
"They can ready do that?"
"Yeah. Oh! I can feel the baby kick again."
"You hear that, Maddie?" JJ said. "You're kicking inside your mommy."
"You three want to feel it?"
"Yes!" Placing their hands on the belly. "Hey, I feel it kicking."
"I do, too!"
"Me three!"
"That means the baby will be coming soon..."
"But not today?"
"No," Caroline said as she was chuckling. "But soon."
"And they'll be surrounded by an endless amount of L-O-V-E."
"You betcha."
Hotch pauses the video and took a moment. While Garcia, Prentiss and JJ wiped some tears from their eyes, Reid looks down at Maddie, who was moving around on his lap. "And they were right; you are surrounded by an endless amount of L-O-V-E."
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Reid closes the 'Twas the Night Before Christmas book, only to look down on his lap to see Maddie fast asleep. He quietly chuckles to himself and pats her head.
He hoped Maddie had a great Christmas, even though she wouldn't really remember it. He and everybody else spent the day exchanging gifts, watching classic Christmas movies, drink hot chocolate and listen to Christmas songs. He was still chuckling at Henry and Jack singing to the Chipmunks Christmas song.
Just as Spencer was putting Maddie in her crib, he looks outside the window to see that it had just started to snow delicately before looking up at the sky. He could swear he just saw some stars twinkle in the snowing night.
"Hey, Maddie. I bet you enjoyed your very first Christmas with us. Well I promise you this; you'll have many more to come."
Kissing her forehead, "Sweet dreams, Maddie. I love you."