Okay so I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I was able to get it onto paper a lot faster than I expected, I'm going to warn you though I'm still getting back into the habit so give me another couple days for the next chapter. I really hope you like it of course I'd love to read your reviews, and same as always I own nothing.

We were finally on Christmas break, I laughed to myself wrapping a towel around me and heading out into the bedroom. After last weekend and the Christmas tree misadventure this weekend was baking cookies. What could possibly happen that even compared to the drama of last weekend. I heard the knock on the door but being in a towel I thought it best to get dressed first. "Patrick can you get that!" I called down the stairs, there was no answer but I could hear movement downstairs and by the time he opened the door I was making my way down the stairs myself.

"Jane?"

"Hello Grace." Patrick smiled, stepping back a little to reveal our colleague.

Oh God, we are officially busted. I mean if Jane answering the door in pajama pants and a t-shirt wasn't enough of a give away I was halfway down the stairs with a towel still in my hair. "Grace what are you doing here?" I pulled the towel off my head but couldn't find an appropriate place to discard it and settled for running it through my hair again.

"Well I was wondering if you wanted help with the kids this weekend, Christmas Eve being Tuesday, I thought I could help decorate or watch them while you go shopping but I guess I should have called first… obviously you don't need me."

"Don't be ridiculous Grace come in, we're baking cookies today, the kids are in the living room I bet they would love to show you the Christmas tree we bought last week. And Alyssa would love to tell you about her adventure." Patrick grinned, not hesitating to wrap his arm around my waist, yeah because the message wasn't clear enough to begin with.

"I couldn't intrude any more than I already have." She protested backing out of the doorway.

"No, Patrick is right you're here you came to help we would love for you to stay." Had I just called him Patrick, I never called him Patrick in front of coworkers, who was I kidding we were standing in the doorway with his arm around my waist did it really matter what I called him.

"Well if you're sure." She hesitated, obviously a little uncomfortable with the whole situation, but who could blame her. It seemed the only one who wasn't affected by the whole situation was Patrick, which wasn't all together surprising.

"Of course I'm sure, come on the kids are in the living room." I let her step in and closed the door behind her. "Here." I handed off my towel to Patrick, "Can you hang that up when you go get dressed."

"Yes ma'am." He smiled kissed my cheek and disappeared up the stairs leaving me blushing with Grace in the front hallway.

"So…"

"Yes." I nodded.

"How long…"

"Bout five months." I hung my head and led her into the living room knowing the kids would prove ample distraction at least until Jane came back down stairs.

"Okay, Cho's up a hundred bucks from Rigsby." She shrugged but followed me into the kids who jumped at the sight of Van Pelt.

"You came to help us bake cookies." Emily wrapped her arms around Grace's waist.

"Do you like our Christmas tree, I picked it out and then we decorated together!" Alyssa grinned, "Did you know that I got lost looking for tree's but I wasn't scared at all because I knew Teresa and Patrick would find me, they promised they would." It was really amazing how in the period of a week it had gone from terrifying event to cool new adventure.

"I heard about that, I bet you had everyone really worried about you." Grace led them back to the couch. "And the tree looks beautiful."

"Thank you, I wanted to put the Angel on the top but so did Alyssa so Patrick did it because we were fighting." Emily explained, "But look we made these ornaments at school aren't they pretty, and this one came from Patrick's things, and those were from Teresa's boxes."

"It's a beautiful tree girls."

"Thank you." Both girls grinned, "William helped to though."

"Who's ready to start on the baking?" Patrick entered the living room, I noticed Grace double take at the jeans, so it wasn't just me who was affected by that. At least I was finally getting used to it.

"Cookies!" We had three children making a mad dash for the kitchen. I lifted Cass off of her blanket and followed the kids and Grace into the kitchen. Patrick followed after turning on a Christmas radio station, how come I knew now I was probably going to end the day with a headache?

"It looks like you're making way more than cookies boss." Grace was staring at the stack of baking goods that Patrick had started sorting for the kids to start.

"Don't look at me I let Patrick run the kitchen and more often than not I'm greatly rewarded with a delicious meal." I nod in Patrick's direction while he helps the girls onto chairs so they can better reach the counter, then placing William on the counter next to him. "Please all of you be careful."

"We promise." Patrick rolled his eyes.

"Jane cooks?" Grace asked taking a seat next to me while I bounced Cass on my lap.

"Don't look so surprised Grace, we're lucky Lisbon didn't die of malnutrition with all the take out boxes in her fridge before I moved in." Patrick grinned over his shoulder.

"I was not that bad."

"I couldn't even count the number of Chinese take out boxes in your fridge."

"I think that speaks more to your ability to count than my eating habits, besides aren't you supposed to be making cookies?"

"Right you are, would you ladies like to help?" He smiled.

"Cooking is your thing remember."

"You're no fun." He pouted.

"Fine what would you like me to do?"

"Well I say we start with the dough for the cut out cookies that way it can harden in the fridge while we bake the rest of our goodies."

"You're in charge." I rolled my eyes, but none the less lifted Cass into my arms and accompanied by Grace we joined them at the counter for the first project.

In no time at all the dough was cooling in the fridge, flour covered the kitchen and we had chocolate, caramel, and pecan turtles on the table with wreaths we had made from cornflakes, marshmallows and green food coloring. These were soon to be joined by the chocolate chip cookies in the oven and the kid's current projects of peppermint bark and chocolate covered pretzels.

Before long the only thing left was the cutting, cooking, and decorating of the sugar cookies. Soon the various tree, stocking, snowflake, present, ornament, stars, snowmen, and Santa shaped cookies were in the oven. Patrick and the kids were dancing around the kitchen to the Christmas music and Grace and I were back to sitting at the table.

"Hey boss, why didn't you tell us?"

I knew she would ask eventually but I still took my time watching Patrick spin the girls. "I don't know I guess with everything going on it never seemed like a good time. I know we had plenty of opportunities and we should have said something, but I guess it just seemed like everything happened at once you know."

"Yeah, you know its not like we were going to judge you or anything. To be honest I really wanted it to happen. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks Grace." I don't know why I was so worried about telling them. I was happy to have it off my chest well almost we would have to tell the guys soon they were coming over for dinner on Christmas Eve so it would have to happen then.

"What are you two beautiful women doing sitting when there's a party going on." Patrick came over and pulled us both to our feet. "You'll find that the only one allowed to not be on the dance floor is the young lady napping."

"I don't know Patrick now the girls far out number the boys do you think you can keep up?"

"Are you questioning my dancing ability Teresa?"

"Never." I couldn't help but grin as he effortlessly spun both Grace and myself. It was hard to tell which happened first the oven beeping or the baby crying, but just as quickly as our dance party had begun it was called to a close.

"Miss Agent Grace are you staying for dinner?" Emily licked the frosting off of her fingers after having watched Patrick lick the frosting off of a giggling Williams hands.

"Oh I couldn't."

"Of course you can Grace, we have plenty of food." Patrick assured.

"Patrick's making pagetti!" William cheered.

"Well I suppose if Patrick's making pagetti I have to stay."

"Girls come on grab your brother lets get you cleaned up while Patrick cooks."

"I'll stay and help Jane if that's alright."

"Grace you don't have to, you're our guest."

"No it's okay I'm the one who just showed up at your house without warning the least I can do is help with dinner."

An hour and a half later Grace was excusing herself, "I promised Rigsby I'd babysit Ben tonight while he went on a date."

"Yes of course." Patrick grinned, "Wouldn't want to keep Wayne waiting."

"I just have one question before I go, the weekend I watched the kids, the girls said they saw you at the mall. That was you two manufacturing a weekend alone wasn't."

"Guilty, and of course if you and Wayne need someone to watch Ben for a weekend we are available." Patrick's arm was around my waist.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Fair enough."