CH. 25: Christmas Celebrations

It was the week of Christmas and Linda was almost certain that Jack and Scottie had looked through every corner and crevice of the house for their gifts. And if those two weren't bad enough Linda was constantly having to stop Sean from unwrapping other members of the family's presents that were kept under the tree.

Danny had picked up an extra tour to make up for the added Christmas expense causing him to work later than usual and leaving Linda alone with their children.

"Sean," Linda sounded frustrated.

"If you don't pick up these toys, I'm giving them away."

"I playing," the boy whined.

"Not with all of them your not," Linda had been trying to make her house look somewhat presentable by Christmas, but it seemed like every time she made even a hint of progress one or all of her children went behind her and made everything a mess all over again.

"I play with those later," Sean pointed at the rest of the toys that we're currently thrown in different areas of the living room.

"Now Sean."

"No," Sean grumbled loudly, tears starting to fall.

"Sean Daniel Reagan," his mother looked at him sternly. "Do you need to get in trouble?"

"No," Sean was still upset but he was trying to stop crying.

"Then please pick up the toys that you are not playing with right now," she replied firmly.

Sean sniffed but he reluctantly carried an armful of toys up to his room.

Linda shook her head exasperated as she picked up the laundry basket and continued down to the basement to get a load of laundry started.

Just as Linda went down to the basement, was a knock at the door.

"Linda!" Erin called opening the front door of her brother and sister in laws home with her young daughter in tow.

Finding no one in the front room, Erin called again as she looked about the house.

"Erin, Nicki," Linda sounded surprised, returning to the main floor of her home.

"I knocked but," Erin started to say.

"It's been a little chaotic today," Linda looked frazzled as she led them back into the living room where they could make themselves more comfortable.

"Where are the boys?" Erin started to say, seconds before she was interrupted by her three boisterous nephews running down the stairs screaming for Nicki to play with them.

"Let's go play outside!" Jack yelled running through the room, heading straight for the backdoor, the other three following close behind.

"I have a better idea," Linda stood. Knowing that if they went out to play, it would only be a matter of time till some were fighting and some were crying. "Why don't you go watch a Christmas movie upstairs so I can talk to your Aunt Erin."

"Yay!" They squealed, running up the stairs.

"I'll be right back," Linda looked back at Erin before she went to get a movie started in she and Danny's room.

Linda returned shortly and after making a quick trip to the kitchen for a bottle of wine and two glasses, she returned to her seat next to her.

"What have you been doing today?" Linda started up the conversation.

"I went in to work this morning, then went home to do a little cleaning. I've been so busy that our apartment fell to the wayside in neglect."

"A clean house," Linda sighed, sounding as if it was a distant memory. "I live in a house with four boys. My house never looks good. And I've given up on trying to get it that way."

"Your house looks great," Erin assured her.

"That's because I threatened my children with no presents if they even considered taking a toy out without putting it away."

"Getting tough are we?"

"Now if I can only figure out how to threaten your brother in a way that will make him clean up after himself."

"Good luck," Erin laughed. "I remember mom always having the hardest time on getting him to pick up after himself."

"Sean's just like him," Linda shook her head.

"Lucky you," Erin teased. "You've got two of them in the house."

"What about Joe?" Linda asked curiously.

Erin didn't say anything at first, her face showing that she was in deep thought.

"From what I remember, Joe wasn't too bad. But I do remember him being quite the prankster. Why? You wondering about Scottie?"

"Scotties pretty good if you remind him," Linda nodded.

"And Jack?" Erin remembered the only one they hadn't mentioned yet.

"Jack thinks he can do everything on his own and doesn't want to be told anything."

"It's a great age isn't it?" Erin giggled.

"I don't think he'll ever outgrow it," Linda didn't sound as if she was looking forward to it at all. Especially the teenage years."

"What's this?" Erin noticed a package on the counter with no return address.

"It's a present from Kris for Scottie. I picked it up in the mail today."

"What is it?" Erin looked surprised.

"Ball and glove," Linda replied. "The gloves a little big, but he'll grow into it."

"Does he like it?" Erin was trying to remember if she had ever seen Scottie interested in sports. Then again, he was only four.

"I haven't given it to him yet," Linda sounded anxious. "I wanted to talk to Danny about it first."

"About what?"

"About whether or not we should we give it to him?" Linda had to admit she was at a loss for a decision.

"That's a tough one," Erin admitted, sensing how distressed the whole thing was making her sister in law.

"I just thought we had all this behind us, with Kris being in prison and that we were finally getting to move forward. Scott is my son now. She gave him up and we have the custody papers to prove it."

"I know it's hard Linda," Erin tried to assure her. "But it's Christmas, and it's her first year without him."

"I know, but that isn't our fault," Linda sounded upset. "We didn't make her give him up, then kidnap him because she wanted him back."

"And he's changed so much since then, you've made such a difference in his life."

"He's become such a part of our lives that sometimes I don't remember a time when we didn't have him. But then we hear from Kris and I feel like we're starting all over again."

"If it makes you feel any better you and Danny have been that one constant in his life since Joe died and you will have a lot more active years in his life than Kris ever had."

Linda smiled and dug into the box again to reveal a sealed envelope.

"There's also a letter."

"Really?" Erin was curious. "What's it say?"

"I haven't opened it yet, but it's addressed to me and Danny. So I think I'm going to let him open it."

"Are you going to be able to wait that long?" Erin knew that there was no way she would be able to handle the not knowing.

"I've waited this long," Linda returned the letter to the cardboard box.

XXXXXXXX

It was 1:00 am and Linda was sitting up waiting for her husband. She started out enjoying the time to catch up on a show she had started watching on Netflix

Even though she had to admit she was having a little trouble staying awake. She had been up for countless hours already and most of those had been with three little boys all under the age of 5. She was starting to falter, feeling as if insomnia was beginning to take over when she heard the door open.

"What are you still doing up?" Danny was surprised to find her downstairs, rather than in their room asleep.

"Waiting for you," Linda sat up.

"Who did what this time?" Danny knew that that was what normally kept her up and waiting for him.

"I don't even know where I would start," Linda laughed softly, thinking back to the beginning of her day. "But if your asking, Scottie has an imaginary friend he's driving me crazy with.

"Great," Danny said with little exuberance. "Wonder how long that'll last?"

"Not long I hope," Linda admitted. "I had to set an extra place at the dinner table tonight. And when I went in to make sure the boys stayed in bed, I found Scottie on the floor. When questioned about it, he said Grover wanted to sleep on the bed."

"What did you say?" Danny could only imagine how that played out.

"I told him he better get his butt in bed if he knew what was good for him."

Danny couldn't reply to that, all he could do was smile.

"But that's not something I would let keep me up at night," Linda enlightened.

"Read this," Linda handed him the unopened letter. "It's from Kris, it came with a gift for Scottie."

Danny read the letter to himself before dropping it on the coffee table in front of him and turning his attention back to his wife.

"What did it say?"

"Not much," Danny shrugged. "Why didn't you read it?"

"I wanted to wait till we were together."

"Linda," Danny knew she wasn't telling him the full truth.

"I was worried," Linda gave in. "I just want to be left alone with Scottie and I'm afraid that when she gets out of prison she'll want to start seeing him more and more and eventually we'll lose him."

"Thats not going to happen," Danny shook his head.

"How can you be so sure?"

Danny sighed, but eventually decided to let on as to what he was keeping to himself. "I didn't want to tell you this till Christmas. But a couple weeks ago, I went and saw Kris."

"What? Why?"

"It was meant to be part of your Christmas present."

"What is?"

"I convinced Kris into putting her past life behind her so she can move forward with a fresh start once she gets out of prison in a couple years. She agreed and said that we won't hear from her any longer."

"What did you have to do for her?"

"I told her I'd see what I could do about getting her a reduced sentence."

"Do you think that's wise?"

"The only reason she's there in the first place is because she couldn't handle the fact that she lost the only part of her life that made sense after Joe. I didn't understand that before, but now I do. That same as she didn't understands that her life with Scottie was over until now."

"Does Frank know about this?"

"I talked to him before I went," he nodded. "I figured I was going to have to make a deal. He said that I was the boy's father and it was my decision. But we both agreed that it was in Scottie's best interest, by only having one mother from now on, if we tried to get her a reduced sentence of three years on the terms she leaves New York as soon as she gets out and has an exemplary record from now on."

"So we won't have anymore interference from her?"

"None," Danny shook his head smiling. "Merry Christmas."

"Oh Danny," she said wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can't believe it!" She pressed a kiss firmly to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

XXXXXXXX

The following day was Christmas Eve and Linda was beginning to feel overwhelmed with everything she still needed to do. She needed to cook dinner for her family, get their Christmas pictures put in cards for the rest of the family, and she still had so many presents to wrap, she didn't know how she was ever going to get it all done by the following morning. At least if she planned on sleeping any that night. She knew her family was going to need clean pants to where to Frank's on Christmas so she had those in the dryer that we're going to need to be taken out soon. She was running out of hours in the day, and knew that without a doubt she would be up into the wee morning hours.

Danny was exhausted when he got home that night. He had been running on as minimal sleep as possible, just so he could get his open cases closed before the holidays. He had just finished saying a few words to his wife and children when he slumped onto the sofa and picked up the television remote. He didn't even get a chance to turn it on or even make himself comfortable when he was interrupted by his middle child.

"Be careful Daddy!" Scottie whined, pulling on his fathers hand, trying to get him to stand up.

"What's wrong?" Danny was trying to figure out what had gotten into the boy.

"Your sitting on Grover."

"Scottie," Danny was in no mood to deal with his sons imaginary friend. Especially after he had stressed all day with rushing through his case open case so he could spend some time with his boys after Christmas, instead of having to rush back to work. It helped that his partner felt the same about taking a few day, it being the holidays and all, but that didn't mean it relieved his stress completely. In the end, they did manage to solve the case just in time to get Danny home for dinner and to help Linda get ready with the chaos Christmas Day would bring. "Daddy needs a place to sit too."

"Sit over there," he complained loudly. Pointing at the other end of the sofa.

Danny took a deep breath and ran a hand over his tired face, before he eventually gave in and gave up his seat, just to appease his son.

Danny didn't even bother to take a seat in the area his four year old designated appropriate. And instead decided to go in search of his wife.

"I can't even relax in my own home," Danny said, finding her in the kitchen, where she was busy getting dishes out to set the table.

"Why?" Linda sounded confused.

"My son just accused me of sitting on something that doesn't exist."

"Now you know what I've been going through all week."

"You know, I could take care of that."

"How?" Linda asked immediately.

"I could pretend I had an invisible gun and make it into an invisible rug?" Danny said sarcastically.

"Danny," Linda glared at him. "He might hear you," she warned.

"Linda, we got to do something."

"He'll outgrow it," was all Linda suggested.

"Yeah but when?"

"I don't know."

"For sanitys sake, it better be soon," Danny muttered under his breath.

"You'll live," Linda didn't show any sympathy towards her husband, figuring she had to deal with it a lot more often he did. "Now go get the boys washed up for dinner."

Ten minutes later, and Danny had the boys washed up and at the table for a quick meal of spaghetti and garlic bread.

"Is Santa coming?" Scottie asked about five minutes into the meal.

"I don't know, have you been good?" Danny teased.

"Yes," Scottie said, his mouth full of noodles. "Very good."

"Mhmm," Danny muttered.

"Scottie, don't talk with your mouth full," Linda corrected.

"What do you think were going to get in our stockings?" Scottie looked at his elder brother just as soon as he swallowed.

"Switches," Danny grinned, answering for his son. Knowing that would be the last thing Jack would say.

"Nooo," Scottie drew the word out.

"Yesss," Danny did the same.

"Don't tease him Danny," Linda couldn't help but smile at her sons expressions.

"My dad use to say the same thing to me and my siblings every year," Danny recalled. "It never happened," he chuckled. "Mom wouldn't let him."

"You probably deserved it," Linda pointed at him teasingly.

"Never," Danny winked at her, just before taking the drink of his beer.

Finishing their dinner, Linda started issuing orders before her boys had a chance to leave the table.

"Boys, I want you take your dishes to the sink and then go straight upstairs. Jack, you go to mine and daddy's bathroom and take a shower. Sean and Scottie," Linda turned her attention to her two youngest. "Daddy will give you a bath and put you to bed."

"We have to go to bed already?" Jack complained.

"Tomorrow's going to be a busy day," Linda overruled. "And Santa wont come till your asleep," she reminded with a large excited smile that was not only spread on her face but on her children's as well.

"What are you going to do?" Danny asked his wife, once they were alone.

"Where do I start?" Linda was tired just thinking about it.

"That bad?"

"Let my put it to you this way. I'm not here. Your a single parent tonight, good luck." Linda gave him a reassuring smile as she left him standing alone in the upstairs hallway.

"Thanks a lot," Danny went in search of his two youngest, so he could get started on listening to Sean complain that he was drowning him when he poured the water over his head to rinse out the shampoo.

The boys were both excited and anxious over the prospects of Christmas, and that made the task of putting his three little boys to bed almost impossible and it was showing on Danny's face when he saw Linda again.

"Whys is your shirt all wet?" she looked at him surprised.

"Why don't you ask our youngest," was all Danny said.

"I would, but isn't he in bed?" Linda looked at the clock, knowing it had to be getting late.

"He better be."

"That bad?"

"Let me put it to you this way?" Danny sounded exasperated. "He's lucky it's Christmas."

XXXXXXXX

Christmas Day was upon them, and it was scheduled to be full of celebration and excitement. They spent the morning enjoying their own family Christmas, watching their boys sit around the tree and tearing into their presents, their faces aglow as they held their gifts int their hands.

They didn't want to rush through the fun, but that didn't mean they couldn't rush through the getting ready part of the day, knowing they had to get to Bay Ridge so they could join in with the rest of the family for Christmas dinner and gift exchange.

"We need to get going. Pops going to need all the help he can get to get dinner on the table," Linda said sitting on the edge of her bed while she put her shoes on. "So your going to need to keep an eye on the boys."

"I'll bring the handcuffs," Danny was still looking for a shirt to wear.

"Danny," was all Linda said.

"It was a joke," Danny lightened. "They could probably slip right out of them anyways." He grinned at her.

As expected, the three youngest Reagan's weren't any better behaved than they were the day before, too excited over the prospect of finally being able to open presents that day.

"Sean," Danny took him by surprise by sneaking up behind him and lifting him off the ground. "Stay out of the presents." He said before sending him after his brothers.

"Linda's been having a little trouble keeping him from tearing into all the presents this week," Danny enlightened his father and brother who were relaxing in the room.

"You were the same way," Frank recalled. "In fact, when you were his age, you opened three presents while your mother and I were taking care of your baby sister."

Danny chuckled to himself, silently thanking God that Sean wasn't as bad as he was.

"You taking any days off after Christmas?" Frank looked at his sons.

"Linda wants me to take a couple days to spend with the boys while Jack and Scottie don't have school."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take them," Danny nodded. "But I'll probably be a lot more tired with them, then I ever am at work." Danny could only imagine how much time he was going to be spending getting attacked by his three little monsters.

"Where are the boys?" Linda asked her husband coming out of the kitchen when she noticed how quiet the house had become.

"There around."

"Where?"

Just as Danny was about to reply, Nicki came in.

"Nicki, where are your cousins?" He remembered the kids were all playing together somewhere.

"In the back yard," she replied, climbing onto the couch next to Jamie.

Danny nodded, not appearing to be all that concerned.

"Danny," Linda showed enough concern for both of them. "It's snowing."

"So," Danny knew that his kids played in the snow all the time. The same as he did when he was their age.

"They aren't wearing their coats!" She rushed to the back door. Yelling at Danny as she went. "If we get three sick kids, you're taking care of them!"

"Why didn't you tell me they were outside earlier?" Danny looked at Nicki.

"You didn't ask me?" Nicki shrugged.

"Of course," Danny stood to follow his wife. Hoping to appease her a bit.

Unfortunately, he didn't even make it half way to the door before she came marching three little boys in to warm themselves by the fireplace.

"You know better than to go outside without permission," Linda was speaking primarily to her two eldest children, but that didn't mean her two year old couldn't hear about it either. "And without your jackets."

"We wanted to play in the snow," Jack tried.

"Not without permission you don't."

"Linda!" Henry called from the kitchen, interrupting her lecture.

"Danny," Linda turned to her husband. "Talk to them." She said, hurrying back to the kitchen, knowing the only reason Pop was calling for her was because he needed help.

Danny didn't even get a chance to respond to his wife's request before she was gone. He wasn't sure what he was going to tell them further. She had already said everything he figured necessary.

"Listen to your mother," he finally settled on something. "Or your going to get in trouble on Christmas," he warned.

"I'm hungry Daddy," Jack spoke up. "When are we going to eat?"

"When it's ready." Danny gave him the only answer he could.

"Can we go play now?" He asked impatiently.

"You can play where I can see you," his father responded. "I'm not going to let you get you or myself in trouble with your mother again." Danny settled back onto his place on the sofa.

Sean started to bounce around the living room and Danny had to remind him multiple times to be careful around the fireplace.

Scottie in the meantime decided to spend his time playing with the remote control car his parents got him for Christmas. At first, he wasn't doing anything wrong, but eventually he got to where he thought it was fun to ruin it into the wall over and over again.

"Scottie, please stop using my wall as a barrier." This time it was Frank who spoke up.

Jack on the other hand, started out playing on the far edge of the room, until he got closer and closer to the foot of the stairs until he eventually started to play on them.

"I can't see you over there Jack," Danny called behind him.

"Seriously Dad?" Jack sounded aggravated. "I'm not doing anything.

"That's not the point," Danny clarified. "I told you to stay where I could see you."

"I'm not that far away," Jack ignored his fathers warning to return.

"Your beginning to sound like someone who wants to get in trouble."

"No," Jack said immediately.

"That's good, because I'd really hate to take you upstairs on Christmas."

Jack sighed, but quickly returned to the bottom floor.

"Maybe making them stay in the same room with me the whole time was a bad idea," Danny was beginning to rethink his form of prevention with his children.

"Grandpa," Jack sat on the arm rest of his grandfathers chair. "Will you take me fishing one day while I'm out of school?"

"I think your old enough to go out with me," Frank looked him over. "What do you say Danny?" Frank asked, even though he knew the answer.

"I think I was around his age when I started doing things with just me and Grandpa," Danny recalled.

"In that case, I think I could arrange for a little night fishing at the pier if you can get mom and dad to let you spend the night," Frank winked at him.

"Can I Daddy?" Jack asked immediately.

"When do you want him?" Was all Danny said, looking at his father.

"Time for dinner," Erin interrupted the conversation, calling everyone to the table, just as she finished setting it.

There was a large amount of food spread about the table, and Linda had just started to fill her children's plates while Danny cut their slices of ham into smaller pieces.

"Eat a little bit of everything on your plates please," Linda said placing their plates in front in front of them.

"I don't like sweet potatoes," Scottie voiced a complaint.

"How do you know?" Danny nudged him playfully.

"Orange isn't my favorite color," Scottie voiced his reasons.

"Eat your vegetables," Danny laughed, not taking his complaint as a valid one.

Scottie had barely started to eat his meal when he voiced another question just minutes later.

"When are we going to open presents?" He asked anxiously.

"After the dinner dishes are done," Henry answered the boys question.

"But I want to open presents first."

"Me too," Sean added.

"Patience," Linda looked from Sean to Scottie.

"I don't like that word," Scottie huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest in complaint.

"Eat your dinner," Linda ordered.

It took some time, but eventually the parents managed to get their children's minds off their waiting Christmas presents and onto their meal and it proved to be a great deal more enjoyable then.

By the end of the day, all three boys were sprawled out around the house fast asleep.

"The snows really coming down out there," Jamie looked out the window.

"Maybe we should start for home," Linda said after getting up to observe what her brother in law was speaking of.

"I'm sure it's fine," Danny didn't seem all that concerned.

"They are predicting a blizzard tonight," Linda mentioned after checking the weather on her phone.

"I'm not afraid to drive in the snow,"

"A blizzard is more than a little snow Danny."

"I'm sure it's fine," he repeated.

"It could turn into quite a mess," Linda returned to her seat next to him. "I'm glad neither of us have to work tomorrow. But, we should probably get going so we can get home and the boys to bed.

"There already asleep," Danny reminded her how quiet the house had become over the last hour.

"Scotties asleep on the floor and Jacks on the table," Linda pointed put.

"Seans comfortable," Danny gestured at his youngest, who was sleeping soundly on his grandfathers lap.

XXXXXXXX

That night, and after tucking their already sleeping children into bed, Danny and Linda sat in front of the roaring fire Danny had made. Grateful for the time they were getting to spending alone.

"It's certainly been a memorable year," Linda smiled, reflecting over time past.

"It's definitely had some ups and downs," Danny filled her wine glass.

"Held some unexpected events." Linda was speaking of Scottie.

"That's true," Danny agreed. "We gained another child and we didn't have several months to prepare like most people get."

"He's brightened up so much since the first day he moved in," Linda pointed at the picture they had taken outside the courthouse, once the papers were signed. "Turned into a completely different little boy. We've always been a family, him being your nephew and all. But, he learned to accept us as his parents and turned into our boy. The same as Jack and Sean."

"We've all changed," Danny nodded.

"That's because we became responsible for another life. And one we will be responsible for for the rest of our lives. It hasn't been easy."

"If we think these years are tough while he's young. Just wait till the teenage years." Danny reminded her of what was to come.

"I just realized that were going to have three teenagers in the house at the same time," Linda sounded almost frightened.

"I may have to pick up a few extra tours. Anything to keep me out of the house."

"No you won't," Linda changed his plans just as soon as he finished making them. "They're going to need a full-time father."

"Frightened much?" Danny teased.

"When you spend all day, everyday with them, we'll talk. Until then, leave my fear out of it."

"There good kids," Danny admitted. "They have us watching out for them."

"The best," Linda leaned into him to kiss him.

"Mmm," Danny smiled at her. "That's the best Christmas present I've gotten all day."

The End

Hope you all enjoyed the final chapter!

Regarding my previous question regarding whether to skip a few years or keep the story as is. The majority rules and I will be skipping a few years for the next story. Hope you all stick around for my new story. I'm looking forward to see how life will turn out for the Reagan boys.

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews... JusticeStandsTRUE