Twelve Days of Christmas

I wasn't going to but changed my mind and have written a Christmas story. I hope you like it. I would love to hear your opinions and look to working further on the story.

I do not own or have connection with the "Criminal Minds" program or its characters.

Chapter Five, Five Golden Rings

He was writing the report when he looked down at his hands; once again he wonders how he lost it. The ring on that finger was a symbol of his love for her and was there for so many years. It is now in a box with hers next to it all but forgotten but kept as a keepsake for the boy sleeping in the other room. He jumped slightly when he heard a clatter coming from the hall and a soft moan following it. He goes to the door and looks out the peephole and there is nothing in his sight. He turns the alarm off but picks up his gun to open the door and check out what had happened. Opening the door he sees a large woman with packages strewn all over the place, the woman is struggling to rise to her feet with a cane in her left hand and her right is on the wall to help stabilize her. The hero in the man could not watch this and not help her.

"Here let me help." He goes to her right side and places his arms around her waist and helps to lift her while she presses down on the cane to get strength there. After a minute she is finally standing but is wavering on her feet about to collapse again. He continues to hold her and takes her into the apartment and sets her on the sofa.

'Are you alright? Can I get you anything?"

"A glass of water would be nice. Thank you." He goes into the kitchen and fills a glass with water and brings it to her. She looks at him with gratitude and concern as she drinks the water. He goes back to the hall and picks up the items from her bags and brings them into the living room. She is still sitting on the sofa when he comes back in to the room.

"Is there anything that I can get you?"

"No, I just need to catch my breath again. I was walking down the hall with the bags and lost my balance and fell down. It is not the first time that it has happened and I daresay it probably won't be the last. I am not steady on my feet. But don't let me stop you from doing what you were doing. I don't want to be a burden."

"You are not a burden and I was merely writing a report for work and actually had gotten a little distracted so maybe it was a good thing that you fell."

"A good thing?"

"Maybe not good but I do appreciate the diversion from what I was thinking."

She began to look around the room at the many Christmas decorations and the tree in the corner with presents under it. There also appeared to be signs of a child but also of a lonely man.

"Where is your wife tonight?"

"Why do you think I have a wife?"

"There is evidence of children so I assumed you were married."

"I was but she died a few months ago."

"I am sorry to hear that. I can see that you still hurt from her loss as you loved her very much."

"She was a part of my life for a long time and I did love her a great deal."

"And the child, there is a child here?"

"Yes, I have a four-year-old son."

"It must be hard on him knowing that his mommy isn't visibly there anymore."

"You think that she is there invisibly?"

"I can't see the invisible so I don't know but I like to keep an open-mind about that."

"Nothing wrong with keeping an open-mind."

"What about you? Do you think that she will still watch over you and her son?"

"I don't know. My own father died when I was a teenager and my brother was a child younger than Jack is now but I don't know if he watched over us or not after his death."

"The both of you are still here and in good health I assume."

"Yes that we are and I tried to make Sean's life good for him and be a good role model. Of course I thought he was going to follow in my footsteps like I followed in our father's and become a lawyer but he wanted to do something else."

"He probably thought about law because of his respect and love for you not for the love of the legal procedures. Do you practice law now?'

"Actually I can but I work in a different way in the justice department."

"You do?"

"I search and profile the most dangerous of criminals so that justice can be done for the people they hurt."

"Instead of prosecuting them you work at helping to catch them."

"Yes that is what I do."

"You always were a hero even as a child."

"I tried to stand up to those who tried to hurt others but I didn't always come out in the best way doing that."

"But you tried. You didn't compromise or back down from it."

"You seem to know a bit about me."

"I profile a little myself. I just got that information from looking around your apartment. Do you still have your father's wedding band?"

"Actually, yes I do. I keep it as a remembrance of him. I have his parents' rings as well. There is a box in the bedroom that has five golden rings in it which I will give my son one day."

"Yes those rings are important but remember the most important ring of all."

"The most important ring?"

"The ring of a hug and the circle of a family is most important. I really should be going now. Once again thank you for your kindness in helping me." She stands up and goes to the door; he takes her bag and hands it to her when she is in the hall. He leaves the door open for a little bit as he watches her walk down the hall. When he turns around and closes the door, he puts the alarm on and then notices the box on the desk where he had been working. It had his name on it and when he opened the box there was an ornament of an angel with five gold rings interconnected and etched on the skirt. In her left hand there is a gun and the right hand is touching the top of a small boy who looks at her with a look of respect and awe.